FAQ/Walkthru for Total Overdose: A Gunslinger's Tale in Mexico
by Doug Elder, aka AchtungNight
Foreword: Welcome to my 4th FAQ. This is for Total Overdose: A Gunslinger's
Tale in Mexico, an action thriller that plays like Grand Theft Auto Lite with a
distinct South-of-the-Border flavor. It's like a big Mexican action B-movie. I
recently tried the game out and found it to be fun as heck. I hope you will too.
Before we start, a few disclaimers. First, this FAQ was written for the PS2
version of the game. All herein may or may not apply to other versions. The
game is rated M for Mature- no impressionable children or idiot A-Dolts here
please. :)
Second, this FAQ contains SPOILERS. You are warned.
Third, this FAQ is my property and may only be posted on GameFAQs and any
other site that requests my permission first via email (it will be granted,
don't worry, you have but to ask). All feedback, questions, and so on should be
emailed to DougElder21@yahoo.com.
Fourth, this FAQ is mainly for the missions. It does not cover the game's
freeroam aspect much except in general descriptions and some info on the things
I was able to find while roaming around to reach each mission. I'm not planning
to fully explore the game to find all the bonuses and so on- doing so is beyond
the scope of this FAQ. Anybody who wants to write an FAQ that does that has my
blessings.
Fifth, I unfortunately do not have every mission in the game listed herein-
only as many as I was able to complete and unlock with my own humble skills.
This includes all the story missions, but not all the challenge missions. The
game unfortunately requires you to score high at certain challenges to unlock
certain others. Where I have been unable to unlock a mission I will note below.
Anyone who can contribute information on missions I have not been able to
unlock will have my eternal gratitude. Please send all information to
DougElder21@yahoo.com.
Sixth, I apologize in advance if any Hispanics out there are offended by any
of the stereotypes in this FAQ. I can't help the way the game was written
unfortunately. Please know I have great respect for Mexican culture, a respect
that has enabled me to greatly enjoy this game.
Seventh, I am not going to review the game herein other than to say that I
really liked it and enjoyed playing it. It's got lots of great elements
borrowed from other games (Max Payne, Grand Theft Auto), and also its own great
story and combat system. There are a few bad points too, but if you play with
an open mind they won't matter that much. Read the reviews for the game to find
out about some of them.
Finally, let me give a shout-out to Elena Ruiz, Benito Rios, Raquel Searles,
Ramon Medina, Jeff deSantiago, Lupe Villareal, Art Villareal, the staff of
Nuevo Leon, and all my other Hispanic friends out there. Thanks to having known
you I have enjoyed this game and all things Mexican far more than I would have
otherwise. Vaya con dios, amigos y amigas. Thanks also to Lisa Telman for
continued inspiration and to Ben "B.Z." Shapiro for aid in completing the game.
Thanks to the folks at Eidos Interactive for making another cool game and to
CJayC and company for putting up GameFAQs and to all the fans for keeping this
industry alive. Now let us begin.
Contents:
1. Dedication and Version History.
2. Game Story and Cast.
3. Explanation of Basic Controls.
4. Items and Weapons Listing.
5. The Missions- Walkthru.
6. Final Thoughts.
1. Dedication and Version History.
This game is dedicated to Roberto Ruiz, Phillip True, and all the other
millions of victims the Mexican drug wars continue to stack up every day. May
they rest in peace and may their murderers get what they deserve.
Version 1.0 FAQ Posted with complete walkthru. I did it all at once to save
time and energy. Hope y'all weren't too impatient. :)
2. Game Story and Cast.
You are Ramiro "Ram" Cruz, insane criminal turned Drug Enforcement Agent. You
have been sent into the Mexican border city of Los Toros and its surroundings
by your bueno-dos-zapatos hermano Tommy, who wants you to find out who killed
your father Ernesto. You also will be infiltrating and taking down the biggest
drug cartel in Mexico and battling it out with dope dealers, banditos, corrupt
Federales and Mexican Army, loco luchadores, zombies, guerillas, and other bad
guys. Between missions you can play free-form, exploring Los Toros and
gathering bonuses to rack up a high score. The cast of this game is as follows:
Ramiro "Ram" Cruz: The playable character for most of the game. An insane
gringo who was in jail on multiple felonies, but then the DEA got him out to
take his twin brother's place taking on the criminal elements of Los Toros. Ram
does not believe in being careful, playing by the rules, or letting his enemies
live very long. He's like most videogame heroes that way. :)
Tomas "Tommy" Cruz: Ram's twin brother, playable for the second mission only.
Tommy is a high-ranking DEA agent who has been trying to take down the Morales
Cartel and clear his father's name. Unfortunately he gets seriously wounded
early on in the game and is unable to carry out his mission. Instead his
hermano Ram must do it. Tommy does help some via a radio link through which he
provides advice Ram may or may not take.
Ernesto Cruz: The boys' father, playable for the first mission only. A
deep-cover DEA agent who unfortunately fell victim to an overdose on some drugs
and jumped out of a plane after getting too much into his assumed identity. Or
is that what really happened? Play the game to find out!
Papa Muerte: A mysterious drug lord who is responsible for the death of Ernesto
Cruz and countless others. His true identity is unknown, and you will spend
most of the game hunting him down.
Commander Trust: Tommy's boss, who is not too thrilled with Ram being sent to
handle things. Oh well, you can't always get what you want, pal. :)
Marco the Rat: Informant for Tommy and owner of Marco's Junkyard, which will be
a good home base for you during your stay in Los Toros.
