A DAY IN THE LIFE
Levels by Melvin Hall
Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth, with the help of Doggett TV's video walks
Level 1: HOME SWEET HOME
Click here for this portion of the video walk.
It's difficult to tell if Lara is dressed for bed or for action as the level starts, but in either event the look is appealing. Step into the fireplace for a CANDY BAR and SECRET #1. Go E toward the bedroom door and it opens for you. Go down the steps into the game room and turn right at the pool table to the landing. Go around right or left to the S door which also opens for you.
In the guest bedroom is a working fireplace and a closed door requiring a key. There's nothing to do here, so exit to the landing and go around left to the wide W doorway. The SW door to the bathroom opens, but there's nothing inside. Go downstairs to the main floor and loop around left into the W wing. Shoot the picture just beyond the ceiling fan and vault up into the opening for SECRET #2 (I won't mention the candy bars any more).
Return E to the main entrance room, turn left and go past the yellow question mark. A yellow arrow appears, so follow it into the NW opening where you'll see more yellow arrows that lead you to a pool room and a jump switch in a dark alcove. Activate it for a cut scene back in the main entrance room. Return there and enter the NE opening at the foot of the stairs. Open the small chest near the fireplace for the BEDROOM KEY.
Go back upstairs, all the way to the S guest bedroom and turn right to use the Bedroom Key to open the W door to a dark closet. Open the chest on the right for revolver ammo and pull down the timed wall switch on the left to open the attic door briefly. Exit the guest bedroom, turn left and follow the landing to the NW doorway, using the sprint key as much as possible. Go up the winding stairs (the collision here is really nasty) and past the timed door into the attic before it closes. Shoot two bats and find flares in one of the small crates. Get onto the tallest crate for the FRONT DOOR KEY.
Hop down, shoot another bat, go downstairs once more and use the Front Door Key to exit the house E. Step out into a steady rain and shoot the shrubbery ornament on the near left corner of the hedge just ahead for SECRET #3. Go N past the parked limo and hop over the hedge toward another yellow question mark. The yellow arrows materialize behind you this time, so follow them back into the mansion where the paths diverge.
You've already taken the NW route, so go left (SW) option into the kitchen where Winston is waiting with the afternoon refreshments. Go the other way toward the freezer door, which opens upon your approach. There's nothing inside, but if you wait for Winston to arrive he'll stay here and stop following you around. Go back to where he was, hop onto the counter where the yellow arrow is pointing and pick up the MAZE CANDLE.
Return to the main entrance room, exit the mansion and run N past the parked limo just to the right of the hedge and place the Maze Candle in the fancy receptacle to open the door to the hedge maze. Go inside and stay right to find a pushpiece. Push it away to reveal SECRET #4. Enter the maze N and find a rotating blade trap at the next opening. Time a run past the blades (stay close to the walls and corners), curving to your right and shoot a huge rat. Run W past the blades and come to an intersection with a yellow question mark to your right and another rotating blade trap to your left.
Get past the yellow arrow and blade trap to step on a trigger tile in the alcove that lowers a block in the maze. Go back and follow the arrows to an unmarked pushblock. Pull it twice to reveal an opening, but before going there turn around and go N past another rotating blade trap. Turn right and step on the trigger tile to lower another block somewhere. Shoot two rats and continue N through the maze. Stay to the right to find the lowered block and a third trigger tile that lowers still another block.
Continue in a N direction past another rotating blade trap and find a large medipack in the far NE alcove. Two more rats will probably show up here. Go back just a bit and turn left (E) past another rotating blade trap to find yellow arrows pointing to an unmarked pushblock in the NE corner. Push it twice to reveal an alcove with a floor lever. Push it to open a nearby door in the N part of the maze. Go W past two rotating blade traps to find the opened door around the corner. Go inside for the REVOLVER and head back S past one of the earlier rotating blade trap. Loop around right to find the third lowered block and the LASER SIGHT.
Continue S to the first pushblock you moved and follow the arrow through a phantom wall to a scenic indoor pool, shooting a rat along the way. Believe it or not, the kayak works, but there's nowhere to go. Bummer. Go all the way across to the SW opening and enter a canal area. Go over two bridges toward a yellow question mark to make another yellow arrow materialize. Look down into the water and use your combined revolver and laser sight to shoot the underwater grate. Jump into the water and swim through the opening. Follow around, surface, pull out in front of a floor lever and push it to open the S door.
Go there and follow the sidewalk toward a S opening. Shoot the last shrub ornament to reveal SECRET #5. Before entering the opening, take the PUZZLE STAR from the plinth and a cut scene shows you where it goes. Follow the passage, pull the flower pot at the corner for SECRET #6 and enter the nearby alcove to open two doors, one right in front of you (to the kitchen) and the other elsewhere.
