| Kills:
9 Items: 30 plus the Hand of Rathmore (again) Secrets:
none
(NOTE: If you've played Tomb
Raider 3, the splash screen at the beginning of the level should bring
back some memories. You're probably beginning to put the pieces together
regarding who's behind the theft of the fifth artifact. Also note
that the regular pick-ups for this level will include the grenade
launcher and rocket launcher if you didn't find them earlier.)
LONG ROOM WITH MUTAGEN POOLS AND TRANSLUCENT
WALKWAYS: Side flip in either direction to get out of the path
of the rolling meteorite. Walk forward
around the rim of the pool of deadly mutagen.
When you look into the barred windows
on one side of the pool, you may catch a glimpse of a couple of med-packs
and 2 burly guys with holes in their
chests. If you linger near the windows these guys will come down the
stairs between the windows to beat on Lara. Otherwise, you'll meet
them later when you enter this area. (NOTE: The Desert Eagle
is brilliant for these guys. One shot takes them down.)
Before going up the stairs, make a few
pick ups. Approach the long, rectangular pool of sparkly
green stuff that has another huge meteorite
at the far end. If you look closely into the long pool, you'll notice
a translucent walkway running down the center. Light a flare or fire
pistols to make it more visible if necessary. Step onto the corner
of this walkway to trigger the boulder. Then quickly hop back out
of the way. Follow the translucent walkway to the end, picking up
3 pairs of grenades as you go. (NOTE:
One of these will be the GRENADE LAUNCHER
itself if you didn't find it in an earlier level.)
Return to the middle of the long room
(where you started) and go to the end of the other long, translucent
walkway. Pick up the rocket and more
grenades at the end. Again, go back to
the start. Climb up through the opening near the first pool on the
side that doesn't have the two barred windows. Go around the pillar
to get some flares. Again, take care
not to step off the edge into the toxic pool.
Return to the start.
DARK STAIRWAY: Climb into the
doorway between the barred windows. (NOTE: If you didn't
attract the attention of the 2 burly
guys earlier, they will attack as you explore around
the stairs. If you run up the to the middle of the stairs, you'll
be able to shoot them without being ambushed in a tight space.)
Pick up flares
just inside and MP5 clips on the bottom
step. At the first opening on the right, hop down and enter the room
with the barred window on the right. Take care to avoid the sparkling
mutagen as you pick up the small med-pack.
Return to the stairway, go across to the opening on the other side,
hop down and enter the other room with a barred window. Get another
small med-pack while avoiding the
deadly bits of floor. Now go all the way up the stairs to the
top.
MUTAGEN POOL WITH DANGLING BODIES
AND SWINGING BURNER: The dangling mutants and corpses are just
for show. They won't do any harm. Pick up a rocket
behind the pillar on the right. Use flares or pistol fire to illuminate
a series of small, translucent platforms in the pool. Hop from one
to the other to get to the far side of the pool. From the last platform,
take a standing jump into the opening. There's a short ramp on the
other side. Be sure to angle the jump so Lara doesn't slide into the
swinging burner. Pick up more flares
at the right end of the ledge.
LEDGES AND WALKWAYS LEADING UP TO
FINAL CONFRONTATION: The following sequence is shown in this series
of screenshots. After getting the flares,
go to the left end of the ledge and position Lara at the middle of
the ledge facing the small, square, flagstone ledge ahead. Take a
standing jump to that ledge, timing the jump to avoid the burner.
When Lara lands on the small ledge, the camera view shifts to a wide-angle
shot. Sophia Leigh begins to climb up
the ledges on her side of the mutagen pool.
(NOTE: For those who haven't
played TR3, Miss Leigh was one of the bosses in that game. She had
gotten her well-manicured hands on one of the four original artifacts,
the Eye of Isis. Her goal was to live forever and, failing that, to
leave a spectacular corpse. Although Lara apparently defeated her
last time around, she's ready for a rematch.)
Jump the gap
to the next ledge. Then run around the corner to the right, making
a tight U-turn to go up the ramp. Climb or jump onto the low step
with the small med-pack. Jump to the
grated ledge below the dangling mutant and climb to the next ledge
for another small med-pack.
If you really want that large
med-pack on Sophia's side of the gap (and Lara's probably going
to take some hits to get it), I recommend climbing up to the step
with the first small med-pack (not the one above the grate) and taking
a running jump from there across the gap to the ledge with the large
med-pack. Climbing up to the small med-pack causes Sophia to climb
a little higher as well, so she won't blast Lara right away when she
jumps across. Grab the med-pack and either immediately take a running
jump back to the side where you started, or continue forward and hide
in the far left corner. When you take the med-pack, another heartless
brute comes down from near where Sophia is. You'll have time
to take him out if you're hiding in the corner and watching as he
descends.