Officer Mendez: Tommy's contact in the Mexican Federal Police. He will supply
Ram with hardware and contacts with the local cops. A valuable if rarely seen
ally...at first anyway.
Ceasar Morales: Head of the notorious Morales Cartel, this fatso runs most of
the drug traffic in Los Toros, though he faces increasing competition from the
Virgilio Cartel. He also owns a meat packing plant, a trucking company, and a
shipping business. Not to mention the fact that he's the Los Toros Bullfighting
Commissioner and is also running for President of Mexico. And he has
information on Ernesto's death. Gotta love them Renaissance men bad guys. :)
Angel: Ceasar Morales's beautiful chauffeur/enforcer. Ram likes her, but at the
same time she is his enemy. Or is she? Whose side is this chica muy bonita
really on?
Joey Virgilio: This Mexican redneck heads a clan of drug-growing farmers and
banditos. He also owns a really cool street racer.
Rico Virgilio: Joey's no-good cousin, another high-ranking member of the
Virgilio Clan.
Special Agent Johnson: Former partner of Ernesto, a highly trained veteran DEA
agent who has put a lot of work into the Papa Muerte case seemingly with little
result. Also known for his cowboy hat and John-Wayne-style modus operandi. What
secrets does this man hide?
Special Agent Piersson- Another veteran DEA agent who worked with Ernesto. A
good friend to Tommy and Ram.
General Montanez: A corrupt high-ranking leader of the Mexican army who has
worked with the CIA and DEA but is currently employed by Papa Muerte's cartel.
Elvez Gonzales: Wealthy playboy thug, good friend of Ceasar Morales, also a
heavy dealer in arms and automobiles. Definitely a source of information to be
mined.
There are also of course countless goons, civilians, merchants, mission-givers,
and other unnamed characters. We shall meet them in the walkthru below.
3. Explanation of Basic Controls.
Well, this is a shoot-em-up, so it should be pretty easy to guess the controls.
Move your character with the left stick, camera with the right, R1 to attack, X
to jump, Triangle to reload; L1 to do fun stunts like shootdodge, run up walls,
etc. O and Square do other special moves like headshots, targeting barrels, and
shooting grenades you throw in midair. Many of these moves are further
explained in the walkthru below. You can also steal cars with the Triangle
button like in Grand Theft Auto- when driving use the X and Square buttons to
acclerate and brake respectively. No drive-bys unfortunately, but you can run
over your foes and use vehicles as explosive battering rams. More special moves
are controlled with the directional buttons- loco maneuvers like El Toro (Bull
Charge), Sombrero of Death (throw a killer hat), and Tornado (spin around
shooting). Fun fun.
A word of advice- This game is like Grand Theft Auto yet has important
differences. First off, you are DEA and the Mexican Federales are on your side-
pretty much. You don't need to worry about getting busted or ducking wanted
levels. So feel free to commit as much crime as you want- you're supposed to be
a crazy gringo. Act like it! Secondly, there's no money system in the game. All
your weapons and ammo you will have to acquire off dead enemies or through
achieving high scores to get bonuses (details below). Third, the missions each
take place in a totally different environment from the free roaming you do
between them and your score is seperate in each. Concentrate on scoring as high
as you can in each mission- you unlock many bonuses through this. Your overall
(global) score is also good for unlocking bonuses- you will earn weaponskill,
health, and stamina upgrades as it gets higher.
Fourth and most importantly- health is far scarcer in this game than in GTA.
So learn to shootdodge all you can and be quick and accurate on the trigger if
you want to survive. Pay close attention to your red meter (life) and white
meter (stamina for cool tricks like shootdodging). The latter meter recovers
quickly when you are not using it, and both can be upgraded with bonus items
(see below). Shootdodging and other cool stylish stunts is not only the key to
survival- it's also the key to getting a high score and unlocking bonuses. You
get points for both style and skill. That's the basics, I will cover more
advanced controls in the sections below.
4. Items and Weapons Listing.
**Power-Ups: The stuff that makes you do your thing faster, better, longer,
whatever.
Rewind- Like Continues. These icons allow you to rewind the game's action a few
seconds to perhaps pull off a more interesting combo or do something different
so you didn't just die. Very useful.
Health- It's obvious how useful this is. :)
Armor- This gives you temporary invincibility. Useful and rare.
Bonus Points- These add to your score whenever you grab them. They come in
increments of 100 to 3000 and can be found all over the place, usually in hard
to reach spots like rooftops or hanging in the air.
Life Point (Red Blooddrop Icon)- A collectible, also awarded for high mission
scores. Every 10 you get gives you a 10% maximum health increase (up to 200%,
double the bar with which you start).
Stamina Point (White Blooddrop Icon)- Just like the Red Blooddrop except every
10 you get ups your Stamina bar.
Weapon Skill Point (Two Pistols Icon)- Another collectible. Every 10 of these
you get increases your weapon skill and brings a differenr awesome reward.
10 icons- Dual Wield Pistols.
20 icons- Dual Wield Sawn-Off Shotguns.
30 icons- Dual Wield Submachine Guns.
40 icons- Dual Heavy Handguns.
50 icons- Dual Rifles.
60 icons- Infinite Grenades.
70 icons- Infinite Hand Gun Ammo.
80 icons- Infinite Sawn-Off Shotgun Ammo.
90 icons- Infinite Grenade Launcher Ammo.
