LEVEL 14: COASTAL RUINS

Secrets: 0

(NOTES: Technically, there is one secret in this level; however, the entrance to it can only be found at the end of the HALL OF DEMETRIUS level.  I have included it there.  Also, you cannot get the REVOLVER in this level.  The "official" strategy guide from Prima is officially wrong on this point.  You'll need to wait until the CITY OF THE DEAD level to get it.)

There is a small medipak in the dark stairwell at the beginning of the level.  Get it and continue downstairs to the STREET WITH PALM TREES.  Take the first right into a small courtyard.

(NOTE: If you return to Jean-Yves's study in ALEXANDRIA before exploring the next area, you'll encounter 2 black scorpions in the COURTYARD WITH THE FOUNTAIN.  When you approach Jean-Yves at his desk, you'll see a cut scene in which he suggests that Lara go looking for the armor in a nearby exhibition.  For a transcript of the dialogue, see the note at the bottom of the ALEXANDRIA walkthrough.)

EGYPTIAN ADVENTURE: The door is boarded up.  The crowbar doesn't work here.  So shoot the boards to break them, then enter.  Go through the door next to the painted sarcophagus.  Take note of the CAGE WITH THE KEY CHAIN hanging inside.  Then proceed downstairs to a ROOM WITH A SMALL PYRAMID.  When you approach the sarcophagus, it opens and a mechanical mummy lurches out.  No danger here, just a little scare.  Go up the stairs behind the fake mummy.  Follow the hall to another barred door.  Shoot it out and enter.

MIRROR ROOM: Do not rush in; the floor is laced with concealed spikes.  As you enter, Lara looks to the right: a mirror.  Remember the SACRED LAKE level? The mirror reveals the location of the spikes (also shown in the diagram at right), so avoid those squares as you make your way to the far corner of the room.  Pick up the CROSSBOW, which can only be seen in the mirror.  Then carefully retrace your steps to the stairs.

Head to the left, back to the ROOM WITH THE SMALL PYRAMID.  Save your game (this next section is a bit tricky) and slide down the ramp on the right.

SHOOTING GALLERY: You land on a hinged ledge.  This ledge stays in place for about 20 seconds.  In that time, you need to shoot the targets on the other side of the room to deactivate the concealed spikes below.  If you followed the walkthrough and have the CROSSBOW and LASER SIGHT (found in Jean-Yves's study in ALEXANDRIA), combine them, load up the explosive arrows and use the Look button to target the bull's eye in the top row closest to the center.  This will destroy all of the targets.

There are several alternate ways of doing this: You can use the grenade launcher loaded with super ammo.  Walk to the front edge of the hinged ledge, face the targets squarely and jump straight up, firing at the highest point to destroy all the targets at once.  Or, use normal arrows or pistols (taking advantage of the laser sight bug, described below) to break the targets.  You'll need to do them individually, which can take more time than you have.  To buy some time, slide down onto the platform then side flip to the left or right to land in either of the corners.  As long as you don't move, the spikes won't come up, and you can take your time destroying the targets.  (For the targets in the top row, aim a little high.)

(NOTE: Unless you've cheated, you will not have the revolver at this point.  See the note above.  If you missed the laser sight in Alexandria, you can go back for it.  Exit the EGYPTIAN ADVENTURE and go left up the STREET WITH PALM TREES.  Continue up the stairs to the Alexandria level.  You'll encounter 2 black scorpions in the COURTYARD WITH THE FOUNTAIN—if you didn't already revisit this area and kill them.  Go upstairs to visit Jean-Yves again and you'll see a cut scene in which he suggests that Lara look for the armor of Horus in the catacombs.  For a transcript of the dialogue, see the note at the bottom of the ALEXANDRIA walkthrough.)

When all the targets are gone, the spikes will pop up then recede and you can drop (or fall) down and pick up the TOKEN.  Climb out of the room through the elevated crawlspace and return to the ROOM WITH THE SMALL PYRAMID.  Go up the stairs behind the fake mummy and follow the hallway, past the MIRROR ROOM, to the next room on the right.

