THE HEROES' HAMMER

Levels by The Mark

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth

Level 1: THE HYPOGEUM TEMPLE

Note:  I discovered to my annoyance that when I resumed play from a savegame late in the first level, keys previously found had disappeared from my inventory, forcing me to replay and obtain those keys a second time.  This could well have been my fault, but be forewarned and check your inventory periodically between saves.

Slide down a dark shaft into a pool of water.  Swim through the SW opening and follow the shrubbery-strewn passage to an opening where you can surface for air.  Pull out W to trigger a brief flyby through the area ahead.  Loop around right, pull up onto the sloped block and turn around.  Jump up to grab the higher ledge and pull up.  Follow the N passage, jump over the pit and pick up the small medipack at the end. 

Safety drop into the pit, facing W, and leap forward immediately upon landing to evade the first spike wall coming from your left.   Wait until the spike wall in the next room passes by, then walk forward and pull up W to find another spike wall waiting for you on your left.  Stand right and take a running jump into the next room.  Reverse roll upon landing and step forward quickly.  That way you'll likely avoid taking any damage.

Climb the W ladder and pull up into an upper room.  Shoot three huge bats that swoop down upon you.   Find flares on the NE ledge.  Head to the E wall via either set of steps, turn around and climb up onto the ledge.  Run forward to a ledge overlooking the previous room.  Jump the ledges to the far W ledge, attracting two more bats, and pick up the uzi ammo.  Jump to the NE ledge and pull the chain to lower a block beneath you.  Safety drop to the floor and move the pushblock onto the nearby ornate tile to open the S gates.

Enter and follow to the upper level of the temple.  Pick up the shotgun ammo and pull down the wall switch to open the gate at ground level.  Before going back down, jump to the SE rock structure. The N surface of the pillar is climbable, so go up and pull down the wall switch to release a nearby rope.  Stand jump to grab the rope and swing over to the temple roof.  Step forward and pick up the ALPHA for SECRET #1. Safety drop to the second level, and from there to the ground.

Shoot two lions and enter the temple through the open W gates. Go up the S ramp and follow to a pit.  Stand at the vertex of the pit's edge, hop back, turn slightly to your right and stand jump down to a safe spot surrounded by spikes.  Turn right and head through the E opening to the next room.  Push the floor lever to open the N door outside and shoot the lion before leaving. 

Pick up the uzi ammo in the SW corner and then enter the N doorway.  Follow E and pick up the shotgun ammo at the end of the passage.  Go back a bit and follow the W passage to emerge on the other side of the spike pit.  Continue W to trigger another flyby.  When you hop down, two lions charge out at you from the N side room.  The small white vase near the tree contains a small medipack. 

Enter the S side room and turn right.  Locate and pull up into the high crawl space in the W wall.  Drop down into the next room for shotgun ammo and flares.  Get back out and go stand at the E edge of the deadly water, hop back and take one step back (into the shallow pit).  Just as the spikes shoot up, take a running jump over the raised tile to the far E ledge.  Save your game in front of the two timed wall switches.  The one on the right briefly turns off the flames in the far left W alley.  The one on the left likewise turns off the flames in the far right W alley. 

Pull down the switch on the right, hit the look key to kill the cut scene, turn around and hop back in the space between the two switches.  Take a running jump across the spike ledge, exit this room and turn immediately left to jump over the hole in the floor.  Hit the sprint key and run through the far left W alley before the flames return.  Follow the passage to an area where "thinking music" starts playing.  There's blocked passage to your right and a passage to your left with presently inactive spikes.  Look in the alcoves on either side of the spike passage for shotgun ammo and uzi ammo, then go up the SE stairs to an upper room.  Shoot two lions and step forward to the edge.  Stand directly in front of the high crawl space in the W wall and jump up to shoot the chain you can see through the opening. 

Go back down the stairs to find that the lower W passage is now open.  Enter and follow the passage to a room with raised tiles and a central water-filled trench.  There's a small medipack in the water.  Note the symbols on the raised tiles.  You need to step only on those tiles with the long point of the symbol aiming at the closed S door.  There are five of these, and you must jump directly from one to the other without touching the floor in between.  I suggest starting with the first one to the left of the trench.  Run jump SW to #2, stand jump W to #3, run jump SE to #4, and stand jump E to #5.  Enter the open S passage and push the floor lever. 

