Last updated : 7 January 2001 (Australian Time)
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Magus' Half-Life Guide                                           v1.8
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Legal Stuff
This entire FAQ is copyright Magus 2000-01. The only sites that can use
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Half-Life is copyright Sierra/Valve 1998. Please do not leech any
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NOT take anything at all from this guide. Don't edit, don't do anything to
it and submit it without e-mailing me with permission first. You can
print it out, but only for personal use, no selling this! Summing it
up, do anything for your own personal benefit (apart from reading it)
without asking me, AND YOU'LL BURN IN HELL!!!!!
---====================---
To get in touch, e-mail me at shinra9@yahoo.com
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Be warned that I'm only on the net twice a week, don't expect replies
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If it's not in there, make sure that the details you provide
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otherwise I'll bomb you" will not get you anywhere.
That's it. Sorry for being a pain, but it had to be said.
---====================---
Version History
v0.5-About three quarters of the walkthrough up, and weapons.
v1.0-Finished Walkthrough, plus tips.
v1.1-Weapon Strategies, FAQ.
v1.3-FAQ.
v1.4-FAQs.
v1.41-Copyright Notice changed.
v1.5-Tip.
v1.51-Copyright Notice changed.
v1.52-Copyright Notice changed.
v1.53-Seems like a waste of time, but I like ASCII art headings =)
v1.54-Copyright Notice changed.
v1.55-Copyright Notice changed.
v1.56-Copyright changed.
v1.57-Copyright Notice changed.
v1.58-Email guidelines. Some people out there are getting annoying.
v1.6-DOOBA DAN ROCKS!!!
v1.61-Copyright updated.
v1.7-New email addy.
v1.8-Added a small but useful tip.
1)Introduction
2)Weapons
3)Walkthrough
4)Tips
5)Cheats
6)FAQ
7)Acknowledgements
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1)Introduction
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After playing Quake to death, I really needed something to brighten
up my FPS world. Unreal just couldn't do it for me, and I had to
resort to what I thought was a inferior shooter, Quake II, until this
game came out.
Half-Life places you in the body of Gordon Freeman, a scientist who's
working at the Black Mesa Research Facility. During one of your
experiments, something goes terribly wrong. Now, Black Mesa has become
a breeding ground for aliens, and an extermination target of the army.
It's up to you to stop them in this great FPS. The graphics are top
notch, sound is awesome, and the gameplay/storyline just absolutely
brilliant. This game contains probably the best storyline ever for a
FPS, which is usually about shoot as many as you can. You'll have to
take a more subtle approach with Half-Life.
So sit back and enjoy!
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2)Weapons
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There are about 15 weapons in Half-Life. The way you select them is by
hitting 1,2,3,4, or 5, and then hitting the same key again until you
reach the one you want. Then hit fire and that weapon will be in your
hand.
*Note* Always aim for the head! It deals WAY more damage.
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1
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Crowbar
The most basic weapon. Used to kill weak enemies, and smash
objects in your path. Works underwater.
The crowbar is the basic weapon, such as the chainsaw in Doom, the
axe in Quake, the Wrench in System Shock 2, etc. It's the best
weapon to take out little things with, like headcrabs and possibly
the mutated scientists. Just keep on moving, and you can probably
achieved 4 hits in about a second.
For multiplayer situations, there's really not much use to this...
unless you can sneak up behind someone and smash their head in.
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2
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Handgun
A basic gun. Holds 15 to a clip, and the secondary fire shoots
at a faster rate. Works underwater.
It's great, not only for the beginning but anywhere. It should be the
weapon of choice for most situations, before acquiring the shotgun
and the MP5. The secondary function can take most things out quite
quickly if you aim for the head. Just jump in there, empty the clip,
and if they're not dead, reload and go again. But once you get other,
better weapons, it should be a "last resort".
Multiplayer situations are okay to use this as well, especially
for the beginning. If you can scab this weapon, find the enemy as fast
as you can (preferably without being seen) and fill their head full
of bullets. Really, it's also a "last resort".
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Magnum
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Your old-fashioned six shooter, which deals a hell of a punch.
The secondary function in Multiplayer is a zoom function.
The pumped up version of the Handgun. It deals a hell of a lot more
damage, but it can only hold six bullets and takes ages to reload.
Don't bother using on headcrabs, save it for badder enemies.
It's a very useful weapon for multiplayer, as the snipe mode has a
handy little dot to guide you, but it makes a hell of a noise, so
be careful.
