HILL HOUSE
Level by bne lara
Authorized walkthrough by Sutekh
CS = Crawlspace - MS = Monkey Swing - L = Left - R =
Right - N, S, E, W = Cardinal Points - UW = Underwater
SJ = Standing Jump - SJ+G = Standing Jump + Grab - RJ
= Running Jump - RJ+G = Running Jump + Grab
Enemies: Rats,
Giant Spiders, Ravenous Fishes, Hell Hounds
Items of note: 2x2 Crystals, Wooden Stick + Head Part (= Sunstick),
Connector, Bone
4 Secrets
Some traps, 1 timed-run.
Welcome to Hill House
After a quite informative fly-by, you find yourself in a Big Hall,
facing S, standing before a block which has a receptacle for the Bone (aka
Pharos Knot). The main goal of the level is to find this Bone. Needless to say, there will be lots of tasks to accomplish
before reaching it, so let's start right away.
-- Two Crystals --
First, head S, and enter another big hall we'll
call the Pink Hall. There are stairways on each side, but we'll
get there only in a moment. Continue S, and stop
immediately after the lanterns. Looking L and R, you can see two doors. They're the kind of doors which can be opened by simply
hitting Action in front of them.
Beyond the E door (L) there's a closed metallic
door and two crystal holes. Since Crystals are what you need, your next task
will be to collect them both.
Open the
W door (R) and run along the red
corridor until you enter a small
room. The 1st Crystal lies in plain view
on a pedestal. Pick it up.
A Double Timed
Run for the 2nd Crystal
Go back to
the Pink Hall, up the W (R) stairway then through the
opening in front of you. On your
L and R are two small rooms, each
with a colored tile. In the center
(S) is a set of two closed
doors, separated by a burning tile.
Time for a double timed run.
First, go
in the W room and climb on the colored
tile. Roll to face
E, then sprint to the E room,
SJ on the colored
tile there, roll and sprint, turning L at the now opened
doors (the burning tile being
temporarily off) and dash through them. You've
made it.
Run along
the corridor and enter a rather dark small room.
The 2nd
Crystal is awaiting on a pedestal. Pick it up. Don't forget
the shotgun ammos in the
SW corner and the flares in the
SE one, then go back to the
Pink Hall the way you came (doors
are now open).
Once there,
pass the E door and use both Crystals in their crystal holes to open the metallic door.
-- The Basement --
Go down the
stairs to enter a big dark
room we'll call the Basement (because, well, it IS a basement). As most haunted house
go, this is more or
less the Heart of the House, so it might be
a good idea to take a look
around, if only to get
a general idea of the situation.
Against the
E wall, you can see a big wooden
square wall enclosing a tall yellow closed
door you may spot if
you look through the crack
in it. To the S, there is another
stairway with a closed grate door at the top. And, last but not least, to
the W, there are two low
arched openings. The SW one (R) is where
we're heading for now.
Going past
it and across a small corridor, you find yourself on top of a downward stairway.
First take care of the rat nibbling at Lara's ankles before going
all the way down where 2 more rats will come
and bite hello. You're now in the
Downstair Room. From this point, you
have the choice between two paths: the
Southern Way, which will lead
you to the
continuation of the level, and the Northern Detour, which will lead you to a secret
and grant access to another one.
Let's go for the secrets
first, but in case you don't want
them and prefer skip that part,
resume this walkthrough at the "Southern
Way" part.
-- A Detour
North for Secrets --
So, to
the N, you can spot this
very dark, web-covered opening. Looks inviting, isn't it? Go there and on through a bigger opening, this time covered with a very big spider
web. Go on along the wide corridor, and very soon you'll
meet the weaver itself: A quick music and heavy footsteps warn you just before a giant spider attacks.
(No matter how big and scary it
is, you can
take it down easily without taking any damage
by having Lara keeping her back against the wall).
