Poseidon's Sanctum

Levels by Sarikman

Walkthrough by dmdibl (David Dibble)

These four TR3 levels are an excellent example of what can be done with the unofficial editor, DXTRE3D. Players no longer have to be stuck with TR4 enemies that are only retextured tin men, or with a weak T-Rex that can be brought down with a single revolver shot. Instead, players can once again enjoy the fun enemies of TR3. This adventure is in every way comparable to the better TR4 levels that are being created today. At the start players can set user-defined keys, and set gamma for screen brightness (useful to adjust gamma upward in dark places during the game, a feature I wish TR4 had).

 

Level 1 - Poseidi Village (6 secrets)

 

Run down the road to the corner right and pick up flares. Continue on. Use “Esc” and select the pistols from the inventory ring. (Note that in TR3, from the inventory ring, you can hit “Down Key” for game menus, such as to set the lighting gamma, or hit “Up Key” to display objects such as keys that are in Lara's possession. Most action keys will be the same as in TR4.) Shoot the two dogs that attack, then take a look around the plaza.

 

Greek Coastal Town

To begin, there is a small medipack immediately in the left corner on entering the Poseidon statue square. From the entrance, if Lara goes right, under the blue framework, and down an alley, she can pick up flares. Go down to the sandy beach, and onto the stone jetty in the middle; at its end are more shotgun shells. Go right (Lara facing water outward) on a ledge with framework and pick up MP5 shells. Now go on the rocks in front of the ledge and jump to the end of the dark rocks. From the highest point at the water's edge make a standing jump forward (angle slightly left), grab, pull up, slide down to get Secret #1, Shotgun.

When Lara jumps back out and lands in the water, swim left to the end to pick up a large medipack at the bottom. Now Lara swims back out and past the stone jetty to continue straight, left at the channel turn, then right. Spot the crawlspace low on the left wall. But first Lara will go for a secret. Continue, left at the rocks, right, and swim down into a corner ahead, find the low crawlspace, swim in for Secret #2, shotgun shells. Swim back out and return left, left, right to that previous low crawlspace. Inside is an inflatable yellow boat. From the ledge, Lara can run up to a closed door, on the ledge spot the key and the keyhole. They don't match, but pick up the Door Key. Swim back to the sandy beach.

 

Balcony Jump

Run past left of the Poseidon statue, and continue straight back to the door with the red keyhole. Use the key and go inside. Find shotgun shells in the right corner, go up the stairs and find some Uzi clips to the upper room. Here Lara needs to jump across to the other balcony where the railing is low, not over the big blue spheres. An easy way to do this is to go to the right, turn Lara for a side flip over the rail, and put Lara's right shoulder against the inside wall so she is about as far from the railing as possible on the small balcony, then slide flip.

After the jump, in the next room find MP5 clips on the window seat left. From here, jump up to the blue crawlspace. Crawl right, turn around, and back out. Wait for the long screenshot, and for Lara to bring her feet up, then back flip to the next balcony. In this room find Uzi clips, grenade ammo, and a switch on the right. Throw it for a screenshot of a door opening. Safety drop from the balcony, and go into the alleyway right beside Lara.

 

Hazard Run

At the alley end, get shotgun shells from the right end, then go to the left end, down the ladder, and into the door that opened, shoot a big rat. Get the shotgun shells. Dive into the water—it's safe—and down to find a large medipack. Get out of water, with Lara standing on the left facing the burning tiles. Do a running jump/grab over the tiles, the left side is safe. Jump into the water in the middle here, swim into the small crack at the bottom right, get Secret #3, shotgun shells.

Get back out on the safe tile, and again do a running jump/grab over the fire tiles. Get into the dark doorway, light a flare, and save the game. Lara slips by swinging machinery without damage. At the T-junction, get the grenade ammo right, then take the thumpers one at a time. Go up the stairs, climb ladder, shoot grill, and come to a library.  There are Uzi clips and shotgun shells in the back corners. Climb the tallest bookcase and make a running jump/grab to the window. Jump over the alley to the next window.

In the room first go right and pick up the flares, then step out on the balcony and pick up the Boathouse Key. Back inside the room flip the switch to open the doors downstairs to the boathouse (Lara saw these doors from the other side). Downstairs, get the shotgun shells between the two tall lamps. To arm Lara with the shotgun just press “2” as in TR4. If Lara tries to go through the boathouse doors the plaza door will be opened by exceptionally clever dogs, so dispatch them.  Go downstairs to the boat, use the key in the keyhole to open the outer door, and jump into the boat. (TR3 vehicle controls are: “Ctrl” forward, “Alt” reverse, exit vehicle with “End+Right” or  “End+Left.”)

 

Extremely Short Boat Ride

Maneuver the boat out the door, left, then right to jump the rock ramp. It's easiest to back the boat up with Lara facing the ramp, then hit “Ctrl.” Make a left through a door that closes behind Lara. At the end ledge, Lara jumps out right to see pillars in a larger pool. In this larger pool there is a rocket lying in the farthest diagonal corner. Get it, swim back to where Lara first dove into this pool. On the left, face the large pool, make a running jump without grab to a slanted block. Turn right, do a running jump/grab to the next pillar. Pull up and bounce off several slopes to land in the corner, get Uzi clips.

Do a running jump/grab along the right wall, pull up and jump ahead, jump out to the sloped pillar with a slight curve left, and jump again with a slight curve left so that Lara lands and slides backward. Hang from the edge, shimmy left all the way. Pull up, do a jump/twist with right curve, hit the edge of the next slope, jump forward with a slight curve right to make the opening in the wall. Jump down.

 

Room With Secrets

Hear footsteps approaching, which probably isn't good. Two of those “damned” thugs with spiked clubs are coming, so quickly shoot them with the shotgun. In the room spot shotgun shells in the dark to the right. Go forward and notice ramps down into a spike field. Get ready to slide down. Wait...don't those ledges on the far side of the room look suspicious?

