Reign of Chaos - Chapter 2: Venice

Levels by Oliver Mausch (karlo002)

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

-- General Notes --

* Items in bold and blue are necessary to complete the levels or get the secrets, either by using them, picking them up or both.
* You'll find a Combat Strategies Section at the end of this walkthrough as well as a summary at the end of each level.

Note from the Author: Make sure you kill the mummies quickly. There can be a bug causing the game to crash to desktop if you save/reload near them.

== Part 1: Sewer System ==

Rude arrival, isn't it? Don't you think you'll be visiting monuments, have romance on a gondola or attend the Carnival. That's not what you're here for and to make things crystal clear, you've landed right in the sewers.

You're in a partially flooded room with a crate floating in the middle. Neither it or the ledges around are low enough for you to pull up, and there's a closed door on the eastern side of the room preventing you from going out. Don't panic. Go to the side opposite the door (W), dive and go pull the UW lever there on the wall, slightly to the L. The door is now open and you can start your explorations.

Surface for air if needed then swim through the door. Don't go L in the tunnel, you'll only find troubles there (namely a deadly fan and a dead end served with a spooky foe). Go R (S) instead and enter a new room with two floating crates.

Swim L (E) then L again (N) into another tunnel at the end of which you'll find a small medipack to pick up. Return to the Two Crates Room and swim diagonally R this time (SW) to find a low ledge. Pull up.

The low crate on your L is shatterable but leave it alone: it only contains a rat (or shoot it and kill the pest, it's not very dangerous anyway). Turn to face the first floating crate (NE) and SJ on it then do another SJ on the second one.

You now can spot a CS ahead (E) with a burning pillar beyond. Don't go there yet. Turn L (N) to face the fence instead and do a RJ over it to land on the ledge. Pick up the flares in a recess to your L then backflip over the fence in the water. Return to the second floating crate via the low ledge. Serious business starts here and now.

-- Lara Croft and the Very Hard To Reach Floating Crate --

Objective: Find a way to reach the floating crate in the Starting Room to access the rest of the place.

Once on the second crate, turn R (E) to face the CS, walk to the edge and do a SJ+G to the CS. Pull up, crawl a bit and drop down in a long spooky room. You'll land on a slope and slide down in more or less shallow water. Meaning there's no way out.

Don't worry about those burning pillars (yet). Swim/wade toward the first pillar on your R (N) and look up. There's a jumpswitch on its side that you must activate now, which is sort of tricky, given the depth of the water you're in.

Don't try to access it from the slope. Go to the R side of the pillar (i.e. its S side) and go on the slightly raised floor there. Turn 45° R so the slope facing the jumpswitch is diagonally on your back (see screenshot) and backflip. You'll just jump up so immediately backflip again to land on the slope and jump with Action pressed to grab the jumpswitch and flip it, opening an UW trapdoor nearby.

Said trapdoor being in the S side of the room, turn R and swim/wade there to enter the now accessible UW tunnel. Go L (E) first then around the corner, ahead a bit and L into a recess to pick up some uzi ammo. Now return toward the hole you came from then ahead and turn L (S) at the junction. Swim through the tunnel to reach a large room. Surface and pull up on the L (S) ledge.

There's a recess in the middle of the wall with some furnitures. Look at the bottom of the wall and notice that the R part is slightly different (well, not slightly, totally different). It looks shatterable, but isn't. It's in fact kickable so go to it and hit Action to kick it open revealing a low CS.

Crawl through it then stand up in a dark corridor. Don't rush in: there's steam leaking from the pipes and it's pretty harmful. Walk as close as possible of the first pipe without touching the steam, sidestep L and wait for the steam to briefly stop to run to the other side of the pipe. Repeat for the second, this time staying R.

Now that you've cleared them steamy things, run through the corridor and reach a new large room with a small pool of perfectly safe water (no matter the not really inviting color of it) at the entrance. A rat will soon come to chew at your ankles so kill it before swimming to the other side of the pool.

Exit the water and run ahead (N). There's a deep pit on the other side of the room, and it's currently empty (most unfortunately, as you'll soon discover). Walk to the edge and look down and to the R. You see that CS? That's where you're going now.

Down and Up and Down and Up

Go to the R side of the pit (E) and drop down from the edge before the pipes, hitting Action to grab it. Shimmy L until you're above the CS, let go and immediately hit Action again to grab the edge of the CS. Pull up, get the large medipack and make sure Lara's at full health (or at least 9/10th healthy) because, yep, you're now going to drop down into that pit.

Proceed, losing a good deal of health upon landing, turn around then run diagonally L (NW) to reach the low CS in the N wall. Crawl through it.

You're now in a room with a high balcony on your R (E) and a broken ladder on the wall behind you (S). Since it's broken (and will very much remain so), ignore it and go L (W) into a small room bathed in shallow water.

There are high slopes here and two ladders. If you look closely at the R high slope (N), you'll see a crack in it. There's indeed something interesting there but it's absolutely inaccessible in the current state of things. Go to the L ladder (S) and jump up to grab it.

What you need to do now is make your way up and you first have to reach the N high slope from the ladder. It requires perfect positioning. Climb up to reach the next to last tile until Lara's hand are just under the second stone "frieze" on the wall (see screenshot). Backflip, jump and hit Action to grab the edge of the S high slope ahead. Pull up and backflip on a ledge behind you.

There's a CS to your R (W), but go L (E) first into the corridor and to its end to find a small switch on the R (W) wall. Flip it to open a door on the high balcony in the Broken Ladder Room (for later). Return toward the High Slopes Room but look up before entering. See that closed door up there? Let's open it.

Enter the room and face the CS with a slight diagonal L angle standing one tile away from the wall. Do a SJ+G to the edge of the CS and pull up. Crawl a bit then climb up the stairs. A camera will show you a key lying on a grate above. It's important indeed, but for a bit later.

Resume climbing the stairs until you reach a small room with a water hole to your R. There's a jumpswitch ahead, but go in the water hole first to pick up some uzi ammo. Return on the stairs and climb to the top to face the jumpswitch.