Now that
the beast is dead, spot
two openings in the N wall. Go through either of them,
then to another
N opening. You are now at the
entrance of a long (dark) corridor
with alcoves on both sides. Six of these have
grate doors with buttons. Looking through the first on your
L (W), you can see a set of blade and spiked swinging balls traps. This is where
you'll eventually have to go,
but first, we'll look into the
other rooms for some goodies.
Go directly
to the second
E door, (the first one has
nothing of interest), push the button, enter and shoot the wooden chest
R of the entrance for a small medipack. Leave
the other chest alone: it's
empty and a rat will attack
as you approach
it. Now go to the second
W door and shoot the chest on your L to reveal shotgun ammo.
Go to
the end of
the corridor. Behind the E door, you
can see goodies
beyond some wooden bars. This is Secret #1. Pass the W door to access
it.
Secret #1
Shoot the
chest and the grate behind to reveal
a CS. Crawl through it, climb the N block
(R), go down then turn R and
climb onto the ledge. You
find yourself in a very dark room with
a central lava pool. Use your binoculars to spot an opening
in the opposite wall (E).
Light a flare, and carefully
head for it around the
lava pool. Step down from the block
you're on, crawl across a short CS to eventually
find yourself behind the bars (virtually
speaking) you spotted before. You've reached Secret #1.
Go get a large
medipack and shotgun ammo before returning
to the corridor.
A Key to
Secret #3
Next task
will be collecting two items in order
to later access Secret #3. And yes, we do need to
deal with those traps, now, don't we?
Go open the 1st W door (from the entrance
of the corridor),
and take a good look to assess
the situation. It seems undoable,
but don't despair. It's in fact rather
easy. You see that web-covered tile immediately after the blade? That's what we're
aiming for.
Position Lara one sidestep away
from the blade (roughly), facing the S wall, her nose against the open door. Wait for
the blade to be on its way
to the opposite
wall and side jump R over
it. You'll go through the web tile, landing in a corridor below, and losing a tiny amount
of health in the process.
Go S, ignoring
the sloping opening on your L (you can't go
there yet, anyway), and carry on a little bit until you
can climb on a block in the S wall. Enter a small room with
the Wooden Stick on a pedestal. As you
pick it up, a camera shows a block lowering at the other end of
the corridor, approximatively where you landed.
Go back there
to pick up
the Head Part. Again, a block
lowers in an area you haven't visited
yet. This is where you need
to go in order to get
back to the main part of
the level.
Return to
the room where you first
picked the Wooden Stick and
this time go N and along the corridor
only to find yourself on the other side of
the traps. Deal with this
blade the way you did with
the first one (this time facing the N wall) and land in another corridor.
First turn S and climb the block
for a large medipack (you're
by the sloping
opening we saw before), then
go N and over the block to
a small square room. Pass the opening in the S wall, where the block
lowered, then turn L to climb in a high CS on the E. The next part might prove
a bit tricky.
Exit the
CS on its right side (with the
next room on your back). You'll land on a slippery slope. Slide then jump, repeat as you
land on another slope, jump as soon as you
hit a third one (from the
very tip of it), then
grab the edge of the opening.
Pull up
in an orange room. The opposite
W wall is climbable. Climb it up
until Lara's
hands are just below the very
last bar from the ceiling, then backflip/roll
in mid-air/grab the opposite opening. Pull up, run across
the room then through an opening on your R. Slide down the next slope
to land in the Six Rooms Corridor. We're done with
Secret #3 for now. Go back to the Downstair
Room via the Spider Lair
(S).
-- The Southern Way --
Go through
the S opening. Notice the closed
door S, and take note of the
three green symbols above it
for later. You'll come across
other doors with such symbols and it could be
a good idea to take a note
of them. For now, leave
the room through the opening
near the NW corner, entering an orange padded corridor. Run along until you
reach a green room with a pool and a door (with blue
green blue symbols). You're in the Center Pool Room.
