STELLA'S TOMB RAIDER GOLDEN MASK WALKTHROUGH - Updates for Tomb Raider 2 Remastered coming soon
LEVEL 4: KINGDOM | Updated: 3/27/24(†) |
Kills: 29* Items: 49 plus 3 secrets**
*This is the maximum number of kills. The exact count will depend on your choices in certain areas.
**NOTE: If you missed it before, one of the regular pickups in this level will be the GRENADE LAUNCHER.
The level begins with a view of the cage from outside. Several ape-men are running around outside. I'm not sure what the designers' intention was here, but I'll refer to them as sasquatches—the Pacific Northwest's version of the Abominable Snowman, also known as "Bigfoot." If you've played TR2, you'll recognize these as redecorated Tibetan Yeti.
LEVEL MAP by VGCartography (used with permission)
CAGE AND ROCKY HILLSIDE WITH THREE CAVES: Slide the small metal cage toward the gold square on the floor and get the flares underneath. Watch out for the lit burner. Push the cage onto the gold square to open the trapdoor. Hop over the hole and pull the switch on the back of the block to open the cage door. Climb onto the block and shoot the 3 sasquatches as they approach. They can climb onto the block to reach you, but they seem to avoid the metal cage, so this will buy you a little extra time as they enter and come around the trapdoor to climb up near the switch. (screenshot)
NOTE: Grenades make short work of the sasquatches; however, using them skews the kills count, giving double the actual count. Uzis also work fine. If you don't care about getting all kills and items, you can avoid the sasquatches entirely by moving the cage onto the gold plate and then climbing down through the trapdoor without pulling the switch. Later, you'll have another opportunity to go back and clear out this area just before the end of the level. You will miss one kill this way, though. If you decide to climb down the ladder right away, skip the next two paragraphs.
Before climbing down through the trapdoor, exit the cage and explore a bit. There are Uzi clips on the ground just outside, plus more flares and a small medi pack on the rocks to the left. Grab them and then head downhill toward the caves. As you approach, a fourth sasquatch emerges from the cave on the left. (screenshot) Shoot it as it climbs the hill toward you. Then enter the caves. The right cave contains a box of shotgun shells in the back right corner. The middle cave has more shells and a spike pit, the left cave a large medi pack. When you pick it up, you'll need to deal with a fifth sasquatch that comes down the hill from the cage.
Return to the trapdoor in the cage and climb down the ladder. Drop onto the gold block below; it's safe. (screenshot)
UNDERGROUND CAVE WITH POOLS OF WATER AND GOLD: Hop down off the gold block and go around to the right side of the cage structure. Continue forward into a small cave with gold walls and floors. This gold is solid and safe to stand on. Hop up into the opening straight ahead. Slide down the slope into the pool of water. Surface and turn right. Climb out on the ledge near the gold panel with the face. Then pull up onto the ledge next to the face. Continue into a short hallway where you'll find Uzi clips, M16 clips, and a small medi pack. Grab the items, turn around and head back up the slope. Climb into the opening on the right. Jump forward onto the slope and slide back down to the area near the pools of bubbling gold. (screenshots)
Take a running jump from the slightly raised stone block down to the small, square ledge on the left side of the golden pool. Turn right and take a running jump to the alcove with the shotgun shells. After picking up the shells, roll and take another running jump back to the previous ledge. (screenshots)
Move carefully into the next room, where there's another pool of molten gold with several angled blocks in it. Position Lara at the edge of the pool on the right side of the ledge. Take a standing jump forward onto the sloping back side of the block in front of you. Immediately jump again to spring off the slope and land on the flat spot in the far right corner. (screenshot)
Turn right, go up the ramp, and climb onto the high ledge on the left. Go around the left side of the orange structure, kill the sasquatch that climbs out of the pit ahead, and pick up some shotgun shells. (screenshot) From here, you can see the gold coins through the bars. Climb over the orange rocks on the right, turn left, and slide down the slope. Drop through the opening in the floor into another cage.
