ESSEN MYSTERIES

Level by ilariacroft

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth. Glitch-free video walks have also been posted by Doggett TV, by Steven3517 and by Saki Croft.

After an extended storyline-establishing FMV followed by an onscreen warning about the motorbike, note that you already have the MP5 with attached laser sight in your inventory and proceed on foot NW toward the red umbrellas in front of the coffee shop for MP5 ammo. Go E from there past the fountain to the NE corner to find flares in the doorway. Activate the jump switch there to lift a grate somewhere and also to attract two dogs.

If you like, you can save some time by riding the motorbike (mount it from the right side) to the W end of this city square. Dismount and go to the left of the Dom Schatz building (where an onscreen message tells you the elevator is out of order). At the wall near the SW corner is a gap in the fence. Drop or climb down to a lower area to find an opening where the grate lifted. Pick up the MP5 ammo in the opening, note the onscreen hint about the laser sight and look inside to see a red button on the wall. Fire at it with your pistols while jumping up and down to save ammo, or use the MP5 with its built-in laser sight if you prefer, and you should soon hear the sound of trap doors opening behind you.

Drop down into the water and pick up the GARAGE KEY. A nearby gate opens, so enter the tunnel and continue around the corner to a shaft leading upward. Surface, pull out and shoot three rats. Note three colored wall buttons and push only the first two (counting from left to right) to open the W gate. Enter and push the floor lever to your left to lift the E gate. Wade over there, but now you can see that you've got a problem. The gate has lifted only halfway, and the waist-deep water keeps you from ducking so you can crawl underneath.

Return to the buttons, push the first and third ones and the E gate lifts higher so you can wade through to where the water becomes deeper. Save your game, swim through the SE opening and follow to an open area with a closed gate to your right. Pull the adjacent underwater lever to lift the gate, swim inside and left and continue swimming E toward a closed gate on your left. Light a flare to see the nearby door in the E wall, open it and swim inside for SECRET #1. Loop around to your right and up the shaft for air, collect the flares on the ledge and swim back down.

Exit past the door you opened, turn left toward a yellow light and pull the underwater lever to open the overhead trap door. Surface, pull out and find yourself in the lower levels of a cathedral. Run up the stairs past closed doors requiring a key you don't yet have, loop around either right or left when you reach the sanctuary and open doors leading down to a lower room. Shoot the jar on the central grate for flares and push the button to the right of the N doors to open them.

Step out into the street and return to the motorbike (which would be close by if you hadn't driven it away earlier). Drive it a bit N and park it beside the closed garage door to your right. If you like, you can go NE to find more flares next to a potted plant. Return to the garage door, open it with the Garage Key and prepare to deal with a wrench-swinging thug. Enter the garage, grab more flares from the work table, mount the motorbike and use it to break the barrier in the E wall. Ride down into an underground tunnel and dismount. Pick up the large medipack and proceed on foot to the very end, where you'll find MP5 ammo and a floor lever that opens a ceiling trap door back in the garage.

Return there and find the ladder in the SE corner. Climb up past two opened trap doors and back flip into an upper room. Shoot out the W window, step out onto the balcony for an onscreen hint about the museum across the street, return to the room and move the pushable table onto the balcony. Pick up the BROKEN HANDLE it was covering and push the button in the E alcove to open the door to the freezer. Enter to find the KNIFE and leave before you freeze to death.

Get on the table you moved and jump up E to grab the roof. Shimmy left around the corner and drop down for SECRET #2. Pick up the nearby MP5 ammo, flares and small medipack and return to the balcony. Push the table aside, enter the room and climb down the ladder to the garage. Exit, loop around right through the narrow alley and look up left when you reach the bicycle propped up against the wall. Shoot the distinctive window at the NE corner and keep your MP5 out to shoot two dogs that attack.

