Game Title: The Punisher
System: Playstation 2
Genre(s): Third Person Shooting, Action
Players: 1

The Punisher FAQ
Version 0.4

Copyrighted by Kevin Love. All rights reserved.

====================
=1= Legal Section
=2= Contact Information
=3= Open Letter as a Fan
=4= Contributors!
=5= Controls
=6= Style Points
=7= Weapon Details
=8= Boss Strategies
=9= Challenges
=10= Punishment Mode
=11= Frequently Asked Questions
=12= About the Author
====================

====================
=1= Legal Section
====================

The author of this document has no affiliation with THQ, Volition, or 
Marvel.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

====================
=2= Contact Information
====================

E-Mail:

[email protected]

I have little to no time for talking on MSN Messenger. E-mail always works
better.

====================
=3= Open Letter as a Fan
====================

In the early nineties, I became interested in the Punisher. Over ten years
seems like a long time to enjoy a character... but some people have been
enjoying the Punisher since his creation in the 70's as a side character for
Spider-man, and even more fans since the Punisher's first mini-series 
"Circle
of Blood" in the 80's. I got my hands on whatever issues I could; I didn't
consider the dark nature of the character, it was just the extension of a 
G.I.
Joe fascination. I was even able to tolerate the Ostrander series "Punisher" 
in
which Frank Castle became a mob boss himself... the mob boss of a lost cause
old-school "nice" crime family. This was too idealistic a framework for the
Punisher... but there is too dark as well.

The mean and grizzly Frank Castle seems to market better than the sad and
distant cowboy he once was. This game is an extension of that fact. It's not
so bad. The excessive freakish deaths come as comical. The heart-wrenching
endings with no lasting peace or happiness come merely as a counter to sappy
unrealistic puff-pieces of modern society. He's always been the distributor 
of
punishment to the guilty; that should never change. But here's to hoping he
returns to being more like Dirty Harry than Hannibal Lecter. In the mean 
time,
here's what we have: hardcore and violent retribution for some of the most
wicked characters of all time. A taste of their own medicine.

Got an opinion on this rant? Take side with the old school or new school 
ways
of thought at the GPA's forums! Also check out news and reviews of Punisher
comics.

*******************************
http://www.punisherwarzone.com
*******************************

====================
=4= Contributors!
====================

Thanks to everybody who contributes! Collecting information is a slow 
process
(and I tend to forget things,) and these people have set me straight or 
given a
tip that I just couldn't think of.

Owenstar
Nochanceinhell
David Brooks
Matthew Rose
Shiflet
Gntlegiant86
Badash55

====================
=5= Controls
====================

Left Analog Stick: Movement, interrogation controls

Right Analog Stick: Turning, interrogation controls

D-Pad: Change from Rifle to Pistols, and vice versa

L1: Fire secondary gun, throw grenade, launch grenade (if launcher on 
weapon)

R1: Fire primary gun

L2: Crouch

R2: Dodge (press with left, right, or down to dodge in that direction)

L3 (press in on Left Analog Stick): Crouch

R3 (press in on Right Analog Stick): Once for Precision Aiming, twice for 
zoom
(if scope attached)

X: Take shield, activate objects in environment, pick up keys

Square: Quick Kill (always random, possibilities depend on what weapon you 
are
carrying)

Triangle: Activate Slaughter Mode, knock out enemy (when holding shield)

Circle: Take/Swap weapon

====================
=6= Style Points
====================

Style points are your main goal in this game; surviving is usually not
difficult (though in a few situations it is!) Everytime you kill or break a
criminal you get points. The more times in a row you kill and break 
criminals,
the closer you are to getting a multiplier. If you've got the style points
display turned on you can see it as it happens... recommended you turn this 
on.

If you are hit by gunfire or harm an innocent your style points combo goes 
back
to zero and the points you had earned are multiplied by the multiplier you 
had.
For example...

