LEVEL 1: ANGKOR WAT (Training Level - part 1)
Secrets in this Level: 8*
Unlike in the previous games, you must complete the training levels for TRLR in order to play the game. It is designed to help new players learn the moves and to help returning raiders master a few new controls. It also serves as plot exposition. We meet (or re-encounter) Lara Croft at age 16. Her interactions with her mentor, archaeologist/adventurer Werner Von Croy, set the stage for their adversarial relationship in the game's main storyline.
Starting Inventory: 3 small medipaks, 1 large medipak
Walkthrough: I haven't included a full walkthrough of this level, since you follow Von Croy through the ruins and he explains what you need to do. Note, however, that there are secrets available—8 golden skulls—and finding all of them opens up a different, more difficult path in the second level, The Race for the Iris. The mini-walkthrough below tells the location of all the secrets and gives some tips for the more difficult sections. If you need more help with the controls, see my gameplay page.
(NOTE: If you've played the training level before and know what to do, you can bypass Von Croy's monologues by pressing the Look button.)
The first golden skull (secret 1 of 70 in the game) is sitting on the ground ahead and to the left of the starting position, just beyond where Von Croy is standing when he finishes his introduction.
At the foot of the stairs, wait for Von Croy to deactivate the spikes before proceeding. At the first gap, where you learn to do a standing jump, drop down into the shallow pool to retrieve the second golden skull (2/70) before going on.
At the next turn in the passage, there's a dark area behind a tree. Watch out for the wild boar here. Since you have no weapons, you'll need to draw it toward Von Croy, and he'll kill it with his machete.
In the room with the fountains, you'll learn the standing jump-grab and running jump-grab combinations. Before going on into the next area, drop down to the lower level. In the southeast corner, under the ledge, you'll find the third golden skull (3/70). Climb back out at the northeast corner and repeat the jumps to get back to the far corner, where you'll learn to traverse.
(NOTE: Now may also be a good time to brush up on your orienteering skills. If you're not sure how to use the compass, this is explained on the gameplay page.)
Follow Von Croy through the hall and safety drop to the ground in the next room, as he demonstrates. The fourth golden skull (4/70) is at the bottom of the pool. There's also an underwater opening in the wall to the right of the fountain. Swim in and follow the passage to find small and large medipaks on the bottom. You can get air in the passageway if necessary, or just swim back out to the pool to surface. Climb out of the water on the ledge to the left of the fountain. Pull the lever to extend the bridge so Von Croy can cross. Then follow him down the hallway, where he'll open the door for Lara.
After climbing the ladder and using another lever to extend a bridge, you'll come to the monkey-bar swing. Beyond that is a courtyard with 2 more boars. Again, you'll need to let Von Croy do the dirty work. Try to stay out of harm's way. In the next open area, in the southwest corner, you can pick up the fifth golden skull (5/70).
Follow Von Croy into the next building, through a small courtyard and into a doorway with a gong flanked by two lion statues. Go around the perimeter of this room to avoid the spikes. If you go around to the right here, you'll see the sixth golden skull (6/70) on the floor.
In the open area with the big, circular door, Von Croy will direct you to crawl through the low opening to find a lever. Crawl in, make the first left and follow the passage to the seventh golden skull (7/70). Turn around and crawl back out, bearing to the left to find the room with the lever. Here you'll also be treated to a cut scene, in which Lara discovers a leather backpack, along with its former owner.
When the cut scene ends, pull the lever to open the big door and crawl back out to rejoin Von Croy. Follow him down the stairs to a hallway lined with dart traps with a descending door at the far end. You can do as the teacher suggests and sprint past the darts, ending with a diving roll (press Jump while sprinting) to get under the door. You will need to be able to do this later on, but for now you may also choose to crawl under the darts and the door and avoid taking any damage.
Climb up the rocks to the next area, where you'll find the eighth golden skull (8/70) in the southwest corner on the other side of the low railing. At the top of the stairs, the path forks. Von Croy informs you that you've reached the Garden of the Five Towers. "To the right," he says, "is the path of the heretical. To the left, the route of the virtuous."
If you have found fewer than eight skulls, Lara will say, "You know me, Werner...a regular virtuoso." And Von Croy, ever contrary, will lead you down the path to the right.
If you have found all eight skulls, Lara will say, "I'm up for a little heresy." Von Croy will then lead you down the left path.
Both paths lead first to a room with a circular door and a rope dangling from the ceiling. The "virtuous" room also has a pool below the rope, while the "heretical" room has no pool to break your fall during rope-swinging practice. In either case, climb to the upper level by going through the elevated crawlspace. (This is in the southeast corner in the "virtuous" room, the northeast corner in the "heretical" room.) Walk out onto the ledge near the rope and Von Croy will explain what to do.
He doesn't give much detail, so I'll offer a few tips here: Take a running jump from the ledge and press Action to grab the rope. (NOTE: If you're new to TR, or to the concept of setting up running jumps, see the relevant section on my strategy page. I'm not kidding. This is important info that will save you hours of wasted game time.) Continue to hold Action to hang onto the rope. You'll get the longest arc if you climb all the way down before starting to swing. So press Down/Back to shimmy down the rope to the bottom. Make sure you're facing the ledge with the lever (use Left/Right to adjust your angle if necessary). Then press the Sprint key to start swinging. Press Jump at the peak of the arc, and Lara will let go of the rope and land on the ledge. (You can just release Action to let go, but pressing Jump adds a little extra oomph, which you'll need at times.)
Pull the lever to open the door, then follow the hallway to end the level.
Copyright © 2000 - Stellalune (e-mail stella@tombraiders.net). Special thanks are given to the participants in the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup, without whom some parts of this walkthrough couldn't have been written, and to Brian C. from Tomb Raiders Traveler's Guide, for the transcript of the Race for the Iris cut scene. Feel free to copy, distribute and quote this walkthrough, but please include this credit line so people can send me their corrections, comments and suggestions. Also, if you'd like to offer this on your own web site, kindly ask permission first.
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