IMPORTANT: Levels 13 through 20, set in Alexandria, are interconnected. Some backtracking among them is needed to find all the necessary items. This walkthrough covers what I hope is the most direct route including all kills, pick-ups, and secrets. I have also included an ALEXANDRIA CHART outlining the basic path through the levels. This chart contains minor spoilers, such as keys and puzzle items, so you may want to avoid it unless you get lost/confused. The walkthrough also contains notes on what to do if you missed any crucial items.
LEVEL 16: TEMPLE OF POSEIDON
Updated: 5/5/19(†)
Kills: 15 Items: 10 plus Left Gauntlet Secrets: 1*
IMPORTANT: You will need 4 TRIDENTS to complete this level. If you don't have all of them, you should return to the CATACOMBS to get them. If you've already spent time exploring the TEMPLE OF POSEIDON and can't find your way back, return to the JUNCTION WITH DEEP PIT and scale the climbable wall in the northeast corner. (screenshot) Position Lara's feet on the lowest rung of the ladder at the top, then backflip into the alcove. Follow the passage back to the CATACOMBS. Use these notes to locate any missing tridents.)
When you first enter this level from the CATACOMBS, follow the stairs up to an opening in the floor. Notice the golden bird statue in the alcove on the right. (screenshot) You'll return here later when you encounter a wraith. For now, move to the right side of the opening and take a carefully angled standing jump to grab the ladder on the left. (screenshot) Climb down to the floor.
JUNCTION WITH DEEP PIT: Several hallways converge here. It doesn't really matter which way you go first. Just avoid the deep pit in the center for now. There's no way to descend safely yet.
HALLWAY TO THE NORTH – FIRST POSEIDON STATUE: We'll start by entering the the passageway between the small ramps, ahead on the right if Lara's back is to the climbable wall. (screenshot) Continue to a ROOM WITH TWO LEVELS SUPPORTED BY COLUMNS. Two skeletons emerge when you enter, one on the left, one on the right. Use your favorite skeleton-destroying technique to deal with them. (screenshot) Drop down into the sunken area in the middle of the room. Then find the crawlspace in the southeast corner. This leads to a SECRET (49/70), normal arrows and a small medipack. (screenshot)
Crawl back out the way you came. Climb back up to the ledge, and go through the doorway on the north side of the room, opposite the entrance. (screenshot)
IMPORTANT: You must obtain the secret before using the first TRIDENT. Afterward, when these rooms are partially flooded, the crawlspace disappears so you cannot access the secret. Also, if you get the secret, then return to the JUNCTION, scale the climbable wall, and re-enter the CATACOMBS, you can then re-enter the TEMPLE OF POSEIDON, make your way back to the secret area, and the secret should register again. Theoretically, you can do this as many times as you like to rack up extra secrets. However, since you can only get the items once, there's no practical reason to do this.
Crawl through the opening below the huge carved face. (screenshot) Climb out of the crawlspace and continue toward the small room with the FIRST POSEIDON STATUE. Shoot the breakable jars to the right of the doorway to get some Uzi ammo. (screenshot) Then jump over the pool to the pedestal with the statue. Press Action to select the TRIDENTS and Action again to use one.
Cutscene: Lara climbs the statue and places one of the TRIDENTS at the top of its staff. Water begins to flow. (screenshot)
SMALL ROOM WITH ROUND BURNERS: Jump back across the pool and then carefully enter the room on the left. Each black circle on the floor is a burner, which will ignite if Lara gets too close. So either jump over them or walk between those tiles at the corners to avoid injury. At the back of the room is a cluster of jars. When Lara stands near them, 2 skeletons rise from the floor behind her. Roll and use a grenade or two to take care of them. This should break the jars in the process. Pick up normal arrows, plus wideshot and regular shotgun ammo. Exit carefully, avoiding the burners. (screenshots)
Turn left and return to the crawlspace, which is now flooded. Swim through to the room with the huge carved face. Water is now pouring out of its mouth and flowing along the trench in front of it. (screenshot) Climb out of the trench and go back into the ROOM WITH TWO LEVELS SUPPORTED BY COLUMNS, which is also partially flooded now. Continue through the hallway to the south, back to the JUNCTION. Water now flows out of the north hallway into the deep pit, but it's still not safe to drop down. (screenshot)
EAST ROOMS – SECOND POSEIDON STATUE: Enter the room on the left (east) side of the pit, which contains another stone face and two tall blocks decorated with images of standing women. Approach the carved face and turn around. In the right (northwest) corner is a climbable wall. Climb into the room above. As you approach the SECOND POSEIDON STATUE, a skeleton leaps into the doorway from the right. Blast it into the pool with the shotgun or use explosives to destroy it. Smash the breakable jars in the right corner to get some wideshot shells. Then jump across the pool to the statue. Press Action to select the TRIDENTS, then Action again to use one. (screenshots)
Cutscene: Again, Lara climbs the statue and places one of the TRIDENTS at the top of its staff. Water begins to flow.
Return to the hole in the floor and jump to grab the climbable wall. Climb back down (or release and re-press Action in rapid succession to drop) into the room with the carved face. When you touch down on the floor, an air wraith emerges and begins to chase Lara. So run/jump along the shallow trench, which is now filled with water, around to the other side of the wall. (Or, when you reach the bottom of the climbable wall, side flip to the left twice and run forward.) Run through the archway on the right side of the trench and immediately make a U-turn to the right to find the climbable wall in the corner (where you entered this area). Climb up, position Lara's feet on the lowest rung of the ladder at the top, then backflip into the alcove. Stand near the golden bird statue until the wraith extinguishes itself. (screenshots)
NOTE: If you took any damage while outrunning the wraith, you can jump across the hole in the floor and run down the stairs into the CATACOMBS to restore Lara's health. Then return to the opening near the bird statue.
