PCUSER

Halo: Combat Evolved - Game guide by Julian Schoffel

Platform: PC
Genre: 3D action/adventure
Price: $89.95
Contact: Microsoft
Phone: 13 20 58
Web: http://www.microsoft.com/games/Halo

Halo was undoubtedly the most highly anticipated Xbox title in the lead-up to the console's launch a couple of years ago. Now the game has finally made its way onto the PC and you should be happy to learn it's lost none of its magic.

Here's a detailed guide to the final section of the game (these levels are collectively known as ‘The Maw’).

The Maw
Primary goal: destroy Halo before Halo devastates all life in the galaxy.

After stealing a Banshee, you fly to the spaceship known as the Pillar of Autumn (yep, it’s the same ship from the first part of the game), which has crashed on the surface of Halo. After narrowly avoiding a crash, you climb up the side of the ship and crawl inside via an exposed hatchway. In the final group of missions you’ll revisit some of the locations from the opening sequence of the game, but you’ll find a lot has changed.

‘. . . and the horse you rode in on’

You start the new level with the default weapons: Plasma Rifle and Assault Rifle. I highly recommend trading the Assault Rifle for a Shotgun as soon as possible. You’ll find a heap of weapons and ammo lying around the place, particularly after you vanquish a group of Flood creatures. Try to pick up all the grenades you find, because they’re the best way to clear out tight, Flood-infested areas.

Shortly after your arrival, Cortana will give you your first mission goal, which is to make your way to the bridge and use the Captain’s neural implants to overload the ship’s fusion engines. Cortana informs you that the resulting explosion should be powerful enough to fracture Halo.

Make your way to the bridge

Head out into the main corridor and make your way left. Watch out for patrolling Sentinels and take them out using grenades or the Plasma Rifle. Follow the corridor around to the right and look for a tunnel in the wall. Enter the tunnel and turn left, and look for a small opening in the floor with a ladder below it. Take out any Flood that climbs up through the opening and throw down a grenade before you descend the ladder. Once you’ve climbed down, be on the lookout for Flood and Patrolling Sentinels. In these situations it’s often best to let the opposing forces slug it out before engaging the remainder in combat.

Move out into the main corridor and head right. Kill any remaining Sentinels and keep moving. Eventually, you’ll come to a closed door that gets smashed open by a large number of Flood. Destroy them and take any useful weapons and ammo lying around. You should find a Shotgun here, so I suggest you swap it for your Assault Rifle. Move through the smashed door and follow the corridor around to the left. Continue moving forwards.

Eventually, you’ll come to a closed door. A big firefight is taking place on the other side of this door between Flood and Covenant forces. Wait until the fighting calms down a bit and then cautiously make your way through the door. In a small alcove opposite the door, you should find a couple of First Aid Kits and some grenades. Stock up if you need to because you’re about to engage in some heavy combat. You’ll see two doorways; one to your left and one to your right. Both lead into the same room, which is packed with heavily armed Covenant forces including a couple of Hunters, which are some of the toughest opponents in the game. Move through the door and take care of the Hunters first and watch out for rockets and grenades. If you need to, go back and use the First Aid Kits in the previous area before venturing onward.

Once you’ve cleared the room, pick up any spare ammo and grenades, then make your way through the door in the far left corner. Head left and enter the dark area to gain access to the ship’s bridge. Watch out for more Covenant forces hiding in this cramped, dark area and toss a few grenades in to clear them out. Now make your way to the large screen in the bridge and watch the cut sequence. Cortana attempts to upload some data, but she is thwarted by the Monitor. Once the cut scene ends, you’ll be confronted by a group of Sentinels hovering around outside the ship. Take them out and exit the bridge area.

At this point, Cortana will give you new instructions, telling you to make your way to Cryo B and then to Engineering.

Once you’ve exited the bridge, head left and around the next corner. Up ahead you’ll be ambushed by a large number of Flood. Take them out, move through the next room and go through the door. You will soon encounter a group of Covenant (including some Hunters) fighting Flood. You don’t actually have to take part in this fight if you don’t want to; in fact, I recommend you ignore it and move straight ahead into the opposite hallway. Keep moving forward and stay on the lookout for cruising Sentinels. Let the Sentinels deal with the Flood and then take them out. Now move through the door at the end of the corridor.

On your right you should see two doors leading into the Cryo B area. Before you enter, keep moving forward and you should see some pipes to your left. If you need to you can go through here and you should find a First Aid Kit. Now go back and enter one of the two doors leading into Cryo B.

When you enter, you’ll see a bunch of Flood fighting with Sentinels. Let them slug it out and then move into the room. Now quickly move to the far end of the room and go up one of the two ladders. Move down the metal walkway and into the room at the far end. Avoid the Sentinels, but don’t destroy them yet. Once you enter the control room, move through the doorway to your right. A veritable shitload of Flood will pour into the room, so try to let the Sentinels deal with as many as possible, and then pick off any remaining Flood. Now make your way through the left-hand door of the control room and head up the sloping corridor. Keep moving forwards and you should eventually find an Overshield lying on the floor; use it.

