Stella's Tomb Raider Chronicles Walkthrough - Windows, Mac, PlayStation, PSP, Vita & Dreamcast
LEVEL 13: RED ALERT! | Updated: 8/19/15 |
Kills: 18 Items: 16 plus Grappling Gun, 2 Key Bits and 3 Golden Rose Secrets*
IMPORTANT: Like all good final levels, this one is difficult. And, unlike previous Tomb Raider games, you have neither your unlimited-ammo pistols nor the luxury of accumulating equipment for many levels beforehand. So be sure to conserve ammo and medipacks, or you may not finish. Whenever possible, I have described ways of handling things that are least damaging to Lara.
Also, there are a few serious potential bugs. These appear to be activated by saving your game in certain spots and can make it impossible to finish the game. I have made notes about all the bugs I have found, but I may not have discovered everything. I recommend saving frequently and in different slots as you go along. That way, if a bug occurs, you'll be able to reload an earlier save and not have to replay too much. I apologize for making this walk so long and for including some spoilers in the bug notes, but I'd rather give too much detail and leak a few surprises if it means helping people finish the game.
I also recommend that PlayStation gamers not use the all-items cheat code (detailed here) to bypass the problems in this level, since this may corrupt your save file making it impossible to proceed. For details, see the footnotes. Thanks to Caitlin for this info.
Cut scenes: Between the previous level and this one, we see Von Croy and an associate talking to a guard. After watching their intruder on a security monitor, Von Croy is able to identify Lara. (Transcripts appear on the movie page.) Then there is a second brief cut scene of a helicopter hovering alongside the building shooting rockets.
OUTSIDE STAIRCASE: You begin the level on the outside stairs. Before taking a step, equip the HK rifle in sniper mode, pivot to the right and shoot the guy in the armored suit on the landing above. Remember, aim for the open faceplate. As long as you don't move from the starting position, he won't notice Lara. When he falls, he takes out a section of staircase.
Don't go downstairs. When you approach, the stairs collapse. Go up the broken stairs to the landing where the armored guy was standing. Turn right, take a running jump to grab the next landing and pull up. Go up to the next landing amid blasts from the hovering helicopter.
Start up the next set of stairs, which then collapse. Quickly press Action to grab the broken stairs as Lara falls. If you fall, jump straight up to grab the end of the broken stairs and climb them like a ladder. Climb to the left into the opening with the twisted metal bars (shown in this screenshot). Here you'll find a golden rose (secret #1, 34/36). The fire is harmless. To exit, take a standing jump from the right side of the opening to grab the broken-stair ladder. Climb to the landing above. (Alternatively, safety drop from the opening, jump up to grab the end of the broken stairs and climb up.)
When you reach the landing above the ladder, another blast from the helicopter destroys more of the stairs. Jump from the short section of broken stairs up to the next landing. From there, take a running jump to grab the next higher landing. Pull up.
Turn to face the next section of stairs (just below the landing with the jagged crack in the wall). When Lara passes over the top section of these stairs, the stairs collapse; however, the bottom half is safe. So either walk halfway up the stairs and then take a standing jump over the unstable section to land at the top, or stand at the back of the first landing and take a running jump (or two standing jumps) to reach the landing. (Again, the fire is harmless.)
ROOM BELOW GRATE: Press Action to kick open the cracked wall. Crawl through to a small room with a grate in the ceiling. The badly placed fixed camera complicates things, so stay in the crawlspace for a minute and use your ears. You'll hear a soldier patrolling above. When he moves off, go to the right side of the room so Lara isn't directly under the grate. Notice the one section of grate with a handle. This is a trapdoor. Watch until the soldier moves away again. Then stand under the trapdoor, jump up and grab the handle. (See this screenshot if you're not sure where to grab.) Move back to the side again and wait for the soldier to return. Unless Lara is standing right under the grate, he won't notice her. You'll still need to use the HK's burst mode to shoot him, since the fixed camera prevents you from using the scope. (Use auto-aim and wait until Lara raises the rifle before shooting.) Climb out through the trapdoor and go toward the crates.
