THE LAST CONTINENT

Level by Saturn

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth, assisted by Doggett TV's video walk

Before the level begins there are spoiler warnings about a related board game called The 7th Continent, with which I am not familiar. The level also has several notable features. First and foremost, you're not able to save wherever you wish. The download has two executables, one in the root folder and the other in the Engine folder. I have no idea why some builders seem to feel this is a desirable practice. I ignored the executable in the root folder, which I have found in similar cases to cause error messages, and I invoked the game by clicking on Tomb4.exe in the customary manner. By doing so I missed the opening story line documented in the video walk, which may be one reason for the additional executable. Finally, the builder's readme provides this warning: "On loading a game after a death or reloading of an older save, the game may crash or restart the level. The solution so far is to close the application and restart it." My guess is that the inability to save normally may have something to do with that. Finally, this walkthrough is based on version 1.2 of the level, the version currently available for download at trle.net. The builder hasn't yet fine-tuned the level to his satisfaction, so players should expect a revision that may well render this walkthrough obsolete.

Lara awakens from a deep sleep after having been shipwrecked on an apparently deserted island (or, more accurately, the "cursed continent"). Your inventory contains nothing but one Resurrection Medallion, which presumably serves the same function as a save crystal. However, if you take a few steps forward and check your inventory again, you'll find that an Explorer's Manual with some valuable information has now appeared.

Use the blocks to reach the stone arch. Jump up to grab the crack below the arch, shimmy right around two corners and release to slide to an underground passage. Go past a closed door and crawl E. Lara looks at a strange structure to her left. Run past it and Lara's attention is now diverted to a campfire that someone has conveniently built but neglected to light. Step into the propped sticks, press the action key and the sticks are magically set ablaze. An onscreen message says something about using food items when close to fire. You can also use your Resurrection Medallion to save your game now (or later, if you wish, whenever you come across a similar set of stacked sticks) and then "resurrect" it in the flames.

Go SW along the shore to find a Big Canned Octopus, which is apparently raw because you're told that fire is required. I never did use or understand what this pickup is all about. Go NW from there to find a pushpiece. There must be some significance to the cross and question mark etched into the nearby stone face. Anyway, move the pushpiece to the NE corner of the sand lot for a cut scene showing the door you saw earlier now opening. Go back W through the crawl space to the opened door and jump into a water hole. Swim along the passage until you see sunshine marking a place where you can surface and pull out W.

Climb the ladder ahead to a high vantage point overlooking the island and surrounding sea. Hop up S and follow the rock ledge to a depression containing the GOLD EMBLEM. When you pick it up a trap door opens at your feet, dropping you back to the sand lot with the pushpiece. For a secret, make your way back up to the previous rock ledge. This time, when you've pulled up at the top of the ladder, hop SW to land on a slope. Slide and jump W to arrive at a niche with a SUCCESS (gold star) for SECRET #1. Slide down into the water and swim around S to pull out near the spot where you began the level.

Use the blocks again to get on the other side of the stone arch. Go through the crawl space, climb up facing N onto the block opposite the strange structure and place the Gold Emblem in the receptacle. A trap door falls in the strange structure and two crocodiles materialize. Since you have no weapons to deal with them, make your way quickly to the strange structure, pull up and hop into the hole where the trap door opened before the spears in the walls have a chance to activate.

You fall a long distance without injury into a surreal purple-tinted cave with giant mushrooms. There's a shallow pool next to you, in which you'll find a CRYSTAL FRAGMENT (1 of 7). Head N toward the opening and pull out onto another section of the island. Near the two NW steam geysers is a pile of sticks you can ignite the same way you did the earlier ones and thus resurrect your medallion if you didn't do so before. Follow the little NE alley and stay right as you near the shore.

Look up S and see the sand-streaked marks on the rock formation. Use those as guides to jump and shimmy your way S until you turn a corner to pull up onto a slope. Slide and jump with a right curve to land on a stable flat spot. If you fall into the water, swim around, pull out and try again. Pick up the SUCCESS in the alcove for SECRET #2 and jump into the water. Swim a bit N (the current will help you) and pull out W. Go NW to find a colorful coral reef. Jump into the water and swim down to find a COGWHEEL in the center of a little clearing. Surface, pull out N where you a see a corpse lying on the rocks and take the REVOLVER dropped by the poor guy. Unfortunately, he used up all the ammo before dying, so you'll have to find some elsewhere.