Dive and swim
through the N UW opening, then L (W) at the junction. Soon, you'll spot Mr Ravenous Fish in the
distance. Immediately go back to the
Center Pool Room and pull up on the
ledge. Now wait patiently for the fish
to enter the room (it
may take some time, but it will eventually show up) so you may
kill it from your safe dry location.
Dive back.
This time, take note of
the yellow symbol and the 6. This will be useful for
an upcoming puzzle. Turn R (E) at the
junction, and swim until you reach
a pool. You're in the East
Pool Room, and about to enter the Spiders Maze (plural intended). Your next task will be to collect
another set of two Crystals.[/color]
-- Two
Other Crystals --
The Spiders Maze
First, turn around to the
W and look above the door. A blue
symbol and a 7. The chests are empty, so you
might as well leave them
be. Proceed through the E opening,
then turn L, and follow the
long corridor until you reach
a junction. On your R (NE) is a closed door.
Go L (W), R (E) at the next
junction (notice the big web on your L, we'll call
it web #1) then through another big web in the shadow (web #2). Hear those heavy footsteps? Yep, that's why
it's called the Spiders Maze. This giant spider is
an elusive one, so listen to its loud
tap-dancing to find it and take it
down. Just remember to keep Lara's back on the wall when
fighting, and you'll be fine. Once
it's out of the way, return
to web #1. We're going for another
secret.
Run through
the web (W) and to the W wall. This is a moveable block.
Pull it twice. Now turn around, straight (E) at the junction, follow the corridor through web#2. At the next junction,
notice the red wall ahead but turn L (S). You're now on the
other side of the moveable
block which allows you to
enter the opening on the R (W) which is Secret #2: flares and the Shotgun. Now
go to that
red wall by turning L (W) at the junction.
[If
you skipped the secret part,
from Web#1: E then W (ahead) at the junction,
you'll find the red wall there].
This wall is climbable. Climb
it, pull up, notice the 3rd Crystal and pick it up. As you
do so, a fly-by shows pillars with buttons
and numbers on them, and a set of slopes
flattening, giving you access to
a new room: The Numbers
Room.
The Numbers Room Puzzle
This is
where those symbols with number
hints will be useful. We've got
four pillars, each with numbers
on each side and two buttons. For something to
happen (whatever it is), both buttons
have to be
pushed. Each pillar gives a different result. The solution to this puzzle is given to
the end of
this walkthrough (in order not to spoil
the fun). The pillars have the
following actions:
- One
will open the door in the Spiders Maze granting access to the
rest of the
level (and unleashing a spider over there)
- One will set off a spikes trap (instant death)
- One will make some goodies appear
(shotgun ammo and a small medipack), and release 2 giant
spiders in the process
- One will send two boulders directly
on Lara (sidejump immediately
after pushing the second button, and you'll be safe),
and open a shorcut back to the Big Hall. This is where we're going
now, in order to open the way
to Secret #3.
[Note: Said way could have
been opened before, but through a much longer detour.
As always, you may skip the
following part. If so, consider you never
left the room and resume at "The Way to the Fourth
Crystal"]
A Short Detour
for Secret #3
Once the
boulders are released, climb on the E ledge of
the central structure with the SE pillar (8/12, 7/24) on your right. Look up to spot
a transparency in the ceiling, and a ladder beyond. Sidestep once from the
pillar, turn Lara toward the ladder, hop
back and do a RJ, turning slightly
left mid-air to grab the ladder.
Climb a bit and backflip. You're now in the room
where the boulders were, one of them
then blocking the way to
the stairs in the SW corner. Go up those stairs.
You'll soon find yourself back in the Big Hall, this time opposite the end you were
when the level started (ie: you're on the
N side of the Hall). Before you is a block
with a receptacle (as you may
see thanks to the fixed
camera).
Time to
combine the Wooden Stick
and the Head Part to obtain the Sunstick. Go to
its receptacle. As soon as you're
there, 4 Hell Hounds attack
(gruesome ugly beasts, those ones).
