*NOTE: Yes, after 7:00PM the zombies are a little tougher and meaner, not as slow as the daytime breed. So extra caution.*
Remember to save, that is if are fine with your progression you may want to save in a new slot.
Ticket to Ride is at the other end of the map, so let’s hit the 3 nearby survivors first.
Meet the Contestants
Unless ready, don’t do the Role Model one yet, just head west to the arena. Approach from the strip and you can run into the challenger.
Really, the only way I could beat him was to run him into a wall and beat him while he was stuck. Use the bike to get to the park, which is northeast and where the split rock is.
The spot I got Leon to crash into was the wall just to the right of the maintenance room (which is on the left door leading back into the mall). I’m sure there are many other such spots where there is a hitch in the wall that he can lodge himself into, but this tactic is really your only option. This fight is really just a glorified bull-fight. Jump to the side and fake him out so he runs into a wall, then beat him with a melee weapon.
One cheap tactic I dabbled with was using the restroom entrance inside the split rock to shoot him as he zoomed by. Inaccuracy and small damage doomed this tactic for me, but it’s a safe way to get it done.
Oh right, and he will not stay still when you are inaccessible to him. You could also try shooting him from the fountain-head on the west end of the park, but the zombies can climb up to you from there too.
The bull-into-a-wall tactic is the faster way. And yes, don’t beat him while your belly is in the chainsaw blade.
*NOTE: If you started and then tried to bail on the fight, I believe he will remain in the area until defeated. So best to try to kill him than try to avoid him for a while.*
- Successfully killing Leon puts you at the NE end of the Silver Strip, and just SE of you is the Case 2 main quest in the Palisades Mall. But Barn Burner should be yellow by now, so let’s saddle up and head all the way back to the arena. Use the bike inside the truck, please. Feel free to joy ride a bit, just watch out for objects on the ground. Walls are fine to run into, but objects are bad.
At the arena, follow the marker back down the you took at the start of the game to the hallway where a fire is loose. Clear a path and then grab and fire the fire extinguisher to put out the flame – the extinguisher will freeze zombies, so it is pretty cool. Go in and feel free to close the door. Talk to them twice and Elrod and Trixie will join.
Lead them out to the Platinum Strip.
- You should have just two additional quests in your log, Code Blue and Once Bitten. For now, just take Trixie and Elrod back to base. Go through Americana and back to base. Remember, at night escorting is a little harder, so keep an extra eye on their status in toe.
*NOTE: Remember to save your progress after an escort.*
Code Blue
Yes, I know there is an injured man marked on the second level of this mall, but you need to head out to the Silver Strip and find this paramedic first. Take him back to base and he rewards you with some Zombrex.
Once Bitten
Requirements: Zombrex
*NOTE: If Katey > this guy in your eyes AND you think you are bad with the timing on this game, then you may need to think about holding onto this Zombrex. There is enough time to spend this one now and get another later, but it’s on you if you fail to get a third Zombrex in time for Katey.*
Now head back into Royal Flush to the second level and get the guy in the north shop. Give him the shot and take his shoulder. With him you can mostly just plow into zombies and they won’t attack you, but still be careful.
- Ticket to Ride should be about halfway down, but we can still do other things. You have at least 3 options. First is the Role Model boss, which you should be able to handle by now. Second is the Chicken quest up at the food court. And third is to find more Zombrex as it is approaching that time for Katey.
To try and multi-task, be sure you saved, stock up, and head toward Americana. I advise bringing the items mentioned below.
But before you go out of Americana, visit the room where you picked up the party girl if you want to try handguns.
Chuck the Role Model
Requirements: 2 drinks (optional), 2 pistols, 2 melee (spiked bats), Level 10+
Set a course for Chuck the Role Model, which is at the other end of Americana. The girl is actually beyond the casino, and down a hallway.
At level 12 this fight is pretty easy, as you can just out-damage him up front. The only key here is to jump away from him as he starts his attack. He will run at you, probably try to flank, but you just need to jump away. Never turn your back on him because if he gets a clean shot at your back you can take a lot of damage from his ambush.