Save. If you miss the jumpswitch you'll have to do a rather harmful backtracking. SJ+G to flip the jumpswitch, landing in a corridor below. Run ahead (E) but turn around once you've passed the corner and draw your pistols to rid the Venice sewers of another rat. Once it's out, turn L (S) to run through the corridor, stopping in the middle.

I'm sure you recognize that low CS to your R. It's the one overlooking the pit where you found a large medipack a while ago. And indeed, you now have to drop down in that pit again.

Use a medipack if you haven't done so already to make sure Lara's healthy enough, crawl in the CS then drop down from it into the pit. From there, return to the High Slopes Room via the Broken Ladder Room and make your way up to the high ledge like you did the first time. Go L once there and stop at the corner. The door you've just opened with the jumpswitch is up there. Turn L (N) to face the wall which is in fact a ladder and climb to the top to pull up through the doorway.

You're now back in the Starting Room, standing on one of the four balconies lining it. The floating crate which is your current goal is there on your R, but you can't jump to it because of the fence.

Turn R (E). The wall ahead is climbable (as its look hints). Jump up and grab it then shimmy L around the corner. Don't climb up or down and simply backflip on the crate. First objective reached.

-- The Big Flood --

Objective: Flood some parts of the sewers.

Turn around. There are two ledges ahead on your L and R which you now can reach. You can indeed reach them both from there, but it's shorter starting by the L (NW) one so walk to the L corner of the crate, turn 45° L and do a SJ over the fence to land on the ledge.

Run into the passage and deal with the steams there like you did with the first ones before the Pit Room. Enter the next room, drawing you pistols to kill yet another rat (well, you are in the sewers, what did you expect?).

Moving the Furnitures

The room you're in is rather large with a pit in the middle preventing you from accessing the other side. If you look up at the ceiling, you'll see a long and quite high MS crossing the room from E to W, which is why we'll call this room the Monkeyswing Room. Last but not least, there's an opening right in front of you (N).

Run through it to find yourself in a corridor with a lot of crates to your R (E). All those crates can be moved, which is what you have to do now to open an access to the other side of the previous room as well as another one to the room you can spot through the grates ahead. Since it is indeed a puzzle, you'll find the solution in the Spoilers Section at the end of this walkthrough.

Now that both accesses are open, let start by the one leading to a new room (E).

Hungry Dogs, Bandages and Swinging

Run through the opening then into the new room until you reach some wood fences placed there to prevent people to accidentally step on the hot floor beyond. Since they are shatterable, crouch and shoot the leftmost one then do a RJ over the deadly floor. Do another RJ over the next hot floor and draw your weapon of choice. After the rats, here comes your first stray dog. Shoot it down quickly (mind the nearby deadly floor when fighting).

Pick up some shotgun normal ammo waiting for you in the second recess to your L. Continue W to the other side of the room then L (S). After a flight of stairs, you'll find yourself before a long (and very empty) basin, in the Basin Room. There are inaccessible high ledges overlooking the room, but since they're inaccessible, go into the basin.

Run ahead (S) until you reach a low CS to your L. Crawl into it and pick up a Sewer Control Security Plug that someone has carelessly forgotten there. Return to the basin and notice the UW lever on the wall to your R. Obviously, you can't activate it yet so resume running S. You'll also spot some ammo in a hole to your R on your way, not reachable at the moment.

When you've reached the other end of the basin, pull up on the southern ledge and shoot the low crate there, revealing the Iron Key. Pick it up. Now let's find the Iron Keyhole.

Cross the basin again until you find a raised floor to your R and pull up on the ledge. Go L (N) and SJ over the corner to be back in the Hot Floors Room. From there, return to the Crates Corridor (mind the hot floors) then enter the eastern side of the Monkeyswing Room via the opening to your L (S).

Ignore the small switch on the wall for now (or flip it if you so wish) and run ahead (S) past the crate. You'll soon find yourself by the closed door of a small hut. The Iron Keyhole is there to your R. Use your Iron Key on it to open the nearby door but immediately draw your weapon as a stray dog affectionately jumps at your throat. Maybe it's famished after having been locked in here for a while, but still, get rid of it.

Enter the hut and locate the button on the R wall (N). Push it, opening a door in a darkroom somewhere. Turn toward the entrance, shoot the crate in the L corner and pick up the uzi ammo it contained. Now, where to go?

Leave the hut and shoot the crate on your L. It doesn't contain anything, but reveals a kickable low panel on the S wall. Go to it and kick it, crawl into the CS and drop down in the dark room you just spotted when using the button.

There's a closed door to your R, but it requires a key you don't have yet. The newly opened door is up in the wall ahead, to your L (NE), above some slopes. Go to it by SJ over the slopes when needed and pull up into the passage. Now it's time to meet the most macabre foe of the place.

Run ahead (S) through the passage then up the stairs. Stop before the corner: there's a pipe leaking steam there. Carefully deal with it then run into the next room and get your pistols ready. You've got company in the form of a Blood Mummy (how charming). Quickly kill it with a few pistols bullets then go fetch the small medipack. Leave the room, again dealing with the steam, run down the stairs and return to the doorway.

Look up. The starting point of the long MS is right above your head. Jump up, grab it and swing past the first opening and all the way over the Monkeyswing Room to its very end. Let go and immediately hit Action to grab the edge below. Pull up. You're now on one of the high ledges overlooking the Basin Room.

Watering the Situation

Leave the small crate ahead alone: it only contains a rat. The ledge to your L (S) is currently inaccessible due to the cage on it. Turn R (N) and do a RJ+G to the ledge ahead. Shoot the crate there and pick up the Old Key it contained. Return to the previous ledge with a RJ+G and drop down in the Monkeyswing Room from the CS to your L.

Return to the Dark Room via the Crates Corridor and the eastern side of the Monkeyswing Room and use the Old Key on the Old Keyhole to your R to open the nearby door.

Pass the doorway. There's a movable crate ahead. Pull it once. You don't know it yet (unless you've done some explorations at the start of the level), but you've just opened a way to the Sewers Control Room. Now let's find it.

