HALF-LIFE 2: EPISODE ONE
“THE ONE FREE BULLET” ACHIEVEMENT FAQ
By Thundaka (
[email protected])
Copyright 2012 Thundaka.
This guide is solely for private use. If you wish to host this guide on your
website, contact me for permission before doing so. Any profitable use is
strictly prohibited.
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VERSION HISTORY
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v1.00: First version. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions or
corrections.
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INTRODUCTION
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Welcome, brave player, to “The One Free Bullet” achievement guide. This is
arguably the most difficult achievement in the entire Half-Life series, as it
fundamentally alters the way the entire game is played.
Put simply, this achievement requires you to give up your guns for an entire
playthrough. With the exception of the titular bullet (to shoot open a lock
at the start of Chapter 3), you must rely on your crowbar, explosives, and
especially the Gravity Gun to get Gordon Freeman safely out of City 17.
While the opening and closing battles aren’t particularly terrible, the
middle chapters make for some of the most taxing battles in the series.
Effective use of the environment, good reflexes, and thorough preparation are
all important to your survival.
With that in mind, I urge anyone pursuing this achievement to REDUCE THE
DIFFICULTY TO EASY. Gordon loses health and Suit Power at an alarming rate
even on the lowest setting, due to his cumbersome “ammunition” and reliance
on explosives, but the greatest danger is Alyx. Her regenerating health
makes her essentially invulnerable on Easy, but at the higher difficulties
she can quickly get overwhelmed and killed by mobs of Antlions or Zombines--
and with explosive barrels and the like as your main weapons (especially
during the infamous elevator battle), Gordon can’t do a lot to prevent it.
Every achievement can be earned at any difficulty, so don’t make things
more difficult than they already are.
THE ONE FREE ARSENAL
--GRAVITY GUN: I hope you love the Zero-Point Energy Field Manipulator,
because for most of the game it is the only weapon available. The burst
from the primary trigger can directly damage Headcrabs, killing them in
three hits if no physics objects are available. It can also flip over
Antlions--a valuable ability when they attempt to mob you--though they do
not take damage. Against larger enemies, the Gravity Gun is only as good
as the objects it can throw at them. Your battle strategy is heavily
dependent on the objects scattered throughout each arena, and so those
objects deserve a more detailed discussion.
*ROCKS/CINDER BLOCKS/MISCELLANEOUS OBJECTS: The beauty of the Gravity
Gun is that it can turn nearly anything in the environment into a projectile.
Not every object is made equal, though. Small objects like rocks can kill
a Headcrab or finish a common Zombie with a well-aimed headshot, but do
little damage to tougher enemies and are worthless in a mob situation.
Heavier objects have much more stopping power, but their bulk often obscures
your vision and makes aiming difficult. (On the flip side, this same factor
makes them decent shields against gunfire.) In all cases ricochets are a
major issue; even a successful kill will send the object bouncing in a
random direction, forcing you to run after it and aim at your next target
while the other enemies are free to attack you. You will spend as much time
running as you do attacking, so conserving your energy for a well-timed dash
is a constant tactical consideration.
*OIL DRUMS: The rusted metal barrels found throughout Chapters 3 and 4.
Since they are both common and do good damage, they are one of the best
weapons for a big portion of the game.
*EXPLOSIVE BARRELS: These red-and-white barrels explode on impact,
heavily damaging every enemy within a wide radius, and are great for thinning
out a crowd. Unfortunately, playing with explosives can be dangerous: the
blast will ignite any nearby barrels (sometimes launching them at you just
before they detonate), a charging enemy can catch you in the blast, and a few
stray bullets or a Zombine’s grenade could lead to premature detonation.
While they are too powerful to ignore, you must handle these weapons with
care.
*GAS TANKS: Orange canisters that detonate on impact like the explosive
barrels, and also light any survivors on fire. Many of the barrels’ problems
apply here, though the smaller blast radius and lower damage do lower the risk.
*FLARES: These glowsticks are valuable for setting zombies on fire,
which also helps save the flashlight battery, and--if the player is fast and
accurate--can be reused to kill two or three per flare. Earning the
Zombie-que achievement (see below) is heavily dependent on such reuse. The
catch is that flares have a severe time limit: the moment one is picked up,
you have a limited time to toss it before it burns out.
*HOPPER MINES: Probably the best “ammunition” the Gravity Gun gets. If
picked up and thrown, they serve as powerful explosives which cannot
prematurely detonate. If set back down, they can form a perimeter that
eliminates your enemies while you stay at a safe distance.
--GRENADES: These explosives are very powerful in mob situations or tight
corridors, but due to limited numbers you need to be very careful how you use
them. (Sadly there are no infinite Grenade crates in this game.) The
location of each grenade will be noted in the walkthrough, as well as the
best battles in which to use them.
--CROWBAR: While still useful, Gordon’s trusty melee weapon will see little
action. It arrives late in the game, about the same time you earn the rocket
launcher, so the rest of your arsenal renders it mostly obsolete. It is still
needed for one hit kills vs. headcrabs and barnacles, but don’t expect much use
beyond that.
--ROCKET LAUNCHER: This weapon single-handedly makes the game a dozen times
easier. The rocket launcher provides both range and high damage, allowing
you to kill clusters of enemies well before they can reach you, and thanks to
the numerous infinite rocket crates your ammo is rarely a concern. Add in
that two of the game’s three bosses are only vulnerable to rockets, and this
weapon stands head and shoulders over all others.
