Editing Floodgate (Level)

{{Ratings}}
{{Era|H3}}

{{Level infobox
|prev=''[[The Storm (Level)|The Storm]]''
|next=''[[The Ark (Level)|The Ark]]''
|game=''[[Halo 3]]''
|name='''''Floodgate'''''
|image=[[Image:H3_Floodgate_Preview.jpg|300px]]
|player=[[SPARTAN-117]]
|date=[[2552|November 17th, 2552]]<ref>http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=16989</ref>
|place=[[Voi]], [[East African Protectorate]]
|Objective=*Stop the [[The Flood|Infestation]] 
*Find [[Cortana]]
|enemies=
*[[Flood]]
|}}

{{Article Quote|Stop the [[The Flood|Infestation]].  Find [[Cortana (AI)|Cortana]].}}

'''Floodgate''' is the sixth [[Campaign|campaign]] mission of ''[[Halo 3]]'' and the first ''Halo 3'' [[level]] in which the [[Flood]] appears.

==Background==

It takes place in [[Voi]], [[Kenya]] on the continent of [[Africa]] on [[Earth]] during the [[Battle of Earth]]. Floodgate is the first campaign mission where the non-playable [[Elite]]s are encountered in ''Halo 3''. It is also one of the shortest levels in the game (in terms of distance traveled).

Shortly after [[John-117]] disabled the [[Covenant]] Anti-Air Gun in the previous level, [[The Storm (Level)|The Storm]], [[UNSC Frigate]]s under the command of [[Lord Hood|Lord Terrence Hood]] attacked the Covenant controlled [[Forerunner]] [[Dreadnought]]. This attempt failed, and it appeared the Dreadnought survived unscathed. The Covenant Loyalists activated a Portal to the [[Ark]], temporarily disabling the [[UNSC]]'s nearby ships. The remainder of the Covenant Loyalist fleet followed the Dreadnought into the portal. With the UNSC fleet disabled, and the Anti-Air gun out of commission; a [[Flood]]-controlled Covenant ''[[CCS-class Battlecruiser]]'' came out of Slipspace nearby and crashed into [[Traxus Factory Complex 09]].<ref>''Halo 3'', level ''[[The Storm (Level)|The Storm]]''</ref>

In order to eliminate the infestation, [[John-117]] and the [[Arbiter (rank)|Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]] must overload the crashed cruiser's engines, wiping out the entire city and the Flood with it. To do this, they push back through the factory where they just came from, fighting many Flood [[Combat Forms]], including a new Flood evolution, the [[Pure Form]]s. They are then aided by the arrival of [[Rtas 'Vadum]] and a [[Covenant Separatist |Covenant Separatist]] fleet. 'Vadam and John, along with some Elites, push forward to the crashed ship, and 'Vadam holds position while SPARTAN-117 extracts what is believed to be [[Cortana (AI)|Cortana]], stored in a [[Covenant Storage Device]]. This eventually turns out to be only a recording.

Once on the Covenant Separatist ship, ''[[Shadow of Intent]]'', [[343 Guilty Spark (Monitor)|343 Guilty Spark]] extracts Cortana's recorded message from the Covenant Storage Device. The UNSC and Covenant Separatists then begin to prepare for the voyage to The Ark. While doing so, Separatist warships begin to glass Voi and the immediate vicinity to prevent further contamination by the Flood.

Upon completing the level on [[Normal]], [[Heroic]], or [[Legendary]] difficulties, the player will earn the [[Cleansing (Achievement)|"Cleansing" achievement]] and 30 Gamerscore. Earning over 15,000 points in the Campaign meta-game will give the player the [[Exterminator]] achievement and 10 Gamerscore.

==Cutscenes==

#[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5DbC8Dp9lU "Shadow Of Intent"]
#[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiwmRgZ8u_U "Closing"]

==Transcript==
''Note'': In [[co-op]] game play, Thel 'Vadam doesn't speak, and real time conversations including him do not play.

===[[Flood|It]] Followed Me Home===
'''''Hot zone. Weapons free.'''''

