BtB 2009 - The Curse of Empti Wad

Level by: eRIC

Walkthrough by D&G Productions


Lara slides into a large canyon, go N and in the opening there are some Flares. Get out, face E and jump-grab up to a crack you can’t see. Shimmy to the right and pull up around the corner then go left and crawl over that dark rock to get to the Shotgun ammo there. Get back out and continue E, coming to a large cave. Get the Medipack to the right and then run/jump/grab to a ledge NE. From this ledge a curved jump to get to the corner ledge SE. Hop over the top and look for a slanted brown ledge E, just behind the rock. Jump with a roll to get onto the slanted ledge (or a back flip) and grab when you slide off, shimmy to the left and pull up on the ledge there. Pick up the Flares E and jump over to the ledge N (towards the fire burning there). Jump behind the rock left to get to the Shotgun ammo and then jump out W and left. Save here.

Go into the hut and a short flyby starts, roll and run out, hop out E go to the E wall and left into the crawlspace where the fire was. Better save here though.

Run to the right into the passage and let the boulder pass. Run down the E side passage and side jump left into the niche. Jump out NW and immediately jump passing that side passage left so the third boulder will not get you. Go up this passage and to the right into the tunnel there.

The Shotgun.

Slide down the left side and jump at the last moment with a left curve, keep jumping till you cleared the spike pit and shoot the crocs. Possible the spikes in the pit already retracted (approaching the crack S will retract the spikes) so you could go get
Secret #1, a Medipack there and shoot the remaining crocs by jumping up and down. Crawl backwards through the opening S and go pick up a small medipack and the Shotgun. Go SE, almost at the end is on the left a mound, go left around it and get on top of the mound to climb up E. To the S is a closed gate, so go jump to the ledge N and from there to another ledge N. Then a running jump/grab to the rock W and from there jump W to get the Flares and go back to jump to that electrified tile N. (looks like the spikes don’t always retract as Gerty noticed)

Timed Gate.

Obviously this gate is timed, so save at the tile, run over the rock and jump to grab the ledge W, run curving right and jump S, from the end onto the rock ledge left and grab the edge when you slide off, shimmy to the gate and get in. Go straight and the gates move in position a croc will show its face and get the Flares S. Now get onto the ramp and jump up N onto the gates.

The Gate Key.

Get into the opening E and save at the slide. Go down and jump to that climbable bamboo, climb left and down, then move right (down the ramp) towards a pit, go up and back flip to the opening you see behind you. Get down into the next passage and run passing the burners. Follow the wide tunnel up and get the Gate Key.

The Torch.

A gate opened S, go there and save. There are trapdoors, some safe (brown) some dangerous (red), between slanted blocks. Stand left or right and jump with a curve just around the slanted block in front and you’ll land on a safe trapdoor, you can spot the next ones easily so go to the last one where you see the spikes behind the slanted block. Stand back and face E or W, run curving to the spikes and jump through them to grab the opening behind the slanted block. Go in and get the Torch (there’s a spare one too). Stand left and take a step back, jump onto the block, slide and jump left then right and straight to go to the one near the exit N and jump into the passage.

Head N and left (down some steps) into a mirror room, the dark spots you can see in the mirror are spike traps. Go to that flame in the far corner and light the Torch. Some spikes retracted in the room and there’s a Bonus showing. That spike tile is now safe, so drop the Torch on a safe spot and go get the Medipack, pick up the Torch and get out. Go straight into the room with the popping spikes and get onto the ledge left (N) to ignite the fire bucket. Then the one S and run into the gate to get
Secret #2, Shotgun ammo.

Go out and to the right up the steps, then left to the opening in the rocks. Drop the Torch for a minute and face N just before you enter the dark cave, grab up to the rock and shimmy left. Pull up over and get
Secret #3, Shotgun ammo. Get the Torch, go in W and burn the rope of the boulder. It will cause a trapdoor to rise and the gate in the room you’re in opens up. Take the Torch along and go through to the cave you’ve visited before. Walk straight to the pit and jump straight over, go left and hop behind that rock again, hop out near the hut and face S and hop onto that small triangle ledge on the central pillar, from there a jump SW over the slanted rock onto the ledge S and jump back to that blue ledge NW. Get to the exit W and go back to the canyon where it all started.

