DESERT OF DESPAIR

Levels by Alex Chap

Walkthrough by Nina Croft and Phil Lambeth

STARTING INVENTORY: No dual guns (you have to find them), no medipacks, no flares. There are 250 bullets for your pistols in your inventory, meaning that you won't have unlimited ammo. Keep this in mind and be careful with your ammo.

Level One: THE DEVASTATED VILLAGE

You can play this level and collect the goodies scattered about in many ways. It is not linear. You have a couple of important items to collect (Dual Guns, Waterskin and one Iron Key), but all other goodies and items can be collected in any order you want. You can also pick them up later when you return to this level from other levels. Only one possible route is explained here.

After the opening flyby through a desert village, pick up the banana (small medipack) from the pedestal in the NE corner. Watch out for the fires in this room. You cannot shatter the vase in the SE corner, so let's make it a point to go find some weapons. For now, climb the ladder next to the doorway, get off left and grope in the dark NW corner for 100 rounds of pistol ammo.  Hop onto the wooden crate and pick up a TORCH. Run off the crate onto the ledge and from there to the ground with the torch in your hand and ignite it on the N wall torch.  (You have to be standing just right to do so.  You can also ignite the torch on one of the ground flames, but be very careful not to ignite Lara as well.)  You can jump to the rope in the center of the room, but it has no apparent purpose.  Also, the only purpose for the torch is to provide light if you need it, so for the time being you can just leave it here if you wish.

Exit this building and head to the right. Notice the barricades. Beyond is the entrance to another level (there are similar barricades at the other corners of this area), but you'll have to do some things first in order to be able to break these barricades. Jump over a sloped block W of the barricades to land on the sand dune next to the wall, and find some arrows lying there. Climb on the ledge above (fixed camera) and run/jump E to the next. Keep jumping around the corner of the building counter-clockwise, until you reach a ladder. Climb to the roof of the building and find some flares nearby. You'll find revolver ammo on a raised block ahead (Lara looks over to her right).  Pull up onto the SW ledge for some pistol ammo. On this ledge, you can use the zip line to get to the roof of the building ahead (a building with many stacked wooden crates).

Once there, pull up onto the crate ahead for a large medipack.  Hop down and drop through the opening (crawl backwards) onto a ledge inside the building and then safety drop to the floor. On three wooden crates you'll find pistol ammo, commando ammo and flares.  Push the button to open the door to get out, or climb to the ledge above, use the pole and backflip from it to land back on the roof. Either way, once back on the roof of this building, climb the stacked crates to the zip line. Use this zip line to land on the next building N. You can see some open windows to the left, but you'll return here soon.

For now, climb on a higher block to the right and run/jump E to land on the building with one wooden crate and a trapdoor. Pick up the commando ammo from the crate and drop down to the trapdoor. Turn to face S and open the trapdoor. Drop into the building.

SOME ACTION: In this building you'll find DUAL PISTOLS on the pedestal. Once you pick them up, you'll see some enemies appearing in the flyby. Right on time :) Pick up the large medipack and more pistol ammo from the crates nearby and exit through the opened doorway after drawing your pistols.  Once outside, head to the right and kill the first ninja. He'll drop pistol ammo. Turn right into the alley and kill three more ninjas on the ground.  Try to kill the ninja standing on the roof of the building to the right. The three ninjas on the ground will drop 2 x pistol ammo and a banana. Two more ninjas will attack as you pick up the spoils, so dispose of them as fast as you can.

Climb the N ladder to the roof of the building to the right (where a ninja was shooting at you) and kill him if he's still alive. Kill another ninja around the crate and pick up the large medipack he won't need any more. You will see a red-black assassin in the flyby (these guys are really important). Enter the W building through the window and pick up arrows from the pedestal. The two vases in the corner are empty, so don't waste your ammo on them. Return to the roof, go around the wooden crate and climb onto a higher block. This time, instead of jumping across the street to the roof of another building, turn around and stand jump to grab the edge of the crate with a burner.

While hanging, shimmy to the other side and climb up in the corner where you are safe from the flame. Stand jump W to land on the roof of the higher building and find a large medipack and a single arrow of the explosive variety. Use the zip line NW to get to another part of the village, right into the shallow pool.  As you wade out you'll probably be attacked by an assassin.  Shoot him and pick up the IRON KEY he drops.

