Eden Prime

1 - Touchdown on Eden Prime

You arrive on the planet's surface with Lieutenant Alenko and Corporal Jenkins in your squad. Each of you has only basic equipment. Head into the bog to the north and turn east to find an upgrade kit. (Note that for Eden Prime the compass and map directions do not agree. Directions listed here will follow the map directions.) Jenkins will identify the nearby gas bags which you can use for target practice before moving on.

2 - The Geth

Proceed west and follow the path over the hill. You are immediately ambushed by a small group of geth recon drones and Jenkins is fatally wounded. The recon drones have weak weapons and shields, but are resistant to biotic attacks. When they are destroyed, check Jenkins' body to confirm his fate. Continue north up the hill. There are three drones at the top you must defeat, after which you can find another upgrade kit to the left of the path containing some grenades and omni-gel. Proceed northeast through the woods and destroy three more drones. Off to the left before you exit the woods you can find a medical kit to replenish your medi-gel.

+2 Paragon - "He deserves a burial."
+2 Renegade - "Forget about him."

3 - Ashley Williams

As you descend the hill you witness a lone soldier being chased by more drones. She turns to see another human impaled on a large spike by two geth troopers, which you must now help her defeat. Speak with the soldier after the battle. She can tell your more about the attack on the colony, and the enemy you are facing. Ashley Williams will now join your squad. There is an upgrade kit to your right, along with a crate containing Scorpion I light armor. You may want to use this to replace your default armor, as it offers superior shields and tech/biotic protection.

+2 Paragon - "Are you okay?"
+2 Paragon - "Don't blame yourself."
+2 Renegade - "You abandoned them."
+2 Renegade - "Fine, come with us."

4 - Investigate the Dig Site

At the bottom of the hill there are four more troopers guarding the dig site. Geth troopers have the ability to erect shields to provide cover for themselves, but have little other protection. They are extremely vulnerable when their shields are disabled. When you reach the dig site it is apparent that the beacon has been moved. Ashley suggests that you check out the nearby research camp, which will now be marked on your map. Loot the crate near the dig site, and then proceed up the hill to the north.

5 - The Camp

As you reach the top of the hill you discover that the giant spikes are designed to turn humans into synthetic zombie-like creatures called husks. These enemies have no ranged weapons, so they will charge at you instead. When they get close enough they will unleash a powerful electric explosion designed to take down your shields. Keep your distance and make use of Kaidan's biotic powers, as the husks can withstand a surprising amount of damage from your weapons. Don't miss the upgrade kit located behind the spikes. There are two temporary structures at the camp. The one on the left is unlocked and contains two crates, one of which provides you with some grenades and omni-gel. The structure on the right is locked, but can be opened with sufficient decryption skill. Two survivors, Dr. Warren and Dr. Manuel are hiding inside. Dr. Warren can tell you about the attack, and she informs you that the beacon has been relocated to the spaceport. If you inquire about Dr. Manuel's unusual behavior you will have the option to shut him up for a while.

+2 Paragon - "You're safe."
+9 Renegade - "I can shut him up!"

DECRYPTION AND ELECTRONICS MINIGAME

The decryption minigame can be performed to unlock certain containers or to recover certain valuables from downed spacecraft or satellites. Locked containers and doors can have three levels of difficulty (easy, average, and hard) and you--or a squad member--will need a certain number of points in the corresponding skill in order to attempt to open each type of lock: 1 point is required for easy, 5 points for average, and 9 points for hard. Locks can also be opened by supplying the requisite amount of omni-gel, but only if you have sufficient skill.

Opening a lock on the Xbox 360 involves pressing one of the face buttons (A, B, X, or Y) soon after it glows on-screen. The number of buttons that must be pressed depends (in theory) on the difficulty of the decryption.

On the PC the minigame is different, and requires you to navigate a cursor on a circular wheel to reach the center. This is much like Frogger with several concentric circles you must traverse. Navigate past the orange blocks (which are stationary) and the red blocks (which move) to reach the center. Harder locks will increase the number of obstacles you must maneuver around. You get to try again if you fail, but only if you have sufficient omni-gel.

6 - The Rogue Spectre

Proceed up the hill to the north. Ahead at the train station Nihlus turns a corner to see his friend Saren, a fellow Spectre. Off in the distance you hear a single gunshot. As you reach the crest of the hill, you can see a massive spaceship taking off from the spaceport ahead. Take up defensive positions near the top of the hill and eliminate the husks and geth troopers
below you. You can shoot the explosive containers near the steps to eliminate the troopers quickly. After the fight you can find a malfunctioning object in an alcove to the northwest that will give you some grenades and omni-gel.

