An Odyssey 2012

 

Level by Yoshi

 

Walkthrough by dmdibl (David Dibble)

 

 

Introduction:

 

After nine years away from the custom Tomb Raider scene, the author returns with an inventive and complex space adventure, which even includes Lara traveling back to historic Japan. There is an interesting title flyby to watch.

 

If you play this game in Windows XP, use an XP patch program such as WinXP-Ladepatch.exe on the tomb4.exe to fix the long loading time, or obtain a patched tomb4.exe from a forum link.

 

In this walkthrough the words “sprint” and “dash” are not meant as synonyms for the word run, but mean that the Dash Key is pressed, as in: “sprint off the ledge [because if Lara runs off she falls into lava].”

 

 

Episode 1

 

Watch the opening sequence before Lara lands, perhaps on a moon of Jupiter. At the start look up to see the mother ship in the sky. Lara stands on a small shuttlecraft.

 

To E is a water area that doesn't appear to contain anything. Jump SW across pillars to reach a metal fence, turn and jump NW into the next area, find a deep hole in the ground close to Lara's left.

 

Keyhole and Pool

 

Lara wants to go down, but it may be good to keep going NW to find a passage to the next area at the end wall. Then go right (E) and straight ahead see a keyhole. Advance to see that a bluish-gray key goes here. To left is an excavation pit with a black monolith at the bottom. Now return to that deep hole in the previous area. Pick up flares on top a metal pillar in the SW corner. At the pit, hang and drop in the SW corner to land on a platform. Facing W, Lara hangs and drops. Go out the W entrance, then right (N) to find water.

 

Jump in, swim down W, over the top of the middle section of metal fence. Turn right once over the fence, swim to the close corner (NE), and into an alcove to pull an underwater lever. Swim diagonally SW across the big room and pull out at the opened ceiling trapdoor.

 

Fire Emitter Save/Reload Trick

 

Pick up flares SW, then exit the room, make a left, and a right. As soon as Lara enters there is a pillar in front which she wants to reach. Lara gets up on the fire pillar at the back wall, and stands in the corner nearest to the taller pillar, facing it. Edge forward as far as possible. When the fire dies down, hop back, make a running jump to grab the edge of the pillar, pull up. Jump to a trapdoor on the right.

 

The next bit is tricky. Lara needs to jump across the room to the trapdoor that is over the fire, and no matter how she times it she will inevitably catch fire while hanging or attempting to pull up.

 

Wait as the fire dies down, then make a running jump. Save the game as Lara grabs the trapdoor. The fire emitter will probably be starting up. Reload the game (Ctrl pressed) and pull up, roll over the trapdoor, hop back into safety. With some timing of save/reload games Lara makes it through. The best savegame seems to be when the fire is just starting, as on reloading the fire will die down and give Lara the longest duration to make it past the trapdoor.

 

Deadly Pool Rope Swing

 

In the next room study the situation with slopes and deadly red pool below. Spot the switch at the E wall. In the middle of the room are collapsible tiles, and in the W is a rope. Go to the west end of this room and stand to align everything: rope, tiles, and switch at far wall. Jump to grab the rope, slide to the bottom, and tap Dash Key to swing. In this case you may find that Lara immediately sails up high enough to make the leap forward.

 

(If the rope swing is anemic, let Lara swing, wait for her to bring her legs back up on the rope, then hit Dash Key again. If you wait to tap this second Dash Key when Lara is at the highest point of her back swing, then she will make a super jump, but here that isn't needed or wanted. When Lara brings her legs up on the rope, hitting Dash Key should give her sufficient elevation.)

 

Fly from the rope to land on a collapsible tile. Step forward to the next, hop to the next tile, and keep running to make a jump to the platform ahead. Use a wall switch. Turn and look down the glass wall on the north side: at its end a door has opened.

 

At the switch turn to face south. There is a ladder, and a platform below, but I'm not sure why. Spot a small medipack in the SE corner. Make a running jump to it, holding down Ctrl. Lara lands right over the small medipack, so pick it up. Turn right (W). Jump up to grab a monkey swing, and take it all the way down to where a slope juts from the wall.

 

Lara wants to drop at the closest edge, so that means just past a wall seam, with Lara facing outward. When she drops it is easy to make a curved jump right for the next slope. The rest is a standard sequence, jumping at the bottom of the last slope to reach a wall ladder. Shimmy right to pull up into the wall opening.

 

First Soldier Fight

 

Lara can stay at the wall opening until a soldier approaches. Then run past him to the other end of the room and shoot him from there. At that distance, Lara can simply shoot him without any gymnastics, and the soldier may get confused, but don't underestimate these soldiers' ability to inflict damage. Keeping a distance, where the soldier may not target Lara, is much better than side flipping back and forth while firing.

 

Now climb the ladder in the NW corner, back flip to land on an upper ledge. Run down the ledge to a closed door at its end. I spent minutes hunting the room for a switch, or shooting a fire alarm, but the door simply opens when Lara approaches. Go through, and up a slope to the right.

 

Grey Key

 

At top there is a door in the back left corner, and a metal grate to the right. Shoot the grate, pick up a Grey Key. It looks sort of bluish, maybe bluish grey, which should be familiar. Meanwhile the door in the corner opens.

 

Run down this corridor. Jump up to a monkey swing, take it over burners below until Lara falls at the end. Slide a bit on a slope, then jump to a platform ahead. See a ladder, but first jump down, turn around, and press a button (trapdoor opens). Go up the ladder to emerge in an excavation pit with a monolith which is familiar.

 

Run up a S ramp, make a U-turn left, and go forward to use the Grey Key. The metal fence opens up.

 

Access Through Fence

 

Go all the way W to find an exit on the left, then diagonally across this area (not falling into the deep hole) to jump back over in front of a metal fence. At the open gate, hang and drop below, turn to look out over lava. The slopes left on the east aren't standable, but just belong them is a ledge lower down, so make a running jump out S-SE to reach it.

 

Make a standing jump S to the next low pillar. Turn right, make a running jump/grab to a high pillar in the middle of the lava. Lara is headed for what looks like a cavern opening in the south. So jump low south, and south again to slopes against the wall (the slopes at the lava are too steep). Walk over, jump to a pillar by the cavern entrance, and leap inside.

 

Deceptive Cavern Crawlspace

 

Stop. If Lara goes south, she spots a low crawlspace to the right and goes through. Take this route if you wish to see what lies ahead, but a computer disk and a fuse are needed, so Lara can do nothing there for now. Instead, when Lara lands inside the cavern jump up on the big rocks to the right. Turn to face left (E), angle slightly right to see a high opening. Make a running jump to grab it, hold down the Crouch Key to pull inside, and crawl through a gauzy material.

 

Stand up, go left to press a button, a block rises up overhead. There is a grate on the other side of this room, but it isn't shootable. Climb the ladder and back flip onto a raised block, look up north to see a similar metal grate that is shootable. (Save the game.) To reach it, face south, jump and pull up onto a slope, draw pistols while doing a jump/twist. Fire at the grate―if Lara breaks only the lower half that is fine, but breaking only the upper half doesn't work.

 

Climb back up ladder and back flip to block. Jump, pull up onto that south slope again, but this time do a jump/twist to grab where the metal grate broke. Pull up, go outside.

 

Lava Room Walkway

 

Lara is now high up over the lava room. Survey the surroundings, as there will be more to do up here. Drop down onto a walkway below, press a button, see a gate open up near the lava. Go to the end of the walkway, look down to the right (E) to see a blue tinge of an opening. (Actually Lara jumped right by this gate earlier.) Spot a pillar that is below the end of the walkway, somewhat right.

 

Back up, don't run but sprint out, angling right, to land on top that pillar. Don't try to jump to the wall opening, instead jump to a low pillar close to it. Getting inside looks tricky, but Lara did a running jump to the wall opening, hit her head, and dropped inside without trouble.

 

Outsmart Another Soldier

 

Wait a bit in the opening. A soldier comes, run past him, to the right, and sprint to the end of this long room. Turn and shoot him much as Lara did before. Medipacks are scarce, and Lara has only pistols, so caution is in order.

 

When safe, return toward the entrance, the N part of this long room, climb into an alcove that is opposite a jump switch. Make a running jump to use this switch; a block goes up in the S part of this long room. Go to the other end, pull up into an alcove there, use the switch. (This was the switch seen through a metal grate where Lara was doing jump/twists.) Get a screenshot of that high walkway where Lara just was, but now there is a rope hanging from the bottom of a walkway.

 

Super Rope Swing to Walkway

 

Go to the opening to the lava, reverse jumps in order to get back onto the high central pillar. From here Lara can jump to grab the rope. Slide down to the bottom, turn completely around. See the high metal fence Lara came through, and to its left a high walkway. It may seem difficult, but Lara has to swing up to it.

 

Tap the Dash Key for Lara to swing. Wait for her to bring her legs back up onto the rope. This time wait for her to reach the high point of her back swing, and tap the Dash Key again. Lara should do a super rope swing. At the peak of the swing, jump forward and sail to the upper walkway....

 

Lara comes close but misses completely. Almost grabbed it next time. After six or a dozen attempts Lara swings up high and lands on that upper walkway on her feet―she doesn't even have to grab the edge. This has happened both times Lara has been successful.

 

Traversing Rocks Southwest

 

Go forward and pick up a small medipack. Come back to the middle, to a gap out to the W. Lara wants to do a running jump straight out, but the railing at her back when she tries to set up the jump causes her to fall at the walkway edge. So make an angled run, with Lara taking off to grab the ledge straight ahead.

 

Make a couple standing jumps SW. I found it convenient to reach a higher ledge SW by using a short-takeoff jump. (Hold down the Shift Key while Lara starts to take a step forward, release Shift Key and immediately press Jump (Alt) to make the distance of a running jump.) Now a standing jump up north. Up here the area to the NW looks interesting, as below an opening there is even a ladder with a pickup at the bottom of it, but at this point Lara wants to go left, to the SW.

 

Hop to a pillar SW, and from there a short-takeoff jump SW to a lower ledge. Now work along the rock wall heading left, south. Jump up in front of a low railing and hop over it. Note the green keyhole in the corner, but that is for a long time in the future.

 

Taunting, Out-of-Reach Pickups

 

Go inside right, into a large room. In the NW corner is a waterhole, but I've never figured out what this is about. If Lara swims through to a larger pool, she can see a secret area through a fence, so maybe that is the purpose for the water.

