Gears of War 2 FAQ/Walkthrough Copyright 2009 by Brian Cirnitski ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* [1-0-0] I. Contents ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* I. [1-0-0] Contents II. [2-0-0] Introduction III. [3-0-0] Walkthrough a. [3-1-0] Act I: Tip of the Spear 1. [3-1-1] Chapter 1: Welcome to Delta 2. [3-1-2] Chapter 2: Desperation 3. [3-1-3] Chapter 3: Rolling Thunder 4. [3-1-4] Chapter 4: The Big Push 5. [3-1-5] Chapter 5: Roadblocks 6. [3-1-6] Chapter 6: Digging In b. [3-2-0] Act II: Denizens 1. [3-2-1] Chapter 1: Scattered 2. [3-2-2] Chapter 2: Indigenous Creatures 3. [3-2-3] Chapter 3: Disturbing Revelations 4. [3-2-4] Chapter 4: Sinking Feeling 5. [3-2-5] Chapter 5: Captivity 6. [3-2-6] Chapter 6: Intestinal Fortitude c. [3-3-0] Act III: Gathering Storm 1. [3-3-1] Chapter 1: Dirty Little Secret 2. [3-3-2] Chapter 2: Origins 3. [3-3-3] Chapter 3: Rude Awakening 4. [3-3-4] Chapter 4: Ascension 5. [3-3-5] Chapter 5: Displacement 5. [3-3-6] Chapter 6: Brackish Waters d. [3-4-0] Act IV: Hive 1. [3-4-1] Chapter 1: Priorities 2. [3-4-2] Chapter 2: Answers 3. [3-4-3] Chapter 3: Hornets� Nest 4. [3-4-4] Chapter 4: No Turning Back 5. [3-4-5] Chapter 5: The Best-Laid Plans 6. [3-4-6] Chapter 6: Royal Inquisition e. [3-5-0] Act V: Aftermath 1. [3-5-1] Chapter 1: Escape 2. [3-5-2] Chapter 2: Desperate Stand 3. [3-5-3] Chapter 3: Free Parking 4. [3-5-4] Chapter 4: Tenuous Footing 5. [3-5-5] Chapter 5: Closure IV. [4-0-0] Deleted Scene: Road to Ruin V. [5-0-0] Collectibles Checklist a. [5-1-0] Act I b. [5-2-0] Act II c. [5-3-0] Act III d. [5-4-0] Act IV e. [5-5-0] Act V VI. [6-0-0] Appendix a. [6-1-0] Credits b. [6-2-0] Version History c. [6-3-0] Contact Information d. [6-4-0] Legal Information ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* [2-0-0] II. Introduction ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* Welcome to my walkthrough for Gears of War 2! I had the luxury of being able to hook up my Xbox 360 to my monitor, meaning that I typed as I played. As a result this guide is both very detailed and accurate. It may, in fact, be a little too detailed, as in some cases I�ll go so far as to describe every left and right turn you will make down a winding hallway. I hope that this does not have the effect of being too overwhelming. Note that this guide is written for Normal difficulty. If you are playing on a different difficulty, you may notice discrepancies in the number and types of enemies, as well as the placement of weapons and ammunition. Also note that, while I do try to remain detailed, I do not necessarily record the location of every single spare weapon, box of ammunition, and pair of grenades lying on the ground. To do so would have simply crossed into the threshold of tediousness. Finally, I would like to say that I have enjoyed writing this guide and I hope you find it useful! ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* [3-0-0] III. Walkthrough ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* =============================================================================== [3-1-0] Act I: Tip of the Spear =============================================================================== [3-1-1] Chapter 1: Welcome to Delta (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the very beginning of the level you�ll be given the option to either train the rookie, Benjamin Carmine (brother of Anthony Carmine, from the previous game), or skip training (and Chapter 1) altogether. Training is meant as an introduction or a refresher to the controls and gameplay basics. Skipping it will result in missing two collectibles and an achievement; if you�re looking to fully complete the game, you�re going to want to go through with it and show B. Carmine the ropes. After some chatter you�ll be prompted to hold LB to bring up the Tac Com. This is where you�ll find your list of current objectives. It will also display waypoints indicating the location and status of your teammates. Now, walk or roadie run (by holding A) down to the end of the street. Marcus will soon ask Carmine to practice getting into cover. Show the rookie how it�s done by pressing A near almost any wall or object. You can press in on the left control stick while standing in cover to crouch, and again to get back up. Once you�ve taken cover, Jack will have finished cutting open the fence. Before you proceed, make sure to pick up [Collectible #01], a newspaper, located on the ground in the middle of the street. Up ahead, Dom will pop a few shots at some bottles on the roof of a truck. Follow the prompts onscreen until you�ve successfully shot five bottles and reloaded your weapon. At this point, Carmine will push a dumpster out of the way and you can pass through to the next area. You will soon be prompted to press Y, the point of interest button. After observing the Wretch, mantle over the barricade by going into cover and pressing (A + Forward). Then, kick open the gate by pressing X (you can also roadie run up to it to have Marcus automatically kick it open) and pick up the grenades on the other side to the right. Throw one into the building where the Wretch appears. Carmine, rookie that he is, will throw a grenade nearby and nearly get you all blown up. On the plus side, the fence is now open. ;) Revive your squadmates by pressing X near each one in turn and head through, taking a left and then a right. Slice through the wooden planks by equipping your Lancer and holding B. Continue up the ramp and through the parking garage (that�s a lot of damage for one grenade, isn�t it?) to the ladder on the other side. Head right, not left, and into the building at the end of the street. [Collectible #02] will be on the ground near the desk to the left. Head back out and down the street to conclude this chapter. You�ll earn the achievement �Green as Grass� for (hopefully) showing Carmine a thing or two. [3-1-2] Chapter 2: Desperation (Collectibles: 5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once you�re through listening to Anya on Jack�s monitor, head through the power doors to your right. You�ll be introduced to a new character by the name of Tai Kaliso. Follow Tai through the room and up the stairs. Once on the next floor, head through the power doors and down the hallway on the left (avoiding the double doors to the right of that), taking position at the windows. A group of Locust Drones will come through the far door; be ready to take aim and blow them all to hell by shooting the explosive canisters in the center of the room. Continue down the hallway, taking a right at the end. The third door on the left along this corridor will be open, and inside will be [Collectible #03]. Continue to the end of the corridor, taking another right. A box of ammo will be in the middle of the floor; you can find another down the hallway to the right, and a pair of grenades in a room off of this corridor. Take out the two Drones on the left side of the next room, making sure to pick up one of their Hammerbursts. The Hammerburst has a slower rate of fire than the Lancer, but is stronger, more accurate, and has a slight zoom (press RS while aiming with LT). At this point you have two choices. You can head down the next hallway, or you can take the stairs with Dom and Tai instead. If you stay on the second floor and take the hallway, you�ll run into another pair of Drones, which a King Raven will take out for you (nearly taking you out in the process). Inside the room on the right will be more Locust. Taking cover at the table just inside will cause Marcus to flip it, turning it into an actually useful piece of cover. Pretty cool, eh? Kill the Drones in here. There will be more grenades in the small room on the left if you need them. A Bolter will come running through the door on the right. Bolters are a special kind of Drone that wield the Boltok Pistol. Once you�ve killed the Bolter you can pick up the Boltok Pistol and try it out for yourself. It has a slower rate of fire than the Snub Pistol, but is considerably stronger. I personally prefer it. If you choose the stairs, you�ll run into some Locust at a barricade. You can pick them off by taking cover at the door, or you can flank them by running into the room on the left. Among these Locust is also a Bolter, so you need not worry about missing out on acquiring a Boltok Pistol. Regardless of which way you choose, you�ll soon come upon the same reception area, with more Locust. Once they�ve been dispatched, look inside the large enclosure in the middle of the room for [Collectible #04]. If you took the hallway, the next door you will want to go through will be on your right; if you took the stairs, it will be on your left. If you took the hallway, you can also claim some grenades by going through the doors straight ahead. This is part of the alternate route Dom and Tai took. Next you�ll come to a large courtyard, with quite a few more Locust. At some point during the battle, a Reaver will descend. Reavers are nasty beasts. They have a very powerful cannon, a machine gun turret, and dangerous tentacles. Make sure to take cover and not get too close. If you do, the tip of the tentacle could come down on you, to disastrous results. If you must get close, try to bait it into getting its tentacle caught in the ground � you can then get underneath it and unload with impunity. I wouldn�t worry too much about this one, as it will fly off after it�s been shot only a few times. The best way to scare it off safely is to simply blindfire the Lancer while in cover � Reavers are large targets; most of the shots are bound to land. Once the Drones have fallen back and the Reaver has taken off, you can safely cross the courtyard. Reenter the hospital and take a right. More grenades will be in the room just to the left of the ammo box on the ground. Once you�re full up on ammo and grenades again, dispatch the Locust in the next room. Head through the door on the right, then make a left and another right. [Collectible #05] will be in a small room on the left before you enter the kitchen. If you�ve been picking up every collectible, you should earn the �Collector� achievement here. Across from the small room will be the cafeteria. You can head in there and confront the Locust within, or flank them from the kitchen. (In the kitchen there is also a freezer door you can kick in to find more ammo on the other side.) Once they�ve been eliminated, proceed forward and a King Raven will crash through the ceiling. At this point you�ll be assaulted by more Locust on the walkway above. Flank them by going up the stairs on either your right or your left. Once the Locust have been disposed of, proceed through the two sets of doors. Once in the lobby, you�ll find grenades on your left and [Collectible #06] on your right, next to an ammo box around the corner. As you proceed downstairs, the power will go out again and you�ll find yourself in another firefight. The first group of Locust will come from the back right. The second will come from the left. Once you�ve taken out the Locust, you can find another box of ammo through the door on the left. The power will come back on and you can head outside. Along the way you�ll come across Carmine. What the hell is he doing in here? He was told to stand guard outside. Escort the rook back out into the thick of it. You�ll find [Collectible #07], the last of the chapter, behind a pillar on your right as you exit the hospital. The best way to proceed (once the next Reaver has taken off) is to flank the Locust by running down the left side. A King Raven will arrive to help you out once you reach the street. As you push forward, Marcus will point out a store on your left. Mantle over the windowsill and take cover at the other end of the shop. Kill the grubs outside, then leave the shop and proceed down the street, fighting as you go. Pretty soon the last of them will fall and the chapter will conclude, earning you the achievement �It�s a Trap!� for successfully defending the hospital. [3-1-3] Chapter 3: Rolling Thunder (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At some point in between the chatter make sure to look behind you. [Collectible #08] is posted on the wall at the back of the derrick. After the brief cutscene you will come under attack by enemy mortars � Nemacysts � and have to defend the rig. Don�t worry about doing anything just yet, these are all scripted events. Your part will come once the boulder crashes onto the road ahead of you, nearly knocking the derrick off of it. At this point, you need to fire at the incoming Nemacysts. You can use your Lancer (blindfiring it is somewhat effective), but I recommend getting on the turret above the driver�s cabin. Its high rate of fire and accuracy even over long distances makes it easy to hit the Nemacysts. Just make sure to actually lead your target. You should note that the turret heats up as it is used, indicated by the white/red bar in the upper right hand corner of the screen. It cools down when it is not being used; you can cool it down faster by holding RB. Next you�ll come under fire by several Reavers. One in particular will pull up alongside and attempt to ram the derrick into submission. Get on the turret if you�re not already on it and take aim at the Reaver. Blast it out of the sky! You�ll have a brief moment of peace in between the fighting. Soon, though, the derrick will speed up and crash. Dizzy will need you to hold off the Locust climbing up from Emergence Holes while he patches up the rig. Face the Locust once you�re on the ground � to your left will be [Collectible #09], next to some ammo boxes and a pair of grenades. Take cover at the downed column on the right. From here you should be able to toss a grenade into the E-Hole and close it. No more Locust will be able to come up through it, but you will still need to eliminate the ones that have already emerged. After you�ve killed one or two, another E-Hole will open up. This one you should be able to close from behind cover at the column on the left. More E-Holes will open on the platform above you to your right � you are unprotected from this side. Fortunately, one of the columns still standing will fall, giving you perfect cover from this assault. Unload on the Locust. A couple of rigs will pull up to offer their help, but we wouldn�t have needed it, right? One final E-Hole will open on the ground to your left. You needn�t bother fighting off what locust emerge from it or closing the E-Hole (you won�t have the grenades anyway), as Dizzy will have fixed up Betty by this point. And just in time, as we have mortars incoming. Back to the rig fellas! You�ll have another brief pause in the fighting before more action in the next chapter. [3-1-4] Chapter 4: The Big Push (Collectibles: 0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Countless Locust will pour out of tunnels in the lava fields. (They really upgraded the engine in Gears 2 � such a display would not have been possible in the original.) Get back on the turret and start chewing them up. A Brumak will also appear from one of the tunnels. You can fire at it, but you won�t have time to destroy it, as Dizzy will ram the beast and press forward. You�ll next be rammed by the rig �Ava,� which has been taken over by Locust. Fire at the Drones aboard; more will come up by means of grappling hooks. The road will fork � Ava will take the high road while your rig, Betty, will take the low road. This leaves you in a prime position to have two Locust jump aboard your rig from the nearby ledge. Make sure to help Dom and Carmine fight them off. As the road joins and forks again over more lava fields, you�ll have Locust attempt to board using grappling hooks. You can wait until they climb up to chainsaw or otherwise mangle them, or you can shoot the hooks to prevent them from boarding in the first place. The road will join, fork, and join one last time. At this point you will notice a bridge up ahead. There�s no way both rigs are going to make it across side by side. The driver�s cabin on each rig is covered by bulletproof glass, but that won�t prevent Dizzy from ramming Ava. After a couple of hits, the glass covering Ava�s driver�s cabin will smash open and you can take out the Locust driver. Do so quickly. Ava will fall to her destruction in the ravine while your rig passes safely over the bridge. On the other side, a Brumak will soon emerge from behind some trees to the left of your rig. Fire away if you want, but a Centaur will ultimately kill this one off. You�ll come across another Brumak on your left; you will have the opportunity to destroy it yourself if you want. Once it�s out of the way, turn your attention forward. Drones will be swarming on the ground � tear into them, and be sure to repel any that survive to attempt to board. A third Brumak will engage the rig ahead of you and topple it. Lucky we weren�t on that one, huh? Dizzy will keep driving, preventing you from taking aim at the Brumak and avenging the fallen rig. Up ahead, a Corpser will emerge directly in front of you; don�t worry, it will soon retreat. It�s a different story with the Corpser up on the ridge to the right, which will pounce on one of the rigs and sink it. You�ll run into one last Brumak � nuke it to end the chapter, earning you the achievement �Escort Service� for successfully escorting Betty to Landown. [3-1-5] Chapter 5: Roadblocks (Collectibles: 4) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to Landown! Our mission here is to escort Betty on foot through the town. The door ahead of you will require that you kick it in three times to open it. Mantle over the counter inside and head upstairs. [Collectible #10] will be on the floor next to some grenades and an ammo box. Run back downstairs. As you proceed through the building, you�ll be formally introduced to a new enemy, Tickers. The Locust use them like landmines, so keep your distance. The Tickers will scurry outside, then back inside as you reach their end of the building, trying to blow you up. The best way to fight them is to take aim with your shotgun and fire away. If one gets too