Go to the dark NE corner for MP5 ammo, locate the ladder in the opposite corner and climb up until Lara's hands are on the third rung from the top. Take a rolling back flip to grab the window you shot out, pull up and shoot the jug for a small medipack. Hop down and approach the hook that Lara is looking at so intently. Use the Knife to pry off the WALL HOOK and jump back to the ladder. Climb down to the alley and ride the motorbike (or run if you prefer) to the cathedral entrance next to the hotel.

Enter the lower room you explored earlier and Lara's attention will be drawn to the barred E window, beyond which you can see a key. Combine the Broken Handle and the Wall Hook to allow Lara to reach through the bars with the HOOK AND POLE and snatch the CRYPT KEY. Go up the SW or NW steps to the main sanctuary and loop around down the central stairway to find the receptacle for the Crypt Key. Open the S doors and enter the crypt as the doors close behind you and several bats attack in a swarm. 

Go to the central chain, face E and save your game for a timed run. Pull the chain to raise a block against the E wall, sprint there and hop onto the block to pull the E wall switch. Reverse roll and sprint to the second timed block for the W wall switch and finally sprint to your left (S) to the final timed block and wall switch as more bats attack. A cut scene shows a statue moving aside to reveal a wall switch. The exit doors re-open, so run N to the wall switch and pull it to raise a block in the sanctuary.

Go back up the W stairs and run down the central aisle between the pews and past the altar into a back room with a sarcophagus bearing two Greek letters, delta and omega. The raised block is up on the N balcony, and you'll get there soon. But first, return to the sanctuary and find alcoves in the N and S walls with Greek letters on the panels. There's a delta panel and an omega panel on each side, so push all four (noting the reset switches in case you mess up) in no particular order for a cut scene showing the appearance of an object in front of a statue near the altar. Go there and pick up the GOLD CROSS.

Go N past the companion statue, noting the red jewel above its crossed arms, and turn left to find steps leading up to the balcony. Go there, hop SW over the railing and get up on the raised block so you can access the monkey bars. Monkey swing over to the S balcony, release when you get past the organ pipes and open the S doors. Pull the chain in the stained glass window to your left. A cut scene shows the red jewel you noted earlier falling down to the floor in front of the statue. Go down the steps, push the button to open the doors to the back room in the sanctuary and run NE to claim the fallen RUBY.

Go S past the other statue and turn right to find a closed gate. Combine the Gold Cross and the Ruby, then place the GOLD CROSS WITH RUBY in the receptacle to lift the gate. Go down the steps to a small library and shoot the jars to find flares. Open the E doors and step out into an alley surrounding an outdoor graveyard. Check the nearest alcove for a small medipack and continue along the alley in a clockwise direction, pausing for flares at the next corner, until you reach the floor lever in a S alcove that moves aside a coffin cover in the graveyard. The remaining side alcoves are empty, so run across to the NW corner to find the open grave.

There's a spike trap down below, so stand at the N edge facing the cross, hop back and grab the edge, shimmy left to the corner, release and grab the wall crack below. Shimmy right around two corners until you can pull into a crawl space. Grab the MP5 ammo and save your game. Roll out of the crawl space (jump and up arrow keys), slide a short distance down the slope below as two boulders are triggered behind you, jump with a right curve onto a parallel slope and repeat so that you land safely at the corner as the boulders roll by.

Pull up into the W opening and run up the ramp, ignoring for the moment the opening to your left (there's a closed gate for which you need a key), turn right at the corner to awaken a skeleton and draw the MP5 to shoot off its head and thereby render it harmless. Pull up onto the nearby ledge for flares (stoop to pick them up) and hop down. Light a flare to detect the spike traps and hop over them as you make your way along the ledge to another crawl space. Enter, get on one knee and draw your pistols to shoot the container ahead. Crawl in past the spikes, pick up the TOMB KEY without standing up and exit with some unavoidable loss of health.

