The Forgotten Ruins

Level built by: Srdjan Rados

Walkthrough by: Nina Croft

Level: Let there be light (the first level of the series planned by the builder in near future)

Secrets: 2

Somewhere in Peru...

DARK CAVE: The level begins with a nasty fall making Lara lose 90% of her health. You don't have to replenish her health right now, but eventually you must. In the big cave there are two paths: the path on the left is a dead end, but if you want all the kills, you can go there (watch out from the icicles) and kill two bats. Then take the path on the right, avoiding icicles and slide down a slope. Kill two bats and pick up flares from the ground. Turn left to face the slope below and save your game. Slide down the slope close to the right hand edge, and just before you reach the spike pit, jump with curve to the right to land on the slope to the right of the pillar. Slide down to a flat spot. There you can crawl into a crawlspace to the right to find the first secret: shotgun ammo. Return back to the flat area on the big slope and save your game again.

There is a spike pit at the bottom of the slope. Take a look at the left corner of the pit. Do you see a small opening in the wall, just to the left of a falling wooden platform? That is your next goal. However, it is not easy to get there. From the flat block make a running jump to land on the sloped blocks to the left of the spike pit. Slide backwards and grab the edge of the pit. Traverse to the right as far as Lara will go, pull up onto the slope, jump with Roll and curve to the left to land on the breakable wooden platform. Do not waste any second here but quickly turn to face N and back flip onto the flat and a bit higher block above the spike pit (or turn to face W and side flip to the left). From there jump onto the slanted block just above the opening in the wall, slide backwards, grab the edge, release the grab and grab the opening below. Crawl in. NOTE: There is another way, a bit more difficult, to reach the opening. You can jump diagonally from the wooden breakable tile directly onto the slope above the opening.

Follow the tunnel to a ladder and climb up. In the room above pick up Flares from the floor and stand on four corner tiles to open the gate on the other side. Kill a wolf lurking in the next hallway and go right. Ignore the higher opening to the right, since it is a dead-end and follow the hallway around the corner to the left. Go up the stairs to the end of the hallway, climb onto the rock and jump diagonally to grab the crawlspace to the left. Go through and climb down into the main area. Quickly kill four wolves waiting for you near the suspension bridge and pick up a SM from the floor nearby.

NOTE: This part of the level is not linear and there are several ways of finishing all the tasks here. In this walkthrough only one possible route is described. For example, you can finish the timed run with the torch later if you want, you can visit the big room to the right any time you want etc. Have the following things in your mind though: if you go down into the pit with waterfalls and suspension bridge now (before raising the level of water) you will be stuck and unable to climb up again. The main goal of the level is to find three cogs and to raise the level of the water below the suspension bridge.

SUSPENSION BRIDGE: If you cross the bridge, you'll notice two closed doors and one main gate for which you have to find a key. Also, if you are standing in the middle of the bridge, take a look to the left and notice some bones on the left rocks with waterfall, other bones in the higher opening above, and also, notice a crack in the wall to the right of the bridge. If you use your Binoculars, you can spot an UW lever in the pit below, left side, but the water level is not high enough for you to use this UW lever. Okay, once we made the initial assessment of the situation, we are ready to go.

Enter the hallway to the left of the suspension bridge (before crossing it, of course). This hallway leads to three side room to the left, to one high opening to the right, and to two side hallways to the left. Also, initial assessment of the situation is required at this spot. Go to the end of the hallway first and turn left in the first side hallway. Behind some panels there is a pool. Do not jump over into the water yet, just remember this pool, as it will be useful for you later. In the second side hallway to the left you will notice a door with a keyhole. Okay, so you need to find another key. No problem. Return back to three side rooms in this hallway. In the first side room you will see a fire; make a mental note of it. In the second room you will find LASER SIGHT, also very useful item for later. In the third room you will find a switch, but do not use it right now. Explore this room a bit more carefully first.

