Tomb Raider Anniversary Level 8:  Tomb of Tihocan

Kills:  8 Supplies:  13 Artifacts:  2 Relics:  0 (*)

NOTE: If you didn't find the 50-CALIBER PISTOLS in the previous level, you'll get it here.

UNDERWATER TUNNELS: CHECKPOINT 1 in this level is actually in the MIDAS STATUE ROOM from the previous level.  Jump into the square pool and swim to the bottom.  Then turn around and follow the underwater tunnel forward, then right, then left, then right again until you come to a vertical shaft with light streaming down from above.  Swim upward here to an air pocket where Lara can breathe.  You'll definitely need to tap Interact as you go to make Lara swim faster or she'll drown before you reach the air pocket.

When Lara's air meter is full again, swim down then forward along the tunnel.  Go past the tunnel from which you came, which is now on the left, and continue, following the tunnel to where it ends in another vertical shaft.  Swim upward to the surface and CHECKPOINT 2.

Push the wooden crate through the doorway and shoot a rat in the room beyond.  Move the crate beneath the switch and climb up to pull it.  This opens the trapdoor in the corner.  Drop down, kill 2 more rats and go through the doorway to CHECKPOINT 3.

NOTE: This area will look familiar to players of the original Tomb Raider.  Here in Anniversary, the Cistern and the Tomb of Tihocan have been merged into a single level.

THE CISTERN – UPPER LEVEL: As you enter, Pierre's voice, commenting on how refreshing the water is, echoes off the stone walls.  Ignore him and take a look around.  There are three levels in this huge room: The UPPER LEVEL, where you are now, includes various alcoves, ledges, poles and hooks, as well as a large wheel mechanism in an alcove on the left wall.  The EXIT FROM THE CISTERN is through the balcony on the right wall.  Naturally you can't reach it yet.  The MIDDLE LEVEL has more ledges and alcoves, as well as a number of circular openings covered by metal grates, and a second wheel mechanism.  There's also a lever, which you can't see from the entrance, on the back of one of the square columns on the right.  The LOWER LEVEL, currently flooded, has a couple of square trapdoors, one of which has something shiny inside.  A pair of crocodiles swims in the pool far below.

As you'll guess if you played the original game, you'll be using the wheels to flood and drain this area in order to access different areas.  This time it's not nearly as complicated, though.  If you come to this walkthrough after flooding or draining part of the cistern too soon, don't worry.  You can climb up and down between the different levels and use the wheel mechanisms as many times as you need to in order to get everything done.  Also, there is no one correct order for doing things.  I've presented what I hope is a path that gets every pickup with minimal backtracking.

NOTE: You can raise the water level at the beginning, using the wheel on the upper level, and then take a swim to draw all 3 crocodiles to the surface so you can shoot them from the walkway.  (There are 2 crocs in the pool and another on a dry ledge on the middle level.) However, this takes a while, since every time you climb out of the water, the crocs retreat to the bottom of the pool.  I recommend ignoring them and leaving the upper wheel alone for now.

Leave the first wheel mechanism on the upper level alone and the middle level dry for now.  From CHECKPOINT 3 in the entrance, turn right and take a running jump to grab the horizontal pole jutting out from the wall.  Swing around, jump and grapple the metal hook on the wall above.  Wall run and jump to grab a handhold above the rough alcove to the left.

Climb around to the left, drop into the alcove and pick up a set of 50-caliber clips.  Climb the handholds on the right side of the alcove.  Climb to the right and jump to grab onto the freestanding pillar to the right.  Climb on top of it and pick up your first mini SMG ammo.  Take a running jump back to the handhold above the alcove (the same one you grabbed after the wall run).  Climb around to the left and jump back to grab the handhold on the other side of the alcove.  Climb to the left as far as you can, jump and grapple the hook above.  Wall run and jump to the corner ledge on the left.

Follow this walkway, taking running jumps across the gaps, all the way to the next corner of the room, where you'll find a box of shotgun ammo.  Turn left and take a running jump to grab the horizontal pole.  Swing and jump to the next pole, then to the ledge ahead.  Push the wooden crate off the ledge.  It falls to the level below, triggering CHECKPOINT 4.

