Tomb Raider 8: Underworld

LEVEL 7: ARCTIC SEA - PART 1: YGGDRASILr

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 and swims down into the submerged ruins.

NOTE: In the other versions of the game, there are three chapters in the Arctic Sea level. The first one, HELHEIM, involves an extensive interactive sequence in which Lara manipulates the huge Norse warrior statues in order to open the drawbridge and gain entrance to the ruins. There is no Helhiem chapter in the PS2 game.

HELHEIM PORTAL ROOM:

Swim forward to surface on a staircase leading up out of the water. Look to the right to find the first treasure (1/4) in a niche on the wall. 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.

Step forward to the edge of the ledge overlooking the middle of the toxic pool. Drop down onto the ledge below and quickly turn around and step forward to face the Yeti thrall that rises out of the pool ahead. Equip Mjolnir and take care of the big brute.

NOTE: I'm not sure if this is the case in the PS2 game, but in the Wii version this Yeti is technically a little bit below Lara's level. So you can't hit it using the hammer's normal fire mode. Instead use the ground-pound technique: hold (L1) and press Interact (Triangle) to send out shockwaves. It'll take three or four swings, but this should destroy the Yeti.

CROSSING THE POOL:

Now move to the outer right corner of the ledge (when facing out across the pool). Step out onto the pipe that runs along at water level from the corner of the ledge to a smaller ledge ahead. You can jump forward along the ledge to go faster, but take care not to fall into the pool. Here you'll find another treasure (2/4).

Step back onto the pipe and walk a little more than halfway back to the ledge where you started. Then turn left to spot a broken wall sticking up out of the water. Jump to grab the top edge of it. Climb to the right end of the wall. Then jump back to land on the small stepping-stone island in the middle of the pool.

Now jump across the water to grab the edge of the next wall just ahead (i.e., on the right side of the room when facing the Helheim portal). Climb to the left end of this wall and jump back to grab the vertical column behind.

Climb up the column until Lara is a bit higher than the table-like platform ahead. Then jump onto it.

NOTE: There are two more treasures in this area. If you like, you can go after them now before climbing over to the ledge with the HELHEIM PORTAL and checkpoint. I found it much easier to get treasure #2 on the first pass, make it to the checkpoint and then backtrack for the other two treasures. For me at least, it was a challenge to get all the treasures without dying, and fighting the thralls over and over again got a little tedious. So I finally gave up and did it as described here.

If you prefer not having to backtrack, you can skip down to the section TREASURE HUNTING, below, and begin from the table-like platform.

To continue toward the HELHEIM PORTAL (and the next checkpoint), first cross the platform and jump to grab the next vertical column. Slide down and drop onto the island below.

Two Yeti thralls rise out of the pool ahead. Immediately draw Mjolnir. If you are unable to target the individual enemies using (L1) and (R1), then begin sending shockwaves at them by holding (L1) and pressing (Triangle). It may take a little longer to destroy the one on the left, since it's a little farther away, but keep pounding the floor, and you should be able to take care of both of them before they climb onto the island.

Turn left to face the toppled column running along parallel to the edge of the island. Jump from a few steps short of the edge of the island to land on the horizontal column. If you jump right at the edge, Lara will overshoot the column and land in the pool. Turn right and walk to the end of the column. Jump forward to grab the top of the light-colored stone wall. Pull up and walk to the right end of it. Jump from there to grab the ledge ahead. Pull up and approach the HELHEIM PORTAL.

Cinematic: With a powerful pyrotechnic display, Lara uses Mjolnir to open the exit.

A well-deserved checkpoint registers after the movie. Now, if you're not interested in the remaining treasures, skip the next section and pick up the walkthrough below at the section titled HALLWAY BEYOND THE HELHEIM PORTAL.)

TREASURE HUNTING:

Take a running jump from the jutting ledge overlooking the pool to land on the island below, where you killed the Yetis earlier. Climb the column and jump to the table-like platform.

Turn left (right if you are coming from the other direction and facing the HELHEIM PORTAL). Grapple the ring on the ceiling. Adjust Lara's angle left to right (clicking the left stick if necessary to center the camera behind her) so she's facing the wall with the stacked handholds and the dark alcove above. That's where you're headed. Do a couple of test swings to check your angle. Then swing and jump to grab the edge of the alcove or one of the handholds below. Climb up into the alcove to claim a treasure (3/4).

