Run Like Hell October 25, 2002 Weapons Guide and FAQ Version 1.0 Author: MajorMajor Email : groo24@hotmail.com Email Policy Feel free to email me any question you have about this guide or about GENERAL things in RLH. Please do not ask questions about which code opens which door, or where is such and such an item (unless said item is a Gun which you haven't found in this guide). I will answer questions about boss battles, but be forewarned, my typical strategy is stand and fire, so I may not be able to help you. Please include RLH in the subject line otherwise I will probably ignore your message and pass it off as junk mail. If you find any mistakes, inconsistencies, if you just happen to know some little secret that I didn't cover here, or if you want to give me some feed back feel free to email me! I will of course give you full credit for anything you point out to me that I missed. (Note I will not post email addresses unless you specifically ask me to) About this Guide This is my first attempt at an FAQ so please bear with me. I decided to write this due to the fact that not only were there no good FAQ's for RLH but mainly because there were absolutely NO FAQ's at all!!! I consider myself to be about an average gamer and as such I rely on GameFAQs quite a bit, since I rarely have to patience to play a game enough times to find every single item, weapon or secret. So basically I am writing this to hopefully answer some questions, and to help make survival in RLH a little easier. The main focus of this guide will be the weapons you wield. Basic descriptions, what I think of them, where to find them, and any other little tidbits about them that I think is interesting and think you should know. I will also put in a hints and tips section for a few general points that may make life easier for you. If there is the demand for it, I may also add a Boss section, but that's on hold for right now. Anyhow off to the guide!!. Table of Contents 1 WEAPONS 1.1 RIFLE 1.2 SHOTGUN 1.3 SONIC STUNNER 1.4 REPEATER RIFLE 1.5 NITROGEN BLASTER 1.6 PULSE RIFLE 1.7 ALIEN WEAPON 1.8 BOLT THROWER 1.9 ASSAULT RIFLE 1.10 EXPLOSIVE CROSSBOW 1.11 SHIELD 2 TIPS AND HINTS 3 THANKS AND CREDITS 4 LEGAL MUMBO-JUMBO Section One: Weapons 1.1 The Rifle Description: The Rifle quickly spits out super-heated ceramic bullets. It's Nick's main weapon with plenty of ammunition.(Taken from RLH manual) Ammo Factor: INFINITE!! Alternate Fire: None. Where is it: Dag gives you this basically at the beginning of the game, don't worry you can't miss it. My Take on it: This is your first gun of the game, and what a sweet gun it is too. This will be your weapon of choice until you find the Pulse Rifle. It does decent damage, has a good size clip (though there are times it seems far too small), and most importantly it has infinite ammo which suits my style of play very well. (Screw this running away and avoiding enemies crap!! I'm going to kill them ALL!). The main question you'll be asking yourself is, "Should I use my Ballistic Damage Chips on this or wait for something better?". My answer, use one maybe two of your general purpose damage chips on this (you shouldn't need any more then that, there are plenty of Rifle specific Chips), but save at least three or four for the Assault Rifle, if you do this, after you get the Assault Rifle the enemies will fall like tenpins. However since you don't get the Assault Rifle until the second last chapter it might not be worth the wait. All in all it basically comes down to better firepower now, or better firepower at the end of the game, it's your call. 1.2 Shotgun Description: There really isn't much to firing a shotgun. It's a brute force weapon that works best up close. The closer you are the more damage you can do. (Taken from RLH manual) Ammo Factor: Finite. Alternate Fire: Gives em both barrels for more damage, but has a deadly reload time. Where is it: You can find the shotgun in a number of places. Chapter 2. - You can find it in the storage room in HAVEN. - If you miss it there you get another chance after you rescue Niles. It's in the locked room backstage (the one just down from the room Niles was in) - You can find another Shotgun on a body in one of the VR rooms that are inside the shooting range. Chapter 3. - It's sitting on a shelf in the locked storage room where you have to turn off a force field, (this is after you escape from the elevator). My Take on it: Plain and simple, compared to the Rifle, it sucks. I barely ever used this weapon. The rate of fire is way too slow, and the fact that this weapon works best at close range, generally you want to be as far away from those suckers as you possible can. But the major crippling factor for the Shotgun is that it's ammo is far too limited in the early part of the game, and by the time you get enough ammo that using it as your primary weapon is feasible there are just too many better guns. This gun may be useful if you have to do battle in tight quarters but other then that I would recommend using the Rifle. However don't hesitate to use the Shotgun specific Chips on it, you might as well since they can't be used anyplace else, just don't use any Ballistic Chips on it, these are much better spent on the Rifle and the Assault Rifle. 