Tomb Raider 8: Underworld

LEVEL 1: MEDITERRANEAN SEA - PART 2: NIFLHEIM

Health Items: 2
Treasures: 9
Relics: 0
Keys/Puzzle Items: 0

Go through the doorway and up the stairs. Climb the block ledges and jump to the small stone ledge head on the right. Turn left and jump across the pit to an alcove containing several breakable jars. Press Interact to smash them. One contains a treasure (11/26).

If Lara falls into the pit before getting the treasure, climb back up to the small ledge using the step on the back of it. Once you have the treasure, continue along the hallway.

Duck under the low opening in the rocks and drop into the shallow pit beyond. Duck once more and follow the low tunnel that curves around to emerge in another shallow pit. Climb the rock ledges. On the second ledge you'll find a health potion. Pull up at the foot of a flight of stairs.

Look to the right to spot a breakable jar by the wall near the rim of the pit. Smash it to get the treasure (12/26) inside.

NOTE: The narrow ledges on the wall above the pit allow you to climb back across to the first pit, but there's no need to go there now. Even if you missed the first treasure, you'll return this way later.

At the top of the stairs, check the alcoves to the left and right to find another health potion (left) and some breakable jars, one of which contains a treasure (13/26). Then continue forward toward the wide opening overlooking the large, open area ahead.

Cinematic: Well, you've found the owner of the tentacle you saw earlier. A gargantuan kraken hears Lara coming and lashes out, smashing the ledge just in front of her. Once the beast calms down a bit, she pulls out her camera and surveys the area. The huge creature is blocking the exit. You'll need to do something about that. Fortunately, right above the sea monster's head, there's a conveniently placed spiked platform. That will definitely come in handy. Lara zooms in on one of the kraken's clouded eyes. "I hope it's as blind as it looks," she says.

KRAKEN ROOM:

If you like, you can use the Field Camera to scope out the area as Lara did. (See the Underworld Controls page for details.) The goal of this next section is to operate the mechanisms on the left and right sides of the room, which will then enable you to drop the spiked platform onto the creature. That's the only way to defeat it.

Don't bother shooting at the kraken. You can't harm it with conventional weapons, and if you get too close, it will swat Lara with its tentacles. This can be painful or it can be deadly, depending on how close Lara is standing when it happens.

NOTE: There are two paths to the mechanism on the right: The "HIGH ROUTE" is a bit more difficult and bypasses one of the treasures. So I have included it as an alternate path in a footnote. The "LOW ROUTE," described here, is a little bit longer but a lot easier.

LOW ROUTE TO RIGHT SIDE MECHANISM:

After the cut scene, Lara is facing out over the KRAKEN POOL. The passage on the left is blocked by rubble. So take the passage to the right. When you come to the first deep pit, grab the handhold on the left wall. Climb to the right and jump from handhold to handhold across the pit. Continue to the next pit but this time, instead of crossing over it, slide down the slope into the area below.

Go forward along the hallway. Pass the first opening on the left and continue to a second opening overlooking the KRAKEN POOL. Here you'll find 3 breakable jars. The shiny, rounded one holds a treasure (14/26).

Backtrack toward the slope, but before you reach it turn left. Follow this hallway toward the torch and the water trickling from the ceiling. Turn left again and continue to the next room.

RIGHT SIDE GEAR ROOM:

The kraken has wound one of its tentacles through the huge gears. In order to make the mechanism work, you'll need to do something about that. Grapple the metal ring on the support pillar. Press and hold Interact to pull the ring, toppling the pillar and causing the kraken some serious pain. (If the ring won't budge, try adjusting Lara's position so she's facing it squarely before pulling.)

Turn around and climb the flat ledges near the entrance. Step out onto the slope and slide just briefly before pressing Jump to leap and grab the horizontal pole ahead. Climb hand over hand along the pole to the left if necessary so Lara is facing the handhold on the wall ahead. Swing around the pole, jump and grab the handhold. Climb to the left and around the corner until you can pull up onto the ledge. (Tap Interact in time with Lara's movements if you want her to climb faster.)

Use the switch to activate the gear mechanism, retracting one of the iron walkways leading out to the circular, spiked platform.

CROSSING OVER TO THE LEFT SIDE:

Step onto the iron walkway and follow it out into the kraken room. Jump onto the extended fingers of the huge Norse warrior statue. Jump from there to the circular platform. Cross over it and follow the other iron walkway into the next room.

LEFT SIDE GEAR ROOM:

Here you'll find another gear mechanism with one of the kraken's tentacles entangled in it. Go around to the right side of the ledge and turn left to face the gears. One of these is recessed into the wall and has a metal ring on it. Grapple the ring and tap Interact to yank on the cable until the gear pulls away from the wall and clicks into place. Now use the switch to operate the mechanism, retracting the second iron walkway and again putting quite a hurtin' on the kraken.

NOTE: If you have Training Text on, you'll see a message here about perching on top of pillars. You don't need to do that now, though, if you've been following this walkthrough.

Follow the iron walkway back into the kraken room. Move along the curved ledge around behind the head of the Norse warrior statue and out onto its extended arm. Jump from the arm to grab the handhold to the right of the huge chain. Climb around the corner to the right and jump back to grab the edge of the wide ledge that runs along above and behind the kraken. Pull up.