Castle enters a room where mob goons are talking; he sneaks up on one and 
grabs
him as a shield. He guns down the remaining three thugs, getting a total 
combo
score of 285. He interrogates his shield with face smashing and breaks him,
receiving 150 points; his combo total is now 435 points. He takes the guy 
out
of interrogation mode and quick kills him for 130 points (making his total
combo score 565.) But wait! He's killed four hostiles and broken one, which
adds up to five actions against his enemies; for this, he is given a 
multiplier
of 2. Castle turns and is winged by a bullet. His combo is multiplied by the 
2
(565*2=1130.) His score is now 1130, but his combo has returned to 0 with no
multiplier. Had he killed and broken enemies a total of five times more, his
multiplier would have gone up to 3.

Take shields and use cover always.

Ways to earn Style Points:

-Good old fashioned shooting. The number of points you can earn will 
decrease
by five for every crook you gun down starting with 100, then 95, etc. You 
can
boost this back up by either switching to your side-arm (or rifle if you 
were
using your side-arm) or you can pick up a new gun entirely.

-Quick kills. Typically 200 points a pop, unless done from the human shield
position in which case the bonus is noticeably less. Quick kills are also 
the
best way to kill somebody you've broken in interrogation. If they've got 
some
health left (around fifty percent) throw them towards bare ground (making 
sure
they hit no objects.) If you do it right, they'll survive and get up. Quick
kill them for more points than you would've gotten for quick killing them 
while
in the shield position.

-Human shields. If criminals kill your shield, it basically counts as a 
quick
kill.

-Saving innocent people. Talk to them to gain health and points.

-Throwing your shield. Almost counts as a quick kill, unless they've been
broken in interrogation... in which case you get no points for throwing 
them.
If they survive the throw no points either.

-Shoving a person through a door. When you've got a hostage, just walk up
to a door and hit the displayed button to shove them through. If there are
guys on the other side, they'll gun down your hostage and you'll get
rewarded.

====================
=7= Weapon Details
====================

Firearms are listed by their game title with their real-world model in
parenthesis. Quick kills available are listed under their weapon class 
(Pistol
or Rifle;) if there is no notation of where you need to be standing, it's a
front quick kill. Quick kills cycle randomly and no specific one can be 
forced.
Clip size is also noted; the regular number is the regular clip size. If 
there
is a number in parenthesis, that number denotes the clip size after the
expanded clip upgrade has been added.

If question marks exist instead of the real world name of a gun, that means 
I'm
not positive what kind of gun it's based on. If you know, e-mail me! I 
always
give credit for info.

I've used "integral mods" to note when weapons come with a mod whether 
you've
purchased that mod or not.

**Pistols**

Quick Kill List:

Shot to Gut
Shot to Head
Tap on Shoulder Surprise (Back)
Head Smash (Back)

*Machine Pistols .45 (Mac 10)*
[Real name sent by Badash55]

Level to Complete: Chop Shop
Clip Size: 25
Possible Mods: Silencer

*.45 Pistols (Colt 1911)*

Level to Complete: None
Clip Size: 8
Possible Mods: Silencer

*.50 Pistols (Desert Eagle)*

Level to Complete: Boat
Clip Size: 6
Possible Mods: None

*Machine Pistols 5.56 mm (M4 w/stock removed and barrel cut down)*
[Real name sent by Gntlegiant86]

Level to Complete: Zoo(?)
Clip Size: 50 (100)
Possible Mods: Expanded Clip

*Revolvers (???, write in!)*

Level to Complete: Lucky's Bar
Clip Size: 6
Possible Mods: Scope

*Hand Cannons (Smith & Wesson Model 500)*
[Real name sent by David Brooks]

Level to Complete: Gnucci Manor
Clip Size: 6
Possible Mods: None


**Rifles**

Quick Kill List:

Indian Giver with Knife to Face
Shot to Head
Throat Slash with Knife
Grenade in Mouth (if Frag Grenades available)
Knockout (Shield, same animation as hitting triangle, weird)
Neck Snap (Back)
Troll Club (Back)
Double Blast (Holding two rifles)
Kick with Double Blast (Back, Holding two rifles)

*Shotgun (Mossberg 590 w/Pistol Grip)*
[Real name sent by Badash55]

Level to Complete: None
Clip Size: 8
Possible Mods: None
Special Quick Kill: Assisted Pump with Blast