THE “ZOMBIE-QUE” ACHIEVEMENT
The observant player will note that this achievement relies heavily on thrown
explosives and physics objects, a playstyle that meshes well with the
“Zombie-que” achievement. Since there are only 13 flares in the game, and
you are required to light 15 zombies on fire, reuse of your flares is
mandatory. This guide will point out the location of every flare in the
game, as well as tactical advice to get the most mileage out of each one.
As a rule of thumb, the slow-moving common zombies and Poison Zombies make
the best targets.
Keep in mind that only living zombies count toward the total (headcrabs and
corpses do not), and that gas tanks and other flammables do not count. All
but two of the flares appear in Chapter 3, so plan accordingly.
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WALKTHROUGH
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--CHAPTER 1: UNDUE ALARM--
--CHAPTER 2: DIRECT INTERVENTION--
Little needs to be said about the first two chapters. The supercharged
Gravity Gun turns every battle into a cakewalk, and with no other weapons
your playstyle is unchanged.
The only object of note in this section is the Suit Power station at the
start of Chapter 2, just before Alyx sends you down the elevator into the
Core. Do not use that station when you first arrive. Wait until the Core is
stablized and drains your HEV Suit Power, and you can enter the third chapter
with 30 Suit Power instead of zero. Do your best to avoid taking damage from
the roller mines by the train station, and you should be in decent shape when
you exit the Citadel and enter the difficult part of the game.
--CHAPTER 3: LOWLIFE--
*Part 1: A Walk in the Dark*
-Flares: 5
-Batteries: 5
After catching your breath, you will head into a hallway littered with
zombies, headcrabs, and Hopper Mines. Alyx can finish most of them by
herself, though there are plenty of oil drums and rocks for you to throw.
Clear out any unexploded Hoppers, enter the pitch-black tunnel, and collect
the BATTERY next to the vent on the floor. You will need the flashlight to
guide you through the vents and into the next room, though you can save the
battery by grabbing the first FLARE across a gap with the Gravity Gun. This
one won’t last long enough to burn any zombies, so just use it for light.
Pretty soon you will drop into the next room, crushing a headcrab in the
process. To proceed you must grab the pistol inside the cage, by gripping it
with the Gravity Gun and lifting it through the gap. Gordon’s one bullet is
used here, to break the lock on the door between yourself and the fuse box.
It should go without saying, but DO NOT MISS this shot. Flip the fuse box to
open both doors, then blast the car to open the way forward. There are four
BATTERIES in this room, plus a second FLARE in the gun cage. If you save the
flare until the path is cleared, you can light up your first two zombies for
“Zombie-que.”
Shine your flashlight on the enemies to help Alyx gun them down. Remember
that you can flip the antlions with a Gravity Gun burst, making them easier
targets and stopping their attacks. There is a BATTERY next to a dead rebel
left of the entrance, a little health in the car before you pass through the
rubble, and two gas tanks on the path. Up ahead is a lit train car,
containing the first of the hateful Zombines. They are a lot tougher than
common zombies (it takes a direct hit from an explosive barrel or two from
an oil drum to kill them), and they run fast and hit hard, but they are at
their worst when they pull out a grenade for their suicide rush. I
recommend dashing back into the train and letting Alyx deal with them,
either gunning them down or triggering the suicide attack while you are at
a safe distance. There are three explosive barrels which can be tossed at
them, plus a third FLARE (inside a van at the very end of the tunnel) with
which you can burn one or two Zombines, but I don’t recommend it: your
accuracy is very poor in the darkness, and the combination of rushing
enemies and grenades make the barrels very dangerous.
You will meet your first Barnacle on the path ahead. With no crowbar and
no guns, you will die if it catches you; shine your flashlight to have Alyx
kill it, and avoid the tongue at all costs. To open the door to the next
area, activate the fuse box in the alcove just beyond. There are two more
FLARES, one outside the alcove and another next to the door, which you can
use to light up the four zombies that arrive once the power is switched on.
*Part 2: Antlion Wrangling*
-Grenades: 1
-Batteries: 3
-Med Kits: 5
Up the stairs is a pack of three slow but deadly Poison Headcrabs. You can
kill them directly with a few Gravity Gun bursts, though it is safer to
grab an oil drum and toss it for an instant kill. There is a MED KIT at
the top of the stairs, a BATTERY in the corner with the generator, and
another BATTERY inside a locker to your right. You won’t go far before
discovering the first antlion burrow. Push the nearby car over the burrow
to seal it. If this doesn’t kill the antlion outright, a burst from the
Gravity Gun and a few bullets from Alyx will do the job. Two more Poison
Headcrabs will enter while you raise the gate. Exterminate them, then
finish raising the gate and continue ahead.
The area ahead holds a long, dark tunnel that is infested with Barnacles.