Return to the Monkeyswing Room and run R (E) to the edge of the pit. Flip the small switch on the wall to your L if you haven't done so already, opening a trapdoor in the pit floor. Run off into the pit then go down in the water hole the trapdoor was blocking.

Swim ahead (W), down then turn L (S). A cage is blocking the tunnel ahead. Go L (E) then R (S) in the recess to pull the UW lever there on your R and lower the cage. Do not continue E, there's a strong stream that will send you right on a deadly fan and you'd meet a rather painful slicing death. Leave the recess and go L (W) then L (S) again and swim through the tunnel where was the cage. Swim around the corner then straight ahead (E - at this point, the stream and the fan are to your L). Swim up then ahead again to surface in an air hole.

You're now on the other side of the crate you pulled a moment ago. Pull up from the R edge and draw your pistols: there's a blood mummy around. Kill it (or rather destroy it, since it's already dead) then turn around and SJ over the water hole into a passage that was previously blocked by the crate. Follow the corridor to your R then crawl through the CS to eventually find yourself in a small, well-lit room. You can see the mummy through a hole in the wall so say hi then turn around and run to the wooden door.

Push the button on its L to open it and (finally!) enter the Sewer Control Room. Locate the Sewer Control Security Plug Hole to your L and on the R of a raised cage. Insert the Sewer Control Security Plug in it to lower the cage and access the small switch on the wall. Flip it. That's it: you've flooded the sewers!

[Note: If you've reached the Sewer Control Room via the Starting Room and not the water hole in the pit in the Monkeyswing Room, you'll have to make a detour to return to said MS Room and get the Shiny Key. In this case, see "A Detour" below, and follow the instructions as if the door in the Broken Ladder Room balcony were closed. Once on the high ledge in the High Slopes Room, go R to the corner, climb the ladder to the balcony and reach the floating crate in the Starting Room. You can then return to the MS room from that floating crate like you did the first time.]

-- The Way Out --

Objective: Find your way out of the sewers

A Shiny Key

You remember that UW lever you spotted a while ago in the basin? Now is time to go pull it.

Return to the water hole you came from and from there to the pit in the Monkeyswing Room via the Flooded Fan Room (again, mind the stream and the fan). Exit the water by the western edge of the hole, run ahead on a raised floor and pull up in the western side of the Monkeyswing Room. Now go to the Basin Room via the Crates Corridor and the Hot Floors Room.

Dive in the now filled basin and swim ahead (S) until you reach the UW Lever to your R (roughly in the middle of the basin). Pull it, lowering the cage that blocked the middle high ledge above. Continue swimming S a bit to pick up the revolver ammo in the next hole to your R then turn around and return to the start of the basin. Locate the raised floor to your R and go on it to be able to pull up on the ledge.

Now you have to go on the high ledges again. Return to the eastern side of the Monkeyswing Room (you should know the way by now), then into the Dark Room, up into the passage and swing across the MS to reach the high ledges.

Once there, turn L (S). Your next destination is the very last ledge in the opposite side of the room. Go there with a series of SJ+G from ledge to ledge.

There's a passage to your R (SW). Run into it, drawing your weapon: another stray dog will burst out from the corner. Kill it, run down the stairs but stop at the bottom before turning L: there's steam over there. Deal with it then run down the passage and drop down in the hole: the Shiny Key is here. Pick it up. Return to the high ledge you came from and from there to the Monkeyswing Room.

You now need to go back to the Starting Room, in the water. You can go there either from where you are (the western side) and dealing again with the two steam pipes on your way to the balcony, then jumping over the fence OR from the eastern side via the Crates Corridor then ahead to the balcony. Backflip over the fence there. Whatever path you choose, you'll find yourself back to square 1 (so to speak).

A Detour for Firepower

Swim through the door to your L (E) then R (S) to return to the Two Crates Room, and from there to the Burning Pillars Room via the floating crates and the high CS. Turn L (S) once you've slid in the water. The Shiny Keyhole is over there above a ledge, but before using it, a detour for an interesting pick up.

Swim/wade ahead (S) then down the hole you opened with that hard-to-reach jumpswitch at the beginning of the level. Return to the Pit Room (again dealing with the steam on your way) then jump into the Pit itself, which is now filled with water as well, and so perfectly safe. Swim through the CS to the Broken Ladder Room, now flooded too. The high balcony there is now accessible, but that's not why you're there. You're there for that "interesting thing" in the crack in the High Slopes Room nearby.

Swim there (L after the CS), go R (N), swim to the wall and surface. There's an alcove to your R (E). Pull up in it and turn around. Do a SJ+G to grab that famous crack ahead, pull up and pick up the Uzi (see? That was worth the detour).

Now your problem is going back to the Starting Room and from there to the Burning Pillars Room and its Shiny Keyhole. Don't try to use the slopes. Return to the Broken Ladder Room, swim up and pull up on the balcony from the R side of the edge.

[Note: If you didn't flip the small switch in the passage R and above the High Slopes Room upon your first visit, the door on the balcony will be closed, meaning no way out. In this case, after taking the Uzi and going back into the water, return to the alcove from where you just jumped. Position Lara in the L corner with a slight L angle to aim at the top of the slope. SJ then jump again and hit Action to grab the edge of the higher slope (see screenshot). Backflip on the ledge, go R in the passage and to its end and flip the switch on your R to open the door. From there you can return to the High Slope Room and jump in the water.

This is also an alternate way to return to the Starting Room, but you'd miss a goodie.]

No time to waste here, though. That's not one, but two blood mummies stumbling in your direction right now. Put an end to their miserable existences then run diagonally L to the opening and climb the ladder there on your L. Pull at the top to find yourself on the only balcony in the Starting Room you haven't visited yet.

Shoot the small crate ahead, pick up the shotgun normal ammo it contained then backflip over the fence to dive in the Starting Room again. Return to the Burning Pillars Room via the Two Crates Room and swim/wade S to pull up on the ledge and finally use the Shiny Key in its Shiny Keyhole, opening a door above.

Time to deal with the burning pillars. Lucky you.