'''{''Gameplay''}'''

*'''[[Miranda Keyes|Commander Keyes]] (COM)''': "The [[Flood]] - it's spreading all over the [[Voi|city]]."
*'''[[Lord Hood]] (COM)''': "How do we contain it?"
*'''[[Commander Keyes]] (COM)''': "Find the [[Flood Ship|crashed Flood ship]]; overload its engine core. We either destroy this city, or risk losing the entire [[Earth|planet]]."
*'''[[Lord Hood]] (COM)''': "Do it."
*'''[[Miranda Keyes]] (COM)''': "[[Master Chief|Chief]], make your way to the crash site."

''To the right of a couple of [[Marines]] are seen on the cliff edge fighting off several [[Flood]] [[Combat forms]]. They typically are overrun and mutate into more [[Combat forms]]. Occasionally, however, the Marines survive, and run out of view (the Flood 'mist' obscures them)''

''Sometime later, when the Chief and 'Vadam re-enter the city.''

*'''Marine [[Commissioned officer|Officer]] or [[Non-commissioned officer|NCO]] (COM)''': "All squads, report!"

''At this time, a human Flood combat form jumps from the building on the right: killing it will result in the dropped [[Halo 3 skulls|Fog Skull]].''

*'''[[Marine Sergeant]] (COM)''': "Multiple contacts, unknown hostiles."
*'''Thel 'Vadam''': (May vary upon difficulty setting) "There are some [[M7057|powerful weapons]] we've not yet used..."

''You find a group of Marines in a loading ramp.''

*'''[[Marine]] (COM)''': "There! Over there! We are surrounded, [[Sergeant]]!"
*'''[[Marine]] (COM)''': "Aaaaah!"
*'''[[Marine Sergeant]] (COM)''': "Fall back, fall back!"
*'''Female [[Marine]]''': "Sergeant, come on!"

''[[Infection Forms]] and [[Combat Forms]] descend and swarm on the Marines at the ramp, killing then infecting them, forcing the other Marines, the Chief, and 'Vadam to kill them.''

*'''[[Marine Sergeant]]''': "Ahh!"

''The sergeant becomes mutated by an Infection Form.''

*'''Sergeant''': "No! No! No!"
*'''Female [[Marine]]''': "What are you doing?! That's the sergeant!"
*'''[[Marine]]''': "That WAS the sergeant."

''They fight off the current wave of Flood.''

*'''Thel 'Vadam:''' "Quickly! Let us find their ship. Make short work of this abomination!"

''The Marines accompany the Chief and 'Vadam into a building, where a lone Marine fights off a horde of infection forms.'' (It is possible to save him, but more often than not he will be mutated before your eyes).

*'''Infected [[Marine]]''': "Uhh! Get off me!"

''or''

*'''Infected [[Marine]]''': "Get it off! Get it off!"

''If the Marine is not saved, the Infection Form dives into his chest, gruesomely transforming him into a Flood Combat Form. This forces the Master Chief and 'Vadam to kill him immediately.''

''Marines are pinned down behind sandbags with more Flood surrounding the area. The Chief and 'Vadam clear this section of the warehouse.''

''If the Marines are saved from being killed or infected.''

*'''Female Marine ''': "[[Infection Form|It]] gets inside you, chews you up."
*'''Marine''': "We gotta get outta here."

''Reaching the other end of the warehouses, the surviving Marines who joined the Chief and 'Vadam hold position after clearing the area.''

*'''Thel 'Vadam:''' (with anger and disgust) "Wretched parasite! Rise up and I will kill you! Again and again!" (He will sometimes replace "Wretched" with "Accursed")

''Upstairs, some Marines, one wielding the [[M7057 Defoliant Projector|Flamethrower]], try to combat the Flood as well, but they soon die, leaving the Flamethrower for the Chief or 'Vadam to pick up as they head up there and down a hole in the floor into the office areas.''

*'''[[Cortana]] ([[Cortana Moment]])''': "Chief! ''(connection drops)'' I can't tell you everything... it's not safe. The [[Gravemind]]... it knows I'm in the sys-''(connection drops)''."