*SMG, .40 (MP5)*
[Confirmed by Shiflet]

Level to Complete: Gnucci Manor
Clip Size: 30
Possible Mods: Expanded Clip

*5.56 Assault Rifle (M4)*

Level to Complete: Zoo
Clip Size: 30
Possible Mods: Grenade Launcher, Scope

*7.72 Assault Rifle (AK-101)*
[Real name sent by Badash55]

Level to Complete: Harbor
Clip Size: 30 (75)
Possible Mods: Expanded Clip

*Flamethrower*

Level to Complete: Ship
Clip Size: 200 (no reserve ammo, one tank is all you get)
Possible Mods: None
Special Quick Kill: Fuel Tank Skull Bash

*Machinegun (M60)*

Level to Complete: Funeral Home
Clip Size: 100?
Possible Mods: None

*SMG, 5.7 mm (FN P90)*
[Real name sent by Shiflet]

Level to Complete: ?
Clip Size: 50
Possible Mods: Scope, Silencer

*Grenade Launcher (CAW)*

Level to Complete: ?
Clip Size: 6?
Possible Mods: None

*Sniper Rifle (Barret .50)*
[Real name sent by Shiflet]

Level to Complete: Grand Nixon Island
Clip Size: 5?
Integral Mods: Scope
Possible Mods: None?

*Anti-Tank Weapon (LAW)*
[Real name sent by Shiflet]

Level to Complete: ?
Clip Size: 1
Possible Mods: None

*Auto Shotgun (USAS 12)*
[Real name sent by Badash55]

Level to Complete: Takagi's Office
Clip Size: ? (20)
Possible Mods: Expanded Clip

*Battle Rifle (OICW XM-28)*
[Real name sent by Gntlegiant86]

Level to Complete: Stark Tower
Clip Size: 30?
Integral Mods: Grenade Launcher, Scope
Possible Mods: None


**Melee Weapons**

*Baseball Bat*

Found in Chop Shop. The bat breaks during quick kills.

*Wrench*

Found in Chop Shop, on Ship. Is dropped after quick kills.

*Bottle*

Found in Chop Shop. The bottle breaks after quick kills.

*Crowbar*

Found in Chop Shop, on Ship. Is dropped after quick kills.

*Butcher's Knife*

Found in Gnucci Manor. Remains stuck in hostile's face after quick kill.

*Television*

Found in Chop Shop. Slow to throw; breaks upon use.

*Baton/Nightstick* Submitted by Nochanceinhell
Found in Ryker's Prison. Breaks after quick kill.

====================
=8= Boss Strategies
====================

*Bobby Gnucci*

Hug the wall and go in to precision aim. Shoot him in the head until his 
health
hits zero and the rat topples.

*Eddie Gnucci*

Chase him through the maze and shoot him in the head when you see him. He's
fast, so keeping up with him can be tough. Kill any thugs that get in your 
way.
Eventually Eddie will fall.

*Bushwhacker*

Stay on your toes and watch out for his rockets. Otherwise, just get in to
precision aiming and blast away at his skull. One of your priorities is to
shoot the sun glasses off his face (one of the thugs earlier in the level 
tells
you that he's had eye surgery and is sensitive to light.) Once they come 
off,
you'll know it; get your hands on the flash grenades in the area and use 
them
to your advantage.

*Tank*

At the far right of the room you're in there's a grenade launcher; get it. 
Time
your movements so that you're not out in the open right before the tank
launches a shell at you. After it fires, get in the open and aim above it 
with
the grenade launcher to hit it. Get back behind cover, and take note of the
fact that the barriers between you and the tank are destroyed as the tank 
hits
them. Repeat the process of shooting it with the grenade launcher, and it 
will
be destroyed.

*The Russian (Round One)*

Avoid his strikes and ignore the weapons in the apartment (they won't work.)
He'll try a gorilla smash every so often, and afterwards, he'll be stunned. 
Get
behind him and hit X when this happens. The Punisher will climb on his back 
and
you can use the d-pad to move the Russian. Walk him in to a glowing halo and
pound away. It's just like an interrogation but without the ability to break
him. He'll get mad and slam Castle around a bit. After three different 
attacks
like this, the fight will be over.

