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Complete Secret Locations

By KoreRat

A comprehensive list of all 95 secrets hidden throughout Quake 2, plus a couple extras.

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Created by

KoreRat
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Category: Secrets, Walkthroughs

Languages: English

Posted

Updated

31 Dec, 2015 @ 4:35am

13 Aug, 2023 @ 7:36am

5,017	Unique Visitors
171	Current Favorites

Guide Index

Overview

Unit 1: Base

Unit 2: Station

Unit 3: Jail

Unit 4: Mines

Unit 5: Factory

Unit 6: Power Plant

Unit 7: Big Gun

Unit 8: Hangar

Unit 9: Palace

Unit 10: Final Showdown

Comments

Unit 1: Base

Outer Base

In the small courtyard a secret can be found under the stairs leading into the building proper.
From the first secret follow the water into a small sewer system, dive under the wall in the back left to find a secret stash.
Upon reaching the end of the level circle around behind the giant elevator and look to the ceiling, shoot the button to reveal the final secret.

Installation

After reaching the broken bridge, jump into the water and pass through the small passageway on the left of the giant pipe. Follow the wall along the right and look for the crack in the wall, shoot it to get the prize.
The second secret is located once you return to the map after passing through the Comm Center.
As you make your way to the Units end, either drop off the ledge to the left of the last room or circle to the back of it and head down the stairs. Circle around the 'crawlspace' until you find the Super Shotgun.

Comm Center

At the beginning jump into the water and dive into the hole to the right, follow the path to a secret room.
In the back of this room is an elevator to a secret level

Lost Station

Proceed to the central lift and turn right before reaching the water, in the darkly lit room jump up the boxes on one side and then across to the other side where a Silencer hides.
Now head to the ledge and jump into the water, head left to find the secret and circle back around.
Ride the lift around to the second stop and jump into the water, shoot the button and a door will open behind you.
After you make it back to the second stop proceed through the doors and walk up the ramp, turnaround and quickly run back down while shooting the button on the ledge above. The secret is hiding under the ramp that moves.
A short ways beyond this is a room with some automatic lasers firing off to the right. Proceed forward to get onto the ledge above the laser and shoot the button to turn them off. Jump down and through the doorway on the left, down in there a secret is found.
In the room where you use the Red Keycard, jump into the water moat and swim around to find the piece of wall under the tower that is different, shoot it and slip inside.

Unit 2: Station

Ammo Depot

In the starting room a button can be found on the ceiling in the far left corner, shoot it to open a door.
In the room where you smash the door open, there is a second button in the little room where you trigger the crane, it will open a hole in the floor where you came in from.
After crossing the lava bridge drop off the side before passing through the doorway and find the passage on the left to an elevator and a Chaingun. Getting down might be a challenge without plenty of health.

Supply Station

Before entering the warehouse proper drop down into the grassy area and find the hidden door in the far left corner.
In the room with the circling crate, jump on top and wait for it to return to its hole. There is a Quad Damage in there.
In the room with all the crates and the large staircase in the floor, look to the left of the stairs to see a slightly discolored crate, shoot it.

Warehouse

At the bottom of the spiral staircase there are crates along the wall, behind one of them is a shootable button. This will open the spiral staircases further down.
In the second-to-last room with the side-to-side cranes go into the room on the left and shoot the button on the ceiling.

Unit 3: Jail

Main Gate

Take a dive into the water at the beginning, there is a pathway right at the water level leading back to the start.
In the large room with an alarm button across from the entrance. To the right a hole in the wall will explode and a Flyer will come out, behind them sits a Flak Jacket.

Detention Center

Once in the first cell block head to the elevated room on the right. Turn around and shoot the button across from the steps while running down them to find a Combat Suit under them.
As you enter the last room, a large room with a small room in the middle of it, hit the green button as you walk in. Clear the room of enemies and then press the button next to the door that is opposite the exit door. Inside that door is another button that will open the door on the side of the room, opening access to the Power Shield.

Security Complex

At the start head to the left,just before you are stopped by a laser fence there is a shootable wall, the secret lies behind it.

Torture Chambers

Defeat the welcoming party, or just run past him, and make a right. Go all the way to the end to find a brand new Hyper Blaster
In Cell Block A, the left cell in the corner has a shootable wall that leads to Invulnerability.
Using that Invulnerability from the last secret, take a swim in the giant tank of lava at the end of the map, a nice assortment of goodies can be found at the bottom.

Guard House

Enter the big room with stairs that curve down to a lower level, shoot the cluster of barrels on the opposite side.
After leaving the previous room when you get outside there is a hidden button in the grey stone in between the two paths. Press it and the ramp on the left will drop down.
While still outside, jump off onto the lower catwalk and follow it around to the left. There is a room with a broken door, crawl into the door to find the final secret.

