”Alright, we send the team in. Don't know how long he'll be gone, let's move quickly! I'm going to stay in this observation area as long as I can and watch for his return.
—Maggie Powers, Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain
Minsk, Belarus: International University is the tenth mission in Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain. The player works under Maggie Powers of MI6 to acquire information from the educational institution where Nikolai Jandran is working.
Characters
- Cobra (playable)
- Maggie Powers (seen in cutscene)
- William Crusher (seen in cutscene)
- Teresa Lipan (seen in cutscene)
- Nikolai Jandran (seen in cutscene)
- Jandran's guard (seen in cutscene)
- Lawrence Mujari (seen in cutscene)
- Mikhas Ivankov (mentioned in cutscene)
- Salvage workers (heard in cutscene)
- Jandran's bodyguard (seen in mission)
- Foreman Jones (seen in mission)
- Various guards (seen in mission)
Briefing
Needs to be added
Walkthrough
This mission is arguably the toughest to achieve par. You'll need to worry about collateral damage, stealth, heavily armoured (and well armed) enemies and speed all at the same time. The neck snap is almost a necessity to complete it without blowing stealth.
1) From the start, wait for "Jandran's Bodyguard" to walk past. When he does, head to where he was coming from and turn left ASAP.
2) There are some trash cans nearby - plant your first sniffer. Run back to the start.
(*) You could run straight for the 2nd sniffer, but it helps the timing of the mission if you wait.
3) When Jandran's Bodyguard comes back up the ramp, run straight down near the police van and head into a long alley on the right.
4) At the end of the alley, plant your 2nd sniffer. Turn around and run straight ahead past the van - you'll run past a fence on your right.
5) At the end of the path here, you'll see a guy walk up to the building and start mumbling, unintentionally revealing the security code that he memorised in the process. A sniper to your east will ask you what you're doing, but ignore him. He won't break stealth as long as you have no weapons.
6) Sneak behind the guy, wait for him to open the door. You'll now have the security code, and can walk inside and stun jack him after he turns right. As long as you have the code, the local security will be disabled. That means all the cameras will be shut down. Even if you don't have the code, you can still switch them off using a button near the garage, but that also turns off the computer which has MetaGlobal information.
7) To the right is a room with a computer - download the MetaGlobal files. Destroy the camera too (not necessary, but better safe than sorry).
8) Past the camera, what would have been left of the entrance, head down here and open the door at the end of the hall.
9) Sneak outside and roll up behind the stationary guard. Stun jack him (when the radar is clear) and head in the garage.
10) Grab the DSC-1 Thermal on the left side of the garage, then go to the garage door entrance. Target the sniper straight ahead, zoom in and headshot.
11) Leave the garage door and go to the nearby wall corner. A guard is patrolling behind the fenced area.
12) Wait for him to get nearby, target him, and when he stops - snipe him. Drop the gun on the ground.
13) Switch to your Sarin's, run slightly ahead, turn the corner a few feet, and look behind the fenced area.
(*) DormaGen gas grenades probably work just as well
14) You'll see a white door. Wait a second or 2 as the guy on your radar is running toward you - toss the Sarin at the door.
15) The foreman will go out like a light before he even opens the door.
(*) If you don't have grenades, just zoom on the door with your rifle and pop him when he exits.
Sometimes, he may not go out the door. This means that you'll need to down him when you enter the warehouse...
16) Switch to your PPK's and shoot at the lock on the gate. You'll have to aim a bit right of the lock, between the bars. You can also used a DSC-1 to snipe the gate from a vantage point located above the computer.
17) The third viral sniffer location is ahead of you (to the left of the gated area, back by the entrance to the first building you entered.
18) Now go back to the garage, turn right, and jump up to the elevated platform. Roll in the crawlspace and follow it to a bench.
19) Turn right, run to the end of the street here, and then turn left. You should see a guy patrolling ahead of you past an open archway.
(a) At the end of the street, before turning left, is a box with a rifle. You COULD, in theory, use it to snipe a marksman nearby where you exited. Then again... this sniper doesn't exactly seem to see or do much of anything, and can pretty much be ignored unless you really want to bump up your kill count.
20) Follow this guy into an alley. You'll pass by the archway, where you'll notice some University guards. Make note of the nearby landmarks.
21) When the guard goes down the alley and turns, follow him a few steps and stun him. If you get him too soon, someone else will spot him.
