Assault on the Control Room (Level)

Assault on the Control Room is the fifth and longest campaign level in Halo: Combat Evolved.

The level follows John-117 on a mission to reach the Control Room of Installation 04. The Covenant are deployed in greater numbers and in a superior force than previously seen in the game, using Wraiths, Ghosts and Banshees. The majority of the level is set in a snowy, outdoor environment. Although the level seems to be natural, there are networks of tunnels and elevators built by the Forerunners that connect sections of the constructs into the Control Room.

The level is known for its variety and well roundness. It allows the player to use every weapon and vehicle in the game (except the Shotgun and Fuel Rod Gun), and is the only stage in Halo: Combat Evolved that allows Master Chief to use a Scorpion tank. Although the level is famous for its snowy outdoor battles and large bridges, there are also a variety of indoor skirmishes, including standoffs with Zealot Elites. There is a mix of vehicle, long-range, and close quarters combat. The player is assisted by a handful of Marines after their Pelican crashes, but the level is mostly a solitary experience.

At the end, Master Chief reaches the control room and Cortana interfaces with the computers. She is horrified to learn that Halo houses the Flood, and the weapons cache that Captain Keyes is looking for will lead him straight to the parasite. Cortana elects to stay behind, while Chief rushes off to find Captain Jacob Keyes.

Part 01: I Would Have Been Your Daddy...
{Cutscene}

{Fade in to the interior of a large Forerunner dome, pan down to a long shaft, a Grunt paces on an open platform}

{Close up of the walking Grunt, other Grunts around him are asleep, he stops as he hears jets, he sniffs the air, and yelps as a Pelican rises up from the chasm in front of him, screams and runs towards the door}

{Gameplay}

Foehammer (O.S.): "This is as far as I can go."

Cortana (O.S.): "Roger that, we can find our way to the Control Center from here."

Foehammer (O.S.): "Good luck, Foehammer out."

{the Pelican hovers at the edge of the platform, the Chief gets out}

{Once you clear the first of the circular rooms}

Cortana: "The Covenant presence here is stronger than I anticipated. They seem to have the entire region secured."

{Once you reach the first bridge}

Cortana: "Interesting... the weather patterns here seem natural, not artificial. I wonder if the ring's environment systems are malfunctioning... or if the designers wanted the installation to have inclement weather. "

''{a Pelican Dropship flies over the bridge. The Covenant forces on the bridge open fire}''

Unnamed Sergeant (O.S.): "This is Fire Team Zulu requesting immediate assistance from any UNSC forces. Does anyone copy?"

Cortana: "I didn't think there were any human forces left on this part of the ring.... (O.S.) Cortana to Fire Team Zulu, I read you. Fire Team Zulu, this is Cortana. Hold position. We're on our way."

Unnamed Sergeant (O.S.): "Roger that. Make it quick."

{The Pelican descends to an area below the bridge}

{When you reach the bottom of the chasm and meet up with Fire Team Zulu}

{''A large number of Covenant have three Marines with an overturned Warthog cornered. A Covenant Wraith tank fires plasma mortars as Shade turrets and Ghost vehicles strafe the Marines.''}

Marine 1: "Glad you could join the party, Sir!"

or

Marine 1: "Master Chief, Sir! Good to see you!"

{After enemies in the area are eliminated}

Marine 1: "They never gave it their best shot, but they didn't count on running into the biggest squad of Marine bad-asses in the Corps!"

or

Marine 3: "That's all of them. The area's secure."

{When you reach the second group of Marines fighting near the Scorpion and clear the area}

Marine 1: "Enemy forces eliminated. The area's secure."

Marine 2: "Aw, crap. Let's get the hell outta here, man! Somebody call the dropship!"



Unnamed Sergeant: "You stow that garbage right now, mister. You're a Marine, so act like it, dammit! We've got a job to do here."

or

Marine 3: "Shut up! Show some backbone, amigo!"

Cortana (O.S.): "Negative, team. No evac available at this time. But the Chief and I could use some assistance."

Sergeant: "Okay, Marines. Time to pay back the Chief for pulling your sorry tails out of the fire. Prepare to move out!"

(As you reach the second large open area, where one Wraith hovers on the ice and another lurks on top of the cliff at the far end of the canyon)

Marine 1: "Bloody hell! Enemy forces have armour support...it's time to earn our pay."

or

Marine 1: "Enemy mortar tanks sighted at my position...it's gonna be a busy day."

or

Marine:"Dang, they got armour support! Watch out for those tanks!"

Cortana:"The Covenant placed their tanks to defend the entrance to the tunnel."

{When you've destroyed the first Covenant tank.}

Marine 1:"Looks like that armour wasn't so tough after all! Let's mop up the rest of 'em!"

{When you reach the large interior cavern and engage the Covenant inside.}

Marine 1:"More Covenant sighted!"

Marine 2:"Man, these guys are like cockroaches!"

{As you reach the long rock tunnel leading up from the cave system back to the surface.}

Part 02: Rolling Thunder
{As you clear the area containing the fourth Wraith of the level.}

Unnamed Sergeant: "You monkeys almost look like golden boys!"

Marine 1: "Damn straight!"

{As you come across two Hunters chasing after a squad of Marines, where the path switches back and goes down to a frozen river leading to the cave to the last area of the second chasm.}

Cortana: "I thought the Covenant had eliminated all the Marine forces in this area."

{As a Covenant dropship appears from behind the cliffs and drops in on the ridge you just descended from.}

Marine 3: "Anybody else hear that? Aw, man...Covenant dropship inbound, take cover!"

