LUCIFER'S ARSE

Level by George MacIver

Walkthough by Phil Lambeth, with the help of Doggett TV's video walk

After the opening flyby, hop down two ledges and jump into the underground lake. Search one of the seaweed clusters for a small medipack and SECRET #1. Pull up onto the higher underwater ridge against the N wall and hoist Lara out of the water onto the lower ledge. Hop up to the higher ledge and go around to the SW corner. Pull or hop up into the passage and the bamboo door ahead opens upon your approach. So does the iron door further down the passage.

In the next room take the FREEMASON GUN from the plinth (with a generous number of rounds) and hear the spikes being triggered in the S passage. As you go forward the iron door behind you slams shut. Step out onto a bridge and drop down into the water below. Search the area where there's a bend in the waterway for a large medipack. Pull out S near the bridge to find another large medipack on the ledge.

Swim across to the E side, pull out and find the ladder at the SE corner. Climb to a higher ledge and prepare yourself for an encounter with two bogeymen who explode nicely when they die. Pull down the SW wall switch to activate a freemason who lights a torch and then sets a floor trap ablaze. When camera control is restored, pull the lever back down again to turn off the flame briefly (thanks, Torry), use the gap in the railing (or simply jump over it with some difficulty) to get back down into the water, swim quickly across NW and pull out to the left of the freemason.

Push the wall button above the green tile before the flames return, turn left and run counterclockwise along the ledge, jumping past the waterfall, and pull up onto the ledge emblazoned with an ugly face. Pull down the wall switch to put out the flame on the adjacent, jump over there and pick up the GOLD SKULL for a cut scene showing a bamboo door opening. Hop down E and follow the ledge around the corner to find the opened door.

Head E down the passage to trigger a spike trap before you reach it. Run past it, shoot the dog and continue around the corner to encounter a second dog, then a third dog. You finally reach a dog-free room guarded by a bogeyman. Take a second GOLD SKULL from the plinth, triggering a burst of psycho-like warning music, followed by a heroic strain of considerable duration, indicating that perhaps prompt action of some kind is needed. False alarm, no enemies are rushing toward you and there's no timed exercise in your immediate future. 

Calmly retrace your steps past the triggered spike trap and jump into the water. Swim N and W, pull out N to the right of the lingering freemason and place the two Gold Skulls in their respective receptacles to open the bamboo door between them. Follow the passage to a room occupied by one of those ubiquitous dogs, note the ugly faces all around you and deal with the bogeyman who charges forth to challenge you. Go E where he came from and shoot a baby dinosaur. Step out into the N opening and allow Lara to slide down the waterfall and into the lake below.

Locate and pull the N underwater lever, avoiding the jets of underwater flames. A gate has lifted behind you in the S wall, so flip turn and swim into the passage. Loop around right in the open area and pull a second underwater lever. During the process you undoubtedly noted the plinth to your right, so swim over there for the GOLD KEY. Swim back N the way you came and surface for air. Use the submerged block to pull out N, go right around the ledge while being pursued by a fire wraith and use the Gold Key to lift the S gate.

The wraith can't be extinguished in the usual fashion, but it seems that if you jump into the water and pull out precisely at the moment it turns dormant, it won't follow you. Walk into the S passage, stop at the slope leading to a spike pit and time the lateral flames to hop either right or left, then jump S into the passage past the spikes. At the next intersection, save your game, hop back once from the edge of the slope, take another step backwards, stand jump into the shallow pit and continue immediately with a running jump to evade the descending spike ball.

You next come to a lava room. Save your game. Hop back from the end of the ledge and take a running jump to the first of 25 slopes. You can easily make them all in one go and jump off the last one E to a safe ledge, but in doing so you would forfeit the second secret. For the secret, count the slopes as you progress and jump from #7 (after sliding near the bottom) to grab #8. Shimmy right, pull up and slide down the other side and jump off with a right curve to land on a flat surface. Pick up the small medipack for SECRET #2.

Progressing from this point is a challenge all its own. You can't pull up E onto the slope, and if you back up and try to jump over it you'll land in the lava. The easiest way is to stand facing SW, back flip onto the slope you just came from, jump off straight and continue jumping along the remaining slopes until you reach the safe ledge near a pool. Go to the alcove near the NE corner and pull down the wall switch to open the gate to your right. Reverse roll, loop around left and go down the passage as the gate closes behind you.

Shoot two approaching bogeymen and come to another lava room. Step on the obvious trigger tile to spring the first spike trap, jump to it to spring the second spike trap and take a running jump SE to grab a crack in the wall. Shimmy left, drop down onto the ledge, shoot another bogeyman and take the SILVER KEY from the plinth as the third spike trap is triggered. Use the neutralized blocks to get back across the lava and this time go down the SE passage on your left, where the gate graciously lifts upon your approach.

Go back to the left side of the lava pit (the pool contains nothing of interest) and save your game. You need to make a series of slope jumps to get across safely to the W side, although the slopes are lined up in a straight path, it will be necessary on occasion for you to jump off with a right or left curve to land on the next slope. When you get there, draw your freemason gun to deal with two bogeymen approaching from your right.

Go to the nearby plinth and take the freemason gun ammo to hear the sound of a nearby door opening. Shoot the bogeyman and return to the plinth for two more pickups of freemason gun ammo. Go past the opened door N and follow the passage around corners to attract four more bogeymen. When you reach the end of the passage, turn left and climb the long ladder up to a familiar passage. The gate ahead opens upon your approach, and when you emerge on a ledge surrounding a large pool, shoot the waiting bogeyman.

Run counterclockwise along the ledge (the freemason is no longer in sight) to attract two following  baby dinosaurs, dispose of them and continue around to the S wall. Between the two columns with the ugly faces is a receptacle for the Silver Key. Use it to open the door overhead, climb up two times and enter the S opening. Shoot the bogeyman, continue through the passage and look right for a plinth bearing a document entitled HELLO which conveys a profane message. The S gate has opened, so continue into a dark outside area and run forward to end the level.