CATACOMBS OF FOG

Level by Rapetou

Walkthrough by Kris (mother of Bex, and not to be confused, please, with Kristina), and first posted at Lara's Home.

The opening game hides one of the sneakiest *Secrets* I've ever seen. As the game opens you can see a slope on the screen, but there is no trace of Lara. The trick is this: Before Lara appears and as soon as the opening sequence hits the screen, hit the JUMP button and then CONTROL. Although out of sight, there is a crawlspace here, and the jump/grab will put you firmly on a ladder. At this stage you are still in the dark, so listen for Lara climbing, and when she stops making a noise, release control and instantly hit control/up/crawl and emerge into a lit crawlspace and pick up SECRET #1, a medipack and shotgun. You really are going to need that shotgun, so persevere until you get it.

Exit the crawlspace and slide down the slope into a room with a closed door, a skeleton, and bones on a pedestal. Shoot the bones (quite difficult) at the same time evading the skeleton, and the door will open. Go through the door and do a running jump just before you reach the end of the path so that you land on the edge of the block in the middle of the lava, and without stopping do another running jump to take you safely to the other side. Turn left and push the button, which opens the door at the end of the corridor and also raises a pole in the previous lava room (you'll return back to the lava room later. )

Ahead of you is a slope with a monkey bar ceiling, at the bottom of the slope is a spike pit, and above it a crawlspace which houses a floorswitch (again you will return to this later). With your back facing diagonally up the slope, do a backward jump followed immediately with a forward jump grab to catch the monkey bars. Turn around and make your way up the slope dropping off at the top. As you reach the top a door opens infront of you, so make your way through the crawlspace and pull up into a new room. As you approach the room infront and watch the flyby, a skeleton will awake. Lure him back into the room with the hole and the two statues, and blast him into the hole. (At this stage you only have 6 shotgun shells, so use sparingly).

With the skeleton out of the way, pick up the medipack and take a good look at the room infront of you. Ahead is a lava channel and fires on a ledge. Any part of that ledge will kill you, and the next objective is to get over that ledge unscathed to land on a block below. At the edge of the lava channel and standing far left, hop back twice, and very slightly angle your jump to the right. (if you fail the first time, just slightly alter the angle of jump) SAVE YOUR GAME.

Make a running jump grab (jumping after the third step you take) over the ledge and the fires, to land on the ledge with a switch below. Safety drop off the edge and move round the edge of the ledge until you can pull up and push the switch, which lowers 3 ropes over the arena. Next jump to the next ledge, and watch as the camera angle changes. SAVE YOUR GAME.

Reload the game to get rid of the camera angle, and line up on the left side of the ledge at a slight angle in line with the rope, and do a running jump grab to catch it. ( If you want to save on the rope, try this. Climb higher up the rope and let go of the control button whilst instantly hitting escape, save in the normal way and be ready to hit control immediately the picture returns to your screen... you have to be quick) If you get 'stuck' quickly release control and instantly re-hit it. It works 90% of the time.

Drop down to the end of the rope and line up for the second one, slightly to the right of it. Swing and jump to catch it at the height of the swing. Save as before if you want to. The third rope is to your right. In the high right corner is a slope and overhead monkey bars)You'll use these later) to your left and at floor level is a pool behind a pillar, and thats where you are going to end up. Swing to the third rope, and immediately wraiths appear. Save as before if you want to. Rotate the rope until you are roughly lined up with the right side of the pillar near the pool, then adjust by a few taps on the Right direction button, Swing, and jump at the height of the swing to fall screaming into the small pool.

The door at the end of the pool is closed, so swim back to the edge, and position yourself as far right as possible, pull up avoiding the fire (before you move, tap the Right direction button to turn yourself away from the fire). Outrun the mummy and the wraiths and head to the opposite end of the room (NORTH) and crouch by the idol to destroy the wraiths. Shoot the pots and pick up a medipack. Also in this room, push the wall switch. A camera shot shows a door opening underneath the glass floor. Exit this room and turn sharp left and notice a picture on the wall between two fire sconces. Jump over the slope under the picture, and shoot the vase in the crawlspace. Jump out and head back to the small pool, swim to the far end and pull up through the now open door.

Run past the poisonous darts and the floor spikes, and push the floor switch. A camera shot shows a block raising under the wall picture so go there next, and push the now accessible wall switch. Back to the pool and through the dart/spike room and push the switch again to lower the block., and for the last time return to the wall picture jump over the slope and crawl inside to pick up the CROWBAR. A camera shot shows a high door opening near the small pool in the main room. Return there, jump into the new entrance and safety drop to a ladder at the end of the ramp. Follow the path to the glass room and prise off GOLDEN STAR #1. Exit this room now and pick up flares from one of the small pools in the main area.

