Rise and shine, Mr. Freeman. We begin our journey in the first chapter of Half-Life 2: Point Insertion! After a long stasis, you awaken on a train to City 17, where the Combine is already at large. In this chapter, there are three achievements to earn, and it's important to note that one is missable. The missable achievement depends on your choice when you encounter the first Combine soldier in the train station, so be sure to check the achievements section for details. Let's break it down:


This chapter features three achievements, with the first two being mutually exclusive. The third achievement is unmissable and will unlock with story progression.

• Submissive / Defiant: After your reunion with Barney, you'll move further into the train station. After a short while, a Combine Metro Cop will block your path and knock a soda can to the ground, ordering you to pick it up. Your choice here determines which achievement you unlock:
  
  
  • Submissive: Throw the soda can into the nearby trash can.
    
    
    
    Put the can in the trash.
    You will earn this achievement by throwing the soda can into the nearby trash can
    
    
  • Defiant: Throw the soda can at the Combine Metro Cop.
    
    
    
    Hit the trashcan cop with the can.
    You will earn this achievement by throwing the soda can at the Combine Metro Cop
  
  Note: It's impossible to earn both achievements in a single playthrough. To get both, simply save your game just before this event, reload after you've unlocked one, and then make the other choice.

• This chapter has one unmissable achievement named 'Malcontent'
  
  
  • Malcontent: This is a story-related achievement that will unlock automatically after you have successfully escaped the apartment block raid. You cannot miss this one.
    
    
    
    Escape the apartment block raid.
    You will unlock this achievement by progressing through the story, it will automatically unlock when escaping the apartment block after the raid by Civil Protection.
  
  
  Video Walkhrough: Point Insertion
  Want a visual walkthrough? This video can help you see how to get through the chapter. It includes timestamps for all three achievements listed in this guide, so you can easily jump to the sections you need.
  
  

After a rough introduction to City 17 and a narrow escape from the metrocops, we find ourselves regrouping thanks to Barney’s help. Our goal is to reach Dr. Kleiner’s lab but the Combine are never far behind. A desperate chase across the rooftops leaves us shaken, only to be rescued at the last moment by Alyx Vance. This is chapter 2: A Red Letter Day, it has two missable achievements and one unmissable achievement that will unlock automatically. Let's get to it!


This chapter features three achievements, with the first two being missable. The third achievement is unmissable and will unlock with story progression.

• Lambda Locator / What Cat?: These are two achievements that require attention. The former (Lambda Locator) is part of a larger effort to find hidden caches (usually weapons and other supplies) that have been left by the resistance and are marked by a 'Lambda' sign. There are a total of 45 caches to be found in the entire game. The latter achievement 'What Cat?' involves breaking a teleporter in Dr. Kleiner's lab.
  
  
  • Lambda Locator [1/45]: Dr. Kleiner's lab
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    This Lambda location will be automatically unlocked as you progress into Dr. Kleiners lab (although strictly speaking this is an unmissable unlock, normallly Lambda locations are missable and therefore this is added to the unmissable achievements list!)
    
    
    
    
  • What Cat?: Break the mini-teleporter in Dr. Kleiner's lab
    
    
    
    Break the mini-teleporter in Kleiner's lab.
    You will earn this achievement by continuing to teleport items using the mini-teleporter. Although it might take a while, when teleporting enough items (books, office supplies), it will eventually break (with a noticable 'bang')

• This chapter has one unmissable achievement named 'Trusty Hardware'
  
  
  • Trusty Hardware: This is a story-related achievement that will unlock automatically after you have survived the teleporter accident. When heading from the transformer substation to the train yard, you'll encounter Barney, who will give you your weapon of choice, the crowbar!
    
    
     
    Get the crowbar.
    You will unlock this achievement by progressing through the story, it will automatically unlock when you acquire the crowbar from Barney just before the trainyard.

