Halo: Reach

Alright, let's get this done. You're going to work your way around this dam and follow that little navigation icon. It'll lead you straight to Sergeant Johnson, who's been captured. Your job is to free him by interacting with the force field holding him.

Right after that, Pelicans will start showing up to get Johnson and his crew out. But, wouldn't you know it, more Covenant ships warp in. This is where things get hairy – you'll need to hold off the Covenant forces and survive until extraction arrives. You'll be armed with Dual Wield Spikers and a Brute Shot for this part.

Here's the plan:

• Stick close to your troops. They're great for soaking up enemy fire that would otherwise be heading straight for you, and they put out decent supporting fire.
• Backtrack around the U-shaped area and make your way up onto the dam itself.
• Keep an eye out for a shield regenerator equipment cache hidden up there. Grab it – you'll want that extra protection.
• Once you've got that, just hunker down for the rest of the fight. Don't stress about clearing out every single enemy; the story progresses once the Pelicans arrive, not when the area is totally clear.

You'll see the Pelican unleash a barrage of missiles, taking out a Covenant dropship in a spectacular explosion. Honestly, it makes you wonder why they didn't have that kind of firepower earlier, right?

Crow's Nest (x02)

After that, you'll get a cutscene. Two guys, one with a missile launcher and another scouting, spot the incoming Pelican and give each other a fist bump. The flight traffic controllers will radio the Pelican, saying, 'Sorry for the tight squeeze, tell the commander her ace is in the hole.' Pretty cheeky.

Then, Master Chief, the Arbiter, Johnson, and the rest of the troops unload from the Pelican. Some injured soldiers see this and get a real boost of hope knowing Master Chief is on the ground. They probably haven't heard about my legendary accuracy with sticky grenades, or how I sometimes accidentally shoot my own teammates in the back if they get in the way.

Miranda Keys, the one with the distinctive mascara, is in charge of this operation. She'll give you the rundown on what's been happening: she stopped the Halo from firing, but then the Covenant broke through Earth's defenses. Their leader, 'Truth,' then focused his forces on East Africa to dig for the Ark. If they find it, they can fire all the Halos and wipe out all life in the galaxy.

Lord Hood calls in for an update and is happy to hear Master Chief is present. After Hood asks for his status ('Green, sir' – classic Chief), Miranda lays out the plan: take out the Covenant's anti-air defenses so Lord Hood can provide aerial support.

Suddenly, the power cuts out, and the face of 'Profit Truth' appears on all the screens in the command center. He threatens to glass the surface and specifically mentions killing 'the demon' – that's you, Master Chief. Chief voices his concern, which is a bit odd for a cybernetic bad-ass, but hey, maybe he's just worried about his mortality. Miranda orders the base evacuation.

Know Your Role (x02a)

The Covenant ships are closing in, and it's your job to secure the perimeter so the escape ships can get away safely. Think of it as a Hoth mission, but without the snow or the tow cables.

SKULL BLACK EYE (s02a)

Okay, here's how to snag this skull. Head all the way to the back of the operations center. You'll see two guards standing next to a red locked door. Turn around and look for two floodlights. The one on the right is positioned in front of a red steel beam. You'll need to jump onto this right floodlight, then hop onto the red steel girder. From there, walk forward until you're positioned directly above the big screen.

Walkthrough:

1. Head down the stairs and follow the marines. Miranda will inform you that a hanger has been infiltrated and needs to be cleared.
2. Continue down the hallways to reach the hanger. Use the Right Bumper to open any hatch with a glowing green light.
3. Run past the destroyed Warthog and fight through the gauntlet.
4. Secure a Plasma Pistol and pair it with a Battle Rifle for an easier time against Jackals and Brutes.
5. Once the hallway is clear of enemies, do not go through the green lit door. Instead, run to the end of the hallway to find an Easter egg featuring the Red vs Blue characters.
6. In the Hanger, initially there is light resistance. Eventually, waves of Covenant drop ships will arrive, deploy troops, and depart.
7. Run to one of the emplaced turrets and detach it by pressing B. You will move slowly but the turret's large ammo capacity compensates.
8. Avoid shooting the energy gun turrets on the front of Covenant drop ships; save your bullets for the Brutes.
9. Utilize the red light tunnels for cover. Pop out to flank enemies and shoot them in the back.
10. After clearing the hanger, the Pelican will land and your allies will board. Master Chief must backtrack to the Op Center.
11. Before backtracking, look out of the hanger to see the gigantic Covenant ship laying siege to the city, identified as the command ship of the Profit Truth.
12. Backtrack to the ops station. On the way, enemies will breach the base, and Keys will intercom that the barracks are under attack.
13. A soldier will be attacked by a Drone.
14. Stay in the room with the cage and snipe the Drones with your Battle Rifle. Retreat to another room if your shields are low until they recharge.
15. Back in the ops center, Miranda will appear on the big screen. Troops are preparing a bomb to blow up the base after evacuation. Johnson prioritizes saving the barracks troops.
16. EASTER EGG: On the second story of the Op Center, find laptops displaying the Blue-Screen-of-Death from Halo 2's New Mombassa map.
17. The garage leading to the barracks presents the first challenging battle with Brutes in an offensive line. Rushing will result in close-quarters combat with the first line and snipers in the back.
18. Weapons: Shotgun | Battle Rifle
19. First, acquire the shotgun. Run to the end of the truck, pick up the grav lift, deploy it, and use it to reach the catwalks above. Shotguns are located in ancillary rooms on both sides of the upper deck.
20. A shotgun blast combined with a melee attack can eliminate a ground-level Brute in one hit.
21. To effectively engage the Brute platoon, hug a wall, wait for them to pass, and then shoot/melee them from the side.
22. Stay in an ancillary room to eliminate the first two Brutes, then descend to the bottom level.
23. Let the remaining Brutes approach you.
24. Shooting down the length of the hallway will result in immediate enemy fire and likely death.
25. Hide in the smaller side rooms and adopt a hunkered-down position.
26. Use the radar to track approaching enemies.
27. Be patient; enemies will seek you out. Hide in the shadows.
28. Enemies are not overly aggressive, allowing time to reload and recharge shields.
29. Prioritize eliminating the low-level Brutes first, then target the gold and chieftain Brutes.
30. Use sticky grenades for the gold Brute.
31. Once low-level Brutes are dead, the Chieftain with the hammer will attack. Maintain a distance of approximately 10 meters. Use the shotgun for close encounters to stun him, then switch to ranged weapons like a Brute Shot or Battle Rifle for sniping.
32. After defeating the Chieftain, collect his energy hammer.
33. Diversion: Place a grav lift under the semi-truck to make it float.
34. Proceed through the open door at the end of the hall.
35. Head for the small manhole. A Drone will emerge, which is a scare tactic.
36. Jump down the manhole. Cortana will appear, indicating the