Now cross to the SOUTHWEST corner and jump over onto the path below, following it down to a ladder. Keep to the extreme right as a fire will start as you near the ground, backflip before you reach the end of the ladder and notice the skeleton emerging from the fire tile. You can outrun him. Jump in the water, and I would advise you to save your game, because there is a lot of precise swimming coming up. Swim to the extreme SOUTHWEST corner, and swim down and pick up PHAROS KNOT #l. Swim back and surface for air. Now using the glass underwater window as a guide, line up to face WEST before you dive. Dive and swim straight ahead to the west wall and to the 'highest' green rock. Hidden behind it is a space, swim down, keeping to the left to avoid the boulder.

Follow the boulder down and look for PHAROS KNOT #2 on the left by a broken column. Quickly swim back to the main pool before your air runs out. Climb out of the pool and look for the receptacles either side of the ladder in alcoves in the left and right corners, and place the Pharos' Knots. Jump back into the water, and as before, using the underwater glass window position yourself West before you dive again and make for the large green rock, dive down as before via the boulder run, turning right at the bottom through a newly opened door. Surface and shoot the vase, pick up crossbow ammo, and note the receptacle for another Pharos Knot. Dive back in the water and make for the furthest left entrance to the underwater labyrinth.

From the entrance swim until you can turn left, right, then right again. Swim straight ahead, turn right and up. Then swim left, left, left again then Right at the second junction, then take the second left. Climb out and pick up PHAROS KNOT #3. Note the ladder and closed door above you. Return back the way you came reversing the above directions, and swim back for air to the room with the Pharos Knot receptacle. Place the Knot. A camera shot shows the door opening at the top of the ladder where you picked up the 3rd Pharos Knot. Using the same directions as before, swim back to where you picked up the Knot, climb the ladder and pick up flares.. Climb the next short ladder and pull up into the crawlspace.

Crawl through, and climb out to push the floor lever. A camera shot shows a door opening in the main area. Swim back the way you came and back to the room with the Pharos Knot receptacle to replenish your air supply. Now swim back to the main pool area, avoiding all obstacles as they will hinder you and use up valuable air. Once back in the main pool, climb out, and position yourself slightly right of the ladder, press action and climb back up. At the top of the slope, position yourself diagonally to the Northeast corner, hop back then standing jump back into the main room and stand infront of the newly opened door.

A mummy will approach so lure him to the other end of the room, run back, and look up to see the monkey bars on the ceiling, that's where you are going next. Run back to the entrance, and up the steps. You'll hear spikes ahead. A little further on you'll hear the danger sound to alert you to the spiked boulder. Turn around to face South and see the first spike trap round the corner. SAVE YOUR GAME.

Hop back once then run forward, outrunning the spiked boulder and evading the spike traps till you emerge back in the main room. You don't need to sprint, the spike ball doesn't travel that fast. Once the spiked boulder has come to rest in the main room, you can re-enter the passageway and make your way to the top avoiding the spike traps on the ground. If you look down you'll see the main room and to your right a ledge. Jump with grab to catch the edge, pull up, slide down a little then jump with grab to catch those monkey bars, and monkey swing all the way to the other side, dropping off at the end. Follow the corridor to the end and stand at the top of the slope.

SAVE YOUR GAME. SAVE YOUR GAME, SAVE YOUR GAME! Did I mention... SAVE YOUR GAME!

This next room has got to be the most frustrating and difficult part of the whole game, and you get to do it twice.!!!!! Looking down the ramp its hard to distinguish where one tile starts and another one ends, but the object is to avoid the 3rd square as this will trigger a boulder just above your head. It took me almost 50 attempts to do this. Positon yourself to either the right or left hand side of the slope. Slide a little then jump from the second square using a 'banana' jump to land on the fourthsquare, avoiding the third one. Catch your breath, then from the flat part at the bottom of the slope turn right and look at the platform. there is a skeleton, and the laser sight on a plinth.

As soon as you jump, spikes will activate, so aim your running jump to land on the 'darker' part of the platform near the edge. Pick up the LASER SIGHT, and look to the block ahead. A running jump without grab will land you on the edge of the block. Shoot the pot on the electrified slope to deactivate the spikes underneath it. Turn round to face the block where you picked up the laser sight to see that the skeleton is now awake, and there is another set of spikes activated. Aiming for the clear area between the sets of spikes, do a running jump, grabbing at the last minute to catch the edge, pull up. Using the shotgun, blast the skeleton over the edge of the platform into the lava.