Go through the kitchen to the main entrance room and go out the front door. Turn right to find the other opened door and go on through. Look down left to see a yellow question mark, but first, go right and shoot the obstructions for flares. Go down into the lower E area and approach the question mark. Follow the yellow arrows to closed double doors blocked by a force field. Go back and look up NE to see a jump switch that's out of reach.
Climb back up to where you entered this area and take a running jump E to grab the slope. Pull up, slide a bit down the other side, jump off to grab the next slope, pull up, slide and jump to activate the jump switch. The doors open where the arrows pointed and the force field is gone. Voila, problem solved. Go down the ramp to a spooky dungeon-like area. Loop around left and let the arrow direct you to a jump switch in the corner alcove. Go to the other end of the ledge to flush out a bat, then hop down onto one of the many crates below.
There's another arrow below the first one, directing Lara to a crawl space. Get in and drop down the other side to find a floor lever. Push it and get back out of the crawl space. Near the center of the room, where the crates are bunched together, there's an open space with a floor lever. Push it and a door opens at the NW corner. First, shoot a smaller crate in an alcove near the middle of the N wall for flares, shoot two rats if they show up, then locate and step on the green trigger tile next to the SE column to raise a platform overhead. It's timed, so remember where it is so you can do it again in a minute or so. Go across the room and through the opened NW door to find the LARGE COG. Shoot another rat, and on the way out of this small area activate the jump switch above the entrance to lower a trap door somewhere.
Step on the SE trigger tile, quickly get up onto the crates below the entrance ledge and pull up S. Turn left and take a running jump from the E end, angling slightly left, to grab the raised platform before it drops back down. Pull up, hop forward and follow the ledge around counterclockwise, jumping the gap, until you reach the lowered trapdoor. Shoot a bat, drop down into the lower room and pick up the SMALL COG.
Climb back out to the previous ledge. For a secret, stand at the W end and take a running jump, curving right to land on the ledge on the other side of the column. Go to the W wall, save your game and take a running jump W, curving right to grab the corner ledge at the last instant. Pull up, turn around and hop up NE. Hop into the shallow hole for SECRET #7. Get back down and use the S crate to pull up onto the entrance ledge. Run up the ramp and loop around left to find the receptacles for your cogs. First, combine them and place the COMBINED COGS to open the double doors behind you.
Go on through and down a couple of steps to a fence overlooking a pool. Shoot all the targets across the way (you can use your pistols without having to jump up and down) and get down to the pool and into the water. A floor trap door has opened, so swim down for SECRET #8. Surface and pull out E.
Step forward and jump up to grab the upper ledge. Pull up in front of an arched opening. Go to the multi-handled wheel to your right, face S and pull it 6 or 7 times. Reverse roll and sprint through the E archway along the jutting ledge as blade traps are triggered behind you. Jump the gap and grab the column. Pull up, turn left and jump N across the gap toward the descending door. Roll when you get there, if necessary, and when you get through you'll be taken to the next level.
Level 2: HOME KAYAK CAVES
Click here for this part of the video walk.
You're standing next to a fenced circular pit. Hold your nose and dive over the fence into the water below. The kayak down here works, too, but alas, there's still nowhere to go. (Edit: Guess what? After finishing this walkthrough I went back and read the builder's readme more carefully, and it seems that the kayak can indeed be used here. However, as indicated by the following text, you can finish the level and obtain all secrets without ever getting into it.) Pull out N, pull down the NW wall switch and run into the question mark to generate some yellow arrows. Follow them N up the ramp and to the right, where ledges shift magically from one position to another. Ignore the ledges for now and drop down to the floor. Run around a bit and rid the area for now of snakes (I counted three before they stopped coming).
For an obscure secret, pull up onto the E or S ledge and look around. Scattered around the room are five ledges with a green surface. Each time you step on one a bright star appears above it. When all five have been activated (two of the five are right next to each other), a candy bar appears on the pedestal on the E ledge that's situated on the green tile. Take it for SECRET #9. I forgot to mention that while you're going around the room activating the green ledges, more snakes appear.
You now need to work on the shifting ledges with a red surface. There are five of these as well. When you've stepped on all five, a large medipack appears on the other plinth on the E ledge. You're through here, so enter the E opening and go down the ramp to draw out two or three bats. Search the chest at the end for a large medipack. Go to the W wall, turn left and go counterclockwise around the room. Exit NW and follow the passage down to a bridge leading to a room with dart traps. Save your game, use the zip line to get over the darts and after you've cleared the fence, release over the lake and drop onto a column for a small medipack. Presumably these medipacks have some significance beyond being mere health boosters, but if so it's not obvious.
