AZTLAN - THE LOST CITADEL
Levels by KcLaan
Walkthough by Phil Lambeth, supplementing the one provided by the builder with the level download, and also with the help of kapil4417037's video walk.
Level 1: AZTLAN, THE LOST CITADEL
A helicopter drops Lara into a shallow lake and abandons her. Wade out, engage a wolf that charges from W of you and head toward the S structure. Enter, go around the column into a dark passage and shoot a few bats. Light a flare and continue until you hear a burst of action music. Stop in your tracks as a boulder drops down behind you and rolls to block any thought of retreat. A second boulder lies ahead, so turn around, go back a few steps and note the overhead ledge. Jump up to grab it, pull up and follow the passage to a level change.
Level 2: THE AZTLAN CITADEL
Follow the dark passage, shoot more bats and pull up two times to face an outdoor area. After the flyby, go around the building ahead to the left of it until you come to a SE opening. Don't enter yet, but jump into the water and locate the nearby underwater opening in the W nook. Swim along the passage and pull out in front of a wall switch that opens double doors at the front of the eponymous citadel and also awakens two wolves that will arrive from the N about the same time you return to dry land.
Go back around to the front doors, enter the building and go around in either direction to engage two masked natives, each of whom will drop a small medipack. Go around to the S wall. The room ahead is for later, so find the stairs N and go up past a closed door to meet another native who drops another small medipack. Locate the ladder at the N side of the upper room and climb up to a wall switch. Save first, because when you pull it down poisonous gas will fill the room. A door closes to your right and opens to your left, so turn to your left, exit and immediately turn right to run clockwise around the perimeter to a floor lever at the SE corner. Push it to open the exit door (you can do nothing about the time-consuming cut scene), continue clockwise around two more corners and duck into the E opening. Push the wall switch back up to cut off the flow of poisonous gas. Beef up your health, climb back down and exit S to a room filled with deadly purple water.
Stand jump onto the near corner of the flame-protected block where you'll be safe, get to the SW corner and stand jump to a corner of the next block. Time a running jump to grab the S window ledge, shimmy right around the corner to the adjacent window ledge, pull up, turn around and stand jump E to grab the next block. Pull up at the right corner, jump to grab the next block, proceed in the same manner to reach the N block, then take a running jump with grab to land inside the N window ledge. Turn to your left and stand jump down to the ledge, go to the other end and take a running jump NW to land next to a plinth with the PARCHMENT SCROLL that registers as SECRET #1.
Stand jump back down to the ledge, exit N onto a bridge and take the DOOR AMULET from the plinth (cut scene of the room you bypassed earlier). Hang from the E side of the bridge and safety drop to the ledge below. Face N and crawl around to the roof over the citadel's entrance. Go to the NE corner and take a long running jump to land on the dirt mound near a plinth with SECRET #2 (I won't keep mentioning the accompanying Parchment Scrolls). Slide to the ground, re-enter the citadel and go to the back S room. You can open any of the three S gates with your Door Amulet, in any desired order, but let's start with the gate on the left.
Left Gate
Climb down the floor hole, hop down further and follow the dark passage to a level change.
Level 3: THE AZTLAN SAND CAVES
Continue to a crossing and go straight (ladder-marked passage). At the top there's a plinth to your left for SECRET #3. Don't continue W, or you'll return to the previous level. Go back down to the crossing, turn left and follow to a narrow opening that leads outdoors. Crawl through, do battle with a couple of natives who emerge from the two structures and collect the dropped small medipacks.
Enter the E structure, do down right or left and come to a lower room. Follow the E walkway past an opening to your left, come to a crossing and scoot into a side passage to your right or left as three noisy boulders roll by. Go back up the walkway to the opening you bypassed, and at the end of the passage stand jump up NW into an alcove with a plinth with SECRET #4. Turn around, stand jump to grab the ladder, climb to the bottom, drop and grab the opening, pull up and go back down the walkway a long distance to the very bottom, going past a number of openings along the way.
