--------- POLICE QUEST 2: THE VENGEANCE - "MINIMAL RUN" WALKTHROUGH ---------
Guide Written by: Kuro-chan_101 xxJJMMMMMMLLxx
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___oo--- - Police Quest II is Copyright 1988 Sierra On-Line -******************************************************************************* --- WARNING: This Guide contains spoilers and some mild language. ---*******************************************************************************
******************************** VERSION INFO *********************************
*******************************************************************************Version 1.05 (November 7th, 2025 / April 10th, 2026)
- Included Gage Holston's skip at the crosswalk to avoid the need to press the
crosswalk button. This applies to 1.001.000 and 1.001.006 / Atari ST
versions. (-1 point.)
- An additional separate score is kept for 1.001.006 because it suffers from
needing the motel sequence to complete the game but can still take advantage
of the crosswalk bug.
- Updated the sewage pipe ratio. Turns out it is closer to a 25% chance of
killing Sonny with sewage, rather than 50%.Version 1.04 (May 24th, 2025)
- Confirmed that the best score possible only works with version 1.001.000 of
the game. As of 1.001.006, they fixed the issue in Homicide that requires
the player to have both the hit list and business card on hand before they
can go to Steelton. The guide has been updated to reflect the changes (+14
points).
- A new skip has been found that allows the player to bypass the security
check at the airport without having to show the badge (-2 points).
- More housecleaning. Minor grammar and spelling updates.
- Updated the commentary on how many bullets are required to complete the
game. Turns out the old school hint book was right and you only need two
shots to kill Bains. Why it can come across as needing more is due a delay
by the game between when Sonny fires the gun and when the bullet is
registered as hitting Bains.
- If you go for a joy ride to kill time, never ever ever EVER put / leave
the keys in the ignition and make sure you have been out of the vehicle
(at least) once. Otherwise, this can leave you without keys to enter the
office and no way back into the sonnymobile, preventing the player from
ever finishing the game.Version 1.03 (February 10th, 2025)
- It is not necessary to fire at Bains while at Cotton Cove. The guide has
been adjusted to reflect that (-4 points).
- Some housecleaning; mainly fixing typos.Version 1.02 (May 25th, 2022)
- A number of improvements were made to further reduce the requirements for
getting through the game with as few points as possible. * Removed getting the Gas Mask and crossing the crosswalk a second time
(-5 points). * Removed the 1st Airport and Warehouse stops (On day 2, you can skip
straight to Marie's place). - Phone number for the Steelton Police Dept. was added.
- Additional notes were made about the gun sights being aligned (It seems if
the player does not visit the Airport the first time around, a certain flag
for Sonny's aim is not reset, meaning the player only has to visit the
shooting range once.
UPDATE: It turns out the motel sequence is what causes Sonny to lose his
aim, forcing the player to sight the gun, again (something to do
with slamming his hand along the wall as he evades the shotgun
trap).Version 1.01 (October 30th, 2015)
- Fixed a few minor issues and updated a couple small places.Version 1.0 (October 18th, 2014)
- The guide has been completed.*******************************************************************************
******************************** INTRODUCTION *********************************
*******************************************************************************The objective of this walkthrough is not for a complete game, but for the least
amount of points possible and necessary to win. If you wish to aim for a
complete game, feel free to look up other walkthroughs available online. This
guide will not cover that.The intention of this guide is not to use the in-game debug or cheats to
complete the game, but to show bugs, loopholes, exploits, more dangerous and
less rewarding methods to complete the game while keeping the score as low as
possible. This also has the unintended consequence of setting up your character
(Sonny Bonds) as cruel, boring and outright incompetent.For the purpose of keeping the guide brief and to the point, it will assume you
are already familiar with Police Quest II: The Vengeance and how to beat it the
normal way. Only puzzles that relate to points will be listed (as well as which
ones to carefully avoid).This guide will track the number of points you will have to collect along the
way and the number of bullets you should still have left at certain points.
This is done since collecting additional ammo gives you points, so try to limit
the number of shots you take. You need (at least) 1 bullet for the shooting
range, 2 bullets for the airplane incident and 2 bullets to kill Bains, leaving
you with (a maximum of) 9 free bullets to use where needed.The best score possible can only be achieved with DOS version 1.001.000. - In all other versions they fixed the issue in Homicide where the captain
requires either the hit list or the business card to set the scenario ID to
13, which allows the player to fly to Steelton. In all subsequent versions
of the game, the player must have both the hit list and the business card.
