THE LOST PYRAMID (revised version)

 

Level by Alex Chang (Ewing2)

 

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth (with Val's kind help for the two jump sequences at the beginning and end of the level, and the pushblock puzzle).

 

 

Begin in an outdoor valley near an inoperable Jeep. (I found that Lara was afflicted with the "umbilical cord" effect for the first part of this level, and I have no idea what causes this condition.) Run to the NW and enter the opening to the left. (The closed double doors to your right are for later.) As you run down the passage two assassins climb up to greet you. One of them is carrying a KEY. Hop down into the next room and go around to the far side of the central column. Use the Key in the receptacle to open the door to your left. Run up the ramp and find the ladder in the wall to your right.

 

Get ready for a tricky jump sequence. Jump up to grab the ladder and climb up four rungs. Back flip from there into a passage, turn around and throw the wall switch to release the trap door at the top of the shaft. Reverse roll and jump back to the ladder. Climb to the top, shift to the left, pull up and back flip to the slope behind you. Jump off with a midair curve to the left so you'll land on the higher W slope. Slide down to the floor and look around to get your bearings. There are deadly spikes all the way around the corner to the closed E doorway which is your destination.

 

Stand in front of the W slope, well away from the spikes, and jump up to grab the edge. Shimmy all the way to the left, then pull up and back flip to the slope behind you. Jump off with a sharp midair curve to the left so you can grab the edge of the slope nearest the S wall. Here's the trickiest part of all. Shimmy to the left, nearly all the way to the wall, pull up and back flip with a roll (using only the "end" key without the jump key) and a midair curve using the right arrow key so that Lara lands on the facing slope sliding backwards. Grab the edge and shimmy to the left nearly all the way to the E doorway, pull up and back flip into the passage. Turn around and push the button at the end of the passage to open the E door.

 

Go back to the other end of the passage and turn to face SE while standing at the far right corner. Take a standing jump forward, holding down the action key so that Lara lands safely inside the corridor. Run forward and find your progress blocked by. . .well, by a block. Push it forward twice so that it's out of your way in an alcove. Turn to your left and push the next block twice. Go around to its right side and push it W as far as it will go. Reverse roll and run back to the corridor, turn left and push the third block forward (N) twice.

 

Turn left into a new corridor and note the closed door in the first passage to your right. Continue W to the intersection, turn right and pull the first of two wall switches. Reverse roll, run S toward yet another block and push it forward into the next room. Turn left and go into the corridor, then turn left again. Pull the block in the NE corner back twice. Reverse roll, loop around to your right and make a right turn in front of the first wall switch you pulled. Go past the exit passage to the E wall and turn left. Pull the second wall switch at the far end to open the exit door. Reverse roll and loop around right and go through the open doorway into a new area.

 

You find yourself at the top of a ramp with an ominous overhead opening. Yes, that opening houses a boulder, so you would be wise to save your game here. Sprint down the ramp, turn to your left at the bottom, hop back and grab the ladder before the boulder can reach you. Climb down to the bottom of the deep shaft, turn to face the E wall, jump up and grab the crawl space, and crawl forward onto the top of a pillar that's too tall for you to access from the floor below. Safety drop to the floor, but beware of the approaching assassin. He'll drop some flares for you when you kill him.

 

Run toward the closed N gate. You look around unsuccessfully for a jump switch, lever, button, anything to open the gate. Then in desperation you jump onto the slope in the front of the gate and voila, it opens. Take a standing jump up into the passage and run forward into a room marked by corner columns. There's a large vase behind each one, but only the one in the NW corner holds anything (a small medipack). There's a switch in the E face of the NE column that opens the door in the W wall. Run up the ramp into a hallway with closed double doors at each end. Turn left and push the button in the W wall to open the nearby double doors.

 

As you enter the next room a couple of assassins climb up onto the large central dais. Kill them before they have a chance to approach you, then climb up onto the dais and pick up the HAND OF SIRIUS. As you do so, the W double doors open. Hop down, run through the W hallway and enter the next room. There's a pool in the center of the room and a second level that's inaccessible at present. The surrounding walls and columns are pretty, but they provide nothing of value, so jump into the water and swim through the wide N passage. You can surface for air in the next room, but there's nowhere you can pull out without navigating the internal maze of the large central structure. However, you can swim to the NE corner and find an opening near the bottom in the E wall of the central structure. Swim a bit W to find the UZIS (thanks, José).

 

Swim back down and around to the E wall. Enter the structure via the opening near the surface, swim down and to your right and pick up the flares in the corner. Go back out, swim all the way around to the W wall and enter the structure via the opening near floor level. Swim forward, veer downward and then upward, turn left, and veer downward to locate a KEY. Retrace your moves and go outside to surface for air. Now you need to find a way out of here. Swim to the E wall, go through the opening near the surface, go left this time (you went right to get the flares, remember) and swim down the shaft, continue S and swim straight up where you can see daylight. Surface and paddle to the W end of this trench, and pull up to your left. Pick up the uzi ammo at your feet and climb out onto the roof of the central structure.

