Europe

LEVEL 6: COLOSSEUM

• Kills: 26
• Items: 14, including Magnums and 1 Key
• Secrets: 3

Objectives: In the first stage you need to get inside the Colosseum proper. Once you do, you must then find the switches to open each of the corner rooms in turn until you get the key to unlock the exit, which is in the royal box (that room with the furniture and balcony above the arena).

Walk-through: Follow the passage until it opens into a cave with a pool. Shoot the crocodile, then jump in and swim down along the right side, then to the left. Surface in the next area--a large cave with a building, presumably the entrance to the Colosseum.

A lion is waiting near the building. If you can see it from the water, wait for it to go behind the building before climbing out, then kill it as it charges. Head toward the left side of the building and kill another lion. Then go inside. The stairs on the right lead to a dead end. When you start up the stairs on the left, a third lion charges down at you, so back flip out shooting.

The gate at the top of the stairs cannot be opened yet. Instead, go around to the back left side of the building where you'll find a pile of rocks you can climb on. From the top of the rocks, jump over to the ledge that runs around the building. Walk along the lower ledge all the way around the front of the building to the far side and pick up a large med-pack.

Follow the ledge back to the rear of the building. Climb on the low block, turn around and jump straight up to grab the higher ledge. Pull up and follow the ledge around to the front. Take a running jump across the gap in the ledge and continue to the end. Then jump diagonally to the flat spot ahead and to the right.

Down and to the left you'll see a well-lit cave opening. You'll be going here in a moment, but first a pick-up. Look straight ahead and a little to the right. See the square cave opening on the opposite wall? This is where you're headed. Slide down the rocks ahead and walk forward to the far right corner of the flat area. Now you should see a square flat block just ahead and below, a steeply angled block ahead and to the right, and beyond that to the right another flat spot. Take a running jump over the corner of the steeply angled block to the flat spot beyond. Walk forward to the right corner then take a standing jump to land near the doorway. Enter and pick up some shotgun shells, SECRET #1.

To return to the well-lit cave, first walk out onto the block in front of the door. Turn to the right and climb up onto the higher block. From here, take a running jump to the flat block near the cave entrance. If you miss and slide down the rocks, climb up the building again at the back corner and follow the top ledge back to the end. Drop down into the cave.

Go to the edge of the pit and shoot the 2 crocodiles from above. Drop down into the pit to get the small med-pack. Climb back out at the right corner where there's a low block for a boost. Turn to the right and locate the crevice in the wall just above Lara's head. Jump up to grab the crevice, then traverse to the right. About halfway across the pit, pull up into a cave. This is SECRET #2, the reward more shotgun shells. Go back to the ledge, drop back and hang, then continue to traverse to the right until you reach the other side.

Follow the tunnel until you can drop back down into the Colosseum. You're now on the other side of the gate you came up against at the beginning of the level. The switch here opens the gate, but unless you need to get back to the beginning for some reason, you needn't use it.

Go up the stairs and get ready for another confrontation with Pierre. When you've driven him off, look down into the arena. You should be able to pick off the gorilla and 2 lions lurking down there before you descend.

(NOTE: If you don't mind missing a few kills and one pick-up, you can skip the next two rooms. Resume the walk-through below at the *.)

Drop down to the floor of the arena and head for the northeast corner, where you'll find a doorway leading to a ramp. Ready weapons, slide down and kill the 2 lions at the bottom. Pull the 2 switches. One opens the exit, the other a gate elsewhere. Follow the passageway to a pit inside the arena. Three more lions will have been released above. You can kill at least one or two from the pit by waiting for them to approach. If necessary, climb out to lure them near, then jump back down. Then jump straight up and down to get a pistol lock on one of them and continue jumping and firing until it's dead. When the odds are a bit more in your favor, climb out and kill the last lion or two.

Cross to the brown rock pile in the southeast corner. Another lion will charge, so take it out then go behind the rocks to the gate you just opened.

(NOTE: Read ahead now in order to decide whether you want to take the easy or difficult way through the next area.)

Enter and slide down a ramp into a room with two gates and a door. In order to exit, you'll need to do a complicated series of steps. But first retrieve a prize. Go into the alcove on the far left with the gray pressure pad on the floor in the corner. Stand on the pad. This opens the outer gates. Once you leave the pad, a timer starts and the gates will close shortly. Immediately run/jump forward and through the gate on the right. Take the small med-pack. Step on the pressure pad in there to open the gate and run out.