WEST ROOMS – THIRD POSEIDON STATUE: Climb back down the ladder to the JUNCTION. Now enter the, on the opposite side of the deep pit from the climbable wall. Here you'll find another huge stone face, along with two tall blocks decorated with images of snakes. There's a raised crawlspace in the corner to the left of the big face. The black circle below it is a burner that ignites when you step on that tile. Save the game. Then carefully approach the burner. Either take a running jump over the burner to grab the edge of the crawlspace, or stand to the left of the opening with Lara's chest against the wall. Sidestep toward the burner just enough so Lara can grab the opening without getting toasted. Then pull up and crawl in. (screenshots)
There are 2 sleeping skeletons lying on the floor just beyond the crawlspace. Destroy them now with a grenade if you like. Shoot the breakable jar for a small medipack. Jump over the pool to the THIRD POSEIDON STATUE. Press Action to select the TRIDENTS, then Action again to use one. (screenshots)
Cutscene: Once again, Lara climbs the statue and places one of the TRIDENTS at the top of its staff. Water begins to flow.
If you didn't destroy them earlier, the 2 skeletons awaken. Destroy them with explosives or lure them near the pool and knock them in with the shotgun. When you return the way you came, a third skeleton emerges from the floor just before the crawlspace. Destroy it as you did the others. Then crawl into the opening. Turn around and back up to the edge of the crawlspace. Back out and hang from the edge. Then traverse all the way to the left before dropping down, in order to avoid the burner. Follow the flowing water back to the JUNCTION. (screenshots)
SOUTH ROOMS – FOURTH POSEIDON STATUE: Enter the hallway to the south and continue to a room with another stone face, many narrow, painted columns, and a climbing pole. Climb the pole and backflip into the hallway above. If you like, you can use a grenade or explosive arrow to destroy the sleeping skeleton in the alcove on the left. One of the jars on the right contains wideshot shells and normal arrows. When you enter the room with the FOURTH POSEIDON STATUE, the other skeleton awakens. Explode it or knock it into the pool with the shotgun. Jump over to the statue and press Action twice to select and use the last TRIDENT. (screenshots)
Cutscene: Lara climbs the statue and places the TRIDENT at the top of its staff. Water begins to flow in the room below.
If you didn't destroy that first skeleton, it will awaken now. You can either destroy or avoid it. Return to the pole and slide back down into the room below. Follow the water-filled channel back to the JUNCTION. (screenshots)
JUNCTION WITH DEEP PIT – AFTER USING ALL FOUR TRIDENTS: When you have placed all four TRIDENTS on the statues, the deep pit at the JUNCTION will be flooded about halfway to the top. (screenshot)
BUG NOTE: If you have placed all the TRIDENTS and the pit still isn't flooded, try returning to each of the side rooms and making sure all the skeletons have been dealt with. That should fix the problem. If you are missing any of the tridents, check the note at the beginning of the walkthrough.
Dive in and swim down through the passage on the west wall, then through the narrow opening at the bottom of that passage on the left. This leads to a room where you can climb out of the water. (screenshots)
Vault up onto the ledge directly ahead. Two sets of stairs lead up to the left and right. Follow either one. When you reach the small room at the top, a skeleton will arise from the floor. If you then go back down the other set of stairs to the room with the pool, another skeleton will appear in the room at the top of the stairs and follow you down. You can destroy these guys or just continue up the next set of stairs. They won't follow once you drop down into the next room. (screenshots)
ROOM WITH FOUR SMALL POOLS AND FACE MOSAIC ON FLOOR: When you hit the floor, 2 air wraiths emerge. Both of the large, breakable urns contain golden bird statues, so shatter either one and stand near it until the wraiths extinguish themselves. (screenshots)
You can now continue to the LOST LIBRARY or return to Jean-Yves in ALEXANDRIA. Even if you don't want to see Jean-Yves again, I recommend opening the gate leading back to the COASTAL RUINS, as described below. This will allow you to move more easily between levels later on.
RETURNING TO THE COASTAL RUINS AND ALEXANDRIA (optional): Push the square tile near the golden bird statue in the left (south) alcove to open a trapdoor in the opposite alcove. Drop down through the trapdoor and follow the dark passageway back to the COASTAL RUINS. Climb the ladder, pry open the gate with the crowbar, and emerge on some steps above the tide pool (marked C on the map of the ruins). (screenshots)
If you don't want to go back to ALEXANDRIA, just turn around and return to POSEIDON the way you came. Skip the next paragraph.
If you decide to return to ALEXANDRIA and speak with Jean-Yves before entering the LOST LIBRARY, he'll give Lara some new information. A transcript of this exchange is included in the Cinematics section. This is also a good opportunity to get the LASER SIGHT if you missed it before. Detailed directions to and from Jean-Yves's place are included on a separate page with screenshots.
ENTERING THE LOST LIBRARY: Back in the ROOM WITH FOUR SMALL POOLS AND FACE MOSAIC ON FLOOR, where you destroyed the 2 air wraiths, enter the room to the west. Stand facing the sarcophagus and press Action to open it and retrieve the LEFT GAUNTLET, which is part of the ARMOR OF HORUS. Doors then open on the left and right. Go through either one and follow the passageway around the next corner. There's a raised crawlspace about halfway along the west wall. Climb into it, crawl through, and continue to the next level. (screenshots)
*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 49/70.
†UPDATE HISTORY: 5/20/00 - Previous edit, details not available.
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.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Special thanks 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 Antz, David, Niels & Pernille, Rardraider, Ruud, and Trees for their contributions to this level.
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