Grab the handhold on the wall.  Jump to grab the handhold above and climb to the left.  Jump to grab the next pole, swing around and jump to the ledge beyond it.  Cross this ledge and grab onto the handhold on the wall beyond.  From there, jump to grab the next horizontal pole, swing and jump to the next pole, and finally to the long horizontal ledge on the far wall.  Climb along this ledge to the left until you can pull up into an alcove with another wooden crate.  Push this one off the edge as well.

The quickest way down to the middle level is by diving into the pool, but first you must take a running jump across the jagged gap in the walkway connecting this alcove and the long perpendicular walkway ahead.  To make this jump, run forward, jump right at the edge and hold jump to keep Lara in the air longer.  Otherwise, she'll fall short and plummet to the stones below.  (Alternately, you can return along the wall the way you came and climb down the handholds below the ledge from which you pushed the first crate.)

CISTERN – MIDDLE LEVEL: If you dive into the water from above, immediately swim away from the 2 crocodiles to the edge of the pool opposite the wooden fence with the metal bars, where Lara can climb out.  If one of the crocs manages to grab Lara, alternate tapping the Left and Right direction keys to break loose.  Then swim away.  Shoot the crocs from dry land.

There's a small medipak in the back right corner of this area.  Get it, then push the wooden crate off the ledge into the water.  (This is the second crate you pushed down from above.)

Now turn so the pool is on Lara's left and head toward the far wall (below where you entered the CISTERN area).  Use the low stone ramp to climb over the wall.  Turn the second wheel mechanism to drain the cistern completely and trigger CHECKPOINT 5.

Continue around the perimeter of the room.  Pick up a large medipak beneath the pile of rocks in the next corner.  Climb over the low wall to the double ramps behind the metal bars.  Vault up onto the wall ahead and shoot the crocodile below before hopping down.  Continue to the left, past the long ladder, to the spot where the first wooden crate landed when you pushed it off the ledge above.  Push it off this ledge into the now-empty pool.  (There's a gap in the lip surrounding the pool near the middle of this area.)

To get down safely, climb onto the fallen chunk of stone walkway, jump to the wall ahead and drop down in the corner near where you got the first small medipak on this level.  Head to the left to the first ledge above the empty pool.  Hang from the edge, drop to grab the horizontal pole sticking out of the wall below, swing and jump to grab the handhold on the wall ahead and drop to the floor.

CISTERN – LOWER LEVEL: Move each of the wooden crates onto one of the square pressure pads.  One opens the grating above the wooden platform with the metal ring.  Later, when you re-flood the cistern, this will float to the surface and you can use it as a stepping stone.  The other pressure pad lowers the metal fence alongside the pool.

There's a shiny spearhead artifact and some ammo beneath the second square grate, but you can't reach it yet.  Don't worry; you'll be back.

Pick up the small medipak on the floor in the corner behind the heap of broken stonework.  (This is in the corner below the wheel mechanism on the next level.) Then climb those stones, jump onto the ramp, slide, jump and grapple the hook above.  Wall run across to the ledge in the corner to the left.  Jump to grab the next handhold, climb around the corner to the left, jump to grab the higher handhold, and then jump back to grab the horizontal pole.  Swing, jump and grab the next handhold.  Climb all the way around to the left and jump to the next horizontal pole.  From there, swing over to the next handhold and climb to the left until you can pull up onto another chunk of stonework in the next corner.  Turn left, step forward, slide down the slope just a little and jump to land in the alcove ahead.

From here, you can climb up to the MIDDLE LEVEL.  Follow the perimeter of the room around to the left, the same way you went before, to get back to the wheel mechanism.  Turn it to flood the lower level and trigger CHECKPOINT 6.

Before climbing back to the UPPER LEVEL, swim across the pool to the two ramps, which are now accessible since you lowered the fence using the pressure pad.  Use the grapple to pull the small wooden raft to the top of either of the ramps.  You may need to climb onto the wall when you first start pulling to get close enough to the raft.  Then drop down and finish the job from the ledge at water level.  Later, when you flood the middle level, the raft will float upward and you'll be able to use it to reach the balcony with the exit.  Now return to the wheel mechanism.