Go into the tunnel S and take a right into the cave there, light the fire basket and get into the gate SW. Get
Secret #4, the Grenade launcher, hanging from a rope (LOL).

Leave the Torch.

Go out and out of the cave, to the right in the tunnel and open the left hand gate with the key. In the next room are 2 ledges with blue rays, step on one of them and do not touch the ground when you jump to the other one via the ledge in the middle of the room. The ledge in the middle will become active, jump back there and the gate opens up.

Boulder Challenge, the Thin Handle.

That boulder will cause the spikes to pop up and down, stand 2 steps back, time the spikes and hop to the first ledge, a running jump to the second and a jump forward to grab the ledge under the boulder. Shimmy aside so you are just hanging near the corner of the burning ledge and pull up when the boulder moves away, hop onto the higher ledge. Now grab up to the wooden beam and go over to the other side.

Enter the room “Virus Attack” and shoot the skeleton out of the room. Get the Thin Handle and go look S before leaving this room to spot the Shotgun ammo down below, climb back up and get onto the wooden beam again, stand SW facing S and run down onto the slanted floor below, grab and shimmy right to the exit.

Skeleton Swamp, the Effi Gy.

Go W through the gate and take a right to get to the Canyon. Go over the bridge and to the right before the orange pillars, you can see that trapdoor you raised earlier. Use it to get to that entrance N. Pick up some Shotgun ammo and a Shotgun and enter.

The Swamp is deadly, hop to the ledge ahead and shoot that skeleton off the ledge he’s on. Runjump over there (little steam cloud) and shoot the other skeleton off. Then runjump to the ledge and finally into the tunnel NE.

Boulder Mix-up.

In the next room you’ll have to step on 4 trigger tiles around the room to open the gate up E. It is really not as hard as it looks, just stay close to walls and stand in the corner on the trigger tiles to time the next move. Run to the gate and grab up to get in. Hop onto the ledge to pick up the Effi Gy. Go back to the Canyon the way you came here and go to those gates W, at the stand on the left ledge you can combine the Effi Gy and the Thin Handle to get the Thin Gy and use it to open the gates.

But don’t enter yet as there are some more items to collect in the Canyon. Climb up the ledge N next to the gate turn around and face SE, hop back and jump up to get onto that orange ledge between the pillars. Face NW and jump onto the shorter pillar. Jump straight N into a niche and get
Secret #5, Shotgun ammo. Face SW to the gates and jump to the ledge next to the orange pillars. Now walk past the Thin Gy to the S end and jump to grab the crack up S. Shimmy left to a tiny ledge and jump to the E to get the Shotgun ammo.

Slide down to the trapdoor and jump SE up to the front of the gate structure. Now walk past the Thin Gy to the S end and jump to grab the crack up S. Shimmy left to a tiny ledge and jump to the E to get the Shotgun ammo[/b]. Run off the E end and go back onto the bridge, face S just before the orange pillars and you can see an opening in the S rock wall. Hop onto the blue rock ledge sticking out to that opening and walk to the most S tip. Line up for the low corner where green and blue rock meet and jump in there holding down the forward key. Get
Secret #6, Revolver and Revolver ammo (Video). Walk to the gate and it will open up.

Go back to the Canyon and enter those gates W, the one you just opened with the Thin Gy, go up the steps to a large column with electric rays inside. There are 3 side passages leading from here.

S – Down the slope into the room and shoot the Croc.

Jumping Spike Pillars, the First Anti Red TGA Gem.

Go into a passage W behind the block, get the Shotgun ammo at the window and go left through the passage to a cave with deadly pillars. There are at least 2 ways to get over to the other side. They are both hard and I’ll describe both from standing at the entrance;

1- Face the left side of that block SW and jump to grab to it. Pull up well away from the spikes and jump into the niche SW. Jump over/around the pillar N to grab the one NW behind it. Pull up and stand on the NE corner, hop and grab that slanted block N. Hang on the right hand side and pull up over, slide and jump with a right curve to the right hand side of the triangle block in front, slide and jump to grab the monkey bars (
Video). Go left around to the end of the monkey bars and drop to the ledge.