 

Back in the big room, Lara can climb up on a pillar at the W end of the room. Here she looks over to a similar pillar that has a green key on it. All I can do is counsel patience. For now go up the ramp on the south side of this room, roll, and jump to pull up to the room above.

 

Here there is a Hand of Copper (sphere) protected by a flame emitter. The area around this is walkable, not a fall-through floor, for all the good that does. Lara can't get it.

 

A Red Key

 

There is an obvious jump switch in the NE corner. Go there, and shoot the metal grate, pick up Uzi clips. (At the glass window, look outside to a secret area. To the left of the window is a large medipack.) Then get on the block, jump to use the switch. A gate opens diagonally across the room in the SW.

 

Run up stairs there and inside, drawing guns to quickly start shooting at a soldier at the other end of the room. He approaches Lara, and when he is about to fire, she can dash to the opposite end of the room to continue firing from there, taking minor damage. When he explodes he leaves behind a red key, Entrance Key.

 

A Hard Secret

 

Get the red key, and get out of these rooms and back to the lava area. Lara wants to retrace her route going north on the rock wall. Do a running jump, taking off well before the railing so as not to overshoot a safe ledge. Go north, get down on a lower ledge that Lara first landed on at the rock wall. From here make a running jump north to a slanted ledge. Walk right on this, look at the metal structure north.

 

A green block has gone down in the metal structure, allowing entrance to a secret area. Lara needs to be high enough to reach this entrance, so go back up the slanted ledge, right up to the first texture seam, one square out from the wall. Turn to the right and Lara can no longer see the entrance. It is easier to do a sort of banana jump, with Lara high enough on the ledge, than to do an angled jump with her to the right, where she is too low. Make the running jump, curving in left to land in the opening.

 

In the secret area, go immediately left and pick up shotgun ammo. From here go NW to differently textured stand-alone pillars. Go on their left (S) side, turn right (N) to face a slope on these pillars that Lara can jump to. When facing this slope, jump to the right side of it.

 

Jump to hit that slope, back flip and hit a surprise slope behind, jump forward with a curve right to land on a high pillar of this group. Stand jump NW to a similar pillar top. Then make a running jump/grab to the north, pull up at the wall.

 

Turn right to face eastwards, angled towards SE. Jump grab the overhead rock edge. Shimmy right. Now pull up into the uppermost area, and do a series of bouncing jumps back and forth, traveling right, until Lara can land on a flat triangular ledge. Success. Lara can explore this upper area, and go south to pick up Secret #1, large medipack. This is the area and the large medipack that she previously saw through the window.

 

When it's time to get down, head all the way north. Drop back down to the same spot where Lara made her jump up to grab the rock edge. It is important to stand at the north portion of this ledge. Facing W, Lara drops off backwards and hangs, and should be outside the fence that rings the secret area.

 

Detour For Shotgun Ammo

 

For shotgun ammo go E and down the ladder. This is the normal entrance. At the bottom pick up shotgun ammo. Climb back up the ladder and go right (N) into another area.

 

To the W find a red keyhole, so use the key that Lara has (yes, I know it's actually the Entrance Key). Go through. In the next area things turn nasty.

 

Automatic Machine Gun

 

To the left (S) there is a slope, and if you look up it to the right you'll spot an automatic machine gun. Lara has two choices. If she goes up the right side, she can hide her presence from the machine gun for a while. Then she veers away from the gun or it will flame her, setting her alight. This route may shorten exposure to gunfire.

 

If Lara goes up the slope on the left, she finds Uzi clips on a NE corner pillar, and she can pick them up without bullets assaulting her. She is farther from the gun, but it has longer to blast her, because the exit at the top of the slope is to the right, near the gun. I can't say that either of these choices really appealed to me, but you can try them.

 

After trying these, Lara went right, hiding from the machine gun, sprinting past it, and stopping at the entrance to next area with a soldier. This caused the soldier to wander around walkways, and up onto instrument panels, all the while with Lara shooting at him, taking no damage herself. Lara saved almost a small medipack this way. Results may vary. When the excitement is over, climb the blocks NW in the soldier's room.

 

The Long Rooms: Raising a Block

 

Descend a ladder and run out into Room 1. The green tile to Lara's left is a raising block. To the right (E), Lara can drop down to get Uzi clips.

 

Go west and jump into Room 2, avoiding a flame emitter, which is protecting a wall button. Go to the middle and see a button on the right (N) wall. DON'T press it. It drops open a trapdoor for later.

 

Continue to the W end, and notice a green floor tile. Lara will often place push blocks on these tiles, so be on the alert for them. There doesn't seem to be a push block in sight, so climb an overhead ladder above the square next to that tile.

 

Run to the other end of the room and pull a block back to the center onto a trapdoor, a floor texture that looks like a door. Drop back down the ladder to Room 2. Go to the middle and press the north wall button. The trapdoor falls open. Turn around. How come the block didn't come crashing down? Try jumping up into that space, or onto squares to either side of it. The block will appear on the walkway where it fell.

 

Push the block W all the way to the end, onto that green tile. The flame emitter at the other end of this room shuts off. Go there and press a corner wall button.

 

Return to Room 1 and see the risen block in the center. Get onto it, and climb a ladder up into Room H.

 

The Upper Long Rooms

 

Go to the east end and avoid falling into a hole in the floor. Jump up north, and immediately go left (W) all the way to the end of this next room.

 

There is a T-junction, with a closed gate on the right. Go left and use an overhead jump switch, get a screenshot of a door opening. (Note: there is an adjacent greenish lit doorway here, but Lara gets back to it later.)

 

Run east out of this room, turn right―watch out for hole in floor―back into Room H. Go to the other end (W), jump up left, and make an immediate left. As Lara runs along here spot a doorway on right where the gate opened by using that jump switch. Continue to the end of this room, at the T-junction pick up shotgun ammo. Return to the open south doorway in the middle. Draw pistols.

 

Battle For Crowbar

 

Go a few steps into the room, then back up firing as a soldier appears. Back out of the doorway, when he comes close enough to get ready to fire, hop to the side. Lure him into the long room, backing away to the end of it to maintain maximum distance. Lara will take health loss but should be okay.

 

When the soldier is gone, go in the south doorway. Underneath the flashing light, pick up a crowbar.

 

Exit back to long room, run west to go out, but this time make a left into a new room. Go west to the end of this long room, and use the crowbar on a metal gate. Inside pick up a Blue Key―it looks like a blue fuse or something, but no matter.

 

Using Blue “Key”

 

Go back to Room H, the one that has holes in the floor Lara can fall into. Run to the other end of it (E), jump up left, and once more take a quick left. Run to the end of this room, but not into the T-junction (where Lara used the jump switch), instead take the adjacent greenish lit doorway on the right (N).

 

Here there is a block to the right. Go left (W) and use a floor lever. Notice that there is another floor lever on the wall.

 

See that block east going down. Run straight forward to it, and use the Blue “Key” on the wall receptacle. A screenshot shows that the room behind Lara rotates ninety degrees, and clicks into place, so the wall floor lever can now be used.

 

Run back and use the new floor lever, see doors going up. (Lara gets to those doors shortly. If you care to look around it is clear there are still things left to do. That nearby T-junction where Lara threw the jump switch still has a closed gate, as you can confirm. If Lara exits this room and goes left there is a new room with a raising block that hasn't gone up yet. So to continue.)

 

Long Room Secret

 

Go back to Room H―don't fall into the hole. Go down the ladder in the middle of the room. Go west to Room 2, and take a ladder up at its far end by the push block. At the top look right, use the crowbar to open a metal gate. Find a long room in here to the left, and at its end jump up for Secret #2, Shotgun Ammo.

 

Conclude Confusing Long Rooms

 

Return down to Room 2 and then east to Room 1. Next to the raising block in the middle, jump up into the south doorway, climb a ladder. Lara is back in the room after the machine gun. At the NE corner, use the crowbar on a metal gate. Inside, push a NE wall button. Bingo. See a gate go up in a T-junction.

 

Get back to Room 1, hop on the raised block, climb a ladder, go right (E)―do I have to warn about that hole in the floor? Hop up left, and take an immediate left. Run to the end of this room, into the T-junction and go right (where the gate opened). Go to the end of this passage: on one of those green soccer-ball textures pick up a Check Disk. See a raising block.

 

Run out all the way east, but at the point where Lara can go right to room H instead go left (N) to find a new raised block in the middle. Climb on the block, jump, and pull up above. Lara has finished with all those long rooms below. She is now looking out a gate opened by the second floor lever.

 

Tall Room Slope Jumps

 

Look over the new room south. In fact, Lara has been here. This is where Lara entered after using the red key, and where she started to run up a slope to avoid a machine gun. To start, make a running jump to a ledge in the center of this room.

 

*

 

Method #1. Expends a small medipack. Very fast.

 

Climb up onto the S block, look down ahead to white slopes far below. Sprint off the edge of the block, fall, hit the white slopes, slide, grab the edge. Shimmy all the way right, continue as described below. (Skip next two paragraphs.)

 

Method #2. Not as fast, but sane.

 

Lara needs to get down and the ladder in the SE corner looks promising. One way to reach it is to pull up onto the E pillar. Lara wants to turn right and make a curved running jump to the ladder, but the railing at her back means she will fall off the pillar edge. So angle the running jump, then leap with a curve right to grab the ladder, take it down to the bottom.

 

Run to the other side of a flame emitter tile. There are white slopes in the S part of this room, Lara can make a running jump SW to grab their edge. Shimmy all the way to the right so Lara is against a pillar.

 

*

 

Lara hangs from white slopes. Pull up and hesitate for a moment. Lara's feet slip slightly, so her toes are at the end of the slope. Back flip to hit a slope behind. Keep the jump key depressed so Lara bounces off to a ledge on the side.

 

Find a switch on a N pillar and use it; doors open up above. Lara has to retrace her route up the ladder.

 

Climbing the Tall Room

 

Make another running jump/grab to the same south slopes. This time Lara can't shimmy all the way left. Stop one square away from the left pillar, at the texturing line. Pull up and hesitate for a moment so Lara will get maximum distance. Back flip and bounce forward, and this time Lara grabs the edge of a ledge next to a flame emitter tile. Pull up.

 

Get to the SE ladder. The point to reach is rather specific. Climb until you see patterned textures to the right, about one square away. The textures look like horizontal venting louvers or something. Almost at the bottom of these is a black line, and this black line extends across onto the concrete wall and to the ladder. Lara's hands should be at this black line.