Take a running jump SE down to the foot of the bridge. Go back over the bridge, up the stairs, past the darts, over the next bridge, up the ramp and continue up to the room with the shifting ledges. Pull up onto the sturdy S ledge and run down to the lake with the kayak. There are more yellow arrows pointing E, so jump into the water and swim in that direction. (Note: Here is where you can use the kayak if you so choose, but it's undoubtedly easier just to swim.) Your path is marked by floating lights and what appear to be goal posts. If you want all the secrets, it appears to be necessary to swim between all the goal posts (14 of them) that you'll encounter along the way. When you pass underneath each pair, they turn from green to yellow. Continue past the rock formation and turn right, where the current will grab you and carry you over a precipice to a lower lake.
Swim W between two sets of goal posts and turn left at the revolving blade trap to pull out onto a rock formation where you'll find a candy bar for SECRET #10. Jump back into the water and continue swimming W and then N and then E a long distance until the current grabs you once again and carries you over a precipice into a yet lower lake. Swim N under a bridge and continue to a second bridge where you can pull out onto some steps. Go up to the goal posts. If you've activated all of the previous ones the door should open and allow entrance to SECRET #11.
Exit and follow the ledge W to a ramp leading to a temple of sorts. Shoot two dogs and use the rocks NE to hop up onto the platform over the closed temple entrance. Pick up a small medipack hidden in a plant, shoot a bat and follow a narrow ledge past the columns to a pushblock. Just as you start to push it two more bats attack. Push the block down to the ground and hop down after it. Activate the jump switch in the NW corner to open the door on the other side of the pushblock. Before entering, go around to the temple entrance and shoot another dog to remove it as a later distraction.
Return to the pushblock and go across to the S wall. Climb the rocks for flares, hop down and enter the lower N room. Go to the NW corner and see a block lower upon your approach. Go to the end of the passage for SECRET #12. Return to the multi-handled wheel, face N and pull it 6 or 7 times. Take a rolling back flip and run around to the front of the temple. Roll if necessary to get past the descending door.
Go up the ramp and loop around left at the top to see a question mark. Run through it to make yellow arrows appear, one near the ceiling and the other pointing to a jump switch. Jump up where the higher arrow is pointing to grab a crack in the column, shimmy left around the corner and drop to activate the jump switch. You drop near the multi-handled wheel, so use it once again to open the front door. Hurry there and go back up the ramp to find that the W doors are open. Go up another ramp to a higher level. Note the colored tiles in the fenced central area, which undoubtedly serve as a clue of some kind. Go through the S opening and up another ramp to a still higher area.
In the upper room with colored tiles similar to the ones below, if you simply run around at random over the tiles for a while, three of them will eventually be graced by green-tinted lights, enabling you to bypass whatever clue was presented in the lower room layout and take SECRET #13 from the SW plinth. Exit SE and go up a ramp to a machinery room. Don't stop here, but continue through the NW opening to a bridge leading to a ladder.
Climb the ladder, and near the top take a rolling back flip to grab the ledge behind you. Pull up to find a tunnel on either side. The E tunnel is blocked, so go W and follow the narrow circular passage to a timed wall switch that opens the door in the E tunnel. Get there quickly and turn left at the wall for flares. Reverse roll and pull down the wall switch (not timed) that opens the door you saw in the W tunnel. Go back there and follow around to a sputtering fan. Turn right in front of it and come to an intersection with ladders.
Climb the ladder straight ahead (W) and pull up into a tunnel with a large medipack at the far end. Go back and hop into the S tunnel on your right. Follow past two closed doors and pull down the wall switch at the end that opens the first door you passed. Go back there to find another wall switch. This one opens the second door you passed and takes you to a fenced pit similar to the one where you began this level. Go across to the N wall, pull the switch there to activate the fan in the pit and enter the nearby opening to be carried back to the first level.
Level 1: HOME SWEET HOME (revisited)
Click here for this part of the video walk.
You begin in what looks like an underground station of some kind. Vault up into the E opening to attract about a half dozen rats, then mount the nearby quad bike and wait for the rats to come to you and self destruct. Dismount and shoot all the red cones in the area if you like (unnecessary, perhaps, but fun). Run through the question mark near a closed door (later) to conjure up the yellow arrows that tell you where to go next.
But first, return to that E opening that drew all the rats (or to the nearby main entrance) and enter the E room. Shoot a crate near the S wine barrels for revolver ammo, and shoot a crate against the N wall for more revolver ammo. Get into the dark NE crawl space for a small medipack. Go to the pool and jump to the platform next to the first of two slopes. I wasn't able to jump off the first slope to grab the second, but an easy work-around is to take a running jump SE to the side slope, slide and grab and shimmy left until you're able to pull up and take a rolling back flip onto the second slope. Slide as necessary and jump to grab the E opening. Pull up to arouse a family of bats and loop around right to shoot a crate with revolver ammo. Loop around left for a second PUZZLE STAR.
