SAS STAKEOUT

Level by Matthew Piper (Pwhirl)

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth

Begin in almost pitch blackness with birds chirping somewhere close by. Light a flare to find yourself in a dark alley standing next to the motorbike that you last saw in Return to Venice by the same builder. You don't really need the motorbike in this level, but you can drive it back out to the Venetian canals for old times' sake if you wish. Before mounting, however, hop back and pick up the SHOTGUN and large medi-pack lying near your feet.

Ride the motorbike forward into some clear bright sunshine and enjoy the flyby while the first of many SAS in this level starts shooting at you. After camera control is restored, continue forward and make a tight hairpin turn to the left as you follow the stairs to a landing where you can dismount. (The canal waters below contain nothing of interest, so you needn't waste time swimming around.) Draw your pistols and face south to shoot the SAS standing in front of a floor lever. The first SAS who shot at you is stationed on a high balcony outside where you can't reach him from your present position. Continue up the stairs, vault up into a higher passage, pick up the small medi-pack and throw the floor lever. A cut scene shows some large doors opening and an SAS being released to give pursuit.

Go back down to where you left the motorbike and kill the SAS. Pick up the large medi-pack he drops, then continue down the stairs and turn left into the building past the large doors you just opened. A short burst of action music hints of danger inside, so draw your pistols and wait for the SAS to come greet you at floor level. There's another one stationed above you to the right, but he's protected by the balcony so you can't shoot him unless he stupidly shows himself. However, he can certainly shoot you, so after killing the first SAS run forward and pull up to the second story by using the reddish-colored flooring.

Kill the SAS over on the north balcony if you weren't able to do so from below, then go around the south balcony to your right and pick up the REVOLVER. Drop back down to the first floor, pick up the shotgun ammo dropped by the first SAS and go over near the NE corner next to the entrance doors. Facing the north wall, directly opposite the life-size figure on the wall and two squares back, jump up and grab the wall. Pull up (you may have to shift once to the left or right if Lara refuses to cooperate) and start climbing, and when you clear the top of the balcony shift left and drop down onto it. Pick up the uzi ammo dropped by the SAS you shot, then climb back onto the wall and shift all the over to the right until you're able to drop down onto a flat surface near the outside balcony. Go there to find an opening where you can jump across the canal to an awning, but that's for later. For now, go back and drop down to the first floor.

Head over toward the SW corner of the first floor room and go down the dark west corridor (the alcoves to your right are empty). At the end, when you reach the wood flooring next to a section of covered canal, make a hairpin turn to the right and throw the floor lever to open some large doors around the corner. Go back down the hall and enter a new area where you'll be attacked by two dogs. Dispose of them and note the glass ceiling above you. Find the UZIS, the small medi-pack and some flares, and note for later the closed trap door directly overhead. Now go back to the NE corner and climb back up the wall as you did earlier. Go to the outside balcony and walk to the north end. Take a running jump across the red awning and grab the edge when you slide back. Shimmy all the way to the left, pull up and back flip onto the balcony behind you. Go to the west end of the balcony and take a running jump and grab to the wooden ledge. Pull up and take a running jump to the red awning ahead, which is level enough to stand on. Turn to face south and take a standing jump with grab down into the open doorway.

Run up the large stairs and kill the two dogs that round the corner toward you. At the top of the stairs dispatch the SAS who steps out of the library. Go inside the library and you'll find the books to your right are sticky enough to climb on. Climb to the top of the shelf and pull up. Locate the hole and drop down into it. Pick up the flares and crawl west along the crawl space, passing a row of jars on your right. As you reach the end you'll hear some spooky music. Face the jars, get up on one knee (by hitting the space bar), draw your pistols and shoot them one by one. Then crawl forward and pick up the small medi-pack contained in the first jar. This opens a door in the fireplace above. Turn around and crawl back to the west end where you'll find a hole in the floor. Lower Lara down into it and either climb down the ladder in the south face or simply drop down the deep shaft into some water below. Climb back into the hole and locate the floor lever. Throw it to extinguish the flames in the fireplace above. Jump back to the ladder and climb back up to the crawl space.

Crawl back to the east end, climb up the back side of the library bookshelves and pull up to the top. Hop down to the floor and step forward into the fireplace. Stop to pick up two small medi-packs, then go to the far wall, turn to your right and pull up into the passage. Light a flare, run all the way to the other end and pick up the CROWBAR. Reverse roll and return to the library. You now need to backtrack somewhat, so climb up the west bookshelves and drop down through the hole ahead. Crawl forward to the other and allow Lara to fall down into the water. This time, swim over to the south end, look for an identical hole in the SE corner and pull up inside. Take an angled standing jump and grab to the ladder and climb up a long way to the top. Pull up to find yourself on some rafters overlooking another library.

Drop down to the floor below. You see the jump switch next to the closed double doors, so go over and activate it. Sure enough, the doors open and two SAS come to the attack. Shoot them both and relieve them of the crossbow arrows they were carrying. Go into the next room and turn right. Climb up the bookshelves and pull up into a recess. Shoot the two jars and take the uzi ammo and still more crossbow arrows. Get back down to the library floor, warm your hands by the roaring fire if you wish, and leave this room. In the precious room, vault up in front of the window and step forward. You discover to your amazement that you can walk right through them into an open-air courtyard.