Shoot them while moving and they should soon meet
their end. Now go use that
hard-earned Sunstick. A camera shows a door opening on a lava room, somewhere
in a greenish pool room.
Secret #3 is open at last, but, yes,
you still have other tasks to
accomplish before getting to it. For now, go
back to the Numbers Room.
The Way to
the Fourth Crystal
Climb down the
Red Wall back to the Spiders Maze, first hunting this noisy
giant spider, then going to the
door we opened
with one of the pillar.
(from the Red Wall: Ahead at the junction (E), past web #2, L at the junction (S), ahead at the junction (E) then L (N) through the door). In front
of you is
a button with blue yellow yellow
symbols. Push it. A camera shows you a tall
yellow door somewhere, but it's not open yet. As the symbols
above it hint, another button
is needed. We're going there
nonetheless.
Find your
way to the
East Pool Room at the entrance
of the Spiders Maze (Exit,
L (S) at the junction then all the way
along the corridor to the
E Pool Room). Dive and swim
straight ahead (W) at the junction, and through the long
tunnel until you reach another
pool room. Surface and exit
the water. Look on your L (W) to locate
a button with green blue blue
symbols matching the second row
above the door the previous
camera showed you. Push that button. A camera shows another corresponding
door opening elsewhere (ie: in the very room
where Secret #3 is). However, that button
did open the tall yellow door,
so let's find it.
Look in the
NW corner for an opening, and enter an alcove with a ladder
on the W wall. Climb it until Lara's hands are on the second
bar from the ceiling, then backflip/roll/grab
another ladder on the opposite wall. Go R and around the corner,
let go to
land before the tall yellow
door you just opened.
First Blocks Puzzle
You find yourself
in a big room surrounding the Numbers Room. There's a central platform with one
moveable block
on each corner, as well as
a colored tile.
On the S wall, is a (beautiful) stained glass window letting
you see a large Hall with Columns. On the E wall, is a closed metallic door.
Simply place
each block on the closest colored
tile. This will open the door.
Second Blocks Puzzle
Go through
the door, and immediately stop: there is a ceiling blade trap here.
A good timing should be enough
to negotiate it, provided you
remain in the center.
In this
room, you'll find four colored tiles and four moveable blocks:
Block #1 in the NW corner,
Block #2 in the SW corner
on the blades side of the room
- Block #3 NE and Block #4 SE, on the other side (see map of the room
at the end of this walk).
In the center of the room,
two blocks will allow you to
move around if needed. Obviously,
the goal is to move
the blocks on the tiles.
- Pull Block #1 twice to move
it on the closest colored tile
- Go S then W over SW colored tile then
pull Block #2 twice to move it on said
colored tile
- Go N then E through the second opening
on your R, then N. Pull
Block #3 by its S side twice. Go S, W, N then E. Pull block #3 once by its
W side to move it on the
colored tile.
- Go S then E over the colored tile,
turn S. Pull Block #4 once. Go N, W, S, E. Pull Block
#4 once again on the last colored tile.
You hear
a loud noise of shattering glass:
you've just broken the beautiful stained
glass window out there. Exit the room by passing
over the blocks in the center
and cautiously dealing with the blades trap again.
The Fourth
Crystal
Go to
the S side of the room,
and enter the now accessible Hall with Columns. As soon as you step
in, you hear a door opening nearby
and 3 rats attack, so first
get rid of
them vermin. Go S and stop after the first
blue columns. Turn L (E) to see the
door that has just open, behind a decorative armor. Pass it, run down the
ramp and enter a small room.
On your
R, on a chair, you can see the
4th Crystal in all its
azure glory. On your L, there's a closed door with
blue green blue symbols. The corresponding button is on the E wall by the door.
Pick up the
Crystal and push the button
to open the door. Run along the red corridor
and pass another blue green blue door:
your back in the Center
Pool Room. You now have two things
to do: find where to use those
Crystals and, finally, go
and get Secret #3.
-- A Collector
and a Bone --
Dive and swim
through the S UW opening. Very soon, you'll spot Mrs
Ravenous Fish.
