The Chateau

Plot[]

Walkthrough[]

I. The fork in the path directly at the start of this chapter presents the illusion of a maze of paths through the dense forest, but the route to the chateau isn't that complicated. Make a detour to reach Treasure #23 when you reach a small stream, then head right when you reach the waterfall to first lay eyes on your destination. Head left as you leave the narrow path and collect Treasure #24.

II. Jump up to the platform just to the right of the statue of a flutist, then walk around the small ledge to reach a cave entrance. Once inside, leap over to the ledge to the right; haul Nate up, then jump to the path below. Walk over the log bridge, then veer left and drop down. Run up the slope and approach the door of the chateau.

III. With the door fastened tight by nature and decay, you will need to find an alternative route into the building. Start at the ledges to the right of the door, then follow the route upwards. The leap from the first roof to the next part of the building is a long one, so try to delay the button press until Nate reaches the edge for maximum distance. When you reach the opening in the tower, continue to the right to reach Treasure #25 before you climb inside.

IV. When you reach a partially collapsed floor section, attempt to drop to the platform below it. After Nate lands (albeit in an unexpected fashion), shoot the lock on the window to allow Sully to enter when he calls. With the room's exit blocked by a large wooden beam, you must reach the upper level to dislodge it. Approach the wooden cabinet to the left of the position where Sully entered and press triangle to move it upright with his assistance; you can then reach the broken spiral staircase.

V. When you reach the upper area, use the chandelier to reach the balcony on the opposite side of the room. Operate the lever to raise the other chandelier, then use the two light fixtures to reach the isolated platform above the blocked exit. Tap triangle to help Sully open the door below, then drop back down and follow him through.

VI. Head through the dilapidated kitchen and use the broken floor sections to reach the room above, then drop behind the kitchen wall into the room where tree roots sprawl over the decaying carpet. Collect Treasure #26 when a brief cinematic interlude ends, then jump through the open window at the top of the stairs. Enter the opening to the left, then press triangle when you reach the next doorway to dislodge the wooden beams.

VII. Collect Treasure #27, then open Nate's journal for hints on how to open a secret entrance. Two pages show four armored soldiers wielding a shield, axe, morning star and sword; each of these faces either an axe or a shield. There are four corresponding statues in the room; press triangle and use L to adjust their orientation in 90 degrees increments. Your goal is to adjust the position of the statues in the room in accordance with the clues in the journal.

• Each soldier must face his peer wielding the weapon positioned to the right of him in the journal illustrations.
• Rotate the statues with the shield and axe to gaze upon each other.
• Rotate the statue holding the morning star to regard the shield bearer.
• The swordsman is already in the correct position.

VIII. Once it has been unlocked, Nate will automatically enter the secret passage when you approach it. In the caverns below, collect Treasure #28, then head downwards and move through the tight gap; tap triangle rapidly to squeeze through the final section. Jump into the water and hold O to dive under the rock ceiling. On the other side of the submerged tunnel, wade to dry ground and jump over the gap directly ahead, then use the ledges to ascend to a well opening. The lower stone section will begin to crumble after you spring backwards to reach it, so be quick to jump up after you land.

Major Battle: North Grounds[]

IX.

• After the obvious opening stealth kill, collect the AK-47 and pick up the propate tank to the left of Nate's starting position with triangle. Turn to face the three guards standing in close proximity, then hold L2 to aim it at them. Release the button to throw it, then tap R1 as it flies towards the guards. Nate will automatically draw his sidearm to shoot it, engulfing them in a deadly blast. If you are quick on the draw, you can also shoot a propane tank farther ahead beside a vehicle to kill an additional guard.
• Though the position behind the well may not be perfect, it's the only one in the area that enables you to keep your opponents in sight. On higher difficulty levels, you can lie in wait here and just pepper each opponent with blindfire as they move into range. An added benefit of this defensive strategy is that each opponent will deliver additional weapons or ammunition to your location.
• Once all enemies in your immediate vicinity have been dispatched, stock up on AK-47 ammunition and collect an Arm Micro as a replacement sidearm. Move forward to hunt down and eliminate any stragglers. After the death of the final guard, two marksmen will begin firing from the upper windows of a building. Pick them off with headshots from cover, then climb the wall and jump through one of the two windows. That done, be ready to draw your gun and kill the shotgunner the moment he bursts through the door.

X.