Exit this room and return to the lower hallway.  The spikes in the passage are now active, so time a run past them and take the RED KEY from the plinth in the next room.  Getting back out past the spikes is more difficult than getting in.  I took a little damage running through the last set of spikes, finding that easier than trying to use the side ledges to get past the spikes unscathed.  Return through the hallway to the flames.  One of the burners is still off, so I was able to get past the others by going to the N wall, carefully stepping onto the ledge and crawling to the other side. 

Now it's time to turn off the flames in the far right W passage.  Return to the S side room and follow the steps described earlier to reach the timed wall switches.  This time pull the one on the left, get past the spike trap as you did earlier and exit this room.  Sprint NW diagonally across the hub room past the dormant flame blowers in the far right W alley.  When you come to the water, dive in and find the shotgun ammo.  There's a nearby hole, but you'll use it later from the other side.  Pull N out of the water and come to a room with a couple of empty vases and a rope dangling from the ceiling.

In the SW corner there's a green-tinted side room.  Climb the W pillar, take a rolling back flip near the top, grab the ladder on the facing pillar, climb up a bit and back flip onto a ledge.  Hop N to the ledge and jump down to the lower ledge.  Hop to the N pillar in the main room.  Jump to the NE niche and take a running jump NW to the ledge beyond the spike trap (even though the spikes aren't yet active),  Jump to the far N ledge and pull down the timed wall switch.  The spikes are now active, so reverse roll and time a jump past them to the top of the S pillar.  Continue with a run jump SE to the ledge jutting out over the entrance.  The camera angle changes here, so quickly line up for a running jump to grab the rope before the flames return.  Swing forward and jump off onto the N ledge.

Go through the raised gate into the next room and take the GREEN KEY from the plinth.  The gate behind you slams rudely shut as you do so.  However, at the same time a floor trap door lowers nearby, so drop down into the darkness and slide down into a lower tunnel which soon turns from dry land to mud.  What's more, you're soon pursued by two bats, so you might want to beat a hasty retreat and take care of them from dry land.  You'll encounter a third bat when you turn the corner on your long trek through the mud, so keep your pistols drawn.  Pull out of the mud at the end, continue to a water hole and jump in.  Swim to a familiar pool and pull out S.  Return to the flame blowers and pull out the nearby pushblock.  Push it E to the ledge and get up on it.  Stand left and take a running jump over the flames.

Now you have to get past the flame blowers in the middle W alley.  Enter the N side room.  There's a wall switch high up in the N wall, but it's protected by flames.  Stand at the NE corner and run jump S to grab the sloped pillar.  Pull up, slide down and jump off to grab the S ledge.  Shimmy right and pull up into the alcove.  Pull up higher S into the next room and get a fixed camera.  Turn right, walk to the W end of the ledge and run jump to a gap in the pillar. Stand jump SW to the next ledge, and the camera view returns to normal.  Climb over the block and push the floor lever.  The flames protecting the wall switch in the previous room are now off, and you also get a cut scene of the room with the two timed wall switches.  You can see a shiny object on a ledge across the room, but that's for later.  Return to the previous room.

Get back to the NE corner and jump W to the suspended ledge.  Pull down the wall switch to turn off the flames in the middle W alley for a short period of time.  Drop down to the floor, reverse roll, exit this room and dash SW through the middle W alley. 

Be careful as you enter the next room, as two crocodiles are waiting in ambush on either side.  There's some shotgun ammo at the middle of the N ledge, and you can see two closed gates in the W wall, one upper and one lower.  Jump across the broken bridge and look down left into the water to find a marked tile near the SW corner.  Remember its location.  Go to the mound of dirt against the E wall and run up to a stable spot at its apex.  Face S and jump up to grab the higher ledge.  Pull up and loop all the way around right for some flares.  Return to the closed gate and find the nearby pushblock.  This was a matter of trial and error for me, but here's what worked:  Drop and hang from the S end of the ledge, shimmy right and pull up in front of the pushblock.  Push it N so that it falls to the floor below.  Push it once E and squeeze around it to the left.  Push it once S (toward the marked tile) so that it falls into the pool onto a trigger tile.  If you push the block anywhere else in the pool, you'll be stuck.

