You finally made it. After cutting through Draugr and dodging the heavy, freezing breath of the Foothills, Kratos and Atreus stand before the Black Breath. It’s thick. It’s impenetrable. Then, the Witch of the Woods—Freya, though you don’t know that yet—shows up with the Bifrost and clears the way. You step inside the mountain God of War fans remember as the game’s first real "gear shift." This isn’t just another corridor. It’s a massive, vertical labyrinth that forces you to stop swinging the Leviathan Axe for a second and actually use your brain.
Honestly, the scale is intimidating.
Most players get stuck almost immediately because the game stops holding your hand here. You’re in the heart of the mountain, seeking the summit to scatter Faye’s ashes, but the mountain doesn’t want you there. It’s a dark, cavernous space filled with ancient Dwarven machinery, rotting scaffolding, and a sense of verticality that the series hadn't really tackled quite like this before the 2018 soft reboot.
The Claw Puzzle That Breaks Everyone’s Brain
The core of the "Inside the Mountain" segment revolves around a massive mining claw. It’s huge. It’s rusted. It’s exactly the kind of thing Brok and Sindri probably built centuries ago and then forgot to oil. To get to the top, you have to repair this lift system, which involves a multi-stage puzzle that serves as a tutorial for the game’s more complex environmental interactions.
First, you’ve got the cart. You’ll find a massive wooden mine cart on tracks. You can’t just push it; you have to find the mechanism to release it. This is where the game introduces the "Sap" mechanic. You see that red, glowing crystalline stuff? That’s World Tree Sap. It’s volatile. At this stage of the journey, you don't have the Shock Arrows yet, so you're relying on Shatter Crystals—those red orbs you pick up and throw.
The trick is the sequence. You have to move the cart to the right spot, use the rotating lever to lift the claw, and then freeze the gears with your axe. If you miss the timing by even a second, the whole thing resets. It’s frustrating. It's meant to be. It’s the game’s way of saying: "Slow down."
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Why the Atmosphere Here Hits Different
Inside the mountain, the lighting changes. The warm, autumnal oranges of the Lake of Nine are gone, replaced by deep blues, sickly greens, and the flickering orange of torchlight. This is where the environmental storytelling kicks into high gear. You start seeing the remains of the Giants' mining operations. You see the statues. You see the sheer tragedy of a race that was hunted to near extinction.
Cory Barlog, the game's director, often talked about "mumblecore" storytelling—the stuff that happens while you're just walking. In the mountain, Atreus starts asking harder questions. He’s reading runes that tell of the Giants' sorrow. You aren't just climbing a rock; you're hiking through a graveyard of a civilization.
It feels heavy.
And then there's the sound design. If you play with headphones, you'll hear the mountain "groaning." It isn't just wind; it's the sound of shifting stone and the massive beast living within the peaks. It builds a tension that many other levels in the game fail to replicate. You feel small. For a guy who killed the entire Greek pantheon, Kratos looks remarkably tiny against the backdrop of the Heart of the Mountain.
That Boss Fight Nobody Expected
Just when you think you've mastered the puzzles, the game throws Hraezlyr at you. The Mountain Dragon.
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This fight is a masterpiece of scale. Up until this point, you’ve fought trolls and the occasional Ogre, but Hraezlyr is a different beast entirely. Literally. The fight takes place across multiple levels of the mountain’s interior. You’re using the Shatter Crystals again, but this time, they’re weapons. You have to time your throws to hit the dragon's mouth when it's charging its lightning breath.
Strategy Tip: Don't just spam the axe. It does nothing. You need to focus on the environment. Look for the buckets of sap. When the dragon leans in, that’s your window. It’s a rhythmic fight. One-two-throw. Dodge. Repeat.
What's wild is how the fight ends. It’s brutal, even for Kratos. Using a massive piece of mining equipment to impale a dragon is a peak God of War moment. It also rewards you with the shock arrows, which finally let you clear those red sap barriers you’ve been seeing for the last three hours.
Hidden Secrets You Probably Missed
Most people just rush to the summit. Don't do that. The mountain is Swiss cheese—it’s full of holes and secret passages.
- The Hidden Chamber: There is a Hidden Chamber of Odin right near the heart. You can’t open it yet (you need the Magic Chisel from later in the story), but mark it on your map. It houses one of the tougher Valkyries, Eir.
- The Lore Markers: There are several tall, wooden markers that Atreus can read. These provide the backstory of Hrungnir, a Giant who had a bit of a "disagreement" with Thor. It’s some of the best world-building in the game.
- The Artifacts: There’s a set of "Bottoms Up" cups scattered throughout the caverns. They sell for a decent amount of Hacksilver, which you’re going to need for the next armor upgrade at Sindri's shop.
There's a specific ledge after the first lift where you can look back down into the cavern. From there, you can see the entire path you just took. It's a rare moment of perspective. It shows you exactly how much vertical ground you've covered.
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Technical Mastery and Level Design
From a design perspective, the mountain is a "hub-and-spoke" model tucked inside a vertical cylinder. It’s brilliant. You keep returning to the central shaft, but each time you’re at a higher elevation or have a new tool that opens a previously locked door. This is classic Metroidvania logic applied to a 3D AAA action game.
The transition from the dark, claustrophobic tunnels to the blinding white light of the summit is one of the most effective visual transitions in gaming history. When you finally break through the clouds and see Mimir’s tree, the relief is palpable. You’ve earned that view.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Playthrough
If you're currently stuck or planning a replay, keep these things in mind to make the mountain climb less of a headache:
- Prioritize the Runic Stat: Many of the enemies inside the mountain (like the Nightmares and the Shadows) are weak to elemental damage. Having a high Runic stat makes your "Hel's Touch" or "Ivaldi’s Anvil" much more effective in tight corridors.
- Backtrack with Shock Arrows: As soon as you kill the dragon and get the Shock Arrows, do not immediately leave. Go back down the path you just came from. There are at least three chests blocked by red sap that you can now open for rare crafting materials.
- Listen to Atreus: He actually gives hints for the puzzles. If you’re standing still for more than 30 seconds, he’ll usually drop a line of dialogue that points toward the lever or the crystal you’re missing.
- Upgrade at the Mid-Way Shop: Sindri sets up a shop right in the middle of the mountain. Use it. Do not hoard your Hacksilver. The difficulty spikes significantly once you reach the summit and encounter your first few Hel-Walkers.
The mountain isn't just an obstacle; it's a character in its own right. It tests your patience, your spatial awareness, and your ability to manage a kid who’s slowly realizing he’s a god. Take your time in there. Look at the walls. The story isn't just in the cutscenes; it's in the stone.