Tomb Raider 8: Underworld

LEVEL 1: MEDITERRANEAN SEA - PART 4: GOD OF THUNDER

Health Items: 5
Treasures: 0
Relics: 0
Keys/Puzzle Items: 0

BOARDING AMANDA'S SHIP:

You regain control of Lara after she pulls her boat alongside Amanda's ship, the Megaera. Jump from the deck of Lara's boat to grab the big ship's anchor. Climb up to grab the chain. Continue climbing to the top. Then jump up four times to reach the deck above.

MAIN DECK - CARGO CONTAINER AREA:

Pick up the first aid kit lying on the deck just ahead. Before rushing into battle, be sure to equip a more powerful weapon if you haven't done so already. (I like the assault rifle here, but use what you like best. Remember, you can switch between pistols and secondary weapon on the fly using the Change Weapon key. Use the PDA to change secondary weapons.)

Now stay under cover behind the crates as you scope out the situation: There are no enemies in the section where Lara is standing, but 3 mercenaries patrol the deck below and there's a fourth man on the upper deck looking down over the stacked containers. You can probably get the first man (below on the left) from where you start using only pistols, as long as you stay behind the crates. Then you'll need to venture downstairs to confront the others.

Try and keep some distance between you and the mercenaries, and keep firing as you strafe back and forth to dodge their fire. If you find yourself in close combat, try kicking (Interact) to knock the bad guy off his feet. Or, better yet, a flying jump-kick (run toward the enemy then press Interact) Then shoot him while he's down.

Note that the small fuel tanks will explode if you shoot them, causing extra damage if an enemy is standing nearby. But keep in mind that the mercs can do the same. So don't stand too close to a tank if you're under fire.

When you've killed the 3 men on the deck, head toward the right side of the ship (while facing the stern) and use the cable spool for cover to take down the guy on the upper deck. You can use pistols for this to conserve ammo, since the spool offers protection.

To reach that upper deck, either chimney jump between the stacked containers or climb the shorter boxes near the cable spool. Then jump across the containers to the deck. There's another first aid kit just ahead.

NOTE: In case you haven't already made the connection, the cargo offers a clue as to what may actually be going on. As in the final level of Tomb Raider: Legend, a number of the crates and containers here are stenciled with the word "NATLA". Apparently there's a link between two of Lara's old enemies.

XBOX 360 ACHIEVEMENT: To unlock the Xbox 360 Swan Diver II achievement, upon reaching the upper deck, go to the left and locate the white bin with the words "Life Jackets" stenciled on it. Swan dive off the box into the sea below. Note that in order to unlock all three Swan Diver achievements, you must dive from the three highest points in the game (over water) during the same play-through. For more about achievements, see the Underworld Rewards page.

UPPER DECK:

From the spot where the fourth mercenary was, you can go to the left or right to reach the stern. You may want to go one way, clear out the enemies there, and then backtrack and go the other way. There's one mercenary hiding behind the crates in the corridor to the right and 2 more men in the corridor to the left. You may be able to take out one or both of them with a well-aimed grenade. Take care when aiming so the grenade doesn't stick to the wall right next to Lara. I learned that one the hard way. ;)

HELIPAD:

This area is well guarded. Three men stand between you and the choppers, 2 more mercenaries guard the helipad area, and there's another pair of men (7 in all) stationed behind the helicopters. If you advance carefully, you can use the crates in the side hallways for cover at least until the mercenaries shoot them to bits. Then you'll need to run out and confront any remaining enemies.

You can use the Target Lock key to keep an enemy in your sights even if he ducks behind cover. But if you want to switch targets, you'll have to release the Target Lock button, aim the camera toward another enemy and lock on again. Otherwise, combat can get a little difficult, with Lara tracking one enemy while another sneaks up beside her.

When the coast is clear, pick up 2 more first aid kits. The first is located on the deck with the big, circular vent, near the top of the right-side stairs leading down to the helipad. The other is on the deck near the crates beside the second helicopter.

Make your way down to the aft deck, behind and below the helipad, using the stairs on either side. Go carefully since 3 more mercenaries wait below 2 in plain sight, the other just inside the doorway at the back of the boat. There's also another first aid kit on the floor near the doors.

BELOWDECKS:

When the coast is clear, go through the doorway and down the stairs. The door at the bottom opens as you approach. There are 2 enemies inside the next room on the right. Soften them up with a grenade, then go in and finish the job.

Continue downward into lower decks of the ship. The door at the bottom of the next flight of stairs also opens automatically. Proceed forward to the engine room.

Cinematic: The lead mercenary gets the drop on Lara. She dodges out of the way but finds she's taken cover behind a fuel pipe. She quickly dives out of the way as the conduit explodes, killing the soldier and setting off a nasty chain reaction.

When you regain control of Lara, the sprinkler system has been activated and you hear Amanda Evert's voice over the P.A. advising all personnel to abandon ship. Continue following the hallway into the bowels of the ship. When you come to a T in the passage, go left. (There's just a dead end to the right.)

Cinematic: Lara peers into the next room and sees Amanda standing on a glassed-in observation deck. She's holding the gauntlet device that her men stole from Lara. "Damn," she curses. "It's too small."

A familiar voice replies, "Only Lara can use it now."

"Until I kill her," Amanda snaps.

"Even that won't unbind the artifact," the other voice replies.

Amanda then learns that the ship is taking on water. So she leaves the conversation unfinished to attend to the immediate danger. Once Amanda has gone, Lara enters the room to find her old nemesis, Jacqueline Natla, encased in a huge glass cylinder.

"I'm very pleased to see you again, Lara," she says, despite having her back toward the door where Lara enters.

In the ensuing conversation, Lara learns that Amanda has been holding Natla in this giant specimen jar, and it was apparently Natla who told Amanda about the existence of Avalon. Even in captivity, Natla seems calm and patient. She's taken some enjoyment in watching Amanda's suffering.

When Lara asks about her mother, Natla answers that the dais Lara found in Nepal [in TR: Legend] is actually part of a travel network. She tells Lara that while searching for Avalon, her father accidentally discovered Niflheim instead. But, in truth, Natla believes Amelia Croft did not end up in Avalon but in Helheim, another Norse underworld.

Lara demands to know where Helheim is. Natla says she'll tell her one day, but when that day comes, Lara will need Thor's hammer to enter. Natla taunts Lara a bit, saying maybe she'll have better luck finding the hammer than her father did.

Lara demands to know more, but Natla provides only a cryptic reference to the coast of Thailand before one of Amanda's helicopters lifts her glass prison out of the hold and carries her off.