COMPLEX SIMPLICITY

 

Prisoner In The Castle

 

Level by Elke Schwarz (Eelkemama)

 

Walkthrough by José

 

 

THE CAVES

 

The box with sand in the corner is moveable; move it over the different tile in SW corner to open the exit door. Pick up the PISTOLS in the corner where the box was. Once you go out, turn right and look for a high crawlspace behind the vines to get SECRET #1: revolver ammo. Continue through the cave shooting a couple of small spiders on your way; in the room with the small pool jump into the water and through the N opening; in the next room, near the middle you can pick up flares; in that position, turn around and look up to discover an underwater switch in the ceiling; pull it to open a trapdoor at the not far N end of this room. Go there and see yourself in the cellars area.

 

 

CELLARS CORRIDOR

 

Shoot the bowman and pick up the REVOLVER he drops; also there is more revolver ammo near on the floor. Go back to the entrance and pull the jumpswitch in S wall near the water hole; go to the now open NE cellar and push the shield in S wall to open another door in the corridor. Go there and pick up more revolver ammo; look for an opening in the ceiling near the W wall, jump to grab the ladder there, climb and pull another jumpswitch: the opposite cellar is now open. Go there and use the reach-in switch to open a door somewhere. Now go N to the exit opening where the bowman appeared, continue and when you reach the blue marble floor at the bottom of the stairs, turn around and see the jumpswitch over the exit of this stone passage; pull it and return to the cellars area: the last cellar is now open. Go inside and to the SW corner where you will find the MYSTIC BOOK, saying you that you'll need to find three gems if you wanna go back home. Behind the book there is a moveable block; pull it out and aside to reveal a wall switch; pull it to open another wooden door somewhere.

 

 

RETURNING TO THE CAVES

 

Now you can finally abandon this area so, go to the exit corridor and up the stairs to the very top where you'll find the doors you've opened before. Dispatch another bowman and go left first through the wooden passage. Once you pass the three barrels, turn around and look for the jumpswitch hidden in the darkness behind the wooden pillar to your left; pull it so a barrel explodes, go there and get SECRET #2: a small medipack. Down the ramp you can push a shield to open the next door and get 2 x revolver ammo inside; also you can push another shield to return to the caves area where the small pool was, but for me it was easier to return the way I came through the wooden passage to the top of the stairs.

 

 

THE BLUE CRYSTAL

 

Go through the remaining open door and shoot the breakable grate behind the trees to get access to the castle moat. Jump into the water and look for an underwater opening behind the vines in S wall to get SECRET #3: revolver ammo. Now swim N and W to the very end; in the NW corner dive into a small opening in the floor to get the BLUE CRYSTAL. Now you can avoid the next tasks if you want 'cause there are not needed items to finish the level; even you can get the next secret near the end of the level, but I like to explore all areas when I play a level so I'm going to explain what I did. You can continue playing as from the following paragraph if you want, avoiding this detour.

 

Swim all the way S and near the end turn right and enter a library, pick up the flares and in the penultimate corridor to your left there's a wall switch in the bookcase. It's timed so pull it and sprint to the open door at the end of this room. Shoot the bowman there and find the jumpswitch behind the pillar in NE corner to open the exit door. In the next inner moat, jump into the water and look for an underwater opening in NE corner; pull the underwater switch there to raise some blocks near the entrance so you can exit this area. Light a flare and swim up to a small and very dark room where you'll find SECRET #4: revolver ammo. Now use the pillars to return to the exterior moat and swim back to the place where you got the blue crystal before.

 

 

THE PINK CRYSTAL

 

There's a sort of high gazebo there, you can't reach from the water. Look for a dissimulated underwater switch between the vines in W wall in front of the "gazebo" to raise two small platforms a bit further to the S. Climb those platforms and use the monkeyswing to reach the gazebo (drop-grab the wooden block at the end). Drop from the N side behind the wooden block in NE corner and pull the jumpswitch to open the door, falling into the water again. Return to that door via wooden platforms and monkeyswing again. Inside the church, turn right and climb the ladder near the SW corner to get the PINK CRYSTAL. Shoot the armor in NE corner to open the next door.

 

 

THE CROWBAR

 

Shoot the dog and in the next outside area take a look at the tiles where the armor is: there are some kind of star textures on the floor tiles, but one of the stars is a bit bigger than the others; so move the armor two tiles E and one tile S to open the nearby door. In this new courtyard with the well, pull the jumpswitch behind the trees near the SE corner to take off the fire in the NE corner tile under that white switch; pull it to open a door somewhere (for later). Now go outside and look for the LASERSIGHT thrown anywhere in that flowerbed to the E. Combine it with the revolver and, from here, shoot a wooden box at the top of the wooden inner wall S: a ladder appears, climb it to get the CROWBAR.

 

 

THE JUWEL KEY

 

Go back to the entrance from the church and to the NW corner. Pull the timed switch there and run E to the flowerbed where a block had raised in the NE corner; climb it before it lowers and in the other side shoot the bowman and climb the ledge near the external moat to see the flyby showing you a wooden box lying in the sand at the end of the flyby. Shoot that wooden box with revolver + sight to release a rope from the grated ceiling in front of you; use this rope to reach the opposite opening and in the next courtyard shoot the bowmen and look for a moveable brown block near the center of the room; pull it and pick up the JUWEL KEY which was under it. Return to the main courtyard via the rope and the ladder.

 

 

THE WINE CELLAR KEY, THE SWORD & THE TORCH

 

Now go all the way S (to your left is a wall switch which alows you to return to the first areas of this level) and use your new key in the golden keyhole to your right. When you enter into this new area, a knight mounts over his horse and attacks. Make your way to shoot the knight and when he dies, leaves you the WINE CELLAR KEY. Now go to the E side of this new courtyard, and to the left of the horseman statue you can find a SWORD lying between the plants (you must crouch to pick it up). Place this sword in the nearby shield in S wall: the other horseman statue moves, revealing a hole in the floor with a TORCH; but let it lie where it is 'cause you don't need it at this moment.

 

 

THE GOLDEN ORNAMENT KEY & THE JEWEL

 

Go to the W where you can find some small houses. Here is the door you've opened when pulling the switch in the courtyard with the well. Enter into the second house and pull the jumpswitch to the left from the entrance to lower a block near the SW corner of this area. Go there and pull the switch to open the big double doors of the castle. Let's take a small detour to get more items. Run all the way N to the very end and in the NW corner you can use your crowbar to open the door. Go down the stairs and use the Wine Cellar Key in the keyhole in SW corner to open the door. Inside, shoot the small spiders and near the E wall is the GOLDEN ORNAMENT KEY. If you drag the bag in the SE corner you can get the JEWEL. Return outside and use your new key in the first small house you find (E side). Enter and to your left pick up SECRET #5: a large medipack. Go back outside and run S to the entrance castle doors you've opened before.

 

 

THE OCULAR PART 2 & THE COMPLETE DISH

 

On the pedestal to your left near the N wall pick up the DISH. Behind the pillar in SE corner there is a jumpswitch; pull it to open a nearby door. Now go to NE corner and up the ramp, enter through the first opening to your right and pick up the OCULAR PART 2. Continue up the ramp and around the corner to the left to the very top. Behind the seat near the N wall you can pick up the CAN & CUP. Go back down the ramp and enter into the first opening at the NW corner; in this room go down the ramp and take a 180º turn to the NW corner where a sort of small statue is. Combine the Dish with the Can & Cup to get the COMPLETE DISH and use it in the small statue to open the door in the floor above. Go there.

 

 

THE YELLOW CRYSTAL

 

Inside, you can go right behind the S bookcases and climb the one in SW corner (see the different texture in the low wall panel) to get the YELLOW CRYSTAL. Go down and through the N opening to the room with the princess statue. Go to the room to your left and pull the wall switch to the left of the entrance to open a door in an adjacent room. Open the small W door and push the button to raise a block in the room at the top of the ramps, before the small library you passed. Now go to the room where the princess statue is and NE is the door you've opened seconds ago with the wall switch. Pull the jumpswitch there to open a trapdoor in the bottom floor (entrance of the castle).

 

 

ARMORS PUZZLE

 

Return to the entrance of the castle, where you picked up the Dish and there are two moveable armors there. Move them to the open trapdoor and push them through the hole (they will drop over the ledge below). Continue moving the armors and throw them onto the floor of the next W room. Place one of them in the gap between the block in N wall and the W ledge. Return to the previous room and use the wall switch in NE corner to raise a block where the armor is; go back to the W room and move the armor over the checkered tile in NW corner: a block lowers in the previous room (SW corner), revealing a switch. Now move the other armor into the gap between the block in S wall and the W ledge; go back to the previous room and use the switch in SW corner to raise the second armor; place it over the checkered tile in SW corner. The W wall explodes, giving you access to a new room.

 

 

USING THE TORCH

 

Now it's time to use the torch you've discovered a long time ago. Go back outside from the castle and E where the horseman statues are to pick up the torch into the gap. Now go all the way to the N area and to the small courtyard with the well you were a long time ago; light your torch in the W fireplace and return to the basements where you did the two armors puzzle. In the W room, throw your torch over the wooden floor and wait a moment so it burns and gives you access to the room below. Pick up the OCULAR PART 1 there and climb to the room above. The exit trapdoor is closed now, but look for an opening in the ceiling in N wall, climb and use the jumpswitch there so you can get back outside to the main courtyard area in front of the castle doors.

 

 

USING THE CRYSTALS AND EXITING THE LEVEL

 

Enter into the castle again, go left and combine the two ocular pieces creating the SMARAGD OCULAR placing it in the pedestal at the end of the corridor to raise a block at the top of the ramps of this building (camera shot). Go there and climb to the upper floor; use the tightrope to reach the other side, then go to the E room and through the S opening. To your left you can find a small mirror where you can see a book in the floor behind you. Turn around and pick up MY DIARY. This retracts a block at the other side of the corridor (W) revealing a switch; pull it to open the big double doors in front of the main castle doors. Go all the way back there and use the Jewel in the small pedestal to open the next doors. Now the door to your right opens so you can look for the secret you missed in the inner moat if you didn't do it before. Place the Crystals in the S side of the pillars to open the next door. Enter and turn to your right; near the tree there's a crawlspace with SECRET #6: a helmet called Breast Plate. Go to the E side to pick up the CASTLE GATE KEY inside the small niche in the corner to open the last S door and finish this marvellous level.

 

July - 10 -2010.