''The Chief and 'Vadam force their way through another wave of Flood, and find a marine huddling in a corner of the large room [[The Storm|previously]] used as an Aid Station, surrounded by three dead marines. The Marine is holding a [[M6G Personal Defense Weapon System|pistol]], and will occasionally aim it at his own head, before lowering it and burying his face in his hands.''

*'''[[Suicidal Marine|Traumatized Marine]]''': "I... I didn't have a choice...''(pause)'' The [[First Lieutenant|L.T]]...the [[Sergeant]]...''they were all infected!'' ''(pause)'' I could see it crawling...''sliding around beneath their skin!'' ''(sobs) (pause)'' A-and then they got up...they s-started to talk! ''Oh, God! Their voices!'' Oh, God! No, ''make them stop!'' ''(pause, his speech turns maniacal)'' I did them a favor...y-yeah that's it; I ''helped'' them! ''(sobs)'' ''(pause, as his tone becomes quieter)'' ''Maybe...maybe I need to help my self. ''''(Breaks out into sobs)''" '''

''With no time to spare, the Chief and 'Vadam continue on ahead to the lake bed.''

===Shadow of Intent===
'''''The Flood. It has Evolved.'''''

''The Master Chief and Thel 'Vadam enter the lake bed of Voi where the [[Scarab]] was previously fought and destroyed.''

'''[[Ship Master]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]] (COM)''': "Hail [[Human]]s, and take heed."

{''Cutscene''} 

'''Ship Master Rtas 'Vadum (COM)''': "This is the carrier ''[[Shadow of Intent]]''."

''The Chief and the 'Vadam pause to see three [[Elite]]-controlled [[CCS-class Battlecruiser]]s fly in formation as an [[Assault Carrier]] slices overhead from [[Slipspace]].''

'''Ship Master Rtas 'Vadum''' (COM): "Clear this sector, while we deal with the Flood."

''A [[Major Elite|Major]] and four [[Special Operation Elite]]s leap out of landed [[Orbital Insertion Pods]] ahead of the Chief and 'Vadam, fighting against the Flood.''

{''Gameplay''}

*'''Thel 'Vadam:''' "My brothers, I fear you bring bad news."

*'''[[Major Domo Elite]]''': "''[[High Charity]]'' has fallen, become a dreaded hive!

*'''Thel 'Vadam:''' "And The [[Fleet of Retribution|Fleet]]? Has [[Quarantine Zone|quarantine]] been broken?"

*'''Major Domo Elite''': "A single ship broke through our line, and we gave chase."

*'''Thel 'Vadam:''' "We had a fleet of hundreds!"

*'''Major Domo Elite''': "Alas brother, the Flood. It has evolved!"

''The Chief, 'Vadam, and [[Elites]] fight their way through the infestation and arrive at the crash site.''

*'''Commander Keyes (COM)''': "Chief, the Elites are looking for something. We didn't believe them when they told us."

*'''Johnson (COM)''': "It's [[Cortana (AI)|Cortana]], Chief! She's on that ship! Find her - get her out!"

''Once outside again, a couple of Separatists Phantoms arrive, dropping off more Elite reinforcements to combat the Flood.''

*'''Major Domo Elite or SpecOps Elite''': "Hurry, Demon! We seek the same prize. But our [[Rtas 'Vadum|Ship Master]] will [[Glassing|sacrifice ''all'' to stop the Flood]]."

''The Master Chief, 'Vadam, and the remaining Elites fight past dozens of Pure Forms, Combat Forms, and Infection Forms to the massive, burning hulk of the crashed Flood battle cruiser. Up an incline, an ominous hole resides in the ship's hull, leading to the interior.''

*'''Thel 'Vadam:''' "I shall remain here. [[Elite|We]] will let nothing pass."

''Master Chief drops in alone.''

===Infinite Devil Machine===
*'''[[Gravemind]] (Gravemind moment)''': "Do not be afraid. I am peace...I am salvation."

''The Chief reaches a large room after passing several dead Ultra Elites.''

*'''Gravemind (Gravemind moment)''': "I am a timeless chorus; join your voice with mine and sing victory everlasting!"

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiwmRgZ8u_U '''{''Cutscene''}''']

''Inside the central chamber of the Flood-infested crashed [[CCS-class Battlecruiser|cruiser]]. The Chief finds 'Cortana' in a small Covenant hand held memory unit.''