A Race Against Fire

Climb the ladder L of the keyhole then go L around the corner and let go. Draw your pistols to take care of 2 bats flapping at you. Enter the room, locate the small switch on the R wall (N), go to it and save. Timed-run ahead.

Flip the switch and immediately do 2 R sidejumps then a RJ to the first pillar. Run with a L curve and jump to the 2nd pillar with a R mid-air curve, so you don't land too far and have enough room for your next RJ. Run with a R curve then jump with a L mid-air curve and hit Action to grab the edge of the 3rd pillar (see screenshot). Pull up and run with a R curve. Jump to the 4th pillar with a L mid-air curve again to gain some room for your next run-up, keep running with a L curve and jump to the ledge (see screenshot).

Blowing Up the Way

Flip the small switch to your L to open the nearby grate doors and enter the passage beyond. Ignore the first corridor and go ahead (N) past the smoking tiles into the second one. Go L (W) and pick up the large medipack at the end.

Now turn around (E) and run to the very end of the corridor where you'll find a ladder. Climb up until Lara's hand are one tile away from the ceiling and backflip over a slope into a new room.

Leave the crates in the corner, they're empty. Turn around (W) and run through the opening ahead while doors shut down behind you, permanently cutting off the way back.

You're now in a wide passage with a campfire to your L (S) and an opening to your R (N) very much closed by solid metal bars. There are some barrels before the bars, apparently full of a volatile substance and, closer to you, an unlit stack of wood. Run toward them and jump over the fence to your L. Shoot the small crate there and pick up the Torch it contained. I guess you've found out what you now have to do.

Return to the entrance of the passage and go light your torch on the campfire (don't go too close to it, though, it can burn you as well). Go to the stack of wood but make sure Lara's health isn't too low before lighting it: a nasty surprise awaits you after the show. Light the wood with your torch and enjoy!

As soon as the fly-by is over, drop the torch and crouch to lower the upcoming damage: a swarm of locusts have been disturbed by the explosion and they're flying at you (the aforementioned nasty surprise). Once they're gone, run through the passage you just created.

Escaping the Sewers. Almost.

Draw your weapon upon entering the next room to get rid of a stray dog. Shoot the small crate in the closest L corner and pick up some revolver ammo. Cross the room diagonally (NE), find the hole in the corner and pick up some uzi ammo there.

Now that you're done shopping, turn around and climb on the crate ahead and to your L and pull up from there in the room above. There are two closed wood doors here, a closed trapdoor in a hole in the center of the ceiling and a keyhole. Since you don't have any key available at the moment, let's find another way to open one of these doors.

Go to the darker corner with pipes extending from the wall (NE - you can pass through the pipes, no need to crouch) and use a flare or the binoculars to locate a jumpswitch on the L (N) wall. Activate it to open the closest door.

Turn around and pass that door (L - you'll need to crawl under the pipes this time). Run L (N). There are 3 small switches on the wall ahead. You'll find the solution to this mini-puzzle in the Spoilers Section at the end of this walkthrough. Once it's solved, you'll have opened the other wood door in the previous room.

Return to the previous room and go pass that door, drawing your pistols to kill a rat as soon as you've done so. There's a trapdoor near the far R corner (NW), but it's currently closed. Cross the room, turn around (E) and look up to locate a jumpswitch. Activate it to open the nearby trapdoor.

Jump down the newly opened hole, turn around and run under the catwalk to the opposite side. There's a Copper Key to your L. Pick it up, return to the previous room and use it on the Copper Keyhole there to eventually open the trapdoor in the ceiling. You're almost there.

Go to the center of the room under the hole and locate the ladder to the N. Walk to the edge of the "bridge" you're on, jump up, climb and pull up at the top... to realize you're not quite out of the sewers yet (surprise!)

==== In this part, you should have found...

Enemies: Rats, Stray Dogs, Blood Mummies, Locusts
Items of note: Sewer Control Security Plug, Iron Key, Old Key, Shiny Key, Torch, Copper Key
some Traps - 1 timed-run

== Part 2: Hereafter Holiday ==

For Starters...

Alright. Now you really have no time to waste with those 3 blood mummies after you. Rush ahead to get away from the hole (you don't want to fall in it and lose all advantage, plus you'd take damage), jumping over your foes if needed. Once you've got enough room, turn around and shoot them down.

Run down the passage to the R. Activate the small switch on the wall to you R to open the nearby door. Enter the room. Leave the small crates alone. Most of them are empty and one of them only contains locusts. Run to the far L corner, climb on one of the two crates there, crawl on it and drop down in the hole behind. Pick up the flares and leave the room.

Continue a bit down the passage, flip the second small switch this time on your L and pass through the door you've just opened. Enter and notice the movable crate against the L wall, in the middle. Pull it once then push it from its R side against the wall. Pick up the shotgun normal ammo it was hiding then return to the passage. Run to its end to enter a small room.

If you think what you've done so far in this adventure was difficult, you ain't seen nothing yet. Here's the situation. You have to activate all four jumpswitches here in order to finally escape the sewers and make your way to the surface. As you have noticed, there are spikes under each of them and no way to deactivate them beforehand. However, once you've flipped a given jumpswitch, the spikes under will be deactivated, but with a very slight delay. And this is this delay that makes the whole task tricky. You need to perfectly time the moment when you do your SJ+G to the switch or you'll be impaled. It requires patience and accuracy.

Choose your first jumpswitch (the order doesn't count), face it and stand two steps away from the spikes. Jump when the spikes start to raise i.e. when you hear them. Grab the jumpswitch. If your timing is good, you'll land safely. Repeat for the three other jumpswitches.

(Watch this movie to see how to do it, by the author)

When you flip the fourth jumpswitch, a cage raises in the center of the room, granting you access to the surface. Climb on the cage, jump up and pull up. Aaahh... fresh air.

-- Ruby Sphere Pieces Beyond a Pool of Blood --

Objective: Find the two pieces of the Ruby Sphere

Well, maybe not that fresh, as you'll soon find out. To be honest, the sewers almost look homely compared to this desolation of a city you're about to discover.

