The Hong Kong Massacre achievements guide.

Well, it's not a thorough guide, but rather a list of hints that you'll need to know if you want to get all achievements.

You want medium difficulty

The first thing that you need to know is that most of the achievements in The Hong Kong Massacre are cumulative and that you can unlock them only by playing the game on the medium difficulty. You'll not even get the completion badge when you beat the game on the hard difficulty! So take my advice: don't try hard difficulty if you want to make a quick run for achievements. Oh, and if you wonder what's the main difference between medium and hard difficulties, well, the only thing I've noticed is that you have less slow-mo time on hard. And if you play the game without slow-mo, well... It's all the same, in gameplay terms. Except that you'll not get the most interesting achievements. And maybe the reaction time for some goons is shorter, but that's a highly speculative idea, don't buy it from me.

Game hints

I don't want to describe in detail all of the basic achievements like "get your first kill" or "kill the first boss". Most of the requirements to get those are pretty much self-explanatory. If you'll be the one of that 50 % who make it past the first boss, and maybe even one of that 25 % who makes it after the second, well... You get them all eventually.

However, there are some hints to do it as fast and painless as possible.

First of all, you need to learn how to dive and roll more than you run in this game. Dive should be your intuitive method to react for every shooting opponent there. If you need to enter a new room, full of armed goons - roll right through the door, then make a side-step and then immediately slide while dispatching locals with your shots.

The second major thing you need to learn is time-meddling. With the slow-mo mode on, you can see all the projectiles that fly your way, you see all enemies in their places before they try to roll and shoot at you. So if you're not aiming for the "star" for doing the level without slow-mo - then it is your primo option to clear this game, room by room, and stay safe and sound in the process.



Third thing. Speaking of the stars I've mentioned, there are 6x5 game levels, and you can get from 0 to 3 stars for each. The conditions of challenges on the levels are always the same: first star you get for clearing the level faster than some predefined timer, second - for doing that clearing without using slow-mo, and the last third star award is actually the hardest to get, as it wants you to kill every goon with the single shot. Meaning you can't lose shots at all.

Those stars you need to unlock new weapons, and to upgrade it with all the helpful additions, like the better fire rate, magazine size and better handling, meaning you'll move faster with that weapon in your hand.



Speaking for the guns: you can do all the game with the basic pistols. If you want to do it faster, and even easier sometimes - get yourself an SMG. If you want to beat the bosses easier - maybe you want the assault rifle. And as of shotgun option, well... it's opposite to SMGs: it'll make the game completion slower and harder.

You'll need to get all the stars and upgrade all the weapons eventually, to get some of the achievements. So here is some advice for you for getting those stars: Don't try to get them all for every level in one run. You can do a better time score with SMGs usually, and you need your basic pistols to do the third star challenge, to shoot only one once per every goon on the level, and don't waste ammo on clearing the obstacles like doors, windows and other destructible debris in your way. Meaning you have to dive a lot for that third star, clearing all those obstacles with your body and shoot only when you have a nice short and clear line between your barrel and the body of another enemy.

Now, of course, you can have it your way, and do all the levels for 3 stars on one go, with shotgun or AK equipped... But that will certainly be the harder way to play it.

Finally, the list of achievements

1. First come, first served (First enemy killed)
Bringing out the dead (100 enemies killed)
It is a massacre (1000 enemies killed)
Everyone is sleeping (10000 enemies killed)

Only that last one is somehow difficult, as you can complete the game with all other achievements much faster than you get that badge. Still, no brainer that one, just shoot and shoot more, and you'll get it. *Oh, and that needs to be done from the same save, steam metrics will not follow your progress, if you will play that game with different setups. Bollocks, I'd add on that.

2. Knock knock who's there? (25 Doors destroyed)
Death does not become me (Died 250 times)
Suspended in time (One hour in slow motion)

I doubt someone will meet any trouble achieving those. Unless you're too good for this game and don't use slow-mo at all, or don't die at all...

