Gunman Contracts Beginner Guide: Controls and Tips

Pick your mode first

Gunman Contracts - Stand Alone launches in either VR or Non-VR from Steam’s launch options. Both have the same contracts and Hive; VR is what the game was built around, and Non-VR is a regular first-person shooter that also runs on Steam Deck. The VR vs Non-VR guide covers the differences.

Finish the Hive tour before anything else

The contract terminal will not unlock until you have run every course in The Hive at least once. The one people miss is the circle of pop-up targets. Only the movable target and bullet penetration stations are optional. The tutorial ends with the full combat training, and Sticking to Protocol pops when you finish it.

Your body is your inventory (VR)

• Holsters: two at your hips for pistols, a knife holster at the front and a shoulder holster for long guns. Bring a gun to the holster and release to put it away.
• Ammo: magazines come from your chest rig, and the ammo counter is on your wrist.
• Phone: on your wrist too. You hold it to access nodes in contracts so the handler can open gates and pull data.
• Picking things up: bring an item to your chest and let go to collect it. Credits count. There is also an auto-collect loot option.

Reloading

Reload by hand, taking a magazine from your chest, or bring a pistol close to your chest for an automatic quick reload. The tutorial prompts you to try it. In the footage we checked, the quick reload is a pistol trick; rifles are reloaded by hand.

Bullet time

You can slow time whenever you want, but the meter is limited. On a controller it is the B button, and the Hive’s reflex station is there to practise with it. Save it for moments when several enemies come at you at once.

Health

Do not look for a heal item. Players on the Steam forum report that health regenerates slowly on its own and that some mission stages top you up. The injector you may find is a nod to the Half-Life: Alyx mods, not a medkit.

Credits and new guns

The handler gives you starting credits for your first pair of pistols. After that, credits come from finishing contracts and from stacks inside the levels. Spend them on weapons and attachments at the loadout terminal, and bring a gun to the modification table to change its look or its gunshot sounds.

Difficulty

Contracts run on easy, normal or hard. Hard without dying is what the three Contract Master achievements ask for, and very few players have them.

Comfort settings in VR

UploadVR lists snap and smooth turning, headset or controller-relative movement, sitting or standing modes, height adjustment, vignette options and blink teleport. There is no toggle grip at launch, so if you tend to drop guns, grip firmly and holster before you reach for doors.

Flat-screen settings worth changing

• Turn mouse smoothing off in the controls menu; it is on by default.
• The field of view stops at 65. Players raise it by editing a config file; see the settings guide.

Low-violence mode

If the gore is too much, a low-violence setting removes nearly all blood and splatter and keeps the action. The handler even mentions it the first time you cut down a hologram in the training area.

Common first-hour mistakes

1. Skipping the pop-up target circle and wondering why the contract terminal stays locked.
2. Dropping guns instead of holstering them.
3. Looking for a heal button that does not exist.
4. Walking past credits: they buy attachments and the bigger guns.

Ready? Start with Contract 01: Outpost.