Go right and climb via some wooden crates onto the building with a high pillar. Stand in the NW corner of the building and run/jump to grab the building above the pool. Pick up revolver ammo, go left and drop next to a crate into a dark corner where you'll find pistol ammo. Venture forth and notice a locked door to the bar.  Go E, turn right in front of the barricades and once again climb over the crates to the top of the building with the high pillar.  Kill the ninja who may appear and climb the ladder to the top of the pillar. Pick up revolver ammo and a handle that appears in your inventory as MATERIAL. Use the zip line to get transported to the S end of the village, to the building with many wooden crates on the roof. Pick up some arrows there where you landed and drop down to the ground.  Before you proceed further, return to that first building where you started, near the SE corner of this area, enter and shatter the vase and pick up the PLASTIC + STRING hidden inside.

Leave this building and go left. If a ninja attacks, kill him and take his single poison arrow. Keep going N and unlock the door of the building made of gray-greenish blocks, using the Iron Key. Enter the building (the door closes behind you) and notice some wild boars behind the barricades to your left. Find pistol ammo on the crate in the NW corner.  Hop down and approach the N door to open them. The boars will break down the fence and attack. First kill these boars and go out of the building to trigger a cut scene with more enemies. Pick up a large medipack from the higher ground in the yard, shatter the barricades and go E and then S, back toward the building where you started. Kill the ninja and the boars in his company (they may have scattered by the time you get there).

Go back and head W into the street behind the building made of gray-greenish blocks. There is a door you have to open with a crowbar (remember this). Pick up pistol ammo here and head for the second door N, past the alley. Blast the barricade and approach the door behind. It will open for you. In the room inside Lara looks to her left. Blast away the vase in the near left corner to pick up a large medipack. Use the two strange items you have found in the keyholes in the N and S walls to open two W gates with secrets. In one alcove you'll find Secret #1: LASER SIGHT, and in another, Secret #2: BOW. You can see the middle alcove with the crowbar inside, but you cannot get it right now. Go back to the street and clear the area of any remaining boars. 

On the roof of the building with the stacked crates, the one you explored near the beginning of this level, a ninja is taking pot shots at you.  Get up onto the roof and engage him.  When he dies, he will drop the STEEL.  Get back down to the ground and head N past the crowbar door to the room where you got the secrets earlier.  Go to the W wall, insert the Steel in the keyhole and enter the third alcove for the CROWBAR (Secret #3).  Return S to the crowbar door and open it.  Enter for commando ammo and a large medipack on the lower ledge, then hop onto the higher ledge for arrows and revolver ammo.

You're not finished here yet.  You have to trigger the appearance of another assassin with many boars.  I did that by running S from the crowbar door and turning left into the E alley to trigger the first grouping of boars.  When you start shooting them, the assassin and more boars are triggered.  They come at you from the N.  The assassin drops the SMALL WATERSKIN when he dies. Pick it up and go to that shallow pool in the courtyard not far from the crowbar door. Fill the waterskin by standing on the trigger tile in the shallow pool.  If you want, you can select the full waterskin from your inventory and use it to make Lara drink some water. This is not necessary, but it is a really realistic effect, since the action takes place in a desert. Now, when you've triggered the tile in the shallow pool by filling the waterskin, you can blast these barricades in the corners of the village (you couldn't have do so before). They will take you to three levels. You can play them in any order you want.   I went to the NW corner, past the bar (which is still closed, by the way), and resumed there.

Level 2: THE MYSTERIOUS CAVES

Lara slides down into a dark room lighted only by a solitary torch and a

patch of light coming from a hole in the ceiling.  Walk slowly W toward the ceiling light and find yourself at the edge of a cliff.  Jump down into the water and allow the current to pull you into an opening.  Swim to the end and pull out.  Shoot a couple of bats and pick up the flares.  You can shatter the bones by standing directly in front of them and firing continuously while rolling, but that apparently accomplishes nothing more than wasting ammo. 

Note the closed S gate with the flame behind it and follow the N passage.  Pick up a TORCH along the way and watch gates open as you approach the flooded area.  Hop down SE onto the white triangular surface, then jump from block to block in the water.  When you reach the last block take a running jump from the SE corner into the S passage.  If you happen to slide down into the water and lose your torch, you can swim through the passage again and get another torch from the pile. 

