THE FORGOTTEN TALE walkthrough

 

 

Level builders: Adriel and Gabriel Croft

Author of the walkthrough: Nina Croft

 

 

Abbreviations used: BM (box of matches), UW (underwater), JS (jump switch), RJ (running jump), SJ (stand jump), LM (large medipack, here: medicine), SM (small medipack, here: medicinal herb), CS (crawlspace), WL (wall lever)

 

 

INTRODUCTION: In Babylon, a princess was born to the King and Queen. The Queen, however, dies under mysterious circumstances, and the King is too busy and too distant to be a parent to the rebellious little girl. She chooses to run away and live disguised as a street boy, enjoying the freedom for many years. She also learned many useful skills during that time, such as climbing, fighting etc. But one day, an enemy king and queen usurp the Kingdom and kill the real King. The Princess is back to the palace, but she soon discovers everything. Therefore she decides to leave the palace again...

 

Level one: PALACE

 

When the level loads for the first time, you'll read on the screen that we have to wait for the night in order to escape the palace. So, approach the bed to make a nap.

 

CUT-SCENE: The King talks to the oracle and gets informed that the Princess has discovered everything. The oracle tries to protect her, but the king has no mercy and kills her...

 

When the level loads for the second time, have in mind that the princess is not armed and when you meet the enemies, just be faster than them. Find a wall lever behind the bed, and before you leave the room, collect BM from the floor to the left of the bed when facing the exit. Go through the doorway into the main corridor. If you approach the closed door ahead, you'll trigger another cut-scene.

 

CUT-SCENE: We see the king talking to a knight and ordering him to find and kill the poor princess.

 

GARDEN KEY: Once it is over, first go left. Keep going until you enter a room with a certain red-green pattern on the floor. Remember this pattern as it looks from the entrance into this room, and go across the floor which is totally safe. Once you go through the doorway, do not run or you'll fall from the non-protected ledge. In the high garden you'll see a hanging ledge with flowers and central pillar with a specific blue tile on top of it. Collect BM to the right and climb down the ladder on the left. On the bottom of the garden you'll find two floor levers and one push-statue. So, this statue has to go up there onto that blue tile on top of the pillar. There are three raising block on lower pillars you have to raise/lower with two levers. When facing the door, use the right-hand lever only and push/pull the statue onto the block you lowered. Use the right-hand lever again to raise the block with statue. Climb onto it and push the statue onto the next block. Now use the left-hand lever. Climb up the ladder, jump onto the suspended ledge and drop onto the pillar with the statue. Push the statue onto the next ledge and safety drop to the ground. Use the right-hand lever to raise the block with the statue. Go up the ladder, jump onto the suspended ledge and push the statue onto the blue tile. This will open the door down there. Go down the ladder and pick up the GARDEN KEY from the shackles behind the gate. Go up the ladder once again and through the room with green-red floor tiles.

 

GREENHOUSE KEY: As soon as you enter the corridor, go right through the hallway leading to the first pool. Before you go down the stairs, pick up BM to the left. Once down there by the pool, notice the keyhole ahead. Your key do not match this keyhole, so don't use it. You should now open a useful shortcut to the other wing of the palace. First find another BM in the far left corner and use the wall lever in the near left corner (from the entrance). This will open the trapdoor in the pool. Swim through this UW passage into a garden where you can use the floor lever to open a door elsewhere. Now return through the UW passage to the gate with keyhole, up the stairs and back to the main corridor.

 

This time go right all the way to the bedroom and beyond, and open the door ahead with the wall lever. Keep going and turn right at the corner. A bit ahead you'll see a grey pillar to the right. Around this pillar, there is a JS. Use it to open the door nearby. In a small room you'll find a BM and a pushblock in the left-hand wall. Pull it out once and to the side. Use the wall lever hidden in the alcove to open a door elsewhere. Back to the main corridor and go left and turn around the corner. Keep going back towards the bedroom and turn right when you come to the staircase. On the attic you can find BM opposite the entrance, and GREENHOUSE KEY behind some crates in the far left corner of the attic.

