Recap pages are Spoilers Off by default, so in all these pages all spoilers are unmarked. Proceed with caution. You Have Been Warned
Operation: Firewall is the fifth of six operations in the Call of the Machine expansion that comes with the 2023 remastered version of Quake II.
It puts you in the role of Eriksson, one of the marines in charge of finding the Strogg Discs that contain the necessary data about the location of the Strogg Maker. He lands at the outskirts of a Strogg processing plant.
The levels that comprise the unit are "Surface Infiltration", "Strogg Flesh Labs", "The Mainframe" and "Baklava".
This unit shows examples of:
- Call-Forward: When you come into contact with a big gun expy at the tail end of "Strogg Flesh Labs", you use it to destroy a highly blinded gate, much like how Kane used the Big Gun in Quake IV to do a similar thing.
- The Cavalry Arrives Late: When you finally rendezvous with your crewmates in "Surface Infiltration", they were all executed. And since the area from where you stand and the area where the massacre takes place are separated with a forcefield, you're Forced to Watch.
- Easter Egg: The second secret in "The Mainframe" involves returning all the way to the beginning after disabling the mainframe. And it involves fighting a literal Mini-Boss.
- Establishing Character Moment: The Arachnid appears in "Strogg Flesh Labs" once all generators powering the laser fields are disabled.
- Final Boss: The Makron, once more, this time in his second form, as "System Administrator".
- Game-Breaking Bug: On release, the exit from Baklava was locked until you defeated all the enemies in the level, with only the cheat code "target changelevel" allowing you to exit from it.
- Kill Enemies to Open: A twisted version in "Baklava": more enemies are freed as you keep killing them. For example, the Technicians trapped in the blue forcefields. They cannot attack you, but once you disable said fields, all bets are off.
- Mini-Boss: "The Janitor", a literal mini boss in the form of an ammo pack-sized Super Tank. It's still as damaging as the real deal, though.
- New Weapon Target Range:
- You obtain the Grenade Launcher in "Strogg Flesh Labs" right before a section where you have the high ground, plenty of cover and tons of enemies below.
- The game has you collecting the Disruptor right after disabling the lasers in "The Mainframe". Then you're faced with a pair of Daedali, who are usually tough and annoying enemies. Shooting these with the Disruptor kills them instantly as it's an armor-ignoring attack.
- Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Don't be fooled by the Mini-Boss, it still packs a painful punch like its regular-sized version.
- Secret Level: "Baklava", accessed from entering the top level of the generators area of "Strogg Flesh Labs".
- Suspicious Video-Game Generosity: Right after defeating the two Tank Commanders in "The Mainframe", you enter the room holding the Strogg Disc... And ammunition for many weapon types. In packs. And a Body Armor and a Megahealth. Then you pick up the disc. Then all doors close. It's the Makron. As the "System Administrator".
