LEVEL 1:  GREAT WALL

Kills: 23  Items: 4 (8 and grenade launcher)*  plus 2 keys and 3 secrets

STARTING INVENTORY:  small med-pack, large med-pack, 2 flares, pistols (unlimited ammo), shotgun with 2 shells.  (*Under found items, the number in parentheses shows total including extra items granted for finding all three secrets.)

First a movie:  Lara jumps out of a helicopter and descends a rope to the ground near the Great Wall of China.  The level itself begins in a cave at the base of the wall.  Cross the cavern and wade into the water.  Climb onto the rocks at left.  If you like, turn and shoot at the tiger who emerges below.  You don't have to kill it since you're going up, not down.  And tigers are endangered, you know.  ;-)

Follow the ledge to the end then do a standing jump to the block ahead.  Turn around and jump to the next ledge.  Follow this ledge to its end and climb onto the rock in front of you.  Reverse and do a running jump to the ledge across from you.  This ledge is short.  To the right, across a small gap, is a longer ledge that spans the wall you were facing when you first entered the cave.  Jump across to this ledge and follow it to the end, where you'll find SECRET #1, the Silver Dragon.  From up here you can kill a second tiger on the cave floor if you like.

Return across the small gap, then climb up three blocks (two waist high, one taller).  Look to the left to see the flat area you'll need to jump to next.  Stand near the wall and do a running jump to the flat area, then pull up into the building.  Stand on the trap door to drop down (safely) into the room below.  Swim/wade out of the pool and go to the top of the stairs.  Do a running jump and grab the ledge near the switch.  Pull up.  Pull the switch to open the exit door.

Go out onto the wall and kill 3 crows who'll approach from the other building.  Continue toward the second building, then take the slide to the right down into the water.  You'll find the GUARDHOUSE KEY In a small underwater cave (to the right if you're facing away from the wall).  Climb out of the water and kill the tiger.  (If you like, you can tread water near the left side of the pool until he runs off in that direction, then climb out and hit him with two shotgun blasts.)

Face the wall and climb up on the rocks to the right of the pool.  Use the GUARDHOUSE KEY to unlock the guardhouse door.  Enter and kill 3 spiders.  Climb the ladder, kill another spider and take the RUSTY KEY, which unlocks the exit door below.  Go through the exit and continue to the next room.   3 spiders will come down from the ceiling and another will come in behind you, so kill all of them.  Take the shotgun shells and large Ed-pack from the skeleton.  Move the block away from the exit and go through this opening.  Slide down the ramp to the right and step into the water.

This area is a trap in which sharp blades are shot across the room from various holes.  To clear it, go to the left wall and jump and grab the crevice above.  Hang and traverse all the way to the right, and the sharp blades will pass harmlessly below.  Drop into the water, reverse underwater and swim to the corner near the door.  Surface and pull up to the right side of the shooting blades.

The next few areas make up a gauntlet of traps, which you'll have to do in sequence in order to get through.  Save your game here, since you'll probably need several attempts.  First comes a series of broken floor tiles with deadly spikes below.  Run over these, then keep running, cutting to the right as you enter the next room.  You'll be pursued by rolling boulders, so keep running to the door on the left.  Leap over the spikes to land on a slide, which will deposit you in a room with spiked walls encroaching.  Unless you're really fast, skip the automatic pistol clips on the floor near the skeleton and immediately pull up into the opening.  (If you want those clips, here's how I did it:  Slide down into the room and immediately press LOOK to get Lara's perspective back.  Jump left to land right on the clips, pick them up then jump forward to the opening and pull up.)  Here you can catch your breath and save your game.

Now, run down the next hallway, over the collapsing floor with spikes below, leaping over the three slicing blades as you run.  At the end of the hall, cut to the left.  If you can manage to do it before the spiked walls close in, pick up SECRET#2, the Jade Dragon.  Continue running down the next long hallway, keeping to the right to avoid the spiked walls moving in from the left.  Slide down into the next room.  Roll when you land to face the opposite direction from the spiked wall coming at you.  Then run onto the collapsing floor to fall to safety below.  Whew!

Ahead you'll see two huge rolling blades.  In front of them is a skeleton with a small med-pack, which you can pick up safely if you don't get too close to the first blade.  Now, time a run through the blades and emerge in a cave above a huge cavern.  There are 2 spiders in the area near the doorway to your right, and 3 more spiders will descend if you approach the rope slide.  Take care of them now so you don't have to worry about them later on.

