LEVEL 23: CITADEL GATE

Secrets: 1

You enter this level for the first time from the CHAMBERS OF TULUN level, through the gate guarded by the Minotaur. (For an overview of all of the Cairo levels, see City of the Dead).

ALLEY WITH WOUNDED SOLDIER: Don't panic if the camera goes wiggy and doesn't allow you to look. Hop down into the alley; it's safe. Approach the wounded soldier on the low ledge.

Cut scene: Lara kneels near the soldier. (A transcript of their dialogue appears at the bottom of the page.)

Pick up the revolver ammo on the ground near the soldier. Follow the street away from the soldier.

Cut scene: The camera pans the area, showing the "creature" Azizus mentioned: a huge, armored, fire-breathing dragon. If you take note of the scenery, you'll see the munitions truck the sergeant described parked in the alley in front of the dragon and another road leading away from that area to the dragon's left.

DRAGON GUARDING THE CITADEL: To the left of the dragon (when facing it) is a safe spot behind a low wall near some columns. Run in here and pick up grenades and a small medipak. Don't even bother shooting at the dragon; it's just a waste of ammo. Wait until it has just unleashed a series of fireballs, then sprint past it down the street.

Just beyond the dragon is an area where you'll encounter a swarm of locusts every time you come through. There's a pick-up to be had here. This isn't an official secret, so I personally don't think it's worth the aggravation. I have included it later on, when you return past the dragon to re-visit Sergeant Azizus, to save one pass in front of the monster.

For now, keep running down the street until the locust swarm abates (around the place where you pass under a clothesline). If you continue along the street, you'll come to a deep pit. You can't get across it on foot, so there's no need to go there now. Backtrack along the street toward the dragon (north) until you come to an opening on the left.

ALLEY WITH CROCODILES: Climb over the low wall into an alley. Advance with your shotgun drawn, ready for the crocodile that comes out of the crawlspace at the end of the alley. Repeat the process for a second croc. Then crawl into their lair for poisoned arrows and revolver ammo. Crawl back out. (NOTE: You can also climb on one of the ledges and shoot the crocs with pistols.)

AREA WITH TWO COFFINS, SWITCHES AND BELLS: Climb through the break in the wall on the left (when Lara's back is to the croc lair). Below are a pair of coffins with symbols on the tops. There are also four switches, one on a ledge to the left above the coffins and three at ground level. High on the north wall are tiles with clues about these symbols. The tile on the right is partially obscured by a wooden box (what is this thing?). If you like, you can use your crossbow (with the laser sight and explosive arrows) to blast the box, knocking it aside so you can read the inscription. Note that the symbol keys on the tiles show which symbols on the coffins correspond to the numbers above the switches. Hop down near the coffins.

Cut scene: A bird's eye view of the area, showing the symbols on top of the coffins.

This puzzle isn't as hard as it may at first seem. The coffin below the dangling rope has the symbols corresponding with 1 and 3 (l and lll). The other coffin has the symbols corresponding with 1, 2 and 4 (l, ll and llll). And, in fact, pulling these combinations of levers slides each coffin aside, revealing an opening beneath. However, the coffins and levers don't reset, so all you have to do is pull all of the switches to move both coffins. Not much of a challenge.

Go down into the hole beneath the coffin that's closer to the rope. Use the CROWBAR as a handle for the lever, opening a door in the other hole. Climb back up and go down the other hole and through the door you just opened. Use the switch there to open the door above near the coffins. A swarm of locusts emerges and follows you back to the surface. Go through the door near the coffins, killing a couple of bats roosting there. Then continue up the ramp. There are more locusts in the hall and 2 more bats fly in when you reach the opening above the coffins.

Cut scene: A panoramic view of the area.

This next bit of business is a bit of a challenge, so you probably should save your game first. Take a running jump to grab the dangling rope. Scoot to the bottom and turn around to face the bell to right of the opening where you just emerged. Line up a swing toward the wooden box. Make sure Lara's got a nice high arc before jumping off the rope. Press Action as you fall to land in the opening with the bell. Drop back and hang from the ledge. Let go and grab the opening below. Crawl in for secret #1 (58/70), a large medipak and explosive arrows. Crawl back out and safety drop to the ground.

ACROSS THE LEDGES ABOVE THE STREET: Return up the ramp to the high ledge. Again, take a running jump to grab the rope. Slide to the bottom and this time swing out straight ahead, jumping to land on the small square ledge on the side of the next building. Turn left and take a running jump to the striped awning. Take another running jump (or a standing jump-grab) to the next ledge. Turn and kill a giant beetle that flies at you from behind. Take a running jump across the street to another striped awning in the corner to the left. Turn right and take a standing jump to grab the ladder on the opposite side of the street. Climb around the corner to the left. Lara won't continue climbing along the horizontal crevice. So drop to the ledge below, turn left (south) and take a running jump over the wooden bars and clothesline to grab the next ledge, which juts out below the crevice. (This way you avoid the giant beetle described below.) Crawl up into the opening and take the small medipak. Crawl out and drop to the ledge below.

Alternatively, from the ledge below the ladder, turn around and take a standing jump to grab the ledge on the other (east) side of the street. Pull up and kill another giant beetle. Then take a diagonal running jump across the gap to grab the crevice. (Or, jump up to grab the overhead bars, traverse across to the end, let go and quickly grab the crevice.) Traverse to the left until you can pull up near the medipak.

From the ledge below the medipak, turn around and take a running jump to the striped awning across the street to the right (southeast). From there, take another running jump to grab the square opening ahead (south). Pull up.