close, you can melee it to send it flying backwards. You can then kill it as it lies helpless on the ground. There is, in fact, an achievement (called �Takes a Licking�) that requires you to melee 30 Tickers. Continue outside and head through the alleyway. After a couple of left turns (and some chatter, which you can skip at any time by pressing the Back button if you�re not interested) you�ll come to some wooden planks. Equip your Lancer and chainsaw your way through. Tickers will start pouring out of a hole in the wall directly ahead; take your shotgun back out and destroy them. Make a couple of right turns and you�ll come to a small graveyard with [Collectible #11], a memorial inscription, hanging on the wall. More grenades will be to your left. Turn around and proceed up the street. You�ll see Nemacysts floating in the sky; more will fly in and bombard your position � take cover. Equip your pistol or your Lancer and begin clearing the Nemacysts floating in the sky. Once they have been eliminated and the other Nemacysts flying in have stopped, a Raven will take advantage of the opening and clear the Troika turret on top of the station for you. You will still be under heavy fire from your left flank, however. Keep your head down as much as possible, while still taking the occasional opportunity to fire at the Locust around the station. You can fire at the pumps, causing them to explode and kill any Locust that may have chosen to take cover behind them. Once the Locust around the station have been killed, a Centaur will ram the Troika nest from behind, destroying it. Run inside the station and pick up Collectible [#12], located on the ground in the back room. Mantle over the opening in the fence, indicated by the point of interest, and continue on into the tunnel. Once inside you�ll be confronted by nothing but Tickers. It�s very difficult to shoot them in the dark; stay close to Betty for the light. Halfway through the tunnel you�ll come to a blockage of wrecked cars. To the left of that will be a set of stairs. To the left of that will be a small room; inside you will find [Collectible #13], a set of COG tags. Proceed up the set of stairs � from a hole at the end of the hallway more Tickers will pour out. Take care of them. Head down the next set of stairs and back out into the tunnel, killing more Tickers as you go. At the end of the tunnel you will meet another Reaver; this one will stay and fight. Take cover at one of the wrecked cars and open fire, or get underneath and unload. Once it�s dead, the gate blocking the exit will open. You will be given two choices: Rooftops or Hotel. I�ll cover each individually. ~~ Split Decision: Rooftops ~~ Begin by going up the stairs, taking a left at the top to confront the Locust here. Once they�ve been taken care of, head right and climb the ladder. At the top will be a Bolter using a mortar. You�ll have the chance to run up and chainsaw or otherwise kill him before he notices you and drops the mortar to turn and fight. Now, pick up the mortar. You�ll soon discover that it�s a very fun weapon to use. The mortar does not need to be switched with one of your two main weapons. You�ll place your current weapon on your back when you pick it up, but you�ll walk very slowly with it. In order to use the mortar, you must go into aim mode using LT and hold RT to increase the distance of the shot. Aim at the damaged roof indicated by the point of interest and hold down RT for as long as you can. You�ll make an opening for Dom and Tai. Once you�re through having fun with the mortar, climb back down the ladder. At this point, Marcus will order Jack to rip open the door to your right. You can get the drop on the Locust out on the rooftop by hanging left and taking aim through the windows, or you can confront them head on by going through the door ahead. Once you�ve taken out all of the Locust on the Rooftop, a Brumak will come out of the tunnel. The fastest way to take it out is by taking cover and using the mortars previously in the hands of the Locust you just killed. It should only take a couple of well-placed shots on Normal, but whatever the case, make sure that you kill it fast. If given the chance, the Brumak will walk all the way to the end of the street, turn, and destroy Betty, with Dizzy aboard. After the Brumak is dead the chapter will conclude. ~~ Split Decision: Hotel ~~ Head up the stairs around the corner. There will be one Locust at the top, with more out on the rooftop. After the area is clear, move toward the boarded up door to have Marcus request that Dom drop a mortar through the roof. This will make an opening for you to proceed through. Once inside, head left and kick open the door. They�ll be more Locust on the other side. With them out of the way, kick open the door leading out to the rooftops again or fire on the Locust through the windows. Once they�ve been disposed of, a Brumak will emerge from the tunnel ahead. Pick up one of the mortars (I discuss the use of the mortar in the section above) the Locust were using and take cover. Try to land a couple of shots on the Brumak. Make sure that you do it fast, too; if not, the beast will destroy Betty. Once it�s dead, the chapter will conclude. [3-1-6] Chapter 6: Digging In (Collectibles: 0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a relatively short chapter. The rigs have finally reached the center of town and are getting ready to deploy the grindlifts, which will deliver Gears into the heart of enemy occupied territory. But first, we have a Locust assault to ward off. To start off, an E-Hole will open directly ahead. Attempt to close it using your mortar. Next, a couple of mortar crews will run in from the right. These guys will deal heavy damage to the rig and your team if you do not take them out fast! The best way to combat them is by using the mortar. With a well-placed shot, you can take out both Locust at the same time. At this point, Locust will also climb aboard your rig; be ready to fight them off. The next defining characteristic of this massive firefight will be a couple of Boomers appearing from the back right. Boomers are large creatures that wield the Boomshot, a grenade launcher. Take these out as well, being careful to duck back into cover everytime a grenade looks like it might be heading your way. Nailing them with the mortar would be tricky; you should instead take out your Lancer and gun them down that way. Finally, we have a pair of Reavers. Their cannons will also deal a lot of damage to the rig. Take them out fast using the mortar. The chapter will conclude after another cutscene, and you will be allowed access to the character Dizzy in multiplayer, as well as being awarded the achievement �Girl About Town,� both for completing Act I. Congratulations! =============================================================================== [3-2-0] Act II: Denizens =============================================================================== [3-2-1] Chapter 1: Scattered (Collectibles: 0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As you look around, you�ll probably note what a terrific job Epic did with the flora in this cave network, not to mention the cave formations themselves. Choose one of the several paths here. They branch off in various ways, but they all meet in the same place � where Carmine is under siege. Cut through the vines with your Lancer and get in there to help him out. You�ll have a medium sized skirmish on your hands, about five or six Locust. Once they have been taken hostage, curb stomped, and otherwise decimated, meet up with the rook on his outlook. It looks like he held out where quite a few Gears didn�t. Jack will attempt to fix the grindlift so that you can bury through 30 meters of rock and continue through the cave network. He�ll need you to guard him for some time as more Locust emerge from E-Holes. Tickers will start pouring out of the E-Holes in addition to Drones and Grenadiers. If you haven�t yet gotten the achievement for meleeing 30 Tickers, here�s your chance to make some progress or even complete that achievement. Once the Locust have been killed, activate the grindlift by pressing X and follow it through the wall. Omega squad will need your help below, so snap to it! Run all the way down and take cover at the sandbags. Tickers will join the Drones and Grenadiers again � don�t let them get too close. This time, though, a couple of Boomers will also join the fray. Once the dust has settled, you can finally try out the Boomshot for yourself; if you like big, powerful weapons, the Boomshot is for you. Mantle up onto the walkway the Locust came from. It�ll be dark up ahead; Jack will light the way for you. As you proceed, a pack of Wretches will attack. It may be difficult to see them in the dark � Jack�s lights hardly cover enough of the cavern � but fend them off as best as you can. The chapter will conclude up ahead through the vines. [3-2-2] Chapter 2: Indigenous Creatures (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One of the indigenous creatures the chapter�s title alludes to will appear before you, crawling out of the wall to your right. It�s called a Rockworm, and it eats the glowing fruit Carmine asked about just before in the last chapter. You�ll be given the objective of shooting one of the glowing fruit off of the ceiling to lure the Rockworm. Another noteworthy point about Rockworms is that they are near impervious to small arms fire � it doesn�t even faze them at all. Finally, don�t get too close to its mouth. As the Rockworm rears up it will seriously injure you, requiring that one of your teammates pick you up. On higher difficulties it will kill you outright. Once you�ve lured the Rockworm, head down the path to the left. On your left as you�re following the path will be a grindlift behind some vines. At the base of the grindlift will be an ammo box and [Collectible #14], so make sure to slice your way through. Up ahead past a second Rockworm you�ll be confronted with another fork in the road. This is not a full split, just a slight variation on how to approach this one fight. Left is the high ground, while the right features another Rockworm for cover. In this fight, you�ll face a Troika turret and more grubs. I recommend taking the left, as it will prompt a Rockworm to emerge from a hole in the wall pretty close to the Locust. You can use it for cover and then toss a grenade into the Troika nest to eliminate the operator. Just be aware that other grubs will take up position at the turret once the previous operator dies � you will need to toss multiple grenades. Also be aware that enemy reinforcements will come down the ladders. Eliminate all locust here and then climb one of the ladders yourself. Topside, a Ticker will detonate the rock wall blocking your path to the right. Dispatch the additional Tickers that come scurrying through and proceed that way. Up ahead, you�ll notice that the wall is shifting to your left. What is that? Well, you have more pressing concerns at the moment anyway � another E- Hole will open ahead. Use the Rockworm for cover and kill what Locust emerge. As the path curves to the right, a sniper will take a shot at you, then run further down the path. Don�t be so hasty in chasing him � he�ll be covered by multiple other snipers and a Troika turret on an outcropping in the distance. The grindlift next to the sandbags has a couple of Longshot sniper rifles scattered around it. Go ahead and pick one up. You can then proceed to lay a whupping down on everything in sight, or you can be more crafty. If you choose the latter, first clear out the path before you. As you run down it, a Rockworm will emerge on your right. Get behind it and follow it down the path. A point of interest will soon indicate that there are Locust explosives on the platform. That�s your cue to snipe them and blow the Locust all to hell. With another mass of Locust dead, you can proceed down one of two paths. Regardless of which you choose, you will be presented with the opportunity to take a little sniper practice on a Locust patrol. If you manage to snipe five Locust, you will hear one of the most memorable lines of the entire game. It�s priceless not only because of how Marcus says it, but how he builds up to it. Anyway, continue up the path you chose, eventually coming to a large Locust depot, complete (unfortunately for you) with not one but two Troika turrets. If you still have your sniper rifle (you should), take aim at each of the operators� heads in turn and fire away. Clear out the remaining Locust and a Reaver will land. Take him out and you will have a temporary pause in the fighting to scrounge up some ammo. Behind the Troikas next to one box of ammo in particular is [Collectible #15]. After a few moments the doors to the left of the collectible will burst open and Tickers, Wretches, Boomers, and a Drone will come through. Eliminate them all. Proceed through the doors and down the path. Pretty soon your view will be drawn to a bunch of grindlifts coming down � this is Alpha Two. They require an assist, as they are getting pelted by heavy mortar fire. Continue up ahead to confront the mortar crews. There are also a lot of grubs down below overrunning Alpha Two�s position. Pick up a mortar, man the Troika, or use your weapons (sniper rifle from earlier or Boomshot if you picked one up just now) to lay siege to the grubs. Once they�re dead, your attention will be drawn to the wall ahead of you - it�s...moving? Again, what the hell is that? Well, whatever it is, it�ll soon take off. Proceed ahead to end this chapter and start the next. [3-2-3] Chapter 3: Disturbing Revelations (Collectibles: 1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Past the pool filled with glowing fungi it looks like we have quite the stone architecture here. It would also seem that the Locust have been down here for some time. We�re introduced to a new enemy at this point � the Kantus. Quite noisy, isn�t he? Looks like his breath could kill, too. He�ll be accompanied by Drones, and so long as the Kantus is alive he will also summon Tickers from the ground. Kill the Kantus, most easily done by sniping him. Once he is dead, the doors will open and another Kantus will appear, this one accompanied by Wretches. Kill the Wretches, then focus on the Kantus. Once the second Kantus has been dropped, the remaining Drones (if you left any alive) will hastily retreat. On the ground from the second Kantus you will find an Ink Grenade and a Gorgon Pistol. Ink Grenades fill up an area with a poisonous gas for a short time. Gorgon Pistols are much like machine pistols. Proceed through the doors ahead. On the right next to the ammo box on the ground will be [Collectible #16], what appears to be the Locust equivalent of a COG tag. Head further down the path, making a right and then a left. You will be presented with two choices. ~~ Split Decision: Right Path ~~ Pick up the ammo box and the grenades in front of you, if you need them. Continue ahead, getting behind the Rockworm for cover from the Troika nests. You�ll have to wait patiently for the Rockworm to proceed from one globe of fruit to the next. Or, you could run straight past the Rockworm and down to the end � the Troikas will take some time tracking you and you should be able to get all the way to the end mostly unscathed. However you happen to get to the other side, proceed to take out the two turret operators from their flank. Then pull the lever and head through the door. Hang a right and then a left. Climb one of the ladders here and be ready to confront another Troika operator at the top. With him out of the way, continue on and get the drop on the next Troika operator, halfway down the flight of stairs. Man the Troika and begin tearing the room apart. Once all of the Locust are dead, the doors to your right will fly open and a Boomer will come through with a handful of grubs. Rip into them. A cutscene will follow and you�ll earn the achievement entitled �That Sinking Feeling.� ~~ Split Decision: Left Path ~~ Head down the path, being sure to claim the box of ammo and the sniper rifle if you want it. Once inside the next room, make sure to plant a grenade on the floor next to the crates on your left. Wretches will soon come from the hole behind them. Plant the grenade by looking straight down and meleeing with a grenade equipped. Now, look out of the windows and shoot the three globes of fruit hanging there. This will allow Dom and Carmine to proceed through the room below, using a Rockworm as cover. Once you�ve done that, the Wretches will come. The grenade should take out some, but not all � finish what Wretches are not killed by the explosion. A couple of Wretches will also jump down to the right of the lever next to the door. You can keep reloading the checkpoint and planting more grenades to quickly earn the achievement �Said the Spider to the Fly.� Once you�re through with the Wretches, pull the lever and head on to the next area. If you have a sniper rifle on you, you can snipe the turret operator in the distance. If not, you will have to wait for Dom and Carmine to take him out. Dom and Carmine may or may not be of much help with the next turret. If not, and if you don�t have a sniper rifle, you�ll have to try to pick him off with a pistol from the sandbags. With the Troika operator and the other Locust in the room dead (including a Kantus � beware of surprise Tickers), a Boomer and more grubs will appear through the large double doors. Kill them to conclude the chapter and earn yourself the achievement �That Sinking Feeling.