Voiceover: Zip warns Lara of danger ahead and advises her to use the infrared setting on her shades.
HALLWAY WITH LASERS: If you take Zip's advice and equip the headset then press Action for infrared, you'll notice the hallway to the right is crisscrossed with 5 sets of invisible lasers. (The scope on the HK also reveals them.) Before attempting to get through, pick up some HK and grappling gun ammo on top of the crates. To make passing the lasers easier, equip the HK in sniper mode and shoot the red valve on the pipe at the end of the hall beyond the lasers (shown in this screenshot). Steam escapes, making the lasers visible on one side.
Approach the lasers carefully. The lasers are not in synch, but each has a distinct pattern: on, off, on, longer off. If you watch the pattern you can run past each one in turn on the long-off phase. You can also use the white lines on the floor as a guide. After you pass each laser, don't approach the next white line, because that's where the next laser is. For the last line of lasers, be sure to move to the right to run through the doorway when the laser goes off.
FIRST ELEVATOR: In the next hallway there are some crates to the left. You'll find a large medipack on top. When you go toward the other end of the hall, the ELEVATOR doors open and a soldier comes out. Kill him, go into the elevator, and press the buttons to take a ride. Ready your weapon and turn around. The doors on the other side of the car open and there's another soldier waiting. (NOTE: To conserve ammo, use sniper mode on both of these guys—or burst mode as long as you don't have a heavy trigger finger. Don't use the scope at close range, since it makes Lara an easy target. Just auto-aim and hop away from each soldier while firing.)
SHOOTING RANGE: Across from the elevator are two glass doors. These lead to the shooting ranges. The one on the right doesn't open yet, so go through the door on the left. Pick up the HK clips on the shelf and get ready for some target practice.
(NOTE: Save your game before beginning each of the shooting ranges. You have only one try to complete each perfectly. You may want to save in a separate slot before you start the second range, in case you change your mind.)
You must complete the first range in order to open the ARMORY and proceed in the level. As long as you destroy all the targets, this will happen. Completing the first range under the time limit will also open the door to the second shooting range. Completing the second range is optional but will enable you to get secret #2.
For the first range, press the button to activate the targets. Ready the HK (use sniper mode to conserve ammo) and use the scope to aim. In order to open the second shooting range, you need to destroy each target before it crosses the line on the floor nearest the window. So shoot them in this order: center, left, right, far left, far right.
(NOTE: Some players have informed me that the order for the first target range is center, left, far left, right, far right. I don't know if this is different on some versions of the game or if they just found it easier to shoot the targets in this order. Try both and see which works for you. Also, if you have extra ammo, you can use burst or rapid mode. It burns ammo more quickly but gives you a greater chance to hit each target. Just be sure not to waste bullets, since you'll need them badly later in the level.)
Once you enter the second range you'll be unable to exit until you complete the range flawlessly. Poison gas begins to leak in as soon as you activate the targets. So if Lara doesn't destroy all targets before they cross the middle line (marked in this screenshot), she dies. The first seven targets pop up one at a time in this order: center, left, far right, right, left, far left, far right. If you shoot all of them, the last three targets pop up together. Shoot them in the order: center, left, right. If you don't see the last three targets, it means you made a mistake and need to reload your saved game. You can pick up more HK ammo on the shelf before or after completing this range.
(NOTE: Yes, this sequence is extremely hard. It took me about 40 tries. If you just can't do it, feel free to download my savegame. See the note below.)
ARMORY: After completing the shooting ranges, exit, turn right and go to the far end of the hall. The secret room is on the left. If you were able to open it, enter and pick up some HK clips and a golden rose (secret #2, 35/36). Avoid the weapon racks with the deadly red lasers. In the room across the hall there are more HK clips on the floor and a GRAPPLING GUN on the rack with the green lights. When you take the weapon, a soldier comes in. Kill him quickly. Again, avoid the racks with the red lasers. At the back left corner of the room is a shelf with some grappling gun ammo.
