NOTE: Combat strategy is based on the Medium difficulty setting, so your experience may vary slightly. In addition to the walkthroughs for each level, there are separate pages for Controls & Gameplay Tips, Skill & Weapon Upgrades, and Collectible Items.
SAVING AND CHECKPOINTS: Like the last several games, TOMB RAIDER uses autosave checkpoints. Whenever you pass a checkpoint, the game is saved automatically. Then, if Lara dies or you quit the game and restart, the game reloads at the last checkpoint. If you only rely on one autosave, you may run into trouble if you get stuck in the game, encounter a bug, or if your autosave file becomes corrupted. To avoid problems, I highly recommend changing your save slot at least once each level. You may also want to periodically back up your autosaves on a memory card (consoles) or into a separate folder (PC). See the controls page for details.
AREA 19: FORTRESS TOWER
Updated: 3/24/19(†)
Note: This level has no camps or collectibles.
OBJECTIVE: Escape the Solarii Compound
After Lara drops down into the building from the Solarii Fortress level, a demolitions man drops a fire bomb into the room and scampers away. The flames start to spread. Time to escape!
You don't need to move frantically, but don't hesitate or the flames will catch up with Lara. Start by climbing onto the ledge with the fluttering cloth banners. On top, turn right and take a running jump to grab the planks on the wall ahead. Climb to the right. Then jump right and press Interact to latch onto the rough wall with your climbing axe. Continue climbing to the right, then upward into the doorway. Lara spots the helicopter in the distance and you receive 400 XP and a new goal. (screenshots)
OBJECTIVE: Cross the Bridges
The floor behind you catches fire, so don't linger here. Jump and grab the zip line and slide down to the end of the wooden bridge below. (screenshot)
Mathias spots Lara and sends his men to destroy the bridges. When you regain control, keep Lara running forward, away from the man pursuing her. Because the camera is pointed at her while she runs into the foreground, you need to press Down instead of Up in order to keep moving. An explosion blasts Lara and the man chasing her into the air. As she grabs onto the end of the broken bridge, the burning man clings to her legs and tries to climb up her body to safety. (screenshots)
In the next short quick time event, you need to wiggle the left stick back and forth or alternate tapping Left and Right on the keyboard to free one arm, grab your climbing axe, and elbow the icky dude in the head. Then wait for the on-screen prompt and press the Melee button to finish him off. If you're successful, Lara scrambles up onto the bridge. (screenshots)
The long bridge runs from northeast to southwest above the Shantytown. You may remember this area from your earlier visit, when you sneaked along beneath the bridge with Roth covering you from the tower. Keep running as Mathias's men hurl fireballs and the ancient wood splinters beneath you. Jump the gaps when you come to them and don't hesitate or Lara will plummet to her death. (screenshots)
When you attempt to jump the fourth gap, a fireball hits the bridge just ahead, destroying the upper deck. Lara falls through into the building below. She sees the helicopter hovering ahead and and warns Roth not to take off because of the storms. Meanwhile, another fireball hits the building where Lara is standing. It starts to burn, and you must keep moving or die. You receive 100 XP for making it this far. (screenshots)
OBJECTIVE: Climb the Tower
Climb the wooden ledges and head to the left. As you round the corner, an explosion destroys the wooden stairs leading up to the next level. Jump across the gap. Lara attempts to grab the far side of the broken stairs and instead swings forward and crashes through the flimsy wall onto an exterior ledge. (screenshots)
Run around to the left. Keep running and jump at the edge to grab the horizontal pole, which swings around and deposits Lara on the other side of the gap. Pull up onto the ledge and continue forward and around to the left. Take a running jump off the edge and press Interact to sink your axe into the climbing wall ahead. As you climb toward the top of the wall, an explosion rocks the tower. Wait for it to pass and continue climbing into the opening above. (screenshots)
Just as Lara is about to pull up, the wall collapses inward. Lara manages to grab onto a to a wooden ledge inside the tower, but you must press Interact to keep from slipping. Pull up and immediately run forward, jump at the edge and grab the horizontal beam directly ahead. This beam looks like it was originally part of a staircase. Climb up until Lara is standing on top of the banister. Turn left and move quickly and carefully along the beam. At the end, jump forward and grab onto the dangling crate full of dynamite. (Yikes!) As you climb up the crate, it sinks under Lara's weight, and you must press Interact to keep from slipping. Once you've regained your grip, continue climbing to the top of the crate. Then jump to grab the edge of the opening ahead and pull up as the crate falls away behind you. (screenshots)
The explosion caused by the dynamite in the crate blows out more of the wall, but Lara manages to take cover in time. When you regain control, jump to grab the horizontal beam just below the climbing wall. From there, jump straight up and press Interact to sink your axe in the rough wall. The wall starts to crumble as you climb, so keep moving. Climb to the right. Then jump to grab the wooden beam. Climb along it to the right and jump to the next section of climbing wall. When you make this last jump, you'll need to press Interact twice: once to latch onto the wall with the climbing axe and again in time with the on-screen prompt to prevent Lara from slipping. After that, continue climbing to the right and upward. When you reach the horizontal crack, jump straight up past it and press Interact again to latch on with the axe. Then continue climbing all the way up the wooden slats to the roof. (screenshots)
When you reach the top a cut scene begins. Lara calls out for Roth over the radio. As she climbs onto the roof's peak, the helicopter rises up on the other side of the building with Roth standing inside. He urges Lara to jump, but before she can do so, explosions destroy the roof and she falls onto a ledge inside the burning tower.
BUG NOTE: In the PS4 game, the autosave may become corrupted during the next cutscene, preventing you from finishing the game. I highly recommend changing save slots BEFORE Lara jumps to the helicopter (by pressing Options then choosing Change Save Slot from the Pause menu). Then, if your save does become corrupted, you can reload the earlier save and try again.
When you regain control after the roof collapses and Lara falls, you receive 100 XP for your efforts. Don't hesitate now or the ledge will collapse, and Lara will fall into the inferno. Run forward toward the helicopter and jump at the edge of the ledge.
A series of longer cinematics follows, in which Roth sacrifices himself to save Lara, the crew mates reunite to say goodbye to their fallen leader, then Lara goes off on her own for a bit. As she sits and mourns her life-long friend, she imagines the advice he would have given her in this trying situation: trust your instincts. She suddenly realizes what's going on and decides to travel inland to the monastery to investigate whatever it is the Oni are guarding.
†UPDATE HISTORY: 5/12/13 - First draft of walkthrough posted online.
3/24/19 - Added bug note before jump to helicopter, thanks to a tip from Becki.
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