� [3-2-4] Chapter 4: Sinking Feeling (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So now we know what�s sinking the cities. Damn, there goes Ilima now too. As you proceed down the path, a King Raven will crash in the sinkhole. It looks like we have a new mission � to rescue the pilots onboard. Continue down the path and a Stranded will run out from behind the rubble, yelling for help. A Bloodmount will be in hot pursuit; Bloodmounts are large creatures ridden by Locust. You can shoot at the Bloodmount and try to draw its attention, but it will run down the Stranded no matter how hard you try. Another Stranded will run towards you, followed by the Bloodmount and more grubs. The Locust won�t take any interest in killing this Stranded beyond popping a few stray shots in his direction, so don�t worry about trying to protect him. Kill the Locust here, including the Bloodmount. Bloodmounts are especially dangerous from the front, where their claws will rip into you if you get too close. If you kill the mount before you kill the rider, be aware that the rider will get back up and confront you. The easiest and funnest way to kill him is to stand above with the chainsaw revved as he gets back up. As you continue down the path, another Bloodmount and more grubs will insert themselves in between you and the downed chopper. Dispatch them, then proceed forward. A car will be swallowed up by a small sinkhole. At this point, look to your right. There will be an overlook with an ammo box and a Gorgon Pistol. Behind the wrecked car here will also be [Collectible #17]. Beware, however, as you will come under fire by enemy snipers. You can attempt to take them out by zooming in with your pistol, or your own sniper rifle if you still happen to have one. With the snipers eliminated, proceed back down the proper path. A Reaver will fly down and engage you. Take it out. A Corpser will emerge in the distance as you press on, then retreat. A bridge will descend from the hole the Corpser dug and Locust will pour down it. Focus your fire on the Locust with whatever weapons you have at your disposal. If you need a sniper rifle you�ll find one to the left, forward of the box of ammo and the grenades. Whatever Locust you fail to kill will file into the wrecked buildings and proceed to fire on you and the rest of your squad. Another Reaver will also descend, but it will be blocked from walking near you by a large slab of stone. Deal with the enemies here in whatever order and way you see fit. Once the Reaver has been killed, the slab of stone will be destroyed and you can proceed through. A pair of grenades will be down the path to your left before you enter the building with the downed chopper. Head inside the building. It looks like the pilots didn�t make it. Next you�ll be overrun by more Locust on the floor above. Get back inside the building for cover and do what you can to defend yourself. After a short time Cole will appear and deal with the remaining Locust in a style all his own. Welcome back to Delta, Cole. Cole will inform you that he got separated from Baird and Tanner, Baird�s jumpmate, after the drop. Once again we have a new objective, to assist in the search for Baird and Tanner. Before you head out the door your squadmates will take, look to the left. There will be a human corpse near the back wall. Pick up [Collectible #18], his COG tags. Then head out the door. Hang a left and then a right into the graveyard. A Reaver will descend and more Drones will traverse the bridge, with a Kantus hanging back; you know what to do. Head across the bridge to end the chapter. [3-2-5] Chapter 5: Captivity (Collectibles: 1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Run into the large tunnel created by the worm. Head left into the misty cavern and left again before the boxes (there�s nothing in them, so you needn�t worry about checking). Up ahead it looks like Tanner is KIA. Further on you�ll come across Baird. Fortunately, he�s still alive. You�ll earn the achievement �Freebaird!� for getting him out of the capsule. What are the Locust doing taking prisoners, anyway? As you head into the next cavern, hang a right. [Collectible #19] will be behind a box. Run back down the path, where your attention will be drawn to something called a beast barge. Baird reports that the Locust are likely torturing prisoners aboard. As you reach the turn in the path you will be confronted by more Locust, including a Boomer that will descend the ramp from the barge. Kill them and board the barge. From the right end of the barge an elevator will descend with a Grinder aboard. Grinders wield the Mulcher, a portable machine gun turret. The Mulcher is a heavy weapon, like the Mortar, in that it will not replace one of your current weapons but it will slow you down. Eliminate the Grinder (claiming the Mulcher if you want it) and take the elevator up. Once on the second story, pull the lever ahead of you to open the cells. It looks like there�s nothing of interest in them on this beast barge. Continue up one of the two ramps in front of you to confront a handful of Locust at the top. With them dead, look for the next lever in the middle of this floor and pull it to get the barge moving. Be sure to take cover from the Reavers and the Troika turret on the barge at an angle to yours. When your barge bumps into the one ahead, kill the Locust aboard and climb on over. Head belowdecks and open the cells on this level. A cutscene will follow. After the cutscene you will be on the bottom level of the beast barge. Locust will assault you from the ledge ahead and the bridge will lower. Among the Locust will be another Grinder. Pick off the Grinder and what grubs you can from the barge, then rush across the bridge and finish what Locust you did not take out. Grenades and a Gorgon Pistol will be to your left as you reach the other side of the bridge. Proceed down the path. Next you will encounter a couple of Bloodmounts, a Kantus, and more grubs. Eliminate them and continue winding your way down. Past the suspended bridge, you�ll run into another Bloodmount and a Kantus. Kill them and continue on � you will soon reemerge into the Ilima sinkhole. Ahead and to your right you will encounter more grubs. Dispatch them and head forward and to the right again, past where the overhead sign says �Lunch.� You will run into a Reaver, another Kantus, and more grubs. Show them the business end of your weapon. Alternatively, you could trigger this group of enemies and then head left under the �Sodas� sign and around to flank them. Once the enemies here have been dealt with, you�ll notice a fork in the road. To either side is a pair of grenades; behind some debris on the left is an ammo box. The right side is the correct path, as the left is a dead end. Before you get very far down the right path you�ll run into more Locust. Dispatch them. You�ll now have one of three paths available to you. Two go around the service station; another on the far left will take you around the crumbling building. There will be a box of ammo and grenades down the middle path, which will take you around the left side of the station. If you take one of the two paths around the station you�ll have just one group of Drones to worry about; if you head around the building you�ll find two groups in your way. With the group(s) of Locust eliminated, you�ll have another three paths open to you. All three lead up to the top of the building before you, where a King Raven will fly down to pick you up. Around the back left will be a box of ammo and grenades if you need them. There will also be a box of ammo up the middle path, which is through the door. Whichever way you choose, you�ll be ambushed at the top by grubs and a Kantus. After a short while a counter will appear onscreen with 30 seconds left. Endure those 30 seconds and the chopper will arrive to ferry you to safety...or not. [3-2-6] Chapter 6: Intestinal Fortitude (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You�ll find yourself in the belly of the beast itself, the giant worm. Look ahead to your left � a magazine, [Collectible #20], will be on the ground. If you�ve been picking up every collectible in order, then you should earn the �Pack Rat� achievement at this point. Proceed down the path. You�ll soon be toppled by a sudden rumbling. Once Marcus has gotten back up, continue onward. Around the corner you�ll see another lovely sight � large teeth moving up and down, powerful enough to crush anything that happens to be beneath. Walk up to each set in turn as it comes down, such that you�re as close as you can safely get. When the teeth go back up, dodge through (you may want to keep holding A so that you continue into a roadie run, ensuring that you pass through as fast as possible). Be sure to approach the third set from the side only. After the three sets of teeth, you�ll find that you have to roadie run to get past the next set. Keep going; don�t stop for anything. Stay to the left, too, or you may find that you get stuck on an obstruction on the right, forcing you to stand up and get killed. Once through, look to your left to find a Lancer on the ground. Up ahead will be a Gorgon Pistol in the middle of the path. You�ll come upon more sets of teeth; one smashing horizontally, two going up and down again, and another horizontal one. Dodge through each one in turn. On the other side of these four sets of teeth, you will be introduced to a new enemy � a parasite living inside the worm that comes up through openings on the ground. Defend yourself from these creatures, and then continue onward. Be sure to stay in the middle of the path � you will be killed by the cilia on either side if you remain in their midst for too long. Up ahead you�ll find Carmine. After finding Carmine, a wall of half digested material will come barreling down the path. Looks like we have a race on our hands! Run up the path, being sure to snag the Lancer if you need it. [Collectible #21] is on the left side of the path up ahead, just before you turn the corner. It can be hard to see � you may have to dance around a bit until you see the �pick me up� icon on your screen. After you�ve snagged the collectible, follow the path up, over, and back down. Shoot the wall ahead of you to make it open, then run through. Follow the left side of this chamber, then cross over to the right and saw open the light tissue wall. Continue down the path as it crosses back over to the left, then shoot open the next wall ahead of you. Run down the center of this chamber, eventually turning right. Shoot the car, as indicated by the point of interest, to make it fall and allow you to cross over the cilia. Head left, then right, and cut open the next wall of light tissue ahead. Once through, the race will be over and you will have survived the food wall. In this next chamber, we have to shoot the tips of acid jets to make our way through. Hop down the ledge; if you need the ammo, you�ll find another Lancer down and to the right, past the acid jet. Head back up and to the left. A Gorgon Pistol will be on the ground before you. Shoot the acid jets as you go, quickly running past to avoid getting spewed with the caustic liquid as the jets come back up. Be careful once you are past the jets to avoid the pools of acid lining the path. Another Lancer will be on the ground near the body as you continue onward. Up next we have a maze filled with poisonous gas � we have to pass through quickly or risk suffocating. Start off by taking the path on the right, then take the next left. Continue dead ahead, following the light, until you come to another thin membranous wall. Slice through to escape the maze. Roadie run up the path, hopping down two sets of ledges and coming to another membranous wall. Cut through to find your objective � the heart. Cut the two arteries to destroy the heart, then follow the path that has just opened for you on the right. As you continue along this path, you�ll hear another heartbeat. Interesting, it appears this worm has more than one heart. Along the way you�ll be ambushed by more parasites emerging from mounds on the ground. Kill them and hop down a ledge to be ambushed by another swarm of parasites. Kill these as well and look to the right of this platform if you want yet more Lancer ammo. Hop down off of this platform and slice through the next membranous wall. The second heart will be on the other side; ascend the ramp on the left, cutting each of the three arteries as you go. Once this heart has been destroyed, another path will open on the left. Continue up and you�ll hear yet another heartbeat � hopefully this is the last one. Hop off the ledge on the right and cut through another wall. In this chamber we have the final heart, with a total of four arteries pumping it blood. You�ll be ambushed by more parasites as you proceed through the room. They keep coming; ignore them unless you absolutely must engage. Instead, proceed to cut the arteries to this heart (there are two on either side). After you cut the first one, the blood level in the room will start to rise. Cut the other arteries quickly or you�ll be drowning in blood. With the arteries cut, the chapter will conclude and you will unlock the Kantus playable character in multiplayer, as well as the achievement �Heartbroken.� =============================================================================== [3-3-0] Act III: Gathering Storm =============================================================================== [3-3-1] Chapter 1: Dirty Little Secret (Collectibles: 0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Head down the path, making a couple of rights to come to the front of the facility. Kick open the door that isn�t boarded up and head inside. Head to the right and down the long hallway. Through the second door on the left you will find your choice of a Boltok or a Gorgon Pistol. Proceed to the end of the hallway to initiate a cutscene. Marcus will order Baird to prepare a blast charge for the door blocking our path; while he�s busy with that, we are going to recon what we can of the rest of the facility. After the cutscene, head left, then right. Proceed down the hallway, taking a right at the end, then heading left and right again. Turn right once more and head into the next room. In it you will find a Scorcher flamethrower. Nice! Another shiny new weapon. Head into the next room and pull the lever to restore power to the facility. Two rooms back, you�ll find a switch near a door to the right. Press it to open the door, then head through and to the right. You�ll be attacked by a pack of Wretches. Now who didn�t see that coming? With the Wretches dead, turn the corner and you�ll find an ammo box to the right of the shutter door on your left. After you�ve picked up the ammo box, turn the wheel near it to open the door. You�ll find that you have returned to the Centaur back outside. And just in time, as Baird has finished preparing the blast charge. Dom will have one end of it and you�ll have the other. The controls can be quite finicky here, and to make matters worse you are equipped with only your pistol. Oh well. Escort the charge to the elevator you hopped off of earlier. Jack will activate it, bringing you back up to the level of the facility floor. Proceed through the room and you will be attacked by more Wretches. Fend them off as best as you can. The easiest way to do so might be to let them get close and simply pistol-whip them. As this is going on, Jack will be cutting through the door ahead of you. Once the Wretches are dead you will be able to proceed through; more Wretches will be waiting on the other side. Kill the Wretches and head on through. Turn right � you will be back down the long hallway with the door you need to blow open. The Wretches, however, are not simply going to let you walk quietly all the way down. Multiple Wretches will drop through the ceiling to confront you. Kill the Wretches and walk the charge down the hallway. With the door blown wide open, the chapter will conclude. How�s that for proper identification? [3-3-2] Chapter 2: Origins (Collectibles: 3) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Proceed through the door you just blew open and up the stairs, taking a left as you go. On the right will be a small room, and inside will be a Boltok Pistol and [Collectible #22]. Past the small room will be another room overlooking a large courtyard. Near the windows will be an ammo box. Jack will rip open the door that was on your right as you entered. Head on through, taking a right and then a left down the stairs. Kick open the door to your right and activate the switch in this room to have the turret defense system kill the Wretches in the adjacent room. Be sure to turn the turrets back off before you leave. Head back out and down to the end of the hallway. Kick open the door to your right, then proceed through the room where the Wretches were killed. In the next hallway to your left will be another turret. It�s not necessary to turn this one off to proceed, but you can by going into the room to the left of the turret and pressing the switch. In here are also grenades, really the only reason you would bother with the turret. Continue back down the hallway; a door will be ajar on your right. Head through, then kick open the next door; inside will be [Collectible #23]. Make your way back out into the hallway. At the end another door will be open on your right and inside will be a Lancer. At this point, a turret will have activated down the next hallway to the left. Use cover to advance closer to the turret. The first room on the right has nothing of interest within � your goal is the second door on the right. Inside will be a switch to turn off this turret. Proceed through this room and into the hallway dividing it from the next, where you will be attacked by more Wretches. Kill them but be careful, as there are flame turrets in the next room. Advance down the right side of the room and into cover on the wall where the flame turrets are socketed. Make a couple of SWAT turns in order to get past and press the switch on the other side to deactivate the turrets. Enter the next hallway and turn right. There will be more turrets active down the hallway perpendicular to this one. Kick open the door straight ahead and move through to the other end. Exit back out into the hallway, being mindful of the turrets. The switch to deactivate them will be to your left. Move down to the end of the hallway and kick open the doors on your left to enter into a small courtyard. Kill the Wretches here, then turn right and head towards the double doors. They will burst open and a mass