3.4 Chapter 4 - Water Hazard  CC4

[Station 12]
Disembark and climb up the ladder at the lambda symbol for some pistol ammo.
After a short bumpy ride you will see a big red house. Remember how you were
told to get there to seek help at station 12? Get off the hovercraft, enter
the house and...face two zombies. The Combine were faster than you. Use the
crowbar against these two foes as well as against a face hugger on the planks
below the ceiling. Climb up to the room that controls the block and pulley.
Hitting the barrel with the crowbar lets the cage fall down into the water,
releasing some goodies.

Ride over the ramp and come to a halt at the bridge on the right. A fellow
rebel drops some supplies before running away from a Sentry Drone. After
picking them up, grab the blue drum, take a dive and set the barrel beneath
the open cage. Leave the basin and go through the passage at the yellow
lambda symbol to find two more of those blue, light barrels. Place at least
one of them in the cage as well to build a ramp you can jump over with the
hovercraft.

New enemy crafts: These things that look like some sort of an alien-
helicopter-hybrid serve only as troop transporters at the moment, but later
in the game they will be way more annoying. Either stop on one of the small
islands and kill the three Combine from there, or simply drive over them,
taking a bit damage while approaching them. Afterwards place a barrel under
the opening with the lambda symbol next to it and swim through to reach a
zombie and some items. Move on with the hovercraft, crashing into three
Combines on the way and speeding over another ramp. Upon your landing you
drive through some thin wooden poles that hold a platform. See hoe the Source
Engine nicely crashes the whole construction? Don't you, too, think this is a
great sight? Perfect: Quickly race on and repeat this crash on the right side
to surprise two Combine soldiers. The Barnacles under the bridge shouldn't be
a problem to you.

[A Hero...wow]
Give another Combine an involuntary swim. The water way is blocked by a gate,
so disembark to search for a switch or something else. Climb up the ladder,
listen to Dr. Breen (yeah, we're a hero!) and pick up the items in the two
small rooms before peeking around the corner and shooting the explosive
barrel on the left and some Combines. See the grenade crate? This means you
can and should use grenades over the course of the next rooms. Toss some
through the windows near the manhacks, so only a few of them can get out of
there and attack you. Open the door and haste behind the wagon to your left,
as a Combine stands at a machine gun up ahead. Push the wagon forward while
crouching to eventually get close enough to the enemy to throw grenades at
him. Restock on grenades; you'll need them in the next room. After opening
the door, throw in two grenades and repeat. While this might not take care of
all Combines in there, it eases the situation a lot. Now storm in and finally
clear the area. Climbing over the blue tanks on your right earns you an SMG
grenade.

Outside you find the gate opening mechanism. Ok, it's broken, but at least
you've found it. Don't worry, though. Shoot the barrels behind the fence to

break open the gate. Then get back to the machine gun and use it to get rid
for four Combines. Back in the Combine garage you will have to face some more
Combines, but the infinite amount of grenades ought to make this battle
rather easy. Just watch out for the newly installed machine gun behind the
liquid barrier.

Return to the hovercraft and get going. The oncoming passage is crammed with
Combines, Barnacles and even missile-shooting police cars, but there isn't
anything good to nab. Ergo: Keep driving at high speed and move a bit to the
sides to dodge the missiles. After a right bend you will see a barricade
that's even being lit up. Stick to the right wall to get over a ramp. After
that stick to the left wall to be somewhat hid from the Combine cars.

[Comeback]
Stop at the lambda symbol, taking the concrete blocks out of the basket. This
lowers the other basket, which contains some items. Hop into the hovercraft
again and ride out into the open, where the gate is shut down and you are
being shot at. Ignore the Combine; drive to the door on the right, pick up
the Magnum inside and aim it at the door behind the table. Three Combines
open it, but your new weapon quickly takes 'em out.

Prepare for what is the most difficult area so far: Remember how I said the
copter would bother you for a long time? Now he really is after you. Go up
the stairs and keep on running as you shoot a Combine. Also kill the next
Combine at full speed and then hide in the container from the copter fire.
Here you should also take care of the manhack. When the copter fire ceases,
run out of the container and move on. Hit the third Combine and hide inside
the big container where you can also take the time to pick up some supplies.
Leave the container on its other end to face two Combines, guarding a supply
crate. During the whole course of running around in this area you should keep
an eye on the position of the copter and on when it is about to fire, so you
can crouch behind any objects to hide.

Now haste into a storage hall past some manhacks. Fire your SMG grenade at
the two Combines up on the left and equip the crowbar when standing just
beneath them. Destroy the manhacks, before the other Combines in this hall
close in on you. Shooting them down probably is the easiest part of this area.
Then search inside the containers and the rest of the hall for lots of items
and advance by walking up the stairs and hopping onto the containers. As soon
as you see that you've triggered three Combines up ahead, drop down and hide
from them, allowing you to eliminate two other guards entering the hall from
the big gate you came through. Then aim up and finally clear the area.

