STELLA'S CLASSIC TOMB RAIDER 1 WALKTHROUGH

Tomb Raider I Remastered Guide here.

Kills: 15  Items: 29, including a key, 2 Ankhs, the Uzis, a Scarab and a piece of the Scion
Save Crystals: 7 (Saturn and PlayStation only)  Secrets: 1

NOTE: The regular pickups here will include the MAGNUMS if you didn't get them earlier.

LEVEL MAP by VGCartography (used with permission)

Sanctuary of the Scion PS1 Video Walkthrough by Eldincy

OBJECTIVES: First get into the area near the giant sphinx. Then locate 2 Ankh artifacts to unlock the door at the base of the sphinx. Enter and find the way back to the top of the area to get a Scarab artifact. Use this to open the final gate of the level. Inside, confront Larson and get the third and final piece of the Scion.

Go down the stairs. The doors close behind you. Pick up 2 sets of magnum clips, one in each corner at the base of the stairs. (NOTE: If you didn't find the MAGNUMS earlier, you'll get them here instead of one of these sets of clips.)

LONG STAIRCASE WITH MUTANTS: Notice the closed gates. You'll be returning later. Advance up the stairs and 2 Atlantean mutants will start down. Backflip down the stairs shooting and continue to jump from side to side if necessary to avoid their attacks. Or, stand your ground and use the shotgun. When they explode, go to the room at the top of the stairs. Pick up more magnum clips in the dark area to the right of the blocks. Climb up the blocks and through the opening in the ceiling to emerge on the back of a sphinx.

HUGE CAVE WITH SPHINX: Face the front of the sphinx, cross over the left shoulder to the front and hop down onto the small ledge below (the sphinx's collarbone?). Another mutant will be running around on the sand below so don't go all the way down yet. You'll be seeing more of these shortly. Some throw fireballs, others spit dangerous goop of unknown origin, and both attack Lara if they can reach her. Use the ledge for cover and shoot the mutant until it explodes.

If you're low on health, climb back up onto the sphinx's back and pick up the large medi pack on the raised path at the rear. Then slide down the side of the sphinx to the ground. Otherwise, just jump down onto the paw and from there to the ground. (You can get that medi pack later.) Between the sphinx's paws are some magnum clips and a closed door. Your goal now is to open that door.

CLIMBING TO THE FIRST SWITCH: First, head for the northwest corner of the cave, beyond the sphinx's right paw. Here you'll find a sandy area with square pillars of various heights. Climb onto the lowest one. (This spot, and the rest of the climb is shown in a series of screenshots.) Take a running jump to the next low block up the slope near the cave wall. Pull up onto the ledge above. Stand so the tallest pillar is on Lara's left and take a running jump to grab the second tallest pillar. Turn and take another running jump to land on top of the tallest. Pull up onto the jutting ledge above. Walk forward and turn right. (Console gamers get a save crystal here.) Advance slowly as there is a metal jaw trap just around the corner. Carefully run or jump through it, pick up the small medi pack and follow the ledge around to the right toward the switch. Be careful to jump the gap in the path just before the switch.

NOTE: To avoid the blade trap, after climbing from the pillar onto the jutting ledge, turn right and take a running jump over to the path. Go left to get the medi pack, then turn around and head toward the switch.

Throw the switch to open a gold door on the far side of the cave. A winged mutant flies in from the southwest. You can kill it from this ledge, but I found it easier to make a quick descent and shoot it from the ground. Take a standing jump from the edge of the ledge with the switch down to the one with the large medi pack. Hang from the far edge of that ledge (so Lara's back is toward the sphinx). Drop and slide down the sloping rocks to the ground, pressing and releasing Action as Lara slides to break her fall.

NOTE: If you prefer to fight the mutant on the high ledge, try and kill it before it gets to Lara, or it may knock her off the ledge. Also, try backing Lara into the corner near the switch. There isn't much room to maneuver there, but it's more difficult for the mutant to push Lara. Also, be sure to begin with at least half health. If the mutant explodes close to Lara, she'll take some damage.

CLIMBING TO THE SECOND SWITCH Return to the front of the sphinx. Along the cave wall, just opposite its left paw, is a light-colored block just the right height for climbing. (These screenshots show the spot and the climbing sequence.) First get on top of that block then take a standing jump to the angled block to the right. Turn around and take another standing jump to grab the brownish ledge above. Pull up. Walk along the ledge to get the magnum clips ahead on the left.

