Europe

LEVEL 7: PALACE MIDAS

• Kills: 43
• Items: 23*, including 3 lead bars
• Secrets: 3

(*NOTE: One of these pick-ups can only be had by cheating. See the note below at the single asterisk. Also note that one of the regular pick-ups in this level will be the SHOTGUN if you didn't find it earlier.)

Objectives: Use the five switches in different combinations to open four doors in turn. Three of the doors lead to areas where you'll find lead bars. The three lead bars must then be turned into gold, by a magical process which you must discover. The fourth door you'll open using the five switches leads to the exit. Use the three gold bars to open the final door.

Walk-through: Keep swimming, surface in a lovely pool decorated with dolphins and climb out. Draw weapons and head through the doorway on the left. (You can go forward, but here you'll find a number of gorillas. If you go left instead, you can kill from above later on.) A crocodile waits in the hallway. Kill it and continue to the base of a stairway. Don't go up yet. Instead turn right and follow the passageway to a high building with many alcoves.

Advance slowly to the left with weapons drawn. Give yourself room to back up while shooting at the 2 lions that emerge from one of the alcoves. When they're dead, advance farther to the left to the dark back alcove. Kill 4 bats there and pick up a small med-pack. (Hear the running water? This structure is actually an aqueduct. You'll get to the top later on from above.) Turn around and head back toward the hallway where you entered. Pass it and continue to the far end of the room. There is a narrow alley there with a gorilla and 2 sets of magnum clips in it. When you've got them, return through the passage to the base of the stairs.

Go up, turn left and advance to the large room. Three more gorillas there need your attention. You can probably shoot them from the doorway by advancing to draw them out then backing up. When all the apes are dead, enter the room.

Room with 5 switches: Here you see a number of tall square pillars, a high platform with 5 switches, plus several doors. Note the inscriptions above the doors. Each has a series of five Greek letters--a different combination of omegas (?), which look like horseshoes with the round end up, and upsilons (?), which look like capital Y's, for each door. (NOTE: If these symbols look like 'W' and 'U' in this document, try converting them to Symbol font.) Five symbols, five switches. Omega points up, Upsilon points down. Get it?

Now to get up to those switches. Cross to the far right side of the room from the entrance. Here you'll find the lowest pillar, which you can climb on. Take a running jump to the next pillar, then another running jump to the ledge above the door on the left. Follow the ledge to the far end and take a running jump to grab the ledge opposite. Pull up and retrieve some magnum clips and a small med-pack. Safety drop down. Return to the shortest pillar, climb up, jump to the second pillar, then take another running jump to the third. From here, take a running jump to grab the top of the next pillar. Pull up and take a standing jump to the fifth and a running jump to grab the last pillar.

Now the switch platform should be on your immediate right. Before jumping to it, look up to the top of the white stone structure ahead. (*)See that large med-pack way, way up there? Well, you can't get it without cheating.

Here's how: Jump over to the white stone ledge. Turn around and walk to the edge. Sidestep so Lara's left shoulder is against the white block and her toes are at the edge. Then turn about 45 degrees toward the switch platform. Jump straight up and down in place repeatedly and Lara will creep forward. At a certain critical point, she'll suddenly pop up to the top of the block above. Why? As Lara creeps forward, the program interprets her position as being INSIDE the block. It knows this can't be true, so it "corrects" by repositioning her on top of the block. This is a bug in the game, but apparently the programmers meant it to be exploited, or they wouldn't have put goodies up there. (Thanks to Jeff Reid and others for this tip.)

(NOTE: If you need help with the corner bug, visit http://www.tombraiders.com/tr2/CornerBug.htm.)

Drop back down, jump over to the square pillar and from there to the platform with the switches. You can explore the areas behind the doors in any order you like. I suggest you try the most difficult first. Then, if at first you don't succeed, you can always go on to the other rooms and try this one again later. Lower the leftmost switch so you have, from left to right: Down, Up, Up, Up, Up (?????). The door below near the lowest pillar opens. Go down the stairs in the middle of the platform and use the switch to open the gate. Now you don't have to do the pillar hop next time.