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3
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MP5
Your basic machinegun, holds 50 to a clip. Runs through the ammo
quite quickly. Shoots grenades with it's secondary function.
This is the weapon that you should stick to with for a default weapon.
In my opinion, it's the best weapon, as it's got a real fast fire rate,
and the secondary fire (grenade) is accurate and deadly too.
In multiplayer, this is the stuff. Jump into a battle with this, and
aim for the head. Soon they'll be gone. Even better, chuck a grenade
in the midst of it. The perfect weapon. Almost.
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Shotgun
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Holds 8 bullets. Slow, but deadly. With the secondary function,
turns into a double shotgun.
It's a great weapon for those easy enemies, and the marines plus
those female assasins and the mutated scientists are great to take
out using these, of course, using the double shotgun function.
Multiplayer wise, it's not that effective. Damage is even from all
areas, but still, it's great to rush up behind someone and empty your
clip on them. Watch out for long reload times.
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Crossbow
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A one-hit kill weapon (for most enemies), which holds 5 arrows.
When in the secondary mode, turns into a very helpful sniper crossbow.
Works underwater.
Excellent for not giving away your cover. Be careful of using it in
close range, as it is explosive. Make sure that you're well hidden
when sniping.
It's a damn good weapon in multiplayer. While it only holds 5, and
takes a long time to reload, you can easily combat this problem by
using the secondary fire to get the shots in quick.
Aim for the head for an instant kill. Be careful when sniping though,
they might sneak up right behind you.
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4
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RPG
The famous rocket launcher. Handy in the fact that with the
secondary mode on, you can guide the rocket by using the mouse. Works
underwater.
It's pretty powerful, even though extremely slow to reload. Using the
laser guidance means you can hide around corners and kill whatever's
around there without dying.
Same with multiplayer. Be careful, the laser sighting will give you
away, so turn it off, unless you want to control it. Just keep the
dot on whatever you want to hit, and you'll get it.
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Gauss Gun
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Emits radiation beams, which kind of act as Quake II's Rail
Gun. When charged up with the secondary function, it can rip through
anyhthing but don't let it overheat...(like that hilarious scene with
the policemanand scientist..."Don't let it overheat!" "Overheat?...
AARGH!").
It's quite useful, but only in the charge up mode. Even though it will
overheat, it's powerful, and I took out a chopper in one (charged)
shot with this baby.
In multiplayer, this brings a new feature, the Gauss Jump. Charge it
up for five seconds or more, then shoot the ground for a huge jump.
It's a deadly and quick way to get rid of enemies.
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Egon Gun
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Uses either radiation or some sort of electric charge to
dispose of your enemies, creating a strong vortex. Secondary fire acts
as a "homing beam".
The most powerful weapon in any mode. No reload time, heaps of power.
Enough said.
Multiplayer wise, it's still a killer. Hold it for a couple of seconds
and your enemy is dead. You can shoot as far as you want as well.
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Hornet Gun
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Shoots heat-seeking hornets. In secondary mode this is
turned off. Works underwater.
A weak weapon, but thanks to unlimited ammo, it's great to hide around
a corner with and shoot. It's very fast, and with the heat-seeking
turned off, you can easily pummel an opponent to death.
You can also check out areas before venturing forth. Shoot a few
hornets, and if they go somewhere, someone's there, waiting for you.
Great for taking out those people who like hiding behind boxes.
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5
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Tripmine
Trip mine, set it on a wall, preferably around a corner, and
if you touch it...Works underwater.
Not very useful in single player mode. But in multiplayer, it's great.
Place them low around corners, surround your "base" with them, but be
warned that you can shoot them to take them out. And that's what your
opponent will be doing. Though if you set one up around a corner, you
can shoot it just as they come around...
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Satchel
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Throw it, run to a safe place, then detonate it. Deals a
helluva lot of damage. In secondary mode, you can lay another one.
Works underwater.
Brilliant for taking out enemies. You can also get chased, and drop one
just as they round that corner...
In multiplayer, their use is basically the same. But if you are very
sneaky, you can drop one off at the place where it respawns, and if
someone comes...KA-BOOM.
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Hand Grenade
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Throw it. The longer you hold, the earlier it goes off.
Works underwater.
Long range explosives. Use them to the same effect as the satchel, but
remember that they can go off in your hand.
Use these in multiplyater to full effect. Lob them into camps, lob
them behind you, drop them on the ground when someone is chasing, and
you'll survive.
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Snark
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A creature which you use to attack other things.
Throw lots of these to annoy the hell out of your enemies. They blow
up after 20 seconds or so, so keep that in mind. It's a great
distraction, so you can get that Egon gun ready!