Time a jump to get you over the spikes to the flat part of the slope. Now you need to tackle the spiked platforms With your back to the base of the slope and to the left, time a left hand sideflip to the spiked column so that the spikes are raised at the height of your jump, and so that they will be down when you land. without stopping run and jump to the next column (if you have the timing right, the spikes will be down,) and finally do a running jump with grab to grab the ladder on the next column. (Tricky or what).

Shimmy round the ladder to the left then climb up, slide and jump to the flat block ahead of you. Turn East and with a running jump with grab, catch the ladder and climb up. Pick up the ORNATE HANDLE. Turn round, and with a running jump land back on the flat edge. Now jump and pull up onto the next slope, slide almost halfway down, then jump to land on the platform in the lava, and pick up the HATHOR EFFIGY, avoiding the poisonous darts. Facing West, do a running jump without grab to land on the invisible block, walk to the edge, and from the edge do a standing jump with grab to reach the edge of the higher block infront of you. Line up as before to the centre of the spiked platform infront, and do a running jump, grabbing at the last minute and pull up.

Make your way to the back of the platform, combine the Ornate Handle and the Hathor Effigy and place on the stand. A camera shot will show you the door is now open at the other end of the room. Make your way back to the flat part at the bottom of the slope, and repeat the process over the spiked columns until you land on the flat platform in the lava. Turn round and run and jump with grab to catch the ladder and climb up. Once inside you'll hear the danger sound, that can mean only one thing in this game, a spiked boulder. Pick up the medipack, turn around to face the lava room, and from the edge, hop back 3 times and Save your game. The next jump back will trigger the boulder, so hop back again, then run/sprint forward, then jump to land on the flat ledge in the lava. You can stop the camera angle by hitting the look button. turn around, and retrace your steps now back up the ladder and now up the safe slope.

The slope leads to a room with lethal green water, 3 columns, and a switch at the other side. On the North wall is a platform with 3 emblems on it, and standing on this platform deactivates the spikes near the floor switch, but only for a short time. (Remind anyone of Palace Midas?) Do a standing jump from behind the pillar to the platform with the emblems. turn at the middle to run and jump to the first column, quickly jump back on the column to allow you to do a running jump to the second, and without stopping from here turning in the air to the third and finally turning in the air to the platform with the switch. Push the switch, and get off the platform quickly, before the spikes are re-activated. Make your way back using the columns and retrace your steps back to the lava room, and back to the plinth where you picked up the lasersight. Now would be a very good time to SAVE YOUR GAME.

The objective is to get yourself back up the slope. From the plinth you can see the rope, and the only way you can get to it is by landing on the slope and jumping to grab it. It's difficult to give precise instructions how to do this so the following position guidelines may need slightly adjusting when you play. Stand on the plinth and roughly line up the right side of Lara's head with the left side of the face tile on the opposite wall.

Hop back on the plinth and take a running jump to land on the slope, keep down the jump button and grab to catch the rope. Try not to be distracted by the falling boulder. Once you are on the rope, save as before if you want to, Rotate the rope till you are facing up the slope, drop to the bottom and swing just ONCE. Wait for Lara to reposition herself , then immediately start the swing again. You will find that she swings higher this way, and sufficiently high to jump off the rope at the height of the swing to land at the flat part above the slope. (if you miss it and have to reload , remember to have your finger on control before the save is reloaded or she will fall off.)

Run down the passageway, and safety drop off the edge to land back in the little pool in the main room.

Climb out of the pool, avoiding the fire, and head for the newly opened door on the South wall. Pull up, run down the slope, safety drop off the edge and climb down the ladder. Run down the corridor over the face tile and through the now open door to prise off the GOLDEN STAR #2. Return the way you came to the main room. On the West wall, a block has lowered giving you access to a new area. Swim down and pick up the medipack.

Swim right and pick up the CROSSBOW, and a further search will give you shotgun shells. Head for the stairs on the South wall and run all the way to the top. Look up and see monkey bars. Jump up and grab, and monkeyswing turning left at the second column, avoiding the flame emitters, turn right at the next flames, then ahead to drop off at the ledge with the switch. Push it.

A flyby will introudce you to a stunning room with a central illuminated water column.. Once you enter the room, you will awaken 2 skeletons, lure them to the small pool in the South corner and blast them to a watery grave with the shotgun. Standing on the edge of the pool and using binoculars look at the first of the four large brown columns. You'll just be able to see part of a white pot. (all the columns have these on them.) Combine the laser sight with the crossbow, and shoot all four pots. This will lower a block in the North wall, so that's where to go next. Drop down and look up the boulder slope. Standing on the edge of the boulder slope, hop back 7 times and SAVE YOUR GAME. The next time you hop back, the boulder will be triggered, so hop back, then run forward jumping to the right at the bottom to avoid being squashed by the boulder.

