Gears of War/Act One: Ashes

Exit The Cell Area
You, Marcus Fenix awaken in your prison cell at the sound of your friend Dominic Santiago, Dom for short, breaking you out of your cell. It's just in time, for the prison is being over run by the Locusts.

Dom will give you two choices of paths. A training path for those new to the game or a combat path to get right into the fighting. Take the path that is best for you.

Right Path: Training Path
If you take this path, Dom will show you the ropes of how to play Gears of War. This path is recommended for all new to the game.

Head Towards the Guards' Quarters
Follow Dom up the staircases on your right. This will take you to the Guards' Quarters. You will also find some ammo behind the couch in this room.

Use The Button to Open The Security Door
In the room is the Guards' desk, and sitting on the desk is a big glowing button. Hit the button with the X Button to hit the switch and open the door ahead of you.

Shoot The Two Breakers To Unlock The Doors
Outside the Guards' Quarters is another door that needs to be triggered remotely to open it. Shoot the two red circuit breakers in this area to open the doorway. Use your Left Trigger to aim your focus and make this easier, instead of blind firing. Once the door is unlocked use the X Button to bust it open to pass through it.

Get to the Prison Blocks
This next vacant room with the large stone blocks is a room to be able to test the art of cover using the Movement Button.

Once you are confident in the use of cover, work your way through the next few rooms. You'll eventually reach an open air bridge with a Locust Drone opposite you. Take cover and take him out which ever way you see fit.

After the Drone is defeated you reach a small control room with a button to open the next door ahead of you. Here you will need to use the Roadie Run to get across the bridge after you activate the button to open the door.

Once inside the other section of the prison, you will find a room full of Frag Grenades. Collect them because around the corner you'll need them.

Once you round the corner, you'll get attacked by a pair of Drones from the ground. You have the high ground, so take cover behind a pillar and use the Left Trigger to aim the throwing of your newly found Frag Grenades to clear the Drones out.

Left Path: Combat Path
Take this path if you've played the game before, or are just the type who learns how to play along the way and never reads the manual.

Open the Jammed Door
After you get to the main room with Dom there is a door stuck on the left side of the room. Use the X Button to kick it open.

Get To the Prison Blocks
In the next area the guard tower topples as you are attacked by Locust Drones. Two come ahead of you while two attack from a neighboring bridge way to your right. Dom radios for air support to take care of those on the right, so sit tight until they are gone. Once they are clear focus on any remaining Drones to continue.

Grab the Frag Grenades at the end of the path here, and continue on to the Prison Blocks. Once inside the main room you will have three Drones to contend with. One takes cover in a room across from where you enter, toss a Grenade into his room to make short work of him. Then clear out the remaining two Drones who are hiding behind cover to your right.

Welding Door
Once you are at the door to exit the Prison Blocks the doorway begins to make some noise as the Locust start to bust through it. It seems strong enough to hold them back for a bit, so you better load up on the ammo in the room and take cover before they enter.

Once the Drones enter the room, Dom will get killed. Run over to revive him using the X Button, this is part of the training for the game.

With Dom by your side, clear out the new visitors from cover.

Proceed To Yard For Extraction
Once outside another wave of Drones start attacking you from the end of the yard. Stay in cover and take them out one by one, or flank them from the left side where there is a raised platform.

Board the King Raven Helicopter
Once they are cleared, the King Raven copter lands. Walk past the newly cleared path to the helicopter to get inside of it. The helicopter takes off just in time before a Corpser breaks out of the ground to chow down on you and Dom.

Continue the Single-Player Walkthrough in Embry Square