The Quality of Mercy (John)

The Quality of Mercy

This mission pops immediately after completion of Wrath. It's going to involve some frenzied firefights toward the end- a full pack and a good assault rifle are recommended.

You can take some time between Wrath and this mission if you have loose ends to tie up. When ready, head back to Black Horse Peak (John's Gate on your map).

Use John's key where indicated, then re-enter the bunker.

Someone's cleaned the corpses off the stairs since your last visit, so that's nice. You won't actually encounter any resistance until you reach the bottom of the stairs, at which point the room ahead of you becomes a shooting gallery.

You'll face about eight enemies here, including one heavy. It is possible to stealth kill them all, but headshots and grenades are both completely viable options (though you may want to save a few grenades for later).

When the room is clear, loot the bodies for ammo, then move ahead. Your marker will take your through another sealed door, and into an ambush-ready machine room.

There is a heavy here, so consider a stealthy approach. At the very least, stealth kill the first guard, then use rocks to draw out the heavy for a risk-free takedown. Kill the other two hostiles anyway you like.

There'll be two more at the entrance to Silo BH, at the end of the room.

Note the ammo crates at the door, before proceeding into Silo C.

In Silo C, go right. There are two regular shooters and one armored heavy. Throwing knifes can be a handy way to stealth kill the former while still getting a drop on the latter.

When the corridor branches again, the right branch will lead to some caged prisoners you can't free yet. The left takes you to another family room.

There are five hostiles here, including the guard. Stealth is tricky- the rock tends to lure more than one hostile, but the guard's pistol does make for a handy sidearm takedown.

Clear the room, then go down the stairs to enter a hellish and unlootable corridor of horrors.

At the end, you'll enter a cutscene, and be reunited with Hudson.

Follow her up to the control room. She'll send you to release the prisoners.

Follow your markers to the prisoner cages. Expect light resistance. Don't worry too much about protecting Hudson- she has a shotgun and can take care of herself.

Free the prisoners, but one section is still blocked off. Your marker may take you to a grate you can't pass through.

If this happens, wait for the prisoners to flee past you. One of them will open the grate for you.

Enter the silo, and drop down to the indicated ledge (don't jump, or you may accidentally grab the ledge above)

There are a fair number of gunmen running around here, and one heavy. Remember that, even though things are tense, you're not actually under any time constraints here. Go right inside the silo, and use rocks to lure the heavy from the console room, for a takedown.

The console room will have a number of hostiles in cover- pick off as many as you can before entering (there should be at least three).

Shoot up the consoles to destroy them. There are more than you might think, so blast anything with a glowing light.

If you left anyone alive in the corridor, the noise will probably draw them in, so keep a ware eye on the door.

When the consoles are destroyed, return to the silo. There will be a tiny ambush by the silo door.

Now, that most beloved of sequences- platforming in an FPS. start by climbing up to the next-highest ledge on your left.

Another ledge will fold down, climb up that too. You're now out of ledges, so jump the the small triangular spur ahead on you.

This is enough to stand on, and you can jump to the the next ledge from here. After that, it's all just climbing ledges. Always use the 'climb' prompt if it's offered, as the jumping sometimes becomes unpredictable. When you run out of ledges, look across the silo for your exit door.

It's a good idea to snipe out the two-man ambush there before leaping over.

Though larger than the gaps we've seen below, this is leapable, just remember to make it a running jump. Once inside, bear right, and shoot anything that's Bliss Green.

You don't need to shoot all the containers to suceed. Shoot the big one by the door, then veer right and shoot the three in the corrider there. Between your shots and the resulting explsoion, you should reach your limit (if not, shoot more). The pistol is fine for this work, as it is for dispensing of the two guards here.

After that, it's time for the frenzied final fight- you have to activate two switches in the final room, survive for a bit, then run to the middle of the room and grapple out. During this, enemies will pour in from all sides, and random gouts of steam and fire will scorch anything in their path.

The key is remember again that you are under no time limit. Feel free to pick off the local enemies coolly and methodically. If you are spotted, smoke grenades (though they seem redundant here), can help you regain stealth mode.

When both switches are thrown, tons of enemies will flood the room. Strafe or grenade the first wave, then consider lying low in the stairwell on the south side of the room until the chopper arrives.

Jerome will tell you when it does. Then it's time to sprint for the center of the silo and grapple up (consider taking a homepathic before you do).

You only need to get above halfway up before we smash to cutscene.

This marks the official liberation of Holland Valley, though outposts you haven't taken yet can still be conquered, and most side mission will remain essayable.

There'll be another cutscene in the Spread Eagle, followed by some personal words from the Father, and then the mission itself completes, earning you a total of $3,400, and the respect of your virtual peers.

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