Enter the tunnel and drop your torch momentarily to engage a jackal that comes from around the corner.  Take the torch to a floor burner. Walk toward it and stand on the very corner of the burner to avoid catching fire. Ignite your torch here. Then stand against the wall with your foot barely touching the square with the burner. From this position, side flip to the right or left as appropriate over the fire and approach the N gate which opens automatically. You are back in that cave where you climbed out of the water. Jump onto the W slope and find two marked tiles with holes.

As you can assume, there you have to ignite the floor burners in order to open the gate between them. However, it is not easy, as Lara will catch fire easily if not positioned correctly. Left-hand burner (when facing the closed gate): Stand in the very SE corner and face NW. Press Action and ignite the burner safely.  Slide down and jump up to the ledge in front of the closed gate.  Right-hand burner: For me it worked to orient Lara exactly as I did earlier.  Ignite the burner from there. Before you go through the now opened gate, pick up the pistol ammo from the floor.

DARK CAVE WITH A BRIDGE: Bring your torch along, as it is very dark in the caves ahead (you can save your flares in this way). Also, adjust the brightness of your screen to maximum, it will help a bit.  Be careful as you go down the stairs, as Lara can fall over the edge directly into the pit with spikes. Directly ahead, in the middle of the cave, there is a bridge you can cross. Pick up the large medipack and look ahead to see the stark whiteness of some bones.  Leave your torch here, slide down into the pit, light a flare and pick up pistol ammo, arrows and another BOW.  Draw your pistols and jump up in random directions.  You'll target a number of jackals that you triggered when you slid down into the pit, but you can't see them in the darkness.  Continue to fire in a sweeping arc until all are dead.  You will then find that an alcove has been carved in the W wall of the pit, allowing you to climb out.  The next major area is also ahead W, but let's not go there yet.  Retrieve your torch, run around the pit to the SW cave wall where the passage is. Do not enter the passage, as it is a dead end. Instead, drop your torch here, turn Lara's back to the passage, and keep close to the wall on your right.

Slide down into the pit ahead to land on a gray block. This will raise a block nearby. Grab the edge of the slope directly ahead (E) and above Lara, and shimmy all the way to the left, where this raised block is, while spikes pop up periodically below you. Here you can pull up and climb the ladder ahead. Shift left and drop, and on the top of the raised block you will find a handle called MATERIAL. Ignore the monkey swing above, and grab the ladder again instead. Climb all the way up and cross the bridge W once again.  Retrieve your torch.

This time go around the shallow pit (either right or left) and into the back side of the cave. Walk to keep from falling into the W trench that's filled with quicksand. Drop your torch, light a flare, jump across the trench to grab the crawlspace ahead, climb in and pick up the pistol ammo.  Crawl to the far edge, get to your knees and shoot several jackals in the next cave (with your pistols). Lara won't target the jackals for some reason, so you need to fire blindly into the darkness, turning from right to left to cover all areas.  There appear to be six in all, so count their dying yelps to be sure.  A cut scene will confirm when all is well below.  The quicksand in the pit below (as well as in the trench behind you) will turn into water and you will be able to drop from the opening into this pit safely. Kill any remaining jackals and climb onto the W ledge ahead. Go left through the passage into another cave with a lake below and a floor lever near the E wall.

TIMED RUN: Pick up commando ammo to the right and a large medipack on the left. Push the floor lever to open the gate on the other side of the lake, but only temporarily. You have to jump across the pillars and go through the gate before it closes. Just run, jump, or stand jump when necessary, without hesitation, waste no time for adjusting Lara prior to jumping, be very quick. Should you be late, drop into the lake below and swim to the ladder just below the lever.  In fact, before you start the timed run, drop into the water and swim to the NW corner for a second MATERIAL.  A strong current keeps you from swimming far from the N wall.  Climb the ladder and initiate the timed run.  Repeat the entire process described above until you are successful.  TIPS: Once you push the lever, run toward the first pillar. Jump off while running when Lara is two or three steps away from the edge of the lake. In this way you will have enough space to run and jump on the next three pillars ahead. Once on the third pillar, flip to the right to land on the fourth pillar. Now run, swerving hard to the right to face the fifth pillar and jump onto it. Stand jump onto the last pillar to land near the right-hand edge of it. Now you should have enough time to turn Lara to the left toward the gate. Run, jump to land in front of the gate and go through before it closes.

