YEAR OF THE DRAGON - PART 1

 

Levels by Miguel

 

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth, using notes provided by Tom

 

 

Level 1 - DAGGER'S PLACE

 

Step forward onto the bridge to trigger a long opening flyby.  When it's over, drop down into the shallow water and locate the fountain in the E wall.  There's an opening behind it.  Enter a small dark room and pick up the LASER SIGHT.  Return to the outside area and head toward the N structure on the other side of the bridge.  Locate the crawl space in the N wall and enter to push a button and open a gate somewhere.  Exit the crawl space, pull up onto the bridge and cross over W.   Look among the shrubbery on the planter to the right and find the CROWBAR.  You might see a strange-looking lizard with flashing lights on its back next to one of the nearby lion statues, but when you come back this way later it will have magically disappeared.  Go to the S wall to find two open doorways.  Enter the one on the right (next to the gateway you opened by pushing the button) and go behind the middle (blue) monkey statue to find the CHINESE ROLL.

 

Exit this room and go around to the other side of the house in front of you.  Push open the doors and enter.  Pull back the shelf to your left and go around it to pick up a NEWSPAPER.  It shows up in your left hand (but not in your inventory) as a tightly rolled stick, which means it can be used as a torch.   Before leaving, go to the other side of the room and find a large medipack in a window.  Push the shelf back where it was so you can exit with the rolled-up torch in your hand.  Go back around to the open doorway on the left in the S wall, and light the torch with one of the flaming pots.   Now go to the W wall where you'll find a closed gate.  Light the wall sconces on either side of the gate to open it.

 

When you enter the next area the gate closes behind you.  Go to the other side of the red coffin and open it for the TEMPLE STAR.  This awakens a Samurai warrior, so draw your pistols and kill him.   Locate the nearby plinth and take from it the GONG KEY, which awakens another Samurai warrior.  Go to the next plinth and take the TERRACOTTA ARMY GEM.   No more of the green statutes come to life for now.  Go to the SE corner and use the Gong Key to open the gate there.  Enter the next room and note for later the green medallion hanging over the flames.  For now, activate the jumpswitch near the entrance and return to the previous area.  The exit gate is now open, so head out E and take your lighted torch with you (or leave it, as you prefer, as you'll shortly pick up a replacement torch).  The vases on the plinths near the SW corner are empty, but there's a block in the wall there that appears to be moveable.   However, it's not (it's actually a doorway that will be opened later), so go all the way over to the NE corner where you'll find a similar block in the N wall.  This one you can push in to reveal a room where you'll find revolver ammo and a large medipack.

 

Locate the lion statute near the NW corner.  Push it to the side to open a trap door where it was sitting.  Drop down into the tunnel, pick up another NEWSPAPER and light it with the conveniently handy flame.  Go down the stairs and leave the lighted torch here while you wade forward to attract a crocodile.  When it's dead, retrieve your torch, note the closed gate for later and light four wall sconces scattered about this room.  Use your crowbar to open the door near the fourth sconce, enter and shoot three bats.  Pick up the BLUE PYRAMID SCROLL and read its message:  "North boulder has to be moved to the west 3 times, and west boulder to the south 2 times..."

 

Go back, pull out of the tunnel and go to the N wall.  Use the Chinese Roll in the receptacle to open the gate and go inside.  The gem lying in plain view is blocked by an invisible shield, so you'll have to do some work in here.  Remember the message on the scroll and follow it precisely.  Once you do so, the roof over the gem retracts, allowing you to pick up the second TERRACOTTA ARMY GEM.  Go back NW and drop down into the tunnel.  Use the gems in the receptacles to open the gate, then go inside to see how the gems got their name.   One of the silent soldiers, the one who's not quite facing front, is trying to hide an artifact with his feet.  Hold your nose, stoop down behind him and pick up the second TEMPLE STAR.  Shoot the crocodile and exit this room. 

 

Go back up to the main plaza and locate the building directly opposite the bridge.  Insert the two Temple Stars to open the large double doors between the receptacles.  Enter the building and locate some flares in the window.  The nearby cupboard can be moved, so pull it away from the doorway.  Go around it and pick up the REVOLVER.  Go upstairs on either side and locate the floor lever.  Push it and then go around to the NE side and jump across to the adjacent building.  Use the higher slope of the roof to get to the other side, then jump E onto the hop of the next structure.  Locate the shallow hole in the roof for a CHINESE DIAMOND and SECRET #1 (although I heard no chimes).

