FAQ / WALKTHROUGH ON RESIDENT EVIL 4 (BIOHAZARD 4, outside the US) for the Nintendo GameCube. Written by: Muchitsujo, v 1.00 ========================================= = 00: TABLE OF CONTENTS / LEGAL SPEAK = ========================================= :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: : # | CONTENTS | UPDATED : : 00 | TABLE OF CONTENTS / LEGAL SPEAK | 09/21/05 : : 01 | VERSION INFO | 09/21/05 : : 02 | INTRODUCTION | 05/21/05 : : 03 | TACTICS | 05/20/05 : : 04 | ENEMIES | 03/12/05 : : 05 | WEAPONS | 09/21/05 : : 06 | WALKTHROUGH | 09/21/05 : : 07 | REWARDS | 08/19/05 : : 08 | MEDALLIONS / SHOOTING RANGE | 05/22/05 : : 09 | ASSIGNMENT ADA | 08/19/05 : : 10 | MERCENARIES MINI-GAME | 03/12/05 : : 11 | FILE TRANSCRIPTS | 03/21/05 : : 12 | PUZZLE SOLUTIONS | 08/16/05 : : 13 | BOSS STRATEGIES | 09/21/05 : : 14 | ITEM LIST | 09/20/05 : : 15 | UNANSWERED QUESTIONS / PARTING SHOTS | 09/20/05 : : 16 | FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS | 09/20/05 : : 17 | FUTURE UPDATES | 09/20/05 : : 18 | CONTACT INFO | 08/21/05 : : 19 | FINAL NOTES | 08/21/05 : :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: At this point in time, gamefaqs.com, neoseeker.com, and faqs.ign.com are permitted to host this FAQ. All others must first seek, then be granted, permission to use this FAQ in any way, be it hosting or merely taking out excerpts. Any other usage is oh so illegal and proper steps will be taken. All direct references and characters in the game are property of Capcom, but this FAQ and the effort put into either writing or transcribing is mine and mine alone. (In other words, copyright, by me, Muchitsujo). Pop culture references are the property of whomever, and while the references may be original, the object in question is not. or, as GameFaqs puts it... This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. DISCLAIMER: I'm just going to go at this one right now. I personally had the whole of the plot of RE4 ruined for me while watching what I thought was a fairly innocent preview/review, but ended up unwilling subject to ten kinds of spoilers flashing across the screen unexpectedly. So I'll make it clear right now: THIS FAQ DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THEM, SKIP DOWN TO THE WALKTRHOUGH AND GO STRICTLY IN ORDER. I WON'T REVEAL SOMETHING UNTIL YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING. Enemy listings, however, will appear as they do in every other RE FAQ I've done. Also, THIS IS NOT A SPEED GUIDE. I WRITE THESE BY FOCUSING ON DETAIL AND EFFICIENCY. The methods in this guide have gotten me the highest rankings regardless of how much junk I pick up along the way, and I've probably tested them a few times now. By my own admission, I try to write my Walkthroughs in a no BS format. This means that I'm not going to take time leading you in the wrong direction or repeat myself just to lengthen the guide. If it's not part of the game, it's not in here either. ====================== = 01: VERSION INFO = ====================== v 0.8 Not a public release. Completed on 3/21/05, enemies, file transcripts, boss strategies, Mercenaries, contact info, and final notes sections all completed. Weapons, walkthrough, item list, parting shots, and FAQ all partially complete. Tipping the scales at 170kb, this is already on pace to be one of the biggest FAQs I've ever done. Unfortunately for me, the blasted thing isn't even half finished. More like 40%. v 0.9 Not a public release. Muchi takes a serious hiatus, writes another mini-FAQ, comes back somewhat refeshed. Completed on 5/23/05, introduction, tactics, weapons, medallions / shooting range all up-to-date, Walkthrough is through Chapter 3-1, all other things with minor tweaks. An even 265kb. v 1.0 First public release. Job and other gaming needs cutting into it. Completed on 8/21/05, with walkthrough and Assignment Ada completed. Just about everything gets a slight tweak, item list has everything correspond properly now. Grand total of 434kb. v 1.01 Second public release. Completed on 9/21/05, shortly after finishing the game on Professional Mode. New items found, so the walkthrough and the item list have been updated. I've also added some merchant windows telling you what new stuff there is to find in each meeting. Due to a few boss fights lasting longer than they would've otherwise, I've also updated some of the boss tactics to take into account some attacks that I hadn't even seen before. Updated a few other things (Q & A, Shooting Range, Parting shots) based on some feedback. Now weighing in at 459k, but the guide still isn't technically complete. There are a few strategies passed on that I want to test out, and a few treasures I suspect I still haven't managed to hunt down yet. ====================== = 02: INTRODUCTION = ====================== "1998... I'll never forget it... It was the year when those grisly murders occurred in the Arklay Mountains. Soon after, the news was out to the whole world revealing that it was the fault of a secret viral experiment conducted by the international pharmaceutical enterprise, Umbrella. The virus broke out in a nearby mountain community, Raccoon City. And hit the peaceful little town with a devastating blow, crippling its very foundation. Not taking any chances, the President of the United States ordered a contingency plan... to sterilize Raccoon City. With the whole affair gone public, the United States government issued an indefinate suspension of business decree to Umbrella. Soon its stock prices crashed and, for all intents and purposes, Umbrella was finished..." ............................................................................... Long announced, but rarely seen in action, the concept of Resident Evil 4 went through many iterations before being released to the public as we know it. Other versions ranged from the anticipated raid on Umbrella's facilities to Leon wandering through a European castle, stalked by ethereal enemies and a maniacal creature known only as "hookman". While some of the concepts survived to the final version, most were thrown out entirely, and the t-virus was returned to the laboratory in favor of a dangerous new malady. It is now 2004, two years since the last known raid on those tied to Umbrella, and six years since what is now refered to only as "the incident"... ............................................................................... "Six years have passed since that horrendous incident..." ================= = 03: TACTICS = ================= In all RE games, your ultimate goal is survival... well, in most RE games your goal is survival. In this one it's to kill every living thing with a few minor exceptions, but that doesn't mean that you aren't going to avoid death easily. More likely, you'll be caught in a few situations where you're face down in a growing pool of your own blood, but hey, here are some ways to get around it. ----------------- |KNOW THE CONTROLS| ----------------- As a default, the controls in this RE are: CONTROL STICK: Character movement, aim (when weapon is readied) C-STICK: Change camera angles, zoom in or out. A: Action (the utility button), confirm choices, attack. B: Run (with control stick up), quick turn (with control stick down), cancel reload (when used with R button) Y: Status screen toggle X: Pick up items in status screen, switch between "Wait" and "Follow" modes (with Ashley), hide Ashley (when near certain boxes) Z: Map Start: Bring up options menu, skip movies L: Ready knife (on regular screen), rotate item (in status screen) R: Ready weapon, zoom in (with certain weapons) --------------------------- |PAY ATTENTION TO ITEM SPACE| --------------------------- This replaces the "Conserve Ammo" mantra from every other RE game. Why? Because unless you're really quite foolish and somehow waste a considerable amount of ammo after selling some for quick cash at the merchant, you aren't going to run out of ammo for any reason. Most enemies drop it, it's found everywhere you look, and any upgrade to the capacity of your gun will fully reload it. Ammo, even healing items (of which you will also likely have more than enough, and can buy otherwise), are not rare in this game. Far from it, as the game is more action oriented and less survival toned, you'll be finding items all the time. More likely, you'll have far too much to carry in most parts of the game and not nearly enough space to go around. How should you plan around this? Well, first off, whenever, and I mean whenever a new size of Attache Case appears in the merchant's inventory, buy it immediately. Even if that nifty new gun is looking real shiny or you're thisclose to getting a new upgrade on your favorite toy, get the case. You'll thank yourself later, because in the rare instance you will sell ammo, you'll be able to tell you have excess. Also pay attention to what kinds of items you're picking up. Sometimes, the items in the area are a dead giveaway for what sort of enemy you'll be facing next. ---------------- |HEAL RESPONSIBLY| ---------------- Don't get me wrong. This game has a ton of healing supplies in the form of herbs, purchased first-aid sprays, fish (shot, harpooned, whatever), and eggs (from chickens and snakes), but because of how often you'll be fighting, you may need most of what you get. Herbs can be found literally everywhere, either lying around or as green glows after you kill an enemy. As in previous games, the Green + Red combination and the Green + Green + Green combo are the ones that fully restore health, so keep that in mind. Eggs are a little bit trickier. They come in three varieties, and the easiest way to find them is to waste time around the village and farm areas and wait for the chickens to lay them, at which time they will become green glows. The other way is to kill the snakes that swarm certain areas or hide in boxes. Snakes tend to automatically drop eggs upon being killed. The eggs come in three varieties: white, brown, and gold. Brown ones are "healthier" than the white ones (common misconception, there's really no difference), and the gold ones act as full-healing items. They take up only one space in the inventory so they're nifty little items. (And, if you're so inclined, you can equip them and throw them at enemies for... no effect whatsoever) Fish are more of a rarity. There are only a few select times you can find them in the game, and you have to kill them first either by shooting the water or throwing a harpoon at them, depending on where you are. The little ones are similar to the green herbs, but the mammoth ones can fully heal you, at the price of way too many item slots. Fortunately, the concept of "poison" has been completely removed from the game, even in situations where it would theoretically apply, so you'll never have to consider carrying around an extra blue herb. Added to the game is the idea of Yellow Herbs which, when combined with a green or red herb, can be used to expand your health bar. You get just enough yellow herbs over the course of the game to fully expand your life bar and Ashley's life bar, so if you're paying close attention to your surroundings, you should be able to find all of them. ------------ |AIM PROPERLY| ------------ This is more important than in any other RE game. There is no auto-aim in this game to save you the trouble of tracking an enemy. To make matters worse, the creatures in this game move faster than before, and take more shots on average to fell. On the other hand, the aiming system, while significantly different, is fairly easy to get used to unless you're used to the mouse-sensitive FPSs on the computer. It allows for greater freedom in shooting, so if you want to shoot the dynamite out of a ganado's hand (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), you can, and similarly, if you want to trip them up by shooting them in the leg, you're free to do so. However, for each enemy there tends to be a key hitpoint that is much more effective to shoot at. For most enemies, the head is a fairly logical weak point, though other enemies might have visibile parasites on their bodies, which should be your target. With ganados this is no different, but you have two options: shoot at the head if you want to set up a standard roundhouse kick or shoot at the area of the leg just below the kneecap if you want them to fall down, setting up either a low kick or a suplex, depending on the type of ganado it is. Any of these moves has the capability of popping a head just like a gunshot would (don't ask). Also, try to be conscious of how well a weapon "handles". This just means how much the sight moves when you try to hold it stationary. Any item that requires a stock typically will have below-average handling, stock or no, so if you have a serious need for precision, don't use those weapons. Otherwise, the same general rules apply as in previous RE games. Shotguns pointed upward are a recipe for fun, rifles are dangerous, and most semi- automatics still suck. --------- |USE RANGE| --------- Probably more important in this game than in previous games, if only because you're given the option of using a rifle from early in the game on. Simply put, you're going to want to use anything but the shotgun at long ranges, and unless you have the unique upgrade, you might want to pass on the mine thrower too. To slow enemies down, shoot them anywhere but the chest, or toss a flash grenade if you're in serious trouble. Grenades are incredible if you're interested in taking out a huge group of enemies, and can really come in handy if there's a larger group you want to take out before they notice. For sniping purposes, use the rifle. You'll want to always aim for the head, unless the enemy has dynamite (in which case you should aim for that). If you pull off a clean shot, the surrounding enemies might not notice, but even if you don't, whoever caught the bullet will probably be incapacitated and you'll be at a somewhat safe distance away. I highly recommend switching to the semi-auto rifle as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Some of you might balk and say you've already upgraded the standard one at it has more power anyway, but really, power is one of the last things you need from the rifle, since it's already so good at what it does, and what you do need, namely firing speed, the semi-auto has in ample supply. ------------ |KNOW THYSELF| ------------ You won't really have to deal with the serious adverse effects of having low health as you had to in the previous games, as the limping is absent and replaced by side holding and slightly decreased manueaverability, but you should pay attention to the ever-changing life bar and be aware of when you need to heal. The damage enemies do and are capable of taking will increase as the game progresses, and you'll just have to deal with it. Originally a concept in the ill-fated RE 1.5, Resident Evil 4 also features a tactical vest that will allow you to take a lot more damage, but this comes so late in the game that you shouldn't be planning around it at least until the second disk. ---------------- |KNOW THINE ENEMY| ---------------- Even with the ganados, slight variations in the appearance of an enemy could give you a clue as to how they might fight and what weapons they will be wielding. Study enemies and learn to see the patterns in their behavior, and what they can and cannot take. What