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Dead Space 3 with Interactive Map eGuide
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Contents

  • Maps
    • Maps
      • Maps
  • Essentials
    • The Basics
      • The Basics
    • The Cast of Characters
      • The Cast of Characters
    • Tools of the Trade
      • Tools of the Trade
    • Extras
      • Extras
    • Collector's Edition Content
      • Concept Art
      • Dead Space 3 Liberation
      • Team Favorite Weapons
      • Dead Space Lore
  • Walkthrough
    • Walkthrough
      • Prologue “Beginnings”
      • Chapter 1 “Rude Awakening”
      • Chapter 2 “On Your Own”
      • Chapter 3 “The Lost Flotilla”
      • Chapter 4 “History’s Ember”
      • Chapter 5 “Expect Delays“
      • Chapter 6 “Repair to Ride”
      • Chapter 7 “Mayhem”
      • Chapter 8 “Off the Grid”
      • Chapter 9 “Onward”
      • Chapter 10 “Now We Know”
      • Chapter 11 “Signal Hunting”
      • Chapter 12 “AUTOPSY”
      • Chapter 13 “Reach for the Sky”
      • Chapter 14 “Everything Has Its Place”
      • Chapter 15 “A CHANGE OF FORTUNE”
      • Chapter 16 “What Lies Below”
      • Chapter 17 “A Strange City”
      • Chapter 18 “Kill or Be Killed”
      • Chapter 19 “Endings”
    • Co-op
      • Co-op

Dead Space 3 with Interactive Map › Walkthrough › Walkthrough

Chapter 8 “Off the Grid”

After breaking up on reentry, Isaac wakes up to discover himself stranded on the hostile planet of Tau Volantis. With his helmet broken, and his crew scattered or dead, Isaac’s only option is to press forward in hopes of finding a way to survive.

Level Stats

  • Total Artifacts: 1
  • S.C.A.F. Artifacts: 1
  • Total Logs: 4
  • Text Logs: 2
  • Audio Logs: 2
  • Blueprints: 1
  • Weapon Parts: 3
  • Circuits: 2

Tau Volantis
 Crash Site

Click here for interactive maps

Search for Survivors

We broke up on reentry. Pieces of the Crozier must be scattered all over this damned planet. But if I survived, chances are someone else did too. I’ve got to find them. Nothing else matters until I know whether they’re dead or alive.

The Crozier broke apart during the crash. You are the only survivor of the front part of the shuttle. Ellie and the rest were in the aft section when the craft split. You discover that Tau Volantis is an icy planet. Your suit is damaged, so the helmet will not close and it no longer can heat your body. The subzero temperatures on the planet can quickly freeze you. You must find heat sources such as flaming parts of wreckage to warm yourself.

Snow Crash

Reach the surface of Tau Volantis to earn this award.

ISAAC’S LOG

I had never been so cold in my life. Though I had worked in the vacuum of space where it reaches extremely cold temperatures, I always had a functioning suit that would provide heat and keep me in relative comfort. However, after the crash on Tau Volantis, my suit would not seal and the heating elements were not working. Luckily my RIG still functioned. My air meter switched over to temperature mode. As I moved away from heat sources—and I began losing heat—the meter would start decreasing. If it had ever got down to zero, I would have frozen to death. Therefore, I advanced from heat source to heat source. I always kept track of where I was and if necessary, went back to the last heat source so I would survive to find Ellie. I knew she was still alive somewhere on this frozen planet.

As you begin looking for survivors, always try to move toward heat sources. Not far from the crash site you can find a survey charge weapon part. There are also several other pick-ups such as ammo and med packs. Look for objects shining through the snowy haze.

You must walk along a narrow canyon. There are some side treks where you can find items. However, they do not go too far. The locator is not working, so you have to maintain sense of direction as you advance through the snow. Whenever you find a large burning piece of wreckage, stop and get your temperature back up to its maximum value.

Keep going until you find a large part of the shuttle burning up on a hillside. No one is around, so advance along the narrow, snowy path on the edge of a ridge.

As you advance, the weight of the wreckage creates a fissure in the rocks and the wreckage begins to fall. You run away and drop down to the edge of the ridge. Press the button that appears on the screen. However, just as the wreckage is about to crush you, you push away from the edge and fall to the snowy ground below—you’re shaken more than hurt.

Pick yourself up and look around the wreckage for a circuit you can use to upgrade your weapons. The +2 Damage, +1 Reload will really come in handy—if you can find a workbench down here.

Now start advancing down the narrow canyon. Be sure to warm up at the wreckage before you set off because there aren’t any more heat sources for a while.

Eventually you arrive at some burning wreckage near a cliffside. Warm up, then follow a pathway to the left of the cliffside. It is a good idea to run as you are moving so you can get to another heat source as quickly as possible.

Keep going until you find the rear part of the shuttle where the rest of the crew were when it broke apart. The flames inside make it warm for you. As you search, you find a body—but it is not Ellie. It was one of the crew from the Eudora.

At the far end of the wreckage, activate the video message. Ellie left you a video that she and the other survivors are headed for shelter. She will leave flares along the way for you to follow. Near the video console, pick up a stasis coating weapon part and search the area for items and resources.

Keep following the flares as you move away from the wreckage. When you get to a flare near an edge, a large Necromorph rises up and knocks you down to a lower area.