Don't take the rope slide yet, or you'll miss quite a bit of action.  Instead, stand at the edge of the huge cavern near the rope slide and look down.  You'll see a flat, square ledge with some moss growing on it to your right.  Stand with your back to the cavern and hang and drop down to this ledge.  Pull up to grab the crevace in front of you and traverse to the right till you can pull up into a small cave.  Follow the path, picking up a box of flares on the way, until you reach a shaft with a ladder.  Climb onto the small ladder, climb to the right then down the long, dark shaft to the cavern floor below.  When you can't climb down any further, drop to the floor.  You don't really need flares here since there's nothing to find, but go ahead and light one if you like.

Enter the cavern and advance just to the two skeletons.  You'll start to hear a rumbling, so either prepare to fight the T-Rex, or run back to the tunnel opening for some cover and plug away at him from there.  When Mr. Rex is dead, cross the cavern to an opening in the middle of the other short side.  Here you'll need a flare to see and retrieve SECRET #3, the Gold Dragon.  (If you've gotten all three secrets, you'll also receive a bonus of a small med-pack, 3 pairs of grenades and the GRENADE LAUNCHER.  You'll have other chances to acquire this weapon if you miss it here.)

(WORD OF CAUTION:  I HIGHLY recommend saving all or most of your grenades for the last two levels of the game.  There are a few enemies there who are quite easily dispatched using grenades and very, very hard to kill otherwise.  Now, don't say I didn't warn you.)

By now you'll be hearing more stomping and roaring.  That's Mrs. Rex come to mourn her poor departed husband out in the cavern.  Put her out of her misery, then return to the tunnel by which you entered.  Jump and grab the ladder and climb back up.  Go all the way to the top of the ladder and you'll come out near the rope slide.

Now, grab the rope slide and hold on as you slide down to the opposite side of the cavern. Try to let go before the end of the ride to drop onto the green area.  Two tigers charge from the doorway opposite.  Kill both, then head through the doorway.  You'll emerge near a big wooden door, which should look familiar if you watched the opening movie.  Approach the door to finish the level and watch a cut scene, in which Lara has words with a member of the Fiama Nera cult.  Now you're off to scenic Venice. . . .


LEVEL 2:  VENICE

Kills: 24  Items: 19 (23)* plus automatic pistols, 3 keys and 3 secrets

This level begins in an alley.  Advance forward, taking care of a doberman that charges from the courtyard ahead.  A sniper will fire at you from a balcony on the right, so take care of him too.  He's carrying a key, but you'll have to come back for it later, since the balcony is too high to reach from here.  Proceed down the alley on the left of where you came in.  Another dog and a bat-wielding thug will try and stop you, so kill them too, then take the thug's small med-pack.

Across the dock is the large wooden door of the boathouse.  Swim underneath the door and push a button on the far wall, which opens a door in one of the buildings you passed earlier.  Swim back out and climb onto the dock next to the small wooden building.  Enter this building and take the flares off the table.  Push the button to open the trap door and either climb the ladder or pull up to the second floor.  Push another button here to open a second trap door, and climb onto the roof.

The building you're standing on abuts a larger building.  Shoot out the window and go in.  A doberman is on guard in the checkerboard-tiled room to the left.  Kill it, then leave this room for now and exit through the window opposite the one you came in.  Jump to the red awning, then to the balcony and take the BOATHOUSE KEY from the sniper you shot earlier.

Return to the checkerboard room, go over the glassed-in walkway and throw a switch which opens a door outside.  Return to the checkerboard room, shoot out the window and jump from the windowsill to the red awning across the canal.  Go left across three red awnings to the door you just opened with the switch.  Go in and throw a switch to open the large door below.

Jump down into the water, swim under the boathouse door and use the key to unlock the door.  This cues a thug with a gun to appear on the dock by the wooden building.  Swim out of the boathouse first and take care of him, relieving him of his AUTOMATIC PISTOLS.  Then go back, get the boat and drive it through the door near the chain link fence, which you just opened with the switch above.

On the right, near this entrance is a small passage containing SECRET #1, the Silver Dragon, plus some flares.  If you like, you can take the ladder down from here and kill 2 rats.  Get back in the boat and continue straight.  Turn right and take the boat over a waterfall.  In the water below the falls is SECRET #2, the Gold Dragon.  After retrieving it, take the only exit from this room into a room with many pillars.  In the water just to the left of where you enter are 2 sets of Uzi clips.  On the right is the ledge with the two rats you could see from above earlier.  On the far left is another ledge with a door, a window and a ladder going up.

There's a rat on this ledge; kill it before continuing.  The door doesn't open, so draw your guns and approach the window.  Lara will aim at the thug behind the window, so shoot it out and dispatch the thug.  Then take his auto pistol clips and the shotgun shells in the dark corner.  Maneuver the boat into the alcove to the right of the ladder (there's a lever high on the left wall).  This is actually a boat lock, which will raise you up to the next area.  Return to the room and pull the switch to close the lock doors and raise the water level.  Climb the ladder, jump in the water and pull the lever to open the exit doors.