 

YARD KEY: Return to the corridor, go left, then right around the corner, then left at the next intersection, and you'll emerge at the top of another entrance. Notice a wall lever on the wall to the right, too high for the princess to reach. Go to the left and crawl backwards through the hole in the fence, just near the wall. This climb might be buggy, but the princess will land on the ground safely. Find the keyhole on the pillar to the left and open the entrance from the garden. Once inside the right-hand wing of the palace, notice a closed door to the right. Enter into the passage to the left. When you enter a small library, jump over the low book shelves and open the floor trapdoor. Crawl into the basement and pick up YARD KEY from there. Return back to the library and go through the other doorway. Behind the sofa on the right you'll find another BM. Go left through the door you opened earlier and turn right. Open the door on the right using the wall lever and you'll be back in the courtyard with the floor lever you already used. Swim through the UW passage to return to the big closed door in the other wind of the palace quickly.

 

JADE RING: Unlock the gate and go through. Enter the hall with concealed burners. As soon as you enter you'll get a camera of that green-red floor you saw earlier. If you remembered this easy pattern, it will be easy for you to get across the dangerous floor by using standing jumps / side flips from the centre of each safe tile. Jump into the doorway on the other side of the floor, and find a push-block in a small room beyond. Push it away to reveal a wall lever and use it to a door elsewhere. You'll also pick up the first RING PIECE. You can return back to the pool either across the deadly floor applying the pattern backwards, or using the monkey bars on the other side of the room. Once back at the pool, swim through the UW passage and climb again into that garden with the lever. Go back into the passage there and go right, through the door you've just opened. Find a wall lever and use it to raise a block back above the garden entrance. At the end of this passage you'll find a BM. Return through the passage into the room with sofas, then into the small library and back through the garden entrance. Climb the ladder and now you can reach that wall lever above the entrance. This will open a door below.

 

Once again down the buggy ladder and through the garden entrance. The door on the right is now open, so enter the passage here and jump into water through the broken fence. Swim through the passage and climb near another entrance where you have to your key. Enter the small courtyard. Climb up the ivy below the window on the left. Jump from the windowsill to grab the chandelier and find the second RING PIECE on it. Pick up BM from the floor and climb back down into the courtyard. Now climb the ivy on the opposite side and enter a study. Combine two Ring Pieces in your inventory to obtain the JADE RING and place this ring on the receptacle to the right, just near the book shelf. This will open the large decorated door there.

 

JEWEL BOX: On the fork, take a look to the right, to spot a door with a receptacle next to it. Go left, then left around the corner and enter the dark passage with some swinging bags with knives. Use the matches to find your way around. Stand close to either wall and time your run/jump through two swinging bags. Go right and again right and repeat the same method to go through three swinging bags more. Enter the dark room ahead cautiously, with a match in hands. The lower parts of the floor contains blades, so jump over those parts or go around them. Keep going forward and carefully time your jump through double swinging bag trap. Keep away from the lower parts of the floor and enter the dark passage ahead. Pick up a BM and LM and climb into a CS to the left. Open the ceiling trapdoor at the end of the passage and climb into another bedroom. On the bed you'll find the JEWEL BOX. Return through the CS and through the trapped corridor back to that closed door with the receptacle you saw earlier. Use the jewel you've just found to open this door.

 

SECRET PASSAGE KEY: Enter the room and before you pick up a key from the floor, make a short assessment of the situation. On both sides of the room there are five wall levers, but you cannot use them before you raise the blocks beneath the levers. Go behind two thrones and notice the closed trapdoor there and the wall lever with another pit beneath it. Save your game before you pick up the SECRET PASSAGE KEY from the floor. Picking this key up will raise the block beneath the lever behind the throne, but two knights will also appear. They are not very dangerous if you just outrun them. Run to the switch behind the throne and use it to raise the block near the nearest switch in the room. Use it to raise a block beneath one switch on the opposite side of the room. Repeat the same method until you use all five switches, avoiding the knights along the way. This will open the trapdoor behind the other throne, where you are safe... for now. Unlock the door to the secret passage and save your game before sliding.

 

TRAPS AND PITS: Make sure you have a match lit before you slide down. As you sliding, a boulder will fall and start chasing the princess, so make sure to be ready to jump soon. There is a hole in the ceiling before the end of the slide, and you have to jump into it without grab. If you jump on time, the princess will land safely at the entrance of another trapped room. Time your runs through three swinging chains and climb the ladder. More traps awaits you. Time your run across some spikes in the passage and climb yet another ladder. The princess will climb onto a slanted block at the edge of the fire pit. So, bounce off as soon as you start sliding and grab the other edge of the fire pit. Shimmy to the left and pull up near a wall lever. It lowers the block on the other side of the pit, so jump across and follow the passage leading to an SM. Go left or right around to the other side and climb the ladder there. Climb the ladder off on the left and time your run through three swinging chains.

