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Icarus is full of dangerous creatures that can easily kill you if you aren't prepared. Early in the game, you will come across the bear. This is an incredibly dangerous and aggressive animal that can be difficult to fight. Rather than confronting a bear head-on, there are a few alternative options to give you the edge.

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In this guide, we are going to go over the best ways to deal with bears. While killing the bear may get rid of it for good, running away is a perfectly acceptable option, especially if you are early in the game with not much technology available. First, let's take look at where you can encounter your first bear.

Encountering Your First Bear

player unconscious on ground after bear attack
via Eveningewlike/Steam

During your first mission, you will be tasked with setting up three terrain scans. The closest scan will be nearby, on a cliff that overlooks a small lake.

Once you set up the scanner, it will begin to survey the surrounding area until a pair of bears appear and start attacking it. The bears will pause the scan, which needs to be restarted.

This will probably be your first encounter with bears, making it quite scary. Bears are silent, fast, and can kill you in just a few hits.

Running Away

player stamina meter highlighted after mining oxite

Running away from a bear is a great option if you are not prepared for the fight. Bears can sense if you are nearby, but if you spot the bear before it spots you, you can run away without being attacked.

Bears are very fast, so if you want to outrun one, it's a good idea to invest your skill points into speed-boosting skills. Additionally, it is a good idea to invest in skills that increase stamina, so you can run for longer.

Kiting A Bear In Water

player leading 2 bears through the water
via Boergeiam/Steam

Bears are bad swimmers. This can be used to your advantage by luring bears into the water; essentially, you will be kiting this dangerous animal through the water.

This method of killing a bear will come in handy if you are near a body of water. With a bear chasing you, run into the water and start swimming. Once the bear is in the water, swim in an arc heading back to shore. The bear will still be in the water as you make it to land. During this time, shoot the bear with as many arrows as you can.

Soon, the bear will make it to shore and begin to chase you again; enter the water and repeat this process until the bear is dead.

Create An Elevated Platform

player standing on top of makeshift platform to avoid bears
via Rankcrusher/Steam

After leveling up a few times, you will be able to unlock building structures on the technology tree. These building elements are great for constructing a simple elevated platform to avoid bears.

Bears cannot climb structures, allowing you to stand safely on top of a platform, shooting the bears from above.

It's important to know that bears can do a lot of damage to structures, especially if they are made from thatch. If you don't have access to sturdy building materials, try placing your elevated platform near a tall rock. With a ramp leading to a rock, you will be out of the bear's reach. Eventually, they will destroy the ramp, but they will still not be able to destroy the rock and get to you.

Facing A Bear Head-On

player directly in front of a bear attempting to kill it

If you are feeling risky, you can confront a bear directly, without using the above methods.

Bears have a simple attack pattern; they will run at you quickly, stop to attack, and then continue running. You can use this knowledge to your advantage by letting the bear come towards you and run to the side right as they stop to attack. As they swing their paws, you should land a few attacks and then run away, repeating this cycle until the bear is dead. This is dangerous, but if you manage to land a few headshots, you can quickly kill the bear.

This method is efficient if you are fighting one bear, but if there are more, it will become increasingly more difficult. Instead of focusing on the attack pattern of one bear, you will need to keep track of two.

General Tips To Kill A Bear

player looking at cooking menu for campfire
Cook a variety of foods at the campfire

It's very likely that a bear will kill you before you manage to kill one. That's okay though! Below, you can check out some quick tips to help you make it through the fight.

  • Bring plenty of food
  • Bring bandages and healing items
    • This will help heal any wounds that the bear creates
  • Stock up on arrows
    • Using a bow and arrow is the safest way to take down a bear
  • Place a bedroll nearby
    • This allows you to respawn and quickly make it back
  • Don't fight bears at night
    • It will be very hard to see them
  • Only shoot when necessary
    • if you are crouching (stealth mode), the bears will not attack, however, they will attack once you make the first move
  • Unlock guns on the technology tree
    • This is the best way to kill bears, but guns won't be accessible at the start of the game

That's all there is to know about killing a bear. Overall, choose the method that works best for you; there is no shame in running away!

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