1. It begins with Jensen chilling out in front of the TV.
2. The show is interrupted by an old, er, friend, Francis Pritchard. He has a favour to call in…find his contact, "Slaw", in a Prague bar called Zatopek.
3. You decide to help, and off you go. After cutting Pritchard off mid-sentence.
4. You arrive at Blade Plaza station, and Pritchard contacts your info-link with some more info.
5. You start off with a basic set of augmentations, and 13 Praxis points to spend. Hacking doors and computers is really useful, so I upgrade to level 3. A higher level of hacking stealth is also needed, because a lot of the hackable things are hard to hack. I also invest in the leg augmentation for jumping, remote hacking, and Smart Vision.
6. The level 2 PC in the ticket booth at the top of the stairs can be hacked for stealth software if you toggle the EG glass to hide from the policeman outside. Hunt around for reveal software behind some boxes, too. Hacking tools are in short supply, so hacking the level 2 alarm panel for its overclock software is also worthwhile.
7. This level 2 door doesn’t get you any prizes, but a 100XP traveller bonus is awarded for entering the security room inside.
8. You can disable a camera from the unlocked security console. The drawers have hacking tools, and the cabinets a variety of ammo, and a biocell. A nearby weapons case has a pistol and ammo. A vent on the wall leads back to the platform.
9. Head outside when you’ve swiped all you want. As you exit, you see lots of security in the area. It’s only to be expected, I suppose!
10. Behind the Metro entrance is this suspicious looking water fountain.
11. In it, your first real treasure - a Praxis Kit!
12. The game rewards exploring, and XP is in short supply, so in that spirit, you can jump to the balcony above this bar by using the standalone streetlamp in front of it.
13. Your reward is a 200XP explorer bonus and another Praxis Kit. Come down carefully if you’re not willing to invest in the Icarus Lander just yet.
14. Your first stop is to the North, in the Zatopek Bar.
15. Approach this gate next to the Plomboybtzo Restaurant to be warned off by some armed and serious guards. The police van contains a grenade launcher (note, there is no-where to sell stuff here).
16. I don’t want to fight my way past these two, so I search for another way in. On the other side of the restaurant is this gate (which doesn’t open). I can climb on top.
17. From there I can survey my target. That’s the bar I need to get to, straight ahead. I can’t just drop in the two guards chatting below so look for an alternative.
18. To my right I see this balcony and jump up.
19. A door from the balcony leads to this apartment. I needed to upgrade to level 2 hacking stealth to unlock the level 3 PC for 200XP. The level 3 keypad can be hacked for 100XP (the code can be obtained from pocket secretary from the sniper-rifle guard outside, and gets you 200XP, but I leave her alone)
20. It opens this doorway next to the fridge. Inside are 2 weapons cabinets with a tranq rifle, laser sight, and ammo, plus some other cabinets with a pistol and ammo. A weapons case with a shotgun and combat rifle armour-piercing ammo is almost hidden atop some shelves, too.
21. An eBook is on a table inside. "The Aug Incident Will Happen Again!". You can open a window back to the hostile section, or to the front opposite the Palisade lobby. I want to find yet another way to the Zatopek Bar that doesn’t require taking out the guard with the sniper rifle, so I retrace my steps to the balcony and collect a cardboard box.
22. I manage to manoever it into this position on the sill of the apartment window. I want to use it to jump up onto the balcony above.
23. It’s just about possible and yields a 200XP explorer bonus and this Praxis Kit to make it worthwhile.
24. Carefully I drop down and return to the roof overlooking the courtyard. I can sneak across those boards on the left to the balcony above the guards.
25. I drop down behind the fence in front of the bar to find an eBook. "Silly Short Stories Volume 78". After reading it, I sneak through the open door of the bar.
26. It’s not actually necessary, but I talk to the barman to learn he’s less than thrilled to see me. He tells me Slaw is downstairs, but I’d already figured that out.
27. I head down for a cutscene with Slaw during which he gives you a useless (to him, anyway) pass-port for the Palisade security systems. He has some suprising info on his and Pritchard’s enterprise. Of note it’s worth leaving him on good terms. As you contact Pritchard, check out a medical box in the store-room for a multi-tool, then head back up the stairs.
28. A vent at the top of the stairs leads out to here.
29. I sneak along the wall as the two guards from the gate walk past, and then remote-hack the blinds to the left-most window, then sneak inside.
30. I use the door next to the refrigerators to enter the restaurant. On a table near the door is an eBook. "The Inconvenient Aug, chapter 5"
31. Then leave by the front door - it’s hard to hack with so many people outside in any case. Further to the North from the roof you climbed just now is an entrance to the apartment block.
32. Inside, the level 1 PC gets you 250XP and the names of the apartment occupants. To the left of the PC is overclock software.
33. The level 2 door has datascan software leads to stairs down and up. Down goes back to the courtyard by Zatopek’s, so I go up. At the top hack the level 1 door for nuke software and go into the apartment.
34. Inside is a level 1 PC you can hack for datascan software and the code 8222.
35. The bedroom is suspiciously empty, but a quick search reveals this painting which opens to reveal a level 1 keypad with the code 8222. Use the code for 200XP or hack it for stealth software.
