THE HIDDEN GARDEN SERIES

Levels by Jon Heywood (Inchdix)

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth

Level 3: FIREWALK

You're sliding down a long slope. Immediately jump with a roll so that you're sliding down backwards, and grab the edge when you reach the bottom. Shimmy to the right or left if necessary (it shouldn't be), then release and grab the crack below. Shimmy to the right and around the corner, and drop down into an alcove. Pull down the wall switch to open a door directly below. Hop backwards and slide down the slope. Grab the edge and drop down to the walkway below. Run forward into SECRET #8. Turn to your right, jump up to grab the ceiling, and monkey swing across the lava to the ledge on the other side. Drop down and pick up the UZIS, triggering two flame blowers that block your return trip. Monkey swing carefully past them when the flames subside and drop down onto the west walkway.

Turn to your left and walk out to the lava. The wall to your right is climbable, so climb up a long distance, pull up at the top, slide down the facing surface, jump off and grab the slope ahead, pull up and finally slide down to a stable ledge. Use the monkey bars overhead to cross the lava pool, carefully timing your passage past three flame blowers. When you drop down on the other side and step forward, an ahmet comes to greet you, so kill it before it has a chance to push you into the lava. As you explore the large area west, finding nothing of any consequence except some shotgun ammo on the grate near the central pool, you'll flush out a crocodile. Jump into the water, where you'll encounter a second crocodile. After all the enemies have been killed, explore the large and deep pool for some revolver ammo on the raised rock near the center.

Swim up and into the large opening near the SE corner. Turn right once inside, swim to the other end and down through the hole in the floor. Turn to swim east toward the block, upon which rests the CROWBAR. There's nothing else here (unless you count an opening SE that takes you to an underground red-tinted pool where there's nothing to do or pick up), so swim back up and out and surface for air. Pull out near the grate, where a third crocodile patiently awaits you. After killing it, you find that there are a number of closed gates in the area that block your continued progress. The only available way to go appears to be the lava pit to the south, so go there and take a running jump and grab across the lava.

Pull up into the next area. As you step forward you're met by the anomalous sound of crackling thunder, and a fixed camera angle takes over from the far side of the lava field. Hit the look key to restore camera control. There's a passage to your right that's blocked by a closed gate. The passage to your left ends at a crawl space. Beyond is a passage guarded by active burner tiles, so make a mental note of it for later. Use the raised ledge to take a running jump and grab to the first block south. Pull up and face SE. Take a running jump to the next short block, then another running jump SW to the next short block. The fourth block NW is sloped, so take a running jump to it, slide down and grab the edge, make sure you're centered and pull up to take a rolling back flip to the tall pillar in the middle of the lava pool. Hit the action key to activate a jump switch, and you'll drop through a hole into a pool of water.

You're in the "unproductive" area you explored earlier, so swim north through the opening, turn left in the next area where you picked up the crowbar, swim up through the hole, exit to the NE and surface. Pull out into the main room above and take another running jump and grab across the lava pit south. Pull up, run forward and into the passage to your right. The doorway is now open, so continue along the passage to a wall switch. Pull it down to open a plethora of doors in the main room. Reverse roll and return to the ledge. Take a running jump and grab north across the lava. Pull up and return to the main room.

Opening all those doors also released an ahmet, so killing it is your first order of business. You have much to do in here now, and because of certain problems reported in the stuck threads it would be advisable for you to proceed in the order suggested in this walkthrough. Begin by going through one of the open double doors to the NE and up the ramp. You'll pass through an open grate that slams shut behind you as you enter, and you hear what sounds like a boulder being released. Across the water is a pedestal surrounded by flames. In between are tiles of varying patterns that wink in and out intermittently. Your task is to cross the tiles to the other side, putting out the flames in the process.

Note that the winking tiles have three different patterns: solid light, solid dark with a red border, and a pattern of two circles and two diamonds. These last are the key to the puzzle. Step forward to the edge of the first tile, which is stable. When the second tile dead ahead winks in, take a standing jump to it and run forward to the adjacent tile north. This is one of five circle/diamond tiles, and it's the only one that's stable. The other four are at the cardinal points, separated by a single tile. You need to step on all of these tiles to extinguish the flames. The easiest way to do so is simply to face in their direction, and when each one appears take a standing jump to it and an immediate back flip to the central circle/diamond. When all four have been reached in this manner, the flames go out. Now all you have to do is proceed to the north ledge, pull up and take the HAND OF ORION from the pedestal.