Go right, and see that there is a crack in the wall. Lara can jump to grab this, shimmy across to the middle ledge. Nothing here, but spot the goodies ahead. From middle ledge, center, do a running jump/ grab to the far ledge. Get Secret #4, shotgun shells and large medipack. Return to the middle ledge. Lara can't shimmy back to the top of the slopes, as the crack doesn't go far enough. The simplest way is to hang from the middle ledge, in the center facing in the direction of the lower slopes descent. While doing this, spot the rocket on the ground below. Position Lara in line with the edge of the long slope behind her. Now pull up, back flip to land on that long slope, near the bottom angle jump to hit the edge of a middle slope, then bounce to grab the back of the final center slope. Pull up, slide, and jump to safety.

Well, not really safety. Two more of those thugs will come running, so take them down with the shotgun. Turn back to the spike field. On the left is a safe square. Step down into that, and walk through the spikes to the rocket that Lara spotted while hanging from above. Pick up Secret #5, rocket, and walk back to the safe square to get out of the spike field.

 

Push Block Puzzle Times Three

In the next room spot a door to the right in the corner, and a door straight ahead. You know these are doors because Lara will run against them, rather than stopping dead as she does with a wall. There are two push blocks and two obvious pattern tiles on the floor. Move the blocks (one square at a time in TR3) to the marked tiles. A door opens and Lara can get a small medipack.  Lara can jump up directly above, to a spot between two more push blocks but she can't move them. Instead, go to the corner of this small room and climb up, go past the push block (which can't be moved), and into the right crawlspace to pick up flares. Back out, go to the end of this area and around the corner to a push block. Lara needs to pull this back twice, and then to the side once. Now the way is open to reach the second push block, which Lara pulls back once. Now return to the ground floor. Back in the small medipack corner, Lara can now jump up, but this time she will grab the side of the push block to climb up...

Wait a second...what happened to that second door in the previous room?

Lara goes back to the room with the two dead thugs, where the side door is still shut. The solution here is obvious if you have already played the fourth level of this adventure. The two push blocks need to be moved into the rays of light that are emanating from corner ceiling panels. Go to the block near the entrance from the spike field, and push it one square into the light beams, actually blocking the door Lara wants to open. Go to the other block and move it twice (essentially diagonally) so that it is one square away from the other corner, in the light beam. Hear the sound of a door opening.

Go back to the other push block, and pull it aside to reveal the open side door. Inside the room, do a running jump/grab to the pillar. Shimmy all the way right. Pull up, slide, and jump with a curve left, so that Lara slides backwards on the next slope and hangs from the edge. Pull up, back flip/twist, grab and pull up for  Secret #6, MP5. To get out, Lara can do a standing jump/grab to the left pillar. Shimmy right, pull up, and as Lara slides make a jump to the right to land in safety.

 

Tricky Maneuvers

Finally Lara can return to the small room where she was about to jump up and climb. Lara jumps up, grabs the side of the push block, and continues to pull upward to a ladder, and a dark corridor. Light a flare to see better as Lara comes out onto swirling disks, ooo-la-roo, ooo-la-roo.  I thought the best way through was a running jump to land beyond the first disk. This depends a lot on timing; Lara tried to land as the first disk was starting forward, and then another running jump. I was willing to accept minor health loss to get through.

Climb up, slide down backwards to hang. Now pull up, back flip/twist to grab the far edge. For the next slopes once again go down backwards, but back flip fairly soon as Lara starts to slide. Hit the next slope, hang from the edge, pull up and back flip/twist to grab the far edge.

 

Timed Run

Crawl through. Get the shotgun shells in front of the timed door, and the small medipack to the left. Then go right to the end to find the switch for that timed door. First, pull the switch to get a screenshot of the timed door opening, and let the time expire. Now you are free of the screenshot. Pull the switch and roll.

The trick here is to hit the dash key fairly soon, to make the jog to the right while Lara is in sprint mode, and take the long straightaway. Let up on the sprint key to make the sharp turn left and then right. Hit the sprint key again. The second trick is to go for the right edge of the door as Lara can squeak through even as it is closing. Once that is done, slide down.

 

Boss Tony

Oops, this looks like an early boss from TR3. Run into the middle of this ledge facing Tony, have the shotgun out. Side flip to left and right and back, firing the shotgun. It did not take too many shots before Tony succumbed, sent out an energy beam, and left a key behind. Jump to the center pillar for Poseidon's Temple Key, and continue to the open door on the far side. Light a flare to see. Climb up, crawl through, and drop down into a familiar passageway. Lara is at the stairs she encountered after getting through the thumpers.

There are now two routes. Lara could go back through the thumpers, then dodge that swinging machinery, and make jumps over fire tiles, then climb the ladder back up to the alleyway and return to the plaza. Or, the route Lara actually took (for some reason): go up the stairs and ladder, return to the library, climb bookcase and jump to one window then the next, then go down the stairs and out the door to the plaza.

From this door Lara makes a U-turn right, into the alley by the orange sienna building. Shoot the dog. Run to the end and use the key in the keyhole. Well it seems, as Lara tells us, that this really wasn't what she was searching for. But in the middle pick up shotgun shells and Uzi clips behind the broken column in front of her. Go left and turn the wheel (opens a door). Come back and straight through into the other side, a left turn and the level ends.

 

Level 2 - The Orthodox Church (4 secrets)

 

Quad Bike Jumps

Get the Uzi clips from the far corner before climbing onto the quad bike. Gun the bike up the ramp on the left side and make the jump. Continue straight, make curves right, and now set the bike up for the next jump. Back it up against the canyon wall while facing the opening ahead, and make the jump. (Note: it is possible to hold down both the “Ctrl” and “Alt” keys at once, essentially gunning the motor with the brake full on. Then release “Alt” and the bike will shoot forward. This also works with the boat.)

After the jump, turn left. Probably the bike is against the right wall, so there is a deep pit straight ahead; maneuver to the left of it and stop. Pick up shotgun shells on the left. Might as well leave the bike where it is, and run forward around the corner for more shotgun shells. As Lara picks these up notice the opening ahead, which will be an exit. Go to the cliff on the left, hang over the side, and drop and grab the crack. Shimmy all the way to the right, and drop down to the block. Run across to the opening and pick up Secret #7, the Uzis. Continue to climb the ladder, and slide out the exit. There is a quad bike jump coming up on the left.

