Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (available through digital download only) was developed by the folks at Crystal Dynamics and is published by Square Enix. The game will soon be available on the PC and Playstation Network around September 28, 2010. This is a new departure for the series, stressing arcade action, accessible puzzles, and co-operative gameplay ....... though the developers were quick to point out, long ago, that this is NOT a "Tomb Raider" game. Despite this, many Tomb Raider trademarks appear in this game, including classic weapons such as Lara's twin pistols and the "dual Uzis", along with classic Tomb Raider enemies such as gators and T-Rex dinosaurs, including familiar sound effects such as the fanfare that plays when discovering secret treasure. Players can play as either Lara Croft or as an ancient warrior named Totec. They must stop the evil Xolotl from destroying the word using the mysterious Mirror of Smoke by pooling their talents to solve puzzles and take on hordes of monsters. This walkthrough is for the current Xbox version.
The Story
Lara Croft is on a mission to obtain a legendary artifact known as the Mirror of Smoke. When she discovers the artifact, a gang of local thugs unwittingly disturb its sacred seal. As a result, the fearsome demi-god it had previously imprisoned (Xolotl) is once again free and wreaking havoc. Xolotl's appearance has also triggered the return of the legendary warrior Totec, who is destined to watch over Xolotl's imprisonment for all eternity. Lara and Totec must work as one to stop this incredible evil before it can destroy the entire world. Gameplay
The game is a basic top-down shooter/platformer. You guide Lara through the level using the left analog to walk and the right analog to aim her weapons. There are many puzzles to solve, some of them relying on deep physics such as launching rolling balls into the air with explosions. The game is also local co-op, allowing two players to play at the same time as either Lara or Totec. Lara still has her firepower including her trademark dual pistols, and some new weaponry including a remote bomb Lara can set on the ground and detonate at will. Despite his being an ancient warrior, Totec can also use Lara's guns and bombs.
There's still some major play differences between Lara and Totec. Lara has a grappling hook gun that can be attached to grapple rings, thereby allowing her to rappel along vertical surfaces and swing around. The grappling hook gun can also work for Totec, providing him with a tight rope, or catching him if he's falling. Totec meanwhile has a shield to reflect hazards and Golden Spears that can be hurled into walls, creating make-shift stepping stones for her. Lara gets to use the Golden Spear if the player is playing solo. Find every red skull, complete every challenge, complete all the puzzle and Challenge Tombs and receive tips for completing "Lara Croft And The Guardian Of Light" by reading this simple to follow game guide.
Temple Of Light
Score ChallengesScore 100,000 Points
Score 130,000 Points
Score 160,000 Points
Reward Challenges
Collect 10 Red Skulls – Stone Arrow
Reach the exit in 6 mins or less – Headdress of Ehecatl
Jump between 7 spider pots without touching the ground – Health power-up
Disable Xototl’s fire trap in under 30 seconds – Clay Owl
Destroy all the urns – Ammo Power-up
Achievements you should be able to unlock
Breadwinner – Earn the top score objective in any level
Seeing Red – Collect all 10 red skulls in any single level
Overachiever – Complete any level specific reward challenge
Three birds one stone – Kill three enemies with one bomb
A Friend In Need – Play Co-op mode
Objective:
Chase after Xolotl and return the Mirror of Smoke
Heads up! You'll be able to dual-wield pistols throughout this level, but a lot of the enemies you face are easier to eliminate with the spear once you unlock it. Use your pistols to smash urns and the spear to kill creatures.
Use the left analog stick to move around. (Xbox). The adventure begins with you facing a door with two cogs that appear to be stuck either side. Free the cogs and you’ll open the door. Before you do that though head behind you and up the stairs. You can drop down to area at the side of the stone circle and collect numerous gems which gets you off to a good start in reaching the three Score Challenges that you’re set. If you want to complete these challenges then shoot every enemy and urn you come across, and destroy every breakable object. There’s more than enough points available to complete the challenge.
Head back to the door with the broken cogs. You can use ‘Y’ to drop a bomb and then “Y” to detonate it. Place a bomb in front of the left hand cog, step back out of the red circle, which represents the blast radius, and detonate. Do the same with the right hand cog and the door will open. Head up the two flight of stairs until you come to an area littered with urns. If you smash all the urns in the level you’ll complete a reward challenge and gain an ammo power-up. You’ll also pick up points from smashed urns. Watch out for the TNT crates here! Stand well back so you don’t get caught in the blast. The first red skull is in this area so pick it up. If you collect 10 red skulls you’ll complete a reward challenge. Up the next flight of the stairs and across the bridge. There’s a static object here that we’ll refer to as the arrow machine – it fires arrows and here it blocks your path. You can use bombs to blow up objects in the game world, so lay one down close to the machine, stand back and detonate. Keep moving along the stairs and across the bridge until you reach a cut scene.
“2000 years in the prison and now I shall bathe in your blood,” says Xolotl teases. This is your first bout of combat against Xolotl’s ogres.You’ll be given a huge spear which you can use to throw at the creatures. This is a great opportunity to complete the Reward Challenge to blow up three enemies with one bomb. Place the bomb in the central stone circle and stand in the middle to tease the ogres toward you. Blow them up when they’re all in the middle. They may not all die first time, so you might have to repeat the process. Notice, you can press ‘X’ to dodge which comes in very handy if you ever get surrounded. Only one way to go here, head up the stairs with the fiery torches either side.
You need to open the door by standing on the moveable platform just in front of it. If you want to gain some points by collecting the gems either side of the two arrow machines and pick up the second red skull, you can simply hop over them to grab them, or detonate them with a bomb. Once you move through the doorway you’ll learn the spear jump. As well as killing creatures, Lara can impale her spears into objects or walls and use them to climb and swing on to reach new areas or hard to reach objects. Aim at the wall in front of you with your right thumbstick and unleash the spear with the right trigger. You can now hop on the spear and jump to the platform above.
You’ll now see a health shrine glowing green. Whenvever you stand near to the shrines your health is replenished. Check the health metre in the bottom left hand corner of the screen, when it starts to get low you should look for med-packs or health shrines. These shrines do dry up so you can’t keep going back to them, and they do fill up your health gradually rather than in one go, so keep on your toes if there are enemies around. Notice: there are three urns in this area. Destroy them to get closer to completing the reward challenge.
Move up the steps to the next area and watch out for ogres dropping down from above. Prepare yourself with the spear. You should have five enemies to contend with here. A good tip here is to keep moving backwards while facing enemies. You’ll give yourself enough time to kill them without getting hurt yourself. Up the steps to next platform. Look out for two Urns at the top of the steps. You’re about to learn the grapple move. Look out for golden grapple rings and then keep your finger pressed down on ‘RB’ to launch yourself across to that position. You may have to climb up the rope while hanging to reach the desired area.
The arrow firing contraption here is an unwanted irritation, so place a bomb next to it and blow it up before gathering the gems. Use ‘RB’ to hook onto the golden grapple hoop. Jump off the platform and remember to keep your finger held down on ‘RB’ as you move up the rope to the safety of the next area, otherwise the rope just breaks. Stand on the moveable platform in front of the statue, where you’ll pick up the third red skull, and you’ll see a door open on the side where you’ve just come from. Make your way back across to that area. Note – Lara can survive jumps from big heights. Just jump down here and make your way up the steps again and through the open gateway.
Another set of steps to navigate and you’ll have to make your way across the bridge. You’re going to have to contend with a handful of creatures to get past. They’ll come to you so stand back by the bottom of the steps and pick them off one at a time. When they’re dead move forward and blow up the TNT with your spear. Make sure you’re standing back from the blast. Now up the steps and through the next doorway.
In this next section, you’re introduced to med-kits, which have a green glow around them and give your health a quick boost when you pick them up. See the glowing gold handle? Move toward it and press ‘B’ to pull it. You’ll see a number of objects throughout the game that you can interact with, including levers and rolling balls that you’ll need to move around to solve environmental puzzles. Note: When you pull a handle it opens a door, but you only have a certain amount of time to get through it before it shuts.
Through this opening and you’ll see another arrow-firing contraption. As soon as you start to move forward you’ll be attacked from the bottom of the stairs and from behind the arrow machine. The creatures will always come toward you so stand back and spear them. Blow up the arrow machine. At the bottom of the steps there is a med-kit if you need it, otherwise stand where the arrow machine originally was and fire a spear across to the other side and stick it in the wall just next to the red skull You can now jump over and land on the arrow, grab your fourth red skull and climb up to the next platform.
In this area, you’ll pick up your first artefact. Artefacts can affect your characters attributes in a number of different ways and two can be equipped at the same time to double its power. You can equip the clay arrow here in your inventory slot. There’s another arrow machine to contend with here, so blow it up with a bomb and pick up all the gems. Pull the gold handle and head through the open door up the steps. In the next room is another health shrine so stand by it and top up if you need to. In this area pick up all the gems in the room. You’ll notice there are two moveable platforms that you need to weigh down to open the next door. Climb up the ladders to the right of the shrine and blow up the arrow machine. Don’t forget to pick up your fifth red skull! As soon as you do this you’re going to be attacked by creatures. If you stick to the Eastern Wall they can only come in front of you so you should have no problem. You can place a bomb in the centre of this area and blow them up too. There are two rolling balls here which you can pick up with your ‘B’ button. You need to pick them up and place them on the two platforms below. Go through the door and up the two flights of steps.