You'll come to an immense dark cave. Bear to your right as you cross the bridge, pull up E onto the ledge and jump into the N opening. Climb the ladder to the ramparts, enter the NW passage and climb two more ladders to a balcony with a floor lever that when pushed fills the area with sand. After the lengthy flyby, get back down to the ledge. Face the W wall between the columns of sand pouring down from above, press the action and up arrow keys and Lara will jump up to grab the higher ledge. Pull up, repeat at the N wall and go to the plinth for the DOOR AMULET.
Get back down to the lower ledge, walk to the SE and take a running jump to grab the rope. Swing forward, jump into the S passage and run up the ramp to SECRET #5. Go back down, use the rope to get back across to the previous ledge and drop down three times to where the paddle wheel is faithfully churning. Stand on the ledge to the left of the paddle wheel, take a few steps back from the N wall and stand jump a bit NW to grab the wall crack. Shimmy left around the corner, pull into the crawl space and proceed to a floor lever that opens double doors nearby.
Return to the opening, hang from the edge and shimmy left around corners until you can drop onto a ledge near the opened double doors. Go inside, grab the JEEP KEY and drive the Jeep (now you know why that letter D kept appearing on the lower right corner of your screen) along the narrow ledge until you reach a bridge where you could easily fall off either side. Continue carefully to a crossing, turn right and follow the same walkway you came down on foot earlier. Ignore all side passages, drive up over a sand dune to a dead end and dismount.
Take either the N or the S passage and return to the bright outdoors. Run across to the W structure but do not enter. Turn right, locate the crawl space beyond the bush and follow the passage, staying to your left until you come to a level change.
Level 2: THE AZTLAN CITADEL (revisited)
Continue along the underground passage, pull up once and climb the ladder to the room with the three gates. Place your Door Amulet to open the middle gate.
Middle Gate
Enter, climb down the ladder, hop down to a lower passage and follow to another level change.
Level 4: THE AZTLAN TOWER
Light a flare and follow the dark tunnel until you reach a ledge overlooking a quicksand pit. Use two ropes to get across to the S ledge, enter the opening and take two right turns to reach an opening where a flyby will be triggered that takes you through an outdoor area. Climb the block to your left and use the zip line to glide over the quicksand pit to the building down below.
Turn left, run to the other corner of the structure and look NE to see an object in the quicksand. Save your game, take a running jump toward it and quickly wade around and past it through the quicksand in a straight line to the small island ahead. Find the opening, wait for a baby spider to emerge, then crawl inside for SECRET #6. Return to the island (be sure not to slide down into the quicksand) and save your game again before getting back to the SW structure in the same manner as earlier.
At the NE corner of the structure is a ladder with an adjacent pushblock. Push the block two times S onto a trigger tile that lifts it up, go clockwise around the structure to draw out the native you saw in the flyby, pick up his small medipack and pull up into the passage he came from. You'll find the raised pushblock in a side passage, but that's for later. Locate the W crawl space, enter and drop down the other side for SECRET #7. Exit the structure, return to the ladder and climb up to a passage where a native is waiting. Pick up the ubiquitous small medipack and go into the S side room to note a marked tile. Shoot another native for his small medipack and climb up S past the marked tile. Turn right, pull up higher and run to the W alcove where you can pull out onto the roof of the structure.
Deal with the approaching vulture and hang from the W end of the roof. Drop and grab two times, pull into the crawl space for SECRET #8 and safety drop to the ground. Go around the structure to the W opening just past the ladder, pull up to the raised pushblock and push it two times. You can delete 106.mp3 from your audio folder if the looping music starts getting on your nerves. Reverse roll and loop around right into the other W opening and pull the block one time. Reverse roll, loop around left into the first passage and push the block one time S. Go back around again, pull the block once, exit and go around to a new N opening. Pull the block once, go around once more and push it onto the marked trigger tile, causing the block to rise to the next level.