*'''[[Cortana (AI)|Cortana]]''': (recorded) "Chief!"

*'''Master Chief''': "Cortana?"

*'''Cortana''': (recorded) "''High Charity'', the [[Prophet]]s' holy city, it's on its way..."

''Cortana's projection above the holographic unit flickers and then disappears.''

*'''Master Chief''': "Cortana!"

''Suddenly, the humming of a [[Phantom]]'s gravity drives are heard, and a Phantom appears over the open chamber. The Chief turns and readies his [[Assault Rifle]] at it while 343 Guilty Spark floats down from the Phantom, which continues to hover overhead.''

*'''343 Guilty Spark''': (surprised) "[[Reclaimer]]!"

''A Flood Combat Form appears to the right, and 343 Guilty Spark turns and uses a powerful energy beam on it, destroying it in a single glancing hit. 343 Guilty Spark turns back to the Covenant device where Cortana supposedly is, and begins to interface it with a beam projected from his central eye.''

*'''343 Guilty Spark''': "Hurry! We must act quickly before your construct suffers any further trauma!"

''The Chief grabs 343 Guilty Spark and pulls him away from Cortana's storage unit.''

*'''Master Chief''': "Wait. Leave her alone!"

*'''343 Guilty Spark''': "If we do not take this device to a safe location, somewhere I can make repairs..."

''343 Guilty Spark continues to try to project his multicolored energy beam into Cortana's storage unit.''

*'''Master Chief''': "On [[Installation 04|Halo]], you tried to kill Cortana. You tried to kill ''me!''".

*'''343 Guilty Spark''': "Protocol dictated my response! ''She'' had the [[Index|Activation Index]] and ''you'' were going to destroy ''my'' installation. You DID destroy my installation. Now, I only have one function: to ''help'' you, Reclaimer, as I always should have done."

''The Master Chief stares wordlessly at 343 Guilty Spark, then slightly motions with Cortana's storage device. 343 Guilty Spark takes Cortana's device away, shooting his beam into it, while the Phantom projects a [[Gravity Lift]]. 343 Guilty Spark enters it first and the Master Chief reluctantly follows.''

''The view cuts to an aerial one over the whole town of [[Voi]] at a high altitude. Clouds completely obscure the surface of [[Earth]], but part of the crashed Flood-controlled battle cruiser is visible in the distance. The Phantom flies away from the surface while two CCS-class Battle cruisers of the [[Fleet of Retribution]] [[Glass]] the town of Voi with plasma beams.''

''The view then cuts to an aerial one above the [[Forerunner]] [[Portal]]. Its 'wings' are open and blue energy streams from their tips to the open Slip space portal drifting ominously above the construct. The scene is quiet, and the moon is in the background. Fighting on Earth has ceased, and the [[Battle of Earth]] has ended with the departure of the [[Prophet of Truth]]'s fleet through the Portal hours earlier. Four vessels of the Sangheili Fleet are gathered above the Portal, and 343 Guilty Spark's Phantom arches to the largest of them: the assault carrier ''Shadow of Intent''.''

''Inside the bridge of the ''Shadow of Intent''. Elites and humans are gathered around a long holographic table, with [[Ship Master]] Rtas 'Vadum floating on a gravity throne at one end with his Elite attendants, Master Chief and Thel 'Vadam in the middle, and [[Fleet Admiral]] Hood and Commander Miranda Keyes at the far side of the table. All are silent except 343 Guilty Spark, who is bobbing at the center of the table and interfacing with Cortana's memory unit with his projector beam.''

*'''Rtas 'Vadum''': "Will [[Cortana (AI)|it]] live, [[Oracle]]? Can it be saved?"

*'''343 Guilty Spark''': "Uncertain. This storage device has suffered considerable trauma. Its matrices are highly unstable."

''343 Guilty Spark glances at 'Vadum and Lord Hood''

*'''Lord Hood''': 'Perhaps one of ''our'' technicians-"

*'''Rtas 'Vadum''': "That will ''not'' be necessary."

''Coincidentally, the storage device works again, and a holographic projection of Cortana springs up.''

