Tomb Raider: Unfinished Business

LEVEL 4: THE HIVE

• Kills: 41
• Items: 59
• Secrets: 1

Enter and pick up a small med-pack, magnum clips and 2 sets of Uzi clips. (Don't worry, the mutants won't come to life until later.) Note the two closed doors. Proceed to the room ahead with the checkerboard floor. There are 25 boulders dangling from the ceiling. The floor is conveniently marked off in squares as well, with five rows of five squares under the boulders and two rows of five without boulders beyond. Two of the boulders roll harmlessly off to the sides as you approach. Stepping on various squares causes various boulders to roll-and not in a very predictable fashion. You're aiming for the two alcoves on the other side of the boulders. I imagine there are a number of viable ways for getting through this trap. Here's one:

To make it easier, I've provided the diagram hive.gif. Each square is marked with a letter or number (A through 9 for the 35 squares) in the diagram. I've tried to make the description useful without the diagram, but I think the visual aid helps a lot.

Stand in the doorway on the right and step on the white square (D) to the right of the center dark square (C). Side flip left to the next white square (B), then quickly side flip back to the right (D). When the boulders have passed, flip back to the left (B). Step forward to the dark square ahead (G), which is safe. Jump diagonally to the dark square ahead and to the right (M). Boulders roll past harmlessly on both sides. Sidestep to the white square on the left (L). Side flip to the right to land on next white square (N); quickly flip back to L. When the boulder has passed, flip back to the right (N). Step forward to the next dark square (S), which is safe. Side flip left to the next dark square (Q), then quickly flip back to the right (S). When it's safe, flip back to the left (Q). From there you can walk forward into the left alcove safely (V, 1, 6).

Pull the switch here to open one of the doors at the bottom of the hallway and animate one of the mutants. Kill it from within the alcove if possible. When you step on the dark square between the alcoves (7), a boulder comes rolling in from the other side of the room, so go quickly to the right alcove. The switch here opens the other door and revives the other mutant, which shoots fireballs. When it's dead, jump from the doorway (8) to the white square in front of the boulder between the alcoves (2). From here, you can step to the right then walk straight out under the boulder-free path (1, V, Q, L, G, B).

Enter the doorway on the right near where you entered. Time a run past the metal jaw trap then pick up 2 sets of magnum clips in the alcove beyond. Return to the main hall and take the opposite door. Here there are arrow traps as well as a jaw trap. Take each in turn and you'll manage. At the end of the passage is a small med-pack.

Below is a series of slopes above a lava pool. Jump to the far side of the first slope so Lara slides down facing forward. Near the end of the slide, jump to land on the next slide. Slide again and jump to the next slope, which angles down to the left. Now hold down the Jump key so Lara hops back and forth between the two angled slopes over the lava. Press the right arrow key at the same time so she gradually creeps to the right as she jumps. Stop when she reaches the flat spot at the far side of the left hand slope.

Enter the cave and kill the mutant lurking on the left. There's a small med-pack on the ground in the near left corner. Jump up on the side of the structure with the red-and-gold ceiling and the lava pit in the center. From here, you can kill another mutant on the far side of the room between the black pillars. Pick up another small med-pack in the far left corner.

Near where you entered the cave is an opening leading down to the deep lava pit at the center. As you approach, a flying mutant rises up from below. When it's dead, drop down to the flat block in the pit. Jump to the next block, drop down again and take a running jump to grab the next block. This is the only SECRET in the level, a large med-pack.

Return to the top of the pit and go to the left down a small slope toward the lava stream. Here you can jump across to the other side. Walk up the path until you are opposite the first stone block in the lava pool. Take a running jump to land on this block. Landing here causes the left door at the other end of the lava pool to open. No need to go there. Instead, take a running jump to the dark block with the Uzi clips, then a standing jump to the next block with more Uzi clips. From here, jump to the taller stone block. This opens the door on the right.

Both doors are timed, and you need to get through one of them. To get through the one on the right, jump from the taller tan stone block to the lower block that had the clips on it, then to the bank. Run down the ramp and do a running jump to grab the door sill. Pull up and you're in.

Once inside, turn around and slide backward down the tan slope. Grab the edge and traverse left. Pull up, back flip onto the gray sloped block and immediately jump forward to the fleshy wall. When you land, the eggs will hatch and you'll need to kill 2 winged mutants. You might want to hold down that walk key to keep from slipping into the lava below as you fight.

(NOTE: If you do go through the left timed door instead of the right, you can still get to this point by sliding down the ledge on the left, then jumping to the fleshy flat spot below the first egg. From there, do a running jump diagonally to grab the stone slope below the second door. Then follow the directions above from that point.)

