How to Unlock the Platform in Resonance A Plague Tale Legacy (Chapter 3)

• The platform in Chapter 3 is locked with three latches, each released by directing a light beam onto a golden dial mounted on the surrounding walls.
• Latch 1: From the sphere pedestal, grab the lens to the right and aim it at the golden dial directly in front and center of the room.
• Latch 2: While holding that same lens, rotate it left to feed light into the lens on the platform to the left. Then grab that left lens and point it at the golden dial on the left wall.
• Latch 3: Find the broken lens in the northeast corner of the room and interact with it — Sophia and Leni prop it up together. Shine light from the previous lens into the broken one; it redirects the beam to the final dial and releases the third latch.
• Once all three latches are off, return to the sphere pedestal and insert the Sphere. The platform descends. Interact with the large door at the bottom to finish Chapter 3.
• Chapter 3 — “Those Before Us” — is an exploration chapter with zero combat and a rich collection of artefacts and charms. Take time to explore before using the pedestal.

How to unlock the platform in Resonance A Plague Tale Legacy Chapter 3 is one of the first real puzzle challenges the game puts in front of you — and it is a meaningful step up from anything in the first two chapters. Up to this point, the light mechanics have been fairly gentle. Chapter 3’s platform room changes that by introducing a chain-reflection system where lenses must pass light between themselves before it can reach its target. Not every lens has a direct line of sight to a golden dial, and one of the three latches requires using a broken lens that Leni physically holds in place.

This guide covers the full platform puzzle from start to finish, including both the simple first latch and the more involved chain needed for the third. Chapter 3 is also the richest chapter in the game for collectibles — six artefacts and four charms — so if you are aiming for completion, it is worth exploring thoroughly before triggering the platform. For an overview of what every chapter contains and what to collect in each, our Resonance A Plague Tale Legacy chapters and collectibles guide has the full breakdown. And if you are planning your skill spend alongside your exploration, our best skills to unlock first in Resonance A Plague Tale Legacy covers exactly where to put those early Resonance Points.

What Is the Platform Puzzle?

Chapter 3 — “Those Before Us” — takes Sophia and Leni onto Minotaur’s Island for the first time. It is a pure exploration chapter with no combat at all. You work through the surface ruins, find clues in Sophia’s book, and eventually make your way inside the mountain through a series of temple structures.

Deep inside, you reach a dark chamber with a large central platform that Sophia and Leni need to use to descend deeper into the mountain. The platform is held in place by three latches. To release each latch, you must direct a beam of light from one of the room’s giant lenses onto a corresponding golden dial mounted on the surrounding walls.

The complication is that the room’s lenses cannot all directly illuminate their target dials. Some beams need to be bounced or chained through additional lenses before they can reach the dial. The third latch in particular requires using a lens that is on the floor — broken — and cannot stand on its own without Leni’s help.

In the center of the room is a sphere pedestal. This is your reference point for navigating the space. The three lenses and three dials are positioned around the platform relative to this central pedestal.

Before You Start: Two Earlier Light Puzzles in Chapter 3

The platform puzzle is not the first light puzzle in Chapter 3 — it is the third. Two simpler mirror challenges appear earlier in the chapter, and solving them introduces the mechanics you need for the platform room.

The Gilded Pedestal puzzle appears when you first enter one of the temple chambers. Interacting with the pedestal activates it, and you simply need to approach each of the mirrors in the room and rotate them so they each shine toward their adjacent beacon. When all mirrors are aligned, the door ahead opens. This is the tutorial version — every lens has a direct target and no chaining is required.

The second mirror puzzle is slightly more involved. You interact with the next pedestal, and this time the latches require you to move the same mirror twice — first to unlock one latch, then to redirect light toward a hidden mirror, then hop across to that hidden mirror and aim it at the wall. A broken lens in the darkness to the right of the Minotaur mural is also part of this puzzle. These two puzzles build directly toward the mechanics of the platform room.

Latch 1 — The Direct Shot (Right Lens to Center Dial)

Stand at the sphere pedestal in the center of the room and orient yourself toward the platform. The first lens is to the right of the pedestal.

Walk to that right-side lens and grab it. Rotate it until the beam of light it emits is pointing directly forward and center — toward the golden dial mounted on the wall in front of you and slightly ahead. This is the most straightforward of the three shots. The lens and the dial have a clear line of sight with no obstacles between them.

When the beam hits the golden dial, you will hear the first latch release. The light on the dial activates and one of the three locking mechanisms on the platform disengages.

Do not let go of this lens yet. You need it for Latch 2 immediately after.

Latch 2 — The Chain Shot (Right Lens to Left Lens to Left Wall Dial)

Still holding the right lens, rotate it further — this time swinging it toward the left. You are no longer aiming at the center dial. Instead, aim the beam at the lens sitting on the platform to the left of the sphere pedestal. Feed the beam of light into that left lens.

