How to solve the God of War Ragnarok water and gate puzzles

The God of War Ragnarok water puzzles involve geysers and water wheels in the Svartalfheim realm, where players are forced to navigate a complex series of barriers before they can open the gate to Nidavellir and speak with the Dwarves within. These water puzzles can be tricky for new players as they involve new systems - freezing water jets to change the pressure of other geysers - but once you understand all the factors and principles at play, they can become a lot more manageable and comprehensible. If you need a handle on either water puzzle though, we'll explain how they work in God of War Ragnarok and how you can get through the geysers.

God of War Ragnarok water wheel and geyser puzzles explained

The God of War Ragnarok water puzzles appear when you first set off through the Aurvangar Wetlands in Svartalfheim. All are based around a mechanic where you freeze a geyser with the Leviathan Axe to increase the pressure and height of other geysers. It's a puzzle that appears several times over the course of the game, but the first few times it appears you'll have to experiment work out what's going on.

The overall aim is always the same - by freezing water in one place, you will affect its flow elsewhere to spin wheels and activate mechanisms. The first time you do it you'll spin a water wheel and lower the gate blocking the river by doing the following:

1. Use the Blades of Chaos to uncap the geyser.
2. Head to the right of the newly uncapped geyser and climb up the wooden platform to the higher cliff.
3. Clear the enemies that spawn up here.
4. Look back at the water wheel - you can now see the base of the higher geyser, as shown above.
5. Throw the Leviathan axe at the higher geyser to freeze it. This'll increase the pressure of the uncapped one, and push the water wheel around, lowering the gate and allowing you to continue.

You're not done yet though. Once past this gate you'll encounter a more complicated puzzle variation that involves elements like a stone block. The process is still the same though: freeze some geysers to change the waterflow. 

God of War Ragnarok river gate and block puzzle

Just down the Svartalfheim river from the first puzzle is a more fortified gate that requires two separate chains to be pulled to open it. This puzzle also includes geysers, but this time the water wheel is replaced with giant metal blocks you can move to serve various functions along the way. Here's what you need to do:

1. When your boat reaches the gate, turn right and follow the river round to the shore.
2. Take the path past the Ormr reptile thing to the big metal block - throw your axe to cut the chain holding it there.
3. Climb over the block and pull the first chain to start clearing the gate.
4. Jump over the gap on your left, and freeze the geyser to jump over it.
5. Take the stony left path and clear the enemies along the way.
6. Uncap the geyser at the end, then without moving, refreeze the one past it that you jumped over before.
7. This'll cause the block to lower on it.
8. Quickly recall the axe and throw it at the chain as the block rises - you'll have to be fast to hit it.
9. Climb onto the dropped block and while standing on it throw your axe at the geyser you uncapped to freeze the it and push the block upwards
10. This'll elevate you to the next platform - with the second gate chain on the right. Pull the chain to lower the gate for good.
11. Climb down, jump back over the gap, and head back to the boat to progress through the gate and onwards.

With that, you can head on further down the wetlands, and really start opening up the Svartalfheim realm. You can check out our God of War Ragnarok Svartalfheim mine puzzles guide if you get stuck further in. Of course, if you're still getting to grips with the game full stop then check out our basic God of War Ragnarok tips to help separate your Draugr from your Dreki.

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