*The Russian (Round Two)*

On Grand Nixon Island, after the Gondula scene, you'll be at the launch pad.
Run on top of it, and you'll hear his girlish taunt (and I dare you to tell 
him
it's girlish!) He'll be above you; after several moments he'll run to a pile
of barrels. Keep your gun in precision aim mode (not scope mode) and point 
it
at the barrel. When the Russian stops moving, he'll hold the barrel over his
head and it will ignite; this is when you shoot it. It blows up, he loses 
some
health.

When the Russian's health hits the halfway point, he'll light on fire and 
start
chasing you! This is why it's good to have grenades; get away from him and 
lob
any you have at him. Once you're out of grenades you'll be forced to lure 
him
close to orange barrels... stay away from him, but keep him close enough so
that he follows your path. When a barrel near him lights, shoot it to cause 
him
some damage. Eventually he'll have had enough and drop over.

*Bullseye*

The key thing is to stay in one place, and dodge Bullseye's knives. If he 
gets
close to you he'll try to punch you, so don't let him get close. Shoot at 
his
head. In each battle, there will be a re-spawning grenade pickup point, 
which
is extremely helpful (especially in the third battle where he relies on a
pistol!) Just focus on lobbing the grenades.

*Helicopter*

Run in to the grass towards the helicopter; an anti-tank gun is out there. 
Pick
it up and get some ammo, then retreat back inside. Yakuza will assault you 
from
behind, but only one at a time; quick kill them or interrogate them. Fire
rockets from your anti-tank gun at the helicopter. If you need more ammo, go
back in to the grass. The helicopter will go down after several rocket hits.

*Jigsaw*

First, he'll attack you on his jetpack; move quickly and shoot him in the 
back.
He's fast (just so you're warned.) After you destroy his jetpack he'll be
forced to chase you on foot. Look for a Yakuza thug (they'll have armor on 
also
but will be carrying a regular firearm, not Jigsaw's energy blaster.) If you
need health, interrogate them; otherwise just quick kill them. They'll drop
mines that you can attach to a wall. Let Jigsaw get somewhat close to you, 
then
dart out of his view and stick a bomb on a wall; if he sees you he'll back 
up
and destroy the bomb. Assuming he doesn't see you, run from him and press 
the
grenade button once more to blow up the mine. Find another Yakuza thug and 
do
it again.

There are also mines that spawn near the doors on the roof top, so always 
check
them if you have the chance.

====================
=9= Challenges
====================

Challenges include rules of thumb; in other words, they're rules not to be
broken unless the walkthrough instructs otherwise.

Challenge 1: The Crack House
Use six different interrogation techniques to break criminals in three 
minutes.

Rules of Thumb:
-Never repeat interrogation techniques
-Never use quick kills
-Ignore criminals you don't interrogate unless they block your path 
physically
-Ignore hostage situation
-Kill all interrogated criminals with the analog stick after they are broken
(wait for shield button to be displayed)
-Do not take human shields except when you're about to interrogate an enemy,
you'll move too slowly with one

The trick to the Crack House challenge is to keep moving and not slow down. 
The
first room is confusing, since you won't have your guns. Grab the criminal
closest to you upon entering; he'll get shot. If you're lucky, the one who 
shot
him will get immediately shot as well accidentally, but if not, kill him 
with
the shotgun you got from the first guy. The third guy will drop his gun.
Interrogate him with the choke maneuver. After he breaks, wait for the game 
to
display the shield button again, then kill him while still in interrogation
mode (don't worry about points.) You'll need to kill all of the criminals 
you
interrogate while still in interrogation mode just to save time.

Move to the next room; this guy is threatening a girl and wants to know 
where
the drugs are. Grab him and drag him quickly to the middle of the room.
Interrogate him with the face smash maneuver (since it's one of the 
trickiest
to activate because you can't start it while facing a wall.) When he breaks,
again wait for the shield button to be displayed and then smash his face 
once
more to kill him.