Behind the place where the three Combines came from, you have to duck under
some windows to get past the copter slowly, but safely. Break the crates with
the crowbar and throw a grenade against the wall in the next room in such a
way that it bounces off to the right, killing an enemy. If you attack him the
direct way, two more Combines would rush up the stairs, causing quite some
trouble in this tight place and with your health probably being a bit low by
now. But since you (hopefully) used the grenade to get him, his buddies won't
notice you, allowing for you to slowly move down (after picking up some
health) and carefully aim for their head from behind. Relax at the health and
suit energy panels, as your way gets you back into the copter's sight.

Run out and around the right corner to find a grenade in a supply crate. Then
carefully observe the copter to hide successfully on your way to the upper
right end of the court where a single Combine awaits you. From here on there
isn't much to take cover so simply zip over to the guard tower, killing a
Combine behind the fence and two more up inside the tower. Duck behind the
windows so the copter can't hit you and in between the bursts you have to get
up and counterattack with the machine guns around until your flying nemesis
parts off. Hit the switch to open the gate and return to the hovercraft by
jumping over the railing.

Speed through the gate only to be facing another copter. This one doesn't
only have a machine gun, but also proximity mines. Stick on the right wall as
you haste through this canal. Race up the ramp and move right on it to
proceed. Directly after that the copter employs his machine gun, so head for
the passage on the right in which you are safe from that attack.

[A Bumpy Ride]
Take a left, speeding directly to the copter. It drops quite a lot of miens
now, so you might want to stay right of the enemy. After a while you will see
a broken ship on the right and a pile of dead trees on your left. Ride over
the trees to cut the track short. A bit later you see some concrete tunnel
pieces up ahead. Before heading there, take a left and drive over the supply
crate. It's worth it. Then go through the tunnel pieces and try your best to
stay in the centre of the track so you jump onto some more of those pieces,
leading into a real tunnel.

[Even Bumpier]
Break open the two supply crates ahead and move on up to two dead trees lying
there as a ramp. Naturally, you have to ride it up, but as you do, try your
best to fly off to the left at its end. If you manage to land on the left
ledge you automatically dodge most of the mines and you get to feast on
another supply crate. Take a right and fully concentrate on going fast and on
dodging the mines; there's only one supply crate on the way and you pick up
the goodies inside almost automatically as the passage is narrow and gets
even narrower due to a mine dropped right next to the crate. Stay left under
the first bridge to avoid some Barnacles, then go right and stay on the right
under the second bridge. Keep your balance on the way up to the ramp so you
fly over to the red storage building.

Ride into it and park on the metal platform to your right. Get out of the
hovercraft to break open some supply crate and to use the stations on the
wall, while always listening for the sound the copter makes just before using
the machine gun. Also activate the valve to lower the platform (you might
have to park the vehicle a few times before it finally moves down with the
platform, due to some strange clipping). Hop down and get back into the
hovercraft. Behind you is a supply crate with some health in it, but you
should already be at good health, so ignore it. It was probably only placed
there for if you miss the jump over to the red building. Instead, move on.
Keeping a good speed and staying left will get you past the collapsing
factory chimney without having to search for a way to get over it. Then stay
right to avoid the first few mines. Dodging the other mines and the missiles
shouldn't be too much of a problem now. Speed into the tunnel in front of you.

[Payback]
Get off the hovercraft, nab some health in a crate on the right and then some
more in the dark area, guarded by a zombie. Climb up the ladder, hop over to
the washing machine, which you need to push down into the cage where the
supply crate lied. This raises a ramp you can ride over. Move on to another
rebel outpost where you get a copter gun attached to the hovercraft after a
short conversation.

Move out and test your new gun on some Barnacles and even already on a copter.
Fortunately your gun makes the copter flee in no time. Then shoot some
explosive barrels and a watch tower on the right for some health. Continue to
two open gates right after one another. They close as you are in between, but
don't worry: Just position yourself at the second gate, turn around and hit
the explosive barrel to take out three of four Combines. Shoot the other one
before turning left where three more enemies will rush out of a door. While
it is possible to get up to where the four enemies came from, it is
completely unnecessary as there is nothing to pick up. Instead, ride up the
broken fence and disembark. There are quite some goodies in the room where
the three Combine came out.