Want a visual walkthrough? This video can help you see how to get the achievements in this chapter. It includes timestamps for all achievements listed in this section of the guide, so you can easily jump to the ones you need.

With the mighty crowbar finally in hand and a moment to catch our breath after the frantic sprint through City 17’s train yard, it’s time to push forward. The Combine are on our heels, and the failed teleporter jump has blown our cover. Our path now leads through the city’s canals, all the way to Black Mesa East on foot. This is chapter 3: Route Kanal. This is Chapter 3: Route Kanal. Here, you’ll find eight missable achievements and one unmissable achievement that unlocks automatically. Let’s get to it shall we?


This chapter features a total of nine achievements, with the first eight being missable. Most of them being Lambda cash locations. The ninth achievement is unmissable and will unlock with story progression (by getting to the airboat).

• Lambda Locator (2 - 8) / Barnicle Bowling: These are the key achievements to watch for in this chapter. Lambda Locator is part of a larger quest to uncover hidden resistance caches, usually stashes of weapons and supplies, marked by the familiar Lambda symbol. There are 45 caches in total across the game, with 7 located in this chapter. Barnacle Bowling unlocks when you take out five barnacles at once using a single explosive barrel. Timing and placement are everything here!
  
  
  • Lambda Locator [2/45]: Beneath the floor boards
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    This Lambda cache is hidden in an abandoned house by the rail tracks. Once inside, you’ll find it beneath the floorboards on the left side. Be ready! Combine Metro Cops will show up and fire at you from across the tracks.
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [3/45]: The vents
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    This Lambda cache is found shortly after the previous one, hidden inside the vents of a building. Crawl through the vents and you’ll spot a supply crate. Break it open and collect the contents to progress toward the achievement.
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [4/45]: The crushed red van
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    Head through the canals into the underground passages. This Lambda cache is just past Station 12, the resistance hideout with the machine gun nest on top. From the nest, continue straight along the concrete path into the tunnel. Inside, look to the left: the cache is behind the crushed red van. Jump over the wreck to reach it. This one is easy to miss!
    
    
    
    
  • Barnicle Bowling: Kill five barnicles with one barrel
    
    
    
    Kill five barnicles with one barrel
    Continuing from the previous achievement (Lambda Locator [4/45]), you’ll reach an open area leading into the sewer system. After dodging Combine Metro Cops throwing explosive barrels (and hiding underwater), head forward to a bridge with more barrels beneath it. Clear the way, then proceed under the bridge to another drainage passage filled with barnacles.
    
    This is the perfect spot for Barnacle Bowling. Grab an explosive barrel and carefully roll it down the slope without disturbing the barnacles. When one pulls it up, quickly double-tap the barrel with your pistol. Once it’s close enough, it will explode and take out at least five barnacles at once.
    
    💡 Tip: Quicksave before attempting, timing takes practice, and a quickload lets you retry without hassle.
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [5/45]: Sewers
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    Continue forward until you encounter the Combine Gunship. Stay in cover and move carefully until you reach safety inside a building through a blue door. Take a moment to catch your breath. From here, head down the stone stairs and continue straight until you reach the iron bars. Look down and you’ll spot a Lambda symbol painted on the wall below. A ladder on the right takes you down to the cache.
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [6/45]: Steam pipes
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    The next Lambda cache lies further ahead. Continue until you reach the section with steam pipes, where jets of steam erupt violently at regular intervals. As you cross a large rusty pipe, watch out for the steam bursts. Just ahead, behind an iron grate, you’ll notice a manhack, that’s your landmark. Look down to the right and spot the Lambda symbol. Drop off the pipe and move below it, past the grated fence. The cache is on the right.
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [7/45]: High up the ceiling
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    It’ll be a while before you reach the next Lambda cache. After surviving the arena swarming with manhacks, continue until you enter a narrow sewer section with shallow water. Watch out for scanners and more manhacks along the way. Move forward and head back inside. Once back inside, turn right into a semi-circular passage. On the right you’ll spot a ladder leading up to some wooden boards laid across an iron frame. Climb the ladder and carefully cross the wooden boards and corrugated iron sheets. At the end you’ll find health supplies and a wooden crate. This is the Lambda cache.
    
