Crime Boss: Rockay City Beginner’s Guide – Tips & Tricks for a Star-Studded Shooter

by Mike Alexander / Game Guides, Tips & Tricks / 01 Dec 2023

I played quite a bit of Crime Boss: Rockay City for a review. It’s…. It’s definitely something. It kind of looked like a run-of-the-mill shooter on the outside, but actually playing it revealed it to be something much stranger.

Crime Boss is a roguelike! That’s right, each playthrough is presented as a “run”, and it’s possible to screw yourself over into an unwinnable playthrough if you aren’t careful. I don’t think Vanilla Ice or…. Chuck Norris being there makes up for that. What year is it anyway, 2009? Who still thinks about Chuck Norris?

Anyways, there is a good, fun game to be played here, but you could benefit from a few helpful tips and tricks. And, as always, that’s exactly what I’m here for. So grab your guns, digitally de-age your face, and get ready to do some crime in Crime Boss: Rockay City!

Get a Player 2 or 3

Crime Boss is perfectly playable in single-player, but you might find that you have much more fun playing the game in multiplayer co-op. The game is designed similarly to Payday for its heist portions, so coordinating and executing a plan with your friends is going to result in a much better time.

This unfortunately isn’t really applicable in the other aspects of the game, and heists don’t take very long to pull off, but who wouldn’t want to squeeze as much fun out of a game as they possibly could?!

Level Up!

In between missions, you’ll have an opportunity to level up your characters and gain new skills. This is a very enticing fact that might persuade you to run through as many missions as fast as you can, but remember, if the main character dies, your whole run is over and you’ll need to start from scratch.

So, when you have opportunities to improve, we recommend going for things that increase your health and longevity. Also, try to pick up perks like Toughen Up and Comeback King when you can, they will also help you out when the bullets start flying.

Stay Low

Shootin’ and blastin’ your way through missions is super fun, no doubt. BUT, in many cases you’re likely better off going the stealthy route. For most missions, you can sneak through the entire level and get out unseen pretty easily, and this will also reduce the likelihood of you catching the bullet that ends your run.

Crouch walking, keeping an eye on vision cones, and avoiding well-lit areas are going to be your best bet for stealth in this game. You know, the standard methods of staying hidden in video games.

Managing Your Team

You’ve probably hired some crew by now and learned to switch between them for multiple missions in the same day. However, you should also remember to equip your hired team members with new weapons when you buy them, and also that different teams will be better for different missions.

You shouldn’t send a low-tier team on dangerous missions, because they’ll be ill-equipped to handle the challenge. Similarly, sending a high-tier team on easy missions is a waste, and risks them taking injuries on a relatively insignificant mission. Just keep this in mind when you’re planning out missions and setting up teams.

Protecting Territory

Claiming territory from rival gangs is a core feature of Crime Boss, but things don’t end there. You’ll also have a full-time job protecting the areas you claim as well as all of your other territories.

Finding a good balance between offense and defense for these two sides of the same coin won’t be easy, but it’s something you’ll need to figure out if you want to be the ruler of Rockay City.

Mike Alexander

Mike has been playing video games since he was able to hold a controller, having been fascinated by Sonic 2 on his mom’s Sega Genesis. That fascination and passion for the art form has grown exponentially nearly 30 years later, and he doesn’t see that fading away anytime soon.
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