TIMED RUN WITH THE TORCH: Go into the NE corner of this room and behind the fur you will find a crawlspace. Crawl in and before you pick up the TORCH, kill one wolf and climb into the opening in the NW corner. There you will find the second secret: Uzi clips. Remember, you won't find the Shotgun or Uzis in the level, so finding these secrets does not help you, except to boost your ego a bit :) Then pick up one TORCH and approach the crawlspace. You have to throw the torch through the crawlspace but that is not easy. Save your game before you attempt to do this. Stand against the wall with the crawlspace, and sidestep to the right side of the crawlspace (a bit higher than the left side). Hop back once and take one step back from the crawlspace. Press Space (Holster button) to throw the torch. With a bit of luck, you will be able to pick it up once you crawl back through the crawlspace. If you cannot pick it up, you'll have to try again.

Once you pick up the torch, leave the room and return to the first room where you saw the fire. Approach the fire carefully and ignite your torch on it. Go out and to the right, to return back to the suspension bridge. Cross the bridge and leave your torch near the right hand gate, and kill two wolves along the way. Now return to the room with the switch and save before pulling it. This timed run is really tight and you must not lose a millisecond if you want to finish the game. Pull the lever, cut the camera shot of the door by pressing Camera button, turn Lara just a tiny bit to the right, side flip to the right and then jump through the doorway. Sprint as mad back along the hallway and back to the suspension bridge. When Lara's sprint gauge is empty, make running jumps to cover more ground until her sprint gauge is replenished, then continue sprinting. Ignore the torch, as you have no time to pick it up now. Rush through the right hand gate before it closes. Stand on the marked floor tile in the corner to open the gate again, go back to your torch, pick it up and return to the small room behind the gate. Stand on the higher step to the left of the wall torch, face the wall torch and ignite it (you'll have to tweak Lara's position a bit, but it is possible to ignite the wall torch only if she is standing on the higher step). Nothing will happen, as you'll need to ignite the similar wall torch behind the left hand gate, and that will happen much later. For now, leave the torch nearby the left hand gate, cross the bridge and go to find the cogs.

CROCS ROOM: Return to the hallway with side rooms and as soon as you pass the third side room, look to the right just behind the pillar. It is a bit hard to spot an opening in the wall there. Climb in and crawl to the fork. Go left and find the GOLDEN KEY on the trapdoor. Lara will fall through the trapdoor as soon as she takes the key. Just let her fall through the breakable tile onto the pillar below, and slide to the ground. Kill three crocks in this room and approach the wall with two greenish pushable blocks. In case you mess something up, save your game before you attempt to solve this pushable puzzle. First push the left block once. Then push the right block to the right into the alcove. Now return to the first block and pull it back once, go around it and push it twice outside. Approach the block which is now to the right, pull it once, go around it and push it once outside. Now the block standing on the left in the tunnel must be pushed once into the alcove behind. There is another block to the right of it. Push it once to the right inside the alcove. When facing South, you'll see three blocks standing against the wall. Pull the middle block once and then push it aside, to reveal the ladder behind it. Climb up, and back flip from the slope to land in the hallway. It leads to the small room behind the left hand gate in the cave with the suspension bridge. Climb through the opening to the right of the gate and return to the cave. Cross the bridge and once again enter the corridor with three side rooms (which is now to the right). IMPORTANT NOTE: For whatever reason, do not return to this crocs room once you completed the push block puzzle, as you will be stuck there and unable to return back.

ROOM WITH BURNERS: Follow this corridor to the end and make a left turn at the corner. Pick up a SM in the alcove to the left, then unlock the door with the key you have just found, and save your game before you attempt the next couple of rather tricky jumps. From the doorway run jump (no Action) to land on the triangular top of the pillar straight ahead. From this pillar you have to take a curved run jump to grab the edge of the burning pillar to the right (not to land onto it). The easiest way to do it is to sidestep to the corner of the triangular pillar that is farthest from the burning pillar. Face Lara to the left of the burning pillar, run and jump, curve to right and press Action to grab the edge of the burning pillar. Shimmy around to the other side and when Lara is hanging above the pit, place her exactly in the middle of the pillar. Save your game before she drops in the tunnel below.

