Getting the Red Key (18)

Find the Red Key in Duke Nukem 3D's 'Getting the Red Key (18)' section. Learn how to defeat enemies, solve timed puzzles, and grab essential items like the Devastator and RPG.

Alright, let's grab that Red Key in level 18. This section's got a few tricky bits, but we'll get through it. First up, there's a secret area with some serious firepower waiting for you.

Secret Area: You'll find two ATMs in this room. The left one is the key. Open it up, but be ready to bail fast. Three Mounted Guns are gonna pop out, so backpedal and blast 'em with something heavy like the RPG. Once they're toast, go in and snag the Devastator – it's a sweet weapon!

Checkout Area: Head back to the 'meat room' and look for the signs with 'Checkout' arrows. Going left might trigger an attack from a Commander, but either way, you'll end up in the checkout zone. Three Troopers are hiding behind the tills, so take them out. Watch out for a Mounted Gun tucked away in the corner above a Large Medikit. There's also some Chaingun Cannon Ammo near the tills. Now, you could just follow the hallway out, but that leads to a fight with an Alien Drone and another Mounted Gun outside. Instead, face the tills, and go to the farthest right one. Behind it, you'll see four buttons. You need to hit them in the sequence: O O X X. This unlocks a door right near where you're standing.

The Office and the Red Key: As soon as you open that door, an Alien Drone will greet you. Head upstairs, grabbing the Large Medikit on your way. In the office itself, you'll find two Troopers – take care of them. On the desk, there are Steroids, and some RPG Ammo is on top of the file cabinets. Be ready, because a Commander and another Trooper are waiting in the room next to the office. After you deal with them, grab the Pipebombs sitting on top of a crate. Now for the Red Key puzzle. You'll see a red button next to a small compartment. Behind you, near the ceiling, is another compartment. Hit the red switch you see first. Immediately do a 180-degree turn. You'll see a small compartment open up, revealing another red button. You need to shoot this button very quickly – it's timed! If you're fast enough, this second button will open the compartment next to the first one, and inside is the Red Key. Grab it quickly, as this compartment is also timed. Once you've got the Red Key, you can head back to the Meat Room. You might want to blow up that crack in the wall while you're at it.