may work against one of them may not work against another of the same type. ------------------ |BE AWARE OF ASHLEY| ------------------ This is probably one of the most crucial (and to some, annoying) aspects of the game. Simply put, if an enemy hits Ashley, she'll take some amount of damage (depending on what enemy, etc). If you hit Ashley, she's dead. Even if you're swinging the knife around and she just happens to get in the way, dead. Grenades tend to be a bit of a grey area, I've seen her survive incendiary ones thrown nearby, but really, don't push it. If she's standing nearby, be careful where you shoot. If she's all alone, be REALLY careful where you shoot. She'll duck down regardless, but that doesn't mean she can't get caught in the crossfire. That's another nasty aspect of the game: enemies may gravitate to her just as easily as they would to you. For most enemies, this isn't an issue, as they'll probably just pick her up and wander towards a door, waiting for you to shoot them (if you don't, it's game over). But there are a select few enemies that really don't care for Ashley at all, namely, chainsaw maniacs, snakes, parasites, El Gigante, catapult Illuminados, Garradors, shield Illuminados, armaduras, commandos (all sorts), and regenerators/iron maidens. Each one of these will throw discretion out the window and make every effort to kill her. For this reason, you'll want to "stash" Ashley in various locations as the situation dictates. There are handful of boxes that you can use the X Button to hide her in at various points in the game. If you don't have that luxury right off, you can still tell her to wait in various locations while you take out the surrounding enemies. Just be careful that you know she's safe, otherwise her life bar might start flashing and you'll have to run out and save her. Late in the game, you'll actually get to play as Ashley, but as a character, her abilities are limited to solving puzzles and throwing nearby lanterns to defend herself. She can kick enemies once they grab her, but you should avoid them at all costs. --------------------- |TALK TO THE MERCHANTS| --------------------- The Merchants, despite probably supplying Saddler and his crew, are there for your benefit. Most of the times you run into them, they'll have new goodies for you to make use of. Even if they don't, you could probably stand to afford something that you could not last time, unless you're so experienced you can buy everything right off in which case you don't need to be reading this. If you find treasures lying around, and have examined them to the point where you know you cannot combine them with anything else in the future, sell them. By comparison, what the regular enemies drop is a paltry sum. You CANNOT get through this game without selling off the goodies. That's what they're there for. Also, be sure to search carefully in the areas around the merchant, as there are often gold bars and other pieces of bling lying about the area. While enemies do not generally appear in the same area as the merchant, I don't recommend leading them to him. It's not that they pay any attention to him or are capable of damaging him (hell, he looks like he's infested anyway), but you can accidentally hit him, and like Ashley, he'll die in one hit and never return. He doesn't leave items anyway, so it's not as if you can get your money back. ----------------------- |SPEND YOUR MONEY WISELY| ----------------------- This really goes with the last one, but as far as the game goes, this does matter a great deal. Depending on what weapons you decide to go with, you should have enough money by the end of the game to fully upgrade a handgun, a shotgun, a rifle, and a magnum. Odds are that you're going to pick the higher end items in each instance, but even then, you should be able to afford all four, fully-upgraded, IF you play your cards right. What I mean by that is, basically, you can't/shouldn't upgrade any of your "placeholder" weapons. That is to say, if your goal is the Striker, you shouldn't really upgrade the Shotgun while you have that. Now, there is a little bit of leeway here. You can probably afford to upgrade most items once, and you should have sufficient funding to trade in your Shotgun for a Riot Gun as a secondary placeholder (which, generally, is more cost-effective than spending the money to upgrade the shotgun), and so on, but you don't necessarily need the additional power from upgrades (so, trade-ins, yes, upgrades, no). The game is playable, and not even difficult, if you're going into the Castle with a base Shotgun and Rifle (yes, even in Professional mode). You may decide to play it differently, but generally when I start a game, I have one weapon in each category as a goal in mind, and as soon as I get it, I want to be able to upgrade it at every possible opportunity without delay for the rest of the game. Thus far, using this method, I've been able to do it. By the time I finish any one of my runs, I end up having enough money left over (once I sell most, if not all of my items off) to sum up to one million pstas, or enough to by either one of the special items. This is a nice little goal to have in mind, but it may not be realistic for you, so do what you like. --------- |USE DOORS| --------- This may sound a little crazy, but doors play their role in this game, and can be used to your advantage. Any wood door in this game can fired through. So if you see a weapon clipping through one of them, you can pull out the weapon of your choice and attempt to blow the door apart. If wasting ammo isn't your thing, you can also run up to the door, hit the A-Button twice, and kick the door open. This doesn't do a lot of damage and shouldn't be considered a substitute for attacking enemies, but most of the time it will stun them temporarily, giving you an opportunity to attack them. However, doors can also be used as a slight disadvantage to you. If Ashley is picked up by an enemy, and that enemy goes through one of the green text doors that leave the loaded area, your game is over. Also, if you're hiding Ashley anywhere, you can't go through the green text doors until she's in relatively close range. ------------------------------- |DON'T USE A WIRELESS CONTROLLER| ------------------------------- If you're like me, the floor of your token gaming area is absolutely littered with cords, so it might seem like a bright idea to use a wireless controller. After all, the game is pretty intense, and there's no telling when you might feel inclined to jerk the controller around anyway... Don't. One of the main flaws of the wireless design is that its signal isn't always accurate when it comes to holding down multiple buttons. Considering you're generally going to be holding down the R or B button at all times, this can be a real pain in the ass. It might not happen often, but one of these times when you're reaching for the gun to pull out during a target practice session or (God forbid) actual combat, Leon's going to start pulling the gun up, then pull back, over and over for the next few seconds. Rifles are particularly prone to this malfunction. That's not to say that it's impossible to play with one. I went through all my runs and the writing of this FAQ using a wireless controller (yes, the official one, I'm just not naming it), but that doesn't mean that I didn't want to throw the thing through my TV at least once per game. The bonus to using a standard controller is that you won't be running through batteries either. Not that they eat them particularly fast, but weak batteries can also hinder gameplay. ---------- |PLAN AHEAD| ---------- Just have some common sense. If an item is just taking up space in your inventory and you're not planning on using it, sell it. Only sell weapons in that instance, because you'll have to buy the upgrades again otherwise. Don't run around without healing items for too long or you'll get burned by it. If you're running out of ammo for one gun, switch to another and wait for enemies to drop more ammo. Don't push that ladder down and jump out that window unless you know exactly what you're getting into. Don't use the magnum when a shotgun will do the trick, etc. ================= = 04: ENEMIES = ================= CROWS Joke enemies. Unlike the other RE games, crows will never attack you. Their main feature is being living, breathing storage units that will try to fly away when you shoot them. Get around this by tossing flash grenades into the horde, which will apparently scare them all to death. They tend to hang out in large flocks, and usually one of them will also be carrying a small treasure item. Definately worth the grenade. ******************************************************************************* LOS GANADOS Ganados : Zombies :: RE4 : Every other RE. Cannon fodder, unwashed villagers, call them what you will. They come in four male types and four female types (only two if you'd rather discount the hoods), each seeming to have slight differences in personality and weapon preference. Early on in the game, they have sickles (thrown), throwing axes, hatchets and pitchforks. Later on at night, the pitchforks are phased out in favor of torches and the occasional stick of dynamite. The females stick primarily to larger knives, though you might occasionally see one with a sickle. Each of these weapons has some sort of distinct flaw, as the thrown ones can be knocked from the air and the melee ones require close range. If you ever see a Ganado holding a stick of dynamite, shoot it immediately for some extra fun. As for the torches, shooting a Ganado as he's about to blow flames at you is a fun way to turn it against him. Shots aimed at the head or the knee have the added bonus of stunning them and leaving them open for kicks or additional attacks, and shots to the hand will knock the weapon away, leaving strangling you as their only option. Otherwise, the same general rules that applied to zombie fighting apply here. Pistols, kicks, and combat knives are your bread and butter when fighting these guys, but there's no shame in pulling out a shotgun if you're surrounded, or the rifle if you're in the mood for sniping. In Spanish, their name means "livestock". ******************************************************************************* CHAINSAW MANIACS Sometimes known as Dr. Salvatores or Bella Sisters, depending on gender. Despite what some of the previews would lead you to believe, these critters ARE NOT invincible, they can just take several loads of punishment before biting the dust. The goal here is to keep them at as much of a distance as possible due to their instant kill capabilities, so utilize as many powerful long-range weapons as possible, be they grenades, shotgun variants, rifles, or even the magnums. conventional handguns tend to lack the necessary punch, for the most part. One nifty trick I've often used is to clear out the rest of the area of enemies and knock the maniac down. Whenever he gets up, there's a brief pause where he stands still before charging, which is the perfect time to get in a well-aimed rifle shot to the head, if not a magnum. Not nearly as much trouble as they're made out to be. ******************************************************************************* SNAKES Not a standard enemy, in fact, they mostly hang out in boxes, so it becomes a smart move to slash twice through most of the game. You'll also encounter them in the swamp, but they barely take notice of you and you'll usually be running fast enough to keep away from them anyway. As expected, their attack is to rear back and bite you, then slither off grinning mischievously. If you kill them, they'll drop eggs most of the time, so it may be worth the trouble. ******************************************************************************* LAS PLAGAS After night falls, you'll meet your first Las Plagas rather qucikly. Las Plagas rarely exist on their own, rather, periodically you might blow the head off a villager and out will pop a Las Plagas. This still shouldn't deter you from kicking villagers or shooting at their heads, as it's still the most cost effective way of killing. The first version of Las Plagas will be found from nightfall on to the end, is rather pinkish, long, and whip-like. It will often swing around and try to slice your throat. The second version is found only in the castle, it seems, and rather rarely at that. It has an instant kill attack in which it bites Leon's head off, but I've never gotten close enough to one to see it performed successfully. The third type is whitish-blue and looks much like a spider in appearance. Unlike the others, it will detach itself from the head upon the body's death, and might try to jump you and claw at your eyes. The method for dealing with all Plagas is to either pull out a gun and fire directly at them (attacking the body they are attached to is pointless), or throw a flash grenade, as they will immediately explode due to their light sensitivity. If you hadn't already guessed, in Spanish, their name means "the plague". ******************************************************************************* COLMILLOS The spiritual heirs to the cerberi of old. Colmillos are local village dogs or wolves, possessed by the Las Plagas parasite. Unlike the cerberi of yore, they will not run up to you, rip a chunk off, and run away. Instead, they prefer to dive on top of you and try to rip your face off with their teeth. While this is their primary mode of attack, they do have a secondary attack, in which the plagas on their back shoots out tentacles that whip at you. This occurs primarily when they are found in packs, so its recommended that you isolate them as much as possible, or use some sort of spread-fire gun (shotgun, for example) and neutralize them that way. My favorite weapon to use against them is the incendiary grenade, as they aren't bright enough to avoid running into the fire, and will probably die when they do. In Spanish, their name means "eye teeth". ******************************************************************************* LOS ILLUMINADOS I'm not too fond of the other humanoid enemies in this game, but find near endless joy in trashing these guys. Los Illuminados are cult members, and tend to dress in robes that vary based on rank (black monks are rather easy to kill, while purple ones are more difficult and reds tend to be leaders). Sometimes they'll wear skull helmets or carry wooden shields, but you can usually tell it's an illuminado by how clean and pale they are. They weild mostly flails, scythes (long range), crossbows, and the occasional rocket launcher, though none are above strangling you at the right moment. You'll also see them manning the catapults around the outside part of castle, and you should deal with those swiftly and mercilessly with a rifle. Your methods of dealing with the others should be no different from the Ganados, but note that by the time you reach the castle, Leon has learned the awesome suplex move to be used when you shoot one of these guys in the knee. You can usually find them wandering about chanting death in Spanish or laughing inappropriately. I imagine their name means "the illuminated". ******************************************************************************* GARRADORS Heavily armed muscle men with their eyes sewn shut, tortured and given retractable claws (hence