Now that your mission here is accomplished, jump into the water and locate the south opening where a gate has lifted. Swim inside, up and around and pull the underwater lever. Swim back out and through the hole that has opened up in the bottom of the pool. Locate the narrow slit in the south wall and swim inside. Follow to an underwater chamber for SECRET #9, where you'll find some uzi ammo on either side of the central column, in depressions with dormant burner tiles. You could continue through the west opening, but there's a substantial risk you'll drown on the way, so swim back out and surface for air. Then swim back down through the hole and all the way to the bottom of the shaft. Allow the current to carry you back to a familiar area. Swim east and up through the hole in the ceiling, then west and through the opening to your left. Surface and pull out into the main room.

Now go to the NW doorway and go inside to stand on a dormant (for now) burner tile. There are five vases surrounding you in a semi-circle. If you shoot them in the wrong order, the burner tile ignites and you'll be incinerated. Rumor has it there are color-coded clues in the main room, but I wasn't able to detect them. In any event, counting from left to right, the proper sequence is: 4, 1, 3, 2 and 5, and the vases can be shattered simply by using your pistols. You may want a more powerful weapon, however, for the ahmet that greets you when you return to the main room.

The doorway in the alcove in the east wall (to the left of the flame blowers) is now open, so go there and enter. Run up the ramp, but don't get reckless, as you'll turn a corner to find a sudden drop-off into a lava pit. Take a running jump and grab across the pit and pull up. Hop down into the passage below, turn left and you'll step out onto a ledge overlooking the main room. To your right are two side passages. The first is empty, but the second contains some flares and a bat. Go back out to the ledge and go across into the east opening. Run up the steps and use the monkey bars to swing across the lava pit. Drop down on the other side and run down the steps. To your right is a closed door, so turn left and go past the column down some stairs to your right.

Turn right at the bottom of the stairs and insert the Hand of Orion in the receptacle on the column wall. A cut scene shows one of the burning tiles in the passage off the main room being turned off. Go back out and enter a room with oily-looking water (although it's quite safe) and three pillars. When you jump to the pillars they're set ablaze, so you need to be quick. But before you do anything else, clear the area by going down the ramp and shooting two crocodiles that were hoping you'd slip and fall into the water and provide them a snack. Then jump into the water and swim into the north opening. Go to your right for a large medipack, then flip turn and swim to the other end to pull an underwater lever. Swim back out, surface and pull up onto the ramp. Pull back up to the ledge and face the pillars, angled slightly left of due south.

Take two steps back, then hop back, and take a running jump to the first pillar. In one fluid motion, jump off to the second pillar as flames erupt practically at your heels. Do the same thing when you hit the third pillar, and change your direction slightly to the right so you can jump off and grab the south ledge ahead. Pull up and go through the open gateway south. When you reach the crossing, turn right and hop into the hole for some crossbow arrows. Pull out of the hole, turn around and hop backwards up the east ramp. As soon as the spike ball is triggered, run forward and into the passage to your right. Run up the ramp and turn left into an area much like the previous one, only this time the pillars are arranged in the other direction and they're set in deadly lava rather than water.

There's a closed trapdoor to your right. However, for some reason you're able to jump, climb or drop down into the hole as if the trap door were not even there. But let's do this the way the builder intended. Walk to the north edge of the ledge, a little left of center, turn around, hop back and grab the edge. Release and immediately grab the crack just below. Shimmy to your left, around two corners and all the way to the wall. Release to land on a small ledge in the lava that triggers open the trap door above. Pick up the small medipack, then take a running jump to a bigger ledge in the SE corner. Pick up the grenade gun ammo and note the shaft above you. The west face is climbable, so turn around, walk to the west edge of the ledge, jump up to grab the wall of the shaft and climb up to the top. Pull up and go to the other side of the ledge. Line up Lara for a series of jumps to the pillars ahead, in the same manner you did in the previous room (and remember, take two steps and a hop back before beginning).

Pull up onto the north ledge and go through the open gateway ahead. The SE passage leads to a closed door, so continue through the north opening into a room guarded by flame blowers. The pedestal is resting on a dormant burner tile, but there's no sinister trap here. Take the HORSEMAN'S GEM, and you'll hear the sound of that door opening at the end of the SE passage. Go there and run up the ramp. At the end of the grated ramp is an overhead jump switch. Jump up to activate it, opening up a gate elsewhere. Stand at the south edge and jump up to grab the ceiling. Monkey swing across the lava room, carefully timing your way past the four flame blowers.