See the pots with spiders on the lids? If you can jump between all seven without touching the ground you’ll unlock a reward challenge. It’s trial and error here. If you don’t do it first time you can have as many goes as you like.
Note: the sixth red skull is sitting on top of one of the pots. Now, it’s time to learn the wall run.You do this in conjunction with using the grapple hook. Grapple onto the golden hook and take the leap across the gap. You’ll automatically run against the wall and simply have to press your jump button to time it perfectly to land safely on the other side. Okay, it’s time for your first puzzle.
If you disable Xolotl’s fire trap in under 30 seconds you’ll unlock a reward challenge! This is quite simple fi you follow this technique, but you’ll have to be quick and extremely precise. On the far side of the trap is a rolling ball. Move clockwise around the trap, grab the ball and roll it along to the platform on the North side of the trap. This will extinguish the fire on the south side allowing you to pull the handle and blow up part of the trap. Run immediately anti-clockwise to pull it. Once you’ve done that move anti-clockwise just behind the flame to grab the ball again and place it on the East platform. Now head to the West side of the trap in an anti clockwise direction to pull the lever and blow up the machine. Now go through the door. Just as you move throught the doorway on your right, is the seventh red skull.
When you stand on the movable platform through the door you’ll trigger a series of wooden platforms that you can use to get across the other side. Be quick otherwise they will disappear. All of the skulls you’ll find by just following the paths, but this is the one that most may not find. Look just to the left of the first fire-filled hanging pot on the left hand side of the door. Use the rolling ball in this area to get it. Move it just underneath the skull and climb up on it. Put a spear in the wall and use it to jump on to get it. Now move through the door.
In this next section, destroy the arrow machines with bombs on the upper and lower sections before proceeding. You can get the red skull by placing spears in the wall at various heights. Use the elevation of the stairs to help you place the spears. This is your ninth red skull. Grapple onto the hook on the platform above you and swing across. You’ll now see your first impact switch. Shoot or bomb impact switches to change objects or open doors in the game world. In this case it opens the door to the next area. Now you’ll have to use your spear to shoot it again through the open doorway in order to open the next door. Time for a cut-scene.
“An impressive specimen,” he says. “I’ll make a robe with your fine pale skin.” It’s time to tackle some of Xolotl’s larger creatures that resemble huge ogres. Notice: There are a ton of urns to smash in this section, but you’ll have plenty of time to do that after you’ve killed the beasts. A good strategy here is to move to higher ground up the stairs and keep backing away from the creatures while hurlign spears. You’ll have to face his minions too so don’t be afraid to lay down some bombs to take care of them. Note: There’s med-kits lying around if you need them. After you defeat the creature you’ll learn about Challenge Tombs. These are marked with red skulls and if completed give you rare items. The first Challenge Tomb can now be entered.
Note – Challenge Rooms are optional but they don’t take up too much of your time and you’ll gain some neat upgrades for your efforts.
Challenge Tomb 1
Reward – Ammo Upgrade
The quickest way to do this is to fire your arrow at the impact switch across the platform to open the first gate. Now stand just to the left of the open gate without moving through just yet and shoot at the impact switch again. Move swiftly through the gate before it closes. You can now get to the other side, where you should plant a spear in the wall to get to the higher platform and grab the blue ammo upgrade. You can make your way out of the tomb by reversing the strategy you just used.
Now exit the tomb and head up the stairs and you’ll come to a stone bridge. You’re going to be attacked from either side by two huge creatures. Attack the one in front first, tackle them one at a time. There’s another challenge room straight ahead!
Enter the room and shoot the impact switch to open the gate. Pass through the gate and throw a spear in the wall so you can climb up and get the health upgrade. Exit the challenge area. Head up the stairs to the next area when you are ready.
Travel along the narrow walkway until another two of large minions come up from the ground and surround you. Try to roll around them so you get them both on one side and then use your bombs to stop them from stampeding towards you. The blast from your bombs should stun them long enough for you to get some good shots in with your guns or spears. There is another optional challenge area at the end of the walkway just past some stairs.
Challenge Tomb 2
Shoot the impact target to open the first gate. Roll the first ball past the gate and rest it on the square to activate the bridge in front of the impact target. Cross the bridge and place a bomb on the impact target to open the second gate so you can roll the second ball in with the first ball. Cross back over the bridge and shoot the impact target to open the first gate so you can take one of the balls out and move it on the other square to activate a second bridge. Now all you need to do is jump the gap between the bridges to get to the other side and collect the ammo upgrade. Exit the area once you have collected the upgrade.
As you leave the tomb you’ll learn about relics and the relic metre, which is shown in the bottom left hand corner of the screen. Equipped relics improve your combat abilities. When you pick one up you can check it in the inventory screen to view its strengths. You fill the power meter by collecting gems and killiing enemies. Relics are powerful items that can give you special abilities when your relic power meter is full.
Head up the steps, the gate will slam shut behind you. Pull the gold lever and it will bring up wooden platforms that you can hop across over the spikes below to the other side. You need to be quick because the platforms will disappear! When you get to the other side you need to react quickly because sections of the wall will move quickly toward you and will push you into the pit of spikes if you’re not careful. You’ll pick up the final red skull before you jump up onto the first moving wall. Just climb up the first two walls and then you’ll need to embed a spear in the third moving wall and fourth jump up on it. When you reach the top you’ll see a gold handle that you can grapple onto. Move up the steps and through the gateway to complete the level.
If you’ve followed our guide you should have completed all the score and reward challenges. The toughest reward challenge is beating the level in less than six minutes. To do this you need to ignore a large majority of the creatures and just focus on getting from “A” to “B”. Wait until you’ve played the level at least once before attempting it and then you’ll know the pathways you need to take and the beasts that you can avoid.
Temple Grounds
Enter the Spider TombThere are four missing Sun Discs you must collect and use on the Spider Tomb in the center of the map. One is at the south-westernmost point on the map, in a nook on a building overlooking a pit; use the grapple to swing across the gap to the ledge below it, then use a spear to climb into its nook.
The last two you must grab in succession. Start by crossing the right-most of the pair of bridges. It will collapse; keep running forward, jumping over the gap, then when you run out of bridge, jump to the left to the bridge next to you, then across the gap to safety. Ahead is a puzzle; bomb the rightmost stone hand to throw it up into the air, then stand on the tile that opens the doors to keep them open. Grab the Sun Disk.
After getting the second Sun Disk, a gate nearby will open. Follow the linear path to a temple entrance and enter. Hit the impact switch to lower the first set of spikes, then set a bomb on it and blow it up to lower the second set. In the next room, push the rolling ball down onto the floor and use it to block the arrow trap so that you can use the pull crank to raise the cage holding the last Sun Disk. Once you have all three Sun Disks, return to the Spider Tomb and it will open; fight your way inside.
Score Challenges
Score 100,000 points
Score 200,000 points
Score 300,000 points
Reward: Automatic Shotgun
Reward Challenges
Collect 10 Red Skulls
Reward: Golden Scepter of Huitzilopochtli
From the level start, go down the stairs to the left and you should see it on the cliff overlooking the valley below. Go to the southernmost corner of the Temple of Light area and look for it on a dais with some gems.
In plain sight on a statue head on the first bridge; use the spear to reach it. On top of the Challenge Room temple entrance in the furthest southwest corner of the map (near where you fight the Giant Demon Lizard). At the bottom of the waterfall on the northernmost end of the river.
From the eastside of the wrecked bridge (the one where there is a Health Upgrade hidden beneath it), simply follow the river to the left and it's right there a few steps away. At the southernmost end of the river, in the water.
Next to the Challenge Room on the northernmost tip of the map; go left from the room past a truck and you should spot it in the jungle growth. Outside of the temple entrance that leads to the final Sun Disk is a dais, sitting in the water. The skull is on it; watch out for enemies that spawn when you grab it.
It's on top of the roof of the temple entrance that leads to the last Sun Disk. Use spears to climb up; there's plenty of stonework Lara can climb on to give her extra spear-throwing height. This one is technically missable as you can't get back here after getting through the first puzzle in the temple.
Open the Spider Tomb in 5:00 or less
Reward: Headress of Ehecatl
This is actually plenty of time as long as you go for the southwestern most Sun Disk first, as well as keep to the basics (avoid all fights, tap X constantly to roll)
Find and defeat the Giant Demon Lizard
Reward: Ammo Powerup
Go southwest from the Spider Tomb, then head down the stairs to the area below. Go southeast across the bridge and you will get ambushed by smaller critters, then the Giant Demon Lizard. He's FAST and relentless, but you can get him stuck on a pillar and shoot him to death. Cross the river without touching the water
Reward: Health Powerup
From the east end of the river, go to the north-easternmost shoreline. There are stepping stones there; the challenge message should pop up when you get close. Use them to hop across the river to the other side without falling in.
Destroy all the trucks
Reward: Clay Lizard
There's two missible trucks in the first area where you start, the rest you should easily spot as you collect the sun disks.
