THE RESCUE

Level 13 (Bonus Level): Fight Against Apophis

by Pascal Ducey (MagPlus)

Authorized walkthrough by Monika Pietsch, rewritten and expanded (with her permission) by Phil Lambeth.

NOTE: Begin by using a savegame from the end of Level 12, as you will require 8 Golden Stars in your inventory to make it all the way through the level.

(or you can download a savegame -> click here )

2 secrets (49 - 50)

 

An underwater grate opens in front of Lara, so swim through the opening and pull up out of the pool as the grate closes behind you. You find yourself in a huge room with similar pools located in each corner and a deep central pit spanned by bridges with two receptacles in the abutments over on the east end. You emerged in the SW pool; go over and pick up some uzi ammo at the bottom of the NW pool and some revolver ammo at the bottom of the SE pool. The NE pool is empty right now.

There are two columns inside the pit. The south column has a receptacle for a Golden Star in each of its four faces. (The receptacles in the north column are a bunch of snake heads, so you're not ready for them yet.) You've worked through twelve previous levels to gather those stars, so now's the time to place 'em. But it's not as easy as it looks. Start by jumping to one of the three accessible alcoves in the south column. Place your star, then you have to jump back to the ledge and run along it until you can jump to the next alcove, then repeat once more until you've placed the stars in the three outer alcoves. Then use the raised platform to take a running jump and grab to the inside alcove. When you place your fourth star, you'll hear the faint sound of a door opening. Don't try to take a running jump back to the raised platform, because you don't have enough room and you'll simply fall to your death (unless you take a curved running jump, going from left to right). Instead, take an angled running jump to the right and swerve to the left in mid-air to grab the ledge. Pull up and go through the newly-opened door in the south wall.

Turn left at the intersection and enter a small room with a large vase at each corner. Push the button in the far wall and you'll release two warriors adorned with fancy headgear. Dispatch them both, and you'll find that each leaves behind a DIAMOND OF THE NILE. Pick them both up and go back to the large room. Use the diamonds in the two eastern bridge abutments you noted earlier. The NE pool is now filled with water, enabling you to pull the wall lever to open the nearby grate. Swim into the next room and pull up at the air hole. Ahead are four receptacles for your remaining Golden Stars, two on each side of another water hole presently blocked by a grate.

To the left is an open door leading to a winding staircase. If you want a look at something neat, save your game here and go up the stairs. At the end, turn left and jump up to grab a sloped platform. Pull up and slide down the other side. You'll see a brief cut scene where Lara appears to be standing in front of a Van Croy shrine which suddenly becomes electrified and sets poor Lara aflame. It would appear at first glance that this area is for some later time in the level, but actually it's not; it's merely a highly imaginative trap. So simply reload and go place your four stars in their receptacles.

The door to your left closes, so if you haven't already satisfied your curiosity it's too late now. However, the grate is now open, so jump into the water hole between the receptacles and swim forward and up until you emerge in a little room with ankh wallpaper on three of the walls. Go into either of the east alcoves, turn around and stoop down to back out of the alcove. Hang from the edge and shimmy to the right or left until you reach the ladder. Climb down to the bottom and reverse roll. Lara's attention is drawn to the top of the stairs to her right. Straight ahead are three large colored buttons to push, and above those on the second story landing you can see another wall button to push.

But before experimenting with any of these buttons, hop down into either of the diamond-patterned trenches to your right and left and run around to the back side of this room where you'll find a gigantic serpent shrine. You can't miss the jump switch on the serpent's neck, so jump up and grab it, then immediately reverse roll and make a beeline back to the ladder as two fire wraiths give chase. Climb up the ladder toward the pool, and if you're lucky the wraiths will beat you there and self destruct before you're halfway up. Nevertheless, continue all the way to the top (the concrete block separating the two alcoves is now gone), pull up and jump into the water if necessary to deal with the wraiths. Then locate the monkey bars going back across the large room. Make a running (not a standing) jump to grab the bars, then monkey swing across to the other side. Along the way, Lara's attention may be drawn by something over to her right.

Drop down at the end and push the button in the wall ahead. Now look to your right and you'll see what was so interesting to Lara. There's a closed grate with three colored squares above it. From left to right they're yellow, blue and red, so hop back and hang from the westerly edge of the ledge you're now standing on. Drop down into the lower area and step forward to push the large yellow, blue and red buttons, in that order. The grate to your right is now open, so reverse roll and take a standing jump over the platform. Run forward and take a hairpin turn to the left to go up the stairs, then go through the open grate at the second landing.