Get back into the hovercraft and speed through the fence ahead right into the
metaphorical arms of a police van. Don't slow down; ride around the bend as
quickly as possible and shoot the heat-seeking missiles to take them out. Now
ride up the ramp to pick up some health and to make the instable tower
construction collapse. Around the next bend you will face some more Combines,
but they are no match for your new gun. Hit the explosive barrels and after
that some Combines in the tunnel. Again, it is possible to get up to the
ledges, but the scarce items around here aren't worth the risk.

[Close to the real Payback]
Do yourself a favour and ignore the Combine on the far left, even though
there is a tempting red barrel next to him. Instead, swiftly advance, only
concentrating on the missiles you should blow up in midair. Shoot the Combine
transporter in the next passage. Now relax a bit, train your aiming on some
Barnacles and...wait a second! It's him! Up on the left you can see the G Man
for a brief moment.

Get off near a Combine and walk around the passage until you see a zombie
standing up. Equip the pistol, retreat a few feet and kill five headcrabs and,
of course, the zombie, prior to climbing up the ladder to a sleeping place
that holds some items.

Get back into the hovercraft and ride up the pile of dirt to reach a ramp.
After traversing the tunnel, shoot some more Combines and drive to what seems
to be a dead end. Look up as you, since a Combine and an infinite amount of
explosive barrels will be triggered. The barrels can actually be pretty much
ignored as there isn't anything around that could blow them up. After a few
more Combines and a tunnel you see two red containers ahead. Inside one of
them you can nab some items.

Then ride into the big open space and keep moving around while shooting two
police vans. Definitely concentrate on one of them until it blows up, before
attacking the other one. Also don't bother hitting the missiles: It is nearly
impossible to hit every missile of both cars and in addition you better
destroy the vehicles as quickly as possible. Once the area is secure, break
two crates in the water between the cars and move on to the highly dented
orange container on the left for another crate. Disembark to get through a
tight hole in the fence near the other container. Blow up the barrels inside
the container to allow for the hovercraft to get through. Jump over the ramp.

[Duel at Noon]
A large open area and not a single threat around. Come on, we all know that
there has to be something big coming and yes: There is. You finally get to
destroy one of those helicopters. Give it all you've got, only stopping when
the copter fires back at you. Hide behind some rocks for a few seconds when
that happens. After a while the enemy starts dropping mines as well, but if
you look at the path the copter takes while dropping them, you can easily
tell where it will fly to over the next few seconds, as it drops his
explosive treats only in a straight line. Then a bit later again, the copter
totally freaks out, dropping hundreds of mines. Still look at where he flies
and calculate where he is going to fly to and simply move a few feet away
from that line. The other mines will fall down far away from that line, so
you're in nearly no danger.

Afterwards look around for some supply crates, prior to closing in on the
shut gate. Climb up the ladder to find the valve that opens it. Ride up the
ramp behind it with your hovercraft to ease the battle against some Combines
in front of the big building. Go in to find a lightly guarded Combine station,
crammed with everything you need.

Leave the building and get to its back where you will not only see the G Man
again, but also a lever which opens the flood gate. Board the hovercraft and
use the rubble in the water to jump through the gate into the next chapter.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-3.5 Chapter 5 - Black Mesa East-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=CC5

[Arrival]
Leave the hovercraft behind at the dock and search for the entrance to the
rebel headquarters. Judith Mossman takes you straight to Alyx and Dr. Vance.
Listen to the dialogues; unfortunately there isn't much around here to keep
you entertained. At least get a look at the family photo of the Vances before
Alyx takes you over to the scrapyard where you will get to practice with the
gravity gun. Taking a right in the tunnel makes her give you some additional
info on Ravenholm...a place they don't go to anymore...

[D0g]
You are given the gravity gun...or the zero-point energy gun, if you prefer.
First use it to push some things, then to pick up stuff, then to pull the
barrels high up towards you and finally to stack some objects, allowing you
to get up to Alyx. The easiest way to do this is to put the small box on the
right onto the bigger box.

Follow Alyx to meet D0g, her robotic pet. Keep the secondary fire button
pressed as you play fetch with him, so you don't risk getting hit by the
crates or later by his ball. When you have had enough of plying around, go to
Alyx to trigger an assault by the Combine.

Alyx takes you back into the tunnel system where you get separated, being
told to go to Ravenholm (I thought we don't go to Ravenholm? So why is D0g
supposed to follow Alyx and you aren't? Can't D0g just clear the path from
the rubble? Oh well.). Push some obstacles out of the way and break the lock
on the ladder using the gravity gun to reach Ravenholm.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=3.6 Chapter 6 - "We don't go to Ravenholm..."=-=-=-=-=-=-=CC6

[Physics can be fun]
Welcome to Ravenholm, a forsaken place infested by headcrabs and their
buddies. Go straight to the hung lower body part to find a lone zombie. After
killing him with the crowbar, it's time to enjoy the gravity gun. Enter the
hut to your left, containing lots of gas tanks and metal blades. Use mostly
the latter ones to fire your way through some zombies until you hear a human
voice. You will meet this guy later on, but for now he's rather unimportant.

