THE WELL OF LOST SOULS

Level by Billy the Kid

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth

A long opening flyby takes you through a base camp where three SAS stand guard. When camera control is restored, run forward and around to your left with pistols readied for action. Kill the three SAS, using the tents for cover as needed, then shoot the barricades protecting the well shaft. You can explore the area if you wish, even though there are no pickups to find, so you may as well go ahead and climb down the south face of the well shaft.

Head east through the passage below, taking a standing jump and grab across the spike pit. Pull up and continue forward into a room where two wall torches obligingly ignite for you. Go around the pillar to the west wall and push in the block next to the wall torches. When you can push it no further, turn to your left and push in the adjacent block twice to open up a new area.

Turn to your right and step out onto a pillar overlooking an area below where two crocs are leisurely swimming around in the shallow pool. Kill them from where you stand if they'll cooperate by moving away from the pillar so you can draw a bead on them. Then go down the stairs to your left, and take a series of running jump clockwise to the pillars surrounding this room, until you reach the NW corner where you can pick up the SHOTGUN and some shotgun ammo. Safety drop to the floor and enter the next room via the NW opening. You'll see a skeleton lying on the floor next to a tile marked "Beware of the Thing." Apparently a false alarm, at least for now, so go ahead and pick up the EYE OF HORUS that's resting on the tile.

Return to the previous room where you shot the crocs and locate another pushable block near the center of the south wall. Pull this one out twice, then run around it into the revealed passage and pull up into a higher passage. Ahead of you is another, you guessed it, pushable block, so push it in once. Pause to pick up the small medi-pack in the revealed space to your right, then push the block into the east alcove. Continue through the south passage ahead and use the ladder on your right to climb up the steep shaft to an upper chamber with two open flames and a closed set of doors to the west.

You'll get a fixed camera angle as you pass between the two flames, and one bat will be alerted as you draw near the south flame, and another as you approach the north flame. After killing them, locate the ladder in the north wall to the right of the flame and climb up to the alcove. Pull up, step forward and pick up the shotgun ammo, then turn around and jump up to grab the ceiling. Monkey swing across the room all the way to the south wall. Release and immediately hit the action key again to grab the crack in the wall. Shimmy all the way to the left and pull up into the alcove. Pick up the TORCH and hop back down to the floor.

Light the torch in the flame of your choice and go over to the west wall. Note the smudges on the wall in the corners, indicating that the dark holes have been used as burners in the past. Light them both (being careful not to stand too close lest you be set aflame as well) and the west door will open. Toss the torch aside, as you no longer need it. Go inside the new area and take a left. Two SAS will come storming around the passage toward, so meet them with a hail of bullets. Continue along the passage where they came from and enter a larger room. A third SAS steps forth to challenge you. Deal with him, then shoot the barricade in the west wall. Step inside and throw the floor lever for a flyby showing the door opening in the east face of the structure behind you.

Go there (what looks like a ladder beyond the floor lever, isn't) and find the hole inside the central structure. Make sure Lara is facing SW, then step into the hole and she'll slide backwards down the long slope. Grab the edge when you reach the end, pull up and take a simple back flip to the structure in the deep and dark area below. Take a moment to look around. Below is a murky pool infested with crocs. (If you can't shoot the crocs from here, be sure not to jump down into the water on a crocodile hunt. Although there's a place down there where you can pull out and dispose of the crocs, you'll be trapped with no way out.) [addendum by José, Nov 2015]: There's a way to go up. From the water, climb the ledge with the fire and look for a ladder near a corner; the rocky wall next to the ladder is climbable, so you can grab it and shimmy right around the corner to reach the ladder and climb to the top of the central structure.]

In the north wall, between two torches, is a closed face door. A wooden bridge leads to colorful tiles next to the east wall and the west wall. Go step on either one of the tiles, which acts as a trigger opening the face door. It's on a timer, however, so dash to the center of the room and take a running jump to the ledge in front of the opening. Run inside before the face door closes, and kill the two SAS who come running to investigate.

In the next room is a colorful platform and a floor lever in the NE corner. Throw the floor lever for a brief flyby that appears not to be very helpful. Turn around and go step on the purple platform, and you'll be transported to another area. Step off the platform (and be careful not to step back onto it until you're ready to do so, or you'll be transported to still another area with no way of coming back) and throw the floor lever to your left. Go through the south passage, past the body of the dead soldier and around to your left, and go pick up what looks like a gold ingot on the floor near the north wall. Actually, it's a large medi-pack. You'll see two receptacles in the east wall. Insert the Eye of Horus in the one on the left, then reverse roll and go back to the purple platform in the previous room. Step on it to be transported to a new room.

You can shoot the closed smaller coffin next to the lion statue, but it's empty. Go to the north wall and pull back the central artifact two times to reveal a ladder behind it. You'll note with amusement that the coffin you shot has magically re-appeared. Shoot it again if you wish, then approach the ladder. A closing flyby shows the base camp where you began, with the well now filled with water, and then the level comes to an abrupt and ignominious end.