Pick up pistol ammo lying on the floor in the middle of the room as friendly torches light up by themselves, and find flares near the bones in the near left corner (crouch to pick them up, I couldn't get the bones to shatter). The gates to the left and right are closed. There are two locations available for you to visit, the one on the left or E (that gate will open automatically as you approach) and the one straight ahead (S). The double gate on the W is locked, and you have to visit these two available locations (in no particular order) to open them both.

SOUTH ROUTE: Go ahead and enter a dark chamber with three buttons and several gates. Open any gate with a button next to it and enter the room with three moveable statues.  Once you've chosen one button, the other two do nothing. There are several possible ways to bring one of the three statues to the other side of the room and place it in the far left corner in order to open the S door. Here is only one way to do it: Once you enter, go left and run jump over the gap onto the walkway ahead. Watch out, as it's riddled with holes.

Approach the lighted torch in the E wall, and when the nearby rising block sinks, go right and approach the middle statue from behind (facing the entrance). Pull the statue backwards until it rests on the raised block, and this will cause the block to remain raised, allowing you to pull the statue across it. Then go around the statue and push it once towards the closed gate. Finally, push it into the raised block in the SE corner, to open the gate. Before you slide, drop in the pit below to pick up a banana in the W pool if you want. As soon as you drop down, however, three wraiths will appear: water, air and fire wraiths. Be fast and go N, where you can climb out of the pit using some gray stones. Once up near the entrance, go left and crouch near the bin. Hopefully, the water and fire wraiths will have killed each other, and the air wraith will explode itself on the bin. You can also skip this trip if you don't need that banana.

Slide down through the open gate and the wall sconces will ignite to help you get oriented. Sprint along the hallway, as four air wraiths will start chasing Lara. Just keep sprinting and feed her with medipacks if necessary. At the very end of the hallway, you'll find two buttons. Press them to change that slide into stairs. Also pick up the key named STEEL from the ground and sprint back toward the entrance. Stand jump across the blocks to return to the room with moveable statues, run to that bin to the left of the entrance and crouch near it. Wait for the wraths to kill themselves and return N to the hub area.

EAST ROUTE (GRAY ROOM WITH RISING BLOCKS): Before you push the floor lever on the left, run once across the trigger tiles and rising blocks to get yourself acquainted with the room and trigger tiles. The lever opens the gate on the other side, but only temporarily. You have to reach it in time, and triggering higher rising blocks will significantly slow you down.  You might want to take a test run first. Here's how I did it: push the lever, then run toward the S side of the room.  Turn left at the second white tile, where there is a passage between the rising blocks (no block there). Then run to the left, and once again, go right between rising blocks across the empty tile. Then go a bit to the right and through another gap between rising blocks. Now come two lines between raising blocks with no gap in between. Just keep running (no need to sprint) towards the lower rising block and jump before you step on the darker trigger tile. You'll land on that rising block. Just keep running, this time to the right, towards another set of lower rising blocks, and jump onto them before you step on the darker trigger tile which activates them. Once on the other side of the last row, run to the left and through the gate before it closes.  Slide down and press the button there to open the second gate back in the hub area. You have to use the floor lever twice to open the timed gate, jump over the slope and go through the timed gate and back across the previous room, all the way to the hub area.

WEST ROUTE (SLIDES): The double gate W is now opened. Go through. Save your game before you slide. Stand near one wall (e.g. right-hand in this case) and slide. Once you are near the end, jump and steer to the right to land on the slope on the right facing uphill. Slide backwards and grab the edge. Shimmy to the left all the way along the pit, and around the corner, and pull up on the flat ledge. Alternatively, you can jump back and forth across the slopes, using the arrow keys to reach the other side. The next set of slopes are too far apart to jump them, so run/jump to land on the right-hand slide (or left-hand if you want) facing uphills, slide backwards and grab the edge. Shimmy to the left (or right) all the way along the pit and around the corner, and pull up into the passage.

