Resident Evil 7’s The End of Zoe downloadable content is a twist on the original game’s formula. The DLC is a punching game, and that forces you to confront your enemies — including bosses — in new ways.

In Polygon’s The End of Zoe guide, we’ll show you how to master hand-to-hand combat, find all of the items you’ll need along the way and defeat the bosses.

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Learning combos

The biggest change you’ll find in Resident Evil 7’s The End of Zoe downloadable content is about how you fight. This is a punching game, and it’s very different than anything you’ve done before. Having played through the DLC, we have some super straightforward advice: Spend time learning how to fight early. That boils down to two things: learn and use combos, and treat the beginning as a tutorial.

Look: If you’re anything like us, you just want to play the game. But taking a few minutes to learn how to fight will make your journey through The End of Zoe much, much less frustrating. Get comfortable with fighting first at the punching bag. Then go and fight.

Learn your combos early, and use them often. There’s even an achievement or trophy you can get for using them. In fact, we got it at a door, just for using a combo. How’s that for incentive?

Here are the whopping two combos in The End of Zoe and how to master them.

The combo above is quick: Left, Right and Right again. You’ll jab.

The combo above takes longer, but it’s more powerful. Hit Right, Left, Right and then Left to end with a big uppercut. We used this, oh, probably about 90 percent of the time.

Using combos (especially the latter) tends to knock enemies down. Then you can stop on them to kill them. Stomping has more nuance than it first appears to.

Where you stomp matters. Aim for the head. If you don’t, there’s a chance you’ll just remove a limb, and your enemy will come crawling after you.

Seriously: Treat the beginning as a way to practice punching. You’ll thank us later.

Resident Evil 7: The End of Zoe walkthrough

We’ve split our walkthrough for The End of Zoe so that it takes you through the DLC’s save points, which are the most logical places to stop, regroup and continue.

1. The beginning

The beginning is straightforward. Walk from the house to the shack. Look on the trees and the crates to collect grubs and chem fluid. Combine them to create first aid medicine. Punch the enemies who get in your way.

There’s a critter to pick up on a crate to your left when you get into an open area. There’s another critter under a rock before you reach the shack you’re heading toward.

Even though The End of Zoe doesn’t tell you this yet, you can sneak up behind the molded here and take them out with a stealth kill. See the video above for us doing just that.

One more thing to note: Don’t refill your health as you return to the house, even if you’re low. You’ll get a free refill on the other side of the cutscene.

2. Save points two, three and the Swamp Man

Take Zoe from the dock to the building, place her on the couch and save your game. Leave the building, open the door to your right and sneak through the next area.

There are two molded that you can sneak up on for stealth kills. Veer left to sneak up behind the first. Exit and turn right, waiting for the second molded to walk away from you. Straight up walk up to it and kill it. You don’t need to crouch. Examine the microscope inside the tent to collect a grub.

Exit on the opposite side of the tent and turn right. There’s a four-legged molded you can sneak up on as well. It won’t move. Just approach and kill. This is how stealth works in The End of Zoe. You don’t have to be quiet. You just have to approach your enemies so that they don’t see you.

Head away from the enemy you just killed, pick up the throwing spear and use it on the final four-legged molded. Unless you can sneak up on one of these crawling creatures, this is how you should kill them for the rest of the game.

Punch your way through the door, ascend the stairs and pick up the boxer effigy. Save your game.

Climb through the hole, read the note on the table to your left and pick up the chem fluid behind the note.

Continue forward, and when the Swamp Man appears, put your guard up and back up. The best way to approach him is to let him attack first. Keep your distance, and when he’s done with his flurry of attacks, then it’s time for you to attack. Keep backing up and avoiding his attacks. When he’s dead (well, “dead”), continue forward and punch your way through another door.

The Swamp Man will reappear. Don’t even try to fight him. Instead, back away and fall off the dock. Approach the nearby building, and collect a critter underneath the rock on your right. Open the door in the nearby building, check on the wall beyond the tape recorder for another boxer effigy. Save your game

3. From the shack, through the gators and back to the shack again

Exit the shack, and collect the critter from the tree on your right. Veer right, and collect the two throwing spears.