Drop down at the other end and enter the south opening. There's another spike ball waiting for you, so dash down the ramp and scoot into the passage to your right before the spike ball reaches you. Step out onto the ledge overlooking the pool with three flaming pillars and shoot two crocodiles swimming lazily around below. Then jump into the water and swim to the other side. Surface at the NW ramp and run to the alcove where you can pull up. An ahmet is waiting there for you, so kill it. Go through the open west gateway and up the stairs. Turn left at the column and take the next right. Use the monkey bars at the top of the stairs to swing over the lava, drop down and continue forward onto the ledge overlooking the main room.

Safety drop onto the raised ledge below to minimize your health loss, then go up the west stairs and into another lava room. There are four vases in windows in the south wall. Combine your crossbow with the laser sight and shoot the one on the far left to open a door in the north wall. Shoot the next two as well, but leave the one on the far right alone (it contains a fire wraith). Take a running jump west to the central structure, step across the closed trap door and from its north edge take a standing jump NW. Jump off the slope to the north ledge and enter the open doorway ahead.

The door closes behind you, but don't worry. You're standing on a dormant burner tile. Don't step on the tile to your right, or you'll trigger a most unwelcome boulder. Push the block ahead one time. It's supposed to block the boulder that comes down from your left, but it doesn't. So stand in the NE corner, facing NE, and hit the jump and up arrow keys simultaneously. Lara will eventually work her way past the moveable block and land in the hole beyond. (One good bug deserves another.) Pull up east and throw the wall switch. Reverse roll, hop back down into the hole. Pull up on the left side of the moveable block with the up and left arrow keys depressed, and Lara should wind up on the south side of the moveable block. Go out, turn right and alongside the boulder passage into a room with some uzi ammo in the corner. Pull up into the west alcove for some more uzi ammo.

Leave this area, go out to the ledge in the lava room and take a running jump to the central structure. The west door is open now, so step onto the slope, slide down a bit and jump off onto the ledge. Enter the west passage but don't pull up into the alcove ahead. Instead, stand with your back to it, walk east a couple of steps, back flip onto it and immediately take a standing jump forward (before the burner tile ignites) and grab the east ladder. Climb up until you're several rungs from the top, and back flip into a ramped passage. Turn around and follow the passage up into a small room. Continue east and follow the long passage until you reach a crawl space. Crawl out onto a ledge overlooking the lava room you saw earlier.

You now have a timed run to get across the room to the west doorway before it closes. It can be done quite easily with a couple of seconds to spare, however, and you don't need to step on the shorter pillar straight ahead. Step to the NW corner and take a running jump NW to the first pillar, another running jump to the next pillar west, a side flip to the third pillar, and finally a standing jump west and a dash through the opening before the door slams shut. In the next area you have another little puzzle. Just beyond the grated flooring is a burner tile, and another burner tile in the alcove just beyond. To avoid being set aflame, take a running jump from the edge of the grated flooring onto the left side of the alcove, then take a side flip to the right before either tile is activated.

Light a flare and go into the south passage for a small medipack. Continue around to a closed trap door and climb up onto the block to your left. Take the HAND OF SIRIUS from the pedestal, which opens the trap door below. Hang drop from the edge into a pool of water below. Swim north along the passage and follow back to the large pool in the main room. Pull out and go to the SW corner where you'll find open double gates. Go inside and climb the irregular rocks to the left. Take a standing jump over a slope to a block (note the switch beyond the bars to your left), then a running jump across the gap to the next ledge. Note the closed gate while you shoot a bat. Turn right and take a running jump west to the next ledge for a large medipack.

Jump back to the previous ledge with the closed gate. Walk out to the SW corner, facing the small red opening in the south wall below. Take a running jump SW toward that red spot, holding down the action key so that Lara doesn't bump her head. You'll land sliding, so jump off into the passage ahead. Run up the ramped passage, taking a standing jump to clear a rough spot, and hop down into the hole when you see the gem receptacle. Insert the Horseman's Gem for a cut scene showing that another burner tile has been extinguished in the passage below.

Pull out of the hole and continue along the passage and past an intersection (there's a closed gate to your left). When you reach the bars you find that wall switch on your left. Pull it down to open that gate around the corner. Use the north crawl space to access another passage where you'll find the receptacle for the Hand of Sirius. Insert it to put out the last of the burner tiles in the passage below. Go back out the same way you came, and when you reach the intersection you'll find that the gate to your right is now open. Go on through and down the rocks to your right, taking a running jump across the gap.

Return to the main room through the open double gates and go to the south ledge. Take a running jump and grab across the lava and pull up. Run forward and turn left into that passage with the crawl space. Crawl through and sure enough, all of the burner tiles are now off. Follow the passage into the next room and pull down the wall switch in the SW corner to raise the blocks on the pillars in the lava room outside. Go back through the crawl space and take a running jump and grab north across the lava to pull up to the main room. Run forward and turn right to enter the east doorway for a second time. Run up the ramp, remembering to stop at the top. Take a running jump and grab west across the lava pit and pull up.