In the next room, you'll come across a guy next to some windows; one of the
windows has an environmental trigger on it. Grab him and put him in the 
window
interrogation. This one's tougher but it's very similiar to the face 
smashing
routine. When he offers to talk to the guys in the next room, ignore him and
wait for the shield button to be displayed... then kill him with one final
smash.

Halfway there. Run in to 2B (the door on the far left of the wall to the 
right
of the windows) and kill the guy on the right. Interrogate the remaining guy
with gun tension if it's available; if it's not use punching. When he 
breaks,
wait for the shield button to be displayed and kill him with the analog 
stick
(get the idea by now?)

Keep going through the crack house. A criminal will take a woman hostage;
ignore this situation, it doesn't affect your performance and will only slow
you down. Just keep running by.

Keep running through the crack house unti you get to a room with four guys
playing poker. They'll all get up and two guys will try to run up the 
stairs;
one has a gun and the other doesn't. Kill the one with the gun (and the 
other
two if you can do it quickly) and follow the unarmed guy upstairs. He'll 
stop,
but catch him before he stops if you can. Break him with the remaining
technique you didn't use (the punching interrogation if you were able to act
as this walkthrough suggests) and kill him with the analog stick when the
shield button is displayed.

Final one; this is where you'll realize you were fast enough or not. Keep 
going
through the crackhouse and ignore all the criminals. If one blocks your path
shoot them with the shotgun (not with a quick kill, that will be too slow,
ironically.) Get to the fire escape. Climb the ladder. Run through the door 
and
run through the room. The navigation is tricky and you may end up repeating 
the
challenge because of it. Again, only kill people who physically block your
path. The final room has a bad guy with a skull over his head (he's hiding
behind a tipped-over table and will drop his gun when you approach him.) 
Grab
him and drag him as quickly as possible to the environmental interrogation 
by
the balcony. Press down to shake him. Once he's broken, the level will end.

The key thing is that your goal is not just to break six criminals, but to
break six criminals without repeating an interrogation technique.


Challenge 2: Chop Shop
Kill criminals with six different objects in a minute and a half.

Rules of Thumb:
-Only use your gun when physically blocked by an enemy
-Never use the same object type twice
-Do not interrogate anybody
-Do not take human shields
-Fire the shotgun to take out path blockers, try to use quick kills only 
when
meeting object requirements
-Ignore the civilian woman

You'll start out in a room with lots of enemies. Your goal in this room is 
to
kill enemies using quick kills after picking up each of the following four
items:

Baseball Bat
Crowbar
Wrench
Bottle

This battle gets frantic quickly. The most difficult part is finding a 
bottle;
they break after they get thrown and your enemies will throw them if they 
get
them. If you get close to an enemy who's about to throw one at you, try to
shoot them dead so that they drop the bottle; use a quick kill if you have 
to.
The rest of the weapons are around in some abundance, so just track them 
down
and use them.

There's a button on the far wall from your start point; press it whenever 
you
get near it, don't wait to finish up with the first four weapons if you get 
the
chance. You can even expand your fight to that next room if you run out of
enemies to kill. What's important is that you use all four of those first
weapons before the clock hits fifty seconds remaining... if you have fifty
seconds before you continue to the office, you can still finish the level.

(Note - I've been told you can kill the manager in his office if you shoot
the ceiling fan through the window, timing it so that the fan falls on him.
Counts as an object kill.)

After quick-killing enemies with those four weapons, exit the garaged areas
through the manager's office; shoot the thug who exits the office 
(presumably
the manager) if he blocks your path. Don't waste time opening the drawer in
there. Exit the office through the other side and continue in to the lobby.
Shoot the frantic criminal if he slows you down but ignore him otherwise.
He'll run to the fire-door with the bar on it; you want to take the door on 
the
left of the fire-door. Go up the steps. You'll come out in a hall with a
vending machine. Ignore everybody assuming they stay out of your path and 
run
inside the room. One of the thugs is about to (or has) picked up a 
television
at the right side of the room. Shoot or quick kill him and get the TV. 
You're
slow when walking with the TV, so only quick kill an enemy if they're close 
to
you; otherwise hurl the TV at the thugs on the far side of the room. It will
still kill them.

