Copyright (c) 2001 - 2002 Outpost #31. All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or part in any form
or in any medium without the express permission of Outpost #31
is prohibited.
This wholly independent product is the sole property of Outpost #31.
It is neither authorized nor sponsored by, nor licensed or
affiliated with Universal Interactive. The Thing and its characters
are trademarks of Universal Interactive. All title, characters and
products described or referred to in this guide are trademarks of
their respective companies.
Yes, you're right... this looks just like a GameSpot Game Guide.
Why reinvent the wheel?
Submit any errors, corrections, discoveries or suggestions to the
author for inclusion in a later revision.
Written by: Chris Morgan, camorgan@outpost31.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction    5
Chapter One - Basics    6
Combat Strategy/Tactics    6
Navigating through levels    7
Chapter Two - Weapons/Items    8
Weapons    8
Taser    8
Pistol    8
MP5    8
Shotgun    9
Blowtorch    9
Flamethrower    9
Sniper Rifle    9
Grenade Launcher    9
Grenades    10
Items    10
C4    10
Flares    10
Flashlight    10
Fire Extinguisher    10
Medical Kits    11
Blood Test Hypos    11
Adrenaline hypos    11
Misc.    11
Chapter Three - Walkthrough    12
Level 1    Outpost #31    13
Level 2a    Norwegian Outpost - North    18
Level 2b    Norwegian Outpost - South    22
Level 3a    Norwegian Research Center    25
Level 3b    Norwegian Medical Center    28
Level 4a    Weather Station    31
Level 4b    Pyron Hangar    35
Boss 1    37
Level 5a    Pyron Sub Alpha    39
Level 5b    Pyron Sub Beta    41
Level 6    Strata Medi-Lab    44
Level 7a    Strata Maintenance    48
Level 7b    Strata Furnace    53
Boss 2    57
Level 8a    Transit Hangar 1    59
Level 8b    Flight Control    64
Level 9a    Weapons Security    67
Level 9b    Weapons Lab    70
Boss 3    74
Level 10a    Field Testing    76
Whitely    80
Introduction
T
he Thing is a multi-level game with elements of both first person
shooters and action adventure games. This guide is meant to give
you tips and hints on how to complete the game. If there is a
secret in the game that we've found, you'll know it. One can
follow the guide to know everything about completing the game,
however that will seriously rob you of the experience, so use
this guide judiciously. You paid money for this, why rob yourself?
Inside you'll find:
* Guides for every level.
* Walkthroughs for every objective
* General combat and exploration strategies
* Maps for nearly every level. Some levels are so simple a map
wasn't worth making. And the maps may not be to scale, but they work.
* Tips that you would only know after playing through before.
Inside you won't find:
* Who is infected and who isn't. Unless it's one of four scripted
infections, it's pointless. Anyone can become infected at any time.
* Who freaks out and who doesn't. Again, there are a few scripts
but the rest depend on what you do or fail to do.
* Everything. I may have missed some things. If I did, send them in.
* The meaning of life.
Chapter One - Basics
The Thing manual has all the information you need to play the game,
however, what it doesn't include is tips about how to survive the game.
Combat Strategy/Tactics
This is not a first person shooter. There isn't ample ammo or health
lying around; in fact, there are long stretches where you may be
concerned you'll find any at all. At one poin, I was actually down to
pistol ammo only.
Try to keep track of what weapons and ammo you have. It's pointless to
waste precious ammo and time trying to take out a target with one weapon
when another could do it in 3 shots.
Keep your NPCs well armed. Even the medics are excellent shots and have
decent enough AI to avoid getting killed (though due to basic personalities
some NPCs are a bit more careless).
Stock up on ammo as often as possible and be sure your NPCs are fully
loaded as well. Almost all troopers will drop ammo so be sure to police
it up after you kill them.
The flamethrower is a very important tool. Not only is it the only means
to finish off any Things bigger than a scuttler, it can also be used as
a defensive weapon by setting the floor around you on fire to keep Things at bay.
Trust/Fear/Infections on non-critical NPCs are not really covered here.
There are several variables involved and it would make try them moot.
Just watch everyone!
Wooden crates can be shot/burned open to reveal health, ammo, or weapons but
they may also hold a nasty surprise as well.
Navigating through levels
Though all travel in the game is done from a chase-cam perspective, during
combat a player can switch to a 1st person perspective. This will remove
the auto-aim ability but does give you the ability to peer around corners
to know what to expect without being seen.
Be aware that the environment outside can be just as deadly as anything else
you can find in the game. While you can tolerate the temperatures enough to
explore around, once your health reaches the point where it impacts health
your health meter will drop very rapidly.
Along this same line, your NPCs suffer from the weather at the same rate as you.
If you are able to step out of the weather, even if you can't see your NPCs do
the same on screen, their exposure meter will climb as well as yours.
There is more than one way to solve many problems or navigate the levels in the
game. I can't cover them all here but will cover the ones that worked for me.
Chapter Two - Weapons/Items
This section covers all weapons and items available to a player.
Weapons
Taser
The Taser is capable of delivering a 5000-volt charge to whomever it is
applied. The Taser will disable a target and cause them to drop a weapon.
