...you create your character. Given how E.Y.E. intentionally sidesteps genre conventions, it might not be intuitive to build the genome of your first character. There are several slots for you to acommodate different gene combinations, each with a particular focus (called bonus) and a particular penalty (called malus). These combinations will define how your character will play out in the very early stages. Later on you can overcome these penalties, but it will cost you extra attribute points, so it is recommended that you choose wisely. Here's a short description of what each stats does:

Strength: Determines Melee proficiency and carry weight. Mandatory for Melee classes.

PSI: Determines PSI powers proficiency and adds bonus to Madness and Dragon rolls. Mandatory for Caster classes.

Endurance: Raises Health and Stamina. Secondary recommended skill for Melee classes, for obvious reasons.

Medicine: Recharge rate and efficiency of your Medkit.

Accuracy: Determines Ranged profficiency, and reduces accuracy malus. Mandatory for Sniper or Ranged classes.

Hacking: Determines Hacking profficiency, seen in range, rolls and difficulty of hacking. Mandatory for "Mesmer" classes (those who love to turn the enemy against each other).

Agility: Determines movement speed and melee speed. Tertiary recommended skill for Melee classes.

Mental Balance: In short, your resistance to madness effects.

In E.Y.E. you don't really die, you go into a coma. Afterwards, you respawn. But, in order to avoid making death trivial, there is a chance that you'll receive a random Fatal Wound, which is a PERMANENT debuff to your stats. Note that, while I used capitals back there, there is a research that allows you to remove Fatal Wounds. The problem is that that research is pretty much end game, so, be careful.

So, there it is. A laydown of the basic skills. However, while it does say "Mandatory" for certain playstyles, nothing is really set in stone. You'll have a very difficult time as a sniper with low Accuracy, but it isn't impossible. However, the most powerful weapons of each playstyle do have skill requirements. You'll figure that out later though :)

...implants. Lots of them. The game is passable without them, but is more engaging to use them. Implants require a certain amount of research (more about that in the next section), skill and money. What they do, is add a unique skill. For instance, the Cyber Cloak gives you well, a cloak, much á la Ghost In The Shell. These implants draw on your stamina bar to activate, and once depleted, you won't be able to even run, so use them with some caution.

Make sure to check in with the medic in the Secreta HQ to buy them.

... you'll find research. It drops from enemies in the shape of small, bright grey briefcases. The drops are random, and they need to be researched through your research menu in order to gain the passive bonuses they bring. Some weapons and implants require that you progress through the technology tree in order to unlock them.

One of the best things you can do to obtain research, is engaging in skirmishes or in coop missions. Crank up the difficulty and the enemy density, lower the AI and farm the briefcases. However, this should only be done when you're in dire need for a drop. Usually, all the necessary stuff always drops.

The research takes in-game time and money. You can reduce the time at an increased cost, or reduce the cost at an increased time rate. The game won't warn you when you're done with research, so keep an eye on it.

Some tips:

• Always explore. There are more paths than the obvious, and many more behind the alternate.
  
• There are no wrong playstyles, but some require more skill than others.
  
• Pay constant attention to the characters. No matter how odd it might seem to you, NOTHING is said in vain.
  
• Plotholes aren't such.
  
• Genes at the beginning are random. Don't like the stats? Re roll.
  
• Only shoot what's hostile.
  
• Consequences are final, and affect the playthrough.
  
• Right click will fast-equip items in your inventory.
  
• Only reload when necessary or you'll lose your entire clip.
  
• Don't inject your medkit under 20 units, or it'll hurt you.
  
• Armor Piercing rounds are OP.