Return to the quad bike, mount, drive it around the corner and up the slope to make that jump. Position the quad bike for the next jump. (Yes, it is possible for Lara to make both jumps at the same time, angling the bike left on the big lower slope.) Drive across a high rock bridge, and inside turn right and gun the bike for another jump. It may help to land the bike angled to the right, as on landing it may be difficult to turn right, although judicious use of the “Alt” and “Ctrl” keys will turn the bike.

Make the next jump—here it does help to land with the bike angled right. Go down the slope for another jump over water, then drop down to the left. Drive out, then right into a spacious area. Lara may want to dismount and go back for a swim, maybe looking for secrets, but while the water looks inviting the fish are related to piranha. Instead Lara goes into the next cave to find MP5 clips right around the corner. And a little farther on to the left is grenade ammo.

Go back to the bike and drive into this cave, up the slope, and make the water jump. Turn the bike right, stop, and dismount here where there is a bigger water area with slopes on either side.

Make a running jump to the right slope so that Lara slides back and hangs down. Shimmy left on this block. Now pull up, do a back flip/twist and hard right curve to grab the slope on the other side. For some reason Lara doesn't want to shimmy here, but it doesn't matter. Just pull up, back flip/twist and grab the rock back on the first side. Shimmy all the way left and see the rocket. Again Lara needs to do a back flip/twist/grab across, shimmy, and back to get Secret #8, the rocket.

Get back into the water (try the corner if Lara won't back out) and swim to the quad bike. Make the U-turn left and up the ramp for a jump—no water this time. Turn left and drop to the roadway. Lara has gotten by rock slides that destroyed the road. You can find some Uzi clips there. Continue on the road to the barrier, where Lara dismounts and leaves the quad bike behind. Jump over the barrier.

 

Orthodox Church

Ahead is a wall surrounding an Orthodox Church. Lara uses pistols to shoot several vultures. Vultures and dogs are all over the place, so Lara will just have to contend with them in her explorations, dealing with them on her own. (Don't want to remove all surprises in the walkthrough.)

From where Lara jumped across the barrier, go left down the wall, then go right all the way to the end for Uzi clips. Go back outside the wall, near the barrier, go left to spot nearby flares on the ground. Go all the way down the wall here, and in the end corner find a small medipack. Come back about halfway, and see an enclosed ramp against the red rock walls. Jump up the ramp and pick up Secret #9, grenade ammo.

Territorial Vultures

Go back to the barrier and jump on the slope at the left of it (as Lara facing the barrier). Walk till Lara can jump on the wall. While she is on the wall, go right (not to the very end or the game will crash) and jump onto the sloped roof of the church, which disturbs a gang of vultures who are nesting nearby. Lara has to reach the very rooftop. So, try to perform a diagonal running jump on the roof, where it is not too high or jump to the pillar at the front corner of the church, and from here jump to the triangular roof over the entrance to the church. Stand against the church at the exact center of the roof peak, so that when Lara jumps straight up she grabs the higher roof on either side of its peak. Pull up and go forward into the depression to pick up the Sacred Key. Continue forward, jumping over the next sloped roofs, to find shotgun shells and a large medipack. Don't slide behind them since the game will crash again. Instead follow to the opposite side lower church roof till you find some buildings. Drop onto the middle one. The left one has a small medipack on it. Leave the second one and find a rocket on the last one. Go to the end of the wall and climb on some rocks. Here is Secret#10, grenade ammo. This is the fourth and last secret in this level.

Now feel free to drop Lara on the church’s yard. She can explore the church grounds if she wants - the wildlife here is pretty lonely and gets excited by visitors. You can press the button by the tall gate in the corner to open it in case if you missed the roof key and/or the secret(s) but the main point is the big door keyhole where you can use the Sacred Key to open the church doors.

 

Push Button Puzzle

Inside left, pick up a small medipack. Look around and notice that there are four push buttons and a red keyhole. The buttons will give screenshots of what is happening, and it soon becomes clear that pressing them not only opens double gates in the out buildings, but also closes them.  Soon Lara realizes that she needs to avoid the outer buttons near the wall paintings on either side, but must press the two inner buttons.

Then go outside to the farthest out building. The gate is open so press the button inside. Return to the building closest the church entrance and press the button there. Go to the middle building and drop down the ladder, and in the tomb find 2x shotgun shells and another Sacred Key.

Go back inside the church to the keyhole in the rear left, and use the key to open the gates. Inside is a sacred scroll, which surely will give away the plot of what is to come, but the voice-over only talks about facing deadly traps and tribulations to achieve a reward. Push the button on the right side wall. We see a way has opened up in the tomb.

 

Exit Traps

Return to the middle building outside, and enter the newly created hole. Pick up the shotgun shells, then sprint under the overhead boulder and up against the ladder, jump up to avoid being crushed. Climb to the top and save the game as there is a spike ceiling about to descend. Lara slides down and immediately goes left to press the first button, then runs clockwise around the room to press the other two buttons, and  manages a dash to the third button on the right wall. The gate opens to the right of this, and Lara runs through unscathed as spikes descend. Continue and approach the next gate, which opens on Lara's approach, and the level ends.

 

Level 3 - Dungeons Under the Church (5 secrets)

 

Defenders of the Dungeon

A little forward there are Uzi clips to the right. Crawl through to the next area and use the shotgun on three knights. In this area with uneven ground there are flares in the back left corner. Go up the stairs and into the next large chamber to fight two more knights. From the entrance here, find MP5 clips in the near left corner, and small medipack in the near right corner. Explore toward the back of the room, where it looks as though to the right there is a receptacle for a gem, and to the left there is a large circular medallion, a receptacle for a Seraph. Go there, and find a gap in the pillar to the left of the Seraph medallion. Pull up into the gap for Secret #11, grenade ammo.

 

First Route

There are two long and demanding routes leading out from this chamber. Take the left (from the entrance) middle opening, and Lara comes out overlooking a spike field. Climb up to either side corner block, and jump up to the monkey swing. Lara's choice on how to get across. The monkey swings are flamed trapped. It seemed to me that one place near the end was tougher, but that the save/reload trick also works in TR3. That is, save as the flame emitter starts, immediately reload, and then Lara seems to have a little extra time to get past the flame emitter, as it will be off or dying down.

