NCIS Trophy Guide & Road Map

NCIS
NCIS Trophy Guide

Overview:
- Estimated trophy difficulty: 1/10 Difficulty Rating Thread
- Offline: 27 (5

, 16

, 5

, 1

)
- Online: 0
- Approximate amount of time to 100%: 3-10 hours
- Minimum number of playthroughs needed: 1
- Number of missable trophies: 0
- Glitched trophies: none
- Does difficulty affect trophies?: N/A
- Do cheat codes disable trophies?: N/A
- Special peripherals or multiple controllers needed?: no

Introduction: NCIS is mostly a point and click adventure game where you examine crime scenes for evidence, and then play various mini-games/puzzles to learn from that evidence and figure out who the guilty party is. As you might expect by the name, this game is based on the hit TV series. So grab your gear, call Ducky, get the truck ready, and let's go collect some trophies.

Regardless of if you use the guide and/or walkthrough or decide to play it on your own without one, the 1/10 difficulty rating still applies. The only parts that might give you trouble without a guide are some of the crime scenes, as some of the objects you need to examine may blend into the background. With a guide, even those few instances will not be a problem. The only other slightly difficult thing you'll come across are the GPS tracking sections. They'll really only test your patience though. They aren't really challenging, just cheap, and the only way to get through them is to just keep trying until you pass.

As stated in the overview, none of the trophies are missable. Each and every trophy is tied to story progression. Complete one playthrough of the game, and you'll have the platinum trophy. And yes, the game is also very short, with many people saying they got through it in anywhere from 4-6 hours.

The overview makes note that no special peripherals or multiple controllers are needed. One Dualshock 3 or Sixaxis controller is all you need to get the platinum. The Rule #1 trophy does say that you need to complete the first co-op activity, but it's not co-op in the sense that you need 2 controllers. The "co-op activities" mentioned in the trophy description are just having an NPC come over to help you move something heavy to another location.

The game also supports, but does not require, Playstation Move. If you have Move, you can use the Motion controller (that's the one with the giant glowing ball on the end) to control the game instead of a standard Dualshock 3 controller if you wish. My personal recommendation is to stick with the Dualshock controller for the majority of the game. The Move controller does make the GPS mini-games slightly easier, but for everything else, I found the Move controller's sensitivity to be far too high to be of use. It's so sensitive that even the slight pressure of pushing

caused my cursor to move down, and due to the small buttons or objects you will be pointing at, the cursor usually moved so far that I ended up not selecting what I was trying to.

NOTE: To switch controllers mid-game, hold

until the console's "Turn Off..." options menu appears. Select "Turn Off the Controller". The game will now inform you that the controller that was currently in use has been disconnected, and prompt you to press

on the controller you wish to resume playing the game with. This lets you easily switch from Dualshock to Move and back again without needing to restart the game.

Step 1: Start a new game and play through each of the four episodes until you complete the game. That's it. As stated above, all of the trophies are story related and none are missable. Upon completing this step, you'll have the platinum trophy.

Justice has been served.

Unlock All Trophies
(19)
This will unlock immediately after NCIS 1, Terrorists 0 and Very Special Agent after you complete the game.
Rule #1

Complete first co-op activity
Note that this does not require two players or two controllers. Your "co-op partner" will be one of the game's NPCs. The first two co-op activities will be found at the start of the game, during the first crime scene. You can photograph both of the dead bodies in the room, along with the gun next to one of the bodies, and then help Ducky move one of the bodies. Alternatively, you can examine a bullet hole in a cabinet and then get Ziva to help you move the cabinet. See Atlantic City for more details if needed. Once you've started the co-op activity, the controls are as follows.

Dualshock 3: Use to put the cursor in the middle of the circle. Hold down and then push in the direction indicated by the bar that will appear. Keep pushing until the bar is filled. Repeat if more circles appear.
Move: Point at the circle to place your cursor there. Hold down the , and then point the controller in the direction indicated by the bar that appears to move the cursor in that direction. Continue to do this until the bar is full, and repeat if more circles appear.

The trophy will unlock either after you finish moving the body with Ducky or finish moving the cabinet with Ziva. These activities will also appear as solo actions in the game as well, and they are done in exactly the same way as you did them for this trophy.
Hey, I'm a hacker.