Collectibles
Assault Rifle
Automatically gained after starting the level.
Bolt Action Rifle
Go left from the end of the first bridge and hug the walls till you find a box of dynamite. Blow it up, enter through the hole in the wall, kill the enemies, and grab the rifle off the altar.
Shotgun
Lying by the puzzle where you get the northernmost Sun Disk.
Health Upgrade
In the same area as the Giant Demon Lizard. Use the rolling ball nearby to spear the side of the pillar holding the power-up, then jump up to it.
Clay Owl
In the Challenge Room in the furthest southwest corner of the map (near where you fight the Giant Demon Lizard). It's on a tall column; to reach it, fire a spear at the side of it from atop the steps, then go down a little bit and throw another one so that you can reach the first spear.
Ammo Upgrade
From the Spider Tomb, go southwest to the healing shrine. Nearby are four pillars; jump from pillar to pillar to reach the topmost one, which holds this.
Ammo Upgrade
Near where you perform the river challenge; climb onto the nearby pillars by the northeasternmost shore of the river.
Ammo Upgrade
Dropped by the Giant Demon Lizard.
Health Upgrade
Underneath the eastside of the wrecked river bridge.
Ammo Upgrade
As you follow the path to the final Sun Disk from getting the northern Sun Disk, you will reach a bamboo bridge leading downward. At the bottom is a tall structure holding the upgrade; climb up there using spears.
Stone Feather
As you follow the path to the final Sun Disk from getting the northern Sun Disk, you will reach a bamboo bridge leading downward. The path continues to a spike pit. You can do this two ways: cross the pit by either using two spears side-by-side against the wall over the spike pit, then climb up the wall on the other side using spears, or simply throw a spear against the rock bed nearby and jump up, glitching your way onto the area above. Either way, climb onto the area and grab the item off the altar.
Health Upgrade
As you follow the path to the final Sun Disk from getting the northern Sun Disk, you will follow a path that leads to the third and final Sun Disk inside a temple. The temple has an exit that goes back outside, requiring you use bombs to blow up the dynamite to reach the main area with the Spider Tomb. Nearby the dynamite is an unfinished bridge with the upgrade floating at the end of it.
Arrow of Tezcatlipoca
In the Challenge Room located on the northernmost tip of the map. Solve the simple puzzle using the rolling balls and it's yours.
Spider Tomb
MissionsTake the shortcut through the Spider Tomb
This level is quite linear; simply follow the linear paths to each counter weight and jump onto the ladder on the side of the weight to lower it. This level has loads of spiders, including giant ones that explode when destroyed, but they are seriously weak to the flamethrower, easily found in the first Challenge Room.
During the sections with the flaming holes, you must roll the nearby rolling ball into the hole to plug it and pass by safely. The second ball is attached to a spinning post and damages you if you touch it; knock it loose with a bomb.
Later on you will encounter the second Challenge Room, locked and surrounded by plates that shoot up spikes a second after you step on them. To open the Challenge Room, you need to run across every single spike plate so that every single spike trap has been triggered and all the spikes are up (you will also get the Beat a Better Mousetrap achievement). Start with the upper left corner of the spike trap area, work your way to the middle, then back upward, then down to the bottom left corner, sweeping out the bottom two rows. You do NOT need to end on the middle plate that opens the exit to the rest of the level, just have it so that every spike is up at the same time.
For the final counter weight, you'll need to throw a spear into a rotating column while it is stopped (stop it by stepping on the nearby floor switch). Jump onto your spear and the column will eventually start rotating and bring you to the other side.
A nasty trap occurs during when you cross the bridge; to survive it, shoot the TNT barrels above the spiked roller to make it fall, then launch the spiked roller into the air with a bomb so that it sails over you as it rolls your way.
Score Challenges
Score 200,000 points
Score 250,000 points
Score 290,000 points
Reward: Fast Action Rifle
Reward Challenges
Collect 10 Red Skulls
Reward: Stone Owl
Behind the rolling ball you use to plug the first flaming hole.
One of three in the triple trap.
One of three in the triple trap.
One of three in the triple trap.
In the next room past the triple trap area, there are four gems on floor plates. Stepping on the floor plates makes booby trap spikes pop out of the plates, so you'll need to roll over the plates snatching the gems while moving fast enough to avoid the resulting spikes. Grabbing all the gems successfully will open the nearby cage holding the skull.
Four in the large spike trap outside of the second Challenge Room.
Four in the large spike trap outside of the second Challenge Room.
Four in the large spike trap outside of the second Challenge Room.
Four in the large spike trap outside of the second Challenge Room.
Go down the stairs from the rotating spike column. Use the stairs to throw spears from varying heights towards the pillar the skull is sitting on.
Extend the bridge in 4:00 or less
Reward: Two Arrows of Tezactlipoca
This is actually plenty of time as long as don't waste too much time on getting the balls into the flaming holes. For the first one, you should ignore the spiders and shove the ball in; for the second, try to get a "hole in one", and if not, do your best to shove the ball in the rest of the way.
Achieve a hole-in-one
Reward: Health Powerup
You will eventually come across a trap consisting of a rolling ball rotating on a spinning pole; you are supposed to use a bomb to dislodge it from the trap, then roll the ball into the flaming hole nearby. However, you win this you must bomb the ball into the hole without having to roll it in. Your best bet is to set a bomb right next to the spinning post and facing towards the hole, and detonate the bomb as it is spinning towards the hole (NOT when it's lined up with it).
12 jumps over the triple trap
Reward: Ammo Powerup
After lowering the second counter weights and using them to cross the gap, you get a choice of going either left or right. Go left and you should find the "triple trap": three rolling balls on spinning poles. You need to jump over the poles as they spin around twelve times; it doesn't have to be 12 times in a row and you can take damage as you do so.
Defeat Leglion, Queen of all Spiders
Reward: Clay Feather
This boss spider shows up after lowering the the last counter weight. Its slow and easy to defeat; just back away and shoot, and roll if it gets into swiping range.
Collectibles
Flamethrower
Found in the first Challenge Room; after grabbing it, a horde of spiders will attack, so watch out.
Ammo Upgrade
In the area where you must blow up the spinning trap to use the rolling ball to plug up the second flaming hole, look for a ledge a few steps north of the spinning trap you can climb up to using spears.
Stone Lizard
First you must open access the second Challenge Room. You need to do this by stepping on all of the spike plates outside the Challenge room sequentially, so that all of the spikes are up at once. Inside the Challenge Room, you need to throw three spears into the walls on the pit so that when you run through the path with the spike traps, you can hop on the spears back to the other side. Doing all this will let you reach the item, now freed from its cage.
Health Upgrade
Past the spike pit area near the second Challenge Room is a grapple ring that seems to lead to nowhere. What you are supposed to do is latch onto it, then rappel down the bridge wall behind you to the upgrade floating at the bottom; get out of there fast after grabbing it as spiders will attack.
Scepter of Cihuacoatl
After extending the bridge, backtrack all the way back to the first counter weight and stand on it. This time it will lower way down to a column below that holds the relic. Note that on your way back to the first counter weight, due to the level layout, you'll need to make a long jump from the triple trap to the catwalk below.
Clay Feather
Blow up the "triple trap" with a bomb.
The Summoning
MissionsDefeat the summoned beast
This is mostly a boss fight against a T-Rex. To defeat him, you need to lure him into spike traps. You can also simply shoot him to death, but he has an absolutely absurd amount of health, especially on Hard.
Start with the first spike trap; simply run forward from where you start until you see the spike holes, then wait for the T-Rex to charge. Roll out of the way and stand on the floor switches; the spikes should pop up and he'll take huge damage.
Go north and you should find another spike trap, but the spikes are already up. Go further north to find an impact switch surrounded by rubble; blow up the rubble with a bomb, shoot the switch to lower the spikes, then set another bomb next to the switch. Lure the T-Rex onto the spike trap and detonate the bomb when he approaches it.
The final spike trap is southwest from the previous one. As with the previous one, you need to set a bomb by the impact switch, lure the T-Rex into position, then detonate the bomb.
Score Challenges
Score 30,000 points
Score 45,000 points
Score 60,000 points
Reward: AR-06
Reward Challenges
Collect 10 Red Skulls
Reward: Stone Owl
On the northern spike trap.
On the southwestern spike trap.
Go southwest from where you first see the river, following it all the way till it ends; you'll spot the skull in the water.
Go northeast from where you first see the river, following it until you spot the skull in some underbrush on your right.
Go northwest from where you first spot the T-Rex till you find some steps leading up to a dead-end (spiders will come pouring out of there). The skull is in plain sight on the steps.
From Skull #5, go south a few steps and wreck all the columns you see until you discover the skull inside one of them.
Wreck all the columns by the southwestern spike trap till you find a skull.
Wreck all the columns by the spike trap nearest where you start until you find a skull.
Blow up all the columns and trucks in the southern area (around the ammunition pile) until you spot two skulls.
See Skull #9.
Defeat the T-Rex in 2:00 or less
You can get this done in as little as 45 seconds if you are good enough and if the T-Rex cooperates a bit. You can use the flamethrower to ward off enemies while you are trying to lure him onto the spike traps.