NETWORK OF CAGES WITH SWITCHES: This section is illustrated in a series of screenshots, as well as in the diagram at right. Each switch is numbered (1 through 6); each gate is labeled with a letter (A through G). When you begin, all gates are closed; all switches in the up position. As you explore, watch out for the burners, which light and extinguish as you use various switches. The lit ones can burn Lara, and there are only a few small pools of water not very conveniently placed to put out the flames.
Begin by pulling switch #1 (in the cage where you start) to open gates A and B. Turn left and go through gate A into the next cage. Pull switch #2 there to open gate C (ahead) and close gate A. Go through gate C into the next cage and pull switch #3 to open gates D and E, and close gate B. If the leopard in the cage at the far right (bottom of the diagram) went into the adjacent cage (bottom left of diagram, with pool) when gate B was opened, it will now be able to reach you. Turn right, ready a weapon, and shoot it as it approaches through gates E then C.
Go through gate D and pick up the shotgun shells. Pull switch #4 to open the exit from this area, which is on the other side of the bars to Lara's left. After pulling switch #4, turn around and return through gate D into the cage with switch #3. Turn left and go through gate C into the cage with switch #2. Then continue straight ahead through gate E into the cage with the small pool. Inside that cage, turn left. Use Switch #5 to open gates A, F and G. (The cutaway shows gate F with the second leopard behind it.) Gate B, behind you, remains closed for now.
After pulling switch #5, return through gate E (near the small pool) into the cage with switch #2. Turn right, and go through gate A into the cage where you started. Pull switch #1 again to open gate B. (It also closes A, but you can exit through G.) If you didn't shoot the first leopard earlier because it remained trapped in its original cage, it will now be able to reach you. If you stand facing gate G, with gate A on Lara's left and switch #1 on her right, you'll be able to see the leopard approach through the cages on the left and then come around toward you.
When it's dead, go back the way it came: straight ahead through gate G, left through gate D, left again through gate C, and straight on through gate E into the cage with the pool. Turn left again, go past the small pool and pull switch #5 again. This puts it in the 'up' position and closes gate F.
Turn around and go through gate B into the cage with switch #6 . This switch controls both gates F (near the exit) and H (directly behind you if you're facing the switch). Pull the switch, roll and draw weapons, and then shoot the second leopard as it charges toward you. (Or hop up onto the block above the switch and shoot it from there.) When the coast is clear, go around the burner, which ignited when you pulled that last switch, and through gate H. Hop into the small pool to retrieve some automatic pistol clips. Then continue forward and left through gate F. Pick up the small medi pack on the ground ahead and then go through the wooden door, which you should have opened earlier using switch #4.
AREA ABOVE THE CAGES: In the hallway beyond the cages, head to the left first. Slide down the ramp and jump to grab the ladder. Climb all the way down into the spike pit at the bottom. Let go and walk through the spikes to get the Uzi clips. Climb back up the ladder past the spot where you grabbed on before. Position Lara so her hands are on the third rung from the top and backflip to land on the ledge behind her. Or, climb to the left and dismount on a ledge with more spikes. Turn around, walk through the spikes, and take a standing jump over the opening to the ledge opposite the ladder.
Enter the dark, low-ceilinged room on the right. Inside, turn left, go forward a few steps, and then turn right again to find some flares sitting on a grate in the floor. Just ahead on another grate are some automatic pistol clips on another grate. (Perhaps you noticed these earlier while exploring the room below.) On the far side of the room is a barred doorway, behind which you can glimpse the gold coins.
Climb the stairs near the grates where you found the flares and ammo (screenshot) and continue along the hallway to a T intersection. Turn right here. Don't jump over the slope ahead or Lara will land in the spikes beyond. Instead take a standing jump up to the flat spot on the right, where you'll find more automatic pistol clips. (screenshot) Hop back down into the hallway and head down the stairs and around the corner to find SECRET #1, the gold coins, sitting in the barred alcove. (screenshot)
Taking the coins opens the trapdoor. Now there's a sasquatch running around in the cages below. You may be able to hang from the opening to draw it out and then pull up and shoot it from above, but this is time consuming. You're probably better off just dropping down and finishing it quickly with grenades or Uzis. Afterward, return through the cages to the exit. (Check the diagram above if you get disoriented.) This time, follow the huge footprints up the long ramp to the right.