The next area is somewhat labyrinthine, so I've included a map (Venice.gif).  It's not completely realistic in terms of scale--more of a schematic.  The orange block (marked ENTER) is the boat lock where you come into this area.  I refer to areas marked with letters in the descriptions that follow.  You can probably manage without the map, but it may help.  (If the GIF image didn't transfer properly when you downloaded this walk-thru, you can download it separately.  The URL is http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Labyrinth/9596/venice.gif.)

Go left at the entrance, turn the corner and ram through the three gondolas to clear a path.  Before proceeding, get out at the dock at which the gondolas were parked.  Climb onto the platform and jump across the canal, grabbing the red awning and pulling up onto it.  Jump over to the stone bridge on your right.  A doberman and a thug with a bat rush you from the left, another baddie with a gun from the left, so take care of all three.  You can jump back down to the awning or dock if you need to.  The bat thug has a large med-pack, which he'll no longer need, and the gun thug has a STEEL KEY; take both.  Go into the roof garden (A) and use the steel key to unlock the door.  Enter, drop through the door in the floor and flip a switch to open the first of two metal gates (B).

When you return to the roof garden, a guy with a gun is waiting.  Kill him and take 2 sets of auto pistol clips.  Another bad guy is patrolling the stone dock down the canal on the left.  You may be able to snipe him from the bridge.  When he's dead, go and lift 2 sets of M-16 clips off him.  There's a locked door here (E), so next you'll need to find a key.

Return to the area where you came in.  Ditch the boat and head right from the entrance, swim around the corner, climb on the dock and take out the thug with the gun here.  Take a large med-pack and 2 sets of shotgun shells off the body.  From here, you can take the boat or swim.  

Continue straight past the dock where you just were, take the second right under a white stone bridge.  Ahead is a dock with 2 gondolas nearby.  Ram the gondolas, since you'll need a clear path here later on.  When you step out on the dock, a bad guy with a bat comes through the door.  Kill him and take the small med-pack he's carrying.  Enter the building (C), killing 2 rats, then flip the switch that opens a door elsewhere (D).

Head through the narrow waterway across from the dock.  Make a left and get out on the covered dock with the door that you just opened.  When you step out here, a thug with a gun appears on the other dock just to the right.  I recommend taking care of him now, since it will be more difficult when you exit.  Enter the building (D) to find a room with shallow water and ladders on the walls.  On the floor is an IRON KEY.  The door you came in closes behind you, so climb up through the hole in the floor.  You're met on the floor above by a thug with a bat and a dog.  Kill them and take the small med-pack off the thug.  Pull the lever that opens the exit, and jump down.  (Take care of the guard now if you didn't before.)

The iron key opens the door at the stone dock (E).  Head back there.  Unlock the door and take out a goon with a gun who emerges, then relieve him of a small med-pack.  Go inside and flip a switch that opens the second metal gate (F).

There are underwater mines (x x x) in front of the exit, which is under the clock beyond the stone dock.  At this point, it's a good idea to take one of your boats and set them off.  Drive toward the mines and jump out at the last minute.  You'll destroy the boat, but you can take the other one from the stone dock.

Now proceed to the room with the switch for the exit door (G).  From the stone dock, go through the narrow waterway with the iron gates you opened, continue straight under the white stone bridge, turn right down the narrow waterway, then left past the two docks and under a bridge.  Now turn left and you'll end up near two doorways--one small, one large.  Inside this room is the exit switch, guarded by a bad guy with a gun.  When he's out of the picture, take his auto pistol clips and walk out up the ramp.

Across the way is a long wooden ramp leading up to a glassed-in walkway.  Go up, shoot out the windows, enter the walkway and take SECRET #3, the Jade Dragon (plus 4 sets of auto pistol clips if you've gotten all of the secrets).

Return to the room with the switch (G).  Now comes the fun part--a run for the exit.  When you push the button, the exit doors open.  As soon as you go over the ramp, a timer starts and you'll need to get through the exit doors before the bell stops tolling and they close.  There are two ways to do this:  the James Bond way and the cheater way.  Bond:  Take your time getting in your boat.  Position it facing the left side of the ramp.  Now gun the engine (Ctrl + up arrow) and take off over the exit ramp and up the long wooden ramp.  Now sail through the glassed-in walkway and land in the canal below.  Go straight under the white bridge, corner left then right, go under the metal gate, through the narrow waterway and under the other metal gate.  Make a hard right then gun it through the exit.  Whew!

