LEVEL 9: TOMB OF TIHOCAN

Kills: 17 Items: 26, including 4 keys and a piece of the Scion Save Crystals: 5 (PlayStation only) Secrets: 2

(NOTE: One of the regular pick-ups here will be the MAGNUMS if you didn't get them in one of the earlier levels.)

Objectives: Find your way through a series of rooms and passageways to the tomb itself.  The path is fairly linear, but you will need to take a few detours and flood/drain several areas to proceed.  When you find the tomb, you can finally kill Pierre DuPont and take his piece of the Scion (the second of three).  Lastly unlock the tomb to find clues to your next destination.

Walkthrough: Swim down and forward.  When you reach the silver grate, swim down towards it, turn around and swim forward until you reach a lever.  Pull it to lower the water level, turn around and swim back up to the surface.  Climb out on the ledge and use the switch to open the door to the right.

(NOTE: The most common problem in this area is confusion between the T-shaped switch, which can only be used on dry land, and the broom handle-shaped lever, which can only be used underwater.  First you want the lever then, after the water is drained, the switch.)

ROOM WITH FLOATING BLOCK: Draw weapons and proceed along the hallway and through the door you just opened.  Kill the crocodile in the next room.  Notice the block that looks like it should move but doesn't? It actually moves UP.  Here's how: Climb the green steps to the top and hop down on the other side.  Take a running jump from here to the greenish ledge next to the square block at the top center of the room.  Pull up onto this block on the right side, taking care to avoid the darts that begin to shoot out from the walls and across this block.

Turn to the right and take a standing jump from the corner of the block to the ledge ahead.  From here, take a running jump to the ledge just beyond the dart pipe.  Climb into the alcove and use the switch to raise the water level again.  Now that immovable block has floated up to the opening above.  Swim down to where the block was and retrieve a small medipak, then climb onto the block and enter the passageway there.

Follow the passage to an opening and swim down and forward, down again towards a silver grate, then forward to the underwater lever.  Pull this to lower the water level once again and speed up the water current.  Return to the opening above to breathe, then swim down and forward along a very long passageway.  With the current working in your favor, Lara will be swept along to a room where she can surface.

TALL ROOM WITH LEDGES AND SWINGING BLADE: Climb out of the water and kill a rat.  Pull the movable block out once and use it to climb up to the ledge above.  Then climb onto the square ledge above, then the rectangular gray block.  There are 2 doorways at the top of this room.  Jump to the square block near the doorway on the right, and from here jump into that doorway.

(NOTE: If you have the PlayStation, game you may want to jump over to the save crystal before doing this next bit.)

Draw pistols and proceed into the passageway.  Pierre DuPont will be waiting in the passage ready to do some damage.  Shoot him a few times then back up into the doorway.  He should vanish when you do.  If not, try the same again.  (You'll get to kill him at the end of the level, but for now conserve your expendable ammo.)

Continue down the passageway, but don't run.  You'll soon reach a pair of chomping blades.  Stand as close to them as you can without getting chomped.  Listen to the sounds they make and on the second "clang," run or take a standing jump through them.

ROOM WITH CROC and PRESSURE PADS: Continue down the stairs and kill a crocodile at the bottom.  Pick up some magnum clips and 2 boxes of shotgun shells.  Now take a close look at the floor.  There are 3 squares that look different from the others-two in the northeast and southwest corners and one near the steps.  Step on all three pressure pads in any order to open a concealed door, SECRET #1.

Inside is a small room with a low ramp, 3 angled blocks and a small ledge above.  Position Lara with her back to the ramp and her chest against the side of the lowest angled block.  Back flip onto the ramp and hold the Jump key, and Lara will spring off the ramp then jump forward onto each of the 3 angled blocks in turn, landing on the ledge at the end.  Pick up the reward: a large medipak and a box of shells.  Drop down and return back up the stairs, past the blades, to the doorway above the small pool.