Once you take the grappling gun and the soldier comes in, the door through which you entered is sealed. You'll need to exit through the other door, which leads into a storeroom.
WELL-LIT STORAGE ROOM: Enter with your weapon drawn. Advance just until you hear dramatic music. A soldier emerges from behind the crates. He's wearing a helmet with a faceplate; so going for a head shot won't work. Shoot him in the chest about four times.
Climb up to the tallest crate to get some HK clips. Equip the GRAPPLING GUN and use the scope (Look) to aim for the grate where the vents converge on the ceiling. (The light in the center of the scope turns green when you're aiming at a viable target.) Shoot a grappling hook into the vent. Hop down to the lower crate and take a standing jump to grab the rope. Swing toward the crumbling blue-black section of wall. Jump from the rope to grab the faint horizontal crack in the wall. Traverse to the metal duct on the right. (NOTE: See these screenshots and the rope swinging tips in the Old Mill level if you need help.)
Go through the duct but before sliding down the chute, ready the HK in sniper mode. Two guys in armored suits are coming up the hall from the ELEVATOR. Shoot them through their open faceplates. Return to the elevator and press the button inside to return to the previous floor.
BACK AT THE HALLWAY NEAR THE LASERS: There's another soldier waiting near the crates at the end of the hall. If you set the HK set on sniper mode and walk carefully along the left wall, checking your scope every few steps, you can kill him with a well-aimed head shot before he notices Lara.
Return past the 5 laser traps as you did before. Continue to the grate with the trapdoor, drop through, and go back through the crawlspace to the OUTSIDE STAIRCASE.
Use the GRAPPLING GUN to target the lowest portion of the twisted, dangling stairs. (The light in the scope will turn green when you sight the correct spot. See these screenshots if you need help with this section.) Shoot a hook into the metal. Position Lara on the broken stairs so she's facing the dangling rope squarely. Take a standing jump from the edge of the broken stairs to grab the rope. Swing toward the opening with the twisted metal bars on the other side of the stairwell. Jump from the rope into the opening, slide down the slope and jump near the end to grab the ledge above the fire. Pull up. (If Lara slides into the fire, she'll die.)
STOREROOM WITH SOLDIER: Crawl through the duct to an opening overlooking a small storage room. If you press the draw-weapons key, Lara will kneel, giving you a better view of the room below. If the soldier standing below notices Lara, he'll press a button on the wall activating a gun turret. If this happens, Lara will take a lot of damage before she can pull the switch that opens the exit and escape. To avoid that, crawl to the right edge of the opening and angle Lara to the right, facing the crate in the corner below. Press Jump to somersault out of the opening onto the crate. (See this screenshot if necessary to get oriented.) Equip the HK in sniper mode and take out the soldier with a single head shot. Drop down, pick up the large medipack in the alcove and use the switch to open the door.
(BUG NOTE: Avoid saving your game between finishing the STOREROOM and exiting the LOBBY. If you save here, you may find that after riding the elevator down, the doors won't open, preventing you from entering the LOBBY, or that the metal doors at the top of the LOBBY don't open, preventing you from going on from there. If you do choose to save, use a new slot in case you activate the bug and need to reload. If you're already stuck with the bug, you can download one of my PC or Mac savegames. See the note at the end of the walkthrough about this.)
Go to the right and press the button to call the SECOND ELEVATOR. Enter and press the button inside to descend to the LOBBY. Approach the doors and they should open automatically.
When you exit the elevator, 2 swat-team guys descend from the ceiling on ropes. Hop back into the elevator while shooting. You can use sniper mode, but the guy on the right has a protective faceplate, so shoot him four times in the chest. Shoot the guy on the left once in the head.
Notice the DOOR TO THE HELIPAD with the white key receptacle at the top of the stairs. You'll need to find a key for this. To exit the LOBBY, walk to the top step, turn so Lara's back is to the helipad door and line her up facing the rope on the right (as shown in this screenshot). Take a running jump from the top step to grab the rope. Swing to the top of the stacked pink crates. Stand at the middle of the crate and jump straight up to grab the handles of the angled metal doors to open them. When the doors open, 2 more soldiers appear, one in the duct above and one down below near the door. You may want to take out the one up above, climb into the duct, then shoot the one below from relative safety.