the translated "clawer") and, on rare occasions, armor. Ever palyed a game with the X-men's Wolverine as a playable character? Did he have some sort of berserker rage move? That's how the Garrador attacks, generally. Fortunately, it won't affect you if you're just getting up or are being choked by a humanoid enemy. Beyond that, he has a vicious charge attack that will impale you, regardless of life. If he's charging with one claw raised in the air, that's what's happening and you ought to move. He's sensitive to sound, so if you fire off a gun (or sometimes even breathe), he'll come after you. Fire at the parasite on his back to damage him, as he can't be killed by any other conventional means (though he can be stunned with regular hand grenades). There are usually bells in the general area he's in, so shoot them to distract him. Hopefully he'll get a claw stuck in the wall in the process, leaving him open for a few shots. Only use higher powered weapons on him, none of that pistol junk. ******************************************************************************* NOVISTADORS The token bug monsters of this game. They sort of resemble the plague crawlers from RE0, except they're bigger, green, can fly, and turn invisible. You first encounter these in the underground prison and will generally find them in odd areas from then on. Due to their odd penchant for disappearing (never truly explained), you have to seek out other means to kill them. Look around the room. Do you see any strange puffs of mist coming from anywhere in particular? If so, pull out a rifle, zoom in, and plug it. That should kill it instantly. Any other time you encounter them running around, use a shotgun weapon because you won't be able to tell where they're going most of the time and every little bit helps. Try to shoot them out of the air as well, as that tends to be an instant kill for them. There's also a little secret in their behavior, namely, the eye pieces you pick up after killing them are dependant on what color the Novistador's eyes are when you kill it. The game alludes to the idea that these were once human, but I don't buy it and would rather assume that they're not related to the Plagas and are just some wacky creature cooked up in the labs. The rough translation for this is "no-sighters". ******************************************************************************* ARMADURAS Translated: armors. That's all these guys are; Las Plagas hiding inside a giant suit of armor (considering they're parasites that probably need a host for food... don't ask how). There are only a handful of them in the game and fewer still that you can actually fight, which is a good thing as they have high damage resistence and swing a mean axe/sword. Take care of them by shooting for the head after they swing (or before, if you so choose, as it's a way to stun them) and eventually the parasite will show itself (stage one or two), leaving it open for some flash grenade mayhem. Use only higher level weapons on them, so shotguns and magnums for the most part. ******************************************************************************* COMMANDOS Saddler's personal attack squad. I assume that these guys are actually Spanish soldiers or mercenaries under the influences of Las Plagas. They have throwing axes, flails, dynamite, and crossbows like some of the others, but also come equipped with cattle prods (bad news) and the occasional rocket launcher (worse news). They also have their own unique powerhouse enemy; a huge armored and cybernetically implanted hulk who swings a mean hammer. On the whole, commandos seem to be slightly more resistant to damage, but otherwise are the same as the others. Occasionally, one will be hiding behind a wooden shield, and many of them have protective headgear of some sort, but these guys shouldn't pose as much of a problem in this stage of the game. ******************************************************************************* GATLING COMMANDOS Sometimes referred to as J.J.s. This tank of a commando weilds a gatling gun and has just enough sense to adjust his aim if you run out of the field where he's shooting. He'll even chase after you if you stray too far. You might think it would be a clever idea if you climbed a ladder to get away from him, but no, if you try it, he'll jump straight up, rising however many feet into the air, and stop right next to you and begin firing again. He's not stunned easily, but shotgun, rifle, and magnum shots to the head tend to slow him on occasion. One of the better tactics in dealing with him is to run around behind him and let him gun down his own men trying to turn, but if you're too close to him, you leave yourself open for a devastating pistol whip. ******************************************************************************* REGENERATORS The only enemy in the game with the capacity to mildly freak me out. Giant humanoid creatures with teeth like sharks, which they'll use to bite into you when you get too close. They also have semi-rubbery limbs like the bandersnatch of yore, except they don't have nearly the range. Have I mentioned that, like the name implies, they can regenerate limbs at will? The first one you encounter, you won't be able to kill, but soon you'll find a infrared scope that will allow you to spot the 2-5 plagas buried underneath their skin. Most of them are on the front, but if they don't pop after you shoot all of those, take out one of their legs and quickly shoot the last one on their back. You can tell when these things are coming by a distinct change in music and a slight sobbing sound. Creepy. ******************************************************************************* IRON MAIDENS Take a regenerator, and give it the ability to shoot rubbery spikes from the surface of its skin. Sound painful? It is, so take them out as quickly as possible. If you don't, they might grab you and try to impale you on their surface as you can see in one of the promo videos. ******************************************************************************* ROBOTS Not really worthy of note, but they do show up for one key battle late in the game. They come in two varieties, one flying, and one crawling, but if you don't move fast enough, they'll lock onto you and fire some small guns. The other danger is that they explode or self-destruct when they've taken enough damage, and that will definitely hurt you if you get too close to them. Shotgun-type weapons are really the best way of dealing with them, as you have the distance and lateral range working for you there. ******************************************************************************* BERSERKS (MERCENARIES) This guy combines the appearance of a chainsaw maniac without the stupidity, the attack of a garrador without the blindness, and the jumping ability of a gatling commando without the brief pauses before attacking. To make matters worse, he has a double-bladed, diamond-tipped chainsaw, because, you know, one blade on a chainsaw wasn't nearly enough. In short, he's very bad news. From what I remember, there's only one in the regular game, but you can pick him out of a crowd by his larger appearance, darker sack on his head, and blue shirt. You'll never have to fight him directly in the regular game, but in one of the minigames, he's all over the place. ******************************************************************************* ================= = 05: WEAPONS = ================= Unlike the previous RE games, where you could pick up any old weapon lying around and play through the entire game with it, RE4 boasts a wide variety of semi-unique weapons, all of which can be upgraded. To make things easier, note that FIREPOWER (FP) is based on the comparison to a standard handgun shot (1.0 = one shot from your starting handgun), FIRING SPEED (FS) and RELOAD SPEED (RS) are measure up to one-hundredth of a second, and CAPACITY (CAP), well, that would seem to be self-explanatory. KNIFE This version of the knife is about on par with the more powerful knives we've seen in the series. But in RE4, it doesn't take up any inventory space and can be easily readied by holding down the L button at any time. Useful for chopping up boxes and barrels, even slashing down the simpler locks (which beats kicking them apart). It's neat when you're tight on ammo and want to attack someone who is close or on the ground, but unless you're slashing at their head or knees, the results aren't much. Survivalists swear by it, but mostly you'll be using other weapons. Still there are a few choice enemies that are weak against it, and there are various points in the plot that rely on your use of it. ******************************************************************************* GRENADES These babies come in three flavors, original (hand), cinnamon (incendiary), and minty fresh (flash). Each come in handy in rather specific situations. For example, want to kill a bunch of Plagas parasites at once or stun a crowd that's gotten too big? Toss out a flash grenade. Want to stop a small tight- knit crowd, but don't necessarily have much time? Toss an incendiary grenade, it'll blow up on impact and while it might not kill them, it will give you a chance to back off and regroup. Want to take out a group that's rushing towards you or flatten one of the bigger enemies long enough to pull out a stronger weapon? Toss the hand grenade. Each of these takes up a 1 X 2 space in the inventory, unfortunately, but most of the time the effect you get from them makes it well worth it. ******************************************************************************* HANDGUN The default gun for the game. You start with it and can very well keep it through the whole of the mission, if you're so inclined. The Hangun is tied for the second-weakest of all the handguns, the difference between it and the weakest one is only 0.1. It fires slightly faster than the other guns, while being right about on par for the reload speed. With a 25 bullet capacity, it's nothing to write home about compared to the others, but by the time you get that far you're probably going to go full bore on the upgrades and this is where it really shines. Once you get the exclusive upgrade, you'll be five times as likely to get a killing headshot as you would otherwise. That may not seem like an amazing feat, but considering how fast the gun fires and how it has a decent capacity, a steady hand could empty the room right quick. As fun as this may be, most enemies later in the game have helmets and this tactic becomes a lot more difficult. Of course, by that time, you might be using different methods, but that still knocks this one down to my third favorite. FIREPOWER: 1.0 > 1.2 (7K) > 1.4 (10K) > 1.6 (15K) > 1.8 (18K) > 2.0 (20K) FIRING SPEED: 0.47 > 0.40(5K) > 0.33(12K) RELOAD SPEED: 1.73 > 1.47(4K) > 0.87(10K) CAPACITY: 10 > 13 (4K) > 16 (6K) > 19 (8K) > 22 (10K) > 25 (12K) EXCLUSIVE: 5X headshots (57K) HANDLING: ++ SPACE: 2 X 3 slots COST: 198k (8k more if you bought it again) ******************************************************************************* PUNISHER You can get this for free as your second gun by shooting down ten Blue Medallions, but if you're going to get it for free, you might as well shoot all fifteen medallions and pocket the level two firepower upgrade at the same time. Unfortunately, free, in my opinion, is about all this gun is worth. It's regular stats are about the same as the handgun: fires slightly faster, slightly weaker, slightly better capacity. As a default, it also has the unique feature of firing through two enemies at once, despite its power. This can periodically be a nifty feature, seeing as how it can technically shoot through wooden shields later in the game, but this and the nice firing rate are offset by the simple fact that you're going to have to shoot more often. Its exclusive upgrade is similarly useless, bumping up the number of bodies it can shoot through to five without changing the power any. This poses two problems in that 1) it's not often that you line up five enemies at once and 2) in the event you do, they're probably entirely too close to you and you'll want to get something else out right away. Most useful for getting you some quick scratch for practically nothing. This can also be purchased from the merchant after the cabin standoff, but considering the cabin standoff is one of the few times it has potential to be useful... FIREPOWER: 0.9 > 1.1 (10K) > 1.3 (15K) > 1.5 (20K) > 1.7 (25K) > 2.0 (35K) FIRING SPEED: 0.47 > 0.40(10K) > 0.33(20K) RELOAD SPEED: 1.70 > 1.47(8K) > 0.83(18K) CAPACITY: 10 > 13 (8K) > 16 (10K) > 20 (15K) > 24 (18K) > 25 (24K) EXCLUSIVE: Shoot through five enemies in a row (40K) HANDLING: +++ SPACE: 2 X 3 slots COST: 296k (20-30k less if you got it for free) ******************************************************************************* RED9 A Mauser of sorts, this is what you use when you want to take a hit of five slots in inventory space, about a second of reload speed, and slight hits in speed and capacity in exchange for raw power and style. You're never going to want to use it without the stock, and at its highest upgrade, it sill reloads slower than a fully-upgraded shotgun, but with the exclusive upgrade, it's as powerful as the Riot Gun is when you buy it. Considering its firing speed is decent, you can use it to take out bosses, if you're feeling adventurous (and I have on a number of occasions). This also will free up more potent ammo for more dire straits, bringing up the overall quality of your arsenal. The only complaint one could have about the gun is that without the stock, it handles horribly, and with it, you're down three more item slots in addition to the two more the gun takes up to begin with. If you're space conscious and never seem to have enough cash to get the case upgrades, or if you're new to the game and are probably going to need all the space you can get, then this gun might not be for you, but veterans to either this game or the series as while may want to check this one out. Probably my favorite gun. You can buy it after rescuing Ashley. FIREPOWER: 1.4 > 1.7 (15K) > 2.0 (20K) > 2.4 (24K) > 2.8 (28K) > 3.5 (45K) FIRING SPEED: 0.53 > 0.47(10K) > 0.40(15K) RELOAD SPEED: 2.37 > 2.20(6K) > 1.67(10K) CAPACITY: 8 > 10 (6K) > 12 (8K) > 15 (12K) > 18 (16K) > 22 (22K) EXCLUSIVE: 5.0 firepower (80K) HANDLING: ++ SPACE: 2 X 4 slots (+ 1 X 3 w/ stock) COST: 331k (4k more w/ stock) ******************************************************************************* BLACKTAIL If you're not comfortable with how much space the Red9 takes up, this is a very close second. Among all the regular handguns, it fires the fastest, topping out at 0.27, has a capacity of seven more than the next gun, is tied with the Punisher for the fastest reload speed, and has pretty solid power. If you get the exclusive upgrade, it tops out at 3.4, just below where the Red9 is without it. Even if you don't get this, the firepower is still 3.0, which isn't bad by any means. As a bonus, it handles better than any of the other guns, meaning your aim won't shift all that much with firing, and it's built for speed if it has to be. The only drawback is, as one of the fastest firing guns in the game (fastest among all the non-automatics), it does take some getting used to and there will be an occasion or two when you'll waste an