 

BACKYARD WITH SCORPIONS: When you enter this backyard, some small scorpions will attack the princess, so avoid them as best as you can. As soon as you enter, drop into the pool and swim through a narrow passage to a UW lever. Use it to raise a block in the backyard and return there. Out of the water, and locate the lower pillar near the central structure, in the corner diagonally from the entrance. Climb onto it and RJ to grab the higher pillar (raised block). From there, climb onto the central structure and go into the corner which is diagonal from there. Grab the edge here and drop to grab the JS below. This will lower a block in the wall. Climb on top of the central structure once again, and this time, go right. Run jump onto the triangular ledge in the corner and into the CS where you've just lowered the block. Follow the passage as some block raise behind the princess, and drop backwards through the opening. Watch a short fly-by telling you that you need to collect two crystals in order to open the main palace entrance.

 

PURPLE CRYSTAL: Go down the stairs a bit and find an opening behind the plant on the left. Drop inside, then climb into a CS above and emerge in a beautiful big garden with a well. There is a passage leading to another area, but ignore it for now. First take a look at the pillars supporting the large stone structure in the middle. There is a JS on one of them, on the outer side. Use it to open a UW gate nearby. Go left from the JS and find an opening with water. Inside pull the UW lever to raise a block above. The block you raised is just near the opening with water. Climb onto it, then onto the central stone construction. Before you climb the diamond-shaped ladder, run jump onto the ledge opposite the ladder. Use the lever there to make a rope appear above. Jump back onto the central ledge. You can also pick up an SM on the ledge to the left of the ladder. Finally, climb up and RJ to grab the dangling rope. Turn right and swing to land on the ledge where you'll find the PURPLE CRYSTAL. Drop down the left edge of the ledge, and to the ground (or RJ back to the central structure, and then to the ground).

BLUE CRYSTAL: Go through the doorway near the well and open the floor trapdoor to the right. Use the lever there to open the big red gate on the opposite side and go through. There are two rooms you can visit in any order. Unlock the room to the right with the crystal you've just found, enter and go left around the pool. Climb onto the block and on the ledge above. SJ to grab the pole, swing and jump to land on the ledge in the corner. RJ to grab the next corner ledge. (NOTE: If the princess cannot grab and falls short, then do not hop back before the run jump. Instead, make two steps back from the edge and then make a run jump with grab). SJ to grab the next pole, swing and land on the ledge with a ladder. Go up the ladder and jump with roll/twist and grab the ledge behind Lara. Jump onto the next ledge, turn right, SJ to grab the pole and land on the corner ledge. RJ to grab the ledge in the other corner. Again, if you fall short, use two steps back instead of hop before the RJ. Go up the ladder to the crack in the wall. Release Action and quickly press it again to make the princess grab the crack in the wall. Before she can raise her feet against the wall again, quickly press  Right cursor key to make her shimmy along the crack. Shimmy to the right and drop on an L-shaped ledge. From there, RJ to land on the slanted block in the corner facing downhills. Bounce off and grab the pole ahead and land on the ledge in the corner. Jump onto the block and climb higher, then RJ onto the last ledge near the central pillar. From there, jump to land on the central pillar and pick up the BLUE CRYSTAL. Simply drop into the water below and leave.


YELLOW CRYSTAL: Near the door on the left, you will find several torches on the floor. Pick up one of them and enter the room. Ignite your torch on one burning sconce and lit the remaining three sconces in the room. A block will lower in the centre, and inside you'll find the YELLOW CRYSTAL. Once you have the blue crystal as well, you can return to the big garden and trough the CS back to the big gate with two receptacles. Use the crystal to open it and go through to end the level.

 

 

Level two: RUNNING AGAINST TIME

 

NOTE: The previous level was a bit easier and straightforward, and the lack of the compass was not a problem. However, the areas you'll visit here are much larger and the lack of the compass will make writing this walkthrough much more complicated. For that reason, the author of the walkthrough has to establish a starting point in the orientation here. When I say: on the left-hand side of the canyon, the starting point of the orientation is the entrance/the side where you entered the canyon. In all cases, the starting point will always be the entrance and Lara facing the room with her back to the entrance.

