LEVEL 24: TRENCHES
Secrets: 0*
You enter this level for the first time from the CHAMBERS OF TULUN level, from the road on the back (north) side of the CHAMBERS. If you are following this walkthrough, you should have already been through the CITADEL GATE LEVEL (first time). (For an overview of all of the Cairo levels, see this DIAGRAM.)
STREET WITH PALM TREE: Drive up to the ledge with the columns and dismount. Pick up Uzi clips on the ledge. Then head down the street on foot to the right (east) toward the big palm tree.
SANDY STREET AND FORTIFICATION: Go through the doorway behind the palm tree to a narrow, sandy street. The chute ahead in the wall is too steep to climb. You'll come through here from the other side later on. Go the left (north) and follow the street to a building with square, white pillars on the right. There's a soldier lurking behind the first pillar. Take him out and continue. When you reach the "T", stop to reconnoiter.
There's a mounted machine gun down the road to the right. To avoid it, run up the street to the left and jump up the sand pile to a safe spot with a large medipak and Uzi clips. From here you can scope out the location of the gun with the BINOCULARS. Approach the gun, hugging the left wall. When you get a bit closer, run across the street and duck into the makeshift room on the right. As soon as you get behind the low wall of sand bags, crouch. The gun can't track Lara if it can't "see" her. So crawl forward then to the left to get around to the side of the gun while it's still pointing toward the sand bag wall. Stand up and look through the small, rectangular opening. You should be able to see the side of the gun, as shown in this screenshot. Use the revolver with the laser sight to target the red spot on the side of the gun. Boom! No more gun.
(NOTE: Regular and explosive arrows don't seem to work here, but if you're playing on the PC and are out of revolver bullets, you can equip the crossbow with the laser sight, then switch to pistols as described in the section on the laser sight bug in the COASTAL RUINS walkthrough.)
Climb onto the sand bag wall, then to the ledge above, where you'll find some super grenades. Hop down, climb up onto the ledge above where the gun was and drop through the hole. Follow the passage cautiously. When you come to a low opening on the right, crawl in. (If you continue forward, you'll run into a flame thrower mounted on a tripod.) Go through the crawlspace, timing your crawl to avoid the oscillating steam pipes as well as you can. Kill the soldier in the next room, taking care to avoid the open flame. (If you like, you can crawl in just far enough to alert the soldier, then crawl back out, crouch and shoot him in the knees with pistols.) The soldier drops a small medipak, which you'll probably need about now. Shoot the crate to get the wideshot shells inside.
Climb up through the opening in the ceiling for a nice clear shot at the flame-thrower. For whatever buggy reason, you can only snipe at the soldier in the road beyond the gun using the revolver (or pistols using the laser sight bug) if you aim for his. . . ahem. . . privates. Or, use the crossbow plus laser sight. (It takes about 8 normal or 3 poisoned arrows. You probably want to save your explosive arrows.)
Lara, though a whiz at weaponry, can't seem to climb through this little crawlspace. So return through the room below, then the crawlspace with the steam pipes, to the street. Continue past where the gun was, passing underneath a wrecked vehicle, to a "T" intersection.
Go through the crawlspace on the right, timing your crawl to avoid the steam pipes as well as you can. Pick up the WEAPON CODE KEY near the dead soldier. Crawl back out. Continue straight ahead to a deep pit.
Once you've picked up the WEAPON CODE KEY, the machine gun at the other side of the pit won't fire, so no need to worry. Grab the crevice and traverse around the corner, across the pit, pausing if necessary to avoid the oscillating steam pipe, and around the next corner, where you can drop to a ledge. Kill the soldier lying in wait. Get a large medipak from behind the machine gun.
Continue west to an OPEN AREA WITH A WRECKED JEEP. When you approach the engine of the Jeep, another soldier comes at you from near the pit. You may want to run out from behind the Jeep, since you can't use the Look button while standing near it (at least in the PC version), and Lara will also target the machine gun, making it more difficult than necessary to kill the soldier. When the coast is clear, stand facing the Jeep's engine and use the CROWBAR to pry out the VALVE PIPE. Duck under the overhang opposite the Jeep and find the wooden crate in the back corner. Shoot it to get the large medipak inside.
Return the way you came (traverse across the pit, then follow the narrow streets) to the motorcycle.
If you've already been to the CITADEL GATE level and gotten the NITROUS OXIDE CANISTER, you can now combine this with the VALVE PIPE to make the NITROUS OXIDE FEEDER. Position Lara facing the motorcycle (as though she were about to get on) and use the FEEDER to attach it to the bike. Now when you press Sprint key while driving forward, you'll get a power boost.
When you have the two components and have modified the bike with the NITROUS OXIDE FEEDER, you can return to CHAMBERS OF TULUN (second time) to get the ROOF KEY, which you'll need in this level (TRENCHES). (If you don't want to bother going back, there is a way to avoid using the ROOF KEY. See the note below at the **.) You can also go back to the CITY OF THE DEAD (second time) to get the second secret in that level. Once you have everything you need, continue with this level, TRENCHES (second time), below.
(NOTE: If you need help getting back to any of the previous levels, see the notes below at the ***.)
TRENCHES (second time)
After getting the ROOF KEY in the CHAMBERS OF TULUN level, and the components for the NITROUS OXIDE FEEDER, you can proceed in this level. From the STREET WITH THE PALM TREE (near the level entrance), go on foot up the street to the northeast.