THE WRECKED TRUCK AND DEEP PIT: Follow this passage to emerge above a deep pit. Kill the bat that flaps in from the right. (You might want to save your game before this next tricky jump.) You're aiming for the ledge near the overturned truck on the right side of the pit. Position Lara with her right shoulder against the right side of the opening. Take one sidestep to the left, then turn about 45 degrees to the right. Hop back, then take a running jump to land near the truck.

(NOTE: Pressing the right directional key while in the air may help, but don't press Action, which shortens the jump.)

Immediately draw a weapon or two to take out 2 giant beetles. Be careful not to hop back into the pit, and stay clear of the area to the right of the truck, or Lara will catch fire. Walk around the left side of the truck and carefully retrieve the NITROUS OXIDE CANISTER.

(NOTE: No, Lara isn't after a laughing gas high. This is one of the components that will give the motorcycle a turbo boost. You'll also need to get the VALVE PIPE in the TRENCHES level. And, yes, you chem majors are right. N₂0 is the symbol for nitrous oxide; the canister is mislabeled.)

Take a running jump across the pit toward the wrecked taxi. Follow the street back through the locust-infested area and sprint carefully past the dragon toward where you began the level.

If you want every pick-up, find the high crawlspace on the left wall just before the dragon area. Crawl in (getting bitten by locusts the entire time). Slide down the ramp and pick up flares and a large medipak. A couple of bats join the swarm as you exit through another crawlspace at the opposite end of the small room. Drop to the ground in the street and run forward then to the left to return to the start of the level.

Climb over the ledge near poor Sergeant Azizus.

Cut scene: When you return to Sergeant Azizus after talking to him the first time but before getting the codes and mine detonator, he'll tell Lara that her bike will need modification to clear some of the larger obstacles. Nitrous Oxide connected to the carburetor, he explains, should give it extra punch. Then he urges her to go find the codes.

Climb back into the hallway in the left corner to return to the CHAMBERS OF TULUN level.

CHAMBERS OF TULUN - AREA BEHIND (NORTH AND WEST OF) CHAMBERS: Follow the passage to the opening. Climb down the ladder to the ground. Turn left and follow the short passage to a raised opening. Jump to grab the edge, pull up and slide down the other side into the street. Run to the left (north), past the Minotaur and around the corner to the right. Keep going to the low drop-off near the back door of the CHAMBERS. Get on the motorcycle and follow the road to the north and up the hill to enter the TRENCHES level.

 

CITADEL GATE (second time)

You re-enter this level on the motorcycle after having detonated the minefield in the TRENCHES. Use the nitro (Sprint) for extra power to jump the deep pit, crashing through the barricades. You need a long run-up even with the nitro, so start at the base of the hill near where you entered the level. When you get across the pit, cut to the right and speed along the rim so you don't slide into the pit. Turn left below the ledge with the taxi and run over 2 crocodiles.

(BUG NOTE: In the PC version of the game, you may start the next level, CITADEL, without the use of the F5, F6 and P keys. Some people reported on the tombraiders.com forums that this can be avoided by not using the nitro key when racing past the dragon and/or by pausing in the street for a few seconds before approaching Azizus and triggering the cut scene. I tried this sequence all sorts of different ways and got the bug every time. So far, the only way I've found to avoid it is to skip the cut scene altogether by using the level-skip cheat. If you want to see the cut scene, save your game before approaching Azizus. Watch the movie, then reload your save and skip the rest of the level from there.)

Follow the street past the area with the locusts and race past the dragon. Drive all the way to the ledge where Sergeant Azizus is lying. (NOTE: You must approach him on the motorcycle to trigger the cut scene.)

Cut scene: Lara parks the motorcycle and hops up onto the ledge near the injured soldier. We then see Lara driving the motorcycle, with Azizus in the sidecar, up to the truck across from the dragon. She helps him onto the ledge.

Sergeant Azizus: You are a strong woman.

Lara: And you handled yourself pretty well, Sergeant. You've got the codes. What now?

Azizus: (Climbs up onto the ledge, pointing a gun at Lara.) After all we've been through, I think not. This is merely insurance.

Lara: Against what?

Azizus: Against your stopping me from doing my duty. Someone needs to drive that truck in there.

Lara: Kamikaze.

Azizus: Whatever it takes for my country. (He climbs into the truck.) In the next life, then, my friend.

Lara hides behind a column and Azizus crashes the truck, laden with explosives, into the dragon. The shockwave knocks Lara off her feet. We see the dragon in its death throes, then Lara is ready to enter the CITADEL. Before she does, she gives a small salute.

 

Dialogue from cut scene in the first part of this level:

Sergeant Azizus (sp?): What in God's name has happened here? Where are the rest of my men?

Lara: I banged into a couple of them. They appear to have sealed off all of the exits.

Azizus: Yes, yes. This, this is good. You must help us to. . . to. . . to. . . (coughs) liberate the city.

Lara: I'm just here for directions. I need a route to the Citadel.

Azizus: This is not so good. This is where the main activity takes place.

Lara: Activity?

Azizus: We encountered it as the skies began to darken. A creature from our ancient past. It tore through my men like a firestorm. I managed to station an ammunition truck before the beast had a mind to ignite the explosive devices. But with renewed vigor it forced us back. It was as if it knew of our plans.

Lara: Beast or no beast, Sarge, I've got to get into that building.

Azizus: You have spirit. Perhaps. . . . As we retreated we have mined some of the streets to prevent contamination. Two of my men are still in the area out by the northern cemetery. One of them holds the frequency for the mine detector. The other holds the second half of the code for the explosive device.

Lara: And if I find them?

Azizus: Tell them that Azizus sent you. I heard your motorbike. Once you have the codes, take me on it to the ammunition truck. I shall eradicate the blockage. But hurry, for I am not long of this world.

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