LEVEL 1: ANGKOR WAT
Updated: 11/6/24(†)
Starting Inventory: 3 small medipacks, 1 large medipack
Kills: 0 Items: 2 Secrets: 8*
LEVEL MAP by VGCartography (used with permission)
INTRODUCTION: Unlike the previous games, each of which included a separate training level, The Last Revelation has two short introductory levels, set in Cambodia in 1984. These are designed to teach new players the controls and show returning raiders a few new moves. These levels also serve as plot exposition. We meet Lara Croft at age 16 and play along as she interacts with her mentor, Werner Von Croy, setting the stage for their relationship in the main storyline.
There are 8 golden skull secrets available even at this early stage, and finding all of them opens up a different, more difficult path in the second level, The Race for the Iris. (See the footnote on secrets.*)
If you've played this training level before and know what to do, after Von Croy's first little monologue, you can skip most of his instructions by pressing the Look button. If this is your first Tomb Raider game, or it's been a while since you played, you should probably follow along. You may also want to check out the TR4 Controls page and my section on Classic TR Gameplay Tips and Strategy.
To save space, I have included cutscene transcripts—mostly dialogue between Lara and Von Croy—in a separate Cinematics section.
STARTING AREA: The 1st golden skull (secret 1 of 70 in the game) is sitting on the ground ahead and to the left of the starting position, just beyond where Von Croy is standing when he finishes his introduction. (screenshot) Position Lara over the skull and press Action to pick it up.
As you follow Von Croy, he'll pause again near a gnarled, old tree to lecture Lara. When he finishes, follow him down the steps and wait for him to deactivate the spikes before proceeding. (screenshot)
ROOM WITH ELEVATED WALKWAY AND SHALLOW POOL: Continue into the next room. At the first gap, where you learn to do a standing jump, drop down into the shallow pool to retrieve the 2nd golden skull (2/70). (screenshot) Use the stairs on either side of the pool to get back to the upper ledge. Then jump across the gap by pressing Forward + Action together.
At the next turn in the passage, a wild boar comes at you from the next room. Since you have no weapons, you'll need to get behind Von Croy, and let him kill it with his machete.
NOTE: Since Von Croy kills the boars in this level, they are not counted in the stats at the top of the page.
Continue following Von Croy. To vault up onto the low ledge leading to the next area, move toward the ledge and hold Action + Forward to climb up.
LARGE ROOM WITH FOUNTAINS: In the room with the fountains, you'll learn the standing jump-grab and running jump-grab combinations. (screenshot) For the first combo, hold Walk and move to the edge. Press Forward + Jump together. Then quickly press and hold Action to grab the ledge ahead. Press Forward again to pull up. (You could also cross this gap with a running jump, but we don't want to disappoint our teacher, do we?) For the longer jump, walk to the edge, then release Walk and hop back once to put a little space between Lara and the edge. Press and hold Forward and immediately press Jump, and Lara will run two steps and jump on the third, taking off right at the edge. While she's in the air, press and hold Action to grab the opposite ledge. Then press Action to pull up.
NOTE: Again, if you're new to the classic Tomb Raider control scheme, you may want to check out the Strategy section on "Using Lara's Moves," especially the section on setting up jumps.
After making these two jumps and before entering the next area, turn around and look back the way you came. On the lower level, under the ledge in the southeast corner, you'll find the 3rd golden skull (3/70). Hop down and pick it up. Then climb back out at the northeast corner and repeat the jumps to get back to where you left off. (screenshot)
NOTE: Now may also be a good time to brush up on your orienteering skills. If you're not sure how to use the compass, this is explained on the Controls page.
