RUINS OF MAYA

Level by Justin

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth
and Anya Marie McDonald

You have to be astute from the very beginning of this level. The instant Lara starts sliding down, jump forward and grab the climbable wall in front of you. Climb up and pull up onto the stone ledge. Go over to the moss-covered portion and look over the west edge for the grenade gun ammo. Lower yourself over the edge and drop to down to pick up the ammo, then turn to the left and take a standing jump over a gap toward the grenade gun itself. Pick it up, then turn around and jump back to the solid area where the ammo lay. Pull back up to the top of the ledge and go over to the SE end. Lower Lara over the edge and drop down into SECRET #1. Pick up the shotgun and slide down to the jungle floor.

Step toward the huge doors to the west, and they open as you approach. Enter the temple that has a shallow pool of water in its uneven floor. Draw weapons and kill the boar that comes out from the far right corner. You see three closed doors ahead and on either side (the one on the right requiring a gem). Go around to the right side of the right pillar and throw the wall switch to open the door at the west end.

Go inside and wait for the flyby to finish showing you the room ahead from all angles, including the two crocodiles swimming in the deep pool below. Then draw weapons to exterminate them before diving into the pool and swimming across to the west end to locate the underwater switch right beneath the waterfall. After throwing it to open a gate, turn to your right and swim through the tunnel into the north wall to arrive at another, smaller pool. Pull out of the water and draw weapons to kill a third crocodile that was following you. Then shoot the large vase in the SE corner for a small medi-pack, and run along the ledge until you reach the NE corner. Use the ladder on the east face to climb up onto the pillar; from there, step forward and from the left side (because of the sloped ceiling) jump across to the other pillar and pick up the crowbar.

Hop back into the water and pull up through the waterfall into the little alcove. Use the crowbar to open the abacus door, then listen as the menacing music signals a tricky maneuver in this next room. Angle Lara to the right and take a standing jump to the sloped surface. Keep the jump key depressed and use the left arrow key to bring Lara over to the flat ledge in the center of the room. Throw the nearby floor switch and watch the door ahead open silently. You might notice the companion "floor switch" jutting out at a right angle above you, and wonder what that's all about (I did too). Anyway, angle Lara to the right, a step away from the floor switch, and take a running jump to the ledge across the spike trap. Then turn to the left and take a standing jump with grab to land inside the portal.

Ahead is a push block, so push it once to reveal a passage to your left. You're now about to embark on a push block puzzle in very tight quarters, and it will be easy to become disoriented. Just remember that the entrance (now behind you) is in the SE corner, and that your objective is to open up a passageway in the west wall. Let's call the block you just pushed Block#1. Turn left, and straight ahead is Block#2. Push it in once to open up a new area. Now go around to the right, behind Block#1, and push it forward twice into the entranceway so it'll be out of your way.

At the end of the NW alcove is Block#3. Pull it back four times, then run around to the other side to push it once into the corner. Run around to the right side and pull it once, away from the corner. Return to Block#2 and pull it once away from the wall. Run around to the left into the alcove beyond where Block#2 originally rested, to the SW corner, and pull out Block#4 once to open up a pathway along the west wall. Reverse roll and make a hairpin turn around to the left. You'll find a crowbar switch at the south end of the corridor, which is supposed to lower the block in the main pool so you can legally pick up a hidden gem, but because of a bug it's inoperable. So turn to your left and push Block#4 three times to open up a circular path.

Run counterclockwise along the new circular path and face Block#5 to your right in the NW corner. Pull it out once, then run around the circular path to its right side and pull it back twice. Run back along the circular path in a clockwise direction and locate the wall switch at the end of the corridor. Throw it to trigger a cut scene showing an underwater block lowering in the small pool just beyond the spike room.

Now you've got to get out of here. Go back to Block#5 and pull it back once. Go to the other side and push it once, into the west corridor. Go around the other way to its other side and push it once more in the direction of the wall switch. Now go to Block#4 (at the end of the east corridor to the left of the crowbar switch) and pull and push it as necessary to get it back to its original location against the west wall. Then go to Block#2 (in the middle of the floor) and push it once toward the south wall, then go around to the left and push it once more toward the west wall.