Get back to the upper ledge by using the E dirt mound, and you'll find that the upper gate is now open.  Enter and follow the passage to a room where a lion and a bat await.  Notice the wall between the two torches.  There are five Greek letters arranged in a row, two of them bronze and three of them gold.  This is apparently intended as a clue.  Continue N to a room with five chains arranged in a row.  Looking from left to right, pull the three chains corresponding to the gold letters (#2, #4 and #5).  The wall torches in front of you light up as you pull each one, and a cut scene and a brief earthquake tell you that something has happened in the pool room.

Return there to find that the pool has been drained.  Drop down onto the empty pool and move the pushblock onto the marked tile to open the lower W gate.  Pull out at the NE corner and enter the lower W room to find the BLUE KEY on the plinth.  Exit the pool room E (the flame blowers are now off), and once you're back in the hub room approach the N side room.  There's a large hole in the floor to the left of the N opening.  Stand at the S edge of that hole, facing S, hop back to grab the edge and release to grab the crack below.  Shimmy left around the corner and drop down to a lower tier.

Take the uzi ammo and the SHOTGUN from the raised central platform and locate receptacles E and W for your three keys.  Insert the keys for a flyby through the now-flooded area around you and a quartet of eagerly awaiting hydras. 

Before proceeding, you can backtrack for a secret if you like.   Locate the crack in the S wall and jump to grab it.  Shimmy right and pull up into the alcove.  Turn around and take a running jump to grab the upper ledge.  Pull up and run SW to go back through the middle W alley (the burners are still off).  Return to the upper room with the five chains as described earlier.  Pull the remaining chains (#1 and #3) so that all five wall torches in front of you are lit, and then pull chains #2 and #4 in that order,  You'll experience a small earthquake that tells you that something has happened.

Get back to the hub room and drop down into the flooded area below.  Swim to the NW corner and pull out into the now-accessible W passage for SECRET #2 and another ALPHA. (Thanks to manarch2 for pointing out the location of this secret.)

Jump back into the water and swim down through the central hole in the floor.  Pause for shotgun ammo and continue to the area being guarded by the hydras.  Pull out onto the E ledge for a large medipack and 3 x shotgun ammo (you can also retreat here from time to time if necessary).  You probably know the drill, but it's necessary that you take out the hydras one at a time.  They are vulnerable only when they lift their heads ready to breathe fire at you (whenever you score, you'll see a flash of red and the hydra will jerk to and fro in pain), so it's a waste of ammo to shoot at them continuously.  When all four have been conquered, pull the two wall switches to open the W double doors.

Before leaving, you can if you wish double back for a final, rather ambitious secret.  Jump back into the water and return to the flooded area.  Swim to the NE corner and save your game.  Pull the timed underwater lever near the floor.  A platform is raised above, but only for a limited time, so quickly flip turn, swim up while veering left to surface and pull out S onto the tier where you inserted the keys earlier.  Run diagonally forward to your right to the S edge and jump to grab the crack in the wall.  Shimmy right and pull up into the alcove.  Turn around and take a running jump to grab the upper ledge.  Pull up, sprint forward and enter the N side room.  Get up to the NE corner, jump S to the sloped pillar, pull up, slide down and jump to grab the upper ledge.  Shimmy right and pull up into the alcove.  Climb up higher into the next room, run right and run toward the W end of the ledge.  Jump to the gap in the pillar, turn a bit to your left and hop up onto the ledge against the W wall.  Get over the block and run past the floor lever to jump to the (hopefully) raised platform.  Hop to the S wall, and now you can take your time.  Take a running jump E over the gap for SECRET #3.  Pick up the uzi ammo and the ALPHA.  Drop from here into the water and return to the hydra room via the central hole in the floor.  Finish the level by exiting through the open double doors and sliding down the slope.

Level 2: THE SANCTUARY

Run forward into the next room.  The SW jug hides the UZIS.  Follow the SE passage to a chain.  Pull it to open the W gate in front of you.  Enter and pull the next chain W.  Reverse roll, exit and turn right at the first chain.  Pull the third chain and go to the parallel W room and take a TORCH from the plinth.  Exit, loop around left, drop the torch and pull the first chain to open the W gate again.  Go inside and light the torch, using the wall sconce to your right.  Return to the opening room and light the two white pots flanking the closed W gate.  The gate opens.

Go across the short bridge into a wide and dark cavernous area.  Find uzi ammo in the SW niche.  Exit NW and shoot a lion in the passage ahead.  When you come to an area with slightly more light, shoot two bats and enter a large room.  There's a pool with a closed underwater gate.  There's a pushblock against the E wall.  If you pull it once, you can use it to reach the higher ledge in the E wall.  Hop the ledges SW and NW for shotgun ammo.  Jump down NE to the cage and pull up onto the N ledge.  Go through the N opening and pull down the wall switch in the next room to open that underwater gate.  Grab the shotgun ammo on your way out and drop down into the water.