On the other side get out the shotgun and deal with four knights in side passages, then find shotgun shells and grenade ammo where the knights were hiding. Continue and go left, to a room with block in the middle, and find the small medipack.

 

Timed Pillar Run And Obstacles

Step back and look up, and study this room from several angles. Here is the deal: the switch by the golden gate is tightly timed, and opens a gate in a high corner.

Lara throws the switch, holding down the Look Key to prevent a screenshot. She turns a tiny bit left and hops back. Do a back flip/twist to land on the block and keep running to jump to the left edge of the higher pillar ahead. Try to do a curved run right without stopping and jump to the corner, and again without stopping another curved run right to leap to the higher pillar and from there to the corner. Here Lara can set up a jump, hopping back against the wall, to do a running jump/grab to the left edge of the platform with the golden gate. Lara pulls up, steps toward the gate, and runs through before it closes.

Next, do a running jump/grab when the swinging pot is up on the right side. Time the swings and get through this to the other side. At the end, slide down backwards, hang and drop to the water. There are shotgun shells and Uzi clips to either side. On the central platform have Lara jump straight up—this will free her feet from the water, so she can run. Get through two sets of doors and pick up the Diamond Key in the corner.

Get through three more doors and climb the ladder, follow the passageway. There is a wall lever just before the golden gate, to open it, and now Lara is back in the timed run room. Go out and straight down the hall to use the key by the door. Save the game. Don't rush into the next room, but walk slowly and stop at the entrance when there is a rumble. A rolling boulder goes by. Now Lara can see what is going on, and trigger the boulders in series without trouble. Pick up the rocket from where the boulders were. Advance to the next room and look around.

 

Push Blocks for a Secret

There is a high push block on a ledge, plus one on the ground. A little thought, and it is clear Lara can maneuver the high push block by placing the one on the ground into the gaps in the floor pillars. It appears the destination will be a high push block that is planted in the far wall.

Actually, what Lara wants to do is move the push block on the ledge straight forward into the far corner. This will mean having to use the ground push block and the two side pillars to cross the gap, but Lara can get the block on the ledge into the corner. Do so. Once the block is in the corner, get on top of it and do a running jump/grab to a high ledge, and throw the wall lever there to open the door of this room. Drop back down to the ground.

Lara could leave by the open door, but what about that push block embedded in the wall? That is for a special secret.

Poor Lara. Now do all the work of getting the ledge push block back to a side pillar, then straight on to the wide pillars in front of the embedded high push block. Move the ground push block one last time underneath the embedded push block. Move the ledge push block on top of the ground push block, so that both are now underneath the high embedded push block. Lara has done all she can. She can't move the embedded push block from this side. Leave the room by the door that opened.

 

Uncaged Raptors

Go up a few stairs and pick up the Grenade Gun. Go up to the next room, which contains a lot of cages with unhappy raptors. (It may spoil the fun, but there is a high block next to the entrance of this room. Lara can always run and jump onto this block, and raptors don't like to climb, so she is safe and can even shoot them with pistols.)

Explore the room. If Lara steps on tiles in the middle of the room a couple of raptors are set free. Gosh, they're mad. Shoot them. From the entrance, on the right wall is a wall lever, on the left wall is a keyhole, in the back of the room is a big door to open. Lara throws the wall lever. Deal with raptors that come racing out.

Explore the open cages. Lara should find MP5 clips, a large medipack, and a Dinosaur Key. Take the key to the left wall and use it. Two things happen. A raptor is let loose, deal with it. Also a cage opens, and this is just to the left when Lara first entered this room. (Next to the block that Lara may have using as safety from the raptors.) Go into that cage and throw the wall lever. The big door for this room opens in the back.

First, come out of that cage and left into the adjacent cage, and left into a low crawlspace. Get through, and run down the passage to find a push block on the left. Yes, that push block. Move it forward to hear the secret sound. (The block is now resting on the two blocks that Lara positioned.) Turn and look to the left side, and pick up Secret #12, rocket launcher.

Go back to the crawlspace, where there is a vocal raptor waiting on the other side. I found that if Lara entered the crawlspace, and drew pistols, that her gunfire appeared to have no effect on the raptor. So I had Lara stand with Uzis drawn in the passageway in front of the crawlspace. She jumped up and fired an Uzi burst and red would show on the raptor. She kept repeatedly jumping up and firing until the raptor dropped. Of course, Lara could also crawl through and confront the raptor in this small cage.

Go to where the raptor came from, the back right corner cages from the original entrance, and pick up flares. Go to the opened door, and take a running jump to the ladder.

 

Flame Gauntlet to Seraph

Climb up near the top, back flip/twist to grab to opposite side. Climb up to the ledges, and behind Lara are Uzi clips. Now go through the long rooms and flame statues, staying close to one wall. At the last flame statue run forward into the corner, so the rolling boulder goes harmlessly behind Lara. There is no good way to get through the two plinth blades, as Lara can't jump them. Time them so that Lara does a speed dash through; sometimes Lara doesn't even take a scratch. Tip from DJ Full: to be specific, face the first trap, collide with the left wall in front of it, tap backwards two times (no walking), wait for the trap to fully block the exit and then dash through it. Repeat for the second trap, beginning from the dark line in front of it.

Slide down the slope, go forward to pick up the Seraph, half of the needed items.

Go out and left, drop down the ladder, run out into a room where Lara started this level. Go left and crawl through to the knight's room, up the stairs, and into the large chamber. This is where Lara made the choice of starting by going left.

 

Second Route for Gem

This time go into the opposite right passage. Slide down the slope, but not to the bottom. Lara's objective is the left side slope, about one square up from the bottom. It doesn't matter which side slopes Lara jumps to first. She can jump to the right, and flip left, make leaps side to side to get down the slopes, until near the bottom Lara hits a slope on the left side which takes her downward, rather than dumping her into the middle. Lara ends up on a square where she can stand. Light a flare. Lara needs to jump across to the end of the right-side slopes, into a dark corner. Explore that little area, drop down for Secret #13, 2x grenade ammo.