• Running through the door initiates a mandatory grenade tutorial. Follow the instructions to kill the first two assailants, then drop down to the lower level and pick up Treasure #29. Collect ammunition from the crate, then push forward for another lesson on grenade use.
• This time, you must hold L2 to aim a lofted throw from cover to hit the two opponents on the ledge. Squeeze through the gap in the wall (tap triangle rapidly), then head up the steps to enter another major firefight.

Major Battle: Central Grounds[]

XI.

• From the starting cover position behind the wall, throw grenades until the nearby container ceases to offer further supplies. A change in the music indicates the point that enemies become aware of your location. Leave cover and head down the steps.
• Have your weapon drawn as you walk down the steps and leave via the exit below: you may encounter enemies running in to engage you.

XII.

• This metal crate is clearly the best cover position for fighting the first wave of opponents, offering a great view of every potential angle of approach. It also boasts additional grenades and a Wes - 44 sidearm. Equip this now and use the available ammunition in this battle, then retrieve your Arm Micro when the battle ends.
• An enemy with a rifle will fire from a hole in the wall at the far end of the courtyard. Make him a priority target.
• A final wave of opponents arrive from the staircase. On higher difficulty levels, it can be prudent to retreat to your previous position to engage them if you have ventured into the courtyard.
• When the battle ends, run up the steps to reach a closed door, then press triangle multiple times to break through with Sully's assistance. Collect Treasure #30 once you pass through the entrance, then head down the stairs. Examine the body and use the ladder beneath a small opening in the corner to reach the lower floor.

XIII. In a room with no apparent exit, Nate encounters a floor with floor tiles (though pressure pads would be a more precise description) marked with specific symbols. These distinctive shapes also appear in his journal. The Latin headline on the page, "Semita Solis", is a clue: it translates approximately as "the path of the sun". The symbols, then, obliquely reveal the route Nate must take. The two unique glyphs represent the start and end point.

XIV. Once you have solved the puzzle, head through the opening to reach the secret laboratory. In the last of the three rooms, collect Treasure #31. Press triangle to look at the paperwork on the altar and use the cipher disk for Nate to decode the clue. Once Sully moves into position, move the table aside with triangle. Climb down the ladder to reach the caves below, then head through the large wooden door to enter the Guardians puzzle room.

Guardians Puzzle Hints[]

• The focal point of the room is an elaborate grid on a wall. The mechanism in front of it enables the operator to move one of four guardian emblems at a time - presumably to rest above specific symbols. To operate the device, tap triangle. Switch between the four symbols with R, and move the selected tile with L.
• The three sets of reflective floor panels flicker and change as Nate approaches them from different angles. Closer scrutiny will reveal that these panels display symbols from the wall grid when Nate stands on the raised tiles that border them.
• Nate's journal has an illustration of the eagle emblem surrounded by three symbols. There are three raised tiles surrounding the reflective panel in front of a (wall-mounted) relief of an eagle, to the left of the grid. This is the key to the puzzle: once you recognise the secret it reveals, everything should fall into place.

Solution[]

• Start by approaching the reflective panel in front of the eagle emblem to the left of the wall grid. If you stand on each raised floor tile in turn, you will find that each icon that appears in the central panel corresponds with the illustration in Nate's journal. The eagle emblem lies at the center in the sketch. Examine the wall grid. The three icons appear in the same configuration at the bottom of the wall grid, with a diamond-shaped icon between the three. Use the mechanism to position the eagle emblem over this grid position.
• Move to the reflective panel in front of the lion emblem. Stand on each of the raised floor panels and note the icons that appear in each instance, then look for them on the wall grid. They surround an "H" icon in the upper left-hand corner. Move the lion emblem to this position.
• With one set of reflective panels buried beneath fallen stone, you must consult Nate's journal for an additional clue. The illustration on the right-hand page of the entry for this puzzle shows the exact position for the eagle emblem and the horse emblem in the bottom-left corner of the grid. This means that you need to move the horse emblem over the icon that sits two grid positions left and one up in relation to the eagle (it's a circle divided by a vertical bar).
• Finally, use the reflective panel to the right of the grid to ascertain the grid position for the bull emblem: an icon that looks like an inverted "B".
• Once you have solved the puzzle, squeeze through the opening beneath the wall grid and approach the stone sarcophagus at the end of the corridor. After the cutscene, return by the same path.