Complete first database search
Database searches happen at McGee's computer back at the NCIS Squad Room. The first one happens early on in the first episode, right after DiNozzo interviews a security guard. You'll only have the "Casino Rivalry" option at first, so use that.

You'll now have to complete one of three types of password mini-games before you can begin the database search. One of these occurs before every search in the game.

The first will have a field of numbers, with certain numbers lighting up over time. Click on the numbers as they light up, in the order they light up. The game ends when you've got them all.

The second game has a field of circles with various color divisions on them, and a row of shapes at the top of the screen. The row at the top is your password. You must find the same shape in the field as the one that's highlighted in the row at the top. The field shuffles every time you get one, but this is still quite easy.

The third game is a memory game. It will highlight a series of tiles with numbers tied to each tile, and then it will dim all of the tiles. You have to click the tiles it highlighted in the order that it highlighted to clear the game.

Once you've finished the mini-game, you'll be in the database. You'll see a series of categories that you can open up to look at entries inside. You have to open a category and find the right entry inside to drag over to a box on the right side of the screen. The number of boxes on the right will indicate how many things you need to find. For now, there will be only one, but later on in the game you may see two or three boxes. If you're ever unsure which of the entries are the ones you need, press or on them rather than holding and dragging. This will open up a text box where McGee flat out tells you whether or not it's relevant to the case.

To find the information you're looking for in regards to the "Casino Rivalry", open the "Criminal Record" category, and then drag "Crime: Tax Evasion" to the box on the right. The trophy will unlock after you see the summary of the evidence you just found.

Directions for the rest of the database searches can be found in the walkthrough if needed.
Nice goin' Abs.

Complete first fingerprint lifting
Fingerprint lifting takes place in Abby's lab. Your first fingerprint lifting occurs in the first episode of the game. When the scene changes to the lab, use the work table directly to the left of Abby to start lifting prints. You'll only have one fingerprint sample to lift the first time, so select it. The procedure for lifting every fingerprint throughout the entire game is the same, regardless of what item you're taking a print from.

Dualshock 3: Start by moving to the right and holding it there. Next, press and hold down . Now move up and hold it there. It does not matter if you rotate it up into that position or let it reset to the neutral position and then push it up; both will work. Finally, press to finish lifting the print.
Move: Hold the controller horizontally so that the button is facing up. Hold down the button. The game will instruct you to slowly lift the controller up to pull up the tape. However, this never worked for me. Instead, I just quickly yanked the controller up and that worked every time.

The trophy unlocks after you've gotten the fingerprint tape off and the summary of the print has appeared on screen.
Abigail Sciuto FTW

Complete first fingerprint comparison
Fingerprint comparison takes place in Abby's lab. Your first fingerprint comparison occurs in the first episode of the game. When the scene changes to the lab, use the work table directly to the right of Abby to start comparing prints of any kind (footprints, fingerprints, tire marks, etc). In order to have any fingerprints to compare, you'll first have to lift some; see Nice goin' Abs. if you haven't done so yet. Once you have done that, you'll have three fingerprints to compare (only two will be visible if you haven't matched any footprints yet, however). The process for all fingerprint comparisons are the same, so pick whichever one you like.

The fingerprint you pulled from evidence will be on the left side of the screen, and potential matches will be on the right. Use the smaller icons on the very right side of the screen to pick which sample you want to compare to. You'll need to look at the location of the blue dots on the prints and the directions the green tails on the dots are going. You can also use the patterns of the print itself to help you make the match. Your print on the left may be rotated so that it's not the same angle as the sample prints you're trying to match it to, so take that into account if needed.

Once you have found a match, pick up your print from the left and drag it on top of the print on the right. If you need to rotate the print, press and on a Dualshock, or just twist the Move controller like a doorknob. If you have the right sample print selected and you've rotated your print to the correct angle, the two prints will snap together and a green border will appear. When this happens, release or to complete the match and unlock your trophy.

