Level 4

Venice

The Opera House

This level starts off with a rather challenging gunfight. To make it easier, from the ledge with swinging crate jump over to the ledge on your right, this gives a much better shooting angle, when he is finally dead dive into the water and out onto the platform. Then take his ammo and jump into the water from where he was standing moments ago. Swim left around the building and climb the ladder, getting off on the small ledge on the right. Turn around and face the canal, jump and grab so you can pull up to the next ledge. Flip the switch to open a door in the roof then continue climbing the ladder to the ledge above.

Run and jump to the ledge across the canal then turn to the left and do a running jump to the ledge with the swinging box. From the ledge with the box, line up with hole in the roof of the building opposite and do a running jump and a grab in mid-air so you arc through the opening in the roof opposite. Draw your guns in mid-air to take out the guard, and then take the Ornate Key. Start up the stairs and kill the gunman when he comes through the door. Take his medikit and go to the top of the stairs.

Make your way back to the ledge with the swinging box and position yourself so the crate is on your left and you are looking at a ledge with a small building to the left. Do NOT try to jump through the opening in the centre of that building. The floor below the opening in the roof is lined with broken glass and you will die. Jump to the ledge where you shot the first baddie, line up with the small ledge next to the sloping roof with the window in it. Do a standing jump over to the ledge, then side flip onto the roof grabbing hold as you slide down.

Drop and instantly grab again to catch the edge of the sill. Now pull up and shoot out the glass and carefully enter the room. The glass is just like the spikes in the original Tomb Raider so simply WALK to pass by unharmed. Cross the room and climb the ladder and use the Ornate Key to unlock the door at the end of the hall. Now we have a very unstable roof to deal with. Position Lara so she is in the middle of the ledge where the roof is at its most solid. Do a running jump and keep running when you hit the first panel. When you cross the 3rd panel do a running jump, and when you finally cross the last set of collapsing panels do a running jump to grab and pull up onto the ledge. From the ledge turn right through the narrow passage to get to the top of the Opera House.

GUNS OUT READY.

Shoot the guard patrolling the roof then turn and lower down. While hanging onto the edge, quickly pull back up and draw your weapons gain. Your short dangle off the edge should have attracted the attention of another guard and a couple of Dobermans. Kill them all, then do a running jump to the roof and continue left to kill two more guards below. Take the medikits, shells and ammo from the dead guards then to the other corner to check out the swinging box. From the roof, position Lara as far forward and left as she will go without falling of the roof so that she is aiming to the left of the swinging crate. Do a running jump and grab and pull up to a small area to the left of the swinging box and light a flare.

Drop down and flip the switch to the left of the box. Three rooftop doors open and two gunmen show up looking for trouble. Climb up and kill these guys (one of the drops shells for you to pick up) and then drop through the newly opened door in the roof. A pair of switches awaits you below. The right switch is useless for now so flip the left one to open a grate, and then exit through that grate. Run by the hall to trigger a boulder. (You may have run around a little to get the boulders to trip)

Stand by the wall switch to avoid the deadly rock then flip the switch to close the grate and climb up the ladder. Continue climbing up the grate until you are across from an opening which would have been blocked if you hadn't so cleverly closed the grate before climbing up. Drop down to the floor, turn left and kill the gunman making a special effort NOT to go underneath the sandbag. Take his medikit then continue until you reach another pair of Dobermans which you can feel free to kill. There is a switch here which is missing a Relay Box so make a note of its position - you will be back later.

Head around the upper walkway past where you drop in towards the Doors on the right. Making extra sure to stay out from underneath that sandbag, kill the advancing Doberman and henchman. Go past the open doors to the left and look down into the hole. Drop down to the platform below and hopefully two Dobermans and a gunman appear on the ground floor, so kill them before dropping to the floor below. Make your way to the floor and climb onto the box near the wall opposite the stage. Jump and pull up to the walkway. Get past the broken floor until you reach the wall with the curtains.

Go to the edge and jump forward and pull up to kill another gunman and relieve him of his ammo. Return to the ground floor and run along the back wall to trigger two rolling boulders. Take the medikit from the gunman you killed from above then go into the water. Another gunman comes out on stage and his performance is less than acceptable. Kill him and take his Uzi ammo after you kill the Doberman coming in from the left and another gunman sneaking in from behind. Off to the side where the Doberman originated is a small alcove with a switch. Flip the switch to open a grate at the other end of the stage.

As you approach the grate some more bad guys arrive for target practice. After you have killed them and taken the medikit, jump and pull up to the ledge where the grating was. Walk - do not run - through the glass then turn left and do a running jump and grab onto the crevice in the wall. Watching out for the sandbag above. Shimmy to the left until you can pull up and flip the switch which lowers the plank. Run and jump back to the previous walkway and stop before your momentum takes you into the deadly glass.

Continue down the walkway and do a running jump to grab and pull up to the ledge on the left. Jump and pull up once more then turn and run and jump and pull up again to continue your upward journey. Kill the rat then get the timing down on the swinging sandbag. Do a standing jump when the first sandbag is at the end of its swing. Jump past the second one to the ledge and flip the switch to send another sandbag hurtling through the stage floor.