100 icons- Infinite Rocket Launcher Ammo.
Gold Combo Skull- Whenever you kill an enemy in this game you have about 10
seconds to find and kill another one and earn a higher score and bonus
multiplier. The Combo Skull doubles the time you have to do this- and of course
every time you kill an enemy it restarts the clock. Useful for racking up
points.
Flaming Skull- Grabbing this in freeroam starts the Day of the Dead minigame.
The air gets hazy and suddenly the civilians of Los Toros are replaced by
respawning angry Mexican-style zombies who are well-armed and out for blood.
Kill as many as you can in about 30 seconds for extra weapons and points.
Luchador Glove- Another 30 second minigame starts when you grab this. Ram turns
into a Loco Luchador (Mad Wrestler) and other luchadors randomly spawn around
you looking to fight. You can only use melee weapons in this minigame (same for
the enemy), but just as in Day of the Dead the enemies soon respawn after you
beat them. Take out as many as you can before the minigame ends.
**Vehicles: Lots of these appear in the game. Most are old cars, pickups, vans,
and flatbed trucks typical of the Mexican auto market. You can also find
tractors, eighteen wheeler cabs, fuel trucks, police cars, ambulances, and even
street racers and DEA cars as you get deep into the game. One car that deserves
special mission is the gold taxicab- you can ride these for free anytime to a
variety of destinations around Los Toros. The destinations include the various
neighborhoods, the El Macho bar, and Marco's Junkyard. Taxis are the only
vehicle which you must kill the driver first to steal. All other cars you can
just hop right into and drive around in, often making amusing comments to the
drivers just like in Grand Theft Auto. You can also use ramps and drainage
canals to do insane car stunts and use all vehicles as explosive battering
rams. Only things that stink about the cars in this game are the lack of radios
(although the Mexican mariachi and hip-hop music in the game is pretty fun
nonetheless), the inability to perform drive-bys, and the fact that you can't
toot those novelty horns so many of the cars have. Oh well.
**Weapons:
Fists- Your basic weapon. Always with you, always useful. Note that your method
of using them changes depending on your angle to the enemy. You can punch,
kick, elbow smash, groin stomp, head butt, and do all kinds of dirty
smackdowns. Have fun!
Melee Weapons- Iron bar, baseball bat, rake, shovel, machete, etc. Grab these
to increase your hand-to-hand skills.
Pistol- The most common weapon of your foes. Ammo is plentiful and guns are
accurate.
Heavy Handgun- Can you say 44 Magnum? It holds less ammo than the pistol and is
a bit rarer, but its shots are more powerful.
Sawn-Off Shotgun- Like the pistol it's quite plentiful. Very powerful but runs
out of ammo quick.
Combat Shotgun- You can find this at police stations or in the hands of
enemies. Packs more ammo than the Sawn-Off Shotgun, but no Dual Wield.
Submachine Gun(SMG)- MP5s, Uzis, Ingrams. Gotta love 'em. These hold lots of
ammo and are great for spraying around while shootdodging. The smaller ones can
be dual-wielded once you have enough Weapon Skill.
Rifle- Your basic long range gun, usually found in the hands of enemies. You
can get Hunting Rifles or basic Rifles- which can be Dual Wielded with enough
Weapon Skill.
Assault Rifle- AK47s or modern M4s. Long range with rapid fire. Very nice.
Grenades and Other Explosives- Grenades, Dynamite, Molotov Cocktails. All
useful, all available. Note that the Grenades and Dynamite bounce when you
throw them so be careful. You can also shoot them while they're in the air for
maximum effect. You don't want any of these going off near you of course.
Grenade Launcher- Hee hee. This gun launches bouncing explosives over a long
distance. Very fun to blow up groups of enemies with.
Rocket Launcher- I choose you, Rocket Launcher! Heavy damage, very hard to
find. Will blow up most any structure or vehicle in one shot. Be careful you're
not nearby when the shell impacts.
Gun Turret- These can be found in freeroam and some missions on high places
overlooking the street. Get up to them and you can shoot down as many enemies
as you like with infinite ammo for righteous kill combos. For some reason
whenever you get on one in freeroam lots of corrupt heavily armed Federales
show up to shoot at you. Take them down for lots of points. Of course you can't
shootdodge while manning a turret so be quick on the trigger!
**Loco Moves:
These moves are special attacks you can pick up by scoring large amounts of
points and combo kills. Use them wisely to eliminate particularly tough foes
(like bosses) and/or groups of enemies. Note that you are invincible for a
limited time while executing a Loco Move.
Golden Gun- For a limited time all your bullets are automatically lethal to all
enemies except bosses. One shot, one kill. You can't beat skill like that for a
million dollars.
Tornado- Ran spins around firing submachine guns and takes down all enemies in
a 360 degree radius. Very useful when you're surrounded.
El Toro- Ram lowers his head like a bull and runs around in an automatic
forward motion. Anybody he bumps into dies. Use the left analog stick to steer
Ram and um, ram enemies before time runs out. Ole!
El Mariachi- We've all seen the El Mariachi Trilogy movies, right? If not, see
them. Seriously, you're missing out on some excellent action and spicy Salma
Hayek Antonio Banderas shoot-em-up comedy if you don't watch these. They're
directed by Austin's own Robert Rodriguez, the genius behind Spy Kids and Sin
City, and he made them at suprisingly little cost.  Anyway, this Loco
Move gives you two guitar cases with machine guns hidden inside. Use these
guns' infinite ammo to take down enemies in a blaze of glory that is also a
homage to a character in the second El Mariachi movie (Desperado) who used
similar guns. This will keep the fans happy. :)
Sombrero of Death- This move creates a computer controlled sombrero-wearing
zombie wielding a shotgun who will help you eliminate your foes. Both you and
the zombie are invincible for the duration of the move and the two of you
should be able to easily handle whatever gets in your way.
