EGYPTIAN TALE

Level by AgentCroft77

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth. Video walks have also been provided by Doggett TV, by Steven3517 and by Saki Croft.

After the brief opening flyby, loop around right underneath the monkey bars and look up to find a cleverly hidden jump switch. Face E and back flip onto the sloped wall, jump off to activate the switch and hop down to the lower N area (yes, the compass here is backwards). Shoot a scorpion and go to the NE corner (past a floor crowbar switch) for revolver ammo. Stand jump to activate the nearby jump switch and the E gate will open. Enter and shoot an assortment of bats and scorpions (two each). Pick up the flares and go a bit further for the CROWBAR in front of a cat statue. Near the other cat statue is more revolver ammo. There are two more jump switches at the NE and SE corners, but the SE one left is fire-trapped so activate only the NE one.

Instead go up the steps between them to trigger a brief but unintelligible history lesson. When it ends, take the DIAMOND BEETLE from the plinth and on the way back look for revolver ammo hidden in a fern behind one of the cat statues. Blocks have lowered at the entrance corners, courtesy of that last jump switch, so grab the small medipack and 2 x shotgun ammo for SECRET #1.

Exit to the previous area and use the crowbar on the floor switch to lower the adjacent block. Hop down for flares and crawl down W to find the receptacle for the Diamond Beetle. Place it to hear the faint sound of a door opening, return to the monkey bars you saw at the beginning of the level and use them to get across N, utilizing the fancy new animation, to drop down onto the column tops. Side flip right for the shotgun ammo, return and take a running jump to grab the N ledge. Pull up near more lowered blocks and grab the SMG, 4 x SMG ammo and a large medipack for SECRET #2.

The N door has opened, so go inside to find a pushblock near shotgun ammo. Move it against the S wall, get up on it and pull down the wall switch to lower a block in the E wall, enter the revealed alcove for the SHOTGUN and SECRET #3, activate the nearby jump switch to hear the sound of another block lowering, and go down the N passage for more shotgun ammo. Face the E wall in the passage, back flip onto the slope and jump off to grab the higher facing slope, use the up arrow and jump keys to grab the monkey bars and make your way left into the E alcove where the block lowered. Activate the crowbar switch to lower the W block near the pushblock, go there and jump inside to trigger a nice flyby through the area ahead.

Hop down and explore the ledge surrounding the pool for a small medipack and flares hidden among the plants. Then jump into the water and search the bottom for 2 x shotgun ammo. Go through the W opening into the beetle pyramid room and shoot four jackals. Note the four receptacles and closed gate in the far wall, jump into the water and grab the revolver ammo you saw in the flyby. Return E to the previous room, go through the S opening and turn left at the bottom of the ramp for shotgun ammo. Return to the passage and continue S as a block rises behind you. When you turn the corner a flyby will give you a preview of the lava room ahead.

Take a running jump to grab the nearest block and pull up in the corner where you'll be safe from the flames. Time a running jump W to the next block and repeat (shimmy around the corners and take standing jumps with grab) until you reach the opening in the far wall. Step forward for SMG ammo and follow the dark passage (another block rises behind you just before you reach more SMG ammo) until action music is triggered. Two mummies greet you as you turn the corner, but a couple of blasts from the shotgun will blow them to smithereens.

Activate the crowbar switch to lower a block in the SE corner and turn on an overhead blade trap. Hop up to the opening and jump to grab the monkey bars. Monkey swing and climb as far up as you can go and release to drop onto a ledge. With your back to the wall, stand jump and grab the jutting ledge. Shimmy around the corner and pull up on the far side. Stand jump with a right curve onto the slope, jump off and grab the higher ledge. Pull up in the corner where the blades won't reach you, turn right and stand jump to grab the top of the central column. Pull up to deactivate the blades and turn around.

Take a running jump to grab the high opening, pull up into the passage and activate the jump switch at the end to lower a cage. Go back to the central column, using the monkey bars with the up and down arrow keys (or take a running jump without grab to bypass the monkey bars), turn left and take a running jump to grab the S opening. Activate the jump switch to lower another cage, return to the column top and go into the N passage in the same manner as before. Activate a third jump switch to lower a third cage, return to the column top and make your way into the E opening via the monkey bars (because of the slope). A fourth jump switch lowers the final cage, so return to the column top, stand jump W down to the jutting ledge, take a running jump SE to a lower ledge, turn to face W and stand jump to activate the jump switch.

Hop back up SE and this time enter the passage. Follow around to the lush area you visited earlier. Jump into the water and find a lowered block on the E side of the structure that reveals a large medipack for SECRET #4. The lowered block on the W side has shotgun ammo for SECRET #5. Surface, pull out and go through the W opening into the beetle pyramid room. Jump into the water there, find the SW opening, enter the passage and swim up to a ceiling hole. Pull out E, go up the ramp, pick up the SMG ammo at the top and side flip past two circular blade traps. Continue up a steeper ramp and jump up to grab the monkey bars.