Turn around and make your way back along that same ledge to the spot where you just pulled up. Vault onto the low ledge to the left and then jump the gap to the ledge ahead (the one with a low sandy step above it). From there, take a running jump to the next higher ledge. Turn left to face the cave wall. Climb onto the ledge ahead and above, then to the block on the right, where you'll find more magnum clips.

After picking up the clips, turn so the cave wall is on Lara's right. Climb or jump onto the angled block ahead. Then jump the gap to land on the next flat block. Do the same again and continue down and to the left to the switch. (There's save crystal on the way.)

Use the switch to open a carved stone door down below (not the one between the sphinx's paws). Turn and ready weapons. Another flying mutant approaches from the far side of the sphinx. Again, try and kill it before it reaches the ledge where Lara is standing and/or move into the corner to make it harder for the mutant to push her off the ledge.

When the coast is clear, face the switch, angle Lara a little to the left and then jump to the ledge with the shotgun shells. Take a running jump to grab the next thin, jutting ledge. Pull up and get more shells. Return to the spot where you just pulled up and take another running jump to the next ledge (as shown in this screenshot). From here, you should be able to see a gold door high on the cave wall ahead and a bit to the left. This is the one you opened earlier using the first switch, and it's where you're headed next. But first, if you want to, you can go after the level's only secret: the Uzis.

NOTE: Console players may want to try the Alternate Method for Getting Uzi Secret (below) just before leaving the sphinx area. You'll wait a little longer for the Uzis, but there is a save crystal just before the tricky part. It's your call.

SECRET ON INVISIBLE PLATFORM: (The following sequence is shown in this series of screenshots.) When standing on the jutting ledge after the one with the second box of shotgun shells, turn to face the sphinx. If you use the Look button and rotate Lara's vision, you can catch a glimpse of a dark object against the lighter background of the sphinx's neck or headdress. This is the SECRET #1, the UZIS, floating on an invisible platform.

To get there, carefully set up a running jump: Position Lara at the edge of the ledge, between the left corner and the middle. (If she's too far to the right, she won't be able to jump far enough to grab the invisible ledge.) Save your game if you can. Hop back once, then press Forward and Jump to make Lara take a running jump right at the edge. While Lara is in the air, press and hold Action to grab the edge of the invisible platform; pull up. Hold the Walk button while on the platform. This way you can maneuver Lara around without fear of accidentally stepping off. Pick up the guns. (At the same time you get some clips to go with them.)

After the secret chime sounds, 2 winged mutants fly in from the other side of the sphinx. If you use the Uzis, you can kill both before they get close enough to push Lara off the platform. Or, to conserve ammo, quickly descend from the platform (next paragraph) and kill them with pistols or magnums from below.

To get down, turn back toward the cave wall. Walk to the edge and line Lara up so she's squarely facing the left side of the ledge where you started. (The right edge is a little too high to grab, and Lara will fall if you try.) Hop back and then take a running jump to grab the ledge. Let go to drop to the rocks below. (NOTE: Lara loses a tiny bit of health when you do this. To avoid any injury, hang from the left side of the ledge instead of the front, traverse to the left and then drop.)

CLIMBING TO THE GOLD DOOR (FIRST ANKH): Now you'll be making your way to the gold door you opened earlier using that first switch. Turn so the sphinx is again on Lara's left. Walk forward along the sandy ledge. Jump the gap, continue forward a few steps and then climb up the blocks on the right. Turn so the cave wall is again on Lara's right and continue along the ledge. Jump one more gap and enter the dark passageway ahead. Turn left and climb two low blocks. You're now facing the side of the sphinx, and there's a drop-off ahead. Take a diagonal standing jump to the flat spot on the right. Climb the rocks to the gold door. (Console players will find another save crystal here.)

Enter and go to the right. Find the movable block—the middle one, which is much brighter than the surrounding blocks—and push it through to the other side of the wall. Go around the wall, climb onto the block and from there to the ledge. A centaur mutant stands guard inside. If you draw weapons (pistols or magnums work fine) and take just a few steps toward the doorway, you should be able to target the centaur without prompting it to attack. (If you get too close it will begin to hurl fireballs.) Once you get a lock on it, hop back and toward the wall and just keep shooting as it runs past the opening. (Hold the Look key to see what's going on.) When the mutant explodes, enter and pick up a small medi pack from the floor and the ANKH from the pedestal.

Climb down from the wall, exit through the gold door and slide down the ramp on the right. If you didn't take it when you entered this area, there will be a large medi pack on the path. Another mutant lurks on the back of the sphinx. Kill it quickly before it starts spitting or throwing fireballs. You can use the pointy block for cover if you like. Hop down onto the sphinx's back.