 

Watch out that you don't slip and fall into one of the water holes, and make your way around to the N end of the roof and be prepared to deal with three scorpions that challenge you along the way. Locate the keyhole in the N face of the column and insert the Key there to open a door in the W wall near the SW corner. Go there and take a standing jump with grab to land inside the corridor. Go to the next room and take the EYE PIECE from the plinth. Go to the S opening and slide backward down the slope. Grab the edge at the end as a boulder starts hurtling down toward you. Pull up quickly and back flip across the spike pit as the boulder drops harmlessly into it. Turn around, light a flare and you'll see another spike pit dead ahead. Take a running jump over it and go to the S wall.

 

Turn to your left and pull up into the high crawl space. Follow the passage around to your right and you'll emerge in a high area with a bridge leading to a room S with a wall switch you can see from here. When you cross the bridge and enter the room, a scorpion pops out from around the corner. Pull the wall switch to partially flood the deep room outside. Go out to the bridge and jump into the water. Locate the opening in the E wall and swim through it. Follow the passage up the ramp and around until you reach a place where you can surface and pull out to your left.

 

Run up the stairs and go around to your right so that you reach the upper ledge facing a rope. Take a standing jump forward and grab the rope. Climb up to the top to make Lara stop swinging, and turn to your right so that you're lined up with the next rope. Swing forward, jump off the first rope and grab the second one. If you wish, you can swing forward and drop down into the SE alcove for some uzi ammo. Then jump back to the second rope and turn to face N. Swing forward and jump off to land in the NE alcove, then turn left and pull the wall switch.

 

Take a running jump into the water below, surface, pull out and exit through the E hallway. Return to the central room and run down the S passage. Push the button on the wall to your right to open the nearby double doors. Run outside to find yourself in the outdoor valley where you began the level. Nothing to do here, so return to the central room. The N double doors at the end of the passage are now open, so run down the N passage into the next room. Go left around the central structure, and you'll be met by an assassin. Kill him and proceed through the N opening on the other side of the room. Run up the ramp and enjoy the outdoor flyby. Loop around left in the next room and push the button on the side of the pillar. Run back down the ramp, through the next room and back to the central room. You find that the E double doors are now open, so run through the E passage (as the double doors close behind you) into the next room and kill the assassin before he can steal the goodies on the central platform. Climb up onto the platform for some uzi ammo and a small medipack.

 

Enter the passage in the N wall and follow to a dark room with columns and ivy-covered walls. Continue through the E passage and enter a room with pillars of varying height. Look high up the wall at the NW corner. The tall column partially obscures your view, but there's a closed door in the W wall that's your next destination. Climb or jump up onto the block in the NW corner and save your game. Pulling the wall switch will start a timed sequence requiring you to negotiate those pillars and reach the high-up passage before the door closes.

 

Pull the switch and reverse roll. Run off the block and head to the opposite corner. Jump up onto the left side of the block in the NE corner and turn to your right. Take a standing jump up to the left side of the next block and turn right. Take a standing jump up to the right side of the next block and turn left. Take a running jump S and grab the left side of the taller pillar ahead. Pull up and turn to your right. Take a running jump W and grab the left side of the even taller pillar ahead. Pull up, turn right and take a running jump N to the next pillar. Immediately take a standing jump forward with the action key pressed to land inside the opening just before the door closes.

 

Take a second to catch your breath, then save your game again before doing anything else. (You'd hate to have to negotiate that timed sequence again so soon.) Turn left as you enter the corridor and reverse roll onto the ramp to trigger the boulder trap. Duck into the right or the left alcove as the boulder rolls by and quickly comes to a stop. Squeeze past it and run up the ramp, lighting a flare along the way. Turn around at the top and safety drop through the hole into the room below, suffering an unavoidable loss of health. You find yourself in a long room with columns and three sets of closed double doors. Locate the receptacle in the column facing the east double doors and insert the Hand of Sirius to open the W double doors.

 

Enter the W hallway and you soon find yourself outdoors again. Shoot the welcoming committee of two wild pigs and go outside for a spot of fresh air. Take a dip in the pond and swim through the hole in the floor. Swim N along the underwater room and loop around left to swim down a ramp. Surface in the next room, paddle around looking for a place to pull out, and you'll find there aren't any. Time for Plan B. Swim down through the opening in the S wall near the SE corner and you'll come to a submerged mirror room. The artifact ahead is guarded by an invisible maze, and no, lighting a flare won't help you solve the puzzle. However, the playing field is arranged in six rows, which helps you somewhat.

