LEVEL 21: CITY OF THE DEAD
Secrets: 2*
[NOTE: There are two secrets in this level; however, one can't be found right away. You'll need to get it on your second pass through this level. See CITY OF THE DEAD (second time) below and/or this DIAGRAM, which illustrates one possible path through the five Cairo levels.]
(BUG NOTE: Some players have experienced a bug at the beginning of this level in which one of Lara's arms won't work. Try using the binoculars or lighting a flare and, if that doesn't work, try reloading an earlier saved game. Thanks to Theresa and her helpers at tombraiders.com for this advice.)
STREET NEAR BIG WROUGHT IRON GATE AND BUILDING WITH WIDE STAIRS: You begin the level under fire. There are 2 snipers on the building to the left: one on a ledge a few feet off the ground and one on the roof. You can kill both of them fairly easily by backing up a bit from the starting position and firing from the cover of the archway near the gate. (The sniper on the roof will begin to throw grenades, but in the PC game at least, these didn't do any damage.)
Alternately, take out the lower sniper by running across and positioning Lara very close to the block where he's standing. Draw weapons (the shotgun works nicely) and jump in place, shooting at the peak of the jump. When he's dead, climb up and take the REVOLVER he drops. At last! Then use your new toy to kill the sniper on teh roof. Combine the REVOLVER and LASER SIGHT. (You may need to first separate the sight from the crossbow.) Run back to the shelter of the gate near where you started. Draw the revolver and sidestep out until you can get a clear shot. Use the laser sight to target the sniper's head or chest. You'll need to be quick, since he can of course shoot back, but one well-aimed shot should bring him down. (Or, to conserve ammo, use the laser sight bug, described in the COASTAL RUINS walkthrough.)
While you've got the revolver drawn, you can take out the machine gun mounted on the wall at the corner a little way down the street. Use the laser sight and aim for the red spot (as in this screenshot). To conserve ammo, use the laser sight bug.
Take note of the BIG WROUGHT IRON GATE with the black switch. There's a horizontal crevice high on the building near the gate. You can't reach it yet, but you'll be back.
There are 4 more armed soldiers a little farther along the street. The first is just around the corner with the machine gun. There's a second gunman in an alley with a sloping wall in front of it, preventing you from driving through. The third and fourth are a bit farther on, below a RUINED BUILDING WITH X-SHAPED WOODEN BARRICADES on top. You can run over two or three of them using the motorcycle. Then dismount and walk back to kill the one behind the low, sloping wall. Or, after destroying the machine gun, walk carefully to the corner. If you hang back, the first soldier won't notice Lara and you can shoot him from a distance with the crossbow or revolver. (Again, use the laser sight bug to save ammo.) Do the same with the second soldier in the alley with the sloping wall. Then drive on and run over the others if you like. One of the soldiers drops shotgun shells when he dies.
(NOTE: If you need tips for controlling the motorcycle, see the gameplay page.)
DEAD-END ALLEY WITH CRAWLSPACE: Around the corner to the right (east), just past the sand hill near the RUINED BUILDING WITH X-SHAPED WOODEN BARRICADES, is an alley with arches on the right and a white building on the left with a broken machine gun on top. There's a crawlspace near the block at the end of the alley. You need to open a gate elsewhere before going in here, so don't bother with it yet.
Use the sand pile at the corner to jump the motorcycle up onto the RUINED BUILDING WITH X-SHAPED WOODEN BARRICADES. You'll need to get a good running start to build up speed and veer to the right a bit at the top of the hill in order to land on the sloped part of the wall. (See this screenshot if you need help lining up the jump.) Crash through the barricades and let the bike fall through the unstable floor. Drive through the room below, making a U-turn and crashing through the wall to emerge back on the street. Dismount, walk back into the building and pick up a small medipak on the ground to the right. Climb into the brick alcove and drop into the pool below. Climb out of the water and follow the passageway past the torch to the next room.
ROOM WITH MANY COLUMNS AND ARCHES: Your entrance disturbs a small flock of bats. Kill them then pick up flares and wideshot shells in the far corners. Slide down the ramp.
