Chapter 3: Route Kanal

To most people, the words root canal brings forth images of painful drills and wonderful laughing gas dreams. This chapter is more akin to experiencing one of those drills while you’re fully conscious. The action will be rough and you’ll be under armed. So stay on your toes, this walkthrough carries no guarantees of your survival.

Once you’re down the stairs and through the hall way with the wall mounted med kit, a duo of guards on your left will bring an attack upon you 1. Take them out with your crowbar and swipe the handgun off one of the guards. Now that you’re actually packing some heat, break the barred passageway ahead of you and proceed up the stairs. Be careful, a guard will attempt to assault you from above so keep your eyes peeled. Once you reach the top you’ll need to head down a hallway and take a right up a flight of stairs. Another lonely guard will attempt to rush you here but a well placed headshot or two should result in a hilarious rag doll fumble down the stairs. Once you reach the outside again, head to your left and then take the fight of stairs that lead down to the tracks. Stop about halfway down and wait for a train to start coming down the line 2. Save at this point since the upcoming section is a bit tricky, you’ll needed to wait for the oncoming to train to pass in front of you. Once it’s there, sprint and jump onto the roofs of the cars then immediately sprint jump onto the platform across from you. Don’t waste much time catching your breath however, guards on the opposite side of the tracks are pouring out of the woodwork to blast you into Swiss cheese. Climb up the ladder right in front of you then head left and go through the open doorway into the shed 3.

Now that you’ll actually have a moment to rest, look to your immediate left for a wonderful first aid kit and box of handgun munitions. Take note of the lambda symbol above the supplies, these icons are essentially the games slang for secret areas and supplies stockpiles. Head through the passage way to the right of the shed and then proceed out the back door. Take care not to bash the explosive crates however. Once you’re in the back yard, combine troopers will ambush you from above 4. Shoot at the pile of explosive crates and smile with satisfaction as the guards are flung left and right. Open the door in the fence to the left of you, making sure to take the supplies in the plainly marked "Supplies” crate. Head left and jump over the fence in front of you where the bend is 5. Once you’re on the opposite side, more combine from the other side of the tracks- they’re merely jealous since you grew up in the nicer section- will open fire upon you. Sprint right and then take another right, you should find yourself confronted with another lambda icon. Base the grate below and head through the shaft. When you emerge from the opposite side, take a right and drop down behind the force field and proceed forward.

From here, keep heading straight down the tracks. Soon enough a patrol of combine guards will open fire upon you from an alcove to your right. Be careful when fighting them, you’re exposed in the open and, should you dart up the stairs to your right, another guard will be ready to kick a flaming explosive barrel at you! A tactic that I personally recommend for this fight is dart towards the stairs, plugging any goons that come your way. Once the guard kicks the barrel off the crest of the stairs 6, you should dart immediately under the stairs. Once the container explodes, several of the guards may be foolish enough to try and flush you out. As they approach, lay into them with your pistol. Once the coast is clear, head up the stairs and continue to your left while popping anyone who dares to stand in your way. You’ll soon reach a small hallway the leads to an overlook above the tracks. Bash through the crates as quickly as possible to escape the rounds from the guards below. Proceed through the narrow halls until you reach the overlook above the tracks. Take your time a snipe away at the guards below while taking advantage of the natural cover provided to you. Also remember that your bullets- and the enemies- can travel through the force field’s wall. Once you’ve mopped up, drop on down and head down the tracks 7.

Right before the next force field, take your immediate right 8 and jump into the water. Should you have eliminated all the resistance behind you, there won’t be anything deadly chasing you. Simply swim forward through the garbage until you reach the beached train car at the end of the canal. Climb up the ladder on the left side and meet up with the rebels inside the car 9. After your tea break, proceed forward while avoid any fire and bashing any barriers that stand in your way. Be on the lookout for the barnacle creatures, these little buggers seem to have a love affair with your head much like your dog has with your leg.