The next section requires you to navigate through gator-infested waters. Here’s how to do it:

1. Throw a spear at the first crocodile you see.
2. Enter the water and hug the left wall to sneak past the second gator. (It’s on the right bank.)
3. After you pass the second gator, make your way diagonally to the other side of the swamp. This way, you can avoid the third gator, who’s on the left bank. Pick up another throwing spear in the middle of the water.
4. Throw a spear at the next gator who appears.
5. Turn left and walk onto dry land. There are two molded waiting above. One is crouched down. The second will walk between that molded and the top of the hill. Wait for the second enemy to walk away, and then run (yes, run — it won’t hear you) up to stealth kill the crouched one. In the video above, we retreated down and waited for the second molded to walk back down and then up again. We later learned that you can just rush the second one and stealth kill it. It’s a more dangerous strategy, but it may work for you, too.
6. Collect the two throwing spears at the top of the hill.
7. Walk back into the water. Ahead, there are two gators. Kill them both with throwing spears.
8. Walk onto dry land and into the building. Save your game.

4. Through the ship

Save points were weirdly close together up until now, but it’ll be a while before you get to the next one. We’ve broken this section down into the component parts before the next save point: Getting inside the ship and then sections for the rooms behind the doors you have to break to progress.

Getting inside the ship

Walk out of the building, and turn right to climb two yellow ladders. Collect the scrap metal on a box at the top of the ladders. (You’ll soon be able to combine this with tree branches to craft more throwing spears.)

Before entering the building, walk past the door and onto the roof. On the far left corner, pick up another boxer effigy.

Backtrack, enter the building, collect the first aid med on the shelf and save your game at the tape recorder.

Exit the room, and descend the staircase. Collect the tree branch on your left. There’s a molded on the staircase that leads down to the next area. Start punching it before it attacks you. Use your combos, and you’ll kill it before it can even attack.

Turn left at the bottom of the stairs, and collect the critter on the wall. Punch your way through the next door.

Through the first door

Capcom

Crouch, take your first left, and in the opening of an air vent, collect the scrap metal. Sneak through, and stealth kill the molded standing in this room.

Another molded patrols the hallway outside this room. Sneak up to kill it. (It can see you in this room, so be careful.)

At the far end of the hallway (on the opposite side of the floor you’re on), there’s a four-legged molded walking back and forth. Wait until it’s walking away from you, and stealth kill it. Collect the tree branch leaning against a wall and smash the crate for … well, it could be anything, as it seemed to change every time we played.

Backtrack to the room where you stealth killed the first molded, and smash the crate for a grub and a tree branch. Punch your way through the door to enter the next area.

Through the second door

At the end of a hallway, there’s a staircase and two molded. One is crouched and stationary. The other patrols the area. Use a throwing spear to kill one or both of them. (A headshot takes them down in a single hit.)

Alternatively, you can do what we did in the video above, which is to jump down behind the walking molded. It works in the sense that you’re creating space between enemies, but you’re liable to take a hit as the other one sneaks up on you.

Either way, collect the scrap metal in the alcove at the dead end of the hallway behind the staircase.

Walk down the hallway away from the staircase, and turn right into the first room. Smash the crate for a boxer effigy and crawl down into the air vent in the corner of the room. (It’s on the floor.) Collect the champion effigy and the tree branch inside.

Exit the air vent, and stand by the doorway on your left. (You’re hiding here.) You’ll see a molded appear, but if you’re hiding, it won’t see you. Wait until it walks away, and then attack with stealth. Another molded patrols the far side of this room and the hallway leading out of it. You can either attack it if it sees you or hide out (behind the refrigerator) until you can sneak up behind and stealth kill it. (It’s pretty much the luck of the draw whether it’s in the room when you kill the first molded.)

At the far end of the hallway near the vent you came out of, you can kill another molded. (You can straight up walk up to it because it’s stationary and looking the other way.)

Inside the room with the door to punch, collect the first aid med on a cart in the middle of the room and punch your way through the door. Climb up the ladder and save your game. It’s time to fight the Swamp Man again.

4.1 Swamp Man boss fight

The Swamp Man is difficult because you’re probably still learning to fight with your fists. At least that’s how it felt for us. But there are a few things you can do to knock this monster down.