Approach the spinning thing ahead. This triggers two zombies to walk right
into it, being torn apart by it. If the trap makes you feel uncomfortable
(e.g. in case you might consider retreating after a fight) you can crawl to
it and turn it off. Otherwise carry a metal blade with you, crawl past the
trap and activate another trap in the next room, while crouching. There's
only one headcrab directly in this room, but in the left corner is an opening
with some more zombies. Just lure them into the trap and you should be doing
fine. The table holds a new metal blade and some health. As you move on you
will face a few more headcrabs and zombies which should taste your metal
blade as well or maybe an explosive barrel, but the spin trap in the next
room is quite useless as activating it would require you to run right into an
enemy-infested area.

Toss anything at the zombie sitting outside to clear the way to see Grigori
for the first time. Approach the fire to trigger him appearing as well as
some zombies of which your new ally takes care of. Kill a lone zombie to the
left of the bonfire and turn the valve that controls the gas, thus
extinguishing the fire. To proceed you have to enter the building in which
Grigori was, but first of all you better enter another hut nearby, guarded by
two zombies. Inside you will find some gas tanks, metal blades and health
paks. Turn on the gas and press the red switch for some fun. Grab one of
those gas tanks, extinguish another fire via a gas valve and use your
explosive treat on some zombies around the corner.

As the fence is electrically loaded, you cannot move on here, yet, so return
to the first fire and enter the building. Shooting the explosive barrel on
the upper level should take care of most enemies here and the crowbar does
the rest. Climb up onto the left energy generator to reach a vent shaft
leading to some goodies. Get back in and walk up the stairs. Ignore the first
explosive barrel, but blow up the second one and deal with any survivors at
the end of the staircase. Traverse a few more rooms to finally find the lever
that turns off the electricity at the fence. Watch out for two new enemies,
though: Poisonous headcrabs. If you are confident about your aiming skills
you can use the gravity gun on them, otherwise employ the pistol.

As you leave the building you have to face three more of those. Then climb up
the ladder over the fence and eventually get up onto the roofs where you get
even closer to Grigori than before. Drop down onto the planks and into the
room at their end. The gas tanks here actually aren't a big help, as tossing
them around with the gravity gun is too dangerous and lighting them up after
dropping them down probably misses all enemies. Just use the gravity gun
against the headcrabs while standing in the upper room and the crowbar
against the zombie after dropping down. Leave the building. Yay, a new trap:
Your priest friend has attached some cars (!) to block and pulleys. Attract
the enemies to go under the cars and activate the switches to smash them.
Some will probably get past the cars, requiring you to either use the crowbar
or the pistol.

Once the area is clear, make the first car go down, jump onto it and go over
the planks to get into a good position for a jump over to the yellow lambda
symbol. To get back out of this hidden place you have to climb over the
girder at the right wall. Use the second car to enter another building and to
reach the next loading sequence.

[A Heavily Infested Court]
Behind the door you'll both find some very tempting barrels and a poisonous
headcrab. Still, don't blow up the barrels, but use the gravity gun against
this foe. Waiting for the explosion takes too long here. Enter the next room,
shoot a zombie and watch Father Grigory take out lots of zombies outside.
Briefly climb out of the window to lure some of them into the priest's line
of fire. Then use the gravity gun against two fast headcrabs on the ledge
opposite of the windows. Look down: Lost of enemies around, right? Well,
simply blow up one of the barrels on the right and use the gravity gun on the
barrel to the far left to (hopefully) clear the area without getting near any
enemy. Then carefully drop down (killing the survivors, in case there are any)
and blow up the barrel behind a screen to access the hideout of some poor guy
who has been overrun by a couple of poisonous headcrabs.

Climb up the ladder at the other end of the passage and walk over the girder
not to the first window, but to the one on the left. Deal with a single
headcrab that is guarding some items. Kill a zombie at the other window
(using the pistol, as the crowbar is too dangerous up here) and get into the
building. Prepare for some fun: There are lots of objects to be grabbed and
tossed and down the stairs you will face lots of zombies. So use the gravity
gun on anything you can find to wipe out the enemies.

[New Faces]
Thought Ravenholm wasn't so scary after all? Grab the items around prior to
leaving the building. Look straight...see something coming your way? That's
some freakin' fast mutant and his companions will surely panic you a few
times. Use the SMG on them; the gravity gun takes too long. After celebrating
your first kill of a super zombie, walk over to the left and hop down to the
rails, disposing a total of three headcrabs and three zombies, all with the
gravity gun to save precious ammo.