Get back out, hang and drop. Get out the shotgun or the MP5. Go forward, around the corner right and a raptor goes crazy. Lara shoots it before it reaches her.

 

Lava Slope Jumps

If Lara had gone straight out into this area and looked across the lava, she would see the MP5 clips (or the MP5 if she didn't already have it). From the area jutting into the lava, Lara can jump to a sloped block, and from there bounce to another block, to be followed by an easy standing jump to reach the block with ammo. Pick up MP5 clips. To get back, turn toward the entrance, make a running jump and quick bounce back to safety.

This time go all the way down this area to the end. Make a running jump to grab the tall pillar, then pull up and slide. Lara has to make five jumps in a row. After the third jump she lands on a left sloping pillar. She must slide to the bottom of this so that the fourth jump takes her to the farthest edge of the next pillar, then for the fifth jump make a hard right curve to land, slide backwards, and grab.

Shimmy all the way right. Pull up, back flip/twist/grab and shimmy left. Repeat the maneuver to get back, grab the sloped block. Pull up, slide, and make four natural jumps to reach the other side of the lava.

 

Falling Ceiling

Hear the raptors. If Lara stays on her patch of land she is safe from the raptors and she can shoot them with the MP5. The MP5 is a long distance weapon, and needs to be appreciated since TR4 has only weapons with the same range.

Switch to the grenade gun and jump over to see if the area is clear. It isn't, one raptor was hiding, so blow it up. It was also guarding some MP5 clips. Go to the building entrance but don't jump up there (falling ceiling), instead save the game. Try to make a running jump from the low flat entrance and left into the low area left of the raised entrance. Lara falls down on Secret #14, grenade ammo.

The roof fell down when Lara jumped. The easiest thing is to get back outside, then jump up to the right side of the entrance. Do a running jump along the right wall. Grab and shimmy about to the middle of the slopes. Now do a series of slope jumps in the middle, and when Lara lands after the third jump immediately run over to the left wall to avoid the falling ceiling. From here do a running jump to the room ahead.

As Lara enters this new area a raptor runs to greet her. There is a block in the back where Lara can stand and shoot him with pistols, or whatever. If Lara is standing on the block pick up the Dinosaur Key. Also pick up the large medipack on the ground.

 

Small Boulder Chase

The door back is open. Go down the passage, approach the first boulder, roll, tap backwards to find where it triggers at the raised pathway. As soon as it rolls down, Lara speed runs back to the room and is safe. After the first boulder comes to rest jump over it. Do a speed dash under the second boulder. There is a high crawlspace at the end of the right wall, so pull up into it before the boulder chasing Lara crushes her. Get through and jump to the outside, go across this raptor area to the far wall and the door in the middle. The keyhole is on a pillar opposite the door.

 

Giant Boulder Chase

Enter and go up the stairs. Save before the slide into spikes, as Lara has to jump at the right moment. In the next area see the giant boulder poised to roll down a ramp. Get the grenade ammo from under it. The boulder is too fast for any trickery here. Lara has to sprint along the walkway, but let up on the sprint key in time for her to make a leap to the next ledge.

Once that is done, notice the second giant boulder. With boulder following, make a sprint straight into the ladder area, which is fairly easy. Don't climb the ladder, instead crawl out under the boulder to the right. From there make a curved left jump back to the walkway. Go to the end where the boulder was, and into the crawlspace for Secret #15, Uzi clips. This is the fifth and last secret in this level.

Get back to the other end, around the side of the boulder to where the ladder is. Climb to the top of the ladder and collect more Uzi clips. Light a flare to see where to jump. Get into the crawlspace and prepare to slide down to a dead raptor and a green pool. Something about this is ominous.

 

T-Rex Lair

The T-rex is thinking about a snack. Lara has a good chance if she can confuse it by running into the pools (T-rex don't like water). The MP5 comes in handy here. You can also try stand and not moving. You will see that T-rex is coming close to Lara and it just smells her and it ignores her, but Lara has to deal with the dinosaur. With the T-rex dead get the grenade ammo and Uzi clips near the dead raptor pool. From the T-rex lair pick up the small medipack and the Ritual Gem. Lara now has both quest items. Exit by the door at the far end, but keep the grenade gun handy because that raptor wasn't alone. It is interesting to see that raptors don't mind water at all, as they charge right into a pool after Lara.

 

The Long Way Up

Inside the door, light a flare and go right then left to find a large medipack. Go back toward the entrance, but go right. Straight in from the entrance, at the back left there is a slope. Lara jumps onto its left part and backflips onto another slope behind. Make a curved jump left to the slanted pillar, slide down it and jump/grab the edge ahead. Pull up to stand. It is hard to see, but there is a crawlspace diagonally left ahead (near the entrance). To reach it, jump forward to the edge of the long slope, bounce off it and grab the crawlspace.

Crawl inside and go left to the end. Light a flare, see where to jump up. After the dark passageway, go to a slope in the middle of a high room. This is a series of slopes upward, so pull up, bounce/grab, pull up, bounce/grab, then shimmy left to stand up. Jump across the gap.

Crawl into the next room, turn and hang, shimmy right until Lara can pull up to stand. Jump straight across to a high crack, shimmy all the way right, drop and grab the lower crack, shimmy all the way left, pull up and back flip. Lara lands safely beyond the spikes. Go up red rock passages, a door opens and Lara is back in the room where it all started.

 

Place Seraph and Gem

Once again, go right and crawl through to the knight's room. Continue up the stairs, into the big chamber. Now Lara can go to the rear of the room. On one side, at the big medallion, she places the Seraph. At the opposite side she places the Ritual Gem. (Lara gets inventory at the Seraph receptacle, but the Gem may be selected. Selection isn't automatic as it is in TR4. Rotate inventory if needed for the right quest item to place.) The blue double doors open.

Run through to burners. Swan dive between the flames, and like going over a railing the trick is not to stand too close. Standing jump up between the next flames. In the next room pick up the Ornate Star.