Follow the rock ledge counterclockwise and face a shrine of some sort. Don't go there now, as we'll return later after acquiring some much-needed ammo. Continue around past the twin steam geysers to the S side of this rock formation to find a pushblock. Move it SW so you can get on it and jump W to grab a sand-streaked column. Actually, you can reach the column from the ledge below, but the pushblock serves as a handy landmark. Pull up and jump the column tops until you reach the far S column with a standing jump to find another Big Canned Octopus.

Jump into the water and swim W and then N toward a drop-off where the water becomes much deeper and the current prevents you from swimming there. Pull up W near, but not at, the NW corner of the rock wall, walk to the NW corner and take a running jump NE to land in the deep water beyond the reach of the current. Swim toward that rock with the steam geyser and locate a gondola on the sandy ocean bed. On the far side of the gondola is a SUCCESS for SECRET #3. Swim back S to the more shallow area (the current doesn't fight you on the way back) and pull out E near the pushblock. Run toward the four steam geysers you see in the distance SE and use the reach-in switch (that steam geyser in front of it is intermittent, so be patient) for another CRYSTAL FRAGMENT (2 of 7).

Return to the pushblock and use it to jump the columns in the water. This time make your way NW to the grouped columns, face the N slope and stand right on the high corner. Stand jump to the first slope, slide and jump to the second slope and jump to a flat surface for a CRYSTAL FRAGMENT (3 of 7). Walk up to the high SW corner and take a running jump to grab one of the grouped columns. Pull up and jump to the next column S with a steam geyser. Turn right and locate the opening in the rock face. Jump there, enter the passage and turn left to find revolver ammo in the alcove. Turn around and shoot the wooden barrier, enter and pull up left to trigger an impressive flyby featuring a bathyscape.

Before exploring this new section, however, drop back down into the passage, continue N and step on a trap door to open it with your weight. Pull back up into the passage, go up to the bathyscape opening and slide down W to the water's edge. Loop around left and find a grave. Step on the breaktile and allow Lara to fall through and take the CROWBAR from the dearly departed one. Vault out of the grave and follow the coast line N around the bathyscape, passing an alcove on your right that you'll use for your return trip.

Go around the corner and invest three precious rounds on a crocodile. Use the nearby sticks to light a fire and save if you like. Note for later the crawl space in the N wall, which is presently blocked. Go S to the nearby short building and find revolver ammo on a crate. Use your crowbar to open the door (actually, it opened for me before Lara had time to go through her usual motions) and enter a small room. According to Teone, this door was intended to be opened with the Small Key you'll find shortly, and not with the crowbar, and the oversight has been corrected in later versions of this level. Loop around left, pull a NOTE off the wall and read the bad news. Don't place your Cogwheel or push the floor lever yet. Instead, exit this room and pull up onto the low roof to find a pushblock.

Move the block to the N side of the roof, get up on it and take a running jump slightly NE to grab the support. Shift left around the corner, climb up one rung and take a rolling back flip to grab the jutting ledge. Pull up and grab the ladder in front of you. Shift left around two corners and climb to the top (to get there I had to make Lara hang so that she would pull up the last couple of rungs hand over hand). Walk forward, hop down to the lower ledge and stand jump to the next ledge. Vault up, turn left and approach the crane. Just before you reach it, turn right, hop back to grab the edge and shimmy left along the crane until you can pull up for a SUCCESS and SECRET #4.

Safety drop to the top of the bathyscape and open the trap door. Drop down inside and pick up the ANNOTATED MAP near the N wall. Go down the hall and search the shelves for a small medipack, revolver ammo and matches (flares). Finally, pick up the SMALL KEY near the steering wheel and use the ladder to climb back out.

Jump into the water below and pull out somewhere. Locate that alcove I pointed out earlier (opposite the bathyscape) and pull up into it. Grab the crack to your right, shimmy right around the corner and pull up onto a ledge. Take a running jump E and follow with jumps along the rock face until you can take a running jump to grab a slope. Pull up and slide down to a familiar opening. Turn left, hop down into the passage and go around to the area with the columns you navigated earlier. Jump into the water, swim E and pull out near the pushblock.

