This is the walkthrough for the Korgon Refinery level as featured in Full Frontal Assault. It is the location of the first of the three Planetary Defense Centers disabled by the mysterious villain.
Walkthrough[]
This level introduces the basic gameplay of Full Frontal Assault: your objective is to protect your base from the invading grungarian marauders. The mission begins with a group of grungoids destroying one of your base's generators; you must quickly eliminate them before they take out another. Use 
to repair any damaged generators, at the cost of bolts.
After the fight, you will be prompted to purchase a Pyro Turret. This requires bolts, so destroy the nearby stack of bolt crates to gather them. The larger crates require a jump attack (
+ 
) to break. Once you have 1,250 bolts, stand on a turret pad to purchase the Pyro Turret. It is a weak, short-range weapon, but its constant damage is effective against swarms of grungoids. Dismantling a placed turret returns its full bolt cost, allowing you to freely reposition your defenses as the situation changes. In co-op, bolts are shared between players.
Next, a weapon pod will deploy. Activate it and complete the unlocking minigame by pressing or 
on the blue regions. Aim for the white segments for a bolt bonus. Opening the pod reveals your first weapon, the Combuster, a reliable all-purpose blaster. In co-op, all players receive the unlocked weapon, but ammo and experience are tracked individually. Weapons level up to V3 (or V5 with the 1.03 update), gaining the Alpha prefix and an upgrade.
Use the Combuster to destroy the two nearby shield generators protecting a forcefield. The game indicates that these generators can be tracked by following their power cables, though simply checking the map (
) is often faster. You'll now be introduced to the invasion detector, which displays the type, speed, distance, and direction of incoming enemies. Keep in mind that enemies in an attack wave are single-minded; they will typically ignore you and rush straight for your generators, making them predictable targets. Reposition your Pyro Turret to a chokepoint to defend a direction and intercept the next wave.
At this point, the level opens up, and you can explore freely. Full Frontal Assault maps are non-linear, populated with roaming grungoids and tougher grungarian brawlers, as well as static grungoid turrets guarding key locations. The roaming enemies will eventually respawn. The center area also contains weak anthropods that will ambush you.
Expanding your arsenal by opening weapon pods should be a top priority. Ammo capacity is very limited, and running dry will force you to break off from exploring or defending to hunt for crates. Having multiple weapons provides crucial tactical flexibility. Be strategic about when you open pods; new attack waves are triggered by both a timer and by opening pods. You can temporarily slow the pace of the assault by delaying when you unlock new gear. You can also hunt for gold bolts, which must be collected by each player individually.
In co-op, players can split up to explore and defend simultaneously. The game balances this by spawning significantly more enemies during attack waves. This is ultimately an advantage, as more targets lead to more bolt drops and faster weapon experience.
The next weapon pod offers a key strategic choice: the Doppelbanger creates a decoy that distracts enemies and deals damage; the Cryoshot provides crowd control by slowing and freezing targets; and the Pyro Blaster is a short-range flamethrower with high damage and great ammo efficiency. Unlocking this pod triggers a grungarian dropship, so be ready to use the pod's teleporter (or hold 
) to return to base. Pods always contain full health and ammo restores.
On the right side of the map, use the meteor pad to reach the floating platforms leading to a major weapon node. This pod contains heavy explosive weapons: the Warmonger or the Plasmabomb Launcher. At this stage, their main difference is the Warmonger's superior range versus the Plasmabomb Launcher's larger ammo capacity. Opening this pod introduces mines, starting with the Chrono-Mine. Mines are cheap, single-use defenses. Because permanent turrets offer a better long-term return on investment, mines are best saved for emergencies. A well-placed Chrono-Mine can stop a dangerous group of enemies in its tracks when you're being overwhelmed.
The fourth and fifth weapon pods allow you to acquire the weapons you didn't select earlier. Opening them will trigger another attack wave. Once you are equipped, capture the only key node on the map, then restock on ammo and head for the Planetary Defense Center.
The Center is heavily guarded by turrets, grungoids, brawlers, and a new enemy at the very end: the Missile Minion. This flying robot fires a continuous barrage of rockets, so keep strafing to avoid its attacks while returning fire. Destroy the two generators at the Center's console, reactivate it, and return to your base to initiate the final reboot sequence.
Prepare for a large final assault. A common strategy is to "stack" all your defenses in one lane and personally guard the other. Alternatively, split your turrets between the lanes and move to assist wherever the fighting is heaviest. Another Missile Minion will appear near the end of the attack, so stay alert.
Repelling the final wave completes the level. The reward screen displays your earnings, including any remaining bolts (which don't carry over), collected gold bolts, skill points, and medals. Each level has three medals: one for completion, one for saving all generators, and one for beating a time limit. The latter two are much easier to earn on revisits with upgraded gear.
Back at the Starship Phoenix II, you can use your medals to gain a promotion. Each promotion grants valuable bonuses, such as increased health, more weapon pods, and new perks. Your first promotion, for example, grants the 'Enhanced Hyper-Strike' ability. When ready, use the galactic map to proceed to the Hidden City of Balkai on Ebaro.