Now, the cheater way:  Park the boat outside the exit room.  Go in, flip the switch and swim out under the door.  This way the timer never starts.  Now you can drive your boat or swim to the exit at your leisure.  Less stressful but also less fun.


LEVEL 3:  BARTOLI'S HIDEOUT

Kills: 37  Items: 16 (20)* plus Uzis, 2 keys and 3 secrets

You start this level in your boat on the other side of the doors you just squeaked through.  Proceed straight ahead and the gate raises automatically.  Dock your boat near the big doors on the right and get out, killing 2 rats.  (And now your boating days are over...sigh.)

Take the stairs up to the left.  A thug with a club and 2 more rats greet you.  When you've killed all three, take the thug's large med-pack.  Enter the building and continue up, killing 2 more rats on the way.  Flip a switch here which opens the big doors.  Another bad guy with a club comes out, so go around to meet him.  When he's dead, be sure and take his small med-pack before going in.

As you enter, two gun-toting thugs greet you--one is on the balcony above, the other behind the pillars.  Take the shotgun shells from the one at ground level.  Wait a minute for the other.  For now, go to the windows on the left side of the room.  Shoot them out and kill the 2 dobermans who rush you from inside.  On the floor in this room is a small med-pack.

Return to the main room and turn left.  Several robot guards with hacking swords block your way.  Make your way carefully past them to the end of the passageway.  Flip the switch here that opens some doors outside.  Now, return to the main room.

Find the largest of the wooden ramps and use it to jump, grab and pull up to the level above.  (Stand with Lara's back to the ramp and her feet one tile's width in front of it, then back flip onto the ramp, jump and grab the ledge in front of you.  Or, climb up the back of the ramp and jump and grab the ledge as you slide down the front.)  Find the moveable block with the flowers on it and push it up against the railing (2 pushes).  Stand next to the block and do a running jump to the balcony with the sniper you killed earlier.  Relieve him of some auto pistol clips.

Use the climbable wall to cross to the decrepit looking window sill.  Ready weapons and go out onto the balcony.  A sniper is firing at you from the balcony to the right.  Kill him.

Turn and go to the end of the balcony with no railing.  Run, jump and grab the red awning.  Hang and traverse left.  Pull up and back flip onto the balcony behind you.  Run, jump and grab the small wooden platform, pull up, then jump to the small red awning.  Turn and jump into the doorway below, using the Action (Ctrl) key to refine your arc so you sail right into the opening.  2 dobermans rush down the stairs, so ready weapons and take care of them.  

Continue up the stairs.  A bad guy with a gun comes out of the room at the top of the stairs on the right.  When he's dead, go into this room and find the well hidden switch on the wall next to the entrance.  Pull it to open the door at the top of the stairs.  This leads to the outside balcony from which the sniper was shooting at you earlier.  Take his shotgun shells and SECRET #1, the Silver Dragon.

Return to the room with the yellow wallpaper.  A guard with a gun is patrolling the balcony outside the window.  Shoot out the window and take care of him.  Take 2 sets of Uzi clips off him, then follow the balcony to another window.  Shoot the window, then enter.  2 thugs with clubs and a dog emerge when you hit the floor.  Kill them.

Inside the fireplace is a moveable block.  Push it twice then climb into the passageway above, killing the rat.  Follow the passage to a slope with blades at the top and bottom, and a fire trap and pool of water below.  Jump the two blades to land safely at the bottom.  The flames are on a timer.  When you step on the wooden area they go out but relight after a little bit.  You can clear them using a series of standing jumps.  If Lara catches fire, reload the game or drop into the water and try again.

Once you've cleared the fire trap continue to a door, which opens automatically.  In the ballroom below is a guy with a gun and 2 more dobermans.  Kill them from the doorway if possible.

Enter the ballroom and climb up on the first angled block.  From the higher edge jump straight up and grab the chandelier above.  Pull up.  Run, jump and grab the middle chandelier and pull up.  Again to the third chandelier.  Walk to the edge, jump and pull up onto the platform above.  Kill 2 rats before heading to the right around the pillar to the brick-floored area.  From here, drop down and throw a switch which opens a secret alcove on the opposite side of the room.

Do a running jump back to the middle chandelier and climb back up to the platform where you killed the rats.  Retrace your steps to the brick area.  Walk to the edge and pull up onto the big rafter.  Run and jump to the wood area on the other side.  A thug with a club jumps out from behind the low brick wall, so be ready for him.  Take the small med-pack he's carrying.  Climb onto the wall, then jump over to the other rafter.  Pull the switch here to change the height of the chandeliers.  Return over the bricks to the wooden floor, then drop down to the first chandelier, which is now the highest.

