200 years ago, on the barren plains of Tau Volantis, S.C.A.F. Privates Tim Caufman and Sam Ackerman are sent on a mission to retrieve a mysterious object, known as the Codex. What they discover will change the course of human events for the entire galaxy.

Level Stats

• Total Artifacts: 1
• S.C.A.F. Artifacts: 1

Codex Crash Site

• June 18, 2314
• Location: REDACTED

Follow the Waypoint

Dr. Serrano gave me an order, a waypoint, and not much else. He couldn’t even tell me what I’m looking for.

You begin all alone in a blizzard. All you have is a waypoint. Press and hold the locator button to activate a holographic path. This blue line shows you the way to your objective. It is a good thing you have this because visibility is nearly zero in this arctic wasteland.

Don’t start following the path to the waypoint just yet. Instead, after activating the locator, turn to the left and begin walking perpendicular to the holographic pathway until you can see a bright spot in the distance. Items that you can pick up often glow, so always be on the lookout for glowing lights.

As you approach the light, you see that it is an artifact. Artifacts are collectibles that can be found throughout the game. They also help tell a story. This first artifact is a S.C.A.F. artifact. Be sure to collect it. Then activate your locator again and begin moving toward the waypoint.

As the blizzard begins to lessen, you can see a crashed spacecraft in the distance. The locator is sending you toward the ship. Now that you can see better and the snow is no longer so deep, you can run along the pathway toward the ship.

Continue to the ship’s hatch. Unfortunately it is locked. Therefore, stomp on the three containers lying in the snow near the hatch. Press the stomp button to use your foot to break open the container. Inside you find some ammo for your weapon.

Your weapon was empty. However, with the three clips of ammo you found, you now have 30 rounds. Fire a few rounds at the latch on the door to break open the lock. Then walk up to the door and open it. Before you can enter the ship, a bloodied crew member limps out and collapses into the snow. An axe is buried in his back. What happened inside that ship? It is a good thing that you now have ammo for your weapon.

Two more of the ship’s crew walk out. However, they are no longer human. Something has changed them into Necromorphs. Both are carrying axes. If you don’t want to end up with an axe buried in you, open fire. Don’t aim for their heads. If you shoot them off, the Necromorph keeps coming. Instead, shoot at their legs to slow them down, then fire into their chests until they break apart. Then when they stop moving, walk up to the corpses and stomp on them to get some more ammo.

Retrieve the Cylinder

Finally. Dr. Serrano’s given me some intel. The thing I’m looking for is a cylinder, about half a meter long. Its beacon must still be intact because my locator is taking me right to the coordinates the doc gave me.

Your locator shows that you must enter the ship to get to the waypoint. Move through the hatch and follow a passageway to the left. As soon as you make a turn to the right, a Necromorph begins crawling toward you. Open fire to kill it. Move forward to stomp on it to get some ammo, then continue moving to the right. There are three more Necromorphs in here. One crawls toward you while the other two run. Shoot off their legs to slow them down, then finish them off.

The locator now leads you to a ladder. Climb it to the top to get to the bridge level of the ship. Take a quick look around to ensure that it is safe. There are no Necromorphs here. Walk over to the cage barrier that is blocking your access to the bridge. Activate one of the controls to the side of the door to open the cage and then enter the bridge.

The Codex cylinder is on the control panel in the bridge area. Pick it up to complete your objective. As you pick it up, the ship—which is precariously perched on the edge of a cliff—begins sliding over the edge. You automatically move to a side hatch, exit the bridge, and begin reppelling down from the ship.

Get down to the bottom of the cliff as quickly as you can. Move forward to descend. As you come across some gaps or rocks jutting out from the side of the cliff, jump over them and continue your controlled descent.

As you get to the bottom of the cliff, the ship begins falling down toward you. Your descent now becomes less controlled as you slide down the side of a mountain. Roll to the left or right to avoid the ship—especially the engines, which will kill you if they hit you,as well as other falling debris.

Eventually, you fall down into the S.C.A.F. camp. Several of the soldiers have been turned into Necromorphs. Luckily, they have already been killed. Your commanding officer has you report in.

The officer is afraid of the Necromorph menace spreading. Therefore, after you give him the Codex, he prevents you from ever becoming a Necromorph. He then deletes the content of the Codex and turns his pistol on himself.

Stranger in a Strange Land

Complete the Prologue to earn this award.