Monkey swing over the water and use the down arrow key to climb down to where you can drop onto a lowered cage you saw in an earlier cut scene. Pry the SACRED RUBY (1 of 4)off the wall, note the nearby spike trap and don't try to jump over it or shimmy past it for the flares you can see on the other side. Instead, drop into the water and return W to the beetle pyramid room. Jump into the water and enter the SE opening.Grab the shotgun ammo and swim around corners to a ceiling hole. Pull out, side flip past two circular blade traps and reach an opening at the top of the ramp. Monkey swing over to a second lowered cage where you can finally pick up those flares and pry another SACRED RUBY (2 of 4) off the wall.

Return to the beetle pyramid room, swim into the NW opening and find revolver ammo just below the ceiling hole. Pull out E to trigger action music and go up the slope to find two more circular blade traps. Side flip past them and grab more revolver ammo, go up the ramp and monkey swing and climb down to a SACRED RUBY (3 of 4). Face the spike trap, hop back to grab the edge and find to your surprise that you can shimmy around the corner past the spike trap without triggering it (a good thing, too, as there's no underwater NE opening in the beetle pyramid room). Collect the final SACRED RUBY (4 of 4) and return to the beetle pyramid room.  

Place the Sacred Rubies in the four W wall receptacles. The gate between them opens, as well as two underwater gates just below you. Let's save the gate ahead for later. Hop back into the water and swim through the left (NW) opening. Follow to a room with the REVOLVER and three levers, two wall and one ceiling. Pull all three, note the rising blocks and return to the previous room. Swim through the other (SW) opening, pause for the SMG ammo and continue up a ramp to pull out into a room with four mummies. An onscreen warning tells you to avoid them, but you can shoot them without fear of dire consequences. The E trench contains flares, and 3 x SMG ammo are hidden in the ferns in the W and E trenches.   

There's a pushblock near each of the four corners of this room, all hiding a wall switch. In no particular order, pull the blocks away from the wall, climb over them to pull down each wall switch (the SW alcove contains a small medipack) and the S gate silently opens. Go inside and pull down the wall switch to lower blocks in the two floor holes and activate revolving blades. Hop down first into the E hole for the WINDING KEY, pull out and hop into the W hole. Follow to an opening to awaken a horde of bats, shoot them before sliding down into the next room and hop up W to activate the jump switch and raise a block behind you.

Use the raised block to access the overhead ledge, turn and stand jump slightly NW to grab a still higher ledge, pull up and find a wall switch that raises a third block in a room you haven't yet visited. Hop back down to the previous ledge, crawl through the gap for a small medipack and on the other side of the ledge stand jump slightly NE to grab the higher ledge. Pull up in front of the wall switch that raises a fourth and final block providing access to a quartet of beetles. A block also lowers in the SE corner of this room, so get down to the floor and hop down into the passage. Grab the SMG ammo and the DIAMOND COVER on the way to a ramp leading to a small medipack and a dead end.

Return to the previous room, hop up the E slope and exit to the floor hole, pull out while avoiding the revolving blade and hop into the N water hole. Swim back to the beetle pyramid room, pull out and go W past the gate you opened with the Sacred Rubies. As you proceed along the passage a flyby will introduce you to the area ahead. Enter the room with the four raised blocks and prepare to do battle with two giant scorpions. Search the corners for 4 x revolver ammo and use the raised blocks to pry 4 x MAGIC BEETLES from the base of the central obelisk.

Return S to the beetle pyramid room, place the Magic Beetles to open up the pyramid and step inside for the MECHANICAL SCARAB. If you're looking for maximum pickups, jump into the water and swim into the left opening in the S wall. Follow past the blade traps as you did earlier and monkey swing to the lowered block. Combine the Winding Key and Mechanical Scarab, place it on the scarab tile to trigger the spikes and pick up the revolver ammo. Retrieve the device, return to the beetle pyramid room and swim through the only opening in the N wall. Repeat what you did earlier on the other side, grab the SMG ammo and be sure to retrieve the device before returning to the beetle pyramid room.

Jump into the water and swim through the left opening in the W wall. Follow to the room with the three switches, continue through the N opening and pick up the revolver ammo. Pull out into a spike-protected passage and use your device to neutralize the spikes. Pick up the device at the other end, use it one final time so that it self-destructs, hop down the floor hole and slide down to engage a demigoddess in the next room who's amazingly hard to kill (which explains the numerous ammo pickups). Luckily, her aim with the thunderbolt-tossing weapon isn't very good, so your task shouldn't be that difficult. When she dies she leaves behind the CURSED DIAMOND. Combine it with the Diamond Cover, go to the central stand, face E and place the BREATH OF THE UNDERWORLD for a nice concluding flyby.