3. This is my gun (First weapon unlocked)

I suggest to upgrade pistols first, for better fire rate and ammo, and then go for SMGs. All of the upgrades applied to the weapons that fall from your enemies, so don't hesitate to pick them.

Recycle! (Picked up 50 weapons)
No need to slowdown (Completed a level without slowmotion)
Done and done! (All weapons and upgrades unlocked on medium difficulty)

Only 21 stars after that, and then voila! One of the rarest game achievements:
A master at my skill (All challenges completed on medium difficulty)

Sometimes it will be the time counter which is hard to beat. Try to use upgraded SMGs, and find a better route to get all the frags in one line, with pauses as short as possible, only to reload guns and replenish slow-mo bar. Or dodge a bullet or two. Better shoot first, though, and don't waste time for dodge moves. Except... door rolls, as it seems to make room clearings faster.

Sometimes (especially the last day in the week, especially the first and the last level of it) you'll just struggle to beat the level without slow-mo. Too many goons, too much open space and flying lead... Well, I've but one advice: stay cold. Don't rush. Take 'em one by one and learn their usual starting spots and behaviour patterns. You'll git gud eventually, bro, you can do it!

Finally, when you learn all the best routes to beat the levels, you need to re-do them without shooting through debris. I've used a helluva of dives for those third challenges, breaking into every room, every window, and shooting only when in the point-blank distance, one mouse click at the time.

Sometimes a shotgun can kill 2-3 enemies with one shot, but I've used pistols, as they're faster, easier to point and shoot, especially when you enter the room with 2-3 or more people in different spots. Maybe it is wise to do several rolls in and out of the room if you face too many opponents at once.

4. The Journey begins (First level completed)
The Boss has been fired (First boss completed)
Good night, good luck (Second day completed)
End of the week (Game completed on medium difficulty)

If you'll not get too bored on the way, you'll get those. The last day could be a bit tough when you play it without slow-mo. But then again, don't play hero, just shoot them all in the cold blood, and the badge is yours.

5. Now, let's talk for the most difficult set of trials this game has to offer: perfect runs. Meaning that you're not only clearing the level or the set of levels (day) but that you do that without dying in the process. Since it's one-bullet-to-kill-type of game, well... I said it earlier, but I'll repeat it again: you need to be cold-headed to get past those. If you're tired, upset with something, and can't 100% concentrate on the game, you'll lose a bullet sooner or later. A bullet that will get you. So, I can only wish you good luck with those! Don't rush, use SMGs for clearing the levels and assault rifle for bosses, slow the timer to see all the bullets flying to you and dodge them all!

A walk in the park (Completed a level on the first try)
Hard Boiled (Complete first day without dying on medium difficulty)
Just another day (Complete the first and second day without dying on medium difficulty)

I've tried many times to get that "just another day" badge. Sometimes I was just too exhausted to do it, sometimes I was getting too anxious and rushed too fast for my own good. I've died several times on the second boss (after I've cleared all the first and second day levels), just because I thought that "boss fights are piece of cake in that game!".

[Whiteswart]

Well, I did all the achievements under the one save file

[julikaiba]

do the "hard boiled" and "just another day" achievements count when you died previously in that savefile, or do you have to start a new game each time you die?

[roymarkovik182]

do you realize you can shoot all the bosses from a safe distance? that totally killed those stages for me

[Whiteswart]

Good luck, Randy, and Happy New year!

[Radical Randy]

lol I left that comment and then it unlocked, sweet

[Radical Randy]

this sucks, finished the game on medium and no achievement. Have like 4 levels left to 3 star.

[Whiteswart]

Difficulty level?

[ロレンゾ]

I beated both first and second day without dying and still not unlocked for me... what i suppose to do?

[Tailji]

A warning you might want to add to the guide is that you have to get the 10,000 kills in a single save slot. If you start a new game the total kill counter resets and the game doesn't track kills across playthroughs...

...cause it sucks.

[Whiteswart]

Yeah, I know how it feels :)