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This article appeared in Quake II  

Q2 commcent
Comm Center
Game

Pc icon Quake II
PS1 icon Quake II PSX

Unit

Pc icon Unit 1
PS1 icon Mission 1

Soundtrack

02 - Operation Overlord

Connected Maps
Specific Information
Enemies
Difficulty Pc icon PS1 icon
Easy 34 29
Med 40 38
Hard/Nightmare 51 39
Secrets

2

New Powerups

Pc icon Rebreather
Pc icon Enviro-Suit
Pc icon Quad Damage

New Obstacles

Slime
Laser Barrier

New Enemies

Gunner
Parasite
Flyer

  • It is possible to encounter Flyers and Parasites first in the Lost Station.
New Misc

Key (Q2)

Objective

Primary: Establish communication link to command ship.
Secondary:

  • Pc icon Locate communication center.
  • PS1 icon Locate communications dish control room.
  • Use blue key-card to enter alien bunker installation.
[Source]
Recon established and confirm heavy fortification near enemy comm facility.

—TCM radio transmission

The Comm Center is the third level of Unit 1 of Quake II.

The Comm Center is primarily one large building. The lower levels have been flooded after the recent TCM bombardment, while the upper chambers are storage rooms filled with ammunition, other supplies, and computer equipment. The most important room houses both the communications array and the blue Key, which grants access to a section of the complex that leads back into the Installation. The Comm Center building is more heavily guarded than the areas faced previously, and contains several hazards such as toxic waste and explosives.

The player's primary objective is to locate and activate the Communication Center to retrieve orders. Once achieved, the player can collect the blue keycard and use it to re-enter the Installation from a different direction, allowing them to proceed to Unit 1's exit.

This level contains the entrance to Quake II's first secret level, the Lost Station (although not in the PSX version) - if the player can find it. The player will encounter Gunners, Flyers and Parasites in addition to the Guards and Enforcers they are familiar with by now. It is also the first opportunity to acquire various power-ups, including the formidable Quad Damage.

Walkthrough

Secondary objective: Locate communication center.

The level begins at the bottom of the sewer pipe you dropped down at the end of the previous level. There is a flooded chamber ahead with a platform covering most of the floor; jump into the water and swim under the platform to retrieve a case of 5 grenades if you need them. This room does not contain much else of interest, so follow the corridor on the far side of the room from where you started and kill the light guard at the end of it. The corridor leads to a larger flooded chamber guarded by light guards and an enforcer. Kill them, and then collect the bullets, shotgun shells, and rebreather from the walkway. At this point, it is highly recommended that you find the entrance to the Lost Station to retrieve the Super Shotgun, as things start to get more difficult up ahead. The entrance to the secret level is hidden in this room; feel free to consult the Secrets chapter below if you can't find it.

From here (preferably after visiting the Lost Station) you can proceed through the doorway to continue onwards through the Comm Center. You may encounter Parasites in this room, depending on the difficulty level. Once the lower level is clear, proceed up the stairs to the upper level, disposing of Guards and Enforcers that might approach from the upper ramp. Before going up the ramp, make sure to collect the very useful Quad Damage power-up from this room; it is located on a crate, which can be reached either by jumping on an explosive barrel, or by jumping from other crates nearby. When ready, proceed up the ramp to reach a large room containing a pool of Slime, as well as various enemies. Don't jump into the Slime pool yet; not until you have the Environment Suit you can collect later in this level.

Continue through this area to reach an outer courtyard, encountering more Guards and Enforcers along the way. The door ahead is locked; you'll obtain the keycard shortly. Proceed to the left into a chamber containing several crates on the floor. These crates are explosive and will be triggered by an alarm button on the wall; an Enforcer will make a run for the alarm button once he notices you. It's possible to prevent the alarm being triggered by killing the Enforcer before he reaches it. Note: in the 2023 remaster, the alarm being triggered will cause a number of Guards to appear in the outer courtyard, depending on the difficulty level.

Find the elevator in this room and proceed upward to a walkway above the room containing the Slime pool, and follow it around, encountering more Strogg along the way. Once you see a glass window overlooking a room below, be mindful; a section of wall will explode behind you where a Parasite waits to ambush you.