 

Shimmy all the way left. Do a back flip/twist with curve right to hit a slope, bounce off with curve right to grab the ladder on the side of the east pillar. Climb up, then jump down to the walkway.

 

Next Battle for Pickups

 

Go to the middle, facing south, make a running jump/grab to a doorway that opened in the wall ahead. Pull up, run forward, and―oh, bother, another soldier. Hop back, keep firing, and maybe Lara will get through unscathed.

 

When the soldier is gone go forward into the room and search shelves on the left for flares and a small medipack. (At this point Lara had 6 small medipacks and 1 large medipack, but you never know when they'll be needed.)

 

Use the switch in the SW corner, and see that flames shut off for a floating sphere. Also a trapdoor falls open right behind Lara in the SE corner.

 

Hand of Copper

 

Drop through the SE trapdoor, and fall down into a room where Lara picked up the red key. Go outside to the big room, to the middle of it where electric sparks are swirling around a sphere. Jump onto the block and take Hand of Copper. This is the principle pickup for this level, and therefore a major accomplishment. Hear a trapdoor fall open.

 

Green Key

 

From the Hand of Copper block go straight W to the wall, and drop through a trapdoor. Fall on top of a green key, excuse me, Room Key, and pick it up.

 

Drop to the ground, run E and jog left to a green keyhole. Use the Room Key to open the gate. Go outside and take the zip line to the end.

 

Return to the Cavern

 

Hop back, hang and drop down to a pillar beside the cavern entrance. Jump back into the cavern, this time go to the end to find a low crawlspace in the SW.

 

Crawl through, run left (S) to a concrete foundation. Stop here to look up right to a high opening in a corner. Lara will be back there in a moment. Now enter through a gap in the fence ahead.

 

Note that to the left is a receptacle for a fuse (key). In the middle S is a closed door. In the right (NW) corner is a place for a computer disk, which Lara has. Place it and see a gate open.

 

Magnetic Field Lab

 

Go out the fence and around to the left, climb on a block and pull up into a high wall opening. Take the first right. The sign says “Magnetic Field Lab.” Make the left turn and step on what looks like wooden planks. Lara slides merrily forward and to the left.

 

At the end of the slide turn around, spot the needed fuse on the other side on the floor. There is no way to reach it as the slide goes the wrong way.

 

Loop around back to the sign and to the beginning of the slide, look the situation over. Notice that there is a monkey swing straight overhead. Lara can slide, jump forward with a twist to a slope, bounce up and grab the monkey swing. (Or take the slide backwards, back flip, and bounce to grab the monkey swing, which I thought was easier.)

 

On the monkey swing time the flame emitter to get past it. The save/reload trick will also give Lara a little time if needed. Climb up the ladder and back flip. Spot a wall switch due east, but be wary of running straight to it. Lara would then run over a tile that is over the flame emitter, and she might burn. So run to the side to reach the switch at the back wall.

 

Reverse Magnetic Field

 

Use the switch, and a screenshot shows a pole move. This is not a swing pole, but a magnetic pole: Lara has just reoriented the magnetic field.

 

Go out the S door. Turn around at the hole, hop back to use a jump switch. Now drop down to the lower level.

 

Yellow Key

 

There is no need to return to the start of the slide, just step on the wood planks and Lara slides across toward the bottle on the floor. Before she can get to it a soldier appears. Sprint around the corner right and to the end of this passage, roll and fire at the soldier. When he approaches, sprint past him back toward the bottle, roll, and keep firing. After Lara vanquishes him pick up the bottle, Yellow Key.

 

Go E to the end of this passage, hang and drop down to the cavern below. Go S, and run through the opening in the fence. Turn left and use the Yellow Key at its receptacle.

 

The door in the middle S opens. Run toward that doorway and the level ends.

 

 

Episode 2

 

(Note: Lara can move freely between all levels that have opened up. If she turns around and runs back, she will return to level 1. Thus if she had missed a secret she can go back.)

 

Saucers, Stealth Aircraft

 

Go up the slope and out to a starry night. Go forward and out the opening west. A flying saucer zooms by Lara, out doors that slam shut behind it. From Lara's position, go left, up a slope at the end, and shoot a metal grate.

 

Inside go left (S) and right into a room with stealth aircraft. At the west end of this room there are doorways leading out both south and north. For now only the north doorway is open, so take the NW room exit.

 

Droid Welcoming Committee

 

Draw pistols. No longer does Lara have to fight tough damaging soldiers with only her pistols. Now she can fight tough damaging droids with only her pistols. The main thing is to keep as far away as possible while still targeting the creatures, and that means ducking back into the passage to this room. It still doesn't help much if Lara side flips while firing.

 

Computer Disk

 

Look over the ground carefully where the droids fell. One of them dropped a security disk, which can be hard to see on the concrete floor. Pick up Check Disk.

 

There is a doorway SE, but that is for later. For now go north to the obvious computer terminal up the stairs. Place the disk, the door opens.

 

Push Block Tile

 

This next room has some interesting features, such as a soccer-ball tile in the middle of the East wall. A push block would go there, so let's see.... There is a button in the NE corner, push it. Run diagonally across the room to the SW corner, where a block went down, freeing up a push block.

 

Take this block and put it on the tile in the middle of the East wall. Once placed, a block goes up in the nearby SE corner. Jump up in the corner and press a button. Run diagonally across the room to the NW corner where a trapdoor fell open. Drop down here.

 

Shoot from Crawlspace

 

Drop down again and crawl south. Shoot the grate in front and stop. DON'T crawl out!

 

Look out over the room ahead, with its lava pool, and angle Lara diagonally left. While still in the crawlspace try to point Lara SE. See a wall ladder in that direction, and at its top is a shootable grate to another crawlspace. Lara needs to shoot that far grate from here, while she is high enough for her pistols to aim properly. This can take a few attempts, but keep trying until Lara shoots the grate.

 

The Two-Pool Room

 

Once Lara has hit the far grate, get out. If you face Lara forward and press jump she will somersault out of the crawlspace. Now go west to a very tall pool room. The right (N) pool has water in it, so dive in and use an underwater lever at the east end. A door goes up, and this is right next to the crawlspace that Lara just dropped out of. You can trot back to the previous room, look left and see the open gate. (There are some pickups inside, but Lara needs a green key to open a door there.)

 

For now go to the empty pool. (It also has an underwater lever at the east end.) Take the ladder down into the pool, and near it is an opening S in the wall. Run down the passage and right to the end, take the ladder up and back flip out.

 

Deceptive Block Puzzle

 

Survey the room. There is a push block to the west. To the right (N) there is a button and next to it what looks like a raising block. One might leap to the conclusion that Lara moves the block over onto the raising block, which is correct.

 

But first one has to realize that there is a second button in this room. It is very easy to miss because if Lara pushes the N button she is correct, but she hides the second button, which is in the hole next to the west push block. Drop down in that hole and push the button there first. A block goes down on the north side.

 

Now get out and push the north button. Two blocks rise up: one west, and one next to the button. Now Lara can move the west block out into the middle of the room.

 

Press the north button again. Move the block from the middle of the room onto the lowered block north. Press the north button. The block goes up. The push block has been raised, and can now be push to the west against other blocks.

 

Now press the north button to make a hole in the floor west. Go to hole and press the button there. Climb out and up to the NW corner of the room to find a trigger tile. Pull the block that Lara just raised up back on the walkway to that NW tile. Get behind the block and push in into the corner. See a door open up at the end of a long corridor.

 

Lara will be back here, but for now exit, take the left in the passageway back to the pool, climb out. Despite a plethora of things to do on upper levels, Lara is done here. Go back to the previous room with the central red water pool. The doorway NW doesn't go anywhere. So go to the ladder in the middle of the E wall.

 

A Route Back

 

Lara already shot the grate over the high crawlspace. For those who haven't been following this walkthrough from the beginning, it is still possible to shoot that grate: climb ladder, back flip, draw pistols, and shoot.

 

Climb up into the E crawlspace. Climb the second ladder inside and go right to drop. Jump out and pick up Uzi clips NW. Press the button NE to open the door. It might be a good idea to go right to orient yourself at an earlier room, as this way leads back to the droid room. Then come back down the long corridor, past the yellow keyhole, to the end.

 

Aliens Don't Like Intruders?

 

Jump up left. Take a door that opens up on the right. As Lara goes into this room a cutscene suggests that a little alien gets out of bed to monitor the situation, perhaps to cause trouble. Look at the room under the glass floor. There look to be burners, and there is a crawlspace in the SE. In any case Lara is trapped in this room as the door shuts behind her.

 

Go to the NW corner and while facing SE pick up a small medipack―it is a Lara trap. The floor vanishes before she can react. Lara falls and slides toward a burner. Jump across to the right, bounce back and forth, work down the room until an overhead pipe impedes progress. Here Lara can slide backwards, drop and hang, shimmy right under the pipe. Pull back up and bounce back and forth onto a raised portion of slope. Shimmy right. Bounce again, and shimmy right under the second pipe, go as far as possible. Then bounce at the end of the room to get onto a block in front of a crawlspace SE. Crawl inside. Does the little alien look disappointed as Lara escapes?

 

Timed Run to Trapdoor

 

Use the button left of the gate, go out. Lara is back facing the long corridor, but don't go down it. Immediately turn right and jump up. Turn left (SE) and jump up into a higher alcove: this is a timed button.

 

After Lara presses it she rolls and runs out left, down the corridor past the door on the right she just used. Jump up at end, pull up to the right. Crawl through. The trapdoor at the end is timed. Remember that when Lara reaches it she doesn't have to turn around and try to back out and drop. Instead when she crawls to the trapdoor hole press Jump (Alt), and she will somersault out forward, which is much faster.

 

Green Key

 

On the block below turn to the glass windows and instrument panels, spot a green key, go and pick up Room Key. Go left and press a button beside a gate. The gate opens, push the block forward once to get out.

 

The fastest way back is to take the open trapdoor in the NW corner, as Lara did before. Drop down, drop down again, go left to the crawlspace. Flip outside to the red pool room. If Lara went out facing forwards, then simply turn around and enter an open door here. Run down to some raised steps. On the right are flares, in the left window are Uzi clips. Then continue to the end left and use the green key.