NOTE: At this point you may want to turn the wheel again twice, draining the pool and refilling it, in order to use CHECKPOINT 6 again.  Then, if Lara falls during the next climb, you won't have to repeat the business with the raft.  Just be sure to fill the pool before climbing up.

To get back to the UPPER LEVEL, first climb onto the inverted stone archway near the wheel mechanism.  Jump from there to the wall ahead.  Then drop down on the other side, where you were before.  Run up the long, stone ramp and grab the lowest handhold on the square pillar.  Jump to grab the handhold above.  Climb around to the left and jump straight up to grab the horizontal bar.  Climb to the other side of the bar and face the corner ledge.  Swing around, jump and grab onto it.  Pull up and climb the handholds in the alcove to reach a small ledge overlooking the horizontal bar.

Take a running jump to grab onto the corner handhold on the square pillar.  It's a long jump, so be sure to hold the Jump key down for a moment after takeoff.  Then press Interact to keep Lara from slipping when she catches the handhold.  Pull up, grab the next handhold and climb all the way around to the other side of the pillar.  Jump up to the handhold above and pull up onto the walkway near the first wheel mechanism.

CISTERN – UPPER LEVEL (again): Turn the wheel mechanism again to fill the pool to the upper level.  Now you can either head straight for the exit on the far side of the pool (skip to that section below) or pick up a few more items, including the artifact you saw earlier.

On this side of the pool, there's a circular opening on the wall between the alcove with the wheel mechanism and the alcove where the second wooden crate was.  Now that the water level has been raised, you can swim down to that opening and through the hole at the top of the grating.  Get the large medipak inside and swim back to the surface.

Now face the opposite wall of the CISTERN.  There are two pickups inside similar dead-end pipes on that side: shotgun ammo in the one between the far right corner and the balcony with the exit and a small medipak in the one just below and to the right of the left corner ledge.

ARTIFACT #1: Swim to the square walkway surrounding the balcony with the exit.  A straight section of walkway juts out from the square one toward the center of the pool.  Swim down beneath this walkway to find a lever on the back of the square support column.  Pull that lever to open the grating above ARTIFACT #1.  Then come to the surface.  Swim out to the middle of the pool to spot the artifact on the bottom.  Swim down to get it and the 50-caliber clips in the same compartment.  Then return to the surface.

NOTE: You can, of course, drain part or all of the cistern before going after the artifact, but you'll have to refill it to reach the exit.  The method I describe just saves time and effort.

CISTERN EXIT: To reach the exit, swim to the square walkway surrounding the balcony.  It's too high for Lara to pull up, so swim through the gap in the walkway and climb out on the small wooden platform you moved earlier.

NOTE: If you did not free the wooden platform from the compartment at the bottom of the pool and move it into position before raising the water level, you won't be able to reach the exit.  You'll need to go back and do that now.  Follow the walkthrough above if necessary.

Hop onto the walkway and then grapple the platform closer to the balcony.  Jump back onto the platform.  From there, jump to grab the edge of the balcony and pull up near CHECKPOINT 7.

LONG AQUEDUCT: Jump into the pool below the spouting faces and swim to the bottom.  A strong current pulls Lara through a long pipe and dumps her into a small pool in an underground cavern.  Come to the surface near CHECKPOINT 8.  Climb out on the small ledge and pick up some shotgun shells.  Then jump back into the pool and swim downward and to the left.  Follow the submerged tunnel to a larger pool where you can surface.

THE TOMB OF TIHOCAN: In the middle of the pool is a wide ledge with the temple entrance.  Swim all the way to the left to a smaller, rectangular ledge where you'll find more ammo for the shotgun and 50-caliber pistol.

ARTIFACT #2: Hop back into the pool and face the ledge where you just found the ammo so the tomb entrance is behind Lara.  Swim down and to the right to find another underwater tunnel.  It's probably a good idea to locate the tunnel first then swim to the surface to breathe.  Position Lara on the surface just above the tunnel, then swim down and into the tunnel to get ARTIFACT #2.  There's no place to surface so quickly swim back to the big pool.