Near the stairs you'll see an alcove on each side of the street. Climb into the one on the left and get a large medipak. Cross to the alcove on the other side of the street. There's a sniper on the opposite rooftop (above where you got the medipak). You can take him out from here or wait until you get up on the ROOFTOPS. Open the trapdoor above the lower part of this alcove by standing at the edge facing it and jumping straight up to grab the switch. Climb through the crawlspace above to drop into the small room beyond. Pick up a quiver of poisoned arrows. Go through the next crawlspace to an opening above the STREET WITH THE PALM TREE.
Turn right, crawl up the ramp a little ways, draw pistols while crouching, and shoot the gray block obstructing the crevice. Drop back and grab the edge of the opening. Traverse to the left (this isn't possible without first destroying the obstacle) and around the corner, and drop onto the ledge. Use the overhead bars to traverse above the street to the opening on the opposite building. Use a medipak beforehand if necessary, since a swarm of locusts attacks on the way.
ROOFTOPS: Enter the next area cautiously so you're not ambushed by the soldier inside on the left. He drops a small medipak when he dies. Use the ROOF KEY to unlock the doors in the corner. Go through to another ledge above the street.
(**NOTE: If you don't have the ROOF KEY and don't want to go all the way back to CHAMBERS OF TULUN to get it, you can instead take a running jump from the ledge on the south side of the monkey bars to grab the sill of the red-lit doorway. Pull up and turn around. This is also useful if you want to avoid the soldier near the roof door.)
Take a running jump to grab the horizontal crevice on the next building. (Aim for the right end, where there's no overhang.) Traverse to the left until you can pull up. Climb up the blocks to a small, rectangular opening. If you didn't kill that sniper earlier from below, he'll start shooting at Lara through the opening, and you'll need to take care of him.
Look through the opening and locate the electrical box across the street. The crossbow fitted with the laser sight works well here. Hit the red light squarely and one normal arrow should do it. Or, you can use the pistols and just keep firing. (Lara won't auto-aim, so you'll have to turn her until she's shooting in the right direction.) When the box starts to smoke (as shown in this screenshot), you'll know you've disabled it. This opens a door elsewhere. Return to the opening above the street and safety drop to the ground.
(NOTE: For some reason-I think holding the Look button, as you must when using the laser sight, prevents it-I didn't get a cut scene showing this, though I did get one when I used the corner bug to get up on the roof and shot the box from there. This screenshot, from that cut scene, shows the door opening.)
TWO STAIRWAYS AND LONG JUMP TO STREET BAZAAR LEVEL ENTRANCE: Get back on the motorcycle and drive around the corner to the northwest. You'll see two sets of stairs leading up to the north. To clear the area, first drive up the stairs on the left. Run over a soldier at the top and continue downhill, running over another soldier at the bottom.
Notice the huge pile of sand. At the top of the pile is a ladder. You can't reach the ladder on foot since the sand pile is too steep. But, in the corner to the right of the pile is the big door you just opened by shooting the electrical box. You can jump the motorcycle through here: Ride back up the hill to the two sets of stairs. Set up a long, straight run from the top of the hill up the left side of the right stairway. Use the nitro boost (Sprint key) for extra power. Race up the stairs and through the door you opened, landing on top of the sand pile.
(IMPORTANT: Later on, you will return to this area through the small, silver door in the corner. Be sure not to park the motorcycle in front of that door or you may have trouble getting through. This screenshot shows the area in question.)
Dismount near the small closed door and climb the ladder to the STREET BAZAAR level.
TRENCHES (third time)
(NOTE: You also make another brief visit to this level during the STREET BAZAAR level. This is included in the STREET BAZAAR walkthrough.)
MINED AREA: You enter this area from the STREET BAZAAR - COURTYARD BELOW THE ROOF BRIDGE. After getting the MINE DETONATOR BODY and MINE POSITION DATA in the STREET BAZAAR level, you can proceed in this level. If you don't yet have those items, return through the door to the previous level.
Go to the far end of the walkway. (The detonator only works when Lara is on that square.) Combine the MINE DETONATOR BODY and MINE POSITION DATA and use it to blow the mines. Take a standing jump over the barricades and cross the now safe minefield. Push the red button to open a door around the corner. Now you can get the motorcycle and drive it through. Drive around the corner to the left and run over a soldier. Drive up the hill to re-enter the CITADEL GATE level.
Continue with the walkthrough for that level, with the section titled CITADEL GATE (second time)
.(***) RETURNING TO EARLIER LEVELS:
TO CHAMBERS OF TULUN - ROOF KEY: From the STREET WITH THE PALM TREE follow the road south. Continue with the walkthrough for that level, with the section titled CHAMBERS OF TULUN (second time).
TO CITADEL GATE - NITROUS OXIDE CANISTER: From the STREET WITH THE PALM TREE follow the road south back to the CHAMBERS OF TULUN. When you enter that level, get off the bike and follow the road to the right (west), which leads to the door to the CITADEL GATE. If you need help getting through the door, follow the TULUN walkthrough. Once inside the CITADEL GATE, follow that waltkhrough.
TO CITY OF THE DEAD - SECOND SECRET: Follow the directions above to get back to the CHAMBERS OF TULUN. Drive the motorcycle through the streets around the east side of the CHAMBERS. When you reach the deep pit, drive around the left (east) rim. Head to the right (west), then turn left (south) up the hill to enter the CITY OF THE DEAD. Continue with the walkthrough for that level, with the section titled CITY OF THE DEAD (second time).
*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.
Copyright (c) 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 J.K., Theo, Bo, Wynn and Graeme for their help on this level. 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, please read and follow the instructions here.
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