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I suggest making the handgun your primary weapon in the earlier stages
of the game, until you get the machine gun. The machine gun is the most
versatile weapon in the game due to it's rapid fire rate and it's
ability to throw grenades. Save the shotgun for the moments when you're
trying to take out a sentry gun, or you're certain that something lies
ahead, and that you can take it out. Whenever you move into a new room
and spot an enemy, the crossbow in either mode is a great choice.
When in those situations against the marines, grenades are a perfect
weapon. The satchels are great for tanks and the last boss, tripmines
for when you're being chased, and the various level 4 weapons for those
big, bad guys.
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3)Walkthrough
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Introduction
Here, you'll just be shown around the Black Mesa facility. It's long,
but lets you take a good look at your surroundings.
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Anomalous Materials
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Wait until the soldier comes to you, then get out. Head inside, and
you'll reach the front desk where a guy is trying to fix a computer.
You can press the button on the desk to create chaos...if you talk
to any of the scientists they will say you're late, so head to the
locker room, which you'll get to if you follow the green stripe.
Inside, go left to the room with the suits. Press the button on the
console and go and collect your suit. Check your locker "Freeman" on
the way out, and head back to the main room. This time, follow the
blue stripe to a door. The guard will let you in only if you have
your HEV suit. Head in, and then take the elevators down to the next
level.
Move through this area, and you'll reach the test chamber. Two scientists
are there, they'll give you a briefing before you can enter. Once
inside, climb the ladder, then wait for the scientists to finish talking.
The box should open, allowing you to press the switch.
Head back down, and to the other side of the thingy in the middle. A
cage will rise soon, push the cart into the thingy in the middle. Now
sit back and watch. Something strange will happen, and you'll witness
scenes of alien life...and back to reality.
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Unforeseen Consequences
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Make your way out. Speak with the people, and take extreme caution
when walking near the lasers and overturned cupboards, they have a
tendency to blow up. On the way to the elevator, there's a crowbar.
Use it for defense and smash you way through. Climb the ladders in
the shaft, then make your way back to the front desk.
Near the desk there's a vent on the bottom of the wall, smash it and
climb in. Make your way to the other side where there's an overturned
block, which leads to another vent.
Get though here via the air duct, then you'll be walking down a
hallway again. You'll find a dead guard, take his handgun. Head to
the end of this area, and you'll probably see a man in black walking
around. He can't be killed, so ignore him.
There'll be a grate blocking your way, and a monster on the other
side. Kill it, then jump down into the sewer. Make your way to the
valve, and use it. Swim up through the other hole to make it on the
other side.
In the next area, use the switch located above the platform, then
quickly run down and descend. Headcrabs will start falling down, so
dodge them or keep on swinging that crowbar. Next, there'll be a steel
walkway. It'll  break. Don't do a leap of faith, unless you never
want to see daylight again, instead, jump on the pipes to get across.
Break the vent and move through. You'll go through a door, to a sewer
with lots of crates. Watch out for the tongue thingys hanging down,
and make your way to the other side by using the crates. Push them
into the water and jump.
Head up the ladder and out of the door. Take the door here, and then
find the elevator. Hop in.
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Office Complex
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Break the vent near the sparks, and wait a few moments until the head
crabs appear. Then climb through. Inside, head right, and break the
vent there. Drop down. Navigate your way around until you reach the
room with the power switch. Turn it off, turn your flashlight on and
make your way back to the door near the sparks.
Climb through the window, then head to the mass of boxes. Smash
through them. You'll reach a room with a cop and an alien behind him,
waste the alien quick. Then he'll open the gate, and allow you to get
some ammo and health.
Head to the room which is full of water, then climb in through a window.
Jump form object to object without touching the water, and then turn the
lights off. Smash the vent and climb through. Be careful of the fan...
Use the crates to make your way up to the ladder, and climb through the
vent. Be careful before jumping out, a sentry gun lies to the right of
you.
Two ways to get rid of it are to run in and use the on/off switch beneath
it, or to fight it with your shotgun (duck behind the crates etc.)
Climb the stairs, and head to the door with EXIT above it. Smack open
the boarded up door with the crowbar, then make your way to the big
freezer by using the lever.
Inside, walk to the left and use the red switch. The platform above will
start moving around. Head back to near the entrance and climb the ladder.
Climb through the vents until you reach the part where the platform is
moving. Jump on to it and into the vent on the other side.