Return past the spike traps to the opening you passed by earlier and use the Tomb Key to lift the E gate as you hear the snapping sound of more spikes in the area ahead. Take a running jump over the spikes toward the wall torch so you won't be squashed by the boulder rolling down from your right. Go up the ramp and follow around to a floor lever that lifts an underwater gate. Light a flare to find an opening up in the NW corner. Pull up to hear another coffin lid moving aside. Continue around the corner and pull up into the graveyard.

Exit NW to the sanctuary entrance and go up the steps to main worship area. Run E down the central aisle and continue down the stairs to the water hole next to the doors leading to the crypt. Jump into the water and swim out N, go past the opened gate and through a diamond-shaped opening. Turn right at the wall just past the yellow light, turn left at the next yellow light and continue along the long tunnel (a strong current keeps you from going back, assuming you had some desire to do that) until you reach an area where you can surface for air. 

Pull out W onto the sloped pillar, back flip onto the higher slope and jump S without sliding to grab the third slope. Shimmy right around the corner and pull up onto a flat ledge where two rats are waiting. Pull down the timed wall switch to open a nearby trap door, reverse roll and take a running jump over the gap to the next ledge and pull up N before the trap door closes. Shoot the wrench-wielding mechanic and pick up the CAR WORKSHOP KEY he dropped. Go to the work table against the E wall for the HAMMER and use the key to open the SE door. Exit to the courtyard where you began the level.

If you rode instead of running to the cathedral somewhat earlier, the motorbike should be waiting for you a few steps away. Drive back to the Dom Schatz building, dismount and go to that SW gap in the railing you visited earlier. Drop down next to a closed door and use the Hammer to smash the lock and kick in the door. Enter a dark, red-tinted room and take the small medipack from the work table. Push the button near the pipes to make the Dom Schatz elevator operable again, and the red tint changes to green. Exit, climb the wall up to the railing gap, pull up at the top and loop around left to the entrance to the Dom Schatz building.

First, drive the motorbike into the elevator, dismount, exit and push the button at the entrance to send the motorbike up with the elevator, get into the shaft and find flares, a small medipack and MP5 ammo. Run N to the end of the street, loop around left and find a pushable bin at the SW corner. Pull the bin two times, note the onscreen hint and get on the bin. Jump S to grab the protruding ledge, pull up and jump E onto a balcony. Climb the S ladder to the roof and note the glass ceiling blocking your access to the museum below. Run S to the elevator, get on the motorbike and ride it onto the glass. Your combined weights are too much for the glass, but if you just ride haphazardly onto the glass ceiling you'll drop to your death.

What you need to do is to ride N along the roof line and turn left (NW) onto the glass ceiling so you'll break through and drop down safely onto a lower ledge. Dismount, pick up the MP5 ammo and note the other pickups beyond the window that are presently out of reach. Hop down S and find more of those ever-present flares on the ornate wooden slab. Enter the dark SW passage where the elevator sign is pointing and hear the sound of a gate opening. You now have a way to get the motorbike out of this area, but that's for later.

Go back the way you came and find the W ladder between the motorbike and the ornate wooden slab. First, shoot out the grate above the ladder, then climb up and pull into the crawl space. Get on one knee (space bar), angle slightly left, wait for the laser to start moving away from you, roll forward (sprint and up arrow keys) and quickly crawl the rest of the way into the S niche. Pick up the large medipack and MP5 ammo, shoot out the grate and either roll out or safety drop from the other side. Watch the flyby of the next room and grab the MP5 ammo in the NE alcove.

Enter the S room, walk down the left side away from the patrolling guard and sneak up behind the other guard without getting too close to him lest you set off an alarm and attract machine gun fire. Stab the poor guy in the back with your Knife and pick up his ACCESS CARD. Go back the way you came and loop left around the crates. Face S without exposing yourself. When the patrolling guard is walking away from you, quickly side flip right two times into the W alcove and use the Access Card to open the door.