Now walk over to the left lens and grab it. This lens has been lit by the right lens you just redirected. Rotate the left lens until its beam points at the golden dial on the left wall. This is the second direct target — the left lens can reach the left wall dial without needing any further chaining.

When the beam hits the left wall dial, the second latch releases. Two down, one to go.

Latch 3 — The Broken Lens (Northeast Corner, Leni Holds It)

The third latch is the one that catches players who have not noticed the broken lens in the corner. It is on the floor in the northeast corner of the room — dark, easy to miss if you are not actively looking around the edges of the space. It does not stand on its own and cannot be used as a standard redirecting lens in its current state.

Walk to the broken lens and interact with it. Sophia picks it up with Leni’s help — Leni physically holds the broken lens upright in position, acting as the stabilizing support so it can redirect light.

Once Leni is holding the broken lens in place, walk back to the previous lens (the right lens or the left lens — whichever still has light feeding into the chain) and rotate it to shine directly into the broken lens Leni is holding. The broken lens, now propped up and angled correctly by Leni, redirects the beam toward the third and final golden dial.

When that third dial activates, the third latch releases. All three latches are now off.

Activating the Platform — Insert the Sphere

With all three latches released, return to the sphere pedestal in the center of the room. Interact with it and insert the Sphere. The platform responds — it begins to descend, carrying Sophia and Leni downward through the mountain.

At the bottom of the descent, you will find a giant door. Interact with it. A cutscene triggers and Chapter 3 — “Those Before Us” — concludes. The chapter transitions directly into Chapter 4, “From Hell It Rose,” which is where the game’s puzzle difficulty increases significantly and the Minoan Sphere’s Light Revelation ability is introduced.

Common Issues and Tips

If a latch is not releasing: The beam of light needs to land directly on the center of the golden dial, not just near it. If you are close but the latch is not triggering, adjust your lens aim slightly and watch for the dial to glow fully.

If you cannot find the broken lens: It is in the northeast corner of the room, on the floor, in a darker section of the chamber. Move around the perimeter of the room looking into corners rather than staying near the center or the platform.

If Leni is not responding: Make sure you interact with the broken lens first — the prompt to pick it up only appears when Sophia is close enough. Once you interact, Leni automatically takes her position holding the lens. You then need to redirect another lens to feed light into it.

The order of latches does not matter strictly. Latch 1, 2, and 3 as described above follow the most efficient sequence using the same lens for Latches 1 and 2. If you find a different approach that works, all three latches will still release the platform — the game does not require you to do them in any specific order, just all three before the pedestal becomes active.

Collectibles in Chapter 3 — Worth Doing Before the Platform

Chapter 3 has no combat, which means there is no time pressure anywhere in it. This makes it the best chapter in the game for thorough exploration. It contains the most artefacts of any single chapter — six in total — along with four charms. None of them reset if you do Chapter Select later, but getting them on your first run saves time.

Most artefacts in Chapter 3 are found during the outdoor exploration sections before you enter the mountain — in the ruins, along the coastal paths, and in the various buildings Sophia and Leni pass through on their way to the temple complex. The charms are more spread out, including one inside a room where Leni asks for help with a door.

There is also an easy achievement here: when Sophia and Leni first arrive on the beach at the chapter’s opening, turn around and follow the shoreline until you find a turtle in the shallow water. Wait for the conversation between Sophia and Leni to finish and you will unlock the “Sea You Later!” achievement or trophy.

For the complete breakdown of exactly which collectibles are in Chapter 3 and where, our Resonance A Plague Tale Legacy chapters and collectibles guide lists everything by chapter. Chapter 3 is one of the most worthwhile to explore fully before triggering the platform, so take your time.

What Comes After the Platform

Descending through the platform and interacting with the large door at the bottom of the shaft ends Chapter 3 and begins Chapter 4. The tone of the game shifts at this point. Chapter 4 introduces the Sphere’s Light Revelation ability, the first spike traps, and the most complex puzzle in the first half of the game — the Minotaur bull-head arena. If you want to be ready for what is coming, our Resonance A Plague Tale Legacy Chapter 4 puzzles guide covers all six challenges in that chapter from start to finish.

Chapter 3 is also the last chapter before the game’s combat encounters begin in earnest. If you have not yet spent your early Resonance Points on skills, this is a good moment to do so before Chapter 4 starts throwing soldiers at you. Our guide to the best skills to unlock first in Resonance A Plague Tale Legacy explains which abilities give Sophia the strongest foundation for the fights ahead. For a broader look at the whole game and what the story is building toward, our Resonance A Plague Tale Legacy review covers everything from the beginning to the end.

Frequently Asked Questions