Shine your light straight up to kill the nearest ones, but leave the rest
alive. Two waves of zombies will approach once you enter the tunnel. The
Barnacles at the far end will grab them one by one, killing them long before
they can reach you. Once all the zombies are eliminated, have Alyx finish
the Barnacles. (Again, avoid their tongues at all costs.) Three more
Zombines will attack when you reach the end of the tunnel. The Alyx-
centered strategy from earlier works well, though if any of them focus on
you it will be necessary to start running. There are plenty of oil drums
around, so be sure to toss them to help eliminate the Zombines. There is a
final Zombine in the dark corner near the doors, though you can eliminate
it by tossing an explosive barrel from a distance. Don’t forget to grab a
MED KIT from the antlion burrow before continuing on.
The three-story parking lot ahead is the first really nasty section of the
game, and a good reminder of why Easy mode is recommended. Some Zombines
and antlions are fighting when you arrive, though pretty soon both parties
will notice you and come charging down the hall. Stay behind Alyx while
the Zombines attack, and flip over the antlions to help her finish them.
Once inside the lot all three burrows will erupt with antlions, and you
will need to block all three with cars to proceed. Only one car is
available at first; sprint toward it, then push it until it covers the
most distant burrow (directly below the second level). While you can
knock back some antlions with the Gravity Gun, don’t expect to do this
without taking a few hits. Once the burrow is sealed, you must sprint
up the ramp to the second level. Inside the alcove straight ahead is the
first and only GRENADE in this chapter. Do not miss it, or you will
suffer later. Punt the second car down to the lower level, and seal off
the nearby second burrow.
Only one car remains, but it is a nasty one. You must travel to the
upper level, then drop into the closed-off parking space with a Zombine.
With no objects to toss and no support from Alyx, you have no choice but
to stand on the car and wait for its suicide attack, then crouch behind
the car to reduce the damage. (Thankfully there is a MED KIT to help you
recover.) Open the gate, push the car down to the ground floor, and seal
the final burrow. Once you and Alyx have killed the final antlion, you
can open the gate on the third floor and finally claim the BATTERY and
two MED KITS up there. I suggest taking a breather, because it only gets
more intense from here.
*Part 3: Hell’s Elevator*
-Flares: 6
-Batteries: 4
-Med Kits: 9
Descend the stairs into a fenced-off sewer area. There is no safe way to
use the explosive barrels, so rely on oil drums for your damage. One
Zombine will charge at you near the beginning, then a few more when you
reach the second room. The narrow quarters make the Zombines easy to hit,
but also make the suicide charge very dangerous. I suggest doubling back
after entering the middle area (which will draw out the Zombines near the
far door), and dashing back up the stairs if any of them pull out a
grenade. A final group will pursue you as you exit, but you have plenty
of time to run ahead and shut the door behind you.
Up the stairs is a large arena, containing the elevator that will finally
carry you to the surface. However, to ride it you must survive one of the
toughest brawls in Half-Life history. Since the objects in the environment
are so important, a quick survey is in order:
-FLARES: In the corner near the entrance, 2 next to the elevator itself, on
the path to the fuse box (on the left next to an explosive barrel), in the
second cage on the path, and inside the fuse room. You can easily earn
Zombie-que here if you use all of them--there will be no shortage of
targets to burn, and often they crowd closely enough to ignite 2 or 3 with
a single toss. Just be aware that the first and last flares require major
detours, while the one in the cage needs to be used on the way to the fuse
room (you won’t have time to pull it out of the cage when they arrive en
masse).
-GAS TANKS: In the corner near the entrance, 2 next to the elevator, 2
behind the cage next to the elevator, and in the dead-end room a bit
beyond that. They are great weapons, but keep them spaced out; they
really hurt if the Zombines detonate them, especially if explosive barrels
are nearby.
-EXPLOSIVE BARRELS: On the path toward the fuse box, and at the corner
where the two paths meet. Keep them far from each other, and from the gas
tanks.
-OIL DRUMS: Right next to the explosive barrels.
-BATTERIES: Next to the elevator, in the first cage on the way to the fuse
room, outside the fuse room, and in a corner room past the fuse room. Be
careful with the last one: that room holds a Zombine and lots of
explosives, killing or seriously hurting you unless you can dash away fast
enough.
-MED KITS: In the corner room past the elevator, 2 on the path to the fuse
box, in the first cage, 2 in the second cage, 2 inside the fuse shed, and
in the explosive-filled corner room. It’s a good idea to toss them toward
the elevator, because you will really need them once the fight starts.
While they don’t attack in force until the power is on, the zombies will
still arrive one or two at a time on the path to the fuse shed. You
cannot fight back without the flashlight, so keep a close eye on the
suit’s battery power. (The flares provide some illumination, but not
enough to see the zombies coming from a distance.) I suggest switching it
off at the halfway mark, then waiting for the power to recharge--unless you
hear a zombie coming, in which case you must keep it on until the beast is
dead. You will need to dash a lot to survive the Zombines, so conservation
is critical.
Let your batteries recharge before opening the fuse shed, as a Zombine will
come charging out with a grenade. Exterminate the headcrab that waits
inside, and you can turn on the power. The zombie hordes will arrive on
the way back to the elevator. The epic brawl that follows boils down to
battery management, which you will badly need for light and to dash away
from the Zombines and especially the Fast Zombies. Both the gas tanks and
flares provide light to see by (in a pretty small range), but they are
limited, and you need to refrain from dashing as well in order to recover
your flashlight power. While the explosive barrels and gas tanks are most
powerful, the oil drums are the most reliable projectiles: they are
infinitely reusable and cannot damage you, and the only easy way to kill
Fast Zombies (though you will need to chase after the barrel each time it
is thrown). No matter what you are using, remember to DROP THE OBJECT and
run when a Zombine pulls out a grenade. You can’t dash while using the
Gravity Gun, and even on Easy mode this does a ton of damage at close range.