SIDE AREA WITH STAIRS, POOL & BRIDGE (SECOND ANKH): Slide down the right side of the sphinx to land near the carved stone door you opened earlier using the second switch (shown in this screenshot). Or, if you are already on the ground, find this door by heading for the back left side of the sphinx when facing it. Pick up some magnum clips on the ground near the door and enter.

Walk forward to a slope above a pool. Turn around and slide down backwards, grabbing the end of the slope. Traverse to the left and drop onto a ledge. Pick up more magnum clips and climb into the opening above. Climb the block steps. At the top, turn left and head down to a second pool. Swim down to the bottom to find a GOLD KEY. Climb back up the block steps, turn left and then go up the smaller steps to another ramp. (Save your game if you're playing on the PC or Macintosh.) This time slide facing forward and jump at the very bottom of the slope to grab the bridge ahead; pull up. If you miss and fall into the water, reload your saved game or swim to the left, climb back to the top of the ramp and try again.

Once on the bridge, use the GOLD KEY in the lock to open the door at the opposite end. There's another centaur in the room beyond. Again, take a few steps toward the door with weapons drawn, get a lock on it and step back toward the keyhole. As with the last centaur, if you don't get too close at first, it won't start to throw fireballs. Maintain the target lock by holding Action and Lara will shoot whenever the centaur runs past the door. When it explodes, go into the room and pick up another small medi pack and ANKH. (There's also a save crystal here in the PS1 game.)

NOTE: I encountered a minor bug here. If you save the game just as Lara uses the Gold Key in the lock, the gold door does not open. However, if you attempt to use the lock again without a key, Lara says "No", but the door opens anyway.

To get back to the SPHINX CAVE, take a standing jump from the edge of the bridge into the opening below on the right, pressing Action to lower Lara's arc so she nails the landing. Or, jump into the water and swim to that opening. Climb the block steps, turn right and go down more steps to the other pool. Swim to the doorway, climb out of the water, go up the steps and turn left toward the exit.

At this point you should have TWO ANKHS. If not, refer to the previous sections of the walkthrough to find whatever you're missing.

CLIMBING TO THE TOP OF THE SPHINX: Go around to the front of the sphinx and climb up onto its left paw (i.e., the one on the right when facing it). Climb the ledges on its shoulder to reach its back. Step up onto the low angled block on the sphinx's back and from there take a running jump to grab the ledge at the back of its head. (These screenshots show where to climb.) Pull up and climb to the top of the head. Place one of the ANKHS in the receptacle here. Go around to the other side of the head, hop down onto the ledge there and put the second ANKH in place. This opens the door between the sphinx's paws. (PS1 players also find a save crystal on this ledge.)

NOTE: If you haven't already gotten SECRET #1, the Uzis and some clips, you can do that now. See the note "Alternate Method for Getting Uzi Secret" at the end of this walkthrough.

To reach the ground quickly and safely, first climb back onto the sphinx's headdress on the right side (when facing the rear of the sphinx). Turn right and walk out to the corner overlooking the rocky cave wall. (The correct spot is shown in these screenshots.) Turn around and slide down the side of the headdress, holding Action to grab the edge. Drop to the ledge below, losing a little bit of health. Or, to avoid taking any damage, traverse to the right and drop onto the darker ledge. Climb down onto the sphinx's paw and slide down to the door you just opened. If you didn't already get the magnum clips on the ground here, pick them up now.

UNDERGROUND POOL BENEATH THE SPHINX: Step through the door and fall into a deep pool. Here you'll find huge submerged statues of the Egyptian gods Horus, on the left with the falcon's head, and Set, on the right with the head like an aardvark crossed with a jackal. Swim down and pick up some Uzi clips on a ledge between the two statues and shotgun shells on the lap of the statue on the left. Note the doors below each statue and the switch on the arm of the statue on the right. This is one of those switches that doesn't work underwater. The lever you're looking for is down in the tunnel between the feet of the statue on the right, just to the right of the gold door. Pull it to partially drain the lake. In the process, Lara will be sucked through the door and whisked along to a room where you can surface.

A strong current prevents you from swimming back the way you came. So get out of the water and climb up onto the lowest square pillar. Stand at the front left corner of this pillar and take a standing jump to grab the front right corner of the next taller pillar. Pull up. Turn right and take a running jump to grab the bottom of the stairs. Pull up, climb the stairs and follow the ledge to the end. You'll hear and see a winged mutant rise up in the area beyond the doorway. Don't slide down the slope yet. Instead, shoot the mutant from the safety of the doorway. After it explodes, slide down the slope.