 

The Pump Room

 

Enter the room and climb up by the windows. Go toward the middle, and turn to face into this room (W). Lara should be looking down more or less at a button. Hop down, press it. Hear water draining; it is now the other pool which is filled with water in the pool room beyond the glass windows.

 

Step back. Turn diagonally left and go inside under the heavy structure. Go south, and at the end, still underneath the structure, look right for another button. Press it, see a trapdoor open (for a secret).

 

Two-Pool Room

 

Go out of these rooms back to the red pool room, and make a right into the two-pool room. Dive into the water in the left (S) pool, and use the underwater lever at the east end. See a trapdoor fall.

 

Pump Room Again

 

Lara would like to take the S passage from this pool and return to the push block room where that trapdoor fell, but she can't. If she swims down the passage and right the water is too low at the end for her to climb out. So she will have to get out of the pool, and make the circuitous route back where she was, after using the green key, and press that first button again to shift water in the pools to their original state. So do that.

 

Lara presses the button but there isn't any sound of water draining this time. Jump up to the windows to confirm that the water has, indeed, shifted back and that the right (S) pool is empty.

 

South Pool & Beyond

 

Now run all the way back to that pool. Drop down, take the S passageway and go right, climb the ladder, back flip into the room. Turn around. In the middle of the room W a ceiling trapdoor fell open. Climb up there and jump to grab a side, pull up. Get ready for the worst gun battle so far.

 

As Lara emerges she is under fire and there is nowhere to run to get distance from the droid. This time she is forced to move to the end of room, turn, and side flip back and forth while firing. The side flips lessens damage, but the drain on her health is considerable. When the fight is over get a small medipack in the SE corner. There is revolver ammo in the NW. Press the button in the NE corner. A gate goes up in the room below.

 

Yellow Key

 

Drop back down through the trapdoor. Get on high ledges on the south side of the room, take them around to where a gate opened. Go in, climb up here, and over the ridge slide down to the floor below.

 

A trapdoor opened in the middle of this room (from that button underneath the structure). Drop down into the hole, turn W, jump up, shoot a metal grate. Jump inside to get a yellow key, WeaponsRoom Key, which sounds promising. Climb out.

 

The beam overhead in the center has a climbing surface on either side of it. So choose either slope, back flip to it, and bounce forward to grab the side of the high beam. Climb up, but do not pull up on top the beam: the whole upper surface is a fire trap. Instead shimmy to the side and drop at the end.

 

Alcove Monkey Swing

 

Run around the room. There is an opening SW, but this leads to a closed gate. Better, there is a high opening in the SE. This has a monkey swing over it, a monkey swing that leads all around the room. So how can Lara get onto that monkey swing?

 

Lara can't get on top any of the fire pillars, as even the corners set her on fire. So trace the monkey swing along, and the NE corner is the only spot. Have Lara pull up on the center of a structure at the east side of the room, the flat surface between two slopes. Turn to face north. Start to slide in that direction, then quickly jump with Ctrl pressed to grab the monkey swing.

 

Go counterclockwise completely around the room to end up in the high alcove. Drop, run forward and use a wall switch, see an exit gate open.

 

Not So Fast

 

Run out jumping over the fire, keep running straight W into a doorway, make a right and go down a slope. At the end...whoops, better pause at the exit gate.

 

Look up. Leap to pull a jump switch. Drop down. A camera shot through the glass window shows a block going up.

 

Weapons Room Secret

 

Get out of here and back to the red pool room. Lara is probably impatient to check out that Weapons Room Key. Climb the east ladder, up second ladder and right, jump into room. When Lara steps out into the long corridor the yellow keyhole is at her left elbow. Open the door with the Weapons Room Key, go in for a secret chime.

 

Go around to the right and pick up Secret #3, small medipack, 2x shotgun ammo, and laser sight. In addition there are three racks of guns. Stand in front of the center, one step back, and press Ctrl to get a shotgun.

 

Now return to the neighboring room, go down the ladder, and back to the red pool room. Go across to the two-pool room.

 

Quest for the Red Key Begins

 

The green block went up left at the south wall. Get on the pipe block at the head of the south pool. Turn south and make a running jump/grab for the green block, pull up. Turn left, and pull up higher.

 

Press a wall button. For the longest time I couldn't figure out what this did, as the camera shot isn't very illuminating. Apparently it has nothing to do with the upper ledges. Behind Lara is a slope, pointed to the south. When Lara uses the button this slope is oriented east, to face another slope, making it possible for Lara to reach the central tower. Look inside the tower from here to spot a glimmer of a red key.

 

Now jump to the west, and continue making ledge jumps to the north to arrive at the NW corner.

 

Two Possible Routes

 

At this point Lara can choose how she jumps. A simpler alternate route is listed for reference, although it is interesting to play both ways. For author's route jump to Author's Route.

 

Alternate Play, No Switch Pulling

 

Step onto the lower part of the NW ledge; don't touch the monkey swing. Turn E, angle left, and make a running jump/grab for a ladder. Lara will grab its bottom edge, so climb up to the top. Turn right, jump to a tower ledge, turn left, jump to the next ledge. Hop around the corner right.

 

Make a running jump/grab to the E. There is a button on the wall here, but ignore it. There is also a texture tile that usually takes a push block. Go right (S), and make a running jump to a corner ledge.

 

Move Push Block

 

Shoot a metal grate in the corner, and skip inside the opening. Lara finds a push block in the wall. First use a button N to open a nearby gate. Go to the block, pull it out of the wall, and maneuver it through that open gate. Lara will have to get outside and make jumps to a corner ledge while maneuvering the block, but at the end push the block outside onto a trapdoor.

 

Go outside, push the block north to the end, onto a green textured tile. A gate goes up in a passageway at the NW corner on a ledge where Lara was a few minutes ago. Opening this gate was the first objective. Now Lara needs to get a red key and she is done here.

 

Shut Off Fire

 

Go inside to an alcove in the wall where the push block was. Jump up there, at the end push a button to see a fire go out at the bottom of a ladder. Get down to the small room, go left (S) to a corner opening. (Straight ahead there is an open door left, but ignore it.) The fire went out at the bottom of this ladder where Lara stands.

 

Climb down to a ledge below. Make a running jump/grab across west, get onto the pipe block. Get to the NW corner of this block; the easiest way is to drop and shimmy over there under the pipe. Turn to face fire emitter slopes north.

 

Fire Emitter Jumps

 

Looking ahead, it is clear Lara will make a standing jump north to the left edge of the first slope, then slide and jump with a curve left to hit a slope that is pointed left (W), and last jump to a west slope. The first two of these slopes are fire emitters and need to be timed, but the last slope is safe. The fire emitters are out of sync so the save/reload trick may make things worse. Wait for the first flame emitter to die, but the slope against the tower will still be going. Wait a second more, jump when the first flame emitter is almost ready to start again, and Lara will reach the tower flame emitter as it is shutting off. When Lara reaches the safe west slope, slide back and hang. Shimmy to the right against the tower. Watch the tower wall to gauge when the fire dies down behind, which is hard as there are so many fire emitters. When the fire is dying, pull up, back flip, then bounce forward and right onto the tower.

 

Red Key and Exit

 

Pick up the red key, Entrance Key, see a screenshot of a gate opening. The camera shot is from a neighboring room, so it is confusing. From the tower Lara can look up NE and see the same open gate up high. That is where Lara is going.

 

Lara needs to get down. The fastest way is to make a running jump over the west railing to land in a full pool to the right. Climb out, do the same jumps to get onto the green block south. Pull up higher. Make ledge jumps west and north as before.

 

In the NW corner ledge back flip to a slope, bounce forward to grab a monkey swing. Turn around, get to an entryway in the NW corner. Run through (Lara opened the way here when she placed the block). Skip over author's route, go directly to $$$ Alternate Routes Merge.

 

Author's Route

 

On the NW corner ledge back flip to a slope, bounce forward to grab a monkey swing. Turn around, get to the high corner. Turn right (E), make a running jump/grab for a ladder, climb to the top.

 

Throw NW Switch

 

Turn around, make a running jump/grab to a higher ledge over where Lara was. Use a wall switch on the left to raise a trapdoor (unfortunately this also closes a door). Jump back E to top of ladder.

 

Turn right and jump to a tower ledge, turn left, jump to next ledge. Hop around the corner right, and go to the end railing of this ledge.

 

Get Inside

 

Make a running jump/grab to an E trapdoor (the one Lara just raised up). Turn right (S) for a running jump to a corner ledge.

 

Shoot a metal grate in the corner, skip inside the opening. Lara finds a push block in the wall. First use a N button to open a nearby gate left. Go to the block, pull it out of wall, and push it north into a corner to the right of the button.

 

Shut Off Fire

 

Go to the alcove where the push block was, jump up there, and at the end push a button to see a fire go out. Get down to the small room, go left (S) to a corner opening. The fire went out at the bottom of the ladder where Lara stands.

 

Climb down to a ledge below. Make a running jump/grab across west to a pipe block. Get to the NW corner of this block; the easiest way is to drop and shimmy over there under the pipe. Turn to face fire emitter slopes north.

 

Fire Emitter Jumps

 

Looking ahead, it is clear Lara will make a standing jump north to the left edge of the first slope, then slide and jump with a curve left to hit a slope that is pointed left (W), and last jump to a west slope. The first two of these slopes are fire emitters and need to be timed, but the last slope is safe. The fire emitters are out of sync so the save/reload trick may make things worse. Wait for the first flame emitter to die, but the slope against the tower will still be going. Wait a second more, jump when the first flame emitter is almost ready to start again, and Lara will reach the tower flame emitter as it is shutting off. When Lara reaches the safe west slope, slide back and hang. Shimmy to the right against the tower. Watch the tower wall to gauge when the fire dies down behind, which is hard as there are so many fire emitters. When the fire is dying, pull up, back flip, then bounce forward and right onto the tower.

 

Red Key, Return NW

 

Pick up red key, Entrance Key, see a screenshot of a gate opening. The camera shot is from a neighboring room, so it is confusing. From the tower Lara can look up NE and see the same open gate up high. Lara's first objective has been accomplished, but she still needs to open a gate in the NW.

 

The fastest way to get down is to make a running jump over the west railing to land in a full pool to the right. Climb out, do the same jumps to get onto the green block south. Pull up higher. Make ledge jumps west, then north.

 

Throw NW Switch Again

 

On the NW corner ledge Lara needs to repeat everything she did before, monkey swing into corner, a running jump/grab E to ladder, climb to top, turn around, make a running jump/grab to a higher W ledge. This time return the wall switch back to its upright position―a trapdoor falls, but a door opens.

