LEVEL 30: INSIDE MENKAURE'S PYRAMID
Updated: 5/5/19(†)
Kills: 13 Items: 2 plus Western Shaft Key Secrets: 1*
NOTE: The regular pick-ups include the UZIS if you didn't find them earlier.
HALL WITH SWINGING BLADES: Head down the ramp, killing a bat as you go. To get through the first swinging blade, position Lara at either side and run past the blade as it starts to swing away. (screenshot) Repeat the process for the second blade, then kill 2 more bats in the room beyond. (screenshot)
STAIRS DOWN AND ROOM WITH STONE BASIN: Start down the stairs. Partway down, Lara will look up at a recessed spot in the ceiling containing a gold star. Use the revolver or crossbow combined with the laser sight to target the star. One shot should break it, opening a trapdoor in the room below. Continue down the stairs a little farther and you'll see 2 mummies shambling around near a white marble basin. If you wait for them to move near each other, you can destroy both mummies with a single grenade or explosive arrow. (Other weapons are ineffective.) Switch to pistols, continue to the bottom of the stairs, and kill another bat. Pick up the revolver ammo on the floor behind the basin. Then jump into the basin and drop through the trapdoor you opened by shooting the star. (screenshots)
PITS WITH CONCEALED SPIKES AND DANGLING ROPES: Follow the ramp down to a green pit filled with concealed spikes. Take a running jump to grab the dangling rope. Slide to the bottom of the rope, swing, and jump to land on the opposite ledge. The next room contains 2 more mummies and a bat. If you advance slowly, you can draw out the mummies—one from the left and one from the right—and destroy them with explosives without triggering the bat. Then switch to pistols, go in, and look for the bat on the left. (screenshots)
NOTE: If you need a rope-swinging refresher, check the Last Revelation Controls page and/or the TOMB OF SEMERKHET walkthrough.
Beyond this room are 2 more pits with concealed spikes. First, head for the pit on the right. Take a running jump to grab the first rope. Slide to the bottom then swing and jump to grab the second rope. Slide to the bottom of that rope, then swing and jump to the doorway. Go up the ramp and use the switch to open a trapdoor elsewhere. Return to the bottom of the ramp and swing back across the spike pit. (screenshots)
SHAFT KEY GUARDIAN: Make a U-turn to the right and approach the next spike pit. Repeat the rope swinging business to get across. Go up the ramp to the trapdoor you just opened. A HAWK-HEADED GUARDIAN (perhaps a minion of Horus?) waits in the room above. When you climb through the opening, he begins to shoot energy bolts from his staff. It isn't too hard to dodge them if you immediately run forward a few steps so Lara can maneuver without hitting the large columns. Then start flipping from side to side while firing. You can use any weapon you like, but it only takes about 7 grenades or explosive arrows to destroy the guardian. Alternatively, you can pull up through the opening, run straight at the guardian, and crouch. Like the guardians in CLEOPATRA'S PALACES, he'll continue firing over Lara's head without actually doing any damage. You can then use pistols to destroy him. Afterwards use your CROWBAR to pry the WESTERN SHAFT KEY from the wall with the huge, carved star. (screenshots)
Cutscene: Taking the key causes a block to recede elsewhere, revealing a doorway.
BACK TO THE START: Return down the ramp to the spike pit. Swing back across the pit, then back across the first spike pit (the one with only one rope). Return to the top of the ramp, climb up through the open trapdoor, and jump out of the marble basin. Climb the stairs and turn right (east) to find the door that just opened. (screenshot)
NOTE: If Lara took some damage during the fight with the guardian, you can return past the swinging blades to the top of the tunnel. Then exit the and re-enter the level to top up Lara's health without using a medipack.
Enter and slide down the ramp into a dark tunnel. Turn right and crawl along the long, straight passage to avoid the converging horizontal blades. (screenshot) Once the blades have passed, you can stand up and proceed. Go around the corner and up the ramp to a trapdoor in the ceiling. Jump straight up to grab the handle to open the trapdoor. (screenshot) Climb through the trapdoor to the desert above.