This is particularly nice when wanting to disarm a squad member when they
have gone hostile... at a cost. Using it against a teammate will cause a
medium trust loss.
Pistol
The pistol is the most accurate of all the weapons. Fires rapidly and is good
against small enemies. Giving a pistol to a teammate will cause a small Trust gain.
MP5
The MP5 is the standard weapon for you and your squad. The MP5 will make
light work of small enemies and slow larger ones down. Giving an MP5 to a
teammate will cause a small Courage boost and Trust increase.
Shotgun
These powerful weapons can push an enemy back. Shotguns are deadly at close
range but very inaccurate at long range. Giving a shotgun to a squad member
will cause a medium Courage and Trust boost. This is my weapon of choice.
Blowtorch
This is an EXTREMELY short-range weapon. It can be used to kill a larger enemy,
but a hit-and-run approach should be used. A blowtorch can also be used to
ignite fuel spills. Fuel canisters for the blowtorch have a yellow stripe on them.
Flamethrower
The flamethrower is the ONLY way to kill a large, self-repairing enemy. Use
enough to ignite the enemy, but be aware that you can also toast your teammates
as well. Fuel canisters for the blowtorch have a yellow stripe on them.
Sniper Rifle
You can guess how these are used. Aside from that, these generate a large
Courage/Trust boost when given to a teammate.
Grenade Launcher
Can launch any of the grenade types (below). They make a big BOOM, however, they
have low accuracy. These cannot be given to a squad member.
Grenades
There are 3 types of grenades: Standard, Flame and Stun. Standard is, well, the
standard, exploding grenade. Flame grenades work more or less like a Molotov
cocktail. The Stun grenade is like a Flash-Bang used by SWAT teams. Use them to
stun and confuse the enemy.
Items
C4
C4 charges are mission specific and cannot be used as a weapon so they are listed
under items. Plant these charges to make things go BOOM is a big way.
Flares
Use these to mark or light your way. Also use these to ignite fuel spills.
Flashlight
Well, uhhh, use them to shed a little light on the subject.
Fire Extinguisher
Put out fires blocking your progress.
Medical Kits
Use to heal yourself or a teammate when a medic isn't available.
Blood Test Hypos
Use these to prove your humanity to your teammates... or theirs to yourself.
Adrenaline hypos
Use these to give a temporary Courage boost, especially useful when an NPC is
looking like the cheese has fallen off his cracker.
Misc.
Keys, PCs, Terminals, Tape Recorders and Documentation.
Chapter Three - Walkthrough
Think you're ready to face the horrors that befell the crew at Outpost #31?
Well, perhaps you'll want to learn a little about how to play the game first.
The first couple levels are primarily training levels so you can learn the in's
and out's of squad control and how to combat the enemy. From there, the
difficulty ramps up until you're neck deep into the story as well as the enemy.
Good Luck!
Level 1    Outpost #31
After the first cutscene, you'll be given your first two objectives, 'Retrieve
evidence and rescue any survivors' and 'Keep team alive'. Throughout this level,
unless you've turned them off, you'll get several tutorial popup messages
informing you of what you are encountering and how to deal with it.
Easy enough... here we go.
Upon arrival be sure to turn around 180 degrees and about 20 feet ahead of you,
you'll find an MP5, ammo and 4 flares. Pick up all these items (note: you can
only carry 5 flares total and you start with 4)
(Fan note: Nearby, you'll find the sign seen at the first part of the movie
noting where you are.)
Once you've gathered the items, head inside the outpost. After entering the
only exterior door, head to the first door on the left. You really won't
have a choice as the hall is blocked with debris anyway.
Once you enter far enough into the radio room, a cutscene will run that
introduces you to your NPCs and their jobs. You'll learn what two of them
are good for during the remainder of this level.
Across the room from the door you just entered, is a sparking junction box
next to a door. When you approach it, you'll get a tutorial about what to do.
Fix the box yourself OR if you look at your engineer, you'll see an icon over
his head more or less asking, "Want me to fix that?" If you want your engineer
to do it, approach him until a hand appears on that icon and press the activate
key/button. He'll confirm the order and head to the box. Once fixed, the door
next to it will open... walk inside. A PC, apparently loaded with a quarter
stick of dynamite, will explode. This will give you the opportunity to use your
medic. Approach the medic and he'll administer first aid and raise your health.
If you have a medic handy, they will always return you to 100%, however, the
phrase 'Physician heal thyself' doesn't apply here. You'll need to keep tabs
on your medic's health to avoid loosing him.
Pick up the pistol, pistol ammo, and MP5 ammo in the PC room. Take this time to
distribute weapons and ammo to your NPCs. If you do, you'll see trust indicators go up
via the icon system.
Head back into the hallway. Once you step into the hall, an explosion will clear the
debris
that had blocked your path before. Feel free to explore the recreation room and living
areas of the camp while you go to the far end of the hall. Cross the last room and head
toward the lightpole you see outside. Just outside the destroyed room, there is a room
with a locked door. When you approach it, a tutorial will notify you that you need to find
the key to enter and you have you next objective, 'Gain Access To Infirmary'.
Follow the lightpoles. Along the way you will see wreckage of a chopper and snowplow.