Walk carefully towards the sloped ledge then turn around and slide down backwards, grabbing on to the edge when you fall. Pull up and back flip through the hole in the floor and light one of your flares. Follow the passage to the left staying along the left wall. You will enter a larger room with a ledge and a switch to your left. To your right is a tiny underwater passage. Swim into this passage to find Secret #1; the Stone Dragon, then return to the ledge and flip the switch to open a door back up above the right side of the stage. Now go back so you are once again under the hole in the stage and take the large passage at the end of the room.

Swim up and keep to the right and you will find the missing Relay Box. Climb the ladder up through the door you recently opened. Return to the top floor of the Opera House and make your way back to the switch where you needed the Relay Box. Insert the box and flip the switch to activate the elevator.

This is a tricky secret. Do not get in the elevator. Instead, wait for it to go down then get ON the elevator and quickly jump to the ladder and climb up into the hidden opening. WALK through the deadly glass and pick up Secret #2; the Gold Dragon, then flip the switch to your left.  Continue through the glass making sure to grab that Uzi ammo in the second alcove to the left before entering the door you just opened with the switch. Return to the elevator switch and flip it to bring it back up, so that you can take the elevator down.

Two gunmen are waiting as the elevator doors open so kill them quickly and add their shells to your ammo collection. Flip the switch to send the elevator back up and to also give you access to a hidden pool of water which the elevator was concealing. Jump in and head for the grating then turn left and follow some stairs to an underwater area. Take the Circuit Board which is lying in the corner of this room then return to the grating you swam past a minute ago. Go to the left and around the grate to find and flip a switch which opens a side of the cage letting Lara surface and catch her breath. Climb out and kill some rats then turn and jump to grab and pull up to the next level.

Turn and shoot the quickly advancing gunman then jump and pull up again to kill another rat, a Doberman and that gunman. Continue along the hall until you reach some windows. Shoot out the glass and then drop into the room below and use the

Switch to open the door. Slide down the sloped passage jumping over the deadly fan at the last possible second. You should land on a ledge with the Ornate Key.

After you take the key, pull up to the tallest block and jump to the slope and head for the duct. Jump in and kill the rat. Continue along until you reach the edge of the duct then jump the gap. Make sure that you are standing at the edge before you jump. Turn and back flip to avoid another deadly fan and repeat once more for the final fan. Turn and look up at the dark area without any fan. Jump forward from the edge of the duct you are standing on to grab and pull up to get

Secret #3; the Jade Dragon and lots of Uzi ammo. There is a deadly fan behind the dragon so if you can either light a flare or just carefully WALK forward until you get the goodies.

Return and do a safety drop to get back to the duct below. Head down the hall until you reach a moveable box. Pull it to gain access to a switch which you can flip to open a door. Pull the box once more then push it all the way into the dressing room under the first windows. Get on the box and shoot out any windows that still have glass in them then jump into the first windows. Another box is in here so push it out the windows so it on top of the previous box. From the window ledge jump and grab the top box and pull up. Now you can reach the top row of windows so jump in and kill the guard who has been waiting patiently for your return.

Now begin the long trek back to the Control Room using the elevator shaft. Jump and pull up until you finally reach the lock. Use the key to open the doors then continue forward. If you failed to trigger the boulders your first time through this area, then you need to avoid them now. Stay along the wall and head towards the switch to open the door at the top of the ladder. Climb up and enter the Control Room and use the Circuit Board before flipping the right switch to raise the backdrop on stage. Do the same routine as last time to get stage and kill the 3 gunmen and the Doberman. Get the medikit and shells from your fallen enemies then go through the hole in the wall to find many stacked boxes.

Go around the back to the left and find one of the smaller ones can be pulled out so find it and pull it twice to gain access to a hidden passage. Enter and use the switch to lower the backdrop then exit this area and kill another guard who should be just arriving. Start climbing the boxes until you reach the white ledge above the stage. Kill the henchman on the stage below and try to avoid any sandbags which will kill you on impact. When he is dead, go around to the right, down into a pit and look around. You should find the opening above the hole. Jump forward and pull up into this area to flip another switch that opens a door by a swinging sandbag.

Stand on one side (the switch side is best) and time a long running jump to miss the sand bag. (Start running when the sandbag is on your side) Hang and drop to get past the swinging box and arrive at the floor. Bartoli should arrive shortly and he seems to be particularly vulnerable to shotgun blasts. Two Dobermans will also attack your when you reach the floor but should fall quickly to the power of the shotgun. When you finally kill Bartoli, take all the grenades and start searching the room for another gangster. Kill him and relieve him of his Uzi clips and medikit.

Then climb onto a box at the back of the room and make your way past the swinging boxes to the boxes stacked next to the entrance. There should be a button next to the entry which will open the exit and release the last henchman. Kill him and take his Uzi clips before getting on board the aircraft for an in flight movie and the next level...