SAVING, CHECKPOINTS & TECH SUPPORT: This game incorporates autosave checkpoints. If you only rely on one save slot, you may run into trouble if you get stuck, encounter a bug, or if your autosave becomes corrupted. To avoid problems, I highly recommend changing your save slot in the pause menu at least once per level. If you encounter a serious bug, I encourage you to visit the Official Shadow of the Tomb Raider Support Forum and or put in a support request with Square Enix. PC save files are available for download here.
AREA 14: THE HIDDEN CITY (Revisit)
Updated: 9/8/21(†)
Weapons/Gear: none (various in Market)
Camps: 2 (Wild Jungle, Ossuary*)
*The second camp is in the Challenge Tomb and is not counted in the total on the in-game map. The rest of the Hidden City camps are included in the previous walkthroughs.
Outfits: 2 (Manko's Tunic, Ch'Amaka's War Vest)
Challenge Tombs: 1 Challenges: none Treasure Chests: none Crypts: 1 Relics: 2 Documents: 4 Murals: 3 Survival Caches: 4 Monoliths: none Archivist Maps: 1 Explorer Backpacks: 1
Side Mission: Hearts and Minds - Retrieve the Champion's Bow
Annotated Level Maps: Paititi Revisit | Hidden City Complete
NOTES: This walkthrough only covers the parts of the Hidden City that were not explored in the previous sections, specifically the Challenge Tomb and Crypt on the center-west side of the map and plot points following Lara's return from the MISSION OF SAN JUAN. If you missed anything in the other parts of the city, check the Lower City and Upper City walkthroughs and/or the Complete Paititi Map. The item totals above are for this section only. The AGE MAKERS SIDE MISSION and the PATH OF HURACAN CHALLENGE TOMB, which are part of the second DLC pack, THE PILLAR, are covered in a separate section.
After escaping the landslide outside the Mission of San Juan, our exhausted heroes return to Paititi, where Uchu meets them at a deserted dock. Then, back in Skull Cave, Lara greets Etzli, the new king. She breaks the bad news about the Box but promises she'll get it back before Dominguez can complete the ritual. Etzli is concerned but rises to the challenge. He tells Lara to take whatever time she needs to prepare while he gathers intelligence and fighters.
OBJECTIVE: Talk to Etzli
Etzli will remain in SKULL CAVE until you're ready to proceed with the main story. When you approach him, you'll receive a warning about the "Point of No Return," meaning once you talk to Etzli, you will not be able to backtrack until you beat the game. See NOTES ON 100% COMPLETION, below.
If you've been following this walkthrough, there's still a Side Mission to do, as well as a Crypt and Challenge Tomb to explore here in Paititi.
SIDE MISSION – HEARTS AND MINDS (PART 3): Speak to Uchu, who's standing near the Skull Cave Base Camp. If you have completed his previous missions (Retrieve the King's Horn and Retrieve the Savior's Amulet, covered in the HIDDEN CITY FIRST VISIT walkthrough), he now asks Lara to Retrieve the Champion's Bow, the final heirloom needed for Etzli's coronation. Uchu says the bow was taken from Etzli's father by the Nahual, a mystical being with the power to transform from human to animal. The first goal is to Enter the Wilderness. Uchu describes where to go and the location is marked on your map. (screenshots)
NOTE: This Mission is optional, but since it takes you to the same area where the last CRYPT and CHALLENGE TOMB are located, I have included it in the main walkthrough. If you choose not to talk to Uchu, you can still explore the tomb and crypt, but you won't encounter the Nahual or receive Uchu's reward.