Explosive Pinata- This is kinda obvious, but still fun. Ram throws a pinata
time bomb, causing a big bang that is of great use against groups of enemies.
Fun!
Mad Wrestler- This move summons Numero Cinco, my favorite minor character from
the fifth season of the very much missed WB show Angel. A powerful luchador
wielding a baseball bat, Numero Cinco will be of great aid in defeating your
enemies.
5. The Missions- Walkthru.
Before you start you should of course check out the Options Menu and set up the
volume, subtitles, difficulty and so on as you like it. A note- on difficulty.
It only alters the toughness of the enemies you face and the amount of damage
they do. Not much difference otherwise. I wrote this FAQ on the Normal setting.
When ready, start a new game.
***Story Mission 1: The Father***
Okay, you start out as Ernesto Cruz. You're deep in the jungle escaping from a
Mayan ruin full of cartel soldiers gunning for your blood and trying to get
back the vital evidence you've stolen. A DEA plane is waiting for you, but
first you have to get there. Slide down the zip line at the beginning, shooting
whatever enemies you spot with your SMG. Don't waste too much ammo, though- the
ride is short. A goon with a rocket launcher nearly blows you up and you fall
into a warehouse. Climb on top of the boxes and grab the AK, Hunting Rifle, and
Rewind icon. The latter is most useful, as with it you can turn back time and
prevent yourself from dying or pull off a cooler move than the one you just
did. Using these does not affect your score, so have fun!
Bad guys are in the next room, armed with weapons like you just picked up.
Shoot them down and get those guns. This is a good time to learn how to
shootdodge and perform classy kills. You can also shoot the explosive barrels
to take out anybody nearby. In the next room you can pick up more weapons,
Health, and another Rewind. Eliminate your foes and open the garage door. Now
you need to run for the plane and help your fellow DEA agents fight off the
goons attacking. You can pick up pistols from dead enemies as well as more
Hunting Rifles and AKs. There's Health in the tent if you need it. Make sure
you don't get hit by the trucks speeding around the landing strip. In
particular watch out for the guy manning the machine gun on the back of the
pickup- take him out as soon as possible. When you hop on the plane, it
immediately takes off but unfortunately you soon find you've been set up to die
horribly by some corrupt compadres. Darn it!
***Story Mission 2: The Good Son***
Fastforward to a few years later. Ernesto's son Tommy, also a DEA agent, is
looking for what really happened to his father. He knows it was not a drug
overdose and is sure corrupt DEA agents are to blame. His boss Commander Trust
doesn't agree, but it's a little too late for him to stop Tommy's
investigation. :)
You start this mission as Tommy and are charged with taking out a convoy
belonging to the Virgilios, some rivals of the Morales Cartel. Your buddy Marco
the Rat has provided you with a weapon and a vehicle to accomplish this. Get in
the flatbed truck for a quick driving tutorial and then head for the tanker
marked on your radar. As you approach you will be shown how to use your vehicle
as an explosive battering ram by hitting the gas and then diving out the open
door. Do this to destroy the tanker, then gun down the eight enemies in the
service station around it with your pistol. They are armed with rifles,
pistols, and sawn-off shotguns, plus a couple with melee weapons. Some are
right by the station, some near a trailer in the back.
When they're dead, head through the garage and shoot the barrels by the dope
van parked back there to destroy it. 5 more goons come rushing in. Take them
out and you get a cutscene of Tommy facing one last enemy armed with a grenade.
Tommy shoots him, but the explosion blows up the gas station and leaves Tommy
in a wheelchair. Remember this! The action now shifts to two weeks down the
road, where Tommy's loco twin brother Ram has been sprung from jail and sent to
continue Tommy's investigation. You will be Ram for the remainder of the game.
***Free Roam***
Get in the red car directly in front of you and get ready to explore the city
of Los Toros. Your first goal is to meet Officer Mendez at the GreaseBurger,
but you can roam around the city first and look for bonuses if you want, Let's
do so, shall we? :) Note that you can now rack up a score and get bonuses in
Weapon Skill, Stamina, and Health every time you hit a plateau. Check the Pause
Screen for what plateau you're on and your current bonus levels. You can also
press select to view your current goals and warp directly to any available
uncompleted story or challenge mission. I prefer to roam the city to get to
each mission so I will not be doing this, but those who want to breeze through
the game can.
You'll notice Los Toros is divided into several sections. You begin in Centro,
the downtown area where most of the highways and ritzy joints can be found
(this is where I'm going to stay for now). There's also Barrio del Toro, the
biggest residential area that also holds a sports arena. Barrio Antiguo is the
older part of town and is home to the red light district along with many
banditos and seedy gangs. Cerro de Los Angeles is a ritzy upscale suburb on the
outskirts where you can find hilltop condos and luxury cars. Zona Industrial
holds the local factories and Marco's junkyard, and Puerto Los Toros has the
city docks. Also note that you have an expanse of Mexican countryside to the
south and the US Border and DEA compound to the north. We'll be visiting all
these later. For freeroam you are restricted to the city. To travel between
sections look for a blue glow around an icon of some kind- a ship for Puerto
Los Toros, skyscraper for Centro, factory for Zona Industrial etc. Also keep an
eye out for blue spotlights- these are places where you can save your game. You
get an automatic autosave at the start and end of every mission if you have the
option on, but it's better to save as much as you can, right? :)
Anyway, you first want to head for the nearby orange icon on your radar.