From here, do a running jump to the windowsill on the right.  Flip the switch here to open a trap door behind the fireplace.  Return to the chandelier with a run, jump, grab and pull up.  Do a standing jump to the middle chandelier and another to the third chandelier.  Turn and do a running jump to the alcove you opened earlier, grabbing the edge and pulling up.  Take the LIBRARY KEY and drop to the floor.

Run to the back of the fireplace, dropping into the water below to put out the flames.  The books on the landing here show you've found the library, but before entering, you'll need to do a little exploring.

Pull the underwater lever to open a door into the next room.  Go into this area and surface facing the chain link fence.  Take a deep breath, then head down and to the left.  Go right and continue underwater, navigating around columns and through narrow passageways.  Pick up 2 pairs of grenades and SECRET #2, the Gold Dragon.  On the wall near the Gold Dragon is a lever that opens a trap door above.  Pull it and surface for air.  (Perhaps this is stating the obvious, but if you're running out of air, you can pull the lever first, get air, then pick up the goodies.)  Return to the library.

Unlock the door then enter with guns drawn.  A thug with a club comes out of the room opposite, so take him out, then take the small med-pack he's carrying.  Go into the room he came out of, climb the bookshelves on the left.  Kill 2 rats lurking on top of the other shelf.  Jump across, climb onto the shelf and flip the switch which opens one of the doors in the main room.  A bad guy with a gun comes out, so go down to meet him.

When he's dead, head into the room where he came out.  Climb up the shelves to the right of the door, turn and jump to the top of the shelves opposite, then climb up to the topmost shelf.  Jump diagonally to the window, shoot out the pane and walk out onto the sill.  Turn and slide backward down the awning, grabbing the edge.  Pull up and back flip onto the balcony behind you.  (Or, slide down the awning frontward and jump to the balcony.)  Do a running jump to the tiled roof below the awning, then jump over onto the brick wall.  You can see the boathouse across the canal.

Walk along the brick wall to the other end, where there's a slight ramp.  Stand at the highest point and run, jump and grab the boathouse roof.  Pull up and go to the back of the roof.  On the left side you'll see another brick wall with an opening behind it.  Jump diagonally to the top of this wall, using the Action (Ctrl) key to alter the arc of the jump so you land on the wall.  Drop down behind the wall into knee-deep water.  On the floor are the UZIS.

Climb out of this room and drop to the walkway below.  Go around to the door, take out the guard with the gun and take his auto pistol clips and the DETONATOR KEY from the table inside.

Cross the canal to the garden door, which opens automatically.  A thug with a gun awaits you, so take him out and grab his large med-pack.  Return to the main room and pull the switch here, which opens the remaining door.  There are 2 thugs with guns in the garden outside.  When you enter the room, you can see them through the window.  Kill them and take their shotgun shells and Uzi clips.

In the garden where these two came from is a door that opens automatically when you approach.  Go out to the canal and swim over to the far left corner, where you'll find a spot you can climb out.  Kill the rat, then climb up onto the brick ledge.  Pass by the detonator for now and climb onto the garden wall.  Follow it to the end, climb up to the roof, shoot out one of the windows and enter the room beyond to take SECRET #3, the Jade Dragon (and 4 pairs of shotgun shells if you've found all three secrets).

Return to the detonator and use the key to set off an explosion in the building where you just found the dragon.  A sniper begins firing on you from the balcony above, so take care of him before proceeding.  (You can get a clear shot from the garden wall, but keep moving since you'll be vulnerable as well.)

Go to the ruined building and climb to the top.  (Don't bother crossing over to the sniper since he's not carrying any goodies.)  From the top of the ruin drop down into the brick passageway.  Slide down into....


LEVEL 4:  OPERA HOUSE

Kills: 47  Items: 25 (29)* plus 2 keys, relay box, circuit board and 3 secrets

You begin the level on a platform behind a huge wooden crate swinging back and forth on a rope.  There's an armed goon on patrol on the dock below.  You can try and take him out from here or wait til you get to the other side of the canal.  Dive into the water below.  If you've already killed that gunman, grab the auto pistol clips he's carrying, then swim to the far left corner.  If you haven't killed him yet, swim FAST and remember to come back later for those clips.  Climb up the ladder to the first landing.  Now turn and pull up onto the ledge above.  (Get that bad guy now if you didn't before.)  Throw the switch here, which opens a trap door not far away.

Do a running jump to the white ledge on the opposite side of the water.  Do a running jump and grab the edge of the platform where you started the level.  Shimmy to the right to avoid the swinging box and pull up.  Do a running jump across the canal into the open trapdoor, taking care to avoid that crate.  (I did it from the far left side of the platform, angled slightly to the right to get the proper angle.)

