Tomb Raider 8: Underworld

LEVEL 7: ARCTIC SEA - PART 1: HELHEIM

Available weapons: Pistols, Mjolnir and sticky grenades

Cinematic: Lara arrives at the coordinates Natla gave her, apparently not too far from the Jan Mayen site. She parks the motorcycle at a safe distance then uses an explosive charge to blow a hole in the ice, revealing the long-submerged ruins below. Lara then plunges into the icy water.

GIANT STATUES AND HELHEIM DRAWBRIDGE:

Swim down and forward through the opening in the ice toward the ruins below.

Four huge Norse warrior statues, arranged in two rows, face each other across the road that leads up to the entrance to the ruins. The building itself consists of a ziggurat-like structure with a large central tower and smaller towers on each side. The drawbridge is raised, preventing Lara from getting inside. You'll have to open it. The first step is to free the chains that prevent the drawbridge from moving. These are held fast by the colossal warriors' swords.

Swim to the first statue on the left (i.e., left when facing the ruins). A long, narrow staircase leads up to its head. Here you'll find a puzzle panel. Press Interact to examine it. First, hold (A) and direct the air nozzle to clean the debris off the panel. Then manipulate the four rotating panels to form a picture of a tree, as follows:

When you first encounter the puzzle, the top panel it shows the roots, the panel below it also shows roots, the third panel shows the base of the trunk, and the bottom panel shows the treetop. Turn the second panel from the top once to the left so it shows the upper trunk. This is the correct picture for that position. Turn the third panel once to the left so it shows the base of the trunk, which is correct. Turn the bottom panel once to the right to show the roots, also correct. Then turn the top panel twice in either direction to show the treetop. This solves the puzzle, causing the mechanism inside the statue to work.

The warrior raises his arms, thus pulling the sword out of the huge drawbridge chain.

The statue directly opposite this one on the other side of the road already has its sword raised. So you don't need to do anything there. The second statue on this side of the road is tipped over, so its sword does not obstruct the chain.

Swim across the road to the second statue on that side (i.e., the one closer to the building). Swim behind its head to find a different type of puzzle panel. Press Interact to use it. This one has movable tiles, but only the tiles in the two middle positions can be moved from left to right. The tiles depict, from top to bottom, a Norse warrior's lower body, legs, upper body and head.

To arrange them correctly, slide the third tile from the top (upper body) to the left then up. Slide the bottom tile (head) up then left. Slide the second tile (legs) down twice into the correct position. Slide the upper body tile to the right then down. Slide the head tile up. Slide the upper body tile to the left so it is now beneath the head. Slide the first tile (lower body) down twice into the correct position. Slide the head tile to the right then up into the correct position. Slide the upper body tile up then to the right into the correct position. This solves the puzzle.

The warrior raises his sword, freeing the second drawbridge chain.

If you are collecting the treasures as you go along, swim down to the road and follow it toward the drawbridge. (Otherwise, you can skip this section and proceed directly to the RIGHT TOWER, below.) Between the statues and the building, there's a dark trench, presumably the moat that the drawbridge once spanned. Swim down between the chains into the trench and straight down—or as close to straight as possible using the Wii controller—to find the first treasure (1/7) lying on the bottom. When you have it, swim back up to the building.

The ledge in the center of the building, just above the closed drawbridge, has a lever and 4 gears, but these aren't functional yet. You must now locate the power stones needed to operate the drawbridge mechanism.

NOTE: It doesn't matter whether you enter the left or right tower first. I chose the easier path first.

RIGHT TOWER:

Swim to the tower on the right side of the ruins (when facing them) and go through the doorway at the base of the tower. Once inside, swim upward to an air pocket where you can surface.

Climb out of the water and grab the iron ladder on the wall head. Climb up and then to the right so Lara is hanging from the top of the flat stone panel with the pale blue designs. Climb along this panel to the right and around the corner. Jump past the gap where the panel is broken and continue to the right around the next corner. Climb to the next gap but don't jump past it. Instead pull up to stand on top of the panel and then jump to the right to grab the horizontal beam above. Pull up and walk to the end of the beam.