Stop along the way for some flares and uzi ammo in the alcoves, then turn left at the intersection and prepare to deal with a couple more warriors. They too are each carrying a DIAMOND OF THE NILE, so pick them up after the warriors are dead and gone. In the next temple-like room you see something on a pedestal at the end being guarded by flame emitters blowing constantly from either side. There are openings to your right and left, between the columns on the side ledges, leading to the areas where you need to be heading next. Start with the passageway to the right (west).

At the end of the short tunnel, turn around and locate the ladder above you. Jump up to grab it, and climb up to the room above. You find an area with a number of ornate moveable blocks that overlooks the temple room below. You've got seven blocks to play with.  However, you need to select just four of these and organize them so that they form a picture of a brownish mural (as viewed from inside the temple), then line them up in that order on the dark squares overlooking the temple area. To keep it simple, number the blocks as you pull up into this room, facing north. The block to your right next to the near column is 1, the one on the other side in the corner to your left is 2. The next two blocks, between the two columns, are 3 and 4. The one to the left of the far column is 5, and the ones to the right in the far corner are 6 and 7. Facing the room below and going from left to right, you need to insert blocks 5, 7, 4 and 1, in that order (but not necessarily in that chronological sequence), and the right flame emitter will then shut down. A cut scene after each proper insertion will tell you that you're on the right track.

After you've finished this task, climb back down to the temple area and vault up to the opening on the left (east) side as you face the one remaining flame emitter. Run up the ramp until you reach a room similar to the one across the way. The difference is that there are two rooms with moveable blocks, four in the lower level and three in the upper level. You can climb up the east wall to the upper level where you'll see a wall switch and a raised grate. Here's Lara's chance to do her imitation of a fork lift operator. Numbering the blocks starting in the upper level, you have block 1 as you pull up, then block 2 in the left corner and block 3 in the right corner. Down below, facing north as before from the entrance, you have block 4 behind the near column and block 5 to the left of it. Block 6 is to the right of the far column, and block 7 is directly behind it.

The correct placement of the blocks in the dark squares, from left to right, is 4, 2, 7 and 3. Again, a cut scene confirms each correct placement. It's easier to place the lower level blocks first, 4 and 7, to get them out of the way. Then climb up to the upper level, push and pull block 3 onto the grate, then pull the wall switch to lower the block to the lower level. Then place it where it belongs and climb back up to the upper level. Throw the switch again to raise the grate, then repeat the process for block 2. When you're finally done, both flame emitters are now quiet, enabling you to go down and take the JEWEL OF APOPHIS from the pedestal. A cut scene shows the first of several gates opening elsewhere.

Reverse roll and exit the temple area. Follow the tunnel, return to the large room with the serpent shrine and colored push buttons, and run down the stairs. Look up to the north and note the blue-red-yellow sequence over the closed gate and push the corresponding large buttons between the two stairways. The gate is now open, so make your way there and enter. Draw weapons and deal with the two ahmets that come calling as you exit the tunnel into another temple area. It may look at first as if you've returned to the same temple with flame emitters and side passages, but it's different. As before, start with the right passageway and at the top of the ramp draw weapons and kill the warrior ahead. He'll drop a DIAMOND OF THE NILE, so pick it up before proceeding. You're in an area that looks like a maze with a grated ceiling.

Go into either one of the alcoves in the east wall and turn around to find an opening you can use to climb up to the higher level. Here you find four moveable blocks housed in alcoves, with two openings in the west wall in which to place them. This one is pretty straightforward. The NW block in the north wall goes into the space that's closer to it, and the same for the SW block in the south wall. (At some point during this process you'll hear a grate below opening to allow access to an alcove.) You're again rewarded with a confirming cut scene with each correct placement. The other two blocks now need to be lowered to the level below. Pull out the SE block three times until it comes to rest on the grate. Then hop down to the lower level and step into the open NW alcove to open the grate to the opposite alcove. Run over and throw the wall switch to get the block down here, then push and pull it into place in the left (as you face it) slot in the west wall. Then pull the switch back up to raise the grate, go back up and repeat this procedure to get the fourth block into its proper place. A cut scene shows the right flame emitter being extinguished.