Two nasty fellows with clubs are posted in here, so take care of them.  Then take the small med-pack from one of them, along with the ORNATE KEY they were guarding.  The exit door at the top of the stairs opened automatically when the second nasty fellow entered, so go out that way.  Return again to the ledge where you entered the level.

This time, take a running jump to the small flat area on the tiled roof to the right (your right if you're facing the trapdoor you just jumped into).  From there, jump forward onto the slanted roof, slide and grab the edge, then drop to the flat square below.  Turn around and slide backward down the slope, grabbing the edge.  Traverse left until you're in front of the window.  Now release the Action button and quickly press it again to drop and grab the windowsill below.  Pull up.

Shoot out the window and enter the room, walking over the glass shards.  (Glass is like spikes; if you run instead of walk over it you're history.)  Head to the left and climb the ladder.  Unlock the door at the end of the hallway with the key you "liberated."  Follow the passage beyond and climb the next ladder to the roof.

The next area, what remains of a huge, decaying roof, is similar to the collapsing tiles you've encountered before.  It's a loooong way down but crossing really isn't as hard as it looks.  Just remember to keep moving.  Line Lara up with the area that has a gap, three wood squares, another gap, two more wood squares and another gap.  Walk to the edge, then do a standing jump to the first wood area.  Immediately start running.  Do  a running jump off this wood area onto the next, then a running jump to grab the edge on the far side and pull up.

Turn right and go to the wood square, pull up, and continue until you reach an opening on the right.  There's a thug with a gun below, and another baddie with a bat and two dobermans rushes you as soon as you hit the floor.  My advice for these is to kill the first guy from the doorway, jump from there onto the dome, then get the other guy and the dogs.  Two more guys with guns come out when you start exploring, so get rid of them too.  If you don't stay on the dome, at least be very careful not to accidentally jump into the trenches on two sides of the structure; these are lined with broken glass.  Now go and pick up the booty:  shotgun shells, auto pistol clips and two med-packs, small and large.

You'll notice the gold dragon down in one of the trenches.  Ignore it for now.  There'll be a safe way to get it later on.  The opening in the corner to the left of where you came in is also a glass-lined trap.  Avoid it.

Head for the opening in the far left corner with the swinging crate.  To make the jump without getting clobbered, you'll need to set it up pretty precisely.  You want to be facing the box so it's swinging toward and away from you, but you don't want to be right in front of it.  Instead, stand on the edge of the dome, on the closest flat square that's just to the left of the box.  Walk right up to the edge and sidestep as far left as you can.  Take one hop back, then run, jump, grab the ledge and pull up next to the box.  Jump down into the dark area below, where you'll find a button.  Push it to open the trap door out on the roof.

Two thugs, one with a club, one with a gun, come charging out when it opens, so climb up and shoot them from above.  One has shotgun shells and flares.

You can now drop down into the lighting booth of the abandoned opera house.  Here you'll find two switches.  The one on the right doesn't work because it's missing a circuit, which you'll need to find.  The left one opens the gate so you can get in.

Before we go further, note that the opera house has 4 levels, not including the basement, lighting booth and roof.  To keep things concise, I am calling the ground floor where the stage is Level 1, and so on up to level 4, where you'll start exploring.

Descend and go across the dark area to the right.  There's a boulder trap that is sprung when you walk down the slope.  I'd set it off now, since you'll need to come back here later and by then you may have forgotten about it.  Once you hear the boulders rolling, get over to the right and you'll be safe.  Now push the button here to close the gate you just opened so you can get into the main auditorium.  Jump up and grab the ladder, then climb up and into the doorway.

Before you jump down into the room, notice the huge sandbag dangling from the ceiling in front of you.  You'll encounter a number of these.  When you walk under them, they fall down and squish you, so take care.  That in mind, hop down and take care of the thug with the gun who comes in from the left.  Take his small med-pack then head in the direction he came from.  The double doors don't open yet, so follow the hallway.  Kill the 2 dobermans that attack.  Take note of the elevator shaft on the right.  There's a switch, but the panel nearby is missing a relay box, which you'll have to locate.

Return to where you came in, now head to the right.  The double doors open and a thug with a gun and 2 dogs rush out.  Kill them.  From the area where they came in, turn and look across the open auditorium.  You'll see a guard patrolling on level 3.  You can shoot him from here.

Hang and drop through the opening to the level below.  If you drop down on the edge of the opening closest to the open room, you'll hear a click as a door opens below and a thug with a club and 2 more dogs enter.  (If you drop down another way, they won't come out until you reach the ground level.)  Shoot them from above.  This could take a few minutes, but you may get to see this cult goon's nifty walking-on-water trick, so it'll be well worth it.

