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 earlier.)

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 Tihocan's 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 through a long tunnel. When you reach the silver grate, swim down past it. At the bottom turn around and swim forward to a lever. Pull it to lower the water level, turn around again 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 stairs 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 at the right corner. Darts begin to shoot out from the walls and across this block. As long as you stay near the corner, Lara will be safe.

Turn right and take a standing jump from the corner of the block to the small, square 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. The previously immovable block floats 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 beyond.

Follow the passage to an opening and swim down and forward, then down again to another silver grate on the bottom. Swim forward past the grate to another the underwater lever. Pull this to lower the water level once again and speed up the water current. If necessary, return to the opening above to breathe, then swim down and forward through 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 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. Take a running jump to grab the edge of the doorway on the right and pull up.

(NOTE: If you have the PlayStation, game you may want to jump over and use 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, preferably with the shotgun so you'll do more damage in a short time, then back up into the doorway. He should vanish when you do. If not, try hanging from the edge of the doorway.

Continue down the stairs where Pierre went. Go cautiously to avoid running into the chomping blades ahead. Stand as close to them as you can without getting cut. Listen to the sounds they make and on the second "clang" (i.e., when they start to separate), run or take a standing jump through them.

ROOM WITH CROC & PRESSURE PADS: Continue down the stairs to an opening in the floor. Drop down and kill the crocodile in the room below. 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. These are actually pressure pads. Step on all three, in no particular order, to open a door concealing SECRET #1.

Inside is a small room with a slope that meets the floor, 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 above. Pick up the reward: a large medipak and a box of shells. (This sequence is shown in a series of screenshots.)

Drop down and return back up the stairs, past the blades, to the doorway at the top of the room where you met Pierre before.

TALL ROOM WITH LEDGES AND SWINGING BLADE (AGAIN): Hop down onto the square block below the doorway. Turn right and take a running jump across the gap to grab the edge of the alcove with the shotgun shells. Pull up and get the shells. Whether or not you've already triggered the swinging blade on the left side of the alcove, it shouldn't be a problem. Turn so Lara is facing the doorway above. Adjust her position so she's fairly close to the wall of the alcove but still has room to get past it (as shown in this screenshot).

Then take a standing jump to grab the doorsill and pull up.

(NOTE: If you haven't yet retrieved the save crystal here in the PlayStation game, you can get it without triggering the blade. Start from the ledge opposite the crystal and take a running jump across the gap to grab the ledge with the crystal. Pull up and use it. Jump back to the previous ledge, then to the square block, then to the ledge with the shotgun shells. In any case, it's not too difficult to get past the swinging blade if you do trigger it. Just stand facing the blade and the raised doorway beyond it. Position Lara just forward of the faint line between the two floor tiles 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.)

Follow the passage to a gap above a mossy room. (The room below is where you found secret #1.) 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 bother swimming through the underwater opening. That just takes you back to the hallway with the chomping blade where you were before. Instead, swim along the surface 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 & 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 opposite the spikes. You should be able to kill the apes from the higher ledge in the alcove. (There's also a save crystal here in the PS1 game.)

When they're dead, take a standing jump to grab the floor above and pull up. Stand at the edge of the hole 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. Jump from the doorway back over the hole with the spikes below. Go to the other opening in the floor and drop down.

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 a series of 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 the gold key. It doesn't count as a secret, though.)

ROOMS WITH MOVABLE BLOCKS & LOCKED DOORS: This area contains a locked door with two keyholes straight ahead, two closed doors on the right and another room to the left beyond some square pillars. That room has 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 above and 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 high 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 into the doorway. Don't be tempted by the small medipak on the floor. If you try to get it now, Lara will be squashed by a pair of rolling boulders. Instead, take a running jump across the room and into the alcove ahead. The boulders roll past harmlessly. Pick up the second RUSTY KEY, then the medipak, and return through the block room to the 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. Here you'll find a long ramp leading down to an underground lake. (There's also save crystal here in the PlayStation game.)

LONG CHUTE AND SECRET ROOM: Before sliding down, pick up a secret. Save your game. If you miss this secret, you'll have to reload in order to try again. Position Lara at the right side of the doorway facing down the slope. Turn her about 30 degrees to the left. Then take a standing jump forward onto the first low block beyond the higher angled blocks on the left side of the long slide (i.e., the first one that slopes down toward the slide). Keep holding the Jump key, and she'll back flip off that block and then take a series of forward jumps along the right side of the slope. On the third jump, she'll spring back across the slope to the left side. At that point, release the Jump key to slide down the last slope and land in a doorway. (This sequence is shown in a series of screenshots.)

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. Walk to the edge and then walk one step back. 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.

If the jumps are too tricky, try this alternate method: Stand in the middle of the doorway, walk to the edge and hop back once. Take a standing (not running) jump forward to grab the edge of the first break-away tile. As long as Lara hangs there, the tile won't start to collapse. Pull up and immediately take a running jump to grab the edge of the tile straight ahead near the alcove. Pull up and run into the alcove before the tile breaks. (Both methods are shown in these screenshots. Thanks to Mark R. for this alternate strategy.)

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: There's a crocodile in the water, so swim forward without hesitating. On the far side of the lake is a square gray ledge on which you can climb out. Kill the croc and then turn around and enter the passageway. Climb the rocks until you reach a gap high above the lake. On the far side you'll see a switch. Take a running jump across the gap to the square block below the switch. Climb up and use the switch to open an underwater door.

Drop into the water. Face the small, flat ledge at water-level (to the north). Swim down through the underwater tunnel just below that ledge. It takes several twists and turns and eventually emerges on the other side of the lake. Surface and face the door of Tihocan's tomb, which is flanked by two centaur statues.

Before climbing out of the water, find the switch to open that door. It's behind the small door you just opened, at the end of a well-concealed underwater passage beneath the right side of the building. If Lara is treading water facing sandy ledge near 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 (shown in this screenshot).

Swim into the passageway, through the door you just opened using the switch above, 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 (in the area shown in this screenshot).

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 of the room, 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 out of the doorway whenever it launches a fireball.

Use the square blocks to climb onto the ledges on the sides 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 the large medipak at the left end of the balcony. Use the GOLD KEY you lifted from Pierre in the lock up here to open the door below. Lastly, drop down and enter Tihocan's tomb to finish the level.

A cut scene ensues: Lara enters the crypt. She examines the hieroglyphs 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."

Walkthrough text, maps, diagrams, and all other original images copyright © 1997-2008 Stellalune.
All rights reserved.

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