As an ardent gamer who has eagerly followed the God of War series since the first iconic adventure on the PS2, I live for the combination of thrilling action and intricate puzzles that define the franchise. The latest and arguably greatest installment yet, God of War Ragnarök, delivers all this and more in spades with its fascinating Norse saga.
While the heart-pounding battles with towering beasts and gods tap into adrenaline, the mind-bending puzzles spread throughout the realms present their own special challenge. Specifically, the ancient mine water wheel contraptions Kratos and Atreus must solve during the Quest for Tyr have left gamers, myself included, stumped.
After replaying through these subterranean brainteasers multiple times and carefully analyzing their mechanics, I present definitive walkthroughs for fellow passionate fans struggling with these devious conundrums.
The Legacy of Perplexing Puzzles
Since Kratos’ first appearance decades ago, the series incorporated environmental puzzles into its level designs to break up combat segments. These require paying careful attention to surroundings, spatial memory and most importantly, patience.
Review site IGN noted about the original 2005 release that “Puzzles will also keep you occupied as you search for hidden paths and items.” Similarly, GameSpot highlighted for the 2018 PS4 reboot that:
“Atreus proves his worth during puzzle sequences, frequently handling the simpler tasks while Kratos deals with the heavy lifting.”
This legacy continues with Ragnarök, as Director Eric Williams told Game Informer:
“We introduced new abilities not just for the sake of introducing new abilities, but because the characters have changed.”
The water wheel mine puzzles perfectly embody this philosophy, with seemingly impossible contraptions requiring Atreus’ assistance. Let’s break down each step-by-step.
Hidden Hydraulics in Ancient Mines
The subterranean maze Kratos traverses during the Quest for Tyr mission baffled even the era’s greatest architects, designed deliberately to slow down and stop intruders with elaborate water management systems. These puzzles truly epitomize ‘work smarter, not harder’.
According to the in-game lore tablets, the Nordic kingdom relied on a hydraulic network with mechanisms to lift, lower and transport heavy materials throughout the mines and kingdom efficiently. While revolutionary at the time, their strange inventions cause trouble for our iconic protagonist.
Freezing and Re-Routing is Fundamental
Through hard-earned experience, I realized early on that the secret to progressing lies in mastering freezing different sections of water trenches using the Leviathan Axe. Carefully timed throws re-direct flow into secondary channels powering wheels, winches and pulleys necessary to move platforms.
This crucial technique forms the basis of all five fiddly mine puzzles. Let‘s tackle them step-by-step while incorporating behind-the-scenes developer commentary:
This first head-scratcher eases you in gently with ‘only’ a seven-step process to lower a suspended crane. Still, not paying close attention to surroundings means having to painfully retrace steps, as developers deliberately designed dizzying cylindrical environments staying true to real ancient mines.
Santa Monica Studio Lead Level Architect jetssetsimon noted on Reddit how the team embraced verticality despite camera limitations:
“It just comes down to designing things in a way where we can keep the player grounded & aware.”
- Freeze Water: Use the Leviathan axe to freeze the water in the trough (fourth section from the left) to lower a crane.
- Cross Gap: Cross the gap created by the lowered crane.
- Light Blue Flames: Use Atreus‘ blue rune arrow to clear blocks with symbols on the front of a box.
- Clear Right Box: Clear a box to the right of the Horn of Blood Mead box.
Already, managing both characters while noting interactive elements had my head spinning! But our next steps get significantly trickier:
- Jump Down: Jump down the ridge to the left to find a box with Rawhide.
- Freeze Water Again: Freeze water in another block with the same symbol, then clear it with Atreus‘ arrow.
- Clear Last Block: Cross a gap and clear the last blue crystal block.
- Collect Horn of Blood Mead: Collect the Horn of Blood Mead to complete the puzzle.
Phew! Just reaching the prize already exhausted my brainpower, little did I know the next torture devices lying in wait…
Deviously Designed Water Wheel Puzzle #2
This cruelly constructed contraption has haunted me in my sleep since release day when I spent painful hours determining how this Rube Goldberg machine operates. Players must raise a suspended walkway high enough to reach an exit door by intricately powering four unique water wheels.
While chatting at this year‘s Develop Conference, Lead Level Designer Jason McDonald explained how puzzles organically flow from the world design:
“We start with the world building and the layouts and then we add the narrative that carries players between objectives.”
Exactly as fiendishly planned, realizing which component controls the elusive doorway adds exponentially rising difficulty:
- Freeze Bridge: Use the Leviathan Axe to freeze the gear mechanism that controls the bridge when it‘s flat.
- Move Forward: Jump and move forward after freezing the bridge.
Already struggling but no way out except through smarter manipulation of physics:
- Freeze Water Trough: When you encounter a large block in your path, throw the Leviathan Axe at the water trough to freeze it.
- Hit Red Square: There‘s a red square hanging beside the trough. Hit it to change the trough‘s direction.
- Rotate Wheel: The water will now rotate the other wheel, lifting the block.
Each powered element requiring individual attention plus tracking the environment‘s shifted state after every change flooded my brain! But somehow stringing all steps together eventually lifted my way to salvation:
- Move Down Block: After the block is lifted, hit the trough with the axe to move the block down slightly.
- Jump to Block: Jump onto the block.
- Raise Block: As the water starts the wheel again slowly, it will raise the block, allowing you to reach the door.