Climb through the shaft and head to the left. Go upstairs and into the
shaft. There's an ladder on the far wall, save before trying to jump. Make
it to the top, there'll be a scientist hanging by his fingers. He'll die,
but not by your fault.
Jump on top of the elevator, smash the floor until you find a panel. Jump
through.
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We've Got Hostiles
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This area is annoying due to the fact that there are a large number
of sentry guns, trip wires and trip mines. Sentry guns are best dealt
with a double-barrelled shotgun, but preferably not up close.
Trip wires will set off these sentry guns, so be very careful. Be
even more careful around the blue beams, they're trip mines. Touch it,
you die. Be within 3 metres of it when it goes off, you die.
Take out any aliens/marines in an area with these trip wires, as they
can set them off as well.
Creep past everything, blowing things up if necessary and jump down.
Next is a annoying area with sentry guns, a shaft which leads nowhere,
and a wet floor. Be careful when you're going around the corner, you
can easily slide into the shaft and die. Take out the sentry guns with
the shotgun or grenades, then move forward.
Use the ladders to escape. In the next room, you'll meet the marines.
There, they kill off a scientist. While they're shooting, take the
opportunity to take them out. I think you grab a MP5 from them. If
using grenades, time them perfectly, otherwise the guys will run away.
Take the elevator out of here, then out the fire escape door, and onto
the bridge/catwalk. Walk up the conveyor belt. Take out the sentry guns
below. There's a sentry gun behind one of the doors.
Climb the stairs, then sit back and watch the marines vs the aliens
for a while. Don't forget to join in! The marines are a tough enemy,
they attack strategically, and dodge attacks, grenades, etc. Plus,
they're good at throwing grenades, so watch out!
Walk up to the top of the room, head down the corridoor. Take out the
marines before going down. Take the elevator up and get ready for one
of the coolest parts of the game.
Outside, a plane will drop marines and more marines and more marines.
If you cheat or are REALLY good, you can take out the plane which drops
them. Either way, make your way to the bunker in the middle, and go down.
Take cover.
Climb through the vents, and guess what? The marines drop down from here
too. Sigh. Make your way to the bottom, CAREFULLY past the fan blades
and take the vent in the far right corner to get out.
Now you can open the door to the silo. Head out.
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Blast Pit
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Make your way through to the elevator. Go up to the room nearby, and
turn it on. Now head down on the elevator. There'll be a little train
thingy there, jump on it and hit the USE key. Press up to accelerate,
down to decelerate. Go at full speed to avoid the aliens. You'll hit
a barrier and fly. Quickly get out of the slime and onto the platform.
Climb up the ladder, and makle your way inside the pipe. In the next
room, walk on top of the pipes, and jump onto the platform. Use the
elevator to exit.
When out of the elevator, there'll be an alien surrounded by explosive
barrels. Be careful not to shoot the barrels, or you'll have a tough
jump across.
Get through the locked doors. Before you enter the test fire place,
take out any crates you can see. It'll make life easier. Here's a dilemma.
There's these Tentacles in the way of your escape. And the Test Fire
switch doesn't work...so you'll have to power it up. The way to get
past the tentacle is the walk, or crouch past him. Head to the second
level from the bottom.
Smack the door open with your crowbar, then RUN the hell out of here,
as the tentacles will hear and start going nuts. Walk across the bridge,
go down the halls.
Smash open the sewer grate, and the turn left at the fork. Climb the
ladder. Climb down below the big fan, the rush back as fast as you can
to the ladder,climb back up.
Wait until the fan is spinning at full blast. Look up. See the boarded
up roof? You're gonna break it. Either chuck a grenade up there (it'll
reach, thanks to the fan), or jump in and smash it yourself. Either way
is fine.
Once up there, smash the vent and climb through. It's squishy, so
quickly make your way through and get to the Oxygen and Fuel room.
Turn on both switches. They're on when the fluid flows. Exit via the
ladder and get back to the tentacle.
Now you just need to turn the power on. Creep past the tentacle to the
bottom. Smash open the door, and run. Jump over the broken walkway, then
go down the flooded corridoor.
Just in case, you may want to use all of the crates in the room ahead to
make a bridge across the puddle, as when you turn the power on, it'll
become electrified.
Watch out for the tongues, then go inside the elevator. Once it stops,
jump out onto the ladder nearby. Otherwise you'll fall to your death.
Climb down. Walk around on the pipes to get to the platform.
Make your way to the power control. Here, you'll use horizontal
transport machines to make your way through. Be careful of the one
on the second level though, it's out of control. You've got to climb
to the top thing and activate both switches on both sides.