The simple tactic is to jump away as he slashes, then run back and paste his face with a melee weapon at least twice. One option here is to just go with four hits and kill him with brute force as there is almost no way of doing good damage to him without leaving yourself a little exposed. And as discussed we don’t want to run from him.
Just jump away from him, run back, hack away, and he will run away to the stalls. He can pop up anywhere from there, but if you stay at the end of the bathroom he can’t sneak up behind you.
Of course the guns would be to pelt him when he’s at distance, but his movements are sporadic at best and using a gun and switching to a melee is a bit tricky in this game unless you know which direction you’re scrolling to.
So I advise brute force in this fight. Pop the drinks if needed, and there is a snack by the door.
- Once Brandon is beaten, grab Vikki and save… then take her back.
Ticket to Ride
The main objective is very much near the end by now, so head on to Palisades, which is accessed via Atlantica. Once there, head to the underground access door.
The first part is easy enough, just hide at the corner to get your bearings, then run out and mash the first one, grab his gun, and retreat to your corner. If you’re unfamiliar with a weapon at this point, just know that you can aim and more while shooting. So you can walk out of your corner while shooting the left guy, then do the same to the other one, or just bash him.
Next is a short riding sequence where the goal is to hit a ramp at an angle so that you land on the train. You have a lot of tries, so don’t freak out, but you will need to speed up the reflexes if you keep missing after so many tries.
When on the train, hide behind cover and ambush the first dude, grab his gun and mow down the second. Take the freshest gun as you can’t stack ammo, and grab some of the juice to be safe. And that’s pretty much the gameplan, kill a guy, take his gun. If you run out of ammo and no gun, just run up and bash the next dude; bullets do very little damage. And headshots are not golden, but best to try. Feel free to try and bring as many as you can back with you.
- Take the chance to save your game.
You’re in a similar spot to where you started. Just go toward where the crates are and hang a left to enter the South Plaza.
You’ll see Terri fighting zombies, and if you talk she will ask you to help her friend behind her on the schaffolding. Go up to Willa and get her to join, and you can just hop down and she should follow. Carry Willa and get Terri to join.
If you need your bearings, you are directly south of the base.
From here you can either go through the arena or the park to return to base. Either way isn’t exactly short. Remember if you go east through the park to just enter Royal Flush, as going through Americana will be extra length.
Should be very close to due time for Katey when you turn these two back to base.
Zombrex 2
Of course the one Sven gave us was used on Jared, which we may be regretting now, but too late.
The easiest Zombrex is in the Slot Ranch Casino. Enter and go up, then left to find the stage. Head to the back of it and the needle is on some chests, to the right. You need to get on the north-wall chests and jump from the very edge to make the Zombrex chests. Pick it up and fly.
There are also needles for sale at the pawn shops for $25,000, which is a very steep price. I had been stuck on $14,000 for a while without really trying, so I was nowhere near close to it. If you have about 3 game hours you could most likely go around looting casinos and cash registers to buy Zombrex.
*NOTE: With the nearest shops being on the 2nd level of Royal Flush or at the first spot on Platinum Strip, it’s a big waste not to take about 2 extra minutes for a free dose.*
But if you are squeezed for time, like if you have 1 game hour until you lose Katey, then consider going into Americana. Head to the BBQ area at the back and locate the stairs to the upper level. To the left you’ll find the opening to some square light fixtures. Least distance between points is what we’re looking for here, as Chuck won’t hang on ledges but he will just appear on the solid surface if you’re close. So just follow the fixtures until you hit the hidden area with a bunch of stuff, including a Zombrex.
Feel free to grab the mag, cash, sword, and gun – though the mag to reduce pawn shop costs is ironic now that you have the Zombrex, but oh well.
Again, 3 easy options for Zombrex. And as mentioned, the main game intends that you save the one you got from Sven, so that was your true first option.
- Once Katey is safe, you will have until 10:00AM for the next mission. Hmm, with the Rock Heroes and Chicken quests both at max time and far away, it seems like getting that extra Zombrex isn’t a bad idea. So if you got the Slot Ranch or Americana dose for Katey, get the other now and you’ll be ahead of the game.
You should only have like a game hour until the next case, so maybe try on some clothes or something, but don’t go too far from base.