When Alyx finally announces that the elevator has arrived, hurry in ASAP.
The hard part is by no means over, but at least the very worst is behind you.
--CHAPTER 4: URBAN FLIGHT—
*Part 1: Return of the Combine*
-Batteries: 2
-Med Kits: 4
Once you have recovered, hunt in the side room for the crank that opens the
gate to the surface. There is a MED KIT and BATTERY in here as well, both
surely welcome after the beating you took. Take a look around, listen to
Dr. Kleiner, and stretch your legs a bit before you tackle the next combat
section. Some observation drones will appear up ahead, which you can grab
and smash for an additional battery or two.
Keep the Grenade in hand as you walk forward. Four Combine soldiers will
rappel down from the roofs, then start firing at you. They take and deal a
lot of damage, and the only nearby object (a trash can) is too light to
even make them flinch. However, a perfectly thrown grenade can kill several
of them as they touch down. To deal with the survivors, I suggest doubling
back and grabbing one of the metal panels that blocked your path earlier.
They are heavy enough to kill a soldier in one toss, though the wild
ricochets make them difficult to use more than once. Odds are Alyx will do
most of the damage.
When the soldiers are cleared you can move into the street ahead, where a
few Combine and a whole mess of antlions duke it out. There are several
MED KITS in the starting area, if you need it. Hang back until the antlions
finish off the soldiers, then start sealing up the burrows with cars. A few
more Combine wait behind the door at the street’s end, ready to ambush you,
but the trap to the left of the door provides an easy way to clear them.
Grabbing the nearby chair with the Gravity Gun should trigger the traps, and
if you back up quickly you won’t be hurt. The downside is that a raging
fire blocks the way forward, forcing you to solve a platforming puzzle before
you can continue. Collect the BATTERY in this room, then take the stairs.
*Part 2: Headshots*
-Grenades: 8
-Batteries: 8
-Med Kits: 4
The zombies on the top floor are not a concern, as the traps and roller
mine make quick work of them. Catch it with the Gravity Gun once they are
dead, and Alyx will turn it to your side. Grab the MED KIT and BATTERY up
here.
The sniper outside will make your life difficult, so proceed with caution.
The hacked roller mine can hold off the still-hostile one in the street,
but pretty soon you will have to grab that one and hack it as well. Make a
mad dash to the wall on the right, dodging fire from the soldier at the
mounted gun as well as the sniper. To take out the sniper you’ll first
need to get behind the second car in the street, hiding behind cover to get
there. Rather than wasting a Grenade, grab one of the roller mines and toss
it into the sniper’s nest to take him out. Toss the other at the Combine on
the ground, then stand back until they explode and Alyx takes the sniper
rifle. Don’t forget to grab the three GRENADES behind the mounted gun and
the MED KIT behind the car.
The area ahead is infested with zombies, but thanks to Alyx and her
impeccable aim you can focus on avoiding damage while she eliminates them.
Climb over the fence and draw them out of their hiding place in the alley.
The common zombies aren’t much threat, so focus on keeping your distance
from the Zombines and Fast Zombies. Head inside the building, and up the
stairs you will find a boarded-up set of windows that looks down on the
street below. Knock out these boards to expose this corridor to Alyx,
allowing her to pick off the zombies that come shambling down it. She
probably won’t take out the Zombine that runs after you, so just try to
stay out of reach until it commits suicide. Past this area you will find
two more GRENADES and three BATTERIES in crates.
Antlions spawn in the street ahead, though the Combine cut them down from
two different directions. First you will need to eliminate the Combine
who covers the path ahead, by taking the back panel to give Alyx a clear
shot. Next on the list is the antlion burrow, which must once again be
sealed with a car. That just leaves the Combine at the end of the street,
who keep the gate shut except to rush out three at a time. Alyx can make
short work of them, but until you sneak past the gate they will keep
respawning. The panel from the mounted-gun Combine works well as both a
shield and a heavy projectile, so carry it with you as you approach the
gate. When the Combine are gone Alyx will come to you, followed by a few
antlions; flip them over as usual to help her finish them.
Pick up the MED KIT right after the loading screen. The building ahead
has lots of tight corridors with plenty of Combine, making Grenades
especially powerful. You probably have five of them already, so feel
free to use them all to thin their numbers. There is another GRENADE
in the side hall next to the first cluster of them, and another 2 GRENADES
by the sealed-off doors. Those doors don’t stay sealed for long, though,
so start tossing Grenades as soon as they explode to take down the strike
force. This room contains a Suit Power recharge station--the only one in
the game outside the Citadel--as well as a Health Station and two
BATTERIES, so fill up. Grab the radiator on the wall up ahead. It is
remarkably damaging for such a small object, and the perfect way to take
out the final shotgun-wielding Combine up ahead. At the top of the stairs
are two MED KITS and two BATTERIES. Your health and Suit Power are
probably full, so drop them into the garage to help you recover after the
next fight.