You are currently standing in "Middle Street". Turn W and look up. There's a balcony up there but it's currently on fire and not really accessible from where you stand. Regardless, there lies you next goal.

Turn R (N) and run across the street to another one ahead. Ignore the jumpswitch to your R, it's way too high for you to grab it. Once in the northern street (we'll most creatively call "North Street"), turn L (W). There's a trashcan ahead in a recess which is shatterable. Shoot it and pick up the small medipack it contained.

Turn around (E) and run along the street. You'll soon reach a creepy pool filled with blood-like water. You can also spot corpses floating around (mercifully not decomposed yet). It might be the less inviting water you've ever seen but dive. Swim R (S) all the way to the opposite side. You'll pass a hole to your L then a closed door to your R. Ignore them both, they're for later. Once you've reached the other side, turn R (W), swim a bit and pull out of the water.

Risky Jumping

You can hear the sweet sound of spikes (they're just above you). Looking up and R, you'll see a high, inaccessible jumpswitch. Turn L (S). There's another very accessible jumpswitch hidden behind the column. Go grab it to raise a platform above a slope near the burning area you can spot to your R.

Go R (W) to the other side of the area then turn R (N) at the wall and carefully walk to the edge of the safe floor. There's an on/off burning platform ahead. Position Lara so her right leg is against the fence, aiming at the far R corner of the platform. Hop back and RJ as soon as the fire turns off to land in the very corner. As long as you stay in that corner, the fire can't burn you.

Wait for the fire to turn off again, jump up, grab the crack above and shimmy to the R until you can pull up on the platform you just raised. Turn 135° L (SW) to aim at the closest balcony and do a RJ to it. Quickly turn around to face the courtyard and draw your weapon (possibly your revolver) to take down a giant wasp that's coming buzzing at you right now.

Notice the closed wood door ahead up in the wall, then go R and do another diagonal RJ to the next balcony over both fences. Take a deep breath, the next part is quite tricky.

What you need to do is reach the high jumpswitch that's L and ahead via the spiked ledge, which not only requires good timing but a very accurate path too.

Position Lara in the L corner of the balcony, against the fence, turn slightly L to aim at the middle of the ledge, hop back and wait for the rightmost spikes to be up to do a RJ. Run with a L curve then jump to the switch with a L mid-air curve, hitting Action to grab it only at the very last moment or you won't do that mid-air curve (see screenshot). Flip it to open the nearby wood door we spotted from the first balcony.

Since you're back in the water, leave it by the L (W) edge and return to the burning platform. Proceed to the high platform like you did the first time but don't pull up. Keep on shimmying R to pull in an alcove a bit further. Flip the small switch there on your R to lower a block in a pillar beyond the spiked ledge.

Drop down and shimmy L to the platform. Pull up this time and return to the second balcony (the one facing the spikes - and yes, you'll have to deal with them again). No giant wasps on your way this time, though.

You can now see the opening in the pillar created by lowering the block. Position Lara in the middle of the balcony, hop back, wait for the rightmost spikes to be up and do a RJ to the spiked ledge then another one to the opening (you don't have time to stop for a SJ), pressing Action to avoid hitting the pillar.

Walk to the edge ahead and do a SJ to the next balcony. Pick up the Copper Key at your feet. Run to the fence ahead, hop back and do a RJ over it. Hit Action to grab the edge of the sloping roof and shimmy L all the way to its other side. Pull up on its flat part and push the button ahead. This opens a grate door in the Blood Pool, but you'll get there only later. For now, drop down in the street below.

A Trip on the Venetian Roofs

Leave the trashcan alone, there are locusts in it and nothing else. Go R (S) and run to the plant surrounded by black fences (the last one). SJ over the fence and pick up the revolver ammo hidden there.

Turn around (N), SJ over the fence and run along the Pool until you find yourself under an arch. Dive in the pool and swim ahead (W). Exit the water. You're now at the other side of Middle Street.

Run ahead then turn L (S) at the first crossing. There's a trashcan in Middle Street a bit further on the L but don't go shoot it, you'd free a venomous spider trapped in it. Continue S then R (W) at the corner (you're in South Street, by the way). Turn L (S) at the end. The Copper Keyhole is there to your L. Use the Copper Key in it to open the nearby tall door and give you access to the rest of South Street.

Draw your weapon as soon as you pass the newly opened door to take down a giant wasp then run further into South Street. You'll see a trashcan in a recess on your R (E). Shoot it to reveal an empty pedestal. It is for later, but at least now you know where it is.

Since you're obviously not here only to shoot at trashcans, continue to the end of South Street. SJ over the fence and go to the left of the low wall ahead (N), where the ground is slightly raised. Pull up on the wall.

The burning balcony is on your L and ahead, but it's still very burning so go R (E) instead and run to the other end of the wall. Turn 45° R (SE) to face a sloping red roof on the other side of the street and do a SJ to it. Slide and grab the edge. Shimmy L a bit to reach the next tile, pull up and backflip to land on a balcony behind.

Turn around. The brown door on your R can be kicked open using Action so proceed and enter the house. That scratching sound you're now hearing is produced by a venomous spider coming from the R. Quickly kill it with your faithful pistols.

Once it's dead, re-enter the house if needed and go L to pick up some uzi ammo. Turn around (E) and pass the opening ahead, crawling under the hanging laundry if necessary, to find yourself on an arch overlooking South Street on the R and Middle Street on the L. Turn 135° L (NW) to face a balcony extending from the house you just left and do a SJ to it. Immediately turn L to shoot the giant wasp that's flying at you.

Run to the far R corner of the balcony (NW) and turn 45° R to face another one on the other side of the street. Hop back and do a RJ with a L mid-air curve to clear the fence and land on it. Run to its far R corner, turn 45° R to face a red roof ahead and do a RJ+G to the roof. Shimmy L until you're in the middle of the next tile, pull up, backflip, roll in mid-air and hit Action to grab a jumpswitch. Congrats! You've turned off the fire on the Fire Balcony.