MECHANICAL SNAKE CHARMER: Stand in front of the coin slot, facing the snake charmer, and use the TOKEN.

Cut scene: The machine is activated: The snake charmer plays a tune and a rope rises from the basket.

Climb the rope not quite to the top and back flip to the ledge.  Pick up the BROKEN HANDLE on the floor near the pile of brooms.  Go to the alcove with three hooks and face the hook on the left.  Use the CROWBAR to pry the HOOK out of the wall.

Drop down to the SNAKE CHARMER ROOM.  Exit to the left and go up the stairs to the room with the cage.  Combine the BROKEN HANDLE and the HOOK.  Stand at the silver rectangle on one side of the cage and use the HOOK AND POLE.

Cut scene: Lara snags the GATE KEY and tosses it to the floor.

(NOTE: Be sure to pick up the key from the ground after the cut scene.  It doesn't go into Lara's inventory automatically.)

Exit through the door to the right of the cage.  Follow the hall to the courtyard, then out to the STREET WITH PALM TREES.

(BUG NOTE: If you have not yet been back to ALEXANDRIA to visit Jean-Yves and decide to do this after picking up the GATE KEY, you may find that when you return to the COASTAL RUINS, the key is gone.  So either save your game before going back to Alexandria, or just don't do this until after you've used the key.)

At the end of the STREET WITH PALM TREES are two arches.  Go through the one on the right and down the stairs to a POOL WITH LEDGES.  Jump or swim to the ledge on the right of the elevated crawlspace.  Take a diagonal standing jump to grab the opening.  Crawl through, drop into the next room and climb the ladder to the sunlit hall.  Go forward and down the stairs to a doorway leading outdoors.

Cut scene: A panoramic view of the area, including entrances to a few of the buildings.

THE RUINS/HILLSIDE NEAR TIDE POOLS: This area is the hub for entering and exiting the next six levels: CATACOMBS; TEMPLE OF POSEIDON; THE LOST LIBRARY; HALL OF DEMETRIUS; PHAROS, TEMPLE OF ISIS; and CLEOPATRA'S PALACES.  The three ruined buildings and surrounding area are illustrated in the diagram at left.  As you explore the different areas, new doors and gates are unlocked, enabling you to go back and forth between the various levels.  This walkthrough describes (what I hope is) the most direct route through the different levels.

(NOTE: There are 'hot spots' in the diagram in the web version of this page.  Click on any of the X's or on various areas of the map itself to see a screenshot of that area.)

There are a few items to pick up around the ruins.  So head around the outside of the first building, keeping the wall on Lara's left.  You'll come to a drop-off above a ramp leading up the side of the building.  There is also a manmade pool, which connects to the tide pools.  Drop down to the base of the ramp.  The ramp leads up to a locked gate (marked "B" in the diagram).  This is one of the exits from the CATACOMBS level.  It can't be opened from this side, so, for now, just climb onto the block near the base of the ramp.  Turn so the ramp is on Lara's right and take a running jump to grab the ledge ahead.  Pull up and get some arrows.  Safety drop to the ledge next to the pool.

After you get the arrows, a skeleton appears on the hillside near where you entered this area.  You can destroy it using an explosive arrow from the crossbow (equipped with laser sight), or use normal arrows and target the skeleton's head.  If you can manage to blow its head off, it will run around aimlessly and not harm Lara.  To get a better shot, climb back onto the block near the ramp.  Alternately, get closer to the skeleton and use a grenade to destroy it or use the laser sight bug, described below, to blow off its head.

There are some grenades in a narrow crevice underwater, just beyond the blue seaweed on the right (when facing away from the building).  The current here is very strong, making it easy to get stuck, so save your game before going after them.  It may help to jump into the water from the ramp, or to approach the crevice from the other side, nearer the tide pool.  If Lara gets stuck in a tight spot or the current prevents her from moving, try rolling to get her un-stuck.  After getting the grenades, swim toward the tide pool, rather than toward the building, to surface.

