Search the Station is a mission in Tools of Destruction, taking place in the Apogee Space Station. Ratchet and Clank managed to make their way into the station in search for the Lombax Secret.
Walkthrough[]
The nearby weapons vendor will not have any new items for sale, but it's a good opportunity to spend any raritanium you haven't used yet, especially considering the presence of strong enemies in this area. Effective weapons to use are the Fusion Grenade, Shard Reaper, and the Tornado Launcher. The Plasma Beasts, Predator Launcher, and Shock Ravager are also viable, though to a lesser extent.
It is worth noting that the Tornado Launcher is most effective when using the SIXAXIS motion controls, as it requires tilting the controller to steer the tornado in the right direction while simultaneously controlling Ratchet. Mastering this weapon may take some practice, but it's one of the few weapons that allows you to use another weapon while it remains active.
By this point, it is likely you will level up some weapons to V5, which is the highest level achievable for now. Reaching V5 grants a significant power increase and unlocks a new functionality that enhances the weapon's effectiveness in the field. However, keep in mind that a V5 weapon can no longer gain experience, so it may preferable to use weapons that can still gain experience to finish the game with an arsenal of V5 weapons to choose from.
Search the Station[]
Once you are prepared, proceed into the station's interior. The door on your left will open after the two warbots, Cronk and Zephyr, finish their conversation. Once it opens four Thermosplitters will appear and immediately engage you. Thermosplitters are durable robots that emit a downward laser beam from two emitters while spinning continuously. They have no ranged attacks but pose a threat due to their durability and strong melee hits, while often appearing in large groups.
The subsequent room contains a Fusion Turret and two patrolling Thermosplitters. The turret has a high rate of fire and can shoot in any direction, including upward. However, it turns slowly, making it easy to evade by moving around it. As you enter the next chamber, the door will close behind you, and a large number of Thermosplitters will start appearing. Once you eliminate them, you can operate the nearby bolt crank, but first, you need to deal with the turret guarding it. Operating the bolt crank will open a water-filled tunnel with several hydro-mines serving as hazards. Navigate through the tunnel while avoiding the mines, and be sure to break open the two hidden raritanium chests concealed within the kelp.
Upon resurfacing, you will need to make your way past several turrets to reach a staircase, where a large wave of Thermosplitters will attack you. This is an excellent opportunity to utilize the Tornado Launcher, as the enemies will be clustered together. Pass through the moving lasers at the top of the stairs to encounter the weapons vendor, then ascend the second staircase. After the conversation between the two robots, the nearby Fusion Turrets will activate one by one. Placing Plasma Beasts in advance and retreating to the stairs to use the railing as a barrier are effective tactics.
In the following corridors, you will face a ceiling-mounted turret and a group of Thermosplitters as you enter the second corridor. The next room is small but contains a total of six Turrets, with only two active at a time, making them relatively easy to deal with. The subsequent chamber is the final one and features a large pit with a semi-circular path along the top edge. You start in the middle of this path and can choose to go left or right. Both paths are guarded by several turrets and Thermosplitters, as is the pit itself. The turrets pose the primary danger here since the Thermosplitters cannot attack from a distance nor climb the platforms spread around the area.
Once you have defeated all the enemies, climb the ladder only to find a dead end. After the cutscene, Clank will have the Geo-Laser gadget equipped. The Geo-Laser can only be used in specific areas, indicated by Clank's antenna, which when followed leads to a rock wall on the left side of the area. Carve the laser through the indicated points (using the motion controls if enabled), then proceed through the opening to complete the mission.
After the cutscene, you can use the teleporter to return to the asteroid field. From there, you can continue to planet Ardolis with the Aphelion for the mission "Infiltrate the Pirate Hideout".