Now drop down to ground level.  Take the goon's large med-pack.  Notice the decaying brick area in the back wall.  This is a boulder trap which is set off when you pass in front of it.  Again, you may want to trip them now to avoid accidents later.  If you want you can go in the door where the guy and dogs came out, but there's nothing in there but another nasty boulder trap.

Use the low steps at the back of the room to get up to level 2.  Jump across the gaps to the side closest to the stage.  To get from here up to level 3, you can go to the edge where there's an opening above and a bit of floor above and ahead of you.  Do a standing jump and grab this edge.  Pull up, turn around and jump over to the area where the guard's body is (provided you killed him earlier).  Take the 2 sets of auto pistol clips he's got.

You may notice the doors and keyhole at the back end of this level, so add one key to your "wish list."  For now, go to the opening to the right of where you just pulled up.  Jump down into the water and climb out on the first step, killing a rat.  Turn around and do a standing jump and grab the ledge across the water and above.  Kill another rat here.  Turn around again and look up.  There's a guard with a gun on the floor above with a dog and 2 rats.  You may be able to shoot at him from here.  You'll get a clearer shot by jumping up and down, but take care not to jump off the ledge.  Also, you may have quite a long wait for him to pass by, so you'll probably want to just get up there and get it over with.

Follow the hallway to the windows.  Shoot them out then hang and drop into the dressing room below.  Throw the switch to open one of the doors.  Slide forward down the ventilation duct, jumping at the last minute to grab the ledge above and avoid being chopped to bits by the huge fan.  Take the ORNATE KEY.  Climb to the uppermost brick ledge.  Stand facing the fan below.  Side jump onto the sloped surface, jump forward, grab the ledge in front of you and pull up.  Kill the rat before proceeding along the duct.  

When you come to an intersection, jump forward taking care not to jump into the fan.  Now turn around, walk to the edge and back flip onto the ledge above and behind.  Again, walk to the edge and back flip up and you'll clear the second fan.  Before continuing down the passage, do a standing jump and grab the edge of the dark alcove above.  Pull up and retrieve SECRET #1, the Jade Dragon.

Return to the ledge from which you jumped and continue to a small room with a moveable crate.  Pull it once.  Flip the switch behind it to open a door back into the dressing room.  Now pull the box once away from the wall, and push it through the opening into the dressing room until it's up against the low step.  Climb up to the window ledge where you'll find another crate.  Shoot out the windows.   Push the second crate through the broken window on top of the other crate.  Now you can climb up the stacked crates to the room above.  Kill the guard with the club who's waiting for you up there.

Return to the main auditorium, swim across the flooded orchestra pit and use the underwater block to climb up onto the stage.  A doberman runs out from the door on the left to meet you.  Take care of him and the bad guy who starts shooting at you from the audience area.  Also be careful of the two falling sandbags.  The shooter isn't carrying any goodies, but cross the water anyway.  This will draw out another thug with a gun, who'll emerge from the door on the left of the stage.  Kill him and take his Uzi clips.

Enter the door on the left of the stage and flip the switch to open a gate above the right door.  Note the bright object in the water below.  You'll get to it in a few minutes.  Now, head for the door at the other end of the stage.  Two goons with clubs come out when you approach.  One has a large med-pack.  Enter the room they came from.  Along the two side walls are dangling sandbags that need to be brought down before you can proceed safely.

Now return to the doorway and pull up onto the ledge where you just opened the gate.  Head for the left side of the platform, avoiding the glass shards.  Turn and face the lowest point of the crevice in the brick wall.  Do a running jump to grab this crack, then traverse to the left until you can pull up.  Flip the switch here to lower the drawbridge and cue the ominous music.  Drop to the floor, return to the doorway and pull up to the platform with the broken glass again.

This time cross the bridge you just lowered.  Do a running jump and grab the wooden platform in the far left corner of the room.  Pull up, then climb into the alcove above.  From here you can shoot the rat on the high platform across the room.  When it's dead, do a running jump and grab the edge of this platform.  Pull up.  Now you'll need to time a jump past the swinging sandbag.  One way is to stand to the left of the chain then do a running jump past the bag.  Start to run just as the bag reaches its highest point on the left and you should be across the gap before it swings back.