Five objects down, one to go. Continue through the door you haven't been
through yet. You'll come out in another garage area. Make sure your pistols 
are
equipped. Move forward and look straight to your left. The thug farthest 
from
you is working under an engine block. Activate precision aiming (R3) and 
shoot
the engine block. It will fall on him. That's the sixth object. Once you get
that done, the challenge is over.

====================
=10= Punishment Mode
====================

At this point, I've noticed Punishment modes follow the same technique; get 
a
shield and find a place to hole up. The spot should be attackable only from 
one
side. Here's assorted tips for doing well, followed by specific locations 
that
are good for holding up in each area.

-Get to hold-out point and take a shield.
-Quick kill your shield and switch weapons occasionally to keep your points 
up;
definitely do this if you are hit and lose your multiplier.
-Quick kill opponents every so often; it gives you a lot more points than it
does in the regular game.
-Rarely interrogate enemies; should only be done in desperation or moment of
excellent opportunity for health purposes.
-Use a weapon with range; the shotgun has limited potential (a good tip
suggested by Owenstar.)
-If your slaughter meter is full and you get hit, ditch your shield if you 
have
one and activate slaughter mode (triangle.) Quick kill everybody you can get
your hands on for a good point gain.

Hold-out points:

Chop Shop
-On the opposite side of the shelves and car in front of you when you start.
Run around the car and you'll see another car flipped over; there's a column
next to it. Hide behind it. Enemies will typically approach you only along 
the
wall.

Zoo
-There's a pool of water without pirhannas in it; run through it and stick 
in
the corner which is somewhat defendable.

Mortuary
-Behind the cremation device. Enemies can only approach you from one side as
the back is blocked by a pipe.

====================
=11= Frequently Asked Questions
====================

Q: How does (insert interrogation here) work?

A: Just press triangle during the interrogation for information on what the 
up
and down directional buttons do; you can use the left or right analog stick 
to
control them.


Q: What about the hanging knives interrogation? It's tougher than *#$?!

A: Rotate the thumbstick in a circular motion. (Thanks to Matthew Rose for 
the
inside track.)


Q: Is there any way to get a specific quick kill to happen?

A: No; all you can do is carry the weapon it occurs with and hope you see 
it.


Q: Why do I lose points for killing a criminal in interrogation mode?

A: Not specifically known at this time; it is intentional though. The simple
answer is that interrogation's goal is to scare people and anything else is
penalized. Keep in mind that you will still have earned points if you break
and kill a criminal in interrogation mode, it just won't be as many as it 
would
have been if you'd not tortured them to death.


Q: Why can't I get the face smash interrogation to appear?

A: You're facing a wall or other obstacle. Get the criminal in to an open 
space
and it will work.


Q: Why can't I get the gun tension interrogation to appear?

A: You're carrying a gun that's too large. The gun tension interrogation 
works
if you're carrying the .45s, the machine pistols, the .50s, or the 
revolvers.
If you're carrying the hand cannon or 5.56 machine pistols it won't work.

Q: What's up with the hand cannon?

A. David Brooks sent me this description of the gun, which makes it obvious
just what breed of gun this is.

"The real gun it is based off of is the Smith & Wesson Model 500.  While it
fires a .50 caliber round it is not the same as what the desert eagle fires.
The model 500 is the most powerful production revolver in the world.  It has 
a
muzzle energy of 2,600 ft-lbs.  which is more than twice as much as a .44
Magnum which has a muzzle energy of only 900 ft-lbs."

====================
=12= About the Author
====================

Finally, the chance to talk about myself! I'll keep it simple. :)

This is the fifth guide I've worked on! The other four were for:

UFC Throwdown (PS2)
WWE Raw 2 (XBX)
WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain (PS2)
WWE Day of Reckoning (GCB)

These have been posted under the nicknames KLove (GameFAQs) and RPJ_Man 
(IGN.)

I'm also the administrator/web master for the GPA's forums and web site, 
found
at http://www.punisherwarzone.com.

Margin Line:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA