CASTLE NESS

Level by Peter Tedstone (StormChaser)

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth

Many thanks to Val for playing the level with me and identifying the location of the secrets that I had missed.

Lara begins by sliding down a slope into the courtyard of a ruined castle. Shoot the two warthogs that come forth to greet you, then vault up onto the short block nearest the wall with the encouraging message. Jump over to the wall, then turn left and take a standing jump up the slope to a higher section of the wall. Run to the other end and turn left. Take a standing jump with grab into the alcove and pick up the GOLDEN VRAEUS.

Hop back down to the ground and climb the crates in the NW corner. Pull the top crate back once toward the corner, then turn to your left, hop back and grab the edge of the crate you're standing on, and shimmy to your right beyond the crate you just moved. Pull up to find a passage in the north wall. Go inside and dogleg around to your left. There's an opening looking out over a large, deep outside area.

Turn to your right and jump up to grab the crack. Shimmy to your left a long distance until you're able to drop down into the opposite alcove. Turn to face north and take a long running jump and grab to the ledge ahead. Pull up and run to the other end of this ledge and drop down to a platform partially occupied by crates. Since there's absolutely nothing of interest over there, go just beyond the crates and take a standing jump to the nearby pillar. All four sides have ladder surfaces, so use one to climb down to the floor.

This place is distressingly free of pickups, although it's quite scenic. Look around a bit if you like, and shoot two or three bats that you disturb along the way. Then go over to that impossibly long pole near the SE corner, and (making sure you're facing west) climb it all the way to the top. (I tried several times without success to take a shortcut by jumping to the pole from the ledge above, but each time Lara refused to make the grab.) You can have some fun by climbing past the flag into thin air, but there's really no point. When you reach the part where the pole thins out just below the flag, back flip onto the highest ledge. Turn left and climb up onto the crates in the SE corner. Hop down into the hole for SECRET #1 and pick up the BREAST PLATE.

You'll find some shotgun ammo on the ledge in the opposite NW corner. After picking it up, safety drop from here onto one of the crates below, then jump to the nearby pillar and climb down to the floor. Now it's time to get out of here. You've undoubtedly noticed with some nervousness the sleeping skeleton over near the east wall. Climb up onto the ledge near the skeleton and turn to face it. You'll finally notice the devilishly indistinct jump switch on the wall directly above the skeleton. Take a running jump and grab to activate it, which of course activates the skeleton as well (as soon as you move away from it). The gate to your left opens, so dash inside ahead of the skeleton and quickly climb up into the opening in the wall to your left.

Duck down and crawl to the other end. (I know what you're staring at. That's not nice.) When you can stand up, light a flare and hop down into the hole for SECRET #2 and pick up the SHOTGUN. Crawl back to where the skeleton awaits and lure him back to the previous room. Use your shotgun to blast it into the pit near the north wall, which doesn't kill it but renders it harmless. Then proceed leisurely through the east gate and enter a new area with ledges. Your entry alerts another pair of skeletons, so ready your shotgun and knock them off the ledge. (Or, if you wish to conserve ammo, you can evade the skeletons by running off the right side of the ledge to the north-south ledge down below.)

From the ledge below, note the jump switch in the south wall. Activating it opens the gate to your right. It's unclear what purpose this serves, as it only gives you another pathway back to the large area with the tall pole, where you've already completed all necessary activity. Pull back up onto the north-south ledge, run to the north end and pull up into the opening. On the other side you can hop down to your left into a dark courtyard where you'll find a floor lever. Throwing it opens the gates in the NW corner of this area.

Reverse roll and pull up onto the east wall. Jump down to the other side and enter the opening to your left. You find yourself inside what looks somewhat like a dark deserted barn. I spent considerable time exploring in here but could find nothing but a measly stash of shotgun ammo. Go back outside to the courtyard and pull up onto one of the walls. Hop down into the NW quadrant and go through one of the two open gates. Enter a new room as spooky music plays. Go around to your right and shoot the near white jug on the west ledge. Vault up and pick up the GUARDIAN KEY. Continue around the room in a counterclockwise direction until you come to some crates in the SE corner.