She will drop onto the slope faced uphill. To make her face downhill, press Jump + Roll while sliding. Keep Action pressed as well to make her grab the jump switch at the end of the slope (or, if that doesn't work, try jumping off the slope to grab this switch). This will deactivate the ceiling spikes in the tunnel below. As soon as she lands on the slope below, you have to turn her to face downhill again. When you have successfully done that, jump off the slope before she lands on the burning floor, and grab the monkey swing above. Cross above the burning floor to the pedestal where you'll find a COG. The trapdoor above will open, so you can quickly climb the ladder above before the spikes protecting the pedestal kill Lara. In the room with burners go left and in the SW corner climb onto the pillar (from the higher ground). Jump up to grab the monkey swing and swing back to the entrance. Return to the cave with the suspension bridge.

BIG STAIRCASE: Enter the passage to the W and notice some pillars in alcoves along this passage. One of these pillars is movable. Push/pull it into the only empty alcove in the passage to open the trapdoor near the big gate. Drop in, craw through the dark passage killing two rats along the way and climb through the opening in the far right corner into the courtyard with big staircase and closed gate. Kill two wolves and pick up a LM on the stairs. Also, pick up shotgun shells near the wall opposite the closed gate (although you don't need this ammo at all). Before proceeding, it is time to make another assessment of the situation.

Except of the big closed gate at the top of the stairs, you'll also see a small closed gate on the right side (when facing the stairs). There is one raised block near this small gate. The similar raised block is located near the wall on the opposite side of the gate. Another such block is just next to it, but lowered, that's why you cannot see it. Also, notice alcoves with pillars on the same wall. Two alcoves are missing their pillars. That is a hint for you. These alcoves need to be "occupied" with pushable items in order to open the gate at the top of the stairs. But you cannot find a single movable thing in this courtyard, right? So therefore, you need to open the big gate on the left of the staircase in order to bring that pillar you pushed earlier into this courtyard. And you need to find the second pushable thing somewhere. So, get to the business now.

Climb onto the ledge along the N wall and go into the NW corner. The back side of the broken pillar in this corner is overgrown with leaves. Therefore it is climbable. Jump up to grab the leaves and climb up into the room. In the far right corner you will find a green pushable block. Push/pull it onto the closed trapdoor in the far left corner. It will drop through the trapdoor into the courtyard below. Before you leave this room, go into the corner where you found this block and enter the corridor leading to a pedestal where you'll find the COG. Return to the previous room and drop through the trapdoor above the pushable block, losing approximately 20% of Lara's health. So, one pushable is there, now we need to lower the block where this pushable stands now, and we have to open the big gate in order to bring the pushable pillar here.

Go up the stairs and climb into the opening to the left of the closed gate. As soon as Lara stands up, jump to grab the ladder and climb up almost to the top. To the right there is a corridor with burners. While hanging on the ladder, climb to the right as far as possible. Jump off the ladder to land on the sloped block behind Lara, jump off this block making a curve to the right in midair and grab the slanted block on the other side. Do not let go, but shimmy along this edge to the right all the way to the other side. Pull up onto the sloped block above, jump and roll in midair and grab the back side of another sloped block. Pull up and slide to the very edge of the block, jump and grab the crack in the wall ahead. Shimmy to the right and pull up into the crawlspace. Crawl to the left, kill one rat along the way and continue crawling until Lara is able to stand up. Save your game before you go down onto the slope. Step off to land on the middle of the slope, facing downhill and slide down. Do not jump off this slope but just slide and hold Action. If you are positioned correctly (in the middle of the slope) Lara will grab the jump switch that opens that big gate. Then she'll drop near the gate at the top of the stairs losing a bit of health in this fall.

Go down the stairs and enter now opened alcove near the raised block with pushable on top of it. Pull the lever to lower the block, go out and push the pushable block towards North. Place it near the second raised block, go back to the alcove with the lever and pull it again to raise the first block again and to lower the second. Go out, push the pushable block onto the tile where the second block lowered, use the lever again to bring the pushable block onto the higher level and climb to the right of it. Push it to the left and then into the left hand empty alcove. Now go into that hallway between this courtyard and cave with the bridge and pull/push that column here. Repeat the same procedure to get the column on the higher ledge and eventually push it into the alcove to the right. This will lower the third block which is located just behind the second. Drop into that pit and use the lever there to open the big gate at the top of the stairs. NOTE: If you push the block into the right alcove and the pillar into the left, nothing would happen.