Leave once you've turned the power on, climb back up the ladder and
into the flooded hall.
Now's the time where you'll want to have placed out those boxes to get
across. If not, climb on the big box near the end, and walk carefully
along the edge.
Head back to the Test Fire control panel and turn it on. You'll get
damaged a bit, but the Tentacles die. Jump down, and grab the magnum.
Jump down further, swim under the pipe/the missing pipe, and surface.
Walk to the pipes, and to the end. You'll have to do a bit of pipe-
switching every now and then. Head onto the pipe at the end, with the
grate. Be careful, use the wheel to get across.
A part of the pipe will be a different colour, it's gonna drop. So jump
back before you break your back. Jump down, grab the health kits and
move on.
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Power Up
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't waste a second: you need all the time you have. Rush past the
monster and head into the tunnel to the left. The marines serve as a
good distraction.
Head to the left, past the pipe, and then down the ladder, and down
the corridoor, and up until you hit the red door. Open it with a
wheel, then climb the tunnel to the top.
Head across to the other side, and then go left, heading towards the
power generator. Once you see an elevator, which should be after the
bunker sort area, and then drop a satchel on the elevator. Make the
elevator head down, then detonate the satchel. You'll set off the mines
down there.
Bring the elevator back up, then go down again. Take the stairs, all the
way to the bottom, full off water. Go over to the power generator, then
take out the box in the way.
Go back up, and to the fan control room. Turn the non-operational fan on,
and then get back up to the place with the monster. But head into the
door marked Track Control on top of all those boxes and ladders.
Jump out the window, and run for your life down the wide tunnel on the
left. Make sure he's chasing. Go to the wall at the end, the far right
hand corner, and whack the switch. The monster gets zapped, and you leave
through the door.
Go back to the open area with the train thingy, then drive it onto the
disc. Go into Track Control, hit the switch, and then the disc will
spin. Head back onto the train, and go full speed into the barrier.
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On A Rail
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Stop to listen to what the guard has to say. Then he'll let you pass.
Be careful, don't touch the water or the rails, as they will both do
damage to you.
Drive past the first switch, and when you reach the second one, shoot
it to go straight forward. Slow down, and jump off at the stairs and
the monster. Be careful, a sentry gun lies behind the crates so it's
best to be prepared or to lob a grenade. Hit the switch and a hook,
which was blocking your way before, will move.
Jump back on the train and head forward. Shoot the switch again, and
you'll be taken back towards the hook which was previously in your
way. Shoot the switch, so this time you go left instead of forward.
There'll be a gate, get off and hit the switch. Go to the end, and
you'll have to get off. Combat the marines, then find the boarded up
door. Inside is a guard who will help you.
Around the next corner is some sort of artillery, which is up against
the wall and will start shooting at you if it sees you. It's no use
hiding behind crates, so RUN when you turn the corner, jump next to it,
and grenade the person who is inside.
Before heading into the blast doors, there's health on the things
above it. When you enter, take out the mines with a grenade/satchel,
and move on.
There'll be a train at the bottom of the stairs, but this time the
ride is less than easy. There's debris falling from the roof and red
trip wires which will trigger off the sentry guns.
Along the way, there'll be a rocket launcher shooting your way. The
way I killed it was I ducked, and lobbed a couple of grenades in the
marine's direction. You can also get off and go into blazing with your
MP5. The train will stop at a gate, press the button to get through.
You'll stop to fight at the next platform, jump over the blocks to
your left to get to a switch. Raise the gate, then head back onto
the train. In the next room, next to the gate, will be a swarm of
marines. Get behind the machine gun and use it to your advantage.
Take out the mounted gun thingy with a grenade, then hit the switch
next to it.
There'll be more than a few trip mines ahead, so you may want to just
jump off the train and let it detonate them all, as the next gate
isn't too far.
Duck behind the controls to avoid getting hit by all those projectiles.
There'll be a switch soon, shoot it so that you can keep on going
straight, and then head down the ladder at the next gate. There's a
sentry trip wire though.
There's a whole bunch of sentry guns, either head into the little side
room and take them out with grenades, or simply use the double barelled
shotgun.
At the end of the next tunnel is a mounted gun, and a tonne of marines.
Plus, there's a machine gunner. So take him out first, then make your
way to the mounted gun by dodging, ducking and weaving. Kill the guy
operating the mounted gun and the marines are yours.
There'll be more marines in the launch area, a safe bet is to sneak in
with a crossbow. Kill the and enter the door. There's a tricky part
involving red lasers and a lot of explosives, take care there. Use the
box if you need to. Press the launch button in the control panel and
there you go.
