Identity V is an asymmetrical horror game by NetEase. It puts up survivors against hunters in a 1v4 in a chase in the Oletus Manor. With a gothic scene and haunting gameplay, it challenges you to master unique characters, roles, and abilities to beat the best of your opponents. Survivors decode ciphers, whereas Hunters aim to chair them before they flee.
If you want to quickly unlock new characters and cosmetics, without much effort, you should use Identity V Echoes- the game's premium currency- for a boost. You can easily get the echoes from TOPUPlive, the most reputed and trusted in-game currency seller on the web. This guide breaks down both the roles, their abilities, and characters, to help you do better in your matches.
Survivor Roles and Abilities
Decoder
Decoders focus on decoding ciphers to unlock the Exit Gates. They're important for quick progress but are often weak in chases.
Mind's Eye: Her cane detects Hunters and Ciphers. This boosts her decoding speed. However, her blindness slows down her vaulting speed, making her a poor kiter. If you play her, stay hidden while decoding.
Mechanic: Controls a robot which lets him decode remotely. This doubles the progress if it's uninterrupted. The robot can also rescue, but has a decoding debuff if injured. Use the robot to decode weak positions, while kiting near it.
Prisoner: Connects Ciphers together to speed up decoding for teammates. The electric stun disrupts Hunters. But he's vulnerable when it comes to chases. Position near connected Ciphers to maximise your efficiency.
Kiter
Kiters excel at stalling Hunters- buying time for Decoders.
Perfumer: She sprays perfume to get back to her position, dodging hits. She's great for looping pallets and windows, but has no team utility.
Seer: His owl shields your teammates from one hit. It also reveals the Hunter's position early on. He is great for kiting, but his decoding is about average.
Magician: He creates illusions to trick Hunters. He can also become invisible briefly. His wand distracts the Hunters during chases, but his decoding triggers even more calibrations.
Rescuer
Rescuers save chaired teammates from Rocket Chairs, delaying eliminations. They're strong, but are often slow at decoding.
Mercenary: His elbow pads allow him to do wall dashes, and he takes just three hits to go down. His decoding debuff makes him terrible for decoding, so you should focus on rescuing instead.
Coordinator: She has a flare gun which stuns the Hunters. It's perfect in the middle of rescues. She decodes decently, but is extraordinary in clutch saves. Aim the flare whenever the Hunter is bullying a Survivor.
Priestess: She creates portals that let her teleport or access the basement. Her Holy Key makes her a great situational Rescuer, despite not having an official role.
Assist
Assists provide team support, often blending roles like kiting or decoding.
Enchantress: Stacks curses to stun Hunters, growing stronger over time. She's a hybrid kiter-assist, but her early game is weak. Save stacks for rescues or tight loops.
Embalmer: Summons coffins to “rebirth” a teammate once, delaying eliminations. His decoding is 15% slower, so focus on kiting or assisting. Place coffins early for strategic revives.
Postman: Sends letters boosting vaulting, decoding, or movement. His dog distracts Hunters, aiding kites. Use letters to support Rescuers or Decoders.
Hunter Roles and Abilities
Hunters target eliminating at least three survivors by chairing them. They're faster than Survivors but slower when it comes to vaulting. They rely on their unique abilities to control the map. However, they don't have strict roles. Considering their abilities and strengths, we'll refer to them as Attack, Control, or Defensive.
Attack
Attacking Hunters excel at downing Survivors quickly.
Geisha: She dashes through walls to close up gaps. She ignores terrain. Her butterflies reveal Survivors, but she struggles against teams.
Evil Reptilian: He leaps over obstacles and bypasses pallets. His Lethal Crash destroys pallets, but the long cooldowns require timing.
Map Control Hunters
Map Control Hunters pressure multiple Survivors, slowing decoding.
Dream Witch: Controls followers to chase Survivors, splitting her attention. Her shared consciousness makes her hard to kite, but she's complex for beginners. Position followers near Ciphers.
Clerk: Records Survivor actions to replay them, slowing vaulting or decoding. Her bird's-eye view tracks Survivors, but she's weak in direct chases. Place recordings near key Ciphers.
Defensive Hunters
Defensive Hunters guard chaired Survivors, countering Rescuers.
Hell Ember: Summons puppets to patrol or teleport, deterring rescues. His puppets alert him to Survivors, but he's slow in open chases. Place puppets near chairs.
Joker: His rocket dash stuns Rescuers, and his weapon has no recovery animation, making chair camping deadly. Use dashes to interrupt rescues.
Unlocking Characters
After the tutorial, you'll get 5 default Survivors, and one Hunter. The others cost you Echoes, or Clues to purchase them. You can earn clues by playing matches, or you can buy Identity V Echoes to skip the wait and effort. This lets you easily unlock characters instantly. Trial cards let you test characters before you buy them- quite good to have to know if one is much better than another.
Conclusion
Identity V mixes in horror, with strategy, rewarding teamwork and skill. Survivors decode, kite and rescue to escape. Whereas Hunters chase, control, chair, and guard to win. Start off with basic, easy to learn characters like Perfumer, and expand your roster to always have a library to choose from. Practice kiting, or mind games, to dominate your matches by outsmarting your opponents.