Enter the centre building with your gravity gun equipped to wipe out two
zombies on the ground level, a zombie and two headcrabs behind the wooden
boards on the first storey, two zombies (guarding health paks) behind the
door on the first storey and then again another one of those easy targets
crawling about on the ground level. Go to the top storey to crush to
headcrabs before being given the shotgun by Grigori outside.

Either use it against a troop of super zombies or simply aim for the water
tank ahead and jump into it. This way the enemies ignore you, leaving Grigori
to take them out. Climb up to trigger some additional super zombies. If you
are quick about it, you can grab a hold on some gas tanks in the room nearby
to deal with them. Otherwise use the shotgun and consider backtracking for
health paks after the battle. Call the lift in the room with the gas tanks.
See two super zombies climb up again? Shutting the door seems like a good
idea, but unfortunately it doesn't help a bit: They just break through the
ceiling, so you have to fight them anyway (use the shotgun).

Ride down the lift and kill any poisonous headcrabs the fat zombie throws at
you, with the gravity gun or simply walk over the ramp on the other car
directly to get out their reach. Dealing with the fat zombie himself is both
too dangerous and a waste of ammo, so don't do it in any case. Clear the
small goodie room ahead from a single headcrab, restock and leave the area.

[Big Battle]
This set of alleys holds nearly no items, but an infinite amount of all kinds
of zombies and headcrabs (except for super zombies). Even the door in front
of you that can be opened from the other side is totally useless. Hence, only
go for the important places and try to be as quick about it as possible...oh,
and the spinning trap also is of no big help, since it breaks apart after a
few spins. Still, head for the trap and look right. There is a small balcony
with a lever and you have to pull the latter one. Go to the back of the
building and up to the lever. Then drop down and turn right where you can
climb up onto the small building there. Move on over planks and roofs, but
watch out for a super zombie that has been triggered to come after you.

For the moment, you are quite safe up on the roofs. Some poisonous headcrabs
eventually leap up, but that's it. Pick up some goodies on the roofs, hop
over the platform you have moved via the lever and note that you have just
left safety again. Speed over to a balcony above the entrance to this area
and climb through the window as most of the balcony collapses. Now you have
the time to turn around and see why you hastened through there: Infinite
super zombies! Shoot them from a distance, watch Grigori fire at them or just
move on; it's up to you, as they somehow cannot get to your position. The
upcoming passage is pure relieve. Pick up the saw blades via the gravity gun
and fire off at lots of normal zombies.

[King of the Hill]
Go down the stairs on the left to get back to a goodie room you already
visited a few minutes ago. You've probably left some items here the last time,
so the lone zombie guarding it shouldn't hinder you from going there. Next,
throw a grenade up the ladder as a direct battle with the three headcrabs up
there is pretty health consuming. Leave through the door, give two super
zombies a taste of your shotgun shells and hop from roof roof until you can
safely drop down. Run past the poisonous headcrabs and their big mate and
walk up the stairs just next to a headcrab missile. As you proceed, a super
zombie climbs up from behind, so await him with the shotgun.

Shortly after, you will find yourself on a roof. Turn right to see Father
Grigori, who tells you to defend yourself while he brings over a cart that
will get you over to him. Grab the ammo around and look straight down the
street. From time to time super zombies will come along here, climbing up
either the left or the right red pipe. Watch where they are going and
position yourself on top of a pipe accordingly to shoot them down in their
attempt to get up. Luckily you basically can only hit their head in this
situation and they cannot dodge your attacks, so this should be rather easy
to you. Another nice aid by the designers is that you can clearly hear those
beasts climbing up, so even if you have overlooked one of them, you will know
that it is coming. Since there are infinite zombies coming your way, you
better jump into the cart as soon as possible (Grigori is definitely taking
his time, though) and release the hand brake on the roof right next to the
cart. Stock up on items, listen to the somewhat crazy priest and follow him
to the next area.

[Tales from the Crypt]
After a short walk past the fence you are attacked by numerous super zombies.
Keep moving around as you first of all kill any enemies that go after you.
Grigori can take quite a lot of damage, so only help him out when you are
safe or if he has to deal with three enemies at once while you are only
pestered by a single one.

Then over another fence and onto the graveyard. Equip the gravity gun and use
it against lots of normal zombies. You will find many saw blades and concrete
blocks and in addition Grigori helps out a lot, so you really don't need to
waste any ammo. Your main task should be to look out if any enemies come from
behind. Once your back is clear you can have a look if it is necessary to
help Grigori. Watch out with those explosive barrels and you probably won't
have any problems here. At the end your ally opens a gate for you to crawl
through while he stays back to watch over his people...yeah, whatever. If you
want to, stay there for a while and watch Grigori kill lots of zombies or
just move on.

