- Back to Safe House #1

Hard Rain - Return to Safe House #1

Stock up (feel free to take everything from this one as we won't be revisiting this area again) and head outside. Once you re-emerge the reason for the level's name will become apparent. As you were collecting gas an intense storm has brewed up creating hurricane conditions and completely flooding much of the lower parts of the level.

There are a few things to bear in mind about the storm:

1) As with swamp water, you can only wade slowly through it
2) The crash of thunder and lightning will usually attract a horde (or coincide with a horde's arrival)
3) The effect when the storm rages is so intense that you cannot know where you are going or what enemies lie ahead (such as Witches). Seek cover in a building or if outside stay in one place until the rage passes.
4) Witches appear to be alerted by the crash of thunder.
5) Do not get separated from the group during the rage periods – it can be very difficult to locate your allies again, especially on Realism mode.
6) Witches may only have the top of their head visible if they are in the water.
7) There should be far fewer Witches than on the way to the gas station (perhaps 2 or 3), but these are much harder to spot.
8) The Witches will no longer be wandering, due to the dark conditions.

With that in mind, head out of the safe-room. You will probably experience the first 'rage' of the storm shortly. Take note of its duration and effects so you are not caught out in the future.

If the idea of travelling through the sugar field again fills you with dread, fear not, as the witches head inside to seek shelter (though of course we will be visiting them shortly).

Watch out for dead ends in the corn field and remember to stay still during the storm's rage, before coming out and re-entering the lift as before. Watch out for Special Infected at the top of the lift, and work your way back down to the ground floor.

Once outside, climb up the silo using the ladder and stick to the gangways – avoid the water wherever possible and remember to keep an eye out for Witches. They are likely to be inside and should no longer be wandering due to the darkness, but the AI Director may just throw a spanner in the works. Enter the building and make your way across the gangways, onto the pipes and out.

Stop off in the porta-cabin we used earlier to get your bearings and wait for any storm rage to subside. From there use gangways, pipes and machinery to stay up high. You should eventually find yourself in the upper floor of the first sugar mill building. Once you get to the bottom head into the building across the street and back into the familiar safe-house!