LEVEL 12: DESERT RAILROAD
Secrets: 3*
Cut scene: The locomotive speeds through the desert on its way to Alexandria. Lara is inside.
You begin in a boxcar just behind the engine. Here there are 2 levers. One is missing a handle. Pull the working lever to open the rear door. Now make your way to the end of the train. Take a diagonal standing jump to the next car back. Use the Action key to open the door and enter.
When you enter the SLEEPING CAR, the camera bugs out (at least in the PC version). Do your best to navigate. Pressing Action opens each of the compartments. In each of the first two compartments you'll find crates. Shoot them to get a small medipak and shotgun shells. There's nothing useful in the third compartment, but as you approach the door, one of Von Croy's assassins comes around the corner.
Exit through the back and jump to the FLAT CAR WITH TARP COVERING. Cross over this car toward the next.
Cut scene: 2 more bad guys jump from moving trucks onto the train.
After taking out the assassins, cross the EMPTY FLAT CAR and take a standing jump to grab the ladder to the left of the door on the next car.
TWO YELLOW BOXCARS: Climb the ladder to the top of the car. When you pass the hatch, another assassin emerges through it. Start shooting while he's still climbing to gain an advantage. A second assassin comes through the hatch of the next boxcar in the line, so watch your back. After taking care of him, drop down through the hatch into the first boxcar. Here you'll find another bad guy lurking in the corner behind the crates, along with shotgun shells and a small medipak, plus more shotgun shells in a small wooden crate. (You'll need to crouch to shoot it.)
Jump over to the second yellow boxcar. There's no need to drop in yet, but if you do, you may note the odd-looking wooden panel in one corner. Lara runs against it and says "No" if you press Action. This is a concealed door, but you need to find a tool to open it.
Jump to the TARP-COVERED FLAT CAR WITH TALL CARGO. The cargo is too steep to climb, so you'll have to drop and hang from the side of the car and traverse toward the back. Pull up when you reach a spot that's flat enough to stand on.
Cut scene: Von Croy's helicopter passes over the train, presumably dropping off reinforcements.
Jump to grab the ladder to the left of the door on the LAST BOXCAR. Climb on top. An assassin climbs up onto the roof when you near the back of the car. Kill him then investigate where he came from: Drop and grab the very back edge of the train. When you do, a door opens. Release the Action key briefly, then press it again to drop and grab the edge of the opening. Climb inside to find secret #1 (41/70), a large medipak, arrows and revolver ammo. Climb back out the way you came, then climb to the top right corner. Release and re-press Action to make Lara lose her foothold. Traverse around the corner to the right. (Or, climb up to the roof and drop again to hang over the right side.)
Traverse along the right side of the car to discover another door. Inside the main compartment of this car you'll find 2 boxes of shotgun shells, the SHOTGUN (or more shells) and the CROWBAR. Use the crowbar as a handle to operate the lever here, which opens the door at the front of the car. A sneaky assassin jumps inside while Lara's back is turned, so approach the alcove near the door with caution.
Jump to the TARP-COVERED FLAT CAR WITH TALL CARGO. You can jump up to the top from this end. One of Von Croy's men makes his way toward you across the tops of the YELLOW BOXCARS. If you get tired of waiting for him, slide down to the base of the tarp and the boxcar door opens, revealing another assassin. You can shoot him through the door if you want to.
Jump into the boxcar or climb up and drop down through the hatch. Now that you've got the crowbar, you can pry open the wooden panel in the front right corner. Behind the panel is secret #2 (42/70), the GRENADE GUN (loaded with 10 normal grenades), plus 2 boxes of flash grenades concealed inside the wooden crates.
Climb up through the hatch onto the roof. (Kill the first car-hopping baddie if you didn't do it before.) Yet another assassin appears when you jump to the next boxcar. Take care of him and continue forward to the EMPTY FLAT CAR.
Cut scene: More assassins arrive by truck.
Kill the 2 baddies, jump to the FLAT CAR WITH TARP COVERING. Then cross over it toward the SLEEPING CAR, where another assassin lurks. You can kill him from outside. Go through the sleeping car and take a standing jump the next car, pressing Action to lower Lara's arc so she lands in the doorway.
BACK IN THE BOXCAR WHERE YOU STARTED: First use the crowbar to pry open the wooden panel directly across from the door. There's a small medipak behind the panel-secret #3 (43/70). And last, use the crowbar as a handle to operate the second lever. This separates this car from the rest of the train and opens the door at the front of the car. Approach either door to end the level.
Cut scene: The engine, along with the boxcar Lara is in, speeds on toward Alexandria.
*NOTE: There are 70 secrets in the entire game. These are marked "(x/70)" in this walkthrough. To check your progress in-game, press Pause and choose Statistics.
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