Mind Over Matter: Combat Tips

Majesco Games' Advent Rising takes you on an intergalactic rollercoaster ride, letting you guide hero Gideon Wyeth through his transformation from ordinary pilot to superhuman warrior. The Seeker armada is hell-bent on the destruction of humanity, and it's up to Gideon and his newfound friends to put a stop to their genocidal plan. You have an arsenal of weapons at your disposal—some conventional, some supernatural. How you use those weapons is up to you. We've compiled some helpful tips to aid you in defending humanity … you can thank us later, when the last invading Seeker is crumpled in a smoldering heap.

This Is My Boomstick!
From the get-go, Gideon can wield a wide assortment of armaments. He finds everything from pistols to rocket launchers in each environment. Some are neatly organized in weapon caches, while others he pries from the cold, dead clutches of his fallen enemies. Gideon is ambidextrous, so get used to dual-wielding and aiming with the Flick Targeting system. Many weapons have an alternate fire mode, so once Gideon has mastered his gunplay skills to level three, hold the white button and pull the left or right trigger to switch between fire modes.

• Faust C-41—Standard military pistol. A good all-around weapon.
• Rockwell Young XJ9—Assault rifle with grenade launcher.
• Talmage 50.08—Launches three rockets.
• H.A.Z.E. Blaster—Fires explosive rounds.
• G'Kol Acolyte—Standard issue Seeker pulse rifle.
• Kaull Firelance—Projectiles fired from the Kaull Firelance literally rip through time and space.
• Darkfire—Generates fragments of dark matter.
• D'nex Talon—Fires explosive colloid transmetals.
• Shadowstalker—Scoped rifle.
• Discord—Generates immense heat for short periods of time.
• Gnashbone Fury—Fires rockets that can track several targets simultaneously.
• Grenade—Use the white button to lob grenades. Most accurate when used in conjunction with the Flick Targeting system.

Flick of the Wrist
Advent Risingisn't your typical third-person shooter. Instead of relying on free aim, targeting is accomplished via the Flick Targeting system. When you approach a group of foes, Gideon will automatically lock onto the closest enemy in range. Strafe, jump, duck, and run every which way, while keeping a bead on the bad guy. To select a different target, simply flick the right thumbstick in the direction of the enemy you want to shoot, and the onscreen cursor will highlight the next adversary within range. The color of the aiming reticule reveals your opponent's current health: green signifies full strength, orange denotes a weakened (but still deadly) foe, and red indicates an enemy moments away from death. Moveable objects are bracketed in blue, and can be manipulated with Gideon's Lift power (obtained at the start of chapter four).

Physical Fitness
Our hero is no slouch in hand-to-hand combat. Press the B button while standing near an enemy, and Gideon performs a kick, punch, throw, or other fancy maneuver guaranteed to inflict pain and injury. Jump (X button) in conjunction with an attack (B button) to dive at your enemy. This is effective in roughing up some of the tougher bosses, and vaguely resembles the Time Shift psychic power.

Mind Power
You use conventional weapons exclusively during the first three chapters. At the start of the fourth, Gideon unlocks the first of many psychic powers. In time, you come to rely on them through the rest of the game. To assign a power to one of Gideon's hands, tap the directional pad, select a power, and tug the left or right trigger. Time slows during the selection phase, but it doesn't stop, so map your powers ahead of time to avoid taking damage during a firefight.

• Lift—Gideon's Lift power enables him to move certain objects and smaller enemies with his mind. Throw objects by first lifting them in the air and then tilt the right thumbstick in the desired direction. While the object is in motion, release your grip and send your prey flying. You can also toss your enemies into each other or throw environmental objects at your attackers.
• Negate—Block most enemy rounds with Gideon's Negate ability. Keep utilizing this power, as mastery of it grants Gideon the use of multiple barriers simultaneously. This power proves crucial in surviving deadlier boss fights.
• Shatter—Lob a flurry of icicles at your enemies and freeze them in their tracks. As Gideon's power increases, he eventually shatters his foes into thousands of pieces.
• Time Shift—Track your target and lunge through the air at breakneck speed, delivering a deadly blow upon your unlucky adversary. Quickly dispatch weaker Seeker forces with one well-placed hit.
• Surge—Send a ripple of energy through the air that knocks Seekers on their butts. Bust rocks and send certain psychic attacks back to their sender this way.
• Aeon Pulse—Aeon Pulse is a ranged psychic attack you use in lieu of a conventional weapon.