(BUG NOTE: I found that these doors wouldn't open, but I was able to climb through them by grabbing the lower edge of the opening and pulling up. In this case, the second pair of soldiers does not appear. If you aren't able to do either, try reloading an earlier save and this time don't save between finishing the STOREROOM and exiting the LOBBY through the angled metal doors.)
Go through the duct toward a button. The floor drops out from under Lara before she can press the button. Slide down the chute and turn around. Before hopping down from the duct into the hallway, take note of the ladder on the wall ahead. You'll be exiting here later.
(BUG NOTE: This next section also has a potentially serious bug. Do not save your game between sliding down the chute from the LOBBY and destroying the first cyborg. And be sure to destroy the cyborg using the method that involves shooting the valve, described below. Otherwise, you may be unable to complete the level. If you do choose to save, use a new slot in case you activate the bug and need to reload your previous save. If you're already stuck with the bug, see the FIRST POSSIBLE BUG FIX, at the end of this document.)
Continue to a FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION. The doorway you just came through has no sign. The door to the left has a yellow "Caution" sign, the door straight ahead has a red "Danger" sign, and the door to the right has a yellow "H" sign, for Helipad. Lasers bar the "Caution" and "Danger" doorways. Go through the door on the right. Just beyond there's another laser-trapped doorway to the left and a crawlspace to the right. Go through the crawlspace, climb the slats and continue through the metal duct. When you approach the end of the duct, the grating swings open.
CYBORG ROOM: Walk to the end of the duct and allow the camera to shift to face Lara. You should see a cyborg lurking below. This room should be dry. If there is water on the floor when you first enter, the savegame bug has been activated and you'll need to either reset the area (as described in the FIRST POSSIBLE BUG FIX below) or reload an earlier save and try again.
Run off the right corner of the duct onto the pink crate below. If you're low on ammo, pick up the HK clips. Otherwise, wait until later to minimize the damage Lara takes from the cyborg. (NOTE: More ammo will appear here if you run out.)
While standing on the crate, turn around and use sniper mode to target the red valve on the back wall (below and a little to the right of the duct, as shown in this screenshot). Shoot the valve to burst the pipe and flood the room. You should see water gush out of the pipe, and the floor will now be covered with water (as shown here). Shooting the valve should also open the vent high up on the opposite side of the room from the duct. Take a standing jump back into the duct and move away from the opening. Once you shoot the valve, you can try saving your game. Just be sure to save in a new slot in case you activate the bug and need to reload. If you don't see the red valve, or if the vent doesn't open, that means the savegame bug has been triggered. You'll need to either reset the area (as described in the FIRST POSSIBLE BUG FIX below) or reload an earlier save and try again.
DESTROYING THE FIRST CYBORG: Once you have shot the red valve, as described above, you can stay inside the duct and shoot at the cyborg from relative safety. Position Lara near the edge of the duct and use sniper mode—or burst mode as long as you don't lean on the trigger. If the cyborg looks up at Lara, hop back from the opening so he can't shoot at her. Then walk forward and keep plugging away at him each time he walks past. This requires a great deal of patience, but it helps conserve health for the difficult tasks ahead.
As the cyborg takes damage, his robotic skeleton will start to show. When his metal arm and leg are showing and he starts to crackle with blue electricity, he's nearing death. A few more shots and he'll short out and collapse.
Alternatively, when you first enter the room, you can draw out the cyborg by dangling Lara from the edge of the duct then pulling up. Shoot the cyborg until he starts to spark, then hop down to the crate and shoot the valve. If after flooding the room the cyborg doesn't short out and die immediately, hop back into the duct and shoot him until he does.
Once the cyborg is destroyed, you can save your game. (Again, I recommend saving in a new slot in case anything else goes wrong.)