 

Hop back to the previous building and safety drop to the plaza.  Go to the room in the W wall and turn left at the entrance to enter the side room with the flaming containers.  Combine the revolver and laser sight, and shoot the green medallion you saw earlier.  A cut scene shows a block lowering behind a green monkey statue.  If you have camera trouble here, save and reload to restore Lara's normal view.   A doorway is now open in the SW corner, but don't go there yet.  Instead, go to the room on the right in the S wall where you saw the three monkey statues earlier.  You can now pick up a  CHINESE ROLL behind the green statue.  You still have to deal with the yellow statue, so go to the room next door and see the red lantern hanging from the center of the ceiling.  Shoot it and you'll see a cut scene showing the block going down behind the yellow monkey statue.  Go there and pick up another CHINESE ROLL. 

 

Now go to the SW doorway, run down the winding stairs, and when you get to the subterranean cavern at the bottom, shoot the baby spiders, then the MAMA SPIDER, get the shotgun ammo on a block in the NE corner, and insert the Chinese Rolls to open the large doors.  Go inside and trigger a flyby of a retreating jeep.  Turn right in front of the shrine and run N past the fountain.   As you near the corner you'll be taken to the next level.

 

Level 2 - TO THE TEMPLE

 

Lara is decked out in a spiffy new outfit.  Step forward to trigger another cut scene showing that retreating jeep, along with an explosion that removes part of the bridge it was driving over.   Jump onto the block behind the motorbike and activate the jumpswitch to open the S doors.  Get on the motorbike and drive it outside.  Turn right past the orange archway and follow the path until you reach an open outdoor area.  Two female assassins are waiting here, armed with uzis and swords, so engage them on foot or attempt to run them over with the motorbike, as you prefer.  Jump into the E alley for some shotgun ammo hidden in a bush.   Go around to the NW corner of this area and locate a dark opening.  Activate the reach-in switch there, then go back for your motorbike and drive it N down the steeply sloped cavern.

 

When you get to the bottom, drive up the slope leading W and continue until you reach a deep pit.   Park the motorbike in front of the ramp, get off and take a running jump and grab across the pit where you can see the ladder.  Instead of pulling up, climb down the ladder into a pit with shallow water.  Climb up the E ladder, shift right when you reach the opening and pull up inside the crawl space.  Lower Lara down the other side, turn around and activate the reach-in switch to lower a huge section of wall somewhere.  Go back to the other side of the crawl space, wait for Lara's feet to find the ladder, then shift left and climb to the top.  Pull up and jump across to the W side, and this time pull up and continue forward.  If you prefer, you can jump the gap with your motorbike and drive instead of walk.

 

Go around the corner and continue looping around to your right.  Jump the slopes to arrive at the area where the wall lowered.  Step out into an open area and shoot the vulture hovering off to your left.  It drops a small medipack when it dies.  Continue counterclockwise along the stone bridge and notice an artifact or pickup on top of the tall pillar to your left (I never did find a way to get to it).  Continue past the pillar, shoot another vulture and find some flares on the ledge ahead.  Look for the opening in the side of the mountain and slide down the slope.  If you're driving, leave the motorbike here.  Turn left into the garage and you'll trigger a flyby that shows you an artifact at the end of it.  Open the door to the N building and enter for the CAR-JACK BODY.  Quickly draw weapons and shoot the female assassin standing in the doorway.  Go back outside and open the SE door.  Another female assassin appears, so turn around and kill her.  Enter the building and locate the BP GARAGE KEYS on the desk. 

 

Exit the building, turn left and use the keys in the lock next door.   Enter the garage and another female assassin appears outside.  Shoot the boxes in the SE corner and activate the jumpswitch in the dark corner.  A gate is raised elsewhere.   On the way out, stand by the hood of the jeep that's turned over on its side, and use your crowbar to pry loose the VALVE PIPE.  Exit this building and return to where you left the motorbike.  Drive the motorbike E up the steep slope and underneath the gate you just lifted.  There appears to be nothing in the small area to your left.  Continue along a narrow passage and turn left to find yourself on the damaged bridge you saw in an earlier cut scene.  Dismount and take a running jump and grab to the S platform.  Pull up and locate the ladder on the other side.  Climb down to the ground and approach the truck (also lying on its side).  Stoop at the rear of the truck to pick up the HANDLE, then climb the ladder back up to the platform.  You can shoot two bears while you're down here, but there seems to be nothing else to do or pick up in this area.

 

Jump back to the bridge, get on the motorbike and drive back to the garage area.  Dismount and go through the SE doorway into the building where you found the BP Garage Keys.  Go up the steps to the SW corner, combine the Car-Jack Body and the Handle to form the CAR-JACK, and use it to unlock the overhead hatch.  Climb up through the opening and hop down E to pick up the NITROUS OXIDE CANNISTER.  Go back to the motorbike, combine the Cannister with the Valve Pipe to form the NITROUS OXIDE FEEDER, and insert it.  Drive back up to the bridge and use the sprint key to provide enough extra boost to get you and the motorbike across to the other side of the bridge.  Follow until you reach a dead end where a jeep is parked.  Dismount and run W to trigger a brief flyby, at the end of which a trap door opens to drop you onto a slope, carrying you to the next level.