Now you must reach said Balcony. Return to the end of South Street by going R from the jumpswitch then L into Middle Street and R into South Street. Climb on the low wall again and go L (W) this time. Run to the end past the now safe Balcony to pick up the Rusty Key.

Don't drop down yet. Since we're up there, let's take another trip through the Venetian roofs to fetch another needful thing.

Return to the house where you met the venomous spider by running to the other end of the wall and via the sloping red roof. Go to the arch to your R then on the balcony to your L (where you were savagely attacked by a giant wasp).

Now that you're back there, turn R (NE) to face a flat red roof and do a RJ+G to it. Pull up, draw your pistols and quickly dispatch the venomous spider that comes to bite you. Go R (E) to the wall, staying close to the edge, then turn around so the nearby sloping roof is on your back and backflip on it. Slide and grab the edge.

Shimmy to the R and stop after the corner. Pull up and backflip on a flatter ledge then turn L and draw to face another giant wasp. Once it's down, sidejump L over the fence and pick up the Copper Key there on the floor. Backflip over the fence to get back on the ledge and drop down in the Blood Pool below.

Lara on Fire

Locate the hole just ahead and swim through it then the tunnel beyond. You'll soon reach a flooded room with a closed door in the opposite side. Turn R (E) upon entering and pull the UW lever to you R to open the door. Swim through said door, turn R and pull a second UW lever ahead, closing the door, but granting access to a third UW lever. Go pull it, opening a trapdoor nearby, turn around, return to the 2nd UW lever and swim up to surface (you can reopen the door to the previous room by pulling the 2nd UW lever again).

Pull out of the water into what looks like a Bathroom and shoot both Ming Vases. The R one contains a large medipack and the L one a small medipack and you're going to need them badly very soon. Once you've picked them up both, go to the E side of the room and kick the brown door open.

Enter the next room and locate the Rusty Keyhole near a wood door on your L (N). Use your Rusty Key on it to open the nearby door and go through the latter. Shoot the trashcan ahead to pick up another large medipack (if you're starting to think that large supply of medipacks hints of an upcoming danger, you're right).

You're in a small passage with a closed door and a campfire in a recess next to a button. You do need to push that button now, and you can't turn off the fire. Not now. Not tomorrow. Not in a million years. Not even when Hell has frozen. So prepare yourself for a medipacks swallow party. Oh. And save.

Push the button as fast as you can and start using medipacks, keeping an eye on your health bar (the "0" shortcut is your friend here) while rushing R into the next room then R into the Bathroom then jump in the water to extinguish the fire.

Leave the water and return to the campfire passage. The door is now open so go through it, cross the small courtyard and pull up in the high CS. Crawl a bit then drop down. There's a jumpswitch to your R, but it's currently very unsafe, considering the spikes under, so turn around (W) and go dive in the small pool ahead. Turn around and go pull the UW lever in the middle of the E wall to raise a platform above the spikes.

Leave the water and go flip the now safe jumpswitch to open a double tall door in the other side of the courtyard, beyond the pool. Go there and enter a new house.

Slicers and a New Friend

The door closes as you enter, cutting the way back, and you can hear a rather unsettling mechanical sound. Before you are two cages: the L one holds the first part of the Ruby Sphere (which is why you're here), the R one holds a key. Since you don't have any mean to open the cages here, let's go up.

Go to the L cage which is climbable (as is the R one) and climb it to pull up on the upper floor. You now can see the sources of the noise: two Chinese Swordman Statues. Shoot the Ming Vase ahead (S) to reveal some uzi ammo and go pick it up. There's another Ming Vase in the other side of the room but it only contains a venomous spider, so leave it alone. Now turn to the closest statue and notice the button to its R. The other statue has one as well and you now have to push them both (the buttons, not the statues).

Return to the transversal "bridge" you pulled up on and run to its end. Turn L, drop down, grab the edge and shimmy R to pull up on the statue ledge. Sidestep R to the statue as close as possible, wait for the blade to be up and sidejump. You shoudn't take any damage. Go push the button to lower the L cage below, turn L and sidejump to the other side of the statue. Proceed with the other statue and the other button the same way then drop down into the room below.

[Important: at the end of the following sequence, there is a risk that your upcoming foe dies on one of the fire and you won't be able to pick up the item he leaves behind - and thus will be stuck. So save before picking up the Ruby Sphere Piece]

You're now in for a rather funny sequence. First, pick up the Iron Key. A giant spider runs into the room and goes next to the Ruby Sphere Piece pedestal. Don't shoot her. She won't attack and in fact will even help you. No go get the Ruby Sphere Piece 1. A very aggressive Dead Swordman appears. Lure him to the spider. She'll soon and cleanly take care of the swordman (mind the fires).

Pick up the 2nd Iron Key he left behind. If the spider is on the key preventing you from picking it up, you might have to kill her after all. In this case use your pistols and take your time, she won't retaliate. Go use both keys on the Iron Keyholes near the doors to reopen them.

Moving Practice

Return to the Bathroom and dive in the water. Pull the closest UW lever again to reopen the door and swim back to the Blood Pool. Once there, turn L (S) and swim until you find a tunnel to your R (W - you opened the door to that tunnel a while ago. If you didn't, see "Risky Jumping", last §). Swim through it to the end then up and exit the water.

There's a closed door ahead, preventing you from seizing the second Ruby Sphere Piece. Look down: to your L is a decorated tile. The crate to your R being of the movable type, push/pull it on the decorated tile to open the door and go get the Ruby Sphere Piece 2 (that one was easy).

Swim back to the Blood Pool and from there go to South Street by swimming L (N) after the tunnel then L (W) at the arch, exiting the water into Middle Street and L (S) at the crossing.

-- The Red Chaos Gem --

Objective: Find the Red Chaos Gem

Run down South Street until you find the recess with the empty pedestal (you shot a trashcan there). Combine both Ruby Sphere Piece to obtain the Ruby Sphere and put the latter on the pedestal. It raises a couple of block nearby, allowing you to access the roof above.