Jump to grab the iron ladder on the wall ahead. Climb to the top of the ladder, release the control stick and press (B) alone to jump back and land on the ledge behind. Climb the next ladder to the top. Again jump back, this time grabbing the horizontal beam behind Lara. Pull up, turn around and jump to the next ladder, just above the one you just climbed. (There's a small, jagged ledge separating the two sections.)

Climb to the top of this ladder and jump back to grab the broken ledge behind. Pull up. Move to the left side of the ledge, where the gap is smaller, and jump over to the next ledge.

Take the FIRST POWER STONE from the low pedestal.

Turn around and jump back to the ledge in the middle or to the ledge on the left side of the room. Hang from the edge and traverse until Lara is hanging above the horizontal beam. Then drop onto it. Drop from there onto the ledge below. (Lara loses a tiny bit of health here, which she'll quickly regenerate.)

Take a take a running jump to grab the ladder. Climb to the bottom. Drop to grab the ladder directly below and shake the Nunchuk to do a saving grab. Drop down to the lowest ledge and then hop in the water and swim back outside to the front of the ruins.

EXTERIOR OF THE RUINS:

Turn right and swim along the front of the ruins to the tower on the left side (i.e., left when facing the building). If you're treasure hunting, before entering the tower, swim all the way around behind it, following the ledge at the level of the entrance, to find a treasure (2/7) lying on the ground. Then swim back to the tower entrance and go inside.

LEFT TOWER:

Inside, on the lower level of this tower, there's a passageway leading off to the right. You'll be headed that way shortly. For now, swim upward, as you did in the right tower. You'll need to go up two levels before you reach an air pocket where you can surface.

Climb out onto the ledge. Vault onto the square block in the corner and grab the panel with the blue designs. Climb to the right and jump past the gap in the panel. Lara can't reach the horizontal beam above, so continue climbing to the right and around the next corner. Climb to the end of this panel and then jump to the right to grab onto the panel beyond the next corner. Pull up to stand on top of it and then sidestep to the right. At the end of the panel, jump to the right to grab the ladder on the wall above.

Climb to the top of the ladder and jump back to land on the broken ledge behind. Grab the SECOND POWER STONE off the low pedestal.

Take a running jump back to the ladder. Climb to the bottom and then drop onto the ledge below. Swim back down to the bottom of the tower.

Don't exit yet. Instead swim through the doorway to the left of the tower exit. Follow the hallway to the end. Turn left and look for another treasure (3/7) on the floor in the right corner of this apparent cul-de-sac.

After picking up the treasure, swim upward along the vertical shaft. Then follow the horizontal hallway to the end, where you'll find the THIRD POWER STONE on another small pedestal inside a flooded room overlooking the middle of the ruins. Take the stone and swim back along the hallway, down the vertical shaft, then back along the lower hallway to the left tower entrance. Return through the doorway to the front of the ruins.

EXTERIOR OF THE RUINS:

Once outside again, turn left and swim upward along the façade to the ledge above the closed drawbridge. Approach each of the gears with an empty niche at the center and press Interact to place a power stone in each of the gears. (The fourth gear, at the back right, already has a power stone.) Then pull the lever to open the drawbridge.

FLOODED PASSAGEWAY LEADING INSIDE THE RUINS:

Swim down to the drawbridge and into the main building. Head up the long staircase and swim through the hole in the wall at the top. The passage turns several times and ascends several flights of stairs, but there are no forks or branches. So just keep going.

HELHEIM PORTAL ROOM:

When you reach the surface, look to the right for an ice-covered panel. Approach it and press Interact. Then hold (A) and wave the remote to melt the ice, revealing a treasure (4/7). Take it and proceed forward.

Cinematic: Lara enters the large room ahead. Glowing red glyphs decorate the HELHEIM PORTAL, which is flanked by sinister-looking serpent statues. As she takes in the sight, Natla flies down from above. She uses her special powers to manipulate the portal's puzzle lock. Then, having done her part, she gives Lara a half-smile, inviting her to complete the task. Apparently not wanting to wait around to get hammered, Natla takes flight once more and disappears.