Destroy all Columns
There's 22 columns located through out the level; wreck them all. Doesn't matter if you or the enemies do it, however, it must be done before killing the T-Rex.
Forgotten Gate
MissionsTake the shortcut through the Spider Tomb
You need to get at least nine rolling balls from ten different puzzles to the central room and on top of all the cups, opening the level exit. There are ten puzzles holding a ball each, but you only need nine as Lara can just stand in for a ball in the tenth cup.
First puzzle: As the tutorial message suggests, lower the pillar with the floor plate, put the rolling ball on it, set a bomb next to it, raise the pillar and set the bomb off so that it launches the ball to the ledge above, so that you can roll it down the stairs towards the central area.
Ball cup puzzle: Up the stairs from the first puzzle is a giant "cup" that you can move about by running around it. You want to use the physics of the giant cup to roll a ball inside into the chute. There is also another chute outside of the cup that will be handy for sending other balls through.
Tall pillar puzzle: Go east from the ball cup puzzle. Shoot the impact trigger by the spike wall to raise a pillar, then use the grapple to jump over the spike wall. Ahead is a tall pillar with a ball on it. Set a bomb by the pillar, lower the pillar with the floor switch, then set off the bomb to move the ball out of the way. Push the ball towards the ball cup area and use the chute outside the ball cup to dump it back to the central area.
Spike plate puzzle: Go down the ladders from the Challenge Room by the ball cup puzzle. You will see a ring of spike plates amongst some spikes. Jump onto the spike plates further into the ring and run over them all so that all of the spikes pop out yet you can exit the ring safely. With all the spike plates triggered at once, the ball will be freed from its cage, allowing you to roll it down the corridor over a floor plate, opening the exit back to the central room
Two pillar puzzle: You need to have gained access by dealing with the spike plate puzzle. You also need the ball from the Pull Crank Puzzle to get this ball. Once you have that ball, roll it over to the gold cup on the floor by the lowered pillar; it will rise the pillar upward, allowing you to get the ball on the second pillar. You can then roll both balls down the nearby chute into the ball cup puzzle, or simply roll them off the cliff next to the chute to have them fall directly into the central room, saving you some time.
Pull crank puzzle: Go up the two ladders near the two pillar puzzle and look for a ball sitting on a bed of spikes. Get rid of the spikes using the pull crank and quickly move the ball out of the spike bed, into the chute. Use this ball to solve the two pillar puzzle.
Spike room puzzle: From the pull crank puzzle, jump the gap to the left and follow the path to a room with spikes. Use the grapple on the wall to cross the spike bed, then roll the ball into the spikes as furthest as it can go. Set a bomb, then stand on the floor plate and launch the ball forward out of the spikes. Roll it into the nearby chute to the ball cup.
Once all ten cups are depressed, you can open the exit and move on to a second section, this one featuring a hall of traps. Get through it and you win.
Score Challenges
Score 140,000 points
Score 170,000 points
Score 230,000 points
Reward: Double Barrel Shotgun
Reward Challenges
Collect 10 Red Skulls
Reward: Clay Arrow
In the area with the tall pillar puzzle: get the ball off the tall pillar as you normally would, then position the ball on the floor switch and set a bomb there as well. Step onto the lowered tall pillar and detonate the bomb to rise up to a ledge holding a skull.
In the area with the tall pillar puzzle: look for a gap in the wall to your right that lets you drop down to a ledge holding a skull.
In the area outside the Challenge Room, you'll see the skull sitting on spike plates. Jump onto the spike plate holding the skull, then roll your way back out before you are killed.
On your way to the Spike Room Puzzle, find a skull on two crumbling tiles at a dead-end; grab it and escape before you fall.
On your way to the Spike Room Puzzle, you'll spot this skull sitting on a spike plate.
Inside a stone coffin at the start of the second area; blow the coffins up with your bombs to get it.
The rest of the skulls are in the trap hall, on various crumbling tiles. Watch for them.
See Skull #7
See Skull #7
See Skull #7
Reach the exit in 10:00 or less
Reward: Golden Scepter of Cihuacoatl
To have a chance, you must reach the second section of the level with around 7:30-7:50 on your clock. You only need 9 balls to open the exit if you are playing solo. Start by completing the first puzzle; roll the ball straight down the stairs outside once you extract it from the puzzle. Next complete the tall pillar puzzle, the ball cup puzzle, then the spike plate puzzle. Take out enemies that appear in the central area after solving the spike plate puzzle using something like the bolt action rifle, or some of the better weaponry you get later in the game; you cannot skip these enemies as the exits won't open until you do, so kill them fast. Once that's done, hustle and complete the puzzle crank puzzle, then the two pillar puzzle. Take both balls from those two puzzles and throw them off the cliff to the left of the chute you are supposed to dump them in; this will drop them straight to the central area rather than into the ball chute and further waste your time. Finally, make your way back to the central area (ignore the spike room puzzle) and put the balls into place, with Lara standing on the last cup. You may want to kill any giant zombies you find on your way down for if they explode in the central area, they make knock the balls out of place. The trap hall is still the same; just don't die.
Bomb a ball onto the skull pedestal
Reward: Health Powerup
Found in the Pull Crank Puzzle area. Before rolling the ball down the chute, roll it right in front of the skull pedestal (the message will appear when you get close to it). Set a bomb behind the ball, then position the ball on the bomb so that the blast launches it onto the pedestal.
Get all the balls into the main room
Reward: Ammo Powerup
Simply get all the balls into the central room.
Navigate the trap hall on the first attempt
Reward: Gold Lizard
You need to get through the trap hall without dying once. Use rolling to hurry past the traps. Watch out for the crumbling floors. During the part where the spike walls open up to let you pass, be careful. One of the walls tricks you by slamming shut once after it opens, so wait for it to try this stunt first. The next-to-last pair of walls will try the same trick, so be wary of them as well.
Collectibles
Lightweight Machine Pistols
Found below the ladders near the Challenge Room by the ball cup puzzle; can't miss it.
Health Upgrade
In the area outside the Challenge Room closest to the ball cup puzzle, get Red Skull #3 as you normally would. This opens the nearby cage holding the item.
Ammo Upgrade
Go down the ladders from the Challenge Room by the ball cup puzzle. The upgrade is surrounded by a ring of spikes and a ring of spike plates. Jump onto the spike plates further into the ring and run over them all so that all of the spikes pop out yet you can exit the ring safely. With all the spike plates triggered at once, the spikes around the upgrade will lower.
Stone Arrow
In the Challenge Room closest to the ball cup puzzle, shoot the impact trigger to lower the center pillar, then set a bomb next to it. Position Lara so that she lines up with both the grapple ring on the other side and the pillar, then fire your grapple line so that you connect with the ring. Now set off the bomb (turns out Lara can detonate bombs while attached to a grapple ring); the pillar will rise up, taking Lara's cable with it. Jump into the air to land against the pillar and safely rappel up to the item.
Ammo Upgrade
In the Challenge Room near the Two Pillar Puzzle. When you enter, enemy magicians will ambush you from across the gap. Blow them away (preferably with something like the Bolt Action Rifle) and jump the gap to the treasure.
Health Upgrade
It's above the rolling ball in the Pull Crank Puzzle. Use the pull crank to lower the spikes, then quickly jump onto the ball and jump again to grab the upgrade floating above you.
Gold Feather
Blow up the "triple trap" with a bomb.
Toxic Swamp
MissionsChase Xolotl to the Island Tomb
This level is filled with poison pods. If you shoot them, or touch one, they will explode, releasing toxic gas and setting off any other pods around them, then regenerate. Often you'll need to shoot them, then quickly roll past them after the gas clears, before they can regrow. Just about any damage can set them off, including rolling balls, and the explosions and toxic gas hurt. Worse yet, some of them spawn very annoying podmen that chase after Lara and also explode into toxic gas. Whenever you find a patch of pods, shoot them to make sure there's no podmen inside.
The real goal is to find each gate mechanism temple, marked on your map, and enter it. You want to find a pair of gears and shoot the wood planks gumming up the gears with your grenade launcher. This opens access to the next area.
The first temple is mostly a tutorial for what you are supposed to do with the gate mechanisms. Inside is the grenade launcher itself.
The second one requires that you first head to the second gate itself to spawn a boss podman. These guys are easy to beat if the relic meter is maxed out; just back away and shoot them down. Watch out for their poison gas blasts. When you kill the boss podman, you will clear the toxic gas in the swamp areas below, opening access to the second temple. Enter it, and get through the maze of pods. At the bottom-left corner of the maze is a floor tile protected by pods; hide behind a wall and blow them up with bombs, then hit the floor plate and get out of the way. This opens access to the gateway device; destroy the wood planks gumming up the gears as normal (step on the floor plates to lower the wood barrier so you can shoot the gears), then use the shortcut that appears to get the hell out of there.
The final one simply requires that you use the pull cranks to drop the wood barriers in front of the gears, then hussle over to the gears, doding spike plates and pods, and shoot the gears before the wood barriers pop up again.
