Here's how to get 343 Guilty Spark down for a closer look or whatever…

(5:18) Level 7 ('The Library') on Normal. This shows how to get the Monitor to descend low at the third floor's first door (see my article Low Monitor for detailed coverage of the phenomenon). There's some set-up work leading up to getting a handy checkpoint for making attempts, then I show some plays from the checkpoint.

Released July 30th 2013, gameplay recorded June 12th-13th 2013.

00:02 (Setting up) Leaving a bunch of helpful Sentinels behind at a tunnel exit, I head on towards the first door on this third floor, going just far enough to trigger Flood before retreating back up the alley. Staying pretty well clear to avoid alerting the two door guards, I wipe out the threat except for a few spores. Here I left three, but I could've reduced them to just one if I really wanted. Three give me a bit more to play with as I wait for the next prompt though, that's all.

Note: actually my shotgun blast at about 0:32 was a bit near the end of the alley and there was a danger it could've alerted the door guards, making them come running - which would've ruined things. Really I should've kept further back to play safe.

01:09 Finally I get "Follow the Monitor to the Index" - and meanwhile I've let my flashlight recharge, ready for the action coming up. The close presence of the spores delays the associated checkpoint, and I keep them close until I'm in position ready to attack the door guards, who crucially still haven't been alerted. When the spores die, I get the checkpoint. I could've whacked them dead, but here I just let them pop on me to make sure I'm pointing the right way as I get the checkpoint.

01:27 (Play 1 - Monitor at head height) On this first play (right after the set-up work) I go straight in and blast the guards dead with my shotty; and I get lucky as the Monitor decides to come down for a closer look at a Flood body. Unusually, he stops around head height. That gives me a nice opportunity to look at him closely without having to crouch, and I can even step inside to acquire my very own Guilty Spark helmet! But dang, it's a pity there aren't any mirrors around so I can admire my new headwear.

02:22 (Play 2 - Monitor pausing and resuming) On this next play you see the Monitor pause his descent when a Flood reanimates. Reanimation gets his attention like that. Afterwards he changes course to approach a different body.

02:52 (Play 3 - Pulse shedding) On this play the Monitor again pauses when a Flood reanimates. When I then put that Flood down again, the Monitor heads over and sheds a pulse as he arrives. It just continues with the velocity it was born with - and thus leaves him when he slows down.

03:28 (Play 4 - Horizontal pulse shedding) That last pulse moved into the ground because the Monitor was on a bit of a downwards trajectory as he released it. But in this next example he approaches parallel to the ground, thanks to having already got very low from a descent, and you get to see a pulse continue along quite nicely. In slo-mo too!

04:12 (Play 5 - Whacking match) Finally, here's a play in which I had a bit of fun with a guard. I carefully shoot his firing arm off, then wait for him to whack me. Each time he tries, he gets a whack back. When my shield starts bleeping though, it becomes a real slap-fest. But the cyborg wins, yay! Good job I was only playing that on Normal though.

Closing remarks I elected to use Normal for this tutorial, as there's no particular point in using a higher difficulty except if you want the door guards to be more robust (more for you to get your teeth into). With Normal you can easily speed along to the third floor, and that's what I did.

See my article for some more ideas of things to do when playing from your checkpoint. I didn't show them all here; I already showed some attacks on the Monitor in BCM72, and I'm planning to show some other things in another movie (yup, I'm not quite done with the low Monitor business yet).

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