Do not hop down into the water near the dead cyborg or Lara will be electrocuted. Instead, carefully line up a running jump from the top of the crate to the black metal grate just to the right of the duct where you entered. Start by walking Lara to the edge of the crate facing the sloped silver ducts. Position her in the middle of this edge. Then pivot her a little to the left to face the black metal ledge. Use the Look button to check the angle. Hop back once, check the angle again and adjust with left/right keys. (This screenshot shows Lara in position ready to make the jump). Now take the running jump. Do not press Action or Lara will fall short and be killed. Instead, tap the left direction button in the air to pivot her toward the grate.
Alternatively, you can do a more complicated series of jumps off the angled steel ducts along the side wall: Position Lara on top of the crate facing the outer corner of the lowest duct, which is on the right. (This screenshot shows her ready to go.) Take a running jump from the crate. Release the Jump button just briefly while Lara is in the air and the press and continue to hold it during the rest of the sequence. If you've set up the jump correctly, Lara will land on the sloping top of the first duct, backflip off it and land on the second duct, jump forward onto the third, then backflip once more to land on the flat top of the second duct.
This short video shows both jumps.
Pick up the grappling gun ammo at the back of the black grate. Equip the GRAPPLING GUN and shoot a hook into the grate on the ceiling. (Again, the light in the scope will turn green when you sight the right spot.) Climb on top of the duct, walk to the front edge, then hop back once. Take a standing jump to grab the rope. Swing into the open grate at the top of the room. Go to the back of the alcove and use the switch to drain the room below.
(BUG NOTE: Do not save your game again after using the switch. If you reload, the room will be flooded and you won't be able to get the key bit. If you have already done this, try swinging to the switch and using it again. If that doesn't drain the room, you'll need to reload an earlier save. Resetting the area, as suggested below, won't work here because the grating over the duct prevents you from getting back to the four-way intersection.)
Take a running jump from the opening past the dangling rope to the top of the duct. Pick up another grappling hook, which has mysteriously appeared on the black grate. Then drop to the floor. Pick up the large medipack and the KEY BIT the cyborg dropped.
Pulling the switch to drain the room also closed the grating over the duct, so you'll need to swing back up to the alcove and pull the switch again to re-flood the room and re-open the duct. (Remember to avoid the electrified floor now as well.) Again, take a running jump from the opening to the top of the duct. Now hop down onto the crate and jump from there into the duct. Or, hang from the top edge of the duct, let go and press Action again to grab the bottom edge, then pull up.
Follow the duct to the end, hop down and return through the crawlspace. The lasers that were blocking the doorway opposite the crawlspace are now deactivated.
(BUG NOTE: There is another potential bug in the next section. Avoid saving your game between beginning the first run past the helicopter and when you trap the second cyborg. I was able to save at the button behind the bar and still complete the level, but others have reported not being able to do this. When this particular bug is activated, the second cyborg falls into one of the pits and is trapped there. You can't kill him, so you can't get the second KEY BIT and finish the level. If you do choose to save at any point during this tough section, use a new slot in case you activate the bug and need to start over. If you have already activated the bug, see the note on the SECOND POSSIBLE BUG FIX, at the end of this walkthrough. If that doesn't work, either revert to an earlier save or download one of my savegames, below.)
GLASS-WALLED HALLWAY AND LOUNGES: As soon as you enter this hallway, the hovering helicopter lets loose a storm of machine gun fire. Before starting, notice the open doorway ahead on the left. You'll be returning here on the way back.
There may or may not be several yellow fuel storage tanks lining this hallway. This is one of the elements that changes depending on whether the savegame bugs have been triggered. This screenshot shows the tanks in place. Note that there are no pits in the floor here yet. When Lara runs along this hallway, the helicopter begins shooting at her. This makes the yellow tanks explode, if they are present, creating a series of pits in the floor. Lara will take damage and possibly catch fire if she is next to one of the tanks when it blows, but if you sprint along this hallway, you should be able to keep ahead of the helicopter. Do not use the HK to destroy the tanks before beginning the run past the helicopter. Doing this creates the pits and leaves a flame that will cause Lara to catch fire if she runs over it. (That situation is shown here.)
