Summary
Once Humanis an intriguingsurvival gamethat takes many common gameplay features from other successful games and attempts to meld them into a unified whole. This is something the game generally achieves, with a few exceptions, such as the mismatch of graphical styles, and gameplay mechanics that have little use.Bowsfit into this last category, unfortunately.
There are only four bows available to players in thishorror survival shooter, and this is the first clue that bows, in general, are pretty lackluster inOnce Human. The main problem is that the game’s stealth gameplay is close to non-existent. There is little benefit to using a silent weapon from range when stealth is simply not a consideration in combat. This means that, in almost every case, a bow will be overshadowed by a gun inOnce Human. That being said, there are some players that will enjoy using a bow, and they do have a couple of viable options available to choose from.
Even though mostbeginners toOnce Humaneschew a ranged weapon for the first 10 to 15 levels and stick with the basic machete they are given in the tutorial, there is an argument for crafting this basic bow as a companion weapon.
It isn’t powerful, but it takes minimal resources to craft, the blueprint is freely unlocked, and ammo costs are low. Carrying theRustic Crossbowas a backup weapon gives a player at least some form of ranged damage in the early game. Bows inOnce Humantake some skill to use properly, so crafting this bow early on can be seen as a good way to practice for using one of the more advanced bows later.
TheRecurve Bowis a viable alternative to a sniper rifle up to the mid-game stage ofOnce Human. It is very much designed to be used from stealth, with the player taking their time to line up a shot at a weak spot on an enemy.
ForOnce Humanplayers who prefer melee weapons, carrying a decently calibrated Recurve Bow gives them a lot more flexibility in how they engage enemies. It becomes possible to thin out the herd before closing into melee range. However, for players who enjoy ranged combat, this bow is overshadowed by everysniper riflein the game.
As with the previous bow on this list, theRecurve Crossbowmakes for a great ranged weapon for players who prefer to use a melee weapon to carry them inOnce Human. However, this bow is much better suited for getting a solid, first strike hit on a boss at range before closing into melee range and diving into close-quarters combat.
However, the downside of this bow is that it is something of a one-trick pony, because it has a 15-second cooldown on its primary special. It is unlikely that the player will get a second shot off on a boss, and it is almost impossible to get a third, simply because most boss fights take place on small, instanced maps, making it hard for the player to find a safe spot to shoot from range. That being said, all damage is good damage in a boss fight, and getting a solid hit on a boss from range with this bow is never going to be a bad thing.
When approaching a point of interest teeming with foes, it is prudent to eliminate a few from a distance before engaging. TheCompound Bowexcels in this scenario, enhancing stealth gameplay by reducing the likelihood of detection and subsequent attack.
The Compound Bow is particularly effective because dispatching a single enemy activates the weapon’s self-buff, boosting reload speed and increasing damage output. Overall, this is the only bow that a player might want to use instead of a sniper rifle, if they run a ranged damage only build. However, the weapon needs to befully calibratedto reach its maximum effectiveness.