Eventually, you will reach a collapsed area/hole/pit. Head down and you will find several
areas to explore. Directly ahead of you is a shelf with some ammo and just past that is a
small nook with a fire extinguisher.
Turn around and head left until you reach another area with more flares. Again, you can
only carry 5 at a time so you may not need them.
Continue clockwise around the pit and you will find the remains of MacReady's shack.
Go inside and activate the recorder for MacReady's recorded message from the movie.
Exit the shack and go to the last area to explore down here (you'll cross back across the
ramp that led you down here). Inside you will find Blair's ship and a brief cutscene as
you
and your NPCs discuss what they've found. The key to the infirmary is also down here on
a table in that room.
Head back to the infirmary door. Now you'll be able to gain access inside.
Once inside the infirmary, turn immediately left and find the junction box. This box is
more sophisticated and you will not be able to fix it on your own. Have your Engineer
repair it.
Notice a door to the right of the box. It is locked by access code. You will need to find
the code to be able to get through the door.
Scattered around the room are 4 documents you can read for little tidbits of info, an
adrenaline syringe and a PC. Use the PC to get the access code for the coded door.
If you approach the corpse in the corner of the room near the PC, your medic's fear level
will rise. A brief cutscene will interlude but once back in game, if you access your NPC
menu, you'll see the Wheldon is looking around nervously. You can counter his fear one
of two ways. Administer the adrenaline shot to him and he will calm down but a just as
effective way to accomplish this is the simply have everyone follow you away from the
corpse. (Anyone else think it's odd that the medic is the one who has a problem with a
corpse?)
Now that you have a door access code, proceed to the locked door, activate the keypad
and go through the door. Behind the door and to the left you'll find a Medical box on the
wall with 3 health packs. Also in the room is another junction box; either have the
engineer fix it or fix it yourself.
Once you get the junction box repaired, you can open the other door in the room and
access your first save recorder. This is the standard way of saving throughout the game
with some differences. On the PS2, you are only allotted 3 saves positions; on the PC you
have 10. (XBOX is unknown at this time.) Save your game if you wish.
Exit the door immediately to the left of the junction box and head outside.
Follow the lightpoles and proceed to a shack. Once there you will find the body of
Childs. This will activate a cutscene in which you contact Whitely and inform him of
finding both Childs and the "UFO". Whitely will give you your last objective to collect
some C4 they have dropped in and blow up the remainder of the camp. As you are
talking, a mysterious figure passes in the distance. Follow the 2nd set of lightpoles to
the
drop site. It is marked by smoke grenades but is probably easier recognized by the
crashed helicopter. Open the crate and collect the C4. Once this is done, the objective
list
will update to include planting a charge in the Infirmary and one in the Radio Room.
You can follow the lightpoles backtracking to the base, but if you face the lightpoles
that
led you to the C4, then turn 90 degrees left, it's a much shorter trip.
Once back inside the infirmary, look for the red outline of a C4 pack. This is where you
will place the first charge.
At this point, I decided I didn't want to drag the whole team back through the camp on
my way to the radio room so I went to the NPC menu and told them to all stay put. You
don't have to do this if you don't trust leaving them behind. Return to the radio room and
look for a similar red outline. This is where you will place the last charge. Once it is
placed, head back to the infirmary, head back to the infirmary, pick up your men, and
head out to the spot where you picked up the C4 for an evac.
(TIP: Though you don't have to do this, you can collect weapons and ammo from your
NPCs just before entering the evac point. They may loose trust but who cares, they will
be leaving. This will give you as much advantage as possible when they may be in short
supply later.)
Once all your men have made it to the evac point, a cutscene will begin in which you are
informed that radio contact with Alpha team has been lost. Blake informs the Colonel
that he will send his team home but he will go locate the second team... we're on our way
to the Norwegian outpost.
Level 2a    Norwegian Outpost - North
After arriving at the Norwegian base, if you explore a little outside the base, you'll
discover some downed electrical fence that is uncrossable, if you don't believe me, try it
;-) During the course of this level you'll have to figure out how to shut that power to
that
fence down to complete the level.
Head to the right of the fence area and you'll find a door leading inside along with a
fresh
flare burning. Someone must have been here not long ago. Continue down the hall and
you'll find a locked door on your right. You can't open it at this time, but you will be
able
to later. Keep winding down the hallway until you encounter a junction box that needs to
be repaired to unlock the door just right of there. Of course, you'll get a peek at what's
in
store for you when the door opens.
Head through the door and to the back left of the room, there you'll encounter Carter.
There is some exchange of dialogue that ends with him not trusting you until you heal
him. Search the room until the find the health pack. You'll also find a flashlight, fire
extinguisher and MP5 ammo. You'll also find the infamous Norwegian who cut his own
throat to avoid being taken over from the movie. A little more search will also reveal an
access code locked door and an area with a save station, PC, and CCTV setup. You'll also
notice that next to Carter is a room with two fuel barrels blocking the door. We'll cover
this in a second.