Marine 2: "The Covenant are dropping in behind us! We're trapped!"

{As you near the switchbacks leading up to final area of the second chasm.}

Marine 2: "Master Chief, the Covenant have stationary guns dug up in those rocks!"

or

Marine 3: "Whoa, Sir! The Covenant are dug up in those rocks! They've got us pinned down here!"

Cortana: {to Master Chief} "We need to get up this ridge." (O.S.) "Marines, hold your positions. We'll handle those guns." (to Master Chief) "Master Chief, we should scale the ridge and get below those stationary guns."

Marine 2: "Roger that. Marines, stay here and cover the Master Chief."

or

Marine 3: "I'm in no hurry for a heroic charge on those guns, Cortana. Holding position."



{As you reach the door leading into the cliff face, eliminating all enemies.}

Cortana: "Cortana to Fire Team Zulu. I've sent a distress signal tagged with your current position. Hold your position and await evac. The Master Chief and I are going to continue on ahead."

Unnamed Sergeant or Marine 1: "That's affirmative! Fire Team Zulu out!"

or

Marine 1: "Affirmative! Okay people, evac bird's on the way!"

or

Marine 2: "Give 'em hell, sir! Fire Team Zulu out!"

{As you clear the final area before the third chasm.}

Cortana: "Resistance appears to be increasing. We must be close to the Control Center."

{As you reach the door to the third chasm.}

03: If I Had a Super Weapon...
Cortana: "Analyzing. This must be the Control Room. Subtle. The entrance to the Control Room is at the top of that pyramid structure. Bring me up there and I should be able to get us inside."

{As you reach the bottom of the pyramid structure.}

Cortana: "The entrance to the Control Room is at the top of the pyramid. Let's get up there. We should commandeer one of those Ghosts, we're going to need the firepower."

{As you open the door to the last leg of hallway leading to the Control Center.}

Cortana: "Scanning. Covenant forces in the vicinity have been eliminated. Let's move on to Halo's Control Room."

{As you open the door for the final cinematic}

{Cutscene}

Cortana: "This is it. Halo's Control Center."

{''The Master Chief walks through the door and to a control panel at the centre of a circular glass walkway projecting into the middle of a massive open chamber. A holographic map of Halo surrounds a smaller holographic map of the system, which shows Basis and Threshold, and Halo itself between them. Also noticeable are the red areas shown on the lands of Halo, possible indicating where the Flood is currently spreading.''}

Cortana: "That terminal, try there."

{''The Master Chief unplugs Cortana's chip from his helmet and places her chip in the terminal. A moment later, she appears above the display. Data streams out from her in all directions. Her eyes are now red.''}

Master Chief: "You all right?"

Cortana: (smiles) "Never been better! You can't imagine the wealth of information. Knowledge...so much...so fast. It's glorious!"

Master Chief: "So...what sort of weapon is it?"

Cortana: "What are you talking about?"

Master Chief: "Let's stay focused. Halo...how do we use it against the Covenant?"

Cortana: "This ring isn't a cudgel you barbarian, it's something else...something much more important. The Covenant were right...this ring...it's Forerunner. Give me a second to access...yes, the Forerunners built this place, what they called a "fortress world," in order to...no, that can't be. Oh, those Covenant fools...they must have known, there must have been signs!"

Master Chief: "Slow down. You're losing me."

Cortana: "The Covenant found something, buried in this ring, something horrible, and now...they're afraid."

Master Chief: "Something buried? Where?"

Cortana: (looks horrified) "The Captain, we've got to stop the Captain!"

Master Chief: "Keyes? What do we—"

Cortana: "The weapons cache he's looking for. It's not really— We can't let him get inside!"

Master Chief: "I don't understand."

Cortana: "There's no time. Get out of here, find Keyes, stop him! Before it's too late!"

{The Master Chief turns and runs from the Control Room}

Glitches

 * At the very beginning of the level, "Press (X)/(E) to enter side seat of Pelican" will appear. The player will be placed back on the Pelican and can get off at any time. However, if you don't get out the Pelican will crash and you will die.
 * If you manage to jump off the first bridge without going through the tunnel and live, you are able to go through the whole level without the Covenant attacking you. Although, eventually you will come upon a locked door and will need to restart the level or backtrack using the Banshee found at the end of the last open area prior to the final open area to fully complete it. The Banshee is necessary because you need a way back to the bridge. It is possible to take the Banshee and land on top of the bridge with enough momentum to throw the Banshee off causing it to be waiting for you once you have taken the long interior route down.
 * The Three Dead Grunts Easter egg is found on this level, though it may be exclusive to the PC version of the game.

Mistakes

 * At the point where you obtain the Scorpion, Johnson will be present and will ride the tank, although this is technically impossible, as he is at the supposed weapons cache with Keyes at the time. Similarly, Johnson is also sending out Fire Team Zulu's distress call, despite not being there at the time.
 * This level is remade and shortened in Halo 3 but you cannot climb up the Control Room central spine in the Halo 3 version.

Miscellaneous

 * The "Lost Song", which was accidentally left out of the Halo: Original Soundtrack, is played on this level, in the series of rooms where you fight a group of Stealth Elites and a pair of Hunters, immediately before the rock bridge overlooking the control tower.
 * The song Siege of Madrigal can be found at the end of this level. It can be found by flying a Banshee on the second bracket above the control room. Land the Banshee on the bracket and walk to the right until you reach the edge. Wait a few seconds and the song will start playing. It can also be found at the beginning if you fly a Banshee down the big shaft and stand on the right spot on the ledges.