From the fleshy wall, face the now empty incubator. Jump over the steeply sloped stone to slide down the slope beyond (the one directly below the incubator on the right). You'll slide down and land on a fleshy square. Jump diagonally to the stone block slightly above. Pull up to the fleshy ledge, turn around, then take a diagonal running jump to the fleshy slope below the opening.

The centaur above awakens when you reach the top. You can hop back down while firing and flipping side to side to avoid its fireball attacks. When it's dead, proceed to the room above, drop down to the next room below and pick up some Uzi clips.

From here, take a long slide down to land in a small underground lake. You can surface on the right side and kill a mutant lurking on the ledge above. Pick up the magnum clips. At some point, you'll also want to get the 5 small med-packs and some Uzi clips scattered about under the water. (Some are in the openings underneath the pyramid).

Swim to the rectangular block in front of the stepped ledges with the 3 mutants. Climb out of the water and kill them safely from here. Jump over to the low, flat area to the right, then to the bottom of the steps. Behind the steps are 5 sets of Uzi clips. When you climb back out, 2 more mutants emerge on ledges near the lake. After killing them, jump and grab the block on the right side of the opening to the steps area to kill another mutant beyond and get some magnum clips.

The last mutant in this room guards the gold door. It can be killed from the low stone ledge below that door. (You may find it helps to get a lock on it then jump up and down in place to get more clear shots.) When it's dead, jump over to the block on the right of the doorway and go up. Pick up 2 sets of Uzi clips in alcoves on the left, then use the 2 switches to open the gold door and another one just beyond.

In the large room beyond, 2 centaurs lurk behind the pillars at the center. You can run out into the room to get their attention, then rush back to the doorway to kill them from relative safety. In the niches between the switches are 3 sets of Uzi clips. Near the gold doors at the opposite end of the room are 2 large med-packs.

There are 4 switches: two on each side of the central pillars. Of the two on the side facing the entrance, the left opens the left gold door, releasing a mutant. The switch on the right opens a door at the top of the pyramid in the middle of the lake. On the other side of the pillars, the left switch opens another door up in the pyramid, and the right switch opens the other gold door, releasing a mutant that throws fireballs. When these two have been taken care of, enter the glassed-in room through either gold door. Proceed slowly. The three eggs hatch as you approach them, releasing a centaur (middle) and 2 winged mutants. When they're dead, jump in the water and pull the 2 levers to open doors on each side of this pool. Behind the left door are 4 sets of Uzi clips and a large med-pack. Behind the right door is a warren of underwater tunnels containing 3 boxes of shotgun shells, 2 sets of Uzi clips and a large med-pack. There's also another lever here, which opens a door leading directly back to the lake.

Return to the lake and climb out on the side where the tan stone bridge connects the pyramid to the shore. Cross this bridge and climb the pyramid, picking up some Uzi clips on the way up. Once at the top, go through the left door first. Climb onto the fleshy ledge and drop down on the other side to find some magnum clips. Return to the other webbed door. A mutant lurks beyond. In an alcove high on the left side of the room is a small med-pack. There are 2 boxes of shotgun shells in the long corridor on the right.

One of the two doors at the end of this corridor opens as you approach. In the room beyond stand 8 mutants. Pick up the shotgun shells (7 boxes). When you try to exit, some of the mutants animate, so jump on the pedestal as fast as you can. You may have to jump down a few times to draw some of the mutants out of hiding, but eventually you'll kill all but three. These pursue as you exit, so you can run down the hallway, roll, and back out shooting.

Return to the doors at the end of the hallway. The second door is now open. This leads into a room with a checkerboard floor, beyond which is the hatchery. There are 2 switches near the entrance. Both are needed to open the gold door at the far end, and the door is timed. The eggs hatch when you approach, releasing 4 winged mutants that throw fireballs. I recommend hatching each one in turn, so you aren't outnumbered. When the coast is clear, pull the switches and run for the door.

As you enter, the door closes behind you and the centaur playing nanny starts shooting fireballs. Kill it and continue. All the eggs in this room are "blanks," so there's no need to worry about more enemies. Behind and below the ramp down to the next level are 2 sets of Uzi clips and a large med-pack.

You don't have to kill all the mutants in this next room but, again, I recommend hatching each egg and fighting the beasties one at a time before going for the door. Here every other egg is empty, so there are 4 mutants in all. When you've killed all of them, go to the switch near the entrance. This opens the door at the far end of the room. It's also timed. Here's one way to navigate: Position Lara's right shoulder near the center of the switch, flip it, look, hop back, turn to the left, take a standing jump up to the first block, then do a continuous series of running jumps over the blocks and through the door.

You land on a slide which dumps you in a pool as mutants hatch above. There's no way to get out and kill them (that I found), so just swim off to the right to end the level.

And that's all she wrote...at least until the next installment!