Return to the temple floor, vault up into the left opening and take care of the warrior who awaits you. Relieve him of his DIAMOND OF THE NILE and continue to the end of the tunnel. Turn around, locate the ladder, jump up and grab and climb up to the next room. These quarters are even more tightly cramped than the others. There are two moveable blocks in the lower level; push the darker one to your right two times until it comes to rest in a niche. You'll hear the sound of the access grates opening above you. Climb up and pull out the two blocks and move them to their resting spots the same way you did the others. Each time, a confirming cut scene will give you a measure of comfort, and you'll also hear a grate opening below as you move each block in front of its proper place. Then jump back down and move the final two blocks to their proper resting spots. When you do so, a cut scene will show a now-accessible pedestal.

Return to the temple and take the second JEWEL OF APOPHIS from the pedestal. A cut scene shows the second of three gates being opened. Reverse roll and go back to the central room with the colored push buttons. Now you want access to the west gate high up near the ceiling, so push the large red, yellow and blue buttons in that order. Jump over the slope, make a hairpin turn to the left and go up the stairs and past the open south gate. At the very top you'll find an opening in the railing to your right, and a rope dangling not far beyond it. Take a running jump and grab to the rope and swing over to the landing in front of the open west gate. You'll see a cage lowering in front of you as you land, allowing access to a ladder to the north, but that's for later. Turn left, run inside the open gate and hop down to the granite block below. Turn left and hop down to the lowest level and run along the trench until you reach a ladder. Start climbing up, and you'll soon be confronted with some decisions to make. There are three vertical rows of three platforms each, and you need to shimmy your way past them. The only trouble is, if you choose the wrong route you'll be skewered by spikes that shoot out of the wall. The safe route is to use the center aisle, the lower aisle and the upper aisle, in that order, until you shimmy all the way to an opening where you can pull up.

But before doing so, pause for a secret. After climbing to the top in preparation for that last shimmy past the third row of platforms, stop so that Lara's hands are on the crack at the same level as the top of the platform. Take a rolling back flip from there and grab the edge of the alcove behind you. Pull up into the alcove for SECRET #49 and some revolver ammo and crossbow arrows. Reverse roll and take a running jump and grab back to the ladder. Climb up one rung and shimmy to the right until you reach the opening. Pull up, draw powerful weapons and run into the next room to kill the trio of ahmets that serves as your welcoming committee.

Run down the tunnel to the south and check out the situation. You see on either side receptacles for your Diamonds of the Nile, each one situated beside a closed gate. At the bottom of the stairs is another Jewel of Apophis on a pedestal being guarded by a flame emitter. Place your four Diamonds. The now-open gates give you access to four moveable blocks. Your task is to push and pull the blocks into the room to the north and place them in the central grated area so that the designs on top make a completed picture. Let's make this easy. Facing the tunnel from the larger room, the near left block is 1, the far left block is 2, the near right block is 3, and the far right block is 4. Place these blocks as follows: NW=4, NE=3, SW=2 and SE=1. As you can see, it makes sense to pull out and place the west blocks first. After all four are properly placed, the fire goes out and you can run down the stairs and claim the third JEWEL OF APOPHIS. A cut scene shows the final gate opening, revealing a wall switch. Now all you have to do is find out where it is.

Run back up the stairs and exit the larger room via the hole near the NE corner. Turn around and climb straight down the ladder. Drop at the bottom and you'll slide harmlessly down into the trench. Run back around to the granite block, pull up, turn left, pull up again and go through the open gate. Turn left and make a running jump and grab to the ladder. Shimmy around two corners to the right until Lara reaches the opposite side, then make sure her hands are below the patterned wall design to her right. Make a rolling back flip and grab the ladder behind you. Shimmy around two corners to the other side and drop down onto the balcony.

Run all the way down the stairs. Climb up the ladder in the west wall and pull up at the top. Across the pool you'll see the wall switch that has been made accessible by the lifting of the three gates as a result of all your hard work. Run or swim over there and pull the switch. Reverse roll and return the way you came, and you'll see that the trenches in the large room below are filled with water due to the now-functioning fountains.