After proceeding forward a short distance, you’ll find yourself face to face with a green railroad car. Take a moment to reload your pistol and brace yourself for the upcoming round of intense combat. As you proceed forward 10, you’ll notice some rebel civies being butchered by what sounds like an automatic weapon. To your right, a rebel in the storm drain will scream for help before being stuck down by the Civil Protection. After you pass the storm drain, immediately stop before you enter into the open. Should you carelessly wander out there, you’ll be struck down in moments by the Combine’s machine gun nest. Instead, you want to sprint while hugging the wall to your immediate right. You should soon come upon an open hole that will lead you down said storm drain. Once inside, walk to the atrium at the end and take out any resistance. Take a moment to restock on your supplies and listen to the radio broadcast. Once it’s finished, begin climbing the ladder in front of you. Do not, however, climb all the way to the top. Instead, merely poke yourself out of the hole and turn around so you can look out at the area. Blast a few rounds into the explosive containers and quick climb or drop back down in to the storm drain atrium. After the explosions die out, you can safely climb all the way to the top. Once you’re out, take over the machine gun and shoot out the platform that’s suspended over to your right. You can quickly do this by shooting the explosive barrel it houses. Once you’ve completed this, a wave of combine should begin their assault against you. Simply keep firing upon them to wipe them out 11. Once the fight is complete, proceed over the catwalk to your left and continue forward- dodging barnacles as need be. When you reach the end of this tunnel, head to your left and listen to the woman. After she’s finished, proceed through yet another storm drain.

Once you reach the end of this pipe, you’ll find yourself submerged in a pool of water beneath a sewer grate. Ignore the combine above you for now, whether you kill them or not will have no bearing on the next section. Instead, get yourself on one of the catwalks and proceed through the grate to your right 12. You’ll land in a room similar to the one before, but this time the combine are attempting to flush you out with explosives 13! Keep yourself above water and do not shoot any of the containers. Once a flaming container hits the surface, dive to bottom of the pool. Wait for all the barrels to finish exploding before sticking your head out of the water. Once they’re extinguished, poke your head out of the water and pop the two combine shooting at you from the sewer grate. With the action over, jump through the gate behind you and head to the outside once more.

The next area is just a section of general combine mopping. Keep pressing the attack forward against the troopers while avoiding any of the explosive containers and the troops crossfire. If any try to jump down from the wall to you, remember they are completely defenseless in this period, so take advantage of it. In order to proceed to the next section, you’ll need to blast the explosive barrels at the foot of the bridge 14. Once the rubble has cleared away, crawl through the storm drain to your right while pushing the barrels out of your way.

Now comes a fun little puzzle section. In the next few areas you’re going to have to find a way to stop the barnacles from grabbing you as you’re moving through the sewers. Keep in mind that any shiny surfaces are incredibly slippery so watch your step. You’ll have to throw a barrel or two at the tongues of the barnacles. While their tongues are busy bringing their prey to their mouths, you should be able to slip right past them. The same concept will apply to the next area or barnacles. Instead of throwing the standard steel containers however, you should toss the two explosive containers. Once the barnacles begin to suck them up, shoot the barrels and enjoy the satisfying crunch of bone and flesh 15. With most of them eliminated, feel free to proceed down the tunnel to your right.

As you emerge, you’ll notice that most of your view is obscured by a large piece of plywood. Rather than charging headlong into the water, come to the edge of the platform and wait for the combine on the streets above to drop an explosive container. After this first one detonates, swim out but stay alert. Combine will be sniping you from above and dropping even more containers as you swim forward 16. Stay underwater and stick to the right as you proceed to the ladder in the upper right corner of the canal 17. Once you climb the ladder, you’ll drop down on the opposite side of the barrier and back into the canal. Swim forward towards the ramp in the left most corner of the canal while taking out the combine above and dodging their explosive charges. Once you’re on the ramp, follow the U shaped pattern of the plywood platforms and jump through the sewer grate to your right 18.

In this storm drain, collect six concrete blocks and place them on the back side of the teeter totter the rebels have kindly left behind 19. Once you finish your make shift ramp, use it to jump up and into the dried up canal. As you move forward, a Combine chopper will drop in to give you the shakes 20. Don’t bother shooting at it for now, your handgun is completely ineffective against its armor. Instead, head to your left down the ramp and into the scrap yard below. Once you’re here, now it’s time to panic. That chopper will open fire upon without a second though, so quickly bolt to your left and attempt to get onto the walkway ahead of you 21. Remember that the chopper only fires in short bursts, so take cover if you need it. Once you’re on the walkway, proceed to the right and enter through the blue maintenance door 22.

Once you reach the bottom of the spiral staircase, you’ll find yourself on a metal catwalk overlooking a supply station. To reach it, merely look to the small alcove on your right and climb down the ladder 23. When you’ve recharged, climb back up and move up the ramp to your left. In this sewer, head to your left and duck into the tiny water logged crawl space 24. Move to the end and drag the explosive barrel back out. With your red drum o’ fun, head down the passageway to the right of the ramp and toss it down at the barnacles ahead of you Donkey Kong style. As they drag it back up, set it of fire and watch them die 25. Don’t, however, move down that ramp just yet. Instead grab the other explosive barrel right behind you and hurdle that towards the second barnacle cluster. Repeat the process as before then head down the ramp and to your left. Head up the second small ramp right behind you and turn right, again you’ll find 2 clusters of barnacles along with 2 explosive barrels. By this point you should know what to do, so take them out and once again head down the larger ramp and proceed to the left.