*'''Cortana''': (recorded) "Chief!"

*'''343 Guilty Spark''': "Success!"

*'''Cortana''': (recorded) "High Charity... the Prophets' Holy City, is on its way to Earth, with an army of ''Flood''. I can't tell you everything. It's not safe. The [[Gravemind]]... it knows I'm in the system."

''Cortana's image flickers, and the Chief turns to Rtas 'Vadum.''

*'''Master Chief''': "It's just a message."

*'''Ship Master Rtas 'Vadum''': "Let it play."

''343 Guilty Spark jolts the device with another beam.''

*'''Cortana''': (recorded) "But it doesn't know about the Portal, where it leads. On the other side, there's a solution; a way to ''stop'' the Flood, without firing the remaining [[Halo Array|Halo rings]]-"

''Suddenly, Cortana's skin lights with lightning. She clutches her head, gasps in sudden pain and collapses onto the 'floor'."''

*'''Cortana''': (recorded) (softly, her voice filled with agony) "Hurry, Chief... the [[Ark]]... there isn't much time."

''Cortana's recording ends, she is left staring with desperation at the Chief.''

*'''343 Guilty Spark''': "I'm sorry..."

*'''Rtas 'Vadum''' (Leaning back in his seat): "No matter, Oracle. We've heard enough. Our fight is through the Portal, with the Brutes and the bastard Truth!"

''Special Operations Elites around the room raise their forearms and roar in agreement.''

*'''Lord Hood''': (Wearily) "Fine. We'll remain [[Earth|here]]...hold out as long as we can."

*'''Ship Master Rtas 'Vadum''': "Did you not hear? Your world is doomed." (Descends from his seat.) "A Flood army, a Gravemind, has you in its sights! You barely survived a small contamination."

*'''Lord Hood''': "And ''you'', Ship Master, just glassed half a continent! Maybe the Flood isn't all I should be worried about..."

*'''Ship Master Rtas 'Vadum''': "One single Flood spore can destroy a species. Were it not for the Arbiter's counsel, I would have glassed your entire ''planet''!"

''Lord Hood angrily raises his fist at 'Vadum, but Miranda Keyes places a hand on his shoulder.''

*'''Commander Keyes''': "Sir, with respect, Cortana has a solution."

*'''Lord Hood''': (skeptical) "Cortana? Did you see her condition? How damaged she is?"

''While Hood and Keyes argue, the Master Chief bends down and observes Cortana's pained, frozen figure, still collapsed on the holographic table.''

*'''Lord Hood''': "She could be [[Rampancy|corrupted]] for all we know. Her "solution" could be a Flood trap!"

*'''Commander Keyes''': "We should go through the Portal, find out for sure."

*'''Lord Hood''': "What we ''should'' do Commander, is understand - clearly - that this is humanity's final stand - here - at Earth. We go, we risk ''everything''; every last man, woman and child. If we stand our ground, we might just have a chance."

*'''Thel 'Vadam:''' "No. If your construct is wrong, then the Flood has already won."

*'''Master Chief''': "I'll find Cortana's solution. And I'll bring it back."

*'''Lord Hood''': "Earth...is all we have left. You trust Cortana that much?"

*'''Master Chief''': "Sir. ''Yes'' sir."

*'''Lord Hood''': "Then this is either the best decision you've ever made or the worst. Hell if it is, Chief? I doubt I'll live long enough to find out which."

''Lord Hood turns, looks wordlessly at Miranda Keyes, and then exits the bridge.''

''Inside the ''Shadow of Intent'''s hangar bay, both the Elites and the UNSC are getting ready for battle; the battle through the Portal. While a Separatist Phantom drifts into the hangar on the far side, two [[M12 Warthog LRV]]s race to the loading elevator, drawing near a group of Marines clustered around some UNSC crates. At uneasy rest opposing the Marines are a Major Elite sitting on a [[Ghost]] and a few [[Special Operations Elite|SpecOps Elites]]. The Major Elite's [[Particle Beam Rifle]] is resting on the floor. Sergeant Major Johnson, with his arm full of 'stolen' [[Covenant Carbine]]s brushes past the wordless Elites, scooping to pick up the Major Elite's rifle. The Elites, resentful at this non-permitted weapon collection, rise challengingly around Johnson.''