INSIDE THE TEMPLE: Go up the hallway and push the block once to clear the entrance into the hallway to the left. There is no way you can take the LM from the floor, as one boulder is coming to splash Lara, so as soon as she stops pushing, hop back to avoid the boulder. When the boulder is perfectly still, jump diagonally between the boulder and the corner of the wall to land in the hallway to the left. Follow it up the ramp and before you enter the small room with concealed spikes and breakable tiles, make sure you save your game. You have to avoid the grey tiles with skulls as they contain spikes. Wooden tiles are breakable and below them there are also spikes. You have to reach a tunnel underneath the tiles in order to proceed. The easiest way (for me) was: from the doorway go ahead and step on the first tile. Quickly turn right and stand jump onto the wooden tile in the corner. Then run onto the wooden tile just next to it. Turn Lara to face W, then hop back onto the adjacent wooden tile. As soon as the previous tile collapses, run off the wooden tile you are standing on (before it collapses as well), keep Action button pressed, and Lara will end up in the tunnel unharmed by spikes below. Follow this hallway to the left, sprint down the hall to avoid the spikes from the ceiling, and go through a semi-transparent portal to the left.

ROOM WITH SKELETONS AND MICE: As soon as you go through the portal, pick up a SM from the floor. Enter the big room with torches and skeletons hanging on the wall (looks promising, right?). In the flyby followed by dramatic music you will see that five skeletons are hanging on the wall, the emphasis is also put onto two raised blocks flanking another semi-transparent portal, and a horde of small mice coming to eat Lara alive. You cannot kill the mice, so you have to "isolate" them somehow. If needed, top Lara's health so that she doesn't end up like one of the skeletons. There's no easy and harmless way to go through this room, and here I described one of many possible ways, which is in my opinion the easiest and the least damaging.

As soon as the flyby ends, run to the first skeleton on the left (when facing two raised blocks) and climb the wall with skulls behind this skeleton (if you cannot make it from the floor, try to jump diagonally from the higher block to the right of the skeleton). Climb up the ladder to a room above. There you can pick up a LM. Also, move the skeleton near the entrance away (approach its head) and pick up the TORCH hidden underneath it. Drop through the opening with the torch in your hand and quickly run to the opposite side of the room, where there are two passages: the passage to the right is the one you came here from, so go into the passage to the left and into a small room with three switches. The mice are chasing you, so take care that Lara has enough health. Quickly ignite your torch on one of the wall torches there and approach the bones lying on the floor to the left of the entrance. Press Action to ignite these bones, run back into the big room and throw the torch there. Return into the room with three switches without the torch, quickly pull all three switches to raise a block at the entrance into this room, and hopefully, most mice will be trapped inside this small room. Climb into the crawlspace to the left of the raised block (when facing it) and return to the big room. Maybe a few mice are still there, but they are not nearly as dangerous as before, since their number is reduced now.

Pick up the torch and climb the higher blocks by hanging skeletons. You need to ignite these five hanging skeletons, and it's not easy to find the right position for Lara to do that. Stand on the higher block by the skeleton, face the skeleton you want to ignite, sidestep to the wall, then make one sidestep from the wall and press Action. If Lara won't ignite the skeleton, pivot her a bit to the left or right and press Action again. Eventually she will ignite the skeleton. Repeat the same procedure with the remaining hanging skeletons. This will lower the left hand raising block. Go through the semi-transparent portal there and use the first floor lever for the door leading to the pedestal. Pick up the Torch, ignite the bones lying on the floor near this floor lever, return to the big room, ignite the bones lying in the middle of the room, then the bones lying on the left side of the room (below the damaged skeleton on the wall), and finally, ignite the last skeleton lying on the higher block opposite the raising blocks. All in all, you have to ignite five hanging skeletons on the wall to lower the left hand block and five skeletons/bones lying on the floor to lower the right hand block. You don't need this torch anymore, so drop it and go through the right hand portal to use the second floor lever there. This will open the door on the left side of the big room. Go there and from the pedestal pick up the COG.

