Chapter I: Invasion! | Walkthrough The Bureau Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
Game begins with tutorial. After a cut scene look around in Carter's room. Using keys to move, walk around and look at the suitcase. In this moment, the hero will see that he has lost his cargo. You can exit the location by the door opposite to the window.
Go to the corridor and turn behind the corner. When you see an alien ship, sprint to the wall and hide under the parapet. Carter bends automatically when you press sprint button. Soldier you meet here is killed by aliens - you can't do anything.
Crawl right, avoid aliens' bullets. When you get to uncovered part of the wall, jump to the next wall (press sprint button and direction in which you want go).
Glue out of the wall and walk to the door. Keep to the left side of room and jump over fallen cupboard. Go downstairs and through few rooms until you get to the exit. On your way you find no enemies, so you can look around. But there are no interactive objects.
Go left, pass burning airplane. Use its wings as a cover and prepare for the first battle. In front of you, you will see few Sectoids, the weakest and the most fragile type of enemies. Aim at them and kill.
When you kill the first pair, few more appears. Then, lean out from behind the cover and fire at their heads. Remember that the best moment to shot them down is when they're reloading.
When the aliens are dead, enter the building in front of you. You meet there agent Nils and use radio (lies on the table, screen above). When the conversation is over, leave the room using the exit on left.
Go upstairs and look around. On the desk next to the agent Nils you find first collectible in the game: photo of laboratory entrance.
Go through door secured by your companion and exit the building. Head for the closest building and go upstairs. Now, the sudden explosion separates you from agent Nils
Enter the storehouse and pick up M14 Rifle, dropped by a dead soldier. Thanks to that you can eliminate bigger groups of aliens in shorter time. Remember to use short series, because recoil decreases accuracy of Carter.
Press button which opens door to hangar and hide behind crates. When agent Nils runs into the room below, open the window and help your companion. In front of you, a small squad of Sectoids appear - you shouldn't have too much problems with them. As you're on the high ground, you can fire at enemies hiding behind covers.
When the danger is done, go through door on left and meet with agent Nils. Move forward, go through the flooded room and jump into the burning hole. A bit later you find two aliens torment a fighter pilot: but you can't help him, move on. Pass them and follow the only possible path.
American tanks, which you will see, will be quickly destroyed by an alien ship - you can't do anything about it either. So approach them and hide behind a cover on left. You will be fired at by Gun Turret. And you can't handle it by yourself.
Move to the focus mode and order agent Nils to walk the enemy around from right. From the available option choose Move and use proper keys to place him, just behind a Turret. It's shown on the screen above.
When Carter's ally is on the position, choose his ability Critical Strike and aim at a Turret. As it was damaged, one shot is enough. Notice that agent Nils obtained a solid bonus to damage because of flanking the enemy.
When the enemy fortification is blow up, another enemies will appear: Sectoids. But you don't have to worry: positioning of Carter and agent Nils works for you, so elimination shouldn't be a problem. After that, pick up rifles and pistols and then enter the building in front of you. There you'll find few additional weapons and ammo pack.
Go through the main hall of building, picking up everything you want and then jump out through the hole in the wall. When the street in front of Carter explodes, approach the crater and look at it. Then, head for the hangar in front of you.
Run into it and hide behind a fork-lift truck picking up grenades from it (screen above). Order Nils to hide behind crates on left. In front of you, you see three enemies: two Sectoids and an Outsider. Use Critical Strike of Nils and kill the new enemy. This choice has a sense: Outsider is a primary target as he has a lot more HP than his weaker companions. Luckily, a good eye of your ally is enough for quick and effortless elimination of enemy.
When you kill all enemies, look around carefully in this room. You'll find few additional grenades and rifles. Look also to the room on right and search crates at the elevator, you find there two M1897 Shotguns. But remember, that Carter can use only two types of guns at once.
Remark! Combination rifle plus shotgun seems to be an optimum, as the first one is good for a medium distance, while the other one for short distance. Pistol is very weak, don't regret it.
When you press elevator button, two Outsiders enter the hangar. Eliminate them as you like and prepare for a longer battle. After a while, a Drop Pod, few more Outsiders and a Drone appear in the chamber. This fight you can play in two ways: by conventional fire, killing enemies one after another or with Fire Mission ability owned by agent Nils. The second option is more profitable as you can kill enemies and eliminate the device from which they are coming out at once.
If you chose the more difficult option, begin from killing a Drone which can heal allies. That will spare you a lot of problems.
