 This article contains spoilers. Read at your own risk!
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- "An exploding volcano during an alien invasion. What's the worst that could happen?"
- ―NETRICSA mission quote[src]
"Gates of Hell" is the fourth level of Serious Sam 4.
Plot[]
General Brand decides to activate the HAARP weapon prematurely before the Alien Artifact Acquisition can establish a safe perimeter from the area. A powerful seismic wave is sent to Earth, causing Mount Vesuvius to erupt, causing the ruins of Pompeii to become filled with lava and ash, just like it did back in 79 AD.
With no time to waste, Sam must now hurry back to the car with his team before he gets buried in ash or burns to death.
Data[]
Vesuvius has erupted, but due to a communications glitch the team is still in Pompeii. There is no time to mourn for your fallen friend - get the hell out of there before you burn to death and/or get buried in ash!
Side objectives[]
"Collect samples"[]
Professor Kiesel will contact Sam in the early part of the level about collecting scorched tissue samples from fallen enemies. The player needs to find five samples in total to complete the side objective. Completing it will award the player with the multirocket upgrade for the XPML21 Rocket Launcher, which is received at the beginning of the next level.
S.A.M. locations[]
- To the left after exiting the arena where the big fight takes place with the Adult Arachnoids, Aurigan Haemovores, Common Aludran Reptiloids, Hatchling Arachnoids and Space Mummies.
Secrets[]
- In the part where you get the sniper rifle, hug the wall to the right until you come across the part in this screenshot, then just jump twice (jumping backwards is easier) to find some rockets.
- From the previous secret, keep hugging the wall to the right (but don’t touch the lava) and you should come across a concrete slab in a corner, with a L.I.F.E. gadget behind it.
- After going through a small underground section, you should see this stairway with a small entrance to the left. Go through the entrance and to your right there will be an unlit torch. Pick up the torch by pressing the
USEkey, then go left, and walk into to a nearby fire (you won’t take any damage) and return the now-lit torch to its original location (swap weapons and it should place itself on the wall). Right in front of the torch should be a now accessible Time Warp gadget. - The area after you fight the first Draconian Pyromaniac has 3 secrets. The first one is after the slope, you will have to jump on some rocks to get a rage serum.
- From the previous secret, look towards the other end of the lava and you’ll see 4 arches next to the stairs. Inside is an armor pickup.
- Next to the arches from the previous secret, tucked away in the corner is a miniature Lava Golem. Shoot it and a larger one will spawn.
- After going up the stairs from the previous area, in front of you should be some rocks you can jump on to reach higher ground. Once there, jump over the river of lava to find a L.I.F.E. gadget.
- In the big arena with Space Mummies, you should find the final sample for Professor Kiesel's side objective. From there, go to the far corner shown in the screenshot and pick up the pill bottle. Be warned that by picking up this pill bottle, a massive swarm of Beheaded Kamikazes will spawn. Killing them will drop pill bottles.
- After the previous area with the Space Mummies, turn right, jump on some rocks, and you should find a Holodecoy behind some ruined walls.
- When you rescue Kenny, you'll fight some beheaded enemies and an Aurigan Haemovore. In that area, look for a big stone table next to a pool of lava with two broken pillars nearby. Jump on the pillars, then do a running jump onto the stone platform. In a small pool of lava in front of you, there should be a companion orb. Shoot it to register the secret.
Behind the scenes[]
An early screenshot of the level.
- An early screenshot of the game featured two Witch-Brides of Achriman, which suggested that the player was going to fight them as a regular enemy, instead of just one appearing as a boss.
- In the screenshot, an early model for the Space Mummy can also be seen. These use the Serious Sam VR: The Last Hope model, as opposed to the newer model used in the final version.
Related achievements[]
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| Run away from an angry volcano you foolishly antagonized. |
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| Collect scorched aliens for Professor Kiesel. |
Trivia[]
- This is the only level where the Lava Golem appears in the entire game.
- The Witch-Bride of Achriman miniboss fight at the end of the level reuses the boss fight theme ("Gladiator" by Damjan Mravunac) from Serious Sam 3: BFE when Sam fights the Adult Arachnoid.
- On top of Mount Vesuvius, there is a female Gnaar standing right on top of the volcano. It is just about barely visible as a black figure if the player zooms in with the sniper rifle's scope. Shooting the Gnaar will teleport the player to a forest full of dead trees in a fiery enviroment. Shortly after, they will be teleported back to their initial location. This can only be done once per playthrough.
- Due to an oversight, the first-person viewmodel of the torch from secret #4 will always have the default player model's arms regardless of the currently selected player model.
- The wooden barricades after the C-4 segment do not require C-4 charges to be blown up; a single rocket is enough to destroy them.
- There are 3 (non-secret) L.I.F.E. gadgets to be found in this level:
- Behind the wooden barricade after the C-4 segment.
- In the ruined building just next to secret #8.
- In the ruins on the right, past the archway just after Sam rescues Kenny.
Gallery[]
The Gnaar on top of Mount Vesuvius (screenshot taken via Serious Editor).