TREES AND WOODEN BRIDGES ABOVE GOLDEN POOLS: Climb the rocks to the orange opening. When you take the large medi pack near the skeleton, 2 sasquatches charge up the hill. Shoot them as they approach. Then jump down to the flat area ahead on the right. Watch out for the pit of molten gold. Take a standing jump up to the flat spot in the center of the blocky clump of trees. Inside the trees, go forward then left. Draw weapons as you move to the edge of the opening and shoot a third sasquatch as it runs toward you. For some reason, it's able to withstand the heat of the bubbling pool. (screenshots)
When the sasquatch is dead, turn around, go back inside the clump of trees and head to the left onto the wooden bridge. Turn left and do a tricky running jump across the molten gold to grab the left side of the leafy green ledge. To line up this jump, position Lara at the back edge of the bridge with her left hand just touching the tree trunk that supports the bridge. Don't get too close or she'll bump into the tree when you do the running jump and fail to reach the ledge. Pull up and claim 2 sets of automatic pistol clips. (screenshots)
Take a running jump from the edge closest to where you picked up the clips to land on the sloping stone wall ahead. Slide back and grab the edge. Traverse as far as you can to the left and pull up onto a flat part of the wall. Turn left and walk carefully forward to the edge. It's dark here so take care not to step off into the molten gold. Stand at the edge and sidestep to the right until Lara is touching the wall. Pivot slightly to the left and take a standing jump onto the wooden bridge. Start toward the other end of the bridge but stop a little before the last section. Move to the right edge, adjust Lara's angle, and take a standing jump to land on the ledge with SECRET #2, the gold bars. Make sure you give Lara enough room to jump; it's easy to overshoot this ledge and land on the ramp behind it. If that happens, you'll have to reload or come all the way back around to get the secret. (screenshots)
After picking up the gold bars, step off the ledge and slide down to a nearly flat spot just above the molten pool. Move to the middle of this block, angle Lara slightly to the left and take a standing jump to land on the tree root with the M16 clips. Turn left and walk up to the highest point on the tree root. Position Lara with her back to the tree trunk and take a running jump across the pool. Do not press Action during this jump or Lara won't make it. (Again, check the screenshots if necessary.)
Turn left and jump back up to the flat spot in the middle of the clump of trees. This time, go all the way through and cross the wooden bridge. Look to the left across the stream of gold and you'll see another Inuit warrior pacing on a small ledge. If you're a sociopath who doesn't mind shooting innocents—or if you're just going for all kills in a sporting fashion—shoot him from this side of the stream using pistols. Then take a running jump to grab the vine-covered ledge, pull up, and retrieve the 2 pairs of grenades the warrior dropped. (screenshot)
NOTE: If you don't already have it, one of these items will be the GRENADE LAUNCHER.
Even if you don't kill the warrior, you should jump across to his ledge since there's also a small medi pack in the far right corner. When you have it, take a running jump back over the golden stream to the side where you started. Turn left and enter the building.
BUILDING WITH SQUARE HALLWAY AND GOLD 'X' PATHWAY: Inside is a hallway with a wooden door and numerous barred windows surrounding a large room with an X-shaped golden path. Head down the hall to the right. Turn left at the corner and continue to the end of the hall, where you'll find some grenades. Return to the entrance. Just before the wooden door, there's a switch on the right. (screenshot) Pull it to open a trapdoor in the ceiling of the room with the X path, letting a mercenary into that room.
Just beyond the wooden door, on the left, is a golden alcove with 2 more switches. Use the one on the left first. This opens 3 doors in the X-path room, letting in 3 Inuit warriors. After they finish off the mercenary, pull the right switch. This opens the wooden door so you can enter the X-path room.
NOTE: Naturally, if you want all the kills, you can use the first switch to release the mercenary. Then open the wooden door, enter the X-path room and kill him. Then let the warriors out and shoot them with pistols from the doorway.