You're now on a ledge above the two statues. (There's a save crystal here in the Saturn/PSOne game.) Go to the left and drop down to the small, square ledge below. Turn around and take a running jump to grab the head of the statue of Set. Climb on top of the head and pick up a large medi pack.

NOTE: In some versions of the game, this medi pack is not visible. It may be partially or completely embedded in the statue's right ear. Using the Look button and swiveling Lara's view may help you spot it. Even if you can't see it, you can still get it. Just step into the ear where it meets the top of the head, as shown in this screenshot, press Action and Lara should pick up the medi pack.

The quickest way to the bottom is to jump into the water; however, the programmers have made this a bit difficult. (It's impossible to jump or swan dive over the statue's nose but worth trying since the result—Lara springing back to the head—looks so goofy.) Instead, taking a running jump straight down the statue's nose. Lara will bang into an invisible wall then drop into the water between the statue's legs without taking any damage. Alternatively, walk to the edge of Set's head nearer to the Horus statue. Drop down onto the ledge with the carved hieroglyphs. From there, drop down onto Set's shoulder. Turn to face out over the pool. Walk to the edge, hop back once and then take a standing jump onto the tall, dark brown block sticking up between the two statues. Drop down off the left side of this block onto the Set statue's lap. Then climb up onto his opposite arm and use the switch there. This opens the door at the base of the Horus statue. Swim down and through it.

LONG, WINDING PASSAGEWAY TO TOP OF SPHINX: Surface and follow the long passageway all the way up to the top. On the way pick up 2 sets of magnum clips (and another save crystal in the PS1 game). At the top is a SCARAB artifact. Remember you saw it behind the closed gate at the beginning of the level? In the stairway beyond the gate are 2 "regular" mutants and a centaur. When you pick up the SCARAB the gate opens.

If you have shotgun ammo, you can probably kill both of the smaller mutants before they reach you. Backflip or roll and run about halfway down the long, straight hallway leading up to the gate. Advance toward the gate. Then, when the first mutant approaches, get a lock on it and hop back shooting. Three clean shotgun blasts should take it down. Repeat the same process with the second mutant.

Save the game if you can and then approach the gate and listen for the centaur whinnying and trotting around out near the staircase. When you hear it go up the stairs, run out, drawing weapons. (Uzis or magnums work better, but pistols will do.) Stand at the bottom looking up the stairs. Get a lock on the centaur and begin side-flipping from left to right while shooting. If you keep moving side to side, its fireballs will miss and you should be able to take it down fairly quickly.

If you prefer a less direct approach (or can't hear the centaur in order to use that method) try this instead: After taking the SCARAB, backflip or roll and run down the hallway to the first bend. The mutants will approach first. Wait for them to come down the hallway, then back (or side flip) down the ramp about a third of the way. They won't follow Lara beyond this point and you can kill them from here, though you may have to go up into the hallway a few times to draw them closer. When both are dead, advance toward the doorway to attract the centaur's attention. Get a lock on it then back down the hallway about halfway. Its fireballs won't reach this far, and you can shoot it as it runs past. Again, you may need to advance into the room a couple of times to draw the centaur down the stairs. This will take a while but can be done with pistols only.

SCION ROOM: When all the mutants are dead, cross the room at the base of the stairs and place the SCARAB in the lock to open the other gate. Pick up the large medi pack and magnum clips, then slide down the ramp. Climb through the opening on the left and prepare to take on Larson once again. (Apparently Lara only stunned him back in the Lost Valley.) He is lurking behind the pillars on the right but emerges spouting threats and lead as soon as Lara hits the ground. Keep moving and shooting, and try not to let him get behind Lara, and you'll be done quickly. Go to the top of the stairs and take the third PIECE OF THE SCION to end the level.

A movie follows: Lara emerges from the caves into bright sunshine. As her eyes adjust to the light, we see two figures approach: a cowboy and skate punk. Another, tall, bald and burly, grabs Lara from behind. They disarm Lara and hold her as Jacqueline Natla emerges from her white Caddy. Natla demands that Lara hand over the Scion. One of the thugs pulls the artifact from Lara's knapsack and gives it to his boss. Natla admires her treasure for a moment then shouts, "Well, kill her!" Lara shoves the cowboy to one side, sprints toward the edge of the cliff and dives into the water below. When she doesn't surface after a moment, Natla and her minions drive off.