Later on in the game, the print you have in evidence on the left side of the screen will only be a partial print. You'll have to figure out which part of the fingerprint it is to help match it. This is when using the actual pattern of the print itself rather than just the dots to make a match will come in handy.
Abbycadabra

Complete first chemical analysis
The first chemical analysis won't take place until the second episode. The first time you're in Abby's lab in the second episode, go to the large white machine against the left wall. You'll have two choices for chemical analysis: explosive residue or paint chips. The method for both of these, and all chemicals you need to analyze in the game, are the same, so pick whichever one you want.

You'll see the chemical sample on the top of the screen on a blue background, and you'll see various pieces of samples at the bottom. You need to find a piece on the bottom that matches part of the sample at the top, and drag the piece into its place at the top of the screen. If your piece matches the sample, it will snap into place and light up. Both of the first two samples only have two parts to them, so matching them up will be simple. Match of both parts and the trophy will unlock.

Later in the game, chemicals will have more parts to them, and there will be more false pieces in your selection at the bottom, but the process is still the same. Find the right pieces at the bottom and match them to the sample at the top.
Rule #39

Complete first ballistics test
After completing your first autopsies in episode 1, you'll return to Abby's lab. Go to the large white machine against the wall in the left side of the room. You'll only have one bullet to test at first, so choose it. Just like fingerprints and footprints, the left side is your bullet and the right side is a possible match. You can change samples by using the options on the right side of the screen. Both your bullet and the sample bullet will have various yellow dots and lines marked on them. Find the sample that matches your bullet, and then drag your bullet over to it. If you have the correct sample, the two will snap together and a blue border will appear. The trophy unlocks after you match your first bullet.

Later on in the game, your bullet will have less yellow lines on it than the sample bullets. Don't worry about that and just focus on making sure the lines you do have match up with the ones on the sample.
Cooking up some awesome

Complete first footprint comparison
Fingerprint comparison takes place in Abby's lab. Your first fingerprint comparison occurs in the first episode of the game. When the scene changes to the lab, use the work table directly to the right of Abby to start comparing prints of any kind (footprints, fingerprints, tire marks, etc). Your first time, you'll have two footprints to compare. The process for all footprint comparisons are the same, so pick whichever one you like.

The footprint you have in evidence will be on the left side of the screen, and potential matches will be on the right. Use the smaller icons on the very right side of the screen to pick which sample you want to compare to. Unlike fingerprints, there are no dots to compare here. You just need to match the pattern of your footprint to the pattern of the correct shoe. Your print on the left may be rotated so that it's not the same angle as the sample shoes you're trying to match it to, so take that into account if needed.

Once you have found a match, pick up your print from the left and drag it on top of the print on the right. If you need to rotate the print, press and on a Dualshock, or just twist the Move controller like a doorknob. If you have the right sample shoe selected and you've rotated your print to the correct angle, the two will snap together and a blue border will appear. When this happens, release or to complete the match and unlock your trophy.

Later on in the game, you'll other kinds of prints, such as tire tracks, tattoos, and car parts. The procedure for doing so is exactly the same as footprints.
Rule #38

Complete first deduction
(1)
Deductions can occur in Abby's Lab, the Squad Room, and Autopsy. Your first one will happen in Abby's Lab after lifting all the fingerprints and matching all the finger and foot prints from the first crime scene of the game. In a "deduction board", all the current things you know will be displayed on the screen. You need to combine pieces of evidence that go together, and then answer a question about why they go together to draw conclusions about the case. If you're stumped, you can click on any of the evidence to get a summary about that piece, which may help you figure out where it goes. The answers to the first deduction board are below.

First, combine ".357 Pistol" with ".357 Bullet Trajectory". For why they go together, select "The .357 at the crime scene belonged to Melvin Farley.

Next, combine "Profile: Melvin Farley" with "Melvin Farley's .357 Trajectory", and select "The .357 belonged to Farley. He was a trained marksman" for why they go together.

Finally, combine "Light Switch Used Twice" with "Farley's Unusual .357 Trajectory" with the reasoning "Farley was a good shot. He wouldn't miss at close range."

This will complete the first deduction board, and the trophy will unlock. There are multiple deduction boards throughout the game, and they all work the same way. See the walkthrough for the answers to them if needed.
Waddaya got for me, Duck

Complete first autopsy
The first autopsy will occur after you complete the first interrogation in the first episode of the game. Autopsies are simple: You have to examine a body by looking for red marks or other things that stand out on the body. When you find one, you'll take a photo of it in the same manner that you take photos at crime scenes. You can change the camera angle by moving the cursor to the edges of the screen.