OUTDOORS NEAR TWO SMALLER PYRAMIDS: As soon as you emerge, 2 giant scorpions scurry out from between the pyramids ahead on the left (southeast) and attack. If you have super grenades to spare, it only takes a couple of them to kill both scorpions. If not, you can shoot and dodge using your weapon of choice, or use the tunnel for cover: Shoot the scorpions with pistols as they approach. Then, when they get too close, drop back into the hole. Either continue shooting from below or jump straight up and down while firing. If If the scorpions lose interest and wander off, climb up to get their attention and repeat the process. (screenshots)
When you've killed both scorpions, go between the two pyramids and find the button in the small alcove on the left. Press it to open the top of the other pyramid. This also releases another giant scorpion, which approaches from the sandy clearing near the trapdoor. If you stay inside the raised alcove, you can snipe at it with pistols as it moves back and forth. (screenshots)
CLIMBNG THE SMALL PYRAMID: Go around to the west side of the small pyramid, where it slopes down toward the excavation pit. You'll probably recognize this area from the previous level. The building where you rescued the guard from the scorpion (or not) is off to the south beyond the pit. (screenshots)
Reaching the opening at the top of the pyramid is not too difficult, but any misstep will likely result in Lara sliding into the pit. So it's a good idea to save the game first. Walk onto the flat spot at the bottom left corner of the pyramid. From here you can climb up one tier. Turn right and take a running jump across the slope to land on the flat spot beyond. From here you can climb up two more tiers. Turn left and step up onto the next angled block. It looks too steep to stand on, but Lara can do it. Then climb onto the block at the top of the pyramid. Walk to the edge of the opening; it's a long way down. Turn around, drop back, and grab the edge of the opening. Then climb down the ladder into the pyramid. (screenshots)
INSIDE THE SMALL PYRAMID: Go up the ramp and around the corner to a spike pit. Take a running jump across. Use the monkey bars on the ceiling to traverse across the next deep pit. The next pit is a wide one with concealed spikes and a swinging blade. To get across, position Lara facing the pit, close to either of the side walls. Wait for the blade to swing toward the side where you're standing. Then take a running jump to grab the opposite edge of the pit. By the time you reach the blade, it will have swung away. Pull up and continue. (screenshots)
Around the corner you'll need to repeat the running jump across a second spike-and-blade pit to grab the opposite edge; pull up. Ignore the bars on the ceiling for now and continue forward to a third spike-and-blade pit. Jump across it just like you did the others. Follow the passageway on the left to a chain. Pull it to open a gate elsewhere. Return across the spike pit, then use the monkey bars on the ceiling to traverse across the deep pit on the right. The gate you just opened is here. (screenshots)
LARGE CAVE WITH SLOPE AND SPIKES: Stand in the doorway overlooking the slope and the spike pit below. Angle Lara to the right and jump forward to land on the right side of the slope. Then just slide down to land in the one safe spot at the far right corner of the spike pit. Pick up the UZIS (or Uzi ammo if you already have the weapons), the only SECRET (66/70) in this level. (screenshots)
Climb out of the pit onto the triangular ledge just above the safe spot. Step off the edge and as you slide down toward the small, square opening at the bottom of the cave, jump forward to land on the opposite slope. Slide back and grab the edge of the opening. Then let go to drop into the passageway below without taking any damage. You're now back in the area where you began the level UNDERNEATH THE SPHINX. At the bottom of the hill is the HALL WITH BULL GUARDIANS AND HIEROGLYPH BUTTONS (the gate is still closed). Head for the top to re-enter the SPHINX COMPLEX. (screenshots)
SPHINX COMPLEX - EXCAVATION PITS REVISITED: Climb out of the pit between the sphinx's paws. Go to the right (west) around the corner, which is the right paw of the SPHINX, toward the excavation pit. Take a running jump along the left (south) side of the pit to land near the stone pillars supporting the metal gate. Use the GUARD'S KEYS (which you should still have from the MENKAURE'S PYRAMID level) to unlock the doors. Go through the dark opening to finish the 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 66/70.
†UPDATE HISTORY: 6/10/00 - 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 are given 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 Jared S., mystercoren, Sturm, and Trancid for their suggestions and corrections for this level.
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