After surviving his encounter with the Super Tank, Viper is close to his objective. Now he has to traverse several Strogg facilities.
The levels of the unit are "Organic Storage", "Processing Center", "Geothermal Station", "Detention Center", "Research Lab", "Bio-Waste Treatment" and "Access Conduits".
This unit shows examples of:
- Compressed Adaptation:
- "Organic Storage" is one of "Lower Hangars" from The Reckoning, with similar areas and layout. Only the last parts and the cargo big room are missing.
- "Processing Center" has portions of "The Warehouse" (the conveyor that has to be manually triggered) and the beginning of Ground Zero's "Eastern Warehouse" level (sans the Power Cube area and the rails). It even ends with a similar area, with an exteriors ramp and a secret, sans the water pool. Lastly, the ending of the level with the drill that has to be triggered surely brings the main game's "Drilling Area" level to mind.
- "Detention Center" has the theme of the "Torture Chambers" level from the main game, as well as the descending cell from the ending in a mid section. The ending with the coffins and the conveyor belt brings to mind the end of "The Warehouse".
- "Research Lab" has some portions of the namesake level from the main game such as the prisoner laser execution room.
- "Bio-Waste Treatment" begins with Viper on a train landing in an area reminiscent of Ground Zero's "Munitions Plant", only to enter into a water and tubes section similar to those found in the The Reckoning level "Sewers". Later in the level there's another section reminiscent of another tube room in the same level.
- Conveyor Belt of Doom: Present in "Processing Center" as a hazard: not only the boxes can crush you, but the lasers will obliterate you too.
- Easy Level Trick: In the 2023 remastered versions of "Processing Center" and "Geothermal Station", you can use a Rocket Jump in order to obtain the secret Megahealth and the secret Combat Armor without having to go through the hassle of finding and shooting a switch and going through a smashing pump respectively.
- Lethal Lava Land: Lava is quite abundant in "Geothermal Station".
- Monster Closet:
- "Organic Storage":
- Approaching the control room, two sections of the ceiling break to reveal two Flyers.note
- After disabling the door lock, another closet is opened in the lower level revealing two Enforcers and two Parasites.
- "Processing Center":
- In the turn to the conveyor belt area, a Parasite will emerge from a wall.
- Descending to the lower level in the final part opens a big wall with two Iron Maidens awaiting there.
- In "Geothermal Station", just entering the Station opens a walm behind you from where a Gladiator comes.
- In "Detention Center", entering the chamber with the electrocution bolts opens a door behind you with a Gladiator.
- "Research Lab":
- Entering the Power Core room opens a wall from where a Gladiator appears.
- Disabling the Power Core triggers a ceiling explosion from where two Icari appear.
- Picking up the secret Quad Damage in the control room opens a wall with four Berserkers and two Gladiators.
- "Bio-Waste Treatment":
- Triggering the alarm in the beginning opens a panel in the wall from where three Flyers emerge.
- Entering the water and pipes area opens a wall from where two Berserkers and an Enforcer appear.
- "Access Conduits":
- There's a panel in the middle of the spiral staircase that opens to reveal a pair of Icari after killing the second Gunner in the bridge, the one guarding the door to the core controls.
- Draining the conduit opens a nearby wall with two Parasites.
- Cleaning up the dual Tank arena from enemies reveals both Tanks and a Gladiator.
- "Organic Storage":
- No OSHA Compliance: Traversing through the Geothermal Station requires one to go through pumps, gears, a mixer and other dangerous equipment. In fact, going through a pump that smashes you is a requirement for 100% Completion.
- Point of No Return:
- "Detention Center" is quite unforgiving. There's a section where you have to jump over broken glass standing over a deadly lava pool with spikes. Once you get past that, a key piece breaks, preventing you from backtracking should you miss a secret or anything else from the level.
- Dropping into the water tube in "Bio-Waste Treatment" prevents you from returning to the previous areas.
- Entering the door to the dual Tank arena in "Access Conduits" prevents you from backtracking.
- Smashing Hallway Traps of Doom: "Detention Center" has a corridor with two squashers, five spike traps and a lava pit with spikes over a broken glass bridge.
- Suspiciously Cracked Wall:
- In "Detention Center" there's a wall with a lobotomized prisoner that is cracked and explodes on shooting. It's required to shoot this wall in order to proceed forward.
- In "Research Lab":
- Once you fall into the pit, entering into the next corridor will have a Gunner triggering the deadly water trap. The glass forward has a crack.
- Upon entering the room with the impaled prisoner on a spike and the enclosed Combat Armor, astute players may observe a crack behind it. The crack is located behind the Gladiator that holds the Red Key.
- "Bio-Waste Treatment" has a cracked section in the empty water pipe that's required to shoot in order to proceed.
- Teleporting Keycard Squad:
- On your way to the locked door in "Organic Storage" two Flyers are awaiting for you at the door.
- In "Processing Center":
- Re-triggering the conveyor belt with the boxes spawns a Flyer in the main area.
- Picking up the Yellow Key spawns an extra Parasite and three Flyers in the same area, plus a Parasite in the upper level.
- Disabling the Refrigeration Pumps in "Geothermal Station" spawns two Flyers.
- "Research Lab":
- After getting the Red Card, two Gunners, a Berserker and a Gladiator will spawn in your way to the Red Door.
- There's a section where you have to shut down an energy core and deploy a maintenance bridge made of forcefields. This spawns an Icarus in the bridge area.
- "Access Conduits":
- Just pressing the button to activate the moving platform spawns two Icari.
- Entering into the spiral staircase spawns a Gunner and a Parasite.
- Draining the conduit spawns an Icari and several Flyers appearing from all places.