An ice wraith will start chasing Lara as soon as she picks up the cog. Go through the gate that opened in front of Lara and quickly run through the hallway leading back to the big staircase. You need to find a pool fast, before the wraith kills Lara. Go down the stairs, then through the big gate to the right, back to the cave with suspension bridge, then enter the hallway straight ahead (leading to three side rooms), do not enter the rooms on the left but turn left around the corner. Sideflip across the panel to land in water, and the wraith will chase you and get killed when it touches the water, turning this water into ice. Follow the underwater tunnel avoiding the crocodile the best you can, until you reach a fork. If you want an additional box of shells you don't actually need, you can swim straight ahead and follow this tunnel to a box of shells, but I don't recommend it, as the croc is really dangerous and Lara cannot kill it. So, when you reach the fork, swim to the left and climb out of water into a small room behind the left hand gate in the cave with suspension bridge. Notice one wall torch on the wall waiting for you to ignite it. Climb into the opening to the right of the closed gate and enter the cave with the suspension bridge again.

RUSTY KEY: Once you collected all three cogs, it's time for you to find the key for the central gate in the cave with suspension bridge. So return back to that pool where you jumped to kill the ice wraith. Now the water turned to ice, and you can jump across the panels onto its surface. Climb into the opening above and kill three bats in the attic room. In the far right corner, on the raised ground, you will find the RUSTY KEY. Return back to the cave with suspension bridge, use the key to open the middle gate and enter the final room. Pull the switch to the left of the entrance to raise the level of the water below the suspension bridge. Now push the greenish block once into the wall and pick up the CROSSBOW.

OPENING THE EXIT: Now it's time to smash some bones lying around, to open the left hand gate, ignite the wall torch there and place three cogs where they belong. For a start, jump into the water below the bridge, in SE corner (do not jump where the water is not deep enough) and pull the UW lever to open the first gate back in the hallway where you found the Crossbow. Swim to the SW corner of the pool where you see the ladder, climb onto the block opposite the ladder (ladder is behind Lara, and she has to climb on the very right corner of the block in order to make it). From there jump to grab the ladder and climb out of the pool. Go across the bridge and approximately half a way across, use Crossbow combined with Laser sight to smash the first bones lying now on Lara's right, on the rocks with waterfall. You can probably shoot the bones in the tunnel above but you have to visit this tunnel anyway. So cross the bridge and on the other side go left, all the way to the wall.  Stay close to the edge of the pool and against the wall and jump up to grab the concealed crack. Shimmy to the left until you can pull up into the crack with waterfall and in the small cave you will find another set of bones. Blast it away and return to the cave with bridge the way you came (do not drop down into the pool, Lara may break her bones).

Now enter one last time into the hallway to the right (with three small rooms in it) and climb into that tunnel where you found the Golden Key earlier. This time do not take the left tunnel but continue crawling forward. When Lara stands up again, take the right tunnel and blast the third set of bones near the exit. Then take a look across the cave with the bridge. On the opposite wall of the cave there is a small triangular opening. With your laser sight you can easily spot the fourth set of bones hidden there. Blast it away and you'll hear the door opening nearby. You can return the way you came to the bridge, but you can also take a run jump diagonally to the left (watch out not to bang Lara's head against the ceiling) on the sloped rock near the pillar, slide backwards, grab the edge, shimmy a bit to the right and pull up in front of the left hand door which is now finally open. I hope you haven't forgot where you left your torch earlier. Get it, enter the left hand doorway and ignite the wall torch while standing on a bit higher block to the left of it. This will open the second gate back in the hallway where you found the Crossbow.

Enter the middle gate once again and go through two open gates. On the wall in a small room behind there are hardly visible three receptacles for your cogs. Place them to lower a block in the pool. Exit, go to the bridge and before you cross it, take a running jump from the bridge to land in the NE corner of the pool. A very narrow crack in the wall is located there (N wall), right above a single gray rock. Swim through this gap and across the lowered block to finish the level. NOTE: The builder placed the finish trigger but forgot to enter the OCB value for it in this flipped room. Therefore it is not activated and the game will not return to the menu. This hallway is the end of the level, and according to the builder, this will be the first level in the series. He will then correct this finish trigger and then your Shotgun and Uzi ammo will be needed on next levels to come.

Hamburg, October 16, 2012.