    
    ⚠️ Tip: Move slowly across the boards, as they can drop, making the cache trickier to reach.
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [8/45]: High up the ceiling
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    
    The final Lambda cache of this chapter is located just after the previous one. Leaving the semi-circular passage, you’ll step outside as a Combine Gunship flies overhead. Look to the right and you’ll spot a Lambda symbol painted beside a yellow rusty pipe. Drop down, then use the wooden boards to reach the pipes. Cross over, and you’ll find the cache waiting for you. Well done! You’ve collected all the Lambda caches in this chapter!
    
    

• This chapter has one unmissable achievement named 'Anchor's Aweigh'
  
  
  • Anchor's Aweigh: This is a story-related achievement that will unlock automatically after you have reached the airboat. Enter the airboat and the achievement will unlock.
    
    
     
    Get the airboat.
    You will unlock this achievement by progressing through the story, it will automatically unlock when you get to the airboat.

Want a visual walkthrough? This video can help you see how to get the achievements in this chapter. It includes timestamps for all achievements listed in this section of the guide, so you can easily jump to the ones you need.

Ahead lie the city outskirts, and to get through we must cross toxic waters filled with dangers. This is Chapter 4: Water Hazard. In the section below, you’ll find ten missable achievements and two unmissable ones that unlock automatically. Let’s get to it, shall we?


This chapter features a total of twelve achievements, most of them being Lambda cash locations. In the middle and at the end of the chapter are 2 unmissable achievements that will unlock with story progression.

• Lambda Locator (9 - 18) / Vorticough: These are the key achievements to watch for in this chapter.
  
  
  • Lambda Locator [9/45]: Catwalk
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    This Lambda cache is hidden right at the start of the chapter. After landing the airboat from a jump, look for a Lambda sign on a concrete wall just to your right. Get out of the airboat and turn around and you’ll see a ladder. Climb up to the catwalk, and you’ll find the cache there.
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [10/45]: The Red Loading Dock (Station 12)
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    This cache is found shortly after the previous, hidden inside a crate hanging from a crane outside the loading dock. Once you reach the top, pull the barrel from the winch to lower the crate. Inside, you’ll find the cache.
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [11/45]: Drain pipe
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    After solving the puzzle with the mobile ramp, you’ll spot a Combine transport dropping off troops. Look to the right wall for a drain pipe (the one that is missing its cover). Jump in and swim through the pipe to the end, where you’ll surface in a hidden area with the cache.
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [12/45]: Drainage system
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    It’ll be a while before you reach this one. After passing through the first sluice gate, you’ll encounter Combine APCs. The next Lambda cache is hidden below a Combine APC in a drainage or overflow system. Bring the airboat close, then hop out and head into the drainage area, the cache is inside.
    
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [13/45]: Basket
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    Soon after the previous cache, you’ll arrive in a quiet area filled with concrete pipes and shallow water (hidden in a metal basket). To lower the basket, remove the stone bricks from the opposite one. Once the weight shifts, the basket with the cache will descend, and you can collect the supplies.
    
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [14/45]: Below the bridge
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    After passing through the second sluice gate, you’ll come across a bridge with a tanker and a boxcar resting on top. The next Lambda cache is hidden below the bridge on the left side. Get out of the airboat and carefully maneuver yourself underneath the bridge.
    
    
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [15/45]: Wooden scaffolding
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    Shortly after, you’ll find yourself in a chopper chase with mines raining down, and yes, legendary music kicks in! In the middle of the chase, you’ll enter a large concrete basin-like structure. You’ll see wooden scaffolding that collapses when you hit it with the airboat, dropping boxes into the water.
    