[The Mines]
Look down the shaft. There are wooden bars at the walls, which can be used to
carefully drop down. Fall from bar to bar until you come to some health paks.
Turn left to find some supply crates in a small room. Carefully drop down to
the ground where an infinite amount of different headcrabs roams around. Thus,
quickly run over to some stairs near a blocked tunnel, walk up the stairs and
jump over to the bars on top of the gate. Try to stay up there, so you can
easily shoot the (non-infinite) headcrabs below with the pistol. Also use the
explosive barrel to your advantage. If you happen to fall down behind the
gate, equip the gravity gun, clear the area and ignore the barrel; it's too
dangerous.

Across the gap you can see some health and ammo. In order to get them you
have to quickly step over the bar on the right, as it breaks apart when you
do. Down in the water you better not turn on the flash light. There's near to
nothing to see and you need quite some air to get through. Surface near the
Branacle tentacle, jump over the wooden gate and dive on to a long tunnel,
leading to the surface. Turn on the mine cart which will constantly ride up
and down, being a threat both to you and any enemy. Walk up to bait a few
zombies following you out of a niche on the left. Go back to watch them being
overrun by the cart, then go into the niche yourself. This triggers some more
zombies up ahead, as well as some more as you go into the second niche. At
the end of the cart path you will face your last zombies before running up
into the sunlight.

[Daylight]
Wonder what Valve had in mind for you once you reach the daylight for the
first time after leaving Ravenholm? It's, it's, IT'S...a railroad
track...oh....wow.

Besides the health on your left and some supply crates you can also grab some
good ammo by climbing over the crates to your right, disposing a poisonous
headcrab and crawling in at the yellow lambda symbol. As you move on, a super
zombie starts its long way towards you. Without the darkness and with so much
time for preparations they kinda've lost their scary impact. Blast him with
the shotgun. A few moments later you will see three zombies being taken out
by a Combine sniper up in the bridge-like construction. Wait until he's done
with them and then toss a grenade into the sniper's window. Don't worry: He
cannot hit you unless you go out too far.

Another sniper, but this time you are right in his area of view. Hide behind
the train, wait for him to shoot, then run over to the crates on the right,
again wait for him to shoot, advance a few feet and after that hide behind
the next wagon (the one with the wood on it). Do yourself a favour and don't
try to be too smart, by picking up some junk with the gravity gun, using it
as a shield; a single sniper hit will break through the object right into
your body. Crawl along under it on the left and kill a headcrab with the
gravity gun. The rest is fairly simple. Move around the red wagon on its left
side and throw a grenade up into the window. Inside the wagon you can find
some ammo.

Pass the dark area to witness a small battle between two Combines and some
aliens. Don't just watch it, though, but manipulate it to your advantage:
Blast the soldiers with the shotgun while they are distracted. The remaining
zombie and headcrab are a pushover for your shotgun. Grab the pulse-rifle in
the container. Out in the open you trigger two Combines to enter the yard on
the left and another one to come along the rails up ahead. Light up the
explosive barrels on the left and retreat back into the tunnel, so only the
lone Combine in front of you can possibly hit you. Use the pulse-rifle
against him and eventually against the two others if they survive the barrel
explosion. Go around the train wreck and onto the yard to trigger two more
Combine coming out of the building ahead. Pick up a barrel with the gravity
gun and toss it at them. Then enter the building where you witness another
battle; this time between four Combines and a few rebels. Assist them (you
know who I mean). The rest is only conversation and restocking.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=3.7 Chapter 7 - Highway 17=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-CC7

[Antlions]
Enter the buggy (See the ammo crate at its back? There's unlimited SMG ammo
in it.) which will be set down by the crane automatically. Also note that the
buggy can be put back up if it gets knocked down, by using the gravity gun.
As you might have already heard, it's mating season for the antlions. You
don't risk being humped like when meeting Lamarr, but these big insects crawl
out of the sand, afterwards trying to assault you via jump attacks.
Unfortunately there's an infinite amount of those creatures in the ground, so
you should hurry and get away from the beach. Since there is absolutely
nothing to find anywhere near the beach, just follow the shore on the right
until you get to a cliff near a pier. Once you have driven up there you are
completely safe from the antlions. Take your time to jump over the gap up
ahead (use the turbo by pressing Ctrl as the standard key config). Search for
items in the hut and drive through the tunnel.

