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The site of the colonists’ old major mining operation is now a Chaos stronghold, complete with a dimensional portal of unknown purpose. Not only does that mean there’s a ton of Ore just lying around, but your only way out of here is to power up that portal and hope it doesn’t lead directly into some monster’s open mouth. Or New Jersey.
Here’s how to dig up all the leftover loot in one of Prodeus‘s longest stages yet.
Prodeus Secrets & Ore Guides:
Sacrum | Research | Fuel | Wretch | Genesis, Part 1 | Genesis, Part 2 | Excavation
Trials: Shotgun
How to Find All the Secrets & Ore on Excavator
As noted previously, this is one of the last stages in the game where you can make a 100% run without the double-jump boots. You can generally clear every stage in Prodeus without upgrades, but from here on out a full run – all secrets, all kills, finishing under the (generous) time limit – will typically require some double-jumping. Fortunately, there’s enough Ore lying around Excavation that you shouldn’t have any trouble affording your next Shop purchase.
Excavation features a route choice near the start of the level, where you can choose to pursue either the green or yellow key. In the long run, there’s no real advantage to going with one over the other, but this guide is organized as if you went after the green key first.
This stage also marks the official introduction of Prodeus‘s grenade launcher, and features a couple of unlabeled tutorials on its use for finding secrets.
Secrets: 7
#1: At the start of the level, when you emerge into the big lava cavern, jump down into it and run towards the right, away from the big green cylindrical building. If you “bunny-hop” through the lava, you’ll minimize the damage you take from it.
There’s a hidden cave back here that you can spot from the level’s entry point, with an ore fragment and a chest full of rockets. If you approach the nearby glass wall, it lowers to let you back into the entrance without having to make another lava run.
#2: Drop off the bridge that leads to the big green cylindrical building to spot a switch on one of its support columns (below, middle of the image). Push it to activate two moving platforms on the sides of the building.
Jump onto one of those platforms and ride it up to the upper level of the cylinder. Inside, circle around the shielded compartment and hit the wall switch, then grab the armor.
#3: If you’re facing the inactive portal device, turn left and go inside the building. There’s a dim wall switch here, next to the open doorway.
Push it to raise a platform in the lava near the portal with two rockets and an Ore Fragment.
#4: After you release the force field on the staircase, go up to the first landing. Here, you’ll find a grenade launcher and some ammo on a platform in some lava, across from an Ore Fragment and some energy ammo inside a small shielded alcove.
It can be difficult to see due to camera angles, but there’s a narrow gap above the top edge of the force field where you can drop a grenade into the alcove. Do so to destroy the switch and drop the field, then grab the goods.
#5: Starting from the portal device, turn right, enter the building, and go across the bridge to the unlocked door. Just past it, take out the zombies, then bounce a grenade off the glowing wall icons into the sealed room on the left.
This drops the force field and let you grab another armored vest.
#6: From the room where you found the yellow key, go through the big set of double doors in the next room. At the base of the ramp, interact with the part of the wall that’s circled below – yes, it’s one of those secrets again – to reveal a secret door.
Enter and take the lift up to the higher level. Here, you’ll find a lore terminal, several armor shards, and the Ore Fragment you could see from the Interrogation Room.
#7: On your way out of the facility where the yellow key was kept, you’ll enter a room with yellow-painted walls with a lift on one side. From the top of the lift, take a running jump to the compartment across the room with the health flask in it.
This leads you a huge stash of energy ammo, as well as a hole in the floor that leads to a sealed-off Ore Fragment.
Ore Fragments: 9
#1: See Secret #1, above.
#2: Activate the moving platforms on the side of the big cylindrical building and ride them up to the hidden chamber with the armor, as in Secret #2, above.
From here, turn around and face the main gate, then sprint-jump out the right-hand doorway to land on the ledge ahead of you.
There’s an open vent on this ledge (circled below) that has an Ore Fragment in it.
This is possible without the double-jump boots, albeit tricky; you have to time your jump to coincide with the right-hand moving platform being at its highest point. With the boots, it’s duck soup.
#3: See Secret #3, above.
#4: See Secret #4, above.
#5: After you obtain the green key, you’ll end up back outside by the big green cylinder building. Use your new key to open the locked door at ground level.
Inside, you’ll find a sniper zombie and two Fiends guarding an elevator. Take care of them and ride the elevator down to find an Ore Fragment and a ton of chaos ammo.
#6: When you find the yellow key, hit the wall switch near it to open the cells on either side of the room and let four Fiends out to play. One of their cells has an Ore Fragment in it. For ambience. Or something.
#7: See Secret #6, above.
#8: See Secret #7, above.
#9: As you leave the building where you found the yellow key, you’ll end up on a ledge towards the back of the portal device room. This leads to a yellow-locked door, behind which you’ll find a Lunger, two large rocket packs, and an Ore Fragment.
Shopping Trip #3: For A Few Dollars, Ore
With the 9 Ore Fragments from Excavation (or 8, if you decide to skip #2 for now), you can head back to the Shop near Fuel to pick up the double-jump boots.
While the boost from the boots isn’t that impressive on its own, it does give you a little more vertical reach. Its real bonus is being able to extend your hang time by jumping at the height of your horizontal arc. In conjunction with the air dash, your next big upgrade, you can cover a lot of space without having to touch the ground.
Assuming you take the time to pick up the tricky Ore Fragments from Fuel and Excavation, this will leave you with 4 in reserve as you head into Prodeus‘s next stretch.
