So, you’ve just stepped out into the sunlight of the Daunt. It’s beautiful, right? But then you see it—that crumbling, overgrown stone structure just south of Chainscrape. You walk in, Aloy says something about an "Old World ruin," and suddenly you’re staring at a locked door with a red light and a keypad. This is your first taste of the Daunt Relic Ruins in Horizon Forbidden West, and honestly, it’s where a lot of players get stuck for way too long. It looks simple. It’s not.
These ruins are basically a giant physics puzzle disguised as a post-apocalyptic apartment complex. Most people wander in circles looking for a vent or a ladder that doesn't exist. The reality is that the Daunt Relic Ruins serve as a tutorial for mechanics you’ll use for the next sixty hours of the game: the Pullcaster, the crate-moving physics, and the concept of verticality. If you can’t crack this one, the rest of the game is going to feel like a very long math test.
Let's break down exactly what's happening in there and why your Focus keeps pinging things you can't reach yet.
Crates, Pullcasters, and the Art of Not Falling
When you first enter the Daunt Relic Ruins, you’re greeted by a locked door on the upper floor. You need a door code. You also need a physical key. This is a classic Guerilla Games move. They give you the objective immediately but hide the path behind a series of environmental interactions. You’ll see a crate sitting on a ledge. Use your Pullcaster ($L2$ + $Triangle$ then $R2$). Pull it down. This is the "Aha!" moment the game wants you to have.
The physics in Forbidden West are a bit weightier than the first game. You’ll feel it when you push that crate toward the opposite wall. You aren't just moving an object; you're creating a platform. Once you climb up, you’ll find yourself on a balcony looking out over the rest of the ruin. There’s a hole in the floor. Don’t just jump down like a maniac—well, actually, you have to jump down, but be ready for what’s next.
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Inside the next room, there’s a decorative Ornament. That’s your goal. But to get it, you need to find the "Module Key." This is where the Daunt Relic Ruins gets tricky. You have to go outside, find a specific balcony, and use the Pullcaster to rip down a section of the wall. If you’re playing on a higher difficulty, remember that Aloy’s health isn't great this early in the game. Falling from the wrong height will hurt.
The Mystery of the Daunt Relic Ruins Door Code
Everyone searches for the code. You’re probably doing it right now. You’re looking for a datapoint. It’s tucked away in a corner on the upper level, but if you just want the answer because you're tired of running back and forth, the code is 1705.
How do we know that? It’s written in a "Your Standard Office Leak" datapoint found nearby. In the lore of the Old World, this place wasn't some mystical temple. It was just an apartment building or a small office. The code was likely just a security pin for a maintenance door. It’s a nice touch of world-building. These ruins were once boring, everyday spaces for people like us. Now, they’re lethal puzzles for a Nora Brave.
Why you can't find the key
The Module Key is sitting on a high pillar outside. You can’t jump to it. You have to go around to the back of the building, climb the yellow handholds (they are everywhere, look for the paint!), and then traverse across the beams. If you miss a jump, you’re back at the start. It’s frustrating. It’s meant to be. It teaches you to look for those yellow scuff marks that indicate a climbable surface.
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Once you have the key, take it back to the console. Input 1705. The door slides open. You grab the Ornament—the "Let’s Get This Party Started" Ornament, to be exact—and you’re done. Sort of.
What Most Players Miss in the Daunt
There’s more to the Daunt Relic Ruins than just the main puzzle. If you’re a completionist, you’re looking for every scrap of Ancient Debris and every chest. There’s a hidden cache in the basement area that requires a bit of clever crate maneuvering.
Most people leave as soon as they get the Ornament. Don’t. Look up. There are often grapple points that lead to small pouches of Metal Shards or Old World Valuables. These are the lifeblood of your early-game economy. If you want that Sharpshot Bow in Chainscrape, you need the shards.
Also, keep an eye out for Firegleam. You might see some red crystals on the walls. If this is your very first time in the Daunt, you cannot break these yet. Don’t waste your time hitting them with your spear. You need the Igniter, which you won't get until the "Death's Door" main quest. This is a "Metroidvania" style of design. The game wants you to come back later.
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The Bigger Picture: Why Ornaments Matter
You might be wondering why you’re doing all this for a glowing ball. These Ornaments are part of a larger collection quest involving a character named Stemmur in Hidden Ember (much later in the game). He can use them to change the skybox of the Las Vegas ruins. It’s one of the coolest visual rewards in any open-world game. Each Ornament represents an Old World holiday. The one from the Daunt Relic Ruins is themed around St. Patrick's Day, hence the green lights.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the scale of Horizon Forbidden West. The map is huge. The machines are aggressive. But these ruins provide a necessary break. They are quiet. They are cerebral. They force you to stop thinking about combat and start thinking about geometry.
Actionable Steps for Navigating the Ruin:
- Locate the Crate: Pull it down with the Pullcaster immediately upon entering the main hall.
- Break the Floor: Look for the cracked section of the floor in the side room; you’ll need to pull a beam down from the ceiling to crash through it.
- Find the Tunnel: Go into the basement area you just opened. Follow it to the end to find a way to pull the crate into the lower level.
- The Double Stack: You actually need to move the crate into the hole you made so you can reach the higher handholds in the previous room.
- Grab the Key: Traverse the exterior balcony to find the Module Key on the standalone pillar.
- Enter the Code: Head to the locked door and input 1705.
- Return Later: Mark the Firegleam on your map. You’ll need to come back once you have the Igniter to get the 100% completion stat for this area.
The Daunt Relic Ruins are a microcosm of the game’s design philosophy. They blend the ancient past with a mechanical present. If you're struggling, just remember to look up and use your Focus. Every piece of the puzzle is highlighted in purple for a reason. Take your time, enjoy the atmosphere, and don't let the crate physics drive you crazy. You've got a whole West to forbid, after all.