Swim into the N passage and follow to where you can pull out.  Go up the N stairs, follow the passage and slide down into an arena-like area.   As you enter, three skeletons are awakened.  Quickly run NW and shoot the jug near the statue on the right for a spare SHOTGUN.  There's shotgun ammo at the SE corner if you have time to get it, and more shotgun ammo hidden by the nearby jug.  Exit S, turn right and run up the ramp to a higher ledge.  The skeletons will follow, but now you have the advantage.  Draw your shotgun and blast them over the ledge, one by one.  There's more shotgun ammo on the N ledge, near where you entered. 

Go to the E wall and note the receptacles for two omega pieces that you don't yet have.  Go to the N room and approach the wall switch.  Spikes are activated, so you need to find a way to shut them off.  Go through the W opening and drop down to a lower passage that leads to a new area.  Drop down into a room with a central cage.  Bars along the E wall protect you from the lions on the other side.  Go across to the N opening and jump down NW onto the ledge below.  Stand facing the spike trap.  As soon as the spikes go up, take a running jump across the spike tile and keep jumping with a left curve to land on the slope so that you slide down backwards.  Grab the edge and shimmy all the way to the right.  Pull up and back flip to the slope behind you.  Jump again immediately upon landing and grab the ledge ahead. 

Pull up and climb the block straight ahead.  Jump NE to the next ledge.  Turn and jump to the higher S opening.  Pull up and quickly engage the two lions you saw earlier.  Pull the chain on the E ledge to turn off those spikes in the previous area.  Note the closed S gate with the omega symbol over it.  Move the pushblock against the W wall so you can reach the crawl space high up in the wall.  Lower Lara down the other side to find yourself in a familiar room.  Use the cage to exit S, and pull up left at the end of the passage.  Enter the next room and pull down the wall switch to lift a gate elsewhere.

Drop down to the ground in the arena-like area and go to the S side room.  To your left, in the E wall, is the gate that lifted.  Enter and come to a sparse room with a central pool.  Pause for the uzi ammo in the SE corner and jump into the water.  Save your game in front of the timed N underwater lever.  Pull it, flip turn and swim along the winding passage through the timed door into the next area.  Pull up into the dark passage, light a flare and wait for the spikes around the corner to activate before attempting to pass them (there's a safe spot in between).

In the next room kill a tinman (who dies in a much quieter fashion than usual) and note the two closed gates flanked by sigma and delta symbols.  Locate the small medipack near the SW corner. Climb the block in the NE corner and pull up S onto the higher block.  Run jump W and grab the far ledge.  Pull up and face a bay of three wall switches with rather anachronistic Roman numerals placed over them.

Pull down the first (III) and second (X) switches to open the N sigma gate below.  Drop down and enter the next room.  Face W and jump up to grab the ceiling.  Monkey swing over the deep pit, but stay to your right or left to avoid the darts in the passage.  Drop down at the end and the gate in front of you opens automatically.  You might want to save your game here, because when you step forward into the entrance two skeletons are awakened in the lava room ahead.  Worse yet, the lava doesn't bother them a bit, so your shotgun is useless and you'll have to do the best you can to avoid them. 

Jump SW to the ledge and jump up W to grab the broken pillar.  Shimmy around the corners to the other side, release and reverse roll and quickly jump NW to the ledge jutting out into the lava.  Note the closed gate to your left and jump NE to the central ledge and from there NE into an alcove with a ladder in the far wall.  Climb up and back flip onto an upper ledge.  Pull the chain to open the S gate below.  Climb or drop down and jump back SW to the open gate.  Save your game at the entrance and light a flare in preparation for a harrowing sequence.

Slide down the first slope and make sure you're facing forward as you slide down the second slope to your right.  When you near the spike trap ahead, jump to grab the monkey bars.  Don't delay, because something big and heavy is rumbling toward you from behind.  Monkey swing forward and around the corner, but stop and wait for the flame blowers to activate before entering the next area.  Time your way past the first two flame blowers (I found it helpful to save after passing each one).  The third flame blower won't set you aflame while you're hanging from the ceiling, but be sure it's off before you drop down into the passage at the end of the monkey bars.  Run S to avoid the returning flames.

