South Pacific Contest: DANGEROUS PARADISE

Level by Mr XY

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth

Begin at the back of a small cave high up in the wall of what appears to be an extinct volcano. Step forward to trigger a long flyby of the immediate area. After camera control is restored, look off to the NW and you'll see a pair of horizontal poles, indicating that the builder's obvious intention is that you go in that direction. However, since there are no pickups in this relatively vast area other than a key, and since you'll soon be obliged to explore a virtually identical area to reach a second key, there's no reason why you shouldn't save a few minutes by taking an unauthorized short cut. Go beyond the waterfall to the south edge of the cave entrance. Face slightly SE and take a running jump to the slope in the east cave wall. Slide down and attempt to grab the edge. You won't, but you'll drop down to the ledge below, and this one you'll be able to grab. Do so and shimmy all the way to your right. Release to drop onto a sandy ledge, and draw your pistols to deal with the lizard monster that scuttles forth toward you. Go forward into the cozy east enclosure and follow it to the GREEN KEY. Continue forward to the west edge and safety drop to the lake below.

Turn around and wade across the lake past the tiny island. Go through the west opening into an area similar to the one you just left. Ignore the ladder to your right, as you would have used it only to get down here if you had opted to follow the route intended by the builder. You'll find that the second area is strikingly similar to the first. What's more, you may hear the annoying tell-tale sound in the background of a demigod's weapon being fired sporadically. The source of this sound is a mystery, as you will not encounter a demigod at any point in the level. Anyway, if you cross over to the west side you'll find a closed gate that requires two keys. As you have only one, you need to go on a search for the second one.

Go left from the entry point and locate an outcropping of rock near the SE corner that you can climb onto. Do so and turn around to face east. Take a running jump and grab to the ledge and pull up. You'll now be working in a counterclockwise direction, so run forward and follow the interior path along the wall until you reach a gap. Take a running jump north across the gap and grab the edge of the next ledge. Pull up and follow the uneven path around to an opening that faces three waterfall segments and a horizontal pole. Take a standing jump to the next short ledge and walk forward to the far edge. Face slightly SW and take a standing jump and grab to the pole. Swing around once and release, and you should drop onto the near corner of the next ledge south. Jump past the obstruction and follow the ledge until you reach the ladder in the south wall. Climb up to the opening and shift left to drop down onto a ledge. Turn left and walk over to the north edge facing the trees. Face the horizontal pole NE and take a standing jump and grab to it. It's little tricky, as you need to aim for the left part of the ledge ahead so you can grab the flat surface. However, it should take you only a few tries, so pull up and follow the higher interior path to the north end. Take a running jump across the gap and grab the next ledge. Pull up and follow around to another horizontal pole.

Take a standing jump from the west edge and grab the pole. Swing around once and release to land on the next ledge.

Walk forward and stop at the edge of a slope. Turn around and slide backwards down the slope. Pull up and take a rolling flip. Grab the edge of the tree stump and pull up. Three cute little baby dinosaurs scamper forward, so shoot them all before proceeding. Go around the interior path to find a skeleton lying on the pickup you need. Grab it by the skull and pull it away, then jump forward and pick up some uzi ammo and the RED KEY. To get back down, go back the other way to the tree stump where you pulled up. Face NE and simply run off the edge, using grab to land on the sandy ledge below. Safety drop from there to the ground.

Now that you have both keys, head over to the closed gate west and insert the keys in the receptacles. When the gate lifts, enter and slide down the center of the first slope to trigger an impaled skeleton that juts out only inches from your nose. Go around it to the left and slide down the rest of the way. Look around to find yourself facing an indoor swimming pool that's badly in need of repairs. Stand at the water's edge and shoot two crocodiles that are swimming lazily about (you may have to jump in briefly to arouse the second one, or you may be lucky and find that it's got its nose stuck in a wall somewhere), then jump into the water and locate the UZIS near the east wall behind a column. Then swim over to the SE corner and find a well-hidden underwater lever. When you pull it, a block is raised near the south center part of the pool.