The last gate leads to another temple. Inside, you will need to free a rolling ball from a spinning ball trap, then guide the ball through the gantlet to the flaming hole at the end. This leads back outside, through a patch of pods, to the level exit, where Xotoli taunts you before heading in. Find the two pull cranks and yank them to move the stone hands, then step on the tile below. This causes a chain reaction of pods to start up; as Lara advises, run to the left and around the temple to the eastern pull crank to avoid the catastrophe.
Score Challenges
Score 220,000 points
Score 320,000 points
Score 360,000 points
Reward: Hand Cannons
Reward Challenges
Collect 10 Red Skulls
Reward: Golden Arrow of Tezcatlipoca
A little past after the first battle with the gators, it will be in plain sight amongst a trio of poison pods.
On top of the roof of the first Challenge Room temple.
On top of the roof of the second Challenge Room temple.
After killing the boss podman, clearing the bottom areas of the swamp of toxic gas, stand at the doorway to the second Challenge Room, then go directly south until you spot a small altar, then go directly west until you spot a tower; climb the ladder to the top.
After killing the boss podman, clearing the bottom areas of the swamp of toxic gas, stand at the base of the stairs leading up to the second gate, then go east, hugging the mountain southward, till you spot a hole with a column surrounded by pods. Throw a spear into the side of the column from the slope of the hole and use it to reach the top of the column.
After getting through the second gate, progress until you fight another boss podman (before the grapple ring covered in poison pods). The skull is in this general area.
When you reach the stairs leading the bridge that crumbles thanks to lightning strikes, you should have taken one of two different sets of stairs from the south to reach this area. Investigate the easternmost one and you should find the skull behind a pod there. On the crumbling bridge, stay on the right hand side to find a skull; you can clear the massive gap in front of the skull by hugging the partition in the middle of the bridge.
Go north from the third gateway mechanism temple to find a tower with a ladder; climb to the top and grab the skull.
After exiting the temple that leads to the final area, go to the eastern tip of this area and look northward for a tower you can climb.
Reach the exit in 9:00 or less
Reward: Gold Arrow
You'll need some skill in rolling around the pods and quickly hitting the jammed gate mechanism gears, but otherwise not too bad. Don't forget to equip speed-boosting items as Lara has a lot of terrain to cover on this level.
Clear the maze without taking any poison damage
Reward: Stone Lizard
This does NOT mean the entire level, just one specific part. When you enter the temple to open the second gateway, you will enter a maze filled with giant zombies, poison pods, and podmen. You must get through the maze, open the gateway, and get back out without taking a single hit from poison gas, including from the podmen. Make your way around the outer walls of the maze, shooting every single pod you see to make sure no podmen lurk in it. Also, try bombing the pods through the walls of the maze to trigger podmen early, before they can be a threat. Watch out for giants; their self-destruct blasts can go through the walls here.
Get the spinning ball into the fire pit in 00:30 or less
Reward: Ammo Powerup
When you enter the temple that leads to the level exit, you will need to free a rolling ball from a spinning ball trap, then guide the ball through the gantlet to the flaming hole at the end. You must do this in under 30 seconds to win this. This is easier than it looks, especially if you use the grenade launcher to shove the ball past the spike plates.
Heal the rolling ball
Reward: Health Powerup
This is in the area outside the temple holding the second gateway mechanism. There's a rolling ball amongst the pods outside; you need to drag this ball all the way back to the healing shrine near the start of this area. Be careful when you first grab the ball as a mob of gators will attack after you do. Next, roll the ball through the pods up the slanted wood dock; you need to drag the ball up the dock, not roll it up or else it will slip out of Lara's hands for some reason. Follow the wood strewn on the ground southward, then when you can't go south anymore, go east, staying on high ground, until you find the healing shrine; park the ball on it.
Collectibles
Ammo Upgrade
Right at the very start of the level turn around and latch onto the grapple ring above the doorway. The upgrade is floating up there.
Stone Feather In the first Challenge Room. The room has a spinning ball trap in a pit with some poison pods. Shoot the pods from a safe distance (hugging the wall of the pit works) and get the ball over to near the wall of the pit. Shove the ball into the cusp of the trio of poison pods there and drop a bomb behind the ball. Get clear and shoot the pods; they should launch the ball upwards and over the wall (set off the bomb if it looks like it won't make it). From there, simply shove the ball into the flaming hole and grab the item.
Grenade Launcher
In plain sight; you need this to beat the level.
Three Arrows of Tezcatlipoca
In the second Challenge Room. You need to use the grenade launcher to push the rolling ball in the fenced-in area into the flaming hole. Lara can shoot through the fence without worry.
Health Upgrade
At the part where you are supposed to swing across the gap using the grapple ring while avoiding the pods, you must first shoot the pods, wait for the gas to clear, then grapple and rappel up to the ring. Afterward, carefully lower yourself down and grab the upgrade floating below.
Health Upgrade
Immediately after crossing the bridge that crumbles under lightning strikes, veer right and look for nearby crumbling walls you can bomb through; do so and follow the hidden trail there to the item.
Ammo Upgrade
Inside the temple holding the third gateway mechanism. Simply run up the middle, speeding over the spike plates and grabbing the upgrade at the end. Gold Owl
When you enter the temple that leads to the level exit, you will need to free a rolling ball from a spinning ball trap, then guide the ball through the gantlet to the flaming hole at the end. However, before you do that, look for a normal floor plate amongst the second row of spike plates you must guide the ball through and park the ball on it. This will open a cage near the spinning trap that holds the item.
Flooded Passage
MissionsEscape the Flooded Passage
A few things of note, one of which is that this level is filled with arrow traps, often in nasty combination such as with poison pods or enemy ambushes. The rolling balls are useful for both approaching and destroying them, as is the grenade launcher.
Another threat are the skeletons. These things come back to life after being shot to pieces. You need to plant a bomb on their remains to kill them for good. They also have a lot of health, but tend to work alone or in pairs, making something like the spear good to use against them.
There's also a lot of tricky acrobatics on this level, usually signified by a Red Skull. Some of the following:
At one point there's a roadblock, a grapple ring on the floor, and an impact switch on the wall below. You need to rappel down to the impact switch, swing over to it, and plant a bomb on it.
Not much further past the above is a long gap that will require at least two spears to cross.
At the start of the second section of the level is a tough room filled with monsters. Blow them all away with something like the hand cannons, then use the rolling ball to jump over the spikes and shut down the arrow traps, so you can use the pull crank to leave.
The last bit requires that you go back and forth between two roads to lower obstructions on the other side. Use the grenade launcher to hit arrow traps from afar. At the end of the roads, go up the stairs, trigger the spiked ball of doom to get it to roll down the stairway, then get out of the way and let it smash open the path to the level exit.
Score Challenges
Score 120,000 points
Score 160,000 points
Score 180,000 points
Reward: Automatic Pistols
Reward Challenges
Collect 10 Red Skulls
Reward: War Drum
Hidden behind the very first rolling ball you find in the level.
In the first Challenge Room; use the same technique you use to reach the Relic in this room. However, do NOT destroy the urn below the skull! You need to climb onto the urn and then spear your way up to the skull above it.
After the second big arrow trap gantlet, you'll see it next to a poison pod in plain sight.
Pretty much guarenteed as you complete the puzzle where you rappel down and plant a bomb on an impact switch.
Pretty much guarenteed as you cross the long gap after the first hidden urn using two spears.
After the long gap you cross using two spears, look for another grapple ring on the floor. rappel down the side and carefully grab the skull near the poison pod.
In the second section of the level, during the big battle with magicians, podmen, skeletons, and giants, look for a rolling ball in the area you can use to jump over the row of spikes to reach the skull on the floor plate.
After the first big battle of the second section, look out for a skull floating above a poison pod in plain sight.
In the second Challenge Room, floating out of reach; use the munitions cache as a stepping stone to throw a spear underneath it, then throw another one below the spear and climb up to it.
In plain sight by the level exit.
Break down the wall with the giant ball in 8:00 or less Reward: Golden Eye of Cipactli
Super-easy, especially with speed-boosting equips. Just get through the unskippable fight at the start of the second section and hustle through the rest.
Destroy all the arrow traps
Reward: Health Powerup
There's 37 of these you must destroy; they tend to be in plain sight.
Find and destroy the 3 hidden urns
Reward: Ammo Powerup
Note that these aren't like Red Skulls; they do not trigger an autosave, meaning you will have to destroy all three before the level is over and if you die before an autosave kicks in, you'll need to re-destroy any urn prior to your death.
Stop when you first see the "destroy 3 hidden urns" message and look around the nearby corner for an urn hidden from view.
At the start of the second section of the level, where you must hop over the spikes using the rolling ball to destroy the arrow traps protecting the pull crank. It's on the side of the room where the arrow traps are.
Right near where you get the tenth Red Skull and the level exit; shoot around at the wall across from the skull and you should eventually hit it.
Collectibles
Health Upgrade
In plain sight trapped in a trio of pods during the second arrow trap gantlet.
Eye of Cipactli
In the first Challenge Room; park the rolling ball by the floor switch, set a bomb and launch it towards the crushers ahead. As it flies over, park Lara on the floor switch; if you did this right it will get stuck between the crushers, allowing you to climb onto it and spear your way up to the relic.
High Powered Assault Rifle
In plain sight on the first munitions cache.