 Walk through and save your game before you slide the long wide slide ahead. Slide down near the middle, and two air wraiths will attack. Just keep calm and feed Lara with medipacks as necessary. Jump near the end of the slide to the opposite slope, grab and release to grab a crawlspace below and quickly crawl in before the pursuing spike balls arrive. Grab a large medipack, some commando ammo and flares. Remain crouching and wait for both wraiths to self destruct while the spike balls come to rest in the trench below Lara to settle down. Now hang again from the opening and shimmy to the left. Drop near the ladder in the trench, go up the ladder and then shift up and right until you can drop onto the flat ledge.

Go through the W passage into another cave. Look to the left and notice three gates with three keyholes. Use the three items you found earlier (two Materials and one Steel) to unlock the three doors. Inside you will find three clips of commando ammo (Secret #4), a COMPASS (Secret #5) and another CROWBAR (Secret #6). Now slide N toward the pit and cross the bridge. You won't find anything in the two vases, but on the pedestal you will find a powerful LOST COMMANDO WEAPON. You'll see spike balls falling down around you, but you are safe where you are. Just turn around and shoot three jackals coming through the now open SW gate and then go through it. Follow the tunnel to a cave with sloped pillars.

Before you attempt to go across the sloped pillars, keep going straight ahead. Blast the barricades with your pistols, open the crowbar door behind, and finally, open another door behind the crowbar door. Pick up the banana from the pedestal and commando ammo from the corner on the right. Return to the cave with slides and save.

CAVE WITH SLOPED PILLARS: An earthquake will start, making things blurry, but just keep muddling through while trying to ignore the shaking screen. Stand jump to grab the back side of the first pillar and shimmy to the left corner. Pull up, slide down, jump and steer Lara to the left to land on the second pillar. Slide almost to the end and jump to grab the flat block ahead.  Pull up. Stand jump to grab the next pillar, the one on the left. Shimmy to the right corner, pull up, slide, jump and steer Lara to the right to land on the pillar in the middle. Take a running jump and grab E.  Pull up for more commando ammo. Run/jump to grab the edge of the higher pillar ahead and shimmy to the right corner. Pull up, slide, jump and land on the pillar ahead, slide almost to the bottom and jump to grab the edge of the pool.  If you miss and fall into the water, simply use the handy ladder.  Pull up.  Unfortunately, the flare bug kicks in here.

Now, walk either to left or right, to be near the wall (left, in this case). Save your game and slide down the slope. When Lara is sliding down the well-lit part of the slope, don't wait for her to keep sliding into the darker shadow, but jump to grab the ledge ahead. Pull up and kill three jackals in the darkness.  Walk (don't run) to the N wall, then E along the wall, then finally S toward the well-lit passage. Lighting and tossing a few flares along the way will help.  Enter the E passage, make sure to pick up the WHITE KEY 3, and proceed further to finish the level and be teleported back to the first level near the bar.

Level 3: BRAVE CLIMBING OF THE MOUNTAIN

Go past the bar and make a clockwise trek around the village.  Break the barricades at the SW corner and enter the new level there. Watch the flyby at the entrance.  When camera control is restored, Lara is looking up to her right.  Pick up pistol ammo and go up the ladder ahead. Climb all the way up and shift up and right. Drop onto the flat ledge (fixed camera) and crawl N through the opening. Stand up on the other side, turn around and drop to hang from the edge. Shimmy around the corner to the right, continue along the crack in the mountain side, then go around the corner of the mountain. Just keep shimmying without pausing, to avoid being killed by the spike ball falling from above.

Drop onto the ledge below. The camera is fixed here, so keep going to the right, avoiding another spike ball falling from above.  When you see the ladder surface below this ledge (the camera is still fixed at this point), hop back and grab the ladder surface.  Shimmy right around two corners and continue until you're able to pull up into a crawl space facing S.  You may need to light a flare to see the MATERIAL.  Pick it up and shimmy back to the ledge.  You can see some bones down below, but don't try to get down there to investigate.  Pull up, turn right and find the large medipack once Lara's view is back, then climb the ladder at the end of the ledge.  When I pulled up, a spike ball fell down to my left, taking an approaching ninja along with it.  Climb another ladder there (another spike ball rolls down) and quickly kill two ninjas (or one, if you were lucky) waiting for you. Go carefully to the left (the camera is fixed) and drop near the doorway below. Press the button to open the door, enter and kill five ninjas inside.