 

To Reach SE Room

 

Lara now needs to get back to the SE room. The suggested ways require a tricky maneuver.

 

*

 

Method #1. Sharply Curved Jump

 

Get back to the ledge over the S block. On the ledge turn east. Make a running jump to the far side of slopes on the left, bounce off with right curve to land on the block with pipes. Drop and shimmy under the pipe to the east side, pull up. Lara wants to make a leap to the SE ledge where the fire went out. She can stand with pipes on her right, facing the wall. Run toward the wall, before hitting it make a sharp veer to the left and leap to grab the SE ledge. Pull up, climb a ladder into the SE room. This method suggested by Mugs. (Skip next paragraph.)

 

Method #2. Continue From NW Wall Switch

 

Jump back E to top of ladder. Jump to tower ledges and around to the E, jump across to a green tile beside a raised block. Climb onto the raised block. Getting into the adjacent doorway below is difficult, as a raised gate makes it very hard to grab the edge with Ctrl. There are several methods. (a) A side flip, suggested by Mister-B. Stand at the outer edge of the block, nearest the gate, turn slightly to the right and side flip to the left. Lara lands right inside the door. (b) Sprint into the doorway. Back up diagonally to the far corner of the block. Aim Lara at the right side of the doorway and sprint. With sufficient speed she falls into that edge of doorway. (c) Suggested by manarch2. Press Lara forward, faced diagonally between the raised gate and the wall, pointed toward the opening below. Run in position, and make jumps. Soon Lara falls into the doorway.

 

*

 

By any method Lara is in the SE room, goes to stand at the south doorway. Get onto a ledge to the side of the opening. Jump across W to a higher ledge and go left through the open door. Get ready to use Lara's new shotgun.

 

Fight Droid For Switch

 

Go right into a room and shoot a droid three times. As it readies to return fire, back up into the hallway that Lara came from. Back up and shoot the droid when it follows, about seven shoots in total for it to explode. Get shotgun ammo from the hallway. Run into the room and climb the right (N) windowsill. Throw a wall switch there.

 

Go outside and see that the ledge block has gone down, exposing a push button. Also a trapdoor has risen. Jump E directly to corner doorway and inside. Go through the room to the other door and out to right. Press the button where the block went down. A second trapdoor goes up.

 

Push Block Maneuvers

 

Now Lara can go inside and maneuver the block from the corner onto that raised trapdoor. Lara will have to get outside and make jumps to a corner ledge while maneuvering the block, but at last push the block outside and north to the end, onto a green textured tile. See a screenshot of a gate going up at the NW corner ledge. That was what Lara needed.

 

Last Visit to NW

 

Make a running leap diagonally right into the pool below. Press Ctrl as Lara falls to extend the distance that she travels. Get out of pool, run over to jump to the same S block again, pull up higher. Make the ledge jumps west, then north.

 

In the NW corner back flip to a slope, grab a monkey swing. Turn around, get to an entryway in the NW corner. Run through.

 

$$$ Alternate Routes Merge

 

Pull up onto blocks (N), climb a ladder, and get off to the right. Ready the shotgun. Slide down and engage a droid, shooting and side flipping until he explodes.

 

High Slope Jump

 

This room may look like a dead end, but the left (E) window pane is missing. Climb onto the window sill, look east for a slope, and beyond it is the gate that opened when Lara picked up a red key. Position Lara at the seam between textures, do a running jump to the right portion of the slope. Don't try to grab. Lara lands on the slope, slides, and jumps with right curve through the open wall gate.

 

Red Keyhole Room

 

Go a way into this new room to orient yourself. Look beyond the flames to see a red keyhole. Run completely around to the opposite side of this room for a small medipack. From an opening in the east fence jump out to grab the long tongue of ledge. Run to its other end, hop up, and use the red key. A gate goes up: this is back in the room with stealth aircraft.

 

Back to Starting Rooms

 

On the ledge near the red keyhole, Lara sprints off onto instrument panels below. From this lower room, take the SW exit back to a room with stealth aircraft. Continue across to a SW passageway, make a right, pick up an Ornate Handle. A saucer arrives to dramatic music.

 

Battle Droids

 

A door opened on the left. Go into the next room, and up slopes. There are two droids guarding a saucer, and they are awfully fond of lobbing grenades. If Lara is cautious (meaning she retreats to the rear passageway a lot) she can dispatch them with pistols. Jump up to the walkway by the saucer, take it all the way N to pick up Uzis. Get a screenshot.

 

Red Keyhole Room & Beyond

 

The screenshot is of the place where Lara dropped down onto instrument panels. That is, a block has risen right below the red keyhole. So go back through the stealth aircraft room, into the next room N, stay along the left wall. Climb onto instrument panels again, pull up onto a higher block. Jump and grab a ledge in front of the red keyhole, pull up.

 

“Go to the Past”

 

Turn left. See that at the E end of this room a door went up. Jump over there and enter this new area. At a raised middle back in the room find a PDA that says, “Go back to the past, AD 794, Japan.”

 

A tall order for most people, but then this is Lara. Go right to the SE doorway, make a left-right-straight. Come to a convenient keypad, select 794, entering each digit with Ctrl, then select > and hit Ctrl. The key code is correct.

 

The Hand of Silver

 

Go through the open door and right to electric sparks. Standing back a pace get a Hand Of Silver. Turn around, take the left walkway S and the level ends.

 

 

Episode 3

 

Slide down into Japan, AD 794 for a colorful change of scenery.

 

After the slide go left (S) and pull up into the corner. Turn left (NE), jump to grab the edge, pull up and back flip onto a pillar. Turn right and use a wall switch. The door at the end of the pond goes up.

 

Brief Detour

 

Drop down. Cross the bridge and admire a butterfly that flits around Lara: shoot it. Before going into the S door that opened, go across the bridge and right, into a corner opening. Go through and fight a ninja. Look around briefly―note the surroundings for later.

 

A Passageway Room

 

Go back to the bridge, jump in shallow water, and wade over to the S doorway. Now if Lara goes right in this passageway she enters a small room. If she stands on a block in the back left, and turns around, it is possible to see a high wall switch. So Lara must get back to this later. Go back to the passageway and right to a new large area.

 

Large Courtyard

 

Pause upon entering the new area. Look SE at high window shutters, and remember them for later. Explore everything. There is a red torii gate over to the west, and behind its uprights are two standing burners that may require a lit torch.

 

The North Area

 

Take the exit NW. Run into the next area, spot flares directly ahead and somewhat right, go get them. Come back right to the SW, find a jump switch outside the entrance (inner wall) and use it. Go to the other side of the entrance, SE corner, and drop into a trapdoor that opened up. Below pick up Secret #4, wideshot shotgun ammo and shotgun. Climb back out.

 

North Walkway

 

Head N and get on a walkway. Lara runs by an area with finely raked sand, a rock garden. Step near the doors to the right and one of them will open. Inside the room go right (NE) and shoot a lone door. Go to the end of the revealed passage and use a switch (not timed), see another door open. Returning through the passage, notice that there is one lit burner, and one unlit burner.

 

Explore Rooms

 

Before exiting this room run right to the middle of the west wall: one of the doors will open here. Look this new room over, notice that the SE and SW alcoves are not symmetrical, as one is at floor level. Go to the SE alcove near the door, climb the block, turn around and jump up to grab a ladder. Climb to the top, drop and hang in order to pull up. Diagonally left in the NW corner, behind a pillar, find a small medipack. Crawl out and get down.

 

Go back outside to the walkway with the red railing, and continue right along it. At the end make a right, go to the end to find the door that opened, go inside to fight another ninja. From the entrance run diagonally across the room SE to use a wall switch. A screenshot shows a block rising under those wooden shutters that Lara presciently noted.

 

Back to Big Courtyard

 

Run back to that starting area. In the courtyard go left, up the stairs E, and climb on the block. Push the shutters open. Go forward, drop into a passageway and go right. Look through a railing to see a pond (Lara will get there), then turn left for a slide down. During the slide there is a hole in the ceiling, but Lara isn't meant to grab there. (Maybe at one time it held a boulder.)

 

Lower Rooms

 

At the bottom pick up a small medipack on a dark textured floor between the spikes (hard to see it without a flare). Go right and find a trapdoor in the floor. Open it, drop down, pick up revolver ammo, and use a wall switch. See a door open, a glimpse of garden outside. Jump to grab the overhead opening and climb out.

 

In this room there is a high crawlspace in the SW, get into that, crawl through, pull up into a new room.

 

The Garden Rooms

 

There are four new rooms here, and much to do. First, there is shotgun ammo in the NE by the futon. The south doors will open if Lara runs up to them, go through. In this room look left to see the doors that opened from using that last wall switch. Outside there is a lit burner, but Lara can't get over the railing to reach the garden.

 

Get Torch

 

Go back inside, straight across to the west doors, and they open as Lara approaches. Go in and shoot a door on the right, go near and the floor drops to make a hole, with four torches at the bottom. Drop down, pick up a torch, back flip out.

 

Raising a Block

 

Drop the torch on the tatami mat. Go to the NW corner and use the reach-in switch (It always seems Lara can use them twice). Pick up the torch, run back outside. As Lara is going out, notice that to her left a block has risen from that switch. Go out on the balcony, left, and light the torch at the burner.

 

A Tight Timed Run

 

Come back inside, drop the torch on the specially treated flame-retardant tatami mats. Climb the block to the right of the entrance. Pull up higher, go left to get on the block at the end of the ledge. Turn left and make a running jump across, curving Lara right at the end so she hits and falls off backward to grab the edge. Shimmy leftward and pull up. Get onto a high corner block. Jump to grab a monkey swing and cross. Save the game, maybe in two slots.

 

The switch is timed tightly. Try it out. Pull the switch, see a door in the adjacent room open. Roll, run, and drop, Lara falls and crouches for a second, when she stands sprint north into the next room and right so you can watch the door closing. Restore the game, try it again. By holding the Look Key you can prevent the screenshot, so Lara can quickly roll from the switch, and dash off the end of the ledge. Then sprint into the next room.

 

Flare Trick

 

The run is probably possible, but maybe I'm not very patient because I gave up after four or five tries. I just had Lara light a flare. Use the timed switch with Look Key pressed. Roll, run off the ledge, and before Lara lands throw away the flare. (Hit the flare key when Lara is about halfway down.) Lara falls on her feet, ready to run, and doesn't go into the whole crouch routine. Sprint into the next room, right, leap to the doorway, land, and roll through.

