Guide: Core Ripping, Parkour & Pig Shop Basics

TL;DR

• Core Ripping is the core mechanic: rip a core to instantly kill, then throw for AoE or absorb for a Core Enhanced Melee.
• Use the Pig Shop to buy weapon upgrades with dust — exploration finds the dust you need and reveals dual upgrade paths.
• Movement wins fights: jump, double jump, jetpack, dash, wall running (refills jetpack fuel), ziplines and grapples let you control space.
• Practice Hot Swapping and timed melee stuns: stunned enemies take massively amplified bullet damage and Core Enhanced strikes clear armor fast.

What You Need to Know First

Before you start flaming through arenas, get these basics sorted. The table below lists the practical prerequisites and where to find them.

Recommended setup:

• Play until you confirm Core Ripping is available (it’s the fundamental offensive tool).
• Spend a few runs exploring for dust so you can actually afford Pig Shop upgrades.
• Accept that movement (jetpack, wall running, grappling) is not optional—arenas are designed vertically.

Quick rules of thumb:

• Throw cores into clusters for Ranged AoE; absorb for a raw melee buff when facing armored enemies.
• Wall running refills jetpack fuel — chain it with dashes to stay airborne longer.
• Resupply points are reusable on cooldown; timing your fights around those timers keeps you alive longer.

Step-by-Step Guide

Follow this sequence during your first few runs to build consistent success. Each step assumes Core Ripping and basic traversal unlocked.

1. Enter the arena and map exits. Identify resupply stations and any high ground you can reach with a dash + jump or jetpack.
2. Prioritize clusters of weak enemies for Core Ripping throws; keep an eye on cooldowns so you don’t waste opportunities.
3. Use the Pig Shop between arenas: buy one meaningful upgrade per run rather than spreading dust thin across many weapons.
4. Force close-quarters engagements for armored foes: absorb a ripped core, then land a Core Enhanced Melee to strip armor instantly.
5. Begin practicing Hot Swapping in low-risk fights: swap between a kinetic weapon and a shotgun to bypass cooling and pump animations.
6. Chain movement: dash into a wall run to refill jetpack, then grapple or zip to reset positioning and pick safe resupply windows.

Practical weapon table — pick based on feel, not just numbers:

Notes on Hot Swapping:

• Start with weapons you can comfortably aim while swapping. Timing matters more than raw speed.
• Kinetic weapons skip cooling periods; shotguns skip pump animations if you swap before the recovery frames finish.
• On higher difficulties Hot Swapping ceases being optional — treat it like breathing.

Combat rhythm checklist:

• Stun with melee, follow with bullets for amplified damage (a single basic hit can balloon into a fifty-damage punch when properly timed).
• If multiple foes close in, throw a core for AoE and reset to a favorable position using dash + wall run.
• Conserve cores: use them for clutch escapes or to quickly remove high-priority threats.

If you want a quick practice loop:

1. Enter a small arena. 2. Rip a weak enemy, throw the core into a clump. 3. Try a Hot Swap combo until you can do it without thinking. 4. Finish with a Core Enhanced Melee on a heavier target.

That loop trains Core Ripping decisions, Hot Swapping timing, and movement chaining in under five minutes per run.

Pro Tips

• Chain wall running and dashes to refill jetpack fuel — it lets you stay airborne long enough to control sightlines and dodge heavy attacks.
• Use the Pig Shop’s dual upgrade paths like a one-way fork: commit to the path that matches your playstyle rather than trying to ‘cover everything.’
• When practicing Hot Swapping, start with empty recoil patterns: swap during recoil recovery frames so the weapon you return to feels instant.
• Treat stunned enemies as damage multipliers. A timed melee stun followed by focused fire will chew through shields and armor faster than sustained spraying.
• If an arena has multiple resupplies, force fights around their cooldowns. Deny the enemy space and you’ll starve them of recovery windows.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Wasting cores by throwing them at single targets instead of saving them for clusters or armored foes.
• Buying every Pig Shop upgrade you can instead of picking one strong path—spreading dust too thin makes progression feel slow.
• Ignoring wall running as movement tool; it refills jetpack fuel and is key for chaining vertical plays.
• Practicing Hot Swapping in panic situations rather than controlled fights—build muscle memory in low-risk arenas first.