That's a training area where you can learn all kinds of cool gunplay moves. On
the way there you will probably spot some ramps you can use to make stunt
jumps. Bonus point icons and other goodies are hanging in the air near these-
use the ramps to grab them. You may also come across a police station, a gas
station, and a church with Health icons on their doorsteps. Note that very few
enemies will be around to bother you and that you do not earn points for
killing civilians. You aren't penalized either, but it ain't nice, okay? So
avoid the innocent and grab the bonuses. In particular keep an eye out for Red
and White Blooddrops as you roam the city. These are helpful to increase your
life and stamina. Gun icons will up your weapon skill- grab these too. A note
to humble cheaters- do not use codes that give you more than one of these at a
time. You will not recieve your bonuses! :( Look for Flaming Skulls and
Luchador Gloves also- these start fun minigames that can earn you quite a bit
of points. Whenever possible get up to the rooftops via ladders, stairs,
awnings, etc- or just create steps by parking a vehicle near a building and
climbing. Many of the bonuses you might like are on the roofs. More are in the
alleys, inside buildings (try every door), or on top of climbable objects. Some
are also hanging in the air near places where you have to jump to grab them- in
a car or on foot. Have fun collecting all these bonuses- just be careful not to
get run over. You can't swim either so stay out of the water.
If you do want to get into trouble, note that you can steal hats off people's
head with the X button (the owners might not be happy and pull out guns if you
do this though). Remember this during your fights- catching hats that fall off
dead fools' heads gives you extra points. You can also punch people (most run
away but some fight back) or jack cars for humorous comments. Otherwise
activate the minigames for your best source of combat fun. Look for people
being chased by jerks with  weapons- you can save these folk if you're so
inclined. The big parking garage is a good source of bonuses and will be
important later. You can also find some good bonuses in the shantytowns and the
park. To continue...
***Training Area- Pistoleros Asociados***
You'll find a Gun Icon right outside this place. Talk to the guy with the green
arrow oevr his head (X button) to enter the training area. Note that any
weapons you may have are taken away each time you enter the area (to avoid
accidents) but you will get them back when you leave. You can't take anything
from here, but the weapons do respawn so make use of them. You have five areas
to visit, a different trainer in each. Approach each of these men and learn
their lessons. I will cover them in numerical order.
1. Special Maneuvers. Here you can learn how to kill enemies while doing cool
moves. Remember these skills and practice them- they are the key to high
mission scores. The goal of each move tutorial is to hit a target using the
move five times. Keep practicing- you'll get each right eventually. The moves
you learn are Shootdodge Kill (shoot a target while shootdodging), Head Shot
Kill (line up on a target's head and fire with proper timing to take them down
in one shot), Havoc Kill (destroy a target by shooting an explosive object
nearby such as an oil drum), Wall-Walk Kill (shootdodge up a wall and then
shoot while you're running up the wall), Wall Bounce Kill (jump off a wall and
fire at targets while you're in the air), Reverse Shoot Dodge (spin around
quickly and shoot foes by double-tapping shootdodge) and Fly On The Wall
(Bounce off a wall and kill a target with a well-timed headshot). You get free
unlimited pistols and heavy handguns for this training- practice the skills
with dual wielded pistols. You should have that ability by now if you got
enough bonus points in the city outside.
2. Combo Timer Tutorial. Again you are given pistols. Here you have a maze and
the challenge is to find and shoot as many of the targets in the maze as
possible before the Combo Timer runs out. You will learn how this helps your
score against enemies and about Gold Combo Skulls. Pay attention- killing lots
of enemies quickly is by far the best way to get lots of points with the high
score multipliers it generates. You will need those bonus points later on. Note
that killing an enemy with one of the fancy moves you learned in the last
tutorial is worth more points than just killing him. You also get more points
for kills with melee attacks, kills at point blank range, and kills with extra
style. Remember this.
3. Loco Moves. Here you get a tutorial on four of the game's fun special
moves- which you can earn the right to do by getting high scores and kill
combos. Specifically you will learn Golden Gun, Tornado, El Toro, and El
Mariachi. I've already described these, now you can see them in action. Kill 4
targets with each. :)
4. Basic Combat Skills. This really should have been first, I think. Anyway
you get to learn unarmed combat with a training dummy and then you can practice
on the range with a pistol, rifle, and SMG. Hit 10 targets with fists and 10
with any gun to pass this. Easy.
5. Explosives. Here you learn how to use grenades. Practice tossing them into
the bins first to get an idea of their range and bouncing ability. Then move to
the second blind where you can learn how to shoot a grenade in midair and take
out targets. A rifle is provided to aid in this. Hit 5 targets at each blind to
pass. This is the most fun tutorial and will be very useful in the field. :)
When you're done here and have collected enough bonuses, head for the gold dot
on your radar. That's the GreaseBurger, which has some nice bonus points on its
roof and a Stamina Point at the counter. Get these and then head inside to meet
Officer Mendez and auto-save.
