Nuke And Pave is the eighth level in Marathon 2: Durandal. It is the second level of Garrison, the third chapter of the game. The only objective here is simply to reach the exit terminal.
Thanks to the virus chip you installed in the previous level, many Drones on this level are friendly and will fight on your side. Some Drones are still hostile, however. There are also Pfhor Troopers and Cyborgs here.
There are two pattern buffers in the starting room. They can be destroyed by breaking the panels next to them, which is not advisable. Another pattern buffer can be found near the end of the level, just west of a room with a number of wall panels that are broken up into fragments.
A room to the east of the starting location contains a 2x shield recharger. On the western edge of the map, at the south end of a ledge, another 2x shield recharger can be found. The first 3x shield recharger in the game can be found right next to it, although it's disguised as a 1x recharger.
Walkthrough[]
The starting room contains two pattern buffers you can use. Don't destroy the panels next to them, because that will disable them. You'll quickly run into some Drones here. When you come across Drones on this level, take a moment to see if they fire on you or on the Pfhor. Some Drones will be friendly, but not all of them.
Take the southeast exit from the starting room, jump across the lava at the south end of the room, and make your way northeast to a 2x shield recharger.
Go back to the room where you jumped across the lava and take the south exit. Follow the ledge westward through a couple of large outdoor areas. The ledge leads to a corridor that takes you to an arena with obstacles in the middle. Follow the ledge all the way counter-clockwise around the arena; in the southwest corner you'll find a 2x shield recharger. Instead of using that, make use of the "1x" shield charger right next to it; it's actually a 3x charger in disguise.
Now jump across to the south structure in the middle of the arena. If you fall to the bottom floor of the arena, there's an elevator back up at the south and north ends. On the north side of the south structure, jump down into the shaft. You'll land into a tunnel leading back east. Follow it, jump across the lava, then head up the stairs and through the south door. Follow the ledge further east and go through the door in the north wall to find a room with a number of wall panels broken up into cubic fragments. The northeast corridor will take you to a pattern buffer.
The southwest fragmented wall section holds a switch. Hit it, and an opening will be formed in the northern fragmented wall. The exit terminal is found in the room beyond, which will send you off to Curiouser and Curiouser...
There are some optional areas in the northeast part of the level you can access via some side passages in the exit terminal room and the room just south of it. These areas connect to the beginning areas of the level.
Secrets[]
In the small room with four doors, go through the west door and destroy the circuit panel there. Now go back to the large arena with the disguised 3x shield recharger at the west end of the map. The pillar in the center of that area (map location C) now goes up and down. Jump onto it, then jump to the west pillar. You'll find two powerups here: invisibility and invincibility. Note that they can't both be active simultaneously; invincibility overrides invisibility as long as it is active.
Terminals []
T-m 459-c94[]
The only terminal here is a message from Durandal. He tells you that he enjoys watching you "work," and that his friend Bernard Strauss was scared of you and never thought to use you in the way that Durandal does. He wanted to humiliate Bernhard the way he was humiliated, operating doors on the UESC Marathon, but Bernhard died before he was able to.
Trivia[]
- The western area with the 2x recharger and the disguised 3x recharger is the same as the net level No Disintegrations.
Sources[]
Marathon 2: Durandal - Level 8: Nuke And Pave