Leave, though the red lasers are still there, and then go through the
doors which just opened.
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Apprehension
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The train, simply, does not stop. Go down with it, and swim over to
the locked up barrels. Open the lock and they will float up, creating
stepping stones. Go up there and make your way across.
Walk around, and when it seems like you have nowhere to go, dive in
the water and find the exit. It'll slope, and you'll probably lose
some health. Don't worry though.
In the room with the tongue monsters and the cage hanging from the
middle of the ceiling, move around climb up the ladder. A scientist
will be there. Go onto the cage, switch to the crossbow and fall. Use
the crossbow to take that thing out. If you're too scared to go under
water,use grenades or satchels and piff them in.
Get out by smashing the cage, and getting to the wheel which turns the
grate. Make your way to the door you didn't go into before, and then
go up the stairs.
The platforms in the next area will break sometimes, so be careful.
When you hit the grate, you can either jump past the wire, or jump
in the water and swim around. Be careful, you may lose health either
way to the wire or the monster swimming around.
In the next area, turn the pistons on, and jump across to the other side
with them. Otherwise, climb down, and go over to the other side. In the
corner should be a ladder, use the boxes to get up there.
Kill all of the things in the room with the shelves, and the scientist
will ramble about nothing in the cold room. So, when you reach the cold
room, run right, left and right again. You'll reach a ladder, go down.
Now you'll talk to a guard, but he'll die...and in come the, um, foxy,
female assasins. We'll just call them assasins. They're fast, and
annoying. There are three of them, and a good bet is to use your crossbow
to snipe them. You can also lay satchels out and lure them to it.
Another option is to go one-on-one with a double barrelled shotgun,
but it's not recommended.
Go up the ramp, use the wheel to open surface access. Now save. Enter
the door, and there's a darkened room. If you go in...BOOM! Lights out
for you, you just got captured by marines. As far as I know, you can't
stop this happening, and it's annoying as you lose all your weapons.
You'll be dragged somewhere, and it's to a trash compactor!!! Climb
up the boxes before you get flattened. Find the crowbar on the other
side, smash the grate below and escape.
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Residue Processing
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Head through the outdoors, to a big tower. Use the wheel and climb
the tower. Exit via the pipe. Now climb up the edge of the vat thing,
clmimb across either by the pieces of crap in the middle or along
the edges. Leave via the pipe, and do this until you get to a room
full of vats, and "plungers".
Jump from plunger to plunger to get across. Take the pipe out, then
soon you'll fall into a processing area. Keep going through, and
ducking under everything. Soon, you'll come across some conveyor belts
and a control room to the side. Flick all three of them up, then find
the real control room and hit the switch. Quickly run up the belts
and under the plunger thingys.
You'll have to get through an area where these things are trying to
squash you. Study the pattern and venture on.
Soon you'll reach a part where you'll have to drop from conveyor belt
to conveyor belt. You'll eventually reach a part with two belts next
to each other, one leads to the start and one leads the way out.
Take the one on the left, but be warned, some idiot placed trip mines
inside the tunnels.
You can shoot the first one, but the second one is around a corner.
Drop a grenade or satchel on the belt, and let it go around before
detonating it. It should take about six seconds to reach the point.
Then follow your path to freedom!
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Questionable Ethics
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Well, not yet. You'll have to contend with marines and big, fearsome
enemies here so watch out. Head straight down the stairs, and into the
room with a big baddie in a glass chamber and a control switch. Hit the
switch, turn around and blow the thing to hell with grenades, preferably
the ones with your MP5.
You'll come across a room with a "headcrab farm" in the middle, don't
bother wasting ammo on them. Run into the control room, and hit the
switch to electrify them. You can also do this for the next room but
you'll have to lure them out.
There's more than a few trip mines, especially in the marine v monster
rooms. Let them take each other out, then you clean up.
You'll reach an area where you have to turn on laser beams, there
are four. Be careful of the one that is blocked, as it will blow up
due to some dumd guard who can't use a Gauss gun properly.
Head to the middle area which says Do Not Obstruct Shield. Naturally,
you want to, so push the crate right up against the wall, and so when
the shield comes down it will hit it. Then flick the switch and watch
the laser eat the wall.
Exit via the big hole, and then take the pipes on your way down. You'll
find some scientists, tell them to stay put and then turn the cutting
thingy off. Then grab the scientists and make your way back to the main
lobby where they'll open the door for you.