Pick up their pistol ammo, revolver ammo and flares. In the back side of the cave in a S niche you will find another handle named MATERIAL. Two more ninjas will attack as you explore. One of them will drop a large medipack. Pick it up and return to the N entrance. Go out.  This time drop to hang on the edge of the ledge with the button and gate. Shimmy to the right and pull up into the alcove with the ladder. Go up once again.

Once on the ledge where you killed two ninjas earlier, ignore the large ladder ahead and head E, jumping over the gap where you pushed the button.  Continue to the corner, where the camera angle changes.  At the edge, turn around, drop down and grab the edge.  Shimmy left until the camera angle changes again.  Pull up at that spot and turn left to shoot a ninja.  Then pick up the STEEL where you pulled up.  You could now proceed further in this area, but you would wind up in the same place I'm about to describe.

Hang from the edge again and shimmy to the left until you're over an opening.  Safety drop and pull up into the opening.  This is the cave where you shot all those ninjas earlier.  Go the main entrance N, turn around and hop back to grab the edge.  Shimmy right along the crack in the wall until you can pull up.  Climb the next ladder ahead of you.  Pull up, go to your left and this time climb that huge ladder in the face of the cliff.  Ignore the higher section to the left, which leads to nowhere.  Pull up onto a ledge, where camera control is restored.  Hop forward onto a higher ledge and wait for three vultures to appear.  Hopefully, one of them will be killed by a nearby ninja, who will also lose his life in this fight and drop a banana.  Then climb the next ladder in the S wall and pull up into a new.  As you can see, there are three locked gates to the left. 

Insert the Steel in the gate on the right to obtain the LASER SIGHT for Secret #7.  You can use your Materials in the other two receptacles to get 3 x grenades in the left gate for Secret #8 and 5 x explosive arrows in the middle gate for Secret #9.  Notice the keyhole and locked gate on the W wall. Climb the lowest pillar in the middle and run/jump S to land on sloped pillar ahead. Jump off and land on the pillar ahead. Slide almost to the end, jump off and land on the ledge ahead. Go to your left and climb up onto an upper triangular ledge (with the sun in your eyes).

Turn to face SW and jump to a roofed area.  Locate and pick up the REVOLVER (Wes-44) and pistol ammo.  Seven ninjas descend like paratroopers without parachutes, firing at you from above.  Kill them as quickly as possible and wait for the assassin to appear.  When you kill him, he drops the IRON KEY.  Look around for a large medipack apparently dropped by one of the ninjas.

Drop through the hole near the W mountain cliff to land on a ledge with another ninja. Kill him and drop down to the ground near the W locked door. You can now unlock it with the Iron Key and enter. Crawl through an opening, flip out on the other side (by hitting the jump key) and slide down to another opening. Light a flare if necessary, pick up flares and crawl W into the next passage. The camera angle changes when you reach an intersection.  As soon as you can stand up, select either the Lost Commando Weapon or the revolver from your inventory and turn right. Kill a giant scorpion coming from that direction. Then choose your pistols (to save ammo) and kill a regular scorpion coming from the left. Finally, pick up the TORCH from the ground nearby if you want to, although it is not necessary. It is supposed to help you see around, but you will have to throw this torch through crawlspaces for this, so I recommend using normal flares when it gets really dark.

UNDERGROUND MAZE: There are several routes through the maze, here is just the shortest one. Go right (N) from the crawl space to the end and then left. Again, go to the end and turn left around the corner. When you reach a fork with a wall sconce, go right and then SW (past a crawl space). Drop the torch, if you have it, on the ground and quickly kill another giant scorpion.  Pick up pistol ammo and then the torch if you want and carefully approach the flame on the ground in order to ignite the torch (to give you some cheap, lasting illumination).

Spot the keyhole near the closed gate W and go to find the key for it. Now, I won't explain the maze in detail, as it is easy and not complex. Explore it and you can find 3 x large medipacks hidden in the maze, as well as a scorpion NW and  the IRON KEY (near the SW corner) you need for this gate. Open it and go through. Slide down into a cave with a shallow pool and a gate that opens ahead of you.  Before you pick up the key ahead, wade left and pull up to find 3 x bananas near the SE corner. Finally, enter the S passage, pick up WHITE KEY 2 and proceed further to finish the level.

Level 4:  DESPAIR IN THE DESERT

Back in Devastated Village, shatter the SE barricades and proceed to the next level.  After sliding down into an immense outdoor area, shoot the approaching vulture.  Hop onto the nearby mound for pistol ammo, and note the structure S with three closed gates.  There's an indentation in the NE wall you can climb up into, but you can't pull out. 

