Using the Entrencher in Fracture

Published October 16, 2008

With the introduction of the terrain-deforming Entrencher gun in LucasArts' Fracture, Day 1 Studios has created a brave new world of strategy and survival in the third-person shooter genre. What worked in other games requires a whole new mindset to survive in Fracture.

Ready for the crush.

Likewise, what would have never occurred to you in previous games is suddenly possible in this innovative shooter. Keep the following tips in mind and your own creative juices flowing. You'll eventually win the day, and do so in a style only Fracture can provide.

Instant Cover
Despite its run-and-gun feel, nearly every combat encounter in Fracture requires a deliberate approach if you hope to claim victory on your first attempt. You can't go wrong by using the Entrencher to raise a series of hills directly in front of you at the outset of every action sequence, creating instant cover from the onslaught of enemy fire and granting you the time you need to flesh out your plan of attack.

It's a simple tactic, but an easy one to forget when you've been depending on traditional level design in shooters for years. Never forget that in Fracture the onus is on you to create your own protective cover at all times.

Crushed
Any time you spot an enemy under a ledge, walkway or other obstacle, you can be confident of an easy kill. Aim the Entrencher right under their feet and press RB to raise an instant hill, crushing the poor Pacifican as the hill drives them into the obstacle.

If you don't succeed on your first Entrencher shot, give the trigger another squeeze to increase the hill's height.

Shield/Drop Kills
Anytime you're confronted with enemies standing in front of an energy shield or next to a sheer drop, score easy kills by driving them over the edge or into the shield with the Entrencher. Aim the Entrencher a few feet in front of the enemy. That way, the slope of the hill drives them backwards rather than straight up into the air.

Headshots people, headshots.

Between the Eyes
The bio-engineered armor sported by the Pacificans is no joke. It can take dozens of direct hits from your assault rifle to take down even mid-level enemies. Aim for their head however, and netting a kill can take as little as one shot for the grunts, and three or four for the well-armored foes.

Some enemies, such as the green-headed shotgun-toting fools, absolutely require headshots to take down, so employ a little more patience than you normally might, and line up those headshots. It will save you both a good deal of frustration and ammo in the long run.

Spike and Entrench
Spike grenades work wonders for providing access to otherwise unreachable heights to track down a new weapon, data cells, or just to gain the high ground. Often though, the column of rock from the spike grenade isn't quite enough, so don't forget to raise the ground first with the Entrencher before using the grenade.

Ammo Refresh
Every weapon crate carries with it a limitless supply of ammo for its designated weapon. Whenever you find one of these for the Bangalore (rocket launcher) or Black Widow (grenade launcher), don't stray too far from the crate.

Rather, play the combat encounter out at long range even if your accuracy suffers. After all, you can always retrace your steps and refill your explosive ammo. If you move along and find yourself with little ammo or the wrong weapons, it's worth the time to retrace your steps rather than fight it out short-handed.

That's a lot of mutation.

Pinned Grenades
The Pacificans aren't stupid. If you toss a grenade at their feet, they're going to flee. Prevent this by raising hills with the Entrencher around a small group of enemies, and then tossing a grenade in the middle. The hills will slow their progress so enemies can't escape the blast radius. The game doesn't give you a lot of grenades, so make the most of what you get.

Filtered Mines
It's not uncommon to find crates of loose mines placed strategically throughout the game. Fire enough shots into the crates and they'll burst open, scattering the mines and causing them to detonate within a few short seconds. You might score a few kills by breaking open these crates at random, but you'll send the death rate soaring with strategic use of the Entrencher.

For example, if there's a crate on a walkway above a group of Pacificans, try raising hills with the Entrencher behind and in front of them. Then, break open the crate, and watch the more far-flung mines hit the hills and roll back towards the enemies.

The advent of the Entrencher and other terrain-deforming tools in Fracture unlocks the doors to strategies never before dreamed of in a third-person shooter. While these tips should help, it's the tactics you create on-the-fly that make this game truly shine.

Article by Ryan Treit