KILLING THE KRAKEN:

Pull the switch to raise the spiked platform toward the ceiling. Now use precision aim to target the weak links in the two chains supporting the spiked platform. These are located at the left and right sides of the switch ledge. To do this, first switch to pistols if they are not already equipped. Then press the precision aim button (press Z on the keyboard or click the right stick if you're using a controller). You'll see a smaller than normal targeting reticule. Move the camera to aim at the broken link in the chain and fire.

NOTE: The Underworld Controls page covers weapons and targeting in greater detail.

When you shoot the first weak link, the chain breaks and the spiked platform shifts a bit but does not fall. Repeat the process for the weak link on the other chain. This causes the spiked platform to drop straight onto the ugly beast below, killing it and revealing the exit from this area. When the cut scene finishes, press the precision aim button again to return to the normal view.

If you'd like to leave this area now without collecting the remaining treasures, jump into the pool below. Skip down to the section titled "LEAVING THE (DEAD) KRAKEN POOL," below. Otherwise, continue with the walkthrough as written.

EXPLORING FOR TREASURES:

The next treasure is hidden on the ledge above the switch you just used in defeating the kraken. To get there, you'll need to employ a new maneuver: the wall jump or chimney jump.

First, go to the little alcove to the right of the switch, where one of the chains used to be. Stand on the edge of the hole where the chain passed through the floor. (Don't worry; it's solid.) Face left toward the square support column with the handhold on the front. Jump toward the column. Then, just as Lara touches it, press Jump again to spring back toward the wall behind her. Quickly press Jump again to leap from the wall and grab the handhold on the column. Jump straight up to grab the ledge above. Pull up and go to the back of the alcove. There you'll find several ceramic jars. Smash the rounded one and take the treasure (15/26).

Return to the edge and try swan diving into the pool below: Stand a few steps back from the edge and press Forward and Jump, quickly followed by Crouch, to dive.

XBOX 360 ACHIEVEMENT: Doing the swan dive as described above unlocks the Xbox 360 Swan Diver I achievement. Note that in order to unlock all three Swan Diver achievements, you must dive from the three highest points in the game (over water) during the same play-through. For more about achievements, see the Underworld Rewards page.

Swim to the right side of the pool (i.e., right when Lara's back is to the exit from this area) and climb out of the water on the partially submerged stairs. On the landing, in waist-deep water, is another treasure (16/26).

Go up these steps and follow the ledge around to the next set of stairs. Climb up into the doorway and follow the hallway to the left. (If you went straight and then to the right, you'd come to the second GEAR ROOM.) At the end of the dark hall is a group of breakable jars. Smash the rounded one to find a treasure (17/26).

Return to the pool and swim partway across. Look down on the left side (i.e., left if the exit from this area is behind Lara). The shiny object on the bottom of the pool is another treasure (18/26). Swim down and retrieve it.

The next treasure (19/26) is on a nearby shelf. Swim to the partially submerged stairs on this side of the room (i.e., the left side if Lara's back is to the exit). Climb out of the water and go up the steps. Follow the ledge around to the next set of steps, but don't go up. Instead look in the dark corner to the right for another cluster of breakable jars sitting on a ledge. One of these holds the treasure.

NOTE: If you took the "HIGH ROUTE" to the mechanism on the right (i.e., the one involving the situational adrenaline sequence) and missed treasure #14 in the process, you can still get it. Climb the stairs to the left of treasure #19 and pull up into the hallway. Turn left and continue to a ledge overlooking the KRAKEN POOL. The treasure is inside one of the jars on that ledge.

Don't worry about all the high ledges left unexplored or the metal ring on the ceiling. You will re-enter this area later from above.

LEAVING THE (DEAD) KRAKEN POOL:

When you're ready to move on, jump into the pool and swim toward the exit, which is directly behind the kraken's corpse. Climb out of the water on the small staircase to the right of the exit and use the switch to open the doors. Climb over and go through.

Follow the hallway up the stairs and on to a deep pit. To get across, approach the left wall and press Up to grab the knobby stone handholds. Climb upward then diagonally up and to the right, then right again, then diagonally down and to the right. When Lara runs out of handholds and won't go any farther, jump to the right to grab on to the wall beyond. Climb to the right and downward. Make sure Lara is over solid floor before dropping down, otherwise she'll fall into the pit.

Go up the stairs and continue to the next deep pit. This one has a narrow beam spanning it. Step out onto the beam and walk across. If Lara starts to lose her balance, just release the controls to let her stabilize. If you like, you can show off with a fancy front walkover. While moving forward along the beam, press Crouch. Sweet!

NOTE: It's possible for Lara to fall into this pit and live. So be careful here. If this does happen, just save the game manually and reload at the previous checkpoint.

Roll through the low opening and continue up the next flight of stairs. Enter the room ahead.

Cinematic: Lara identifies the huge statue as depicting Thor, the Norse god of thunder. Through the gate she spots a glowing object that looks like some kind of glove. "According to the Eddas," she says, referring to a collection of Old Norse poems from which most of our knowledge of Norse mythology comes, "Thor needed special iron gauntlets to wield his mighty hammer, Mjolnir." She wonders if this could actually be one of those fabled gauntlets.