 

Cross to Exit

Lara muses about having to use a sacred symbol in order to exit, that for the Orthodox Church this means a cross, but she isn't sure if she has to find one, or if she has to make it herself. Go through the small door that opened and up the ladder. Continue to a big room. It is clear, particularly from an overhead camera shot, that Lara can make a cross. The long part of the cross will point to where you came from. The short arms will be to the side.

Left arm, two moves; right arm, one move, and the first gate opens at the end of the room. For the long base of the cross, two moves for each remaining unplaced block. When the cross is formed, the last door opens. Exit, crawl through, and the level ends.

 

Level 4 - The Hidden Sanctum (5 secrets)

 

Lara begins talking about a lighthouse. To the left as Lara comes out is a rocket. To the right as Lara comes out, jump up and go around into the corner to find a small medipack. Look up to see the lighthouse. Go forward to where Lara can overlook the sea, and go left to the rock wall to find MP5 clips.

 

Lighthouse

Go back to where Lara found the small medipack. In the opposite corner, pull up higher. From here do a running jump/grab to the next ledge, and a jump forward. Climb up to the lighthouse. At the back corner of the lighthouse, away from the sea, find a rocket and shotgun shells. Go into the nearby entrance and go by the door, keep going the long route to reach another rocket, then come back to the door. It takes the Ornate Star which Lara has, but it may not be obvious how to place it. The receptacle isn't the correct spot, for if Lara stands there nothing will happen. Instead she has to stand to the left, in front of the horizontal bar. Then she places the Ornate Star and the door will open.

Drop down into the water. Straight down is grenade ammo. Swim down the water tunnel, go right, and pull out of the water. Here go right for more grenade ammo. Well, it is pretty clear what happens here with the spiked cylinder and the red gem. Lara jumps down to the red gem. Nothing happens. Now jump into the two holes at the back wall for shotgun shells and grenade ammo. Jump back up to the red gem. Position Lara so that she is facing to the side, but so she will just miss a side slope. Pick up the gem, Poseidon's Guardian's Heart, and leap as quickly as possible into one of the open areas to the side. Climb out and go back into the water.

Swim straight ahead, and find the opening in the ceiling in the left corner. Pull out and get the MP5 clips. Place the red gem in the snake receptacle in the middle wall for screenshot of gate opening. Turn around. Go to either small pool on the left, dive to the bottom for a small slot to swim into, enter and find Secret #16, rocket. (The secret doesn't show in statistics because the secret count was hardwired into the original TR3. However, in the end of game final statistics it will count, and you will see how many of the 20 secrets Lara has found.)

 

Large Poseidon Hub Room

Get out, return to the big water channel, and swim left, down into the gate that opened, then surface into a large decorated room. This will be a central point. On the raised ledges to either side of the pool find 2x shotgun shells. There are doorways at either end of this long room. Near one doorway is a small medipack. Check the other end and find nothing. But here Lara can go out to the sides and pull up on the pillar next to the corner. Go to the middle of the roof and find Secret #17, rocket.

Get down and enter the doorway here. Pick up shotgun shells but ignore the crawlspace nearby (for Lara's return). Stop at the entrance to the big room, back up, and take out the two zombie thugs. Save the game. Again go forward cautiously. Most of this big room is fire trapped. The ceiling shows the safe tiles to jump to.

 

Deadly Floor Room

First of all, spot the safe tiles left. You can jump on the little higher floor where you will find grenade ammo. Take them and jump back. Lara can go three squares into this room. Check the ceiling. Now there are two deadly tiles ahead that need to be jumped over, so do a running jump. Lara can walk to the right between two pillars. But what she really wants to do is run to the right, angle left,  and jump to the left sloped side of the raised floor. Bounce back and forth between the slopes, avoiding the deadly flat, and work toward the wall. Flip Lara so she is facing back toward the entrance. Now there are slopes on Lara's left. Slide almost to the bottom, make a curved jump left to reach the far slope, and jump ahead to raised ledges, Lara headed back toward entrance.

On the raised ledge the middle square is deadly. See the ammo on the highest portion of the ledge, jump to pick up Secret #18, MP5 clips. Turn around and jump back to where Lara was.

Check the ceiling to see what is coming. Ahead of Lara are raised safe slopes. Beyond that is a raised block that is deadly, although the slope beyond it is safe. That is where Lara wants to go.

I found it worked best to use the short-takeoff jump. [Hold down the Shift Key, take a step forward, let up on the Shift Key and immediately press Jump. Lara makes the distance of a running jump.] Make the short-takeoff jump to the left edge on the far side of the slopes ahead, make a curved jump left to the far side of the left slopes, now a curved jump right beyond that deadly block against the wall, reaching the safe sloped side beyond it, and bounce forward over the deadly tile to land on a safe square.

Walk one square forward. Lara can do a standing jump to grab the back of the sloped block ahead and left. Shimmy to right. Pull up, slide, and jump curved right to the safe tile against the wall.

Turn left, see the facing slopes ahead. Make a jump to them, bounce back and forth along the slopes. At the far end see a small medipack on the ground. Flip Lara to face in that direction, and curve jump to land on that safe square. Pick up small medipack.

Make a standing jump to grab the raised blocks. Shimmy left as far as possible, and here it is safe to pull up. Turn left, jump to the safe pillar. Turn left and jump to the safe high pillar in the center of the room. Pick up shotgun shells, pull up into the corridor and go into the next big room.

 

Tinnos Wasp Room

First business, shoot the two giant wasps in the corners. Go right from the entrance and use the MP5 to shoot a wasp out on a pillar. Go left from the entrance to a vase, find a spot where Lara can shoot another wasp on a pillar (otherwise they will bother her later when she is going for a secret). You can search for some Uzi clips where you are standing. Here on the left side find the ladder on the pillar and climb up.

A running jump/grab to a pillar and a running jump to next. From here use the MP5 to shoot a distant wasp. If it flies behind a pillar wait for it, or coax it out and kill it. Jump down the line to the next pillar. Turn to right to see the obvious crack.

Actually, Lara wants to make a standing jump/grab to the high crawlspace above the crack. Don't pull up, but shimmy left to where Lara can see the rocket. Don't pull up (i.e., don't press the Up Key). Press the Crouch Key and Lara will pull up in a crouch for Secret #19, rocket and grenade ammo.