Grid Control

Unit 4: Mines

Mine Entrance

When you walk out onto a large catwalk inside a large cavern above a lava river. Just as you walk onto it there is some Stogg tech sparking about on your left, shoot it.

Upper Mines

Once you've made it to the main objective you'll see more sparking Strogg tech, you know what to do.
When leaving the previous room, head left to the bridge switch room. In the far right corner as you enter, next to some First Aid in is a hidden door that opens when shot.

Borehole

In the large room with the curved stairs and large pipe in the floor, look under the stairs for the first secret.
Now jump down that hole, drop into the water to find some Super-Adrenaline.
In the last room you press two buttons to start the drill, this also blows open some wall sections revealing more Strogg. Kill them and then go to the newly open passage accross from the button towards the room entrance. Follow it a short ways and then shoot the wall to open the hidden door and follow it to a secret exit.

Drilling Area

This map has a lot of leaving and coming back, but at one point you will be tasked with shooting out two red pylons in order to move a central bean out of your way to progress down into the mines. After that, follow the mine, and when it turns left look right, you'll see a crack in the wall with some light or sparks coming from behind it.
In the room with the final fight with a Tank be sure not to destroy the explosive barrels to the right. Use them to get into the crates and then up onto the upper ledge to find the secret.

Lower Mines

Unit 5: Factory

Receiving Center

When you climb up the ladder in the red pipe you come out into a small room with three small lifts on one wall. Use the middle lift to line yourself of with the opposite wall in the next room, shoot it to reveal a small hidden room.
After you gain access to the small outside portion, run down the catwalk and rocket jump onto the waterfall at the end. Dropping down in the water there will send you to the second secret level. On the next level you get 30 seconds to grab as much stuff as you can before being sent back to the catwalk. Save before going in case you need to try it again, because YOU ONLY GET ONE TRY.
Hop off the catwalk and find the secret in the tiny room.
Right across from the ext it a shootable button that opens a hidden door back the way you came.

Sudden Death

Processing Plant

In the room with the Tank, clear out all the enemies then head to the upper level. In the middle of the room is a sort of eye shaped section in the ceiling, inside that is a shootable red light that opens a hidden door.
In the next room, as you enter hop off the ledge to the left. Quickly get on the ledge to grab the Quad Damage.
In the room with the conveyor belt, after you stop the belt hop on it and head up it as far as you can, you'll find an Ammo Pack.
In the room where you hit button to raise a platform in another room, go behind the glass tube that holds the captured marines and look through the grate on the wall, shoot the button and gain some Armor Shards.

Unit 6: Power Plant

Power Plant

Cross the bridge and enter the plant, turn left and look for the flashing white light in the ceiling, shoot it to open a hidden door.
In the next room, look for the cluster of explosive barrels in the corner, shoot them.

The Reactor

In the large central room with walkways on both sides and one perpendicular on the lower level, hop down to the lower level, pass through the red door at the end, and shoot the wall directly in front of you to open a hidden wall revealing a ladder.

Cooling Facility

Walking along the edge of the water half-pipe, rather than swimming in it, hop off at the end of the edging, just after the first left bend, to find the secret below
In the big room full of water that the half-pipe leads you to, make your way to the top, then hop off onto the ledge a little below to find a Mega-Health. Its located to the right when you first enter this room.
Towards the end of the level, you turn a wheel to trigger a large piston then push a button to trigger two smaller pistons. After pushing the button hop back down to where the wheel is to find secret revealed with three highly prized items.

Toxic Waste Dump

As you are progressing through this level you will come to find an Enviro-Suit placed at the edge of the walkway, overlooking some nice Slime. Grab the suit, and hop in. Turn around and head straight to the end, make a right and then again to the end. You'll find the secret and a second Eniro-Suit to help you get out.
The second secret is best found after completing the Pumping Stations. You'll have to press a button to raise a walk way to continue on, in this area jump down into the slime, grab the secret, then follow the passage way to the left of the secret, back towards the area you entered the level in.

Pumping Station One

Progress through the level until you go up an elevator and into a room full of crates and large pipes along the walls. Behind the way you entered is a flashing yellow light, shoot it.
Next in this same room is a large sparking crack in a pipe, across from the entrance, shoot it and hop in.
Follow the pipe until you come to an outside area, shoot the grating directly in front of you while you are exiting the pipe. Then shoot the second grating high p on the wall. A secret compartment will open, but so will a door will a not-so friendly Gladiator.