extra bullet or two. But considering the "survival" aspect of the game has been toned down quite a bit, this isn't really an issue. I've played through entire games with either the Red9 or the Blacktail, and the Blacktail almost ties the Red9 for my favorite. You can buy it at the beginning of the third chapter. FIREPOWER: 1.6 > 1.8 (15K) > 2.0 (18K) > 2.3 (24K) > 2.7 (30K) > 3.0 (40K) FIRING SPEED: 0.47 > 0.40(10K) > 0.27(20K) RELOAD SPEED: 1.70 > 1.47(8K) > 0.83(15K) CAPACITY: 15 > 18 (8K) > 21 (10K) > 25 (15K) > 30 (20K) > 35 (25K) EXCLUSIVE: 3.4 firepower (80K) HANDLING: ++++ SPACE: 2 X 3 slots COST: 362k ******************************************************************************* MATILDA (SPECIAL) This is one of your rewards after completing the game. It's basically the same gun that Leon had (once he upgraded) in RE2, with all the same pluses and minuses. On one hand, it's as powerful as a fully-upgraded Handgun and you can tweak it to get a capacity of one hundred using the exlcusive upgrade, but it chews through ammo like nobody's business. I was taking a light approach in my time using it, just kind of screwing around in the village, but when I started, I had one hundred extra bullets in the bank. By the time I finished and the bell rang, even after I had picked up every bit of ammo I could find in the area, I still had only twenty-five spares, all the result of that fun three- round burst feature. That said, you can pretty much use this weapon on its own for most of the game, I'd imagine. That chainsaw maniac that came after me had no chance of touching me. FIREPOWER: 1.0 > 1.2 (15K) > 1.4 (17K) > 1.6 (20K) > 1.8 (25K) > 2.0 (35K) FIRING SPEED: 0.47 RELOAD SPEED: 1.73 > 1.47(6K) > 0.87(15K) CAPACITY: 15 > 18 (7K) > 21 (10K) > 24 (12K) > 27 (16K) > 30 (20K) EXCLUSIVE: 100 capacity (35K) HANDLING: ++ SPACE: 2 X 5 slots COST: 311.5k ******************************************************************************* SHOTGUN Ol' reliable. On the whole, this probably the most cost-effective of the shotgun-type weapon, with a max power that is no different from the Riot Gun's (sans upgrade) and a capacity of one more. The exclusive upgrade provides another intruiging (albeit nonsensical) feature in that it will now have the same power from any distance, meaning that shooting someone from the other side of the field will do the same damage as if they were standing right in front of you. I won't claim to have the slightest idea how that would work, but depending on how you use your shotgun, it could prove to be valuable for keeping the larger groups at bay, particularly in those narrow areas where you have an absolute horde of enemies charging towards you. Picked up in just the second area of the game. FIREPOWER: 4.0 > 4.5 (15K) > 5.0 (20K) > 6.0 (25K) > 7.0 (30K) > 8.0 (45K) FIRING SPEED: 1.53 RELOAD SPEED: 3.03 > 2.43(7K) > 1.50(15K) CAPACITY: 6 > 8 (8K) > 10 (10K) > 12 (12K) > 15 (15K) > 18 (20K) EXCLUSIVE: Same damage from all ranges (90K) HANDLING: ++ SPACE: 2 X 8 slots COST: 312k (20k more if you bought it again) ******************************************************************************* RIOT GUN Aside from that cool, sleek assault shotgun look from previous games, this is the same gun as the standard Shotgun. Well, I shouldn't say that... it does start out as having better power (though the regular Shotgun quickly closes that gap), and it's exclusive upgrade bumps the firepower up to 10, and it has one less in maximum capacity than the regular Shotgun. I don't know, I swore by this gun during my first run through the game (pre-FAQ), but it really isn't all that cost effective to get this unless you're planning on going all gung-ho into every group of enemies and firing off a round before any of them lays a hit on you. Personally, I wish they would have revived the old Western Custom from some of the older REs and at least give us some variety. You can buy it as soon as you get toe the castle. FIREPOWER: 5.0 > 5.5 (20K) > 6.0 (24K) > 6.5 (28K) > 7.0 (32K) > 8.0 (50K) FIRING SPEED: 1.53 RELOAD SPEED: 3.03 > 2.43(7K) > 1.50(20K) CAPACITY: 7 > 9 (10K) > 11 (12K) > 13 (15K) > 15 (20K) > 17 (25K) EXCLUSIVE: 10.0 firepower (120K) HANDLING: +++ SPACE: 2 X 8 slots COST: 415k ******************************************************************************* STRIKER It took me a little while to warm up to this gun due to its slightly limited lateral range and the fact that you get it somewhat late in the game, but I'm glad I did. Those two facts aside, it is undeniably the best shotgun in the game, featuring a max firepower of 12, half the firing speed of any other shotgun, and an exclusive upgrade that bumps its capacity up to 100, which should give you no less than 72 free shells in the deal. In addition, it actually takes LESS money to fully load than the Riot Gun is, which borders on absurd. My recommendation is that you keep the Shotgun, don't upgrade it, trade it in for the Riot Gun at the beginning of Chapter Three, and then use the Striker as soon as you get the chance. It's not often that a shotgun weapon can by your primary gun, but this is it. Bought from the merchant after Leon is dumped in the spike pit. FIREPOWER: 6.0 > 7.0 (25K) > 8.0 (28K) > 9.0 (32K) > 10.0(40K) > 12.0(60K) FIRING SPEED: 0.73 RELOAD SPEED: 3.00 > 2.40(8K) > 1.50(15K) CAPACITY: 12 > 14 (10K) > 16 (12K) > 20 (16K) > 24 (18K) > 28 (25K) EXCLUSIVE: 100 capacity (60K) HANDLING: +++ SPACE: 2 X 5 slots COST: 398k ******************************************************************************* RIFLE Third major gun you can get in the game. With a maximum power of 12 (18 with exclusive), it's easily one of the most powerful guns in the game. However, you'll be using it mostly for sniping purposes, so there's not too much point in maxing out the power (but do save yourself the trouble and pick up a scope). It's also fairly compact, taking only nine spaces to store (twelve with scope). However, it has one major flaw: its firing rate and reload speed absolutely blow. Don't be fooled by the firing speed, because every time you shoot a round off you have to pull back the handle again and eject the spent shell, which interrupts your aim and tends to throw the whole sniping process out of whack if you're not careful. The reload speed is also a full second more than the counterpart, which also can lead to some serious issues. It's not a bad gun, but I consider it to be mostly a placeholder until you get the semi-auto. You can buy it the first time you meet the merchant. FIREPOWER: 4.0 > 5.0 (10K) > 6.0 (12K) > 8.0 (20K) > 10.0(25K) > 12.0(35K) FIRING SPEED: 0.67 (total lie) RELOAD SPEED: 4.00 > 3.23(8K) > 2.33(18K) CAPACITY: 5 > 7 (6K) > 9 (8K) > 12 (12K) > 15 (18K) > 18 (25K) EXCLUSIVE: 18.0 firepower (80K) HANDLING: ++ SPACE: 1 X 9 slots (+ 1 X 3 w/ scope) COST: 289k (7k more w/ scope) ******************************************************************************* SEMI-AUTO RIFLE Now THIS, is a gun. Starts off with a power of seven and fully upgraded is up to 15. The capacity is also great, topping out at 24, a full six more than the regular Rifle. But clearly, the best part of the Semi-Auto is that your sniping periods can only be broken up by reloading or getting hit. No more ejecting every shell after you fire. Add in the exclusive upgrade, which allows you to fire this baby as fast as a regular handgun, and you're in business to do some serious damage. I've played through a number of games using a number of weapons, but regardless over whatever else I have in my inventory, I always keep the Semi-Auto Rifle around. Bought off the merchant at the beginning of the castle. FIREPOWER: 7.0 > 8.0 (15K) > 9.0 (18K) > 11.0(24K) > 13.0(30K) > 15.0(40K) FIRING SPEED: 1.43 >[0.40(80K)] RELOAD SPEED: 2.33 > 1.90(9K) > 1.33(18K) CAPACITY: 10 > 12 (10K) > 14 (12K) > 17 (15K) > 20 (20K) > 24 (25K) EXCLUSIVE: 0.40 firing speed (80K) HANDLING: ++++ SPACE: 2 X 7 slots (+ 1 X 3 w/ scope) COST: 351k (10k more w/ scope) ******************************************************************************* TMP Eh... Generally speaking, I try to carry only three guns at a time in the beginning of the game, before I get access to the bigger attache cases. However, on my first (pre-FAQ) run through this game, I was going into one of the big battles in the village with almost nothing in terms of ammo for my weapons, so I opted to get the TMP, upgrade it a few times, and clip a stock to it. While I did get out of that battle alive (barely, and after a few tries), I found on later trips that it really just doesn't make sense to lug this thing around. It is useful for mowing through enemies, but until you get the exclusive upgrade, you might as well have an automatic peashooter for all the good this thing will do you in serious melees, which is the only time you should consider using it anyway. You're better off not wasting your money and just selling every bit of TMP ammo you come across. Can be purchased the first time you meet the merchant, but really, don't. FIREPOWER: 0.4 > 0.5 (7K) > 0.6 (14K) > 0.8 (18K) > 1.0 (24K) > 1.2 (35K) FIRING SPEED: 0.10 RELOAD SPEED: 2.37 > 1.93(5K) > 1.17(15K) CAPACITY: 30 > 50 (7K) > 100 (15K) > 150 (20K) > 200 (25K) > 250 (35K) EXCLUSIVE: 1.8 firepower (100K) HANDLING: ++ SPACE: 2 X 3 slots (+ 2 X 2 w/ stock) COST: 335k (4k more w/ stock) ******************************************************************************* BROKEN BUTTERFLY Generally, in RE games what you look for in a magnum is power and nothing else. The Butterfly has power in excess, topping out at 50 with the exclusive upgrade (28 without) and you can pick it up for free midway through the castle. It doesn't reload too quickly (at best, it's as good as a fully-upgraded rifle) and the capacity is pretty lousy, but with that kind of firepower, it's hard to care about those minor setbacks. If you're following the guide as much as you can, you should have enough cash to get all of the upgrades too. You could buy this baby at the beginning of the third chapter, but you're better off picking it up for free at the beginning of the fourth, seeing as how you really won't need it until then anyway. FIREPOWER: 13.0 > 15.0(25K) > 17.0(30K) > 20.0(35K) > 24.0(50K) > 28.0(70K) FIRING SPEED: 0.70 RELOAD SPEED: 3.67 > 3.00(15K) > 2.33(20K) CAPACITY: 6 > 8 (15K) > 10 (20K) > 12 (25K) EXCLUSIVE: 50.0 firepower (150K) HANDLING: ++ SPACE: 2 X 4 slots COST 305k (38k more if you didn't get the free one) ******************************************************************************* KILLER 7 Named after another Capcom game, the Killer 7 isn't bad, but for the purposes you need a magnum, you're probably going to want to stick with the Broken Butterfly. Sure, it's power is almost twice that of the standard BB, but you can't even buy this gun until the beginning of the fifth chapter, and by that time you've probably already had to upgrade the Butterfly a few times. It's cheaper, more powerful (excluding exclusive upgrade to the Butterfly), reloads quicker, handles better, and has a better capacity, so it should be the choice if you're tight on cash, but you probably can't afford to wait that long, and paying another 100,000 or so pstas for 15 more in firepower isn't that bad an investment. Bought at the beginning of chapter five. FIREPOWER: 25.0 > 30.0(62K) > 35.0(78K) FIRING SPEED: 0.70 RELOAD SPEED: 1.83 > 1.53(20K) > 0.93(30K) CAPACITY: 7 > 10 (30K) > 14 (40K) EXCLUSIVE: N/A HANDLING: ++++ SPACE: 2 X 4 slots COST: 337.7k ******************************************************************************* HANDCANNON (SPECIAL) Unlocked by getting a five star rating with every player in every level of the Mercenaries game. If, at the beginning of the game, you sell off all your worldly possessions, you should be able to upgrade this thing fully. Not that it needs it, but going from 50 firepower and 3 capacity to 99 firepower and infinite capacity is hard to argue against. The merchant will tease you about "hunting an elephant", but one shot brings a Gigante to its knees and punch through the helmet of a human enemy. Two can kill regenerators and iron maidens. Three shots will kill Salazar and the U3. A few more shots and the Verdugo is dead, frozen or unfrozen. FIREPOWER: 30.0 > 35.0(40K) > 40.0(50K) > 45.0(70K) > 50.0(90K) > 60.0(120K) FIRING SPEED: 1.17 RELOAD SPEED: 3.67 > 2.87(25K) > 1.83(50K) CAPACITY: 3 > 4 (15K) > 5 (20K) > 6 (25K) > 8 (35K) > 10 (50K) EXCLUSIVE: 99.0 firepower and infinite capacity (200K) HANDLING: ++++ SPACE: 2 X 4 slots COST: 790k ******************************************************************************* MINE THROWER This is really two different weapons, though you should be familiar with both if you played the Hard Mode of RE3 for long enough. The first version is what you would expect; a simple gun that places timed mines on creatures or things. The second comes after the exclusive upgrade, at which point the mines become homing darts that attach themselves to enemies and blow up sometime later. Both achieve the same basic effect, but you might want to use the scope for the first version as there isn't much way to aim them otherwise. Also be sure to note that the firepower actually represents blast radius in meters. Mine darts are about as powerful as the average hand grenade in terms of their killing ability, which makes them pretty fun to use, but for the prices and explosion delays involved, I'd prefer to stick to regular grenades. Like many of the other weapons, it can be bought from the merchant at the beginning of the third chapter. FIREPOWER: 2.0 > 4.0 (25K) > 6.0 (45K) FIRING SPEED: 1.33 RELOAD SPEED: 3.43 > 2.57(18K) CAPACITY: 5 > 7 (25K) > 10 (40K) EXCLUSIVE: Added homing ability and increased blase radius (30K) HANDLING: ++++ SPACE: 2 X 5 slots (+ 2 X 2 scope) COST: 211k (8k more w/ scope) ******************************************************************************* ROCKET LAUNCHER There's not much to be said about this weapon, as it's clearly capable of speaking on its own behalf. You can find this about halfway through the game on a shelf, or buy it from the merchant at just about any time, but for the price and the fact that it's a one-time use item, it's not all that worth it. Still... if you really want something dead... FIREPOWER: Certainly FIRING SPEED: It's a rocket! RELOAD SPEED: N/A CAPACITY: 1 EXCLUSIVE: Unnecessary HANDLING: ++++ SPACE: 2 X 8 slots COST: 30k ******************************************************************************* INFINITE LAUNCHER (SPECIAL) What you use when you want to proudly display your complete and utter contempt for every living thing. If you haven't figured out how to use this yet, you're wasting your time by reading. ******************************************************************************* CHICAGO TYPEWRITER (SPECIAL) It looks like a gun, sounds like a gun, and fires like a gun. So it must be a gun, right? Well, not exactly. Simply put, the Typewriter is far ahead of every other gun in the game and there's a very good reason as to why it will set you back one million pesetas: it's the last gun you'll ever have to buy. Infinite capacity? Quick firing? Decent power? Check, check and check. You can even use it to fire single rounds fairly easily, unlike other weapons of its type. Under the assault of this, many enemies will die in a single shot and a good number of them will be dead before they hit