TRAPS

Level by Renato Wanser

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth

The level begins with Lara sliding down a slope and being trapped (hence the title?) in an extended flyby that shows Larson running toward an artifact on a green slab. By the time the flyby ends and Lara resumes her slide down to the room with the green slab, Larson has stolen the artifact and is making his escape.

If you try to follow Larson, the south gate will shut before you can reach it. There's another closed opening in the east wall, so go down the north passage into the next room where you'll see another closed gate ahead. Go behind the pillar to your right and push the button on the north face. The east gate in the previous room opens, so go there.

Drop down into the hole at the other end of the passage and head south where you'll encounter a fixed camera angle. Turn left at the bend and continue along the passage until you reach a crawl space. Crawl inside and push the wall switch, then go back the way you came. When you reach the spot where you lose camera control, reverse roll and take a standing jump and grab to the hidden crawl space above. Crawl inside and continue forward until you reach a T-intersection where you can stand up.

Turn right and climb the south wall to an upper room ringed with slopes around a large brick structure. There's a closed gate in the south wall on the other side. Go to the east side of the room, stand facing west with Lara's nose against the central structure and her back to the slope at the midpoint of the wall, and take a back flip. Keep the jump key depressed so that Lara jumps off the slope and grabs the crack in the wall of the central structure. Shimmy to the right and around two corners until you reach a place where you can pull up. Turn around to face NW and take a long running jump down to a flat spot in the corner. Pull up onto the north block, turn around and jump up to grab the ceiling. Monkey swing over to the SW corner and drop down onto the top of the pillar. Throw the wall switch there to open the exit door in the south wall.

Safety drop to the floor and leave this area via the south doorway. Step forward and slide down two slopes. As you slide down the second one you'll get another flyby of Larson and a spike trap being triggered below. Hit the jump and roll keys while you're in the flyby so that Lara will flip turn and start sliding backwards, and then hold the action key so you'll grab the edge instead of falling to your death on the spikes. Shimmy to your right around two corners (yes, the spikes will rob you of some of your health, but there's no help for that) and pull up when you're able to. Step forward and push the button to open a nearby door, then hop back and grab the edge, shimmy to your left a bit and drop down into a safe area between the spikes.

Step down into the slightly lower west end of this room and pull up onto the sloped pillar as a strand of heroic music plays. Turn around and take a running jump toward the west wall. Grab the invisible crack and shimmy to your left (you may have to release and immediately grab again before Lara will obey the shimmy command) until you can pull up. Turn left and go through the door you opened just now. Draw your pistols and deal with three wild pigs that are scurrying around in the room beyond. If you're lucky you'll be able to do major damage from the passage before they decide to come in after you. When all three are dead, go inside and discover an empty room to the south (no, not quite empty, the shotgun is in the NW corner) and a west passage.

Go on up the west passage and pull up into the higher passage. Step up to the edge of the slope, sidestep to the far right (I tried it from the left side, and it wouldn't work) and save your game. Slide down the slope as the camera angle becomes fixed and you see Larson shooting at you while a boulder starts rolling in your direction. Jump just before you reach the bottom of the slope so that Lara can be running the instant she alights, and hold the sprint key down until camera control is restored. Jump off the far edge at the last possible moment, or you won't gain enough height to avoid being squashed by the boulder. Grab the wall ahead and start climbing immediately, as five bats are nibbling on you simultaneously. Climb all the way to the top, shift to the left and drop down into the upper passage.

Kill the bats, then continue through the passage. Climb onto the block that you'll come to when you turn the corner, then jump up to grab the crawl space up in the wall. Crawl through and safety drop from the other side. Turn left and pull up into the higher passage. Run forward into a large area with a green pool just ahead, a cartouche receptacle to your right, and a high ledge to your left where you can pick up some ammo for your shotgun. In the passage beyond the ledge to your right is a receptacle for a hand artifact and a closed door beyond that. Jump into the green pool and swim quickly to the opening in the SE corner before you alert Larson to your presence, as he'll start firing grenades down on you from above if you don't hurry.

