Bears are the scourge of ICARUS. Like the trolls in Valheim, bears are the biggest problem starting players will face. Wolves are nothing compared to the unstoppable power of a single bear. Don’t ask why bears are the apex predator of a (botched) terraforming job on an alien planet. All you need to know is that bears make missions way more difficult, and if you’re struggling to deal with them, we’ve got a few simple tips — including one unbeatable strategy that no bear can handle.
Bears don’t have to be terrifying. There are multiple ways to cheese and exploit bears in ICARUS. This is a PC early-access game, so it would feel wrong if it wasn’t packed with weird little gameplay quirks players are taking advantage of. There are two particularly powerful strategies — juking bears and luring bears to water. Both ways can turn you into a naked survivor into an apex hunter. You don’t need the best gear or weapons. If you know how to fight a bear, you’ll be able to take them out without taking any damage yourself.
More ICARUS guides:
Beginner’s Guide | How To Earn Credits Faster | How To Reach Level 15 Easily | How To Keep XP After Death
How To Deal With Bears | Bear Strategies & Tips
Bears are a nightmare to deal with in ICARUS. They’re big, tough, and fast — they’ll charge right at you when they spot you and claw your face off ridiculously fast. Until you get heavy weapons like the rifle, bears are going to be a constant nuisance. The only benefit? Killing a bear gives you tons of XP.
And bears can be beaten even at lower levels. Once you unlock the Longbow, bears are a breeze with the right strategy. The best way to handle bears is to take them one-on-one — any additional wolves will make fighting bears far more difficult. Before attempting to fight a bear, here’s a basic strategy.
- Juking Bears: When a bear charges at you, sprint directly toward the bear and sidesteps right / left while sprinting. If you time it right, you’ll pass right by the bear mid-charge. They won’t be able to catch you — if you simple sidestep, they’ll get you! Running straight at them avoids their attack, and you can run very close to their nose.
- A simple Bow is all you need. It takes many, many more shots if you have low Bow skills and Stone Arrows, but it can be done. Pop an arrow into the bear’s face as it charges, then sprint and sidestep.
Speed skills are some of the most important abilities when dealing with bears. Give yourself all the Speed boosts you can get — unlock the skill that increases movement speed while holding a bow, unlock the solo skill that gives you an instant speed boost, and equip an Enviro Suit with double Mass Dampeners for +10% speed. The more speed you’ve got, the easier bears are to fight.
- Swimming Bears: Another easy way to take out a bear. Lure it into water, and bears attack much slower. While the bear is swimming at you, swim backwards and stab it in the face with a knife. As long as you’re backing away while in the water, the bear won’t be able to reach you or even attack you. This is the perfect cheese method.
With a good ranged weapon, lots of speed, the ability to juke and knowledge of underwater bear defeat, you should have plenty of tools to destroy bears. The only other option is to dig yourself a bunker in the caves and hope bears can’t dig fast enough to reach you.