Return outdoors, go around to the ladder, climb to the upper level and turn left, right and left again, hop down onto a trigger tile, go around the corner and move the pushblock (you can crawl over it) back around the corner onto the trigger tile, causing the block to rise still further. Exit, use the ladder once again to get back up and move the pushblock around the corner onto the next trigger just S of the ladder. The builder has made this task easier by allowing you to shimmy along the wall from the NW to the NW corner and back again. The block rises once more, so climb up to your left and pull the block onto another trigger tile that brings it to the section. Pull up to its left again, move it around the corner onto the NE trigger tile that brings the block up to roof level.
Pull onto the roof via the W alcove, go around to the pushblock and pull it once so you get up to the very top of the structure. Grab the DOOR AMULET (cut scene of the adjacent structure) from the plinth and hop down. Ride the zip line to the location of the cut scene, turn around and await the arrival of a vulture. Enter the N passage and keep to your right until you reach a crossing with ladder ramps going up and down. Continue up (N) past a balcony, shoot a baby spider and come to a pushblock. Push it into a floor hole, hop down to the right and continue up the ramp to a level change.
Level 2: THE AZTLAN CITADEL (revisited)
Continue along the underground passage, pull up once and climb the ladder to the room with the three gates. Place your Door Amulet to open the final gate on the right.
Right Gate
Enter, climb down the ladder, hop down to a lower passage and follow to a final major level change.
Level 5: THE AZTLAN WATER SOURCE
Continue to the end of the passage, climb the ladder to an enclosed hallway and the gate will close behind you. If you go to your right you'll return to the previous level, so go to your left and the double doors will open upon your approach. As you step onto the bridge you'll be treated to another lengthy flyby. When camera control is restored Lara's attention will be drawn to her left, but await the arrival of two vultures before proceeding (one may become stuck in a corner column).
Go across the bridge under a tightrope revealed by a fixed camera, continue into the opening, go past the side openings down the steps and engage two natives in the room to your left. Grab their standard small medipacks and note five stacked pushblocks. Save your game now, as the blocks must be moved in a precise order and a mishap may result in your becoming stuck. In his provided walk the builder has numbered the blocks from left to right beginning with the one in the SE corner, so I will do the same.
Pull Block 2 one time N. Get onto it and push Block 4 W onto a lower ledge. Hop down left (while noting the spears at the opposite NW corner) and shoot the crocodile lurking in the water below. Push Block 4 into the NE floor hole next to the spears.
Pull back up to the pushblock room and push Block 5 onto Block 4. (It's possible to keep pushing Block 5 so that it drops onto the spears, but don't do that.)
Move Block 1 around and past Block 2 into the space formerly occupied by Block 5. Push Block 2 one time N (next to Block 1), hop onto the ledge and move Block 3 two times to the N wall. Go around and push Block 3 one time W, get up on it and stand jump into the W passage. Push the floor lever and hear the faint sound of doors opening.
Getting back down is a bit tricky, so save your game again. Take a running jump (a standing jump won't do) with grab to land on Block 3. Safety drop to the lower ledge and shoot a second crocodile if it has shown up by now. Pull up E, hop down and go past the opened N doors to an indoor pool filled with friendly piranha. Don't fall in, as getting back out would require a long and painful process. Instead, hop to the central structure, sidestep around to the other side and jump N toward an opening that leads to a courtyard with a pushpiece puzzle. Most of the alcove vases are empty, but the one in the higher SE alcove contains revolver ammo. In his walk the builder has provided a helpful map of the steps that follow.
The colors may not be obvious to some of us, so as you face the globes W, they are from left to right: yellow, blue, red and green. The red one is easy, just push it once onto its corresponding square. It will drop into a floor hole, making it impossible to move any other globes past it. Being thus forewarned, move the yellow globe onto the end of the central ledge, then move the green globe onto the central ledge next to the yellow globe. This clears the way for you to move the blue globe onto its corresponding square at the NE corner. Now you can move the green and yellow globes off the central lodge and onto their corresponding corner squares.