36. The keypad unlocks (and reveals) a secret door set into the back of the wardrobe.
37. An eBook is on the table. "Palisade Bank Corporation: Founders"
38. This cabinet in the corner contains a Praxis Kit. Hunt around for a biocell, a multitool, and hacking tools. A weapons case with a pistol is near the cabinet. You don’t need to use the level 1 keypad inside the door to get out, but you can hack it for 100XP, or use the code 8222 for 200XP.
39. From the balcony it’s obvious there are many places to explore. I’ll have to go down the stairs without the Icarus Lander aug though.
40. The left hand unit is open and doesn’t contain anything. The right-hand one is level 1 for a nuke, but you need to be really careful of the patrols to hack it. Inside is a holosight, shotgun and some ammo. Climb onto the roof to access the apartment on the right.
41. You get 100XP explorer bonus just for going in. This pocket secretary has just story background on it. It’s a suspiciously empty apartment. A biocell is in a drawer nearby, and these shelves have stealth software.
42. For the kicks I upgrade my arm augmentations for heavy lifting, and move the fridge to find the prize - a Praxis Kit.
43. Back outside on the roof I explore up here to the right.
44. It brings me to here above an electrical hazard and a wine shop (the awning on the left).
45. The level 2 door to the shop gets me overclock software. Inside, a level 1 PC is worth hacking for 150XP and its wine tips. I head to the basement.
46. An eBook on the counter "Ice Wine". If you move the top refrigerator against the far wall, you’ll find a stun gun and ammo.
47. Mucking about with the boxes in the left store gets me no-where, but a vent behind these barrels is more interesting.
48. It leads out to the electrified area we saw just now. I consider upgrading my dermal armour to withstand the hazard, but decide instead to save my Praxis points and use the two nearby crates to get to the end of the tunnel.
49. Eventually I get bored of that and use a hypostim to temporarily boost my health enough to get me to the breaker box.
50. Going to the end of the tunnel gets me 200XP explorer bonus and an eBook. "A Better Life in Rabi’ah"
51. A little more searching reveals this Praxis Kit. It was worth it after all!
52. It’s time to keep my appointment with Francis. Back outside, this ladder leads up to the front of the Wine Shop.
53. The Konverz Kafe is in the South West corner
54. The door on the East side is too hard to hack with the patrolling cops. Another level 2 door on the West side is a bit more secluded, and gets me a nuke. After hacking it I head up the stairs on the left.
55. This vent (originally behind a bin) is another alternative.
56. It drops me inside. The level 1 laptop gets me 300XP and some background emails. Behind the clever liquid effect screen are some stairs down.
57. I’m reminded I need to activate the hologram system. I find this eBook on the counter. "The Konverz Kafé Experience" with some background on what the Konverz experience is.
58. A door on the right of the bar leads to a circuit breaker box which I toggle.
59. That triggers a cutscene with Francis' hologram. If you turn tables on him, you can find out about deaths inside Palisade, and hear the name Simona Saridakis. Whichever path you choose, he reveals the next stage of your mission - visit a hacker called Shadowchild in Klimová apartments. We’ve already been there…I wonder…?
60. The apartment block is in the North of the area.
61. Head up to the top floor, and discover that no-one is home - but we’ve already already discovered the secret room. The door is still unlocked. Go in to trigger the cinematic with Shadowchild.
62. Fortunately she was aware you were coming.
63. She’s so excited you’re going to rob the Blade she gives you the name "Baba Yaga 50" as someone who can help you get inside the Palisade premises. She also gives you a side-quest - to plant a figurine on the desk of the Head of Engineering. That should make the trip more interesting.
64. Head back downstairs and outside. There is more than one way into the Blade (of course!), but first visit the front. Approach these two people talking on the steps (possibly there may only be one, if their conversation is finished by the time you arrive).
65. Talking with Niko Saridakis gives you another side quest inside the Blade - find evidence related to the death of his wife Simona.
66. Head up the stairs and talk to the receptionist.
67. He is the employee known to Shadowchild, and will let you in if you give the right pass phrase. Check out behind the reception desk for nuke software.
68. That was the easy way in. Call the lift on the left, but don’t go in. It’s time for the less direct route - for the extra XP!
69. This door on the Southern wall of the Blade building is guarded, but a ladder is just visible on the left.
70. It is accessed by going behind the water screen.
71. You come out behind the guard and the camera. Your pass-port lets you through the door.
72. Follow your nose to here and grab the multi-tool. Enter the cage for a 100XP traveller bonus, then climb on top of it.
73. You can break into the bank here, or climb over the air conditioning ducts around to the right for a better return.
74. You end up here with a 200XP explorer bonus. Climb the ladder.
75. This roof is also accessible from the apartments above the storage units by the Klimová apartments, on the top-right (East) of this shot. Avoid the camera and climb the ramp on the left.
76. Drop into this vent for yet another 200XP explorer bonus! You’re on top of the lift you called earlier.
77. You can break the nearby vent to access the other lift, and see the breakable wall visible from outside.
78. It doesn’t matter which lift you use - they both have an access port in the top. Drop into one, and use your pass-port to access the Atrium level. Pritchard tells you to find out which server you need by breaking in to the CEO’s office. Of course.