When the danger is eliminated, enter the elevator and ride down. Go to the room in front of you and, in room with screens, find a letter, another collectible. In the nearby corridor you can find more ammo and swap any weapon for a pistol (not recommended).
Moving forward, you get to a room with world map and a projector. On the table with the device, you can find a photo which shows weird symbols. If you are curious, you can approach the displayed picture and talk about it with agent Nils.
Enter the shed with TV and two bodies. On the small table you find another photo. When you stop enjoying this view, exit the room by the door on left. Then, follow the only possible path through next corridors and finally meet up with Faulke. Following events will come in the same way independently from your choices.
When you finish the conversation, your boss sends you to the other part of base. Notice, that you get another man in your squad: agent Kinney, an engineer. He specializes in setting up traps and frightening aliens, what is a useful combination.
Move forward, along the corridor. When you get to the staircase, look on the floor above where you find a rifle. Then go to the very bottom and prepare to the battle. In the laboratory, you find several Outsiders and Sectoids, who can be challenging. An optimal way of destroying them is to set up XCOM Turret in the middle of the room (use an ability of agent Kinney). It should be enough, but enemy may try to walk you from the right flank. In this case, use a grenade or Critical Strike.
After this fight, look around. On right you find a shotgun, on left a mysterious aliens' artifact (unfortunately, you can't pick it up, only talk about it). By the way - you can look under the column next to the exit from the room, you find there another letter.
When you exit the room, move forward until you find two Outsiders hiding behind a crate (you can see them in focus mode, screen above). The best way to eliminate is to throw a grenade. Notice also that just next to it you can find a ammo pack, grenades and a rifle.
Follow the only possible path until you get to the room with aliens and enemy Turret. The best thing to do is to send agent Nils on the back of the room and place him behind a cover - as a sniper, he doesn't have to be close to enemies. Kinney's task should be setting up Turret XCOM just before the alien barricade to nail them down and keep them in one place. In this moment, let them taste a grenade and then eliminate they automatic rifle. Remainings may be defeated by agent Nils, who almost always makes a hit. This way of fighting is the optimal one.
After replenishing ammo and grenades (plenty of them in the room) you can approach a part of bomb and talk about it with companions. Finally, go to the exit and move on. Pass an alien device and enter the location from where you hear weird sounds. Kill a Sectoid inside and pick up a letter from the desk. Then, look into the cupboard at the door and pick up another note. Go through door and watch a cut scene.
During this conversation, you don't have to care: your dialogue choices don't matter at all here. You can freely move on to another confrontation. On your way, you find several Sectoids and Outsiders, who can be easily flanked from both sides. It's a good idea to set up a XCOM Turret in the middle of the room and use grenades if there is a need.
Replenish supplies after a battle and then launch a train in front of you. Watch a cut scene and prepare for a change of scenery. Make yourself comfortable in the new location and pick up everything you think will be useful. In a moment, you'll fight an overnumbering troops of enemies.
Walk on the platform on the top and pick up sniper rifle. Sniper rifle is one of the best and most useful weapon in this game: it allows for the long distance fight (and this is how the battle takes place, mostly) and deals a lot of damage. So, this weapon will be an invaluable help during combats whatever your playstyle is. As the second weapon, I recommend M14 Rifle because it's very universal. This set seems to be good at this stage of the game.
When you equip enough, approach radio and contact the base. After that, Drop Pods with Outsiders and Sectoids appear in front of you. You can eliminate them with companions' abilities: Laser Turret or Fire Mission. Conventional way of eliminating them is a bit problematic but thanks to flanking bonus you should make it.
Another wave appears when the first one is eliminated - this one is a bit stronger, but still defeatable. Crucial is to not let any squad member to go to the bottom of platform, because it's a pure suicide. Notice, that enemies spread after landing and try to go upstairs using the left side: so you can mines this area. An alternate option is to use grenades or sniper rifle.
When it's done, approach the computer in the middle of location and then launch testing sequence. There is over a minute to an explosion: you have to withstand allies to this moment.
Enter the helicopter field and replenish ammo (nearby you find another sniper rifle and bag with bullets). Tell Kinney to set up a Turret at only stairs leading up and then prepare for a battle. In front of you the indestructible Drop Pods appear with unlimited numbers of enemies: Outsiders and Drones. You can't win this fight, so fire at enemies until the help arrives. When the chopper flies to you run to it, run!
Remark! If you don't make it on time, the bomb will kill Carter!