INTO THE WILDERNESS: Exit SKULL CAVE and make your way down the hill and across the river. If you like, you can stop at the MARKET to buy and sell supplies. Then head for the Side Mission marker on the map. (It's also labeled "Path of Battle Entrance" on the annotated level map.) The tunnel entrance, decorated with red paint, feathers, and bones, is just to the right of the small pool where you found one of the murals for the Ancient Studies Side Mission. There's a warrior guarding the entrance who will tell you more about the challenges ahead, assuming you haven't spoken to him earlier. (screenshots)
The tunnel leads to a path running through the dense jungle. As you emerge, you meet two children who are debating whether to enter the forbidden area. Your goal is updated: Investigate the Wilderness, and a specific location is marked on your map. Follow the path to the left for now. At the top of the hill, on the left, just before the stream, is the Wild Jungle Base Camp. If you "discover" it now, you'll be able to use it for Fast Travel later. There's a Challenge Tomb entrance upstream to the south, but we're on a Mission, literally, so ignore it for now. (screenshots)
Follow the path through the trees to the south. In the bushes on the right is an explorer backpack (6/6). Examine it to reveal the locations of a few nearby survival caches. If you like, you can collect one of those caches now. Backtrack along the streambed to the south. Then turn right into the little clearing with the big tree and man-made stone wall, just across the stream from the campfire. The survival cache (31/34) is buried near the wall at the right (north) end of the clearing. (Check the map if necessary. This is the cache near the albino capybara icon.) (screenshots)
Return along the streambed to the north. Where the stream starts to dry up, examine the capybara carcass lying on the ground. Just ahead the path comes to a T. Turn left to find a circular platform set into the ground. If you examine the manacles and dark stains at the center of the circle, Lara says this looks like a sacrificial altar. There's also a box containing a relic (27/28), Beast Effigy (Yucatec/Secrets and Lies), off to one side, and another dead capybara you can loot for hides and fat. Leave the circle and climb the stone ledges to the southwest. There's a resource container on the right side of the lower ledge and a narrow opening at the top that Lara can just fit through. (screenshots)
THE NAHUAL'S DEN: Beyond the opening is a clearing with a shallow pool, a ledge off to one side, and lumpy dwelling decorated with feathers and bones, similar to the cave entrance you saw earlier. Your new goal is to Find the Champion's Bow, which Lara believes is inside. Before entering the lair, you can scout out the exterior if you like. There's an open arena in back, and a path leading all the way around the dwelling, and a few resources scattered about. Make sure you've crafted a good supply of arrows, since you'll need them. When you're ready, enter the lair and examine the Champion's Bow, which is lying on the ground in the center. Soon the Nahual approaches. (screenshots)
When it lunges, a QTE kicks in. First you're prompted to wiggle the left stick back and forth or alternate pressing A/D on the keyboard to hold it off with your axe. Then a circular icon appears with a symbol for one of the controls. As the outer ring contracts, you need to press the button indicated (it may be Interact or Melee so pay attention) before the ring reaches the center in order to shove the Nahual away and scramble to your feet. (screenshots)
You must now Defeat the Nahual. This is not much more difficult than fighting a typical jaguar, but it's pretty cramped inside the den, so either run out the way you came in. Put a little distance between Lara and the beast and shoot it with a few regular or fire arrows. After several good hits, the Nahual will retreat behind its lair for a little while. If you're feeling confident, you can follow it, either around either the side of the lair or through the interior and up the ledge in the back. Or, you can remain in the smaller open area in front of the lair and take a moment to use some Focus and Endurance herbs. The Nahual soon returns for another go. Shoot it as it approaches. If you've got Focus active, you should be able to get in several good shots thanks to the time-slowing effect of the herbs. When it lunges, tap tap Drop/Roll (C/Circle/B) to evade. Then shoot again, evade, shoot. You may be able to defeat it before it runs off again. Otherwise, repeat this sequence until it falls. (screenshots)
When you've defeated the beast, it slinks off, and you're prompted to Approach the Nahual. In a short cutscene, Lara removes its mask and it dies. She is then able to take the bow. You also receive an Artifact, the Mask of the Nahual, which appears under the Myth, Magic & Monsters Story. The final goal is Return the Champion's Bow to Uchu. You can do this right away or continue exploring this side area first.
CRYPT AND CHALLENGE TOMB ENTRANCES: You can't get out of this area the way you came in, so circle around outside the Nahual's den, gathering resources as you go. Climb the low ledge behind the den and follow the path to the east. (screenshot) There are a few side paths and ledges where you can poke around for minor collectibles, but the murals, document, and survival caches shown on the map are in the Challenge Tomb below ground. Continue to the southeast end of the path to find a diving platform. (screenshot) If you get disoriented, it should be marked with the green Mission Objective icon. Dive off the platform into the pool below. If you haven't already completed the High Diving Challenge, this will count. (See here for details.)
There are various resources scattered in and around the pool, including some gold ore embedded below the waterfall near the south end. (screenshot) The CHALLENGE TOMB ENTRANCE is on the west side of the pool, just below the surface. The CRYPT ENTRANCE is on the cliff above the waterfall. It doesn't matter which you explore first.
CRYPT ENTRANCE – OLLANTA, THE POTTER: Follow this link for the separate OLLANTA'S CRYPT WALKTHROUGH, which includes 3 documents, Warning (39/42), More Questions (40/42), and Merchant Sacrifice (41/42); a mural, Ollanta, The Potter (21/23); a relic, Arrow (28/28); an archivist map (7/7); a Vestige: Ch'Amaka's War Vest; and 750 gold pieces. There's also another diving platform for the High Diving Challenge and a condor's nest for the Keep Calm and Carrion Challenge. If you've completed the other Crypts in the Hidden City, you'll also finish the Speak of the Dead Challenge upon desecrating Ollanta's sarcophagus.