                                                                            

POOLSIDE: The level begins near the pool. You'll notice the closed door to the left and a block that has to be raised on the right. Pick up the SM from the ground near the lowered raising block and jump into water. On the right-hand side of the pool, behind a plant, there is a narrow opening to swim through. At the fork, go left and pull the UW lever to open a trapdoor on the other side. Swim to the right-hand side of the UW passage and down through the opened trapdoor. You will climb out of the water into a small cave with a pushable rock. Go around the pillar to the right and pull the rock once to open the passage leading to the lake.

 

LAKESIDE WITH WHEELS: There is a UW lever under the wall to the right, but a rock prevents the access to it. You have to raise it first. So, walk to the edge of the sandy ledge you are staying on. The princess has to stand ankle-deep in the water and facing the opening in the man-made wall. From there, hop back and RJ to grab the edge of the opening. Pull in and immediately look up just to notice a trapdoor you'll open later. Go left and pull the wall lever to raise a rock down in the water. Jump into water and swim beneath the man-made wall. In the far left corner you'll find a UW lever which opens a UW gate on the other side of the lake. Swim thereto and through the gate. A bit to the left there is an opening for you to climb out of the water. Be very careful not to fall into the pool here, as the current is deadly. Walk to the edge of the pool, and observe the cycle of the rotating burner on a longer ledge on the right. RJ to land on the right-hand side of the ledge and RJ quickly on a small safe ledge ahead. Finally, jump to the other side of the pool and climb into the opening to the right. In a room with bit wheel, pull the rock once to free the wheel and open a trapdoor back at the lakeside. Leave the area through the opened door behind the wheel and UW passage leading back to the lake. Climb out of the water near the entrance.

 

From there, turn to face the cliff on the left. There is a large crack in the cliff. RJ to grab the invisible crack just to the left of the large crack, and shimmy to the right all the way, until you can pull up. Follow the passage to a shallow lake with plants and drop down. Go to the right and use the small rocks on the wall to climb to the ledge above. Save your game and RJ to land on the slanted block facing downhills. Slide and jump with Grab to land into the opening with the button. Pressing it will open the door down on the bottom level of the tower. Drop there and enter a room with gears. Push/pull the gear onto the marked tile to raise a trapdoor and tilt the buckle with the key. Once again, climb the ladder to the upper level, RJ to land on the trapdoor and pick up the CANYON KEY. Now into the corner below the entrance, climb onto the pillar opposite the entrance and RJ to grab it. Return to the lakeside, drop into water and climb out of the water on a sandy ledge near the entrance. Once again, RJ to grab the opening in the man-made wall on the right and climb through the lowered trapdoor. Go to the left and climb into a higher opening on the other side of the balcony. Follow the passage and notice a CS on the right with a grating preventing you from going through. Jump onto the nearest aqueduct, enter into the small cave on the right and use the key in the keyhole to open that grating you've just seen. Return there, climb in on the left side (where the ground is lower) and follow the passage leading to the canyon.

 

Along the way to the canyon, you will read the inscription on the wall: "Finally I got rid of that bastard. I left him on the bottom of the canyon. I left him with a dagger for a chance to survive. I think I was merciful to him. Barely, anyway, because he will need to use the dagger to take three golden stars throughout the canyon. He will need to explore and climb a lot to do so." This is a hint for you, telling you about a task you are about to face. Proceed carefully towards the opening, and be careful not to fall over the edge - it's a long way down.

 

CANYON - THREE STARS QUEST: As you already know, you have to find three stars hidden in this canyon. But first of all, you'll need to find that dagger the inscription mentioned. And as you could already read, the dagger is on the bottom of the canyon, near the dead "bastard", whoever he may be. For the purpose of better orientation without a compass, the left-hand side of the canyon (or the right-hand side) is always the left-hand side of the canyon from the entrance. RJ diagonally to the right to land on the nearest aqueduct (hereinafter: left-hand aqueduct). There are several possible routes through the canyon, and here is described possibly the shortest. Go down the aqueduct a bit, save your game and RJ to land into the higher of two large openings to the left of the aqueduct. Notice one star in the alcove to the left (and that is why you need the dagger). Above the rock there is a small triangular CS. Climb into it and crawl through the cliff, making a right turn around the corner. Jump onto the ledge behind the pillar and notice three receptacles on the pillar. Okay, this is your final goal.