*Part 3: Boom!*
-Grenades: 4
-Batteries: 5
-Med Kits: 10
You will drop into the game’s first boss battle, a brawl between the
Combine and an Antlion Guard which quickly becomes you vs. the Guard and
its antlion allies. There are seven explosive barrels and several more
oil drums around the arena, though safely using them can be difficult.
Make a mad dash for the explosive barrel in the upper-left corner, and
you can hit the Guard while it’s still attacking the Combine tank. With
any luck you can grab and throw a second barrel before the Guard has
finished the Combine and turned its attention toward you. It only takes
one more explosive barrel (or two solid tosses from an oil drum) to finish
the Guard, but tossing it while the Guard is galloping toward you and its
brothers try to mob you is no simple feat. Whenever possible, try to trick
it into running into the walls; this will stun it for a few seconds, giving
you time to recover your suit battery and move far enough to safely toss an
explosive barrel.
When the Guard dies Alyx will hop down to join you, providing cover fire
while you seal the three antlion burrows. After that you can recover your
health (and Suit Power, if you remembered to drop the batteries), before
more drones arrive and the Combine start shooting from the rooftops. You
have nothing to contribute here, so just stay in a corner while Alyx
eliminates them with the mounted gun. A few more Combine are sitting in
the trench just ahead; you could carry an explosive barrel over or toss a
Grenade to try and eliminate them, but Alyx and the rebel on the roof
will probably do most of the damage. Be sure to pick up the GRENADE in
the trench, which you will need up ahead.
The next few rooms are light on combat, but full of deadly explosives
which make navigation difficult. Pull out the Hopper Mine by the door
and climb into the vent, taking the ladder up the side path and collecting
two BATTERIES with the Gravity Gun. Go far enough and the vent will
collapse, trapping you in a room criss-crossed with tripmines and
explosive barrels. At that point you would need to carefully maneuver
to the exit, jumping on top of barrels and praying that you don’t tip
them over while you cross. However, you can eliminate the danger by
tossing a Grenade out the end of the vent, detonating all the explosives
and letting you walk straight to the elevator. In typical Half-Life
tradition, once you enter the elevator will plunge into the water below.
Knock out the roof escape with the Gravity Gun, then climb onto the ledge
with the MED KIT. This room is very hard to navigate while the
explosives are there, but by grabbing and tossing an explosive barrel you
can eliminate them at no risk. Watch out for the Barnacles on the
ceiling. They take some time to extend their tongues and can be
distracted by the explosion debris, but if you are caught you will
absolutely die.
Kill the Poison Headcrab inside the lower room, collect the two MED KITS,
and crawl through the vent to the upper level. Hop around the outside of
the shaft, taking care to avoid the Barnacles, and you can climb a ladder
all the way to the vent near the top. A Barnacle stands between you and
the final jump to the vent, though you can pull the vent cover toward you
to keep the tongue occupied. A final booby-trapped room waits at the end
of the vent, so gently drop the vent cover into the room below to clear
the way. Watch out for the Hopper Mines, which are still standing and
must be pulled out one at a time. Activate the fuse box to open the door
forward, and grab a Hopper before heading to the next area. (You could
bring all four Hoppers to add to your ammo stockpile, though honestly it’s
not worth the six extra trips back and forth across the loading screen.)
Set down the Hopper, then peek forward into the room ahead. A zombie will
come crawling toward you, which Alyx will quickly kill if you move out of
her way. Rather than exploding everything now, you should carefully move
the explosive barrels out of the room and back through the corridor. This
will allow you to set off the tripmines without wasting projectiles that
you can use against the Combine. Remember to pull out the Hopper Mine,
which could easily cause a fatal chain explosion. Once the room is clear,
collect a BATTERY and health from the locker and two GRENADES from a
supply crate; you can bring back the explosive barrels as well, provided
that you keep them near the locker. A Combine assault team enters after
you approach the sealed-off exit, exploding the door and dropping a
burning barrel before they enter in force. It only takes two good
explosions to eliminate them, so fire away. After they are dead you can
pick up another BATTERY from the stairs, then pull the plug to remove
the force field.
There is one more Combine battle before the game gives you a break.
Unfortunately it’s a hard one, as it takes place in a wide-open street
that gives the Combine a huge range advantage and enough room to dodge
your projectiles. Before facing them head-on, move the enemy Hopper to
the bottom of the stairs and lure in the Combine to thin their ranks.
You shouldn’t set more than one Hopper at a time (they will all explode
when a soldier approaches, even from the other side of the wall), but
you can hold a second Hopper and drop it in the same spot when the first
one explodes. You probably won’t kill them all, but finishing two or
three this way can really curb the damage you will suffer. Once in the
street you should focus on clearing the distance to the soldiers;
Grenades and oil drums are your best weapons (and the latter is helpful
as a shield), though once again Alyx tends to do more damage. The
Combine do throw Grenades of their own, which can be thrown back if
you’re quick enough with the Gravity Gun.
Things get a lot easier after you pass the first car, when a rocket-
firing Resistance member joins the fight. You can afford to hang back
a bit here: his rockets will quickly blow away the Combine, and if they
do kill him Gordon will gain the godly ROCKET LAUNCHER a bit early
(plus three free rockets, which can be a huge help on the path to the
hospital). A big group of them will blow open a door at the end, so
you might want to prime a Grenade (or collect the explosive barrel by
the exit) and toss it at them after the explosion. The action lets up
for a bit, giving you the opportunity to catch your breath and collect
the two MED KITS in the street. Don’t forget to collect the BATTERY
in plain view and the GRENADE in a supply crate before entering the
apartment complex.