Sitting in the middle of the golden X is a large medi pack. Taking it opens the golden door in the far left corner of the hallway that runs around this room, releasing a sasquatch. If you've left the Inuit warriors alive, it will be difficult to target the oncoming sasquatch among your allies. Unfortunately they aren't interested in helping you kill it. So after taking the medi pack, hop back from the center square so the sniper in the cage above can't see Lara. Then watch the cage on the far left. When you see the sasquatch run through the golden door in the back left corner, roll and run back to the entrance. Climb into the hallway, turn right, draw weapons and shoot the sasquatch as it comes around the corner. There's room to back up here if necessary. Once you've killed the sasquatch, move into the entrance to the X-path room and shoot the sniper in the cage above. (screenshots)
NOTE: If you've killed the Inuit warriors, fighting the sasquatch will be easier. Just take the large medi pack, run forward, roll and wait for the sasquatch to come around toward you. Then shoot it as it crosses the room. (screenshot) When it's dead, climb back into the doorway to shoot the sniper in the cage above.
When the excitement is over, follow the hallway past the 2 switches toward the cage where the sasquatch came from, picking up some automatic pistol clips in the third alcove on the right. Continue to the end of the hall and through the gold door. At the end of this hall on the right you'll find some Uzi clips. Grab them, turn around, and head back the way you came. Halfway along this hall is a short slope lined with greenery. Slide down but don't run forward; there's a gap in the floor, and it's a long drop to the pool of molten gold below.
TREETOPS: The grunting sounds should alert you to the presence of a couple of sasquatches in the treetops above. Don't worry; they can't reach you yet. There are several different ways to explore this area. Here's one possible sequence:
Take a standing jump across the gap onto the sloping green ledge ahead. Then take a running jump to the next ledge to get the flares. Move to the higher end of this ledge and turn to face out over the open area. From here you may be able to target the sasquatches up in the trees using the M16. They're sneaky, though, so this could take time. Even if you only get in a few shots, they'll be easier to kill when you reach the top. When you're ready, take a running jump back to the previous ledge, pressing Action to shorten the jump or angling slightly to either side so Lara doesn't overshoot the ledge. Walk down to the right, turn left, walk to the edge, and take a standing jump to grab the wooden bridge above. Pull up. (screenshots)
While standing on the bridge, turn around to face the ladder on the column (or possibly a square "tree") next to the bridge. If you move to the higher end of the bridge, you may be able to get another shot at the sasquatches above. If not, don't worry. Jump to grab the ladder on the tree. First climb down. Near the bottom, backflip off the ladder to land on the ledge behind. Take a standing jump from the BACK of the ledge to the molten gold square with 2 pairs of grenades. Despite its appearance, this square is safe; the rest of the pool is burning hot. Jump back to the ledge. Then jump to grab the ladder.
This time, climb all the way to the top of the ladder. At first, hang onto the ledge without pulling up and watch the movements of the 2 sasquatches. When they head off to the right, climb up, turn right and jump over to the flat area beyond the skeleton. You want to get away from the edge as fast as you can so the beasts don't knock Lara off. As you jump, pull out the Uzis or another powerful weapon and start shooting. Roll and hop back while firing. Just take care not to back up too far, since there's a large hole beyond the second skeleton. (screenshots)
When both sasquatches are dead, pick up the small medi pack at the top of the ladder, plus automatic pistol clips among the bones of the second skeleton and M16 clips on the other side of the hole. Mind the edges; it's a long way down.
Climb down the ladder near the second skeleton to get another small medi pack. Stand at the right side of this ledge facing the ladder. Light a flare and side flip onto the gold ramp. Slide down onto the perpendicular green ramp, which points down to the left. As soon as Lara lands on the green ramp, jump to the long, gold slope ahead. (It's near the wall and perpendicular to the green one.) If you don't jump quickly, Lara will slide down a series of green slopes into the molten gold pool. Once she lands on the long, gold slope, just let go and she'll slide down to the left through a series of slopes to the bottom of the cave, landing at last on a flat ledge with some shotgun shells. (screenshots)
Take a carefully angled standing jump over the molten gold onto the raised, gold block in the doorway ahead. (screenshot) Do not press Action since this shortens the jump, though you might want to try and veer to the right a bit to stick the landing. Don't run forward since there's more molten gold below.