7 - The Farmers (Optional)

A path to the east leads to another small temporary structure with a crate nearby. After unlocking the door (easy decryption), three farmers emerge. They will tell you about the ship you saw, and admit their involvement in a smuggling operation that has been going on at the colony. The farmers have been holding weapons and supplies for a smuggler at the spaceport. They offer you an extra pistol--the Stinger II, which is an excellent early pistol and the only one of its kind that can be found in the game--which they have been holding for the smuggler. If you have spent enough points in your Charm or Intimidate skills then you can get an extra upgrade item in addition to the pistol. If you do so, Ashley will demand to know the name of the
smuggler, and you can persuade them to reveal his identity. Don't miss the storage locker (which has an easy electronics lock) inside the shed after the conversation concludes.

+2 Paragon - "It's safe."
+2 Renegade - "You're holding out on me." [1 Intimidate]
+2 Paragon - "He may know something." [2 Charm]
+2 Renegade - "Is he worth dying for?" [2 Intimidate]

8 - Powell the Smuggler

Ascending the steps to the train platform reveals Nihlus' fate. A noise from behind the nearby crates turns out to be Powell, the smuggler the farmers informed you about. He tells you about Saren's betrayal of Nihlus. If confronted about his smuggling operation he will offer you some grenades to resupply you. Using Charm or Intimidate you can get an additional grenade
upgrade out of him. There is a medical kit nearby, and an upgrade kit in the fires behind the crates.

+2 Paragon - "Let it go, Williams."
+2 Renegade - "You're lying." [3 Intimidate]

9 - Taking the Train

Continue north and take out the three nearby geth troopers. You will need to board the train and fight your way to the other side to activate the controls that will take you to the spaceport. The train itself is defended primarily by geth troopers, but there are also a couple geth destroyers to worry about. Destroyers are huge versions of the troopers, and will typically charge at you when they get close enough. Keep your distance and concentrate on destroying them before moving forward. Biotic powers are particularly useful for disabling heavy geth soldiers like the destroyer, as immobilizing them keeps them from using their powerful weapons against you. There is a medical kit halfway up the train which will resupply your medi-gel. Activate the train controls at the far end to proceed to the spaceport. Meanwhile, Saren orders the geth to place explosives around the port to destroy the colony and cover up any evidence of their presence.

10 - Defusing the Situation

When you arrive at the spaceport your goal is to disarm all the demolition charges before time runs out. The first charge is to your immediate left after exiting the train. Simply press A (E on the PC) to defuse an explosive while your squad is covering you. Go up the ramp. The other charges show up on your radar, so you should have no trouble locating them. Cross the nearby bridge and work your way north as you defuse the explosives. You will need to worry about several geth troopers and geth shock troopers as you advance.
Shock troopers are more heavily armed and armored than their trooper counterparts. They too can erect kinetic barriers, and they have a missile attack similar to the destroyers. If you are having trouble, consider leaving your team on the west side and heading back to the east side of the port to flank the geth. There is a crate to the far north on the west side of the bridge.

11 - Secure the Beacon

Proceed west through the opening. Descend the ramp and finish off the last of the troopers and husks. There are two storage lockers to the south, a technician kit to the north, and a crate near the beacon itself. You can approach the railing to the west for a view of the devastation left by the ship you saw. Once you have secured the Prothean beacon you can radio the Normandy to come pick it up. If you are playing as a male, Ashley will inadvertently activate the beacon. As a female, Kaidan will activate the beacon. You are forced to intervene, and the beacon downloads a violent vision into your brain before it finally explodes.

12 - On Approach to the Citadel

You wake up in the Normandy's medical bay. Dr. Chakwas and Captain Anderson will explain the situation. When the conversation concludes, you are instructed to head upstairs to the command deck and tell Joker to bring the Normandy into dock on the Citadel.

Mission Complete: "Prologue: Find the Beacon"

THE NORMANDY

Now is a good opportunity to explore and familiarize yourself with the SSV Normandy and her crew, as you now have unrestricted access to all levels of the ship. You begin on the quarters deck. There is an aid station in the medical bay where you can replenish your supply of medi-gel. Outside is your locker, where supplies are frequently stored for you to pick up. Sleeping pods are towards the bow, and the Captain's office is on the port side.

If you take the elevator down to the engineering level you can explore the engine room and the vehicle bay. You can use the equipment lockers in the vehicle bay to stock your squad members with weapons and items. You can also buy and sell equipment with the alliance requisition officer.

Mass Effect