Tomb Raider 8: Underworld

LEVEL 2: COASTAL THAILAND - PART 3: THE ANCIENT WORLD

Health Items: 0
Treasures: 3
Relics: 1
Keys/Puzzle Items: 0

DESCENDING:

As you approach the square opening formed when the naga statue crashed through the floor, spiders swarm out. Deal with them and then step to the edge of the opening.

NOTE: If you didn't pick up treasure #25 on the ground to the right of the statue, get it now since you won't be returning to this area.

Hang from the edge farthest from the statue pedestal. Notice the horizontal stone band on the shaft wall below. Drop to grab it. It's a long drop and Lara will not be able to hang on. So press Interact to perform a saving grab. Drop once more to grab the bottom edge of the opening. While hanging here you can see a metal ring on the ceiling ahead. Drop once more and quickly grapple the ring to save Lara from falling into the pit. Let out the cable as much as possible. Then swing forward release the cable to land on the safe ground ahead. Approach the big carved door.

Cinematic: As Lara examines the door, she notices a blue glow emanating from her backpack. She retrieves THOR'S GAUNTLET, puts it on and touches the door, causing the carvings on it glow with magical energy. She finds she's able to shift the massive thing with just a small movement of her hand. "I can see where the rumors of Thor's godlike strength came from," she quips.

LARA CROFT IS COMPLETELY BADASS:

Stand close to the door and press Interact to activate the gauntlet. Step to the left to slide the door open. Press Interact again to let go. Shoot or squash another swarm of small spiders in the area beyond. Then continue forward into the well-lit room ahead.

HUGE ROOM WITH THOR STATUE AND CIRCULAR PLATFORM:

Before crossing the walkway to the center of the room, turn left to spot a metal ring on the wall next to the entrance. Grapple the ring, step off the edge and rappel down to the ledge below. Turn right and you'll find a treasure (26/30). Return to the spot where you dropped down and stand under the metal ring facing the wall. (If you face out across the room, Lara will grapple the wrong ring.) Fire the grapple to attach it to the ring. Climb back up the wall. When you've almost reached the top, swing to the left a little (by pressing the Left direction key or left on the control stick) and jump to land on the ledge.

Now cross the walkway toward the center of the room.

Cinematic: Lara takes a look around and notes that this part of the ruins must have been built long before the temple above. She discovers more Proto-Norse runes containing references to the second gauntlet, Thor's belt and his hammer, scattered throughout the world. These treasures, she reads, "are protected by the dead to keep Jörmungandr subdued." But the map, which apparently showed the artifacts' locations, has been destroyed. . . and recently, Lara observes.

She approaches the pedestal in the center of the platform. "If one of Thor's gauntlets was here, it's gone now," she says. Then, upon examining the pedestal more closely, she notices a rough inscription: "Natla, I see your goal and am your puppet no longer. Richard James Croft." Lara ponders the inscription and finds it odd that he should use the initials RJC. Apparently he never used his middle initial to avoid confusion with Lara's grandfather. Lara realizes this must be a clue to the location of the second gauntlet.

The remainder of the level, including obtaining the next two treasures and the relic, is covered in this gameplay video.

HIDDEN TREASURE:

When the cut scene finishes drop and hang from the edge of the circular platform, where there's a narrow, squared-off ledge. Drop down several times to reach the broken ledge below. You'll notice the runes glowing as Lara climbs down, a clue that gauntlet power will be useful here. Press Interact to grab the carved panel you just climbed down and walk to the right to rotate the entire central structure. When you've moved as far as you can to the right, let go and step to the left to find a small hollow in the central column that had been hidden behind the panel. Inside is another treasure (27/30).

MOVING THE WALKWAY TO REACH THE THIRD TREASURE:

Leave the carved panel as it is, turn left and jump across the gap in the walkway surrounding the hub. Grapple the metal ring mounted on the wall that supports the walkway leading from the entrance to the pedestal. Step off the edge and use the grapple cable to wall run across to the curved ledge at the outer edge of the room.

If you've played Anniversary, you already know how to do this. If this is your first time, I'll break it down for you: First, grapple the ring and step off the edge. Lara will dangle from the cable with her feet braced against the wall. Move the camera behind Lara so it's facing the wall squarely and Lara is right in the middle of the screen. (As you become familiar with the technique, you'll be able to do this instinctively without much fiddling with the camera.)

Adjust the length of the cable (Interact + Up/Down) so Lara's feet are level with or a little higher than the ledge where you want to go. Alternate pressing the Left and Right keys (or, if you're using a controller, press Left and Right on the left analog stick) to make Lara run back and forth along the wall. Each time she runs left or right, she'll go a little higher, until finally she's tracing out a long arc. When the left end of the arc is higher than the ledge, wait for her to run that way and then, while still holding Left, press Jump and she'll release the cable and jump onto the ledge.

Stand facing the movable wall at the left end where it nearly touches the outer wall of the room. Press Interact to grab the wall and walk backward to drag the wall along, rotating the entire walkway and central structure counterclockwise. Pull the wall nearly to the end of the ledge, but not quite. Leave enough space on the left so Lara can fit through. Let go of the wall and go around behind it. On the other side, grab on again and push the wall forward (still counterclockwise) as far as it will go. Release it and turn to face across the gap toward the hub.

Grapple the metal ring on this side of the movable wall and swing back to the ledge near the hub. Turn left and go around the hub to the gap in the ledge. Jump across near the hub where the gap is not as wide.

Climb the carved panel to reach the circular platform with the small tree. Shoot the flock of bats that swoops down from the ceiling. Then follow the walkway toward the edge of the room. If you've aligned it correctly, you should be able to step onto the curved walkway to the right, where you can pick up the third and final treasure (28/30) in this room.

ALIGNING THE WALKWAY WITH THE EXIT:

Return to the circular platform with the little tree and climb down the carved panel to the ledge running around the hub. Grab the panel and step to the right to move the entire structure counterclockwise.

A brief cut scene plays showing that you've aligned the walkway with the exit door.

OBTAINING THE RELIC:

Climb back up the carved panel to the circular platform. Cross the walkway toward the door, but DO NOT LEAVE YET. When you exit this area, THOR'S GAUNTLET stops working and Lara loses her super powers.

Instead go halfway across the walkway and hang from the left edge. Climb to the left or right if necessary so Lara is hanging near the metal ring on the wall below. Let go and quickly grapple the ring. Adjust the length of the cable so Lara is hanging at or just above the level of the ledges to the left and right. Wall run and jump to the ledge on the left at the outside edge of the room.

Grab the movable wall and pull it (counterclockwise) just past the next vertical support, leaving space on the left for Lara to squeeze through. (If you shift the camera so it's above Lara looking down, you'll notice a ledge above and behind her. That's where the relic is hidden.) Go through the space on the left to the other side of the wall. Grapple the metal ring on this side and wall run back to the ledge near the hub. Turn left and jump the gap in the ledge. Then climb the carved panel to the circular platform on top.

If you've aligned the walkway as described, the end should be about halfway between the ledge on the left, where the relic is, and the ledge on the right near the exit (as shown above). Go to the end of the walkway and jump over to the ledge on the right. You'll find the RELIC lying on the floor behind the Thor statue's massive left shoulder.

NOTE: As in the previous level, taking the relic causes a permanent increase in Lara's maximum health, as well as completely healing any wounds she's suffered recently.

LEAVING THE STATUE ROOM:

Once you have the relic, jump back to the walkway. Then jump across to the ledge near the exit.

When you pass through the doorway a short cut scene shows the gauntlet's glow fading away. Lara wonders aloud how Thor was able to recharge the device.