The Dual Vipers are the first weapon in Deadlocked. They are a pair of dual-wielded pistols manufactured by Vox Industries with a rapid rate of fire. Ratchet automatically starts with the Dual Vipers in DreadZone. With use, the weapon can be upgraded to the Dual Raptors, which causes its bullets to ricochet. In challenge mode, they can be upgraded to the Mega Dual Raptors for 2,250,000 bolts.
The Dual Vipers are a pair of small submachine guns using nano-optic refire technology[1], and a small nozzle, with zero recoil when firing. The Dual Raptors have an identical appearance to the Dual Vipers, with extra plating covering the barrel and top front of the gun. The Dual Raptors' bullets also ricochet around on various surfaces.
Gameplay[]
The Dual Vipers in action.
The Dual Vipers' signature strength is its very high rate of fire, while its weakness is its low damage output against the stronger foes (such as bosses, 70 millimeter Stalker Turrets, and Executioners). Its single-target focus also makes it of marginal use against larger groups of medium-sized enemies, though it remains useful against smaller numbers and large groups of swarmer mobs. As it is acquired early on, it tends to become outclassed by other weapons acquired later in the game, particularly due to the increasing numbers of strong enemies.
The Vipers come with the Aiming Mod by default, without which the weapon becomes much harder to use properly due to the lack of an automatic aiming function. The many Speed Mods also further boost the already high rate of fire (although this can be problematic levels as the ammunition capacity cannot keep up until more Ammo Mods are equipped). The Dual Raptors' ricocheting bullets have a homing effect and lower the need for Aiming Mods.
Due to the weapon's base attributes, the best of the omega mods by far is the Shock Mod. Any others generally rely on a higher damage output to be more efficient, whereas the Shock Mod functions properly even when a single bullet is fired, allowing the weapon to kill a large swarm of very weak enemies with a single shot. Similarly, this also makes it work decently well against other weaker enemies, such as the cycloids which can appear in large swarms.
In the multiplayer game modes, the Dual Vipers have a slower rate of fire, though the Dual Raptors have the normal higher rate of fire.
Behind the scenes[]
The Raptor, a cut third upgrade form of the Dual Vipers.
The Dual Vipers feature a third upgrade as seen in the demo. This final form is not a dual-wielded weapon, but a fusion of the Dual Raptors that fired a single, but deadly beam.[2]
Using the "Gangsta Guns" cheat makes Ratchet tilt the right-hand gun when he fires, emulating a gangster posture.
The Dual Vipers featured as a holocard in 2016 reimagining of Ratchet & Clank.