We're almost done here. Go to the end of the SE corridor and turn to your left. Push Block#3 once, then run around to its left side and pull it back twice. Then run around to the opposite side and push it once to open up a circular pathway. Now go to Block#1 in the SE corner and pull it out twice. Run around the circular path in a counterclockwise direction until you reach the entrance to the spike room. Whew!

Take an angled standing jump to the ledge over to the left. Then take a standing jump straight ahead and jump off the sloped surface to land on the ledge with the floor switch. Turn to the south and take a running jump with grab to land inside the entrance to the smaller pool. Jump down into the water and locate the tunnel revealed when you lowered the block. Swim east along the tunnel and emerge in an outdoor area for SECRET #2. Pick up the crossbow arrows and continue swimming to the other side of the pool. If you look up while submerged you can easily see the texture of a moveable block in the east wall ahead, and what appears to be another over to your right.

Pull up onto shore and push the block ahead twice to reveal an alcove to your left. Push that block once to reveal a short passageway with uzi ammo and shotgun ammo. Exit the alcoves, facing south, and you find there's another moveable block straight ahead. Push it forward three times to reveal an alcove where you can pick up some crossbow arrows. Then push the block to the right, out of the way, and turn facing north to locate yet another moveable block. Pull it out once to reveal a wall switch behind it. Throw the switch to reveal an opening in the south wall of the room outside (where you thought there was a moveable block). Go there to trigger SECRET #3. Push the block inside the alcove once to reveal an area where you can pick up the uzi and two stashes of uzi ammo.

Go outside and pick up the crossbow on the north bank before returning to the smaller pool via the tunnel. Turn left and go through the south tunnel to the main pool.

Surface, turn around and pull out onto the platform at the water's edge. Since the inoperable crowbar switch failed to lower the block in the center of the pool and reveal the gem you need, you'll be obliged to use the DOZY cheat to fly over and drop down onto the block. Hit the action key, and Lara will grab the Endless Crystal. Jump into the water, swim back to the previous platform, pull up and climb to the higher ledge. Turn to your right and leave this area via the door to the east.

Go to the door on your left and use the Endless Crystal to open the door behind you. Reverse roll and step up to the threshold of the new room. The floor ahead is laced with breakaway tiles, so before you get started note the dart gauntlet and the wall switch about halfway down to the left. Do your best to skip over the darts as you make your way to a safe square next to the switch. Throw it to open the door on the other side of the room, then turn right and run to the doorway. (There are other safe blocks in this area, but it's not necessary to locate and use them, since you can run over and past the tiles before they crumble.)

In the next area is a breakaway bridge spanning a yellow pool with two crocodiles swimming in it. Jump down to the tree roots to your right and take care of the crocs, then jump into the water and pick up the nearby large medi-pack. Swim across the pool and into the tunnel to the right of the other tree. Pull the ceiling switch at the end to open the door above you. Then swim out the tunnel and pull out onto the roots of the tree ahead and jump up to grab the trunk. Climb up, and with Lara's feet on the top part of the ivy, take a back flip onto the ledge behind you. Turn around, run past the open doorway to the opposite alcove, and shoot the large vase for some crossbow arrows.

Now go through the doorway into the next area and draw weapons to shoot the waiting ninja. Go over to where he fell and pick up the Red key, then go up the steps into the stone structure. Shoot the large vase on your right for some flares, then from the east side open the trap door in the center of the room. Climb down into a lower room. Shoot the large vase for target practice and use the Red Key in the nearby receptacle. The door to your left opens to reveal an abacus-lined corridor; use your crowbar on the panel at the end to open the way to a circular blade trap. Walk up to it, turn to either side and take a side flip past the blades when they open up.

Go into the next room and shoot the bat. The apparent spike trap on the floor isn't, but its significance will soon become apparent. Go to the middle of the north wall and pull out the disguised moveable block twice, then run around it and go inside the revealed short corridor. There's a crowbar switch on the floor to your left, and this one is thankfully in good operating condition. A cut scene shows a panel lifting high up in a room you'll soon be exploring.