The first time you get to autopsy, you'll have two bodies to choose from. For now, choose the one on the left. Right away, you should see a red mark in the middle of the victim's chest. Scroll down and take a photo of it. Then, rotate the camera until you can see the back, where you will find another red mark. Photograph that one as well. This will complete the autopsy of that body, and the trophy will unlock.

Directions for the rest of the autopsies can be found in the walkthrough if needed.
Rule #8

Complete first interview
The first interview will occur right after you finish all the required tasks in the first crime scene at the start of the first episode. In interviews, you'll be talking with another person to try and get more details from them. They'll give vague statements, and then a prompt will appear where you can press or to ask them for more information. Some of the prompts will not yield any important information, but some will give you more evidence to help build your case. If you want, you can just activate all the prompts, as there is no penalty for activating one that doesn't yield any new information. If you miss an important prompt, at some point the conversation will end and you can start it again from the beginning to try again.

For the first interrogation, ask Mr. Valesco for more details when he says "But the guy who owns Casino Noir...he's got more interest than most." in relation to who would want to rob the casino, and again when he says "They get the job done. And they don't make my feet sweat." when talking about his boots. The other prompts can be skipped if you want to finish the interview faster. The trophy will unlock after the interview is over.

Directions for the rest of the interviews can be found in the walkthrough if needed.
Rule #3

Complete first interrogation
(1)
The first interrogation occurs right after you finish the first GPS tracking mini-game in the first episode. Interrogations are just like interviews, except sometimes instead of just asking for more details, you'll need to present a piece of evidence you have to prove that the suspect is lying. When you need to select evidence, you can just click on the evidence rather than dragging it to review it if you've forgotten anything. Other than that, same rules as interviews apply. Sometimes a prompt will appear for you to press or . Activating all of the prompts does not result in any penalty even if the prompt reveals no useful information, and if you miss an important prompt, you just start the interrogation over to try again.

To pass the first interrogation, first ask for more detail when the suspect says "I didn't touch nothing. I just split." In the new conversation, compare to evidence when he says "I didn't touch nothing. I just left, okay?" and present "Jason Valesco's Fingerprints" to prove he's lying.

Next, ask for more detail when he says "Mel used to take me to the shooting range.", compare to evidence when he says "Mel was a hella good shot.", and use "Shot in the Dark" to expose the lie.

Finally, ask for more detail on "I got to work late. I didn't see the counting room until later.", compare to evidence on "But then I saw all that stuff, and I took off.", and use "Jason Valesco's Footprints" to finally get the truth from the suspect. The trophy should unlock shortly after the interrogation ends.

Directions for the rest of the interrogations can be found in the walkthrough if needed.
McGPS

Complete first satellite tracking
GPS tracking is done from McGee's computer in the squad room. The first one will take place after you finish the first deduction.

For the most part, all GPS tracking is the same. There will be a target vehicle (represented as a white dot) that you have to keep your cursor on in order to track. You'll know you have the right target as a red circle will appear around it when you place the cursor on it. A meter will be on the outside of your cursor, and you have to keep the cursor on the target long enough to fill the meter. If your cursor moves away from the target, the meter will start to drain. You'll have to fill the meter three times to complete the tracking, but each time you fill it, the screen will zoom in, making it slightly harder to keep the cursor on the target. Usually, the background for the tracking will have a lot of roads on it, along with other dots. The targets tend to stay on the roads, and if there are cars (other white dots) in front of the target, it will usually follow them. Successfully track the first target of the game to unlock the trophy.

