20x20x20 CHALLENGE - PALACE OF HIMEROS

 

Level by Lukas Moll (tombraider1703)

 

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth (using the video walk provided by Steven35175)

 

 

Begin in a fog-ridden temple area.  Turn right and go down the S stairs.  Pull down the wall switch to open the gate to your right.  When you enter the gate closes behind you while the next gate opens, shutting off any retreat and requiring you to engage the knight.  Ignore the wall switch for the moment and climb the W ladder.  Shift left, drop down into an upper room and grab the SHOTGUN.  Note the swingpoles N and get back down.  Pull down the wall switch to stoke the flames in the next room and open an E gate.

 

Climb back up the ladder and shift right this time.  Drop down and stand at the N edge.  Stand jump to the first swingpole, swing around and jump off to the next one, swing around and jump off to the N ledge.  Pull down the wall switch, which has no effect on the nearby gate but it turns off the flames below.  However, it's timed, so hop back without grabbing the edge and then press the action key to glide into the alcove below.  Quickly pull the block four times and get up on it before the flames return.   When they do, take a running jump and grab the N ledge, pull up and push the wall switch back up to turn off the flames briefly.

 

Get down and push the block five times E past the opening in the wall.  Get up on the block and take a running jump E over the flames.  Take the INFERNO KEY from the plinth and watch the gate open in front of you.  Enter and follow the passage around to another barbecue pit.  It appears at first that you're stuck, but the flames in the pit pop in and out intermittently.  Save first, then time a running jump to the midpoint when the near flames go out.  Save again, then repeat to get across to the other side.  The first jump is easy, the second one a bit harder. 

 

Climb the ladder, shift right and drop down into a passage.  Follow around to a ledge overlooking the first barbecue pit.  The flames are off, so simply safety drop to the floor and run across.  Turn left, run up the stairs and evade the waiting skeleton.  It won't follow you down the N stairs.  As you continue forward, however, you'll encounter a couple of bats, so deal with them.  When you reach the very bottom of the winding stairs, shoot all the jugs you can for shotgun ammo and a large medipack

 

Note the closed gates in this area, go up the stairs a bit and locate a NE crawlspace near a wall torch.  Take a standing jump, curving to the left, and grab the edge.  Pull up inside and follow to a wall switch that raises a spear gate close by.  Get back out, go back up the stairs and locate the raised spear gate.  Use it to run jump across and grab the S ledge.  Pull up and use the wall switch to open a gate below.  Safety drop to the floor and enter the SE gateway.  Locate a timed wall switch near the NE corner.  Save here, then pull down the switch and take a rolling back flip.  Sprint out of this room, loop around to your right and sprint up the near stairs, pass to the right of the column and sprint through the timed N gate before it closes.

 

Go down the stairs (the jugs down here are empty) and through the crawlspace.  Pull the wall switch and crawl back through.  The timed gate is open, so return to the area with the timed wall switch and find that the E gate is open.  Grab the TERRAE KEY inside and hear a nearby door opening.  As you exit you're met by a horde of tiny rats.  Run forward and pull up into the W opening.  Turn around and jump up to grab the ceiling.  Monkey swing along the track until you reach and activate a S jumpswitch.  Turn to your right as you land and run through the opened W gateway.

 

Go up the winding stairs to the top, run past the waiting skeleton and continue up the SE stairs.  At the top, pull down the wall switch and watch the flyby through a new area.  The gate to your left is open, so go on through and hop NE over the water into the alcove.  Shoot the jug there for some flares, then follow around, face W and jump up to activate the jumpswitch on the pillar (screen shot of an underwater gate).  Continue counterclockwise around the periphery of the pool, passing a closed trap door. 

 

When you reach the SW corner, face S and jump up to grab the slope.  Pull up, back flip to the slope behind you and jump off to activate a jumpswitch (screen shot of the underwater gate opening).  At this point the video walkthrough documents a secret obtained through unorthodox means.  You're better off waiting a bit until you can get it legally.  Jump into the water and locate a small medipack on the upper SW ledge.   Swim down and through the E opening.  Watch out for the spike traps on either side and turn right.  Follow to an underwater lever and pull it down.  Continue along the passage until you reach another underwater lever and a large medipack.

 

Pull the lever and continue clockwise along the passage to a third lever.  Pull it, continue clockwise past the spike trap and turn right to return to the pool.  Surface for air and pull out N.  Go around, jump into the water hole and follow to an underwater lever.  Pull it to raise the water level in the pool, go back there and surface for air.  However, before pulling out swim W into the alcove where you jumped to activate the second jumpswitch.  Swim up past the jumpswitch and into the upper alcove for uzi ammo and the UZIS.  This is intended as SECRET #1, but it neither registers as a secret nor do you hear the familiar chimes (as you would have had you obtained it illegally earlier).    