[Note: If you haven't found the 2nd Copper Key yet, go to the end of South Street and climb on the low wall. From there, refer to "A Trip on the Venetian Roofs", three last § for the path to the 2nd Copper Key]

Go to the newly raised blocks and SJ on them (the fence prevents you from pulling up). Pull up on the roof, turn around (S) and do a SJ to the small balcony ahead. Kick the brown door open and enter the house.

The keyhole to your R near the closed door is a Copper Keyhole. Use the 2nd Copper Key on it to open the nearby door, pass through the latter and drop down the hole.

Swim through the tunnel then into the first room staying close to the walls to avoid triggering the spikes in the center. Swim into the second room staying L and activate the UW lever there in the middle of the E wall to open a door at the end of the third room. Swim through the latter then the doorway into a large pool and surface.

Exit the water and immediately draw your weapon to get rid of the giant wasp that's flying at you from the L. Once it's down, take a look around. You're at a Church Square, said Church being flanked by two cemetary lanes on the L and R, which you're both going to visit for some goodies and insect extermination.

Go to the R cemetary lane (NW), draw your pistols and run ahead (W). Soon a giant wasp will make an apparition. Lure it to the Church Square to easily shoot it down with the pistols. Return to the R cemetary lane and run into it to the other end. Another giant wasp will come buzzing at you. Kill it like the first one and go back to the R lane. Run to its other side and pick up some uzi ammo behind the last grave. Return to the Church Square.

Now go to the L cemetary lane (SW) and proceed there like you did in the R one to kill 2 giant wasps that will attack together. Once they're both down, return to the L lane and get the shotgun normal ammo there behind the last grave. Return to the Church Square.

Go to the church doors and push them open to enter the Church. Go R (N) in the NE corner and pick up the small medipack. Turn around (S) and run to the other corner (SE) to get some uzi ammo.

Now run W to the altar and the crucifix. There's a hole behind them. Drop down in it and pick up the Red Chaos Gem. A trapdoor will give way under your feet and you'll slide down to a nicer, warmer and prettier part of Venice.

==== In this part, you should have found...

Enemies: Blood Mummies, Locusts (you can avoid them), Giant Wasps, Venomous Spiders, Giant Spider (doesn't attack), Dead Swordman
Items of note: 1st Copper Key, Rusty Key, 2nd Copper Key, 1st Iron Key, Ruby Sphere Piece 1, 2nd Iron Key, Ruby Sphere Piece 2, Red Chaos Gem
some Traps

== Part 3: Say Cheese! ==

Objective: Sail away from Venice

Ah! This feels like Venice. Charming, peaceful and riddled with tourists. But as nice as it is, you still got three Chaos Gems to find and a world to save so you do have to find your way out.

You're now at Pool Plaza. Turn L to the pool and take a look. You can spot a key lying in a CS. Don't try to get it, you won't be able to crouch in the water. Another thing of interest is the jumpswitch high in the wall on your L, behind some pipes. Too high indeed for you to grab, but take note of its location nonetheless. Now let's go and tour the place.

Turn R (N) and run ahead until you reach another (bigger) pool. You're at Central Plaza. Turn R (E) and run under the arch to enter yet another plaza with a monument-like structure in the center (Monument Plaza). There's a water hole in the center of the monument, but it's currently closed by a grate door.

Go E to the other side then R (S) at the corner. Run straight ahead until you reach the wall. This part is movable. Push it twice to reveal a small courtyard. There's a ladder here to your R. Climb up to the top and pull up on the wall separating the courtyard from the plaza.

Ignore the roof to your L and do a RJ to the top of the monument ahead. Run in the central hole and turn around. There's a button here. Push it to open the grate door in the water hole below. Backflip on the roof and drop down in the plaza.

A Key in a Maze

Click for a map of the maze

Jump in the water hole and pass the newly opened door. It closes behind you trapping you in what very much looks like an UW Maze (and is, by the way). Here, you must find and pull 3 UW levers to open the closed door you can spot ahead and to your R, pick up what's beyond then exit the maze whence you entered. You'll also find some goodie on your way.

- Go L (S) at the first junction and swim through the tunnel to its end to pull a 1st UW lever.

- Turn around and swim through the tunnel back to the entrance tunnel. Swim L (W) through the tunnel. Ignore the first and the second junction and turn R (W) at the third. Swim ahead then L around the corner. Ignore the alcove and go L (E) at the junction. You'll find an air hole there. Surface for air.

- Turn around, swim R (N) at the junction then L (W) into the alcove. Pull the 2nd UW lever. Return to the air hole.

- Turn around, R at the junction then ahead (N) past the alcove through the tunnel. Turn L (N) at the junction then R (E) at the next one. Pick up the revolver ammo there.

- Leave the alcove, turn R (N), swim through the tunnel past the closed door then R (S) at the junction and R (W) again. Pull the 3rd UW lever.

- Turn around, L (N) at the junction then L (W) again at the next. Swim R (N) through the newly opened door and pick up the Key there.

- Leave the alcove. The entrance door is open again so swim L (E) and pass the door to be back in the monument water hole.

Sneaking into Houses and Traveling on Roofs

Turn L to leave the hole by its N edge and return to Central Plaza by going L after the monument. Run W past the pool then under two arches ahead. Climb a flight of stairs and go L (S) to enter a courtyard. There's a low CS to your L, currently riddled with burning floors, and a Keyhole ahead. Go use your newly found Key on it to open the nearby wood door.

Pass the latter. You're in a small room with no apparent way out. Notice the grates on you L: they're all shatterable. Shoot at least the left "column" of them so you may enter the other side of the room (or shoot them all if you feel like vandalizing the place). Flip the small switch on the wall to your L, turning off the burning floors in the nearby CS.

Return to the previous courtyard and crawl through the now safe CS (now to your R). Turn around as soon as you stand up and pull up on the wooden ledge. The trapdoor above you can be opened by pulling it, so jump up and hit Action. Turn around and pull up in the room above.