Lara crawls out of the water, finds her motorcycle and takes off after the bad guys. She speeds along a twisting canyon road then out onto a spit of land above Natla's parked car and the yacht anchored nearby. In true action-hero style, she guns the bike, takes off into the air, and splashes down near the boat. As the baddies try to figure out what caused the big splash, Lara surfaces on the far side of the boat, climbs aboard and sneaks below deck. She collapses and some time later awakens to the sound of a motor. Natla and one of the men take a small boat to land. Lara emerges from her hiding place and swims after them. (A transcript of the dialogue is included below. This cinematic, titled "Canyon," is also available on my YouTube channel.)

BUG NOTE: If you're playing the Windows PC version of the game using Glidos and the game crashes after the statistics screen at the end of the level, try this fix, suggested by Tom C.: Run Glidos and on the Glide Server screen, click the 'Adjust' button. Click the Audio tab and then un-check 'Redbook Emulation'. Click 'OK' and then run the game as usual. (Or, open the Glidos.ini file with a text editor and delete the line "Redbookemulation: Yes". Save the file and run the game as usual.) Play through the buggy spot, save your game and quit. Before starting the game again, change the audio settings back to normal.

†UPDATE HISTORY: 4/21/07 - First update since I began tracking page updates. Added various screenshots, including screens for all secrets. Revised several sections for clarity and accuracy. Also changed the recommended path through sphinx area, reversing the order of switches and ankhs, thereby necessitating only one climb along the cave wall, and added the bug note at the end of the level.
3/1/10 - Deleted a duplicated sentence in the section on 'Climbing to the Second Switch.' Sorry for any confusion this may have caused, and thanks to Tom C. for pointing it out.
4/12/12 - Video transcripts and links to YouTube videos added.
6/27/13 - (Hopefully) clarified the section on climbing down from the Set statue's head to the switch, thanks to constructive criticism from Steve C.
2/5/24 - Added VGCartography's level maps, with permission. Follow them on Twitter/X, YouTube, and DeviantArt for more fantastic game maps.

ALTERNATE METHOD FOR GETTING UZI SECRET: Ideally this alternate method for reaching the level's only secret, the Uzis, should be used after obtaining both Ankhs. Then you only have to climb to the top of the sphinx once. Of course, you can go for the guns at any time and then return to the top of the sphinx later. The idea is to jump from the sphinx's head to the invisible platform, get the Uzis, and then jump back to the head and slide down. Details and screenshots appear on a separate page.

CINEMATIC TRANSCRIPT:

Bald guy (as he grabs Lara): "You just pulled the duff end of a wishbone." (Implying that her luck has run out.)

Cowboy (as he disarms Lara): Howdy.

Lara: Afternoon.

Natla: Left Larson sucking wind then, eh?

Lara: If that is the phrase.

Natla: Well, your little vacation riot's over now. Time to give back what you've hijacked off me.

Bald guy (as he searches Lara's backpack): Let's try the lunch box.

Natla: Well, kill her! . . . You morons! . . . Let's go.

Later, as Lara climbs onto the boat:

Bald guy: What the heck was that?

Kid: What? I don't know. Probably just a fish.

Bald guy: That'd be some fish, kid.

Kid: Man, you have got to learn to chill. I'm going back inside. Coming?

Then later, after Lara awakens from her nap:

Bald guy: Steady. . . .

Kid: Here she goes.

Natla: We ready yet?

WAS THIS WALKTHROUGH HELPFUL? If not, I apologize and invite you to contact me with any questions. If you need help right away, I recommend the r/TombRaider subreddit. Other fan-run forums are listed at tombraiders.net/stella/community.html. If this site was useful, please consider supporting it financially or in other ways. For details, visit tombraiders.net/stella/support.html. As always, I welcome your corrections/suggestions. Thank you!

Walkthrough text and diagrams copyright © 1998- - Stellalune (). 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. Also, for their invaluable help, I give thanks to Kara and Angela, Helena, Daffy C., Gareth, Ian T., Andrew B., Tom C., Mark R., Cris B. and Ingrid G. All TR1 screenshots were made using Glidos and Fraps. Feel free to copy or print this walkthrough for personal use. By all means, share it with friends, but please include this credit line so people can send me their feedback. No part of this walkthrough may be reproduced on another site without permission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Follow this link for details about this site's advertising and privacy policy.

Stella's Tomb Raider Site: tombraiders.net.

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