Research Lab

Research Lab
Game	Quake II Quake II PSX
Unit	Unit 8 Mission 4
Soundtrack	06 - Underworld
Connected Maps	Outer Hangar Defense Command
Specific Information
Enemies	Difficulty Easy 35 38 Medium 39 30 Hard/Nightmare 45 34
Secrets	1 2
New Misc	Commander's head Hidden Message
[Source]

The Research Lab is an entirely indoor facility where the Strogg perform various gruesome experiments (most of which involve dismemberment) on human captives. Apart from the various computers and other machinery, there are several holding pens. Moans of pain fill the air and many enemies wait in ambush within concealed wall or floor compartments.

The area also features a repair station, where a badly damaged Tank Commander can be found. His head could be the key to overcoming the security scanner in the Outer Hangar.

Quick Level Completion

Coming soon...

Walkthrough

Coming soon...

Enemies

These statistics refer to the 2023 remaster. The two Gunners are not present in the original game, and several kills are missing - see the Bugs section.

Secrets

• #1) When you reach the transparent bridge over the reddish fluid, look to your right to see several holding cells in the wall; there is a crack in one of the bars. Blow it up to open a secret compartment in the back wall of the cell, for a box of Slugs and a Quad Damage.

PSX version:

• #1) In the first room, shoot the cracked window to find a crawlspace where a Parasite lurks. Beyond lies a chamber containing Combat Armor, some grenades and a prisoner who has written a message for whoever might read it.
• #2) When you reach the maintenance bridge over the reddish fluid, look to your right to see several holding cells in the wall. One of them contains a shootable button, which opens a nearby observation area containing a prison cell and a Quad Damage.

Easter egg

In the first room of this level there is a window. Killing all of the human prisoners in this level (or at least, all the prisoners who can be killed, not counting the ones seen behind forcefields or indestructible windows) will cause this window to change as you leave the level; the words "Kill Me" will appear on it, written in blood, and it can now be destroyed by your gunfire. Shoot the window and follow the crawlspace to a hidden room, where you will receive this strange message - "A.H.D.S.S.I.B.H. - bjjc". The message's meaning is "A Hall Displays Secret Snapshots In Boss' House - Brandon James & John Carmack" - it's a hint about the hidden id Gallery in the final level.

Differences in the PSX version

• Different enemy count and secrets (see above). Notably, several Tanks are encountered that were not present in the PC version, but Brains are not present in the PSX campaign at all.
• The level is accessed via Defense Command rather than Outer Hangar, and the Commander's Head is used to gain access to the Gravity Booster rather than the Inner Hangar.
• The Easter egg mentioned above is not applicable to the PC version, essentially being replaced by the first Secret area.

Bugs

• In the original PC version, this level suffered from missing kills on Easy and Medium difficulty (three missing kills on Easy, two on Medium). Two of the missing kills are probably the two Gunners; the third missing kill on Easy is unknown. These problems are corrected in the 2023 remaster.
• In the PSX version, this level suffers from missing kills on all difficulty settings.
• In the PSX version, the difficulty settings are inconsistent; Easy has the strongest enemy forces, followed by Hard, with Medium being the easiest. This is one of five levels in the PSX campaign with this issue.

Deathmatch

Differences

Coming soon...