There's a wood door in front of you, but it's very much closed and you don't have the key to open it. The two other doors can be pulled open, but ignore the R one for now and open the L one. Enter the next room. Ignore the door to your L, it only gives onto a broom cupboard holding nothing of interest (unless you're into stools and stepladders). Notice the grate ahead and to your R (NE) and shoot it.

Crawl through the now open CS to reach a roof. Turn L (W) and do a RJ to the low wall ahead. Turn L (S), hop back with Action pressed and drop down into a closed courtyard.

The trashcan to your L is shatterable. Shoot it to get the Copper Key it contained. Turn L to locate the ladder in the far R corner (NE). Go climb it and pull up on the wall, go R, do a RJ to the previous roof and crawl through the CS to be back in the house.

Return to the Entrance Room and go use the Copper Key on the Copper Keyhole near the door to open the latter. It gives onto a balcony, but don't go there yet. Go R and kick open the brown door there to enter a bathroom. Ignore the bathtub for now. Shoot the decorated vase near the window on your L and pick up the small medipack it contained.

Turn R (S) and run past the hanging laundry that hides a small switch. Save before flipping it: you're in for a rather tight timed-run.

Flip the switch: a block raises in the street below. Hit "look" to stop the camera, roll to turn around and sprint into the entrance room. Turn R to pass the open wood door and go on the balcony. Run with a R curve and do a RJ over the fence with a hard R mid-air curve to land on the block. Turn L a bit and sidejump L on the next balcony (see screenshot).

Turn L (S) and run to the other end of the balcony. The jumpswitch we spotted at the beginning is ahead, but jumping to it is complicated by the flowerpot which prevents you from doing a simple straight RJ from the middle. Go against the fence, standing L of the flowerpot, turn slightly R to aim at the jumpswitch, hop back and do a RJ+G to flip the jumpswitch and lower a part of the bathtub in the bathroom you just visited.

Return there via the Western Courtyard, the burning floor CS and the house itself. Jump in the bathtub and swim down the hole. The Rusty Key in the UW CS you already spotted is there. Swim to it, careful not to swim too far or you'll have to backtrack in the bathroom again, and pick it up. Swim ahead in the small pool where you'll stand up and pull out to be back at Pool Plaza.

Addio, Venezia!

There's still one place in the neighborhood you haven't visited. Go L (N) to Central Plaza then run along the L side of the pool there. Continue N to pass an arch and a flight of stairs and reach another small courtyard.

There's a closed wood door ahead and to your R (NE). Use the nearby small switch to open it and enter the next room. Ignore the passage to your left: it leads to a dead end and go R instead.

There's a block there with four buttons (one per cardinal point). Beyond it is a set of four doors. You now must push the right buttons in the correct order so all four doors are open at the same time. You'll find the solution to this puzzle in the Spoilers Section at the end of this walkthrough.

Pass through the four opened doors and go L (W). The Rusty Keyhole is there on the L of a closed door. Use the Rusty Key in it to open the door and pass through the latter to enter a corridor.

You can spot a ladder to your R (N) but don't go there yet. Go L (S) instead then R (W) into a recess to pick up some shotgun normal ammo. Return to the corridor, turn L (N) and go climb that ladder. Pull up at the top to reach the Port of Venice and sail away.

==== In this part, you should have found...

Enemies: None
Items of note: Key, Copper Key. Rusty Key
a few Traps - 1 timed-run

==== VENICE WHAT'S WHAT (Combat Strategies)

- Bats: Tiny and hard-to-spot. Keep shooting until Lara doesn't aim at anything anymore, spotting them thanks to the flapping sound they make.

- Blood Mummies: They're very very slow, like their Mexico Zombies counterpart, but there's one major difference here: they can be killed with a few pistols bullets. So don't hesitate: eliminate them!

- Dead Swordman: Let your giant spider friend take care of this one.

- Giant Spider: This one's friendly. Let her live. You could even give her a name.

- Giant Wasps: They can deal much damage would they sting you but they're rather slow. This said, they tend to attack when you're in a position where you can't really move and jump. The best policy here is to use the revolver. Two bullets are enough to take them down before they can reach you if you wait for them to be close enough. If you can spot them from far, start with the pistols and finish them off with a single revolver bullet when they're close.

- Rats: They aren't very dangerous. They don't do much damage and are rather fragile. A few pistol bullets should take them down quickly.

- Stray Dogs: Fragile but very quick and tend to stick to you or push you. Try killing them while hoping back when possible or use your revolver. One single bullet is enough.

- Venomous Spiders: Those wouldn't be much of a problem if they weren't venomous. Shoot them with the pistols before they can bite you. They die quickly.

==== SPOILERS SECTION

-- Part 1: Sewer System --

Solution to the Blocks Puzzle

-- Quick solution:

Map of the room and initial positions

-- Detailed solution:

- Go to the first L crate and pull it as far as you can. Go around it then push it in the corner of the room.
- Go to the second L crate and pull/push it against the first one.
- Go to the third L crate and pull/push it against the second one.
Map of current positions

Now let's take care of the R crates.
- Go to the first R crate and pull it twice against the sloping floor.
- Go to the second R crate and pull/push it against the first one.
- GO to the third R crate and pull/push it against the second one.
Map of current positions

The only crates left are the one blocking the accesses.
- Go to the closest blocking the access of the E part of the previous room. Pull it once into the corridor then push it against the third R crate.
- Now go to the last crate and push it twice into the next room.
Map of final positions

Solution to the Switches Puzzle

-- Quick solution:

Look closely at the black tiles before the switches.

-- Detailed solution:

Only one switch is safe. The two others will turn on a burning floor under your feet. Notice the smoke coming from the two rightmost ones and go flip the leftmost one.

-- Part 3: Say Cheese! --

Solution to the Four Doors Puzzle

-- Hints:
Map of the room and initial positions

- Button A acts on Door 2 and Door 3
- Button B acts on Door 2
- Button C acts on Door 1 and Door 2
- Button D acts on Door 3 and Door 4

Doors 1 and 3 are closed, Doors 2 and 4 are open.

-- Solution:

- Press button C (S) which opens Door 1 and closes Door 2
- Press button A (N) which opens Doors 2 and 3.