WILD WILD WEST - THE STEEL ASSASSIN GUIDE PART II

Welcome to the second and final part to the Steel Assassin guide. Below are the details of Artemus Gordon's missions.

Where Jim West's mission take place in three environments, Gordon's take place in only two: Baltimore Wharf and The Ford Theatre in Washington. The latter is a massive environment and is the stage (ehem) for three missions.

ARTEMUS GORDON'S MISSIONS

Mission 1 & 2 - 'Parkhurst's Ladies' & 'Harbor Cruise' - Baltimore Wharf

The first two missions involve Artemus sneaking round a wharf and posing as an English actor named Parkhurst who is due to be in a play at the Ford Theatre in Washington where the assassination attempt is going to take place. The wharf was the scene of a murder related to the main case and Gordon spends his time collecting evidence.

The Wharf environment consists of the actual harbour side, the shipping office and the waterways surrounding the harbour. All areas are shown by day and by night.

The Wharf

We see the wharf from outside and within as well as a lower deck that can be used when hiding from watchmen!

The wharf is a large area, and includes offices, warehouses as well as a sizeable loading and embarking area.

This is the watchman's hut. Throughout the game you have to negotiate various trigger-happy watchman.

Here are some views of the main wharf area including the loading area.

There is a small network of boardwalks under the main wharf. Accessed by a series of ladders and steps they provide access to the surrounding waterways and to the floor of the shipping office.

The Shipping Office

You can only get into this after dark but it provides some nice details.

The Surrounding Waterways

This area can only be accessed after dark and is approached by using Gordon's waterski machine. It is a large area, full of moored and possibly abandoned boats and ships, teeming with bad guys in heavily armoured boats.

Mission 3 , 4 & Finale - 'Casting About','En Garde' & 'Grant Finale' - Ford Theatre, Washington

Again disguised as the British actor St John Parkhurst, Gordon has to survive rehearsals, find clues, negotiate with the theatre manager and fend off a traitorous actor, a pathological floor manager and an amorous leading lady!

The finale also takes place here, with West & Gordon racing to thwart a dramatic attempt on President Grant's life by the mysterious 'Bull'.

Outside the Theatre

Our tour begins outside the theatre in two wildly contrasting environments. The front of the theatre is beautiful and immaculate, whilst the backstage area is dirty, dangerous and badly lit.

Inside the Theatre

As with the outside, the huge, four floor theatre offers two sides: the beautiful and elegant world of luxury and illusion, and the rather seedy behind the scenes reality.

Ground Floor

The ground floor includes the grand foyer and the entrance to the theatre proper. Inside are the most expensive ground level seats and the stage itself.

Adjoining the stage are two of the four theatre boxes. The one on the left is inaccessible, but the one on the left can be entered.

The stage is huge and allows access to the behind the scenes area.

The stage has two doors leading off, one to the back entrance to the theatre (the Stage Door) and the other to the actor's rooms, offices, and properties stores.

On the ground floor are three of these rooms, the caretaker's office (where keys to the other rooms are kept), a washroom, and Parkhurst's dressing room.

Second Floor

This floor houses Mae's dressing room (the leading lady), the President's box, the Manager's box and the second floor foyer and tier of seats.

Although carpeted, the back of the theatre on the first and second floors are noticeably plainer than the plush corridors of the public section. Here various corridors and Mae's dressing room can be seen.

Set just back from the public area, for both privacy and security, are the Presidential and Manager's boxes: the Manager's box is to the left of the stage, and the President's to the right. They are very similar, but the Presidential Box has a Stars and Stripes flag draped over the edge.

The 2nd floor foyer and 3rd floor foyer are very similar. Here is the second, and a view of the stage from the 2nd floor seating tier.

Third Floor

The third floor includes the highest tier of seating ('the gods'), the Manager's office and the Flies, a series of gantries and ropes used to operate scenery, directly over the stage.

One final dressing room can also be found on this level, Degarde's.

The Flies span from the back to the front side of the theatre building and, as well as being directly over the stage area, provide access to the carpentry shop.

At the front the 3rd floor foyer and the Manager's Office can be found.

Fourth Floor

The smallest floor, the fourth floor houses only the carpentry shop (with the psychotic floor manager!) and old storage rooms, where props are stored and the electrical equipment is housed.

During the explosive finale at the theatre, when Gordon and West unite to try and save the President, another fiendish automaton, fashioned to look like the Manager opens to fire a rocket at the Presidential Box where Grant is seated. Fortunately, the rocket is deflected by West's fast action, and instead hits the chandelier in the roof of the theatre which falls and shatters.

And Finally�

Once all the puzzles have been solved and all the missions have been completed, our two favourite Secret Service Agents can sit back, relax in the Wanderer, and drive off into the sunset�

�the end of a wonderful game and a nice sequel to the Wild Wild West film.

I hope you have enjoyed this guide and found it interesting!