''Nearby, a pair of [[Orbital Drop Shock Trooper|ODSTs]] are joking with each other as 'Vadam passes by, with an acquired [[M41 Rocket Launcher]] over his shoulder and carried a [[M7057 Defoliant Projector|Flamethrower]] underhand. The ODSTs and a pair of nearby Marines observe 'Vadam in half-awe, half-disappointment over the loss of their heavy weapons, when 343 Guilty Spark drifts through the Marines in tow behind 'Vadam, leaving a Marine speechless. Johnson re-joins the Marines, beginning to hand out Carbines, the scene cuts to the fore of the hangar, where a [[Pelican Dropship]] lays before the hangar's energy field.''

''The Chief and Miranda Keyes stand at attention before Lord Hood, who looks at them grimly from the rear of the Pelican as the troop bay door shuts and the Pelican takes off. Keyes glances at the Chief wordlessly, and the two leave, going off to their own businesses.''

''Hood's Pelican arcs away from the gathered [[Sangheilian Fleet]] as the ''Shadow of Intent'' powers its engines and thrusts into the Portal, followed by eight Cruisers, a Carrier, and the UNSC Frigate [[Forward Unto Dawn]].''

==Trivia==
===[[Glitch]]es===
*The [[Elite Helmet Glitch]] occurs on this level.
*If an Elite becomes infected, the Elite will emit a Gravity Hammer-like hit, and continue his transformation (confirmed inside the infected ship).
*Occasionally, when the player shoots the Infection Form off the Marine in the first building, he will turn into a Combat Form regardless.

===[[Easter Egg]]s===
* If you melee the Suicidal Marine, he may get up and help you. At times though, he may disappear as he is scripted to vanish when you trigger the cutscene of the arrival of the Covenant Separatists.
* The [[Missing Person Poster]] can be seen in this level.
* There are two [[Plasma Rifle]]s and a fully charged [[Energy Sword]] on the deck of the undamaged crane lift. However, those weapons were there seconds before the [[Sangheili]] [[Drop pod]]s are deployed.
* There are sometimes [[Elite]]s within the Flood ship with both [[Combat Harness]] and [[Assault Harness]] shoulder pads.
* After the part where the Elites drop from the ship in pods, before you go into the hallway, face it then&nbsp;straf to the&nbsp;right, when you see a wall that looks crumbled (with all the pieces in place) you'll see a face in the crumble design.
*The [[Halo_3_skulls#Fog|Fog Skull]] is found on this level.

===References===
*The Suicidal Marine bears a striking resemblance to the [[Crazed Marine]] in the ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' level [[343 Guilty Spark (Level)|343 Guilty Spark]] that shoots you (thinking that you may be Flood-controlled). It should be noted that the player comes across the Crazed Marine in the first level you fight the Flood and that you come across the Suicidal Marine in the first level you fight the Flood in ''Halo 3''.
*The layout of the factory portion is nearly identical to that of [[The Storm]], except the player is going in the opposite direction. This is similar to [[Assault on the Control Room (Level)|Assault On The Control Room]] and [[Two Betrayals (Level)|Two Betrayals]].
*There are [[seven]] Elite corpses at the end of this level. They can be seen when you enter the crashed Flood ship.