Pumping Station Two

To the right of the Blue Key Card door is a shootable wall with some Body Armor, however this is the infamous bugged secret and it will not give you credit for it. UPDATED: 2023 Remastered version has fixed this bug.
Now drop down the gap between and secret ledge and the walkway. Before jumping down to where the BFG move to the left and onto the ledge, following it around to the secret. Rocket jump back onto the ledge or make a quick swim through the Slim back to the BFG.
Proceed on this path until you find the odd oval shapped portion of wall on the left just before the big lift. Shoot it to find the goods and the end of a seizure-inducing passageway.
At the end of the level you have to cross a small Slime pool, dive in on the far side and find some Quad Damage for your troubles.

Unit 7: Big Gun

Big Gun

Unit 8: Hangar

Outer Hangar

In the room directly below the starting room there is a pipe next to the door, hop over the pipe for more Super-Adrenaline.
Next head out into the water to the right, shoot the red pylon under the water to stop the propeller spinning, swim past it and on to the second secret.
In this new Courtyard area Proceed straight ahead and look for a suspicious rock sticking out from the wall, shoot it for a pleasant surprise.
Now head left into the door way with the patrolling Tank, the entrance the the third secret level awaits.
On your way back from the Comm Satellite instead of heading back through the water, look to the right to see a ladder to a cave. Inside there is some supplies and a shootable wall that leads right to there you want to be.

Comm Satellite

Just after the second lift, you'll see a nice view of the vacuum of space with some beams going across. Jump down onto the first one, and then across to the next, all the way around until you reach the Super-Adrenaline, then back again. Quick-Saving it recommended before each jump.
Just before the last door leading to the exit ring portal, look over the right ledge into the far left corner, another Super-Adrenaline sits over there.

Research Lab

At the clear bridge over the bloody slime, push the two buttons and then shoot at the crack in the right most cage across from one of the button platforms. Jump across to grab the secret.
Upon returning to the beginning of the level after completing the objectives, one of the captured Marines will have written 'Kill Me' on the glass. Shoot the glass, jump into the room and then crawl into the next. The message "A.H.D.S.S.I.B.H. - bjjc" will appear on screen as the second secret. It translates into "A Hall Displays Secret Snapshots In Boss's House - Brandon James & John Carmack"
Some claim the second secret requires you to kill all the captured marines you come across as you progress through the level. I cannot confirm nor deny this as I always mercy-kill all marines I come find in the entire game.

Inner Hangar

Right at the start, a computer on the left is sparking and waiting to be put out of its misery.
After slipping past the spinning mixer wall with blue water shoot the stack of three barrels in the far left corner.
Continue on into the room with the moving block platforms. Jump into the water and head toward the platform with a switch on it to the left, in front of it is a deeper portion that leads to a secret.
Once you make it into the Hanger Well, the really big round room, jump in the water and locate the next secret.
Before you get on the lift to exit the level, there is a shootable wall just to the left of the entrance way, in the corner.

Launch Command

Right at the start of the level there is a large platform with spinning circles, this is the Black Hole Generator, rocket-jump onto it and run across to the other side for some supplies and a message.
At the very end, just before passing through the last door there are glass windows on either side. Shoot the left one on the left, and hop in for a quick swim for some ammo.

Outlands

Unit 9: Palace

Outer Courts

Down and below where you come out there are two caves, the left cave has sparking cave rock waiting to be shot for its troubles and secret number one.
Circle along the outer edge of the courtyard making your way up the rock ledges, and on top of the door you originally came out of. Push the button and hop down and back into the door, a new hidden door has opened on the right. After you climb the ladder you can follow the ledge back the direction you came to find a hidden Super-Adrenaline.
Once you locate the Data Spinner, shoot the wall just to the right of it, then step on the pressure plate to open another secret door just across from it. More Super-Adrenaline and a button are secret number three.
As you're about to enter the grand entrance of the Palace the alarm will sound. Now you can double back to the starting area and work your way up along the rock edges again like you did before, but this time don't drop down onto the button above the first door, continue past it and jump up onto a ledge with a secret door where the Medics you've no doubt met already were hiding and left some Medkits.
After you have shut the Red Force Field off in the Lower Palace, return to the outer courts and go back the way you went in search of the Data Spinner. Before you go into the water pipe that pushes you up stick your head above the water to see a small ledge with some supplies sitting on some shelves, including a Red Key Card which you'll need for a later secret.