If you have saved the game and reloaded, the yellow tanks may be missing and the pits may already have appeared in the floor (as shown in this screenshot). This shouldn't prevent you from finishing the game, but it does make the run past the helicopter more difficult, since you must then jump the pits as you go. If the pits and flame have already formed and there are still some tanks remaining, you might want to explode them first using the HK to prevent Lara from taking additional damage.
[NOTE: You're certainly welcome to try it, but I don't recommend using the FIRST POSSIBLE BUG FIX (below) at this point. It will cause all but the first tank to reappear; however, it won't restore the floor above the first two pits or put out the flame if it has already formed. Lara will also take damage from the exploding tanks as she runs past them. So either continue without the tanks, or reload an earlier save and replay this section without saving in the "bad" spots noted in pink.]
Some tips for the run past the helicopter: The first run (toward the bar) is indicated by light blue arrows in the diagram above. If the yellow tanks are present and there are no pits, just run straight through, pressing Sprint for extra speed. Lara should then be able to stay ahead of the helicopter and the explosions. If the tanks are gone and the pits already formed, don't sprint. Just run normally, jumping the pits as you go. If there is no flame between the first and second pits, stay toward the left side of the ledges. Then you can do two running jumps in a row to clear the first and second pits. If there is a flame, stick to the middle-right of the ledges. To clear the first pit, use a running jump, taking off a step or so before the edge, in order to give Lara enough room to run a few steps along the second ledge before jumping. She'll then need to grab the opposite ledge and pull up. Then take another running jump across the third pit and a standing jump across the fourth. Run into the little corner lounge to catch your breath.
There are several large medipacks concealed in the pits; however, I found that Lara loses more health getting them than they're worth. If possible, get to the end of the hall in one smooth run. Lara will lose a lot of health if you hesitate for any reason.
(NOTE: Again, if you save in the corner room, be sure to do it in a new slot in case you activate the bug.)
The helicopter turns the corner and will continue to shoot at Lara when she enters the next room, a GLASS-WALLED BAR. Things are further complicated by the loss of the Look button here. (Yes, it's fun to watch a helicopter destroy the glasses on shelves behind a bar, but not after your fifth or sixth death.) Run into the room, cutting to the left. Run behind the bar and immediately duck. Or, take a running jump onto the bar, run off the other side, and immediately duck. Crawl to the far end where you can stand and press a button.
Voiceover: Zip's dialogue over the headset is largely unintelligible due to the noise of the helicopter. If you escape to the inventory, you can hear him much more clearly. He tells Lara he's found an exit but his instructions are cut off by static.
Pressing the button opens your way out. However, this is not the helipad door just around the other side of the bar. This door malfunctions and can't be used. Instead, you'll need to go back the way you came. Crawl to the gap in the bar, stand up and either jump over the bar or run around it into the corner lounge. A second cyborg is waiting here for Lara.
(NOTE: As before, you can try saving your game before making the second run across the pits. But be sure to save in a new slot in case you activate the next bug and need to start from an earlier position. I found that saving near the bar didn't cause the bug, but saving during the run across the pits did.)
Now make another run across the pits under heavy fire from both the helicopter and the cyborg. In reverse, the sequence of jumps is: standing jump, running jump, running jump and grab (or, if there's no flame on the ledge ahead, aim for the grating on the right side and there will be no need to grab and pull up), running jump.
As mentioned above, several large medipacks are hidden in the pits, but unless you're desperate I recommend leaving them. Lara will most likely lose more health retrieving them than she gains.
TRAPPING THE CYBORG: Because you pressed the button in the bar, the doorway straight ahead (leading to the FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION) is once again blocked by lasers. So run through the doorway on the right, up the ramp and down the other side. Sprint along this straightaway if possible. You'll pass over a grate with a small room below containing a switch. Continue through a room with a window on the right, exiting through the door on the left. Turn left at the next corner, then left a third time down a ramp to the small room with the switch. If you've done everything right, you should be able to look up through the grate and see the cyborg entering the room above. Use the switch to trap him there. This run (from the bar, past the helicopter, and down to the switch) is indicated by dark blue arrows in the diagram above. The room where the cyborg is trapped is marked with a black X.