the ground no matter where you hit them. The only drawback is that it takes up a huge amount of space, but hey, who needs other weapons? FIREPOWER: 10.0 FIRING SPEED: 0.10 RELOAD SPEED: 1.63 CAPACITY: N/A EXCLUSIVE: N/A HANDLING: +++ SPACE: 3 X 7 slots ******************************************************************************* BOW (MERCENARIES) This weapon is unique to one of the characters in the Mercenaries minigame. While the arrows it fires ARE NOT explosive in nature, it does enough damage to kill most Ganados-types in a single shot. Fires rather quickly, but it will take some time for the arrow to get there and you'll reload automatically after firing. The only issue is that, while steadier, aiming it compared to the other guns is slightly awkward seeing as how you have to be rather precise. Otherwise, a downright studly weapon. FIREPOWER: 10.0 FIRING SPEED: 0.03 RELOAD SPEED: 0.03 CAPACITY: N/A EXCLUSIVE: N/A HANDLING: +++ SPACE: 3 X 7 slots ******************************************************************************* CUSTOM TMP (MERCENARIES) Another weapon used exclusively by one of the characters in the Mercenaries game. Actually, it's their only weapon, and under normal circumstances with a TMP that would be bad news, but this one has a little bit more power to it than the raw stats lead one to believe. Even better for dealing with large crowds, and just fine at taking out single enemies as well. For the latter's purposes, I generally start firing into the gut of whoever's in front of me and moving my aim up until I hit the head, which stuns them and allows me to deal a killing melee attack. FIREPOWER: 1.0 FIRING SPEED: 0.10 RELOAD SPEED: 1.17 CAPACITY: 100 EXCLUSIVE: N/A HANDLING: ++++ SPACE: 2 X 4 slots ******************************************************************************* ===================== = 06: WALKTHROUGH = ===================== ******************************************************************************* CHAPTER 1-1: The Beginning ******************************************************************************* **PATH TO PUEBLO** ENEMIES: FIVE CROWS and... Well, here we are at the beginning of another game. Ahead of you, you'll be able to see a CROW on a branch in a tree. There's another CROW beneath him and one more CROW to the left of that one. To kill them all, I recommend staying at a distance, getting the one on top, then the one on the left, then the one on the right. This will yield a few hundred pstas and a SPINEL. Now make your way into the house nearby. Continue into the house and you'll get a scene. This is the first GANADO type enemy. Shoot him in the head, kick, and repeat. He'll fall quickly. You'll get a couple more scenes and then be faced with a pack of three more GANADOS. I recommend jumping out the lower window and standing them off by the crate. When you're done, pick up the items they dropped and go back upstairs to grab some HANDGUN BULLETS (10). Back along the path, you'll find a small storage shed, where you'll find a typewriter and some more crates to break open. Use your knife on these (using the L button). You should get another HANDGUN BULLETS (10), a GREEN HERB, and some pstas out of this. In the distance along the main path, you'll see a couple of CROWS, sitting around doing as crows do. Kill them both to get some pstas and a HAND GRENADE, which could prove quite valuable in the not-too-distant future. You'll also find a wolf trapped in a beartrap. Release him or don't, but remember that no good deed goes unrewarded. Stick to the main path to avoid further beartrap incidents and continue on to the two trees. A GANADO should have noticed you by now. You, on the other hand, should've noticed the beartraps between the trees and the dynamite traps strung on either side of them. You can lead this guy into the dynamite traps, no problem, but be careful that you're at enough of a distance so that you don't get blown up. Further along the path you'll find another shack with some odd fixtures inside, and a GREEN HERB, plus some random items in the boxes, await you. Outside, there's a bridge, and two more GANADOS waiting, but they can be taken out from a safe distance. Cross the bridge (ignoring the dudes) and head down the path to one last shack, where a GANADO waits. In here, you'll be able to pick up HANDGUN BULLETS (10) and two more random items. Now head through the gates... **PUEBLO** ENEMIES: ELEVEN GANADOS, ONE CHAINSAW MANIAC (First wave) FIVE GANADOS (Second wave) ~TEN GANADOS, ONE CHAINSAW MANIAC (Third wave) Walk ahead and you'll be given the option to scope out the area ahead. In front of you, you'll be able to see four GANADOS rather plainly, but what you can't catch right away is that there are two GANADOS on the rooftops to the left, another GANADO on the side there, the two GANADOS on the right side of the houses, and the two GANADOS accompanied by a CHAINSAW MANIAC in the northeast corner of the village. That last group will rarely, if ever, come after you, but the CHAINSAW MANIAC does yield a RUBY, which is worth a cool 10000 pstas... ------------------------ |STUPID/GREEDY/PRO METHOD| ------------------------ Have two grenades handy on this one, of the regular variety. One will do, but two definately makes things easier. Run down the left side of the village, killing the female GANADO or just running past, and make your way for the northeast corner where you'll spot the CHAINSAW MANIAC and his two GANADO posse. Immediately toss one grenade as soon as they're in range. Usually, the CHAINSAW MANIAC will be blown forward, in which case you can stake out the area near the gate (which you can't open yet). Even if you can't, get into some kind of position where you can see the CHAINSAW MANIAC and have a clear line to throw the second grenade when he gets up. After that (or if you don't have the second grenade), you should switch to the handgun and start plugging at his head. Depending on how much damage you did to him earlier, he should drop fairly quickly, leaving behind the RUBY. Odds are that the major group of GANADOS will still be on their way, so you should have enough space. When you're done here, skip down a bit... ---------- |EASY METHOD| ---------- Forget about the RUBY, start killing GANADOS covertly (preferably on the left side) and wait. Stay alert as you'll probably have to pick a GANADO or two off the rooftops to keep them from throwing things at you. ----------- |END METHODS| ----------- Eventually, you'll have a scene which involves another group of GANADOS giving a battle cry and charging in from somewhere in the village where you aren't at the moment. This is the second wave. Kill however many you need to in order to get inside the two-story house in the village. If you're at all familiar with the previews, you should know what's going on here, but if you don't, this triggers the third wave. To your right, you're going to find a small group of GANADOS hammering on a window, so you might want to push the shelf in front of it. Ignore the barrels behind the stairs for now (or don't, there are also some HANGUN BULLETS (10) on a shelf back there) and head up to the second floor, grabbing the SHOTGUN off the frame (no trap this time). Next to you is a glass case, which you should knife to grab out the HAND GRENADE, and 1000 PSTAS nearby. Make a turn and run to the edge of the bed, where you'll find some more SHOTGUN SHELLS (5). Grab them and push the ladder out of the nearby window. From here, it's up to you; you can either back yourself into the corner near the bed and hold them off from there, chuck grenades out the window until you fill your kill quota, or you can toss a grenade out to clear the area beneath the window, then dive out into the fray where you'll meet more GANADOS and, if you're lucky, the CHAINSAW MANIAC which your newfound weapon should allow you to kill rather easily. He drops 10000 PSTAS, so it's well worth the trouble. After you're done, you'll want to start exploring the village area. On top of one of the chimneys next to the two-story house, you can find some HANDGUN BULLETS (10), and around the roof of the two-story, there's a SPINEL. Head back down and go inside the single-story, grabbing the RED HERB in the box out back, then pick up the INCENDIARY GRENADE and SHOTGUN SHELLS (5) from the boxes and barrels. The busted shack beside the two-story has a box as well. Climb up the bell tower and you can find more SHOTGUN SHELLS (10). There's some HANDGUN BULLETS (10) by the wood sheds at the bottom too. Now to explore the other side of the village. The crate behind the cowshed holds a valuable YELLOW HERB, and the path leading to the (blocked) door next to that has a shack with two boxes, one of them holding a FLASH GRENADE. The only thing left is the other big house on this side. Break the barrel inside, then go to the lock on the door and start kicking it until it busts (or, alternatively, use the knife to break it). On the bed you'll find 1000 PSTAS, and the box will yield SHOTGUN SHELLS (5). Outside of this house, you can also find a GREEN HERB by the wood shed. Head up the path where the Chainsaw Maniac was (gone now) and pick up the HANDGUN BULLETS (10) and the file on the wall. You're finally done here, so go through the door. **FARM** ENEMIES: FIVE GANADOS Seems a little peaceful by comparison. Dead ahead you'll see a FILE and a blue thing hanging from the tree, which is explained by the file, but don't do anything with those just yet. Head around the corner and into the shack instead, break the barrel, and save if you have to. There's a GANADO in the barn, tossing hay, and another GANADO behind him tending to the cows. Kill them (this should go without saying) and crack open the barrel in the barn. There's another barrel further along behind the shack that holds an INCENDIARY GRENADE. Continue to the far side of the house and kill the GANADO tossing hay there. This may alert the GANADO in the loft of the house, and the one adjacent to the house, but neither should pose any difficulties. Inside the house, you can find a SPINEL and 1000 PSTAS after opening the cabinets, and HANDGUN BULLETS (10) and 1000 PSTAS after breaking the barrels. In the loft, you can find more HANDGUN BULLETS (10) in the cabinet. Now climb out the window and run to the left, jumping off by where the ladder is. You can't go through this door just yet, but in the crate and in the barrels inside the shack you should be able to find some goodies, including another SPINEL. Climb back up and run to the edge of the platform, then jump off and break the box to find a BEERSTEIN. Don't sell it right away, as you can add three items to increase its value. Push the shelves out of the way to get out of this area. You may think it's about time to blow this popstand, but there are a few things we should take care of first. To start, head over to the well that's by the typewriter hut, shoot out the plank holding the lid up, then shoot the shiny to get a PEARL PENDANT. The other matter is the file and the blue objects. The file states that if you destroy ten of the blue medallions, you'll get a reward, and if you shoot all fifteen (seven of them here, eight later on), you can get a bonus. Well, start off by plugging the one hanging from the tree in front of you, then continue by shooting the second out of the top window of the barn. Behind the barn you'll find the third in a tree on the right side. The fourth will be hanging from the top window in the house, and the fifth will hang from the roof on the other side. Climb into the loft again and head to the left, and you'll see the sixth hanging from the windmill and the seventh above and to the left of the blocked door. NOW, you can move on. **PATH TO SHANTY** ENEMIES: SEVEN GANADOS Whenever you see a couple of skulls hanging from an X-shaped sign, learn to take it as a sort of warning. Run down the path, but keep your thumb close to the A-button and your index fingers near the L and R. You may need the B too. Once that's over with, continue down through the tunnel. There's no point in heading back, other than to shoot a couple of GANADOS standing on a bridge that will throw things at you. In the tunnel, plug the two shinys for two SPINELS. Stop before the end, as there's a GANADO there rocking back and forth with a dynamite in his hand, and he can make things difficult for you if he gets up and notifies his buddies. They'll find out either way, as you'll have to kill them eventually, but go around the right side of the building to get in, as to avoid the beartraps and dynamite wires. Climb into the building and somehow kill the three GANADOS inside without blowing yourself up. You may be hearing some explosions from the other side now, and that's because there's another GANADO on that side. Luckily, you can just poke your head out the hole and shoot him dead. Inside this building, you'll find some HANDGUN BULLETS (10) in the barrel and a HAND GRENADE on the shelf in the other room. Outside, near where the other GANADO was, there's a lean-to that has a SPINEL in one of the boxes. Before you go charging into the big shanty, shoot down the nest from the tree to get a RED CATSEYE, for use with the beerstein, and break the box on the right side of the house for a chance at more goodies. Knock the lock off the shanty and enter. Inside, you'll see HANDGUN BULLETS (10) on the table right off, and there are 1000 PSTAS in the cabinet nearby. Save if you have to, but continue on and back yourself into the near corner of the hall, then shoot the trap. Do the same in the next room, then grab the 1000 PSTAS and the GREEN HERB from the cabinet. Push the shelf out of the way to get into the other part of the room, then open the armoire inside to end the chapter. ******************************************************************************* CHAPTER 1-2: Escape From the Valley ******************************************************************************* **VALLEY STORAGE** After some scenes and a little button pressing, you'll be on your way. Pick up the HANDGUN BULLETS (10) on the shelf and some RIFLE SHOTS (5) on your way out. Save again, if you really have to. Outside and around the corner, break the barrel for a GREEN HERB, then head around the other side to meet up with the merchant. ******************************************************** ***************************MERCHANT********************* * BUY (NEW) * TUNE UP (NEW) * * Attache Case M (30k) * Handgun FP (1.2, 7k) * * Treasure Map (Village) (10k) * " " FS (0.40, 5k) * * Handgun (6k) * " " RS (1.47, 4k) * * Shotgun (20k) * " " CAP (13, 4k) * * Rifle (12k) * Shotgun FP (4.5, 15k) * * TMP (15k) * " " RS (2.43, 7k) * * Rocket Launcher (30k) * " " CAP (8, 8k) * * Scope (Rifle) (7k) * Rifle FP (5.0, 20k) * * First Aid Spray (10k) * " " RS (3.23, 8k) * ******************************** " " CAP (7, 6k) * ******************************************************** Sell what you don't need here, like the SPINELS, the PEARL PENDANT, and RUBY, if you picked it up. Buy the larger Attache Case M and the RIFLE and SCOPE (RIFLE). Anything else is gravy, but on the whole, rather unnecessary once you're accustomed to the game. Further along this path are two more barrels for smashing, but you're probably more concerned with leaving this place. Combine the rifle and scope, then equip them and head for the small opening to the right of the exit. Start picking