***Story Mission 3: The Bad Son***
Ram meets Mendez, who mistakes him for Tommy (not the first time this happens-
don't worry, it's supposed to be this way). Mendez gives you a pistol and takes
you to meet Marco the Rat at the El Macho bar in the Barrio Antigua red light
district. Once he leaves you there, you will meet a girl who after slapping you
for some insult Tommy paid to her (what the heck?) directs you to where Marco
is. Unfortunately Marco has been playing poker with some banditos who don't
like to lose and you need him alive!
Rush into El Macho and shoot down the four banditos menacing Marco. Be quick-
Marco's life bar is on the screen and it's getting depleted. Marco can not
shoot dodge, but the banditos can (they don't much but it does happen) and of
course you can too, so do it! Marco is of course glad to see you and runs out
the back way. Follow him getting a Sprint tutorial as you head into the alley.
Continue to stay on Marco's tail, grabbing guns and bonuses whenever you can.
You will pass a couple Save Spotlights too- make use of them. More enemies will
come running out of the alley or pull up in pickups and cars, then get out to
attack, as you proceed. Try to kill them all quickly before they can hurt
Marco- he will fight but he's not as fast or accurate as Ram. You will head
through a maze of alleys, cross some streets, go down some stairs, and then
enter a pedestrian tunnel that takes you back to Centro. Hopefully Marco's not
hurt too badly and you'll have built up a lot of points through shootdodging
and combo kills by the time you reach this. Look out for the guy with the
shield in the tunnel- he can block your bullets so you will need to get close
and elbow him to take him out- or use a head shot. Proceed into Centro.
Continue to follow Marco around the building and into the parking structure.
Some enemies are on the way and more wait within. You may be tempted to head
straight for the third floor and Marco's tow truck, but Marco will not take
that route so you best stay with him all the way. Keep gunning down enemies to
get Marco to move forward. Many of them jump out from behind parked cars or
come down ramps and stairways. Eventually, you'll reach the tow truck, which
Marco of course wants you to drive (he's had too many tequilas). You can't
shoot while driving, but you can run over enemies for Spicy Attack bonuses.
Smash through the additional foes that run in and drive out of the garage via
the ramps (use the stunt ramps, especially the one on the roof, if you want to
have some real fun). The tow truck is tough, but it can be destroyed, so get
out of the garage quickly! Head down the street toward the gold icon and you
will have finished this mission and be en route to Marco's Junkyard. Upon
arrival, Marco gievs you some advice and then goes off to take a rest.
Note, starting from this mission you will get awards for completing each
mission based on your score. If it's high enough you may win the Gold, Silver,
or Bronze medal and bonuses. Get these- they are always good to have. For this
mission the awards are:
Gold (2000 points)- Rewind x2.
Silver (1000 points)- Carry More Ammo.
Bronze (500 points)- El Mariachi x 1.
***Free Roam***
Okay, time for another break. You're in Marco's Junkyard now, which makes an
excellent home base for Ram. Lots of bonus points are atop the stunt ramps and
conveyors outside and Marco's trailer holds Health and a Save Spotlight. Use
the latter to preserve your by now pretty high score. Like Marco said, Ram
needs to get himself noticed to get in with the Morales Cartel. You can do so
by meeting Marco's contacts and taking part in Challenge Missions (gold stars
on radar). We'll do these soon. First, some more exploration. :)
Let's start with El Vertedaro de Marcos, aka Marco's Junkyard. As I said
before, you'll find lots of bonus points scattered around. In particular check
out the warehouse for stamina and weaponskill. Also note the large collection
of bonuses hanging in the air by the ramp near the entrance. You may need
several jumps in a car to get them all. To access the conveyor, park a vehicle
near it and climb up. Get all the bonuses you can, then head back to Marco's
trailer and save. There's a weaponskill icon near the trailer too. Around the
junkyard you can find lots of vehicles including a tractor, a pickup, an
eighteen wheeler cab, and the tow truck from the last mission.
When you've gotten all the bonuses you can (remember you can build steps using
the rig cab and a smaller vehicle if you have trouble getting high bonuses)
head out of the junkyard into Zona Industrial. You will find the usual bonuses
dangling in the air by stunt ramps here, though not as many as in Central.
Check out the import garage, the drainage canal, and the roofs in particular
for nice stunt bonuses. A rooftop area with some ziplines offers access to a
lot of bonuses and a turret minigame. There's a similar area across the
drainage canal with another turret near a save spot. The area near the stadium
(actually part of Barrio del Toreo) has a few bonuses also. There's a subzone
called Puerto Industrial (forklift icon) you should check out too. Explore and
get all that you can. When you're ready, you can also find both the Challenge
Missions here (note- I'm covering #3 because I did it first. From here on the
Challenges will be covered in numerical order).
***Challenge Mission 3- Dope Dealers Must Die***
One difference between Challenge and Story Missions- you must score a certain
number of points (the Bronze Award) as well as finish the mission goals if you
want to pass a challenge mission. You must complete one or two challenges to
unlock the next Story Mission, so skill and style are key. I will cover all the
Challenge Missions you can get at this point in the game (the new ones on the
radar) before going on to the next Story Mission.
This first challenge requires you to score 700 points. It's a combat challenge
where you must brutally execute a bunch of dope dealers who are hanging outside
their turf. The challenge is easy if you can build your combo and style bonuses
high enough. Remember every time you kill an enemy you can get a bonus
multiplier if you kill another in ten seconds. And every fool you kill you get
another multiplier and reset the clock. Use dual weapons (you should have dual
SMGs by now with all the bonus points in this area) to make this particularly
fun and don't forget to pick up the bad guys' ammo. Some are in the lot where
you start out, others are in the nearby garage and on the roof- some of these
have Molotov Cocktails so be careful. Kill all 13 to win.