*Part 4: The Rocket Doctor*
-Grenades: 3
-Batteries: 10
-Med Kits: 11
After hanging out with the Resistance for a bit, pick up the MED KIT
behind the marked door and head up the stairs. The first door is
blocked, while the second has two Zombines who will charge once it is
opened. Try to roll in a grenade before Alyx fires, then close the
door again; this can take out one of them right away, making it much
easier for Alyx to finish the other. As before, backpedal down the
stairs if they use the suicide attack. There are no good projectiles
around, so you’ll need her to finish the next Zombine as well. Stick
to the left in the next room, or you’ll be sorry: the floor will
collapse, dropping you into a room full of zombies. You can take them
out pretty quickly by tossing furniture, but the Zombine in the hall
outside is very difficult to kill and almost impossible to slip past.
The top floor has a BATTERY and two MED KITS, while the room below
only has MED KITS.
Upstairs you meet Barney, who reunites you with another old friend:
the CROWBAR! This isn’t as exciting a reunion as you might hope,
since it’s so late in the game, but it’s still pretty helpful:
Barnacles are no longer a death sentence, and headcrabs will go down
in one hit. Straight ahead are a BATTERY and MED KIT, guarded by a
headcrab. Up the stairs are some Poison Headcrabs, whose slow
reflexes make them easy crowbar targets. Pick up the GRENADE in a
supply crate, lure the two Zombines to you, and then back up while
Alyx kills them. (The crowbar’s damage is too low, and in any case
fighting them in such an enclosed space is a very bad idea.) After
that, head outside and smash the board blocking the bridge to draw
the Combine toward you. I recommend Grenades for the two who cross
the bridge, and the explosive barrel to take out the one on the
roof. Spend as little time as possible in the open, since the
gunship is still on the prowl.
Cross the bridge to enter the next indoor area, a long hallway
crowded with zombies, tripmines, and eventually a squad of Combine.
The gunship shoots at you through the windows, so make a point of
staying low and near the wall the whole time. The crowbar is pretty
useful against the common zombies (if you have good reflexes and
can pull back quickly), but for the Zombines you’ll still want to
rely on the Gravity Gun, Combine traps, and maybe Grenades. Since
the Combine will be firing at them the whole time, it’s a good idea
to hang back until the zombies are dead. Use any remaining Grenades
to eliminate the Combine; if you already have the rocket launcher,
this is the ideal place to use it. There is a MED KIT in a locker
near the beginning of the hall, and a GRENADE in a crate at the end.
The gunship finally catches up to you up ahead, setting the stage
for the second boss fight. The ROCKET LAUNCHER is downstairs next
to a Resistance corpse; you will need it to win the battle. On Easy
mode it takes three rockets to kill the gunship. While you could
theoretically do this without reloading, in practice the
gunship’s defenses and the bits of building in the way will probably
cause several to miss. The key to this battle is reaching the
infinite rocket crate in the center without leaving yourself totally
exposed. My strategy is to hang out near the entrance, dodging
behind the left wall while it fires, then sprint out to fire a rocket
right after. You can’t just stand there and fire, as its guns cut
through your Suit Power and health very quickly even on Easy mode.
(There are 4 MED KITS downstairs to help with the latter, but no
batteries.) Remember to fire the rockets in a spiral path, to
outmaneuver its anti-missile guns and close in on the gunship for
the kill.
After three rockets you must sprint back to the crate, quickly but
carefully: the path to the crate is narrow and has a sharp turn, and
it’s easy to fall down and be forced to repeat the journey. Once
there you should hop downstairs (the floor above makes decent cover),
then sprint up the stairs and back to the entrance. Throughout the
battle pieces of the building will break off as the gunship and your
rockets hit them, rapidly destroying cover and making both of you
easier targets. You could spend a round destroying the roof in order
to clear your field of view, though since the most inconvenient bits
are quickly destroyed anyway I wouldn’t bother.
Reload on rockets when it dies, then pick up any Med Kits you missed.
Some clueless Combine will blow the door, only to be blasted to
smithereens by your rockets. Pick up the GRENADE near their bodies,
use the Gravity Gun to set off the tripmines down the hall, pull out
the Hopper Mine hidden in the corner, and pick up two BATTERIES from
the locker.
The next section is perhaps the most satisfying part of the
challenge, and certainly the easiest. You will walk through a
Combine- and zombie-infested hospital, with an infinite supply of
ammo for Gordon’s instant-kill weapon. It may be a long walk in
places, but there is not a single loading screen between Gordon and
the crate during this section. Better still, Alyx’s new shotgun can
kill most enemies in one or two shots, and there are lots of Hopper
Mines for even more instant kills. While you should always use the
nearby explosives first and let the two sides kill each other before
intervening, there is no need to hoard your resources like you have
for most of the game.
