//////////////////////////////////////////////////// Half-Life: Blue Shift Guide //////////////////////////////////////////////////// Courtesy of http://www.planethalflife.com Welcome to Half Life: Blue Shift, Valve Software's latest creation (originally a Dreamcast exclusive) and your next trip through the Black Mesa Research Facility. This time around, you play security officer Barney Calhoun, who's basically an innocent bystander and just wants to escape with his life. This walkthrough will take you step- by-step through his story -- there are some tricky puzzles to solve, so start your journey below! +=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+ ******************************* C O N T E N T S: ******************************* 1.) Blue Shift Allies 2.) Blue Shift Enemies 3.) Blue Shift Weapons 4.) Blue Shift Walkthrough ******************************* +=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+ +=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+ //////////////////////////////////////////////////// --------------------------------------------------- 1.) B L U E S H I F T A L L I E S --------------------------------------------------- //////////////////////////////////////////////////// +=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+ Remember how in Half-Life you were one of the guys that Gordon Freeman relied on to get him through security checks and generally cover his backside? In Blue Shift, you're not only the man in charge - you're also pretty much on your own. Well not completely on your own... the other security guards will still be around - at least in the beginning; and don't dismiss those rude and snobby scientists as you will need their help along the way to save the day. Oh, as for Gordon... well aside from a brief glimpse of Half-Life's hero at the start of your adventure, he's nowhere to be found. • Security Guards Your colleagues will lend a helping hand in getting you equipped and off on your assignment in the beginning, but don't count on seeing any of them once you step into Sector G. They're probably all at the local Black Mesa bar drinking plenty of cervezas without you. Hey, have you ever noticed how most of you guys all kind of look alike? • Scientists They may be arrogant and rude to you at first, but they are quick to realize that you may be their only hope for survival in the end. Scientists will provide you with necessary information and will help you gain access to areas where your security clearance falls short. You need these guys as much as they need you. Awwwww! +=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+ //////////////////////////////////////////////////// --------------------------------------------------- 2.) B L U E S H I F T E N E M I E S --------------------------------------------------- //////////////////////////////////////////////////// +=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+ Whether you're up against the Government's pack of trained guerillas, or a pack of Xen's finest home-grown aliens, you'll want to be able to identify and kill the enemy... before it kills you! Be forewarned that the enemy, whether in human or alien form, is intelligient and will mount coordinated attacks against you. When possible, the enemy will seek help from others of its kind and may retreat if it feels that the odds are against it. It's survival of the fittest, baby! • Headcrab The lowly headcrab is the first enemy you'll encounter, and it's by far the most common. These guys love to dwell in dark corners and other out-of-sight areas, trying to surprise victims. The sharp limbs of the headcrab can easily tear through your hazard suit, if you're not careful. Never take headcrabs for granted. They're the most hated, most annoying, and least understood of all xenofauna. Headcrabs move clumsily but quickly. Its leap - if not dodged - is not precisely fatal to its prey, for once the headcrab has attached itself to the skull of a human host, there commences a swift and horrible process of "zombification" which gives the host a continued existence of the most objectionable sort. If you or a companion are ever unavoidably headcrabbed, you would be well advised to put a bullet through the affected brain as soon as possible, for only massive and irreversible damage to cerebral tissue has any apparent effect on the headcrab's ability to "drive" its victim. • Zombie Want to know what happens after you've been headcrabbed? Take a look. It sure isn't pretty, but don't gawk too long: these guys would just love rip you open and play jumprope with your intestines. Although slow and dimwitted (as zombies tend to be), their long, sharp, claws are deadly. Put zombies out of their misery by attacking them between swipes. • Alien Slave While many of the alien species collected and studied by the Department of Xenotheric Husbandry exhibit a lifestyle that might be characterized as "undesirable" in human terms, the honors for most wretched existence must certainly be granted to the slave-class of alien, xenotherium subservilia. These pathetic creatures, bred for submissive behavior and unswerving loyalty, will attack and kill without mercy when so ordered by their superiors. In such instances they will wage war with an insect-like vigor, heedless of personal risk, fearing the wrath of their masters more than any possible harm an enemy may inflict. On the other hand, in the rare situations where the alien slaves are out of the direct protection and supervision of an overlord, they will flee without shame and may be considered harmless. The slave species is hardy, impervious to discomfort, and due to the requirements of its breeders, undoubtedly possessed of extremely low intelligence. It is all the more remarkable, therefore, given a breed incapable of conceiving the idea of revolt, that the alien overlords find it necessary to burden their slaves with a metallic torque or slave-collar, which torments and eventually executes any slave that unwisely attempts to remove its yoke. Beware of the slaves' slow-charging energy attack, which is powerful enough to fry you extra crispy with a single blast. • Houndeye The common "houndeye" or "sound dog" is a pack-animal par excellence. A houndeye apart from its pack is an unhappy and vulnerable creature, but in groups of three or more they will exhibit resonant behavior, emitting destructive harmonics capable of rupturing the internal organs of their prey. Deafness and migraine headaches are only two of the symptoms reported by survivors of houndeye attacks. However, if well-fed, they will not engage in harmonic behavior except when threatened and during their seasonal mating spree. • Bullsquid The natural range and habitat of this supreme predator remain uncertain. While bearing signs of aquatic specialization, the bullsquid's powerful limbs and characteristic neurotoxic (and reportedly psychoactive) "venom-squirt" suggest it has adapted to a terrestrial environment. It is possessed not only of a ferocious appetite (necessary to support its immense