THE LOST CASTLE

Level by Osvaldo

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth, assisted by Doggett D. McDog's video walk

Lara slides down into a room where two blue crystals attack (one has to be awakened first). Go to the opposite NW (there's no use continuing to gripe about the compass Osvaldo insists upon using) corner, get on the block and grab up S onto a ledge. Jump across to the other side and pull down the W wall switch. Drop to the floor. The S door is open, but first enter the NW opening next to the block and follow around to a library where another blue crystal attacks.

Shoot the small jar next to the face tile for a small medipack, then go to the N side of the room to note a rising block tile on the floor next to the wall. Go to the opposite S side of the room, note the closed door that requires a gem, and enter the SE opening.  Loop around right at the corner and pull down the wall switch. Walk S down the steps and pick up the SHOTGUN near the deadly goo.  Return to see that the wall switch is back up, which means it was timed. It raises the block on the tile you noted moments ago, so pull down the switch again and sprint to the N wall of the library. Hop onto the raised block, turn and hop onto the bookshelf. Pull up higher onto the ledge and run S for flares on your left and a wall switch on your right (opens a door somewhere). Side flip right, pick up the shotgun ammo and drop to the floor.

Exit the library E, loop around right in the previous room and go through the opened NE doorway.  Jump over the spike pit and turn left at the intersection. Follow to a lake area and shoot two blue crystals. Jump into the water and swim to the SE corner to find an underwater lever. Pull it to open a door somewhere. Swim to the ledge against the N wall and pick up flares. Swim back S, surface and pull up onto the pillar near the entrance. Take a running jump slightly SE to the next pillar, then slightly NE to the next, and continue along the pillar surfaces until you reach the NW opening.

Follow the passage to the opened doorway you saw in the cutscene. Come to a room with deadly goo and flaming tiles. Shoot two blue crystals and jump NW to the safe tile. A flame goes out, so jump N to the next tile, SW to the next, two times E and take a running jump slightly NE to slide down into SECRET #1. Shoot the blue crystal and pick up 2 x shotgun ammo and 2 x small medipack. Go around to the S wall, pull up left two times and slide down to the entrance. Jump along the now safe tiles, making sure you touch the one against the S wall next to the entrance, and the final flame tile in the NE niche should go out. Watch out for the darts protecting the N row of tiles.  If you land on a near corner you should be safe. Jump NE and loop right right around the corner to find a pushbutton. Push it to open an underwater door in the previous room. Exit S, using a medipack if necessary to ward off the dart poison.

Jump into the water and loop around right to find the opened door. Swim through the passage, surface and pull out W. A skeleton awakens, so run forward into the alcove where the crossbow arrows are, turn around and use the shotgun to blast it into the water. Jump back into the water and find the underwater lever in the NE corner that opens the SW door. Enter and follow to a room with two slopes separated by a trench of deadly goo. Your job getting to the other side is made more difficult by the two flame blowers, but you can time a running jump past the first one.  Continue jumping between the slopes, using the right or left arrow key, until you reach the block with the face pushbutton. Pushing it opens another door in the water area with the pillars.

Go back the way you came. The door at the W end of the ledge is now open, so enter and take the large medipack from the plinth. Another skeleton is waiting for you in the previous area, so be prepared for it with your shotgun. Swim back to the area with the pillars, pull out SW and make your way along the pillar tops as before to the opened door in the NE corner. Go all the way up the winding steps, watching out for the spike trap near the top, and come to an opening that overlooks the submerged pillars. Take a running jump across the gap to grab the S ledge, pull up and grab the small medipack to your right. When you take the PHAROS PILLAR from the plinth a wraith flies out of the wall. Drop into the water, pull out SW as before, run up the ramp and follow W to an alcove with a bird statue. Wait nearby for the wraith to implode, then follow the N side passage to a ledge overlooking a new area.

Shoot the inevitable blue crystal and look to your left to see the pole on the ledge jutting out from the N wall. You need to proceed in the other direction, so take a running jump SW onto the small ledge. Jump W to grab the crack and shimmy left around several corners until you can pull up into a crawl space. Crawl around the corner and flip out (up arrow and jump key) into a passage. Enter the nearby W room with many levers and shoot the jug (facing away from the dormant mummies so you won't target them) for a small medipack. Pull down only the wall switch with the shield over it (NW corner) to lower a trap door in the center of the room. The nearest mummy awakens, so quickly hop into the hole, pick up the HATHOR EFFIGY and exit this room.