Gold Feather
In the second Challenge Room; simply use the grenade launcher to rebound an explosive over to the impact switch across the gap.
Ammo Upgrade
After triggering the giant spike ball of doom and safely avoiding it, go back to where it was first sitting and you will see the upgrade.
The Jaws of Death
MissionsFind where Xolotl is waiting
Pretty simple; after the first skirmish, you will run across a long gantlet avoiding traps, pits, poison pods, and magician snipers as you flee from a giant sea monster. It's of course instant death if the sea monster catches up and swallows you.
At the end of the road is a floor plate and a pull crank; activate the floor plate to make some wood planks appear below the pull crank, then quickly yank the pull crank before the flooring disappears to crush the sea monster to death, unlock the level exit, and win the "Instant Sushi" achievement.
Score Challenges
Score 60,000 points
Score 80,000 points
Score 110,000 points
Reward: High Powered Flame Thrower
Reward Challenges
Collect 10 Red Skulls
Reward: White Drum
In plain sight to your right, near the start of the level.
From Skull #1, go up onto the small arena here to trigger a big monster fight. Behind the northernmost pillar in this arena is a skull. 3-10. The rest of the skulls are in plain sight as you run from the giant sea monster.
Escape in 2:00 or less
Reward: Wind Drum
Pretty easy to do, especially with speed-increasing equips.
Destroy all of the enemies on columns
Reward: Gold Arrow
You must shoot down every single magician sniping at you from the columns. They can't be knocked off the columns with something like the spear or explosives. However, the hand cannons are really useful for this; with some basic equips they are easily capable of one-hit kills even if you do not have a full relic meter. Try to anticipate where they spawn and shoot towards them in advance.
Twisted Bridge
MissionsTravel to the tomb at the end of the canyon
This level has a long main bridge cutting across the central canyon; you need to line up the two wooden pieces of the main bridge so that you can cross along the main bridge. This is done by simply stepping on a floor plate by each one and the real challenge is just to make your way over to them. When you start the level, go straight ahead to the "L"-shaped rotating bridge. Use the impact switch to allow Lara access to the temple to the southeast and enter. This puts Lara on a linear, S-shaped path throughout the whole canyon that will hit each floor plate for the two wood sections of the main bridge.
Each temple you pass through on the way to the two bridge pieces has a series of wooden platforms over a void. Most of the platforms toggle up and down depending on the setting of a nearby impact switch; often times the game will make you shoot the impact switch to toggle the platforms, then quickly jump to the next platform as it goes up, before your own platform goes down and gets you killed. Once you move the final bridge piece into place, don't bother backtracking; just keep following the path and you will eventually double back to the start of the first temple, where you can then return to the L-shaped bridge and follow the main bridge to the "rolling fire" trap and the level exit past it.
Score Challenges
Score 190,000 points
Score 210,000 points
Score 250,000 points
Reward: Submachine Gun
Reward Challenges
Collect 10 Red Skulls
Reward: Serpent Drum
Go to the right from the start and follow the steps down to an unfinished bridge with a skull at the end.
Go straight ahead from the start to the rotating "L" bridge, then at the first big skirmish, go right and use the grapple ring at the dead-end to rappel down to the skull.
Pretty much a gimmie as part of solving the first Challenge Room (northwest of the "L" bridge).
Go southeast from the rotating "L" bridge to a small area with some pillars; the skull is hidden behind one of them.
When you enter the temple with all the wooden platforms over the void below (right after turning the first piece of the main bridge), start by heading north/northeast, hopping along the platforms in search of an impact switch. It toggles the platforms up and down; you want to stand on one of the toggable platforms, shoot it, then quickly jump your way over to the skull before you fall.
From Skull #5, heading southwest till the trail of platforms ends. Look northward from there for an impact switch; you must first shoot it to raise the platform ahead, then stand on that platform, then quickly shoot it again and jump to the next platform before the one you are standing on disappears. On the other side of this gambit is a platform holding a ledge with a skull on it; spear-jump up to the skull.
On top of the second Challenge Room, which is available nearby after clearing the second major temple.
In the temple you enter after turning the second piece of the main bridge, cross along the wooden platforms in search of the first impact switch and the skull just north of it, on a platform.
From Skull #8, adjust the impact switch so that the line of platforms northwest of you are up. Follow the platforms southwest until you spot the skull; as with similar skulls, you'll need to shoot the impact switch, then quickly jump to the skull's platform before you fall.
After moving both pieces of the main bridge into the correct position, follow them along to the "rolling fire trap". Before reaching the trap though, halfway across the main bridge, look to your left for a ledge with some enemies jumping down from it. It's far, but Lara can in fact make the jump; there's a skull up there for you.
Navigate the Twisting Bridge in 6:00 or less
Reward: Mask of Ilzli
Pretty easy to do, especially with speed-increasing equips.
Bomb the rollin fire
Reward: Health Powerup
The final bit of the level, after crossing the main bridge, sees you running up a flight of steps, dodging an avalanche of rolling balls and fireballs. You must hit at least three of the rolling fireballs with explosives: bombs, grenade launcher ammo, TNT barrels all count. This mission is sometimes glitched though and won't let you get the third rolling fireball; if this happens, you need to restart the level. Try not to die once while getting this mission as that seems to cause the glitch to occur.
Knock the shield off a Shield Demon
Reward: Ammo Powerup
You will encounter a shield demon in the temple southeast of the rotating bridge (the message will appear when he first shows up). To knock the shield off of him, you need to use powerful explosives. Simply shooting him with the grenade launcher works, or you can trick him into charging into one of the boxes of TNT lying around, then roll out of the way of his charge and shoot the box while he's recovering. Lara's regular bombs won't work though.
Collectibles
Head of Itzli
In the first Challenge Room, use the grapple ring to cross the gap, then park the rolling ball on the floor plate you find there. Use the new wood boards that appear to shoot the impact switch to open a gate for the ball, then set a bomb by the impact switch. Roll the ball through the first gate, then set off the bomb to open the second gate. Park the ball on the floor switch by the entrance, then use the grapple ring to swing over to the now-opened cage holding the item.
Ammo Upgrade
After you encounter your first shield enemy, and use the pull crank to make wooden steps to the next floor with the destructible columns, look around for a trail of gems leading along a thin ledge nearby to the item.
Gold Lizard
In the second Challenge Room; just make your way through the crusher gantlet, watching carefully for any twitchy crushers and staying out of their way. Once you reach the item, you're safe.
Health Upgrade
Follow the instructions for getting Skull #8. Once you get that skull, make your way to the platform south of you with the urns. Shoot at the impact switch off-screen to make the platform just northeast of you raise up (if it's not up already), then jump on it and as with the skulls, shoot the impact switch and jump ahead to the platform southeast of you before you fall. The upgrade is ahead on a lone ledge, south of you.
High Powered Single Shot Rifle
Pretty much lying around in plain sight sometime before you reach the first piece of the main bridge you must rotate.
Fiery Depths
MissionsTravel to the tomb at the end of the canyon
As you guessed it, this level has loads of fire hazards: lava, spinning firebreathing statues, fire traps, even a hail of fireballs at the end. There's even a new dangerous enemy, a "firethrower", that tosses homing projectiles similar to the magicians. The problem is that he toss three or as many as five at a time, and they explode when struck by an object or after some time. Stay close to them and roll under their fireballs; they are much more dangerous further away.
Most of the firebreathing statues are placed in gantlets where you must hop along little islands to safety while dodging the flame. The second one of these gantlets requires that you shoot impact switches to get them to spin the other way before they pin you down.
There's also the fire traps, which normally you need to watch their movements for, then slip past. Some are used in two nasty scenarios. One is a gap near the start that requires you use two or three spears to cross, and time your jumps so that you are not hit by a fire trap. Another requires that you use a grapple ring to rappel down between fire traps, then swing left and drop a bomb towards an impact switch below which will deactivate the obstructing fire.
Also watch for the rotating platforms on poles. These can be a pain to deal with as the undersides of them contain lava that will quickly kill Lara if she stands on them.
Score Challenges
Score 90,000 points
Score 110,000 points
Score 130,000 points
Reward: Spear of Fire
Reward Challenges
Collect 10 Red Skulls
Reward: Golden Shroud of Cihuncoatl
First, follow the steps to get the Ammo Upgrade near the start of the level. Next, jump across the structures where you got the Ammo Upgrade to the ledge ahead, where a skull sits.
In plain sight on the north-westernmost spider tile platform.
Two in plain sight by the chaingun.
Two in plain sight by the chaingun.
After the first big battle with the firethrowers, you will eventually need to descend down a grapple ring and drop a bomb on an impact switch to shut off the flame below. Before dropping down, swing Lara left and right to get an upgrade and a skull.
Not much farther after Skull #5, you'll be attacked by a firethrower across a gap. Kill him and jump over to where he was to find a rolling ball and a skull next to it.
Just beyond Skull #6 is a gantlet of platforms with firebreathing statues sweeping across them. Make your way through the southernmost tip to find a skull.
Two are in the turning pole platform gantlet right before the final area with the falling fireballs.
Two are in the turning pole platform gantlet right before the final area with the falling fireballs.
