Quake II/Detention Center

Beware of numerous Strogg Medics in this level, as they go around reviving dead enemies. You don't know where they'll show up, so it may be best to go a little slower and pulverize the corpses of Strogg enemies with your Blaster before moving on, so the Medics have nothing on which to work. It's particularly troublesome when they revive a tough opponent that cost you a Quad Damage, an Invulnerability or significant armor and ammo to take down.

Strategy

Walkthough

First visit

Stepping off the lift from the Main Gate, make your way into an open area in front of the entrance to the Detention Center. Take down the Tank, then go down the stairs to the south and find the Gladiator guarding the Blue Key. Return to the Detention Center entrance and open the doors. In the yard of the Detention Center you can enter a lift which takes you to a balcony overlooking the yard from the west side. You'll find a chaingun on the balcony. On the east side is another balcony with a console that controls the yellow laser beams you see there, guarded by a Gladiator. The Gladiator can be killed with minimal risk by standing under the west balcony in the yard, far enough back that you can just see a narrow view of top of the balcony parapet opposite, and peppering away at him with your Blaster. His rail gun shots can't hit you, but your Blaster shots can hit him, so you can take your time.

Enter the south cell block from the yard, whose door is around (-370 380 30), and clear out the enemies you find there. Watch out for the Medic that is released in the yard behind you by your action of entering the cell block. You'll find Medics, Gladiators and a Tank in this area. This is a good time to use a Quad Damage and take them out in quick succession with the Super Shotgun. One of the cells is open. If you stand on the mezzanine above the cell block, it is possible to lure the Gladiators patrolling the floor into the cell below you, and if you jump down and quickly pivot to the right, you can push the wall button that traps one or both of them in the cell with a force field, so you can come back later and dispatch them in any manner you choose, or just leave them there and forgo the 100% kill ratio. Shoot the human prisoners you find in the cells; they can't communicate with you anymore, having been tortured and driven insane by the Strogg, but a number of them yield up valuable munitions. The two secrets for the level are also found in this area (see below). Completing the Detention Center level will require an excursion to the Security Complex via the south portal to retrieve the Red Key.

Second visit

Returning from the Security Complex, enter the north cell block from the yard. Watch out for the Parasites. Make your way to the lift that takes you up to the east balcony overlooking the yard and press the button on the console to deactivate the yellow laser fence there, as well as the yellow laser fences in the Security Complex. Go to the dungeon level below the main jail floor and eliminate all the Enforcers.

Having completed this level, return to the Security Complex.

Secrets

This level has two (2) secrets:

Shortly after you enter the detention center building using the blue key, you climb a long flight of stairs above which there is a Guard standing on a ledge. Behind him is a pulsing, glowing button which you can shoot to raise some steps to reach his ledge. Instead of going up the steps, quickly run forward to get back to the bottom of the flight before they fully rise. Look back and you will see Combat Armor under the steps. Go in to receive the message "You have found a secret area". If the steps come back down and trap you, just press the wall button. If you can't run down the steps fast enough, you can also drop down from the mezzanine level and run around (there is plenty of time for this), but clear the Strogg away first!
The level exit that joins the Detention Center to the Security Complex is in an area where you fought a Tank and then two Medics. The structure in the center of this room has two doors outlined in pink lights. Press the wall button to the left of the door closest to the level exit. Step through, turn to the left, press the wall button that you see there on the inside and step back out. The other door will now stand open. Go around and back to the wall button that you passed on the way into this area after killing the two Gladiators guarding the cells. Press that and return to the newly opened door. The bars just inside and on the left will be lowering, so step through and receive the message "You have found a secret area". There is lots of good stuff here, including your first Power Shield, two (yes, two) Adrenalines and some Cells you won't be able to use until you find the HyperBlaster. If the bars go back up, there is a wall button in the secret area to lower them again.