Continue along the passage and hop down to the passage below. Enter the east passage and monkey swing across the lava pit. When you reach the intersection, the door to your right is now open, so go inside to find yourself on another ledge overlooking the main room. Go on across to the west end and turn to your left. Hop the ledges in a counterclockwise direction, picking up revolver ammo along the way. Then return to the middle south opening where the pillars have been raised. Take running jumps to the shorter block in a clockwise direction. To reach the last one NW, you'll need to make a midair curve to the left and grab. Pull up, turn around and take a running jump and grab to the taller central pillar east. Pull up and turn either right or left. Step to the outer edge, jump up and grab the wall of the shaft. Climb to the top and pull up into an area with multiple passages.

Jump over to the north side, unless you're already there, and follow the passage as it takes a horseshoe turn to the right. Pull down the wall switch at the end and go back. There's another switch at the other end, but refrain from pulling it as it will release a fire wraith. Jump over the hole to the south side and pull both switches you'll find at the end of the right (you have to use a crawl space) and left passages. A block at the end of the south passage has been retracted, so pull up on the north side of the ceiling hole into a hellish outdoor area with a red-tinted sky. Step forward and vault up onto the central structure. Walk up to the rim and you can see down below an artifact on a flaming ledge in the middle of a pool of molten rock. Turn around and note in the distance a wall switch protected by a burner tile.

Walk and hop around to the north side of the structure and jump forward onto the rocks. There's an opening in the north wall, so go inside, turn around and activate the overhead jump switch. Go back out and jump onto the central structure. Hop back around to the south end, where you can see that the burner tile beneath the wall switch has been deactivated. When you get there take a running jump across the gap, step forward and take a standing jump and grab over the lava pit. Pull down the wall switch, turn around, hop over the lava pit and jump back to the central structure. Go back around to the north side, jump to the opening, go inside and use the crawl space to find that the door to your left is now open. Go inside and pull down the wall switch.

Go back out, and you can see a helix coming out of the central structure. Climb up to the rim, and note that the flames guarding the artifact have been replaced by the helix. However, the molten rock all around is just as deadly as it was before. Take a standing jump down to the base of the helix and pick up the second GOLDEN VRAEUS. An extended flyby takes you through the lava area below while a block rises beneath you. Take a running jump south to the rim of the central structure. Hop down into the trench, and from there drop into the passageway.

Jump over the hole to the north end and find that the block there has also retracted. But before entering the revealed north passage, turn left and go to the NW corner. Pull up through the hole in the ceiling for SECRET #10 and pick up the large medipack, the shotgun ammo and uzi ammo in the corners. Jump back down to the lower passage, go into the extended north passage as Lara's theme music plays, and follow the passage to slide down a slope that carries you back to Hidden Gardens.

Firewalk
Level 3
by Jon Heywood / Inchdix

This is an unauthorised walkthrough by Monika Pietsch.
It has all the important pick-ups and items mentioned.
It will not contain all pick-ups, all enemies and maybe not all the secrets.
This walkthrough is meant as a guideline to get you to the end of the level, even so there might be other ways too.

Walkthrough

Start: "Slide down, twist jump, slide and grab the end of the slope. Drop again and grab a crevice. Transverse to the right and there pull a switch. Slide backwards, grab and drop.
You will find a secret and by using the monkey bar across the lava you will get the UZI.
Swing back, watching the fires. Use the climbable surface to go to the top of the tall central column" (hint from Inchdix).

From the top of the column slide and jump forward and grab and slide down into a lava room. Use a monkey bar to swing over the lava and watch out for the fire 3 times. Kill one Ahmet and 2 crocodiles. Collect some shotgun shells. In the water is some revolver ammo.
Swim to the south side (left) to get the crowbar. If you swim on, you come to an air hole with lava above. When you return to the main room watch out for another crocodile.

Lava room with columns

Go to the room on the left.
Start jumping over the lava on the side where it is higher (right). Just at the left side behind a crawlspace is a fire passage. Leave it for now.
Jump over to the blocks and make your way till you reach the sloped block.
There you jump over, slide and grab and use a back flip and twist to grab the wall switch.
You drop into the water. Make your way back again and now the door on the right in the lava room is open. Go in and at the end pull a switch. This opens all 3 big iron doors.
In the main room an Ahmet appears.