off various GANADOS with headshots. All told, there are about seven of them wandering around that you can pick off without anyone noticing. Even if one of the GANADOS on the right charges you with the pitchfork, you should keep going and try to collect 'em all. **VALLEY FORTRESS** ENEMIES: FORTY GANADOS (including those you may have picked off) Basically, as soon as you enter this place and are noticed, music will start playing and GANADOS will start spawning non-stop. There isn't any specific way of strategizing this other than to warn you. A lot of them have dynamite as well, but try to play that into an advantage for you. First, you'll want to run up the criss-crossing cliffs on the right side until you reach the sandbags. Break the barrels, get the goods (RIFLE SHOTS (10) and PSTAS), and open up the chest to get the EMBLEM (LEFT HALF). Before running back down, you might want to wait for a bit and let some more GANADOS come to you, provided you have the red explosive barrel still there waiting to be popped. Make your way down the cliffs (a lot of GANADOS will charge you here, so come prepared). By this time, it's possible that you've killed around thirty GANADOS, so you'll be close to killing the last four, which are stationary. At the edge of the bridge, pull out your rifle and snipe the one on top of the building to your left. Inside that building are three more GANADOS. If you're entering it by making a left and going over the short plank bridge, two GANADOS will be next to the ladder and another will be further along near a door (assuming that your firing didn't alert them). You can pick up SHOTGUN SHELLS (5) in the first room here as well. In the second room with the ladder, you can pick up some HANDGUN BULLETS (10) on the box and a FLASH GRENADE in the locker. Now climb up the ladder and open the chest to get the EMBLEM (RIGHT HALF). Combine it with the other piece to get the HEXAGONAL EMBLEM. There's a barrel on top here, and another behind where the locker was on the outside. By now, you should have killed all the GANADOS and the music should stop playing, but if it hasn't, you still have a few more to go. Run up to the high ground on this side and break the barrels, then turn around and face the GANADOS that spawned behind you. Inside the nearby building, you can pick up 1000 PSTAS and a YELLOW HERB from the lockers. There's also a barrel for the breaking if you climb both ladders nearby. When you're done here, use the HEXAGONAL EMBLEM on the door and open it. **VALLEY REFINERY** ENEMIES: TWELVE GANADOS Head down the path to the doors. There will be a barrel on the right just before it, and another two to the left. Inside, there's a barrel on the left, but the door on your right is the goal. Down the path are four more GANADOS, so kill them and move on until you find the windows. Beyond them are five GANADOS hiding behind a barricade, a number of which will be tossing dynamite. See if you can't alert the group, then kill one of them holding the explosive to take out the whole group. As you go deeper into the room, shoot the traps on the right and grab the HANDGUN BULLETS (10) and SPINEL from the furnaces, then break a barrel nearby. The door near the barricade is your goal here, but there are two GANADOS inside so stay alert. Once inside, make a left and break the planks to get into a small room and pick up an ELEGANT MASK, which can be combined with some things you'll find later. Break the two barrels in the area and go through the door around the corner. Down at the bottom of the stairs and around the corner, you'll meet up with the last GANADO, who will probably make one of the alert yells despite there being no other enemies in the area. Kill him. After that, you might want to jump down to the pit on the left and kill some fish to get some life. You could also pick up a FLASH GRENADE, 1000 PSTAS, and HANDGUN BULLETS (10) down there. When you're done, climb up the ladder. **MENDEZ' RESIDENCE (REAR)** ENEMIES: THREE CROWS There are some CROWS near a dynamite trap. Do the math, though you may want to subtract the crow closest to you beforehand. To the left is another well with a jewel, so shoot the plank out and grab the BRASS POCKET WATCH after it lands. There's some stuff to break in the shack to the left, but your goal is the back of the house in front of you. Just be sure to shoot the traps along the way. When you get to the top, you'll find your first puzzle of the game... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + [INSIGNIA GLOBE PUZZLE] + + + + In front of you will be a globe with a mark shaped + + like a plus sign, flanked by two symbols identical + + to the one on the hex emblem. Get used to seeing + + it in this game. + + + + The goal here is to make the center globe look like + + that symbol. Now if you look very carefully at the + + globe, you'll see a little prong at the bottom that + + resembles one of the lower "arms" on the symbol. + + Flip it up once to gain access to that. + + + + Now you're looking at a spikey version of the + + symbol that doesn't quite look right. To change it + + to the more familiar form, rotate it either to the + + left or the right. Either way works. + +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ This will open the way to Mendez' bedroom. To the right is an armoire with 1000 PSTAS inside. Grab the FILE on the corner of the bed and get the HANDGUN BULLETS (10) from the desk, but your goal is the INSIGNIA KEY in the case in front of you. Now head out the door to the end of the chapter. ******************************************************************************* CHAPTER 1-3: The Church and The Lake ******************************************************************************* **MENDEZ' RESIDENCE (FRONT)** ENEMIES: TEN GANADOS, ONE CHAINSAW MANIAC For some added fun, you can go back in the door next to you for a bonus scene. But more likely, you'll just want to get on with the game, so check the cabinet behind you for a GREEN HERB. On the other side, there are some stairs and a bathroom behind them, but there's just a GANADO in there, so don't bother. Turn right and explore the corridor to get an INCENDIARY GRENADE from the shelf and 1000 PSTAS from the cabinet. Head out (save at the typewriter, if need be) and go into the kitchen, opening the oven to get a BROWN CHICKEN EGG. Outside, there are a bunch of GANADOS, but fire you'll have to deal with three of them flanking a CHAINSAW MANIC. Grenades help this situation immensely, and so does some proficiency with the rifle. You can safely plug the maniac in the head every time he stands up to avoid him getting too close. Pick up the RUBY once he bites it, then continue on and shoot a SPINEL out of the nest in the tree up ahead. Further along there's a shack with a GANADO couple and a RED HERB in-a-box, and beyond that, another tree with a nest (this time, it's TMP AMMO (50). Still not done here though, as a pack of four GANADOS guards the exit. Again, grenades are loads of fun here. **PUEBLO** ENEMIES: TEN GANADOS There are ten GANADOS that appear in this area, but only eight of them will come charging up the hill at you. The other two are atop the buildings in the distance, so use your rifle to pick them off. Again, there's no real strategy here other than backing yourself into a corner and fending them off, so don't worry about it. When you're done, you can use the INSIGNIA KEY to unlock the door with the same symbol near the tower. **VILLAGE TUNNEL** It's a save room! Pick the HANDGUN BULLETS (10) off the shelf and break the box on the stove. The door beyond will lead you to a barrel (with TMP AMMO (50) inside) and a ladder. First, shoot down the oil lamp to get another SPINEL. Jump down the trap door and run down the hall until you get to another oil lamp. Shoot that down and some shinys will start to appear on the walls. Knock 'em all down to get two SPINELS and an ELEGANT HEADDRESS. There might also be some PSTAS in the box. Further along you'll find your friend and mine, the merchant. Sell the RUBY, the SPINELS, the BRASS POCKET WATCH, and the ELEGANT HEADDRESS. I sell my TMP AMMO too, but I never use the blasted thing anyway (nor do I recommend it). There's not much that's new and exciting to buy here, so you may want to head through the door and up the ladder. ***************************************** ****************MERCHANT***************** * BUY (NEW) * TUNE UP (NEW) * * Stock (TMP) (4k) * TMP FP (0.5, 7k) * ********************* TMP RS (1.93, 5k) * ********************* TMP CAP (50, 7k) * ***************************************** **CEMETARY** ENEMIES: THREE CROWS, TEN GANADOS, ONE SNAKE Walk up the path and shoot down the nest overhead for some RIFLE SHOTS (10). At the edge of the cemetary, you'll get a scene and a view of three CROWS scattered about. Kill them and this will alert the two GANADOS in the area nearby, leading them both to charge you. Deal with it, then enter the shack for some HANDGUN BULLETS (10) and two boxes, one of which will have more HANDGUN BULLETS (10). You may be noticing the return of the blue medallions here, so shoot one of of the tree on the left, one out of the tree on the right, and one from the tree next to the shack. That's ten down, but for the purposes of getting the special upgrade, don't go and retrieve your prize just yet. Instead, climb the path where you'll meet up with three more GANADOS, one of which will have dynamite. Kill 'em all and take the goods, then examine the church door as you can't progress without at least trying that. After the scene, shoot the eleventh medallion on the left side of the church. Now you're going to want to head down the right side of the church to search the area. The door you'll find is locked, but beyond that is a GANADO couple, one of which has more dynamite. When you kill them, you can progress and find the twelfth blue medallion on the far corner of the roof, but what of the pedestal in front of you? Kind of smells like a puzzle to me... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + [TWIN SYMBOL PUZZLE] + + + + If you searched the graves in the yard, you may + + have seen a few of them that had twin symbols on + + them. If you didn't, at ease, I'll give you the + + solution. + + + + What you're trying to do is light up the symbols + + that look like an M, a V, and a Z. Unfortunately, + + you can only turn the dial in increments of three + + and four. + + + + To solve this one, turn it three once, four three + + times, three once again, four three more times, and + + three for one final turn. + +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ After taking your shiny new GREEN CATSEYE, head down the path beyond the gated area around the church. You'll find a poorly built bridge, and four GANADOS on it, three near you and one near the end. Like in the valley area, these can be kicked into the deep rather easily, so use that method if you want. The GANADO at the end should remain stationary, but you can still snipe him. Jump the gap and go into the shack to find a FILE, and two boxes. The one below has a SNAKE inside, so slash twice and pick up an egg as your reward. Now it's time to get the last three medallions. On this side, if you look under the gap you just jumped, you can find the thirteenth in plain view. The fourteenth should be just above and behind you. The last one you should see on your way to the second gap, just hanging to the right, so shoot that down to get them all. Don't go running back to the merchant yet, though, just continue on as you'll meet up with another one soon enough. **MINING FORTRESS** ENEMIES: FOURTEEN CROWS There's a barrel to the right ahead, but before you go charging onward, pause for a second to regard the murder of crows in front of you. Now toss a FLASH GRENADE into the mob to kill them all. You'll get a ton of PSTAS as well as a refund on the flashbang you just wasted. Now, on one of the carts to your left is a SPINEL, but you should be more interested in the tiny huts, where you can grab HANDGUN BULLETS (10), a SPINEL, more HANDGUN BULLETS (10). Further along, two barrels waiting to be smashed and a choice between a door at this level or one slightly down the stairs. Take the stairs. **RIVER SHOP** Jump down the ladder and grab the HANDGUN BULLETS (10) ahead. Turn right and you'll see a typewriter and a barrel, but first, hang a left at the typewriter and go behind the store where you'll find another barrel. Now talk to the merchant and get your reward. Buy the 0 PSTA PUNISHER from the screen, then ditch your old handgun. The display will taunt you with visions of new guns you can't buy just yet, but patience, all in due time. Exit when you're done. ******************************************* ******************MERCHANT***************** * BUY (NEW) * TUNE UP (NEW) * * Punisher (0k) * Punisher FS (0.40, 10k) * ***************** Punisher RS (1.47, 8k) * ***************** Punisher CAP (13, 8k) * ******************************************* **MINING FORTRESS** Nothing else to do here but take a right and go out the door. **SWAMP** ENEMIES: TWENTY-FIVE GANADOS, SNAKES! See the skull sign, and be aware of it's connotations. But first, check the shack next to you for a barrel and some HANDGUN BULLETS (10) on the table. After you've evaded danger again, turn around and fire at the shiny to get a SPINEL. Further along in the swamp, you'll see a few GANADOS and a few dynamite traps. Try to combine the two if you can. As you continue along the bridge, the GANADOS that pushed the boulder, about five of them, will start coming at you from behind, so fend them off. Once things cool down a bit, you might want to search the shack, where you'll find boxes containing SHOTGUN SHELLS (10), TMP AMMO (50), and a SNAKE. Also on one side of the beginning of the bridge, you can pick up a HAND GRENADE. Another pack of GANADOS should charge you, but that's nothing unusual. Now, it's time to search the right side of the swamp. Blow up both of the dynamite traps (or just the the second, if the first was already triggered) and continue on until you see a tiny bit of dry land with a tree to the left. Shoot the nest in the tree and you'll get an ANTIQUE PIPE. There's also a little slope that can lead you back up to the bridge, where you can find an INCENDIARY GRENADE. Once you reach the other side of the swamp you should find the last pack of GANADOS, about seven all told. Kill them all then go inside the shack to get more HANDGUN BULLETS (10). The box just has a snake in it, so do with that what you will. Continue along the path and go through the door. **LAKE (WEST)** You can head down the upper path if you want an extra scene, but it's really rather unnecessary. On the lower path, shoot the nest from one of the trees to get a GOLD BANGLE W/ PEARLS. Inside the shack, you'll find a box with a YELLOW HERB and a pack of HANDGUN BULLETS (10). The shack further along has a typewriter, a GREEN HERB, and a barrel. You might want to save soon. When you're done, get in the boat and drive to the other side. Don't shoot into the water unless you want something bad to happen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |+[BOSS FIGHT #1: DEL LAGO]+ | |+[DIFFICULTY: EASY]+ | |Not exactly what you expected, and I don't know that it's involved with the | |the parasites either. Del Lago will mostly drag you around the lake and | |occasionally into the stumps floating in the water, which you ought to steer | |around. Sometimes it'll make a quick turn and try to knock you off course, | |but again, keep steering around it and you'll be fine. Keep throwing the | |harpoons at it when things are clear, and don't worry about ammo, as they're | |infinite. It's third attack is to disappear under the water and then | |reappear on one of the far sides of the lake. You won't be able to tell | |where at first, but some arrows will come up on the screen pointing to it. | |Throwing harpoons at it in this stage seems to deter it from knocking your | |boat over, so there's little risk. After 20-25 harpoons, it'll die and the | |rope will start dragging you under, so think fast and keep hacking at it. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ******************************************************************************* CHAPTER 2-1: Nightfall and The Church, revisited ******************************************************************************* **LAKE (EAST)** After a few scenes, you're in a cabin on the east part of the lake. Pick up the FILE on the bed, the HANDGUN BULLETS (10) on the table, the FLASH GRENADE on the shelf, and whatever's in the box, if anything. Save on the typewriter if you want. Head back out to the docks. There are a lot of fish out here, so if you're in dire need of refilling your health, you can go hunting, either with your gun or inside the boat using the infinite harpoons. Get back into the boat either way and head across to the blue lights, which indicate a merchant shop. **LAKE SHOP** Before you talk to the merchant, you might want to break the three barrels on the right (one has HANDGUN BULLETS (10)), then shoot up at the torch to make it drop a SPINEL. Go to the left, break the barrel, then then push the crate to the end, hang a right, break the other two barrels, and climb the ladder. Solve the box pushing "puzzle", and break the barrels to get 1000 PSTAS and a GREEN GEM, which you can combine with the Elegant Mask. You can also jump down the ladder to get behind the Merchant, where there will be some RIFLE SHOTS (10). Talk to the Merchant and do what you have to, selling off what goods you don't need, etc. *************************************** ***************MERCHANT**************** * BUY (NEW) * TUNE UP (NEW) * * Nothing new * Shotgun FP (5.0, 20k) * *************** Shotgun CAP (10, 10k) * *************** Rifle FP (6.0, 12k) * *************** Rifle CAP (9, 8k) * *************************************** **LAKE (EAST)** Head back for the docks you just came from, which are straight ahead and slightly to the left. You could go to the other side of the lake, if you wanted to, but there's nothing new over there, save for some HANDGUN BULLETS (10), and beyond that there's a new vicious enemy you'll find out about later, so don't bother. Get off at the docks and go down to the door. **UPPER WATERFALL** ENEMIES: ONE GANADO and... Walk forward and you'll get a scene which will reveal a frightening new enemy, along with a GANADO behind him. These enemies will appear at random, and there's no particular way to kill them aside from shooting the head, hopefully with something powerful. If you have a flash grenade, these will also kill them instantaneously. When the parasite head dies, it drops 5000 PSTAS. Continue on and jump across the platforms. You'll have to cross back further on, but first off you'll want to break the barrel at the end of this path for a HAND GRENADE. Jump back over to the other side, then pull out your rifle. Walk to the edge and on the left side, there's a small tower where you can snipe a GANADO. Now climb down the rope... **LOWER WATERFALL** ENEMIES: FIFTEEN GANADOS (including the one you sniped) Walk forward a bit, then snipe the SPINEL off the wall. If you climb up the nearby tower, there's a HANDGUN BULLETS (10) and a barrel. From here, shoot the chain on the box to open up a path across the river. On the other side, turn right and climb up the ladder to break a barrel and get a GREEN HERB, and shoot the shiny on the pipe to get an AMBER RING. Now repeat the process you just used with the boxes to get another bridge across the water. There's another barrel on this sidke, but the goal is the ladder, where you can flip a switch to divert the current. As you cross the boxes on your way back, the other fourteen GANADOS will make their appearance. If you really want it easy, jump over the boxes again and wait for the GANADOS to try to do the same. You can shoot them off easily and they'll drown. In the cave, you can grab the ROUND INSIGNIA that will let you open the church, then the path will lead to... **LAKE CAVE** Two barrels here. Get on the boat and ride to... **RIVER SHOP** There's nothing here that's new, but you can save and you might want to. When you're done here, climb up the ladder and prepare yourself. **MINING FORTRESS** Two barrels in front of you, and one will have a GREEN HERB. Head to the left and into the main arena and you'll get a scene... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |+[BOSS FIGHT #2: EL GIGANTE]+ | |+[DIFFICULTY: EASY]+ | |There's nothing to like about this fight, particularly with how he'll break | |the houses which typically hold goodies. It doesn't seem to matter where | |you shoot him, but I still try for the head with the RIFLE or SHOTGUN. | |After some time passes, the dog that you saved earlier will come to help you | |distract it which makes things easier. El Gigante will either charge you, | |stomp on you, or grab you for his main attacks. The grabbing can be solved | |via the knife, but everything else you should be able to dodge easily (you | |can run through his legs). He has been known to bowl rocks at you, so stay | |alert. If he walks over and grabs a tree, he'll start swinging that at you, | |so get around that by tossing flash grenades, which will cause him to drop | |it. When you do enough damage to him, he'll fall to his knees and the | |parasite will appear on his back, so hop on and slash at it. Do this | |routine three times and he'll drop dead. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gigante will drop 15000 PSTAS upon death. Depending on how you fared in this battle, the three shacks will be either secure or shattered. The east one has a SPINEL, SHOTGUN SHELLS (10), and 1000 PSTAS, the middle one has HANDGUN BULLETS (10) and 1000 PSTAS, and the west one has TMP AMMO (50), a SPINEL, and a GREEN HERB. There's also some additional treasure around here, and back by the carts and kindling you can find a RED HERB, a YELLOW HERB, and HANDGUN BULLETS (10). There's another barrel on the way to the door as well. **CEMETARY** ENEMIES: THREE COLMILLOS Head up the path, jumping the gaps when needed. The shack will have two new boxes to smash. Continue on, but get your shotgun out, and when you see a dog- like figure ahead, fire. These are COLMILLOS, and there are three of them. Kill them all quickly because they get nastier if you leave them alone. Once you've killed them all, use the ROUND INSIGNIA on the door and go inside. **VILLAGE CHAPEL** Up ahead, you can raid the collection plate for 3000 PSTAS. To the right of the entrance is a barrel with a FLASH GRENADE, but your goal is the ladder on the left side. On the upper level, jump across on the chandelier, and run around the right side to break two barrels, one of which will hold an INCENDIARY GRENADE. But now, it's puzzle time... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + [KALEIDOSCOPE PUZZLE] + + + + Well, it's not really a kaleidoscope, but still. + + The goal here is to get each of the individual + + color wheels to match up with the whole image in + + the center. + + + + Notice the large red chunks on the ride side of the + + central image? Turn the red twice to make it fit. + + The green is primarily on the left side, so turn it + + three times to line up those pieces. Last, we have + + the blue wheel. It's kind of hard to tell with + + this one, but notice how there's more blue at the + + top and bottom and it's purple in the middle? Turn + + that once to get it in order, then combine them. + +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Now you have access to the door in the center, so it's time to head right and visit Ashley. Break all the barrels in here to get some goods, two boxes of HANDGUN BULLETS (10), a GREEN HERB, and other goods, then turn around and jump down the ladder. Catch Ashley, then continue into the chapel to end the chapter. ******************************************************************************* CHAPTER 2-2: The Great Standoff ******************************************************************************* **CHURCH STORAGE** No enemies here, but you can get 1000 PSTAS, a RED HERB, and HANDGUN BULLETS (10) here. Exit when you're ready. **CEMETARY** ENEMIES: ~TEN GANADOS You may be thinking it could be bright idea to charge back into the church, but the crossbow monks are still there, so don't. Instead, walk forward, pause for a second, then shoot the cart to run down most of the GANADOS. In the shack, the boxes are back and you can grab more HANDGUN BULLETS (10), and the nest from last time will also yield HANDGUN BULLETS (10), but your goal should be the ladder and the tunnel. **VILLAGE TUNNEL** If you talk to the merchant, you can now buy the RED9 handgun and stock. It's my favorite toy, and you may like it too, but it's not for everyone. Continue on and up the ladder at the other end. Shoot the lamp and you can get another SPINEL, just make sure Ashley isn't in the way. In the room beyond, there's the typewriter, as usual, and a replenished box. ********************************************** *******************MERCHANT******************* * BUY (NEW) * TUNE UP (NEW) * * Red9 (14k) * Punisher FP (1.3, 15k) * * Stock (Red9) (4k) * Punisher CAP (16, 10k) * ********************* TMP FP (0.6, 14k) * ********************* TMP CAP (100, 15k) * ********************* Red9 FP (1.7, 15k) * ********************* Red9 FS (0.47, 10k) * ********************* Red9 RS (2.20, 6k) * ********************* Red9 CAP (10, 6 k) * ********************************************** **PUEBLO** ENEMIES: EIGHT GANADOS One GANADO to your left will announce your arrival with a yell. There's another by the cowshed, one on the opposite side, on behind the two-story house, and four more on the path to the farm. Your goal is the farm, so kill them all, but be sure to trip the beartraps along the way by firing at them. The goods in the village have been replenished, and you can find a SPINEL in the bell tower, TMP AMMO (50) in the cabinet of the two-story and HANDGUN BULLETS (10) within one of the barrels, HANDGUN BULLETS (10) in the house adjacent, 1000 PSTAS in the shack near the door to Rancho Mendez (locked), and 1000 PSTAS in the big house. Once you've had your fun scrounging you can head for the door to the farm. **FARM** ENEMIES: EIGHT GANADOS The first thing you'll want to do here is to sand next to the dumpster and press the X-Button. This will hide Ashley until you press X again, and thus save her from any sort of unwanted attention. There's a FILE and a barrel (HANDGUN BULLETS (10)) in the typewriter shack. This area also has eight GANADOS, one in the barn, one in the area by the blocked door (your goal), two on the platform, three beneath them, and one inside the house. In the cabinets inside the house you can find two boxes of HANDGUN BULLETS (10) and a GREEN HERB. The barrels will yield 1000 PSTAS, among other possible supplies. There's also another 1000 PSTAS in a barrel behind the barn and in the shack near the blocked door. Once you've jumped off the platform near the blocked door (and shot all the beartraps in the area) call Ashley out and catch her when she needs to jump. With some help from her, you can now unblock the door and enter an entirely new area. **CABIN** ENEMIES: The welcoming party is on their way... Talk to the merchant ahead and make some preparations. There's going to be a huge battle as soon as you cross this bridge, so be prepared. Once you're inside the cabin, Luis will be helping you and Ashley will be in hiding. Don't shoot at Luis. It's not like he can get damaged, but if you shoot him too much, the game is over. Push the shelves to barricade the windows and then run around collecting the items on this floor, which will include some SHOTGUN SHELLS (10), a RED HERB, and a YELLOW HERB. The group outside will eventually bust in, and there will be forty of them all told that you'll have to kill. If you have grenades, huck 'em out the windows when there are too many GANADOS coming from any one of them. Use flashbangs only when overwhelmed by parasite heads (this will happen). Otherwise, you can snipe through the windows for giggles, but it's really not advised. During the fight, Luis will toss you HANDGUN BULLETS (10) at fairly regular intervals. After a certain length of time, Luis will suggest the two of you run upstairs. Ladders will start crashing through the nearby windows, but push them out with some regularity and you should be safe. In the meantime, other groups of GANADOS will be charging up the stairs and you'll just have to deal with that, preferably by standing guard at the top with a shotgun. On the top level here you'll find another FLASH GRENADE, a GREEN HERB, and an INCENDIARY GRENADE, all of which you can probably find a use for. When you've filled your kill quota, the chapter will end. ******************************************************************************* CHAPTER 2-3: Two Paths and a Duel ******************************************************************************* **CABIN** The enemies are all gone, so run through the house and see if there's anything you've missed or didn't have a chance to pick up the first time. To your left upon leaving is a box of HANDGUN BULLETS (10) atop a woodpile, and another pack of TMP AMMO (50) next to the house. Chat with the merchant and do your business, but them you might want to check out the shack and grab the FILE, which will explain what you're up against, and the typewriter. I recommend saving. ********************************** *************MERCHANT************* * BUY (NEW) * TUNE UP (NEW) * * Punisher (20k) * (none) * ********************************** From here, depending on how you choose to handle this, you'll be taking the left path, which will feature a ton of ganados and a couple of female chainsaw maniacs, or the right path, which will feature a fight with an El Gigante in very tight quarters. Me, I pick both, but let's start out with the left side. Scroll down if you want info on the right (hope you have fire grenades for the left side and flashes and standards for the right). --------- |LEFT PATH| --------- **LEFT PATH** ENEMIES: ELEVEN GANADOS (First wave) FIVE GANADOS, TWO CHAINSAW MANIACS (Second wave) ~TWELVE GANADOS (Third wave) The first thing you'll want to do here is stash Ashley in the box ahead. The second thing? Run like hell back to the door and wait for the standoff. Two female GANADOS charge you right off, followed by three GANADOS from the sides and one GANADO from atop. Shoot the cart to clear out a few of 'em. Continue on and you'll see a female GANADO pacing the high ground, and male GANADO further along. Kill them both (rifle) and climb up the ladder. There are three more GANADOS circling the central pit here, and you should kill them all. You can move Ashley