1.3 Sonic Stunner Description: A less violent way of getting the uncontrollable under control. It will knock back lesser creatures. (Taken from RLH manual) Ammo Factor: INFINITE!! Alternate Fire: None. Where is it: Niles gives this to you right at the beginning of Chapter 3, don't worry you can't miss it. My Take on it: NEVER USE THIS!! There is no applicable reason I can think of that you would want to use this weapon, none what so ever, we are not doing crowd control here, we don't want to take these suckers alive, we want them DEAD. It sucks, don't touch it, just leave it alone. 1.4 Repeater Rifle Description: Automatic high-caliber fire power. (Taken from RLH manual) Ammo Factor: Finite. Alternate Fire: A huge area of effect blast that knocks down anything it hits. Do NOT use this at close range!! Where is it: There are two Repeater Rifles in the game (well two that I've found anyhow). There is one in Chapter 3 in one of the previously locked rooms in HAVEN. (In the locker of the room that's all trashed and has blood all over the place.) The second one isn't until Chapter 6. It can be found in a storage box (or whatever you want to call those things) beside the bed in the communication officer's room. My Take on it: Now we're talking!! Although the clip is tiny, this baby is fully automatic, just hold down the trigger and spew green death. However it's greatest weakness is the fact it has limited ammo and it's ammo is pretty rare, so you can't use this weapon nearly as much as you'd like to. However I recommend using this for bosses and in areas where you need to kill everything really fast. Don't be afraid to use the specific Chips for this gun, but save any Energy Damage Chips for the Pulse Rifle. 1.5 Nitrogen Blaster Description: Liquid gas sprayer that freezes opponents in their tracks. (Taken from RLH manual) Ammo Factor: INFINITE!! Alternate Fire: None. Where is it: You find this on a body which is laying around on the walk ways in the Refinery in Chapter 4. You basically have to step right over the body so you shouldn't miss this one. My Take on it: It's non-lethal, do I have to say anything else? But seriously I only used this one once, though there were times later in the game that it could be used, however you lose it at some point, (I'm not exactly sure when, I just noticed that it was gone in Chapter 6), but it is a little better then the Sonic Stunner, though not much. 1.6 Pulse Rifle Description: This weapon is a high powered energy rifle that causes massive damage. The pulse rifle fires a plasma bolt at Nicks target. (Taken from RLH manual) Ammo Factor: INFINITE!! Alternate Fire: Wide area of effect energy blast. Do NOT use at close range!! Where is it: Yet another weapon you literally can't miss. You get this from Dag when you rescue him and his "Stash" in Chapter 4. My Take on it: This puppy should immediately replace the Rifle as your primary weapon. Yes that's right it's time to replace old faithful. The Pulse Rifle is a sweet weapon, it has infinite ammo (always a plus in my book), a secondary fire (although it's not that useful because you're in close quarters more often then not), and it deals a lot more damage then the Rifle. The only downside is the fact that when you empty the clip you have to let it recharge, while the clip is pretty big, it's a lot easier then you think to empty this on multiple targets. I recommend you use all your Energy Damage Chips that you've collected on the Pulse Rifle, and use all the Energy Damage Chips you find until you acquire the Assault Rifle. And don't hesitate to use Energy Burst Chips on it either, I think it's the only weapon that can take them. 1.7 Alien Weapon Description: A living organism that's unlike any weapon know to the Hegemony. Capable of massive damage, it has a symbiotic relationship with the user. Be careful. When fired this weapon sucks energy directly from the user. (Taken from RLH manual) Ammo Factor: Like the book said, YOU are the ammo for this weapon. Alternate Fire: The Bio Mortar, it fires a little ball that explodes on contact much like a grenade, except that this thing is sucking life off of you. Where is it: The first time you find it is right after you leave HAVEN in Chapter 5. There is a short cut scene where you will see a Sniper and his gun will be on the floor. Run over and stand on top of the gun so the Sniper can't pick it up, and precede to blow him away. You have to be quick or else he'll pick it up and blow you away! The second chance