That was actually dev-intended to be done from the other side of the opening but doing it as explained is less painful and here's why. Get down to hang on the same side as before. One of those wasps may have shown up, despite Lara's efforts. Shimmy right a couple of blocks and drop down to the lower crack. Shimmy left to the end but with some margin, and drop down on the slope below. Slide to the end and leap up to grab a pillar, pull up. Now that wasp should be stuck on a slope behind Lara, a cool trick is to shoot that spot with a rocket so the wasp explodes and doesn't disturb ever again.

Lara wants to go down the room to the right. It is a fairly easy jump, or Lara can turn around, go down the slope backwards, hang, then pull up, back flip/twist to grab the next pillar. Do a running jump/grab to the next pillar. To get the rocket, run off the side of the pillar with Action pressed, pick up rocket, then stand to the side to jump back up. Lara wants to continue in the direction she was going. Stand on the left corner near the pillar ahead, and do a standing jump to grab the top. Shimmy left. Pull up and jump curve left to the pillar in front. Hang, shimmy all the way left. Pull up, back flip/twist and curve right to land on the pillar.

Jump ahead to the next two pillars, a running jump/grab to the third. Make a running jump into the hole in the wall. In the middle of the corridor pick up a small medipack.

 

Invisible Platforms

Continue, shoot the zombie thug, and pick up flares on both sides of big room. On the left side press the button, which starts fire emitters to help make the invisible blocks easier to see.

From the button, jump out to the “invisible” block. Turn right. It is easier to see the far platform ahead, but look closely and Lara can see the corner of a slightly closer block. Or just make a running jump/grab toward the right edge of the distant block, and Lara will grab the closer platform. You can see it better if you light a flare and drop it away. You will be able to spot the platform and the jump will be easier. Jump to the corner block. Light a flare, and turn right back toward the entrance ledge.

Jump to the bigger block the flare made visible. Now do a standing jump/grab up to the higher block. Look up, there is a secret in the alcove ahead, but Lara can't get it yet. For now turn right, jump straight out, and then jump into the corner over the button. Turn right, jump up to the high platform, run down it and jump to the corner to press the high button.  As the screenshot shows, the gate directly underneath opens.

Now go for that secret. Roll at the button, walk out, ahead the ledge is one square out from the wall. Throw a flare to see it, then jump on. To the next ledge, do a running jump aimed slightly right. Light a flare to see where to get on a higher block. Throw the flare to reveal a sloped block between Lara and the alcove ahead. Jump to the slope, then into the alcove, pick up Secret #20, large medipack. This is the fifth and last secret in the level, and the final secret in the adventure.

From here it may be easiest just to do a safety drop down to the entrance ledge below. Run down to the other end, jump to the first invisible block, and from here a running jump/grab to the ledge where the gate opened. Go in, around to the right to pick up a rocket.

 

Moving Spike Walls

Make the slope jumps on the right and grap the last one. Hang and notice the spike wall on the left of the room. Most of the floor is deadly except for a few marked safe tiles.

Climb and slide. The spike wall is moving. Jump to the opposite safe tile. Turn a little bit right and jump on the other two. Be careful, don’t make the jumps near the end of tiles, because Lara will die. When Lara is on these two tiles, another wall will start moving in front of her, so ignore this corridor for the time being. Perform a roll and do a running jump to reach the two safe tiles opposite and a bit left. Stand in the middle of the one which is close to the wall and look for the next tile left. Look at it and do a standing jump. Lara lands on it, but she has to jump quickly left, so perform a side jump. When she lands, another wall is triggered. Jump immediately right (on the previous tile) and now jump forward. As the wall in front of her is now moved, she can make a last left side jump and now she can relax.

Once it is safe Lara can press the corner button. The hallway gate opens. It is in the corridor you left behind because the spike walls were moving.

Retrace steps, back to the hallway and along it to get through the gate. Lara runs forward toward a second gate. It might be a good idea to have the rocket launcher shouldered. Three monsters will attack in this new room.

 

Tough Tinnos Monsters

Don't wait for those alien monsters from TR3 to charge, but hit them with rockets fast. The best way to beat them is to run and stand on the steps in front of a button. The monsters can’t hit Lara easily and she just has to shoot them and avoid their fires. Use about five rockets to settle things.

Go forward to press the button. The screenshot shows that one of two doors has opened. Go back toward the entrance where another gate has opened. Slide down, run through the short passage to the crawlspace, and this takes Lara back to the beginning.

 

Hub to Second Challenge Route

She returns to the pool area, crosses it, and goes into the doorway at that other end of the room. Through the doorway there is a rocket on the right. Keep walking and a screenshot of a monster approaching will be shown. Prepare the grenade launcher and kill it.

In the room there is something that looks like a dry water channel. On the other side of it, against the far wall, Lara can pick up grenade ammo and a rocket. There is a small doorway at one end of the room. As Lara is getting in, a screenshot will show two more monsters attacking. Again, Lara should be saying to herself, “The grenade gun is good.”

Pause in the small hallway before entering the next area; in fact, start hopping back. Use the grenade gun on the alien monsters.

 

Fire Pillar Timed Run

When things quiet down, go into the next area and pick up a large medipack from the right. Go forward to the fire pillars. The tile on the left starts the timed sequence.

I was most comfortable doing it this way. Lara runs over the trigger tile, leaps to the pillar against the wall, and continues with a running jump/grab to the left side of the pillar ahead, Lara against the wall. She pulls up and turns right. Note that the rest of this is nonstop running. Use the short-takeoff jump to reach the next pillar, angling right. Run over the far corner, aim to run along the right side of the next pillar, and aim for the right side of the pillar against the side wall, curve around left to make a jump to the next pillar, run off the inside corner toward the pillar on the far wall (again aiming to the right), keep running curve left, jump to the final pillar with Lara against the wall (helps if this pillar catches fire at the last moment) and from here leap up to the button.

Press the button to see that the channel in the previous room is, indeed, flooded with water. Jump back on the pillars against the wall and return there.

 

Save and Reload Game With Lara in Water

Hop up, and jump into the water, start to swim down to the depths. SAVE the game in a new slot, then immediately reload it.

[Explanation: This is a flip or TR3 alternate room. Some players found that when Lara swam around the first right corner the screen froze. Saving and restoring when Lara is in the water should prevent such a problem.]

Swim about a right corner and continue until Lara comes to a right alcove, where she can pick up grenade ammo. Swim along the passage and see a rocket where there is a channel up. If Lara is low on air, first swim up to take a breath. Then swim back down and pick up the rocket. Go up to the room and pull out. Find a whole mob of zombie thugs chasing and assaulting Lara. Run about a little to make sure all the zombie thugs have formed into a group, then blast them with a single grenade, which should take care of the lot of them.

There is an open door here. Looking back into the room from the door, there is a large medipack on the back wall, left. Now go out the door.

 

Spike Cylinders

This doesn't look so good. Lara should walk over against the left wall, so she is closer to the left alcove above. The Hard Way: make a run for that alcove, and try to jump over the spike cylinder as it rolls down. Lara will probably take damage, often serious damage. The Easy Way: From the left wall turn to face the wall with the entrance. Make a cross run, Lara curving up the slope to trigger spike cylinders, then curving down to run back out the entrance. Let the spike cylinders roll down.  Return, and find higher spike cylinders still remain. But now it is an easy run to the alcove on the left, let the spike cylinders pass, and go up to the gate at the top of the room.

 

Excited Monsters

Surprise, the gate opens onto more alien monsters. Get in and the door closes behind you. Use grenade launcher to beat them. The best way is to stand again on the steps in front of the button. The monsters can’t reach Lara easily and she is able to shoot them and avoid their fires. When the room is clear, pick up a small medipack, and use the button. See screenshot of second underwater gate opening, to clear a passage.

Go back to the zombie room, enter the water. Swim back to the dolphin-textured room. (It may not be necessary, but as soon as Lara entered here I saved and restored the game.) Swim up, get out, and return to the main large room. The pool has those gates that opened. Dive in and swim through the narrow passage.

 

Poseidon's Trident

Pull out of the water, soon see a screenshot of a Poseidon statue; Lara tells us she needs to find a way to take his trident.

In the next room go forward to see the Poseidon statue and a couple of pickups to either side of it. Lara can jump to get the pickups, but it easier to wait. Move the two push blocks into the ceiling light beams. For clarity, this means that the blocks will end up under a slanted part of the ceiling.

A door opens, so go into a small room and press a button. Lara tells us, “I have to press the button twice...” so press the button a second time. The Poseidon statue area floods.

Now Lara can easily get those pickups on either side of the statue, a small medipack and shotgun shells. Dive into the water and take the trident that Lara is after. Hear that a gate opens. Swim down left and through a crooked passage, then up to pull out. Slide down. In the passageway get grenade ammo and a large medipack, but at this point a screenshot shows a resurrected Sophia turning nasty, very nasty.

 

Sophia on a Rampage

Run out and over to a right corner for protection against the first powerful energy blasts from Sophia. Then jump up on the block there, and make a running jump up to a golden gate (closed) with MP5 clips in front. Lara can pick them up, but at this point they are irrelevant.

Turn right and jump to a small medipack, be sure to get that. Now around the next corner there is a button on the left and a push block on the right. Be sure Lara's health is topped up. Press the button, and then push the block aside. From where the block was, jump up to get a large medipack. Grab the monkey swing and take it out and left (passing a crawlspace), left around a corner, and soon Lara is safe from the blue energy bolts. [Sophia should be standing high up in the right corner while Lara monkey swings. Sometimes, if Lara dies, a reloaded game will make Sophia confused. If Sophia isn't lashing out with blue energy bolts something is wrong, and you need to reload an even earlier save. This is rare, and seems to happen only on certain Lara deaths.] Drop on a ledge to pick up a rocket and press the button.

Drop down to the ground. The good news is that the door that opened is here, ahead on the left. The bad news is that there are a couple of aliens inside. Lara has plenty of ammo for grenade gun or rocket launcher to dispose of them. Pick up a small medipack from a corner and press the button on the central pillar on the side opposite the door. See a screenshot of a gate opening, this is the gate where the MP5 clips were (or are, if Lara ignored them).

Run out and across the room to the side with the block that Lara used before, jump up on it and make the jump up to the now open gate. Press the button. This is a repeat of the other side. Drop to the ground and the gate that opened is here, on the right. Of course, inside there is an alien monster to fight. Pick up a nearby large medipack. Find the button on the central pillar and press it. The gate that opened is up where the monkey swing is. Lara went by it before because it was shut, but now the gate is open.

 

Sophia's Demise

Go out the door and climb the adjacent block, jump up to where the MP5 clips were, turn right and jump into the passage. Follow around to where the push block was, jump up to grab the monkey swing. Monkey swing out and left—watch Lara's health—and  in the middle of this wall there is a crawlspace. Turn left against the wall, drop and grab the crawlspace, get inside. Crawl forward, stand, and slide down onto a death tile.

It is a death tile for Sophia. Watch her cry out, collapse, and vanish leaving a red gem behind.

Lara drops down out of here, runs forward, and a gate opens. Keep running straight forward, and climb the ledge ahead. Climb a block. Go in to find an open gate, go up left, go out and make a running jump to the roof. Go diagonally across the roof to the back left corner, find a button to press, see that the fire goes out underneath the red gem. Turn left and go along this section of roof and make a jump to the ledge leading to the red gem. Climb up, and pick up Poseidon's Guardian's Heart.

Lara can look up and make a standing jump forward to climb up and place the gem in a snake's mouth at the top of the room (rotate inventory if needed to select red gem). A gate below opens. Make a running jump down to Sophia's perch. From here get down to the ground level, and find the center gate open.

Go inside, run up the slope and the adventure ends. See level statistics. Select for “End the Game,” watch the ending credits, and see final statistics for the full game.

 

Quite an adventure. I had a lot of fun playing this; both the appearance and gameplay are excellent. Hopefully, few players will shy away from TR3 levels, so that this will receive the recognition that it merits.

 

28 November 2011

 

UPDATED on 6 January 2012
Double-checked and slightly corrected by DJ Full on 16 March 2019