 

Swim forward and turn left into the second row. Swim near the far end and turn right into the third row. Double back and pick up the CROWBAR. At this point you'll probably want to go back for some air. After doing so, return to the S passage, swim forward to the fifth row, turn left and swim E until you near the wall, then turn left into the fourth row and make an immediate right and swim all the way to the E wall. Turn left, exit through the opening at the NE corner and follow the passage into a room partially filled with water. You can pull out here, so do so and use your crowbar to open the door in the N wall.

 

Run through the passage and up the ramp to find yourself at the upper levels of the room you swam into earlier. Take a running jump to the nearest ledge in the central structure and note the closed door in the NW corner and the three closed gates in the W wall. Then hop over to the S ledge where you can jump across the water into the center alcove in the S wall. Pull up into the opening and jump over the gap after noting the water hole down below. Follow the passage E and turn left to face a room partially filled with water and having many sloped pillars scattered here and there. You need to perform three separate tasks in this room, so I strongly suggest you save your game right here.

 

Let's get the easiest part out of the way first. Stand at the edge of the opening and angle Lara left to face SE. Take a standing jump to clear the top of the first sloped pillar, slide a short distance and jump off with a sharp midair curve to the left to land on the slope against the N wall, slide down and jump off to grab the block near the NE corner. Pull up and face the next slope against the E wall. Take a slightly angled running jump and grab to the top of the slope, shimmy all the way to the right, pull up, slide down and jump off to the next slope, and jump off with a sharp midair curve to the left to land on the next slope sliding backward. Shimmy to the right, pull up onto the block and pry the GOLDEN STAR off the wall with your crowbar. One task down, two to go.

 

Jump into the water and locate the hole in the floor between the second row of pillars near the E wall. Swim down and into the passage, and pull out at the other end. Climb the blocks and follow the upper passage back to the opening that overlooks the watery pillar room. Save your game again. This time angle Lara slightly to the right so that she's facing SSW. Take a standing jump and grab to the first pillar S. Shimmy just to the right of center and pull up. As you pull up, you can see your prize out of the corner of your eye to your right, lying on the block near the NW corner. Slide down the slope, jump to the next slope ahead and another jump to the next one. This third slope sends you off to the right to a fourth slope. As you jump off this fourth slope, you see a suspended collapsible tile ahead. You need to land on the left edge of this tile, turn quickly to your right and take a running jump to the next slope against the W wall before the tile crumbles and drops you into the water. You have only one chance to do this, which is why it's vital for you to save your game before launching into the sequence.

 

Jump off the first W slope to the next one, then jump off that one with a sharp midair curve to the right to land on the final slope. Slide nearly to the bottom and jump off to grab the block near the NW corner. Pull up, wipe the sweat off your brow, save your game again so you won't have to repeat this hellish sequence, and pick up the KEY. Jump into the water, swim over to the hole in the floor and return to the opening that overlooks the room, the same way you did earlier. There's one final tricky sequence you now need to master, but it doesn't involve a collapsible tile, so the pressure isn't quite so intense.

 

Stand at the edge facing SE in the same manner you did when going for the Golden Star. Take a standing jump to the same slope, but this time you need to jump off the second pillar to the right face of the third pillar E so that Lara bounces off toward the center of the room in a southerly direction. When you clear the top of the next pillar and start sliding down, jump off with a sharp midair curve to the right to land on the right face of the next pillar so that Lara again bounces off at a right angle toward the W. Jump off this slope with a sharp curve to the left so Lara lands on the left face of the next pillar S. Jump to the next pillar E, slide down and jump off S to grab the edge of the block against the wall. Pull up and pull the wall switch for a cut scene showing those three gates in the W wall of the previous room opening simultaneously.

 

Jump into the water and return to the previous water-filled room via the hole in the floor. Hop down from the opening to the ledge below and take a running jump to the central structure. Angle Lara to the left and hop over to the W ledge to face the openings in the W wall. Take an angled running jump to the one on the far left, in the SW corner, and follow the passage to a block. Pull the block back once, turn around and go back out and take an angled running jump back to the central structure. Turn and take a running jump to the middle opening in the W wall. Enter the passage and push the block to your right once to reveal a passage. Run to the far end and pull the wall switch to open the door in the NW corner. The third opening on the far right has no apparently meaningful function, so hop over to the N ledge of the central structure and take an angled running jump to the NW alcove.

 

Enter the passage revealed by the open door, climb the blocks and pull out into an outdoor courtyard that you saw earlier from beyond the S bars, as Lara's theme music plays. Run over to the W colonnade and insert the Golden Star in the pillar receptacle to the left of the double doors. The doors open, so go inside and enter the next room. Shoot the assassin who climbs up onto the central platform, then locate the keyhole in the S wall and insert your hard-earned Key there. The gate to your right opens, so run down the passage into the next room for SECRET #1 and take the HORSEMAN'S GEM (but it shows up in your inventory as the Hand of Orion) from the plinth.

 

Reverse roll and return to the previous room. The jugs in the NW and SW corners are empty, so go over to the button in the N wall and push it to open the adjacent gate. Enter the passage and slide down the slope to end the level.