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [16/45]: Drainage canal
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    Not long after the previous cache, the chopper chase continues until you reach a concrete drainage canal, marked by a blue, decaying tow truck hanging against the canal wall. Head up the left slope of the canal wall with the airboat, steering between two buildings. There, you’ll find the next Lambda cache.
    
    
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [17/45]: Overflow system
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    Directly after the previous cache, as you exit the drainage canal, turn left. You’ll spot an overflow system next to the bridge, it’s hard to miss. Head inside the drainage area to uncover the next Lambda cache.
    
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [18/45]: Overflow system
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    The last Lambda cache in this chapter is found shortly after you acquire the airboat gun. When you enter an area with several overhead passages, you’ll spot a building marked with Порт 5 (Port 5). Head straight ahead, then take a right at the bifurcation. You’ll come to a hideout with the cache.
    
    
    
    
    
    
  • Vorticough:
    
    
    
    Discover the hidden singing vortigaunt cave in chapter Water Hazard
    After defeating the Combine gunship, you’ll open the gate leading to the waters behind. At the far end are two drainage pipes. Jump in the left one. The water is toxic so make sure you have enough health and sprint quickly to reach a secret location. Inside, you’ll discover a singing Vortigaunt… with a cough.
    
    
    

• This chapter has two unmissable achievement named 'Heavy Weapons' and 'Revenge!'
  
  
  • Heavy Weapons: This is a story-related achievement that will unlock automatically after having the mounted gun installed on your airboat
    
    
     
    Get the airboat's mounted gun
    
    
  • Revenge!: This is a story-related achievement that will unlock automatically after defeating the Combine gunship
    
    
    
    Destroy the hunter-chopper in Half-Life 2

Want a visual walkthrough? This video can help you see how to get the achievements in this chapter. It includes timestamps for all achievements listed in this section.

Having traversed the city canals on the outskirts of City 17, we finally arrive at Black Mesa East near the hydroelectric dam. Our boat journey has ended, and from here we proceed on foot. Eli and Alyx are waiting, ready to plan the next steps in the fight against the Combine. This is Chapter 5: Black Mesa East. Here, you’ll find two missable achievements and two unmissable ones that unlock automatically. Let’s get to it, shall we?


This chapter features a total of four achievements. The Lambda Locator is unmissable and is earned at the ladder where you first set foot on land. The other two missable achievements are actually quite easy to overlook. These are the ones you’ll want to pay close attention to in this chapter.

• Blast from the Past / Two Points: These are the key achievements to watch for in this chapter. To unlock Blast from the Past, keep an eye out for an old HEV Suit Charger faceplate hidden in Eli’s scrapyard. For Two Points, you’ll need to use the Gravity Gun to launch a deactivated rollermine through the basketball hoop.
  
  
  • Blast from the Past:
    
    
    
    Find the HEV Suit Charger faceplate in Eli's scrapyard
    This achievement is unlocked shortly after you receive the gravity gun, when you first enter the scrapyard. Alyx will give you a quick exercise, pointing to some barrels resting on a concrete platform. Pull them down with the gravity gun and use them to climb up. On the right-hand side of the platform, next to a supply crate, you’ll find the HEV Suit Charger faceplate that unlocks the achievement.
    
    
    
    
  • Two Points:
    
    
    
    Use DOG's ball to make a basket in Eli's scrapyard
    This achievement takes a bit of practice. After Dog receives his “ball” (a deactivated roller mine), you can play fetch with him in the scrapyard. Pick up the ball with the gravity gun and try to launch it through the hoop. It often takes several attempts, adjusting your distance and angle, and you’ll want to avoid hitting the backboard too hard, as the ball can bounce away. While you do have some time to experiment, the achievement must be completed before the Combine attack begins and forces you to leave the scrapyard. To be safe, it’s a good idea to quicksave when you first pick up the ball so you can retry if needed.
    