So return to the Center Pool Room and deal with
it using the strategy you
used for its late companion.
Dive and swim through the S opening
again, soon entering another pool. You're in the South Pool Room,
and it's Secret time.
[Note: Again,
you can ignore
it. In this case just skip the green
paragraphs below.]
Secret #3: the Conclusion
This part
is probably the trickiest one
of the whole
level. One jump in particular requires perfect positioning and jumping, but yet, it's perfectly doable, so don't give up.
Head for
the Lava Room through the S door. As soon as you
step in, the familiar secret ringaling resounds, and yes, Secret #3 is counted as one
by now. But it's much more
fun to actually
get it, so let's go.
First, look
up and notice the MS up there.
Angle Lara slightly to the right and SJ+G the R block. Turn L to face E, and SJ+G the next block.
Now time for the Tricky Jump.
Spot a higher
block against the wall on your
left. This is where you have
to go next.
What you need is find the
appropriate angle, then do
a RJ with a hard right curve in mid-air then grab the block. Here's
a screenshot of the correct starting
position and angle: (see screenshot at the end of this
walk)
Now jump and grab the MS. Swing all the way until you're
above a block with a button on your R, then let
go. Push the button, which opens a door nearby.
Now grab that MS again and return to its start,
on the tricky jump block. Turn W, and do a SJ+G to the higher ledge
above. Turn around E, stay on the right
(to avoid hitting the ceiling),
and do a SJ to the next ledge. Follow it to the
end, do a 45° SJ to the next ledge and - finally - enter the newly opened
door. Go upstair to get your
reward: shotgun ammos, flares and a small medipack. Now
you need to make your
way back. Lucky you.
Go back through
the door, and turn S at the edge of
the ledge, facing a high pillar. Do a RJ to land on it
and turn L (E). Now you have two options:
the easy one will cost you a bit
of health, while the less
easy one is harmless. Easy one: step back until reaching the edge
of the high pillar then do a SJ to a block below.
From there, do a slightly right angled RJ+G to the block on the
R. (Lara is looking at the button at this
point, and positioning her might be a bit
tricky) OR Less easy one: From the
high pillar and to the E, locate a slope. Do a RJ to it (maybe very
slightly angled R in order to land
facing N). Immediately jump
and turn R in mid-air to land on a block below and on the R. Turn NW to aim at the
closest block on the R, then do a RJ, turning right in mid-air to eventually
land on it. Now, whatever way you
chose, turn W to the lower block,
do a SJ, angle Lara toward the
doorway and do a SJ while holding Action to lower her head. You're back in the South Pool
Room. Congratulations, you have successfully completed Secret #3!
Pass the
blue green green opened door
on the E, then go up the
ramp. At the top, you'll find the Crystals Holes,
as well as
two doors, on the L (W) and R (E). Place both
Crystals, opening both doors. We'll pass the western one first.
The Western Crystal Door
Go up
the ramp, remaining on the right. Turn R (E) and climb the block here,
entering a dark blue place. Go S then W, enter the
small corridor and stop at the apparent dead end.
Third Blocks Puzzle and the Collector.
Turn W to
face a moveable block and push it as far as
you can. You are now
in a new moveable blocks/colored tiles room, but this one's a tad
more complex than the previous
one. Plus, there's a secret nearby. (see map of the room
at the end of this walk)
Here, we have in fact 3 moveable blocks (including block #1, the one
you just pushed) and 3 colored tiles, but only two are
visible at the moment. The goal, as usual,
is to move
each block on a colored tile (keep
in mind, though, that they don't
need to be
there all simultaneously).
- Go to
the W wall then turn L (S).
Block #2 is there. Pull it once.
- Go back to block #1, facing S and push it twice. As shown on the map, you've
just moved it on a colored tile, although
you can't know that at the
moment.