21) Nearby is a ladder on the left wall. Climb it, grab the sniper rifle in the box on the right. Kneel, look ahead of you, zoom in and snipe the guard.
22) Go back down the ladder, run back the way you came. Before you get to the archway, there's an area on the left with columns/pillars.
23) Hide in the corner here, get your stun jack out, and smack the University guard that walks by. Pick up his body and hide it in your corner.
24) Sooner or later, his buddy will come to the same spot - take him out and hide him the same way.
25) At the end of the street you are on, past the alley, is the entrance to the safehouse. Go upstairs, get the beacons and your gear.
26) Leave and head past the archway where the guards were. The last viral sniffer location is in the right corner.
27) Head back to the parking bench, roll in the crawlspace. Outside, run back up to the gate, open it, and roll inside.
28) Head for the door on the left (where the foreman came out of).
(*) I think his keys are just a safeguard if you didn't kill the foreman before he left the building. You can pick them up if it makes you happy though.
29) Turn right and look for a set of crates on your immediate left. Hide there just long enough for the guard in the far right corner to turn around.
30) Head to the left, before the tall stairs, towards an open area. While heading left, you'll see some stairs leading down.
31) Next to stairs, check real quick to see if there's a small crate. If so, keep this in mind. You'll return here in about 5 seconds.
32) In the room on your left is some lockers - one of them has a suit you can wear to really save yourself some trouble down here. Grab it and put it on.
33) Once you get your disguise, nobody in this area or downstairs will freak if you have a weapon, so you can stun jack people like hell. Just make sure nobody is watching you when you do.
(a) I recommend only using stun jack, as any loud weapon will kill stealth.
(b) This works out EASILY because a lot of the guys don't patrol near anyone. Not only that, but the "groups" of 2 guards that patrol side-by-side do eventually split their patrols up.
(c) This approach will definitely come in handy if you're aiming for 0 deaths, as it eliminates the resistance you'll have on your way back.
34) Anyway, just follow the rest of this FAQ, keeping in mind you can stun jack everyone you come across as needed. Otherwise you'll have to wipe them out on your way back.
35) Now you get to plant 2 bugs on crates, and you still need to plant the tracking beacon. The location of the 2 crates is somewhat random, but I've only seen 3 different possible ways it mixes up their locations. Let me try to elaborate:
(a) There are 6 different places the crates can be, but each time you play the level, the "randomness" of it places the 2 crates in the same 2 locations.
(b) In other words, there's only 3 possible combinations of spots to remember. First, either way, put the tracking beacon in the refrigerated truck in one of the meat carcasses on the left-hand side.
Random positioning #1:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
> If you saw a crate near the lockers on your way in, you've got the simplest path to bug the crates.
> The first is UP the stairs nearby, across from the refrigerated truck.
> At the entrance to a long hallway, you'll see the smaller crate stacked on top of a large crate. Jump up and bug it.
> The second one is right by the lockers, near the left of the stairs that you'll take down after you plant the bug.
If you didn't see the crate near the lockers, you most likely got a longer path, but it's still not too difficult.
Random positioning #2:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
> Your first crate will be up the nearby set of stairs, across the refrigerated truck.
> Go down the LONG hallway, turn right, and look for an opening to the right. As you enter, on the far left-hand side is the first crate you'll want to grab.
> The second crate is down the set of stairs that were near the lockers. At the bottom of the stairs, go right to the end, then left.
> On your right will be a large area with lots of crates and shelving units. Go downstairs and to the back wall.
> Hop up to the 2nd level of scaffolds. Up here the smaller crate should be easy to locate.
Random positioning #3:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
> One of the crates is in the room where the truck is, I don't remember its exact spot but I think it's near the stairs leading up.
> The second crate is up the nearby stairs (across from the refrigerated truck), and down the LONG hallway.
> Turn right, and look for a room on your LEFT. The next crate is in here.
> Objective Complete: Bug all MetaGlobal containers
Continuing the mission
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
36) Return to where the lockers are. Now it's time to get a "hidden" objective. It's not really all that hidden, but easier to do on your way to the next area than when the game gives you the objective.
37) Down the stairs that were near the locker, go right to the end, then left. On your right-hand side is a large shipping area with crates.
(*) If you had random positioning #2, you're already here :)
38) Make a left turn in this hallway (if you had positioning #2, it's the hallway right ahead by the stairs).