    

• This chapter has one unmissable achievement named 'Anchor's Aweigh'
  
  
  • Lambda Locator [19/45]: Black Mesa East
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    This is one of the few Lambda locations in the games that will automatically unlock. This one unlocks upon climbing the ladder to set foot at the land at the Black Mesa East power station. It is located directly at the beginning of the chapter.
    
    
    
    
  • Zero-Point Energy:
    
    
    
    Get the Gravity Gun in Black Mesa East.
    This achievement will automatically unlock when you get the famous Gravity Gun in Half-Life 2 and is related to story progression (nothing to miss here ;)).
    

Want a visual walkthrough? This video can help you see how to get the achievements in this chapter. It includes timestamps for all achievements listed in this section of the guide, so you can easily jump to the ones you need.

And what a reunion it was. Having reached Black Mesa East, we finally meet up with Eli, Alyx, and Judith to plan the next phase of resistance against the Combine. Here we receive a new tool for our arsenal, the Gravity Gun, which proves invaluable for moving all kinds of objects. After testing it out in Eli’s scrapyard, everything takes a turn for the worse. The Combine suddenly strike, capturing Eli Vance. Amid the chaos, we have no choice but to flee through the tunnel leading to Ravenholm. We were warned never to go there, but now there is no alternative. This is Chapter 6: We Don’t Go to Ravenholm. In this chapter, you’ll find five missable achievements and one unmissable achievement that unlocks automatically. Let’s get to it, shall we?


This chapter features a total of six achievements. Four Lambda Locator caches are hidden here, all of which are missable. Another missable achievement is Zombie Chopper, which takes some effort to unlock. To earn it, you must complete the chapter using only the Gravity Gun without firing any conventional weapons. The exact point at which it becomes safe to use firearms is a bit unclear, but to be on the safe side, wait until you have exited the mines before switching to other weapons. The video at the bottom of this section demonstrates how to make your way through the chapter using only the Gravity Gun.

• Blast from the Past / Two Points: These are the key achievements to watch for in this chapter. To unlock Blast from the Past, keep an eye out for an old HEV Suit Charger faceplate hidden in Eli’s scrapyard. For Two Points, you’ll need to use the Gravity Gun to launch a deactivated rollermine through the basketball hoop.
  
  
  • Lambda Locator [20/45]: Above the green generators
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    This Lambda cache can be accessed by entering a vent duct above the green generators, shortly after meeting Father Gregori. Use the catwalks to jump onto the generators and maneuver your way across to the vent. Remove the grate covering the duct and head inside. Follow the passage until you drop down directly onto the cache supplies.
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [21/45]: Leap of faith
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    After some time, you’ll come to an area where car wrecks hang above the street while zombies shuffle below. Using the lever, you can drop the wrecks to crush them. On the right side of this area is a fenced-off section hiding a Lambda cache. To reach it, lower the second car wreck with the lever, then quickly jump onto the hood. Ride the mechanism upward and you’ll reach a set of wooden planks along the rooftops. Instead of moving forward, turn around and walk back. From the end of the plank walkway, make a running leap over the fence. Use sprint (default: [Shift]) and crouch (default: [Ctrl]) together to clear the jump. It can be tricky, so quicksave before attempting to avoid climbing all the way back up if you miss. Once over the fence, head to the back left corner of the enclosed area to collect the Lambda cache.
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [22/45]: Below the roof
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    After moving through the building just past the previous cache, you’ll arrive in an area overrun with zombies. Down in the streets, groups of them wander among plenty of explosives that can be used to clear them out (but remember, if you’re aiming for the Zombie Chopper achievement, only use the Gravity Gun and avoid firearms). The next Lambda cache is hidden in the attic of a building. To reach it, head to the far end of the street and climb the ladder. At the top, look to the left for an opening into the attic. Follow the passage to the end, where you’ll find the cache supplies.
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [23/45]: Mine entrance
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    It takes some time before you reach the final Lambda cache of this chapter. After making your way through the mines, you’ll arrive at a tunnel that leads to the exit. Once outside, turn around and look above the mine entrance to spot an orange Lambda symbol. Be cautious here: a poisonous headcrab is waiting nearby and will attack if you get too close. After dealing with it, stack some boxes or barrels to climb up onto the ledge. Just behind the curved vent ducts, you’ll find the cache supplies.
    