Now swim around to face the wide ledge with the tomb entrance.  Below the left side of this ledge is another tunnel.  Swim down and follow it to the end.  Here you can climb out of the water in a small room.  Pull the switch to open the door to the tomb and trigger CHECKPOINT 9.  Return through the flooded tunnel the way you came.  Climb out on the wide ledge and enter the temple, crossing CHECKPOINT 10.  Approach the pedestal with the SCION OF TIHOCAN.

Cinematic: Lara reads the inscription on the crypt.  "Here lies the God-King Tihocan, one of the Triumvirate, keepers of the three pieces of the Scion, leader of the chosen after the great betrayal caused Atlantis to be lost beneath the waves.  .  .  .  She slides the sarcophagus lid aside only to find the crypt empty, but before she can react, she feels a gun at the back of her head.  Pierre DuPont gloats that following her instincts rather than watching her back has just cost her two pieces of the Scion.  Lara says that's not a price she's willing to pay, and when Pierre asks if it's worth her life, she says it is.

Interactive cut scene: Now, in order to survive the confrontation with Pierre, you must press the keys that correspond to the on-screen icons to duck and evade his fire then disarm him.  On the PC, the correct keys are Down Arrow or S, then Right Arrow or D.  On the PS2 press Circle then Triangle.

If you don't press the correct keys or are too slow, Lara dies and the game reloads at the beginning of this cut scene.  If you succeed, Pierre runs out of the temple, only to find that the centaur statues flanking the doorway are actually undead guardians charged with protecting the Scion.  They animate and move in on the feeble human who has dared to steal it.  Pierre, always good at thinking on his feet, tosses the Scion at Lara and attempts to escape.  But it looks like Pierre's instincts aren't so hot either, and the centaurs were not built to to forgive; they trample poor Pierre and then turn their attention to Lara.

NOTE: If you didn't get the 50-CALIBER PISTOLS in the Coliseum, you'll obtain them from Pierre and they'll be available after this cut scene.

FIGHTING THE CENTAURS: CHECKPOINT 11 registers at the start of the battle.  Defeating the 2 Atlantean centaurs requires a multi-part strategy.  First, some defensive tactics:

You can't destroy the centaurs using weapon fire alone.  Instead, you need to provoke their attacks and turn these against them.  Here's the basic offensive strategy you'll need to employ, along with some optional tactics.

Additional notes:

NOTE: Apparently there are several possible bugs involving the centaurs' shields.  Some players are unable to grapple the rings on the backs of the shields.  Others can grapple but not pick up the shields from the ground.  So far I do not know of definitivie solutions to these problems, but I have included some possible fixes in a footnote.

When you've defeated both centaurs, the final cinematic for Greece begins.  Lara takes the two pieces of the SCION and fits them together.  Their mystical power evokes some kind of hallucination or out-of-body experience in which she falls through space and eventually comes to hover alongside three giant figures.  As they speak, it becomes clear that these are the three erstwhile rulers of Atlantis.  Tihocan, the male on the left, accuses the crouching female of tainting the power of the Scion and breaking the sacred triumvirate of Atlantis, as well as maiming Qualopec, her own brother and fellow king.  Qualopec, the mutated figure on the right, says that although Tihocan has ended her treachery, it is his own face that will haunt his sister's nightmares.  Tihocan asks the woman if she has anything to say for herself, but before she can answer, Lara floats away.  She has a brief vision of a third piece of the Scion moving toward what looks like an Egyptian-style doorway.  Then she falls back to earth outside Tihocan's tomb.  She pulls herself together and picks up the Scion once more.

Now it's just a quick motorcycle trip to the Egyptian desert.  .  .  .


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*ABOUT ARTIFACTS & RELICS: Finding artifacts and relics (formerly known as "secrets") unlocks various extras like outfits and concept art.  A complete list of these bonuses and how to get them will be added soon.

**ABOUT TIME TRIALS: After completing a level, you will be able to replay it in Time Trial mode to unlock cheat codes.  Again, more info will be added about this once the main walkthrough is done.


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