PATH OF BATTLE CHALLENGE TOMB: The tomb itself is covered in the separate PATH OF BATTLE CHALLENGE TOMB WALKTHROUGH. It includes the Ossuary Base Camp and various collectibles: a document, Warriors of Kukulkan (42/42); 2 murals, Mother Deity (22/23) and Path of Battle (23/23); and 3 survival caches (32-34/34). Examining the tomb stele unlocks the Seeker Skill Sip's Quiver, which allows Lara to loose up to three arrows without pulling from the quiver.
RETURN TO SKULL CAVE: When you're finished in this area, either Fast Travel back to Skull Cave or return there on foot. From the pool near the Tomb and Crypt, follow the stream to the north. Go past the Wild Jungle Base Camp and follow the path down to the right. Go through the tunnel with the red paint, bones, and feathers to get back to the city. Then cross the river and climb the ledges on the east bank to the SKULL CAVE. (It's marked with the Heron and Eclipse icon on the in-game map.)
When you talk to Uchu in SKULL CAVE, he presents Lara with a few rewards for completing the third HEARTS AND MINDS SIDE MISSION: a Vestige, Manko's Tunic, which will make Lara harder for animal prey to detect, plus an XP award and 350 gold pieces. You'll also witness Etzli's coronation, which takes place in a cutscene.
BEFORE ENTERING THE CITY OF THE SERPENT: If you've been following this walkthrough, you should now have 100% completion in the Hidden City. If you like, you can take some time to revisit earlier levels to gather resources, pick up any collectibles you missed, earn another Skill Point or two, etc.
If you don't yet have the following skills, I recommend unlocking them before moving on: Heart of the Jaguar I, II, and III and Scales of the Serpent I, II, and III. Also, if you haven't fully upgraded the weapons you intend to take, do that now. I don't have specific recommendations, since everyone plays a little differently, but I tend to go for stealthy headshots from a distance and heavy damage at close range, so my preferences are the Atlatl Bow (Paititi Market) or Heart of the Eagle Bow (Ancient Studies Side Mission), River Hawk Pistol (Kuwak Yaku Side Mission), Vicar Mark II Rifle (versatile default), and TAEV 16 Shotgun (Mission of San Juan Market) or Bishop 600 Shotgun (default). Fear arrows will also come in handy in the in the final fight. So craft as many as you can carry, and bring along extra wood, feathers, cloth, and dart poison (from spiders and/or the traveling merchant, Moraekah) to craft more. If possible, unlock the
Crow's Hoard skill which will enable you to purchase the largest containers—Adventurer's
Quiver and Rucksack (Paititi Market), Large Pistol Ammo Pouch, Large Rifle Ammo Pouch, and Large Shell Holder (Mission of San Juan Market). Then fill those containers with resources and ammo before setting out.
When you speak to Etzli in SKULL CAVE you will not be able to backtrack until you beat the game. (screenshot) There is one base camp in the final level, CITY OF THE SERPENT, which you can use to buy skills and change weapons if necessary, but it does not allow for Fast Travel. After you complete the story, you will be able to explore freely again.
If you're not sure if you're ready, save the game in a new slot before talking to Etzli. (On PC, press Esc then Save Game, then choose a new slot. On Xbox or PS4, open the Pause Menu and choose Change Save Slot.) Then if you find you're struggling in the last level, you can reload your earlier save and try doing things differently.
REVISITING THIS LEVEL LATER IN THE GAME: Once you complete the story, if you select Continue from the main menu, you will return to the Hidden City and be able to Fast Travel throughout the game world to retrieve any important collectibles and complete any challenges you missed. If you need help cleaning up, check the Quick Collectibles Guides, annotated level map, and Guide to 100% Completion.
†UPDATE HISTORY: 1/13/19 - First draft of walkthrough posted online.
1/15/18 - Made a few minor tweaks and typo corrections. Thanks to Marie and Stefano for their eagle-eyed proofreading. :)
1/19/19 - Added the Mask of the Nahual artifact, thanks to secretkim88.
5/15/19 - Added note about fear arrows for boss fight, thanks to a tip from Jeff Reid.
8/28/21 - Added mention of the archivist map in Ollanta's Crypt. It was always included in the crypt walkthrough but I had forgotten to list it among the crypt collectibles on this page.
9/2/21 - Added the names of the documents, relics, and murals found in the side areas covered on separate pages.
9/8/21 - Added Hidden City Quick Collectibles Guides.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Thanks to SpirantCrayon22 for spotting the explorer backpack I missed.
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