Climb up onto the crates, run over them and drop down on the other side north. There's a crate against the east wall. Push it once to the reveal a receptacle in the adjacent stone block. Insert the Golden Vraeus to lower the partitions in the central structure and release two knights. Lure them away from the central structure, then run back there to find two key receptacles. You can insert the Guardian Key in either one. If you use the receptacle on your left you open a gate in the east side of the room that obliges you to run past and engage a no-longer-sleeping skeleton. If you use the receptacle on your right you open another gate in the SE corner that enables you to avoid the skeleton altogether. Your choice.

Whichever route you choose, you next come to an outside area where your presence triggers two rolling boulders. The trenches between them are filled with spikes, so you need to time a series of jumps to get you safely to the other side. When you reach the far ledge, jump down into the SE opening. Follow the passage past four openings in the walls. Don't bother going inside to explore, as they're all completely empty. The fifth opening higher up in the south wall is where you want to go next, but let's take a little side trip first for another secret. Turn left and enter a hedge maze. You'll immediately hear frantic squeals, as there are two wart hogs trapped inside. They're so frightened, however, that they seem to pay you no attention when you cross paths, so decide for yourself whether or not to kill them. Explore the maze until you eventually come to an alcove where you'll find the RIGHT GREAVE for SECRET #3.

Make your way back to the entrance, which isn't particularly time-consuming even if you turn here and there at random. Now pull up into that opening in the south wall and drop down into a trench on the other side. Follow until you reach a gray stony area. Make a hairpin turn to your right and locate the ladder in the wall. Climb up into a higher passage and push the button at the other end to open a gate down below. Go back down and continue south past the opened gate into a larger area. Climb up onto the block against the south wall and turn to face east. Take a running jump and grab to the higher pillar and pull up. Turn around and jump up to grab the hole in the ceiling. Pull up into an upper room and follow the west passage.

Turn right at the intersection. (If you turn left, you'll accomplish nothing more than to disturb a wraith, giving you more urgency to reach the nearest water.) Near the end, pull up into the passage above and run forward to the crawl space. Crawl to the other end (aha, caught you staring again) and hop through the opening into the water below. Pause for a small medi-pack at the bottom of the nearby hole, then swim through the opening in the north wall. Turn left and follow the passage to the bend, then turn left again. Go through the small opening and turn left yet again, then follow to an air hole where you can pull up into a small chamber.

Climb up the left side of the south wall and pull up into a high passage.
Run forward into an outside courtyard. The opening to your left leads to a room where there's nothing to do or pick up. Similarly, you can use the crawl space to your right to get over to the north side of the courtyard and trigger a boulder trap, then run across to the west side and trigger another one, then you can explore the trench to the south, but none of that will gain anything for you.

Leave this area by pulling up into the west opening in the north wall. Run forward and dogleg to your left, and pull up onto a green ledge. Turn left and take a running jump and grab across the deep gap, then turn right and run to the west end of this ledge. Turn left and take a running jump to the pillar, then from there take a standing jump over the slope and pick up the shotgun ammo. Jump back to the central ledge and go back about halfway. It's hard to see in the darkness, but there's a ledge down below. Simply run off the ledge you're on and you should land safely. Safety drop to the floor and pull up into the west opening.

Hop down and cross the shallow gully ahead. There are several small stairwells and slopes in the next area that lead nowhere and to nothing, so bypass them and run to the opening leading outside in the north wall. You appear to be confronted by what looks like toxic goo from TR3, but actually it's harmless water. Jump up to the rocks to the NW and locate the hole containing a small medi-pack, then return to the canal and follow it to the castle wall. Locate the underwater hole next to the wall and swim into it. Take the first left and enter the small passage. Follow it all the way to the end for SECRET #4 and the RIGHT GAUNTLET, then return for some air.