GOLD WALKWAY WITH TRAPDOORS: When Lara lands here on the first square in a serpentine, golden walkway, you'll hear the sound of trapdoors opening. One of these is ahead on the right. If you don't care about getting all secrets, you can skip the next side area and continue with the section titled "GOLD WALKWAY WITH TRAPDOORS (again)," below.
To obtain the final secret, turn right and move along the golden walkway. Stepping on the second square closes the first trapdoor ahead, but stepping on the third square re-opens it. Take a running jump from the third square into the open trapdoor. (screenshot) Follow the passage to a ladder. Climb until Lara's hands are level with the orange ledge on the right, backflip onto the ledge behind, and then climb onto the orange ledge.
ROOM WITH GOLDEN SLOPES AND FOUR GOLD 'WATERFALLS': Here you'll need to work your way around the golden slopes counter-clockwise from the entrance to the gold panel on the opposite side. You're aiming for the plain, square gold panel between the slopes, not the ornate gold door in the corner. The sequence of jumps is illustrated in this series of screenshots.
Step off the orange ledge and slide down the slope to land on a flat spot below on the right. Take a running jump across the flowing stream of gold to the next flat square. Position Lara at the CENTER of this square and turn about 45 degrees to the left. Take a standing jump to the more or less flat spot in the lower middle of the golden slope. Turn so the pool of molten gold is ahead and to Lara's left. Take a standing jump from the back of the flat square to another flattish spot two squares ahead, at the bottom corner of the slope. Turn just a little to the right. Then set up and take a running jump to the flat block on the other side of the golden stream, one square higher and to the right. Do not press Action while in the air or Lara will fall short.
Turn right to face uphill. Walk to the top corner of this block and take a standing jump up to the flat ledge between the slope and the golden waterfall. Turn left so the gold door at the top of the slope is straight ahead. Then turn just a little bit farther to the left. Walk forward to the corner of this ledge and take a standing jump to the flattish spot just to the left of the slope. Take a running jump from there down to the flat ledge to the right of the gold wall panel. (Or, instead walk to the top of the flat spot, jump forward to land on the slope near the wall, and slide down onto the flat ledge.) Move to the edge near the wall and take a standing jump onto the ledge in front of the gold panel, which shatters as you approach. (Again, check the screenshots for details.)
Inside is a small room with some items lying on the floor. Be careful only to walk on the squares below the smooth gold ceiling squares. All the other squares are burning hot. (screenshots) Walk forward and take the flares. Turn right and kill the leopard that charges in from the next room. Then carefully move around to the right, sticking to the safe squares as you retreive the small medi pack. Return to the square where you got the flares. Position Lara so the staircase is behind her and the wide opening where you entered is on her left. Take a running jump to the safe square near the wall. Turn left and take another running jump to SECRET #3, the gold skull. (If you're having trouble setting up this jump, try this: Face the skull, sidestep to the right so Lara is nearly touching the wall, walk forward to the edge, and then hop back once before running and jumping.)
Once you have the skull, turn around and take a running jump back to the previous square. Turn right, back up to the wall and take another running jump back to the spot where the flares were. Then walk around to the right, over the spot where the medi pack was and into the next room. Climb the stairs to the gold door, which is now open. (screenshots)
Slide down the ramp straight ahead (not the one on the right) to land on the flat ledge below. Take a running jump across the gold stream. Climb onto the block straight ahead then up onto the ledge on the left.(screenshot) The rightmost alcove on this ledge contains the exit ramp. In order to avoid injury in the long drop coming up, angle Lara a little to the left as you jump forward onto the ramp. (screenshot) Slide down facing uphill and grab the end of the first slope. Drop onto the gold slope below and slide down a series of ramps onto the gold square with the face at the bottom of the TREETOPS area.
