Tomb Raider 2

Tibet

LEVEL 14: THE ICE PALACE

• Kills: 22
• Items: 23 (27)* plus Tibetan Mask, Gong Hammer, Talion
• Secrets: 3

(*Under found items, the number in parentheses shows total including extra items granted for finding all three secrets. Note that one of the regular pick-ups here will be the Grenade Launcher if you don't have it already.)

YETI CAGE AND SPRINGBOARDS: Shoot the bell to open the door. In the next room are two cages: an empty one on the right and another high on the left that holds 3 yetis.

NOTE ON SPRINGBOARDS: The odd looking floor tiles are springboards, which will launch Lara up into the air if she steps on them. Many people have difficulty with these springboards at first. For the ones in this level, the trick is to stand behind them, facing the direction you want to go, then run onto the board. Lara will then sail up in the direction she's headed, to land on or grab a ledge high above. If you jump onto the springboard, Lara will just ping-pong up and down until she eventually crashes to the ground.

Stand in front of either of the 2 adjacent springboards, facing the archway with the gates beyond. Run onto the springboard to launch Lara upwards, then grab the angled ledge above. Climb up and go to the left to find 2 sets of Uzi clips on the floor and a switch. Flip the switch to raise the empty cage and lower the yetis' cage, freeing them. Now, either jump down to the floor below and kill the yetis as they come up the steps, or dangle Lara from the ledge to draw the yetis out. Then you can kill them safely from above.

Cross the room and retrieve a large med-pack in the far right corner (behind the now raised cage). Go into the cage above and behind the yeti cage, where you'll find another large med-pack. Another yeti charges as you approach the stairs at the back. Kill it then go up the stairs and pull the switch there to raise a platform on the outside of the bars.

Go back down the stairs and find the movable block at the back of this cage (across from the opening above the yeti cage). Pull it out to gain access to a large room. SECRET #1, the Gold Dragon, stands on a high platform at the other end of the room. To get across requires a "leap of faith" à la Indiana Jones. Line Lara up with the platform and step out. There's an invisible bridge, which will take you across to the dragon and back.

Return to the main room and go to the springboard opposite the yeti cage on the far left. Above is another bell. Draw pistols, run onto the springboard, shoot the bell at the peak of the jump and slide down the sloped wall ahead. Shooting this bell opens the first of the 2 black gates.

Go to the corridor where the gates are. Face the platform you just raised using the switch and run onto the springboard to sail up onto the ledge. Turn around and you'll see another bell. Stand facing it and jump in place to shoot it. This will open the second black gate below. Jump down to the angled block on the left, slide, grab the edge and drop to the ground.

Go through the black gates you just opened, turn so the gates are on Lara's right and run onto the springboard. As Lara sails up, grab the angled ledge above. Traverse to the right and drop down onto a flat ledge. There's another bell above and sloped ledges ahead and behind. Targeting this last bell is a bit complicated: Face the bell and grab the ledge in front of you. Pull up, back flip to the slope behind and at the same time draw your pistols. Shoot the bell and slide down to the flat ledge. This last bell opens the gate above and to the left.

Grab the sloped ledge below the bell again and traverse to the left. Pull up, back flip onto the slope behind you, then side flip left to land on the flat ledge. Climb the ladder to the ledge above. Climb into the opening and jump across the gap to the floor. Kill the yeti that charges through the other opening, then take the flares from the raised block.

DARK CAVES: Notice the Silver Dragon behind the barred window. To get it, climb through the opening where the yeti came in. Head down the passageway, killing the charging tiger. (The cave area here, with the various ledges and openings.) Go up the ramp on the right side of the passage. Jump into the dark opening on the right. (The passage on the left leads to a wooden door, which is closed.) Follow the dark passage back to the dragon. This is SECRET #2. Exit this tunnel and take a running jump from the top of the ramp to the ledge on the other side of the path. Off to the right is a small med-pack.

Return to the path below. This time, continue to the end. The passage widens into a room where there are 3 tigers. One charges as you enter; the other two emerge as you advance into the room. After you've killed them, take the TIBETAN MASK from the pedestal and go back the way you came. Go up the ramp (now on the left). At the top of the ramp, follow the passage on the left through the wooden door, which will be open once you've taken the mask. Continue past a barred window that overlooks the buildings you encountered in the previous level.

SPIKE ROOM WITH YETIS: At the end of the passage, ready weapons, jump down into the room below and kill a yeti. Light a flare and throw it into the dark room below. You should be able to see and kill the second yeti lurking below. (Hang from one of the openings to draw it out if necessary.) When it's dead, cross the room to pick up a large med-pack then drop down at the middle of the opening nearest the med-pack to avoid the spikes below. Take the 2 sets of automatic pistol clips from the floor in the far right corner. Climb onto the ledge with the red columns. There's a small med-pack at one end and a switch. Pull the switch to open a nearby door. Hop back down into the spike room and exit through the door you just opened, which is just to the left of the ledge.

