Mission 6:
Montreal
Malik asks Adam if he's sure about infiltrating Picus while they're enroute to Montreal. He tells her that Eliza Cassan is their best shot of following the conspiracy.
He exits on the roof and heads inside while Pritchard calls to tell him that Eliza's office is in Room 404. Adam heads down a level to the main newsroom, only to discover that the offices are empty and no one is at their desk. Pritchard asks why a 24-hour news network doesn't have anyone answering their phones. Spilled coffee and overturned chairs suggest a rapid evacuation; sealed fire doors and emails on hacked computers confirm it.
Adam continues on to Room 404 and finds Eliza, who greets him and says that Zhao doesn't know he made the connection with Picus. She tells him that she's been watching him ever since she disrupted satellites over the Detroit metro area six months earlier. She then reveals that she has alerted Belltower to Adam's arrival and tells him he still has time to escape. When he tries to grab her hand and take her to the roof, his hand passes through hers and he realizes that she's a hologram.
Pritchard tells Adam to run, and he in turn informs Pritchard to find Eliza's actual location. Adam fights through troops in the offices and makes his way to an elevator.
Pritchard calls back to inform him that there's a secret server room that can be accessed through a funicular platform, and Adam makes his way there. He eventually gets to the funicular, but it's at the bottom of its run, and summoning it gives away his location to the Belltower troops. Once they've been dealt with, the funicular arrives, and Pritchard tells him on his way down that the broadcasts are coming from Room 802.11.
Once there, Adam sees the real Eliza - an AI construct which exists on the server. She thanks Adam for finding her and says that she has been curious about him for the last six months, then goes on to explain how she shapes the news through her broadcasts.
Adam asks who created her, and she tells him that Zhao and others are the ones she works for. He demands to know where Megan and the scientists are, but the conversation is cut short when the second of the Tyrants, Yelena Fedorova, decloaks and enters the room.
A fight ensues and Adam defeats Fedorova. As she lies on the floor bleeding out, Adam demands that Eliza answer his questions. She reveals that Megan and the other scientists vanished from the grid after a doctor removed their GPL implants. He asks who the doctor is, and Eliza plays a recording of Isaias Sandoval, William Taggart's aide, talking to Namir, who requests that he remove the implants after the scientists are captured. She tells him that Sarif has more answers, and gives him a copy of the conversation to show to him.
Malik meets Adam at the nearby helipad, and they head back to Detroit...
Tropes:
- Artificial Intelligence: Eliza Cassan turns out to be one, using holograms to give an illusion of physical presence when it's necessary.
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: One of the first emails you find near the newsroom has a trio of emails. The first is a security alert advising everyone to get out the building because of an unspecified dangerous situation, with the second written from a fellow co-worker who urges them to get out immediately. The third email is from an employee, Bridget, who uses the opportunity to chastize the employee for parking in the wrong spot at the office lot.
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Breather Level: The introductory section of the mission, coming off after the escape from Zhao's penthouse (and the potential fight with the two boxguards) is full of this, being completely devoid of enemies (and referencing Nothing Is Scarier) until you meet with Eliza and trigger the ambush. - Broken Bird: Eliza refers to Fedorova as a "furious, hollow" woman during the battle.
- Captain Obvious: Eliza constantly chimes in during the Fedorova battle, to the point of annoyance. Remarks like "she is hiding until she can use her cloaking implant again" and "Adam, run" when she's attacking him directly do little to stop the annoyance.
- Casual Danger Dialogue: Eliza can be heard saying things like "Here she comes" and "She will follow her orders to destroy us both" in a deadpan voice during the Fedorova battle.
- Common HTTP Status Code: 404 is the HTTP response code for "not found"; Eliza isn't actually in Room 404. 802.11 is the IEEE standard describing the basic mechanisms of wi-fi; Eliza is actually in a room with that number, and her direct involvement in the plot revolves around the manipulation of wireless signals.
- The Dragon: Fedorova, to Namir.
- Foreshadowing: One of the emails you find shortly before "meeting" Eliza in 404 is from an employee who mentions how they're trying to get her fitted for a new outfit, but are having trouble actually meeting in-person with her to get her measurements.
- Got the Whole World in My Hand: The Picus "globe" statue, found in their headquarters, has plenty of vibes referencing this, according to several company emails the player can find.
- Landmarking the Hidden Base: Picus News has a secret facility under their offices where they fabricate and/or tweak news to better suit the Illuminati's plans as well as where Eliza's computer is hidden. Their offices are in the Montreal Olympic Stadium Tower.
- Lured into a Trap: Discussed. Pritchard warns Adam that he's going into one, and Adam says he expected it but is still going to find Eliza.
- No OSHA Compliance: As part of the general rebalancing of boss battles in the Director's Cut, the redesigned Room 802.11 now has a second level that pumps gas into the first floor, for no other reason than to damage Fedorova on behalf of players not equipped (or not inclined) to do so directly.
- Nothing Is Scarier:
- Pritchard expresses surprise and a bit of fear when he realizes that the Picus offices are empty and no one's answering their phones.
- Fedorova relies heavily on her cloaking augmentation in combat and deals damage with close-range attacks, including a Typhoon aug that's an almost guaranteed one-hit kill. It can be disconcerting not even to be able to see the person who's coming to kill you.
- Series Continuity Error: One of the company emails you can find in Picus claims that a "Nicolette Duclare", seemingly the same woman from the original game who (at best) would have been a child during the events of Human Revolution, works at the company. There's no indication whether the names just happen to coincide or if it was some sort of misdirection.
- Shock and Awe: Fedorova can be defeated by blowing up the generators in the boss room, which electrifies the floor and injures anyone who happens to be standing on it. Jensen can tank this damage with enough healing items, or avoid it with the right combination of augs; Fedorova isn't so fortunate.
- Shout-Out: The Picus main newsroom is modeled after that of the New York Times, right down to the architecture and position of the desks.
- Stalker with a Crush: Eliza tells Adam that she's been "following him" ever since the Sarif attack, and repeatedly comments on how pleased she is to see him.
- Suspicious Video-Game Generosity:
- At the entrance to the funicular (and just prior to a major battle), the table in front of the door has weapons, mines, and a sentry bot that can be hacked to fight against the Belltower troops.
- The hallway leading to Room 802.11 has side rooms filled with weapons and ammunition, including a heavy rifle and plenty of ammo, in anticipation of the battle with Fedorova.
- Tuckerization: One of the emails makes reference to Australian ex-Prime Minister John Howard, who is writing angry emails to Picus about the depiction of his country in the news, while another references musician Jonathan Coulton, referred to here as an "elder rocker".
- Viewers Are Morons: In-universe, there's an email you can read at Picus where one of the corporation's execs reminds their writers that people have the collective emotional maturity of a five year old and that Picus should treat them as such.
- The Voiceless: Fedorova, although she can be heard grunting in pain after the battle.
- What Measure Is a Mook?: Two of the Belltower troops near Room 802.11 talk about how they want to take a tour of the building and see the history of Picus after killing Adam.