up to the safety of the new dumpster up here, but you don't have to just yet. Before you go jumping into the central pit, you'll want to break the barrel on the platform for a GREEN HERB, then jump down the smaller, secondary pit for some SHOTGUN SHELLS (10) and a RED HERB in a barrel. Now you should be ready to take on the central pit and the second wave (after you've reloaded, of course). Go to the far side of the pit and kick down the ladder next to the dumpster. When you jump in, this triggers the second wave, two female CHAINSAW MANIACS and five GANADOS. Climb up the ladder on the opposite side, then kick it down. This buys you a good chunk of time with which you can back yourself into a corner and start sniping off anyone in the area, particularly the chainsaws. Keep knocking that ladder down in the meantime. When you've killed both of them, one will drop a RUBY and the other will drop the CAMP KEY. Jump back down into the pit, break the barrels (HANDGUN BULLETS (10)), then call Ashley out and catch her when she arrives. The third wave is a bit tricky, so tell Ashley to wait behind in here where they won't be able to find her. Unlock the door, then hang a right and break the box for more HANGUN BULLETS (10). Open the door, break the barrel, and jump down into the hole where there's another barrel (HANDGUN BULLETS (10)) and a HAND GRENADE. Climb back up and break the planks to the right of the door and continue on to some breakables and, inside, a FLASH GRENADE and a RED GEM. Around the other side of the path you can find the third wave, twelve GANADOS total. Kill 'em all, then break all the barrels nearby, which contain at least two boxes of HANDGUN BULLETS (10), then call Ashley out. Unbar the door here, then either head out or go back to the interchange and take the right path. ---------- |RIGHT PATH| ---------- **RIGHT PATH** ENEMIES: EL GIGANTE I don't recommend doing this unless you have at least two hand grenades. Walk forward for a bit and the El Gigante will drop in from behind you. With Ashley around, this is, in a lot of respects, much more difficult than it would be solo. Not only are the quarters incredibly tight, but Ashley spends the first half-minute of the fight gawking at the boulder overhead, and if you try shooting she's just going to waste your time by ducking as the Gigante approaches. If you haven't gathered as much already, Gigante isn't too fond of Ashley and will kill her rather easily, either by falling on top of her or by conventional means. Thus this whole ordeal can take FOREVER to complete because she's too stupid not to get killed. Shooting down the boulder is a nice fix to stun him, but it does too little damage for how much pain it is to aim at it, so you're better off hucking what grenades you have (flash and standard) in an effort to knock him down and get your slashes in. If he gets too close, run between his legs just as you did in the previous fight. You may also choose to shoot the chains off the nearby door and continue running, but if you do that, Gigante will eventually destroy the goodie huts, which are one of the few reasons you have for taking this path. When you know you're about to kill him, tell Ashley to wait a ways away, then jump on and do the stabby. 15000 PSTAS is your reward after the battle. Continue on and you can get HANGUN BULLETS (10), TMP AMMO (50), 1000 PSTAS, and a SPINEL, and an INCENDIARY GRENADE in the first hut, a box outside, and the OLD KEY, three boxes of HANDGUN BULLETS (10), and 2000 PSTAS in the second hut, along with yet another box of HANDGUN BULLETS (10) outside. You can also aim at the shiny in the bucket to get a PURPLE GEM. If you've finished up around here, use the OLD KEY on the door at the far end and either exit or take the left path, if you're feeling more adventurous. --------- |END PATHS| --------- **UPPER CANYON** ENEMIES: THIRTEEN GANADOS Which path you came out of will determine your location, but if you came out on the left side, you should double back to the right where there's a house with HANDGUN BULLETS (10) outside, and a FILE, RIFLE SHOTS (10), and a typewriters inside. When you're done there, you might want to head over to the nearby merchant platform, where you can break a barrel for a HANDGUN BULLETS (10) pack and sell your junk, but there's nothing new and exciting available. Head to the left side of the path, past the big door you can't yet open, and you'll find a gondola service. There's HANDGUN BULLETS (10) in the barrel on the right, but before you get on the gondola, you should head over to the left side, pull out your rifle, and snipe the two GANADOS in the distance. This will make your life a lot easier. Reload when you're done and hop on. You'll have to shoot another eleven GANADOS off the neighboring gondolas, but keep using the rifle and you'll do fine. **LOWER CANYON** ENEMIES: THREE GANADOS In the control center nearby, you can grab a FLASH GRENADE and a pack of HANDGUN BULLETS (10). Continue along down the first set of stairs, but tell Ashley to wait here. Go into the cave and see if you can edge around the corner until you have a clear shot of the dynamite in the hand of one of the GANADOS. Shoot it to take out both of them. Further along, there's a ladder with a GANADO waiting at the top, so snipe him off and climb up. Inside the chest here, you'll find the YELLOW CATSEYE to complete the Beerstein. Get Ashley and head down the second set of stairs, where you'll find the merchant, a typewriter, and some SHOTGUN SHELLS (10) and TMP AMMO (50). Continue on when you're ready. **TORTURE CABIN** ENEMIES: ... You'll tell Ashley to wait once you reach the house (don't bother going down the side). Once inside, you'll have to dodge something pretty soon, and then, it's on. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |+[BOSS FIGHT #3: BITORES MENDEZ A]+ | |+[DIFFICULTY: INFANTILE]+ | |AKA, the Mendez-pede. For as large and imposing as he is, this form is | |surprisingly easy to beat. Mendez lacks the ability to charge and will | |maintain the same approximate pace whenever he walks towards you. His | |attacks, which consist of swinging his shoulder blades grabbing you and | |swinging you around, or doing a bear hug on you, which will likely follow an | |attack where he smacks you upside the head to stun you (though it does no | |damage at all). His attacks are rather easy to dodge, and there is more | |than ample space to use on the sides. So whenever he gets too close to you, | |run straight past him (dodging, while you do this, will cause you to dive | |back in front of him, which makes it rather pointless to try, though he | |can't usually attack you in time even if you do mess up). The weakpoint you | |should aim at is the spinal column (head works too), either sniping it with | |the RIFLE or pulling out the RED9 or PUNISHER and blasting it at a much | |faster rate (which I highly recommend). I wouldn't use the SHOTGUN here, as | |it wastes ammo. There's an explosive barrel you can blow up near the ladder,| |and that can take a significant chunk off his life. Your attacks will stun | |him periodically on their own, either causing his jaw to drop or making him | |lose balance and fall backwards while his legs keep going, but neither seem | |to be dependant on quality shots or how much life you've taken away. You | |should be able to kill him without taking any damage at all. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After a yucky mutation scene, you get to play around some more with this... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |+[BOSS FIGHT #4: BITORES MENDEZ B]+ | |+[DIFFICULTY: EASY]+ | |Mendez got no legs now and seems pretty pissed about his future inability to | |dance. The appendages on his back are now used to allow him to swing from | |pipe to pipe at the top of the room. This makes it a bad idea to stay down | |on the floor, so take it to the upper level via one of the ladders. Get to | |the end of the room and snipe him at a distance, then either TMP or SHOTGUN | |him when close. Just be warned that if he does get close, he'll try to maul | |you with his claws or stab you with his shoulder blade, which ends up doing | |a lot of damage. Either run to the sides when he gets too close or just | |bear it and pick up any healing items you can find nearby. An unusually | |solid tactic here is to stay on the short end of the upper level (i.e. near | |the ladder) and run from one side to the other there shooting Mendez as he | |tries to track you at a much slower pace. Another trick is to toss out | |flash grenades. When they go off, Mendez will lose his grip and fall down, | |but be warned, he pops up rather quickly and you should plan ahead for that. | |There are a few spots on the upper level where you can hide from Mendez | |successfully and avoid attack. I've done it in the upper left corner | |(relative to the ladder), but I had more success hiding behind the pillar of | |the barricade on the left side of the second floor. It isn't necessary to | |hide (and sometimes difficult to do, so don't bank on it), as this is the | |last boss fight for a while, but it does make things easier. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There's a lot of things to pick up here, including TMP AMMO (25), an INCENDIARY GRENADE, a SPINEL, a GREEN HERB, SHOTGUN SHELLS (10), and HANDGUN BULLETS (10) on the lower level, and more HANDGUN BULLETS (10), a HAND GRENADE, a RED HERB, a YELLOW HERB, and another GREEN HERB up top. Don't forget the FALSE EYE and your 30000 PSTAS before jumping out and leaving this place. **LOWER CANYON** Take the gondola back up. Nothin' doin' here. **UPPER CANYON** Head for the big door and use that FALSE EYE to open it. **PATH TO CASTLE** ENEMIES: ~TEN to TWELVE GANADOS Grab the HANDGUN BULLETS (10) next to you, then pull out your rifle right away because there's gonna be trouble soon. Walk forward and the three GANADOS ahead will be run down by a truck. Snipe the driver as soon as you're able, then wait for the truck to crash, yielding 5500 PSTAS if you check it. GANADOS will start pouring out soon from the gate behind you, so whip around and kill the sods. Up on an outcropping ahead you can get a VELVET BLUE and HANDGUN BULLETS (10) from the barrels, but your goal is the bridge ahead. ******************************************************************************* CHAPTER 3-1: Castle Gates ******************************************************************************* **DRAWBRIDGE** You're safe for the time being, and there's also a bunch of items to get in this room. Talk to the merchant inside the hut and trade in your rifle for a SEMI-AUTO RIFLE and scope. Also, if you aren't planning on using the shotgun to the end, trade in for a RIOT GUN. You should also by the ATTACHE CASE L, but that goes without saying. When you're done bartering/upgrading, pick up the GREEN HERB and save near the typewriter, if you wish. ************************************************************ ****************************MERCHANT************************ * BUY (NEW) * TUNE UP (NEW) * * Attache Case L (40k) * Handgun FP (1.4, 10k) * * Treasure Map (Castle) (10k) * Handgun FP (1.6, 15k) * * Blacktail (24k) * Handgun FS (0.33, 12k) * * Broken Buttefly (38k) * Handgun RS (0.87 10k) * * Riot Gun (32k) * Handgun CAP (16, 6k) * * Rifle (semi-auto) (35k) * Handgun CAP (19, 8k) * * Mine Thrower (28k) * Shotgun FP (6.0, 25k) * * Scope (semi-auto rifle) (10k) * Shotgun RS (1.50, 15k) * * Scope (Mine Thrower) (8k) * Shotgun CAP (12, 12k) * ********************************* Rifle FP (8.0, 20k) * ********************************* Rifle RS (2.33, 18k) * ********************************* Rifle CAP (12, 12k) * ********************************* TMP FP (0.8, 18k) * ********************************* Red9 FP (2.0, 20k) * ********************************* Red9 CAP (12, 8k) * ********************************* Blacktail FP (1.8, 15k) * ********************************* Blacktail FS (0.40, 10k) * ********************************* Blacktail RS (1.47, 8k) * ********************************* Blacktail CAP (18, 8k) * ********************************* Butterfly FP (15.0, 25k) * ********************************* Butterfly CAP (8, 15k) * ********************************* Semi-auto FP (8.0, 15k) * ********************************* Semi-auto RS (1.90, 9k) * ********************************* Semi-auto CAP (12, 10k) * ********************************* Riot Gun FP (5.5, 20k * ********************************* M.Thrower CAP (7, 25k) * ************************************************************ In the barrel by the stairs, there's a SPINEL. By the trees, a pack of SHOTGUN SHELLS (10), and in the two boxes and a barrel, 2500 PSTAS and a SNAKE. Behind the merchant shack, you can pick up 5000 PSTAS as well. When you've finished up here, head up the stairs and go for the door. **EXTERIOR GATES** ENEMIES: Wait and see... This area up ahead is pretty dangerous, but take Ashley with you anyway as the consequences if you don't could be messy. Head around the corner and pick up some RIFLE SHOTS (5) from the box, then whip out that weapon and take out the two ILLUMINADOS pacing up ahead on the second level. As you get to the top of the stairs, there will be a scene, and bad things will start happening... Pause for a second and wait for the blast, then run forward, hanging a left at the first opportunity. Down there, in a small room with a canon, you'll find some goods in the form of a VELVET BLUE and an INCENDIARY GRENADE in the barrels. Now run up and take a left under the small covered area. In there, pull out the semi-auto again and aim up, sniping both the red and black ILLUMNIADOS. Alternatively, you can jsut aim at the exploding barrel nearby and take 'em both out. One down, three to go. Head around the corner and up the stairs, but at the opening you should pull out the rifle and snipe the explosive on the other side. Two down. Third one's a little tricky; first get on to the stone bridge, turn around, and moonwalk until you see the exploding barrel, then snipe that. The fourth one can wait, in the meantime, head for the little brick hut and kill the helmeted ILLUMINADO inside. Headshots will be completely ineffective. In the chest is a YELLOW HERB, and in the boxes are a VELVET BLUE and 2500 PSTAS. Around the corner outside, you'll find a chest next to the shack with a GOLD BANGLE. Now head for the upper bridge and, just before the stairs, peek through the hole and try to snipe the ILLUMINADO by the last catapult on your right. Once that's done, run up, find the crank, and start turning that until the canon appears. Fire it and you're done here. [If you're wondering why you can't leave Ashley behind for this, a stream of ILLUMINADOS will come pouring from the lower area once the catapults are triggered, and they stop once the cannon is fired. Chances are, you heard them chanting at some point during your ascent.] Once the gates are blown up, you can head on through. You can also head down to where the gazebo got blown up and find a SPINEL, if you want it. There's a merchant waiting for you on the other side of the walls (?), but the only new thing he offers is an upgrade to the Riot Gun, and I generally avoid spending money on that anyway. There's also a SPINEL in the torch near the door, if you blow that up. ************************************** *************MERCHANT*****************