The N gate opens, so go there and stand jump with grab to land inside the opening. Step forward to trigger another flyby. When it concludes, go around past a closed gate and over a bridge to a closed door. Drop down into the shallow water and go through the W opening to a pushblock. Push it to expose a room with a floor lever that opens a door on the other side of the pushblock. Go around and move the pushblock three times E so that it drops into the water. Push it one time S and two times E so that you can pull up into the E wall opening.
Follow the passage to a room with a floor lever that completely floods the previous room. Return there, jump into the water and note that the door at the end of the bridge is now open. But first, swim into one of the W openings, turn right at the wall (next to the floor lever) and swim up the ceiling shaft. Pull out S for SECRET #9, return to the flooded room and pull out onto the bridge. Go E past the opened door and follow the underground passage to a connecting hallway. Go around the central structure and through the S opening and stop as the door slams shut behind you. Note the spears rising and retracting in a distinctive pattern. Surely there's an intended method for timing the spears, which you can ferret out if you wish, but in my case the spears simply stopped rising after several cycles, allowing me to walk along the spear-free path without fear or worry. Chacun a son gout.
When you get past the spear field, stand jump to grab the first of several poles. Climb up a bit, turn to your right to face the next pole and jump forward to grab it. Making the grab is somewhat tricky, so you'd best save after each successful grab. When you reach the last pole, jump into the S passage and pull down the wall switch to open the door to your right (allowing a way back up in case you fall off the upcoming tightrope). Continue to the W wall and look right for a plinth with the REVOLVER and some revolver ammo partially hidden in the corner. Go to the S opening and go across the tightrope that you ran underneath earlier (you'll encounter a fixed camera when you're about halfway across, but you can quickly tap the look key to restore camera control).
When you get to the other side, run forward and the S door will open automatically. But first, turn left and go down the E side passage to a wall switch that opens the door to your left. Crawl through the opening and drop down next to SECRET #10. Return to the opened S doorway as a gate slams shut behind you. Run off SE onto the ledge below, go around the corner and take a running jump to grab the W ledge. Pull up and run forward for SECRET #11. Stand jump SE into the alcove for the DOOR AMULET and take another standing jump NE into a larger alcove with revolver ammo.
Drop down into the water, pull out NW and go around to a floor lever that opens the underwater W gate and releases two crocodiles. Jump into the water, swim past the W opening, turn right and greet a third crocodile. Beat a hasty retreat to pull out of the water, deal with the croc and return. You'll emerge in the bridge area, so wade out NE, pull up N onto the ledge, go around and take a running jump SW onto the bridge, turn left past the opened E double doors and run into a level change.
Level 2: THE AZTLAN CITADEL (revisited)
Take a few more steps and the E doors will open. Follow the dirt path around the citadel and past the first E opening to your right. Continue to the underground tunnel and follow until you can resume your trek along the outside dirt path. Enter the citadel through the opened S doors and follow to the back room with the three gates previously opened and explored. The fourth gate to your right is now open, so enter the W side room for SECRET #12 and place the Door Amulet to open the gate to your left. Climb down the ladder, hop to a lower passage and follow the underground tunnel to a torch-lit room with a spear-protected central slab.
Go from side room to side room and place each of your 12 Parchment Scrolls, noting a colorful artifact inside an alcove blocked by metal bars. When the last scroll has been placed, pull up onto the central slab where the spears lowered and take an unnamed KEY from the plinth. A cut scene shows where it's to be used, but before leaving go to the W side room where the bars have lowered so you can grab the EYE OF AZTLAN. Exit E, get back outdoors and go around the dirt mound to your right. On the E side is the receptacle for your key. Use it to open the gate, climb down to the underground tunnel and follow to a level change.
Level 1: AZTLAN, THE LOST CITADEL (revisited)
Follow the tunnel until you hear the sound of the waiting helicopter, continue and slide down for a concluding flyby.