2- Face the left side of that block SW and jump to grab to it. Pull up well away from the spikes and jump into the niche SW. Look back E where you came from, the spikes on the first pillar are gone, jump back there and stand on the NE corner facing N, hop back and runjump with a left curve through the gap between the 2 pointy hanging rocks to land on the corner of the burning ledge (
Video). Hop back to grab the edge and shimmy left around the corner to a safe ledge. From there, a jump with a roll NW onto the slanted block and jump to grab the monkey bars. Go left around to the end of the monkey bars and drop to the ledge.

Now jump into the opening N and face SW, jump to that ledge next to the spikes and get onto the floor W so you can grab the First Anti Red TGA Gem (facing SE). Face NE and jump left around the corner over the burning tile to get onto the climbable pillar, go up and right around the corner into the cave N. Go around and stand jump with a grab onto the left hand side of the ledge under the monkey bars. Grab them and go to the E, the only way to get to the exit I could find was the following; Hang just before where the bars go double and at the moment you expect the spikes to go up, hold shift and go right, Lara will fall off, jump with a right curve and immediately jump again with a right curve onto a slanted ledge, slide and jump with a right curve to get to the exit (
Video).

This is how it was intended to be done:
Grab the monkey bars and go to the E, at the end don’t stop before where the bars go double , but continue and shift right on the monkey bars (or make a turn right then left to face E again) placing Lara on the right hand side of the monkey bars and not too close to the spikes. She is now hanging between the sloped block behind her and the ledge with the spikes in front. Save your game, then swing towards the spikes (that action of course must be timed with the popping of the spikes), drop, and immediately do a side jump to the right to the safe platform. From there you can jump to the right side of the slanted block, slide/jump with a right curve to grab the exit (or you can jump and grab the higher block South-east then with an easy jump reach the exit).


Go back to the room where you shot the Croc.

Target Shoot, the Second Anti Red TGA Gem.

Go into the passage S and face E at the pit, jump to grab the slanted ledge and pull up, keep jumping back and fro up the slopes till you see a target in a passage E, draw pistols and shoot it wile jumping and then roll because a gate opened behind you. Shoot the target in that passage too and a trapdoor will go up. Roll again so you face E and keep jumping near the spikes. On the moment they go down, slide far and jump up the slopes again and you should be able to get by them with maybe only little health loss. Go all the way up to the second trapdoor and grab it. Get into the room to get the Second Anti Red TGA Gem (facing NE). Jump N over the trapdoors and climb down the ladder in the hole as far as possible before you drop. Go N to the room where you shot the Croc.

Cracks and Burners, the Third Anti Red TGA Gem.

Go into the room E and into the SE corner, face S and grab up to the crack, climb up to just above the second crack and go left around the corner. You should now be on the upper crack on this wall (the one with the burner). Go close to the burner, time it and release Ctrl for a millisecond to get Lara to hang and go left passing the burner. Go to the crawlspace with the burner and when the burner is down, get left a bit to get Lara’s feet on the wall, immediately go a bit to the right so Lara won’t burn. Now time the burner (although Lara didn’t burn while climbing) and go to the middle of the crawlspace, when the burner is off, a backflip with roll to grab the roof behind you. Jump and grab up to the ledge N and go left to the W, down in the opening is a crawlspace in the N wall, run from the ledge with a right hand curve and grab to get in there.

(Author: if Lara is positioned at the edge of the N ledge facing the right hand side of the opening, there is no need to make a run with a curve: just run and grab it. There is also another way which is fun: place Lara on the W ledge facing the opening N. Run with the sprint key, then release the sprint key when she arrives at the end of the ledge and grab.)

Pick up the Third Anti Red TGA Gem, time the now active burner and drop out of the crawlspace, go out W and then N up the steps.

N - Go around that cage with the rays into the tunnel leading down N and come to the room where the Gems can be placed on the pillar. Jump to the ledge N and up to the wooden floor N, walk W and runjump up with a bit of a curve over the pointy rocks to get to the flat ledge between then for
Secret #7, Shotgun ammo. Jump back out and up S go to the cage. Hop in backwards grabbing the edge to safety drop down and go to the room W, shoot the skeletons into the pit and jump to the central ledge and go to the gate W. After a bit a flyby kicks in of the now totally changed room above where the red TGA Virus has been defeated.

Go up W where the gates opened up and “If you still see red textures, go see a doctor” and that ends this level.

30-12-2008