Tomb Raider 8: Underworld

LEVEL 7: ARCTIC SEA - PART 2: YGGDRASIL

HELHEIM PORTAL ROOM:

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. Because it is technically a little bit below Lara's level, you can't hit it using the hammer's normal fire mode. (You'd think the gods would be able to engineer a better weapon, wouldn't you?) So use the ground-pound technique: hold (Z) and swing the remote to send out shockwaves. It'll take three or four swings, but this should destroy the Yeti.

If you're not treasure hunting, you can skip this paragraph. But if you do want the next treasure, step out onto the pipe that runs along at water level from the corner of the ledge to the small island ahead. You can jump forward along the ledge to go faster, but take care not to fall into the pool. If Lara gets hung up at the end of the pipe and won't step forward, take a few steps back, turn around and try again. Pick up the treasure (5/7) and then walk back along the beam to the previous ledge.

CROSSING THE POOL:

Turn to face the middle of the pool and take a running jump to the small stepping-stone island ahead. Turn right and jump to grab the edge of the low wall. Climb to the left end of the wall and position Lara so she's hanging from the corner of the wall, not the flat side, and then jump back to grab the vertical column behind her.

Climb up the column until Lara is a bit higher than the table-like platform ahead. Then jump onto it. As in earlier column-climbing sequences, the easiest way to do this is to point the camera at the ledge and then press Forward on the control stick + (B) to jump in that direction. It doesn't matter which side of the column Lara is on when you do this. It should work regardless.

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 GATE and checkpoint. I found it much easier to get treasure #5 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 and begin sending shockwaves at them by holding (Z) and waving the remote. 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 2 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 (pressing C 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 (6/7).

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/span> 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 (7/7) 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 #7 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 (Z) to target it, aim the remote at the enemy and press (B) to fire a lightning bolt. One shot should vaporize the huge beast.

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 to the huge cavern ahead. Hop down off the ledge and follow the walkway forward to trigger a cut scene.

Cinematic: Lara steps out onto one of the curved walkways surrounding the Midgard Serpent device. She spots Natla on the level above and hurls a lightning bolt in her direction.

"Shut it down!" Lara orders.

But Natla has other plans. She explains to Lara that Jörmungandr is not the device itself but rather a network of tectonic ridges encircling the world's oceans. The device is merely a means to set off a cataclysmic seismic reaction along these ridges.

"When this relic unleashes its fury below," Natla says, "the very seams of the planet will burst. 'The Midgard Serpent will rise up and spew poison into the air, and all the world will be consumed by fire and ash.'" Even as she quotes the Eddas to Lara, she sets the machine in motion. "Ragnarök!" she shouts triumphantly. "The seventh age is upon us!"

Then, to prevent Lara from interfering, Natla throws a fireball down at her. But Lara tumbles nimbly out of the way. Now she must stop what she's accidentally started.