Now the speed dash. Here's the sequence: Save your game if you can. Stand on front of the first pressure pad. When you're ready, run/jump forward and to the left through the gate. Throw the switch to open the third gate inside the other room. Press Look to get Lara's perspective back, then Roll, and run out and to the left, through the other gate. Keep going through the third gate into the passageway. Now you can take your time. Pull this switch to open the exit door. Now step on the pressure pad to open the gate and head for the exit. (If you get stuck in either room, just step on the pressure pad to open the gate, run out and start again. Or reload the game if you saved here.) Continue to the spiked pit, walk carefully through the spikes and climb the rocks to the top.

(*NOTE: There is a way to bypass this gauntlet. In fact, you won't need to do the room with the slide and 2 lions at the bottom either. Instead of sliding down into the room with the gates, go to the far (south) edge of the spiked pit and drop and hang over the spikes. Traverse to the left. Lara will get about halfway across but won't be able to go any further because of the rocks. You should be able to see her shadow on the ground between spikes. Drop down safely and continue. Thanks to Dracman for this tip.)

Once at the top of the brown rock pile, climb up the back to find a box of shotgun shells. Climb back down and go to the front of the rock heap. Take a running jump across to the other pile of rocks. Walk up to the flat rock at the corner of the building and take a running jump from there to grab the edge of the balcony beyond. Pull up and ready weapons.

Kill the 2 gorillas inside. Note the keyhole and fence on the right, and the steps down to a closed door at the rear. You'll be back later. At the left rear of the room is a gray, movable block. Pull it out twice, pick up the small med-pack behind it and throw the switch, which opens the door to the room in the southwest corner of the arena. Take a standing jump from the balcony back to the rock pile, then slide down to the ground.

Go to the southwest corner of the arena and climb up to the spectator area using the stone block for a boost. Climb up the steps to the corner room. Kill 2 bats in the anteroom, then go through the door you just opened. Run forward into the pit, and a boulder will pass by overhead. Climb out and jump over the pit. Go to the room at the top of the ramp and throw the switch to open the door in the room at the northwest corner of the arena. Slide down the next ramp backwards, grab the edge and drop back into the anteroom below.

Exit the room and get ready for another shoot-out with Pierre. This time he's got a lion with him. When the lion is dead and Pierre has fled, proceed to the northwest room, near the collapsed seating area. Kill 2 more bats in the anteroom, then follow the passage to the lit room beyond.

At the top of this room behind a timed door is a secret room. It's another tricky series of jumps to get there. I've included a diagram, which I hope will make it a little easier. I refer to areas marked with letters in the descriptions that follow. You can probably do it without the picture, but a visual aid may help. (See colosspic.gif, also available online at http://tombraiders.net/stella/images/colosspic.gif.)

First, make sure the sound effects volume is up so you can hear the door open and close above. Position Lara next to the first pillar on the left with her back to the entrance and her left foot against the middle of the base of the pillar (A). Stepping on this spot causes the door to open above. Hop back once. Adjust Lara's angle so she's facing squarely toward the right side of the low square platform ahead (B). (Save your game if you can.) Now, take a running jump over the spot that opens the door to land on the low platform (B). As Lara jumps, release the forward key, but continue holding the Jump key. As she lands, press Right, then Back, then Left, then Forward (while holding Jump the whole time). If you've lined it up correctly she'll side flip off the low platform to land on the platform above and to the right (C), back flip from there to the platform above and behind (D), side flip from there to the platform to the left and directly above where you began (E), then jump forward to land on the ledge in front of the secret door (F). If you've done the jumps in one fluid sequence, the door will still be open and you can run through.

This is SECRET #3, which consists of the MAGNUMS, 2 large med-packs and some Uzi clips. Pick up everything and exit. (The door opens automatically.) Before descending, take a running jump to the platform on the left, where there's a switch. Use this to open a door in the northeast corner room.

To get down, take a running jump back to the platform by the door. Walk to the front edge, hop back and take a STANDING jump to the platform below (E). Turn left, walk to the edge, hop back and take another STANDING jump down to the next platform (D). Hang and drop to the ground.

Go to the room at the northeast corner of the arena. Vault up into the doorway you just opened. Use the switch to open the door at the back of the room with the balcony and the gorillas. Jump into the pool and follow the underwater passage until you can surface. Climb out and pick up the small med-pack. Find the movable block and push it twice. Go around to the right side and pull it once to open up an alcove. Inside is a RUSTY KEY. Take it and swim back to the previous room, then exit.

There's now another gorilla down on the arena floor. Kill it, drop down, and make your way back to the room with the balcony. Go to the back, through the door you just opened, and get another small med-pack. Return to the main room with the furniture. If you want all the kills, you can shoot 2 more gorillas that are now running around down in the arena. When you're ready to move on, use your key in the lock to open the gate.

Jump into the water and swim down, then forward and up to a small square opening where you can climb out of the water. Go quickly to avoid the crocodile, which you can then kill from inside this small room. Pull the switch to open the gate at the other end of the underwater tunnel. Swim through to exit the level.