Return to the previous room and push the block twice until it comes to rest on the "spike trap." The door in the south wall opens, so go inside, light a flare so you can see better, and turn left to slide down the ramp. Jump over the spike pit and slide the rest of the way down to the lower room. Go to the small shrine in the far corner and take the Hathor Effigy (which raises a panel above the ladder to your right), then go over to the ladder and climb up to the room you saw just now in the cut scene.

Jump up to grab the ceiling strip, then monkey swing over to the other side of the room and drop down onto the column. Turn Lara a little to the right and light a flare so you can see the ledge toward the SE. Take a running jump to it, then turn to the right and take a standing jump and grab to the ledge jutting out from the south wall. Turn to your right and take a running jump and grab to the abacus walkway. Pull up, turn left and run to the other end. Turn right and take a running jump and grab to the ledge in the west wall. Turn right and take a running jump and grab to the platform you saw in the cut scene. Pull up, turn left and take a standing jump and grab to the ledge in the north wall. Step forward and throw the wall switch to raise a pedestal in the floor far below.

Retrace your movements back to the top of the column where you dropped down from the monkey swing surface, and safety drop to the floor. Shoot the large vase in the SW corner for target practice, and note the nearby receptacle for the Golden Idol. Now get to the other side of the room, either by using the nearby ladder or by swimming under the bridge that's lined with flames, or via the path along the east wall. Take the Golden Idol from the pedestal, then jump into the water and locate the shotgun ammo. Now get back to the other side of the room and place the Golden Idol in its receptacle.

Turn to your left and go through the doorway partially hidden by the waterfall. At the end of the corridor, watch the flyby that gives you a close-up view of the spike gauntlet ahead. Save your game here, just in case, then time a mad dash forward (using the sprint key, as you can't make it otherwise) and across the collapsing bridge into the next room. Draw weapons and shoot a pair of boars, then turn around and climb down into the dark room below. Use your crowbar to open the panel in the middle of the south wall for SECRET #4, then go inside and pick up the revolver and some revolver ammo. Turn around and shoot a third boar, then climb up the west ladder into the outside area. Pick up the small medi-pack and go over to the large door that opens as you draw near.

You now need to negotiate a series of breakaway tiles over a pool of deadly lava, but it's not as hard as it looks. Save here anyway. Begin by taking a running jump to the first tile; then, without stopping to think, a side flip to the right, a forward jump, a forward jump, a side flip to the right, a back flip, another back flip to the final tile, and quickly turn Lara to the right and take a standing jump with grab to land inside the opening below. Quickly draw weapons and kill the two ninjas lurking in the next area. One of them will drop a torch, so pick it up before continuing.

Light the torch, using the flaming sconce in the south wall, then light only the torch in the east pillar. (Lighting the other one sets Lara aflame.) The door to the north opens, so go into the next room with your lit torch and find four unlit torches on the near and far walls. The order in which you light these torches is crucial, for if you light them in an incorrect sequence you'll be stuck and can't continue in the level. There's said to be a clue on the floor of this room, but doggone if I can figure it out. Anyway, the correct sequence is near right, far right, near left, far left. The door in the north wall then opens, so enter a room that appears to be a dead end.

Look to your left and you see what appears to be an obvious moveable block, but it turns out to be a dummy when you check it out. But if you light the torch to its left it opens the way to SECRET #5 and the crossbow.

On the other side of the room, just to the left of the broken pottery, you'll find a real moveable block with no strings attached. Push it in twice to reveal an alcove. Step inside and pick up the ornate handle, then throw the wall switch. Go back outside and you'll find that a barrier has been lifted in the north wall. Retrieve your torch and light the two torches on either side of the door, whereupon it opens. Go into the next area and shoot the ninja stationed up the stairs to your left. Then wade into the water and locate the device in the NE corner. Combine the Hathor Effigy and the ornate handle to form the Portal Opener, and use it here. The door behind you at the top of the stairs opens, so go up there and enter the next room. A lingering flyby concludes with the exit trigger.