Prima's Tips for Gun Ballet and Tequila Time

Published September 11, 2007

John Woo presents Stranglehold™explodes onto Xbox 360™ with the most adrenaline per square inch of action this side of Max Payne® 2: The Fall of Max Payne. The enemies and challenges are relentless and the rewards for cinematic gunplay are staggering. For many,Stranglehold represents a whole new and unfamiliar breed of shooter, but the following tips should bring you up to speed on what to expect and set your comfort level with some essentialStranglehold strategy. Good luck.

Mighty springs for Inspector Tequila.

Be Stylish
Stranglehold presents you with outlandish and nearly unbelievable opportunities for acrobatic gunplay, and it rewards you for them as well. Sometimes, it's easier to just aim and shoot, but you should really spend every available moment sliding down railings, rolling on carts, running up beams, and swinging on chandeliers to collect as many style points as you can.

Your overall grade at the end of a level depends almost solely on how stylishly you annihilated the opposition. Plus, the style points you've collected can be used as currency in the Unlock Shop.

Wait for Them
The first two levels allow you to push the action relentlessly towards the enemy, but eventually, a more conservative approach is in order. The beginning of any enormous battle should find you holding back and allowing the enemy to approach you. More often than not, only a couple of bad guys will charge you at any given time, allowing you to thin the ranks before you counterattack.

Prepare for Achievements
Spread throughout your Stranglehold experience are achievements that require specific actions during a level, so make sure you study the achievements list to keep from being caught short of Gamerscore at the end of a level. For example, the twenty-point I Don't Know How to Play Thoseachievement asks you to avoid using the guitar cases in the Mega Restaurant Level. Likewise, the ten-pointPaleontologist achievement requires you to destroy the T-Rex or Brachiosaurus models.

You may also consider not using any Tequila Bombs during the first level for the Old Schoolachievement, as well as restarting the checkpoint at the first Standoff as many times as you need until you score theUntouchableachievement.

Looking snazzy.

Hit the Glint
Every action set piece in Stranglehold is littered with environmental hazards that can propel your death-dealing efficiency to unseen heights. Begin each battle by quickly scanning the area for exploding barrels, and shiny "glints" that can be shot for spectacular effect. From collapsing an enormous neon sign to causing an avalanche of rocks, and even shattering the support beams on a bridge, you can score easy and exceptionally stylish kills by making use of the environment.

This basic tactic is especially critical in later levels where simple gunnery cannot hope to effectively staunch the constant flow of enemies.

Showdown Twitch
Stranglehold's Showdown mechanic pits you in a slow-motion battle against multiple targets, and while good twitch aiming skill is a must, there are a couple of other tips that can tip the scales in Tequila's favor:

• Immediately begin each Showdown confrontation by leaning right or left. This will force the enemy to shoot in that direction, allowing you to guarantee an initial miss by cranking the stick in the opposite direction.
• Look for exploding barrels or other environmental hazards near the enemy. You only have a very brief window of opportunity for a shot, and it's often easier to target the environment than the enemy.
• Aim for center mass or the head if you shoot the enemy and not the environment. If you strike a limb, they'll likely survive the encounter.

Just a touch more to the left, my man.

Cover Comfort
In the early going, taking cover seems entirely unnecessary, but as the game progresses, you need to be comfortable with immediately diving through doorways and using LB to cover up behind a wall. In fact, you should consider this your first step during any major battle as you survey the scene and develop your plan of attack. Consider the following:

• Keep in mind also that taking cover works very much like diving with LT. If you aim while behind cover, the game will immediately enter Tequila Time (slow-motion) if an enemy is nearby.
• Don't forget that you can knock over tables to create cover in the midst of a battle. Simply run up to the table holding LB to knock them on their side.
• Beyond cement walls, nearly every bit of cover will disintegrate under concentrated fire, so pick off a few enemies and move forward to new cover as the need arises.
• Use LT to dive if you need to move out quickly from behind cover.

Master of Origami
The carefully folded origami Paper Cranes scattered throughout each level not only boost your Tequila Bomb meter with each find, but they're also tied to the Origami Masterachievement. Unfortunately, it's all too easy to miss them completely or lock them behind you by accident.

• Take the rare peaceful interludes after a battle to search your immediate surroundings.
• If a Paper Crane is nearby, you can "hear" it chirping if you pay close attention.
• Some cranes may need to be shot down from their perch before being collected.

You'll often find yourself locked out of early areas of a level once you've passed through them, so whether you're hopping over a fence or passing through a locking door, search thoroughly before committing yourself to the next section of the level.

Be Manual
There's certainly much to be said about diving in slow-motion behind a hail of gunfire, but leaping about without thought can often place you out of line-of-sight of your enemy. For example, diving forward while shooting at an enemy on a balcony above you, will likely end with your bullets thumping harmlessly into cover.

Instead, tap RB to manually enter Tequila Time to maintain your line-of-sight. There's no need to dive all the time. Don't rely on this tactic too often for better aiming, as your style points for each kill will suffer.

OK, Inspector! Take these tips and see what you can do.

Article by Ryan Treit