Be careful, on the way ou there's a marine and a few sentry guns,
outside on the roof.
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Surface Tension
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Run to the bridge with the chopper and the mounted gun. Dive into the
water and climb the tower. Use the switch and it will make the gates
underneath the damn/bridge accessible. Watch our for the thing in the
water though. And the helicopter, marines and mounted gun. If you
really want you can take all of them out (including the helicopter,
use the Gauss gun if you really want some fun). Then swim underneath
the dam to the other side. Use the red wheel to turn open a gate.
Climb the ladder there and walk through the pipes. Then climb up
the ladder on the wall of the next building, creep around the edge and
climb up the next ladder.
There'll be another tentacle monster, rush in and out if you want to
pick up his stuff.
Next area is a mine field. Sheesh. You can shoot the ground in front
of you if you want to detonate the mines. Head to the red wheel, use
it and cilmb down the ladder in the storm drain.
Here's an awesome part. Climbing around on a cliff face, with narrow
ledges, enemies, and if you fall, you're dead. Snipe the sentry gun,
and any marines you can see. Then carefully, carefully make your way
down.
Another chopper will be around, take it out or ignore it. Carefully
walk across the breaking bridge. Next, you'll reach a structure which
slopes upwards. In the alcove above is a marine.
Climb up the ladder, taking lots of care, then find the steps on the
wall and make your way up, and up again to the pipes.
Next is a nerve-wrecking part. You'll climb a ladder to face millions
of marines. So chuck a grenade, then pop back in and head around to the
other ladder, and continue this process to kill them.
The tank is taken out with rockets, or you can sneak behind it and roll
some satchels/grenades under there.
There's another tank after you open the gate, it's hard to kill but
use the same tactics. In the hole in the fence, there's supplies and
marines below.
The next area introduces the alien spacecraft, and those big, bad
monsters have found their way outside. Be cautious when walking around
this map, as up in the windows, there are snipers. Take them out with
grenades from your MP5. There's also lots of mines too.
Go around the building, under the barbed wire and take out the barrels.
This should stop the power and allow you to climb to the roof. Find the
hole in the roof and drop down onto the crates.
Now this part is tricky. DO NOT TOUCH THE TRIP MINES unless you want
to run around in the Black Mesa Crater Facility. Touch one and the
whole damn place goes ka-boom. Use the crates to help you, but don't
touch the trip wires with the crates.
Reach the first door, and go in, make you way out through the window
and take care of the enemies before they set off the mines. Go to the
control room, shoot the crate on the elevator next to the room and make
the elevator go up. Then take it down, and jump into the middle. Take
that elevator down and get out of that place.
Be careful of the air-raids, but the aliens will get killed by them.
The tank here is easy to get past, but it helps to take it out. Run
to the right of the building, and enter it. Find the guard and save
him from the marines. He'll open up a room  full of goodies.
Climb out the window on the seond level, and walk along the edge until
you can jump onto those green boxes. Get across and then climb the
ladder to the destroyed building. Below are many marines, kill them,
then find a way to get across the debris.
Oh, another chopper. Make your way to the right. There'll be a gun, use it
to kill off anyone around, then blast open those big doors just to the
left of your vision.
There'll be plenty of the big baddies around that area, so use your MP5
and grenades. You'll soon reach a machine gun, use it to clear out the
swarm of aliens which will appear. The best way to do it is to duck and
keep swinging it from side to side. This will take about five minutes
'cause they keep on coming.
See that crater thingy? It's a bounce pad, bounce up to the roof, and
peek over the edge to watch a marine vs enemy match. Make sure they don't
see you, and do the cleaning up. Head into the vent in the corner after
they're finished.
You may come across some small, crawly thingys in the vent called snarks.
They're hard to kill, but they detonate within 20 seconds. Who cares,
just head through. The next area will have you under attack by the marines,
and they've used an extremely cool effect where they're shooting through
the vents. You can drop down and kill them, or back up a bit, and drop
snarks down there to kill them
Exit by the door on the right. If you take too long, it'll become blocked.
Use the car lift thing to get you up there, and jump out via the big
hole.
Jump behind the gun, blow open the door and anything behind it. In the
next area, there'll be a broken section of the platform, but you can get
across it-with two jumps.
Get up to the roof via the crater and then open the pipe. Watch out, a
marine will throw a satchel in there, quickly back up. Then head out,
kill him and go upstairs to reach a guard. You need him to open some
doors, so head to the bottom, open that door, open the next door, then
you'll be back out where you were before. Get him to open the door in
the control room.