Now backtrack a bit and look for a tunnel entrance. Enter the tunnel and switch on your flashlight. Move through the tunnel, taking a left and then a right. Head left again and you should find a closed off area with some spare grenades and ammo. Now go back and turn left again. Make your way down near the tunnel exit but don’t move out of it just yet. Just outside, a huge fight is taking place between Sentinels, Flood and Covenant. Lurk in the tunnel entrance and let them take each out (this may take a while). When you feel things have quietened down, move out into the corridor and look to your right. There will probably be some Covenant still hanging around down the corridor. Take them out with grenades and move forward. Eventually, you’ll see an arrow pointing towards Engineering. Take note of its location, but for now, keep moving forward. You will soon see an arrow pointing to the Armoury. Follow it and enter the Armoury, then swap your Plasma Rifle for a Rocket Launcher and stock up on rockets and Shotgun ammo. At this point, some cloaked Flood will attack you. Use your Shotgun on them and exit the Armoury (there’s another door at the other side of the Armoury, but you can’t go through it). Now head back towards the Engineering arrow on the floor and follow it to Engineering.

‘Light fuse, run away’

As you approach Engineering, the path branches off in two directions; one to your left and one to your right. Take the right path. Once you enter the main Engineering room, you’ll notice that it is quite large and multistorey. All of your mission objectives lie on the upper levels and to reach them, you have to find access ramps. Your main goal in this area is to find a way to explode the entire Pillar of Autumn.

Almost as soon as you enter, Cortana will start giving you directions on how to destroy the ship. Once you enter the main area, head to your right and go up the ramp. Take note of the wall-mounted First Aid Kits, because you will need to use them as the mission progresses. There are more First Aid Kits on the left-hand side of the room. Once you’ve received your instructions, the entire Engineering area will start to fill with Flood creatures of all varieties. You’ll also encounter loads of Sentinels (and you’ll see the annoying little Monitor sphere hovering about the place while making irritating comments). As a general rule, only engage hostiles when they come between you and your mission goals because you can’t actually clear them out entirely, so don’t waste time trying.

Use the controls on the third floor to retract the four exhaust manifolds

This is your first objective. As soon as Cortana gives you this information, a group of four orange arrows will appear on your NAV screen, indicating their position. Move across the platform on the right until you see a doorway with a Level 2 sign. Go through the doorway and up the ramp. On the next platform, turn left and go through the doorway with the Level 3 sign. Head up the ramp and turn right down the corridor. Prepare to take on loads of Flood creatures that emerge from the right-hand ramp at the end of the corridor. Use your Shotgun (and grenades if you like) to destroy the Flood and move up through the doorway at the top of the ramp. Now switch to the Rocket Launcher and approach the first exhaust manifold controls. Activate the controls and the large pipe under you will start to retract. Jump down onto it and face the centre of the room. You will see a glowing orange vent, which opens and closes. When the vent is open, shoot a rocket into it. If you’re successful, you should see an explosion (you can use a grenade for this purpose but it’s a bit trickier). Now jump down to the floor (move to the tiered area and jump down in stages; don’t jump straight down or the fall will injure you badly). Use the First Aid Kits if you need them and avoid any Flood or Sentinels. Now make your way back up to Level 3 and repeat the process for the remaining three exhaust manifolds. The arrows on your NAV screen will gradually disappear each time you hit the core. Remember that you can reach the other two control panels through the central walkway on Level 3.

Once you’ve shot a rocket or hurled a grenade into the four exhaust vents, you’ll receive a new objective. Cortana will tell you that the core is going critical and that you need to find an elevator on Level 3. Head back up to Level 3 and look for a doorway (on the opposite side to where you first entered) and go through it. Use the new NAV marker on your screen to find its exact location.

Once you’ve found the door, follow it around to your right and go through a couple more doors. You’ll know you’re on the right track when you come to a glowing red door. Keep moving forward and a door in front of you will explode open. Head down towards it and you’ll see the lift shaft up ahead of you. When the lift arrives, you’ll have to take on a few Covenant soldiers. Kill them and get in the lift. While you’re taking the lift up, you’ll hear Cortana requesting a drop ship to get you off Halo.

‘Warning: hitchhikers may be escaping convicts’

As soon as the lift reaches the top, Cortana informs you that you have six minutes to escape the blast area of the ship. Time is of the essence here, so move fast!

As soon as you exit the lift, head left and you’ll enter a room containing loads of parked Warthogs. It’s essential that you get into a Warthog because you will never make it to the drop site on foot. You might like to use the First Aid Kit in this area because while you won’t be doing any actual fighting, you will still be vulnerable to attack. The bottom line is it’s wise to be at full health when you start this final level.

Drive the Warthog out of the room and head left. Ignore any Covenant, Flood or Sentinels you encounter; if they get in the way just run over them. Keep to the centre of the ramp and drive forward as fast as you can. At certain times you may miss a jump or come up against an obstacle, so when this happens, drive around and find an alternate route. Keep moving forward and, to save time, try to nail as many jumps as you can. Use the NAV point marker on your screen to see the direction you need to head in.

At one point, you will need to drive on either the right or left sides of the ramp. Keep driving until you reach an exposed bridge/platform. This is the supposed drop site. Unfortunately the Foehammer gets shot down by Covenant Banshees. Don’t bugger around waiting for this to happen; instead, just keep driving forward.

Once you’re off the bridge, keep moving up the corridor while Cortana finds another means of escape. Eventually, you’ll come to a steep, sloping passage. Cortana informs you that there’s a large jump up ahead. Get as much speed as you can and try to make the jump. I could never make it across, but it didn’t seem to matter because there’s an alternate route below.

Keep following the path until you reach the final area where the shuttle (your means of transport) is located. The last area of the path is blocked, so you’ll have to abandon the Warthog and continue on foot. There are a few hostiles here (Flood and Covenant), but try not to waste time fighting them. Only shoot at enemies blocking your way. Up ahead you should see the shuttle parked near an opening. Run towards it and jump on board.

Once you make it onto the shuttle, sit back and watch the endgame sequence. Congratulations, you’ve just completed Halo!