Return to Carter with the health pack and heal him. His trust will go up, but not enough
to
accept any orders from you. Give him a weapon and some ammo and he'll help you out
(or hold him at gunpoint but at a serious cost of trust). To the right of that location,
near
the PC, Save Recorder and a CCTV set, there is a junction box. Until you get the junction
box working, they won't. Have Carter repair the box for you.
While this is going on, you can take the time to get into that room blocked by fuel
barrels.
Shoot the barrels to cause them to explode opening the door. Use the extinguisher to put
out the remaining flames and enter the room. Inside you will find a blowtorch, 1 fuel
canister and 3 MP5 ammo clips. Head back into the main room.
Once the power is up, you can use any of those items on the desk in the corner. The PC
will give you some info about the state of mind at the Norwegian camp. Feel free to save
you game at this time as well. (Note: saving in the first two levels isn't as important in
the
first level, but beginning with this level, you'll want to take advantage of every save
station you can find. There are long periods of time between them and no quick save
feature)
Access the CCTV camera station. This will switch you to a view of the room behind the
door needing an access code. Fans of the movie will instantly recognize this room. Look
around and you'll find the ice block the Thing was originally thawed from as well as an
NPC (Cruz) standing in a small nook, a corpse and a bulletin board. Notice the bulletin
board has some numbers written on it. Zoom in on the bulletin board until you trigger the
"Ice Block Code Key" message.
Head to the door and get in there. A cutscene will begin and you'll get some explanation
about what has been going on with Alpha team from Cruz. Once the cutscene ends, I'm
sure movie fans will want to nose around the room. The corpse has a key to the room you
encountered in the hallway on the way in. The nook contains the power switch to turn off
the fence outside. You engineer will have to repair it. Once done, you'll get a clip as
the
power to the fence goes down.
Issue the "Follow Me" command to pick up the Cruz and distribute weapons... get ready.
Head back out of the room and into the hallway leading here. Here you'll encounter The
Thing for the first time. Several scuttlers will begin attacking down the hallway. There
is
a fuel barrel in the hall. Shoot it and the fire can help you kill off some scuttlers.
Kill
them off, but be careful, though one alone isn't a serious challenge, they are all fast
and
can get under your feet quickly and since you can't look down in 3rd person, you won't
know it until they starting biting.
Once the hall is cleared, enter the door to your left (it had been locked on your way in)
and pick up the items inside including 3 health packs, 5 clips of pistol ammo and 4
regular grenades.
Go outside and stay left until you find the lightpoles leading to an area down along the
Norwegian base. You may be attacked along the way but once you reach the bottom, you
find a corpse with pistol ammo, an MP5, two MP5 ammo clips, and a health pack.
(Tip: There is a shortcut back up instead of walking the long way around but if you take
your NPCs down with you, it won't work. If you go alone however, face away from the
blocked door then head left and hug the wall. You can make it up the entire way and not
have to go back the long way with the lightpoles.)
Go outside and to the area with the downed fence. You'll now be able to cross through.
Level 2b    Norwegian Outpost - South
Once on the other side, follow the lightpoles to a radio shed with a large antennae tower.
Upon entering the room, a scuttler will burst from a crate and attack. Take care of the
scuttler and inside you will find a save station and a fire extinguisher.
Exit the room and head follow the lightpoles straight ahead to a small shed. When you
approach the shed, a few scuttlers will attack you so take care of them quickly since it's
getting cold out there. Repair the junction box and enter the shed. Inside you will find a
flamethrower. Pick it up then use your extinguisher to put out the flames on the floor so
that you can also pick up the 3 fuel canisters.
Head back out of the shed and return to the radio shed. Again, scuttlers will attack you.
Shoot them and move on.
Once you reach the radio shed, go inside to warm up then when you exit, head to the
building to the left. Approach the door and you will get a panning view that will give you
a hint as to how to open the door. Around the corner from the door there is a stack of
wooden crates. Shoot them to reveal a junction box.
(Tip: Only shoot the crates on the bottom, this will destroy them, the crates on top as
well
as conserve ammo.)
Repair the junction box and head inside. As you head inside, a cutscene begins. You've
found Pierce but he doesn't know if he's too happy about it and obviously doesn't trust
that you are still human. Pierce informs you that only a blood test will confirm if you
are
human or not and that there is a medical kit near the kennel. Go there, pick up the kit
and
come back so he can watch you take a blood test. Before you leave the room, pick up the
key and fuel canisters and use the save station if you like.
Go back outside and head behind the radio shed to the kennels. Scuttlers are scattered
throughout the kennel so be ready for them.
There are also lots of supplies scattered throughout the kennel area. At the first
building
on the right as you approach, go inside to find a health pack lying on a desk. Shoot the
crates in the room for two more.
In the kennel on the left as you first approach the kennel area; there is a health pack at
the
back of the cage.
If you go to the back of the kennel area and find the shed with a door and a junction box
needing repair, inside you will find 3 pistol clips, 3 MP5 clips and 2 flares.
Finally, return to the building that would be second on the right as you entered the area.
Go behind it, go up the ramp and open the door. A crate at the back contains 3 blood
tests. Collect them and return to Pierce.
Once you walk up close to Pierce, the blood testing begins. Blake will start with himself
and, of course, come out ok (as a player, you cannot become infected, you can only die)
but when testing the other NPCs (Cruz and Carter), well, just wait.