 

Open Fourth Room

 

Outside, use the wall switch N, see more doors open. Come back and step on a white texture to open the door again. As Lara enters look straight across west to see where the new doors opened. Now go and retrieve the lit torch, and go through those open doors.

 

Taking Torch Up

 

Light a burner in the NW corner. On the other side of the futon jump on a block, and then on a higher block. Turn right (W) and make a running jump up to a ledge. Go to the SE tip of this square, make a standing jump along the ledge, slight curve left when landing, so Lara can jump forward with curve right to a slope, and bounce back onto a block with the vase. (Lara can shoot this vase but there is nothing there.)

 

Light High Burner

 

Make a running jump ahead east toward the far unlit burner. Be sure to jump aiming for the leftmost edge, to take advantage of the slope, or Lara may not make it. Go up this slope to the wall, and make a running jump to the unlit burner. Light it. Outside the block goes up.

 

Just in case, Lara made a running jump N with the torch, went along the ledge and left, but the door here is shut. She dropped the torch here as it is easy to retrieve.

 

Out to the Garden

 

Get down, go out of this room, right into the next room, and left to go outside. Go right, pull up onto the block, and jump over the red railing. Go all the way to the other end of the little garden to the white stone lantern in the NE corner.

 

Move Stone Lantern

 

Pull it out of the corner until Lara can pull it south down the garden. When it comes to rest beside the colorful red and green square, push it onto that square. Get a camera shot of a trapdoor falling open at a waterhole.

 

Concealed Switch

 

Now cross the pool back to where Lara first jumped over the red fence. Go left to the SE corner and note that a south wall texture is an odd color; lighting a flare will make this even more obvious. Draw pistols, crouch, and shoot here to open a crawlspace. Crawl through, at the pit use Jump (Alt) to somersault down. Use the wall switch in the corner. What follows is a long flyby showing the water tube falling out of position at the little pool outside, then the camera retraces back to the last inside room, to the high ledge where Lara left the torch, and the door opens in that corner. Aha!

 

To the Roof

 

Crawl back out to the long garden. Make a left and climb the wall ladder by the red fence. When Lara is above the rooftop, go right and drop onto the roof. In the middle here, north, there is ammo. Jump up to the sloping roof where the lion statue is. Go up the slope at the edge to where Lara can make a running jump over the red railing, to land on top of revolver ammo. Pick it up.

 

Jump Switch

 

To get around the fence do a running jump to the ledge E. Turn left (N), do a running jump/grab to the next ledge. Turn left, do a running jump/grab back to roof, pull up, jump onto the sloping roof north with its lion statue. First pick up shotgun ammo, then pull the jump switch. What jump switch? It is sort of SW from where Lara is standing for the pickup. If you go behind the lion statue, then turn south to look up, you can see the jump switch outlined against the sky. (You probably thought the camera shot of this area was showing Lara shotgun ammo, but actually it was pointed at the jump switch―a bit of humor by the author.) Pull the jump switch and see an underwater gate opening.

 

Drop down, go toward the middle of the roof, and make a running jump/grab to the same E ledges. This time turn right, and make a running jump/grab to the next ledges. Turn diagonally, facing the wall ladder, and step off the ledge. Lara falls on a pillar below. From here make a running jump over the red railing to get back inside.

 

A New Way

 

Go inside, right, left, back to where there is a lit burner in the corner. Climb blocks by the futon, jump up W, as Lara did before when holding the torch. This time turn right (N), and do a running jump/grab for the ledge. Pull up, go into the opened door here. In the room pick up flares. Maybe Lara is supposed to light one? That helps to quickly spot the odd texture west; shoot it to reveal an opening.

 

Go in and first go left to see a metal gate at the end. Remember this. On the window ledge pick up flares. Go back to the little passageway, and left to its end, and see what looks like the waterhole revealed when Lara placed a stone lantern in the garden.

 

The Low Water Route

 

Dive in and down. Up high NW there is an opening. Down low north there is an underwater door, so open that. Take the low route first.

 

Go inside the next room swimming diagonally right only a single block. Then go straight up to find an underwater lever, use it. It looks like that metal gate Lara saw moments ago has opened. From the green room go between NE pillars, and surface in the next area. This happens to be a pool Lara saw when she was on her way to a down slide. Pull up to the right.

 

Pool Monkey Swing

 

Look back toward the entrance Lara swam through. Above it is a monkey swing. Around the edge of the wall, under the monkey swing, is a jump switch. It may look like Lara should get on the monkey swing at the other end of the pool, where the burner is, but I had no luck with that. Hop back almost two squares from the wall, do a running jump aimed at the jump switch; Lara's shoulder will brush the wall left as she grabs the monkey swing. (I found if Lara's shoulder wasn't brushing the wall, then she wouldn't make it.) Now maneuver so Lara can drop and pull the jump switch.

 

Plum Key

 

Two blocks go up by the stone lantern in this pool. Get onto them, and pull back the stone lantern. Underneath where the stone lantern was, pick up a Plum Key. It looks like a red key, but under the water it looked sort of bluish, so Plum Key it is.

 

Return to Metal Gate

 

Retrace the swimming route, back through the green foliage room, out and left, to surface at the small passageway. Pull up, go right from the middle of this passageway, down the length of the room, to find that a metal gate in the SW corner did, indeed, open from that underwater lever. Jump up here, use a wall switch at the end. It looks like a door opened back in the rooms Lara came from.

 

Room Switch

 

Go out of here to the small passageway, go right, right, back to those rooms. Lara can jump to blocks at the central pillar, and get down. That puts her right next to a door that opened in the south wall. Pull the switch here. A trapdoor opens. Lara intuitively guesses that she can find this trapdoor by taking the NW water route that she hasn't taken yet.

 

A block has gone up on the east side of this room, so Lara doesn't have to climb the blocks at the central pillar. Just pull up east, and run around the ledge through the open doorway. Make a left into the short passageway. Dive into the water and take the high NW opening.

 

High Water Route

 

Swim sort of right, right, right to pick up a small medipack. From here swim out, angling a little left, reach the end and take a right to reach a surface hole, pull out. You will find a trapdoor opened up in the middle E of this room. First go to the SW corner and pull back the stone lantern twice, then pick up one of the torches from the corner.

 

Carry New Torch

 

Drop the torch down the open hole in the east, follow it down, and go along the walkway to pick up Shogi Piece 1. Hop up north, drop down to use a wall switch and a door opens to the outside, to the large courtyard area. Go back and retrieve the torch, take it outside.

 

Begin Lighting Burners

 

Fortunately Lara remembers where a few lit burners are. Head to the NW, and to the north end of the next room, hop up to light the torch at a burner. Take the lit torch back to the large courtyard, go to the big red torii gate, and light two burners behind its pillars. The door between them opens. Go inside.

 

Straight ahead there is a low block. Hop onto this block and drop the torch (press “1”). Leave the torch on this block. Now use a wall switch near the entrance.

 

A Timed Run

 

Get a camera shot of a pillar going up, but wait for this one as the switch is timed, and this gives a sense of the interval. Now for the run. Hold down the Look Key to kill the camera shot. Throw the switch and roll, sprint outside and NE (when the sprint bar goes down, make running leaps) into a passageway there, make a tight left. Try to get up onto the right side of the raised block, then make a curved running jump left to grab the upper ledge. Pull up and use a wall switch. A door goes up at the rock garden on the north walkway.

 

Rock Garden

 

Hang and drop, return to the big area, go right to the NW exit. Continue all the way north, jump onto a walkway, go along to the rock garden with its finely raked sand on the left. Flip over the red railing into the rock garden, being careful not to leave footprints in the raked sand. Go into the S doorway. In the next room Lara can go across to the S end and look through vertical bars to see a lit torch lying on its low block.

 

Lift the Torch

 

Climb blocks on the west side and use a wall switch. This opens the S doorway and, as you see when Lara goes through, makes the block go up. Pull up on top the block, pick up the torch, jump and light both high burners in their corners. The door goes up here.

 

A Remembered Secret

 

Before continuing to the next part, take the torch back to the rock garden and run around the right side, up the steps. Jump over the red railing onto a high walkway. Go into the open white door N of the rock garden.

 

In this room go to the far right corner (NE) and into the passage. Light the unlit burner here, and hear a trapdoor fall open at the end of this passage where a wall switch is. Go there and pull up left. Go to the end, pick up Secret #5, small medipack.

 

Drop down, pick up your torch, and go outside to the walkway, flip over the red railing into the rock garden, go N through the next room, back to the door that opened. Lara can leave the torch next to the block. Enter the opened door for a wonderful flyby.

 

Two Pagodas

 

There are two large pagodas east and west, and lots to do here, so run about to get an idea of what is involved. Go between the pagodas and up onto the middle entrance for the west pagoda, push the wooden doors to open them. Go inside, and up a pole, back flip at a higher level.

 

West Roof―Bamboo Key

 

Go out the opening south. Go right and pick up a Bamboo Key in the SW corner (this was shown in the flyby). See a screenshot of a door opening directly below, accessible from the pole area. Shoot a pesky butterfly.

 

East Roof

 

Instead of going down, go E and jump to the second-highest block, and from there make a running jump to the east pagoda roof. Go around to the opposite side and into the opening in the middle. It is dark so light a flare, and throw a jump switch in the NE corner (left of the entrance, when looking out). A block goes up near the entrance.

 

Entrance Blocks―Pine Key

 

Get outside and go right to the SE corner of this roof. There is a small peaked roof on the east wall, about level with Lara. Jump to the right side of this so that Lara slides down backwards and hangs from the edge. Pull up, back flip/twist and hold Ctrl so that Lara doesn't hit her head, but sails onto a block in the SE corner of the room. Pick up a green key, Pine Key.

 

Drop Rope

 

Don't hang and drop to the ground―Lara will get caught up in the tree trunks and can't get out. Run out diagonally. Go between the pagodas, and back into the middle entrance for the west pagoda. Go past the pole, jump into a new opening. In the fenced section, make a right for a wall switch, which causes a rope to drop on a second-level roof of this pagoda.