As you approach the dark corner where Von Croy is now standing, he explains how to traverse along a horizontal crack. Follow his example and vault up onto the ledge in the corner. Position Lara with her chest against the wall. Hold Action and press Jump to grab the crack and hold on. Continue holding Action to hang on. Then hold Right to shimmy along the crack. When you reach the doorway, press Forward to pull up. (screenshot)
Follow Von Croy through the hallway and safety drop to the floor in the next room, as he demonstrates: Walk to the edge, turn around, hold Action, and tap Back/Down to drop and hang from the ledge. Release Action to fall to the floor. (screenshot)
ROOM WITH DEEP POOL AND DRAWBRIDGE: The 4th golden skull (4/70) is at the bottom of this pool. (screenshot) To get it, hop into the water and use Jump in conjunction with the direction buttons to swim around below the surface. Hover over the skull and press Action to pick it up. Watch Lara's air meter, the blue gauge at the top right corner of the screen. (screenshot) She can hold her breath for quite a while, but when the meter runs out, she'll begin to take damage, and unless you come to the surface to breathe she'll drown. Again, use Jump + directions to swim back to the surface. Once Lara is treading water, you can use the direction buttons to swim around, including Walk + Left/Right to swim side to side. (Swimming is also covered on the Controls page.)
Von Croy doesn't mention this, but there is an underwater opening in the wall to the right of the fountain. (screenshot) Swim inside and follow the passage to find small and large medipacks on the bottom. Pick them up with Action like you did the skull. You can surface inside the passageway to get air if necessary, or just Roll and swim back out to the main pool.
Climb out of the water on the ledge to the left of the fountain. (screenshot) Vault up onto the ledge on the left. Now stand near the handle part of the lever and press Action to push it forward, dropping the drawbridge so Von Croy can cross. (screenshot) Follow him along the hallway, where he'll open the door to the next area.
To climb the ladder, stand close to the wall and hold Action to grab on. Then press Forward to climb up. (screenshot) Use the lever at the top to extend another bridge. Then climb or safety drop back down, cross over the bridge, and go through the doorway on the left. (screenshot)
NOTE: If you fall in the water here, you'll need to swim back around to the ledge near the first lever, climb out of the pool, and retrace your steps to get back to Von Croy.
At the top of the stairs there are monkey bars on the ceiling. Walk to the edge, jump straight up, and hold Action to grab onto the bars. Press Forward to monkey swing across to the far side of the room. Once Lara is hanging above the ledge, release Action to drop down. (screenshot)
OPEN COURTYARD: Continue through a dark hallway into an open courtyard with another pair of boars running around. Again, you'll need to let Von Croy do the dirty work. Try to stay out of harm's way. Follow Von Croy around to the far end of the courtyard. He'll run through the doorway on the east wall. (screenshot) Before going after him, pick up the 5th golden skull (5/70) in the southwest corner. (screenshot)
SPIKE ROOM: Follow Von Croy into the next building, down the stairs, and through a doorway decorated with a gong and flanked by two brown lion statues. (screenshot) In the next room, avoid the floor tiles with the dark spots to avoid triggering the deadly spikes. Otherwise you'll end up like that guy with the hat and whip. ;-) If you go around to the right, you'll find the 6th golden skull (6/70). Grab it and continue around the edge of the room to the exit on the far side. (screenshot)
HUGE ROUND DOOR AND CRAWLSPACE: In the open area with the big, circular door, you can glimpse another golden skull secret through one of the grates on the left wall. Von Croy will direct you to crawl through the low opening to find a lever. Press and hold Duck to crouch, and use the direction buttons to crawl into the passageway. (screenshot) Once Lara enters the crawlspace, you can release the Duck button if you like. Make the first left and follow the passage around to the 7th golden skull (7/70). Turn around and crawl back out, bearing to the left to find the room with the lever.
Cutscene: Lara discovers a leather backpack, along with what's left of its former owner. (screenshot)
After the cutscene, use the lever to open the big door. (screenshot) Then crawl back out to rejoin Von Croy.
WIDE STAIRCASE AND DART-TRAPPED CORRIDOR: Follow Von Croy down the stairs to a hallway lined with dart traps. Your mentor gives a dramatic pep talk, urging you to sprint past the traps and roll under the closing door. You can practice this move now if you like. Hold Sprint/Dash while running forward. When you do this, the green stamina bar appears at the top right corner of the screen. (screenshot) When this meter runs out, you must let it refill at least partially before you're able to sprint again, but this time you won't need more than one full bar. Sprint straight forward along the corridor and just before you reach the doorway, press Jump to somersault through the opening. (screenshot) You will need to be able to do this move later on, but here the door never closes all the way, so you may also choose to crawl under the darts and the door to avoid taking any damage.