    
    
    
  • Zombie Chopper
    
    
    
    Play through Ravenholm using only the Gravity Gun.
    This achievement requires some discipline, but it should not cause too many problems. In the Ravenholm chapter, you must use only the Gravity Gun and never fire a conventional weapon. Rely on explosive barrels, gas canisters, and heavy objects to deal with the zombies. There are two sections that can be tricky. The first comes right after you obtain the shotgun, when the area is suddenly overrun by fast zombies. Use boxes and canisters to fight them off, and keep moving to avoid taking too much damage. The second difficult spot is where you have to wait for the cart that Father Gregori sends your way. To survive, move back into the building you just came from. The hatch behind you will be shut, so you’ll need to drop down and re-enter through the door. Once inside, you’ll be safe from zombie attacks until the cart arrives. For visual support on how to complete this challenge, refer to the video at the end of this section.

• This chapter has one unmissable achievement named 'Hallowed Ground'
  
  
  • Hallowed Ground
    
    
    
    Escort Gregori safely through the church cemetery.
    This achievement unlocks when you escort Father Gregori safely through the church cemetery, just before entering the mines. It is part of the main story progression and cannot be missed.

Want a visual walkthrough? This video can help you see how to get the achievements in this chapter. It includes timestamps for all achievements listed in this section of the guide, so you can easily jump to the ones you need.

We made it through Ravenholm and the mines, and what a fight it was. Armed only with the Gravity Gun, we managed to fend off every danger and now find ourselves on the road to Highway 17. The time has come to get behind the wheel of the buggy and race toward Nova Prospekt, the high-security Combine prison. This is Chapter 7: Highway 17.


This chapter features a total of nine achievements. Five Lambda Locator caches and you will begin progress toward the One Man Army achievement by taking down the first three of the six Combine gunships required. Also, look out for the two other achievements: OSHA Violation and Targeted Advertising. This chapter contains one unmissable achievement.

• Lambda Locator / OSHA Violation / One Man Army: These are the key achievements to focus on in this chapter. Be sure to uncover all five Lambda Locator caches. To unlock OSHA Violation, when operating the crane at the docks later in the chapter, use it to crush three Combine soldiers. For One Man Army, you can destroy the first three Combine gunships. The first one is required for story progression and is therefore unmissable, while the other two are optional, though you’ll likely end up taking them out as well.
  
  
  • Lambda Locator [24/45]: Red shack
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    This Lambda cache can be found shortly after you obtain the buggy. After racing across the beach, head up the slope and jump over the collapsed bridge. Continue upward until you reach the highway. Just before the tunnel, look to the left for a small red shack. Inside, you’ll find the cache supplies.
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [25/45]: Cache in house
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    Not long after the previous cache, you’ll spot a house perched on the cliffs. On the right side of the house, look for a cellar-style basement hatch covered with rubber tires. Use the Gravity Gun to move the tires and open the hatch. Inside, you’ll find the cache supplies, but be careful, a Poison Zombie roams the house. Use grenades to take it down, and jump over the broken floorboards to reach the cache safely.
    
    
    
    
  • One Man Army [1/6]:
    
    
    
    Destroy six gunships in Half-Life 2
    After some time, you’ll arrive at Little Odessa. Almost, immediately a Combine gunship appears. Shooting it down is required to progress the story, and this contributes to the One Man Army achievement. You will encounter other gunships later in the game, but taking them down is optional for most of them.
    