 

Use Three Keys

 

Return to between the pagodas, make a left (N), and climb onto a low brown block. Make a standing jump/grab S, pull up, then a running jump angled left for a slightly lower pillar. Use each of the three keys: Plum Key, side flip left, Bamboo Key, side flip left, Pine Key. In each case the keys cause a block to rise on top their pillars.

 

Drop down, go inside the W pagoda to climb a pole, go outside onto the roof there. Between the pagodas jump to the lowest of the pillars, onto the new raised block. Make standing jumps to get higher up the line of pillars. Turn, do a running jump/grab to the west roof, angling slightly right. Go right to the rope, NE corner.

 

Tricky Rope Swing

 

Jump up to grab the rope, rotate to face the east roof. I had problems here. This seems to require a routine super swing. Tap the Dash Key, so that Lara swings. Wait for her to bring her legs back onto the rope. Let her come to the highest point of her back swing, and tap the Dash Key again. Lara does a super swing. But in this case there seems to an invisible ceiling, because when Lara swings up high she is suddenly thrown to the side. If she jumps she won't even head toward the east roof. Yet surely if Lara doesn't do a super swing she won't make the distance to that far roof?

 

I finally made it this way. After reloading a save, press the Dash Key, Lara sails up high as she sometimes does on the very first swing. Leap at the highest point, and Lara lands on the tip of the far roof. So something less than a super swing is what works.

 

A Route Upward

 

Go around E to the opposite side to find an entrance into the pagoda. Inside, take a pole up, then get out onto a higher level roof. Go around to the E side, make a jump to a sloped roof across the way, shimmy left to pull up in front of a wall switch, use it. (No camera shot, but a trapdoor falls open at a ladder on the pagoda roof.) To return, jump to the adjacent sloped roof so that Lara slides and hangs from it, shimmy right, pull up, back flip/twist to grab the pagoda roof.

 

Easy Pagoda Secret

 

Go around to the S side, climb a ladder, and get off on the left. Save the game for a timed run. Stop before a green and red trigger tile on the floor. Back Lara up against the fence, start a sprint so she dashes across the trigger tile. A camera shot shows a wall block going down around the corner, but press Look Key to make it go away. Round the corner, the timed opening is to the right. I had trouble jumping in here, but it was easy to have Lara grab, pull up, roll through and drop into the room. Hop onto a block in the corner for Secret #6, small medipack and flares.

 

To the Top

 

Get back outside, and go right around the corner. Climb a ladder. Don't get off to the side, but climb all the way, and pull up. Go around to the opposite side (W) to use a wall switch. A gate opens between two lanterns. Look down to the west and left to see those two lanterns.

 

To West Pagoda

 

How to get over there? From the switch go down two ladders and go to the SW corner of this lower roof. At this level Lara sees vertical bars over in the middle of the S wall. There is an object on that S ledge: make a running jump from the peak of the SW roof aimed to the right of that object. Go to the right on the ledge to the next object, and from there make a running jump to the W pagoda.

 

Hard Ladder Jump

 

Light a flare and run around the outside wall of the pagoda; this should let you spot the pushable block in the center of the W wall. Push the block in twice. I thought this block got in the way of Lara climbing up, so get completely around it and push the block S to the side. Get on the block in the NW corner. Face outward, angling right, and jump up to grab a ladder.

 

This turned out to be a tricky jump. I suspect it has something to do with a room boundary in the level editor, so Lara has to jump to the boundary, to the first rung of the ladder. However, once on the ladder, you can confirm that Lara can go all the way to the bottom and hang. It's just that when jumping toward the ladder she won't grab the bottom, only the first rung.

 

A Clever Timed Run

 

Climb up top, go left out the N opening to the roof. Go around to the opposite side, do a running jump/grab toward the doorway S between the two lanterns. Enter, shoot a ninja. Go between wall panels and left down the stairs. Drop into a hole, go straight to the vertical bars ahead, use a wall switch on the left. Get a screenshot of a doorway opening, the door at the top of the stairs if Lara had gone right instead of left. This is timed.

 

Of course hold down the Look Key to kill the screenshot, then use the wall switch. But simply dashing up the stairs isn't going to work, so first a few general comments. Lara travels faster in air, so the only way she will make this is with lots of leaps up the stairs. She can't waste time pulling up, but must place herself a correct distance so she can always leap to the top of blocks.

 

The stairs in the switch room are a hindrance. At the top is a white block, and this is too tall, Lara does not want to waste time pulling up on this white block. Therefore it is better to run from the switch and leap from the middle of the first stair to the edge of the third stair. This sets her up so she can jump to the top of the white block. Once out of the hole, keep the Jump Key depressed as Lara leaps up the stairs, as this goes faster than sprinting. Make a turn at top so Lara can jump to the edge of the first block. Make leaps to the blocks upward and sprint through the open door.

 

Lara was quite close to making this. Finally I felt the start and the run about three-quarters of the way up the stairs were both good, so I saved the game when Lara was at the top of a leap. Then I replayed over from that point on, to get the end blocks right. This worked and Lara made it through the door.

 

The Osho

 

Make a running jump (no grab) over to the roof of the pagoda. Go out on the W platform to pick up Shogi Piece 2. Hear what sounds like a trapdoor falling open, and see a long flyby that concludes with doors opening over the original entranceway in the east. When the flyby is done, combine your two Shogi Pieces, to make an Osho.

 

Getting Down

 

From the W platform go left, then right to find where a trapdoor fell. At the bottom of the ladder take the opening in the pagoda. Go down a ladder in the center of this room. Go outside, to the SE corner. Reverse the jumps that Lara did previously, jumping toward the S ledge with its vertical bars, then jumping to the E pagoda. Go inside that pagoda and slide down a pole.

 

Go outside, go to the edge and look down E to see where the doors opened up. Lara can simply sprint off the edge here and land on the ledge in front of those doors, but this will take about 70% health from the fall. More conservatively, go to the opposite side of the pagoda, jump to the tallest pillar on the left. Turn right, jump to the lower pillar, turn right, back to a lower roof of the E pagoda. (Note: From the pillar, Lara can look down and see that a fire is still burning in front of the ground floor doorway.)

 

Stone Lanterns Again

 

Go around to the E and jump into one of the newly opened doors up over the original entrance. A few steps forward of the doorway in a pit is a large medipack to pick up. Then go north, inside a red railing, and move a stone lantern onto a green grassy texture. Get a screenshot. Go south, inside a red railing, and do the same. Another screenshot of a rising block.

 

Go out of the railings to the left, to a pillar that is next to the corner, climb a ladder. Turn left, run across to the middle of the far wall to get on a low block. Jump to a monkey swing, go across, at the end drop and grab, pull up.

 

Intimidating Slope Jumps

 

Look the pillars over. There is a video on YouTube showing Lara jumping everything in three or four seconds: a bounce off the sloped spike pillar, with hard curve lefts to both flame emitter slopes to reach the last spike pillar, then a safe jump to the wall switch. When I tried that Lara had trouble getting far enough left to reach the final spike tile. So I did this in stages. This really isn't as bad as it looks, although it takes a few tries.

 

Time the first spikes. Make a running jump with a left curve at the end so that Lara hits the slope, slides backwards and grabs. She is safe from spikes while hanging. Shimmy to the right. Time the spikes. When they are about to pop up, start to pull Lara up, then she will have time to maneuver. Basically just repeat this until the flame emitters behind are correct.

 

Pull up, back flip/twist with a hard left curve to hit the slope behind. (I saved the game in a new slot before Lara landed.) Do a jump/twist to hit the next slope backwards: I did a jump with Left Arrow + Down Key simultaneously pressed. This was because Lara was at the outer edge of the first flame emitter slope. Hitting those keys together meant Lara would jump left and twist around backwards. Then she is sufficiently on the second flame emitter slope and can grab the bottom edge. Shimmy all the way to the right.

 

I listened for the last spikes, but couldn't tell when to jump, so once again there is a lot of chance in the timing. Lara is almost there. Pull up, back flip/twist with a hard curve left. Lara lands on the far corner of the spike tile. Side flip to the left and Lara is safe.

 

Open Doorway to Roof

 

Pull the wall switch. There is no camera shot, but the door in the NE corner, lower level, goes up. Lara can go to that corner and do a safety drop down.

 

Go through the open door, out onto a roof over the large courtyard starting area. This is a new perspective, but what is Lara supposed to do here? There is a lit burner at one end of the roof, so maybe Lara is supposed to light the other burner? There is a hole in the roof, but it isn't a good idea to drop down there.

 

Go Back for the Torch

 

Go back to the previous room, go out W doors, drop down to the ledge. Turn right and jump down pillars to the ground. Go out the entrance (underneath the ledge) and pick up the torch nearby where Lara dropped it. Retrace the same route holding the torch. First jump up on the brown stone of the pagoda base. Jump to each of the pillars to reach the east ledge, go in one of the upper doors, go NE to that doorway, out onto the roof, and light the burner with blue electrical sparks. Get a screenshot of a fire going out at the east pagoda.

 

Hand of Gold

 

Throw the torch out onto the ground. Then retrace the same route once again to get down to the base of the east pagoda. Once there, run around to the opposite side, go up between red railings, over the spot where the fire went out. Push open wooden doors. Go in and take Hand of Gold. See a screenshot of doors opening, which you instantly recognize as belonging to the first area Lara visited in this level.

 

Torch to Level Start

 

Go out, completely around the pagoda and out the E entrance, through the little room, into the large courtyard area. The torch should be lying ahead so pick it up. Go NE out that entrance. Drop into the water, wade, and press Lara against the bridge left or right where it is lower. Jump up, press “1” so that Lara drops the torch onto the bridge. Climb on the bridge, pick up the torch. Go left (W), right, left, and right into an area where Lara fought a ninja. Jump over the water. The doors that opened are on the left (W). Drop the torch here so that Lara can explore with hands free. (Besides, it's a bit paranoid to think that the torch still has a use.)

 

Place Osho

 

Go inside. The long side passage doesn't offer anything, so go in a small entryway ahead to the right. A blocked door. Before getting too alarmed, shoot the door. Go inside and admire the next room (if you look up to S windows you see a corridor where Lara got a secret). In the W of the room place the Osho in its slot; a door opens up north.

 

Go out the door, straight ahead in the wall is a reach-in switch; use it. Lara used it three times, and got a small medipack. From the switch go right (E) and into another large area.