of Wretches will attack. Dispatch them and head into the next hallway on the left. Dodge past the turret and enter into the kitchen. Rush up to and enter cover near the turrets at the far end. You�ll be attacked by Wretches once more � the turrets should help you get rid of them, but be careful not to get caught in the crossfire. Move to the left side of the room and rush down and out of the kitchen while the turret on the left is focused elsewhere. The switch to deactivate the turrets in the kitchen will be on the wall to your left as you exit. Head down the hallway to have Baird speak. He�ll inform you that the weather is taking a turn for the worst. Move down the winding hallway, making a right, a left, and two more rights. On your left in this next room will be a couple of turrets on the ceiling. Move into this area only slightly to trigger a swarm of Wretches through the double doors. You need only take care of what the turrets don�t. Move further along and turn left to find the switch to deactivate them. In the room to the right of the switch will be a Scorcher and [Collectible #24]. With the turrets deactivated, head through the double doors. There will be more turrets along the ceiling; avoid them by going down the left side of the room to the back of the table there. Head right and out into the hallway. Make a couple of lefts to come across an ammo box. Head through the door and down the stairs, making a right and two lefts at the bottom. Another mass of Wretches will burst through the door ahead, most of them killed by the turrets along the wall; kill what the turrets don�t. Roadie run all the way down the hallway to avoid the turrets and make a left. Continue on to have Jack cut open the fence while Baird elaborates on the crappy weather conditions (what�s razorhail?). Proceed through the fence and make a left down the stairs. At the bottom you�ll come to another split decision. This one isn�t long or elaborate enough to require their own sections, so I�ll just briefly give the rundown here. The left path has you powering down the turrets for your partner, while the right has you act as laser bait. As laser bait, be sure to keep in step, as when one set of turrets goes down, the one behind it will soon go back up. Turret controls are a lot simpler, as your AI partner will take care of timing as laser bait. Once at the other end, press the button to open the heavy door. Wow, what�s in those tanks? That�s a question that�s never fully answered in this game. Proceed forward and to the left, then make another left, coming to a fence on your right. Jack will rip it open for you. Head up the stairs and pull the lever when the point of interest indicates that you can in fact pull it. The chapter will conclude at this point. [3-3-3] Chapter 3: Rude Awakening (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Begin by heading down the stairs. Turn right at the bottom, then head down the left path. You�ll be interrupted by a short cutscene, at the end of which you must face one of the so-called �Sires.� The best way to handle these guys is to whip out your Lancer and slice them in half. The Scorcher is also very effective if you still happen to have one on you. Beware, however, as the Sires will often get back up if not chainsawed. Continue down the path, making a couple of rights past more Sires raging against the inside of their tubes. Two will jump out at you. As you turn left to head through the gate ahead, another pair will charge right through, busting it open for you. Deal with them and continue on to the next room. Many Sires will escape their confinement to confront you. Proceed slowly, chainsawing or burning alive anything that gets in your way. If you need it, a Scorcher will be against the back left wall, next to the gate and the ammo box. In the third room, make your way again to the back wall, killing Sires as you go. As soon as a pause in the fighting presents itself, begin opening the next gate with Dom. Should you need to back away to fight more Sires, you can do so quickly by pressing X while not turning the wheel with A. Or, you could wait until the Sires stop coming entirely. Once you have the gate open, Marcus and Dom will rush through to the next room. In here you will find the lever to deactivate Niles and his security systems. Go ahead and pull it. A shutter door will soon open and you can proceed through. Head up the stairs and make a couple of rights, then a left through the next room. A group of Locust will burst through the back left wall, and with them will be a couple of Flame Grenadiers. Along the right wall you will find a small room with a switch to activate a security turret. Press it to have the turret do most of the work here. As you�re helping the turret do its job, you can aim at the fuel tanks on the Flame Grenadiers� backs to have them explode after a short while. Just be sure to remain at a distance, as the Flame Grenadiers may run at you in a kamikaze attempt if you choose to take them out this way. With the Locust here dispatched, deactivate the turret and proceed through the hole in the wall that the Locust created. In this room you�ll encounter a Bolter and another Flame Grenadier. Take them out, then run into the room to your immediate left, taking cover from the Locust opposite you. In a small room off of this one you will find another set of turret controls. Press them to deactivate the turret blocking your path and activate a turret placed in a prime position to kill the Locust opposite you. Once through, mantle over the windowsill and turn left. In a storage room off to the left will be an ammo box; opposite that will be a pair of double doors you need to head through. Once on the other side, more Locust will confront you, including another Flame Grenadier. Kill them and then make a couple of lefts. On the left over the windowsill or through the door will be a pair of grenades; on the right will be more Locust. Kill them, then head down the hall and make a right, where you will need to kick open some double doors. Take cover as Locust pour out from the next door. Let them walk into the center of the room. Oh...so that�s razorhail. Once the razorhail has sliced the Locust to ribbons, advance along the outer edge of the room to the door the Locust came from. As you exit the facility, look to your right. There will be a small building. Roadie run through the razorhail and into the building to find [Collectible #25]. Run straight back out and across to the other small building. Pick up the ammo box here and clear the Locust from the train outside, then board it and pull the brake release at the left end of the train to get you moving. You can shoot Locust as you go, but it doesn�t really make a difference. The train will stop eventually and the doors will open again. Head back out and take cover as more Locust pour out of an E-Hole directly ahead. They are equipped with sniper rifles, so you�re a bit outmatched with anything less. Use whatever you can to pick them off and then head down the right, mantling onto and passing through the train. As you pass by the collapsed E-Hole and into the next building, you�ll come across a single Locust at the wall opposite yours. Take him out, then open the shutter door and pass under, mantling up and over the low wall the Locust used for cover. Open the next shutter door and this time head outside and to the right. There will be another wheel you�ll need to turn to get back inside, as well as a barricade for cover if you find that things get too hot as you are attempting to open the door. Hopefully you picked up a sniper rifle from earlier and can use it to deal with the Locust opposite you if you need to. With the door open, head inside. You can claim a box of ammo by going to the right and around the back of the building to avoid the razorhail coming in through the roof. Once you have claimed your ammo box, head back around and to the right. Dodge and/or roadie run through the door and out under the shelter. Rather than board the next train, make a couple of rights and head into the building at the end of the path. Inside on the left wall are a bunch of marks that serve as [Collectible #26]. An ammo box is next to the collectible. Now, board the train and pull the brake release again. Be careful, as this time there will be Locust on both sides assaulting you. Once the train stops, head out and to the back, where you will find a ladder. Climb it and head down the path. Dash from shelter to shelter, killing Locust as you go. Pretty soon your attention will be drawn to a pair of Maulers. Maulers use close quarters weapons in conjunction with large shields. Their weapons are useless until they reach you, and right now they need to hold their shields over their heads to protect from the razorhail, so as they advance they are entirely vulnerable. Nuke them fast, pulling back to give yourself more room if necessary. Use the Boomshields, as they are called, to cross the razorhail in the same manner that the Maulers did. You can plant the Boomshield in the ground using A and pick it back up again with X. You have access only to your pistol while holding the Boomshield. Soon the razorhail will stop and you will be free to leave overhead shelter. Kill the rest of the Locust down this side of the complex, then head left. As you reach the Centaur you will have to defend Baird as he repairs the minor damage incurred by the razorhail. A couple of Reavers will descend one after the other � destroy them to end the chapter. [3-3-4] Chapter 4: Ascension (Collectibles: 0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now we are finally in control of a Centaur. Aim the turret using RS. Press LS forward to move in the direction in which you are aiming. Firing and reloading work exactly as on foot. Finally, use A to engage the Centaur�s boost. Begin by taking either the left or the right path up ahead. Regardless of which way you decide to go, you will have Boomers, Troikas, Reavers, and masses of grubs to deal with. But we can take �em, right? The left path is shorter, has less enemies to deal with, and is less confusing, so I recommend taking that way. After mowing down the Locust checkpoint and boosting off of the ramp, you�ll come to a second checkpoint, and then a third. Be sure to take out the Reavers, Troikas, and Boomers, as each can deal a tremendous amount of damage to your ride. Shoot the barricades to blow them open. Also, note that Baird will fix the Centaur every so often, returning it to full health. Boost off the next ramp, then proceed down the road and over the icy lake. Seeders will rain fire down on the lake, punching massive holes in the ice. Be careful to avoid the holes and drive on. Also, don�t attempt to boost, it won�t make you go any faster. Once over the first lake, you will have two Reavers to deal with. Dispatch them and continue over the next lake. The path over the ice will take you left and around the back. Before you reach dry land again you will be confronted by a Reaver. Plow through it. After crossing the lake, continue following the path. Two Reavers will insert themselves in your way. After dispatching them, you will have to drive past another checkpoint. Next after that are two more Reavers, followed by a third up ahead. With the Reavers dead we have some Seeders up on a ridge. Two clean shots each should dislodge them from their perch, same as the Reavers. Continue up Mount Kadar, killing another pair of Reavers as you go. Soon you will reach a collapsed bridge. To your right through some trees will be a natural ramp � boost over that and continue up the mountain. Three Reavers will descend from the sky as you climb the mountain, one after another. Kill each in turn and round the corner. Your view will be drawn to a large Locust outpost. Before we can get to work destroying it, another Reaver will land halfway up the ramp leading down to the outpost � destroy it. Then, proceed slowly down the ramp, nuking everything in sight. Be sure to take out the Boomers and the Troika turret in the building. Finally, shoot the tower repeatedly to make it fall. Now, head into Mount Kadar. It will get pretty dark soon. At this point the lights will come on. As you proceed towards the end of the path a Corpser will burst through the wall ahead and retreat. How nice of him to let us through like that. Continue down the path, eventually passing a Brumak on your right side. Up ahead we will make a large jump off of a cliff and the Centaur will stall, going completely dark. Through the darkness three sets of eyes will emerge � they belong to Corpsers. As Baird gets the Centaur up and running again, shoot each one as it rears up, making itself vulnerable to a barrage in the face. It will get lighter up ahead and we will make a jump off of another cliff. Rockets will fly past � guess what we have to tackle next? Not one, but two Brumaks. Kill both to initiate a cutscene. After the cutscene the chapter will conclude and you will earn yourself the achievement �Tanks for the Memories.� [3-3-5] Chapter 5: Displacement (Collectibles: 1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Proceed down the path. Quite a beautiful landscape, isn�t it? To the right is quite the awe inspiring drop. After a short while you�ll be reintroduced to an old enemy � the Theron, equipped with an equally familiar weapon, the Torque Bow. As a refresher, the Torque Bow fires arrows tipped with explosives. These arrows will penetrate flesh quite easily, delivering their explosive charges into the body and then detonating to deal massive damage. You have several options as to how to combat this Theron. In front of you there will be grenades lying on the floor. You can rush forward and use your weapons or grenades to kill the Theron. You can also head right down a short parallel path that is out of line of sight of the Theron, where you will come across a Torque Bow you can claim as your own, using that if you wish. Finally, you can head down the ramp to the left and flank the Theron from behind. This is not necessarily the best option, as Dom will follow you, and the Theron will follow Dom, so that you�re chasing each other in a big loop. I suggest you confront the Theron head on and just pop a Torque Bow arrow in him or something. With the Theron out of the way you can continue following the path. Soon you�ll be confronted by a handful of grubs; you�ll also have to contend with a Locust gunboat in the waters to your left (a rather cool new addition to the Gears universe in my opinion). Ignore the gunboat as best as you can and inch forward, killing the grubs as you go. When you get the chance dash up the stairs in the middle of this large area, where you�ll find more grenades and [Collectible #27] all the way at the top. You should encounter some Wretches and a Flame Grenadier at this point. The gunboat will also pull up along the shore and you will be given the objective of disabling it. You�ll notice Locust explosives on board � shoot these to cause the gunboat to lose control, rocket forward, and crash. Cross over the destroyed gunboat to access the next area. Another gunboat will pull up and unload more grubs and a Kantus. Near you at the base of the small flight of stairs should be a Longshot and a Torque Bow � take your pick and get to work taking out the Locust here. Keep your head down to avoid Troika fire from the gunboat until it takes off. As you push forward you�ll encounter a Bloodmount, in addition to more grubs and another Kantus. After dispatching those enemies you�ll come to a pier of sorts, at the end of which another gunboat will drop off more Locust, including a Grinder. With the Locust dead, move to the end of the pier near the rowboat pointed out earlier to discover that it is filled with water and unusable. At this point a gunboat will crash into the pier and detach your section of it, sending you adrift. As Marcus says, just keep fighting for now. We can worry about the fact that we are thoroughly screwed later. Pick up the Mulcher the Grinder dropped earlier and begin taking out the Locust on the opposing gunboat. I don�t know if it accomplishes anything of significance, but you can shoot out the spotlight too if you wish. With this gunboat cleared of enemies, focus your attention to the right, where another will swoop in. It will drop off shortly and you�ll have a moment of rest, where you�ll be introduced to a new threat lurking beneath the surface. Ignoring that for now, focus on the next gunboat to pull alongside on the left, this one carrying a Flame Boomer. Take it out and then rush over and board the gunboat, as your little section of pier is now sinking. The next gunboat will pull up on the right side. After that you�ll be assaulted on the left. A second gunboat will pull up alongside on the left after you dispatch the previous one, this time carrying a Grinder. Yet another will pull up ahead of you, eventually settling on your right. This one you can easily take out with the Troika on your gunboat while it�s still ahead of you. With that last one out of the way, we will next head into a tunnel, at the end of which is a large waterfall. At the bottom of that the chapter concludes. (It�s a wonder we�re still alive after that fall.) [3-3-6] Chapter 6: Brackish Waters (Collectibles: 0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This chapter consists entirely of a single boss fight. It will begin shortly after the chapter starts. ~~ Boss Fight: Leviathan ~~ The Leviathan will first attempt to drag you down to a watery grave by wrapping its tail around the boat. Break out the Lancer�s chainsaw bayonet (there�s a Lancer on the boat in front of you if you swapped yours out earlier) and cut the monster�s tail. Obviously, be careful not to stand under the tail as it comes down. Cut the tail three times to initiate the next stage of the fight. In the next stage, the Leviathan will chomp down on the front of the boat. Shoot it in the eye to force it off. At this point, Marcus will yell that it needs to be killed from the inside, like the Riftworm. The next time it latches onto the boat, shoot it in the eye again and this time run inside its mouth when it opens up. The Leviathan will close its mouth and you will be trapped inside. Now, shoot the tentacles as they turn blue. After shooting three of them the throat will open up and you can toss a frag grenade down it. The Leviathan will open its mouth and descend back to the depths. It will then rear up and latch onto the boat again. Repeat the process of shooting it in the eye, forcing its mouth open, shooting the tentacles, and tossing a grenade down its throat two more times to kill the Leviathan and finish the act, unlocking Tai for multiplayer and earning you the achievement �Water Sports.