• Spend your first few seconds running a loop around the area, where you can pick up two first aid med bottles. Look for anything yellow. That’s the indication that there’s an item nearby.
• Block. A lot.
• Keep your distance. You don’t want him to grab you.
• Aim for his head. You’ll do the most damage there.
• Seriously, block.
• Use your combos — especially Right, Left, Right, Left, which does big damage.
• After you body slam him the first time, you’re safe for a few seconds. Use this opportunity to smash the crates in the room. You might get something useful. Or you might get stuff you’ll have to save for later, like we did.

The key to winning is, really, getting comfortable with fighting. And knowing when to attack and when to hold your punches. And also blocking. A lot.

5. Crocs, bombs and the path to the abandoned church

In this section, you’ll make your way past killer crocs and find three save points.

Walk from the dock and collect the critter in the tree on the path. Wade through the water and into the building to save your game.

Exit the building and turn right to collect two crawfish in an alcove near a life preserver. Head to the light and follow the path underneath the buildings above. Turn right at the intersection and collect the throwing spear on the dock.

Get back into the water, and throw the spear at the crocodile. Throw another spear at another crocodile. (The refrigerator is empty.) Open the microwave oven at your left for another critter.

Getting through the water

Capcom

Climb up onto the dock, and throw a spear at the nearby crocodile. Walk to the next dock. Smash the crate for scrap metal.

Turn left, and walk off the dock. At the shore on your left, pick up the chem fluid.

Head for a grassy patch in the middle of the swamp, which is how you can avoid the crocs in the area. Climb up on the dock close to the far end of the area, and collect more scrap metal. Throw a spear at the nearby croc, and hug the right wall. Climb up the ladder.

Back on dry land to the next save point

Capcom

Walk down the pathway in front of you, and smash the crate for a tree branch. Before heading up the stairs, hop in the water to the right of the doorway. Throw a spear at the croc who appears. Open the refrigerator for a champion effigy.

Walk up the stairs, enter the door, collect the crawfish from the freezer on your left and the stake bomb on the table. Save your game.

The next area takes you across sometimes narrow docks and into a few buildings. There are crocs in the water and enemies on dry land. Here’s how to make it through alive and collect the items scattered about.

Through the first building

Capcom

1. When you’re walking on the docs, look down. It’s the best way to ensure that you don’t fall off into crocodile-infested waters.
2. Around the corner of the first building, punch a molded who grows there. (A Left, Right, Left, Right combo will knock it down before it can even attack you. Then you can stomp it dead.)
3. Turn around and collect the tree branch, which is really just there to distract you while the nearby molded grows.
4. Equip your stake bomb and walk into the building. There are three molded you’ll need to kill. Place the bomb in the middle of the room (near the light on the floor), back up and detonate it. It’ll kill the molded nearest to the door and wound the one farthest. Charge and stomp the farthest, then turn around the face the door you entered. Kill the molded who spawned outside and is now hunting you down. Before you leave, smash the crate for a boxer effigy and collect the throwing spear next to the crate.

Through the second building

Capcom

1. Exit the building, equip a spear and walk down the stairs into the swamp. Your goal is the disconnected dock nearby where you enter the water.
2. Throw the spear at the croc, and climb the ladder onto the dock. Collect the throwing spears and smash the crates for items, including a boxer effigy.
3. Walk back up the staircase and head away from the building you came from. Equip a throwing spear, turn left and chuck it at the four-legged molded hiding behind the half-wall. Collect the scrap metal.
4. Punch your through the nearby door. The molded inside won’t hear you. Sneak up and stealth kill it.
5. Walk to the door on the opposite side of the room, and wait for the four-legged molded to pass. Sneak up and stealth kill it. (If you stealth kill it after it walks to the left of the door, it’s easier. If you do what we did above — killing it to the right of the door — you run the risk of alerting the molded hiding around the corner. Either way, kill them both.)
6. Before you leave, go back inside the second building and collect the chem fluid near the tire. Outside of the building, smash the crate for an item, and collect the critter on the outside window.
7. Smash your way through the door to get into the next area.