You can destroy the glass window and enter the main communications room that way, or continue along the corridor. In either case, your primary objective is in this main communications room; activate the computer to achieve your primary objective and reveal the Blue Keycard. With this keycard, you can return to the outer courtyard and access the door that was locked to you before. However, more enemies will appear along the way. On your way back, stop on the walkway overlooking the room containing the Slime pool. Take note of crates in this room on which an Environment Suit can be seen; jump or run onto the crates to retrieve it. You can now drop down onto the walkway in the Slime pool to retrieve an Adrenaline. There's a button at the end of the walkway which will cause the Slime to rise, allowing you to swim back out, but you'll need to activate your new Environment Suit before you press the button, otherwise you'll take significant damage from the toxic Slime.

Proceed through the previously locked door, encountering more enemies along the way, and find a lift leading to the secondary entrance to the Installation.

Enemies

Soon...

Enemy Easy Medium Hard/Nightmare
Light Guard 13 15 18
Shotgun Guard 5 6 6
Machine Gun Guard 3 4 6
Enforcer 8 8 8
Gunner 1 1 5
Parasite 2 3 5
Flyer 2 3 3

Enemy Easy Medium Hard/Nightmare
Light Guard 4 4 3
Shotgun Guard 12 16 15
Machine Gun Guard 5 4 5
Enforcer 3 6 7
Gunner 1 2 3
Parasite 2 3 3
Flyer 2 3 3

These statistics refer to the 2023 remaster; the enemy counts are slightly different in the original game (see the Notes section below)

Secrets

  • Pc icon #1 and #2) In the room containing three Light Guards, an Enforcer and the large pool of water, the secret is hidden underwater. You may use the Rebreather found in this room to avoid taking any damage from drowning, although it isn't necessary if you are quick. Facing the entrance, go down the hole in the floor and turn left. Take the narrow tunnel, then swim up to surface in the secret area. Depending on the version of the game, the contents of the same vary:
    • The Demo version contains a Rocket Launcher and several Medikits. In Medium/Hard/Nightmare there will also be a Parasite. And due to the lack of Lost Station, no elevator.
    • The full PC version contains bullets and a Medikit. It also contains an elevator that leads to the Lost Station secret level. Taking the elevator counts as the second secret.

PSX version:

  • PS1 icon #1) In the room with the large pool of water, look underneath the steps for a Quad Damage.
  • PS1 icon #2) In the room in which you first encounter Parasites, head into the sloping tunnel from where they emerged and shoot the wall to reveal a secret passage containing ammunition.

Notes

  • In the 2023 remaster, a few additional enemies are added to this level that were not present in the original game. When the alarm is tripped near the outer courtyard, a number of Guards will appear near the blue key door; one on Easy, two on Medium, three on Hard/Nightmare.

Differences in the Demo version

  • Different enemy counts.
  • Secret #1 contains a Rocket Launcher and (from Medium onwards) a Parasite.
  • The outdoors area contains a Chaingun.
  • Two Berserkers in the Outdoors area join the Machinegun Guards.
  • There are more Light Guards, Shotgun Guards and Machinegun Guards, as well as more Berserkers, in the upper level.
  • The monster closet whose wall explodes revealing a Parasite contains the Grenade Launcher.
  • The Red Key Door corridor and the ending area contains more enemies.

Differences in the PSX version

  • Different enemy count and secrets (see above)
  • There is no secret level in the PSX version, and so this level does not contain the entrance to the Lost Station.
  • The Quad Damage is not present in the room in which Parasites are encountered, but one can be found in a secret area earlier on.
  • There is no Rebreather to be found, and very little need for one in the PSX version.
  • There is nothing to be found in the circular pool of slime, and no Enviro-Suit; a Jacket Armor is in its place instead.
  • There is no "alarm system" in the room next to the outer courtyard.
  • A Super Shotgun is available at the very start of the level, so even if the player didn't find the two Super Shotguns from secret areas in the previous two levels, they would still acquire it before the PC player.
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