Swim along the passage until you emerge in an outdoor area. Two crocs come out to greet you, but on land are two ugly aliens that look even worse. You're going to have to deal with all of them, so I suggest that you swim forward and pull out somewhere under the tree bridge, kill the first alien, shoot the crocs in the water, and finally approach the second alien to take it out. When you're through, go to the tree roots on the north bank. There's a triangular rock on the west side of the tree roots that you can stand on. Face the roots while standing on the nearest corner of the triangular rock, and back flip to the higher flat rock behind you. Turn around and, from the NW corner of this flat rock, take a running jump west and grab the ledge of the ancient ruins.

Pull up, turn left, jump over the skeleton that's blocking your way, and pick up the HAND OF ORION. Then turn to your left and jump up to grab the edge of an alcove. Pull up for a small medi-pack, then get back down and jump into the water. Return to the green pool via the west opening. Pull out of the pool and run over to the NW passage. You'll alert three wild pigs in the room beyond, so you might want to reverse roll and return to the pool deck so you can engage them in a more open area. When you're through, go back into the NW passage and insert the Hand of Orion in the receptacle to open the nearby gate. Go inside and follow the passage until you reach another outdoor area. This one is infested with a half dozen raptors, so take care of them one by one. When that's done, run forward toward the lone plant and pick up the BA CARTOUCHE.

Exit this area via the north passage and return to the green pool area. Insert the Ba Cartouche in the receptacle in the west wall to open the underwater door in the SW corner of the pool. Go there and swim through the passage until you reach the opening at the other end. Pull up into a small room with short stocky columns. Locate the switch behind the NW column and throw it to open the door across the room near the SE corner. Go inside the new passage and start running when the camera angle becomes fixed. You'll notice that flames are popping up in the passage behind you, so quickly locate the ceiling trap door near the end of the passage and jump up to open it before the flames reach you. (You need to have your back to the wall as you jump up to grab the handle.) Pull up into a new area and run forward as foreboding music plays.

Turn left at the bend and approach another green pool. To your right and left you'll see side passages with two bays of wall switches, two switches on your left and three on your right. If you swim across to the other side and go around the corner you'll see two sets of Roman numerals on the wall. This is supposedly the clue to solving the switch puzzle, but it didn't work for me. What you need to do is raise some blocks in the pool so that you can reach buttons on the west wall and the east wall. Here's what worked for me: To reach the west wall button, push all the switches down except the second one to your left. Then jump or pull up onto the inside block, take a running jump to the next block, and a running jump and grab to the block against the west wall. Push the button, then return to the switches. Raise the first switch on the left, lower the second one, and leave the other three down. Repeat what you did before, this time on the east side, and the exit gate in the passage across the pool will open.

Go through the open doorway, pause to pick up the HAND OF SIRIUS, and continue along the passage until you come to another small room with short stocky columns. Locate the NE opening and pull up into it. Follow the passage and safety drop into the room on the other side. You've been here before, so locate the water hole and jump in. Swim back to the green pool and pull up on the other side. Go to the cartouche receptacle and pull up into the passage to the left of it. Insert the Hand of Sirius in the wall receptacle to open the door at the end of the passage. Make a hairpin turn to the left as you go through the doorway and locate the wall switch. Throw it to lower a couple of ropes behind you.

Use the ropes to access the ledge in front of the opening in the east wall. Don't tarry, because Larson is shooting at you again. When you get across, pull up and allow Lara to slide down the slope. You don't need to jump or do anything, for Lara will land safely on the other side of the burner pit. Run forward and climb the wall to your right into a higher passage. Follow the passage, vault up yet higher and safety drop down the other side. Immediately reverse roll while drawing your shotgun and take care of Larson. When he's dead, pick up the UNNAMED ARTIFACT that he stole at the beginning of the level. Follow the ledge west and turn right into the passage. Follow until you reach a slope, then step forward to end the level with a textual promise of more excitement and adventure to follow in the next installment.