The Lair of Hydras.

Level by Drakan.

Walkthrough by D&G Prod. (revised Aug 13-2012)

You must find all 4 Secrets to access the Bonus level.

This level was changed after release of the walkthrough.

The Crowbar.

As you start, you are facing a Medipack stuck in the wall, get it and find a jump lever in the SW corner, using it will start a strong wind in the E side of the room. Stand on that grating and face the N wall. Jump up and hold Ctrl to grab the top of that wall. Shimmy left to the corner and pull up. Turn W on that corner, you have to jump to that lower ledge W, but the opening in the ceiling prevents a direct jump. So from facing W while on the corner turn left a bit so Lara will just pass left of that opening, curve back right a bit to get onto the ledge without grab (screenshot).

In the wall you’ll find the Crowbar. Drop down to the floor and open the gate NW with it. Hop over that crate and go into the Main Room.

Main Room, meet the Sub.

In the water is a guy with a submarine, he will be trying to kill you whenever you’re down there. He’s quite deadly so try to avoid him as much as possible. On the entrance ledge is a Keyhole, that’s for much later. On the structure in the middle of the room we’ll need 4 Golden Beetles we’ll go after now.

Warm up round, First Beetle.

Looking left you’ll see a ladder, jump in the pool and swim past that pillar and left to the wall, near the bottom is a tiny opening in the wall, get in and follow through to an underwater gate. Open it and swim in, keep going left and up to where you can climb out.

Go to the next room and here’s the first Secret, to the left behind the grates. Jump SE into that opening in the central structure. You can use the glass wall in there to run into it (face E standing close to the edge) and when Lara runs against the glass, turn left a bit and jump to get to that pillar E (Video). Jump and grab the slanted pillar S, hang right, pull up and slide/jump to the next pillar and while you slide the door ahead will open up, so jump in there.

Go get Secret #1, a Golden Crocodile. The block lowers, jump back to the pillar, jump with a left curve to the slanted wall W and grab the edge, shimmy all the way to the right and pull up to backflip to the entrance ledge.

Stand SW and jump with a mid air roll onto that slanted pillar where the flames come out of, jump from that pillar and grab the ladder (Or just a run jump to the ladder behind that slanted pillar, Lara won’t get burned). Go up and right into a passage and find the First Beetle just around the corner. The trapdoor to the right opens up, go up the ladder and backflip into a passage. Drop down in the end and swim going right, you’ll get back to the underwater gate. Go up and Down E to swim back into the Main Room. Watch out for the fool with the sub.

Now we have to use the First Beetle, I went to the SW corner ledge.

Climb out, jump to the opening NW and follow through N and get out on the platform over the pool, jump straight over to the ledge on the structure. Place the Beetle on the glass door, go in and use that lever on the left hand block and see a gate open up. Nothing else we can do right now, so go out W and face N on the brick ledge, down in the water you can see an underwater lever. Remember that for later.

The Wind Tunnels, Second Beetle.

Swim or jump back to that ledge SW where the gate opened. Follow in and climb up left. In the next room is a strong updraft, just run jump straight into the wind and do the same in the next room. Go right and around the corner to go N. Shoot the green vase in the next room to get some Shotgun ammo, the rest is empty or too strong to break.

In the N side of the room on the central pillar (face S) is a ladder. Go up and backflip roll to grab another ladder, go left around the corner and up over the missing part of the ladder. On the next part of the ladder, move to the middle of it and backflip onto a ledge on the central pillar. Use the lever to open a trapdoor up SW. Back to the ladder and climb through the open trapdoor. Get a Medipack in the S end (in the wall), then jump to the N end and push the block in until you find a lever and a gate to another Secret opens up. Get back on the ladder, go right and backflip to the ledge with the lever and use it once more to close the trapdoor.

Back on the ladder, to the left and up to the trapdoor where Lara will grab up to the monkeyclimb. Turn and go to the end and left, use the jump lever there and get back on the monkeyclimb. Go straight to the S and drop to grab the crack, go right into the passage and up E to get the Second Golden Beetle. Get out and safety drop to the ground. Go SE through the opened gate and get Secret #2, a Golden Crocodile.

The Third Beetle.

Go out and to the SW corner, S through the passage and just around the corner, look up E and find a jump lever you can use to open a gate we need now. Go E to a hole with water, that’s for later, jump left into the opening to the wind room (still inactive) Look right around the corner and do a curved run jump to get into that open gate with a grab at the last moment.