This necessitates a trip to the motel that will add 14 points to the score. - Starting at 1.024 / J1.000.052, they fixed the walking glitch so the player
is required to press the crosswalk button at the airport to safely cross
the road and avoid getting killed by the taxi.This fix affects the following versions of the game:
- DOS 1.001.006
- Atari ST 1.001.006
- Commodore Amiga 1.024
- DOS 1.002.011
- Atari ST 1.002.011
- NEC PC-9801 J1.000.052
PQ2-MR --- Part 1: Lytton PD Station
_______________________________________________________________________________(Car)
- Get Keys ------------------------------------------- +1 pt. Leave the glove box alone.(Entrance) Unlock and open the door to enter the office.(Main Hall) Do not get the Field Kit. You will not be collecting any crime scene
evidence (with at least one exception).(Locker)
- Open Locker ---------------------------------------- +5 pts.
- Get Gun -------------------------------------------- +1 pt.
- Get Ammo. Clips ------------------------------------ +1 pt.
(Bullets Left: 14) Your locker combination is 36-4-12. Do not get the handcuffs; you will have
no use for them.(Shooting Range)
- Hit the Target Zone -------------------------------- +5 pts.
(Bullets Left: 12-13) This is possible to pull off without requiring additional ammo or the
muffs. You have a limited no. of shots before you 'lose your hearing'
(five shots) then the next shot is game over. You will need to shoot once,
adjust your sights, then shoot again. I had better luck aiming for the
head than the body. Also try to pre-adjust your sights and use the
RESTORE command as needed. If you look at the target after you shot at
it, the game will tell you (with points earned) if your gun has been
properly sighted. If it has not been sighted properly, it will tell you
which way your shots are drifting. Adjust your sights in the other
direction(s) and try again. NOTE: This IS possible to pull off with a single shot IF the sights are
adjusted before the player fires off a round. The sights are randomized when starting a new game, so there is no
set method for fixing them. Fortunately, with the amount of content you will be skipping, you will
only have to do this once.(Homicide Office)
- Get the key (off the back rack) -------------------- +1 pt.
- Get Wallet (from drawer) --------------------------- +1 pt. The game allows for 11 minutes (and change) before the scene where Captain
Hall gives you your first orders is triggered. You can wait this out and it
will eventually happen, but there are ways to speed this up: * Grab the field kit. The game will check for the field kit and a sighted
gun. If they both pass, the counter is set to zero and you can walk
into homicide anytime. However, this defeats the purpose of this guide. * Go out for a drive. This greatly accelerates the timer, allowing the
player to reach 0 at a far greater rate (instead of counting down 1 per
second, it is 1 per frame). If the player is on the road after the
counter reaches 1, Sonny will be forcibly brought back to the police
station and given his first objective.
Because the game will not set the second timer if the player performs
this action, there are no consequences in doing this (There would be if
this was done with the unmarked car; the personal car has a different
rule set). NOTES: - Make sure the keys are NOT in the ignition if you do this and you
have exited the vehicle at least once, or else you will not be able to
re-enter the building or gain access to wallet if it has not yet been
taken. Either way, this is a soft lock and it will prevent the player
from winning the game. - The countdown timer is (normally) set to seconds and not frames, so
changing the game speed will not make it go any faster (only when using
the personal car). Once you get your orders, leave the building.(Entrance)
Unlock the car door, get into the unmarked car and drive to the jail.Total Points: 15/300_______________________________________________________________________________PQ2-MR --- Part 2: County Jail
_______________________________________________________________________________(Parking Lot)
Everything inside the jail can be skipped, but you need to go inside to
trigger the next part of the story. Press the buzzer, show your badge and
enter without depositing your gun in the locker.(Jail)
Walk out as soon as you enter (Do not worry about the $5.00 fee for
bringing your gun into the jail; money will not be an issue in this play-
through).(Parking Lot)
Get in your car and drive to the mall._______________________________________________________________________________PQ2-MR --- Part 3: Oak Tree Mall
_______________________________________________________________________________(Parking Lot)
Once the cops are all done talking, pop back into your vehicle and drive to
Cotton Cove._______________________________________________________________________________PQ2-MR --- Part 4: Cotton Cove
_______________________________________________________________________________(Right Screen)
On the way there, you can choose to take the bet or not. It will not affect
your money requirements or your score. Ignore the jogger and walk over to
the next screen.(Middle Screen)
You will not shoot at Bains. This can be tricky, but doable. It will go a
lot easier if you have sound support (adlib, mt-32, etc.) enabled so you
will know when to turn back and escape. You will want to walk along the screen until you are about a quarter of the
way across. If you notice the pebbles along the grass below the river, you
will see five black pixels. When Sonny walks past the second one from the
