Is Softcore just the warm-up? Is Hardcore how the game should be played? I think it's fun to run around in the world again. Discover some corners you haven't been to, put your knowledge to work, maybe even discover more notes to figure out the story. You may have solved the puzzle once but now you need to optimize your strat and come up with a better plan!

Those who start on Hardcore probably know what they're doing. It's a steep challenge! But so is Softcore if you take up some of the achievements like no-save, pistol-only, or do it in under 60 minutes.

No matter what, I think it's fun to find the shortest path on Softcore, as well as extend this plan to include more guns and ammo on Hardcore.

Main differences:

• you need to collect disks to save, hard to find, and there are only 29
  
• pouch upgrades only give +1 slot each
  
• way less ammo: you need at least SMG, rifle, and use mines
  
• you loose more health when hit...
  
• ...and of course there are fewer medkits (12 instead of 21)

If you just want to see a full run - here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-V8VjYfR9Q

(If you haven't finished the game on Softcore follow this walkthrough:)
https://cs2bus.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2331001020
Anyhow, let's start with the full Hardcore map. I've checked the numbers with Edith, re-counted several times, been there, done that, so here it is:

If you have finished on Softcore, actually, Hardcore isn't that much different. Follow the same path, just collect all the ammo for all guns, or at least 3 of them. Also use mines against enemies, get's you about +30 kills for free. With good aim and sneaking by some perps you should be fine with ammo even if you don't clear out every last corner.

Disks are actually plenty. Advance boldly for about 5 minutes and if you didn't get anywhere, be a man and load the previous save. Only save after you accomplished something. 15 saves should be enough (after several tries...) and there are 28 disks to find.

Same for damage and medkits. Whenever you take damage: re-load, try again. What? You won't need medkits, or not as many, and there are only 12 on hardcore.

• You want to have all Pouch upgrades. They only give one more slot each for a total of 12. But since you also carry Pliers, Lockpick, mines, and different types of ammo they get used up quickly. So think of that when you go back through Admin (8 Archive), back into Security (14 Interrogation), and after you have the Teal keycard (6 Apartments).
  
  
• You do need the Lockpick for enough blue SMG and yellow Rifle ammo, so get it after you have the Orange keycard (you probably won't need the Shotgun, IMO).
  
  
• To get to the Rifle/Magnum you need the Flashdrive. There's more ammo, too. Pick up the Flashdrive in Office (10) when getting the Jammer, use it to collect 10 red and 10 blue ammo there, take the Flashdrive, remember to use it in Surveillance (11) on your way back, and visit Arsenal (6) again (mind the second creeper).

Here is another map with just the stuff that's different on Hardcore:
Load it in your favorit drawing app (paint.net?) and make your own marks and notes.

Here is a map with just the disks:
Except for one, all are in places where you'd find something else on Softcore. However, it's often those places that are less obvious.

There is one stack with 3 disks right at the start, take them and put them into the storage box for later. 5 are in places with 2 disks at once. 4 of which (2x2) are in metal cases that need the Lockpick. One disk in Technical is inside a body (the only body that contains something, no need to go search every dead body). Another one in Technical is on a container above your line of sight--you would need to jump to get to it, so there really are only 28.

There is a total of 21 medkits on softcore. Hardcore has only 12 and, you guessed it, it's the ones hardest to get to or easiest to miss.

2 medkits are in a lockbox (one less than on softcore). Security has 2 instead of 3, there's one missing in both Habitat and Admin, 2 less in Medical, and Technical has only 1 left (instead of 4).

Ammo is usually at the same positions, just half the amount, or replaced with a component (blue/green/red jars).


Remember that you can use Pliers to disarm 33 mines (+4 in Arsenal = 37) and use them against enemies. Clip Upgrades give you another ~15 kills. Components amount to maybe 40 rounds or 10-15 kills.

With mostly headshots and damage upgrade on Pistol and Rifle you should be able to get rid of more than 200 enemies (there are 277 in total). Fortunately, many don't attack or you can sneak by, so you have to kill 170-180 tops.

• Make sure to collect and use all mines. So, yeah, get the Pliers. It's an extra ~37 kills. For me it was really hard to not shoot mines since I was so used to it from Softcore speedruns. A mine doesn't necessarily kill a big guy when he walks towards it. It does kill him, though, if he is standing above it the moment it activates... timing is everything.
  
  
• Like on Softcore, make sure to rush to the Damage Upgrade (Admin - Personel 12) to reduce the required ammo by half. However, there is a second Damage Upgrade in Technical L2 (7 Chief). Go there as soon as you have the Yellow keycard. You can upgrade any of the remaining weapons but I would recommend the Rifle for one-shot kills (guy: headshot, slasher: body). Switch to the Rifle from here (but keep the Pistol, too).
  
  
• Since the rifle is so powerful also get the second Clip Upgrade in Engineering (2 QA) for a happy +10 rounds (don't charge the rifle before that). You need the Screwdriver there and I would recommend bringing a mine or two.
  
  
• If you're good at headshots and sneak by a lot of enemies you don't even need the Shotgun. Thus, leave green ammo untouched. Saves a lot of hassle. On the other hand, you really need to pick up almost all of the other ammo.
  
  
• Components (red/blue/yellow jars) are a waste of time in my view.
  
  
• When to get the SMG is totally up to you. You should be able to get through Security and Habitat with pistol-only. So once you have the Teal+Blue keycards get the SMG, and also get the Pouch there and +5 yellow rounds where the Screwdriver was. I would then switch to SMG and get rid of all blue ammo while you do the Ventilation thing.
  
  
• The best strategy on handling inventory is yet to be found. Your creativity is required! All I came up with is: once your slots are full go find a storage box. I had to go back and forth to get all the stuff from Arsenal, for example. Empty your pockets before you go anywhere, while still keeping all the required tools. For a speedrun this is the ultimate challenge.

Except for some detours the basic route hasn't changed from Softcore. It's in the details. I'm looking forward to watch videos of YOUR hardcore run with better ideas!

Here is my latest run, without SMG, it just takes a lot of practice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-V8VjYfR9Q
https://cs2bus.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2331001020
https://cs2bus.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2315048067