Once you have the situation in hand, collect any weapons and ammo dropped and head
outside.
Level 3a    Norwegian Research Center
A quick cutscene reveals that somewhere in the 40 feet that Pierce and you had to go out
the door, you became separated. As you continue your mission, another NPC, Pace
begins pitching grenades. Blake goes into the tower gets the run down from Pace that he
and Williams had been tracking someone and they all became separated. It's your job to
find them.
Inside the tower, collect the flashlight grenades and MP5 ammo. Be sure to stock Pace up
and fill yourself. There is enough ammo that both will have a nearly full load.
Head out and follow the lightpoles to the next building. There is another junction box
here that you will need to repair to get inside, but be advised that you will be attacked
be
a handful of scuttlers when you start repairs.
(Tip: The scuttlers will emerge from some ductwork on the outside. If you shoot it before
you get there, it will destroy the duct and they cannot get out.)
(Note: Around the outside of this building to the right is a corpse with a health pack.
You
can't have enough of these on hand so I'd suggest getting it.)
Repair the box and head inside to a small entry area. You only option is to proceed
through a door. When you entry, there is a brief cutscene showing an attached room that
is your overall mission for this part of the level. Enter the room and be ready for a
couple
waves of scuttlers. Nothing major but watch that corpse in the floor, it likes to spit a
couple out.
Head out of the room and go around the corner to the left. Walk all the way to the end
and gather MP5 ammo for yourself and Pace from the box on the floor. Make sure you
look out the window; you'll get to see a 'walker' going by and they'll make up part of
your
next objective.
Make your way back up the hall and go to the broken junction box on the wall and repair
it to get into the next room. Also pick up the 2 flame grenades setting on top of the fuel
drums. Once the box is repaired, open the door and head into the cafeteria.
To the left of the entry door, there is a PC and two stacked crates. Use the PC for more
storyline and then shoot the bottom crate to destroy both crates and obtain a TASER.
Head to the back of the room and your next NPC, Williams, will warn you to keep away.
Blake tells him he needs his help to get into the comm room but Williams isn't going
anywhere until you kill the 3 walkers roaming the level. You won't have to look hard...
they'll be coming for you.
If you've been following this walkthrough, you'll have a flamethrower in your inventory
but if not, head into the far corner of the room to the kitchen and kill the scuttlers
there.
Get the flamethrower from the chest and the fuel from the cabinet on the wall. There is
also a blood test near the stove and a save station.
Go back out the cafeteria door. The first walker will bust through the wall near the fuel
drums in the hallway. The best way to fight the walkers is to wear them down with
regular gunfire but you have to cook them to kill them. Also be advised that almost all
walkers will let a couple scuttlers loose when they die.
Once this first walker is dead, continue through the hole it made in the wall. A few more
scuttlers will appear and around the next corner, a walker will burst through a door.
Finish him the same way you fought the other but be aware you're in a tight area and
you'll need to check your aim.
Proceed into the next rooms. A few scuttlers will appear to pester you. There is an
adrenaline syringe on the table that you can get. Walk around the loop into the room with
the bed and eventually the final walker will burst from another room. Once it is dead,
investigate the rooms it came from. The first room has a stack of crates. Shoot them to
reveal a crate containing a shotgun and the far corner of the next room has a crate
containing 3 boxes of shells for it. Return to Williams, watch the scene, and lead him to
the comm room to get access.
Enter the comm room and repair the junction box in the corner so you can use the save
station. Once you attempt to use the radio, 2 walkers and several scuttlers will attack
from the other room. If you don't like the cramped comm room to stage a fairly big fight
from, you have just enough time to get into the recreation room, however, you can also
use the door to corral your enemies to avoid being surrounded.
Take care of the baddies and save again if you like. Also inside the room are shotgun
shells and health packs. Williams will start leading you and Pace out the back door of the
Research center. Follow him and get ready to expend some ammo.
Level 3b    Norwegian Medical Center
The Norwegian Medical Center is a complex of 5 rooms. Three are offshoots of the rest.
When the level starts, the three of you will be in the main room. In this room, you can
find an MP5 lying on an examination table.
Open the door the room 1 and proceed to room 1a. Upon opening the door several
scuttlers will emerge and will keep on emerging until you destroy the two pods on the
floor. Be advised however that 4 barnacle like tentacle Things are on the wall and inflict
a decent amount of damage if you just venture in. You can stand in the doorway and
torch one of the pods to decrease the number of scuttlers that emerge and then pitch in a
flame or regular grenade to damage or kill the rest. Proceed slowly through the door and
if required, finish them off. The first tentacle is on your right, right beside the door.
Another lurks behind the door and one on the ceiling behind the door. The second pod
and a tentacle are just behind the door as well.
Repair the junction box in the room to gain access to the radio room (room 3).
Head into the radio room and save your progress. This room is very dimly lit but inside
are a save station and on a bed are a fuel canister and torch and two more fuel canisters
scattered around the room. In the far corner of the room there is a box where the
emergency radio should have been. Once you approach this area, get ready... you're going
to have to survive multiple waves of scuttlers. Ammo will become quite precious.