Before using the raised block, swim diagonally across the pool and pull up onto the NW ledge. Pick up the flares in front of the closed gate and turn the wheel in the west wall. The underground bamboo gate to your left creaks open, so jump back into the water and swim into the west opening. The blade trap inside is triggered by your presence, so swim over the first blade and under the second one. Pick up the CROWBAR at the end of the tunnel, flip turn and swim carefully under the near blade and over the next one. Back in the main pool, head over to that raised block and climb up onto it. Take a running jump west and grab the ledge. Pull up, run forward and open the see-through door with your crowbar. Kill the lizard monster, then go inside and shoot the smaller brown boxes to get them out of the way. Drag the gray box through the doorway (on one occasion, the box refused to move, as if the game thought that the brown box Lara had shot was still there) and all the way east. Climb up onto it to reach the smaller ledge above. Turn around and walk to the end of the broken bridge. Take a running jump and grab east to the next section of the broken bridge. Pull up and run forward to the wall switch in the corner. Save your game here, as this may take a few tries.

Pull down the wall switch, then quickly turn to your left and take a running jump to the first of two raised platforms. In one continuous motion, jump off the first platform to the second one, and jump off the second one to the ledge in the NE corner before the platforms go back down. The problem is that if you attempt to do this in a straight line you won't have enough room to jump off the second platform, so when you land on the second platform run diagonally to your left and jump off with a curve to the right to land on the ledge. With a little practice you should be able to do this with no trouble. When you reach the ledge, push the floor lever to open the gate down on the lower NW ledge. Go there to the opening and stand at the base of a slope. Slide down the right side of the slope and simply stand in place while a boulder rolling down from behind bounces harmlessly over your head. Wait until it stops moving completely before stepping down into a temple area. Note the closed gate ahead, with an unlit torch on either side of it, before turning right to enter a small village to the north.

Wait for a couple of natives to come greet you, pull out those uzis and go to work on them. Go up the short flight of steps east and locate a pushable block in the building to your left. Push it into the building and go inside for the LASER SIGHT. Note the button in the west wall. It initiates a nifty timed run, so get that block out of your way by pushing it all the way south. When you go back and push the button, it opens a bamboo door in the west wall of the building NW of this one. It's not a terribly tight run; you can make it by using the sprint key over the open space separating the two buildings. Once inside, shoot two bats before taking the GOLDEN ROSE from the pedestal for the only SECRET in this level.

Go back outside to the open courtyard and take a little counterclockwise tour of the village. The first thing you come to is a closed gate in the NE corner, requiring a key you don't yet have. Go past the building containing the secret, and proceed until you reach a burner block in the NW corner. If you stand on your tiptoes to peek, you can see a skeleton lying on a key in the flames. Mind the foliage-veiled spike trench on either side of the burner block, and hop across to find a snake head receptacle at either end. You'll obviously be back here later, so hop back across the spike trenches and head toward the SW camp site. Shoot the gray boxes behind the tent. One hides the RED KEY, the other some uzi ammo and revolver ammo.

Your final stop is the next building east. Shoot the gray box between the two brown boxes for a large medi-pack. Then go around the building to the right, and the camera angle changes as another native charges at you from behind. Kill him and then note the closed door in the north wall of the building. It needs a key; must be the one on that burner block. Run east to find yourself back where you started. Head for the closed NE gate and use the Red Key to open it. Go inside, and you'll see there are three potential areas to explore in this underground cavern. Straight ahead is a pool with a skeleton at the bottom and a box with suspicious bubbles coming from it. There's nothing else of interest, so this must be for later. Nearby, in the east wall, is a closed gate. As you roam about exploring the area you'll eventually alert a lizard monster, so go ahead and take care of it. When you walk up to the north opening you get a discouraging flyby of the daunting tasks ahead. Let's save this one for later.