===Miscellaneous===
* This was the [[Battle of Earth|first and only known time]] the [[Flood]] have been on [[Earth]]. It also is the first mission that no live Covenant Loyalists are encountered, as well as the Elite's first appearance with the exception of Thel 'Vadam.
* Very oddly, this mission does not have a carry-on stats from the previous level, The Storm, meaning that you will start out with a Battle Rifle and an Assault Rifle, no matter what weapons you had from the previous level. Additionally, any surviving Voi factory workers and Marines that helped you take down the Covenant AA will not appear, despite appearing in the cutscenes before this mission starts. There is a small possibility that the shockwave from the [[Portal]]'s activation blew them away.  Despite, in Co-op, only one of the players can carry their weapons that is not either a Fuel Rod Gun or a Rocket Launcher.
* Some of the Flood noises heard on this level are not sound effects, but part of the track ''[[Dread Intrusion]]'', from the [[Halo 3 Original Soundtrack]].
* At the very beginning, when the chapter name (''It Followed Me Home'') appears, walk forward until you reach the large crack separating the land. If you zoom in, you will see two Marines, one with an SMG and one with a Pistol, running. They will be followed by four Flood [[Combat Forms]]. If the Marines survive this wave, six more will come. Amazingly, in some cases they will survive this attack. If they do, they will run back the way they came. If they lose, the surviving Flood will either stay where they stand, or they will run back to where they came from.
**[[Pan Cam]] can be used to bypass the invisible walls and observe this battle firsthand. As it turns out, the Combat Forms suddenly drop dead and break apart after they run behind the building that obscures them from the player's view.
* When you enter the city, keep going forward to the metal fences. If you look across, you can see the Marines that are talking over the radio (one of whom says, "''We're surrounded, Sergeant!''"). There are two of them. They will be pursued and killed by three Flood Combat Forms. These Marines are not the two Marines mentioned above.
**[[Pan Cam]] can be used to bypass the fence and observe this battle firsthand. As it turns out, the two Marines suddenly drop dead as the Flood Combat Forms, who never even attempt to actually hit the Marines, run past them. The Combat Forms break apart in a similar manner.
* At the part when your Marines will not follow you anymore, you can push them onto the stairway leading into the next part of the level to have them help you through the rest of the level. They will go upstairs and to the hole where you are supposed to go through. Let them go first since they will stop at the Cortana Moment. Next, push them into the door to make them follow you through the rest of the level.
* Even if Lord Hood says that humanity's last stand is at Earth, the UNSC still has other planets that aren't glassed, like Sigma Octanus IV. Earth was, however, their home planet and the center of all of their actions. If Earth fell, it is unlikely that the Covenant could have been stopped anywhere else.
* At the first checkpoint, the Marine on the radio that says, "''We're surrounded, Sergeant!''" is in fact Gus Sorola, the voice actor of [[List_of_Characters_in_Red_vs._Blue#Private_First_Class_Richard_"Dick"_Simmons|Private Simmons]] from the web series, [[Red vs. Blue]].{{fact}}
* This is the only level that you will see a Marine using a Flamethrower or any detached support weapon.
* There is a point where you can crouch and see that the white liquid inside the infected ship is blue-green beneath the surface. This is probably because when the camera is submerged, a blue-green effect occurs regardless of the liquid's actual color.
* At the beginning of the level, the Sergeant that says "''Fall back, fall back!''" has the same voice and model as Gunnery Sergeant Reynolds.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Floodgate1.jpg|The Shadow Of Intent leaves Earth via The Portal.
Image:Floodgate2.jpg|Lord Hood's dropship leaves the Shadow of Intent.
Image:1214642228 Demon.jpg|The supposed demon's face on [[Covenant]] wreckage.
Image:76002393-Full.jpg|[[Elite Helmet glitch]].
Image:Picture 1.jpg|A Marine under attack by Flood Combat Forms.
Image:Flood wall.jpg|Flood biomass-covered walls of the crashed Flood-controlled Battlecruiser.
Image:Closesave.jpg|The [[John-117|Master Chief]] shoots a [[Infection Form]] off the Marine just in time.
Image:Hood Pelican.jpg|Lord Hood grimly watches Miranda Keyes and Spartan-117 as his [[Pelican]] departs from the hangar.
Image:Conversing_Sangheili.jpg|Thel 'Vadam converses with a Sangheili Major about the Flood.
Image:Flood Tank Pure Form on Earth.jpg|An image of a [[Flood]] [[Tank Form|Tank Pure Form]] on [[Earth]], from the Halo 3 level [[Floodgate]].
</gallery>

{{succession box | before = ''[[The Storm (Level)|The Storm]]'' <br />| title = [[Halo 3 Campaign|''Halo 3'' Campaign Missions]] | years = '''''Floodgate''''' |after = ''[[The Ark (Level)|The Ark]]''}}

{{Level}}

== Sources ==
<references/>
[[Category:Halo 3 Campaign]]