� =============================================================================== [3-4-0] Act IV: Hive =============================================================================== [3-4-1] Chapter 1: Priorities (Collectibles: 1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After the gunboat docks, get off and follow the path. You will not encounter any enemies until after the next cutscene, where you�ll get a glimpse of the Locust highway leading to Nexus. At this point, Dom will want to branch off to find his wife, Maria. After the cutscene, follow Dom down the path, mantling over some cover and activating an elevator that will take you up a level. Head up the stairs and around to initiate another cutscene. After this cutscene, proceed to the next elevator and back down. Turn the wheel to lower the water level in this room and allow you to cross. After you mantle up and over, the door at the other end of the room will open and grubs will pour through. One of them will attempt to turn a wheel at their end of the room and raise the water level back up. Kill him to prevent this from happening, then take out the remaining grubs. Continue mantling up and over until you reach the other side, where you�ll come to another elevator. Press the button to descend the elevator. At the bottom across from you will be some ammo and a Longshot. You�ll want to pick this up for the next fight if you don�t already have one. As you enter the next large area Wretches will come from the left, and a Mauler will come from the far right. Dispatch them and head left, where the Wretches came from. A spotlight will come on and more Locust will appear, including a Theron and a grub manning a Troika. Again, I don�t know if it does anything of significance, but you can shoot out the spotlight. Use your sniper rifle to take out the grub manning the Troika, as well as the opposing sniper on the far right. Then proceed to mop up the remaining Locust. Head forward and left up the stairs. Your attention will be drawn to a Locust terminal. SKIP this terminal for now and instead head past it to the other active terminal. Make sure that you see the magnifying glass at the bottom of your screen, signifying a collectible, and then press X for [Collectible #28]. Now, walk back to the other terminal and activate it, initiating another cutscene. [3-4-2] Chapter 2: Answers (Collectibles: 1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After the cutscene you�ll be in a tunnel filled with the same capsules you found Baird in back in Act II. Head down the tunnel until your attention is drawn to another Locust terminal. Activate it to find that the symbol does not match the one you found on the other terminal. Continue down the tunnel until you come to a Locust patrol in the distance. They have not yet noticed you; if you can keep your trigger finger in check you can avoid fighting this group of enemies. After they�ve either moved on or you�ve gunned them down, proceed towards the next terminal. To the left will be [Collectible #29]. After you have acquired the collectible, go back and activate the terminal. This terminal does not display the proper symbol, so we have to move on. Make a couple of rights, giving the patrol ahead of you some space if you chose not to engage earlier. Activate the next terminal to find that, once again, it does not display the correct symbol. The terminal after that will also not display the right symbol; ignore it if you wish and proceed through the gate. At the end will be the correct terminal, so activate it and get ready for a fight, as the Locust have found you. Your goal is to give Jack enough time to find and open the capsule containing Maria, so begin taking out the waves of Locust. The first wave will come from the right and will consist of a Bloodmount and a handful of Wretches. The second wave will come from the left, but will also consist of a Bloodmount and Wretches. The third wave, coming in from the right, will consist of a Grinder, some grubs, and more Wretches. Next you will be flanked by Therons and grubs on the left. A cutscene will follow after the last Locust falls and you will earn the achievement �There�s a Time for Us.� [3-4-3] Chapter 3: Hornets� Nest (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The lever in front of you will raise and lower some cover. There�s no need for it now, but get used to this mechanic, as you�ll be needing it in the near future. Once you�re ready to proceed, head to the right down the stairs. At the bottom, hang another right and run down to the end of this corridor. Turn left and on the ground you will find [Collectible #30]. Make a left and head down this parallel corridor, then turn right at the end and kick open the doors on your left. After the brief cutscene you�ll encounter more grubs. Take cover at the base of the stairs and fight your way forward. At some point you will see or hear a Theron up in the tower window. Be prepared to duck back into cover as Torque Bow arrows go whizzing past. Your goal is the switch inside the tower, accessed by following the stairs up to the right. Before you press it, you can plant some grenades by the doors to the left of the tower on the ground floor. This is where Therons and Flame Grenadiers will come from once you activate the switch. They will be oblivious to the grenades as they rush forward. There will be more grenades on the top level, past the tower and some cover. With all enemies dead, head through the doors you just opened. Make a right and you will encounter a handful of enemies, one being a Grenadier that rushes forward. Drop him, then turn your attention to a Bloodmount that�s also rushing towards you. With those threats disposed of, you can sit back and leisurely pick off the remaining enemies. Once you�re through, head down the stairs, where the doors will fly open and a single grub will run out. Dispatch him and head inside. If you need grenades, you can find some down the spiral staircase; other than that, though, there is nothing of interest down there. Once you�re ready, head through the doors to the right. Back outside you will want to pull the lever to your left. It will activate a lot more cover on this side of the room, which you will need as the Locust begin to assault you in force. Soon, a Drone will attempt to lower your cover using a lever on a ledge on the other side of the room. Take him out to prevent this from happening. Shortly after that, a Reaver will descend into the fray. Destroy it and it won�t be long until another Reaver knocks down a tower to your left. Its pieces make great cover that you can use to inch your way forward if you don�t have a long range weapon. If you do, however, you can sit back and snipe until there is nothing left standing but you and Dom. Either way, once you are through with the remaining grubs here the large double doors will open and a pair of Grinders will come through � dispatch them. Once inside the double doors you will want to turn left, then right. At this point you will want to break into a roadie run. Roadie run left, then right, hopefully making it under the second of two doors to begin closing on you. To the right inside you will find [Collectible #31]. With the collectible in your possession, turn around and press the switch next to the Troika turret, then man the Troika as the door in front of it opens. Take out everything in sight, then get off the Troika and move through the room. About halfway through the room you will trigger more enemies from the door ahead. After taking cover and eliminating them, continue on to the end of the room, where a Flame Grenadier will come forth from the same door. Take him out and head on through. Head up the stairs and to the end of this long hallway. Inside a door at the end will be an ammo box and a couple of grenades. Go back out and down the hallway. About halfway is another door. Inside there will be a suspended walkway with a Flame Grenadier on it, its back (and fuel tanks) turned to you. Snipe the tanks with whatever weapons you happen to have; if you manage to make them catch fire and explode, the whole walkway will collapse and fall into a large meat grinder below. Take out the rest of the enemies in this room, including more Butchers and some grubs on the walkway to your left. Head around and up to the top of the room. Past the ammo box on the floor make a left and then a right. Next to the lever ahead of you will be some grenades. Pull the lever to raise some much needed cover. Up the stairs you will find the cover you just raised, as well as more grubs. If needed, you can shoot the explosive canister on the right to collapse a column, which you can then use to press forward. With the grubs massacred, head over to the circular cover and you will see a cutscene where Marcus orders Jack to set off the beacon. At this point you will be assaulted by more Drones as well as Tickers, both from the side of the room you came in from. Once they�ve been killed, you will face two Reavers, one after another. After they�ve been destroyed, you will earn the achievement �Better Wrapped in Beacon� for having protected Jack while he transmitted. At this point, the gate will open and you will be confronted by a Drone wielding a Mortar. Move quickly to take him out or be prepared to dance out from under the rain of fire. Head through and the gate will close behind you, another one opening to your left. Use the lever ahead of you to raise additional cover. There are more Drones here, one of which wields another mortar. Take them out, then proceed forward to lower the next set of gates on your left. Make sure that you again pull the lever for additional cover. The explosives in the next section are in prime positions to eliminate most of the Locust hiding behind cover, so be sure to take full advantage of that. When the next set of gates lower, you will be confronted with Grinders, Drones (including yet another wielding a mortar), and Tickers. Kill them all, then head up the stairs to the right, where a cutscene will ensue. Here you will meet back up with Baird and Cole, who were aboard the grindlifts to bombard the Nexus following Jack�s beacon. After the cutscene head up the stairs, picking up the ammo and grenades if you need them, then press the button to initiate another brief cutscene. [3-4-4] Chapter 4: No Turning Back (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This chapter is aptly named. We�ll be taking a gondola up and over to the palace. There really is no turning back at this point. At the front of the gondola will be a Lancer and a Hammerburst if you need them. Enjoy the ride up, then prepare yourself as you begin to head on over. Reavers will fly in and attempt to ram you, trying to knock you off the cable. The first one will come in from the left. Take aim with your weapon of choice and fire away. A second one will come in from the left after the first has been killed, then a third and finally a fourth. After the Reavers, a Locust occupied gondola will approach from the front. Take out the Drones aboard as it makes its way to you, then climb on over when it pulls alongside, as your gondola is about to fall. Two Reavers will come in from the right this time, again trying to knock you off the cable. Take them out. Your gondola will pull into the palace. Disembark and make your way to the left. After observing the mysterious firefight, head up the spiral staircase in front of you. At the top, turn left and pick up [Collectible #32], located on the dial near the explosives. Then, turn around and head to the end of the platform. On the left will be more stairs. Descend, making sure to pick up the ammo and grenades to your left at the bottom if you need them. Pull the lever to raise some cover, then dash behind it as you are assaulted by a handful of grubs and a Kantus (beware of surprise Tickers!). After you kill them, proceed to the end of the platform and hang a right down some stairs. Pull the lever, and you will be presented with another split decision. ~~ Split Decision: Lift with Troika Turret ~~ This choice is very straightforward. The lift will descend several levels, one at a time, and each time it reaches a new level you will have to gun down a group of Locust occupying that level. Be sure to take full advantage of the explosive canisters scattered about. On the second level you will find a couple of Boomers; on the third you will encounter a pair of Grinders. Stay on the Troika and you should not have a problem with either. Once the lift reaches the third and final level (and you have dealt with the Locust there), get off the Troika and regroup with your squadmates by going through the door to the left at the end of the level. ~~ Split Decision: Stairwell ~~ Head down the stairs. At the third landing you will find some ammo to your left. Continue down the stairs, making sure to take cover. Dom, who is manning the Troika, should be able to take out most if not all of the enemies here. Lend a hand, then, once the cover has lowered signifying the defeat of all enemies on this level, proceed forward and to the right. Pull the lever, which will cause the lift to descend further, and then take the stairs down yourself. Take out the enemies on this next level (being wary of the Boomers), and make your way over to the next set of stairs, which are to the right of the lift. Pull the second and final lever, then continue down the stairs until you have a closed door blocking your path. Take cover at the railing and help Dom and Baird deal with the enemies on the floor below (including a pair of Grinders). Once they are defeated, wait for the door to open and head on through. ~~ End Split Decision ~~ Once you have regrouped, head into the next room, where the Locust are again fighting one another. Proceed down and to the left, where you must pull a lever to extend a bridge. Be very careful here, as there are many things that could kill you as you�re winding your way through the room. Boomers can hit you or the wall behind you for splash damage, and the Kantus can throw Ink Grenades or summon Tickers out of nowhere. Take a moment when you have the chance and deal with the Locust here. Once you�ve pulled the lever, make your way back to where you entered the room, then head right instead of left. To the right of the short set of stairs at the bottom will be a pair of grenades. Cross the bridge and turn left. All the way at the end near the Locust ammo box will be [Collectible #33]. Back up slightly and pull the lever on the wall. This will raise a set of stairs to meet you at the end of the bridge back outside in the large room. Proceed down the stairs and to the center of the room to initiate another cutscene. After the cutscene you will be assaulted by a couple of Grinders that appear from behind the large double doors in front. Get back into cover and deal with them. Behind you, a door will open at the base of the stairs you raised earlier and a grub will come running through. Dispatch him (you can tag a grenade near the door prior to the grub coming through if you like) and head on through the door. Down the stairs you will come to a balcony overlooking another group of Locust in a skirmish with one another, including a Kantus and a Flame Grenadier that you will have to deal with. Kill them and head down to where they were. You will have more Locust in the next room to get rid of, after which you will be all clear. Head into that next room and through the doors that will open to your right. Proceed down the stairs and through the room, until you trigger a lift that will come up. It will contain a Kantus, two Maulers, and two Therons. Toss some grenades in to make the fight a little easier. You may have to make use of a fighting retreat to deal with the Locust coming up from the lift. Once the dust settles, a cutscene will follow. [3-4-5] Chapter 5: The Best-Laid Plans (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After descending the lift, proceed forward up the stairs and to the open door beyond the circular cover. The door will promptly close and windows will open revealing Locust set up in an ambush, just as Baird predicted. Only the left windows will open at first, so take cover and fire back at them. Soon, however, your cover will drop. Stand on the glowing switch in the center of the circle to raise it back up. It won�t seem to do you much good, as now the right windows have opened and more Locust are flanking your position. Retreat back to the stairs to evade fire and prompt the ambushers to leave. Take the path left around the outside of the building. You�ll come upon cover that rises from the ground as you approach it. You�ll soon need it, as a group of Locust begin their assault. Among them is a Theron Sentinel riding a Bloodmount, a very dangerous combination indeed (though it�s a wonder that he can aim). Kill the Locust, then continue around the side of the building. Soon a lift will rise, delivering more Locust. Ward them off. Before taking the lift they came up on, keep going around the side of the building. In one of the doorways past the lift is [Collectible #34]. Snag it and take the lift down. Head through the room filled with Bloodmount cages and pull the lever to come upon another (very short) split decision. ~~ Split Decision: Lower Path ~~ Run towards the ammo box. The doorway will seal off, preventing you from claiming your prize. Instead, the doorways to the left will open and you can move through. Inside you will find a Mauler and a Flame Boomer. After they are dead, another Theron Sentinel riding a Bloodmount will challenge you. Kill them and the doorways ahead will open, allowing you to link back up with Dom and Baird. ~~ Split Decision: Upper Path ~~ You can fire upon the Locust below from the windows, or you can rush forward, down the stairs, and around a couple of corners into the room beyond. Stand on the glowing switch in the center of this room to open the doorways and confront the Locust up close and personal. You�ll have a Mauler, a Flame Boomer, and a Theron Sentinel riding a Bloodmount to deal with. Once they�re dead, link back up with Dom and Baird and continue on. ~~ End Split Decision ~~ Regardless of which way you chose, you�ll want to enter the hallway to the right when looking down the room from the way you came. Be careful, as there will be a Grinder on the stairs to your right. Dispatch him, then go up the flight of stairs and continue following the hallway, going back down another set of stairs. At the bottom you will find [Collectible #35], and a little further along you will find the ammo box you were teased with earlier if you chose the lower path. Head back up, then down the flights of stairs. If you�re interested in uncovering a rather amusing Easter egg, don�t go down the spiral stairs just yet. Instead, turn left and walk out onto the platform with the ammo boxes. In between two of the large supports on the outside of the platform will be a shorter column, about your height. Shoot the top to expose a toaster, then press X to interact with it. The bread will lower into the toaster, the toaster will begin to smoke after a short while, and the toast will pop up. All of this is complete with audio cues from Marcus. When the toast finally pops up, Marcus will yell �Who wants toast?!