you have to get this weapon is in one of the bathrooms in Central Command in Chapter 6. It seems you caught this guy with his pants down, same deal as before, run stand on the gun and blow him away. My Take on it: Good gun, bad ammo. Yes it is a powerful weapon, however the fact that it eats your health away every time you fire it turns me off from using this gun. Another bad thing about this gun is the fact that it's rate of fire is pretty slow, this is good since it might prevent you from accidentally killing yourself, but it just takes that much longer to kill enemies then. Personally I don't like it, and I don't use it, but you'll have to make up your own mind about it. 1.8 Bolt Thrower Description: Jaxn trep family weapon that does large amounts of damage. (Taken from RLH manual) Ammo Factor: Finite. Alternate Fire: Fires a guided missile that you have to steer to the target. Where is it: You need this weapon to pass a certain area in Chapter 5. It is located in Dags' room, which is just past the barricade with the explosive barrel behind it. Bolt Thrower is hanging on the wall. My Take on it: This is your standard issue rocket launcher. Big damage slow rate of fire don't use it at close range, you know the drill. While I rarely ever used this gun it did come in handy a couple of times. Mainly if there are some Cutters or Snipers waiting to ambush you around a corner and you know it, use the guided missile from your side of the corner fly it over and take em out (or at least soften them up) while they stand around wondering what the hell happened. 1.9 Assault Rifle Description: A bigger, better version of the Rifle that requires roughly the same skills. But it's capable of more damage. (Taken from RLH manual) Ammo Factor: Primary Fire - INFINITE!! Alternate Fire - Finite Alternate Fire: Grenade Launcher launches a bouncing grenade that will bounce along the floor until it hits something or someone. Where is it: This killing machine is found in Chapter 6 in two places. The first is on a body in the Kitchen/Dining Area inside Central Command. The second is in, you guessed it, the Armory in Central. (I mean, WOW, who would have expected to find a gun in the Armory) My Take on it: Cue Maniacal Laughter. BUWHAHAHAHAHA Finally!! It's time to start some serious mayhem. This baby cuts through enemies like a hot knife through butter. The only possible bad thing I can say about this gun is that the grenade launcher doesn't have infinite ammo. But that's minor since you probably won't need to use the grenades, that's how quick you can cut them down with this gun. Add the fact that there is NO CLIP, so you can fire all day long and never have to worry about reloading at that critical moment, and that makes this gun, by far, the best weapon you'll get. Now if you were like me and saved about 4 or 5 Ballistic Damage Chips slap them in right away, and add every other chip you find, they are more then worth all the trouble you went through to get them. Needless to say, make this your primary weapon as soon as you get it. 1.10 Explosive Crossbow Description: A weapon that Nick can build that causes significant damage to a target. (Taken from RLH manual) Ammo Factor: Finite. Alternate Fire: None. Where is it: This gun is made from combining three items that you find in the Crate Maze in Chapter 7. -You can find the Robot Arms in a storage box on the far left side of the maze, right where a Stealth Cutter is walking back and forth. -The Propellant can be found on the far right side of the maze in a storage box protected by one Cutter. -The Titanium Tube is in a storage box that is guarded by two Cutters and is fairly close to the Propellant. In order to make the gun, first combine the Propellant and the Titanium Tube, then combine that with the Robot Arms and viola! You have the Explosive Crossbow. My Take on it: "Significant damage" HAH, more like, BOOM you're dead! This gun is a one use wonder. You only have four or five rounds, but each round can take out a Brute, yes that's right, you can kill Brutes with this thing, IN ONE SHOT!!! Happy Hunting. 1.11 Personal Force Field Versions 1 through 5 Description: Basically this is a personal shielding unit that reduces the amount of damage you take from certain enemy attacks. It reduces most attacks, however there are some attacks that seem to do the same damage regardless. Naturally the higher Version number you have the more damage it absorbs for you. Ammo Factor: Rechargeable. Alternate Fire: There is no firing this thing period. Where is it: There are multiple versions of this thing and multiple places you can find them. Chapter 2 - Version 1 shield in the storage room in HAVEN where you find the Shotgun. - There is another Version 1 shield on the body in the VR room with the Shotgun. Chapter 4 - You get the Version 2 shield at the same time you get the Pulse Rifle from