left, the music should have a sudden interruption and Bains will appear,
firing off his gun. At this point, the player should walk Sonny back
towards the car. Bains will get off two shots, but it is possible to
return to the Right Screen before the third one is fired off (and causes a
game over). NOTES: This is a little easier to perform in 1.001.000. In later releases,
Sonny starts off a little closer to the center of the screen and the
trigger is just slightly closer towards the center, meaning Sonny
needs to cover more distance to escape.(Right Screen)
Get in the car and drive to the office. The usual comment Keith makes
about it being too late to pursue Bains will not happen, though the jogger
will flee (if you had not chased her away, already). NOTE: You will be skipping the entire diving sequence and everything that
goes on at the airport._______________________________________________________________________________PQ2-MR --- Part 5: Lytton PD Station
_______________________________________________________________________________(Entrance)
Go in the office.(Homicide Office)
Drop off the unmarked car keys and leave the building. This can be done
by returning them (manually) or by trying to leave the room where it is
done automatically.(Entrance)
Go to your car and enter it to go home. If this is not done automatically
then you triggered something to have Marie want to meet up with you. If
that happens, you will enter your car and have the choice to drive
somewhere._______________________________________________________________________________PQ2-MR --- Part 6: Lytton PD Station
_______________________________________________________________________________(Car)
Get your keys (If You are playing a version that is not 1.001.000).(Entrance)
Go in the office.(Homicide Office)
Go inside and get your next set of orders from the Captain. Grab your
unmarked car key and head back outside.(Entrance)
Ignore the Captain's orders.
-- Version 1.001.000:
Drive to the Marie's House. The 5-minute counter (for going to the Warehouse) is still running. There
are a couple ways to handle this: * You will need to complete the next several sections and arrive at the
Airport before the counter hits 1 (at which point it will no longer
matter since there will be no more driving sections). * If you are unsure you can make this in time, you can drive to the
Warehouse, end the counter, hop back into the car without doing anything
else (You will not earn any extra points by going there), then proceed
with the next several sections at your leisure. This is a Minimum Points
Run, not a speedrun, after all; doing it right is more important than
doing it fast.
-- All other versions:
Colby's Business Card is a must-have to complete the game and you will need
more time to complete the motel run, so drive to the Warehouse, end the
counter, hop back in the car once the cutscene is done and drive to the
motel._______________________________________________________________________________PQ2-MR --- Part 7: Motel
_______________________________________________________________________________ This part is 'only' required if you are playing any version that is not
1.001.000.(Motel)
- 'Cole' --------------------------------------------- +3 pts. Walk up to the manager and enter in 'Cole'. He will confirm that Bill Cole
(who is on the Envelope Corner you did not get) is staying in Room 108. For
some reason, the game acknowledges that this is Bains.
Re-enter the car.(Car)
- Radio Warrant --------------------------------------- +2 pts.
Do not radio for backup and exit the vehicle.(Motel)
Wait for the guy to arrive. Once he shows up, walk up to him and get the
warrant.
NOTES: In version 1.001.000, it is important to not stand where the officer
is supposed to arrive, otherwise this could lock up the game.
- Get/Ask Key ----------------------------------------- +3 pts.
- Survive Ambush -------------------------------------- +3 pts.
Go back to the manager. Show him your badge and warrant and obtain the key.
Go to the Room 108 door (It is the door on the first floor along the far-
right side). Stand just below the door and open it.
Enter the room once the trap has been sprung.
NOTES: Do not be silly and try to kick it down. It is an automatic game
over.
(Room 108)
- Get Business Card ----------------------------------- +3 pts.
Go straight to the back of the room, walk behind the wall into the bathroom
and get the card that is laying in the sink.
Exit the room once you are done.
(Motel)
Get back in the car (You are done, here).
(Car)
Drive to Marie's House.
Total Points: Version 1.001.000: 15/300
All other versions: 29/300
_______________________________________________________________________________PQ2-MR --- Part 8: Marie's House
_______________________________________________________________________________(Street Side)
Do not read, get or even compare the note on the door. Open the door and
walk in.(Inside the house)
- Get Hit List --------------------------------------- +3 pts. Leave the house.(Street Side)
Drive to the office.Total Points: Version 1.001.000: 18/300
All other versions: 32/300_______________________________________________________________________________PQ2-MR --- Part 9: Lytton PD Station
_______________________________________________________________________________(Entrance)
Go in the office.(Homicide Office)
- Contact Steelton Police about Bains ---------------- +4 pts. For Keith to help you get the tickets to Steelton (Part 9), you must have
evidence that Colby is a target.
-- Version 1.001.000:
The hit list will provide that. Give that to the captain (Do not book it).