Torch room (first lead bar): Enter the door you just opened. You're now facing a pool and five square pillars with torches on top. Stepping on the floor in front of the first torch turns off the flames. You then have about 10 seconds to get to the other side. Here's how:

First, kill the 3 rats swimming in the pool. Then if you fall in--and you probably will at least a couple of times-they won't start nibbling as you swim back to the steps. Save your game. Position Lara's feet on the brown line in front of the first pillar, squarely facing the middle of the next pillar. The timer doesn't start until you pass the line, so take your time getting set up. Now, press Forward, then Jump, and hold both keys to take a smooth series of running jumps from pillar to pillar. Use the left and right arrow keys to turn Lara in the air so she lands on each pillar facing in the direction she needs to run. At the fourth pillar keep holding Forward and Jump until take-off then press Action in the air to grab the edge of the last pillar. Pull up and run across the burner as quickly as possible.

If you make it to the point where you grab the last pillar and the flames come on as you're about to pull up, try this trick: Traverse to one corner before pulling up, run across the edge of the pillar and, if Lara has caught fire, immediately save your game. Reload and Lara will have taken some damage, but she'll no longer be on fire. (MAKE SURE YOU SAVE IN A NEW SLOT in case this doesn't work for you, but it has worked for me and others playing the PC version.)

(NOTE: If you absolutely can't manage this sequence for whatever reason, you can download a savegame with Lara on the other side of the burners. The PC save is at http://tombraiders.net/stella/zip/pcsaves/pctr1/firepillar.zip. The Macintosh save is at http://tombraiders.net/stella/zip/macsaves/mactr1/Macmidas.zip. For help using savegame and .zip files, see http://tombraiders.net/stella/ziphelp.html.)

Pick up the lead bar--the first of three you'll need to find to finish the level. Jump in the water, swim back to the steps and exit the room. Another gorilla will be lurking about. Kill it and return to the switch platform.

Spike room (second lead bar): Now arrange the 5 switches to match the inscription over the door to the right of the entrance: ?????--left to right, Up, Up, Down, Up, Down. Descend and enter the room, taking care to walk through the spikes. Go through the opening on the right and locate the movable block behind the ramp. Pull it twice then go behind it and use the switch there to raise the gray pillars in the room with the spikes.

Climb onto the ramp and go to the top. Jump across to the nearest pillar. Jump from pillar to pillar counterclockwise around the room (running jumps all) until you're facing the opening to a small room. Walk to the edge of the pillar, take a standing jump into the doorway and immediately back flip out onto the pillar. Kill the gorilla from safety and jump back over to retrieve the second LEAD BAR. Jump back to the pillar, then take a running jump over the spikes to a clear spot on the floor. Return to the switch platform.

Sand room/long detour to temple (third lead bar): Arrange the 5 switches to match the inscription over the door to the left of the entrance: ?????--from left to right Up, Up, Down, Down, Up. Go through the door, around the pillar at the center of the room and through the doorway at the back of the room. Turn right and go down the stairs. Find the movable block and pull it once to cause the ceiling to collapse in the room above. Go back up the stairs then straight ahead up the second flight of stairs to an opening above the now sand-filled room.

Take a standing jump from the doorway to the flat spot below and to the right. From here take a running jump to grab the broken pillar. Pull up then take another running jump to the slightly raised flat spot to the right. Two more standing jumps will get you to the flat spot to the right of the door, then into the doorway. Climb up the rocks on the right until you come out in a doorway across from a water-filled aqueduct. Kill 2 bats and 2 gorillas from the doorway. You can probably also kill another gorilla running around in the room below from the ledge. Jump across to the walkway around the aqueduct. (When you look down, you'll notice you're now high above the area where you killed the lions earlier.)

There are also 2 crocodiles in the water at the far right. You may need to take a dip to draw them out. When the crocs are out of the way, swim through the underwater tunnel at the end of the aqueduct and surface in a small cave. Climb out of the water on the right, turn to the left then climb up on the rocks. Walk forward (with the pool on your left) until Lara won't walk farther. Jump over the angled block and immediately jump again to land on the rocks ahead. From here, you'll slide down to a flat spot in the corner.