If Lara is struck by darts during this sequence, the health bar appears at the top left corner of the screen. (screenshot) If you want to, you can use a medipack to heal. Open the Inventory (Esc on PC/Mac, Select on PlayStation), press Left/Right to rotate the menu ring until the small medipack is selected, then press Action to use it. If you're playing with a keyboard, you can also use the hotkeys 9 and 0 for large and small medipacks, respectively. Generally you'll want to wait until Lara's health is fairly low before using a medipack so you don't waste them. Small ones restore half of Lara's health; large ones restore full health.
CHOICE OF PATHS/DIFFICULTY LEVELS: Follow Von Croy up into another small courtyard. Here the path splits, offering you a choice. You may want to save the game before proceeding. Turn around to spot the 8th golden skull (8/70) in the southwest corner behind the low railing, but don't pick it up yet. (screenshot)
There are two possible routes to the end of this level and two possible versions of the trap-filled obstacle course in the next level, Race for the Iris. If you pick up all eight golden skulls, you will unlock the more challenging route. If you miss any skulls, you'll unlock an easier route. However, there is a way to get all eight gold skulls and still take the easier path. Get the first seven skulls and temporarily ignore the last. Talk to Von Croy and wait until he opens the door leading to the easier route. Then turn around and grab the eighth skull. If you want to try the more challenging route, take the skull first and then speak to him.
In either case, when you approach Von Croy at the top of the stairs (screenshot), he explains that you've discovered the Garden of the Five Towers. "To the right is the path of the heretical," he tells Lara. "To the left is the route of the virtuous."
If you have found fewer than eight skulls, Lara will answer, "You know me, Werner...a regular virtuoso." And Von Croy, ever contrary, will lead you down the (easier) path to the right.
If you have found all eight skulls, Lara will say, "I'm up for a little heresy." Von Croy will then lead you down the (more difficult) left path.
ROOM WITH DANGLING ROPE: Both paths lead first to a room with a circular door and a rope hanging from the ceiling. The "heretical" room also has a pool below the rope, while the "virtuous" room has no pool to break your fall during rope-swinging practice. Von Croy moves toward the round door. Approach him and he'll explain that the door requires two people to open. He directs Lara to the alcove above.
Turn around to face the entrance and then approach the elevated crawlspace in the corner to the right of the doorway. The layout of the room is basically the same in both the "virtuous" and "heretical" rooms. (screenshot) Von Croy explains how to climb into a raised crawlspace: Stand under the opening, hold Forward and Action to grab the edge, then press Duck/Crouch to pull up into the opening. Crawl through the passageway to emerge on the ledge overlooking the room with the rope. Walk around to the end of the ledge, where it juts out toward the rope, and Von Croy will explain what to do.
He doesn't give much detail about rope swinging, so I'll offer a few tips with screenshots. Take a running jump from the ledge and press and hold Action to grab the rope. (Again, if you're new to TR, or to the concept of setting up running jumps, see the relevant section on my strategy page. I'm not kidding. This is important and can save you hours of wasted game time.) Continue to hold Action to hang onto the rope. You'll get the longest swing if you climb all the way down before starting to swing. So wait until Lara stops swinging and press Back/Down to slide down the rope to the bottom. Now press the Sprint/Dash button to swing forward, then Jump to let go of the rope and land on the ledge. You could also just release Action to let go, but pressing Jump adds a little extra oomph, which you'll need at times.
Use the lever to open the door. Drop down from the ledge and follow Von Croy along the passageway to end the level.
*NOTE ON SECRETS: There are 70 secrets in the entire game. These are marked "(x/70)" in this walkthrough. To check your progress in-game, press Pause (P on keyboard, Start on PlayStation or Dreamcast controller) then choose Statistics. At the end of this level, you should have found the first 8.
†UPDATE HISTORY: 5/5/19 - First major update since this walkthrough was created in 1999. This revision includes many new screenshots as well as various other corrections and clarifications.
11/6/24
- Added VGCartography's level maps, with permission. Follow them on Twitter/X, YouTube, and DeviantArt for more fantastic game maps.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I am eternally grateful to the participants in the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup and the old tombraiders.com forum, without whom parts of this walkthrough could not have been written. Thanks also to Gizmo, Lindsey, and CroatiaRaider for the tip about waiting to retrieve the 8th gold skull.
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