Vault up into the E opening and veer quickly right to avoid the descending spike ball (or wait for it to activate and crawl under it).  Pull up E, wait for the spikes to retract and jump NE to the dark floor ahead.  The area is riddled with descending spike balls and blade-trapped floor tiles.  Your goal is a ladder in the NW corner, and good luck getting there without suffering any health loss. Climb the ladder and pull up to emerge on the other side of the lava room being guarded by the two skeletons.

Pull up N onto the block and hop down to the ledge at the entrance to the W room.  Enter and nip the corner to activate the blade trap before stepping up to take the first OMEGA from the plinth. Grab the uzi ammo in the SW corner and exit this room.  Jump back to the S block, run jump with grab to the E ledge, jump NE to the central ledge and SE to the alcove.  Jump up E to grab the broken pillar, shimmy around to the other side, release and jump NE to the exit ledge.  Leave this area, monkey swing over the pit and return to the room with the three wall switches.

Get to the upper ledge the same way you did earlier, leave the first switch (III) down, push the second switch (X) up and pull the third switch (I) down.  The S delta gate should now be open, so drop down and enter the next room.  Drop down through the hole in the floor into the water below.  Pull out and shoot the NE jug for uzi ammo.  Drop down S and follow the passage to a ladder.  Shoot the bat, climb up and back flip and the top to the E ledge for shotgun ammo.  Hop across the gap and shoot another bat and a tinman.

You're at the entrance of a maze-like area.  If you go left you'll soon come to a closed gate and encounter another tinman, so you may as well take care of him now and eliminate future distractions. Return to the entrance and take the right (N) path.  Pause for the shotgun ammo and continue following the path until you reach a fork.  Stay right until you come to the W wall.  Turn left, find some uzi ammo in the alcove to your right and turn the corner to find a floor lever.  Push it and go back the way you came.  At the N wall look right to see a gate that's still closed.

Return to the starting area, keeping to the wall on your left, and continue S and around the corner to find the open gate.  Push the floor lever inside and go all the way back to the NE corner, being followed by two skeletons.  The gate here is now open, so enter and keep left to find another floor lever.  Push it to flood the previous room and retreat to the maze entrance.   

Jump into the water and swim back to the flooded room.  Pull out S and take the second OMEGA from the plinth.  Jump back into the water and pull out into the W opening.  Go up the winding ramp, and the gate ahead will open as you approach.  Hop down and exit N into the room with the three wall switches. 

To get the final secret, get back to the upper ledge and make sure that all three switches are down. Exit this room E, being mindful of the spike traps in the dark passage ahead.  Swim through the timed passage (the timed door has remained open) and pull out of the pool.  Follow the passage to the side room and continue W and up the ramp.  On the ledge surrounding the arena, run forward and turn left into the N room with the formerly spike-protected wall switch.  Go through the W opening and drop down to a lower passage that leads to the room with the central cage.  Go across to the N opening and jump down NW onto the ledge below.  Stand facing the spike trap.  As soon as the spikes go up, take a running jump across the spike tile and keep jumping with a left curve to land on the slope so that you slide down backwards.  Grab the edge and shimmy all the way to the right.  Pull up and back flip to the slope behind you.  Jump again immediately upon landing and grab the ledge ahead. 

Pull up and climb the block straight ahead.  Jump NE to the next ledge.  Turn and jump to the higher S opening.  Pull up and note that the S gate with the omega symbol over it is now open.  Enter and follow the ramped passage to SECRET #4 and pick up the ALPHA.  Return to the upper ledge surrounding the area, using the short cut provided by the pushblock and high crawl space, go to the E wall and place the Omegas in their receptacles to open the W double gates down below.  Safety drop to the ground and enter the new area. 

Before approaching the plinth, go around the room and collect the large medipack, 4 x uzi ammo and 3 x shotgun ammo.  When you take the HAMMER OF HEROES from the plinth, a wraith, a mounted tinman and two tinmen on foot attack all at once.  When the last tinman has been vanquished, the SW gate opens, allowing access to a pool where you can douse the wraith. 

Unfortunately, the wraith also freezes the water's surface, so you need to swim out via the underwater W opening.  Pull out, run through the short passage to the pool and continue toward the S opening.  Go up the stairs as the camera angle changes.  Continue forward into the bright sunshine to end the level.