Be sure Pace and Williams are properly equipped. In my personal opinion, flamethrowers
are a waste during this battle and only raise the possibility of splash damaging you and
your other NPCs.
Move from room to room eliminating the waves of scuttlers. During the battle be aware
that room 2 contains a shotgun and stores of MP5 rounds and shotgun shells, you'll need
them. Take every chance to resupply and save when you feel you've made good progress.
(Tip: Close the doors behind to each room once you are done with a wave. This keeps the
next wave from pouring into the room while you are fighting the previous one. You can
also open the door, pitch in a grenade and kill several since they are so bunched up)
Once you think the epic battle is over, two different walkers will burst through the outer
door. Fight them the same way you fought the walkers in the previous level. Head
outside. Once you reach the bottom of the stairs, a brief cutscene will show you the
person you are pursuing running along a set of lightpoles. Before you take off however,
turn to the right off the stairs and fight a burst-out style walker. Once dead, continue
to
the right and find a trailer that has been burst out of. Inside are two blowtorches and a
ton
of fuel canisters. Once you've collected everything, head back out and take off in just
about any direction away from the buildings and keep going until the next level loads.
Level 4a    Weather Station
Upon arrival at the Weather Station, you'll see Mr. X run into a warehouse. You can't
follow him through that door, however. Proceed along the lightpoles until you are inside
the fenced area. Turn right and walk along the fence toward a small shed with a corpse
lying outside it. You can take a break from the weather inside the shed and then pick up
the MP5 ammo, pistol and pistol ammo off the corpse.
Turn and head for the main lighted area.
Head up the stairs into Bldg1. Inside you'll have to fight a few scuttlers in the initial
room
and two more in an adjacent room. In the adjacent room are two flares if you need them.
The NPCs don't seem to follow through the next steps so just leave them behind while
you complete the next little bit.
Go into the room with a staircase. Under them is a crate with MP5 ammo if you need it.
Go up the stairs to the roof. Outside, turn right and jump across to the roof of building
two. There is a grate on top you can shoot out to gain access to the building. A scuttler
will jump out so just shoot him. Drop into the opening and shoot a couple more scuttlers.
In this room are two more grates. Pick one and shoot it open. Down on the next level are
two more walkers. They are fast and deadly so you won't really want to deal with them
up close, especially with all those fuel drums sitting around; A little bad aim and BOOM.
Oh wait, so shoot them when you're not down there. Shoot a drum until it explodes and
send the entire floor up in flames. This will usually take care of the walkers but
depending on where they were in the room, they may live through it. Once the flames die
down, drop down and finish off anything left alive.
Search the room until you find the key for the Weather Dome Bldg. (WDB). Once you
find it, head outside and back into Bldg 1 and pick up your NPCs and then head for the
WDB. As you approach, a small scene will show you the man you've been chasing go
into the dome.
On your way there, if you are in need of flamethrower or fuel, follow the small gap
between the Warehouse and WDB and you'll find a corpse with a flamethrower and fuel
canister. A few scuttlers will attack you when you near the corpse but they are easy to
handle. Turn back and head to the WDB door.
Once inside, kill a few scuttlers that pop out then check the lockers for MP5 ammo, a
health kit and a blood test. In the next room you'll finally find a save station but in
typical
style, the instant you start to use it, several scuttlers will emerge to give you trouble.
Kill
them and head around the corner into the room with the staircase. Go to the end near a
corpse and two more scuttlers emerge. Kill them and recover the pistol from the corpse.
Enter the kitchen near the corpse. Inside you will find ammo for both MP5 and shotgun
along the left but watch out. A fire will breakout near the door and soon nearly engulf
the
room. Quickly head back out the door and wait for the sprinkler system to come on and
put out the flames. Once they are out, you can finish stocking up on ammo and retrieve a
key in the far corner of the room. Along the way out, walk along the leftmost wall and
pick up some sniper rifle ammo, fuel canisters and more shotgun ammo.
Leave the kitchen and take the stairs up for a nice new experience. Upstairs you will find
yet another new walker. This beauty will extend a tube from its abdomen and disgorge
scuttlers for you to deal with. There are also several scuttlers upstairs so you'll need
to
pay attention to where the baddies are. Focus your fire on killing the walker but don't
let
the scuttlers swarm you either. A pack of them is just as deadly. The new walker will
even introduce you to a new scuttler and considering it has emerged from an abdomen, it
makes since. This new scuttler is a stomach on legs and it launches gobs of bile that will
really slow you down. They can be fairly easily dodged but if hit, it will make combat
fairly tough for a few seconds.
Round the corner into the restroom. Check the lockers for a health pack. Proceed into the
bathroom but watch for a walker to charge out after you. If you back into the doorway,
you'll also find several stomach scuttlers on the table that begin hurling bile. This
makes
for very cramped quarters and a bit of a harrowing fight. Once you've eliminated the
threat however, check the stalls (by the way, nice corpse wouldn't you say?) for a blood
test. Considering where you find it, would you want to use that needle. I might consider
just risking Thing infection. Leave the bathroom back into the main room but don't forget
about any stomach scuttlers that might still be on the table.