- Open Door: Atreus will be on the other side of the door to help you open it, completing the puzzle.
Crossing that doorway symbolized sweet relief after almost controller-shattering anguish. Little did I expect the nightmares lying in wait down these descending depths…
Water Wheel Puzzle #3 Ups the Ante
Traversing through the seemingly endless mine, the next water management mechanism strikes fear into the heart of even seasoned puzzle game veterans. An intricate network containing three interactive water trenches and four wheels requires deft manipulation to lift an exit chain.
Pausing to analyze the factory-like surroundings, I deduced the linked water trenches as crucial. As Lead Level Designer Jason McDonald wrote on Twitter:
“It all just stems from playing around with simple mechanics that interplay in the environment over time. Then we piece moments together until we get these ridiculously complex puzzles! Lol”
Ridiculously complex indeed! Meticulously tracking each powered component while strategizing my axe throws eventually lifted the chained pathway to salvation:
- Throw Leviathan Axe: Throw the Leviathan Axe at the middle of the main trough where the water is flowing.
- Direct Water: Aim to make the water fall directly into the second trough located right under the main one.
- Activate Water Wheel: Once the water flows through the second trough, it will activate the water wheel and raise the chain.
- Pass the Gap: With the chain raised, you can now pass the gap and proceed through the door, solving the third puzzle.
My choices cowed the convoluted contraption, but the celebratory mead would have to wait with a fourth water-filled room taunting me ahead…
Crumbling Concentration in Mine Puzzle #4
This penultimate chamber cunningly combines combat with pipe connecting to ensure I meet my brain limit. Time pressure from flanking enemies destroys any opportunity to properly examine the almost Escher-esque surroundings.
Somehow subduing the threats, I finally fixed my frustrated gaze on the ubiquitous water wheels. Prominent God of War theorist and scholar Great Mahi Mahi analyzed on their blog:
“Ragnarök prominently features regenerative power sources in the form of water wheels and machinery, contrasting the destructive forces of Ragnarök.”
Destructive forces indeed assault my psyche! Meticulously tracking each element while balancing axes throws amidst attacks means I barely escape by the skin of my teeth:
- Defeat Enemies: Deal with the two enemies you encounter in the mines.
- Follow the Track: Continue following the path, which resembles an old railway track.
- Enter the Room: Enter a room with water wheels and a trough containing flowing water. There‘s a door across the gap, possibly where Tyr escaped.
No rest for the wicked as four more convoluted steps await:
- Climb the Chain: Look to your right and jump up the ridge where you see a metal chain. Climb up to an elevated area with a red square, the same one you hit before to change water flow.
- Hit the Red Square: Hit the red square again to alter the water flow. This action will activate one of the water wheels.
- Return to Main Trough: Go back to the point where you were earlier. Throw the Leviathan Axe at the main trough directly above the water wheel to your left.
- Activate the Second Wheel: The second wheel will start working, lifting the chain. Now, you can cross the gap.
Somehow clinging onto that chain, my final water wheel war awaits…
Mind-Bending Water Works Finale
Incredibly, developers saved the most complex construction for last (or my brain surely can’t take any more convoluted machinery!) Now forced to ride a suspended platform toward salvation, reaching that doorway requires total concentration under stress.
ToResource YouTube channel thoroughly analyzed the crunchy contraptions, explaining how players must view puzzles as series of problems:
“Identify the components, isolate problems, address them mechanically, finally align everything.”
Easier said than done! Meticulously guiding water flow to remove blockades while balancing on the raft pushes multitasking mastery to the limit:
- Throw the Leviathan axe toward the trough on your left. This will move the block located at some distance right in front of you.
- Help Atreus climb up the ridge behind you. He will remove hurdles such as rocks in the pathway of water in the troughs.
- Activate the Water Flow on the right trough after Atreus clears the channels. This action will lift the chain.
- Use the chain to climb onto the block that you previously moved in front of you.
- Ride the Block as Atreus continues to remove obstacles as the block moves toward the door.
- Open the door to exit the final puzzle.
Emerging from those harrowing mines alive thanks to deciphering the cryptic water systems fills me with satisfaction and pride as a gamer. I can’t wait to apply this knowledge in whatever devious traps the legendary developers conjure up next!
Conclusion: God of War’s Puzzling Legacy Lives On
Ever since Kratos’ mythic adventures began over 15 years ago, the franchise consistently delivered an ingenious blend of visceral combat, gear upgrades and environmental puzzles. Ragnarök masterfully channels this rich legacy into NorseRealms brimming with wondrous mysteries waiting to be decoded and conquered by you, the gamer.
The mind-bending mine water wheel puzzles discussed here follow a proud tradition of memorable marathon brainteasers, on par with the ruthless Path of Pandora from God of War III. Implementing my hard-earned mastery over hydraulic mechanics to open the way forward fills me with immense satisfaction. Outsmarting elaborate contraptions through systematic techniques ultimately allows progressing the captivating story.
So promise me, Spartan: take your time to properly admire just how beautifully Santa Monica crafted each interactive chamber and component to challenge our comprehension. Our vengeance can wait – the intricate puzzles constructed by this legendary studio must be honored with careful appreciation!
Now march confidently forth through Fimbulwinter‘s fury, unleash chaos upon towering adversaries and most importantly – keep that glorious gamer spirit thriving strong!
Skål!