 

Level 3 - TEMPLE OF APES AND TIGERS

 

Lara is once again dressed in her raiding outfit.  Jump into the hole in the floor, and Lara will slide down a long slope while triggering a long flyby through the area ahead.  After it's over, step forward and shoot the hammerhead shark swimming about in the water, then jump in and pull out on the SE ledge where the friendly monkey is scampering about.  Jump forward through the opening and loop around to the left to locate a ladder.  Climb up into the room above and note the row of cogwheels with a missing wheel, and a wall switch that's not presently accessible.  Go back down and follow the passage W to the far end.  Loop around to the left and use your crowbar to pry a GEMSTONE from the wall. 

 

Jump back into the water, swim back to where you pulled out earlier, and find the underwater opening in the S wall.  Swim inside and turn left.  Ignore the opening at the next corner for now and continue swimming N until you reach a side passage to your right.  Follow it down and pull out into a room guarded by a black monkey.  This one's not friendly at all, so shoot it.  Push the button in the S wall to open an underwater gate N.  Swim through it into the next room, pull out, shoot another black monkey, and push the button in the N wall.  Another N underwater gate is opened, so swim through and follow until you can pull out into a room with jars scattered about.  Go up the stairs, and in the alcove to the right of the giant golden mask you'll find a jump switch on the pillar.  Activate it to neutralize the nearby spike trap. 

 

Go W into the next room and past the gem on the pole (which you can't pick up, by the way).  Note the three mask receptacles on the pillars ahead, then drop down through the hole in the SW corner.  Swim back into a familiar area and return to the underwater opening in the S wall.  Turn left upon entering, and this time pull out at the SE corner.  Step onto one of the platforms, jump up and grab the overhead structure.  Pull up in a crouched position and get the first CHINESE MASK.  Get back down and swim back to the main pool area.  There may be another shark waiting for you at the water hole.  Swim around to the N side of the central structure and locate an underwater lever in an alcove that's partially obscured by seaweed.  Pull it to open up a shaft near the W wall, then swim down the shaft and past the spinning blades into a trench. 

 

Swim out S and get past another spinning set of blades.  Surface and pull out.  Jump into the water hole on your right, follow the passage W (a gate closes behind you) and watch out for the school of piranha (they'll eventually disperse).  Locate the underwater lever just after the second opening (loop around to the right).  Pull it to open the exit gate W, then continue in that direction and pull out at the ceiling hole.  Go up the stairs and come to a room where you'll find revolver ammo and a small medipack.  Continue W into a much larger room as the gate closes behind you.  Kill a total of eight tigers in this area, then take the shotgun ammo and the TIGER PIECE from the plinths at the far side of the room.  The grated flooring behind you is then retracted to reveal spikes.  Combine your revolver and lasersight and stand at the water's edge before the crawl space in the S wall.  Shoot the gem in the tiger's mouth to re-open the gate.  Go around the pillars to the water's edge and jump E into an area in the water where there are no spikes.  Swim across and pull out on the N side.  Go around the pillars to the exit gate and return to the water hole at the bottom of the stairs.

 

Swim back E, turn left at the juncture and follow the narrow passage to an air hole.  Get a breath, then continue forward until you reach a wider area.  There appears to be no way out, but you can open the   second window on your left.  Turn left once inside and pull the underwater lever.  Go back to the wider area and find that a trap door has fallen from the ceiling.  Pull up through the hole to trigger a dizzying flyby through the next area.  Before moving on, turn around and activate the jump switch over the water hole.  Proceed E into the next room, but watch out for the giant hammers that slam shut just beyond the entrance.  Turn right into the room that looks spike-trapped, but isn't--yet.  Pull the chain, then beat a hasty retreat before the spikes skewer you.  Don't just hop backwards, either, or a block will crush you at the entrance.  Reverse roll and use the sprint key to get out as quickly as you can.

 

Continue E and take a running jump over the water to the roof of the temple.  Draw weapons quickly and kill two gorillas.  There's also a monkey up here, but it's a friendly one.  Go to the center of the platform and pick up the LITTLE WHEEL underneath what appears to be a bird cage.  Jump into the water and swim SE.  Pull out onto the ledge where the monkey still waits, jump forward and loop around to the left.  Climb the ladder and insert the Little Wheel where it belongs (far left) in the room above.  A block rises to your right, so climb up on it and pull down the wall switch to open a grate behind you.