In the far corner of the room, you'll find a PC that has a tidbit to continue the story
along.
Once you get it, head up the stairs and outside to the dome. Once you exit the door a
cutscene begins. Once the scene ends (notice I left out juicy details), search the room
and
pick up the sniper rifle and sniper ammo clips. Use the PC to find out what the next box
on the table does. Use the viewer for the telescope.  < Insert movie fan rejoicing here. >
Exit the dome, down the stairs and look behind the door that led to the roof. Notice those
fuel drums; shoot them so you can use the downed antennae to cross over to the
warehouse. On the roof just under the antennae is a health pack. If you need it, drop down
and grab it. A few scuttlers might protest but a little buckshot goes a long way. If you
decide to get it, work your way back through the building to the downed antennae.
Once across, head left and keep winding your way around, shooting scuttlers, and
working your way up until you reach a grate. Shoot it out and head inside to the next
level.
Level 4b    Pyron Hangar
During the cutscene, you'll crawl through some ductwork and emerge inside a huge
hangar. Once you drop down to the catwalk, NPC Collins will yell for and the view will
pan around to show several scuttlers as well as a new four-legged walker I'm going to call
a 'bulldog'. Kill them all then go into the little nook and repair the junction box to
restore
power to the level.
If you'll notice, there is a locked door to an office where you drop down. Getting in here
is the overall objective for the level, well, that and the first boss Thing you'll
encounter.
Go into the office and talk to Collins. Use the PC and you will get your next mission.
Give Collins a weapon, stock up on the health packs on the wall, and get going on getting
that crane running.
(Note: This level can be very difficult as there isn't a save station for quite some time.
Be
ready to repeat this one.)
Head downstairs and near a junction box that is located under the stairs. While you are
down there, a lot of scuttlers and 3 bulldog walkers will come out of hiding. If you can
get the shot off quickly, there is a set of fuel drums nearby you can shoot and explode to
create a wall of fire that will cause a little damage as you get back to the stairs. Work
your way slowly back up the stairs killing as many scuttlers as you can on the way and
getting as many shots in on the walkers as possible. (Fighting them on the stairs corals
them into a narrow column to make the fighting easier) Once they are in the red, burn
them. Odds are you'll be backed all the way to the top before you have them worn down
enough to torch them.
(Tip: To keep Collins from being surrounded. I often parked him on the landing just
above the bottom floor.) He did a pretty good job of avoiding Things from that point.
Head back downstairs. There is a locked door straight ahead. There is a large trailer type
room with 4 clips of MP5 ammo. In the far opposite corner you can find shotgun ammo
and MP5 ammo. There are more scuttlers waiting for you when you approach the ammo
crates. Head to the door opposite the stairs and you'll find a corpse with a note lying
there
on the floor. The note tells you you'll need a key to get through the door next to him.
Have Collins repair the crane junction box and a gate will lift allowing you to walk up
the
large "axle" hanging from the ceiling to a series of crossbeams up high. Do just that.
When you first make it to the look left and you'll see a shotgun ammo box. Make your
way there if you need ammo, otherwise, work your way to the right along the beams until
you reach the office roof with a hole that you can use to gain access.
Drop in and walk to the PC on the desk. There is a keycard on the table. Take it and use
the PC for more story.
Head out of the office and to the locked door near the corpse. Go inside and use the save
station. Head down the stairs. When you near the corpse, expect Collins to burst out.
Finish him off and continue down the hall to the first boss Thing.
Boss 1
This boss is actually not too difficult. Before the cutscene stops playing, have you
fingers
on the back and right movement keys as the boss will strike very quickly. If you don't get
hung on the door, you may be able to duck this first blow. Stand near the boxes in that
corner (the ones just to the left of the door as you enter) and use the weapon of your
choice to hammer on the boss. Using Auto-aim is the best way to go as it lets you know
where you need to hit.
The boss will thrash the room a bit and if it breaks the wall next to you, it will reveal
a
scuttler pod. If you edge out, you can burn it from around the corner of the box (Use your
first person view). Take care of it and you won't have scuttlers pestering you. However,
if
it doesn't destroy that wall early, expect some scuttlers to have spawned and will begin
attacking.
Most of the initial targets of the boss are at its base, but once you shoot most of them
into
the red, a target will appear near the top. Shoot it until a cutscene reveals a human
torso
(which is the Norwegian you've been chasing). At or near this point, some tentacles will
spring from the grate at the other corner of the room from you. Stay where you are and
they can't hit you. Shoot at each of them until you've killed it off. (I personally like
the
MP5). Once that threat is removed and you've eliminated all the targets from this vantage
point, shoot all the crates in the floor to reveal some flame grenades then run over and
stand next to the grate. Face the boss and there will likely be a few more targets at the
base. Shoot each of them as well, OR, use a flame grenade at the base. If you've reduced
all the targets to or very near red, two or three well placed flame grenades will kill the
boss.
Once dead, head to the corner near the door, fix the junction box and head for the next
level.
Level 5a    Pyron Sub Alpha
You start this level just ahead of a hole to the floor. Drop down and head to the left
until
you find a small area with three doors that branch from it. Make a note of the number
above each door and what's behind each.