SQUARE HALLWAY WITH DEAD SOLDIER: Pick up the LASER SIGHT near the soldier. (You won't need this unless you missed it earlier in ALEXANDRIA.) There's a closed door in one corner (the southeast) and stairs on the opposite side from the ramp where you entered. You don't need to go up the stairs yet, but note that there's a pool of water at the top. (NOTE: If you accidentally fall in, follow the underwater passage to a ledge where you can climb out. Then drop back down into the SQUARE HALLWAY.)
Jump to grab the horizontal crevice in the northwest corner of the SQUARE HALLWAY. Traverse to the right (east) to a spot where you can pull up. Turn around to face the small opening into the center room. Don't shoot the jar on the ledge. This only releases a swarm of locusts. Instead aim carefully and shoot the swinging blue ball inside the room. (You can do this using the revolver and laser sight or, to conserve ammo, crouch at either side of the alcove, wait for the ball to swing to that side and shoot it with the pistols.) When it shatters, 2 ice elementals emerge. To get rid of these guys, hop down and run to the right and up the stairs. Jump into the pool. They'll follow, extinguishing themselves. Swim down through the underwater passage to a ledge where you can climb out. Then drop back down into the SQUARE HALLWAY.
Go back upstairs to the pool, which is now frozen so you can walk across it. Jump up to the ledge with the lever and use it to open the square door in one corner of the SQUARE HALLWAY. Return downstairs, go through that door and follow the ramp up to a ROOM WITH LIT TORCHES.
Go all the way into the room and check the alcove on the far right for a small medipak. Backtrack to the first alcove near the entrance and use the CROWBAR to pry open the blue wooden door. This is secret #1 (55/70), a large medipak and Uzi clips.
Climb the block steps near the blue door. Keep climbing until you reach a crawlspace. Go through it to emerge above where you started the level. Crawl out backwards and hang from the ledge. Traverse to the right along the crevice until you can pull up. Turn around and take a running jump to grab the black switch.
This opens the BIG WROUGHT IRON GATE. There's a soldier with a grenade launcher just beyond the gate. Kill him and take his small medipak. You'll need to do a bit of business before continuing. So, return to the motorcycle. (If you followed this walkthrough, you left it near the RUINED BUILDING WITH X-SHAPED WOODEN BARRICADES.)
NORTH END OF THE STREET: From the area with the sand pile and RUINED BUILDING WITH X-SHAPED WOODEN BARRICADES, ride the motorcycle up the street to the north (below the clothesline with hanging laundry). You can run, but the bike goes faster, and you'll want to go quickly because the 2 machine guns on the roof of the building ahead (where the road comes to a T) begin firing as soon as you come within range. Hurry to the wall directly underneath them where you'll be safe.
[NOTE: It's possible to take out the guns from below right now, or wait until you're up on the ROOFTOPS. To destroy the guns from street level, approach them straight-on, as described above. Once Lara is directly beneath them, they won't be able to hit her. You want them pointing straight forward down the road (to the south), so don't ride or run to the left or right or the guns will swivel that way. Now walk along street to the left (west), keeping very close to the wall. (If you want to, duck into the alcove on the right on the way to get the items described below.) About halfway down the street, cross to the other side and turn around to face the guns. Target the guns with the crossbow or revolver fitted with the laser sight. Use revolver ammo or explosive arrows (or use pistols with the laser sight bug) to target the red spot on the tank on the back of each gun. This should destroy them. If you don't see the red spots, you may need to run in front of the guns again to make them point forward. These screenshots show where Lara should stand and where to aim.]
Dismount, run to the left (west) and duck into the alcove, where you'll find a small medipak and GRENADE LAUNCHER (or 10 grenades if you already have the weapon).
From here you can continue along the street to the right (west) if you want to, or wait until later to explore this area. If you do continue west, you'll run into a sniper on a low ledge around the next corner and another soldier down the hill a bit farther on. You can kill the sniper from a distance without getting shot by targeting him using the laser sight before he notices Lara and/or getting his attention then using the corner for cover.
