Reach the top of The Dark Fortress (1) | Find a Way to Save War Darksiders 2 Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
Go straight ahead. After reaching a large pit, place yourself at an angle to the left wall. Move towards it and at the right moment press SPACE to wall-run on it.
[TIP: Don't worry if you can't perform the wall-run the first time, because you'll fall only into a small hole which you can very easily get out of. It's good, though, to practice wall-running, since the game won't be so broad-minded in the future.]
Stop where the screen shows and attack the Ice Skeleton. After freezing the monster, get rid of it and you'll be free to explore the area it had been blocking, where you'll find a chest.
[TIP: The chests also contain randomly generated items. The only exception are chests which hide keys and other plot items.]
Go back to the main passageway and move forth. Now, for a change, run on the right wall. Don't try to jump over to the interactive edge on your own, because Death will grab onto it when he's close enough. Holding onto the edge, move left and press SPACE. This way you'll force the character to grab the upper edge and you'll be free to continue with the exploration of the fortress.
There are other Ice Skeletons in the area and they are really worth the trouble, gaining you XP and new items. Approach the ledge and jump towards the wooden pillar shown on the above screen - Death will automatically grab onto it.
Another new type of action is jumping from one pillar to another. Begin by turning left (A button) or right (D button) twice. When you're in the right position, lean back (hold SHIFT; the above screen) and press SPACE to perform the jump. Repeat until you reach the safe ledge.
Continue exploring the caves, eliminating frozen Ice Skeletons on the way. Be on your guard, because you'll be attacked by a larger group of them in one of the adjacent areas. Afterwards, approach and climb the vertical wall, using SPACE of course. Jump to the wooden pillar above one of the ledges, and then run on the wall towards the pillar on the right (the above screen). Continue the climb up, repeating the same moves (running towards the right pillar). Finally, let go of the pillar by pressing E.
There is another encounter with Ice Skeletons ahead of you, and since their numbers are quite large, don't forget to dodge frequently. When the fighting is over, search for interactive vines and jump towards them, which will cause you to automatically grab onto them. After reaching the top, grab onto the vines on the ceiling (the above screen). The only thing left to do is to move above the top ledge and let go of the vines so as to land on it.
Kill the other Ice Skeletons and find new vines that will allow you to continue forth. Stop at where the screen indicates, then jump to the top ledge and wall-run on the left wall. Get ready to meet the first boss of the game!