Pacific Drive

This section details the skills and equipment available to the player in Pacific Drive, focusing on the unique abilities of each of the 'Deadly Dozen' soldiers and the weapons they can utilize.

Pvt. Eddie "The Wall" LeJeune (Machine Gunner, USMC): Excels with machine guns, especially the BAR. His toughness makes him ideal for heavy infantry resistance and covering fire.

Pvt. Salvatore Varriale (Demolitions, USMC): A demolitions expert proficient with sidearms, rifles, and machine guns. His high infiltration and bladed weapons skill are useful for stealthy explosives deployment.

Pvt. Michal Zadrozny (Flame Thrower, USMC): Perfect with flamethrowers and also skilled with machine guns. Can use a Type 99 for excellent cover.

Pvt. Vernon Banks III (Rifleman, USMC): Primarily skilled with sidearms, grenades, and explosives. His excellent stealth and toughness make him a good 'tunnel-rat' for isolated situations.

Pvt. Diego DeSantos (Sniper, US Army): An excellent sniper, also handy with un-scoped rifles for covering fire. He is also a very good medic.

Pvt. Fredrick Madison (Scout, US Army): Skilled in infiltration and bladed weapons for silent kills. Proficient with rifles for fire support and a decent sniper. Not great with sidearms.

Pvt. Elijah "Cherry" Appelbaum (Radioman, US Army): Expert in radio communication, a great backup demolitions man, and skilled with sidearms, machine guns, and infiltration.

Pvt. Yiorgios Kontoyannis (Heavy Weapon Specialist, US Army): Ideal for facing armor with skills in bazookas and explosives. Also a mechanic, useful for commandeering tanks.

Pvt. Saburo Takahashi (Intelligence, US Army): Embodies Samurai and Ninja traits with excellent stealth, blade skills, sidearms, and rifle proficiency. Tough and deadly in firefights.

Pvt. Danny Fisk (Covert Ops, US Navy): Cross-trained with a Covert Ops background. Tough, stealthy, proficient with blades and sidearms, and an expert with explosives, including timed TNT.

Soldier Skills Overview

Skill Key: TO (Toughness), IN (Infiltration), BL (Bladed Weapons), SI (Sidearms), RI (Rifles), MG (Machine Guns), SN (Sniper), GR (Grenades), EX (Explosives), FL (Flamethrower), MD (Medic).

Allied Equipment

Soldiers are limited to eight equipment slots: one pre-loaded knife, two weapons (Primary and Secondary), and three equipment slots, with two free slots at the outset. Total weight is displayed in the outfitting screen.

Weapons

• Knife: Standard-issue, cannot be dropped. Useful for silent kills from behind.
• Machete: Deadlier than a knife, can clear vegetation.
• M1911A1 Colt .45 Pistol: Powerful sidearm at close range. Comes with a 7-shot clip and 5 extra clips.
• M1 Garand: Reliable .30 caliber semi-automatic rifle. Powerful at very good range. Comes with an 8-shot clip and 5 extra clips.
• M1 Carbine: Rifle-sized sidearm replacing the Colt .45. Longer range but less stopping power. Comes with a 15-shot clip and 5 extra clips.
• M1 Thompson SMG: Deadly at close range with a high rate of fire and powerful .45 caliber cartridge.

This section details various weapons, equipment, enemy types, and Japanese-issued gear available in Pacific Drive. Understanding these elements is crucial for survival and progression through the game.

Weapons:

• Thompson SMG: A rapid-firing weapon with a 20-shot clip and five extra clips. It consumes ammo quickly, so short, controlled bursts are recommended.
• 1903A4 Springfield: A bolt-action .30 caliber sniper rifle with a scope. It's lethal in skilled hands, featuring a five-shot clip and five extra clips. Be mindful of its long recovery time between shots.
• Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR): A light machine gun that is effective against both ammo and enemies. It uses .30 caliber cartridges with 20 rounds per clip and comes with five extra clips. Spare ammo belts are recommended due to its high ammo consumption. Accuracy decreases with sustained fire, so short bursts are advised.
• Flamethrower: A heavy but powerful weapon that burns everything it touches. It is most effective against clusters of enemies.
• Bazooka: An anti-tank and anti-personnel weapon that comes with 7 extra rounds.
• Grenade: A timed-delay fragmentation explosive for anti-personnel use. You get four per slot and they are effective for clearing rooms or ambushing enemies.