- Turn R, go W then turn to block #2, facing
N. Push it twice on a colored tile.
- Go back to block #1 again. Pull it twice. Go where it stood via the
SW opening. Now go
S over the colored tile and enter the short
corridor for Secret #4: shotgun ammo
- To block #1 again. Push it twice to the
N on the colored tile. You hear
a door opening nearby.
- Go to block #3 via the SW opening. Pull it twice. You're
almost done.
- Now go to the other
side of block
#3 via the SE opening and
pass the newly opened door to
the W. Look down to spot the Collector and pick it up.
Picking up
the Bone
Slide down the slope after
the doorway. You're now at the
S end of the Hall with Columns. Turn L (S), and use
the Collector in the Receptacle. A fly-by shows you
a nearby brown wall vanishing with a crash. Turn around N, run along
the Hall, stop after the second
white column and turn L (W)
toward the brand new opening.
By now you should be able
to spot at least 1 of the 3 Hell Hounds which
guard the place. Opportunist as always, 3 rats hiding in a wooden chest nearby
may come and join the party
if you shoot said chest in the
heat of the
moment. Kill them all (no, really). Now
pick up the
Bone that was awaiting
on its pedestal all this time, opening a tall yellow door
somewhere in the process (that somewhere
being nowhere else than inside
the square cracked wooden wall back in the Basement).
-- Leaving
Hill House --
We now
need to explore
beyond the Eastern Door,
back at the Crystals Holes. The only
way to return
there is via the South Pool Room, so turn around
to the E and cross the Hall to get back in the room where
you found the 4th Crystal. From there, pass the S doorway, and run along the corridor
to the Center Pool Room. Dive and swim through
the S UW opening, turn L
upon entering the South
Pool Room, and pull up on the
E ledge. Pass the doorway, and up the ramp. You're
there.
The Eastern Crystal Door
Pass the
R (Eastern) door and run up the ramp,
staying left. Turn L at the top and climb onto the block
to pick up
some flares. Now
turn around to the SE and do a 45° SJ to the nearby ledge.
Turn around N at the closed door to
locate a green green green button.
Push it to open the nearby door,
as well as
another one located in the small room near
the Downstair Room. Pass the S door then
the arched opening on your L. You're now back in the Basement, but still on the wrong side of
the wooden cracked wall.
Make your
way to the
room by the
Downstair Room by going through the
R arch (NE), downstair then ahead (S) through the webbed
opening. Cross the room and pass the newly opened green
green green door. You enter
a corridor with burning tiles on each
sides. Ignore them (or don't,
but it wouldn't be very wise,
would it?) and go on along and up the corridor,
turning L (W) at the junction. You're at the tall yellow
door, and about to enter the
inner side of the cracked
wooden wall.
Inside the
Cracked Wooden Wall and Beyond
In front
of you, but hidden in the dark,
is a button. Push it to open the
grate door at the top of the
S stairway in the Basement.
However, you're not going there yet.
You still have something to do. Yep, that's it:
putting the Bone in its receptacle.
And so, we're now heading for the
Big Hall.
Go back there
via the Downstair Room, the Basement and the first (N) stairway. Run through the Pink Hall to the Big Hall and the Bone Receptacle.
Put the Bone where it belongs.
This opens a last door near the grate door you just opened.
And we'll call this one the
Exit Door.
So go back to the Basement, climb the N stairway there and pass the
grate door. The Exit Door is on your L (S). Pass it and run up the ramp, where
you can finally see the light of day. Go on a little. You have left the
beautiful and gloomy Hill House and completed the level.
Solution to the Numbers Room Puzzle
As you may have noticed, on some of the pillars the lower number is a
multiple of the upper one. The numbers you were given by the hints were 6 and
7. Only one pillar have both, with the correct matching multiple: the NW one.
(6/12, 7/14). This is the one which buttons will open
the door giving you access to the rest of the level.
The other
pillars are as follow:
NE (8/14, 6/24): Spikes pillar
SE (8/12, 7/24): Boulders pillar
SW (7/24, 6/24): Goodies
& Spiders pillar