Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War takes a dark turn near the end of the story. We won’t spoil it here, but we’re going to have to talk about it below. If you haven’t played yet and still want to be surprised, I suggest looking away now or checking out one of our guides for the many, many other Easter eggs and secrets in the first Call of Duty game on the new generation of consoles.
There’s one late-game mission that’s so packed with secrets, Easter eggs, and even a few trophies you can unlock. Called ‘Break On Through’ — the mission reveals the true plot of Black Ops Cold War, and it’s an intensely trippy experience. There’s a lot to talk about, so strap in.
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Break On Through Mission Guide | Everything You Can Miss
The mission ‘Break On Through’ is right before the end, and gives you multiple ways to play through. It’s a long mission too — and depending on what you choose to do, you can unlock unique trophies, see special scenarios play out, or discover some very weird Easter eggs. We’re going to cover everything you can find or earn in this mission.
Mind Trip | All 7 Memory Endings & All 4 Paths
To unlock this achievement / trophy, you need to play the mission twice. If you follow these two paths, you won’t miss any of the memory endings, and you’ll see all 4 paths.
- Playthrough #1: Play the mission while following all of Adler’s orders. Do exactly as he says.
- Playthrough #2: Play the mission while purposefully doing the opposite of Adler’s orders. If he tells you to go right, go left. Just keep ignoring orders.
There are four main paths through the level. The four paths are found in the following locations if you miss one.
- Path #1: Following Adler’s order, go right at the first fork, then go left into the cave. There’s a lengthy sequence where you fight Russian soldiers and Viet Cong.
- Path #2: At the first fork, go left and then go left again at the fork across the bridge. This leads to a hill where you will call down a napalm strike.
- Path #3: Past the bridge (down the left path) you’ll need to take the right path instead. This leads into a village where you’ll fight with allies.
- Path #4: The final path is the weirdest. After taking the right path at the first fork into the ravine, go right into the cellar. It leads into a dark passage… I’ll save this surprise for later.
The Red Door | Disobey Adler’s Orders
To earn the ‘Red Door’ achievement / trophy, you must disobey Adler’s orders until the end. After three failed attempts at controlling you, he’ll tell you to enter the red door in the ruin at the first fork. Ignore him and continue left and up — red doors will appear in front of you.
Follow every path until the way forward is completely blocked and you have no other options. Once you’re totally stuck, then you can enter a red door and earn this bizarre trophy.
Zombies, Adler’s Big Head & More Easter Eggs
There are some very strange Easter eggs you can miss in this level. First of all, there are zombies! Follow the path down into the ravine, then enter the right path cellar. Down below, you’ll drop and reach a very dark cavern. Look around enough, and a swarm of zombies will appear. If you die, there’s even the signature Zombies mode cackle.
Ignoring Adler’s orders leads to some strange changes in the environment. After three attempts to access Bell’s memories, strange devices and machinery will appear on the map. Follow the left path and cross the bridge — you’ll find a massive statue of Adler’s head! Seeing as he’s your true adversary, it only makes sense.
In addition, as you continue through the nightmare laboratory, you’ll encounter a strange area that’s extremely reminiscent of P.T. The Silent Hills playable teaser traps your unnamed character in an endless hallway loop — and as long as you continue to walk down this hallway, there is no escape.
There’s one final reference you don’t want to miss. As you enter the endless hallway, you’ll encounter a terrifying version of Adler — he watches from a darkened hall, his head twitching rapidly. The crumbling hospital environment and twitching head is extremely similar to the movie’s Jacob’s Ladder, which is also about a false memory of Vietnam. Spooky!
3 Hidden Arcade Machines
Finally, this level hides three collectible arcade machines. Depending on what you do, you’ll find these machines in hidden areas around the map.
- Boxing: Break On Through – Don’t listen to Adler during the mission. Reach the third reset, and follow the left path — it’s near the bridge, left of the zip-line. It’s on the cliff, making this one of the trickiest to find.
- Kaboom!: Break On Through – After the third scenario, you’ll get stuck in the laboratory hallway. After getting an injection, the door will move as you get closer. Be on the lookout for a dark room on your left in the hall. Enter it and collect the arcade machine before moving on.
- Chopper Command: Break On Through – The final arcade machine is when you’re stuck in an infinite loop near the end of the mission. You’ll keep running in a circle — if you keep running in a loop, you’ll eventually find an open door with the last game.
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