If you succeed in trapping the cyborg, you should definitely save your game. I'm not aware of any other bugs from here on out, but if you want to be extra-careful, save in a new slot just in case. If you were too slow and the cyborg manages to corner Lara in the switch room, your best bet is probably to reload and try again. If you wait at the switch and the cyborg never shows up, then the savegame bug has been triggered and the cyborg is stuck in one of the pits. Either try the SECOND POSSIBLE BUG FIX at the end of this walkthrough, reload an earlier save and try again, or download one of my savegames.
GAS CHAMBERS: The diagram above shows the path you'll take to kill the cyborg with green, orange and pink arrows. First go up the ramp from the switch to the hallway (green arrow). Turn left and follow the hallway to the FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION. Go through the door on the left with the red "Danger" sign. (It's the only other doorway not blocked by lasers.) This passage leads into a room with poison gas jets. Lara will hold her breath as long as she can. (You'll see the blue oxygen bar, just as you do when swimming.) She'll lose some health just from breathing the gas, but you can crouch and crawl along the floor to replenish Lara's oxygen.
From here to the first switch, continue along the path marked in green in the diagram: Run straight through the first poison-gas room and out the other side. Run through the second room and out the door on the left. Inside the third room, look to the right near the floor for a crawlspace containing the final golden rose (secret #3, 36/36, marked with a green S on the diagram). Crawl in to get it, and take some deep breaths while you're at it. Crawl back out, jump onto the low platform and pull the switch.
From the first switch to the second switch, you're following the path marked in orange in the diagram: Roll and run straight across the room and through the door where you entered. In the next room, 2 soldiers will try to stop you.** Take them out, or just run past them through the door on the right. In the next room, go through the door on the right, which was previously locked. Jump up on the platform and pull the switch to pump the poison gas from this room into the next room, killing the cyborg. You can see this happen trough the window on the left.
When the cyborg is dead, flip the switch again to clear the gas from the other room. It will start to fill up the room you're in, so run out following the path marked in pink in the diagram. That is, roll and run through the door opposite the switch into the next room. Then exit through the door on the right, which takes you back to the FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION. Go through the doorway on the right (with the yellow "Caution" sign). Take the next right down the ramp to the switch under the grate. Use this switch again to re-open the doors above.
Go up the ramp and turn right, then right again, to reach the room where the cyborg died. Pick up the KEY BIT he dropped. You should now have two halves.
At this point, there will be lasers blocking the door between this room and the FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION. So exit through the hallway that passes over the grate above the switch (following the path marked in yellow in the diagram). Run up the ramp and down the other side. Then quickly run to the right to avoid the helicopter. Turn right before the crawlspace and you're back on the other side of the FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION. Go into the passageway on the left (the one with no sign). Continue to the low ledge, climb up, turn around and jump to grab the ladder leading up the shaft. Climb into the duct above. The trapdoor should be open. Follow the duct back to the LOBBY. (If the angled metal doors are closed, try dropping through them.)
Voiceover: When Lara drops down from the duct into the lobby, Zip congratulates her on a job well done and advises her to get out.
Climb down. Combine the two KEY BITS to make the HELIPAD KEY and use this to open the big door. Go up the ramp to end the level and the game.
Final FMV: Lara makes a daring escape. Back at Croft Manor, her friends toast her memory. And, in Egypt Von Croy finds a clue. A transcript of this movie appears here.
NOTE: If you found all 36 secrets, after the credits you'll be able to access "Special Features" from the options menu. This is a collection of storyboards, etc., created during the game design.
**Note on Guards in Gas Chambers: You may encounter one or two guards here. I'm not sure what causes the appearance (or not) of the second guard.
NOTE FOR PLAYSTATION GAMERS: Unless you have tried all other options, I recommend not using the all-items cheat code here. It will give you the key bits, but it may corrupt your save file so that if you die/quit and reload the game will freeze making it impossible to proceed. Thanks to Caitlin for this warning.
