Map28: Flame Core (Prodoomer)

This map has a lot of platforming over lava, and enemies that can push the player into the lava. This is not a good map to farm for credits, since most of the monsters are flying over the lava, walking through it, or stationed on the platforms beside it. The Hook ability can be used to pull monsters away from the lava, however it is more important to defeat the powerful monsters quickly than to attempt to collect their items.

Around halfway through the level is a cutoff point where the player takes a jump pad into the core of the volcano. There is no way back to the beginning of the map, so players need to be sure to get all the items and secrets in the first half before approaching the jump pad.

Average Payout: 10,000 credits

Secrets
1. To the left of the door that the first switch opens, jump onto the ledge and open the wall to get some potions and an Electric Zeus.

2. After taking the jump pad up to defeat the two phoenixes, get out the Sniper Rifle and look across the pit through the narrow window. Hit the shootable switch, which will open up a teleporter nearby, allowing access to the ammo.

3. There is a long winding passage leading out from the eastern lava cavern. After wall jumping up a shaft, open the secret wall between the two red torches.

Rings
56 When the player first reaches the top of the lava falls at the other side of the first lava cavern, there is a fake wall up and to the left. The safest way to get up there is to put sandbags next to the wall and rocket jump off the top of them to get the ring.

57 This ring is in plain sight, floating above a high lava ledge in the eastern lava cavern. The safest way to get it is to throw sandbags as close to the ring as possible, encase them in Iron Prison, then rocket jump on top and collect the ring.

Boss Strategy
Mephiles is a hard boss to hit, and his attacks are even harder to avoid. He turns invisible, teleports, can seal off the player's abilities, and has a primary attack similar to a rail gun in six directions. If he teleports into melee range, or if an attack pushes the player into the lava, it spells instant death. Additionally, blot enemies will continuously spawn at the cone structures around the arena, although they don't count towards kills. It is advisable to keep one's distance and try to break his line of sight with cover.

An easy way to beat Mephiles is to wait for him to give away his position and use Clock Freeze to run up next to him and fire a Gas Grenade straight down. He will be caught in the cloud and stunlocked, and therefore vulnerable to other attacks. Another possible strategy is to stand in the middle of the island and spam the Electric Zeus straight down so that it propels the player into the air. The boss has no attack that can hit an airborne opponent, so with full ammo, he should die before the player runs out. He is worth 435 XP when killed and drops 1,000 credits, if the player is fast enough to collect them, as the level ends almost as soon as the boss dies.