Instead of encountering yet another tiny ramp, you’ll being to ascend a spiral stairwell. Climb up it and exit these sewers through another blue door. Unfortunately, you’ll come right back into the open with the chopper’s machine gun having a solid bead of fire locked onto you. Sprit to your left and take cover to the small alcove on the left at the end of the walkway 26. Once you’re inside here, take a left and bash the plywood, a case of handgun ammo is hidden behind it. Once you’ve collected it, turn around and head to wards the end of the passage way. From here, merely head down the short staircase and follow the pipes towards the next junction on the underground railroad.

After the rebel’s briefing 27, you’ll begin to hear a sinister chatter that can only mean one thing…the manhacks are here! Take out the wave in whatever fashion you choose but, as a suggestion, I’d recommend trying to get them into a line in the narrow sewage passage while beating on them with your crowbar to conserve ammo. Once the attack is over, head back to the junction and look back towards the area you came in from. On the wall next to the broken barrier you’ll find a ladder. Climb up and walk along the narrow planks to reach some supplies 28. When you’re finished, drop down and head down through the passage where the manhacks came from. Follow the pipes to the right until you reach a chain link door. Don’t open it yet, however, as more manhacks are about to flood in to make your life all the more miserable. Instead, shoot them through the chain link door and through the small opening above should they try to get in 29. Once this wave is wiped out, open the door and break through the debris as you proceed to the end of the hallway. Stay on your toes though, more will be coming in from the passage to the left at the end of the hall and they’ll accidentally trigger and explosive chain reaction. Just take care of them by back tracking down the hall and taking them out one at a time. Once they’re finished, proceed to the end of the corridor and bear to the right. At the end of this passage, there will be two archways, one on the left leading to an outside deck and the one on the right to a small back room with some supplies 30. Take the one on the right first, restock, then back out and take the one to your left. Be careful as you proceed forward however, as guards above you will attempt to take you out through the fence. Also be aware of the manhacks that will drop in from above 31. Once they’re all disposed of, enter the door ahead of you.

Now that you’re back inside the sewers, break through the debris in your way but stop before you drop down from the level you’re on. Ahead of you’ll see a small red hazard light illuminating air vent. To get to that vent, drop onto the small platform right beneath you and head forward onto the pipe and through the duct. Take caution of both the manhacks that will drop through the ceiling in this atrium and of the manhack inside the shaft. After you proceed through the duct, you’ll emerge to the sight of some beautiful supply crates. Once you’re sated, head back through the shaft and out the vent. This time, however, drop down into the dry bed of the sewer. As you proceed forward, combine city cops will be airdropped in, but this time they’ll be packing light SMGs. Take them out carefully, using the explosive barrels to your advantage and collect their shiny new weapons and ammo 32. Once you reach the end of this tunnel, take a left and you’ll find yourself overlooking a contraption used to keep the water circulating 33. Follow the turnstile’s motion and swim with it, eventually you’ll swim up to a small passage, swim down and through it, making sure to catch your breath in a small oxygen pocket about halfway through the tunnel. Once you’re set, dive back down, swim to the end of the tunnel and take a left. Eventually you’ll hit a dead end, this is your cue to swim up and get yourself back up on dry land.

Once you’re up on the ground, turn around and exit this small hallway to your left, sticking close to the big steam pipe. As you move back towards the outside, combine reinforcements will drop in. Should you need some cover, the stairs to your left should provide some ample defense; just take care not to have your head chopped off by the barnacle. After the assault, head back towards the outside and get on top of the big steam pipe via the grassy knoll. Proceed to the opposite end of the tunnel but this time on top of the pipe 34. Once you near the end, take care not to scald yourself on the steam exit vents. They have a safe period of about four seconds so you should have enough time to move and catch your breath. Just keep your eyes open for the barnacles. From here, you merely need to follow the pipe as it bends to the left. Don’t forget about the supplies as you proceed however. Once you’re at the end of the pipe, you’ll see a passage to your right proudly bearing the lambda icon. Drop off the pipe, break through the wooden barriers, and head into the water. After a short swim, you’ll find yourself in a small pool. Climb out of the water via the ladder on the right but watch out, Two combine are about to dump several barrels of explosives at you. When their truck begins the drop, pop a few round into a container to get the reaction going and then drop back into the pool for some cover. Once the fireworks are over, hop back out and dispose of the guards while bearing right 35. On the right wall will be another passage, as you proceed through it take care to watch back from the Combine reinforcements. Ahead, you’ll also find a nest of manhacks! After you extract yourself from this sticky situation, keep pressing forward through the tunnel and drop down onto the air grate. Once you land on it however, take care to crouch and break it open with your crowbar. Should you perform this gracefully enough, you’ll land on top of a stack of barrel with such light feet that an Olympic gymnast would blush. Drop off the structure and head over to the ladder in front of you. Keep climbing upwards and you’ll hoist yourself up on a pipe overlooking the room. Take a left and crawl along the length of the pipe until you’re dropped on a walkway to your right. Soon enough you’ll hear the chatter of the manhacks once again chasing after you; initiate a chain reaction by shooting one of the explosive containers 36 and dash down the passage to the left of the catwalk. Afterwards, take out the stragglers at your leisure.