Climb back down and paddle along the trenches until you reach the scales on either side of the serpent shrine. Let's begin with the scales to the left (as you face it) of the serpent shrine. Here you need 2 liters. (How do I know? Trust me.) Fill your large waterskin and combine it with the small waterskin, leaving 2 liters in the large one. Empty it into the pot on the left side of the scales. Turn around, and you'll see that the cage guarding the closer of the two buttons across from the serpent shrine has lowered. Go over to the other set of scales on the right, where you'll need 4 liters. First, empty the small waterskin. Then fill the large waterskin again. Combine it with the small waterskin as before, leaving 2 in the large and 3 in the small. Empty the small one. Combine the large one with the small one, so that the large one is now empty and there are 2 liters in the small one. Fill the large waterskin again and combine it with the two-thirds-full small one. This leaves 4 liters in the large one. Empty it into the pot and the second cage will lower.

Go over and push the two buttons on either side of the cage shielding the large medipack. After you push the second one you'll see a cut scene of a door opening far above. Splash your way back to the front of the large room and run up the stairs to the right until you return to the opening where you can jump to the rope. Do so, and swing over to the landing in front of the west door. Turn to the right and run across the walkway to the now-open door to the east. Take a running jump and grab to the serpent's lower lip. Pull up and enjoy a brief flyby, then turn around and take a running jump and grab to the jump switch to the left of the opening. Turn left and safety drop to the floor below, where you'll find that the third cage surrounding the large medipack has lowered. Pick up your prize for SECRET #50.

Repeat your trek to the east opening, running up the right set of stairs and using the rope to get back to the walkway. Make a running jump and grab to the serpent's lower lip and pull up. Run forward and slide down the serpent's throat. As you near the bottom you'll see a flyby that depicts the transformation of a Van Croy shrine into a deadly snaggle-toothed fireball-spitting cobra. Turn to the left quickly and throw the wall switch to raise a cage between you and the cobra, then drop down into the water below. Look for two underwater levers on the near bridge abutments while dodging the plague of red locusts. Two blocks will be raised in the NW and SW corners, accessible through air holes in the north and south ends of the pool. You'll find a large medipack in the alcove adjacent to the SW block. (Sorry, nothing in the alcove next to the NW block.) From the SW block, pull up to the next level and dash along the balcony next to the cobra until you reach the safety of a pillar. Push the button you'll find there while continuing to dodge red locusts.

Run back along the balcony, drop down onto the block, reverse roll and hop down to the lower balcony. Run forward, drop down into the water hole and swim across to the north side. Pull up, turn left and run to the NW block. Turn around, pull up and run to the other end of the upper north balcony and push the button on the "safe" side of the column. A cut scene shows a block being raised in front of the cobra. Jump into the water and pull up anywhere on the west ledge. Run to the raised block and pull up onto it. The cage between you and the cobra now acts as a shield. Push the button in the west wall. This releases an ahmet from a cage to the cobra's left which fully occupies its attention and halts the onslaught of fireballs. Go over to the ahmet's cage (jump into the water and pull out of the south air hole) and pull the wall switch which opens the trap door down in the center of the pool.

Jump back down into the south air hole and swim into the opening at the bottom of the pool to collect the fourth and final JEWEL OF APOPHIS. Continue swimming west down the passageway and follow its turns until you reach the serpent shrine room. Cross the room and climb up the ladder in the west wall. Pull up and jump into the pool. Swim down through the opening and continue forward until you return to the room where you placed the four Golden Stars. Jump down into the adjacent water hole and return to the room where you began this level. Jump over to the alcoves in the north central column and place the four Jewels of Apophis in the same manner as you did the Golden Stars in the other column. Placing the inside jewel is a little trickier, but not much. You need to use the raised platform to take a running jump and grab to the alcove where you placed the inside Golden Star, then turn to the north and take a running jump (without letting the receptacle get in your way) and grab to the inside serpent head alcove. Return to the ledge by retracing your steps (using the curved running jump of your choice as described at the beginning of this walkthrough) and go through the now-open door to the north.