Avoid the second sandbag altogether by jumping to the flat area on the right of it.  Enter the passage beyond and flip the switch.  This drops a sandbag on the stage which busts open the trapdoor.  Slide down the ramp, jumping just before you reach the end to sail through the trapdoor and land in the water below.  (Or climb down carefully and jump in.)  Once you're in the water there face the ramp you just jumped from to get oriented.  Enter the opening on your left, proceed until you can turn left again.  On one side of this flooded room is a switch.  Flip it to open the exit door above on level 3.  On the opposite side of the room, just under the water, is a small opening.  Swim through it and follow the narrow tunnel to SECRET #2, the Silver Dragon.

Return to the surface.  From here turn left and keep going until you surface in a room with a ladder going up.  Pull up out of the water and take the RELAY BOX which is lying here, then climb the ladder to the door you opened a minute ago.

Climb up to level 4 and use the relay box in the circuitry on the wall to repair the elevator.  Pull the switch to send it down, then jump diagonally to the ledge with the ladder on the right side of the elevator shaft.  Pull up, then walk carefully over the glass shards to retrieve SECRET #3, the Gold Dragon (plus 4 sets of Uzi clips if you've found all the secrets).  On the left is an alcove containing a switch; pull this to open the exit doors.  Walk to the exit, retrieving the Uzi clips on the floor before you leave.

Return to the elevator shaft and pull the switch to bring the elevator back up.  Pull it again, then jump aboard to ride down to the ground floor.  When the doors open, run out and take out the 2 thugs with guns ready to ambush you.  Take their 2 boxes of shotgun shells.

Now pull the switch to send the elevator up, and jump in the water below.  Facing the ladder, swim to the left, left, and left again.  Surface and grab the CIRCUIT BOARD you saw earlier from the room off the stage.  Return to the elevator shaft opening to get some air, then swim to the left, then right, into a room with many short pillars.  On the far right wall is a lever that opens the nearby gate.  Pull it and exit.  Climb out onto the yellow carpet where you killed the rat earlier.

Climb up to level 3.  Now go to the locked doors at the back of the room and use the ornate key to open them.  Jump into the doorway.  Holding the Action key while jumping will keep you from bumping Lara's head.  You'll find yourself in the room below the lighting booth.  (If you didn't trip them before, watch out for the rolling boulders.)  Push the button to open the gate, then climb into the booth.  Place the circuit board in its receptacle and use the switch on the right to raise the scrim on the stage.

A thug with a gun will come out onto the stage to see what's going on.  You can take him from up here or move in closer.  Go to the stage, killing the dog and the 2 goons with clubs who come out when you get there, and watching out for the falling sandbag to the left of the doorway.   Take the shotgun shells and small med-pack from their previous owners before going on.

In the room behind the stage you'll see a few dozen wooden crates, one of which moves.  (To save time, look for the one that's slightly paler than the others near the corner to your right as you enter.)  Pull it out and flip the switch behind it to lower the scrim again.

Climb up the boxes, through the opening and onto the white ledge above the stage.  A thug with a club comes out to patrol below, so shoot him from here, but be careful of the falling sandbag on the left side of the platform.  When he's dead, head to the right over the wood and down into a small room with a hole in the floor.  Jump and grab the edge of the opening above the hole.  Flip the switch here to open a small door below.  You can use this to get back into this room if you miss the following jump.

Suggestion:  Rather than try to jump or run past the bag, stand in the alcove with Lara's feet about one step back from the edge and jump diagonally to the slanted edge.  You'll slide down to the flat spot out of the bag's way.  From here, time a run past the bag, staying to one side.

Below is another room full of crates.  Dangle from the ledge then pull up in order to draw out a thug with a gun.  You can take him out from up here.  Now hang and drop to avoid the swinging crate.  When you hit the floor another thug and 2 dobermans appear, so better to take on these challenges a little at a time.  When all four are dead, recover 3 pairs of grenades, a small med-pack and some Uzi clips.

Climb up on the low box at the far end of the room.  Make your way over the tops of the crates, avoiding the swinging ones, back to the end where you entered.  To the right of the entrance is a switch on the wall which opens the exit door.  A bad guy with a gun will come out, but you can kill him from up here if you're patient.  Take his Uzi clips and head for the exit.  You might take a moment to admire the view of Venice at night before sneaking aboard the seaplane and ending the level.

Now comes a cut scene in which Lara overhears Marco Bartoli talking with one of his henchmen.  Unfortunately, you and Lara don't get to hear the end of the conversation.  Now a short video of the plane landing just before Lara comes to in the next level.


(c) 1998 LKRokjer.  Special thanks are given to the participants in the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup, without whom some parts of this walk-through couldn't have been written.  Feel free to copy, distribute and quote this walk-through, but please include this credit line so people can send me their corrections, comments and suggestions.  Also, if you'd like to offer this on your own web site, kindly ask permission first.  To give me your feedback, send e-mail to stellalune@earthlink.net.