Up the stairs to a red room, drop down and hop up S, left around the next corner is some Shotgun ammo in a hole, SE behind the columns are Flares.

Go to the pool and you’ll get the message: “I can open that door with my small hands”. Indeed, you can, but we’ll do that later.

Go along the pool to the statue S and left to pick up the Gift, Glasses.

Back up and N, just before dropping down into the other room and to the left is a push block. Hop over the block to push it E, hop over the block again and push it N into the lower room. Now move it to the opening in the fence W and into the pit. Jump down and pull/push it to the other end of the pit and climb up W and use ladder and monkeyclimb to get up S, follow through and jump up left to get Secret #3, a Golden Crocodile.

Hop down into the pool from here and face that trapdoor W (side of the little handle) and use Ctrl to open it. Swim down and use the underwater lever there. Get some air and swim down and through the opened gate below. Swim straight and up, this is the hole near the wind tunnels, the one in front of you is now also active. Jump to the N side and slide down.

To the left (W) is the Third Golden Beetle, go get that. Go to the E and find some strong updraft. Face S standing against the wall on the grating and jump up, grab the opening above.

Jump SW through the triangular gap so you won’t slide back down the tunnel. Jump through the wind tunnel and go W through the passage, first right and jump through the 2 wind rooms. Follow the passage back to the Main Room.

Knights in Shining Armour, the Fourth Beetle.

Dive into the pool, swim to the NW pillar of the central structure and use the underwater lever on the S side of it. Underwater doors open in the N wall, save and swim through the spike trap to the next room. To the NW is a Medipack, in the NE corner is a small tunnel, get through that to climb up to the room above.

A Dog attacks, shoot it and go on, around the corner on a crate is the Revolver. Another Dog attacks, after you cleaned up that one, go to the N wall and left to use the lever there. A cage opens up and werewolves come out. Shoot those and go into the cage to use a lever, the second cage opens up, take care of the other werewolves too. Inside the second cage is a lever that will open gates in the E part of this place.

Go there and to the left, left again in the end and on a crate is some Revolver ammo. No go into one of the open gates E and, a Knight will come after you, shoot him while hopping back (like a horseman) and pick up the Guardian Key he will drop. Look in the other side too and do the same with the Knight there. Now you can use the keys in these cages to lower pillars. This will reveal two trigger tiles that will operate two blocks in the room below. Every time you step on the tile, the block moves one square. Get both blocks in the corkscrew lights and a block will rise under a Beetle. Go out and to that block in the W passage to get the Fourth Golden Beetle.

Go back through the passage SE, the room below and swim through the tunnel with the spikes to the Main Room.

Use the other Beetles, the Key of the Bridge.

Swim to the SW ledge and get out, jump NW and go over the platform to the central structure in the Main Room. Now jump NW to the platform and right around the corner to the next and then to the next ledge with glass door. Place the Beetle and dive into the water, dodge the sub and get to that ladder on the pillar in the E. Hit Ctrl and Lara will grab up to the ladder, go up.

From that balcony a curved run jump down to the ledge on that side of the central structure and place the next Beetle. Back into the water and up the ladder E, now jump to the platform S, then to the one SW and onwards to the balcony.

From the NW corner jump over the fence and down to the ledge at the central structure to place the last Beetle. Go inside to take the Key of the Bridge.

The screen showed the ledge where you came into the Main Room in the beginning; it is in the NE corner, get there and use the Key.

The bridges will extend to the central structure. Get back up the ladder, over the platforms to the balcony S and jump onto the bridge. To the S is for later, so jump to the central structure and shoot the boxes. The one NE has Shotgun ammo.

A Hydra, Key of Mirror Room.

Jump to the N side bridge and go into the opening. Go left up the steep stairs.

Upstairs you’ll meet the first Hydra in an all around mirror room. On the floor at the second crossing is a Shotgun (you can see that through the mirror). Now go shoot that Hydra, there are several ways to do this, but I side flipped from side to side shooting him/her. When the hydra gets fire in the mouth she’s vulnerable (you see blood), at other moments not. So don’t waste ammo while you cannot hurt it. Now go look for a rope like thing in the passage. It’s not a rope, but when you look up you’ll see a Key near the ceiling… Since this is a mirror room, that Key of Mirror Room should be on a pedestal in front of you, so get it.

Go N and open the gate there.

The Mirror Room, a Lasersight.