Pull the wall switch just inside the door to raise a block in the central pit behind you. To your right and above is an area that's not yet accessible, so reverse roll and run around the pit to the left. Take a running jump to the east alcove where you placed the Golden Star and make sure Lara is at full health. Safety drop down to the raised block below. Don't jump from here down to the floor, as the tiles are fire traps. Instead, use the blocks and ledges to make your way in a counterclockwise direction around the pit. Start with a running jump to the block to the north, then another running jump to the ledge ahead. Stop to deal with a giant flying insect that attacks from above and to your left. Take an angled standing jump to the northernmost block (sloped at the front), then turn and take a standing jump to the ledge on the west side of the column. Turn to the south and take a running jump and grab to the next ledge. Pull up and walk forward. If you toss a flare toward the south end of the pit you can see a grated hole on the floor below. Continue walking along the ledge until you're bumping up against the central column. Jump up to grab the jump switch, which lowers the grate in the hole below, then turn to your right and take a standing jump down to it.

Walk down the tunnel and turn to your right at the end. Pull up into a ramped area sprinkled with pits. Before attempting to navigate this gauntlet, however, turn around and locate a crawl space up to your right. Jump to it, crawl in, turn around and lower yourself down the other side. Throw the wall switch, and a cut scene shows you a closed gate elsewhere. Return to the ramp and start making your way over the pits. Take a standing jump over the first pit and immediately back flip to avoid the boulder that comes tumbling out from your left. Take a running jump and grab over the second, longer pit. Pull up and immediately back flip as the boulder comes crashing down. You may think you're now safe, but you're not, so take one hop back to completely avoid the boulder. For the third pit, take a running jump and grab from the far left side. Don't pull up, but just hang there in the left corner as the boulder rumbles by harmlessly. Then pull up and take a running jump and grab across the fourth pit without incident.

Pull up and turn to your right. Vault up into the passageway and climb up onto the first block. Turn to the right and locate the crawl space above you. Jump to it, crawl inside and lower yourself down the other side. Reverse roll and throw the wall switch. The same cut scene you saw earlier now shows the gate opening. Return to the passageway via the crawl space and continue up the blocks. Walk through the opening at the end of the tunnel and you'll emerge on the roof of some structure. Walk forward and you'll discover that you're overlooking the large room where you began this level. Jump down to the near bridge abutment and make your way north via a series of angled running jumps until you can make a standing jump and grab to a ledge. Pull up, run up a couple of steps and pick up the IGNITION KEY. Reverse roll and jump back to the bridge abutment. Turn left and hop over to the east spoke. Walk out to the end and take two hops back. Take a slightly angled running jump to the left and grab the roof of the structure over the NE pool. Pull up, run forward and throw the wall switch. A cut scene shows a gate opening.

Reverse roll, jump back to the east spoke and safety drop to the floor from the end. Turn right and run to the north doorway. Pull up into the alcove to your right, then turn left and pull up to the now-open gate. Emerge in an outdoor area overlooking the Jeep. Draw weapons, hop down and deal with two giant flying bugs. Then crank up the Jeep and drive forward. Take a right and cross the gap in the middle to take advantage of the platform. Take a left at the bottom of the hill and watch the hole to your right. Cross the platform in the middle to land on a bridge in the pool below. Hit the jump key to brake the Jeep to a halt and save your game here. You need to make a rather tricky turn to the right and gun the Jeep over a couple of platforms until you reach the safety of the other side. Drive up the ramp, avoiding the two boulders that drop down into your path (the first to your right, the second to your left). Turn left at the landing and drive down the ramp on the other side. Get out of the Jeep.

Vault up onto the area with the turrets topped with blue pyramids and run across to the west side as pleasant music plays. Locate the wall switch just past the last pyramid and pull it to open a trap door in the water. Turn back to your left and run off the opening in the fence into the pool (or more accurately, onto the exit cage you just now raised). Swim across the pool and locate the hole near the SE corner. Inside is a tunnel with a wall lever at the end to pull, which opens your exit door. (There's also a lever on the column near the NE corner that raises another cage where you can pull up into the area where the Jeep drove up the ramp. The only purpose for the lever and the cage is to allow access back to the platform and keep you from getting stuck in case you decided to get out of the Jeep and explore before driving up the ramp.) Swim back to the cage near the NW corner, pull up and run north across the room to the exit door, where a solitary figure awaits you at the top of a ramp. One can reasonably assume that this is the dude you've been spending all this time, over thirteen levels, trying to locate and rescue. When you make that last jump over the slope and approach him, the level unceremoniously ends, bringing to a conclusion a grand series that must surely rank as one of the greatest amateur productions of all time.