ROPE BRIDGE AND FIREPOT (ABOVE CATACOMBS AREA): When you step out onto the bridge, you'll notice that you're now above the area you explored in the previous level. At the beginning of the bridge, turn to the left then take a running jump to the ledge opposite to get some flares in the corner.

(NOTE: If you accidentally drop off the bridge or the ledges ahead, you can climb back up using the snowy blocks in the corner where the bridge meets the building with the red columns, near where you find the flares.)

Jump back to the bridge then go across, turn left and go through an opening in the snow. Jump across the rocks to the left to find a switch. Pull it to spill hot oil from the firepot onto the ice below, melting it so you can get into the water. Jump down via the angled blocks below and to the right of the switch. Kill the 2 tigers that charge in from the cave with the ice wall. Go into that area to pick up 2 boxes of shotgun shells. Then climb over the rocks near the opening and jump into the water (where you found the Tibetan Mask in the previous level). Now there are 2 sets of Uzi clips down there.

UNDER THE ICE/GONG HAMMER: Return to the hole you just made in the ice and jump into the water. Grab the GONG HAMMER and climb out to shoot the 2 biting fish. Once you've taken care of them, jump back in the water and swim under the ice through an opening into the next cavern.

Wade out of the water, avoiding the falling icicles, and kill the 3 yetis waiting here. (NOTE: You can do this from the safety of the water if you have any harpoons left. Thanks to Joe C. for this tip.)

When the coast is clear, head for the openings opposite the water. Enter the one on the left, taking care to avoid the icicles. When you approach the low ice wall, another yeti charges. Kill it, then go behind the wall and collect 4 pairs of grenades. (NOTE: One of these will be the GRENADE LAUNCHER if you somehow managed to get this far without picking it up.) Return to the cave with the pool and go through the door on the right. As you enter, 2 yetis attack: one from behind and another from the top of the ice steps. Kill both, then take the small med-pack lying on the ground.

AVALANCHE AREA AND ICE CHASMS: Continue to a large, sloped cave with many snowballs at the top of the hill. Walk a few steps into the room to trigger the first wave of snow, and back flip to the safe spot in the doorway. Do this again for a second bunch of snowballs. For the remaining avalanches, you'll need to go farther down the slope to set them off, but you can run to the left wall for safety.

GONG AND TALION: Jump over the snowballs into the doorway. To cross the first deep chasm, slide backwards down the slope, traverse left, then pull up and back flip into the doorway behind. To cross the next chasm, do a running jump from the doorway to grab the ice ladder opposite. Climb to the opening at the top. Slide backwards down the next icy slope, grab the edge then drop to the ground in front of a huge gong.

Before striking the gong, climb down the ice structure and cross to the far left corner. Do a standing jump to grab the ladder. Climb to the bottom, then drop down on the left. (There are spikes below on the right.) Flip the switch to open the door to the small stone building above. Climb back up, back flipping from the ladder across the gap. Go to the stone building and take SECRET #3, the Jade Dragon (with a bonus of 4 pairs of grenades for finding all 3 secrets).

Climb up to the gong and use the hammer to strike it. This will break the ice windows on either side of the structure below so you can enter and take the TALION. Climb down to the floor for the final battle of the level. When you hit the ground, a huge, wingless bird monster, the Guardian of the Talion, emerges from the ice doorway on the right.

If you want all the pick-ups, you'll need to do some fast running. Inside the monster's cave on the right side of the flat area with the pillars (right when Lara's back is to the gong) are 2 sets of Uzi clips and a large med-pack. Here are a few tips: Hit the ground on the side farthest from the Guardian's cave entrance, then run/jump to the depression in the far left corner near the ladder. This is a safe spot where the guardian can't reach Lara. When the guardian approaches, run around the pillars (clockwise) into the cave, while the monster chases Lara the long way around the pillars. Pick up one item, then roll and jump past the monster who should be just entering the cave. Run back around the pillars to the safe spot. Repeat this process for the second item. Jump out past the beast again and get ready to fight.

Now kill the Guardian. You can tough it out and try not to fall down the deep crevasses on the sides of the platform, or head for one of the safe spots: either the depression in the corner near the ladder, on the ice blocks at the left side of the building (left if you're facing the gong), or inside the hut where you got the Jade Dragon. Once the guardian is dead, the level ends.

In the movie following, Lara emerges from the caves and steals a Jeep from the bad guys' camp. A slippery, snowy car chase ensues, with the pasty Marco Bartoli and his henchmen in hot pursuit of our heroine. Of course she makes a clean getaway and soon returns to the doors of the Xian temple. She uses the Talion to open the puzzle-lock door, and the next level begins.