Now proceed down this corridor and walk along the grated walkway 37. When you reach the wall, look to your left and carefully drop down onto the brown pipes. Once you run out of brown pipes, drop onto the small white ones below. From here, turn the valve and flood the chamber. Drop off the pipe you’re standing on and fall into the water. Swim towards the wall in front of you and take the ladder to your left all the way to the top. Exit the flooded chamber through the passage and drop back down into the pit of this room. Get back onto the ladder in this room once more, except this time climb down it and head through the sewer pipe to your left 38. Swim through it and head upwards in the next chamber to catch your breath. Once you’re oxygen is restocked, swim back into the water and break the through the barriers at the bottom of the pool to free the crates and giant spools 39. This may take a few attempts and cost you some oxygen but don’t fret. Any lost life is recharged over time. Stack one of the crates on top of the spools and push them towards the wall in front of you. Turn around and scale the wall opposite this wall via the attached ladder and jump onto the spool and crates towards the opposite wall. From here bang a left and head down the passage 40.

Once you’re at the end of the hall turn left, scale the ladder, cross the planks, and drop down into the dry bed 41. Proceed forward by ready yourself for an assault by both manhacks and SMG toting cops. Once they are disposed of, hop onto the barrel to your right and scale up to the walkway. Head though the tunnel ahead of you. If you keep moving forward, you’ll find a small chamber with a few supply crates. To advance, however, bear right through the small passage and scale the ladder to your right. Carefully cross the makeshift second story 42 until you reach the end and another welcome set of supplies. After you’re finished here, drop down and proceed through the opening beneath you.

Eventually, you’ll begin to hear your suit make a small clicking noise. No, that isn’t a sign that you need to replace the batteries, instead it means you’re coming up near some acidic substances. When you reach the end of the opening, don’t immediately walk off the platform, the water for the next few hours of the game has been polluted by the combine and is highly corrosive 43. Instead, try to drop onto the marshlands below and advance towards the checkpoint 44. This pit stop is a welcome sight since it’ll give you a full cache of SMG ammo. Stock up and carefully advance forward once the radio has finished its briefing. After you come out of the tunnel, a headcrab landing pod will be deployed in front of you. While headcrabs aren’t especially difficult to take out, the fact they can burrow through this marsh makes them especially annoying here. Once you’ve taken care of this first wave, keep heading forward towards a small section of chain link fence that looks in upon a tiny room. After an excited citizen shows off his totally rad new hat, take left through the opening in the fence next to you. Keep heading left until you reach the end of this hallway. Turn right and then move dead ahead towards the giant trailer 45. Take care as you pass through to avoid touch the electrified sides. Once you’re through that, merely cross the acid on the iron beam, head through the opening on the right through the chain link fence and follow the wooden planks to your last rebel checkpoint to your left and through the tunnel. It should also go without saying that this little shantytown is crawling with headcrabs and headcrab zombies. Just remember to stay alert and backtrack as necessary to confront them.

Once the woman informs you of what you’ll need to accomplish, hop into your hovercraft 46 and pass through the gate she’s opened. Remember that anything that is touched by your hover craft will most likely break or be killed when moving at a quick enough speed. Also note that any useful items- such as munitions, health, and armor- will automatically be picked up if you pass over them. After you exit the grate, follow the canal of acid to your left 47. You’ll soon come to a nice and wide open space where you practice steering and jumps with your new craft. Once you’re sated with your extreme stunts, drive towards the large sheet metal dam ahead of you 48. Beach your craft on the small patch of marsh to your right and get up onto the overlooking walkway. Turn the valve ahead of you and keep holding your use key until it locks into place 49. Take care of the lonely headcrab while you’re up here as well. Once you’ve taken care of that, get back to your craft and pass through the now open pathway. Simply follow the canal while ramming into any supply crates you might run across. Soon enough you’ll emerge into the fourth chapter older but not much wiser.

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