Equipment:

• Demo Charge: A TNT charge with a delay timer, adjustable in ten-second increments. Ensure you have enough time to retreat after setting it.
• First Aid Kit: Used to heal characters. The amount of health recovered depends on the user's 'Medicine' skill.
• 1941 US Quarter: A shiny object that can be used to distract enemies.
• Binoculars: Useful for scouting faraway enemies and emplacements, especially for non-snipers.
• Lockpicks: Used to open locked doors. Requires a few seconds, so ensure the area is secure.
• Anti-Personnel Mines: Small mines designed to take out infantry, ineffective against vehicles.
• Anti-Tank Mines: Larger mines designed to destroy vehicles.
• Ammo Belt: Increases ammo capacity by providing two extra clips for all carried weapons, particularly useful for high-ammo consumption guns like the BAR and Thompson SMG.
• Camera: Used to photograph sensitive enemy installations as required by some missions.

The Enemy:

• Infantry: Battle-hardened soldiers in uniforms or black robes, armed with various weapons including Arisaka rifles, Type 100 SMGs, Type 99 LMGs, and Type 4 Bazookas.
• Tank crew: Survivors from destroyed tanks, dressed in brown robes and armed with Nambu pistols.
• Pilots: Found near aircraft, armed with Nambu pistols.
• Officers: Distinguished by dress uniforms and caps, often armed with a pistol and saber. They are dangerous due to their skill and ability to rally troops. Prioritize them as targets.

Japanese Equipment:

• Katana (Samurai Sword): A high-quality, deadly sword.
• Nambu Pistol: A sidearm with an 8-round magazine.
• Arisaka Rifle: A 7.7mm bolt-action rifle, powerful but slow to reload. Scoped versions are valuable for snipers. Ammunition is not interchangeable between scoped and bare models. Has a five-shot magazine.
• Type 100 Submachinegun: An 8mm SMG with a 20-round magazine that consumes ammo quickly.
• Type 99 Machine Gun: A light, portable 7.7mm LMG with a 30-round magazine, similar to the BAR but with better accuracy on sustained fire.
• Type 4 Anti-Tank Weapon: The Japanese equivalent of the Bazooka.
• Type 97 Grenade: Functionally similar to American fragmentation grenades, possibly with slightly less power.

This section covers general hints, tips, and observations for navigating the challenges of Pacific Drive, focusing on vehicle commandeering, combat realism, squad management, and tactical movement.

Vehicles You Can Commandeer:

• Scout Car: Lightly armored, fast, and maneuverable. Carries two men.
• Truck: Sturdier cargo vehicle, can withstand significant damage. Carries four men.
• Type 95 Light Tank: A Japanese light tank, faster than others but still capable against infantry. Difficult to hit with a Bazooka; AT mines are recommended. Carries four crewmen, but only one escapes if destroyed.
• Sherman: A sturdy and powerful US tank. Carries four crewmen.

General Hints and Tips:

1. Combat Realism: The game emphasizes realism; one-shot kills are possible for both players and enemies. Play cautiously, use cover, and move slowly. The 'Arcade' damage setting offers a less punishing experience.
2. Objectives and Squads: Always review mission objectives and intel. While the game auto-selects and outfits squads, you can modify them.
3. Prone and Cover: The 'prone' (lying down) position and increased foliage offer more tactical options for advancing and taking cover. Stationary units should utilize prone for optimal cover.
4. Equipment Management: You don't need to pick up all enemy equipment. Be mindful of carrying weight, as it affects fatigue.
5. Fatigue Management: Monitor your fatigue level, especially during prolonged movement or combat. Rest when needed. Overloading equipment accelerates fatigue. Carrying less than 30 lbs allows for sustained running; exceeding this requires more frequent breaks.
6. Squad Composition: While flexible, consider bringing a medic, machine-gunner, and stealth specialist. Squad members with multiple skills (e.g., stealth and medic) are highly valuable.
7. Cursor and Aiming: The cursor indicates enemy direction (can be toggled off). The four red lines around the centerpoint represent 'shot spread'; movement and sustained fire increase spread, reducing accuracy. Use short bursts with automatic weapons and aim while stationary for best results.
8. Advancing in Pairs: When exploring new territory, advance in pairs, with one covering the other. Use 'hold position' orders for reconnaissance. Position your most skilled squad member with the appropriate weapon as the covering unit.
9. Tank Combat: Japanese tanks are fast, and Bazooka rounds are slow. Lead your targets or attack from the front/rear. Be aware that a crew member may exit a destroyed tank to attack. Circumventing or using mines is often safer than direct engagement.
10. Ammunition: Weapons found on the map typically have a full load plus five extra clips. Weapons taken from fallen enemies have one extra clip, with the current round count depending on whether they fired before dying.