    
    
    
  • OSHA Violation:
    
    
    
    Kill 3 enemies using the crane
    After destroying the gunship, you’ll soon arrive at the docks where you need to operate a crane to lift the buggy onto the pier. As soon as you step into the crane, a warehouse door will open and three Combine soldiers will rush out. Use the crane to pick up objects and drop them on the soldiers. Once all three are crushed, the achievement will unlock.
    
    
    
    
  • One Man Army [2/6]:
    
    
    
    Destroy six gunships in Half-Life 2
    Push through the dock area swarming with Combine soldiers. Race up the ramp and crash through the window, then follow the road ahead. Another gunship will appear. Continue along the road until you reach a blockade. Nearby you’ll find rocket supplies, the perfect chance to take down the gunship.
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [26/45]: Blue van
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    Right after taking down the gunship near the dock area, you’ll come across the next cache. It’s located inside a crashed blue van along the roadside. The spot is obvious, but surprisingly easy to overlook, so keep an eye out.
    
    
    
    
  • Targetted Advertising [2/6]:
    
    
    
    Pin a soldier to the billboard in chapter Highway 17
    Continue along the road until you reach a blockade made of car wrecks and steel beams. On a small rise next to the road, you’ll find the crossbow. Once equipped, look toward the large “Petrol” billboard in the distance, where a Combine soldier is standing. Use the crossbow to fire a rebar and pin the soldier to the sign.
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [27/45]: Fenced area
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    After completing the previous achievement, you’ll come across an outpost with heavy Combine activity. Look to the left side of the road for a fenced-off area surrounding a fuel tank. To reach the cache, stack some objects near the broken section of the fence and climb over. Inside, you’ll find the cache supplies.
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [28/45]: Fenced area
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    Not long after, you’ll reach the final section of the chapter, the train bridge. Here lies a cache location that’s easy to miss. Just before the bridgehead, look to the left side of the road for a cluster of rocks. Behind them is a small area enclosed by wooden fences. Inside, you’ll find the last Lambda cache of this chapter. Be careful, a poisonous headcrab and a regular headcrab lurk among the wooden boxes.
    
    
    
    
  • One Man Army [3/6]:
    
    
    
    Destroy six gunships in Half-Life 2
    After deactivating the force field on top of the bridge, a Combine gunship will appear. Taking it out from the control room is difficult due to limited cover. A better strategy is to move underneath the bridge, where you’ll find a supply of rockets. From there, you can take down the gunship more safely and effectively.
    
    

• This chapter has one unmissable achievement named 'Where Cubbage Fears to Tread'
  
  
  • Where Cubbage Fears to Tread:
    
    
    
    Defend Little Odessa from the gunship attack
    Take out the gunship in little Odessa will grant you the achievement.

Want a visual walkthrough? This video can help you see how to get the achievements in this chapter.

After racing along the coast of Highway 17, we continue our journey toward Nova Prospekt. The coastal route, however, has seen better days. Still, we press on in the hope of reaching Nova Prospekt soon and rescuing Eli. This is Chapter 8: Sandtraps.


This chapter features a total of five achievements. Two Lambda Locator caches and you can complete the One Man Army achievement by taking down the last three of the six Combine gunships. Also, look out for the two other achievements: Bug Hunt and Keep Off the Sand. This chapter contains no unmissable achievements.

• Lambda Locator / One Man Army / Keep Off the Sand / Bug Hunt: These are the key achievements to focus on in this chapter. Be sure to uncover the two Lambda Locator caches hidden here. For Keep Off the Sand, avoid walking on sandy areas in the sandtraps to prevent triggering the Antlions. For One Man Army, the final three Combine gunships must be destroyed. The Bug Hunt achievement begins once you acquire the bugbait. Usually, it will unlock during the next chapter after you accumulate 50 Antlion kills.
  
  
  • Lambda Locator [29/45]: Above the doorway
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    This Lambda cache is hard to miss. You’ll come across it at a small outpost where the road is blocked by a burned-out tanker truck. Inside the outpost building on the left side of the road are three battery holders connected to a larger electrical system, you’ll need to find car batteries to power the gate. In this same building, look for a small square room that serves as a bathroom. There is a gap between the bathroom’s ceiling and the roof of the house, where you will find the cache, use the gravity gun to get the items.
    