� and Dom will reply �I like �em crispy!� When you�re done having your fun, proceed down the spiral staircase. You�ll run into a bunch of Theron Sentinels on the way down, equipped with Torque Bows, Hammerbursts, and shotguns. At the bottom you�ll come upon a new room, filled with more Theron Sentinels and a Kantus. Clear them out to initiate another cutscene. And it�s a very funny one at that. Of the entire game this is easily Cole�s defining moment. Sit back and enjoy the hilarity! [3-4-6] Chapter 6: Royal Inquisition (Collectibles: 1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stock up on weapons and ammunition, then head through one of the two doors that open on either side of the room. Head all the way to the left � between a pillar and the wall will be [Collectible #36]. Pull the lever ahead to initiate another split decision. This one is entirely symmetrical, so there is no use explaining it twice. Whichever option you choose will have you moving slowly down either side of the large hall. You�ll first encounter Theron Sentinels and a Mauler. Take them out, then proceed into the next section of hall. From the third section ahead will come another couple of Theron Sentinels and a small swarm of Tickers. Dispatch them and continue on. The door in front of you will be sealed; you will instead need to head out onto the outcropping to the side of the door to proceed. Don�t do it just yet, but take cover and wait for some Theron Sentinels and a Mauler to come from the pass. Once they are dead you can take aim and help Dom and Baird with the enemies on their side of the room. If you were to ignore those enemies and continue down your side you would leave your flank exposed and could get a Torque Bow arrow in the ass. With your allies� side clear, round the corner to confront more Theron Sentinels. After dispatching them, proceed to the very corner of the room, where you will find a Mauler. Take him out, then join up with Dom and Baird on the lift and pull the lever. You will descend to the bottom floor, where the Locust queen is located. We�re not quite there yet, however. Take cover: the floor ahead of you will separate and reveal a moat of Imulsion. Theron Sentinels will run out and take position opposite you. Kill them to have the floor join once more, allowing you to safely cross over. Continue forward to have the same stunt pulled again. You know how to handle the situation � kill the enemies opposite you to have the floor join. Do this again when the floor separates in the third section of hall. Be careful, as Therons will attempt to flank you by going up the stairs and onto the platform overlooking this entire section of hall. In the fourth and final section of this level of the hall, the floor will drop out from under you and you will plummet down a level. More Therons will come in through the door ahead of you � fend them off. The next group will come from a door on the right. Fortunately, you can get behind the pillar in the center of this section of floor and begin turning the wheel to ascend back up, as it puts you out of line of sight of this particular group of Therons. Once at the top, head through the tall double doors leading to the throne room. At this point you will earn the achievement �Have Fun Storming the Castle� and gain an audience with the queen herself. Afterwards you�ll be face to face with Skorge. ~~ Boss Fight: Skorge ~~ The fight will begin with Skorge jumping up to the ceiling (he�s ridiculously agile) and sawing off a chandelier, which will crash to the ground in front of you. He will fall with the chandelier and jump at you, attempting to slice you with his chainsaw staff. This will initiate a brief chainsaw duel � rapidly tap B to fend him off, cutting his chainsaw staff in two. At this point he�ll jump back up and next appear on the side of the room. He�ll run along the side, firing his Gorgon Pistol, throwing Ink Grenades, summoning Tickers, and knocking over braziers. Take cover from this assault, avoiding the Ink Grenades and falling braziers and killing the Tickers before they get too close. Next he�ll jump back up to the ceiling and saw off a stalactite. You�ll know where it�s about to fall by the cascade of dust and debris � step out from under it to avoid getting smashed. Next are more Ink Grenades; avoid them, then prepare yourself as Skorge reappears on the side of the room and begins to saw into one of the large columns. Immediately run to the end of the room when you see this. Waiting for the column to fall and trying to dodge out from under it like Dom says may only end up getting you killed, as the column will track you very closely (homing column o.O). With the column destroyed, Skorge will summon more Tickers. In the midst of them he will run up to you, twirling his two halves of chainsaw staff. Again, tap B to ward him off in this chainsaw duel, this time completely destroying one half of his staff. He�ll jump back up to the ceiling, sawing off two stalactites, one after another. Dodge out from under each in turn. He�ll next run down the other side of the room, again bombarding you with grenades, etc. He�ll also attempt to crush you with another column. After the second column he�ll come at you one last time. Win this chainsaw duel to end the fight. ~~ End Boss Fight ~~ Skorge�s Hydra will smash through the window and pick him up, then fly off. Go through either of the two doorways to the sides of the throne to link back up with Baird and Cole. After some chatter the bridge will extend and you can cross. Roadie run all the way down to the end, as you�ll be bombarded by Reavers at this point. The act will conclude and you will unlock the Flame Grenadier character in multiplayer. =============================================================================== [3-5-0] Act V: Aftermath =============================================================================== [3-5-1] Chapter 1: Escape (Collectibles: 0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another vehicle section, this chapter has us riding a Reaver. Pretty cool, eh? X will swap weapons and view direction. Aiming and firing works exactly as on foot. You can move left and right to avoid incoming fire, but you cannot control your speed or direction. The forward gun is the Reaver�s cannon; the backward-facing gun is the machine gun. You will start out by ascending rapidly. When you level out you will have to deal with a rocket turret in front of you. Take it out. Then, quickly take aim at the ledge the Brumak to your right is standing on and destroy it to cause the Brumak to fall. If you fail to destroy the Brumak, it will deal steady damage to your ride from behind as you pass it. A second turret will follow shortly, then another Brumak, rocket turret, and Brumak again. You�ll notice Gears in trouble ahead. The Reavers will land and you will have to defend your fellow Gears. Take out the Grinders, then knock out a few grubs. After that a Brumak will crash through the wall to your left � blow it away. ~~ Boss Fight: Hydra, Part I ~~ At this point you will be pursued by Skorge�s Hydra. Being chased from behind will force you onto the machine gun. The boss has three attacks. It will fire its large machine gun � when it does this, fire at the gun on its back. It will also attempt to swallow you. Here you have to fire at its mouth. Finally, the boss will fire rockets at you. Evade to the side when this happens. Endure long enough and the boss will get stuck behind an obstruction in the tunnel that just happens to be big enough for you to pass through. ~~ End Boss Fight ~~ Now we�re on the surface, close to Jacinto. Unfortunately, we will have many Reavers in hot pursuit. Stay on the machine gun and fire away. It will be exceptionally difficult to fire at moving targets when you yourself are on a swiftly moving ride, but do the best that you can. Also be prepared to dodge incoming rockets. If you can hold out long enough we�ll meet our friends Skorge and his Hyrda one last time. ~~ Boss Fight: Hydra, Part II ~~ The boss will begin by latching onto you with one of its tentacles. Fire away at the tentacle to destroy it and force the boss off of you. Next the boss will pull out in front of you and attempt to ram into you. Take aim and fire in its face when it hurls itself at you. The Hydra will then circle back around and begin firing rockets at you. Avoid them, then shoot off the next tentacle to latch onto you. The Hydra will again move out in front of you, firing more rockets; avoid them, then blast the boss in the face again when it tries to ram you. At this point the process is rinse and repeat. Avoid the rockets, shoot the tentacle, then blast the Hydra in the face when it attempts to ram you. Killing the Hydra will end the chapter and earn you the achievement �And the Horsey You Rode in On.� [3-5-2] Chapter 2: Desperate Stand (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Take cover from the Reaver that will descend � it will be destroyed shortly. You will next receive a point of interest indicating that you must go through the far door. Once through, take position at the railing overlooking the south platform. Grubs will be climbing up using grappling hooks � help your squadmates handle them. Shortly thereafter a Reaver will join the grubs. KR-36 will arrive to help wipe out the Locust on the platform. Before you go through the door Hoffman will have opened, go down the stairs to the left. Next to an ammo box will be [Collectible #37]. Head through the door, taking position at the barricade. KR-49 will be hit while taking off and will crash into the side of the cliff. Following this a lighthouse will collapse, another rather cool spectacle. Kill the grubs out on the platform. A Reaver will join these grubs, too � take it out along with them. With the platform clear, move through to the parking garage. There is a wealth of weapons and ammunition to the left. Take your pick and move to the railing. Fellow Gears will be out on the platform opposite you; down in the street will be a handful of Drones. Once you�ve dispatched several of them, the wall to the left will blow open and a Boomer will come through with more Drones. Two Reavers will also join the fight soon. These will be destroyed by another King Raven. Once all enemies have been eliminated, a bridge will connect your side of the garage to the opposite side. Head on over. Next under attack will be the communications array. Man the chain gun turret and fire at the incoming Reavers. You must destroy six Reavers in total to successfully defend the comms array. Be sure to take out the ones that land � they are easy targets and will add to your total quite nicely. If you fail to kill the six Reavers quickly enough, the comms array will be destroyed and you will lose the game. After defending the comms array you will be tasked with holding off the Locust that are encroaching on the front gates. Run out to the platform overlooking the large parking lot outside the front gates. Now, before you get to any actual shooting, you should run all the way to the end of the platform and down the stairs to the left. At the bottom will be a set of COG tags serving as [Collectible #38], next to an ammo box. With that in your possession, dive into the action. First up are a mess of grubs. After dispatching some of them, a couple of Grinders will come into view. With all enemies in view dead, not one but two massive Brumaks will appear. You�ll probably want to use one of the two heavy weapons placed on the ground � either the Mulcher or the Mortar. If you use the Mulcher, just be prepared to duck back into cover as soon as rockets come flying your way. Killing both Brumaks will earn you the achievement �You Are the Support, Son.� [3-5-3] Chapter 3: Free Parking (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The chapter will begin in a large courtyard. The archives building beyond is infested with Locust. You�re going to want a Longshot to fight your way through the courtyard and into the building � if you don�t already have one, you will find one forward and to the right, behind the tall barricade. Begin clearing Locust from out in front of the building, but be careful, as there are snipers on the balcony. After a little while two Flame Boomers will approach, one from either side of the building. With all enemies dead, you now have to decide which path through the building you want to take. There are two to choose from. The typical path is the left (Dom taking the right). Once inside you will find a Flame Grenadier and a normal Grenadier. Take them out, then take cover at the corner to the right. In the next room will be more grubs (watch the Grenadiers in these close quarters) and a Kantus. Kill them, then watch as a Grinder bursts through the doors to the left. Kill him and you can proceed through. If you take the right with Dom, you will also find a Flame Grenadier and a normal Grenadier immediately inside. Once they�ve been disposed of, take the stairs up. Be cautioned that there are more grubs at the top. Beyond them, through the door and around the corner at the top of the next flight of stairs, is a Kantus, with additional grubs on the floor below. Don�t let the Grenadiers rush up the stairs, the results may not be to your liking. Once victorious over these groups of enemies, a Grinder will burst through the doors at the bottom of the stairs. Take him out and you can head on through. Our next objective is to secure the courtyard outside. This can be a rather nasty fight. We have a Troika in the center, with a Kantus nearby, and grubs on either side. We�ll have even more forces incoming shortly. Hopefully you still have your Longshot, and enough ammo to get the job done. Snipe the Troika operator, then take out the Kantus and what grubs present themselves. You may have to go down to flush them out. After the grubs we have a pack of Wretches and a Mauler on either side. If you must you can get on the now unoccupied Troika and rip into them as they approach. Certainly you�ll want to be on the Troika after these enemies fall, when a couple of Bloodmounts burst through the doors at the end of the courtyard. Kill them and continue. Inside the next building, where the Bloodmounts only just came from, we have to work together with Dom to open a gate by turning a couple of wheels. Once through the gate, and then through the building, we�ll be out on Cooper Street. To your right will be more grubs and a Grinder. Kill them, then head out the gate beyond where they stood. Look to the right as soon as you exit the small courtyard � behind a small barricade will be [Collectible #39]. Turn around and head back down and out into the street. ~~ Split Decision: Garage ~~ Head up the stairs. At the top and to the left at the window will be a single Drone. Take him out, then take position at the windows yourself. Across from you on the other side of the street there will be some grubs holed up in a storefront. To the right, as indicated by the point of interest, is a flammable tank. Shoot it to eliminate the grubs. Several Reavers will fly by at this point; one of them will land in the street. Fire at it, knowing that it will soon take off. Next, help Dom take out all other grubs in the street. Once you�ve wrapped up here, head right down the hallway and left through the door. In this part of the garage you will have a Flame Grenadier and some regular Grenadiers to handle. Dispatch them, then progress through the garage. Before you mantle up and over the barricades, you will receive another point of interest, this time indicating that you can push a car down onto the street below so that Dom can use it as cover. Walk up to it and kick it with X to do just that. Head through the garage and down the ramp to meet back up with Dom at the bottom, taking the time to clear all enemies there first. ~~ Split Decision: Streets ~~ Take cover at the car. You�ll have one grub firing at you from a window on the right, up in the garage. Dom will dispatch him shortly; you can fire back in the meantime if you wish. You�ll notice a storefront on the left, with grubs inside. A point of interest will soon indicate a flammable tank just beyond the shop. Fire at it to eliminate the grubs inside. This will also collapse a sign