Gold (900 points)- Stamina Points x2.
Silver (800 points)- Weapon Skill x2.
Bronze (700 points)- Tornado x 1.
***Challenge Mission 1- Burrito Boost***
You unlocked a new Story Mission by completing the last challenge, but let's
have some extra fun with the second available challenge first. In this one a
friend of Officer Mendez needs you to take out a burrito cart that also sells
dope and bring him back the evidence. Easy breezy, right? You must score 400
points to win and again this is easy to do with kill combo and style bonuses.
First order of business is to pick up the grenades by the policeman. Now get
yourself a car. For laughs, find one with a For Sale sign in the window. Hey,
it's just a test drive, okay? :) Now find the burrito cart (red dot on your
radar) and ram your car into it the way you took out the tanker earlier. For an
extra bonus shoot one of the enemies near the burrito cart in the head as you
pop out of the car. Kill all the enemies that come running up with as much
flair and in as little time as possible, then grab the dope stash that fell out
of the cart (blue dot) and take it back to the cop who gave you the mission. If
you scored high enough you've won! Other good ways to destroy the burrito cart
are by hitting it with your car while driving (it explodes upon destruction for
possible Havoc Kill bonus) and using the grenades. Whatever works.
Gold (600 points)- Unlock Bonus Challenge Mission "Burrito Shopping".
Silver (500 points)- Weapon Skill x2.
Bronze (400 points)- Golden Gun x1.
***Challenge Mission 2- Burrito Shopping***
You can unlock this challenge by beating the last one with 600 or more points.
This is very easy to do. Once you open it head into Barrio Antiguo (the freeway
gets you there quickly) and track your contact down. Once again a cop buddy of
Mendez needs your help to take out some dope-dealing burrito vendors- three
this time instead of one. You're provided with a rocket launcher to help out
here- but you only get two shots and you might want to save them for later. Use
cars to destroy the carts like you did in the last challenge mission instead.
You need to score at least 2000 points.
As before, lots of enemies are hanging out around each burrito cart. More will
pull up in cars once you get close enough and start shooting. Kill them all
with combos and flair for maximum bonus. Some have grenades- get rid of these
ASAP. Note also that if you want to jack a vehicle driven by enemies you will
need to gun down the driver first (or hope he obliges you and gets out, then
shoot him). Each wagon you blow up yields a dope stash. Collect all 3 and take
them back to your contact.
Gold (3000 points)- Health Points x3.
Silver (2500 points)- Weapon Skill x2.
Bronze (2000 points)- El Toro x1.
**Free Roam**
Let's do some exploring while we're here, shall we? This is the red light
district where we rescued Marco and it has lots of cool bonus points on its
streets and rooftops. In particular look for a traffic island with lots of
bonus points atop it that you can jump to grab. The church has health on its
doorstep and so does the high-rise hotel (which also features a save spot).
There's more beneath the underpass. Look for a garage in a storage unit area
that opens for your car when your approach it- the elevator in there takes you
to some very nice rooftops with a lot of bonus points to collect. Look out for
bad guys around the El Macho bar- they pack heat and will not be glad to see
you. :( The rooftops around there have lots of bonuses on them if you want to
brave the area. The drainage canal again offers a lot of stunt ramps and
accompanying bonuses. Be sure to climb up the dam at the end still in this
neighborhood- a lot of points are up there.
Next let's explore Cerro de Los Angeles. Again the best way there is the
freeway. This hilltop suburb offers a lot of bonuses on the balconies and
terraces of its posh condominiums. Also check the freeway tunnel and nearby
hills. You can find a moped that tows a burrito cart and a street racer in the
condo parking lot. You will need to bring a rig cab in from another area (like
say, Marco's Junkyard) to access the high ladder. Go get one and then use
another vehicle to make steps from which you can jump. On the roof are lots of
bonus points and apartments you can access via the balconies to collect Health,
Stamina, and WeaponSkill upgrades. There's a Save Spot also. Small area, isn't
it?
You can also access the Puerto area via the freeway. Here there are lots more
bonus points among the cargo containers and warehouses. It's also a great place
to find rig cabs- lots are parked around the loading docks and some are driving
around too. Not all the stunt ramps here have bonuses nearby, but most do.
Definitely climb every ladder you can find and check the rooftops- many bonuses
are up there, especially around the ziplines. Remember you can jump off a
zipline at any time- this is key to getting several bonuses, like those atop
one of the oil tanks. There's also a Save Spot and a high ladder near another
of the tanks. Access the ladder with a vehicle and collect the bonuses on that
tank and all the others (walkways connect them). Visit the rooftop with the
ziplines as much as you need to until you get all the bonuses. Then check out
the garages (again, open every door you can) to find more hidden points. Again
park rig cabs and smaller vehicles close together to make steps so you can
access some of the higher points. The big cargo yard behind the locked gates
(Puerto de Lose Toros subarea) is only accessible the same way- stack vehicles
and jump over the gates to open them automatically.
Explore this area throughly. You will need to use the vehicles that got you in
or those parked back here to get the bonuses on top of the cargo containers.