[Gunship #1]
Head back to the beach past the cliff ramp on the right and quickly move on
to the machinery on the far left. It may resemble an oil pump, but it
actually serves as an antlion blocker. Those pesky creatures cannot come near
it...when it is turned on, that is. You can shut it down, but why would you?
Ok, except for some antlion annoyance: Turn it off, watch the enemies close
in and turn it back on again. ^^

Go over to the house and to the cellar entrance on the right. Swiftly clear
the opening with the gravity gun as this spot is out of reach of the antlion
blocker. Hop down to be safe from the insects again. Kill a poisonous
headcrab (gravity gun) on the upper level, before getting up yourself. Go
over to the chimney (there's an SMG grenade in there) which triggers a fat
zombie. Simply drop down and make use of the grenade crate. Time to leave the
house through the main entrance.

Drive through the thin wooden fence and haste along the beach to the next
antlion blocker. Get off the buggy, pick up everything in the barn (there is
an SMG grenade on the truck) and walk up the stairs to the main house. Inside
you have to prove yourself against two Combine (shotgun) and another one that
is triggered outside the house in the meantime. Activate the zoom station (or
send me a better term for it ^^) to realize the Combine are already watching
a rebel outpost you are heading for. Speed on in your buggy, only stopping
for a Combine squad at an antlion blocker. The buggy cannon shreds the patrol
apart in no time. Simply "reel in" the two supply crates with the gravity gun
instead of jumping down.

After reaching the repel outpost, get off the buggy, search for items in the
various buildings and only then enter the basement of the big house (one of
your allies will show you to it after a while if you can't find it for any
reason). You are handed out the bazooka, given the perfect chance to practice
with it as a gunship appears outside. You have already seen some of these in
Water Hazard, but now they are armed...highly armed. Go up the stairs to the
balcony and fire off a missile. Not directly at the gunship, though. Then
wait for it to get behind the gunship and steer it in on your adversary. This
way you will probably get hurt quite a bit, but since you'll find loads of
medi kits around, it is more important to strike as hard as you can. Gunships
can blow up your missiles in midair if they hit them; that's why you need to
play with them. When you run out of missiles first look in the basement, then
in the small hut near the basement entrance, then inside the garage and if
you still haven't won the battle you should look inside the second to largest
house. One of your allies eventually gives medi kits to you and another one
gives new missiles to you.

Once you're done, restock and talk to the colonel in the basement to get the
gate opened. Board the buggy, approach the gate and get off the vehicle again
to let your suit be powered up by a vortigaunt. Then ride on.

[Magnet Power]
Try to break open the first supply crate ahead (at the crash site) from a
distance with the secondary fire of your buggy cannon. If you really need it
you might also get off for the second one and open with the gravity gun, but
this is pretty risky. Ride on on the right strip of sand until you see a
Combine buggy being crashed on the left. Shoot the two Combines trying to
escape from a distance as well as the other one on the pier on the right.
Then position the buggy near the crane and disembark. Activate the antlion
blocker. Walk up, equip the shotgun and go around the container to face a
Combine. Another one has spawned near the antlion blocker. Open the supply
crates before climbing up the ladder to kill two more Combines. Use the
pulse-rifle on the remaining enemy on the crane.

Find another supply crate inside a container prior to entering the crane
platform. Lower the ladder on the right to create a quick path you can take
if you have to reposition the buggy. Why reposition it? Well, you have to use
the crane's magnet to carry the buggy up to the warehouse nearby. As you turn
the magnet over to the building, three Combines open the gate and rush
outside, desperately trying to hit you. Relax and take your time thinking of
fun ways to dispose of them. Drop the buggy, grab a container, swing the
magnet, etc.. Then hit the bridge with the crane to lower it and go over it
towards your buggy. Hit the explosive barrels behind the gate to rid the hall
of three enemies and activate the switch at its end. See the map? Seems like
the Combine know about all the rebel outposts.

Drive through the newly opened gate and decide whether you want to act like
some movie hero or like your typical Ego-Shooter hero: Either drive past the
four Combines, into the next hall and up the ramp through the window, or halt
nearby and clear the area before driving up the ramp. Either way you should
stop after the jump to break open a supply crate. Continue on the street
along the cliffs.Boost over the gap and ignore the gunship for the moment;
the buggy gun is totally useless against it. Stop near some car wrecks
blocking the path and give the insectoid copter a taste of your rockets. Medi
kits and rockets are scattered around, the latter one even in a bottomless
crate. After your victory, toss the obstacles down the cliff or at least
somehow out of the way, employing the gravity gun and drive on. Stop at the
blue van for some supplies.

[Mines]
Oh, how nice. Isn't that D0g's ball? Kinda! These things really are
intelligent mines that will electrify Gordon or explode in water or near an
explosion. Hence disembark, equip the gravity gun and play fetch with the
ocean. Near two car wrecks you will have to destroy two more of them and
after a little while, guess what, three of them.