Beyond this is a steep hill leading up to a very deep pit. It's possible with some fancy driving to jump the pit and get back again, but it's not necessary at this point. You'll have a much easier time of it later on, after getting the NITRO for the motorcycle.
Backtrack to the opposite end of the street, near the rooftop machine guns. If you haven't yet taken out the guns on the roof, dash to the building with the short pillars in front (on the right opposite the building with the guns), using medipaks as needed. Press Action to open the door and enter.
ROOM WITH DEAD SOLDIER OPPOSITE THE MACHINE GUN BUILDING: Lara's attention seems riveted on the dead soldier. Stand Lara near his head and drag him along the floor away from the grate and crawlspace. You can't get into the crawlspace yet, but you'll be back. Exit this room and return to the bike.
Ride back along the road to the south. When you reach the pile of sand, turn left into the DEAD-END ALLEY WITH CRAWLSPACE. Dismount and crawl into the opening above the block. Drop down and follow the passage to a small room with a lever and a small medipak. (Lara won't target the rat that scuttles across the floor.) Pull the lever to open the grate above where the medipak was. (This will work only if you've dragged the dead soldier's body off the grate, as described in the paragraph above.) Climb up through the opening and take a standing jump to grab the edge of the crawlspace. Crawl in and go up the ramp to a second lever. Use this to open the door above the wrought-iron grate overhead. Return to the DEAD-END ALLEY WITH CRAWLSPACE, either the way you came or via the street if you've already destroyed the machine guns.
Get back on the motorcycle and drive west then south along the street, toward where you began the level. Drive through the BIG WROUGHT IRON GATE, which you opened earlier.
RUINED BUILDING WITH STAIRS AND RAMPS: Drive the motorcycle into the pit then into the building with the stairs. Either ride downstairs and run over the soldier on the bottom level, or dismount, walk down and shoot him. There's a crawlspace on one side containing poisoned arrows. Now ride the motorcycle all the way up the stairs to the top level. Here you'll find a small ramp jutting out toward the middle of the room. (Beyond this ramp is an opening that leads back to the street.) Use the ramp to jump the bike into the opening with the sloped entrance opposite. After landing the jump, get off the bike near the lit torch and walk up the ramp to the second lit torch. Approach the alcove on the left, kill a couple of bats roosting inside and pull the lever to raise a block downstairs.
Get back on the motorcycle and ride up the steep ramp near the second torch to get back to the stairway. Down on the next landing you'll see the block you just raised. Climb onto it and into the passage above. Continue to an opening above the street facing the white building with the broken machine gun on top.
ROOFTOPS: Take a running jump across the gap to grab the edge of the white building. Pick up some revolver ammo next to the machine gun. Here is the door you opened earlier from below. If you didn't destroy the 2 machine guns on the rooftop earlier from below, enter this area cautiously. This room opens onto the street just across from the guns. Use the crossbow and laser sight (you may have to first separate the laser sight from the revolver before combining it with the crossbow) with explosive arrows. Now walk out into the room just to where you can see the guns and helicopter on the next rooftop. Target the rotors of the chopper (as in this screenshot). One well aimed explosive arrow should set the chopper on fire, which will start a chain reaction, destroying both helicopter and guns. You don't need to do this if you've already destroyed the guns, unless you just want to watch a cool explosion as the helicopter blows.
(NOTE: I found that explosive arrows are the only type of ammo that will work to destroy the chopper. If you're out of explosive arrows, you can try other types of ammo, and/or try targeting the gas can using the revolver. For the latter, you need to run out to the low wall on the edge of the roof. Lara will take some damage from the guns, but once you hit the gas can, you can duck behind the wall to avoid further health loss. Or, return to street level and try to destroy the guns using the technique described above in the section NORTH END OF THE STREET.)
Take a running jump from the jutting ledge to grab the opposite ledge on the next building. Make your way over to where the helicopter was. Pick up a small medipak on the ground to the left and use the lever to open a gate below. (This is at street level, on the right side of this building when facing it.)