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie…

General Combat Tips

• Anytime you're in an environment that's high above the ground (or in space and outside a ship), toss your foes to their doom with Gideon's Lift power. It's guaranteed to get them out of your way quickly, though you'll forfeit any weapons they possess. This technique works great for smashing those pesky plate glass windows, too.
• Use jump (X button) in conjunction with a melee attack (B button) to lunge at an adversary and inflict major damage. This is especially effective when you're low on ammo or have temporarily depleted your psychic powers.
• Use grenades to dispatch large crowds of seekers and whittle down the health of larger Shock Troops.
• You can't use the Lift power to toss the heavier and more powerful Seekers and boss creatures, though you can use it to throw environmental objects at them.
• Anytime you encounter a gun turret, use it.

Warning: Major Spoiler Alert!
The following tips contain effective strategies for defeating some of the harder bosses in Advent Rising, but also reveal some major plot spoilers. We suggest you try to discover these combat techniques on your own, but if you're having a difficult time passing a particularly evil nemesis, use these moves to lay the smack down.

Cat Fight!
This boss is one bad mutha, and seemingly invincible. From the get-go, it volleys an endless stream of projectiles at Gideon. There are two choices here: stay put and get perforated, or bum rush the idiot with fists flying. We suggest the second tactic. But before you do anything, map Negate and Aeon Pulse to your hands—you need them both to survive the battle and emerge victorious.

Meow! I'm kicking your ass!

Once you've equipped your powers, run across the catwalk and lock onto your target. Use a series of jumping melee attacks to knock your enemy from the platform. Unfortunately, you don't inflict any damage or cause the bugger to fall to its doom. Instead, it flies right back onto the ledge and continues attacking. Don't get too close unless you're in the middle of a melee attack, or you'll be on the receiving end of some serious damage. After you knock the catlike boss around a few times, it leaps off the platform onto a jet-powered vehicle. Quickly run to the opposite end of the catwalk to avoid the fire from above. Once you reach the entrance, expect your foe to rise from either side.

Place your shields side by side to protect you from attacks. When your psychic powers are recharged, target the aircraft's engines. It takes repeated bombardments with your Aeon Pulse power to bust an engine, but once you do, the wily kitty will return to the far side of the platform and start shooting again. Repeat your lunging melee attacks until the boss mounts the flying vehicle again, then repeat your assault on the engines from the opposite end. Eventually, you blast the craft from the sky, but the battle is far from over. Resort to fisticuffs until the cutscene plays. Unfortunately, you don't get the satisfaction of ripping the assassin's heart from its chest, because your ally intervenes at the last second and does it for you. D'oh! It's just as well, as there's no way for you to win on your own.

Defeat the Skinwalker
Near the end of the game, Marin gets kidnapped by a rather homely creature doing his best King Kong impersonation. You track the Skinwalker by its trail of wreckage until you finally reach a large, rock-filled grotto. While it's standing, your attacks against the Skinwalker are futile. Knock the beast to the ground so it takes damage.

Gimme some skin, homey.

First, map the Lift and Surge powers to your hands. Next, drop from the ledge into the grotto and lock your sights on the Skinwalker. Jump to dodge its melee attacks or you'll get crushed. When it holds a large boulder over its head, use Surge to shatter the rock and knock the Skinwalker on its ass, or use Lift to catch the boulder in midair and return it to sender. As it flops forward and remains stunned for a few moments, let loose with a variety of melee or psychic attacks. After a few rounds of punishment, it finally croaks and you rescue the damsel in distress.

Epilogue Boss Fight
So you've narrowly escaped the Seeker base as it crumbled around you and rescued the lovely Marin from certain doom. The credits have rolled, the music's played, and you've cracked open a beer in celebration. Wait a minute! What's this? The game's not over?

I used to love her, but I had to kill her.

Just when you thought ultimate victory was yours, an evil entity (who looks suspiciously like Gideon's dead fiancée, Olivia, unless you left Ethan onboard the doomed space station, in which case it'll look like your brother) crashes the Senate hearing and starts tearing the place apart. She's impossible to beat—if you don't know how to exploit her weakness. Immediately map the Lift and Surge powers to your hands. Take refuge on either side of the chamber toward the rear, behind a pillar flanking the side rooms. You know if you're in the right spot because you're immune to the enemy's psychic wave attack. Lay low until you notice the color of her attack changing from light to dark. Run out into the open and target your floating enemy, but do not run up to her yet—she's surrounded herself with a psychic shield that will knock you back and dwindle your health. As she lobs a dark ball of energy at you, use the Surge power to reflect the shot back at her. When she collapses to the floor, use Lift to hurl a golden piece of rubble at her while she's vulnerable. Repeat this attack several times until a cutscene plays.

She tells you, "This is going to hurt," just before she deals you a deadly blow. Close the gap quickly and use Surge to attack her. If successful, another cutscene plays, and you're transported to an icy planet, where you must survive as long as you can (and wait for the sequel, where Gideon's epic saga will continue)….

By Bobby Stein