just in front of the shop, allowing you to take cover behind it. Inch forward, taking cover at the barricade. This will initiate a scripted event where cars are blown clean out of the parking garage. A Reaver will also land near you � you may want to dash back to the sign to avoid getting slaughtered. Shoot at the Reaver to prompt it to take off, then take cover at the car that fell just in front of the barricade you were behind when the Reaver came. Dom will soon push a car out of the parking garage and onto the street. Continue inching forward, taking cover behind the new car. Deal with the grubs at the barricades and in the small sinkhole beyond. A point of interest will soon indicate another flammable tank. Shoot it to allow Dom to exit the parking garage, then help him deal with what grubs are left beyond the sinkhole. ~~ End Split Decision ~~ Once you�ve cleared the area, a Grinder will knock a couple of barricades aside and begin assaulting you. Kill it, then move through to where he came from. In the middle of where the barricades stood will be a Hammer of Dawn. Pick it up, then progress down the street and to the right, where more grubs stand in your way. A Reaver will also land. Use your new toy (took long enough for them to give it to us) to begin clearing the enemies here. A building will soon fall up ahead, at which point the Reaver will take off. From behind the wall of dust a Mauler will emerge. Dispatch it, then head left through the destroyed building to bypass the mass of debris left in the street in the building�s wake. As you reenter onto the street, look to your left. There will be a hole in the side of the building, through which you can go to claim [Collectible #40], a set of COG tags. Head back out onto the street and move down and to the right to end the chapter and begin the next, which is second to last. [3-5-4] Chapter 4: Tenuous Footing (Collectibles: 1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Begin the chapter by hopping down the ledge and picking up the Longshot if you need it. A point of interest will indicate a nearby crane � walk over to it to have Marcus jump on board. Guide the platform over to Dom. He�ll get on it and you can move him down to the building. As soon as Dom disembarks, he�ll make his way to the second crane. When he reaches it it will topple over, forming a bridge. Run across and lend Dom a helping hand with the Locust. More will climb up by means of grappling hooks. Remember that you can shoot the grappling hooks to prevent the Locust from reaching the top. Make your way down the ramps and onto the next rooftop. A Mauler will charge at you, a Reaver landing shortly after. Kill them and head down the next ramp, making a left at the bottom. Here we have a Ticker swarm and a Flame Grenadier. Dispatch them, then proceed through the doorway on the left. On the other side will be a grub and more Tickers. With them eliminated, you can head over to the next rooftop, connected to this one by a plank of wood. More grubs will come up by means of grappling hooks. After you destroy enough of them, the roof will cave in and you will fall several floors. At the bottom, through the windows, we have more grubs and a Flame Boomer. Kill them and mantle over the windowsill. At the back right we have [Collectible #41], the very last of the game! Congratulations, as you will have earned the �Completionist� achievement at this point. With the journal in your possession, head down the stairs. Take out what enemies you can see through the opening at the bottom of the stairs, then move through the building. Wait to kill the rest of the enemies in the area from this floor, then head down the ramp and cut the cables tethering the tower to the building. As you are making your way across, the tower will fall. After you have reached the bottom (alive, miraculously), move forward and to the left. We have a Kantus here, with additional grubs climbing up the side. Kill them, but don�t go anywhere near the back left. A wall of debris will force its way across the path, making it possible to mantle up and into the next building, but also killing you if you are standing directly in its path. Inside the next building, your view will be drawn to a Brumak near the cavern entrance. It will fire on the building, forcing the entire building to topple. It�s amazing how we�re making such rapid progress down the sinkhole. Once the building has reached the bottom, quickly mantle over the wall support and make a couple of lefts. Mantle over the next two wall supports and press the button to open the elevator. Climb up inside and wait for it to stop moving. Once it has, mantle back out and roadie run past the Brumak. Mantle over the next door frame and hang left, then left again at the end. Kill the Brumak�s rider to end the chapter and earn yourself the achievement �Brumak Rodeo.� [3-5-5] Chapter 5: Closure (Collectibles: 0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We�re finally here, at the very last chapter of the game. And quite the exciting chapter it promises to be, as we are now in the third and final vehicle sequence, riding the Brumak we just captured! Moving works the same way as on foot. Fire the machine guns strapped to the Brumak�s wrists with RT (cooling them down with RB while not firing). Fire a rocket salvo by pressing X. Once you�re ready, head down the tunnel. A Corpser will appear ahead of you on the left. It will soon retreat, but we will have a handful of Locust to deal with in its wake. Fire at the glowing explosives to make short work of them. Further down the tunnel we have a mass of grubs running away � launch a rocket salvo into their midst to drastically reduce their numbers, then deal with the brave but foolish Boomers that are not trying to escape. A couple of Reavers will now land � take them out as well. Near the massive gate up ahead, another pair of Reavers will descend. Blow them away, then press B near the gate to smash it open. On the other side we�ll be lit up by a couple of spotlights. Ignore them, turning your attention instead to the Troikas pelting us with machine gun fire. Be sure to nuke the Boomer at some point too. With the cavern cleared (most of the forces having hastily retreated), continue through to the other side. Around a corner to the right we�ll have a couple of Boomers to deal with. Three Reavers will also land. Destroy them all, then head into the next tunnel. A Corpser will burst through the rock wall to challenge us. Defeat him by rapidly tapping B, as if in a chainsaw duel. Having emerged triumphant, move on to the next pair of large double doors. Kill the Grinders and Boomers on the right side, as well as the Reavers that settle down in front of you, then press B again near the gate to smash it open. In the next cavern we have more Grinders, Boomers, and even a couple of rocket turrets. Blow them all away, then move around to the bridge blocking your path. Blast it with your weapons, then decimate the horde of Locust on the other side (being sure to take out the actually important targets, i.e., Grinders, Boomers, and Reavers). As you approach the curve in the tunnel, a beast barge will come into view. Nuke it, then continue on to the left and smash open the final set of doors. We�ve reached the site where we need to drop the Lightmass Bomb � now we just have to open a hole for the Ravens. Begin by clearing out the three Seeders and the Reaver that will fly in. Next, light up the three support columns in view. They will take two rocket salvos each to destroy. The Nemacysts may make it difficult to actually hit the columns, acting as a screen in front of them, but after they�ve been reduced in numbers it should be no problem. ~~ Boss Fight: Lambent Brumak ~~ The last boss fight and sequence of the game, it takes place in a chopper. We�re given an unlimited Hammer of Dawn, and our objective is simple � to destroy the Lambent Brumak in order to collapse the sinkhole even further, flooding the Hollow with seawater. Basically this section is just �point and shoot.� You�ll be knocked around a few times, but that�s about it. It�s not the most exciting way to end the game, but it gets the job done. Fail to destroy the Lambent Brumak fast enough and it will eat you! Succeed and you will earn the achievements �Tourist of Duty,� �Guerilla Tactician� (both if completed on Normal difficulty), and �Does This Look Infected to You?�, as well as unlock Insane mode and Skorge for multiplayer. Congratulations on completing the game! Now sit back and enjoy one hell of an ending cutscene! ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* [4-0-0] IV. Deleted Scene: Road to Ruin ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* This chapter is exclusive to the Dark Corners map pack. It fits in after Act IV, Chapter 2 (Answers) but before Chapter 3 (Hornets� Nest). It takes place on the Locust highway leading into Nexus. Right off of the bat you will have the option to either sneak in (stealth being a brand new type of gameplay experience in this addition) or go in guns blazing. Do note that, as a separate experience from the campaign, there are no save games when it comes to Road to Ruin. You either complete it or you don�t. That said, let�s begin: ~~ Split Decision: Go In Guns Blazing ~~ We�ll start off in a watchtower along the highway. To open the gate in front of us we�ll need to climb up one of the two ladders on either side of the room. Dom will take whichever one you do not. At the top you will come to a lever. You and Dom have to pull them at the same time to open the gate. In single- player this is not even a consideration, as Dom will automatically pull the lever at the same time you do. In co-op you will have to time it just right. We now have the gate open, go ahead and proceed through. On the other side, along this long section of highway, you will meet a lot of grubs, including one manning a Troika turret about halfway down. A more immediate concern is the Flame Grenadier that will come rushing towards you � take it out, then begin working your way down either side of the highway, repeating the process of taking out the grubs in the cover in front of you and then dashing to that cover, staying out of line of sight of the Troika. The Troika cannot face two enemies coming from two different directions at once. Ideally, you want to approach from one side of the highway while Dom takes the other, and then the one who is not being focused on kills the turret operator. In co-op this is easy, as you will have a living, breathing partner cooperating with you. The AI in single-player is less...intelligent. Either way, do what you can to unseat the operator. With the operator dead, the next gatehouse off in the distance will open and a handful of grubs will come pouring through, in addition to a Boomer. Mantle up onto the platform where the two Troikas are located and man the one facing the oncoming threat, then tear into them. Once you hear the all-clear signal, get off and proceed to the gatehouse. Once in the gatehouse you will have another set of levers to pull. This process gets a little tedious � you�ll just have to get used to it. In the next section of highway you will have a Flame Grenadier behind cover on the left, a sniper to the far left, and a Grinder slowly coming up the stairs in front of you. Get into cover and begin taking out everything in sight. You may want to pick up a sniper to help you with the enemies across the river (there�s additional ammo on the platform all the way to the left, and further down that side). One of the enemies on the other side (all the way at the top) is another Grinder. Once the coast is clear you can rush up to the wheel at the river�s shore and turn it to raise several platforms in the water that will allow you to cross. As you continue up the other side, the next gatehouse will open and more grubs will come through, along with not one but two Bloodmounts. Take them out (either of the two Mulchers dropped by the Grinders would be a good option to handle the Bloodmounts). If you need ammo, you can claim some by pulling the lever to the left as you reach the top of the stairs. It will lower some cover, allowing you to pass through and claim your prize. Now, proceed to the next gatehouse � you know what to do by now. We now come upon a torture area. A little ways in you will have the option of continuing straight, or circling around to the left. You don�t want to leave enemies on your flank, so I suggest you sweep up the left side. Somewhere in here you will have to watch out for a Flame Grenadier. When the paths fork together again, up ahead you will have two Bloodmounts and a Boomer to tackle. Dispatch them, then run up to the levers and pull them, supposedly to open the gatehouse. It won�t work; instead, a grub will run out onto the balcony above and pull another level, causing you to fall into a jail cell. Fortunately, Jack is here to bail you out. He�ll begin to cut the bars on the door. In the meantime, you might want to stock up on ammunition, located behind you to the left. While Jack is cutting open the door, grubs and a Butcher will file into the room and begin attacking you. Shoot them through the bars, then, when Jack has finished cutting the bars, kick the door open with X and storm on out. At this point, Wretches will come through the door to the right. Handle them, then run through the door and up the stairs. A lot of guards will now pile into the hallway separating you and the rest of the highway. Unleash a hail of bullets on them, then make your escape from this dungeon. Wait for Jack to slice open the next door, then quickly man one of the Troikas, as a Brumak is about to stomp through the next gatehouse. After killing it its carcass will block the entire bridge. Fortunately, there is a cave behind you to your right. It will take you down a flight of stairs and across the underside of the bridge to meet a familiar face in one of the other jail cells. From this point on, the two split decisions merge into one path � jump ahead to pick up where this leaves off. ~~ Split Decision: Use Stealth ~~ So here we are, masked in our Theron suits. Make sure not to get too close to anyone, or they�ll smell you and you�ll have to fight from there on out. There is an achievement for not being detected after having chosen the stealth option � if you want the achievement, you�re going to want to do everything in your power not to get caught. We start off in a gatehouse on the highway, with the door ahead of us shut. Go up one of the two ladders � Dom will get the other. You have to pull the levers up top at the same time. In single-player this is a non factor, as your AI partner will always pull in sync with you. If you�re playing co-op, you�re going to have to time it just right. After pulling the levers the gatehouse door will open and you can proceed through. Up ahead a Drone is patrolling the width of the highway. Wait for him to pass to continue on. Another Drone will patrol from out in front on the right, down the highway. Follow behind him, but hold still when he reaches the Troikas. There will be a couple of Locust on the left � one of them will start patrolling right, following the Locust you were just behind. Follow behind this other Locust, being sure to keep your distance from the Troika operators. When he turns left you can continue on. Don�t let your guard down � there will be another patrol crossing the width of the highway starting on your right. Let him pass before moving on. Next we have two patrols, moving from left to right. Be careful, as the nearest one will circle around the box. Wait for them both to pass before walking up and pulling the levers that will open the next gatehouse. Once inside the gatehouse you should know what to do � climb up one of the two ladders and pull the lever there. On the other side we have a few grubs packed closely together. There will be a wheel to your right. Get on that and turn it to drop a box, which will draw their attention. You can then pass safely to the left. Down the stairs we have a Grinder at the bottom. He�ll begin walking back up the stairs. Move to either side to avoid detection. At the bottom to the right we have another wheel. Turn it three times to raise several platforms that will allow you to cross the river. Once on the other side we have a patrol moving from left to right, a patrol higher up moving from right to left, and a Grinder moving from top to bottom. Stay to the left side and wait for the Grinder to pass, then continue up the stairs. Up ahead the gatehouse will open and a trio of grubs will come through. Don�t worry, they�re just on patrol. They�ll move to the left. Don�t stay where you are, the Grinder will be coming back up. Instead, move to the right, then head into the gatehouse when it�s clear. Pull the levers inside and continue on into the torture area. On the other side you will have a patrol moving down the left side � stick to the right. Up ahead you�ll have a couple of Locust blocking the path � break off to the left instead. There will be several Locust patrolling around the middle. Here we need another distraction. Turn the wheel ahead of you. It will drop a concrete slab, startling the Locust and drawing their attention. As they rush up to investigate, move down the right side. Wait for the Flame Grenadier and the Butcher to get moving, then follow behind the Butcher. When you reach the next set of gatehouse doors, pull the levers and proceed inside. After climbing the ladders and pulling the next set of levers to open the other set of gatehouse doors, you�ll be met with the sight of a Brumak emerging from the next gatehouse. There�s a cave opening behind you to your right � it will allow you to sneak past the Brumak, taking you down a flight of stairs and across the underside of the bridge. On the other side you will be met with a familiar face. At this point, the two options merge and you will be fighting the rest of the way out. Don�t worry, if you haven�t been detected up until now, you will still get your stealth achievement at the end. ~~ End Split Decision ~~ After meeting up with Franklin, you�ll be attacked from the underside of the bridge you just came from. Quite a few Drones and Wretches will swarm you. A Mulcher will be in the corner to help you combat this threat. Franklin should also pull the lever here, granting you perfect cover from this assault (pull it yourself if he fails to). After dealing with the horde of Locust from the underside of the bridge, you will be flanked from the left by a couple of grubs and a Butcher. Deal with them, then head up the stairs and next the ladder to the left of the stairs. Several grubs will emerge from the door on the other side of the large gatehouse doors. Dispatch them, then head on through. Turn left to confront another few grubs. Head through the room after they�re dead and pull the lever to lower some cover, allowing you to pass through. There�s nothing of interest in the next room except maybe some chatter with Franklin. The party really starts in the room beyond. Move into it, being sure to pick up the ammo and the grenades, then pull the lever to lower more cover so that you can pass. As you approach the next lever in the room the gatehouse ahead will open and a mass of grubs will pass through. Move into cover in the center of the room, then proceed to take out the Locust that just filed in (being mindful of the Flame Grenadier). A Kantus will join the fight from the small door to the left of the opened gatehouse doors, followed by a bunch of Tickers. After these enemies are dead, more grubs and another Kantus will enter the room from another small door to the right of the gatehouse doors, in the corner of the room. After they�ve been killed, all cover will be lowered and the gatehouse doors on the right will open. Quickly put some of the cover back up and get ready for the next assault. Through this set of gatehouse doors will come some more grubs and two Bloodmounts. With them disposed of, a Reaver will descend. Take it out to complete the Deleted Scene. If you chose the Guns Blazing option you will earn the achievement �Highway to Hell.