Return the way you came, jumping across the street to the next building, then continuing through the hall to the roof with the broken machine gun. From there, take a running jump, pressing Action to lower Lara's arc so she lands in the small opening on the side of the next building. Follow the passage back down into the RUINED BUILDING WITH STAIRS AND RAMPS.
(NOTE: If you miss this jump you can return on foot to the RUINED BUILDING WITH STAIRS AND RAMPS. It's at the far southwest end of the street, beyond where you began the level.)
Get back on the motorcycle, drive up to the top level and turn right at the ramp where you jumped the bike earlier. Here you'll find an opening that leads back to the street (in the DEAD-END ALLEY WITH CRAWLSPACE).
Follow the streets to the right (north). Turn right at the building on which the machine guns were mounted. (It's safe now that you've destroyed them.) Continue through the open gate in the northeast corner. Drive up the hill to the next level, CHAMBERS OF TULUN.
CITY OF THE DEAD (second time)
IMPORTANT: If you haven't yet found the two components to modify the motorbike with the NITROUS OXIDE FEEDER (i.e., the NITROUS OXIDE CANISTER in the CITADEL GATE level and the VALVE PIPE in the TRENCHES level), you will not be able to complete this section. You'll need to first go back to get whichever component(s) you're missing. (If you need help getting back to any of the previous levels, see the notes below at the **.)
ACROSS THE DEEP PIT TO SECRET #2: Enter from the CHAMBERS OF TULUN and turn right (west). Follow the road past the building with the onion domes. If you didn't explore this area on your first pass through this level, you'll meet a sniper around the next corner on a low ledge and another soldier down the hill a bit farther on. You'll need to dismount to kill the guy on the ledge. Beyond this is a steep hill leading up to a very deep pit.
Position the bike for a long run-up on the left side of the hill. Use the nitro boost (Sprint key) for the extra power needed to jump the pit. Run over a soldier on the other side and dismount.
Climb up on the ledge with the short wooden columns. Hop down into the depression behind the columns. Jump to grab the lower edge of the angled block nearest the fat wooden pillar. Try to position Lara so she's hanging from the middle of the block. Pull up and immediately press Jump to back flip and land on the angled block behind. Continue to hold the Jump key and Lara will spring off that block, onto the next one, then from there to a break in the wall ahead. Hop down into the area below for secret #2 (probably 59/70). Pick up super grenades, a large medipak and explosive arrows. Climb out the way you came and safety drop to the ground. (NOTE: The sequence of jumps is illustrated in these screenshots.)
Jump the motorcycle back across the very deep pit on the left side. Be sure to get a nice, long run-up and use the nitro (Sprint). Return along the street to the wrought iron gate in the northeast corner. Drive through the gate and up the hill into the CHAMBERS OF TULUN.
If you haven't already done so, you might want to pick up the ROOF KEY on your way back through the CHAMBERS OF TULUN (second time). This key will help you complete the level TRENCHES (second time). See the note below for directions to TULUN and the TRENCHES.
(**) RETURNING TO EARLIER LEVELS:
TO TRENCHES - VALVE PIPE: Drive the motorcycle through the wrought gate in the northeast corner of this level. Continue up the hill to the next level, CHAMBERS OF TULUN. Follow the road around the left (east) side of the CHAMBERS, using the motorcycle to jump the deep pit. (You don't need the nitro for that.) Continue along the road to the north, where you can exit to the TRENCHES.
TO CITADEL GATE - NITROUS OXIDE CANISTER: First follow the directions above to get back to the CHAMBERS OF TULUN. But instead of exiting to the TRENCHES, dismount, vault up onto the ledge near the back door of the CHAMBERS and continue around the corner to the west. Go through the wooden gate operated with the wheel. (See the walkthrough for that level if you need help getting past the Minotaur.) Climb the ladder to the CITADEL GATE level.
*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 © 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 Theo, J.K. and andy C. 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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