Go behind the gated structure, light a flare and pick up more pistol ammo in the darkness.  The nearby S mound has still more pistol ammo for you.  Go to the W wall and climb up onto the first block.  Take a standing jump NW to the next block and pull up onto the rim to overlook another area W.  However, before going there, run S along the rim and use the highest block to take a running jump and grab E onto the structure.  Pick up the IRON KEY and drop down to the sand. 

Use the blocks to get back up to the W ridge.  You might want to try and go around the rim to the E side, but an invisible barrier blocks you N and a steep slope blocks you S.  Instead, go down W and pick up pistol ammo from the long pink ledge.  Shoot a scorpion down below and slide down to the edge of a quicksand pit.  Take a running jump to the first block and continue in a southerly direction until you reach the last block.  Notice the faint glow in the small area between the block and the indentation ahead.  This is a safe area, so step down into it and pick up another IRON KEY.  Wade forward into the indentation, pull up onto the sandy ramp and hop up to the rim.  You see several choices awaiting you.

You can run S along the rim, but you'll find yourself blocked by an invisible barrier.  You can then slide down E into a clearing with a lone palm tree.  Run SE and engage a number of ninjas in the next area.  Watch out for the quicksand creek and jump S over it.  There's more quicksand in the next area as well.  Pick up the flares on the sand and a grenade on a crate, and jump S over another section of the quicksand creek.  Locate the nearby banana and grenade, then target more ninjas W.

Head in that direction, pausing for more pistol ammo and arrows, then go to the NE corner of the quicksand stream.  Take a running jump and grab to the lowest portion of the ledge ahead and pull up (fixed camera angle).  A spike ball rolls down as you make your way left.  We're playing a little 2D Lara here.  Crouch down and crawl forward as two more spike balls roll down.  Pull up higher W and shoot a ninja to your left.

See that wooden structure with a zip line at the top?  You can climb the N face.  Do so, and when you pull up, turn around and shoot the assassin.  Carefully jump over to where he was and pick up the MATERIAL that he dropped.  Jump back to the wooden structure and find that the zip line is too high for you to use to get back across.  Instead, jump SW onto a ledge, hop back, grab the edge and shimmy left until camera control is restored and you can pull up into an opening.  Go around to the N wall for a grenade, 2 x banana and the WHITE KEY.  The shallow pool has nothing in it, but there's an unmarked trigger tile that you need to step on in order to exit this level.  Therefore, be sure to walk over every portion of the pool before leaving this area.

Retrace your movements to the zip line, which is still inaccessible.  However, you don't need it.  Climb down the N face, get down to the lower ledge and make your way to the N end, where camera control is restored.  Hop up onto the slope and go back E.  Slide down and pick up revolver ammo and a grenade that I don't believe were there before.  The tall wooden block to which the other end of the zip line is attached can be climbed, but there's nothing at the top. 

Go back N across the quicksand streams, go back NW across the clearing and use the N blocks to get back out.  Go W along the rim and slide down to the oasis where you see a Jeep.  Shoot a ninja and relieve him of his JEEP KEY.  Pick up the nearby pistol ammo NE, mount the Jeep and drive it S down the valley.  Run down four ninjas in the next area and get out of the Jeep.  Climb the W blocks and look out across a chasm where five more ninjas are gathered.  You can probably target and kill two or three of them before they wisely move out of range.

Locate the ladder and climb down so that Lara's hands are on the fourth rung down.  Back flip to land safely on the other side of the chasm.  Clear the area of any remaining ninjas and continue W over a ridge to a seemingly empty area.  However, there's a dark tunnel NW.  Go through it and find a large medipack on the other side.  Cross the bridge N as the camera angle becomes fixed.  As you approach the far end a cut scene shows a group of ninjas giving chase through the tunnel while an earthquake causes the bridge behind you to collapse.  Jump N across the gap and pick up a LASER SIGHT, a BOW and 5 x arrows.

Jump back S to the remaining portion of the bridge, combine the bow and the laser sight and shoot three ninjas across the way.  Jump back N and cause a number of ninjas to materialize on the ledges around you.  When you've shot enough of them and hop back S, the rest of the bridge magically reappears.  When you get to the other side, kill any remaining ninjas as well as a stray scorpion.  Go back through the tunnel, jump across the chasm to grab the ladder, climb and pull up, and make your way back to the Jeep.