Run back up the slope and see the glass floor of the first level. From the entrance, a running jump will land you on the glass floor. Turn Right and make your way to the rocky surface of the pillar. Face West and using the crossbow and laser sight, shoot the bones on the pedestal in the crawlspace. (it's quite difficult to see the crawlspace) Repeat the process on the South wall. Ignore the floor switches, they are spike traps. Make your way back to ground floor level, and go to the South wall where a block has lowered. Drop down and run up the slope (no boulders this time). Pick up the medipack, and from the entrance a running jump with grab will see you safely onto the second glass floor.

On each of the outside walls is a face tile and above each is a ledge. Use the crossbow and lasersight to shoot a pot on each of the ledges. Return back the way you came to ground floor level and find the new entrance on the West side in the pink area. Drop down and run over the glass floor, climbing the ladder at the end. From the entrance, jump with grab to the next glass floor. Notice the ledges round the outside. Only one has a face on it. So make your way over to it, and save your game. As soon as you leave the tile a timed run will start. so leaving the tile, jump back to the central structure and straight over to where you entered this new floor area. If you are quick, save your game. You need to turn left and look up to the high crawlspace infront of you. Using the crossbow and lasersight shoot the bones on the pedestal in the crawlspace, before the door closes.

Do a running jump with grab back to the central structure, safety drop to the floor below and make your way towards the Southeast wall. Do a running jump with grab and enter the alcove infront of you. Turn around and look up, and jump to the ladder above the entrance, pulling up into the crawlspace. You are now at the top of the structure. Line up for a diagonal running jump to the rope, and rotate it until you can land safely after your swing on the top of the glass tower. Dive down and pick up the PHAROS PILLAR. Surface and climb out of the water. Apparently there is a second secret in this area near where you shot the bones in the crawlspace, but I never managed to find it.

Safety drop off the ledge to the floor below and return to the entrance on the ground floor where you pulled the switch to gain access to this area. Swim out and surface in the main room. Place the Pharos Pillar in the receptacle near the fire tile on the South wall, and enter the now open doorway next to you. Safety drop at the end of the passageway and climb down, run down the hall over the tile and prise off GOLDEN STAR #3.

Return to the main room and place all three stars. Now make your way to the newly opened are on the East wall, and drop down the hole in the next room. Follow the East entrance and crawl, keeping left, turning slightly right when you see a lighter area ahead of you (N). Take the second left to another light area ahead (W). Crawl right to the end, turn right to see a new room at the end of the crawlspace. Before you emerge in the new room, save your game, and make sure you have full health. either side of the entrance is a moveable pillar.

Enter the new room and immediately scarabs will appear from the floor tile. Push one of the pillars back into the recess, so that you can pull the other one out and pull the pillar up the central path and on to one of the patterned tiles by the side of the fire block. (The scarabs don't seem to attack as much when you PULL the pillar as opposed to pushing it.) Do the same with the other pillar, placing it on the other side of the fire block on the patterned floor tile. You will notice that the fire has now been extinguished on the top of the block. Climb the ladder behind the block and backflip onto the top of the block. Pick up a medipack, and finally some explosive crossbow ammo. Quickly return through the crawlspace, retrace your steps through the underground maze. Climb up through the ceiling hole and return to the main room.

Re-enter the door behind the spike ball, run up the stairs until you encounter the mummy. Shoot him with explosive crossbow ammo, and pick up the HORSEMAN'S GEM which he leaves behind. Return to the main area, run to the far end of the room, and place the Gem in its receptacle on the East wall. Enter the room on your left and ride the elevator back to the top of the building. Hop back twice and do a diagonal running jump over the lava channel and go back to the room where you first entered this part of the game. The hole has now filled with water, so jump in and swim through the crawlspace in the ladder. Climb out and push the floor lever, then return back through the water tunnel, climbing out at the end and walk to the next room with the lava channel.

On your right a block has lowered. Jump down, and as soon as the wraith appears, climb back up and run to the statues in the previous room, crouching till the wraith explodes. Return to the hole, drop down, run down the stairs and into the hole. Shoot the vase in the hole and a door will open. Climb out of the hole to find yourself back at the beginning. Shoot the skeleton with explosive crossbow ammo. Run and jump without grab over the lava to the central pole and climb up. Backflip onto the safe ledge. With your back to the ramp, stand on the edge and hop back twice. The next time you jump back will trigger the boulder, so jump back, run forward and jump at the edge to land on the safe ledge as the boulder falls down into the lava.

Now you can run back up the ramp towards the ladder to end the game.