Shoot the Knight and look for a push block under the N balcony, near the left side. Get it out and move it all the way to a marked tile in the SE corner, a block goes up in the middle of the room. Go to the W side of that dark block to find a ladder to get on that high block. Use the monkeyclimb to get to the jump lever and open the gate. Go in behind the balcony where you pulled out that block and get another Gift, Flowers for the Ladies.

Go into the open gate W and get the Lasersight from the floor. The passage changes, hop over the crate around the corner and go to a fence SW. Jump over the flame to the left first to get that Medipack. Jump then to the left side and use the jump lever there.

Jump out and find a Hydra, shoot it and go into the gate which will open E.

In the next Fiery room is a breakable platform to the right. Face it, take a step back and then hop back. Jump to the platform and a running jump from there to grab the floor at the other side at the last second (savegame). Go down into the next room and use the lever to open a gate in the room where the Hydra was.

Now you can go for a Secret:

Open the gate E with the Crowbar and step out onto a balcony in the Main Room, below you is another balcony with the Secret. The only way I could find to get down there was the trick move, stand at the opening in the fence, face S and take a step forward, now hop back over the edge and hit Ctrl when you are just under the edge of the balcony. Grab Secret #4, another Golden Crocodile and go inside, left up the stairs to climb back up to where you found the Lasersight before. Hop over the crate S and go up the ladder to the floor above. Hop over the hole N and go right into a passage with a ball. Push it out into the room below. Stand in the opening and run jump left around the corner to get the Revolver ammo there.

Get down and push the ball into the fence SW and onto the flame, it will drop down and a platform will come down. Once you pushed the ball onto the floor you might have to move it sideways once, then to the fence and back again. Get on the platform, get the Medipack S and back on the platform to jump up to the W higher passage.

Spike Rooms.

Jump through the spike traps (savegame) (there is a safe spot in between) and go left. Just before the spike trap in the floor, jump right through the opening in the fence onto the slope. Grab and shimmy right as far as possible. Time the sound of the spikes so you can pull up, backflip and land when the spikes are just down. Immediately jump forward with a right curve and grab the higher part of the ridge at the last moment. Shimmy right and drop to grab the crevice in the wall below. Get in (savegame) and follow to a lever that will deactivate one of the spike pillars.

Proceed through the passage and hop over that spike trap, go to the crate N and hop over to get a Gift, a Football magazine for the Men. Hop back stand at the opening in the fence and line up for a jump to the first pillar, stand far back and run jump to the one still active, then a running jump to grab the edge of the floor ahead (savegame).

Face NE and jump into the opening in the wall to get some Revolver ammo. Jump out to the right to grab the block with the flames. Shimmy all the way right into the corner and pull up, turn right and run down, climb up the blocks and slide down into the room with the Floating Head.

The Floating Head.

You’ll have to shoot his eyes, I went up onto a higher corner ledge NE or NW where I stood back and was quite safe there. After he's gone you can shoot boxes and get some goodies, a Revolver NE and a Medipack SE. In the NW corner is a jump lever, which will move a block for you, probably creating a pit from where you were supposed to shoot the eyes.

Anyhow… drop down the hole in the middle of the floor where the Head was and follow through a crawlspace to a dungeon with a lever in the NE corner. The flyby shows you a Mosaic Tablet in the Main Room, the trapdoor in the floor opens up. Check the health and save, swim through the tunnels and use the underwater lever over the gate in the end. The guy with the sub will probably come in and block the passage. I immediately swam back to get air and then tried again. Dodge the torpedoes and swim out to the Main Room.

Mosaic Tablet.

Swim to the ladder E and jump around to get up to the roof of the Central structure. Pick up the Mosaic Tablet and jump to the bridge S, into the opening S and shoot the dogs on your way to the gate. To the left you can get some Shotgun ammo.

Place the Tablet to open the gate and get to the room where another Hydra awaits. When you wait in front of him, as soon as he lifts his head with fire in the mouth, shoot. If he throws a bolt of fire, side flip. Took me 3 rounds of Shotgun ammo to drop him (Video). The gate S opens up and takes you to the end of the level.

The 4 Secrets can be used in the Hydra room to open a gate (a savegame in case you haven’t got all 4). It opens the gate E.

Bonus Level, Lara’s Nightmare.

It’s a joke level, but quite nice to have a look at it. Lara starts dreaming and the dream soon turns into a nightmare. I think you can manage this part on your own.

June 12 -2012.