Beware, there's a HUGE monster after you, so once you see him, run in
the opposite direction without stopping. Come to a crater and then
jump up to the pool. Climb up to the platform with the radio and controls.
There's a map, you've gotta position the the mark of where the lines
cross right near the entrance. Then wait for the monster to come, and
bomb him with the middle button. Once he's dead, take out these targets:
The tower to your northeast
The right wall of the "castle". You know, next to the moat.
The grating inside the "castle"
Now head over to the "castle".
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Forget About Freeman
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The ceiling falls very raipdly in this area. So head through the area
dodging the falling pieces and climb up the debris to get through.
Exit stage left.
Go right at the fork, and use the wheel. Be careful of the sentry
guns around here.
Head down the West tunnel, then to the extreme left. Be careful of the
monster in the water. Head underneath the cogs and come out on the
other side. Take out the marines and a sentry gun.
Be careful of the tank and marines as you head towards the elevator.
Use the tank to make a hole in the door. Then hurry up and kill all
of the enemies.
Watch out for that laser gun to your left. Take it out with grenades
or your rocket launcher. There's also big baddies, use a hornet gun
to full effect.
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Lambda Core
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Take the elevator down, using the switch to turn it on. Watch out,
those sneaky female assasins are back. Three times. Meaning there's
three of them. Resort to camping and sniping, that works the best. If
you can place yourself in a corner, and are quick to react, you'll
get the job done easy.
Kill them, and the scientist will open a door for you. Head to the right,
and pick up the weapon there. Then take the elevator down to the coolant
area.
Find each of the pump rooms and the switches located inside them to
turn the pumps on. Head to the auxiliary reactor now, jump into the
water. Get through the tunnel, and use both switches on both sides of
the core. Climb the ladders and leave.
Make your way up the elevator shaft and get off at the upper level.
Here, you can turn on valves, which blow high pressured steam about.
It'll hurt you and the enemies. Time-wasting but fun. Here you'll also
meet the teleporters, step into the green one to appear on the orange
one. That's how they work, remember that.
Get inside Core Level B. This is a nightmare. You have to use the
teleporters to get up onto revolving platforms. Time it wrong and you
fall. What were those scientists thinking? No ladders? Damn! So time
it so that when you step into the teleporter, you'll appear on the
rotating platform platform above you. Save after you get it right.
Once you get to the top, there'll be a teleporter there. Avoid it and
head into the door behind you. Take the ladder to the top and get
the scientist to open the door. Take the stuff inside including the
jump pack.
Now, kill off all the monsters while the scientist is preparing the
thing. When he says go, GO. And you'll be transported into the alien
world of Xen.
Personal opinion:Half-Life would have gotten a 10/10 instead of 9.5
(in my opinion) if the alien enviroments weren't so damn stupid. Hey,
they might have been funky but everything (apart from the aliens) was
going pretty realistically. But who am I to judge?
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Xen
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This part is very hard. You've gotta make your way from platform to
platform, and to reach the center platform. Use the long jump learnt
in the hazard course, and save after each successful jump.
On the platform, there's a healing pool of water. It'll give your
health back if you're hurt. Enter the "center" of the planet through
the entrance.
Walk up to those weird mushrooms in this room, and USE THEM to
release yellow things. Once you've hit all three, a teleporter will
open in the middle.
From DoobaDan:
when you get into the room with the mushrooms:
1. break the cage with the little yellow things in it.
2. USE the mushrooms.  the yellow things will float into them, and
create a teleporter.
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Gonarch's Lair
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Whoa...weird...see that spider thingy? Shoot it's belly, and soon it'll
start running away. Give chase and keep aiming for the sac.
Keep on chasing and shooting, and you'll pass one pit, then reach
another. You can choose to drop down and take the time to kill the spider,
or let the spider fall, and you can kill it with your snarks. Either
way works. Don't forget to take out the headcrabs as well.
The trees there will protect you, but you won't need it. Move on.
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Interloper
---------------------------------------------------------------------
If you're low on life, keep an eye out for those healing pools. Be
careful of the pits too, fall in and you're dead. Find the yellow
part of the cave and go inside. Smash the stuff around the white column
and take a ride to the top.
It's chaos here. Make your way from platform to platform while avoiding
or killing the enemies present. Once you get close enough, grab a ride
on the things flying around and head into the teleporter.
Sneak past the tentacle in the next area and climb past the rocks to
reach a teleporter. Be careful, there's those huge baddies again.
Now you're in some weird factory...do not fire a weapon at all, even