Dead Space 3 walkthrough, Part One: Prologue

Dead Space 3 begins, after a lengthy intro sequence, with a young and luckless soldier on the frigid planet of Tau Voltanis. He's not happy about the situation, but he has little choice in the matter. Before you do anything else, check to the right of where you begin. Glowing in the snow is an S.C.R.F. Artifact, your first in the game - and one that's really easy to miss. You'll find many such artifacts as you progress.

Hold down the right control stick to activate your marker and follow it out of the snowstorm; soon you'll come across a wrecked ship hanging off a cliff. Stomp the crates beside the ship for ammo and fire at the yellow panel on the door into the ship to open it up.

(Before firing, you might want to take a few moments to familiarize yourself with running and aiming, especially if you're moving backwards. You will probably use this more than a few times - like right now.)

A man who's now a corpse will come out, accompanied by a gruesome pair of axe-wielding Necromorphs, the game's signature baddies. Gun them down with your remaining ammo, backing up to avoid their attacks. Stomp their bodies once they're dead for more ammo - a good practice throughout the game, this - and head inside.

Around a corner you'll come across another Necromorph. Gun it down, then be ready for a crawling Necromorph on the floor. Around the corner you'll come across two more; if they get close in this space, don't be afraid to drop your gun and melee them back a few steps. Go up the ladder in the rear of this small space.

You're now in the control room. Something grim was up here, but it seems to have left for the moment. Open the way to the cockpit using the controls nearby and grab the spherical Codex on the control panel. The ship will spin out of place, and the soldier will be forced down the side of the cliff to escape. Move downward, rappelling over gaps in the cliff face, to get away from the falling debris. (Don't worry, this part is largely cinematic.)

After picking himself up… and noticing a few grisly bodies… your beginning hero will be confronted by a general, who seems just a little out of sorts. After that, well, you're done playing as this poor sap. Say hello to good 'ol Isaac as the game really begins!