 

Don't go any further down this ledge, but instead, hang on the edge at the beginning of this ledge and drop onto the left-hand aqueduct below. SJ onto the rock behind the pillar on the right, go to the other side towards the right-hand aqueduct and carefully RJ (or SJ with grab) onto it. Go up the aqueduct and crawl through the opening in the cliff to emerge back in the first part of the canyon. Jump onto the small rocky ledge to the right of the aqueduct, then climb up into the large opening above. Press the button here to open a gate on the other side of the canyon. Return to the right-hand aqueduct and crawl back through the opening into the cave. Drop onto a bit lower block between the pillar and the aqueduct. Turn so the right-hand aqueduct is on your left and SJ to land on a rock ahead. Drop on the right to the block below and then onto the rocky ledge next to it. Go to the right and once you turn right around the corner, make sure to look up and locate a closed gate. Remember this spot and keep going forward. Drop onto the slanted block below and slide down to the bottom of the canyon. Go to the broader part of the canyon and take a good look to the left: there is an opening in the corner there. Remember this spot as well, since this is the path leading up. For now, go right and between the pillars supporting the aqueduct. On the other (left-hand) side of the canyon, you will find a pushblock. Push it into the corner and RJ from it to grab the opening in the cliff. Climb in and follow the passage to a dead man and another inscription: "That bastard, he won't get away with this. The stars are hidden. But I think I saw one on the way down from here. One is behind a rock beyond the cage door. One of them is too high. I don't think I am going to make it..." Press ESC to close the message, and pick up the KNIFE (CROWBAR) from the dead enemy. Return to the canyon and go all the way to the other side, into that corner with the opening you saw along the way.

 

Jump over two pits and go to the end of the passage. Back flip onto the slanted block in the corner and bounce off to grab the tiny ledge above. Climb up, turn around and RJ to grab the opening in the rock ahead. Follow the passage to the left, leading to a ladder. Climb up, follow the passage to the opening overlooking the canyon. Safety drop on the ledge with the first star and a pushable rock. Pry the first DESERT STAR with your knife and push the rock through the gate you opened earlier (with that button above the right-hand aqueduct). The rock has to go through the gate and land onto the marked tile on the other side of the gate. You'll see the gate opening (the same gate you saw in that high opening on your way to the bottom). Jump diagonally over the rock and go right. As you did the first time, go down to that rocky ledge with the raised opening and climb through the gate you've just opened. Pry the second DESERT STAR and return to the bottom of the canyon for one last time. Use that passage in the corner to return to the opening above the ledge where you found the first star. This time don't drop down onto the ledge with the pushable rock, but hang from the high opening and shimmy to the right and around the corner. Pull up into the opening, follow the short passage leading into the cave and go to the right. Climb into the alcove to the right and jump onto the pillar nearby. From there, turn right and RJ to grab the pillar near three receptacles. Pull onto it, crawl forward and stand up when you can. Jump onto the ledge with receptacles, turn right and jump to grab the ledge with triangular crawlspace. Crawl back through to return to the alcove where you saw the star before. Jump over the steep rock keeping as close to the right-hand wall as possible and pry the third DESERT STAR from the wall. Return via the triangular CS to three receptacles and use your stars there to open the gate nearby.

 

Go through the passage to the left of receptacles and stay on the corner of the passage to avoid the boulder rolling down. Once it is gone, proceed further to the opened gate and jump onto the block outside. Save your game here, as grabbing the horizontal poles is always tricky on this level. Face the pole, take one walking step back, and SJ to grab the pole. Swing around and jump to land on the ledge below the ladder. Turn around and SJ onto the rocky pillar on the edge of the canyon (use Grab if normal stand jump does not work). From there, jump to grab the ladder, and climb up. From here, RJ to land inside the opening in the cliff and go left, and through the opening leading into a closed bridge. Use the floor lever here to open the gate and enter a small cave. You can find two SMs in the shallow pit here. Finally, climb into the window to the right of the entrance (when facing it) and jump to land on the rocky ledge to the right (around the corner, so steel the princess a bit to the right in mid-air). RJ onto the wooden platform, and from there, RJ to grab the edge of the opening ahead. In a small room use the floor lever to make a rope appear back at the lakeside. Go back to the opening and drop down onto the left-hand aqueduct. Save your game and RJ to land into the opening from which you came from (steer a bit to the left if necessary and press Action to lower the princess and prevent her from banging her head against the wall). Return through the passage and crawlspace back to the lakeside.