Jump into the small pool and walk forward toward the falling water. Another surprise: you can vault past the water into SECRET #1. Pick up the large medi-pack, the crossbow arrows (we really need to find that crossbow), and some uzi ammo. Pull up out of the pool and approach the door in the south wall, which opens automatically. There's nothing to find in the canal below, so take a running jump over the water to the wooden boardwalk. Turn to your right and enter the small wood-frame building. Kill the SAS who's lurking in the alcove to your right and vault up onto the large gray slab for some flares.

Exit this room and head west down the boardwalk and into the covered portion of the canal. Turn left at the first opening and use the crowbar to open the door. Throw the floor lever inside (which I believe opens the door to a future secret) and go back outside. Kill the SAS on the boardwalk to your left and continue forward until you reach another outside area. If you'd like to experience another major surprise, go past the alley to your left and run north along the boardwalk. You'll be met by your clone, and it's unclear whether this was an intentional effect or not. Anyway, after passing pleasantries make a horseshoe turn to the left and enter the small wooden hut with the glass ceiling. It appears at first to be empty, but go into the dark alcove in the corner to your right and pick up that elusive CROSSBOW.

Exit the hut and turn left. Go to the west wall and climb up to the ledge above. Turn around and jump to the wooden roof of the hut. Hop forward onto the glass ceiling and pick up the large medi-pack and the flares. Note the chimney from which steam is issuing, which you can use to climb up onto the red awning above. However, the door there is closed, and the window next to it is not of the run-through variety, so just note it for later.

Hop back down to the boardwalk and go over to face the north wall across the canal. Line up Lara with the opening in the wall and take a running jump and grab across the water to land inside the opening. The door opens automatically and an SAS steps forward, so draw weapons and kill him quickly. Enter the courtyard and turn to your right. Jump through the run-through window into the library. Don't go too far inside, though, or you'll alert the two SAS stationed on the balcony above you. Look to your left and locate the crawl space in the dark corner. Pull up into it and lower Lara down the other side. Turn to your left and open the crowbar door for SECRET #2. Go down the passage and pick up ammo for the grenade gun. the shotgun, the revolver and the uzis.

Return to the library floor via the crawl space, draw weapons, run toward the closed door (note it for later) at the east end and reverse roll to kill the two SAS who were hoping to ambush you. Climb the bookshelves to the balcony and locate another crawl space in the NW corner, directly above the one you used just now. Use it to reach a hole at the other end of the passage, then turn around and use the ladder to climb down into a dark hallway. Follow the hallway down into a familiar area. The ceiling trapdoor you saw earlier drops down obligingly as you approach it, but ignore the opening for now and go to the east end of this room. Turn left into the last alcove and activate the jump switch you find there. A cut scene shows the door opening in the previous library, but before returning there let's detour for a secret.

Drop down through the trapdoor hole and go to the NE corner of the main floor. Use the climbable wall to reach the outside balcony the same way you did earlier. Jump over to the north awning, shimmy left, pull up and backflip, etc., until you're on the last red awning facing the open double doors. This time there's an SAS waiting for you below, so dispatch him before jumping down into the opening. Go up the stairs and you'll find that the door in the east wall is now open. Go through to the outside balcony for SECRET #3. Pick up the small medi-pack and the shotgun ammo, then go back the way you came. Jump into the water when you reach the open double doors and swim around the corner and pull up onto the boardwalk. Enter the building via the open west double doors and cross the room diagonally to your left. Locate the open trap door hole and pull back up to the second floor. Go through the opening to your left and follow the passage until you return to the ladder leading to the crawl space leading to the library.

Back in the library, go through the open east doorway as ominous music plays. Turn left and follow the passage down to where an SAS stands in wait. Kill him and pick up the uzi ammo he drops. Continue forward into an outdoor area. Locate and activate the nearby jump switch to open that door above the steaming chimney. Jump into the water and swim south into an enclosed area. Surface, turn to your right and pull up onto a boardwalk. Draw weapons quickly to kill the waiting SAS, and relieve him of his shotgun ammo. Throw the floor lever in the SW corner to open a trap door somewhere in the library.

Return to the open-air area and pull up onto the boardwalk. Go back through the west opening and follow the passage back up to the previous library. In one corner there is little hard to see an opening. Climb up, kill the SAS, get his medipack and open the door by crowbar. Inside there is a secret.

Back outside, climb the bookshelves up to the balcony and exit via the run-through west windows. Off to your left is the steaming chimney, so hop from the awning to the top of the brick wall. From there, take a running jump and grab to the roof of the wooden hut. Pull up and run across to the steaming chimney. Carefully walk around the steam to the south edge, then jump up and grab the red awning above. Pull up and enter the new library area. The open trapdoor hole you saw in the cut scene is right there in front of you, so drop down into the passage below, step forward into the darkness and slide down the slope to end the level.