FIRST POSSIBLE BUG FIX - RESETTING THE AREA: If you accidentally activate the savegame bug preventing you from destroying the first cyborg (in the flooded room), try this in-game fix: Return to the FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION and enter the hallway with no sign. Climb onto the ledge, where you slid down from the LOBBY earlier, and then hop back down again. This should reset certain features in the surrounding areas: The first cyborg room should be dry (if you have not already shot the valve) and the yellow tanks should reappear in the hallway where you run past the helicopter. If this doesn't work, you'll need to reload an earlier save. Be sure not to save in any of the spots noted in the other pink bug notes.
SECOND POSSIBLE BUG FIX: If you accidentally activate the savegame bug that causes the second cyborg to become trapped in one of the pits, you may want to try this in-game fix. It's fairly complicated, but it might allow you to finish the game if you don't have a convenient save from which to try again.
The goal is to get back to the FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION to reset the level, as described in the FIRST BUG FIX, above. However, the way is currently blocked by laser traps. In order to clear a path, you need to complete the GAS CHAMBERS sequence as you would if the cyborg were trapped. You can save your game throughout this sequence; since the bug is already activated, you can't make things worse. Follow the instructions for the GAS CHAMBERS (above) up to the point where you re-enter the FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION. You won't be able to kill the cyborg or get the key bit yet, but you want to use all the switches as described to deactivate certain of the laser traps.
Back at the FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION, enter the passageway on the left (the one with no sign). It should be OK to save here before climbing onto the ledge, but don't save again until you have trapped the cyborg. Climb onto the low ledge, turn around and jump back down. This should reset the area. Exit the FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION through the doorway on the right (with the yellow "H" sign). Then turn left. The yellow tanks at the far end of the hallway should have reappeared. Use the HK set on sniper mode to blow them up. This should also get the cyborg moving again, so immediately sprint up the hallway to the left. Run through the room with the window, out the door on the left, left again at the corner and then left once more down the ramp to the switch. (This path is indicated by dark blue arrows on the diagram.) If the bug fix worked and you ran fast enough, you'll be able to look up through the grate and see the cyborg entering the room above. Use the switch to trap him.
Now you'll have to redo all the business with the switches in the GAS CHAMBERS in order to kill the cyborg. Follow the walkthrough again if necessary. Once you have the second key bit, continue to the exit as described.
DOWNLOAD SAVEGAMES: If you get snagged by any of the savegame bugs, or if you find some sections too difficult to complete, feel free to download my savegames. If you're playing on the PC, download the file tr5redalert.zip, which includes eleven PC saves plus a readme text file describing each save. I also have a file of savegames for the beginning of each of the VCI HQ levels with the inventory edited to include extra HK ammo and medipacks. Click to download VCIHQ.zip. For help with savegame and zip files, see my help page.
Thanks to Kerrie at MacRaider, I also have a selection of Macintosh saves. Saves from the start of each level are available on my savegame page. Or, download any of these single saves:
- After the shooting ranges - 5 KB
- Various buggy areas - 10 KB (see bug notes in walkthroughs for specifics)
Each Macintosh .hqx file includes several saves and a readme text file. You'll need Stuffit Expander 5.1 or later to extract the save files. After extracting, place the savegame files in your Save folder, but be sure to remove your own saves first and place them in a safe storage folder so they aren't overwritten. Please contact Trevor, the MacRaider webmaster, with any questions since I'm not much help with Mac issues.
†UPDATE HISTORY: 9/6/11 - First update since I started tracking them. Added video for the duct jumps in the section with the first cyborg.
8/19/15 - Added warning about PlayStation cheat codes.
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!
Copyright © 2000- - 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. Thanks also to Von Cronk, Ian T., Bill P., Lisa C., Efe C. and Christian M. for their help with this level. Very special thanks to Melanie R. and John K. for suggesting the end-of-level bug fixes, and Caitlin for the PlayStation warning. Diagrams made with the aid of GraphTablet freeware (http://www.graphtablet.com). 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.