Arsia Mons Colony is a mandatory and final story mission in Episode 2. It features Sang, James, Mikko, and Micky.
Mission Summary[]
The AMC Squad fights off a Paradigm Eschaton attack on the Arsia Mons colony on Mars.
Plot[]
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“Actually, this is off the record. I'll be straight up.” — Spoilers for Episode 2 follow. |
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During the mission in Switzerland James has discovered a plot by a highly organised apocalyptic cult to raid the colony on Mars. Sang have been dispatched to investigate the lower colony, only to show up a little too late. Shortly after he arrived, the cult named Paradigm Eschaton launches their attack and starts slaughtering civilians, forcing him to fight through the lower and higher sections of the colony to get to the security center and their chief Peter Davids. Then, after the sector lockdown was lifted, James fight through the Martian orbital elevator to ride up to the unidentified space station above the colony apparently orchestrating the attacks on the ground and also broadcasting the letters XII for some reason. In the meantime, Mikko clears out a PE controlled subway station and a TV station that broadcasts their propaganda and does battle with the mega-cult leader. Meanwhile, as the PE shut down the air to suffocate the colonists, Micky battles through the turbidium mines to turn on the prototype oxygen generator and thwart the cult's efforts.
Gameplay[]
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Sang (Arsia Mons Colony)
Watch out for the flying cars. Go to the herbs store and talk to the alien vendor. He'll mention the arms dealer. Go to the billiards and talk to the bartender. Then go to the Outlaw bar and talk to the bartender here. She'll tell you the password. Get to the door with the $$$ sign and use the password. Talk to the arms dealer. When all hell breaks loose, kill Paradigm troopers on the streets, then head to the destroyed building opposite of the Outlaw bar and jump inside from the dumpster.
Grab the blue keycard inside and exit through the door. Return to the arms dealer, grab the supplies and get the radiation suit. Go back outside and head to crater behind a fence just across the building. Go down to the heat tunnels and pick up a red keycard and a megasphere. Take off the radiaton suit and go back to the burning building. On the left there's a hole on top of a trash container. When you get upstairs, the bridge will collapse, but you can still reach the Outlaw bar by sprint leaping. Open the bulkhead with the keycard and proceed through. Join your fellow AMC Soldiers. Get into an elevator on one of the towers and ride it up. Follow the bridges to the farthest tower, then climb the ladder.
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Upper Colony Area
Go in the blue building and push the button to activate the elevator. Go out (watch out for the PE Sentries!), get into the green building and take the elevator up. Find another elevator with the red streak and go up. Head across back to the blue building. Take the elevator down to mid level and go inside the blue building and turn on the water pumps. Then fight you way to the higher level of the blue building using outside elevators and activate the electrolysis air generator. Now you can go into the red building on the upper floors. Talk to Peter Davids and grab the flying pitchfork from the supply room. Fly over to the orange building and dispose of the PE Elders inside. Open the door and hit the switch inside the room.
James (Orbital Elevator)
Pick up all the supplies, then take the elevator up to the control panel and activate the switch. Proceed through the gate, fight you way up and grab the toolbox. Backtrack and open the broken door. Step into the Time portal and then use another one to get back to the present. Activate the scanner switch and open the large door. Backtrack up the slope, and through the opened door. Use big boxes as cover and break the satellite dish to deactivate automated sentry guns. Fight you way through and head down the spiral. The Paradigm will throw more forces against you, but eventually you'll go up an orbital elevator.
Mikko (Subway)
Grab the C4 in the store to your left. Blow up the door and take out the PE Sentries. Work your way to the other side of the subway. Use the barrel to help you get up into a crack in the wall. Get through the "shanty town" and the PE troopers occupying it, then look for another hole in the wall leading to a control/storage room. Drop down the hole and hit the switch. Head all the way back to the beginning, wreck the Wasp drones and go upstairs. Activate the Cross Colony Control switch. Go to the subway again, head to the lower platform and get on the train.
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Arsia Mons Broadcasting
Shoot the switch through the window to open the doors. Swim in water to the red glowing area (which is actually submerged dead bodies!) and head through the vent. When you come up, take out the drones and hit the switch for side doors in the middle. Head through the next lobby. On the lower left is a work room. Head to the top and enter VR. At the end you have a choice between studio audience entrance or studio worker entrance. It actually doesn't matter as both rooms are connected.