(NOTE: Avoid the pillar on
which Sophia is standing. When Lara gets near it, Sophia's powerful
energy repels her. A very cool effect. Just be sure it doesn't knock
Lara off the edge, or save your game first if you want to test it.)
When Sophia nears the end of one of her
rounds of energy blasts (there are generally 11 of them), hurry back
across the gap. You want to make sure Lara's makes it to cover before
Sophia is done powering up, because that first blast is the strongest.
Get the 2 small
med-packs if you didn't earlier. From where the second med-pack
is (just above the grated ledge with the dangling mutant), run to
the left and duck behind the square pillar. Sophia's energy blasts
can't harm Lara here, so use this for cover until you're ready to
move on. Climb onto the low ledge. Then jump to grab the higher ledge
above and pull up. When you do this, Sophia starts to climb up on
her side of the gap, so you don't have to worry about her shooting
right away. Once on the ledge above, vault onto the low flagstone
walkway on the left and run around to the left into the cave in the
back corner. There's a large med-pack
inside guarded by another of Sophia's burly
minions.
On the far side of this area is
a wide stairway with another large med-pack
at the bottom and a switch flanked by
two small doors at the top. Run along the left wall toward that area.
When you approach the steps, another burly guy
appears, and a meteorite boulder rolls
down the steps. Kill the guy, pick up the med-pack, run to the top
of the stairs and pull the switch.
(NOTE: There's also an area
off in the far left corner where you can run for cover. There's a
small pool here, which may come in handy if the guy with the torch
sets Lara on fire. But other than that, there's not much to do there.)
Once behind the doors, you'll need to
act quickly. Four heartless brutes move
in—three from ahead, one from behind. (Again, the Desert Eagle is
the weapon of choice here if you've got the ammo.) When you've dealt
with them, pick up a small med-pack near
one of the bodies and another small med-pack
plus flares at the back of the room.
Go through the doorway on the left near the bars. Slip carefully past
the swinging burner and use the switch
on the wall near the steps to open a trapdoor above. Climb the ladder
at the top of the stairs. Continue along the passageway. The door
closes behind you.
Pick up the rocket
at the far end of this area and get ready for the final confrontation
with Sophia. You'll only need one rocket
if you time your hit exactly right, but that's not easy. If you need
additional rockets or med-packs, see the note below.
If you're ready to go, climb onto the
wall overlooking the mutagen pool, to
the right of the support pillar in on top of the wall. Climb up one
more level to the step with the large med-pack.
Another meteorite descends into the pool, blocking Sophia's energy
bolts for a moment so you can grab the med-pack and jump down without
getting hit. You don't have to take the med-pack, but you must at
least climb onto the wall in order to make Sophia climb to the upper
ledge on her side—the one with the HAND OF RATHMORE sitting on the
steam vent. You can only destroy her if she is on this spot.
Take a moment to observe Sophia from
the safe spot behind the wall. She shoots 11 energy bolts (with the
occasional pause for maniacal giggling) before she pauses to power
up. You want to hit her just as she starts to power up. Here's the
easiest technique I found: Position Lara behind the wall and facing
it, on the low ledge at the left end of this area, near the spot where
you picked up the rocket. Lara is safe here even when she's able to
see Sophia. Stand with your weapon of choice drawn. I don't recommend
the grenades or harpoons, since they tend to arc downward, missing
their target at this distance. But one rocket, a few rounds from the
MP5 or Uzis, or even the pistol or shotgun will do the job. Count
the energy blasts and fire when ready. When you do hit Sophia dead-on
just as she's starting to power up, you'll notice static energy swirl
around Lara. Then Sophia will let out a groan and fall down.
Now go to either end of the wall and
jump down onto the perpendicular stone wall at either end of the pool.
(NOTE: At both ends of each
of the side walls there are small rooms containing some goodies—6
rockets and 2 small med-packs
in all. And, if you don't yet have the ROCKET
LAUNCHER, you'll find it here instead of one of the rockets.
You won't need these once you've killed Sophia, but if you haven't
conserved ammo and need more, you can get it at the price of a little
health loss.)
Jump from the end of the stone wall to
the long room below Sophia's final position. Climb up to where she
was standing and reclaim the HAND OF RATHMORE.
When you do, a small door opens at the back of the long room below.
Enter there and slide down the ramp into a pool. Climb out and make
your way down to the beach. Approach the hot-air balloon to end the
level—and the game.
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