Swim back down and follow the wider north passage until you reach an intersection. Turn left and continue until you're able to pull out onto a wooden platform. Run forward through the opening and make a hairpin turn to your right. Follow to an outdoor platform, and run around a bit to spook a couple of bats for target practice. Then jump into the water and swim across to the NW corner. Pull out of the water and pull the crate away from the NW corner to reveal a passage. Follow the passage down some steps, then hop carefully down onto a lower block to trigger a spike trap. Jump over the spikes and take a standing jump up the slope ahead.

Jump into the water, take a hard left and pull up into the nearby passage. Run forward and turn right at the opening and jump into a continuation of the canal. (You can explore the passage ahead if you wish, but there's nothing there but a closed gate and a pit trap.) Likewise, you can pull out of the water at the opening and look around at some pretty scenery, but there's nothing to do or pick up in there. Continue swimming through the canal until you reach an outside area featuring an assortment of bridges. Pull out onto the wooden ledge and climb up onto the crate at the bridge abutment. Then climb onto the higher adjacent pillar and you'll get a fixed camera angle.

Turn to face west and jump up to grab the underside of the bridge. Monkey swing to the other side and drop down inside the fenced enclosure. Locate the hole in the SW corner for SECRET #5 and the LEFT GREAVE. Go over to the opening in the north wall and pull inside. Run forward and jump back down into the water, and swim south under the bridge and continue until you reach a gated barrier on your right. Pull out onto a platform where a bunch of crates are stacked and shoot one or two bats. Go to the lone crate against the north wall and push it forward to reveal an entrance into the fenced enclosure.

Drop down into the hole and follow the east passage. Turn right at the bend and pull up into an opening overlooking still more water. Jump in and swim south into a shallower canal. Follow and pull up onto the left bank near the end, then jump over to the south ledge. The area between the two ledges is harmless, so pull up onto the second ledge and hop down into a narrow valley. Turn left and pull up onto the square rock on the other end. Step forward and drop down the deep trench into a pool of water.

Swim down and enter an underwater area to the south. Swim forward through the wide rectangular opening and turn to your left. Swim slightly upward and into the second square hole on your left for SECRET #6. Pick up the LEFT GAUNTLET and continue forward. Turn to your right and enter the tall rectangular passage in the south wall. Swim up at the end and pull out of the water into a passage. Run forward and climb the ladder at the far end. (I told you not to stare!) Pull out into an upper room with an opening in the east wall that overlooks a scenic outdoor area. Turn left and run down the metal stairs.

Climb up onto the irregular shaped block at the end and face north. Take a running jump into the opening and follow the narrow valley until you reach an underground crawl space to your right. Turn to the opening to your left, where you can see some flares. Before you have a chance to pick them up you're assaulted by a bat and a knight. Light a flare and run past the knight. Head west and another bat comes at you. When you reach the second knight, turn right and run past him into a larger area with a shallow pool. Go wade in the water and shoot another bat. Turn to face east, and there's an opening up in the wall. Stand at the base of the slope and take a standing jump into the opening, and continue forward to the mouth of the cave where you disturb more bats. Shoot them, then emerge in an area outside the castle walls.

Run south into a courtyard and shoot a couple of wart hogs. Continue through the ankle-deep water and the next small courtyard. Continue south and jump down into the hole at the far end. You emerge in an area that looks vaguely familiar, but you haven't been here before. Turn to face south and time a running jump over the burners to the ledge with the rolling boulder. Continue with a jump over the second row of burners and turn left to go into the east opening. Follow the passage south until you reach a slope, then simply slide down to the area below.

Climb up onto the rocks overlooking the south opening, and a panoramic flyby takes you through the area ahead, revealing the dragon and a nearby hole with a floor lever. Hop down and run east past the carved stone pillar and into the water. Jump up to the other side and quickly locate the hole you saw in the flyby. Throw the floor lever to open the gate behind the dragon, then pick up the nearby large medi-pack. You're being bombarded by a plague of locusts, but that's better than being fried with hot dragon breath.

Run past the dragon into the south opening and run up the slope to the open gate to end the level.