Room with changing tiles

Start with the first north door (2 half doors). The door closes behind you when you enter. There are tiles over water and they appear and disappear. On the other side is a Hand of … in the fire.
There is a puzzle to solve to put out the fire. You have to jump onto all tiles with a pattern on it. The middle one doesn’t disappear. So go 2 tiles forward. Watch the tile on the other side and side flip left and right and back. Then forward and forward and pull up to take the Hand of Orion . Go down into the water and behind the door is a switch. Pull it and then enter the hole in the middle of the bottom.
Go through a small opening and collect a secret and Uzi clip.
Swim back to the main room. You can go down again and collect a small medi-pack. Go to the second door on the north side.

5 vases puzzle

In the room that you can’t enter you have to shoot 5 vases to open the golden door in the main room. If you shoot the wrong vase Lara will be on fire. Kill an Ahmet.

4. 3. 1.

2. 5.

Getting the Horseman’s Gem

Go through the golden door and you come out above the main room. Go right and pick up some flares and kill a bat. Go left and monkey swing over the lava. Use the Hand of Orion. You see a picture of the fire passage.

Then comes a timed run over 3 fire blocks. Kill the 2 crocodiles first. Go into the water and pull an underwater switch and pick up a large medi-pack. Kill another crocodile.
Now set up for the jump. Jump back und walk 2 steps back. Running jump and then keep jumping button down. Grab the wall.
In the passage take first the explosive arrows. Then trigger a spiky boulder and run to the right. The next room has 3 timed fire blocks. Before jumping them go to the metal floor and drop and grab a climbable wall. Go down and take some grenade ammo. Bug: leave the small medi-pack. Jumping over there kills the game.
To get over the 3 fire blocks use the same procedure as before. In the room there you find the Horseman’s Gem. When you go back don’t forget to pull the wall switch just near the monkey bar. Use a flare because it is rather dark there.
Now monkey swing back over the lava and avoid 4 fires from the wall. Outrun a second spiky boulder.
Before jumping into the water kill 2 more crocodiles. When you leave the water an Ahmet appears. Kill it.

Getting the Hand of Sirius
Return to the main room using a monkey bar and dropping down into the room.
Go up the stairs on the west side and enter a lava room. Shoot 3 of the 4 vases (the first vase on the left opens the door). Don’t shoot the very right one, because it frees a fire wraith. Jump over to the open door and push a movable block.
Bug: Now this block should stop a spiky boulder but it doesn’t. The trick I used was jumping into the right corner till Lara fell into the hole. Then she got up and was able to pull the switch without the fire being on. Climb back at the block and get away. This way no fire appears at all. This block is really soft like anything. Get some Uzi clip and leave.

Enter the next door and back flip, grab the ladder and do another back flip from the ladder. Walk along. You have to get through a timed door over 3 or 4 blocks. One way to do it is a running jump to the right block, running jump forward, side flip left, standing jump and dash through the door.
To pass the next 2 fire blocks take a running jump from the left side and side flip to the right. Pick up a small medi-pack. Take the Hand of Sirius and drop through the trap door into a water hole.

Now go to the second door on the west side. First get a large medi-pack from an opposite niche and kill 2 bats.
Then jump from above towards a small ledge using a running jump and action. Jump immediately again or Lara gets fried.
In the passage that follows use the Horseman’s Gem and the Hand of Sirius. This should stop the fire in the fire passage. Pull a switch to open a door.

Now go back to the first lava room and the fires in the passage on the left are extinguished. At the end of the passage pull a switch. This raises the blocks in the lava room.

Find the Golden Vraeus

Go through the golden door and make your way till after the monkey swing. Now a door on the right is open. Go over to the higher opening in the lava room.
Jump over to the blocks and make your way right up to the top.
There are 4 switches. Start on the north side and just pull the right one. Leave the left one because a fire wraith will appear (you can do it and drop into the water hole and come back all the way back again). Go to the south side and pull the 2 switches there and a block will go down.
Climb up where a block disappeared. Make your way around the edge along the central tunnel with the Golden Vraeus in a fire.
On the opposite side is an opening. Behind a crawlspace are a metal door and a switch.
Use first the high wall switch. Go back over to where you come in. Now the fire is out and you can pull the switch there. Go back over again and the metal door is open. Pull the switch.
Now you can get the Golden Vraeus. Get out of the tunnel and drop into the hole.
2 blocks have disappeared. Go to the left first and collect a secret and Uzi clip, a large medi-pack and shotgun shells. Then go straight on and down a slope and the level ends.

If you should play on a Mac:
Don’t go down the slope, because the screen will freeze. Use H E L P and you land in Obsidian Heights.

North – Compass pale – Load – H E L P