39) About halfway down the hall, you'll see a path on the right. Take it. Head forward, ignore the stairs (leading up to a "control room")
40) Go into the corridor ahead. At the end, turn left. At the end here, run right past some people working on the pipes.
41) One of the guards is bitching at the guy about where to fix the leak. Make a left at the end of this hallway.
42) In the new area, run to the room immediately on your left and fall/climb down by one of the big machines
(*) Amazingly you take no damage whatsoever from the fall!
43) In the far corner of this room is a gas valve - shut it off. Then take the nearby path (NOT the one going up the stairs!).
> Objective Complete: Use emergency gas shutoff valve
44) You'll run past a University guard. In the new room, turn right and follow these stairs up a long ways.
45) Eventually you'll come to some lockers. Just past the lockers, you'll get a message that your disguise is now useless. Not to worry: you only have 4 more guards.
46) Equip your air pistol but don't turn the corner. Watch the radar - there is a stationary guard ahead, and a patrolling guard.
(*) Ignore the other radar dots.
47) When the patrolling guard walks past the stationary one, air pistol the latter. Crawl outside, L1 target and air pistol the moving guard on your right.
48) Run near the guard that was moving, there is an open window/area that leads into the University. Run to the wall and wait.
49) There is a guard walking your way in the hallway. He'll stop by the huge door and turn like he's opening it. Air pistol him (L1 target).
50) Move out to this hallway, turn right and hide behind a column. There is a guard patrolling in and out of a room on the left.
51) When he stops, air pistol him (L1 target). Run down the hallway, head in the left area that the guard was moving out of.
52) Look for a security cam on your left. Shoot it. The elevator is in the left far corner of this room - take it down.
53) Run down this linear hallway, and as you enter the hallway leading to the lab area there is a surveillance plant location on your left.
54) Plant the surveillance equipment nearby, then BOOK IT to the other locations (running along the left wall). Use your map to help if necessary.
(i) One is on the left wall of the lab (the raised portion).
(ii) One is in the far left corner of the lab (the lower portion)
(iii) One is on a desk opposite the "sample kiosk" - when you go down the stairs to get into the lab, turn to your right and run straight.
(iv) One of them is in a side-room on the right near some crates and shelves.
(*) If you aren't fast enough, some guys will blow up the wall, come in here and start to ruin your life with C11s and blow up the serum.
55) After that's done, there are Omega Strain serums at the small kiosk in the center of the lab. Pressing a button at each "terminal" obtains all 4.
56) Head back to the elevator, go up, and take out the few guys on your way out (especially the flamethrower guy). Grenades are very handy.
(*) Again, if you're fast enough, you can bypass the flamethrower guys.
(*) If you took too long earlier, this place will be covered in flames.
You'll need to go back down near where you planted the surveillance equipment.
(*) There will be a ladder in one of the side rooms, which you can use and exit towards the way you came
57) Run back the way you came, to the beginning of the stage, dodging anyone when possible.
(*) If you stun jacked everyone before, resistance will be minimal until you get back outside.
(*) When you get to the room with the gas main, there's only one way back up. It's a set of stairs to the right of where you enter the room.
(*) This is how you're supposed to get to and from this room, but since the fall doesn't hurt you I like to just go for it on my way in.
General strategies and tactics
- Just like in Yemen 1, you can simply use a DSC-1 from the streets without needing to recover your weapons from the safehouse. But since the mission-critical items are there, it's best to go there anyway.
- Instead of sniping Jones with a firearm, you can toss a gas grenade at the entrance from which he exits. Even if you miss him with a sniper rifle, you still have a couple of seconds to stop him from re-entering the warehouse.
- There may sometimes be a glitch where Jones stays inside the warehouse even if the guard outside is killed...
- There is an electric supply switch behind a dumpster (opposite the warehouse sniper) which you can elect to use to deactivate the camera if you did not catch the security code.
- The code also works even inside the university compound, so you can shut down the cameras inside.
- If you're daring, it's also possible to pass through the warehouse even WITHOUT the disguise.
- If you want to minimise resistance when returning to the streets, there is a hole blown inside the labs by flamethrower guys that lead to catacombs. This should hopefully have less enemies than if you were to backtrack all the way through the university and warehouse.
Goofs
- The "GAWS 12. ga" and the "C11" both have their names swapped around. The former should be called "CAWS" and the latter, "G11".
Maps
Streets
Lower levels