Vortex Rikers

Vortex Rikers is the first map in Unreal's single player game.

Author 

Cliffy B

Description

The prison ship in which the player, Prisoner 849, was being transported has crashed into the surface of the Nali planet, Na Pali. The injured player must explore the tortured ship, avoiding collapsing gantries and dangling cables, in order to find a weapon, regain his health and, above all, work out what the heck is going on.

Walkthrough

The game begins as you wake up from unconsciousness in your prison cell on board the Vortex Rikers. You have crash landed on an unfamiliar Planet and are severely injured (having only 12% health left). As you were a prisoner, you have nothing with which to defend yourself or heal your wounds.

The first thing to do on this level is to go to the far end of the room and ride the lift up to the second floor where you will find a Universal Translator. This will help you figure out the story throughout the rest of the game by read the Translator messages that are scattered around.

Get the Translator. Optionally, you can jump back down to the lower level, head to the other side of the room and hit a lever hidden in the dark to drop down to the execution chamber. Read the Translator message on the control panel to the right to see a magnificent display of electrocution and gibbing (save on body disposal later, I suppose).

Search the room for flares and health, then back up where you picked up the Translator, head down the path to the right. Watch your step, as some explosions will send you reeling, and perhaps damage you or knock you off the path. Enter the vent system to the right of the locked door. The vent is full of green fog, and you can hear screaming and explosions. Don't worry, it is all harmless.

You have now entered the bridge area. Hop down to the lower level, then head back up the steps and through a door. This is the armory. You will find a Kevlar Suit in here offering you some armor behind a forcefield. The floor is slippery, so watch out. To disable the forcefield, look for a button hanging out of the ceiling, and bonk it with your head. Check for more health packs if needed.

You will come back out on the bridge. To the right are some beams that contain some clips if you are feeling so inclined as to grab them. Drop down to the lower level. You will see a corridor in front of you. Follow the corridor while dodging the live electrical wire. Check the next room for more health packs, if needed.

Enter the door marked "Med Room" into a red room with some health packs. At this point you should be back to full health. As you enter the next corridor, you will notice that the door in front of you opens slightly then gets stuck. Don't worry, this is supposed to happen! From under the door you can hear screams and gunfire, but as the door un-jams and you enter the room you can see that everyone has been killed by a large green reptilian creature. Ignore him for now, as he runs away. In this room you will find a Dispersion Pistol. Follow the corridor around to a door marked "Area C". On the right is a health pack behind some glass, if needed (just shoot it out).

Now, take the right fan duct that has been destroyed. On the right wall in the next room, you will see a switch. Touch it to bring down the cargo lift. Jump on the cargo lift and you will be taken to the upper floor. Continue through the door marked "Area B" then through the bars at the far end of the room.

At last, you have found a way off the ship! Shoot the glass out on the switch marked "In case of emergency, break glass". The switch will activate opening a hatch in the floor and allowing you to exit the ship. Jump down the hatch. That's it, you've completed this level!

Translator Messages

"Benjamin Nathaniel's Diary, day 93: Today is my birthday. I will celebrate by attempting to start another prison riot."

"Prisoner 853, James Cavannaugh ready for electrocution"

"Boris Clague's Diary, day 3: I have been here but 3 days and already I have two cracked ribs, a fractured thigh, and fourteen stitches. I don't know if I'll make it to the prison moon, much less to the end of next week."

"ATTENTION ALL PRISONERS: Remember, be kind to your cellmate. Violence will not be tolerated."

"ATTENTION ALL PRISONERS: Lights out at 20:00. No exceptions."

"Jonas Gershwin's Diary, day 204: There was another roach in my lunch today. I wonder how they make it on board starships such as this one. If that bitch in cell 4A keeps looking at me funny I swear I'm going to rip out her larynx!"

"Navigator's Log: Vortex Rikers. We are on route to the prison moon. Long-range sensors are detecting uncharted magnetic masses in Gamma Sector 83H. The Captain has ordered a change in course."

"Captain's Log S. Kroon: Vortex Rikers. Altering our course may have proven detrimental to our mission. We are caught in the gravitational field of an uncharted planet. I have ordered the engine foreman to divert power to the drives."

"First Officer's Log: Vortex Rikers. The prisoners have become more restless as we get closer to the prison moon. Security says they have the prisoners under control but several have had to be taken to the med lab for treatment."

"Chief Medical Officer's Log: Prison Vessel 254 Vortex Rikers. The constant fighting between the prisoners seems to be getting worse. At this rate, I will be out of supplies long before we reach the prison moon."

"Engine Foreman's Log: Prison Vessel 254 Vortex Rikers. I am juicing up all the power I can to escape from the gravitational pull of this mysterious planet. It doesn't seem to be working."

"Chief Security Guard's Log: Prison Vessel 254 Vortex Rikers. They've pulled all the power to the drives to no effect. We're spiralling towards the planet. I don't know what's going to happen to us."