Run E past the twin steam geysers, bear just a bit to your right and climb a block not far from the multiple steam geysers (next to the opening that leads down to the mushroom cave).  Stand jump to grab the higher S block, pull up and use the crowbar to pry a couple of boulders loose from the rock wall and extinguish the geysers down below for a short time. Slide down quickly and head S to find a crater with three boulders poised at the lip. Go down for a CRYSTAL FRAGMENT (4 of 7) and get out of there fast as the boulders come tumbling down.

Go to the SE corner of the island, near that lone tree, and jump E from there to a rock formation in the ocean for revolver ammo. Jump back to the island, go W along the water's edge and continue around clockwise to the nearby stand of trees. Take a banana jump N curving right to get past the trees. If you miss and fall into the water, just pull out at the flat spot. You'll find another COGWHEEL in the sandy alcove ahead. Jump into the water, swim back S a bit and pull out. Just SE of the boulder crater is an opening leading down to a dark passage.

Light a flare and follow the passage to a crawl space. Find revolver ammo in a N alcove and continue E to find a pushblock to your left. Pull it once and push it E into the alcove. Slide down the revealed opening, jump up right to grab a crack and shimmy left around the corner and over a spike pit until you can drop down safely. Turn left and face an underground river. Stand jump SE onto a slope, slide and jump to grab a crack. Shimmy left around two corners and drop down. Take a running jump S past the strong current in the water into an alcove with an underwater lever.

Pull the lever, flip turn and swim back N. Turn left and find the opened door with a SUCCESS for SECRET #5. Continue N, pull out W into the dark passage and stand jump SE onto the slope once again. Repeat the moves described in the previous paragraph, but this time when you drop down after shimmying, take a running jump SE to land on a slope, then jump off immediately to land in an alcove with a CRYSTAL FRAGMENT (5 of 7). Walk carefully through the spike field to your right and pull up N into the previous passage. Loop around left through the crawl space to wind up back at the island.

Go to the SW corner, jump to the taller sand-streaked column and take a running jump past the strong current toward the sunken vessel. Swim around to the other side and find a gaping hole in the hull. Swim inside and greet a shark. Avoid it while grabbing the next CRYSTAL FRAGMENT (6 of 7) and find a nearby ceiling hole. Swim up into the cabin and look for a SUCCESS for SECRET #6. Swim back down, exit the ship and return to the island. Pull out E near the pushblock as before.

Remember that shrine I warned you to stay away from earlier? Go there now by heading E from the pushblock past the twin steam geysers, loop left around the rock formation and find the steps leading up to the shrine. Reach inside for the final CRYSTAL FRAGMENT (7 of 7) and an ahmet quickly shows up behind you. Fortunately, you now have plenty of revolver ammo to deal with it.

Return to the pushblock, shoot the crocodile in the water if you wish, jump the column tops to the SW one with the steam geyser, hop W to the opening in the rock wall, go inside and pull up into the opening leading to the bathyscape. Slide down and follow the water's edge around to the shed you visited earlier. Go inside and place the two Cogwheels, then push the floor lever to start the contraption and to lower the bathyscape into the water. Exit the building, shoot two attacking crocodiles (assuming they've showed up by now, otherwise you may have to go looking for them) and enter that N crawl space I pointed out earlier.

The bars to your left now lower as you approach them, so go inside and slide down twice, hop down still lower and walk toward an underground room. Hop to the raised slab without stepping on the numbered tile, pick up THE 7TH SECRET and read the enigmatic message it provides. The door ahead is supposed to open if you step on the numbered tiles in the following sequence without touching any of the others: 1, 9, 2, 8. However, the door in my game refused to open no matter how carefully I jumped from tile to tile, so use this savegame if that should be your experience as well.

Go N toward the next room, but look out for the swinging pendulum blade that's triggered at the entrance. Take the SUCCESS from the plinth for SECRET #7, exit to the dark passage and make your way back up to the crawl space, go on through to the outdoor area and jump to the bathyscape that's now submerged. Climb down the ladder into the bathyscape and place the Crystal Fragments in the NW receptacle. That vertical band of seven blocks on the wall to your right is now supposed to light up and allow you to finish the level by approaching the S steering wheel, but in my game the band remained inert and I had to exit by pressing the F5 key.