Half-Life 2 Walkthrough for Chapter 7 - Cranes, Combine, and Gunships

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Fifth Thumper

Just keep driving and ignore the antlions. Go under the railroad bridge and look for the crane ahead. Park right next to the thumper and then press the button to turn it on and start repelling the antlions. Then turn around and kill the Combine soldier on the docks, if the antlions didn’t do it already.

Get back into your car and drive it under the little circular shadow of the crane. This will make the next part a lot easier for you. Once it’s there, run back to the thumper and go up onto the docks. A soldier will run out from each side of the white shed ahead. At least one will have a shotgun, so try to take them out quickly. Then look to the right. Break up the supply crates and climb up onto the docks. Kill the two soldiers up there and then look to the crane. Pull out your magnum and pick off the lone soldier shooting at you from the crane.

Crane Game

Climb up two ladders to get into the crane. Don’t touch anything! You need to get your car over to the other side and drop the bridge by hitting it with something. Just click the mouse and it will fall right on top of your car. Then swing it over to the right and push it out a bit. Drop the car when the shadow is over the platform. Then pick up one of those red containers and use it to hit the bridge. This should also kill the three soldiers who run out. Don’t worry if it doesn’t. The crane shields you from most of their gunfire. Once the bridge is down and your car is up, exit the crane.

Raiding the Base

Go into the red container by the crane. The supply crate inside is quite full usually. Then cross the bridge and look into the warehouse. Kill the soldier waiting just inside the door. He’s quite deadly with his shotgun, so be quick about it. Then use the AR2 to pick off the other two soldiers inside. Once they’re dead, go to the back office, and flip the switch. Run back out to your car and drive it through the newly opened gate in the warehouse. Swing around and hit the few Combine dumb enough to get in your way. Then just rush up that ramp in the next warehouse and jump through the glass window out onto the road.

A gunship is coming, so start moving as quickly as possible. Start driving toward the destroyed bridge ahead. Drive straight at it and save. The jump doesn’t always work. Hit the turbo and clear the gap. Slam on the handbrake to avoid ramming the wall and flipping. Then just keep moving up the coast to the car wreck.

There is a white van with an unlimited supply of rockets here. If you wish, you can use the cars for cover and blow up the gunship. That is pointless and a waste of health. Just jump out and clear a path with your gravity gun. Then rush through and get into the tunnel.

This post is part of the series: Half-Life 2 Walkthrough - Chapter 7 - Highway 17

This walkthrough covers all of the driving and fighting that takes place as you fight your way down Highway 17 on your way to Nova Prospekt. If you are having trouble killing any of the gunships or the Combine, then just look inside for a little help.

  1. Half-Life 2 Walkthrough - Chapter 7: Highway 17 - Antlions and Gunships
  2. Half-Life 2 Walkthrough - Chapter 7:Highway 17 - Cranes and Gunships
  3. Half-Life 2 Walkthrough - Chapter 7: Highway 17 - A Series of Ambushes
  4. Half-Life 2 Walkthrough - Chapter 7: Highway 17 - Battle on the Railroad Bridge