Between the captain being briefed on the kidnapping and showing him the hit
list, global variable 100 (which controls how far along you are in the
storyline) will be updated to allow the player to travel to Steelton,
despite the Captain saying Bains has no idea where Colby is.
-- All other versions:
Make sure you have both Colby's business card and the hit list on hand,
then give the hit list to the captain. NOTE: Do NOT walk out on the Captain during this scene without showing
him the hit list. You will lose the hit list and soft lock yourself,
since the only other way to set global variable 100 is to book
both the hit list and the Colby business card as evidence. Do not forget to phone the Steelton PD (407-555-2677) and 'talk Bains'.
-- All other versions:
By going to the motel, the trap knocked the sights off your gun. You will
have to go back to the shooting range and re-align them. Follow the same
procedure as before:
- Save your game before you do anything.
- Raise your gun and fire once.
- Bring the target up and look 'at' the target so you know how off your aim
is.
- Restore your game.
- Adjust the sights of your gun.
Repeat this until your gun has been properly aligned again.(Entrance)
Drive to the Airport.Total Points: Version 1.001.000: 22/300
All other versions: 36/300_______________________________________________________________________________PQ2-MR --- Part 10: Lytton Airport
_______________________________________________________________________________(Parking Lot)
If Keith comments on forgetting to pack his toothbrush, you are on the
right track. If not, you have missed something.
Head for the airport.(Airport Main Entrance) If you are playing 1.001.000 or 1.001.006, it is possible to cross the road
without pressing the crosswalk button. The timing is irritating,
frustrating, will take several tries and will make you want to throw Keith
through something that hurts (considering the likeliness of him getting in
the way) but it is not impossible. You will exploit a walking speed glitch that happens when you alternate
between walking straight and walking diagonally. It results in a small
speed boost where the players moves an extra pixel in the straight
direction. For best results, stand close to the middle of the screen, pixel perfect
your way into the path of the taxi, just enough to get it's attention (It
is better to do this diagonally to prevent Keith from blocking you), once
you are back down, wait for the taxi to pass. Once it just starts to pass
by, rapidly tap between up and diagonally up (7 and 8 on the numeric
keypad for best results) and try to cross the road as quickly as you can.
This will (almost guaranteed) require more than one try, but it can be
done. (For an increased chance of success, try clipping through the taxi while
it passes Sonny. This will give the player a couple extra frames, which
may be enough to cross the road) - Press traffic button (1st time) --------------------- +1 pt. Cross the walk and enter the airport.
* Applies to Amiga, PC-9801, 2nd Atari ST and 1.002.011 versions of the
game.(Inside Airport)
- Buy Tickets to Steelton (2nd time) ------------------ +3 pts. Purchase your ticket to Steelton and Keith will intervene, getting
authorization from the department to purchase the tickets on your behalf.
Buy the tickets a second time and you will receive them. Head up and to the left when you have the tickets.(Rental Car Agency)
Head up the escalator and get ready to board the craft.(Security Checkpoint)
Showing Sonny's badge is not required. Instead of heading up, you must
cross through the metal detector while walking diagonally. PgUp / numeric
keypad 9 while starting along the left side of the detector is the easiest
way to get through this. NOTE: If you use the mouse to do this, it is important to note that Sonny
must be facing a direction that is not up. Even if Sonny is walking
at an angle, if Sonny is facing towards the detector, it will still
trip. It is a LOT easier to do this with the keyboard. Head onto the plane (left) when you are ready.Total Points: Version 1.001.000: 25/300
Version 1.006.000: 39/300
All other versions: 40/300_______________________________________________________________________________PQ2-MR --- Part 11: Airplane
_______________________________________________________________________________(Airplane)
There is very little you can skip here, since most of the actions performed
on the plane directly relate to not getting blown up, shot, or otherwise
killed in an unpopular sort of way. To start, everyone else is sitting
down, so do the same. - Fasten Seatbelt ------------------------------------ +1 pt. Wait until the stewardess falls to the ground before you take action
against the hijackers (And make sure your seatbelt is already unfastened). - Kill first hijacker -------------------------------- +6 pts.
- Kill second hijacker ------------------------------- +3 pts.
(Bullets Left: 10-11) Now it is time to deal with the bomb. Make sure not to search the turban.
You can successfully disarm the bomb without the instruction manual. - Search pockets ------------------------------------- +3 pts.
- Open towel dispenser ------------------------------- +2 pts.
- Cut yellow wire ------------------------------------ +3 pts.
- Cut purple wire ------------------------------------ +3 pts.
- Cut blue wire -------------------------------------- +3 pts.
- Connect yellow wire -------------------------------- +3 pts.