    
    
    
  • One Man Army [4/6]:
    
    
    
    Destroy six gunships in Half-Life 2
    At the end of the coastal route, you’ll reach the lighthouse and turn in the buggy. Here you’ll join the resistance in defending the outpost against Combine attacks. Dropships will arrive, unloading waves of soldiers that you’ll need to fight off. Once the ground forces are dealt with, a gunship will appear. Take it down, and you’ll earn your fourth mantelpiece.
    
    
    
    
  • Keep Off the Sand:
    
    
    
    Cross the antilion beach in chapter Sandtraps without touching the sand.
    After taking the secret exit from the lighthouse, you’ll arrive at the Antlion beach. This is where you can unlock the achievement Keep Off the Sand. The goal is simple: avoid stepping on the sand so the Antlions won’t emerge. Below is a stepwise plan with some useful tricks. The video at the end of this section will show the entire path. Note that this area also contains a Lambda cache!
    
    1. From the spot where Sandy mourns Laszlo, look ahead and identify the rock “stepping stones.” Make a manual save, you’ll likely reload a few times.
    
    
    
    2. Sprint-jump between rocks. If a gap feels too long, set a prop (box/board/door) down as a temporary platform, then continue.
    
    
    
    3. The wooden “seesaw” puzzle. Use the big crates here to stabilize the crossed beams. When you finish, walk across the beams to the higher level.
    
    
    4. Jump the wooden bridge to the shack with supplies. Head down and cross the sand by using the objects lying on the beach and climb back up the rocks to find a long wooden plank. Use it to bridge the gap on your way to the second shack (this is also the location of Lambda cache #30)
    
    
    
    5. Move ahead to the third shack and use the long wooden plank to reach the “rock island.” From there, continue across the beach using planks and wooden panels as makeshift bridges. Boxes can also be used, but they are trickier to place and less stable since the ground is uneven. Don’t switch on thumpers during the segment; some players report it cancels the achievement
    
    
    Climb to the ledge just before the antlion guard area; the achievement should unlock here.
    
    
    
    
  • Lambda Locator [30/45]: Top of the shacks
    
    
    
    Find all lambda caches in Half-Life 2.
    When completing the previous achievement, you’ll also have the chance to collect Lambda Cache #30, located on top of the shacks along Antlion Beach. To reach it, carefully stack nearby objects to climb up onto the shack roofs and reach the cache.
    
    
    
    
  • Bug Hunt:
    
    
    
    Use the antlions to kill 50 enemies
    After obtaining the pheropods from the Antlion Guard, you’ll be able to command swarms of Antlions on your march toward Nova Prospekt. The Bug Hunt achievement is usually earned passively during this chapter or in the next, Nova Prospekt. It unlocks once your Antlions have killed a total of 50 enemies under your command. If you don’t manage to reach 50 kills in a single playthrough, you can always replay the chapter to accumulate additional Antlion kills until the achievement unlocks.
    
    
    
  • One Man Army [5/6] and [6/6]:
    
    
    
    Destroy six gunships in Half-Life 2
    At the end of the chapter, you’ll arrive at Nova Prospekt. Combine soldiers are everywhere, and before long two gunships will swoop in. You’ll need to take them down before you can proceed. Doing so will unlock the One Man Army achievement, provided you’ve destroyed all the previous gunships. push forward through the courtyard until you reach a rocket supply crate near the wall of the upper section. Use guard houses, dumpsters, and containers for cover to minimize damage. The Antlions will also serve as a useful distraction.
    
    

• This chapter has no unmissable achievements

Want a visual walkthrough? The video below shows how to unlock all the achievements in this chapter. Use the timestamps to quickly find the exact moments where each achievement can be obtained.