T-Zero Tactics

It's a warzone out there, and you don't want to be caught unprepared. Hone your survival skills before you brave the urban wilds. Gangs have taken over the neighborhood. You work on the baddest anti-terrorist team known to man: T-Zero. You're one of the good guys. You and your fellow team members have licenses to kill, though that's not your mission. It can get stressful when you're face to face with a butcher's cleaver, a shotgun, or, god help you, a rocket launcher. When you're in it up to your armpits, it pays to have a few tricks up your sleeve.

Urban Chaos: Riot Response has a linear storyline that gives you into a series of missions in which you fight off a violent, organized gang that has attacked your city. The gang raids police stations, kidnaps hostages, sets fire to buildings, and takes every opportunity they have to try to kill you. Because it's a linear storyline, however, you don't have to take out all the terrorists. You have a goal. Give it your full attention. If anyone tries to get in your way, feel free to incapacitate them 'by any means necessary.'

"My parents never hugged me!"

Meeting Objectives
Each chapter of the game has an overarcing mission goal. However, all chapters also have Special Objectives that, when you achieve them, reward you with better weapons and equipment, and even unlock new chapters. You earn a medal when you succeed at each Special Objective. The Special Objectives medals include:

• Non-Lethal Enforcer: Arrest a predetermined number of gang members rather than killing them.
• Sharp Shooter: Make a target number of head shots during the mission.
• Survivor: Don't use checkpoints during your mission.
• Detective: Collect all evidence during a mission.
• Gang Leader Arrested: Arrest, rather than kill, a gang leader.

The target numbers for these medals goes up with each successive mission, making the medals more difficult to earn as you gain skill and experience. With helpful rewards for many of the medals, it's in your best interests to earn as many medals as possible.

"Now, I'm going to write you up for destruction of public property … "

Making Arrests
Arresting, rather than killing, your opponent is not as difficult as it may sound. Simply approach your target and use your taser. This incapacitates him, which in the game means you can safely arrest him. The drawbacks of using your taser include the fact that it takes a full second or two of electrical charge to put the gang member down, and that's assuming you hit him full in the torso.

You'll find many instances where your opponents close on you in order to use short-range weapons such as meat cleavers. Take advantage of these circumstances to use your taser. At other times, you can go on arrest hunts. Use your judgment about whether you have the mission leisure and health to chase down a bunch of angry gang bangers for a medal. Definitely don't do it if you're being timed.

Sacrifice those left-over rounds to go into the fight
with a full clip. Your body will thank you.

Shooting to Kill
If you're going to shoot them, shoot to kill. In order to earn more Sharp Shooter medals, make it a habit to always aiming for the head of your enemy (in case you don't already as a matter of course). You'll get better at making head shots, and your luck will help you out more often. Head shots are one-shot kills, so they're also extremely important if you're on a mission with a timed deadline. Rather than attempting to plow through your enemies with automatic fire, you'll have greater success if you take the time to aim and hit them all with one shot that counts.

Some tips remain the same across the board with first-person shooters. For example, always check your ammo level before entering a room where you suspect you'll come under heavy fire. There's only one thing worst than getting caught with your pants down, and that's getting caught with an empty gun. Although the game automatically reloads for you, it takes precious seconds. On that same note, it's often worth it to reload before a big fight, even if you have a couple rounds left. Sacrifice those left-over rounds to go into the fight with a full clip. Your body will thank you.

Never bring a cleaver to a gunfight.

Taking Cover
In this game, you can't barrel your way through the missions, unless you want to die and start over. You'll have to learn to use cover to your advantage. You have the ability to crouch behind short walls and debris, so use it. Most important, however, is your shield. During the very first mission, you're given a riot shield. This shield quickly becomes your best friend. As you progress through the missions and earn medals, you get upgrades to your shield that will make you want to kiss it. Trust me on this.

The shield serves as moving cover and protects you from almost every projectile or melee weapon, including rockets. That makes it an incredibly valuable tool. What it doesn't do, however, is cover your back. You do have to keep the shield between you and your enemy to do any good. Learn to use the shield in combination with your weapon so that you can quickly lower the shield (release left trigger), shoot (pull right trigger) and then raise it again (pull left trigger). This combination saves lives, often your own.

When in doubt, bash your enemy with your shield. It's a satisfyingly brutal attack that keeps a barrier between you and him while you're at it. Don't do this if you want to arrest him, though. It's a lethal attack. Plus, the more bloodied and battered your shield gets, more difficult it is to see through it. Keep your vision clear and your gun steady. Don't shoot the good guys or let the bad guys shoot them either. If you keep these pieces of advice in mind, you'll might the jungle that is Urban Chaos: Riot Response.

Article by Angel Leigh McCoy