Through the third building

Capcom

1. Turn right, and collect the two throwing spears.
2. Walk into the water and up the stairs in front if you. Smash the crate for some grub.
3. Equip a spear, and walk down the dock. Two molded will be heading your way. Back up (because this is all solid ground here), and throw the spear at one of the molded. This will give you time to attack them one at a time. Do that, kill them both, and then proceed on your route.
4. Pick up the scrap metal and then turn left at the next intersection. Kill the molded here, and smash the crate for a boxer effigy. Pick up the tree branch.
5. Continue down the path and collect two more throwing spears.
6. Back up, equip your spear and throw it at the four-legged molded charging you.
7. Continue down the path, turn right, and kill the molded.
8. Kill the molded who appeared behind your back as you killed the previous molded.
9. Smash the crate and collect a boxer effigy.
10. Continue down the path, punch the door open and save your game in the shack on your left. Don't miss the boxer effigy in here, too.

Into the water for more items

Our route through this part of The End of Zoe ignored the water beneath the docs you were just on. That’s because it’s better to save the game, we think, than to try to do this next section. There’s too much ground to travel if you doe. So after you’ve saved, it’s time to double back and collect some items. (This takes place about nine minutes into the video above.)

The loot you pick up will more than make up for any spears you have to throw.

1. Walk back the way you came, and hop off the dock into the water. Your destination is in the northwest.
2. Equip a spear, and throw it at the crocodile near the big tree.
3. Search the big tree to collect a champion effigy.
4. Head back toward the docs, killing any crocs in your way. Make your way underneath the third building. There, you’ll find dead crocs with a tree branch, critters and throwing spears. Collect them all, and watch for any other crocs that might’ve snuck up behind you (like they did in our video).
5. Make your way back to the shack and save your game.

6. Abandoned church graveyard

For our money, The End of Zoe’s graveyard encounter is the most difficult in the DLC. So in the video above, we talk you through what to do. Here it is in text form:

• Pick up the critters under the rock and in the tree on your way to the graveyard.
• Before you start fighting, smash the crates for first aid med and a boxer effigy, and get the critter from the dead tree.
• Use at least one remote bomb to chip away or kill one of the three enemies here. It’s best when enemies are grouped up.
• Run a loop around the area, fighting only when you can get in, punch and run away.
• Concentrate on defeating the regular molded before the fat molded.

On the other hand, without spoiling anything, you don’t technically need the items in your inventory after this. So you could also just feel free to unload.

Either way you do it, punch your way through the door and walk to the church.

7. The glove and the final save

Run your way through the beginning of this level, even if (like us) it pains you to ignore enemies. You just can’t win here. Turn right, collect the first aid med and run to the end of the path. Collect your new weapon, the Advanced Multi-purpose Gauntlet.

Double back the way you came, holding to charge your fist, which is basically a shotgun now. Unleash it on anything in your way.

Punch your way through the door, wade through the water and enter the house. In the first room, collect the critters on a wall in an alcove to your right.

Make your way through the next rooms, keeping your AMG charged. Unleash it on everything in your way. If there are enemies ahead of you and it’s still charging, back away to let it charge fully. It’s worth the wait. Also, it’s a good idea to charge it fully before you enter any doors. You know, just in case something’s waiting for you.

As you leave the house and cross the covered bridge, look on the right wall. Collect a boxer effigy there.

Open the gate and hug the right wall. Walk into the tent, where you can find things to read, use the green box to recover all of your inventory and collect chem fluid on a stretcher and a critter on a corpse. Now it’s time for the final fight. Head out of the tent and back into the Baker house.

8. Jack boss fight

Your final boss fight with Jack is entirely about blocking, identifying his movements and using charged punches. Jack is so powerful that regular punches just won’t do.

Craft everything you have into first aid med. When you get in, before approaching Zoe, do a loop around the room to collect some bonus first aid med.

Every bit of advice we offered above about fighting comes into play here. Watch Jack. Learn when he pauses (like after a couple of throws of his whip arm), and move in for your attack when you know he can’t fight back.

If you’ve followed our walkthrough, you’ll be carrying a lot of first aid med. This is the end. Use it. There’s no sense in saving it.