Drive all the way back to the beginning area.  Use your Material to open the middle gate.  Enter and pick up the BINOCULARS for Secret #10.  Use your Iron Keys to open the left and right gates and pick up 2 x large medipacks for Secret #11 and 3 x commando ammo for Secret #12.   The invisible barrier at the top of the NE indentation has been removed, so climb up to be transported back to the beginning level.

Level 5: HOT NIGHT IN THE DESERT

Now that you're back in Devastated Village, armed with three White Keys, run straight N to that building in the NE corner. Use your White Keys to open the gate (the third keyhole is on the right) and the door behind it. In the far right corner ahead is a small cabinet with nothing in it. Run around this run to be carried to the next level.

You're about to be introduced to the night life in Devastated Village, as the bar is now open for business and inebriated assassins are running wild up and down the streets.

Approach the E door and it will open in front of you. Don't stop here, or you'll be trapped in the collision. Outside, note the exit keyhole for later, shoot the assassin to your right and pick up his large medipack. Run W to the bar and join in the celebration inside. Pick up a banana just inside the door, and in the first room use your crowbar to open the door in the E wall. Step inside and take the explosive arrow. The grenade does not seem to want to budge, however. Shoot the barrier in the W fall and step forward to pick up pistol ammo.

The floor ahead seems to be deadly quicksand, but you can wade through it safely.  There are three closed gates on either side, each with an assassin behind it.  As you come abreast of each one, the gates open automatically.  Draw your pistols and wade forward.  You can kill the six assassins from where you stand as the gates open.  None of the assassins drops anything. After you've passed the gauntlet, pull up W for pistol ammo and grab a banana near the SE corner. Pull up into the dark crawl space in the S wall and crawl toward a purple light. A cut scene shows some partying assassins in the room to your left. You can't join them now, so continue crawling S and stand up when you can.

Kill the white-robed assassin (it takes a lot of bullets) and pick up the WHITE KEY from the plinth. Grab the nearby banana and drop down into the disco room with the eight assassins. After order has been restored, look around the room for 2 x bananas and 2 x pistol ammo. Use the White Key in the keyhole in the S wall and watch the flyby. Approach the open N gate to flush out still more assassins. Follow the passage and pause for a large medipack.

In the next room angle left and head straight NE for the open doorway as an alarm sounds, avoiding the corners of the room lest you burn and die. Wait for five assassins to show up and pick them off one by one. Exit N and shoot more assassins outside in the night desert air, one of whom drops a banana and another arrows. Turn right and head E. Turn right in front of the building at the corner and run S down a familiar alley. Go up the second set of steps and open the crowbar door. Inside, hop onto the ledge for 3 x bananas and an explosive arrow. Pull up onto the ledge in the NW corner for commando ammo and 2 x grenades.

Exit this building, go to the E side of the village and locate some pistol ammo in one of the doorways.  There's a nearby pool.  I don't know if there's an unmarked trigger in this one, but I walked over every square inch just to be on the safe side.  Near the NE corner of the village, look up left at the gorgeous full moon and the nearby tower.  Use the crates to get on the roof of the supporting building, then use the ladder to climb to the top of the tower where an assassin awaits.  Kill him to trigger a cut scene showing a multitude of giant scorpions and a lone assassin, and pick up the large medipack he drops. 

Use the nearby zip line to get down S to a ledge.  Shoot an assassin firing at you from the E, then train your fire on the assassins and giant scorpions milling about in the courtyard below.  I didn't count them, but it took a while to kill them all.  If you wish, you can climb higher in this area for a poison arrow and a large medipack.  When all is quiet, drop down and look for flares and an IRON KEY dropped by the slain assassins.  Return to the NE building and insert the Iron Key in the keyhole you noted earlier.  A flyby zeroes in on a stand in the corner of a nearby room (for what reason is not clear) and then takes you to the SE corner past the pool you waded through earlier.  Go there and be carried to the final leg of your adventure.

Level 6: BEACH HOPE

Not much to do here.  You're standing on a desert island overlooking a beach.  Slide down, hop onto the huge yellow raft and get inside to finish the game.