Go to the south opening. In this little cave the landmarks are a floor lever, a brass spitoon and a closed gate in the east wall. Push the floor lever to lower one block and raise another in the center of the cave. Go to the brass spittoon and push and pull it onto the square where the block was lowered. Go back and push the floor lever to return things to their original state. The brass spittoon has now been raised, of course, so go there and move it onto the adjacent gray tile. Push the floor lever a third time to raise the brass spittoon still higher, then use the raised triangle on the south side of the block to pull up onto it. Move the brass spittoon onto the decorated tile that's not presently occupied. The gate down below in the east wall opens, so safety drop from the ledge and enter the new room. Avoid the tile in the NE corner for obvious reasons, and shoot the brown box next to it to reveal the REVOLVER.

Go back outside, exit the cave and approach that square pool outside. Combine the laser sight and revolver and shoot that bubbling brown box to reveal a SNAKE CRYSTAL. Swim down to claim it, then pull out and prepare yourself for that daunting task you put off from earlier. Go into the north opening, vault up onto the ledge to your left and use the zip line to get across the lava pit to the other side. There are three bats in the area, but you'll probably trigger but two of them as you walk back and forth along the green ledge. Go to the east end, hang from the ledge and release to drop onto a slope. Jump off to land on a narrow strip at the lava's shoreline. Walk over to the west end, turn to face the nearest burner tile, and save your game. Wait until the flames subside, then take a standing jump and grab to the tile and shimmy to a corner before pulling up. You should be safe there. What you need to do is time your way painstakingly from tile to tile, taking standing or running jumps as necessary and making diligent use of the corners, until you reach the SE ledge. I recommend that you save frequently along the way, as there's no respite where you can catch your breath save for one dormant tile with a small medi-pack.

Once you arrive safely, take the second SNAKE CRYSTAL from the pedestal and watch the nearby gate lift. There's nothing to do in the next room with the multiple flame blowers, so go on through and prepare to deal with two lizard monsters in the tunnel beyond. At the far end of the tunnel is an open gate leading to a small room with a closed bamboo door on the other side. As soon as you enter, the gate slams shut behind you and a spiked ceiling begins to descend. Run forward to the far left corner, jump over the skeleton to grab the wall where the ivy is growing, and climb up four or five rungs. Take a rolling back flip to activate the jump switch in the facing wall, and the bamboo door below will open. Run inside to take refuge from the spikes, and stay there for 15 or 20 seconds until it's safe to come out. (You'll still hear that rumbling noise, but the spike threat is over by then.) When the coast is clear, jump back to the ivy-covered portion of the wall and climb all the way to the top. Pull up, walk diagonally to your left and the gate ahead will open as you approach it.

You're back in the cave next to the village. Return to the village and go to the NW corner. Hop over the spike trench next to the burner block and insert the Snake Crystals in the two snake head receptacles. A block is raised next to the burner block, and at the same time the flames go out. Climb up onto the raised block and pull the skeleton back toward you. This will cause you to be pushed off the block, so climb back up and claim the SKULL KEY. Hop down south and go over to the SE hut. Use the key to open the door and go inside. Pick up a TORCH from the cluster in the near left corner and light it on the convenient campfire. Bring it with you to the SE entrance to the village and head over to the closed gate near the boulder you triggered earlier. Light the two wall sconces on either side, and the gate opens. Drop the torch and go inside.

You're in another lava room with flame blowers. There's a central pillar with an artifact on a pedestal, and your obvious task is to get over there. However, this room appears to be more complicated than it is, and you only need to navigate a small portion of it. Walk out to the south edge and face the small pillar against the east wall. Wait until the burner subsides and take a running jump and grab to it. Be ready to start running as soon as the flames start dying out, as you have only a second or two before they resume. When you arrive safely, pull up and face the wall switch. It's on a timer, but the run is not a tight one. Pull down the switch to raise a platform, turn right and walk to the edge, then take a standing jump to the platform. Take a running jump from there to the SE pillar to the left of the column. Squeeze around the column and face west. Take a standing jump and grab to the horizontal pole, swing around once and release to land on a bamboo bridge section.

Walk forward to the pillar and sidestep to your right down the adjacent section of bamboo bridge. (For some reason it's difficult to walk down facing forward.) Take a running jump north, step forward to the pedestal and pick up the unidentified artifact to trigger a flyby that ends the level.