The first side room to your left has a BATTERY, though you will need
to escape the zombie that hides in the bathroom. There are more
BATTERIES around the bend (in the first room on the right), at the end
of the same hallway (behind the door which a zombie breaks down), and
inside the operating room that links to the third hallway. The Combine
Elites and their energy balls make their debut in the next hall, though
more often than not they will die before they ever get the chance to
attack you. The fourth and final hallway has two more BATTERIES, one in
plain sight and another in the TV room with two zombies. Take them out
with the Gravity Gun, then open the door holding back the zombie crowd
and get ready to back away. These guys are pretty tough--especially the
Poison Zombie, who can survive a direct rocket hit--so don’t be surprised
if takes all three rockets and even a grenade or two to finish them.
Make sure that the rocket launcher is full before you jump down, as you
can’t return to the crate after this.
*Part 5: Emergency Checkout*
-Flares: 2
-Batteries: 7
-Med Kits: 1
The floor collapses below Gordon, dropping him into the flooded basement.
**WAIT FOR ALYX TO CHECK ON YOU BEFORE YOU CONTINUE**. If you swim away
before she arrives, the game’s programming gets screwed up and she will
not rejoin you upstairs. (She will reappear at the next loading screen
when Chapter 5 starts, but there are two tough battles in the meantime
which become much tougher without her help.) After she says her piece you
can swim down, then move up onto the ledge. There is a Poison Headcrab in
the shed; kill it with the crowbar, then collect the two BATTERIES.
There are another two BATTERIES next to the door, which you must power up
before exiting.
Keep the crowbar handy in the water, as there are lots of Barnacles for
you to kill. There is one by the alcove with the floating canister, one
by the platform near the electric switch, and two near the stairs, all
of which must die right away. There are two more near the shed, but you
cannot reach them yet. Move the canister under the platform next to the
switch, so you don’t electrocute yourself in the water, then turn on the
power. From here it takes two careful jumps to reach the ledge adjacent
to the shed--at which point the final two Barnacles arrive, blocking your
path with their tongues. Carefully backtrack to the switch, turn it off,
and you can safely kill them with your crowbar. From there you only need
to reactivate the power, tread the same path, and this time jump to the
shed and through the window to safely reach the door.
Upstairs Alyx will join you, having ditched the shotgun and returned to
her automatic pistol. Not too far ahead is another zombie fight, this
time in an enclosed arena just below you. Two Fast Headcrabs are running
around on the floor; either wait for Alyx to finish them, or just jump
down with the crowbar and take the damage. The final two FLARES are down
here on the shelves. If you’re not worried about “Zombie-que,” use one
to burn the tough Poison Zombie to death. Otherwise you should dodge the
Poison Headcrabs as he throws them (they are much easier to kill after
they detach from his body) and kill him with the crowbar once it’s just
him. The same goes for the Poison Zombie outside the broken window,
which is harmless once his headcrabs are gone. Pretty soon a crowd of
zombies will start banging on the doors. Set a Hopper Mine near both
doors, and pick up the third as ammunition. It will take all three
rockets and possibly some grenades to thin out the horde, though they
are clustered tightly enough that you can easily light two or three at
a time with a single tossed flare. Concentrate on killing the Zombines
first, and with luck you should escape with only minor damage. Pick up
the two BATTERIES after the battle, then continue on.
There is a MED KIT and a BATTERY in the next operating room. There is
one more obstacle before you leave the hospital, a hallway that is
scattered with Hopper Mines and guarded by two turrets. Pull the first
Hopper before you continue, then move down a little to trigger a wave of
zombies, including some Zombines and a scary Fast Zombie. Dash out of
the hall and close the doors behind you, and hopefully Alyx and the
turrets will finish the zombies before they can reach you. Some more
zombies arrive as you enter the first door on your left, though if you
hide Alyx and the turrets should take out all of them. Sprint to the
room on the opposite side, pulling out any Hoppers which didn’t already
detonate, and you are nearly home. Now you only need to remove the
Hoppers just behind the force field, pull the plug that powers the
force field, and run on to finally leave the building and get a taste
of fresh air.
--CHAPTER 5: EXIT 17—
*Part 1: The Battle of the Trainyard*
-Grenades: 2
-Batteries: 1
-Med Kits: 3
Pick up the BATTERY in the locker, then break the boards to get outside.
You will meet up with Barney, who explains the plan to you while you
collect the two GRENADES in the truck to the right. This next battle is
an endurance test, but thanks to the infinite rocket crate behind the
dumpster it’s not terribly difficult. Different waves of enemies will
spawn with each group of citizens you escort, as well as on each return
trip, and each requires its own strategy.
-Group 1: There is no combat during the first trip, so take your time
and note your surroundings. There is a lot of health on this path--
three Health Stations, several MED KITS near the citizen waiting area,
and a small crate full of health--but no batteries, so don’t be surprised
if you end this marathon with no Suit Power. Alyx takes over the mounted
gun when you reach the end, providing cover fire and an easy way to finish
the Combine who try to follow you to the trains.
-Return 1: Some Manhacks arrive in the station. They are easy enough to
kill with the Gravity Gun, but their small size and numbers make them a
real pain. There are more Manhacks outside, which you should lure through
the door for an easier kill, and three Hopper Mines are dropped from the
sky. As long as you pull them up first, the Hoppers are great tools for
keeping the Combine at bay. There are only two paths the Combine can take
through the trainyard; by planting both with Hopper Mines you can take out
lots of them before they can ever reach you. To make them even better,
gather the three explosive barrels and place them directly behind the
Hoppers. Once your perimeter is prepared, collect the next group.