The only one that's different is the final tracking that occurs at the end of episode 3. This one takes place in a desert rather than an area with roads. The target moves around erratically, and with no roads, you have no way to predict where it will go. If you have a Move controller, using it will help make this tracking a little easier (see the road map for how to switch controllers). Otherwise, all you can do is just keep trying until you finally get it.
Like shooting fish in a pond

Complete first safe cracking
You'll find your first safe at the second crime scene, which is during the first episode. You should see the safe as soon as the cutscene ends to the right behind the counter. Examine it, and then click the dial to begin cracking it. The instructions for cracking all safes is the same. You'll have a white circle divided into white sections in the center. The number of sections tells you how many numbers you have to "guess". Turn the dial clockwise first until one of the sections starts blinking green. Keep turning clockwise, but more slowly this time, until it stays a solid green. Now repeat the process, but turn counter-clockwise this time. If you go too fast once the green light starts blinking, the lock will reset and you'll have to start over. The first safe only has two numbers, so after that, the trophy will unlock. Later on, you'll find dials with more numbers, so just keep repeating the pattern until the lock is opened. To turn the dial:

Dualshock 3: Simply rotate either clockwise or counter-clockwise as indicated by the arrow around the dial. Very simple.
Move: Hold down and then twist the controller like a doorknob in the direction indicated. Due to limitations of how far you can turn your wrist, you won't be able to get the numbers in just one turn, so let go of while you reset your wrist to a position that allows you to twist the controller in the proper direction again.
Probie Wan Kenobie

Complete Episode 1
Refer to the walkthrough.
NCIS Investigator

Complete Episode 2
Refer to the walkthrough.
NCIS Agent

Complete Episode 3
Refer to the walkthrough.
Very Special Agent

Complete Episode 4
Refer to the walkthrough.
Atlantic City

Complete first crime scene
The first crime scene is the first gameplay section you will have in this game. The two main things you will need to know are how to take photographs and how to perform movement activities in the environment. After finding an object to photograph and the camera interface has appeared, drag the cursor to the edges of the screen to move the camera in that direction. Once the square in the middle has turned green, use either (Dualshock) or and (Move) to adjust your zoom until the two bars on the side of the screen also turn green. Finally, press and hold or to make white marks appear in the center of the screen, and release the button when they turn green to take a photo. See Rule #1 for instructions on performing movement events.

For text instructions on completing this crime scene, please see the walkthrough. A video guide can be found below.
Dirty Harry

Complete second crime scene
The second crime scene appears later on in episode one. For text instructions on completing this crime scene, please see the walkthrough. A video guide can be found below.
Bank Heist

Complete third crime scene
The third crime scene appears at the start of episode two. For text instructions on completing this crime scene, please see the walkthrough. A video guide can be found below.
BBQ'd Apartment

Complete fourth crime scene
The fourth crime scene appears later on in episode two. For text instructions on completing this crime scene, please see the walkthrough. A video guide can be found below.
Front Lines

Complete fifth crime scene
The fifth crime scene appears at the start of episode 3. For text instructions on completing this crime scene, please see the walkthrough. A video guide can be found below.
Torture Chamber

Complete sixth crime scene
The sixth crime scene appears later on in episode 3. For text instructions on completing this crime scene, please see the walkthrough. A video guide can be found below.
Five Star Accommodations

Complete seventh crime scene
The seventh crime scene appears at the start of episode 4, after a brief interview with Director Vance. For text instructions on completing this crime scene, please see the walkthrough. A video guide can be found below.
NCIS 1, Terrorists 0

Save the world from terrorists
This comes at the very end of the game's 4th episode. You must first navigate along the sides of a building to reach the bomb. This is done through a series of the same movement activities you've been doing in crime scenes throughout the rest of the game. There are nineteen of them. Complete them all and you'll find yourself in front of the bomb.

Your final task in the game is to disarm the bomb. First, you must remove the four screws holding the top cover in place. Doing so uses more movement activities, but with different motions. If using a Dualshock, hold and then rotate in the direction shown by the arrow. If using Move, hold and twist the controller like a doorknob in the direction shown.

Next, you must pull the red switch on the right side of the bomb, followed by pulling out the two handles to expose the inner shell. All three actions are simple movement activities. The next step is to break the glass and expose the wires. On a Dualshock, press on the glass and rapidly move to the left and right. On Move, press on the glass and rapidly shake the controller. You will need to hit the glass three times before you can reach the wire.

You now have two choices: red wire or blue wire. There is no wrong answer here. Cut either wire and the bomb will be successfully disarmed. This trophy will unlock in the following cutscene.
You know I'm awesome

Collect first piece of evidence
Collect first piece of evidence

See Atlantic City.