Dags' stash. Chapter 6 - There is a Version 4 shield in HAVEN in the locked room that Niles opens for you where you find the Arc Welder. - There is another Version 4 shield in the storage box beside the communication officers bed. Yes it is the same box that has the Repeater Rifle. Chapter 7 - There is a Version 5 shield in the Crate Maze Area, in the storage box that has the Robot Arms. (I never found the Version 3 shield so if someone could tell me where it is I'd be grateful) My Take on it: Well the shield is a very nice thing to have. Anything that makes you live longer is A-1 in my book. There are plenty of Recharging Stations scattered throughout the levels, so unless you're taking an extreme beating you shouldn't have to worry about it running out, and if it does, it's not really a big deal, just recharge it when you come to a recharging station, no sweat. Section 2: Tips and Hints - Save Now, Save Often. Save after every checkpoint, save at the beginning of every chapter, you never know when the game might freeze (yes it happens sometimes), the power might go out, your pet rabbit will chew through the power cord on your PS2. Don't be stuck having to replay a Chapter or two because you forgot to save. - Always be ready for anything. Opponents have a nasty habit of jumping out when you least expect it. - If you can draw your gun, you aren't safe. There is really only one area where you don't have to worry about being attacked, and that's the Med Lab. As a general rule if you can pull a weapon you'll more then likely need to use it. - Don't be too proud to run. As much as it pains me to say it, there are areas where it's easier to bob and weave through your enemies then it is to kill them. - Stop firing when a enemy has it's arms over it's head. You're just wasting ammo, wait for them to lower their arms and let em have it. - Don't get backed into a corner! If this happens you're almost as good as dead, in this game you need to keep as much distance between you and them as possible. Always have an escape route, stay away from the corners if at all possible. - When traveling with NPCs let them take the heat. There are periods of the game where you will be traveling with Dag. Try and let him do most of the fighting if at all possible, his gun is usually better then yours, and I'm pretty sure he can't be killed. Help him out if he needs it, but don't be afraid to use him as a shield. - Always watch your six! If there's an enemy bearing down on you from in front, odds are good he's got a buddy coming up on you from behind, so run towards the guy in front, (hopefully you'll take him down before he hits you) then throw down on the critter behind you. - One down... Enemies in this game rarely travel alone, chances are if one Cutter jumps out of the wall, there's another one that will be along as soon as you kill his buddy. - Check Everything, Everywhere, Every time. There seem to be Gremlins in this game that run around restocking lockers, vending machines, and storage rooms between Chapters. So just because there was nothing in a room the last three times you checked it doesn't mean there won't be something there this time. - Don't Ignore the Vending Machines. Vending Machines are a vital supply of healing items. Sure Bawls Energy Drinks, and Pip Boy bars don't replenish many hit points but they add up, and they're good for healing up between enemies. Also vending machines usually spit out more then one item at a time, so keep checking them until you stop getting stuff. And I know of at least one vending machine that spits out Mod Chips instead of Pip Boy Bars!!! - Keep Moving!! Never stand still when enemies are around! Enemies have a lot harder time hitting a moving target regardless of whether they are attacking from up close or from afar. - If at First You Don't Succeed... If you have to do an area over multiple times don't get discouraged, try different tactics, different weapons, try to find another way around, if you're really stuck backtrack and look for items and weapons you might have missed. - Take your time. Time is moot point in this game. Take your time, explore areas thoroughly, don't rush yourself. THANKS AND CREDITS Thank you to the following: - Interplay and Digital Mayhem for making such a great game. - GameFAQs for posting this FAQ and for having such an excellent site in general. - Me for writing this thing :D - And thanks to everybody who uses this guide for making writing it worthwhile. LEGAL MUMBO-JUMBO This document is Copyright 2002 by Frazer Muhlbeier (MajorMajor). This is an unofficial guide and I am not affiliated with Interplay, Digital Mayhem, or anyone who had anything to do with the creation of this game. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. This document 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. You may not charge for, or in any way profit from this FAQ.