The E door ahead opens upon your approach, so continue forward into another hazardous area. Your best strategy is to wait for the flame blower to subside, and then for the spikes to shoot out, then sprint to the safe corner. Turn left, repeat and enter the small room to find the ORNATE HANDLE on the plinth. Go back the same way, turn right just before the opened door and return to the cavernous area. Turn left and jump to the ledge occupied by the sleeping skeleton. Turn right and jump S to the next ledge. The skeleton awakens, so simply turn around, draw your shotgun and wait for him to jump toward you. Run S to the wall torch, turn right and jump to grab the higher block. Pull up, step forward and hoist up onto the small ledge you jumped to earlier. Take a running jump NE to the exit ledge and jump NW to the ledge with the pole.

Combine the Hathor Effigy and Ornate Handle and place the PORTAL GUARDIAN on the pole to raise the platform to your right.  Use it to access the NW opening and enter to arouse a skeleton.  Hop back while drawing your shotgun and deal with it. Re-enter the room, shoot the smaller jar for shotgun ammo and take the CASTLE GEM from the plinth.  Retrace your steps to the entrance and exit this area. Turn right at the intersection, take the next left, jump over the spike trap and run through the beginning room into the opened S doorway.

Blast the awakened skeleton into the trench where it disappears. Shoot the small jar in the NE corner for shotgun ammo. The S door requires two pillar artifacts, and you have only one, so it's backtracking time. Exit N, take the NW opening in the next room and continue to the library. Turn right and go to the SW corner. Insert the Castle Gem in the receptacle to open the door, go inside and slide down to one of those rooms with descending corkscrews. Quickly find and pull down the three wall switches and exit through the opened NW doorway. Turn right into the W side passage and follow to a trench filled with deadly goo and guarded by a flame blower. Grab the crack in the W wall and shimmy right, timing your way past the flame blower, until you turn the corner and can drop down safely. More goo ahead, but no flame blower this time.

For a secret, turn around and jump to grab a hidden crack in the E wall. Shimmy right and pull up into the dark opening. Run forward and hop down for SECRET #2 and collect the CROSSBOW, 2 x crossbow arrows and a large medipack. Pull out W, step forward and jump to grab the E crack, shimmy right and around the corner and drop down. Step forward (W), shoot the blue crystal, grab the crack in the S wall and shimmy left. Pull up into the alcove for shotgun ammo and turn around to jump down into the NE alcove. Pick up the small medipack and pull down the wall switch to open the door in the NW alcove. Use the alcove where you picked up the shotgun ammo to get there.

Follow the passage to a small room where you'll find the PHAROS KNOT on a plinth. The door in the SW corner remains closed, so more backtracking will now be required. Moreover, flame blowers have been activated in the previous passage, so make your way carefully past them. Jump to grab the crack in the S wall, shimmy right and drop down at the end. Reverse roll, grab the crack in the opposite wall and shimmy left (timing your way past the flame blower) and drop down at the end. Follow the passage to the E way. Left is the corkscrew room, so you want to turn right and run N up the ramp to attract another blue crystal.

In the next room, hop up NW onto the ledge and push the block once E. Get up on it and pull the NE block out of the wall. Move it aside and enter the revealed passage to find yourself back in the library. Exit the library E and follow the passage to the beginning room. Continue through the SW opening to the room with the Pharos receptacles. Insert the Pillar and the Knot to open the door between them.

Enter the next room. The door closes behind you, a flyby indicates what's about to take place and action music starts playing. (I assume that this is where the 10-minute timed run mentioned by manarch2 in his review of this level begins, but I took my time from this point on and ended the level in normal fashion. Nevertheless, be forewarned.) Go right and move the pushblock as far as you can toward the SE corner. Get up on it and jump SW onto the block to the left of the tall column. Turn left and jump W to grab the ledge. Pull up and enter the crawl space to your right. Follow past a flame blower to a smaller library with a pushpiece. Move the piece N, then W between the bookshelves onto a trigger tile (you can climb over the bookshelves along the way). The N door opens and two skeletons are awakened, so use an explosive arrow to eliminate them. Enter the doorway and run down to a bridge where another skeleton is awakened.

Jump over to the NW corner and pull down the wall switch to open a ceiling trap door in the library. Go back there, climb up onto the bookshelf and pull up through the opened trap door for SECRET #3. Grab the small medipack, crossbow arrows and large medipack, then drop back down. Return to the bridge and run across through the W opening. At the wall, you see a spike pit to your right and an obvious spike ball ramp to your left. Step onto the ramp, face S, hop back twice to trigger the spike ball and run back down and into the passage on your right. Now it's safe to go up the ramp. Follow the passage, shoot two blue crystals and time your way past two flame blowers, and reach the opening at the top.

Draw your crossbow and explode two skeletons, one nearby to your right and one afar off, then jump over to the W ledge and push the floor lever.  If the ten minutes expire before you get there, the room rocks with explosions and you die. Otherwise, the level is over and you can sit back to enjoy the rolling credits.