Approach the shack in your buggy. Its cannon will definitely be of great help
against the three Combines. Get off, open the back door of the house and
climb into the buggy again as you have just triggered three more of your
nemesis. Search the whole estate for goodies, but watch out for two Combines
being triggered as you close in on the supply crates in the loft.

Drive on, disposing off three Combines almost already by simply shooting a
truck that's loaded with explosive barrels. Then disembark near a pile of
wrecks that block the path and pick up the crossbow on the small hill. Use it
to take out at least one of the enemies in the provisional Combine outpost up
ahead. Clear the street, drive near the force field and pick up a barrel with
the gravity gun. Go straight and just around the corner to see lots of
Combine near a police car. Toss the barrel over and repeat with another one
before retreating to your buggy. Stay on the bridge and wait for your
opponents to show up so you can snipe them away one by one with the crossbow.
Use the pulse-rifle in case you run out of ammo. Afterwards easily deal with
two mines, search for items and then push the police van away as it powers
the force field.

[Leaving the Buggy]
Roll over the stupid Combine that comes running out of the small house. Then
approach the small settlement, disembark and clear the first house on the
right. Luckily, this won't trigger any other enemies to head for you.
Afterwards run to the left-most house and kill the lone enemy while you keep
running. A few enemies will appear behind you in the meantime, so the house
provides some cover for you. Once you have killed everyone, enter the big
house, place a table or anything else under the broken stairs and get up.
Besides some items you will also find a fat zombie here, but he shouldn't
cause any problems; run past him. Outside is a path leading down and to the
underside of the bridge. Ignore the headcrab and the fat zombie.

[The Bridge]
Walk straight to some stairs. Either go up for some health and suit energy or
just directly get outside. Drop down onto the girder platform and proceed on
the bars, only watching out a bit for the Barnacle. Give the headcrab inside
the shack a taste of physics, pick up some stuff and again proceed on the
metal bars up to a platform with a ladder both leading down to some medi kits
and up to another shack. Step out, snipe at two Combine on your right, climb
up the ladder in front of you and drop down on the bars at the end of the
walkway. Advance to the next shack, kill two headcrabs with the gravity gun
(I wonder why they didn't attack the Combine) and take the right walkway to
reach the end of the bridge. Look for a supply crate before entering the
bridge's interior.

Move on until you see an explosive barrel standing on a platform to your left.
Wait in the entrance and blow up the barrel to get two Combine caught under
some metal bars. Step onto them and shoot another enemy with the shotgun.
Return to the entrance, look up and defeat quite a lot of Combine with the
pulse-rifle. Killing them a bit later face to face is too dangerous and
tossing grenades at them rarely succeeds as they dodge them. Then open the
supply crate nearby, traverse the room, go outside and take out a lone guard
high up on a sentry turret with the crossbow. Climb up and look for two more
supply crates and eventually any Combine survivors. Walk up the stairs in
another room and throw a grenade through the force field to hopefully kill
two Combine. If they survive, stay back and welcome them with the shotgun
once they leave the room. The grenade has already lowered the force field (if
you haven't got any grenades, simply use the gravity gun on the
plug...talking about high tech), so restock at the wall panels and activate
the switch which deactivates a force field near your buggy.

Get back down, killing two Combine as you quickly run back to the entrance of
the bridge's interior. Why quickly? There's a gunship on your track. Haste
over to the first shack via the walkway, hide there for a moment and the
REALLY haste over the bars and broken platforms over to the platform with the
ladder that leads up to another small hut. Don't think too much on your way
there, just look down at the platforms and mainly aim for the broken
platforms lying on the bars. The path is relatively straight forward, so you
can do it. Oh and watch out for the Barnacle. Enter the hut and walk outside
to begin the battle with the gunship. Luckily your opponent will circle your
platform mostly staying close to you, so he rarely gets a chance to blow up
your missiles in midair. Afterwards, climb down the ladder to where you
hopefully still have some medi kits left. Then back onto the medium storey
and up the other ladder. Follow the walkway to its end, switch over to the
metal bars and advance to the next shack. Now only along the left walkway and
after a quick drop nearly straight ahead you are back to the exit of the
bridge.

[Back to the Buggy]
Watch the scene a bit until you feel like the path is somewhat clear. Equip
the gravity gun, ignore the fat zombie if he still lives and push any other
enemies out of the way as you run by. Equip the pulse-rifle once you are back
up at the houses and take cover in one of them as four Combine await you.
Board the buggy (admit: You've missed it...right?) and ride up the steep path
near the rocks onto...another railway. Valve really loves those, eh? Speed
past the train and as you hear another tarin approaching from ahead, either
boost through or switch to reverse and wait for the train to pass by. Then
drive up the broken bridge into a tunnel to reach the next chapter.

Kevin Johnston's Blog - http://www.300bucks.ca