You can swim around and explore the tide pools if you like, but there are no more goodies to be found.  An underwater passage (marked "F" in the diagram) at the south end of the waterway near the beach leads to PHAROS, TEMPLE OF ISIS.  However, unless you've completed the LOST LIBRARY and HALL OF DEMETRIUS levels, you won't have the artifacts you'll need here (i.e., the PHAROS PILLAR and PHAROS KNOT).  Return to the building where you entered this area.

DANGLING BOULDER/ENTRANCE TO THE CATACOMBS: Climb the steep hill to the building to the south of the one where you entered.  Head for the entrance (marked "D" in the diagram).  Ready the crossbow (with explosive arrows and laser sight) or grenade gun.

Cut scene: Two skeletons hop across the ledges and head down the stairs toward Lara.

If you act quickly and shoot when the skeletons are coming down the stairs, you can take out both with a single explosive arrow or grenade.  Alternately, climb up and knock the skeletons off the ledges using the shotgun.  When they hit the ground, they'll shatter.  Or, use normal arrows or pistols (taking advantage of the laser sight bug, described below) to blow off their heads.  After that, they won't bother Lara.

Climb up the stairs where the skeletons came down.  Take a standing jump to grab the platform above the pulley with the rock.  Cross the ledge and take a diagonal standing jump to grab the ledge with the goodies above the entrance.  Pick up wideshot shells and a small medipak.  Hop down to the ledge above the pulley, then take a running jump to the ledge opposite.  Use the GATE KEY to open the gate.

[BUG NOTE: If you are missing the GATE KEY, check the walkthrough above.  You pick this up in the EGYPTIAN ADVENTURE area by combining two items to grab the key from the cage.  If you took the key but no longer have it in your inventory, see the bug note above.  If necessary, you can download a savegame in which Lara has the key.  So far, I haven't heard of anyone with the patched game experiencing this bug, but choose this savegame if you've installed the Last Revelation patch.  Choose this savegame for the original (unpatched) version.  For help with savegame and zip files, click here.]

(NOTE: You enter the next level here, but you'll need to return to the COASTAL RUINS again before entering the CATACOMBS proper.)

CATACOMBS - ROOM WITH BROKEN PILLARS AND SUNBEAMS: The hall on the right leads to a room with an unstable floor: it sinks several inches when Lara steps on it, making it impossible to move the big carved pillar.  Push the square tile on the wall.

Cut scene: A brown block rises to floor level in the room below.  (You can see this through the grate in the hallway just outside the room with the unstable floor.)

Return through the ROOM WITH BROKEN PILLARS AND SUNBEAMS to the COASTAL RUINS level.

COASTAL RUINS - DANGLING BOULDER: Safety drop to the block below.  Then drop or climb down the ladder into the pit with the dangling boulder.  Pick up the wooden TORCH in the stairwell and light it on the burner.  Stand below the rope attached to the pulley and jump straight up and down a few times until the rope ignites, dropping the boulder.  Alternately, climb onto the step below the boulder and quickly hop aside to avoid being squashed.  Go through the crawlspace that was concealed by the boulder.

Use the crowbar to open the wrought iron gate and follow the hallway into the CATACOMBS.

CATACOMBS - ROOM BELOW UNSTABLE FLOOR: Pull the pillar onto the brown block that you raised by pressing the tile in the room above.  This will support the floor.  Go back the way you came to the COASTAL RUINS.  Climb the stairs, jump across the ledges, and enter the CATACOMBS again through the black gate.  Continue with the CATACOMBS walkthrough.

(LASER SIGHT BUG: Finally, another useful bug.  PC players, to conserve ammo for crossbow (and later the revolver), here's a useful bug.  Combine the weapon and laser sight and equip the weapon.  Then, while holding the Look button to peer through the sight, press the number 1, the hot key for pistols.  You'll hear the sound of Lara drawing pistols.  Then you'll be able to shoot with the accuracy of the laser sight but with the unlimited ammo of the pistols.  Very special thanks to Alasdair for this fabulous tip.)

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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.  Thanks also to Alasdair, Niels and Pernille, Simon, Chris M.  and Haydon for other help on this level.  Diagrams made with the aid of GraphTablet freeware (http://www.graphtablet.com).  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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