TALL ROOM WITH LEDGES AND SWINGING BLADE (AGAIN): Hop down to the square block and from there take a running jump across the gap to grab the edge of the alcove.  Pull up and pick up the shotgun shells.  Jump past the blade to the ledge on the right.  (If you didn't use it earlier, you'll get a save crystal here in the PlayStation game.) The blade will now begin to swing.  Turn and face it.  Stand Lara toward the right side of the ledge, just forward of the faint line between the two floor blocks nearest the blade.  As soon as the blade begins to swing to the left, take a running jump past it to grab the doorsill ahead.  Pull up.

Follow the passage to a gap above a mossy room.  Turn around and drop back to grab the edge of the floor.  Traverse to the right until you can pull up.  Go down the short passageway to a switch and pull it to flood the room below.  Drop down into the water and surface right there.  (Don't swim ahead to the opening near the stairs where you killed the crocodile earlier.) Swim to the other end of the rectangular opening, climb out of the water and kill a rat.  Go to the end of this short hallway and jump into the water again.  Swim down, then up again through a twisty passage until you can climb out of the water in a room with spikes on the floor.

ROOM WITH LION, GORILLAS and SPIKES: Stay on the step at water level until you've killed the lion lurking in the room.  In the U-shaped passageway on the side of the room opposite the spikes you'll find a switch.  Use it to open a door above and awaken 2 gorillas.  Return to the spike room and climb into the alcove and onto the step.  From here you should be able to kill the apes.  (There's also a save crystal here in the PSX game.)

When they're dead, take a standing jump to grab the floor above and pull up.  Cross to the gap above the spikes.  Take a standing jump to grab the crevice to the left of the doorway and traverse right until you can pull up.  Enter the room and pick up a large medipak and a GOLD KEY.  Take a standing jump from the doorway over the spikes.  Then drop down into the room below.

GOLD KEY LOCK: Climb into the alcove then out the other side, where you'll find the keyhole your GOLD KEY fits.  Use it to raise the blocks in the pool.  Take 3 running jumps and a standing jump to get across.  Pick up the small medipak to the right of the door before going in.

(NOTE: In the PC game the secret chime sometimes rings when you use this key.  It doesn't count as a secret, though.)

ROOMS WITH MOVABLE BLOCKS and LOCKED DOORS: Here you'll see a locked door with two keyholes straight ahead, two closed doors on the right and another room to the left beyond some square pillars.  Inside the room on the left are two more closed doors at floor level and a higher door.  There are also 4 dark squares on the floor with writing on them (pressure pads) and a movable block between two of the pillars.  Pull the block twice to position it on top of one of the dark squares.  Hop back and jump onto the block.  One of the doors in the other room opens, releasing a gorilla.  Kill it from the block then go to the room you just opened to get some magnum clips and shotgun shells.

Pull the block twice more until it is on the dark square below the high door.  Again, jump on the block.  The door high on the wall opens, along with the second door in the other room, which lets out another gorilla.  Shoot it from the block.  When it's dead, turn and take a standing jump from the edge of the block to grab the doorway.  Pull up and enter cautiously.  Another chomping blade trap is in the way.  Go past it as you did the last one, and take the large medipak and RUSTY KEY.  Coming back you won't be able to jump through the blades without banging Lara's head, so run through instead.

Drop down and go around the other side of the block.  Pull it twice onto the dark square, hop back and jump on top of the blocks to take out the 4 rats that come swarming out of the room on the left.  Jump down and enter to find a small medipak.

Go back to the block and move it onto the last dark square.  This opens the remaining door.  Walk forward to the edge of the door sill.  Then take a running jump across and into the alcove to avoid being flattened by a pair of rolling boulders.  Pick up the second RUSTY KEY, then the small medipak in the boulder path, and return to the far room with the locked door.

Don't forget to go into the other small room you opened to get some more shotgun shells.  Then use the two RUSTY KEYS to unlock this door.  (Get a save crystal in the PlayStation game.) Here you'll find a long ramp leading down to an underground lake.

LONG CHUTE AND SECRET ROOM: Before sliding down, pick up a secret.  Save your game if you can.  Then position Lara at the right side of the doorway facing down the ramp.  Turn her about 30 degrees to the left then take a standing jump forward to the spot just beyond the high angled block.  Keep holding the Jump key, and she'll take a series of 5 jumps off the rocks flanking the ramp to land in a doorway.