Go back to whence you came and go through the other passageway. Scuttlers will start
emerging from ductwork quickly so if you're fast enough, you can shoot the ducts and
trap the scuttlers inside. You can also stand just outside this door and shoot out the
ducts.
There is also a corpse on the floor that will spawn a few scuttlers as well.
Note the two doors connecting a room off this room. Only the left door will open. Notice
the room is in bad shape. Walk over the ramp on the rightmost part and hang out there.
(There is a crate with the lid partially off and part of a furnace that creates a little
safe
nook to stay in. Let the fire spread across the room until some fuel drums explode. Once
the room fills with fire. Arm your fire extinguisher and walk along the round duct at your
feet to the other side. Before dropping off, extinguish the little fire there and continue
to
clear a path to the door in the far corner. Inside you will find MP5 ammo, a health pack,
a
fire extinguisher and a fuel canister.
Clear a path to the other door leading into the room, then turn left and continue into a
short hallway and take the left door into the Operations Room. Inside are a lot of remote
cameras, a PC, door controls and a save station. Go ahead and save.
Go to the PC to get the access code across the hall. Notice the door switches are
numbered? Well you want to be able to open #1 but you have to go through #4 to get to
it. Activate door #4, head across the hall, open the door and continue down the hallway
until you reach the end. Here is a small maze like area. On the far side of it is the
hydraulic override switch. Work your way there. The shortest trip is to always stay/go
right as best you can but you'll miss a few supplies (MP5 and shotgun ammo) if you don't
explore. But, you'll expend some ammo as well. You choose which is more important.
While navigating the maze, there are a lot of oversized scuttlers running around... what
the hell have these GenInc guys been doing down here?
Once you reach the room with the hydraulic switch, kill the walker and activate it. On
your way back out, you will encounter another walker just before reaching the Operations
Room.
Go back to the Operations Room, save and get ready for the next bit. Open the doors to
the Prep Lab and Rm2. When the door to Rm2 opens, the fire burning inside will spread
into the hall. Also open Rm3, the one with a walker. The fire will check it in check until
you get there.
Head back toward the Prep Lab and pump some lead into the walker. Once the fires in the
hall die out, finish off the walker in head into Rm3. Inside are a blood test and a
grenade
launcher. Go across the hall, put out the remaining fires in Rm2 and get the fuel
canisters.
Enter the Prep Lab. Turn left and go through the next door. Proceed down the hall for the
next part of this level.
Level 5b    Pyron Sub Beta
On this level your main quest is to locate Dr Faraday. Continue to the end of the hall and
go through the door. In this room are two walkers and a few scuttlers you'll have to have
a hit-and-run fight with. One of the walkers is the nice abdomen type you remember from
earlier, the longer you have to deal with him, the more scuttlers you have to deal with.
Once they are dead, there is a health pack dispenser on the wall that has enough to top
off
your supply. There is also a blood test on the table for you to grab.
Go to the far left door from the entry door. Inside you will encounter Price who lets you
know he's got men in trouble in the testing cambers. A scuttler will jump out around this
time.
Stock up on stun grenades the get Price to follow you and head back into the main room
and to the room that is the far right corner from where you now stand. Have Price open
the door. Inside are a shotgun, ammo for MP5 and shotgun, a blood test and flame
grenades.
Grab everything you need and head into the room with the stairs. A few scuttlers attack,
kill them and continue down the stairs until you reach the observation area. In the
initial
area are a PC, save station, door controls and three CCTV set ups.
If you use the CCTVs, you can check out the testing cambers from three views. Study the
rooms closely and you'll notice the doors are numbered from 1 to 9. Hmmm, the same
number of door controls in the observation area. You'll need to figure out which doors
you'd like to open to make your way to Faraday then open them and head down the stairs
to the testing chambers.
Work your way through the test chambers until you reach Faraday. Once you do, escort
him back out and to the observation area. Expect to encounter plenty of scuttlers on the
way out. Once back to the Observation Area, save your progress while he's nice and
healthy.
(Tips: Make sure you look and see what is in each test chamber.
There is a medic in the first room you'll encounter. He's infected but won't reveal
himself
immediately. If you and Price need health, go down to the first room before opening the
rest of the doors. Let him heal you and he'll even help a little if you give him a weapon.
May as well get the extra firepower, right?
If you open the last door, #2, Faraday may get hurt. Open the rest of the doors and clear
a
path first, then go back upstairs, open the last door and go get Faraday.
If you're lazy and don't want to figure the doors to open out for yourself, open 9, 8, 6,
3
and then 2. There be monsters behind the other doors... may as well make this easy,
right?)
Head up the stairs and once you get to the top, head out the door and into the main room
where you fought the two walkers before. A few scuttlers will attack. Take care of them
then restock ammo and health packs if any are left, then proceed out of the room into the
hallway leading back to the Prep Lab.
In the Prep Lab, kill the walker and the tentacles in the room, then head out the door
into
a crumpled hallway. A cutscene will take over and you're on your way to the next level.
Level 6    Strata Medi-Lab
You'll be starting this level with no weapons so you'll need to play smart and fast.
When you get up from the diagnostic table, head into an adjacent room and repair the