� If you chose the Stealth option and successfully avoided detection up until finding Franklin, you will earn the achievement �My Way or the Highway.� Finally, if you completed the Deleted Scene with a buddy, you will earn the achievement �Two for the Road.� ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* [5-0-0] V. Collectibles Checklist ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* =============================================================================== [5-1-0] Act I: Tip of the Spear =============================================================================== Chapter 1: Welcome to Delta (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #01 ~~ Before the first gate (which Jack cuts open), look on the ground in the middle of the street to find the collectible. ~~ Collectible #02 ~~ After going down the ladder, turn right, not left, and go into the building at the end of the street. The collectible will be on the ground next to the desk on the left. Chapter 2: Desperation (Collectibles: 5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #03 ~~ Your first encounter in this game with Locust Drones will take place in a corridor overlooking a small courtyard filled with explosive canisters. After destroying the canisters and eliminating the Drones, go up the corridor along the left side of the courtyard. One of the doors along this corridor will be open, and inside you will find the collectible. ~~ Collectible #04 ~~ Right before the courtyard where you encounter your first Reaver of the game is a reception area with a large enclosure in the middle of the room � inside that enclosure is the collectible. ~~ Collectible #05 ~~ To the left of the cafeteria is the kitchen. Just before the kitchen is a small room with the door ajar - inside that room is the collectible. ~~ Collectible #06 ~~ As soon as you enter the lobby, make a right and then a left. The collectible will be next to an ammo box on the floor. You are in the lobby when the power goes out for a second time and you have to fight multiple waves of Locust. ~~ Collectible #07 ~~ After the fight in the lobby you will collect Carmine and head outside. Look behind a pillar to the right just outside the doors to find this collectible. Chapter 3: Rolling Thunder (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #08 ~~ At some point in between the chatter at the start of the chapter look behind you. This collectible is hanging on the wall at the back of the derrick. ~~ Collectible #09 ~~ The derrick will eventually speed up and crash. Dizzy will need you to hold off the Locust while he patches up Betty. Once back on the ground, face the Locust, then look to your left. The collectible is next to a couple of ammo boxes and a pair of grenades. Chapter 4: The Big Push (Collectibles: 0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 5: Roadblocks (Collectibles: 4) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #10 ~~ The first door you come to will require that you kick it in three times. Inside, mantle over the counter and run upstairs. The collectible is next to an ammo box and a pair of grenades on the floor. ~~ Collectible #11 ~~ You�ll come to a station with Nemacysts floating in the air above, and more flying in to bombard your position. The collectible is behind you at this point, hanging on the wall in the small graveyard. ~~ Collectible #12 ~~ After you�ve cleared out the enemies in and around the station (where there is a Troika that sits on top and another Troika nest to the left that gets rammed by a Centaur), run into the back room of the station to claim the collectible. ~~ Collectible #13 ~~ Halfway through the tunnel filled with Tickers you will come to a blockage of wrecked cars. Left of that is a small staircase, and left of that is a small room bathed in a reddish glow. Inside is the collectible. Chapter 6: Digging In (Collectibles: 0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== [5-2-0] Act II: Denizens =============================================================================== Chapter 1: Scattered (Collectibles: 0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2: Indigenous Creatures (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #14 ~~ Further along the path after encountering your first Rockworm at the very start of the chapter you will notice a grindlift behind some vines. Cut through the vines to claim the collectible, located at the base of the grindlift. ~~ Collectible #15 ~~ After taking sniper practice on the Locust patrol far off in the distance, you will reach a large Locust depot with two Troika turrets and eventually a Reaver that lands. Behind the Troika turrets near a box of ammo is the collectible. Chapter 3: Disturbing Revelations (Collectibles: 1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #16 ~~ After your first encounter of the chapter (which also happens to feature your very first two Kantus of the game), go through the large double doors that the second Kantus came through and look to the right to find the collectible. Chapter 4: Sinking Feeling (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #17 ~~ Your first encounter of the chapter also happens to be your first encounter with a Bloodmount. Shortly after dispatching your first Bloodmount, then the second, a car will be swallowed up by a small sinkhole. At this point look to your right � there will be an overlook with a box of ammo and a Gorgon Pistol on the ground. The collectible is next to them, behind the car. Be careful, as snipers have their sights trained on this overlook. ~~ Collectible #18 ~~ Once you reach the burning building with the downed chopper a horde of Locust will assault you from the floor above. After the cutscene where Cole saves the day, your squadmates will take a door out of the building. To the left of that door near the back wall is a corpse, and near the corpse is a pair of COG tags. Chapter 5: Captivity (Collectibles: 1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #19 ~~ As you head into the second mist-filled cavern of the chapter (after rescuing Baird), look to your right. The collectible will be behind a box. Chapter 6: Intestinal Fortitude (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #20 ~~ This collectible can be found on the ground to the left at the chapter start. ~~ Collectible #21 ~~ After finding Carmine you will be forced to run from a massive food wall. Just before the first right turn is the collectible on the ground to the left. You may have to dance around a bit to find it, as it�s difficult to spot. =============================================================================== [5-3-0] Act III: Gathering Storm =============================================================================== Chapter 1: Dirty Little Secret (Collectibles: 0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2: Origins (Collectibles: 3) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #22 ~~ At the very beginning of the chapter you will be ascending a staircase. At the top of the stairs and to the right will be a small room, inside which is the collectible next to a Boltok Pistol. ~~ Collectible #23 ~~ You will come across a room filled to the brim with Wretches. You will also find a room with a set of turret controls inside. Activate the controls to turn on the turrets and eliminate the Wretch pack. Go through the room where the Wretches were and into the next hallway; down the right a door will be ajar. Enter, then kick in the next door to find the collectible on the ground. ~~ Collectible #24 ~~ After a winding hallway you will come to a room with a couple of turrets on the ceiling to the left. Move into this part of the room slightly to trigger a pack of Wretches. After letting the turrets take care of the Wretches you will find the switch to deactivate them at the other end of the room. To the right of the switch is a small room, inside of which is the collectible, next to a Scorcher. Chapter 3: Rude Awakening (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #25 ~~ As you exit the facility, look to your right. There will be a small building. Roadie run through the razorhail and into the building to find the collectible. ~~ Collectible #26 ~~ Rather than board the second train, look behind you. There should be another small building a little ways back. Roadie run into it and look on the left wall to find the collectible. Chapter 4: Ascension (Collectibles: 0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 5: Displacement (Collectibles: 1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #27 ~~ After meeting your first Theron of the game you will come to a large area where you are under assault by grubs and a gunboat in the waters to your left. In the middle of this area is a set of stairs � climb it to find the collectible. Chapter 6: Brackish Waters (Collectibles: 0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =============================================================================== [5-4-0] Act IV: Hive =============================================================================== Chapter 1: Priorities (Collectibles: 1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #28 ~~ After the very last firefight of the chapter you will come to a terminal that needs to be checked for the existence of Maria. DO NOT interact with that terminal just yet, it will initiate a cutscene and start the next chapter, after which point you cannot go back except by reloading the chapter. Instead, move past that terminal to the other one that is lit up. It serves as the collectible. (Make sure that you see the magnifying glass before you press X.) Chapter 2: Answers (Collectibles: 1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #29 ~~ You will come upon a Locust patrol shortly after beginning the chapter. To the left of the terminal near which the patrol started you will find the collectible on the ground. Chapter 3: Hornets� Nest (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #30 ~~ At the very beginning of the chapter head down the stairs to the right, then take another right at the bottom of the stairs and head down the long corridor. On the ground just to the left at the end lies the collectible. ~~ Collectible #31 ~~ There will be a section where a couple of doors begin to close on you. You will want to roadie run through this section - the collectible is through the second closing door, to the right. Chapter 4: No Turning Back (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #32 ~~ After the gondola ride you will observe a mysterious firefight beyond a grate, and then ascend a spiral staircase. At the top of that spiral staircase and to the left is the collectible. ~~ Collectible #33 ~~ After the Split Decision involving the lift with the Troika you will be in a room overlooking grubs, Kantus, and Boomers. You will at this point need to pull a lever to extend a bridge. Traverse the bridge and turn left. All the way at the end near the Locust ammo box will be the collectible. Chapter 5: The Best-Laid Plans (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #34 ~~ You will have to go around the side of the palace after being ambushed at the front door. Continue past the lift on the side of the palace � in one of the doorways against the palace is the collectible. ~~ Collectible #35 ~~ In the room filled with Bloodmount cages you begin a very short Split Decision. At the end of the series of rooms over the course of which the Split Decision takes place is a door on the right. Through that door and to the right is a set of stairs. Go up those stairs and back down another flight of stairs � at the bottom before the ammo box is the collectible. Chapter 6: Royal Inquisition (Collectibles: 1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #36 ~~ After the room with the Locust computers (the very first room) will be a large hall where you embark on a Split Decision. At the very start of that hall, look between a support column and the left wall to find the collectible. =============================================================================== [5-5-0] Act V: Aftermath =============================================================================== Chapter 1: Escape (Collectibles: 0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2: Desperate Stand (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #37 ~~ After clearing the first platform but before going through the door Hoffman will open up, head down the stairs to your left. The collectible will be there, next to an ammo box. ~~ Collectible #38 ~~ At the end of the chapter while defending the front gates (during which two Brumaks attack), go all the way to the right. Down the steps to the left at the end will be the collectible, next to a box of ammo. Chapter 3: Free Parking (Collectibles: 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #39 ~~ The second large courtyard in this chapter features a Troika. Beyond that area, through the gate which you need to open by turning the wheels with Dom, will be more grubs and a Grinder. To the right of the Grinder just before the Split Decision will be the collectible, behind a small barricade. ~~ Collectible #40 ~~ You will gain access to the Hammer of Dawn after the Split Decision. At the end of the next street a building will topple over and scatter debris across the road. You will then need to head through the corner of a destroyed building. When you reenter onto the street, look to your left. The collectible will be through a hole in the wall. Chapter 4: Tenuous Footing (Collectibles: 1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~~ Collectible #41 ~~ After one of the roofs caves in and you fall several floors, the collectible will be out the windows and to the back right. Chapter 5: Closure (Collectibles: 0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* [6-0-0] VI. Appendix ******************************************************************************* ******************************************************************************* =============================================================================== [6-1-0] Credits =============================================================================== - Epic, for making such a kickass game! - All websites that are currently hosting my guide. - And you, the reader, without whom none of this would have been possible! =============================================================================== [6-2-0] Version History =============================================================================== Version 1.0: 8/26/09 � Main walkthrough complete. Version 1.1: 8/26/09 � Added the Deleted Scene: Road to Ruin. Version 1.2: 8/27/09 � Added the Collectibles Checklist. Submitted to GameFAQs. Version 1.21: 8/29/09 � Updated the Credits section to reflect the guide being hosted on multiple sites, among other minor changes. 12/28/09 � Actually submitted Version 1.21 to GameFAQs. I was hesitant to submit the new version, but it has been nagging me at the back of my mind for some time. In the end I feel the changes were positive. =============================================================================== [6-3-0] Contact Information =============================================================================== If you wish to contact me you can do so at [email protected]. Constructive criticism and positive comments are always welcome. Hate mail will of course be entirely ignored. If you were to contribute to my guide in any way (corrections, additions), I will add your name (please include the one you wish me to display) to the Credits section. Thank you! =============================================================================== [6-4-0] Legal Information =============================================================================== As stated at the top, this guide is copyrighted 2009 by Brian Cirnitski. Feel free to print it for your own personal, private use. Using it on another website or in any sort of public display first requires written permission from myself. Other than that, enjoy!