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Crush the PE forces here, then talk to the hostage in the back and get the blue keycard. Head to the computer and power core room and use that keycard. Blow up the core. All forcefields are now down. Head into the presidential office and crawl though the vent. Blow up the storage room and step back. Get the C4 and plant it in the board room. Go back and get another C4, then blow up the wall. Go up the ladder and prepare to meet Trenton Solari. Pick up the beam sabre and duel.
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Micky (Cohagen Mines)
Walk straight into a large cave. After taking out the opposition, climb on the tower and shoot the switch to making the crane swing to you. Hop on it and shoot the switch again. Blow up the barrels and jump down. Proceed through. When you reach a mine carts, Paradigm troopers will break through the walls. Go through the one on the right. Hit the switch and head back through the door. Proceed through the narrow caves. When you hear rumbling and then an explosion, run away! Head back after it's done exploding and a new opening will appear. Go to the left room and zipline down to find a tool box and C4. Hit the switch, then head back and fix the switch in the middle. A platform will rise up. When you reach the ladder, be careful as the bridge will explode. Inside, the door to the left has a rocket launcher and a spirit shield.
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Proceed right into mining areas. Use the C4 on the door on the left but don't go in as you'll need a blue keycard to proceed. Notice one of the drills at the end is moving faster than the others. Go through the hole it made. Take out the Paradigm, head to the scaffolding to get the blue key and another C4. Find a metal opening with a red light and head through. Use the C4. Now head back to the other door and use the blue card. Go through the hole the drill made. Head down the lift. Break through through the Total Recall reference set and start the prototype reactor!
After the cutscene, you will be on Mars Station with James.
Secrets[]
Orbital Elevator[]
- When entering the long room with the automated turrets, enter the red door to the south. Flip the lever inside and backtrack to the room before the turrets. The bulkhead should now be open, allowing access to a hangar with two amulets, ammo, and armour.
- Climbing the stacked vehicles in this secret grants access to a breakable vent to the control room, which holds a First-aid kit, slot 8 weapon, and another switch that opens up a path allowing you to revisit the earlier parts of the level.
Arsia Mons Broadcasting[]
Note that the map view lists two secrets, but the below counts as both secrets.
- After you blow up the power generator the forcefield in the security A room will be down, allowing you to collect the megasphere.
Cohagen Mines[]
- In the room with the mine carts where Paradigm troops burst out of the walls for an ambush, blow up the leftmost alcove. This will allow you access to the windowed area visible in the previous hallway.
- In the mining room with the drills, near the northeast corner of the walkway (with the door that needs to be C4'd from the other side) there is a crack in the wall. Blow it up for an amulet.
Weapons & Artifacts[]
MDF Battle Rifle (Weapon, Mikko): In the Lower Colony area, find a rope near a dumpster behind the herbs store, then backtrack to the beginning of the level. There, use the rope to climb down the cliff and grab the silver amulet and the key. In the Upper Colony area, use this key to open a small room in the red building containing the megasphere and the briefcase with the weapon.
Other Items of interest[]
- Behind the Outlaw bar is a mysterious old man will ask you about the fate around the gate. You can only give 1 response.
- When all hell breaks loose, talk to the woman around the Outlaw bar and she'll give you C4. Plant it on the door near the stripper poster. Inside are Mirror orb and a gold amulet.
- After activating the pumps in the mid level in the blue building, head into the red building next door. Head down the pole and you'll find a lot of supplies.
- At the TV station, a platinum amulet can be found underwater.
- In the studio near the worker entrance you can find a Barrett sniper rifle.
- Near the end of Cohagen Mines, on the long bridge that leads to the atmosphere processor, there is a ladder that you can climb down to the ground. Then go to the huge blue crystal in the north-west corner of the area to find a Medkit, Auto 9 (Or a different slot 2 weapon that you equipped), and a Chibi of Micky in a lab coat. Also, behind the similar crystal in the south-west corner you can found a platinum amulet.
Trivia[]
- The mission contains several references to Total Recall 1990.
- An early version of the first map had you investigating a hotel room where a cultist was trying to summon a dark entity, but failed and instead summoned a bunch of chickens and pigs.
- There used to be yet another character to play as in the Orbital Elevator, which would cover James in the first half of the level and clear the way back in the second one. This character was however cut for personal reasons.
- Arsia Mons was initially meant to be all contained in a single map.