To get back, grapple the ring again, swing forward and drop onto the table-like platform. I found this easier than trying to swing and jump since it's easy to overshoot the platform.

Turn right and jump back to the vertical column (i.e., the one nearer to the exit). Slide down and drop onto the island.

NOTE: If this is the first time you've stepped onto this island (i.e., you didn't head for the exit first and then backtrack for the treasures), you will encounter 2 Yeti thralls here.

Cross the island and take a running jump to the smaller island ahead on the right. Jump from there to the next small island, where you'll find the final treasure (4/4) in the level and the game.

To get back to the HELHEIM PORTAL, first jump back to the small island, then to the bigger one with the vertical column. Turn right and jump from a few steps shy of the edge to land on the horizontal column, just as you did before. Walk carefully along the column to the end and jump to grab the wall. Pull up, turn right, walk to the end of the wall and jump to grab the ledge ahead. Pull up again and go to the exit.

NOTE: A few players have reported having trouble obtaining treasure #4 this way—specifically the jump from the big island to the smaller one. You can also reach the treasure by sliding down onto the island where it is located from the wide ledge near the exit. After picking up the treasure, you'll still need to jump to the small island, as described above, to reach the exit. It may be easier from this direction, though.

HALLWAY BEYOND THE HELHEIM PORTAL:

Go through the portal and follow the passageway. There are no branches or intersections, so just keep going.

If you've played Tomb Raider: Anniversary, you can see from the architecture here where Natla developed her design sense. ;)

When you see blue light on the ceiling ahead, get ready to confront another Yeti thrall just around the next corner. Now that Lara is on the same level as the enemy, all you need to do is hold (L1) to target it and (R1) to fire a lightning bolt.

Advance until you're able to target the second Yeti at the end of the hall. Then blast it the same way. You'll encounter a third Yeti thrall around the next turn. After you've destroyed it, continue along the corridor and down the stairs toward the room with the waterfall and silhouetted figure.

Cinematic: Lara enters and approaches the hunched figure near the pool's edge. "Mother?" she asks softly. "Mother, it's me, Lara."

Amelia Croft turns to face her daughter and we see what's become of her in the years since she was trapped in Avalon/Helheim. Lara is stunned.

"No," she insists. "My mother is dead. My mother died a long time ago. You're not my mother." She drives the thrall back into the pool and then collapses in a daze.

As she kneels on the floor, struggling with her frustration and despair, Natla arrives to gloat. In true villain form, she reveals the part she's played in the entire scenario. By facilitating Richard Croft's search for his wife, she hoped he'd find the way into Helheim. When he refused to play along, she killed him, but now she's tricked Lara into doing the job for her.

Lara quickly comes to her senses and realizes she's carrying the one thing that can put a stop to Natla's plans for good. But before she can use the hammer, the doppelganger grabs her from behind, knocking the weapon from her grip.

"When I made this creature for Amanda," Natla explains, "she had no idea that my true purpose was to have the means to destroy you at this very moment." She goes on to admit that she'd been playing both of them all along. Now, having at last reached her destination, she stalks off to begin raising the serpent, leaving Lara in the clutches of her evil twin.

Lara attempts to throw off the doppelganger, but with its super speed and strength, it soon has Lara pinned to the floor. It is about to choke her when Amanda appears and uses the power of the Wraith Stone to fling the double into the pool. Lara is amazed, but Amanda explains her reasoning.

"Trust me, I wanted to let it finish you off," she says, "but the Midgard Serpent will tear the world apart, and only Thor's hammer can stop it."

Before they can speak further, a squad of Yeti thralls lumbers toward them along the hallway.

"Go!" Amanda urges. "I'll hold them off."

Lara leaves her to it and takes off after Natla.

HALLWAY LEADING TO THE MIDGARD SERPENT:

Apparently the puppeteer isn't quite as smart as she thinks she is. She's neglected to take the hammer, so you still have it at your disposal. Good thing too, since there's another Yeti thrall waiting just around the next corner. Blast it and press on. You'll encounter one more Yeti after descending the next staircase.

When you've destroyed it, just continue along the corridor. There are a few low openings you need to duck through, but no splits or branches. So just keep going to the end.