Recap pages are Spoilers Off by default, so in all these pages all spoilers are unmarked. Proceed with caution. You Have Been Warned
After finding his way onto the Compound, Joker has new tasks: join with the remaining menbers (sic) of the Strike Force, and gather information about the Strogg counterfleet.
The levels of the unit are "Outer Compound", "Core Reactor", "Inner Compound", "The Warehouse" and "Intelligence Center", and the overall objective of the unit is to get information on the counterfleet.
Followed by the Refinery unit.
These levels provide examples of:
- Ability Required to Proceed:
- The Data CD picked up from your fallen comrades in "Outer Compound" is later used in the computer located in "Intelligence Center".
- Two Power Cubes in "Core Reactor" are used to power up the area in "Inner Compound" that allows you to enter into "The Warehouse".
- The Green Key in "The Warehouse" allows entrance to the computer that lowers the water level in the tank that connects the level with "Intelligence Center", as well as opening its door.
- Book Ends: The level "Core Reactor" begins and ends in the same door.
- Broken Bridge:
- Access to "The Warehouse" is locked behind powered down mechanisms in "Inner Compound" that require two Power Cubes located in "Core Reactor".
- Access to "Intelligence Center" is locked behind a door that requires the activation of a computer in "The Warehouse". Said door is located in a water tank the player first notices upon entering the level.
- Access to the next unit is locked behind a forcefield that is disabled in the same room the info about the Strogg counterfleet is obtained in "Intelligence Center".
- Data Drive MacGuffin: A CD is picked up from Joker's fallen comrades in the level "Outer Compound", and then used in the level "Intelligence Center" in order to upload information about the Strogg Counterstrike Fleet.
- Death from Above: The boxes falling from the ruined chamber in "Outer Compound" can kill anyone who gets caught by them, including the player.
- Foreshadowing: You'll normally find enemies using weapons which you later get. For example:
- Your first encounter with a Ripper Guard ("Core Reactor") before getting access to the Ion Ripper in "Intelligence Center".
- Your first encounter with a Hyperblaster Guard ("Outer Compound") before getting access to the Hyperblaster in "Outer Base", the second level of the Refinery unit.
- Game-Breaking Bug: Some source ports break the level "The Warehouse". In that level you need to jump over a fan shaft in order to be able to uncover a secret area. What happens instead is that you get sucked down and killed, never being able to get the secret without cheating.
- Monster Closet:
- "Core Reactor": In the engine chamber, exposing the Power Cube will open a secret area from where three Hyperblaster Guards and a Repair Bot will appear.
- "The Warehouse":
- After the first set of stairs, entering the first door will open a chamber with a Berserker inside of it.
- After picking up the Green Key, climbing the first ladder will reveal a hidden chamber with a Technician inside of it.
- Using the Green Key in order to activate the computer prior to lowering the water level in the storage tanks will reveal, on backtracking, a hidden chamber with three Ripper Guards coming out of it.
- "Intelligence Center":
- After the second ladder, you'll eventually face a Tank, but before spotting it, two Technicians will appear from two hidden chambers.
- After downloading the info on the Strogg counterfleet, there will be a wall explosion near the top extreme of the ladder and a Technician will come from it.
- Permanently Missable Content: There are some areas which hold some items you can't get on backtracking:
- "Outer Compound": At one point, crossing the red warning bars will lock the room and display a hidden section with some Gunners and Enforcers attacking you. This secret section also holds some health packages which you may lose once you disable the siren.
- "Inner Compound": There's a secret area holding a Quad Damage in the laser device room which can only be reached before destroying the wall with the laser, as it also destroys the crates used to reach the area.
- "The Warehouse": Like the core game's "Inner Hangar", there's a room (this time, a secret) which can only be reached before destroying the power source used to get the fan spinning. The area contains several items, among them an Adrenaline. Of course, destroying said power source is vital in order to obtain the Security Pass.
- Rewarding Vandalism: One of the secrets of "Outer Compound" requires shooting at the ceiling in order to make boxes fall.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: Your first objective upon entering the Outer Compound is to locate the remainder of the Strike Force. When you find them... They die and leave you to pick up the pieces.
- Some Dexterity Required: Two of the secrets of "Core Reactor" require a quirk in the game's engine that propels you higher on a second jump on top of a box. If you can't do this, the other way to reach them is to walk onto the upper pipe at the upper level, and it requires you to pick up the lower level Power Cube.
- Suspiciously Cracked Wall: In order to proceed, you need to shoot at two cracked walls at different points in "The Warehouse": one is a regular wall which leads to a grotto, and another is a pipe wall that leads to a secret (if it's active) or the Security Pass (if it's inactive).
- Teleporting Keycard Squad:
- "Outer Compound": Upon picking up the Data CD, backtracking will reveal two Hyperblaster Guards on the way to the exit.
- "Core Reactor":
- Picking up the level end Power Cube and traversing the central cave spawns a bunch of Repair Bots, Hyperblaster Guards and a Gladiator in the upper level corridor.
- Picking up both Power Cubes will spawn two Repair Bots near the entrance to the level. It will also spawn two Gekk and four Enforcers back at the Inner Compound.
- After activating the computer that controls the storage tanks' water level, two Hyperblaster Guards will await the player near the console.
- "Intelligence Center": On your way to the level's exit, two Ripper Guards spawn near the entrance from the first Tank encounter area.
- Vent Physics: In "The Warehouse", there's a fan shaft that propels the player upwards, the idea being to land on a secret place from where they can get a secret Adrenaline.