The last skull is in a corner-end island in the area with the falling fireballs. It's before the steps that lead to the level exit.
Reach the exit in 5:00 or less
Reward: Mask of Ilzli
This one ain't easy. You will need to get good at dodging the fire traps and other assorted hazards quickly, without pausing for them, as well as get through the two unskippable enemy encounters fast. Use the hand cannons or something equally powerful to blaze through those quickly. If you die more than a couple times trying to do this, you might as well restart.
Heal the rolling ball
Reward: Wind Drum
Once you spot the healing shrine, continue on the path, getting through the fire trap ahead. A firethrower will pop out eventually; shoot him and jump to his location to find a rolling ball next to a red skull. Bomb the ball over the gap and roll it towards the fire trap. This is tricky; you must inch the ball over slowly through the trap, and climb onto it to avoid incoming flames. You need the ball to get through the fire trap from the right-hand side; once you and the ball are through the trap, park it on the healing shrine.
Sacrifice 3 skeletons to the scorpion crest
Reward: Health Powerup
When you first enter the third section of this level, you will be trapped in an ambush and immediately see this message. Go up the stairs to the right and you should see a big floor tile with a scorpion picture on it. Your goal is to knock out at least three of the skeleton enemies while they are standing on the scorpion picture, then kill them with a bomb.
Jump to all 6 spider tile platforms
Reward: Ammo Powerup
Right past the first Challenge Room are six platforms emblazoned with a spider decal. You must jump on all six platforms without getting killed by the spinning fire-breathing statues.
Collectibles
Mask of Ehecatl
In the first Challenge Room. To enter it, use the pull crank at the top of the steps above, then enter it before the flames outside the door turn on. Once inside, simply roll each ball onto the three cups while avoiding the flames running clockwise around the arena; once all three balls are in place, you can jump to the central pillar.
Ammo Upgrade
Near the start of the level is a trio of ledges Lara must hop over; the item is on top of the structure the first ledge is connected to. You must throw a spear into the structure, then throw another from halfway up the stairs near the level entrance; it'll take a little luck to hit on mark so far away from your target.
Chaingun
In plain sight, on an altar protected by moving fire traps; can't miss it.
Health Upgrade
In plain sight by the spider tile platforms.
Ammo Upgrade
After the first big battle with the firethrowers, you will need to descend down a grapple ring and drop a bomb on an impact switch to shut off the flame below. Before dropping down, swing Lara left and right to get the upgrade and a skull.
Health Upgrade
Just beyond the rolling ball you use for "Heal the rolling ball" is a gantlet of platforms with firebreathing statues sweeping across them. Make your way through the south-easternmost tip of the gantlet to find an item.
War Drum
Just beyond the rolling ball you use for "Heal the rolling ball" is a gantlet of platforms with firebreathing statues sweeping across them. Make your way through the northernmost tip of the gantlet to find a Challenge Room. Enter and rotate the L-shaped bridge so that it makes a backward "L", allowing you the chance to reach both the impact switch and a pull crank. Set a bomb by the impact switch, yank the pull crank, then run across the L-shaped bridge and set off your bomb so that it rotates, orienting Lara towards the still-open cage holding the item.
Belly of the Beast
MissionsUse the rocket launcher to destroy the lava beast
You take on another T-Rex boss in this level. There are no spike traps to help you this time; instead you must pick up the rocket launcher at the start of the level and blow him away with it.
Most of the T-Rex's attacks are easy enough to dodge by just rolling away. However, there's not enough ammo for the rocket launcher to take it out in one shot. You'll have to raise up a platform holding a munitions pile, located in the central lava pit, using the floor switches that compass the arena.
The floor switches on the north and south ends of the pit raise the munitions pile platform and extend the bridges to it, and the two side switches rotate it. After a while, the bridges will lower and the platform will return back into the pit (killing Lara if it takes her with it). You need to be careful if you rotate the platform as the bridges raise and lower at the opposite moments and you could accidentally strand Lara if you are not careful.
Getting the Score Challenges on this one is trickier than other levels; you'll need to at least lower the T-Rex's health enough so that mini-dinosaurs start charging out of the lava pools, which you can kill to eke out the score.
Score Challenges
Score 30,000 points
Score 50,000 points
Score 70,000 points
Reward: Heavy Grenade Launcher
Reward Challenges
Collect 10 Red Skulls
Reward: Serpent Drum
Bomb the column in the northernmost tip of the arena.
Bomb the column in the southernmost tip of the arena.
3-6. These can be gotten when you raise the munitions pile platform and extend the bridges. There are four, one on each side of the munitions pile platform (when raised), so you will need to turn the bridges and raise them at least once.
7-10. After you do enough damage to the T-Rex, four firethrower enemies will appear on the spider tiles ringing the arena and snipe fireballs at you.
Kill each one for a skull.
Defeat the T-Rex in 5:00 or less
Reward: Clay Serpent
When you enter the arena, go right and pound on the T-Rex as soon as he appears. There's ammo on the spider tiles near by if you need it. You should be able to do enough damage so that you only need to head to the munitions pile in the center once or twice.
Step on all 11 spider tiles
Reward: White Drum
There are 11 platforms ringing the arena that have pictures of spiders on them; touch all 11 of them.
Collectibles
Rocket Launcher In plain sight and you need it to kill the boss.
Stronghold Passage
MissionFind passage through this ancient tomb
Yet another new enemy here: crazed rock monsters that hurl rolling fireballs, like the kind that shelled you in "Fiery Depths". They have a TON of health but are otherwise slow, doddering, and their fireballs are more a pest than anything.
Otherwise, this level plays very similar to "Forgotten Gate": solve a series of puzzles to get a bunch of balls into the central room so you can open up the exit by parking them on the fire pits.
Fire pillar puzzle: This is the first puzzle you will find. Set a bomb onto the lowered pillar, next to the pillar raise up with the ball on top. Stand on the nearby floor switch to raise the lowered pillar and lower the raise pillar; set the bomb off when it gets level with the ball to knock the ball off the pillar and away from the surrounding flames.
Golf hole puzzle: Up the stairs from the fire pillar puzzle is this one. Simply bomb the ball into the air and have it land in the "golf hole". You will have to bomb more balls into the golf hole later on.
Fire altar puzzle: Northeast of the golf hole puzzle. Yank the pull crank and spear-jump onto the nearest pillar. Use the raised wood platforms while they are still up to run and jump over the fire altar below to the pillar on the other end, dropping a bomb in mid-air as you pass over the ball below. The bomb will fall and land on the ball, allowing you to blast it off the fire altar. To get the ball out of the room, set it and a bomb next to it by the wood gate, then use the pull crank nearby to open it, then blast the ball through the open gate.
Fireball hands puzzle: You need three rolling balls total, two from two other puzzles, to solve this. Once you have three balls, set a bomb by the stone hands underneath the fireball cannons and set them off so that they launch the hands into the air. Park a ball underneath a hand while it is airborne so you can get the hand stuck in mid-air and block the fireball cannons. With both cannons blocked, you can park the third ball on the cup to shut off the fire traps and use the pull crank to open the exit.
Ball jump puzzle: This has one of the balls you will need to solve the fireball hands puzzle. You have a river of lava with a pillar in the center and you must hopscotch a ball over to the other side. Set the ball in the divot by the lava's end and set a bomb behind it. Launch the ball and shoot the impact switch when the ball lands on the pillar; it will rise up and force the ball over. If the ball lands in the lava, the game will give you another one to try again.
Fire traps puzzle: This has one of the balls you will need to solve the fireball hands puzzle. Use the pull crank to turn off the fire trap platforms and cross to the other side. Kill the enemies, then bomb the ball into the field of fire traps, then wait for the coast to clear then set another bomb and try to launch the ball out of the fire trap field onto the other side. If the ball lands in the lava, the game will give you another one.
Like "Forgotten Gate", this level has a second section that features Lara running through a trap hall. Just keep an eye on the burner pads and stay away from any that have a light emanating from within it. The section with the falling rocks and crumbling tiles is just like the one from "Forgotten Gate".
Score Challenges
Score 60,000 points
Score 90,000 points
Score 120,000 points
Reward: Railgun
Reward Challenges
Collect 10 Red Skulls
Reward: Fist of Tezcatlipoca
Climb up the stairs nearby the fireball hands puzzle and look for a grapple ring there. Latch onto it, then jump towards the skull so you can catch it in mid-air while still attached to the grapple ring.
Directly further down from the bridge holding the first Challenge Room is a column holding a red skull. You need to throw spears into it from the stairs to get enough height to reach the top of the column.
On one of the fire trap platforms you hopscotch over during the fire traps puzzle.
4-10. The rest are all in the trap hall in the second section of the level.
Reach the exit in 15:00 or less
Reward: Jade Heart
This is actually much easier than "Forgotten Gate" as 15 minutes is a lot of time. You'll want to wait till you've stockpiled every ball you plan on sending through the golf hole before starting on bombing them in; if you are good and have a high Bomb level, you can send in multiple at the same time. You can also mostly ignore the enemies if they start harassing you while you put the balls in the fire pits as they can't knock the balls out of them.