 

Now swim back down and pull out of the water N.  In the next room what appear to be spike traps are not yet active, so you can engage the knight while moving about freely.  When he's dead, shoot the jug in the middle of the room for shotgun ammo.  Pull down the wall switch in the SW corner and you'll hear the sound of a door opening.  You now need to use the spike tiles to get across.  Step onto the first tile.  Jump E to the next one and note that the spikes on the first tile have been activated.  Take a running jump NW to the third tile, a stand jump NE to the last tile, and finally a stand jump N to the ledge between the flaming pots.  The left gate opens, allowing you to enter.

 

Climb the N ladder and back flip to an upper ledge.  Go E, hang from the edge and shimmy right around the corner to follow the crack in the wall.  Pull up into the E alcove and turn to face SW, with your back against the wall.  Stand jump to the first swingpole, swing around and jump to the second swingpole, swing around and jump to the ledge.  Run to the W end and stand jump NW into the alcove.  Pull the chain to lower a gate somewhere and jump back to the ledge.  Enter the SW passage and shoot the rat that scampers forth to greet you.  Follow to a plinth with the AQUARIUS KEY and go back the way you came.

 

Safety drop to the floor below, exit S and engage the knight.  Watch out for the spikes in the N room, and don't fall into the water in the S room.  When the knight is dead, follow the ledges around to the S side and follow the passage to slide down where you'll meet another rat.  Pull down the wall switch for a cut scene of the spike room.  Turn around and pull up into the passage.  Follow around left until you reach the ledge over the fish statue pool. 

 

Drop down into the water and pull out S.  Turn right and follow the passage down the stairs to where the skeleton waits.  Quickly grab the flares in the NW corner and go N up the stairs.  Jump over the pit and shoot the rat.  Pull down the wall switch to open the gate.  Go on down and pull down the wall switch in the SE alcove.  The room is reconfigured dramatically.  Reverse roll and run to the W end.  Don't climb the ladder here, but instead turn right and take a running jump to grab the crack in the N pillar.  Shimmy right around corners until you can pull up into an alcove with a wall switch.  Pull it down to reconfigure the room once more. 

 

Face SE and take a curved running jump to a raised platform.  Jump SE to the next platform, then jump SW to the stepped platforms.  From the lowest one jump NW to the ladder and pull up into the W crawlspace.  Follow around to a gate that opens automatically.  Platforms are now going up and down in the main room.  Hang drop from the edge onto one of these platforms and drop from there to the floor.  Go across to the SE corner and pull up into the high E alcove.  Pull down the wall switch to open a gate and get back down to the floor.

 

Starting with the SW platform, use the rising and falling platforms to make your way clockwise until you can take a running jump SE to the stationary platform.  From there hop SE into the alcove and turn to take a running jump W to grab the upper ledge and pull up.  Turn left into the alcove and take the AERO KEY from the plinth.  Go across the ledge and jump into the N gateway where the skeleton is waiting.  Jump over the pit, turn around and draw your shotgun.  When the skeleton follows, blast it into the pit. 

 

Continue down the stairs and loop around left at the bottom to use the Aero Key.  Go to the other side of the stairs and use the Terrae Key.  Turn around and go to the S stairs.  Use your Inferno Key and Aquarius Key in their proper receptacles and you'll hear a gate opening.  Go up the S stairs, loop around right and come to a pit.  Shoot a rat on this side, jump across the pit and shoot another rat.  Approach the N gate and pick up a small medipack

 

Go back, jump across the pit into the SE corner and pull down the wall switch.  Watch the cut scene and safety drop to the floor.  If the skeleton is still roaming around, you can use your shotgun to drive him down the stairs where he'll leave you alone.  Save your game before you venture N into the room with the guy with the deadly eyes.  To defeat him you need a revolver and a laser sight.  Run into the room and grab the revolver ammo on the E ledge.  Pull the chain near the NW corner to make some platforms rise and fall.  Then take a TORCH from the NE plinth and retreat out of the room to catch your breath.  Draw your enemy's fire, then go back in and light your torch and retreat once more.  You might also want to save frequently during this sequence. 

 

Jump onto one of the rising platforms and get off S onto the ledge.  Take cover here while you light the huge bowl here and open some gates.  Don't go through them, however.  Run diagonally NW and light the W bowl.  Go in behind the gates here and drop your torch (Lara is still burning, but the torch isn't) and take the REVOLVER from the plinth.  Now go back SE and take the LASER SIGHT from behind the S bowl.  Combine the revolver and laser sight and go out N onto the ledge.  There are flares on the NE ledge if you need them.  Shoot out the blue eyes of your enemy, either from up here or down below, whichever you prefer.  When you're successful he blows up.  There's a third tier of ledges in this room, but it's difficult to access.  Get on the SW rising platform and step up to the W edge.  You need to start your jump before the platform reaches its zenith.  For me, I was able to grab the upper ledge when I pushed the jump key an instant before the platform reached the lower edge of the second tier.  Thanks to manarch2 for this tip. Pull up and find a large medipack for SECRET #2.  Get back down to the floor and step onto the central trap door, which falls beneath your weight.  In the room below step forward and attempt to take the artifact from the plinth to end the game.