Once more, take a diagonal standing jump from the carved gold square onto the raised gold block. (screenshot)
GOLD WALKWAY WITH TRAPDOORS (again): As noted earlier, walking or jumping over certain squares on this walkway triggers the opening or closing of the various trapdoors. Move onto the second square in the walkway to close the first trapdoor. Then avoid the third and fourth squares by jumping diagonally onto the fifth square, just before the trapdoor. This way the trapdoor will remain closed. (screenshot) Walk over the trapdoor, draw weapons, and move two squares forward. When you do, a sasquatch emerges from the dark opening in the greenery ahead on the right. Shoot it as it approaches. Then step onto the square nearest the second trapdoor to draw out a second sasquatch. Back up carefully as you shoot it. (In this screenshot the squares that trigger each sasquatch are marked 'S1' and 'S2', the trapdoors 'T1' and 'T2'.)
Continue carefully along the walkway. (The second trapdoor opens then closes again as you go.) Climb into the opening the sasquatches came from. When you approach the small medi pack on the ground ahead, a third sasquatch climbs in through the dark opening on the right. There isn't much room to maneuver back here, but I managed to kill it without taking any damage by running into the wall behind the medi pack, rolling and drawing Uzis, and then shooting the creature as it approached. (screenshot)
You'll find some shotgun shells and Uzi clips in the dark areas off to the left and right of the depression with the medi pack. Just watch out for the spike pits as you explore. When you have everything, climb back over to the walkway and follow it to the end. From the spot where you find the Uzi clips, all you need to do is vault over the low green ledge and hop down onto the walkway. Then head to the left. (screenshot) At the end of the walkway, climb the blocks then the ladder.
ROCKY HILL BEFORE FINAL AREA: At the top of the ladder, avoid the stream of molten gold on the right. Follow the path forward and left into an open area with a rocky slope. Two leopards attack, one from ahead on the right, one from the left. Deal with them. Then continue forward along the V-shaped slope between the two angled rocks. Kill another leopard that charges toward you from beyond the rocks. (screenshot)
When you've taken care of all 3 big cats, roll and head back the way you came. Pick up the items inside the building: a large medi pack and 2 sets of M16 clips in opposite corners. Taking the medi pack opens a gate elsewhere. This gate leads back to the cage and three caves at the beginning of the level. If you've followed this walkthrough you shouldn't need to go back there.
NOTE: If you went straight down the ladder in the cage at the beginning of the level, without killing the sasquatches, you'll need to use a different strategy here. See the footnote for details.
Exit the building where you found the large medi pack and M16 ammo and continue over the rocky hill, past where you shot the last leopard, to a wall of ladders (also shown in the previous screenshot). Climb up.
In the middle of this wide ledge is a receptacle for the MASK OF TORNARSUK. (screenshot) If you want all the pickups wait to place the mask. First approach the double doors on the right. They open and you can enter the room beyond. Climb down the ladder into the pit, walk through the spikes and take the large medi pack in the alcove on the right. (screenshot) Then climb back out.
FINAL BOSS: Set the MASK in its place. When you do, the door on the right closes, the stone-and-gold structure behind you transforms into a long ramp with a room at the top, and the GUARDIAN emerges. It appears to be a gilded version of the Guardian of the Talion from TR2.
If you're not interested in getting all pickups and just want to avoid this guy and finish the level, move to the edge of the ledge above the wall of ladders and take a few shots at the guardian as it approaches. Before it gets too close, holster your guns and quickly climb down to the floor. You can then shoot the guardian safely from below. (screenshot) You may need to adjust your position a few times so you can get a clear shot. If it wanders off, just climb up the ladders to draw it closer to the edge. Then quickly drop back down. When the guardian falls, the level ends.