When you pick yourself up, you see a habitat of some type and an abandoned vehicle. This must be where the ground party from the flotilla worked and lived.

By this time, you are getting cold. There is no more burning wreckage around here. You need to find some way to get warm. Keep moving until you find a red structure at ground level. Locate the door and use kinesis to open it.

Enter the structure. It is still cold, so you need to find a generator. Use the kinesis to start it up so that it begins to heat up the structure.

Search the room and you can find a text log and an audio recorder. You can get an audio log as well.

//Text Log: “Gravy Train”

TRANSCRIPT BEGIN:

TEXTFEED [SCAF-ISC-30593] TV-HU211 TO TV-RS9

Cpl Simon Weber: Hey Sarge, I seen a long line of MU90’s heading your way. What’s the news? Is that the gravy train?

Sgt George Cochran: Not food. Drill parts. Went over the ridge to ARC-FAC-1. The boys on the dig line found something mighty interesting under the ice.

Cpl Simon Weber: What could be more important than my stomach growling?

Sgt George Cochran: Well, you know how in all the years man has been exploring space, we ain’t never found life on any other planet?

Cpl Simon Weber: Sure. Nothing but rocks and gas.

Sgt George Cochran: Well, there’s life out here. No doubt. And it is one ugly son of a bitch.

TRANSCRIPT END.

//Audio Log: “S.C.A.F. Radio 1”

You’re listening to Aloha Station ... broadcasting to all the troops out there wherever you are. Remember boys, the colonies are counting on you.

Once you warm up, exit the structure and continue following the pipeline structure. Move under the structure to locate a ladder. Climb it up to the top and follow a catwalk to a radio tower room. Use kinesis to open the door.

Locate the generator and start it up by using your kinesis. As you do, it sounds like one of those large Necromorphs is climbing the outside of the room. However, you are safe in here. Search the room to find a Bolas Gun blueprint. There is a workbench in here. Use it to upgrade your weapons or even to create a new one.

Exit the room through the door near the workbench and follow the catwalk around to a cargo lift. Take it down to a lower catwalk and then follow it into the large pipe. Turn to the right and pick up a circuit that is lying on the catwalk inside the pipe.

Continue down the pipe. As you advance, the pipe begins to collapse. Keep going to the end and get back to ground level. Then turn around and backtrack under the pipe to find another red structure where you can warm up.

Open the door with kinesis, then start up the generator inside so you can get some heat going. Pick up and read a text log near the generator and find a compressor weapon part on the bed.

//Text Log: “Tighten Your Belt”

TRANSCRIPT BEGIN:

TEXTFEED [SCAF-ISC-30593] TV-HU213 TO TV-RS9

Pvt Samuel Ackerman: I don’t know if you guys got anything left in the pantry over there at RS9 but this hospitality unit is looking mighty bare.

Sgt George Cochran: Acknowledged, Pvt. Got a whole platoon to feed over here and not enough to go around.

Pvt Samuel Ackerman: What about the depot? There have to be rations in there. Come on. Cough up the key for a hungry soldier.

Sgt George Cochran: Sorry, Ackerman. SFC Lumley is in charge of ration distribution. I’m sure he’ll send fresh supplies to us as soon as he’s able. Until then, you’re just going to have to tighten your belt like the rest of us.

TRANSCRIPT END.

After you are warmed up, exit the structure and then continue following the pipeline. As you get near a building on the right, a Necromorph pops up from the snow and attacks. Kill it as well as the next several that attack you. These Necromorphs are a snowy version of a Slasher.

The building is locked and you don’t have a keycard, so climb up a ladder to a catwalk. Follow the catwalk around to the left to find a S.C.A.F. artifact to add to your collection.

//S.C.A.F. Artifact 10

PERSONAL LOG: Cpl Simon Weber

Ground crews, construction teams, pipelines, supply routes. All in service of that damn excavation site. They found something interesting over there but no one’s talking about it.

You can tell which soldiers have been working the dig teams. They look haunted, almost frail—like whatever it is they saw aged them forty years.

By now, you are probably close to freezing. Climb down the ladder and then keep following the pipeline to another red structure. Kill any Necromorphs that get in your way. Once inside, start up the generator so that you can warm up. Explore the structure to find a scavenger bot. Now you have two that you can send them looking for resources at two different locations. You can also listen to an audio recorder and collect another audio log. When you are ready, exit the structure through the door across from the one you used to enter.

//Audio Log: “S.C.A.F. Radio 2“

You’re listening to Aloha Station. Just a friendly reminder from HQ: Be sure to have your ration card stamped after every meal. We don’t want anyone going hungry out there. And now, a little something to warm you up.

You have a ways to walk to get to the next building and many Necromorphs attack you on the way. Try to engage them at long range if possible. However, if necessary, use melee attacks to at least knock them back. Flares help guide you through the snowy haze.

Once you find the building, move around it to find the door. More Necromorphs pop up out of the snow to try to stop you. Kill them and then keep moving to the door before you freeze. You need to use kinesis to open the door.

Your temperature stops dropping as soon as you walk through the door. Open a second door to reach the interior of the building. Buckell is sitting on the ground, freezing to death. The others left. He stayed behind because there were not enough snow suits to go around. After telling you to use the elevator shaft to find a suit, Buckell succumbs to the cold and dies.

If you continue past the building where you find Buckell, you can find a small structure near a gate. Inside it is warm and you can pick up a Tesla core weapon part.

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