Banshees

The Banshee was a standard-issue semi-automatic sidearm, designed for Ultor's guards and officers. Its massive, 12mm, .48 calibre rounds produce enormous recoil, but can level almost any target with a single blast. To balance the weapon, Ultor modified the gun's frame to be self-contained, absorbing rather than "punching" with each blast. This had the additional, unexpected bonus of allowing the weapon to be fired underwater. Parker and Ray Mason dealt with these weapons less frequently as they progressed in their liberation of Mars. Ultor security increasingly fell back to using RPGs and other powerful weapons to stop insurgency. Most pistols were discarded and so they have become collector's items. A fully functioning Banshee is rare indeed, but can still hold its own in a firefight.

Like the Pistols, two Banshees are wielded when selected, giving you a tremendous amount of firepower in each hand. The Banshees lack the pinpoint accuracy, range, and rate of fire of the Pistols but can make up for it in sheer power. This makes them ideal for taking our Creepers and Ravagers at close range. Consider replacing your Shotgun with the Banshees once they're available. Although the Banshees inflict less damage than the Shotgun, they fire faster and are much quicker to reload. Plus, the Banshees are more effective when it comes to targeting enemies at intermediate and long ranges. Still, be prepared for some heavy recoil. Unless you're blasting enemies at point-blank range, pause after each shot to let the weapons settle before firing a follow-up shot.