Riding Shotgun

Riding Shotgun is the fourth chapter of Half-Life 2: Episode Two. It details the first half of Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance's car ride to White Forest.

Walkthrough
This a fast, simple chapter in comparison to the agonising last one. Drive along the road until you reach the blocked tunnel, turn left into the stream bed and follow it left. Turn right at the far end and up the hill, follow the dirt road towards the radio tower. Pass through a gate and park near the buildings. Enter the one on your immediate right, take out the two Zombines. Go over to the transmitter. Hmm, no power. Go out the front and go around the back of the building opposite, climb up the rubble pile on the roof and drop down on the opposite side, by the walled in enclosure. There's a hole into the room here, climb through it. Drop down the lift shaft opposite. Take out the wire plug hanging from the socket opposite the lift shaft. Punt the wood to the left of the lift, get the shorter cable and plug it into the top two plugs in the opposite wall. Get the longer cable now and plug it into the plugs powering the lift. Go up.

You can't possibly have not expected this. Duck down with Alyx while the Hunters nose around, and then return fire when they appear beyond the blocked doorway. They will eventually blow it open, and which point you need to get out and start punting objects at them, as this is the best way of dealing with them. Once the first two go down another will burst through the main door. Once you get outside, another two will appear from either end of the complex. Don't let them get close, keep hitting them with large/explosive objects. Once you triumph, go back into the transmitter house, Alyx will have a chat with Magnusson and then open the far gate. Make sure to stock up on whatever supplies are left here, get back in the car and drive out.

Follow the dirt road down the hill. Make sure not to collide with anything as you can hurt yourself doing this. Head towards the smoke trail, turn right and head into the farmstead. Ominous. Head into the large barn, follow the outer corridor left and through a door. Drop down the hole and crawl around until you get into the main room. All you'll be required to do is punt the energy orb when instructed, and then watch.

Once it's done, Combine soldiers (remember them?) will attack through the door opposite the Advisor pod. Some now carry shotguns, not a pleasant development. Once the first two are dead carry on outside, pick up the Crossbow and ammo. Head along the corridor, turn right and prepare to fight. There's a reason the Crossbow was put here, pick off the soldiers hiding in the building opposite. A Hunter will also put in an appearance. Once they're all dead a Chopper will appear, quickly get back in the car and head through the now open gate.

Zoom along into the train yard, turn left. The Chopper will start to drop mines. Weave in and out of the trains, blast through the crates and head into the right hand tunnel. Keep going into the next area, head left over the rubble. A Fast Zombie will drop onto the bonnet, Alyx will kick it off. Do a 180 to the right at the far end, and keep going through the Zombies. Jump through the train wreck. Once out in the open the Chopper will again start to drop mines, again weave through the trains. You will see some crash barriers to the right of the tracks, head through them and hit the turbo as you see the gate in front of you. Quickly get out of the car and join the Resistance Fighter near the cargo crate on the left.

Run after the Fighter as the Chopper blasts open the door ahead. Drop down, almost impossible to avoid damage from the mine here. Grab the mine in front of you to activate it, punt it away, and crawl forwards and left and then right to join the fight. What you need to do is grab the mines as they fall and then punt them back at the Chopper. Take cover as you hear the Chopper's gun wind up, it'll mainly concentrate on you. Alyx will drop health if you get badly hurt, and there's a suit recharger on the second floor of the building opposite where you came from. Hit it five times on normal setting to kill it (do it without missing once to gain an achievement). Take a well-earned breather and then join Alyx and the Resistance Fighter in the garage to end the level.