bulk) but also of an overwhelming libido. In short, the bullsquid will attempt to eat or mate with almost anything that crosses its path, without regard for species or any apparent reproductive necessity, since dissection clearly indicate that every gastropolypus is hermaphroditic. Additionally, it has been speculated that to fauna of its native environment, the bullsquid's phlegm might have aphrodisiac qualities; but in terrestrial mammalian creatures, it is uniformly lethal. • Alien Grunt Footsoldier of the invading army, this alien myrmidon relies on telepathy for coordination with its troops, but is no less dangerous when encountered in isolation. Like many inhabitants of the Portal Dimension, it appears to be a colonial creature, harboring several varieties of organic parasites which complement its destructive nature. Most dangerous are swarms of "thornets," heat-seeking autonomous "insects" which breed in their host's paracoelomic cavity and are only too happy to attack and consume the first thing they see upon release. The gleaming partial body armor at first appeared to be the product of an advanced weapons technology; but closer examination of the occasional moribund specimen has shown it to be a biologically extruded exoskeleton, synthesized from a diet rich in certain xenotic minerals. This suggests that long separation from the Portal Dimension, and a diet deficient in alien ores, might lead to the eventual weakening and demise of the alien troops. It is not, however, recommended that Earth rely on poor nutrition to repel the invaders. • Alien Controller This flying freak doesn't show up until later in the game, which is a good thing. They attack with energy blasts and are very hard to kill due to their constant movement. • Grunts/Soldiers Despite what your friends and colleagues have told you... these guys are not your friends! In fact, they're here to make sure you never leave the Black Mesa Research Facility, unless it's in a black bag. Grunts are usually armed with a 9mm Assault Rifle and a healthy supply of grenades, but you'll encounter some packing shotguns, rocket launchers, or operating turrets. These guys aren't kamikaze morons; they're experienced troops, and will work together to take you down. +=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+ //////////////////////////////////////////////////// --------------------------------------------------- 3.) B L U E S H I F T W E A P O N S --------------------------------------------------- //////////////////////////////////////////////////// +=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+ Unlike in the original Half-Life, you have a whole lot more firepower available to you than just that little ol' 9mm pistol. Now you can arm yourself to the teeth and really kick some butt! Let's take a look at what you get to play with in Blue Shift... • Crowbar This is all you start out with. You're going to have to kill somebody with the crowbar and pick up his gun if you want something that shoots. You can also use the crowbar for more practical things breaking windows, prying things open or just plain smashing them apart. Very useful on those annoying headcrabs, and saves ammo too! • Glock 9mm Pistol Just your plain old 9mm pistol; don't waste rounds because you will have to reload. One shot, one kill. Additionally, you can hold down the alternative fire button to pop off a rapid succession of rounds at the sacrifice of accuracy. • .357 Magnum This handheld cannon can easily rip a nice-sized hole through the enemy, and coupled with its "zoom" feature (alternate fire), can also be used as a great sniper gun. The only drawback to using this baby is the seriously skewed view you get from the recoil, but its fair fire-rate more than makes up for it. • Assault Shotgun The shotgun is a Franchi-Spas 12 semi-automatic assault shotgun that loads from the bottom. Spread open some head with a barrage of led. You know the drill, but now you can see the walls turn to swiss cheese. • M4 Assault Rifle The M4's rapid-fire already makes it a formidable weapon, but its alternate fire, the "on-contact explosive" grenade launcher, makes it one of the most devastating weapons in the game. Aside from the mass genocide you create by using this weapon, it also comes with some really cool graphics that raise "immersion" to a whole new level. The M4 also spits out tracers as it fires, so you can see where your firing in low lit areas. • Fragmentation Grenade Hand-grenades are pretty standard in Half-Life. There is a three-second delay, so don't hold it too long or it'll blow your boxers off. It doesn't have a built in ticker, so you can be all sneaky with them and stuff. • Satchel Charges The satchel charge can be easily slid across floors, or thrown into foxholes, windows and/or doors. Each charge is detonated with a radio device and their splash damage is larger and causes more damage than the grenades. Use extreme caution. • RPG (Laser-Guided Rocket Launcher) The rocket launcher is Laser-Guided which means wherever you point the guide the rocket follows. Kind of like a homing effect. Wherever the laser is set, that is where the target falls. You can opt to enable the laser targeting system, thereby giving away your position, or turn it off to conceal your location. The RPG's velocity is slowed down tremendously in water and acts like a torpedo. • Gun Turrets There are big gun turrets and little gun turrets, but both can kill you. They're motion sensitive and will follow your movements around an area, spraying bullets at you with alarming accuracy. +=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+ //////////////////////////////////////////////////// --------------------------------------------------- 4.) B L U E S H I F T W A L K T H R O U G H --------------------------------------------------- //////////////////////////////////////////////////// +=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+ Chapters: 1. LIVING QUARTERS OUTBOUND ( part 1 ) 2. INSECURITY ( part 1 | part 2 ) 3. DUTY CALLS ( part 1 | part 2 ) 4. CAPTIVE FRIEGHT ( part 1 | part 2 | part 3 ) 5. FOCAL POINT ( part 1 | part 2 ) 6. POWER STRUGGLE ( part 1 | part 2 ) 7. A LEAP OF FAITH ( part 1 ) ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ********************************************************* • Chapter 1 - "LIVING QUARTERS OUTBOUND" (Introduction) ********************************************************* ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Hi everyone. My name's Barney, and I'm a security guard at the Black Mesa Research Facility. I won't bore you with much background info about me -- if you're interested, you can check out my file below. You know, I'm really starting to get bored with my job here at Black Mesa. I live right outside the facility, so I don't get out much, and I ride this same stupid tram to work every day. Every day I have to deal with these wacky scientists, who are supposed to be really smart, but only seem to be good at breaking things. It would be nice for something different to happen for a change... PLAYER DATA: NAME: Barney Calhoun POSITION: Security Officer, Black Mesa Research Facility ASSIGNMENT: Area 3 CLEARANCE : Level 3 DISASTER RESPONSE PRIORITY: Preservation of Facility Equipment and Materials SECONDARY PRIORITY: Protect Staff LOW PRIORITY: Personal Safety You start your day riding the good ol' Black Mesa transit system. The ride takes a few minutes, and there's really nothing to do, so take this opportunity to look around and soak up the surroundings. Some settings will be all new, others may look familar... ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ********************************************************* • Chapter 2 - "INSECURITY" ********************************************************* ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// The first real chapter of the game begins with you starting your shift at Black Mesa. Spend some time learning your way around -- get all your gear, talk to everyone, and watch the events that happen around you. • Getting Started When you reach the end of your ride, get out and head for the security door. Unfortunately, you can't open it, and worse, the security guard on the other side can't open in, either. And wait! Now your tram is taking off! And you're stuck outside. Doh! While security fumbles around on the other side of the door, watch the other tram that passes by, carrying a facility scientist. Must be a new guy. Hrmmph. Must be nice to have such a cushy job. Still, he looks a little familiar... The security guard finally opens the door and lets you in. After he greets you, he mentions that there have been also sorts of techincal problems as of late. "It's amazing they haven't shut the whole place down yet", he says. Head to the left, down the stairs, and to the main lobby. Check in with the head guard, who says, "Hope you're ready for a looonnnnng shift". He has NO idea. Be sure to watch the scientist complaining to the other desk guard before moving on. • Prepare For Action You need to do three things before you can progress: get your gun, get your vest/helmet, and report to the front desk. From the main lobby, head to the left (Personnel Facilities) and find the locker room. Your locker is all the way in the back, marked CALHOUN. Take your helmet and vest and head back to the lobby. When you reach the lobby, the guard tells you that your help is needed over in Sector G. You'll need to get your gun first, though. Take the elevator downstairs and find your way to the armory. Remember, you'll need to "use" the control panels in order to open many of the doors down here. Once you get your gun, you can take a few practice shots at the shooting range, but it's probably better to grab all the ammo lying around and save it for later -- you're going to need it. If you want, say hi to Otis, who's enjoying a tasty donut. Whatever you do, DON'T shoot any of the personnel -- you'll instantly lose your job, ending the game. On your way back, you can also check out the Video Surveillance area if you choose. There are three video screens here, where you can watch some interesting (and possibly familiar) scenes from around Black Mesa. Hmm -- wonder what they're doing with that glowing orange rock... Head all the way back upstairs towards the H-E Particle Labs. The guard will now open the door for you. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ********************************************************* • Chapter 2 - "INSECURITY" (part 2) ********************************************************* ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// The second half of this chapter requires you to make your way over to Sector G and help the scientists there. It seems everything's falling apart today, so on your way, you'll need to fix one of the trams as well. Unfortunately, disaster is about to strike... • Fixing the Tram As you make your way to the lab, stop to watch the repair job underway. It's no wonder that nothing at Black Mesa works... You'll eventually encounter a scientist reading the paper, waiting for the tram. He tells you that all the trams are having problems -- which is exactly what you're about to fix. Find the MAINTENANCE ACCESS ladder to the right of the tram platform. Go through the door and down the stairs, where you'll find an area marked HIGH VOLTAGE. If you want, open the gate and flip the switch on the power box. It's not necessary, but will help you in a moment. Move the barrel blocking the door opposite the high voltage area, open the door and turn on your flashlight. As soon as you go through the door, turn around. There's a switch marked "OFF" in red right next to the door. Use the switch and it should turn "ON", along with all the lights in this area. Continue onward through the now-lit storage area. You'll emerge in another storage area. Climb the ladder to the catwalk and go through the door. • Getting to Sector G As you emerge overlooking the canal, a tram goes by carrying the infamous G-Man. Looks like it's working after all. There's a button on a gate overlooking the canal, with a red indicator lit up. After the G-Man's tram clears the area, it changes to green. Press the button and a bridge will lower, creating a path across the canal. Continue to Sector G. Cross the bridge, go through the door and up the stairs. You'll emerge at another tram platform, and find a sign marked "Sector G - Main Access Lift". You're here! • ...And Then Everything Goes To Hell Make your way to the elevator, where two scientists are waiting for you. One of them urges you to "make this thing work", which you do by simply pressing the elevator control panel. Hmm...these scientists don't seem particularly bright. As the elevator descends, the lights begin to flicker. One sceintist comments that "it's probably Anomolous Materials". Then, as the entire facility begins to shake, sit back, enjoy the show, and hold on... ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ********************************************************* • Chapter 3 - "DUTY CALLS" ********************************************************* ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Oww...my aching head. I can't believe I'm still in one piece after that elevator crash. Good thing this here dead scientist cushioned my fall. So -- what is going on here? Before the cable snapped, I saw these strange creatures running around the lab, and they sure didn't look like any animals I've ever seen. Ack! There's one now. I have to get out of this place. • Opening the Maintenance Door You regain consciousness in the crashed elevator to find some Houndeyes nibbling at a dead security guard. Ewwwww. Pick up the crowbar in front of you, then switch back to your gun to kill the Houndeyes. Take a minute to smash all the boxes in this storage area. There's not much to be found, but you will find a few spare rounds of ammo, always handy. Your task here is to open the maintenance door, which has an electrical lock. Find the power box back in one of the storage areas and shoot it, knocking