Rest a ball atop the skull pedestal
Reward: Health Powerup
You'll spot the pedestal next to the chute you must roll the ball from the fire traps puzzle down through. It will be more of a pain to launch the ball onto this skull pedestal than it was in "Forgotten Gate"; try to use the red-and-gray tile stucco as a reference point for where to position the bomb and ball.
Step on the 3 hidden spider tiles
Reward: Ammo Powerup
There are 3 little special floor tiles in the level that have a symbol of a spider on them; step on them all. Remember, there's no autosave for these, unlike with Red Skulls.
Right next to the column holding Red Skull #2.
Right next to the ball's starting point in the ball jump puzzle.
Right by the level exit; bomb the stone coffin next to the exit and you'll find it underneath.
Collectibles
Ammo Upgrade
It's on top of the pillar holding the ball in the fire pillar puzzle; simply get the ball down as usual, then park the ball on the floor switch to bring the pillar down, set a bomb by the ball, then stand on the pillar and set off the bomb to rise up to the upgrade.
Health Upgrade
As you make your way up the stairs from the fire pillar puzzle, you will see a grapple ring in plain sight on one of the bends; use it to rappel down the side towards an upgrade.
Health Upgrade
In the ball jump puzzle area, stand on the pillar in the lava and shoot the impact switch to rise up to the upgrade above.
Stone Serpent In the first Challenge Room. Shoot the impact switch a couple times to figure out which of the spike tiles does NOT produce spikes no matter what setting the switch is on. Using those tiles as safe points, shoot the impact switch to move spikes out of your way as you make your way to the item in the center of the spike tile field.
Dual SMG
In plain sight in the ball jump puzzle area.
Ammo Upgrade
Fire traps puzzle area; the same field of fire traps you bomb the ball through has an ammo upgrade sitting in there. Get in there, grab the upgrade, and get out.
Mask of Tezcatlipoca
In the second Challenge Room. Make sure the wood platforms are up, then set a bomb by the impact switch, then walk over to the cage holding the item and throw a spear into the column next to you. Jump onto the spear, set off the bomb, then quickly jump into the open cage before the spikes in the column pop out and gut Lara.
The Mirror's Wake
MissionsOpen the gate to Xolotl's stronghold
You will need to make your to the "main gate" near center of the map to trigger the appearance of, and then kill, three super shield demons. They fight the same as the regular variety and you can knock their shields out in the same way. The exception here that they are, of course, huge, and fast as well. You may want to knock the shields out of their hands as they are pretty difficult to dodge otherwise. Once they lose their shields, they start throwing a fan of fireballs that are surprisingly easy to dodge since they do not home in on you.
The first super shield demon attacks straight away; concentrate on killing any firethrowers first. Next, head west into the "ancient crypt", as it's called on your map. Inside is a steady torrent of fireballs; watch for them and solve the basic puzzles in the maze inside, making your way to the final area where the super shield demon lurks.
The last one hides in the "arena" as marked on your map. Go east from the main gate till you find a path leading into the canyon. Kill the super shield demon you find there; watch out for the firebreathing statues in the "arena".
Each one of the super shield demon guys drops a key. Collect all three and return to the main gate to end the level.
Score Challenges
Score 150,000 points
Score 190,000 points
Score 240,000 points
Reward: Golden Shotgun
Reward Challenges
Collect 10 Red Skulls
Reward: Jade Heart
From the start of the level, go south until you hit the mountain range, then go to the left, hugging the mountains, until you find an opening that leads to a skull and some gems arranged in a star-shape.
Just a few steps south of the ancient crypt is a firebreathing statue protecting a skull.
3-5. Three inside the maze in the ancient crypt.
6-9. Four are sitting in the geysers spewing fireballs. There's one by the area that triggers the "Break 2 shields with 1 truck" mission and three in the "arena" area where you fight the super shield demon.
10. After killing the super shield demon in the arena, you are required to go west and rappel up to a grapple ring to escape. There's a skull on the ledge above the grapple ring; just swing over to the nearby bridge, then spear-jump up to it.
Reach Xolotl's Stronghold in 6:00 or less
Reward: Mask of Xolotl
Ridiculosly easy if you use the Golden Shotgun (you can win it from this level's Score Challenges). Just roll behind the super shield dudes when they appear and shotgun them twice in the back. Dead. Make it a point to collect the key the first one drops as soon as it apperas, as there are reports that a glitch will cause the next two keys to not drop if you don't collect that one first.
Break 2 shields with 1 truck
Reward: Health Powerup
As you progress through the level, you will see this message pop up as you approach the area containing the northernmost super shield demon. When you see the message appear, immediately run towards the overturned truck just northwest and jump onto it. Two regular shield demons will appear and approach; let them crowd around you, then drop a bomb and set it off.
Achieve a hole-in-one
Reward: Ammo Powerup
You need first to reach the Challenge Room in the northernmost area of the map. This is done by reaching the "arena" to kill the super shield demon as per normal, then go north past the northernmost firebreathing statue and spear-jump to the area above using one of the nearby rock piles. Inside the Challenge Room is a floor covered in deadly burners and a spinning trap; you must get the ball into the nearby fire pit without having to move it yourself. To start, kill the rock monster that appears, then set a bomb directly to the left of the spinning trap, then detonate the bomb when the spinning trap is pointing roughly south; this should hopefully get the ball into the hole in one shot.
Get the first spinning ball into its fire pit in 15 seconds
In the ancient crypt, once you free the rolling ball from the spinning trap, you have 15 seconds to roll it to the fire pit by the munitions pile. Pretty straightforward; free the ball and roll it like crazy to the fire pit, hoping you make it in time. It helps greatly if you time your bomb explosion you use to free the ball from the spinning trap so that it is flung down the hall you plan on rolling it through, giving you some extra time.
Collectibles
High Powered Shotgun
In plain sight near the main gate.
Health Upgrade
At the start of the level is a rolling ball on an altar. You need to roll it all the way to the fire pit near the main gate; dump it in there and you'll be able to grab the upgrade.
Ammo Upgrade
In the ancient crypt. When you find the second rolling ball, park it on the nearby floor switch and then run to the now-open gate over the wall to the northwest before the tremors in the area shake the ball off its spot.
Dark Drum
In the ancient crypt. After finding and killing the super shield demon in there, hug the southwest wall and follow it southward until you spot the drum sitting on a floor switch.
Clay Serpent
Inside the south-easternmost Challenge Room. Park the rolling ball on the nearby floor switch, then set a bomb next to it. Fire a grapple at the grapple ring on the wall and line Lara up with the ring and the lowered pillar. Set off your bomb and the pillar should rise up, allowing Lara to safely rappel up to the top of the pillar. Jump to the second floor from there and grab the item.
Mask of Cipactli
You need first to reach the Challenge Room in the northernmost area of the map. This is done by reaching the "arena" to kill the super shield demon as per normal, then go north past the northernmost firebreathing statue and spear-jump to the area above using one of the nearby rock piles. Inside the Challenge Room is a floor covered in deadly burners and a spinning trap; you need to get the ball into the fire pit before you are killed. Kill any monster harassing you and quickly get the ball in.
Xolotl's Stronghold
MissonsDefeat Xolotl and reclaim the Mirror of Smoke
Final boss time. Xolotl comes in three phases. Note that the best weapons for this battle are arguably the Hand Cannons, High Powered Flame Thrower, and especially the Golden Shotgun which will utterly rip this guy apart.
In the first phase, stay away from the tiles glowing blue as spikes will shoot out of them momentarily. When you see his life meter appear at the bottom, head to the dais to the northeast; Xolotl will appear there, trying to throw fireballs. Tear him to shreds with the Golden Shotgun; if you aim right, he'll be toast before doing anything. He'll retaliate by summoning spiders; get rid of them with the flamethrower and continue to watch for spikes. After dodging enough spikes and spiders, he'll appear again, where you can again shred him with the Golden Shotgun. He'll end this phase by forcing the spiked roller to crush you; vault it over your head with a bomb.
The next phase features an arena with poison pods. When Xolotl appears in this phase, he gets up close and personal, diving towards your location with a ground pound, then shooting out a burst of fireballs if you give him enough time. Watch for the black smoke and dodge away from it to avoid the ground pound, then plow him with the Golden Shotgun. When he retreats, head to the northeast corner of the arena where it's safe from the poison pods and you can keep your back safe from enemies coming from behind. Snipe everything coming your way with the hand cannons, including gators, skeletons, and a boss podman; the pods are great for killing downed skeletons for you. Xolotl will eventually appear again, so wreck him with Golden Shotgun.
The final phase will see you in a small arena with Xolotl throwing fireballs everywhere. Wait for him to appear on the ledge to the northwest and shotgun him to hell when he appears. In this phase, he will sic rock monsters on you, but they are easy murdered with the Golden Shotgun and their resulting fireball explosions will likely take more of them out for you. Xolotl will eventually appear on the same ledge again, so shotgun him one more time to win the game.
Score Challenges
Score 80,000 points
Score 120,000 points
Score 140,000 points
Reward: Spear of Light
Reward Challenges
Defeat Xolotl in 10:00 or less
Reward: Spear of Darkness
If you use the Golden Shotgun and good equipment, you can do this your first time through on "Hard".