- Cut white wire ------------------------------------- +3 pts.
- Cut yellow wire ------------------------------------ +3 pts. When you are done, 'exit' or 'close dispenser' to close it up. Exit the
bathroom. Afterwards, the scene will automatically carry you off the
airplane for some fun time on a helicopter and (eventually) you will make
it to the Steelton PD Station. NOTES: Depending on the version, you may not have to enter 'wire' into the
parser. Only the PC-9801 version of the game requires the full line
to be entered. You can use 'cut white' or 'cut blue' in the other
versions.Total Points: Version 1.001.000: 58/300
Version 1.006.000: 72/300
All other versions: 73/300_______________________________________________________________________________PQ2-MR --- Part 12: Steelton PD Station
_______________________________________________________________________________(Lt. Miller's Officer)
Walk in, complete the chat and walk out. Do not grab the radios._______________________________________________________________________________PQ2-MR --- Part 13: Burt Park
_______________________________________________________________________________(Park Entrance)
Head past the fountain.(Duck Pond)
Walk to your right.(Manhole Cover)
Avoid "looking" at it. - Open manhole cover --------------------------------- +2 pts. Enter the sewers NOTES: Do not stray too far to the right, or you may bump into the mugger.Total Points: Version 1.001.000: 60/300
Version 1.006.000: 74/300
All other versions: 75/300
_______________________________________________________________________________PQ2-MR --- Part 14: Sewers
_______________________________________________________________________________ Sometime during this, check your bullet count (Can't actually do that in-
game). You can do this by keeping track of what you have fired at or by
saving your game, firing off everything left in your gun, count how many
shots that was, then restore your game. Below is a list of where you would have fired off shots:
* Shooting Gallery ----- 1+
* Hijacker #1 ---------- 1
* Hijacker #2 ---------- 1 Make sure you have 2 rounds left for the final battle (It seems as though
3 or 4 are needed, but this has to do with a delay between when the round
is fired and when the game counts it as a hit that gives a false
impression). Time is precious and avoiding a *CLICK* and reload goes a long
way. If you have less ammo in the gun than what is needed for the job in
the Control Room, empty your current ammo clip in the sewer (preferably
where you are not choking on methane, unless you wish to watch an
entertaining game over) and load the next clip. If you are already on your
last clip and do not have at least 2 bullets remaining, you will not have
enough to win the game. RESTORE to an earlier point and try to use less
bullets.
(Bullets: 7) IF you have trouble trying to fire off enough rounds fast enough to kill
Bains, you can type 'HALT' which will reset the counter that tracks how
many shots Bains has fired. Stay along the bottom walkway as you move to the right side. Quickly get
through the gas pocket (hugging the corner), then move through the next
room, cross the bridge at the next one and walk to your left. You will be
skipping the Gas Mask for the next part. Go to the next room while hugging
the bottom walkway. This next gas pocket is bigger than the first, but not
so large that it cannot be passed. Save before going past any pipes; you
have a 25/75 chance of Sonny being pushed into the sewage (Game over). Keep
trying until you are able to walk by it. After this you will reach the door to the Control Room. Complete the next
section as usual to win the game. - Enter the Control Room ----------------------------- +10 pts.
- Calm Marie ----------------------------------------- +5 pts.
- Untie Marie ---------------------------------------- +5 pts.
- Kill Bains ----------------------------------------- +15 pts.Total Points: Version 1.001.000: 95/300
Version 1.006.000: 109/300
All other versions: 110/300_______________________________________________________________________________PQ2-MR --- Legal Stuff
_______________________________________________________________________________Police Quest 2, Copyright 1988 Sierra On-LineVersion 1.05 Guide Written By:
Kuro-chan_101: kuro101@kuro-rpg.netThis may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal use.
It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without
advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other website or as a part
of any public display is strictly prohibited.Current sites with permission to host this Walk-through/Guide:
GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com)The following sources were used for research and information for this guide.
Keep in mind, a lot of the data presented was also the result of research,
testing, trial and error, etc.:
- Police Quest 2, DOS version.
- Police Quest 2 game manual, useful for getting through the copy protection
puzzle at the very beginning.Additional contributors:
Gage Holston:
* -2 points at airport security check.
* -1 points for skipping the airport crosswalk. _______________________________________________________________________________PQ2-MR --- Final Comments
_______________________________________________________________________________Thank for you reading through this guide. I will admit, it is a bit awkward to
try and aim for the least amount of points possible in an adventure game,
rather than the most. I usually aim for a perfect score when I play these.Funny thing is I think it also shows just how much extra fluff and padding they
do put into these sort of games when there is not as much plot-related content.- Kuro-chan_101