Each watchtower's lower floor holds a Stamina Point. Use the ladder on the side
of one of the big warehouses at the right end to climb up and get the points on
their roofs. Check out the office of the big warehouse in the middle by
climbing its stairs to find a Save Spot and a switch that extends a ramp to
access the big cargo crane (it's useless unfortunately). At the left end is
another locked storage yard whose gate you'll have to stack vehicles to climb
over. There's only a Life Point within, but every little bit helps. :)
The only area of Los Toros left to explore is Barrio del Toreo. Before going
there, take a rig cab into Centro and use the vehicle-stacking trick to get all
the high bonuses you can- in particular those near the park. You can find rig
cabs driving around in that area now if you want- they're rare but they do
exist. Save (the parking garage has a convienent point nearby), then take the
freeway to the last unexplored neighborhood.
Here in Barrio del Toreo you can find some more dirt roads for off-road fun.
Your bonuses will mainly be in the area around the stadium- check it out. You
may have explored much of this area already while checking out Zona Industrial.
When you're done your collectibles should all be in the high 50s and your
global score over 400,000 points. Save and then travel to Ceasar Morales's
warehouse in Puerte Industrial for the next Story Mission.
***Story Mission 4-A- Smash the Stash***
Those of you who have played the game's demo should remember this mission. You
will meet Ceasar Morales and Angel for the first time here. Angel doesn't say
anything to you for now- like her boss she's sizing you up. Morales wants you
to travel to the Virgilios' Rancho outside Los Toros and destroy their
fertilizer tower and stashes of marijuana and other drugs. You also need to
bring back Joey Virgilio's prized street racer- Morales wants it. A tough
two-part mission.
You may recognize the gas station where Angel initally drops you off as the
same place where Tommy got injured- now rebuilt. 12 or so enemies are hanging
out around the trailer with three more in the back yard where you blew up the
dope van. Gun them all down with style and then take either the van or the fuel
truck (your preference, I took the van) from the back yard and head down the
dirt road towards your goal- the Virgilios' farm. Don't worry, we'll be
visiting those other areas on the countryside radar later.
Here at the farm you need to somehow blow up the four fertilizer tanks that
feed fuel to the central tower. Ramming them with vehicles, using explosives,
or shooting them a lot all work well. Explore the maze of marijuana fields and
gun down all the bad guys who try to stop you. Remember to use style and pick
up their ammo! All the containers have vehicles nearby, so using these cars as
explosive rams is probably the best way to blow them up. Each explosion of
course brings more enemies running to find you, so be ready. Tommy will guide
you over the radio as you progress. The first container is to the left through
the marijuana fields- it has armor and health near it. Blow it and get the
enemies who come running. You're right, Ram, this does feel like a movie. :)
More armor and a Rewind are atop the water tower to the far right of the entry
gate. Hmm, how to get past that locked gate ahead? First head among the rows of
weed and get the bad guys on the way to the big barn. Inside that barn you'll
find lots of foes to eliminate and a Save Spot. Make use of the latter
regularly as you proceed through this mission. Combo Skulls are around too and
there's some Dynamite atop the crates. Take care of all the foes in the barn,
including those upstairs, then head over to the trailers and get the guys
there. A Rewind is in one of the trailers. Now head for the fertilizer tower
and clear the area around it. If your Mission Score's over 7500 points by now
you're doing great! The next fuel container is in plain sight near the
trailers- destroy it with a vehicle ram.
To reach the third one head back to and through the barn, then through the
fields on the other side. More Virgilios are waiting. There's a Rewind behind
one crate you'll pass too. As you reach the area behind the locked gate you saw
earlier 2 more will pull up in a pickup, opening the gate as they come. Kill
them when they get out of the truck and then use the truck as a ram to destroy
the third container. Return to the barn, get health from there as needed, and
save your game.
The fourth container is also behind a locked gate, and you will need to ride a
zipline to access it. Climb the water tower in the fields between the barn and
the entrance and take care of the guy up there, then ride the zipline. 5
Virgilios will attack when you land and 3 more are in the shed. Don't miss the
armor near the container and the obvious Save Spot. Open the gate, drive in a
vehicle, and use it to blow up the last container. Two more Virgilios arrive in
a van as soon as you do this- wait for them to exit and then take them out. Use
the Save Spot. By now your Mission Score should be at or near 10000 points.
You now need to give the fertilizer tower one final push to knock it over. Hop
in the van and drive there, mopping up any remaining Virgilios on the way.
Climb up the fertilizer tower's stairway now- and be careful shootdodging here
since falling off is a bad idea. Take out all the enemies on the stairway and
tower balcony. Now head over to the tower and push it with the X button to
topple it. Nice job!
Gold (7500 points)- Carry More Ammo.
Silver (5000 points)- Rewind x2.
Bronze (2500 points)- El Toro x1.
***Story Mission 4-B- Steal The Wheels***
Didn't think we were done yet, did we? :) This is the shorter second part of
the long mission in which you must steal the Virgilios' street racer and get it
back to Morales. Lots more Virgilios are waiting in their farmhouse for you,
including Joey Virgilio, the head of the family and the game's first boss. Ram
needs Joey's key to open the garage where the street racer is, so Joey needs to
die.
First, though, we need to clear the farmhouse yard of Joey's compadres. You
start out this mission in the middle of a gunbattle, so be on your toes and
shootdodge. Circle the house, taking out everybody you meet, including anyone
you can see through the front windows. You want to enter by the back door- the
only Virgilio guarding that way in is an old woman with a machete. Take her out
and then head into the living room and gun down everyone there. Pick up the
Health and Rewinds in the yard and house. Upstairs there is a Save Spot. Use it