If you do want every item, as soon as you've placed the mask in its receptacle, press Look to get camera control back. Then roll and move to either side of the base of the long, golden ramp. As the guardian comes stomping down, get ready to run. When it reaches the bottom, jump past it onto the ramp and head for the top. Use running jumps to cover more distance faster. (screenshots)
When you reach the building at the top of the ramp, go around either side of the gold panel to get inside. Here you'll find a large medi pack, grenades, and a switch. If you want everything, you'll probably need to run into the room, grab one item, and run out the other side and back down the ramp. Let the guardian chase Lara down, then run back up for the next item. Take a third pass to flip the switch. Doing so re-opens the double doors to the right of the mask receptacle and extends a bridge across the pit in the room beyond those doors. Run down into that room and across the bridge with the guardian close on Lara's heels. Pull the switch on the other side to retract the bridge. Depending on how fast you are, the guardian will either be trapped on the other side of the gap, or it will fall into the pit. Shoot it until it falls and the level ends. (screenshots)
NOTE: It's possible to lure the guardian across the bridge and then pull the switch to retract the bridge, trapping the monster on the switch side. You can then either climb onto the block to kill it or safety drop into the pit and climb out the other side. However, once you pull the bridge lever, the area reverts to its previous state, and the ramp leading up to the guardian's building disappears. So you won't be able to get the medi pack and grenades unless you do it before using the switch in the bridge room.
BONUS LEVEL: When you finish Level 4 the credits roll. If you found all 12 secrets in the four Golden Mask levels, you'll unlock a bonus level: the surreal Nightmare in Vegas. At the final stats screen, press Enter twice to access the passport. Turn one page to the 'Select Level' screen. You now have the option of choosing any level, including the bonus. If you missed any secrets in the previous levels, you can download a Windows or Macintosh savegame for the Vegas level.
†UPDATE HISTORY: 6/27/12 - First major update since this walkthrough was created in 1999. Previous minor changes were not tracked. Clarified a bunch of things, added several updated and alternate strategies, and included the grenades dropped by one of the Inuit warriors.
5/1/16 - Fixed some confusion in the cage-and-switch area, thanks to a correction sent in by Tomasz.
3/27/24 - Added VGCartography's level maps, with permission. Visit VGCartography on DeviantArt for high-res versions, and follow on Twitter/X and YouTube for more fantastic game maps.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Special thanks to alvinkhorfire, Bill V., Helena, Idílio, Tomasz, and Vic for their help on this level. Thanks also to the participants in the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup for their insightful contributions to the original Golden Mask walkthrough.
ALTERNATE STRATEGY FOR THE SLOPE LEADING DOWN TO THE FINAL AREA: If you avoided the sasquatches at the beginning of the level, you'll need to use a different strategy here. When you pick up the large medi pack in the building, a gate opens and 4 of the sasquatches from the first area will make a beeline through that gate and attack. You can avoid them completely by not taking the medi pack. Just grab the ammo and continue toward the final area as described in the main walkthrough.
If you avoided the sasquatches at the start, you can still get all pickups and all but one kill from that first area now. Here's what to do: Pick up the 2 sets of M16 clips first. Then take the medi pack to open the gate. Immediately press Look to get Lara's perspective back, roll, and run away from the building, up the rocky slope, and down to the wall of ladders. As you run, the sasquatches will be coming through the gate and making their way toward Lara. Climb the ladders and shoot the sasquatches from above. If they wander off, just climb partway back down to get their attention. Then climb up again to finish them off.
Now, if you want all the pickups in the first area, climb back down the ladders, head up the slope toward the building, and go around to the left side. Follow the path back down alongside the stream of molten gold. At the end, just before the opening leading down to the GOLD WALKWAY WITH TRAPDOORS, turn left and take a running jump to grab the wooden ladder. Climb up and go through the gate where the sasquatches came in. (screenshot)
You can now explore this area in peace. Just watch out for the spike pits in the caves. Refer to the section of the walkthrough labeled 'CAGE AND THREE CAVES,' above for more info. Note that the fifth sasquatch will appear when you pick up the large medi pack in one of the caves, but it will be trapped inside the cage on the hill so it can't reach you, and you can't shoot it. When you're done exploring, return to the gate inside the rightmost cave. Turn around and drop back to grab the ladder, but don't climb down. Instead, backflip from the top of the ladder to land on the ledge on the other side of the molten gold stream. Head up the path and continue forward and down to the wall of ladders. (Pick up the walkthrough at the 'FINAL BOSS' section, above.)
Thanks to Bill V. for sharing this strategy.
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