-Group 2: The Combine start to arrive now, but pretty slowly. You can
easily sprint into the station and to the trains before they can land a
shot, and Alyx will eliminate the soldiers on your tail. As a rule, you
should always sprint through the trainyard while you have citizens in tow.
-Return 2: Assuming that Alyx killed the soldiers who followed you, your
first combat will be with a sniper who fires from the building across the
street. (Don’t forget to pull up any Hoppers between you and the rocket
crate.) One well-placed rocket will smoke him out, after which you can
pick off the soldiers who rappel down the buildings for a while. Place
your three new Hopper Mines now, including one between the crate and the
station entrance, then bring out the next group.
-Group 3: Here’s where it gets tricky. Inside the station a Combine
Elite will knock down the first train with an energy ball, stopping your
progress. Kill him with a rocket, then lead them up the newly created
upper path. Another Elite and soldier will land on the second train. A
well-placed rocket can kill both of them, though you can spare a third
rocket if necessary.
-Return 3: Once outside, large numbers of Combine will approach you on
foot and get blown up by your Hoppers. On the far side is a tank, which
fires guided missiles at you until it is destroyed. It takes four rockets
to do this; use the dumpster as a shield, and otherwise stay out of sight
as much as possible. Finish off the troops who accompany the tank, and
you can collect the next group.
-Group 4: This time the Combine will blow the lower door, then stream
into the station through it. One rocket should be enough for this group,
though once you climb the ramp you will have to kill two more who jump
through the window.
-Return 4: This one is a pure manpower rush: first a wave of Civil
Protection police, then a whole ton of Manhacks, and finally a large
Combine squadron. The Hoppers can do a lot of the work, but you will
still get plenty of use out of your rocket launcher.
-Group 5: Barney joins the final group. Two more Combine land on the
roof of the train, and due to their spacing you will need a rocket for
each of them. Refill your health before the doors are sealed. If you
like you can refill your rockets one last time after dropping off the
last group, dodging bullets from the last few Combine, though it is by
no means necessary.
*Part 2: Gordon the Giant Killer*
-Batteries: 8
-Med Kits: 4
Barney says farewell, and you and Alyx set off to look for your own train
out of the city. You will pick up two BATTERIES on the way forward. Turn
the crank to let Alyx through, and the game’s final boss stalks toward you
at high speed. Try to remain out of the Strider’s line of sight until its
second blast, which opens the path forward. Two soldiers will arrive up
ahead. Since you probably only have one rocket (and you need to save it
for later), kill them by tossing grenades.
From here you must make your way across the trainyard to higher ground,
while dodging the Strider’s guns and the destructive effects of its
shockwave blast. There is a Health Station at ground level, as well as a
BATTERY on top of the first layer of containers. There is a pod of Poison
Headcrabs on the way up. Wait for a blast to crack it open, then crowbar
both headcrabs when they come out.
The next bit can take a few tries: you have to leap from a shipping
container to the walkway upstairs, a somewhat tricky jump that also
leaves you exposed to the Strider’s guns. You can count on taking damage
here, so just try to get behind cover as quickly as possible. Once up
there, immediately grab the nearby explosive barrel and toss it far away.
Pretty soon the Strider will fire a blast at the catwalks which will
launch the burning barrel toward you, which is obviously bad news. After
that is done you can recover at the Health Station if necessary.
Your next trial is to sneak behind the panels for cover without setting
off the Hopper Mines. While it takes some practice to do correctly, there
is a safe spot at the very edge of the panel which gives you time to
safely pull the Hopper out. Another Soldier will fire at you from the
roof as you pull out the second Hopper; quickly toss it to kill him. Move
quickly between the panels when the Strider stops firing, picking up the
two BATTERIES in crates as you go. There is another BATTERY and a MED KIT
once you leap off the walkway, though you only have a short time before
the Strider’s blasts end up crushing you.
Hop downstairs onto a fenced-off path, and a final pair of soldiers will
arrive. Kill them with a rocket, then back up to escape the burning
barrels that come rolling out of the shipping container behind them. Pick
up the BATTERY next to their bodies, pull out the final two Hoppers, then
dash between the train cars to duck and pick up one last MED KIT and
BATTERY next to the fence.
If you can survive the climb up the ladder, you’ve basically won the
game. Stay near the infinite rocket crate and behind cover, dash out to
fire between salvos, and after four rockets the infernal giant will finally
fall. Head down the other ladder to meet up with Alyx, who gives you some
well-deserved praise before inviting you onto the train. Step inside, wait
for Alyx to start the thing, and after a few seconds the Achievement will
finally appear on your screen. Sit back, pat yourself on the back, and
enjoy the spectacular trip out of the city. Your hard journey is finally at
an end, though Gordon’s is just beginning.
=============================================================================
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
=============================================================================
-bumcheekcity: The Gravity Gun Challenge FAQ he wrote for Half-Life 2 was an
excellent primer on the varied powers of the Gravity Gun (not to mention the
key to my successful completion of “Zombie Chopper”), and was a big
inspiration for this guide.
-Valve Software: These guys have created some of the best-designed and most </pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
fun games in recent history, and this one is no exception. Here’s hoping
that they maintain that standard for many years to come.