Enter carefully, because there's another guard patrolling the area ahead. Go up against the N wall, where you can see the guard coming and going without him seeing you. When he starts walking away, run to the SW table for MP5 ammo and quickly back flip. Wait for the guard to start walking away again, then run behind him and up the stairs to the right. Push the button at the top to lift the cover protecting another button in the room. Go back down the stairs, and at the landing wait for the guard to walk toward and past you underneath the stairs. Sprint down to the floor and continue left around the corner to the former safe area before he turns around and starts walking back toward you.

Return to the room with the crates, wait for the first guard to start walking away from you and run behind the crates. Hop up to the highest crate and jump S to the ledge with the button. Push it to open a nearby door, wait for the guard to walk away and hop down onto the crate and to the floor. Get back through the W doorway, using the same technique as before, and save your game in preparation for a risky run past the second guard. When he starts walking away, enter the passage and follow him without getting too close. Just as he's about to turn and go the other way, scoot past him to the right and into the E passage where the door in the cut scene opened.

As you approach the opening a red light turns on, but don't worry about that. Run into the next room, hop onto the ledge and pick up the large medipack and MP5 ammo you saw earlier through the window. Hop down, face the N laser banks and kneel near the first one. Time a roll past it and repeat to get past the second one. Go through the E doorway, ignore the empty jar to your left and go up the stairs to a room patrolled by two guards. Pick up the dropped ACCESS DISK, shoot only the NE display for the TRIDENT and go back down the stairs to the previous room. Continue to the W control room and place the Access Disk in the console in the N alcove. The door opens, so enter for a level change and a storyline FMV.

When camera control is restored you can save and reload to observe that the level name has not changed. In any event, find yourself in a new room, run forward and search the executive desk to your left for the familiar combination of flares and MP5 ammo. Reverse roll and search the shallow pool for more MP5 ammo. The E passage on the right leads down to a closed door, so proceed up the steps to the left and follow up to a music room. Shoot the N jar for MP5 ammo and open the door in the E alcove to enter the bedroom.

Search the small chest next to the bed for more MP5 ammo and open the S door to the bathroom. Enter to find the cleaning lady hard at work and hop over her to find a large medipack in the shower stall. Exit the bathroom and bedroom to encounter a withering attack from three guards. Save your game before opening fire. When all three guards have been killed, a brief cut scene presages a timed (five minute) exit run, so you needn't waste time searching the corpses for pickups. If you insist, however, you'll find that two of the guards have dropped a large medipack and MP5 ammo. You'll also need to stop at the bedroom doorway and pick up the SPA KEY dropped by Klara the cleaning lady in her haste to call the police.

Run N down the stairs and loop around left in the next room and down the next set of steps to find the receptacle for the Spa Key. Use it to lift the adjacent door, follow down to a pool room and swim over to the Poseidon statue. Place the Trident to open a trap door in the pool, jump in to your left and down the NW opening for SECRET #3. Grab the MP5 ammo and large medipack, surface, swim S and pull out of the pool. Run forward and push the button to open a panel in the glass wall.

Enter the steaming-hot sauna. There's a small medipack on the ledge to your right, but you may be better advised to ignore it and instead pull up the floor trap door to your left. Drop down, turn left and run into the blue alcove to turn the wheel before your health bar expires. Pause if you wish for the MP5 ammo, light a flare and climb the SW ladder to an upper room. Activate the jump switch in the wall to your left to lift a door in the pool room, pause to get the small medipack on the nearby ledge if you wish and exit N to the pool room. Turn right and run past the opened E door, shoot the crates in the small room, grab the flares if you like and push the button to lift a grate in the fireplace you saw earlier.

Return to the pool room, turn left and run up the S stairs to the next room, loop around right to the next flight of stairs and continue up to the music room. Turn left through the E doorway and enter the fireplace via the flame-free section on the left. Crawl past the opened grate, pause for the MP5 ammo and small medipack if you feel you have time, climb the ladder in the S (not the N) wall and pull up at the top to face a quartet of guards. When all have been killed, approach poor Jean tied to the NE striped column for a cliffhanger of an ending (but with the promise of a continued adventure).