 

ROPE SWING: Once there, go right and jump onto the nearest aqueduct. Go left, RJ onto the second aqueduct. Stand jump to land on the rock in the corner, and climb up onto the balcony. Use the wall lever around the pillar to open the door on the other side of the lake and save your game. RJ to grab the dangling rope, slide to the very bottom of the rope and swing to jump off and land on the protruding rock directly ahead. BUG NOTE: Sometimes, Lara won't slide all the way down the rope, and therefore, jumping off the rope is too short (Lara falls down in the lake). In order to fix this and prevent backtracking from the bottom of the lake, once Lara grabs the rope, slide down the rope as far as it goes. Release Action and quickly press it again to make Lara grab the rope again. Now you can slide down the rope for a few additional inches, and this time the swing will be long enough for Lara to land onto the rock ahead. Drop through the open gate, proceed left through the dark cave passage and drop into the pool inside a palace.

 

FOUR CAGES: The goal here is to lower four cages on the left-hand side of the pool and use four pulleys in order to open the gate straight ahead. For now, climb out of the pool and jump to land on a small island in the middle of it. From there, drop to grab the JS just above the water and lower one cage for now. You can use the UW lever now (highly recommendable) in order to prevent backtracking through a trapped hallway later. Finally, enter the passage on the right-hand side of the room with cages. Drop into the pit here and go to the other side. Find a pushblock tucked into the wall and push it once inside. Go around the pushblock to the left and push / pull it into the room to the right, so that it stands under the wall lever. Climb onto it and use the lever to raise a block behind the princess. Use that block to climb into the passage above. Time your run across several popping spikes until you reach another wall lever. Use it to retract the spikes outside. Once again, return through the passage trapped with spikes, and back to the pit. There is a block on the other side of the pit which helps you climbing out of the pit. There is a horizontal pole above the pit you have to grab, but it is not easy. Once you climb into the passage from the block in the pit, make a roll, hop back once and make three walking steps backward. From here, make a RJ to grab the pole, swing around and jump off to grab the ledge with retracted spikes. RJ to grab the entrance of the room ahead and enter.

 

As you enter the room with waterfalls, go right and climb onto the ledge with waterfalls. On the right side of this ledge there is a wall with ivy you can climb. Once up, go left and drop into the pit in the corner. On the other side of the room you'll find a TORCH. Ignite it on the fireplace on the opposite side of the room and go with your torch into that opening through which you came. Jump out and find a sconce to ignite it. This will open the door nearby. Dispose of your torch and climb into the open doorway. Jump up to grab the wooden ceiling and monkey swing above the spike pit to the right, until you can drop in the passage ahead. Follow it, swim through the flooded area and emerge in a room with shallow pool and supporting pillars. Go ahead a bit and climb into the alcove in the supporting pillar to the right. Turn around and SJ to grab the pole. Swing around and jump off to land on the ledge against the wall. Turn around and SJ to grab the edge of the garden ahead. Pick up MUSIC SCROLL and drop down into the pool. Return through the passage and via the pit with spikes, to the room with waterfalls, and climb down the ivy to the lower level.  Jump / climb over the higher block, and RJ to grab the central ledge with a lyre. Place the scroll onto pedestal and play the tune on the lyre to lower the cages to the left (when facing the pedestal). RJ to grab the edge with waterfalls again, climb onto it and jump onto the ledge with lowered cages. Follow the passage and climb through the left-hand window to drop onto the gallery beyond it.

 

On the other side of the gallery you'll find a floor lever which opens the gate nearby. Go through and time your runs through slamming pillars. Keep as close to the right-hand wall as possible to avoid swinging bag with blades and enter the terrace above the pool area from the beginning of the level. Drop from the rocks on the left and use the floor lever to lower one cage. Climb over the rocks again, drop on the other side and follow the gallery around the perimeter. Push two knights onto the marked tile to lower the third cage. Keep going around the perimeter until you find a button in the alcove on the other side. This will open the door down near the poolside. Drop down and enter through the opened doorway. In the shallow pit there, you'll find a lever that lowers the fourth and final cage. Return to the poolside. If you used that UW lever in the room with cages, you can return through the UW passage (turn left at the fork) directly to the room with cages. If not, you'll have to climb to the gallery above, go through the trapped hallway, and return into the room with cages via that longer route. Once back there, use four pulleys to open the gate, run jump with Action to land in the doorway and use the lever there to move the throne back near the pool, revealing a crawlspace. Finally, return to the first pool through the UW passage, and crawl through the CS hidden behind the throne. In the room beyond, climb into the window and go to the other side.

