As a long-time fan and gamer, few video game franchises capture my imagination like The Legend of Zelda. I‘ve eagerly awaited the sequel to Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, and its promise of new challenges and mysteries to unravel. One such puzzle can be found in the Akkala region‘s Kiuyoyou Shrine, which requires manipulating ice blocks and metal plates in clever ways. Read on for my detailed guide to solving this brain-teasing shrine challenge!
A Primer on Zelda Shrines
Let‘s start with some background on shrines in the Zelda series. Introduced in Breath of the Wild, shrines provide bite-sized puzzle challenges spread across Hyrule for Link to solve. Fans estimate Breath of the Wild contains around 120 mini-dungeons known as shrines, compared to the series-low of only 6 shrines in Skyward Sword. Based on trailers and early gameplay reveals, Tears of the Kingdom looks to match or exceed Breath of the Wild‘s shrine count.
Shrines provide players short but satisfying puzzles to break up open-world exploration. Solving a shrine‘s challenge and unlocking its treasure brings a sense of discovery and accomplishment. The Kiuyoyou Shrine exemplifies this rewarding puzzle-filled experience.
Inside Kiuyoyou Shrine: Puzzles and Treasure
According to Zelda wiki lore, Kiuyoyou Shrine was likely built by the ancient Sheikah tribe to honor Hylia. It awaits Link‘s challenge high up on a rocky outcrop in Akkala region‘s Ze Kasho mountain range.
Upon entering the shrine, you‘ll notice two platforms connected by a gust of wind. The lower platform contains an ice block, pressure plate, and closed gate. The upper platform holds a large metal plate and spike ramp. Your goal is to combine and maneuver the ice and metal blocks to open the gates and reach the shrine‘s treasure – an important Spirit Orb. But flames block the way, threatening to thwart your progress.
This hands-on physics-based puzzle shares mechanics seen in many Breath of the Wild shrines. But the ice block‘s thermal properties and Link‘s new Ultrahand ability provide refreshing twists. Below I detail how to master this shrine‘s elements.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough: Solving Kiuyoyou Shrine
Here are the steps I used to overcome the shrine‘s obstacles and claim the Spirit Orb reward:
Melt and Move the Ice Block
The ice block is too large to pick up and place directly on the switch at first. So use the Ultrahand to briefly hold the ice next to the flames on the lower platform. This will melt it down into a smaller movable ice cube. Then put the ice cube on the pressure plate to open the metal gate.
Melting the ice block into a movable cube to access the gate.
Obtain the Metal Plate
Head on up through the open gate and let the wind current lift you to the upper platform. Up here, use the Ultrahand again to slide the large metal plate over to block the flame. This grants safe access to the spike ramp dropping back down.
With the flame blocked off, you can reach the spike ramp.
Combine Items and Return Downstairs
Next, move the smaller ice cube away from the fire and combine it with the metal plate – this creates an ice/metal block. Carefully slide the ice/metal block down the spike ramp and glide back down to the starting lower platform.
The combined ice and metal block is the key to solving this shrine.
Reach the Treasure Chest
On the lower level again, use Ultrahand to lift and position the ice/metal block next to the ledge by the treasure chest. Then grab a loose ice cube and place it on top of the metal plate. Climb up the ice cube and open the chest to claim the Spirit Orb!
The ice cube tower allows you to climb up and get the shrine‘s treasure.
Open the Final Gate
For the last step, move the ice/metal block back under the lower platform‘s flames. As the ice melts, the metal plate will drop onto the pressure plate below and open the final gate. Pass through the gate to collect the shrine‘s useful blessing.
With patience and clever use of physics, you‘ll conquer Kiuyoyou Shrine! Let me know if you need any tips for additional shrine puzzles in Tears of the Kingdom. I‘m happy to share more solutions drawing from my decades of Zelda gaming experience. Just another puzzle solved on this hero‘s journey!