Lower Palace

If you entered the level following the red carpet(I recommend it) you will see a blue force field pillar with a Quad Damage on top of it. Behind it is an image of a Strogg(maybe?) with crossed-arms, shoot it. Turn around and look up and shoot that crossed-armed image too, and the Quad should lower down to be reached.
Drop down from there and slip through the blue lasers, continue one turning left at every chance until you find the room to deactivate the Red Force Fields. Then backtrack all the way past the blue lasers into the next room. Hit the explosive barrels above the door to open access to a side vent, but first take the door to go back to the Outer Courts to get the last secret there. When you get back take the newly opened vent access to find a small cache of supplies.
Following the red carpet will lead you to a gun trap at the end of a long hall. Hard to see on the wall across from you is a shootable button that will permanently deactivate the trap. This trap and secret are not present when playing in Easy mode.
At the end of the gun trap hall is a confrontation with a Tank Commander in front of a lift. Just to the right of the life it a computer monitor mounted on the wall, shooting it will activate the wall opening a passage.
After you insert the Data Spinner and exit via the red door towards the Upper Palace there will be a small room on the right with a switch to deactivate green lasers, in that same room is a piece of wall sticking out, left of the switch. Pushing on the wall opens a secret compartment back a few steps. Then head back to follow the red carpet to the Upper Palace.
Once you've turned off the Yellow Force Fields in the Upper Palace follow the red carpet back to the Lower Palace, leave the red carpet behind where the Quad Damage was and continue down the hallways until you reach the room on the left with the blue light running along the wall. Crouch through the gap in the middle of the circular cage work. Follow the ladders all the way to the top to find the last stash on this map.

Upper Palace

Entering the Upper Palace by following the red carpet, open the door to the right and shoot the ceiling, a door will open directly in front of you. Before \going back and following the red carpet again.
Once you reach the red door with the Blue Force Field behind it look for the small hole to the right of the door, and drop down. Now standing on the ledge next to the hole inside this secret you can see the next one.
See the First Aid sitting on a small platform to the left of the walkway? Drop down onto the walkway and then quickly drop down on the First Aid, then hop across the lava for a gift and an easy slip past the lasers above.
As you are making your way to the Security Pass you will go up a lift that leads to what appears to be a dead end due to the Yellow Force Field. But opposite the Force Field is an air vent that will open when walked up to. Inside the next room you can shoot the wall to the left as you entered to open another door to a secret room.
Make your way to the Lower Palace so as to enter the Upper Palace from the back door(the area where you found the Security Pass). This is also a good time to get that last secret from the Lower Palace. Make your way to the guardrail with the lift, and make you way down. After a few seconds a Technician will blow out a hole above you, shoot into the newly created hole at the button.
Next follow the path to a small room with some red bricks on the wall and a tiny Slime pond. Shoot at the wall just above the Slime to reveal the next secret.
Now carefully walk across the edge of the Slime pond to find a small rock jutting out from the rest, push it. You'll hear a door open, not time for a quick swim. Don't forget to grab the Super-Adrenaline along the way.
If you have the Red Key Card from the last secret in the Outer Courts you can use it at the keyboard to acquire the Ancient Head.

Unit 10: Final Showdown

Inner Chamber

Final Showdown

"A Hall Displays Secret Snapshots In Boss's House - Brandon James & John Carmack"
After defeating the Makron head into the underground passage, all the way into the back of it is a crack in the wall, shoot it. Proceed further to see the faces of the fine people that brought you this wonder of video gaming. Enjoy the pictures, the ones that are there at least, push the buttons, watch out for Paul Steed. After enough time a hole in the floor will open up at the end of the hallway.
Proceed down it to find the final secret of the game.

7 Comments

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Toyoch 14 Aug, 2023 @ 9:30am

Research Lab's "Kill me" secret : I confirmed that you need to kill all the killable prisoners in the level (There are some unkillables behind glass, and they don't count) to make the entrance glass breakable.
Only the kills in Research Lab level matters, as I kept most of them alive in the Holding Cells.

Horny Stalker 3 Jul, 2020 @ 8:03pm

I know there a secret portal above the data spinner in Outer courts if you use noclip. But if you enter that portal the game crashes. Is there supposed to be something up there?!

Zryachniye 7 Apr, 2020 @ 1:27am

This is several years late, but I can confirm the requirements for the secret message in Research Lab - you have to kill all of the marines you come across, otherwise it won't trigger.

Also, I would like to add something: there is an unmarked secret in the Unit 6. After clearing Pumping Station One and Two, instead of heading to Big Gun, return to the Cooling Facility. Go through the level and reach the last large pool of water outdoors. On the long wall, there will be a newly created hole that you can swim through. Surface in this newly opened room and get on a ledge to find a large pipe with a crack in it. Break the pipe to see an image of the Dopefish on a fishing hook, and receive the message 'Design is law.'

bo$$m£n 29 Dec, 2019 @ 6:27am

Nice guide!

Bazztoner 21 Feb, 2019 @ 7:39pm

Great guide. It would be nicer if it had screenshots but it's absolutely clear, nonetheless. Thank you!

Power Guido 13 Dec, 2018 @ 10:35am

Thanks for this guide!

Kvaki 6 Mar, 2016 @ 11:47pm

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