Jump into the water, pull out S and climb out to the upper deck. Exit this room and mount the quad bike. Follow the yellow arrows N and continue down and up the passage, ignoring all side openings, until you see an arrow directing you to turn right. Dismount and follow the arrow to a jump switch that opens the door near the question mark. Get back on the quad bike and continue past the striped markers until you reach a ramp that you have to use to jump a gap. Dismount in front of the ramp and find flares in a trench.
Use the quad bike and ramp to jump the gap and continue to find that you've completed a circuit back to the opening area. Dismount and enter the opened W doorway for a large medipack. Exit this small room and loop around right on foot down the ramp to a small pool with columns. Shoot all the red cones in the area, just in case, (five by my count, the last one near the top of the W ramp) and continue W past the striped marker and head N past two more striped markers. Follow the yellow arrow left and continue along the same path you followed earlier on the quad bike. You can clear the ramp with a simple jump, and turn right to go up the S ramp.
Shoot a half dozen more red cones at the top and see a block lowering in the S wall of the hedge. Enter for a cut scene of a door opening back in the mansion. To get there, continue into the hedge maze and turn left past the first swinging blade trap. Exit S to the front yard, follow the arrows to the front door of the mansion and once inside turn right and enter the NE room with the mounted T-Rex head. Continue up the steps to the opened door and go around to a small room with a small chest you can shoot for the CROWBAR.
Go back the way you came to the room with the T-Rex head. To the right of the fireplace is a door you can open with the crowbar. Go inside and pull down the wall switch to open a fireplace trap door in another room. Exit to find a new question mark. When you run into it you get a cut scene of a swimming pool area. Open the crowbar door to the left of the fireplace for flares, then exit to the main entrance area and go up the stairs to the second floor. Loop around right at the landing and enter the NE game room. Turn left and go up the steps into the bedroom and find the opened trap door.
Pull up S at the fireplace and follow around to a loft filled with pushblocks where two bats are awakened. Hop down and activate the jump switch in the NW corner to open a door near the dining room. Before leaving, move the SE pushblock into the NE alcove. Move the other two lower pushblocks situated against the S wall to form a row along the N wall. Climb up and pull the upper SE pushblock one time. Get down and pull each lower pushblock one time. Climb back up and pull the upper pushblock on the right one time. Crawl to the other side of this pushblock and push it W one time. Turn around and pull a new pushblock W one time. Crawl over it to find yet another pushblock. Pull it N one time, crawl over it and push it N one time. Turn around to find another pushblock. Pull it one time, turn right and crawl W over a previous pushblock.
It doesn't seem as if you've accomplished anything, but hop to the floor and exit this room along the dark passage. Safety drop down the fireplace, exit the bedroom and the game room and turn right onto the landing. Enter the NW opening and go up the stairs to the attic. Shoot a bat and push the N pushblock one time (which you're able to do courtesy of the extended exercise in the loft). Turn around and pull the other pushblock one time. You're now trapped between pushblocks, and since the S pushblock is not one you can climb over, resist the temptation to use the corner cheat and crawl over the N pushblock.
Drop down the other side into the previous room and follow the same route described in the previous paragraph to return to the attic. The space vacated by the S pushblock reveals a hard-earned SECRET #14. Remember that door you opened near the dining room? Go downstairs to the main floor and go under the NW archway to find the opened door on your right just before you reach the dining room. Go down the ramp to a dark room where you can shoot a smaller crate tucked away SE for flares. Before you can pick them up you're attacked by two rats.
Go to the NE wine barrels. The one in the middle is a pushable, so pull it away from the way to reveal an alcove with another PUZZLE STAR. Go back up the ramp and turn right into the dining room. Take another right and go straight to the swimming pool. Turn left and open the crowbar door in the alcove indicated by the first arrow (stand left). Enter a small room for flares and a large medipack. Go to the second arrow, open the crowbar door there and enter for the fourth and final PUZZLE STAR.
Exit the swimming pool, turn left into the dining room and return to the main entrance area, go out the front door of the mansion and turn right into a previously explored area. Drop down to the lower section and go to the S archway. Jump over the closed trap doors at the entrance, or you'll drop down into some water. However, the builder has graciously provided a ladder to get back up. Go down to the pool, shoot two rats and hop up into the NW stairway. Jump up to grab the crack in the W wall and shimmy left until you can drop down to a ledge.
Hop down S and turn right into a room with a spinning helix surrounding a plinth. Place all four Puzzle Stars in the indicated receptacles and a rainbow cube appears above the plinth, along with the GATE KEY. Pick it up and go back the way you came, again jumping over the entrance trap doors which are now open. Pull out NW to the front yard and go E to the closed gate. The receptacle for the Gate Key is on the right, so open the gate and make your leave without bothering to change clothes.