 

Hop up onto the bridge and easily get past the swinging spike barrels by hanging from the E edge and shimmying to your right.  Pull up and pick up the second CHINESE MASK.  Two unfriendly black monkeys appear, so shoot them.  When I played the level, it seemed to me that the N opening beyond the remaining spike barrels led to nowhere productive.  However, the builder says you can place a mask in this area (possibly leading to another secret and a replacement mask), although doing so is not necessary for progression.  Jump into the water from here and swim back down into the shaft in the floor near the W wall.  Navigate past the spinning blades and swim up S past the next set of blades as you did earlier.  Pull out of the water and jump into the small pool on your left.  Make your way E, pausing along the way for a small medipack, then pull out through the ceiling hole at the end.  Step forward and push the button on the pillar, being mindful of the blades that snap open at your feet. 

 

Go through the open gateway S and follow the ramp (no trap, at least not on your way up) to a room with gushing fountains.  Hop down to the platform and pick up the third CHINESE MASK. There's nothing in the water here, so jump back NE and sprint down the ramp as you're chased by a giant wheel.  Veer to your right as you reach the bottom and the wheel should miss you as it rolls by.  Jump into the water and swim back W.  Pull out and jump into the N pool.  Swim past the blades and up until you reach the main pool.  Swim to the opening in the S wall near the SE corner and turn left once inside.  Follow the passage until you reach the side passage NE.  Go there and follow to the room where another black monkey waits.   You can pull out and kill it if you want, but you don't have to.

 

Swim through the open N gates and pull out into the area with the jars.  Go up the stairs and in the next room locate the receptacles you noted earlier.  Insert the three Chinese Masks and watch the cut scenes of the action taking place just behind you.  After you place the third Chinese Mask you hear the sound of a trap door opening in the area where sputtering blue flames are now issuing from three gorilla statutes.  Drop down through the opening and insert the Gemstone in the W wall receptacle to trigger a flyby showing more action taking place above you.

 

Climb back out, using the block.  The sputtering blue flames have gone out, and the W gate in the monkey's mouth is now open.  Enter and run down the ramp into a jade-colored room.  Take the APE PIECE from the plinth, and three ghost monkeys come to play.  They don't bother you as long as you stay near the plinth, but as soon as you move away they attack.  Shoot them and enter the three side rooms N, W and S.  Pull down a wall switch in each one (you'll find flares in the S room), then go out and pull up onto the wall.  Roam about and find a small medipack E.  Take a running jump and grab to the roof of the NW (or SW, it makes no difference) hut and pull up.  Find the depression in the ceiling and jump up to grab the monkey bars.  Follow the track to approximately the middle of the room, then turn and continue E to the end.  Drop down onto the roof and pull down the wall switch.  Safety drop from the roof and go around to the enclosure in the NW corner.  Inside is a jump switch.  After you activate it, go outside to find that flame blowers have been turned on high overhead.  If you had activated the jump switch first, the monkey bar trek to the wall switch would have been better lighted, since the flames don't come near enough to pose a threat to you.

 

Go to the opening in the W wall, enter and jump into the water hole.  Swim down into a partially submerged room.  Locate the underwater lever near the NE corner (looking W) and pull it to lower a block up in the W wall.  Surface here, pull out S, turn around and take a standing jump and grab to the stairs ahead.  Pull up and follow the stairs left to the end.  Take a standing jump and grab to the bridge and pull up.  Go around and jump to the ledge against the W wall.  Go to where the block lowered and push the button in the wall to drain the pool below.  Get down to the dry bottom via the bridge and the ledges, and pull the block away from the SW corner.  Go around it, pick up the OLD KEY and watch the cut scene. 

 

Use the NW ladder to climb out and back flip to the ledge.  Turn around, go to the opened doorway and enter.  Find some crossbow arrows SE and use the Old Key in the NE keyhole.  The door to your left opens, so follow the passage to a large room with eight deadly rolling wheels.  You can see a couple of pickups (a large medipack and revolver ammo) on the floor ahead of you, so it's your choice whether they're important enough for you to risk life and limb to get them.  You can easily avoid the wheels by running up the slope on either side and then across the room, but you have to be quick about it because of the spiked skeleton fences that pop out as you pass by. 

 

When you get across to the E opening, follow the passage to a dart-trapped room.  Crawl through and turn left at the opening.  There's a black monkey sitting there, but it's not hostile, just playful.  Pull up onto the little brick shelter at the entrance and activate the jump switch to unroll the bridge.  Hop down and run across the bridge.  The black monkey on the other side is indeed hostile, so you'll have to kill it.  Pull up onto the brick shelter for a large medipack, then hop down and carefully skirt the flame to enter the W passage.  The gate ahead opens as you approach, but don't dawdle or you'll be crushed by a pair of giant hammers.  In the next room combine the Tiger Piece and the Ape Piece to form the TEMPLE PIECE.  Place it in the receptacle to open the iris door.  Run down the stairs toward the sign that says "to be continued," and the level ends as you round the corner.