Turn to the left and walk/slide down to the magnum clips and small med-pack, which are SECRET #2. Return to the north end of the aqueduct where you entered this area. Safety drop down into the hole with the small med-pack, shotgun shells and Uzi clips. This is SECRET #3. If you didn't kill the gorilla from above, do it now by jumping up and down until you get a pistol lock on it, then continuing to jump and fire until it's dead. Then take a standing jump out of the pit.

Go around the corner, past the two openings on the right, and pick up another small med-pack in one of the dark alcoves beyond. Return to the openings and jump from the left one to the building on the left. Two more gorillas wait here--one in the second alcove, another in the farthest. Take care of them then walk to the edge facing the rock wall opposite. Position Lara facing the right side of the crevice near the large med-pack. Take a running jump to grab the flat part of the ledge, pull up and take the med-pack. Then drop back to grab the ledge and traverse all the way to the left. Drop to the flat block and roll, drawing weapons, to kill 2 bats.

Take a running jump back across the gap to the dark hallway that is lit at the far end. Follow this twisty passage, running up a series of ramps, then climbing up blocks until you emerge in a cave with a section of break-away floor. Run across the tiles to the niche with the large med-pack. Then take a standing jump diagonally to the right to land on the solid ground beyond. If you fall through the floor, you'll land in the pool at the end of the aqueduct and have to climb all the way back here.

Slide down the ramp ahead, drop down into the area below, then climb down the rocks to emerge on a ledge above the pool at the level entrance. Follow the ledge around the pool, shooting the lion that gets in your way. Enter the cave at the end of the ledge. Continue to an opening on the left side where you can climb up then out onto a ledge.

Be careful not to fall down or you'll have to reload or come all the way back to this point from the switch room. Kill the 2 gorillas from above. Turn to the right and take a running jump to the next ledge. Enter a cave with a pool. Swim forward quickly, avoiding the crocodile, until you can surface and kill it. Turn around, go to the back of the cave and climb the rocks to an opening. Kill 2 bats then jump across to the roof of the temple ahead. Cross the roof and pick up the third LEAD BAR.

Now you should be able to kill 2 lions and 2 gorillas from the roof before climbing down. If you don't want to wait for the gorillas to show, you can dangle from the roof to draw them near, or drop down then jump on the rocks at the side of the temple to kill them from safety. When all is clear, approach the temple, pick up the large med-pack and enter (the door opens automatically). Follow the passageway to a switch and use it to open the gate to a garden near the pool at the entrance.

Exit the passageway and continue down to the next room. Jump up on one of the blocks to kill the 3 gorillas running around in here. Continue on through the far doorway, turn right at the pool where you entered the level and go down to the gate you just opened.

Garden/Midas: Two more gorillas lurk in the garden. Kill them then find a switch on the left wall behind a small tree. Use it to open the gate ahead, also on the left side of the garden. Enter slowly. When you turn the corner a pair of chomping blades begin to work. Walk Lara up to about arm's length from the blades. Listen to the sounds they make. There are two "clangs" as the blades clamp together, then they begin to separate. Take a standing jump past the blades just as you hear the second clang. On the other side is SECRET #3. Pick up the goodies from around the room--magnum clips, shotgun shells and a small small med-pack. Exit past the blades the same way you came in. (NOTE: If you don't already have the MAGNUMS, you'll get them here in place of the clips.)

Cross the garden to the far back corner. Climb on the low ledge, turn around and walk to the edge. Then take a standing jump to grab the edge of the roof. Pull up, take the large med-pack and enter a passageway at the back of the roof. Here you'll find the statue of King Midas, now in pieces. If you want to, save your game first. Then, just for fun, jump onto Midas's hand. Reload and this time use the magic hand to change those lead bars you've collected into gold. (Face the side of Midas's palm and "use" the lead bars as you would use a key.)

Take your gold bars and return through the garden, to the left and up the ramp, then back upstairs to the switch room. Reset the switches to match the inscription over the last door: ?????--from left to right, Down, Up, Up, Up, Down. Go to that door, which is below the right side of the balcony. Enter with weapons drawn and kill the charging lion.

Climb to the top of the stairs and go out onto the balcony to pick up some shotgun shells. Then come halfway back down the stairs to the doorway. Enter, place your gold bars in the niches in the alcoves and exit the level.