Tomb Raider 8: Underworld

LEVEL 1: MEDITERRANEAN SEA - PART 3: THE NORSE CONNECTION

GATE PUZZLE:

As in the room near the start of the NIFLHEIM area, the 2 pressure pads here control the gate, but at this point you have nothing to hold them down. Go to the corner of the room to the right of the gate when facing it.

If you have Training Text enabled in the Game Options menu, it explains how to chimney jump: Position Lara facing the brown, carved column with her back to the wall and the hole in the wall above and behind her. When you do this, the camera shifts to Lara's left. Jump to the left (i.e., forward relative to Lara but left on the control stick). As soon as Lara makes contact with the brown column, press Jump again to spring back toward the wall behind her. Continue pressing Jump each time Lara touches one of the surfaces to make her jump back to the other wall. Do this four times in all to reach the opening in the wall. After the first jump you can release the control stick, but the move should work even if you continue to hold it.

Drop down into the next room. Here you'll find a treasure (3/7) on the floor in plain sight.

There are also 2 small, carved blocks and another pressure pad. Pick up one of the small blocks by standing near it and pressing Interact (-) and stand on the pressure pad, which opens the door leading back to the gate room. Step to the edge of the pad nearest the door, face it squarely and then press (B) to toss the block through the door. Repeat with the second block. Then stand at the edge of the pad and run or roll forward through the doorway before the door closes.

Place the 2 small blocks on one of the pressure pads on either side of the gate. Use Interact to both pick up and drop the blocks. You'll need both blocks on one pad to weigh it down. Doing this retracts one part of the gate's locking mechanism. Grapple the metal ring on the gate and then, with the cable still attached, walk Lara onto the other pressure pad to retract the second part of the mechanism. Now pull on the cable (Z) to yank the gate out of the doorway.

Go through and approach THOR'S LEFT GAUNTLET. Press Interact to take it.

Cinematic: Lara reaches out to touch the glove and it glows blue and disintegrates, leaving behind a small turtle-shaped device. She places it on the back of her hand and it extends four straps to encircle her hand. Faint tracings of blue energy outline the shape of a phantom gauntlet.

As Lara ponders the connection between Thor's hammer and Avalon, a squad of mercenaries in wetsuits sneaks up behind her. They hold her at gunpoint while their leader takes the gauntlet device. As they make their exit, the leader plants a bomb and tells Lara, "Amanda Evert sends her regards." Lara quickly takes cover behind the pedestal as the bomb explodes, sealing the exit under a pile of rubble.

When the movie concludes, go forward toward the statue of Thor to find a golden treasure (4/7) lying on the floor.

EXITING THE RUINS:

With the doorway where you came in blocked, you'll need to find another way out. Go through the room with the 2 pressure pads and into the smaller room on the right. This doorway was previously obstructed; the explosion must have opened the way. Use the block on the left to reach the opening. Then follow the passageway. Roll through the low opening and continue to the next room.

LONG ROOM WITH BROKEN COLUMNS:

Approach the first column on the right and press Forward on the control stick to grab onto it. Continue pressing Forward to climb. The camera shifts to Lara's left. So when you reach the top, press Left + Jump to leap and grab the next column, which is broken off at the bottom so it hangs from the ceiling. Climb to the top and jump onto the ledge behind Lara, where you'll find another treasure (5/7).

Cross the ledge and turn to face out over the room. Jump forward to perch on top of the broken column ahead. Jump forward to grab the next column. Climb up a bit and then jump to the broken ledge beyond. Turn about 45 degrees to the right and take a running jump to land on the broken column extending up from the floor on the other side of the room (i.e., the one just to the left of the broken column extending down from the ceiling). Or, alternately, jump from the ledge to grab the column extending down from the ceiling. Then climb up a bit and jump from there to land on the column extending up from the floor. Jump forward to perch on the next broken column. Finally, jump from there to the ledge ahead.

NOTE: Normally for complicated jumping sequences like this, it helps to point the camera toward the column or ledge where you want Lara to go. Then just press Forward + Jump and she'll do it correctly. However, in this area, the camera is sometimes fixed in one position. When this happens, tilt the control stick in the direction you want Lara to go on screen and then jump.

PASSAGE TO KRAKEN ROOM:

Follow the passage forward. Duck to get through the low tunnel on the left. When you emerge from the tunnel and Lara stands upright, look to the left to find a treasure (6/7). Take it and proceed, ducking through another low opening, and continuing along the rubble-strewn passage to emerge on a high ledge overlooking the KRAKEN POOL.

Head for the far right side of the edge of the ledge and stand facing the metal ring on the ceiling. Fire your grapple to hook the ring and then take jump off the ledge. In my game, this section is a little buggy, and Lara ends up hanging from the cable facing the ledge from which she just jumped. If this happens to you too, press Left or Right on the control stick to turn around and face the opposite ledge. Tap the (C) button to center the camera behind Lara and make sure she's facing the ledge squarely. Adjust the length of the cable if necessary by holding (Z) and pressing Up/Down on the stick. Then press Forward on the stick to start swinging. When Lara is swinging high enough, press Jump as she nears the opposite ledge and she'll detach the cable and land there.

Go to the right edge of this ledge and jump to grab the horizontal pole on the wall head. Swing to the next ledge and pick up the final treasure (7/7) in the Mediterranean.

Slide down the angled block on the right to the long ledge above the exit. Go to the far end, hang from the edge (Lara's back is toward the dead kraken at this point) and drop down into the doorway.

RETURNING TO THE UNDERWATER ENTRANCE:

Go forward and to the left along the hallway. Then make the next right. This is the doorway where you first entered the KRAKEN ROOM.

Follow the passageway down the stairs. When you reach the pit, jump to the small ledge on the right. From there, jump to grab the narrow, horizontal crevice on the square, brown column against the right wall. Jump up to the next handhold on this same column. Climb to the left and then take a long jump to the left to grab a slightly lower handhold on the next column. Climb to the left again. Then jump to the edge of the pit.

Continue down the stairs to the Niflheim gate room, where you placed the stone serpent heads on the pressure pads earlier. Hop in the pool and swim down and forward through the rectangular opening and then on through the round hole where you first saw the kraken's tentacle.

Follow the long passage lined with luminescent jellyfish back to the PUZZLE DOOR with the three circles. Swim through it and up the stairs to exit the tower. Head for the surface and climb onto Lara's boat.

Cinematic: Lara climbs on board and spots another, larger boat in the distance. She uses her camera's zoom feature to scope it out and spots several armed mercenaries on deck. Never one to be put off by a few bad guys with guns, she motors directly toward the threat.