Ahead is a rectangular room with 5 break-away tiles jutting out from the two sides-two on the left, three on the right—and an alcove at the far end opposite the entrance.  Stand in the middle of the doorway nearly at the edge then do the following series of jumps to land on the tiles: standing jump forward, side flip to the left, jump forward, jump forward, side flip right, and jump forward to land in the alcove.  If you fall through you can climb out easily, but you'll have to reload a saved game to try for the secret again.

Once in the alcove, pick up SECRET #2, clips for the magnums and Uzis.  Drop down, cross the room, climb out and continue down the slide to the lake.

UNDERGROUND LAKE: Swim forward without hesitating.  On the far side of the lake is a square gray ledge on which you can climb out.  Kill the crocodile in the water below, then turn around and enter the passageway.  Climb up the rocks until you reach a gap high above the lake.  On the far side you'll see a switch.  To the left is a flat block with slopes on two sides.  Walk up this block, turn around, slide down the back and grab the edge.  Pull up and immediately back flip to land on the square ledge behind.  Turn around and pull up near the switch.  Use it to open an underwater door.

Slide or dive down into the water, turn around and swim to the right through a twisty tunnel to the other side of the lake.  Surface and face the temple door, which is flanked by two centaur statues.  Swim down and around the right side of the underwater column that holds up the walkway in front of the temple.  Here you'll find a well-concealed underwater passage.  (If Lara is treading water facing the centaur statue on the right, the passage is below, ahead and just a little to the left.  There's a pointy, light-colored rock overhanging the opening.) Swim into the passageway, through the door you just opened, and into a room where you can surface.  Pull the switch here to open the door of the tomb.  (And use the save crystal.) Swim back to the lake but don't climb out right at the entrance.  Instead, go to the left side and climb out onto the sand.

Draw weapons and cautiously approach the door.  The centaur statue on the left comes to life and begins to hurl fireballs.  Back flip onto the flat sandy area.  When you see it launch a fireball, side flip out of the way.  Keep shooting and eventually it will explode.  Alternately, run past the statue into the building.  It will animate as you pass, then you can kill it from inside, using the doorway for cover.

NOTE: In the PlayStation version, you can use the save crystal in the sandy area near the tomb building before or after destroying the centaurs, and if you run past the statues into the tomb both will animate at once.  In the PC and Macintosh games, the statue on the right won't come to life yet.)

TIHOCAN'S TOMB: Once inside the tomb, prepare for your final showdown with Pierre.  This time you can use the magnums, if you've got them, to take him down fairly quickly.  When he's dead, relieve him of a GOLD KEY, the SECOND PIECE OF THE SCION that he took from the pedestal at the center, and his MAGNUMS.  (You won't have two sets of magnums if you've already got them, but the pick-up will be added to your total.)

Now, if you haven't done so already, you can go back outside and take on the second centaur.  Once you awaken it, it's easy enough to kill it from the safety of the doorway.  It won't come inside.  Just get a lock on it, hold that Action key and be sure to side flip whenever it launches a fireball.

Lastly, use the square blocks to boost Lara up to the ledges on the side of the Scion room to pick up 2 sets of magnum clips.  Then jump over to the balcony at the back of the room.  Pick up a large medipak.  Then use the GOLD KEY you lifted from Pierre in the lock up here to open the door below.  Drop down and enter Tihocan's tomb to finish the level.

A cut scene ensues: Lara enters the crypt.  She examines the hieroglyphics on the wall and reads aloud: "Here lies Tihocan.  One of the two just rulers of Atlantis, who, even after the curse of the continent, had tried to keep rule here in these barren other lands.  He died without child, and his knowledge has no heritage.  Look over us kindly...Tihocan."

Next Level

Previous Level

Tomb Raider 1 Main Page

Tomb Raider Main Page


Copyright © 1998-2002 - 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 Ian T.  for various tips, including the locations of the save crystals in the PlayStation game, and Martin V.  for correcting a couple of my left/right mix-ups.  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.

This page has been slightly modified.  To see the original, click here.

Stella's Tomb Raider Site