Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds Lock Puzzles Guide

by RPG Site Staff on 07 November, 2017

Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds is a great expansion to dive into if you want to revisit the world of Horizon Zero Dawn and spend a little more time with Aloy. It's got gorgeous views, interesting characters, thrilling combat...and a few puzzles that you might get stuck on. Everything you could ever want!

Most of these lock puzzles are in the main questline of this expansion pack, so there's no way to avoid them. While they might be a bit fun to solve on your own, we understand that they might require you to rack your brain a little, and you might not want to do that when there's an intriguing story waiting for you on the other side of each puzzle. In this guide, we'll show you how to solve the three lock puzzles as well as one contained in one of the expansion's sidequests. So... let's get to it. No lock puzzle will stand in your way!

First Lock Puzzle - The Shaman's Path

In The Shaman's Path main quest, on the way to Ourea's retreat, you will face a door that you must restore power to. In order to do so, you must solve a pretty simple node lock puzzle. Override the source node and follow these steps to solve the puzzle:

From the center node, go to the left and turn the node clockwise once.
Follow the path to the next node, skip it for now, and go to the following node.
Turn that node clockwise once and follow the path.
Skip the next node and proceed to the one after that. Turn it counter-clockwise once and you'll restore power to the door.

Second Lock Puzzle - The Shaman's Path

Continuing with The Shaman's Path, you will eventually reach Ourea, one of the main characters of this expansion's story. She will ask you to solve a node puzzle for her. This one is a bit complicated, but activate the source node and follow these steps to fulfill her request:

From the center node, go to the node on its right end and turn it clockwise four times.
Follow the path and turn the next node clockwise twice.
Turn the following node clockwise two times.
Turn the next node counter-clockwise once.
Go to the next node and turn it counter-clockwise three times.
Skip the next node.
Go to the following node, which is near the table, and turn it clockwise once.
Go down and turn the next node counter-clockwise twice.
Turn the next node after that counter-clockwise three times.
Turn the following node counter-clockwise twice.
Follow the path and turn the next node clockwise once.
Skip the next connecting node and turn the one after that counter-clockwise three times.
Finally, turn the last node clockwise twice.

Third Lock Puzzle - The Forge of Winter

The last puzzle in the main quest of The Frozen Wilds will occur at the very end of the DLC in a quest titled, "The Forge of Winter." You'll make your way through many enemies and areas in a Cauldron until you finally arrive at a source node. Override it and follow these steps to proceed with the ending:

Go to the first node and turn it counter-clockwise once.
Follow the path and skip the next node.
Go to the one after that one and turn it counter-clockwise twice.
Follow the path and turn the next one counter-clockwise once.
Turn the following node counter-clockwise once.
Turn the next node counter-clockwise once.
Follow the path and skip the next three nodes.
On the fourth node at the edge, turn it counter-clockwise once.
Skip the following node.
Turn the next node counter-clockwise three times.
Skip the next node.
Turn the last one clockwise once, and you're done!

Fourth Lock Puzzle - Waterlogged

This lock puzzle is optional because it's contained in a sidequest. Upon arriving to the Banuk homelands and seeing the first scene in The Frozen Wilds, you'll be able to talk to a nearby villager who will ask you to investigate a sudden and mysterious flood that has affected an area called the Deep Din. This will trigger the sidequest titled, "Waterlogged." You'll eventually make your way to a facility created by the Old Ones, and towards the end of your mission in that facility is a lock puzzle that you will need to solve if you want to access a storage room that contains various items. To unlock it, you need to redirect water in the valve system. Here is the solution:

Turn the first highlighted wheel clockwise twice.
Follow the pipe path and turn the second wheel clockwise once.
Follow the path that connects to the valve that is directly above the first valve. Turn that valve clockwise twice.
Turn the next wheel counter-clockwise twice.
Turn the following wheel clockwise once.
Follow the pipe and turn the next wheel counter-clockwise once.
Finally, turn the last valve counter-clockwise twice.