Recap pages are Spoilers Off by default, so in all these pages all spoilers are unmarked. Proceed with caution. You Have Been Warned
Following the destruction of the Security Grid, Bitterman now finds himself at the doors of the Strogg's main facility. There's a problem, though: the main entrance is blocked, and a way must be found around.
The levels of this unit are "Mine Entrance", "Upper Mines", "Borehole", "Drilling Area" and "Lower Mines", and the main objective is to find an alternate entrance to the Strogg Processing Facility.
Followed by the Factory unit.
These levels provide examples of:
- Adaptation Expansion: The "Upper Mines" level had some rework in the 2023 remaster that includes a new area from the Rocket Launcher area. Instead of a single road to the secondary ventilation area, there're now two paths, one of them with a tank. The level also introduces a new enemy, the Elite Gunner.
- Adapted Out: The unit is absent from the Playstation version.
- Anvil on Head: In the "Lower Mines" level, after riding the cart, you have two paths to follow: one ends up with the floor exploding and you taking a swim in order to meet a Tank. The other takes you to the upper level of said area where you can press a button in order to let a big piece of rock fall into the Tank and saving ammo.
- Broken Bridge: The main reason this unit exists is because the main gate in the "Mine Entrance" level is permanently locked, so the player must find a way around it.
- Convection, Schmonvection: Lava is a common hazard in these levels.
- Cosmetic Award: Completing the unit in the 2023 remastered edition nets the "Navigate the Mines" achievement.
- Deadly Rotary Fan: There're two in the "Upper Mines" level, one at the entrance (with the bridge to the computer room controlling them on top of it) and another near the end, separating the outer yard with the room to the "Borehole" level. These are disabled by default, and must be activated in order to progress further.
- Death Trap:
- In addition to the overall common lava, "Upper Mines" has a rock grinding machine in the second room you visit.
- "Lower Mines" has a drilling machine which activates as soon as you pick up the Rocket Launcher and can crush you between it and the wall on the other side if you aren't quick.
- Grimy Water: The liquid at the end of "Upper Mines" is contaminated, and stepping on it removes health. It's dissipated once the ventilation shaft is activated.
- Monster Closet: "Upper Mines" has a corridor with some damaging explosions. Before this corridor there's a closet which contains a Mutant. After this corridor there's a button that disables the explosions... At the expense of opening said closet.
- New Weapon Target Range: "Upper Mines" introduces the Hyperblaster in an area full of mid-level monsters. Its ability to dispatch enemies quickly will come in handy quite a lot. Just make sure to balance the cells with your Power Shield.
- Rewarding Vandalism:
- The only secret of "Mine Entrance" involves shooting a panel in order to reveal a secret Rocket Launcher.
- Right after activating the ventilation systems in "Upper Mines", one of the panels at its left is damaged and can be safely destroyed in order to get a Quad Damage.
- In "Borehole", destroying a pair of explosive barrels is a requirement for a secret behind some stairs.
- Sidetrack Bonus:
- "Mine Entrance":
- The initial outdoors area has a Power Shield on the other side of the lava pool.
- The lava canyon has a breakable wall that contains a secret Rocket Launcher.
- There's an alternate path to the upper level of the third lava room in the lava canyon.
- "Upper Mines":
- After the first elevator there's a pit with an Adrenaline pack and a Rocket Launcher. It gives you two ways to exit: via Rocket Jump, or falling to the crusher below and hoping to survive.
- There's a hidden Megahealth in the outdoors area, and the only way out is to fall to the pit that leads to "Borehole".
- The 2023 remastered version of the level contains a new area extracted from the early versions of the level with a Tank and some goodies.
- Prior to crossing the bridge to the computer room, you find another corridor at your right. It holds a secret cache and contains a button that triggers a bridge that allows you to quickly return to the outdoors area.
- The computer room has a broken computer with a Quad Damage.
- "Borehole":
- Right after entering the area with the stairs going to the mid level, below the stairs there's a bunch of explosive barrels that reveal a hidden Combat Armor.
- The entirety of the lower level isn't necessary to complete the level, but it leads you to some weapons, a secret Adrenaline pack, a Quad Damage, several enemies and health and ammo packs.
- Triggering the mechanisms in the drill room opens several Monster Closets with Gunners on them. One of them contains an alternate entrance to Drilling Area that allows you to bypass the entirety of the first area's enemies and puts you next to the mechanism that triggers the bridge to the Factory unit, saving you a lot of time. And, with the Silencer next to said entrance, it also allows you to catch all these enemies off-guard, making them easy picks for your weapons.
- "Drilling Area":
- In the first portion of the level, below the stairs there's a Combat Armor and some enemies.
- In the second portion, there's a secret Invulnerability behind a cracked wall.
- After returning from "Lower Mines", in the room with the elevator to "Receiving Center", you have several crates that lead you to a secret Adrenaline. And by swimming into the mud pool you get an instant access to the first portion of the level.
- "Lower Mines":
- You have two paths to the laser room. You're meant to take the forward path that leads you to a cache and whose floor breaks before you can reach it, forcing you to swim through the mud current and then fight the Tank guarding the laser controls. But not only you can still get these goodies via trickjumping, but there's also a path at the right that leads you to an area with several enemies as well as a secret cache and a button that releases a rock on top of the Tank, thus avoiding said fight.
- Right after the laser room, there's a corridor. On one extreme, it has a Rocket Launcher, it triggers a crusher that pushes you to a wall, and can kill you if you aren't fast enough. On the other extreme, there's an Adenaline pack you may miss if you triggered the crusher prior.
- "Mine Entrance":
- Suspiciously Cracked Wall: The second part of "Drilling Area" involves destroying a wall in order to reveal a secret Combat Armor.
- Temporary Platform: In "Lower Mines" there's a weak floor on the way to a bunch of items that cracks and makes the player to land in muddy waters.
