Day 3: Smash and Grab

Day 3: Smash and Grab

Primary Objectives: Hack the Mainframe / Crack the Safe / Deliver Datakey
Secondary Objectives:  None

If you allow it to be, this can be one of the most frustrating missions in the game -- the reason for that is really very simple: the Enemy AI in this game is especially good at finding choke-points and then using them very efficiently.

Your first two tasks are to Hack the Mainframe and then Crack the Safe -- which though it includes resistance from the enemy (see the video) is not determined resistance.  That only comes AFTER you get the safe open and have picked up the Datakey.  Once you do that they go into high gear and become a serious hassle to you.

So here is what will happen -- the enemy will appear from two different spawn spots in the bar area where the safe -- and the Datakey -- are located.  Once you pick up the Datakey you become the only thing they are interested in killing. 

Your objective is to get that key to the tram station and upload it into the computer there.  How you do that is actually very simple!  When you die -- and you will -- spawn instead of reviving so you appear near the Console, and then change your job to Medic.  Why?  Because you can heal yourself, and because you can revive yourself, that is part of the reason why -- the OTHER reason is that Medic is the only class in the game that will cause the OTHER classes to defend it.  You read that right -- if you try to play as any class but Medic, your teammates will watch you die.  If you play as Medic they will actually help you.

Getting the Datakey and Uploading it!

So, once you return to the bar and grab the key, head for the computer -- you will notice that one or more of the team is now with you, defending you.  While that is great and it will help a lot, you need to go from cover to cover and be proactive about killing any enemy that you can, because they are trying really hard to kill you, and by extension whichever teammates are trying to help you.

If you do get killed the Key is magically teleported to the bar and back in the safe you got it from -- even if you are only 5m from the computer you were supposed to upload it into.  That is probably the most frustrating aspect of this mission.  No, I lie!  The most frustrating aspect is that the game will cheat.

If you watch the video carefully you will see an enemy soldier who I engaged in a shootout with, and who is missing the top half of his head from the nose up because I blew it off -- and who is still on his feet, still shooting, and still killing your teammates -- and you if you let him.  If that is not cheating I don't know what it is!

So to sum this up, get the Key while the enemy -- including dead ones -- try hard to kill you!  Get the Key to the computer at the tram platform and upload it, and mission accomplished!

If you worked the Freeplay for Levels and Journals you now know that there is a limit to the number you can unlock that way -- the last few times you did Freeplay you did not get any Journals -- that is because you have to get the rest from the Campaign!

Some free advice here -- if you end up getting frustrated by this mission, watch the video to see how I did it -- and do that.  But not while you are upset.  Take a break, eat dinner, walk your dog -- do anything except play the game -- until you are in a relaxed and calm mood, and then give it another try.