 

Temple Bell Area

 

Look around. There is a raised block in the NE corner. In the middle at the back of this area Lara can jump up on a walkway and push open wooden doors. Go inside and see...at the back of the room...unlit burners. Lara runs back to retrieve the torch. Return here, go to the ledge at the back of the room, jump up and light both burners. Nothing seems to happen.

 

Move Three Statues

 

Left and right of the entrance there are wall switches. Go to the SW corner, use a switch. Turn left, see a block go up. Jump on the blocks there, pull and push a statue to the red and green trigger tile near the wall. A block goes up on the midline E.

 

Go to the NW corner, use a switch. Turn right, see a block go up. Jump on the blocks there, pull and push a statue to the red and green trigger tile near the wall. A second block goes up on the midline E.

 

Now Lara can go to the E statue at the back of the room, and pull and push the statue to its red and green trigger tile. There is a flyby showing a bell outside, and in addition a NE block goes down.

 

Reset Time Jump

 

Go outside, jump down to the right, get up to the NE corner. There is a keypad. Lara has to select 2012, entering each digit with Ctrl, then select > and hit Ctrl. The key code is correct.

 

Ring Bell

 

Go inside the building with the bell, press a white button underneath the bell for a wooden clapper to strike it. The bell rings, metal walls rearrange in a flyby. Hop back, go around to the rear of the bell (E), and step on a green and red trigger tile. The level ends.

 

 

Episode 2 revisited

 

If Lara hops backward onto a yellow tile she will be transported right back to Japan AD 794, so she doesn't want to do that. Go forward, let a metal gate open. Run to the end of the walkway. This looks familiar; Lara has returned in time, back to where she picked up a Hand of Silver.

 

Something New

 

Run out N, take a left and right to where Lara once picked up a PDA. Go out the NW opening. Survey this area with the red keyhole, and immediately spot an out-of-place green block on the left (S) walkway. Go over, get onto the green block, climb up higher.

 

Gate to Top of Room

 

Lara can run around the room on the sloped ledges. There are flares in the NE. In the NW jump to a ledge for 2x Uzi clips. Go completely around to the SW, jump to a similar ledge, climb up, use a wall switch. A gate opens to the highest levels of the two-pool room.

 

Slope Jumps

 

There is a transparent slope outlined in green ahead. Make a running jump out to the SW, land on what looks like a trapdoor. Look ahead to plan. Lara jumps over slopes, so she wants to get on their right edge, make a curved right jump at the end, slide, then jump forward to a facing slope―not to a fire tile. So do that. Slide back, hang, shimmy right to the fire tile, pull up in its corner.

 

Transparent Block

 

When the fire is down, make a running jump somewhat NE, to another transparent block outlined with green lines, hard to see. Get an interesting screenshot. It shows the second puzzle piece that goes with your ornate handle, waiting in a room ahead. But what it really shows is a timed trapdoor.

 

Challenging Trapdoor Timed Run

 

The trapdoor goes up when Lara lands on this green-outlined block. The timing is very short, and starts once Lara leaves this block. Save the game here for multiple attempts. Reaching the trapdoor requires a three-square jump, but if Lara tries to grab and hang from it, she runs out of time. So this is about making a long three-square jump, to land standing on that trapdoor. Good luck.

 

Position Lara in the middle of the transparent tile, but to the left edge facing north. Make a standing jump to the right of the pipe, continue with a running jump angling left. Hop curve right to the ledge at the N wall. Lara should land near the closest (SW) corner, but not right at the corner. Save the game with Lara in air, and now experiment. Of course, if you don't like the landing spot, try again for a better one.

 

A diagonal run across this ledge, with a jump to the trapdoor, should allow Lara to grab the trapdoor: a standard three-square jump. The trapdoor will collapse. Reload your save. Try to run along the right side of this tile. Probably Lara falls off, as the take-off is too short. So somewhere between those two points―the too long diagonal take-off, and the too short take-off―is a spot where Lara will jump with her foot half off this tile to make maximum distance. Reload to find it.

 

Land on the trapdoor, keep running, jump and grab the back of the slope ahead. Shimmy to the right. Pull up, and immediately jump curve right, grab the back of the next slope. Shimmy to the right. Pull up, slide, and jump while pressing Right Arrow + Down Key. Lara will jump right and back flip, land on the slope, then jump forward to grab a ladder. Climb to the top. Find a closed gate.

 

Long Ledge Jump

 

Turn to face SW. It is difficult to get the aim right, but if Lara precisely aims for a low floating block, then it is possible to do a running jump with Ctrl pressed to land on that block. Must use Ctrl in flight to make the distance. Once there, jump ahead to the next blocks, climb up to get a revolver.

 

Target Shooting

 

Turn around. The gate NE is still closed. But notice a suspicious opening in the far wall directly east. Drop down lower. There is a swinging blue ball at the end of that east passageway. Equip the revolver with laser sight. It seems easier to shoot that ball if Lara hops over to the block out to the left. Zoom in, shoot the blue ball, the gate to the NE goes up.

 

To reach the gate do the same as before. Jump NE to the right edge of a slope, slide, then jump with Right Arrow + Down Key. Lara jumps right and back flips, lands on a slope, and jumps forward to grab a ladder. Climb up and go into the open NE gate.

 

The Portal Guardian

 

Turn the corner and shoot a metal grate. Drop down into a room. On a corner block pick up Hathor Effigy―what in the world? Screenshot of a trapdoor falling open. Anyway, combine your new find with the Ornate Handle, to get Portal Guardian.

 

To the Tower

 

To get out of the room back flip to the slope, jump to grab a ladder. Pull up enough so that Lara just gets her feet on the ladder, back flip into a hall. Go outside, repeat the jump to the low block SW, jump to the blocks ahead and climb up to the spot where Lara picked up a revolver. From here, face SW, and make a running jump to a transparent green-outlined block. Turn to face the tower, make a running jump into it.

 

Place Portal Guardian

 

Get onto a block, climb a ladder―this is where the trapdoor fell open. Come out on top the tower. Go look down over the S side. Get down to a low green tile between the pillars. Place the Portal Guardian on its stand. A screenshot shows floating blocks appearing, to make a jump possible. For the last secret of this game climb up on the east pillar to get out.

 

A Final Secret

 

On the pillar look down east, slightly left, to a block with railings at its side. On the block is a small medipack. Make a running jump from the left side of your pillar, hold down Ctrl, to land at the edge of that low block, Lara's heels over the precipice. Pick up Secret #7, small medipack.

 

To Entrance, Repeat Slopes

 

Turn around, face left (SW). Remember that strange slope in front of the room entrance? Now it has a use. Make a running jump to the tip of the green-outlined slope, and back flip into the entrance. I didn't think Lara would make it, that she would hit a wall to the side of the SE entrance, but somehow she glided into it. Now repeat everything that Lara did before from this gate. Jump to the SW to what looks like a trapdoor. Make slope jumps down the room, jump to a facing slope next to a flame tile. Shimmy right and pull up on a corner of the flame tile, jump NE to a green-outlined block, and from there make a running jump back into the tower.

 

Tower Jump South

 

Get on a block, climb up a ladder to the top. On the tower first use floating blocks on the S to jump over to that side of the room. Then go right to the SW corner and press a button. The effect is unexpected. Run across the glass floor (ceiling?) to pick up a nearby Ship Key. Head over to the SE corner where a trapdoor fell open. Hang and drop, then use the same floating blocks to get back to the tower.

 

Tower Jump North

 

Now use floating blocks to jump over to a high room on the N side. Once inside go left, get on a glowing blue corner block, jump up to pull a jump switch. Doors open at the N end of this room. Get onto blocks there, start to go through...the level ends.

 

 

Episode 4

 

Lara stands facing a slope. To left and right of it are burner tiles, and it is necessary to light the left one, so don't just go roaring off in the vehicle.

 

Ignite the Fire

 

As Lara has a key, use Ctrl at the door of a hovercraft to the right of the entrance. The controls are the same as those for a jeep. The first time Lara did this she drove over the slope ahead, then reached a room with a gate barring the way. So Lara has to begin by turning sharply left, to drive slowly across the entranceway, until a fire ignites at the left burner tile.

 

Drive Over Droids

 

Once that happens turn right and drive up over the slope. Continue forward to run over two droids with guns. Come to an all-too-brief end (after all, one can never run over too many droids), and exit the craft with Alt + Left Arrow. Go into a right (S) doorway. A gate at the end of this room should now be open. When Lara runs through the gate slams shut behind her.

 

Dragon Fight

 

Oops, a dragon. Lara ran close to it and emptied Uzi ammo into it while it was making noise. Then it started spitting fireballs. Lara hid for a bit, flipping out to use the shotgun. Then she got in front of the dragon, did side flipping back and forth, all the while firing shotgun. When there are still 22 shotgun shells left, the dragon explodes.

 

Avoid Burner Tiles

 

Climb up where the dragon was, only stepping on a dark tile, as most of these are burner tiles like at the beginning of this level. Get down into a hole to pick up Swipe Card Key. Get out. Run along a walkway W to its end, and push a button. A green block goes up nearby.

 

Simple Ledge Jumps

 

Use the green block to jump SW to a pillar. Turn left, stand jump to a ladder. At the top of the ladder turn completely around, make a clockwise circuit of the room, jumping the ledges to the NW corner. On the platform here pick up a small medipack right, and push a button in the corner. No camera shot, but if you have been paying attention, a green block goes down diagonally across this room.

 

Jump the ledges back to where Lara was, and continue jumping to the gap left by the green block going down. There is no glass here, so jump through east onto a fenced ledge. Go past both of the pillars, on the right pick up a small medipack. Then between the pillars push a button. A gate goes up.

 

Exit where the green block went down, immediately turn right (N) to run alongside the glass. Climb the block at the end of this walkway―careful there is nothing to the right. Make a running jump to the pillar with a ladder.

 

Placing Artifacts

 

Go down the ladder, and look around the room. Then jump onto blocks north and place the three Hands that Lara carries: Copper, Silver, and Gold.

 

Pyramid Room

 

With the three Hands placed, the entire glass wall at the south side of the room vanishes. Run into a room with a pyramid topped by a ball spewing out energy. To the left (E), Lara uses a Swipe Card. The ball is released from the pyramid and floats into the sky, the doors open to the south.

 

Run in south, toward a wall of energy. As Lara approaches we can see through a wormhole, a gateway across hundreds of light-years of space. Watch a cutscene to see the sphere's destination, and the secret of the monolith.

 

An amazing adventure. And a big thank you to the author.

 

 

18 May 2012