out the power...and the lights. Switch on your flashlight and make your way back to the maintenance door. With the power off, the door will simply push open. • The Office The next room is an office area with dangerous contaminant liquid spilled on the floor. Kill the headcrabs that attack you, then jump onto the table to the door on the far side of the room. Open the door, kill the next headcrab, pick up the ammo on the shelf, and climb the ladder. Hiding in the ceiling is a scientist. He's surprised to see you, and tells you the only way to escape is through the canals. To keep pressing on, you'll need to open a locked gate in the back of the office. There are some explosive barrels behind the gate, which you can shoot to blow a hole through the gate. The easiest and safest way to do this is to shoot the barrels while you're still up in the ceiling with the scientist. Once you've blown up the barrels, climb down and go through the gate. • South Tunnel You'll reach a chasm which you can cross by using a motorized conveyor. As soon as you approach the other side, some Houndeyes and Vortigaunts attack. Kill them and go through the door next to North Tunnel entrance. Inside, you'll find two switches for the North and South tunnels. The North switch is malfunctioning, so hit the South Tunnel switch and go back outside. The large door to the South Tunnel should open. The tunnel is filled with crates...and a few Houndeyes. There's nothing of use in the crates, so kill the pups, and duck under the large door to the next area. • The Crane Puzzle Next up is an interesting puzzle. There are two loading cranes, and you ultimately need to get to the ladder behind the second elevator. In the room is a control panel to lower and raise both cranes, and you'll need to create a series of steps to reach the ladder, from (1) the small crate to (2) the left elevator, to (3) the large crates, to (4) the right elevator, to (5) the ladder and upward. • Here's how to do it: (1) position the small crate next to the elevator on the left. (2) lower the left elevator just low enough so you can jump into it from the small crate. (3) the left elevator should also be at just the right height so you can jump out of it onto the top of the large crates. (4) lower the right elevator just enough so you can jump into it from atop the large crates. From there, you should be able to reach the ladder. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ********************************************************* • Chapter 3 - "DUTY CALLS" (part 2) ********************************************************* ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// The second half of this chapter is set down in the sewage canals of Black Mesa. Your path to escape is blocked by a waste crushing system, but if you take some time, you can find your way around -- or through -- it. • Finding The Canal As you continue, a few Vortigaunts will spawn in. Kill them and find the ladder marked B-03 in the back of the area. At the bottom of the ladder, you'll find a room with a small opening in the far right corner, leading to the anterior drainage canal. A catwalk overlooking the drainage canal heads both left and right. You've got a lot of work to do here, but to start, go right and enter through the door. • Canal Right Jump to the ladder and climb up to the catwalk, where you'll find a valve release wheel. Turn the wheel. Note that throughout this section, the sewage is just as safe (or dangerous, I guess) as water, so don't be paranoid about falling in -- there's usually a ladder leading out of each section. As you continue, you'll find steam blocking your way. Go down the ladder and you'll find another valve. Turn it. (ever notice how many "valves" and "gears" appear in Half- Life add-ons? ;) Before coming back up, continue to the end of the lower pathway. You'll find a dead scientist, a shotgun, and a sign pointing upward to a ladder and an exit, but the ladder is out of your reach. Take the shotgun and go back up -- the steam should be stopped. Continue past the formerly broken steam pipe and you'll arrive at a control room. Flip the switch (the light should turn green) and look out the window. Watch as a ramp lowers across the way, bringing a box marked EXPLOSIVE -- and a few Vortigaunts -- with it. You can shoot the aliens from afar, but you won't be able to blow up the box, which is just as well -- you'll need it later. Head back the way you came and backtrack to the anterior drainage room where you started. • Canal Left Now take the path to the left of the main catwalk. Climb the ladder and you'll be overlooking a large sewage room, with an instrument panel on the far side. Jump down into the sewage. The third grate is open -- swim through and find yet another valve, this one marked FLOW CONTROL. Turning it will raise the sewage level, and allow you to climb out via the barrels and exit through the far door. Go through the door and kill the Vortigaunts that appear. As you start to walk out across the catwalk, another Vortigaunt will spawn in midair, crashing through the catwalk and taking out a huge section of it. Jump down to the large pipe on the left and then down further to the next walkway. As you continue, you'll see a fellow security guard struggling with two zombie-like creatures before meeting an untimely end. Work your way around, kill the zombies and move on. Move into the flooded area and kill the bullsquid you find there. When you go left, you'll eventually find some shotgun shells and an elevator lift. At the other end of that tunnel is a generator switch. Flip that switch and return to the elevator lift. You'll arrive to find the slanted lift area you were overlooking a few minutes ago with the explosive box. You couldn't blow up the box from afar...but you can push it into the canal... The explosive box will eventually reach the waste crushing area, blowing up the large gear on the left and making the area safe to travel through. Drop down into the sewage and swim through. You'll now be above the area where you got your shotgun -- simply grab the ladder and climb up. As you climb up, note the group at the top of the grating. It appears the military has arrived...and they don't seem to have much love for facility security... ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ********************************************************* • Chapter 4 - "CAPTIVE FREIGHT" ********************************************************* ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// OH MY GOD!! I cannot believe what I just saw. The military is here...and they're killing security guards? I'm pretty sure that was Timmy they just threw down into the sewage disposal area. They must be here to keep...well, whatever's happening here...real quiet. I guess I'll have to be really careful from here on out. There's a ladder heading up to the surface up ahead... hopefully I can get away once I'm outside. • Topside You'll soon reach a long ladder leading to the surface. Go up. You'll emerge outside. To the left is a truck containing all sorts of weapons and ammo -- but there are two turrets in front of it. Go slow, take out the turrets, then grab the loot. Leave the truck and walk all the way around to the other side of the surface area, where you'll find a large door. Use the keypad to open it, and head through the large tunnel. In the middle, you'll find an SUV with yet another dead security guard. It hasn't been a very good day for Black Mesa personnel. As you reach the end of the passage, a bunch of military will start shooting at you, and close the door before you can get out -- trapping you inside. Backtrack to the room in front of the SUV, open the gate, and turn the valve marked STEAM TUNNEL ACCESS. The grate will open -- climb down, and just before you reach the bottom, the ladder will break, dropping you into the tunnels. • The Tunnels The tunnels are fairly straightforward. Just keep moving onward, using grenades to take out bullsquids that tend to lurk around corners. Use the valve to open the first passageway. Next up is an area with broken pipes and steam pouring out. Turn the pressure release valve to stop the steam. From here, you'll need to head underwater to continue -- the valve to the next door is submerged. Turn the valve, open the door, and move on. A few headcrabs and bullquids later, you'll reach the basement access elevator. Hop in and go up. • Warehouse Basement This area is similarly straightforward -- advance and kill all the headcrabs and Vortigaunts you run across. A good strategy is to shoot explosive barrels when possible to take out the aliens. (From afar, of course.) At the MAINTENANCE AREA sign, go left if you're injured -- there's a health station hidden behind the crates. Backtrack to the sign and this time take the other path. This area has been damaged, and there's bursts of electricity flying through the air at regular intervals. Watch the pattern a few times, and then run through when the path is clear. You'll find your way is blocked by a pile of debris. Use the crates in the corner to climb into the into the collapsed vent. Turn on your flashlight and make your way through. Use your crowbar to beat up any headcrabs you encounter, and also to smash a grate leading to the second section of vents. When you leave the vent (and the immediate storage area), you'll have a choice of going upstairs or downstairs. Go down to start, where you'll find another dead security guard. Grab his helmet and head upstairs. Be ready for a fight. As you get upstairs, you'll run into some military. Kill the soldiers and grab the MP5 machineguns they drop. w00t! Inside the office, talk to the dying scientist, who explains that some of the staff had a plan to try and use some of the prototype labs to escape. To do this, you'll need to find a scientist named Dr. Rosenberg -- and this is your next big task. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ********************************************************* • Chapter 4 - "CAPTIVE FREIGHT" (part 2) ********************************************************* ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// As you begin your search for Dr. Rosenberg, you'll go through many of the Black Mesa freight yards, as well as many other outdoor areas. The military has been called in, and they're seemingly everywhere in huge numbers. Fortunately, they don't seem to be looking for you, so continue your search and try to surprise soldiers whenever possible. • The Yard Squad As you leave the scientist, another soldier bursts in. Kill him, move up the corridor, and into a stairwell. Right now, you can only exit the stairwell via the first floor, but if you go all the way up, you'll find three more soldiers to kill -- and more ammo to take. Exit the stairwell via the first floor door. Continue until you emerge outside...where you'll find a large squad of soldiers ready to attack. A satchel or two should dispose of most of them -- use grenades and your MP5 to finish off the rest. The door at the end of the yard will not open, so head back towards the dumpster near the yard entrance. A soldier will appear in a second story window and start shooting -- kill him, and then climb up the crates and tires to reach the window ledge. Climb through the window into the office. • Warehouse Loading Area (Inside) Once through the window, go left (the door to the right is the second story entrance to the stairwell). Continue until you reach the WAREHOUSE SECURITY room. Shoot the lock on the gate, and grab all the ammo you can find. Don't forget the shotgun shells on the desk. You'll eventually reach a large indoor loading area, where you'll find yet another squad of soldiers. (Do NOT go into Parcel Receiving area, as the soldiers will box you in and use grenades.) Kill everyone, and then open up the container on the right, which holds a scientist (not Rosenberg, though). The container on the left is a frozen storage container for more aliens -- unfortunately, not all of them remain frozen, so, errr, don't bother opening that container. If you want, backtrack to Parcel Recieving room after killing everything, and you'll be greeted with a scene of many slain scientists. Apparently the military has orders to kill everyone and everything. There's some health in here as well. You can now exit the warehouse loading area through the door on the right. You'll encounter some more soldiers -- dispose of them and continue to the freight yard. • Freight Yard You'll emerge in a large frieght yard, and find yourself in the middle of yet another big fight with the military. Use grenades and satchels, and take cover when possible. Once you've killed all the soldiers, take note of the box marked ".50 CAL MOUNTED MACHINE GUN". Break open the box. You should hear a scientist banging from inside a storage container. Unfortunately, the container entrance is blocked by two large spools of metal cabling. Shoot all the small wood blocks holding the spools in place -- the spools should roll away and allow you access to the container entrance (shoot the wood blocks in front of the container as well). Just your luck, this scientist isn't Rosenberg, either. Immediately mount the .50 caliber gun and aim for the far wall. More soliders will rush in, and you should be able to mow most of them down with the mounted gun. They come in waves, however, so don't leave your post until you're sure no more soldiers are coming in. It's important that you shoot the soldiers before they get out of the gun's range; otherwise, soldiers will attack you from all sides and you'll have to leave the gun and kill everyone piecemeal. Once the way is clear, continue through the tunnel. • The Tank At the end of the tunnel, you'll arrive at another open area with a military truck, lots more soldiers, and...an active tank. The turret on the tank turns very slowly, so use that to your advantage. Move around the yard in a circle, always trying to keep the tank's turret 180 degrees away from you. Pick off all the soldiers, and then turn your attention to destroying the tank. In the back of the military truck is a rocket launcher with ammo. (w00!) However, if the tank catches you in there, it will blow up the truck, with you in it. Run around the yard to lure the tank's turret away from the truck, then run around, grab the rocket launcher, and continue circling the tank. It should take 4 or 5 rockets to finish off the tank. Once the tank is history, there's LOTS more ammo in the yard to grab. Pick up the booty and move through the door next to the now-smoldering tank. • The Propane Puzzle In the tunnel, you'll reach a door leading to another open passageway. As you emerge, there will be a turret on your right. Lob a grenade over to take it out. At the end of the passage, your exit is blocked. Climb onto the freight car and smash open the crates -- the last one contains 4 propane tanks. Hmmmm... Shoot the propane tanks from afar. Eventually, one will ignite and blast through the door like a rocket, making an exit for you to jump through. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ********************************************************* • Chapter 4 - "CAPTIVE FREIGHT" (part 3) ********************************************************* ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Well, I've fought lots of soldiers, and found lots of scientists in hiding, but there's still no sign of this Dr. Rosenberg guy. I hope I find him soon...I'm starting to think he may be my only chance of getting out of here. • Freight Turntable Area You emerge in a frieght area with a loading turntable...and more soldiers. Kill all the soldiers, smash all the crates, and pick up all the ammo in the area. Find the turntable control room (right next to where you entered the yard) and use the controls. The track should spin, and the Bay 5 door will open. Go into the bay -- the container is already loaded on a train that you can drive back into the yard. Start the motor, and the tram will start backing into the yard. Eventually, the container will roll to a crashing stop. Open the door to find another scientist. Could this be?... • Dr. Rosenberg! As you enter the container to talk to the scientist, the door locks behind you. That's the bad news. The worse news: you can hear more military arriving outside, talking about someone named "Freeman". There's some good news, however -- you have indeed found Dr. Rosenberg, so you might as well talk to him for a minute. Rosenberg tells you about some of the early teleportation technology, and says the scientists were contemplating using some of the older labs to try and teleport to safety. The labs are back underneath the warehouse (where you first found the scientist and got the MP5)...but first you have to escape the container, of course. Rosenberg offers to boost you up through an opening in the roof of the container. Load up your MP5 and climb out. Kill all the newly-arrived soldiers and let Rosenberg out of the container. • Backtracking From this point on, you'll need to take your time leading Rosenberg back to the lab. If you get too far ahead, he'll simply stop, so take a few steps, wait for him, and continue. Lead Rosenberg to the now-open doorway to the left of Bay 5, up the stairs, and through the shipping / receiving office. Progress methodically through the office -- run ahead, kill any soldiers you find, and then lead Rosenberg ahead. Eventually, you'll go through the third floor exit of the staircase you couldn't get through earlier. Go down the stairwell towards the now-dead scientist who first told you about Dr. Rosenberg. Before reaching the scientist, Rosenberg points out a breakable wall with an old elevator behind it. Lead Rosenberg into the elevator, and ride down to the old lab. • The Old Lab As you reach the old lab, Rosenberg greets a few more scientists ("Walter" and "Simmons") and is pleased that things appear to be in good condition. He appears optimistic about using the old teleportation technology to escape, but the machine is currently not calibrated for Earth destinations. Someone will need to transport to the alien world to recalibrate some of the machines there...and that someone is you. After a few moments, the teleport device is ready. When Rosenberg gives the signal, jump into the teleporter ball and on to...well, who knows where. Welcome to Xen, Barney. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ********************************************************* • Chapter 5 - "FOCAL POINT" ********************************************************* ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// OK, this was definitely NOT in the job description. Teleportation technology? Alien border worlds? And I have to experience both up close in order to escape...from my job? Hrrrmph. I'll go, but I better be getting some sort of hazard pay for this. • A Xen Moment You arrive in Xen and immediately find yourself under attack from a few Houndeyes. Dispatch of the pups and use the rocks on the far left to reach the upper level encircling the area. Work your way around to the opening on the far side of the ring. When you reach the end of the tunnel, notice the small crawlway blocked by some alien growth. Shoot or smash the crawlway open, and crawl through. You'll now need to navigate a set of tunnels and caverns. At the first opening, take the crawlway to the left. At the first junction, you should go right, but you can take a short detour left if you want to grab some extra supplies at a dead end. At the next opening, you'll have a variety of pathways to choose from. Most are dead ends. One of the openings sits on a small ramp to your right -- that's the one you want. You emerge at a small cavern with barnacles growing on the ceiling. You need to take the pathway to the left, but you can go around to the healing pool on the far right if you need to. • Jumping Puzzle #1 You'll emerge at a large open area with lots of floating rocks. Simply jump from rock to rock to make your way to the other side. Note that a little past halfway through, Vortigaunts will teleport in and attack. Once you're safely on the other side, head through the tunnel, kill the Houndeyes, and make your way to... • Jumping Puzzle #2 This puzzle is similar to Jumping Puzzle #1, except that (a) the jumps are a little harder to make, and (b) alien ships appear and begin blowing up the ground under your feet as you progress. While it will help, your ultimate goal here is actually not to make it to the opening to the far left -- your immediate challenge is simply to survive everything being blown up. You can achieve this in two ways: (a) making all the jumps to the far left opening as quickly as possible, or (b) simply camping out in the healing pool, which should survive the attacks intact. When the alien ships are finished, they will have knocked over a tree, creating a path from the center ring to a ledge on the far side of the area. Climb across the tree, find and smash the small opening in the ground, and jump in. (NOTE: If you made all the jumps to the opening at the far left, you'll find a teleport ball in the back of the cave sending you back to the center rock.) ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ********************************************************* • Chapter 5 - "FOCAL POINT" (part 2) ********************************************************* ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// As you continue through the alien world of Xen, you find yourself navigating more treacherous territory. You'll eventually find the team's setup point, however, so get ready to do your job and haul ass off that rock as quickly as possible. • Streams, Caverns and Pools After falling down the hole, you land in a small stream. Swim through a small underwater tunnel and then up to the surface. Kill the bullsquid and move on. Jump into the next stream, go over the waterfall and into a large cavern and pool. The goal here is to reach the opening high above, directly opposite the one you just fell out of. You can accomplish this by using the jump pad in the center of the pool. Stand behind the jump pad, aim at the opening, and run and jump -- you should be able to make the opening after a few tries. Avoid the barnacles in this area, and continue down the streams until you emerge at an embankment. Don't go left -- this will drop you back in the cavern pool you just came from. Go right. Head down the enbankment, and climb up the rocks to proceed, killing bullsquids and houndeyes as you go. You'll emerge at another pool, where you can use the jump pad to reach the next opening way up high. • The Focal Point You finally arrive at the team's setup point. There are lots of dead team members around, but the equipment seems to be intact. To start, use the blue box -- the center crane will move, and the strange rock will light up. Walk over to the silver control panel. It will open up, revealing an instrument panel with two knobs and indicators. Turn each knob until the yellow triangle is lined up inside the larger red area. You'll know you have the right setting when the machine beeps and the indicator turns green. When both dials are set correctly, the machine will start... and all hell will break loose. All sorts of enemies will attack, so kill what you can and move on QUICKLY. You've done your job, and the aliens don't leave any ammo for you to use, so don't hang around unless you really feel the need to kill everything. • Getting Home As you leave the landing point, a Vortigaunt will attack, but will be crushed by a collapsing ceiling. (These guys just have no luck.) You can continue upward by climbing through the center of the debris. At the next large opening, head directly to the right. You can use the jump pad to grab some supplies on the floating rock to the left, but it's not really worth it. Continue through the next tunnel, and drop down at the end. You'll wind up on the other side of the large ring where you started, and you'll see a large glowing ball...and hear scientists' voices urging you to hurry and jump through. That's your ticket back, so don't bother fighting any of the aliens -- if you wait too long, the ball will dissipate and your game will end. Simply jump into the teleport ball and get back to the lab. • More Bad News When you arrive back in the old lab, Rosenberg congratulates you on getting things working...but there's another problem. In order for everyone to escape, someone will have to go to the sub-basement and charge up a power cell to work the equipment. A few scientists have gone down already, but none have returned. Guess who the lucky guy is. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ********************************************************* • Chapter 6 - "POWER STRUGGLE" ********************************************************* ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Holy Joe. You must be kidding. I spend hours hopping around some alien rock to fix this equipment and now it won't work because of a dead frickin' battery? And wait, let me guess -- I'm the only one who can go down and charge up a new one, right? Of course. • The Setup Go down the elevator and open the door. Kill the bullsquid, grab the dead security guard's armor, and ride the lift to the right. You can't open any more of the doors up here (if you could, you'd nearly be done), but through the fence you'll see another scientist and security guard get attacked by a Vortigaunt. This is the power cell charging station, and is your ultimate goal for this chapter -- but you have a lot of work to do before you can get inside. Head back the way you came, down the lift, towards the elevator, and go over to the door with the broken keypad. After a few seconds, you'll hear some marines breaking in on the other side of the door, and then start to cut through with a blowtorch. You're in for a good deal of fighting -- stand back and wait for them to break through. • A Few Bad Men As soon as the soldiers break through, hit them with everything you've got -- grenades, satchels, rockets, anything you can find. Take your time, and retreat when necessary. You'll find some health packs on occasion, and be sure to pick up all the ammo the dead soldiers leave behind. A few rooms ahead, you'll reach a health station just outside a long platform overlooking a coolant drainage area. You'll ultimately need to raise this entire platform to reach the power cell charging station, but first, you'll need to activate the reserve power generator. Continue ahead. You'll run into a half-dozen more soldiers as you cross the long walkway, pass some broken vending machines and head up a ladder. You'll find one more soldier next to a radio -- shoot him, and take the opening to the right past the power indicator to the next level. (Optional: before heading right at the radio, you can climb the hanging ceiling grating into a vent; at the end, you'll find a ventilation room with a dead soldier, some ammo... and some snarks.) • Blowin' Up The Spot As you round the corner past the radio, you'll find a door marked "Coolant Drainage" rigged with dynamite, but the wiring to the plunger has been severed. Around the next corner is the main turbine cooling room, and more Houndeyes. After killing the Houndeyes, you'll realize there's no easy way across the deadly pool of coolant. If only there was some way to blow up that door and get in the drainage control room... Exploding the dynamite rigged to the door is one of the trickiest puzzles in the game, but can be solved fairily easily. First, break all the crates in the area, and find the one metal barrel left over. Drag the barrel over the two bare ends of the tripwire, completing the circuit. Push the plunger, and the door will blast open.** Go through the broken door and kill all the Vortigaunts and headcrabs you run into. Continue to the coolant draining room and turn the valve, draining the pool. Unfortunately, there's still no way across to the other side. If you could only build some sort of bridge... ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ********************************************************* • Chapter 6 - "POWER STRUGGLE"(part 2) ********************************************************* ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// So, things aren't looking very good. Your only route to the power cell charging station is via a platform that won't raise until you get the auxiliary power working. And you can't get to the auxiliary power control room because there's no way get across this pool of coolant. But if you could just get to the other side... • Bridge Over Contaminated Waters Next to the drainage control is another room with an elevator leading further downstairs. Take the elevator down, open the sewage airlock (if it's not already open) and walk along the bottom of the now-empty drainage pool. There are now two barrels lying on the drainge floor, and two more on the short ledge at the top of the ladder. Climb the ladder, push the two barrels off the ledge, and then climb down and arrange the four barrels in a straight line, in line with the bridge pathway. The best way to do this is to use the grating on the floor as a guide -- line the barrels up with the center line on the grating. Take the elevator back up to the drainage control room and reflood the coolant area. If you've done everything correctly, the four barrels should float to the surface, creating a walkway of sorts across the coolant. If not, redrain the canal, go back downstairs and move the barrels around some more until you have an easy path to navigate. Once you're done, leave the drainage control room through the main door you blew up with the dynamite. Head out to the main coolant area, where the floating barrels should now provide a clear path across the coolant. Some aliens will teleport in across the way -- kill them from long range, and then make your way across. Behind the door on the right is another Vortigaunt, so be ready. • Power Up! Work your way forward, killing more Vortigaunts and headcrabs as you go. Eventually, you'll arrive at an area where boxes are blocking your way, and a large alien grunt is waiting to attack you. Across a drainage area to your right, you'll see another set of soldiers battling some unseen aliens. Start by taking out the soldiers from long range before they notice you -- they'll attack you if you climb the debris and go after the alien grunt first. Now that the soldiers are history, climb up the debris and kill the large alien grunt. (Grenades are your best bet here.) Drop down to the other side of the rubble, go through the door and work your way around to the power control room. Watch out for headcrabs and ruptured pipes in the area. When you reach the power control room, kill the bullsquid and flip the two switches. The turbines should start spinning and all the power indicators should turn green. You're almost done! • Raising The Walkway Instead of going all the way back around, simply jump over the ledge outside the control room directly to the coolant bridge area. Climb back over the barrels to the other side of the bridge and continue until your reach the room where you found the radio earlier. Instead of going down the ladder, step out onto the catwalk overlooking the coolant drainage room and press the button. The entire lower walkway should rise up to meet you, providing a pathway over to the power cell charging station. Walk across, kill the Vortigaunts that appear, heal up, and talk to the wounded security guard laying in front of the station. • Charge! Once the security guard finishes talking, open the gate, drag the power cell into the charger and press the button. Once the cell is charged, drag it over to the elevator, load it up, and send it upstairs. Press the keypad next to door to open it. Head to the right (this should look familiar by now), get in the elevator and ride back upstairs to the lab. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ********************************************************* • Chapter 7 - "A LEAP OF FAITH" ********************************************************* ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////// You did it! You singlehandedly recalibrated this equipment and charged up a new power cell to boot. We're just about ready to transport everyone out of here -- I just need your help in the control room while we send everyone to safety. I only hope this equipment still works...and we can escape before the military finds out we're here... • Saving The Scientists Rosenberg is happy to see you, and is prepping to teleport your small group out of the facility. He now needs your help to operate the machinery, and gives you instructions to go around to the control room and turn on the power. After a few moments, the machine will nearly be ready, but a pipe will rupture and you'll need to run up to the catwalk and turn a release valve to set things right. As you do, two Houndeyes teleport in -- kill them, turn the valve, and go back to the control room. After a few more moments, Rosenberg gives you the signal to open the displacement field damping locks. Hit the button at the window overlooking the lab, and a teleporter ball will be created. Walter goes through first, and then the sequence is repeated for Simmons. Note that you can start to hear military in the surrounding areas. Next up is Rosenberg, who says he's calibrated the machine to automatically run through one extra sequence for you after he's gone. Watch him go through and wait for your turn. • Saving Yourself Of course, now that you're the only one left, something's about to go wrong. If you're smart, lay some satchels around the catwalk and wait -- you'll see someone start to blowtorch the door above the control room. Do NOT hit the button opening the displacement locks yet. Kill the first wave of soldiers that come in, and then hit the button opening the displacement field locks. At this point, more soldiers will come in from below. Get out of the control room and head for the teleport ball quickly -- you only have a few moments to make the jump before the equipment fails. Kill anyone you can, and jump into the teleport ball... • The Final Shift You appear somewhere apparently just outside the facility, along with the three scientists. Simmons and Rosenberg are trying to fix an SUV, Walter is breaking open a gate with a crowbar...and you're glowing green?... Just as Rosenberg notices something is wrong, you suddenly teleport away...onto a dark platform in Xen! You continue to glow green, and after a few moments, you teleport again, this time to a small storage room. If you climb on the crates and look out, you'll see two soldiers dragging someone away. Apparently they finally caught that Freeman guy...and you teleport away once again. You finally end up back at the yard with the scientists, intact and no longer glowing. They've fixed the SUV, and Rosenberg expresses his relief, explaining that you're lucky not to have been caught in an infinite loop. Whatever you say, scientist guy. Walter pulls the gate open, and the four of you head off to freedom... ..:: THE END ::..