 

CITY: Drop on the ledge with two warriors. You have no weapons, so outrun them and RJ to land on a wooden suspended ledge ahead. RJ to grab the ledge to the left and save. Turn right, SJ to grab the back side of the slanted block, pull up, slide and jump off from the very edge. Steer a bit to the right and press Action to grab another wooden ledge. SJ from the middle of this ledge to grab the rope on the left, turn to face the rocky ledge in the far right corner, swing and land onto it. Save before attempting to grab the horizontal pole here. The best way to do this is to take two walking steps from the edge and to RJ to grab the pole. Swing around and land onto the corner ledge. Go to the right and RJ to grab the window. Go through and from the other side, RJ diagonally to the right to land on the ledge near the building. SJ carefully with Action to land inside the window and drop to the lower level. Go through two stargates on the right and press the button there to open a gate outside (the easiest way with stargates: walk to them, and roll through when the spikes retract). Return through the stargates and climb up the blocks to the entrance. Jump around the ledges to reach the window on the opposite side of the entrance and save. Make sure that the health bar is topped and run jump to land on a long ledge with the ladder ahead. You'll lose 90% of health in this jump.

 

RJ to land on a small ledge near the corner, RJ again to land on the ledge around the corner (banana jump with steering to the right in mid-air), once again RJ to grab the next ledge and go through the open gate. Follow the passage and slide into the street. Pick up the SM from the corner of the central garden and go through the passage ahead. Climb into the window to the right, turn around and SJ to grab the wooden pillar on the ceiling. Climb up, crawl on the attic and into the opening overlooking the pool. Crawl backwards from this opening and drop into water below.

 

MARKET SQUARE: For easier orientation at this point, the starting point will be this very pool. When the princess is standing on the bridge between two lion head fountains, with her back towards the fountains, that will be the starting point. Everything left from there is the left-hand side and everything right from there is the right-hand side. Also, you'll meet some warriors in the streets, so outrun them as best as you can. Take a look to the right of the pool, just near it, there is an opening in the ground. That is the exit, so remember it. First you need to obtain some items which open the exit. There are two streets on the right-hand side, both leading to the market, for which you'll need a key. For now, enter the nearer street on the right-hand side and take a good look at the wall of the building on the left. It is not easy to spot an opening in this wall. Jump into it. Climb into the opening to the right and up some blocks until you reach the window overlooking the streets. Climb onto the block on the right and RJ to land inside the nearest building across the street. Enter, follow the passage and drop into the pit. Find an SM on the ground and MARKET HOUSE KEY in the next room. Avoid the room stained with blood, as there is only a warrior waiting for you. Use two block to climb out of the pit and return to the windows.

 

This time walk to the edge of the left-most window and RJ to land on a sandy ledge ahead. RJ from there to grab the terrace and press the button here to open a door elsewhere. Drop down to the street near the pool. Go into the far left corner from the square with the pool and RJ from the pile of sand to grab the window of the building there. Climb in, ignore the warrior and use the lever in the pit to open a gate back on the square. Return to the pool and enter the passage in the far right corner from the pool. Before you go through the gate on the right, enter the passage on the left and pick up an LM. Finally, go through the opened gate and up the ivy. Go through the gate you opened earlier and pick up the SILVER CANE near the throne. Exit through the window ahead and safety drop on the street below.

 

Enter either of two streets on the right-hand side leading to the market, ignore more warriors and unlock the door with the key you found earlier. Inside the building, there is a warrior waiting for you on top of the ramp. Avoid it as best as you can and obtain the ORNAMENTAL JADE. Exit, go right and back to the pool. Now you can finally drop in that opening near the pool and head for the exit. Turn right at the fork and crawl into the first CS you see (the other is empty). In a small garden beyond you have to combine the Silver Cane with Ornamental Jade to obtain the ROYAL CANE. Use this item onto the stand near the gate to open it. Go through the gate and follow the passage to an opening overlooking the valley. Safety drop into the valley and go towards the middle. On the left side, there is a passage leading up towards the sunshine. Go up this passage to end the level.

 

CUT-SCENE: Princess meets her friend whom she knew when she was hiding disguised as a boy. She reveals her true identity to him and they run away into the desert. They hide there, and the princess promises to return to the king, preparing a surprise for him, promising that his fight is not over.

 

 

Hamburg, 5 February 2014