Level 29
Underneath the Sphinx
The hieroglyphs on the Scrap of Paper are too small to read. So you just have to cheat by using the walkthrough. The underwater maze can really only be done with a walkthrough, unless you are really dedicated and like drowning Lara a lot. The only fun part of the level was trapping the bulls. If you like solving hard puzzles, this level is for you.
Puzzle with bulls:
Not the bulls again! And there is two of them. Stay away from the puzzle and the bulls, and explore the hall to the left of the puzzle. Pick up the flares near the skeleton and pick up the Scrap of Paper. Just leave it in your inventory for now. Notice the two cages on either side of the entrance hall. Examine the sides of each door of the cage and find a switch. Push the switch down the door closes, push it up and the doors open.
Time to trap some bulls:
Let sleeping bulls remain sleeping:
It is possible to avoid trapping the bulls, but it may cause problems later in the game, like getting trapped in the water maze. I would highly suggest trapping the bulls in their cages. You can leave the sleeping bulls lie sleeping.
Do not step on any of the mud squares in front of the bulls or between the bulls and they will sleep away. Instead of passing between the bulls them, pass on their left or right (around the pillars).
Trapping the bulls:
Trapping the bulls is quite terrifying but kind of fun. In case you woke up a bull, only trap one bull at a time. Stay away from the puzzle. Running on the block in front of each bull awakes the bull you want and lead him to his cage. Luring him in the cage did not seem to work, because the bull follows you out too quick. Instead side flip from the switch to the other side of the door. Continue flipping from side to side until you die or the bull enters the cage. Quickly pull the switch to trap him.
Repeat the technique for the other bull.
The Puzzle:
I tried different combinations of pushing the puzzle pieces in, but they all opened the same door and the end of the hall to the right of the puzzles. Carefully walk to the left side of the deep pit and take a long running jump across the pit. Notice the skulls on the wall, you are about to enter the tunnels of death.
Resetting the puzzle: You must go to the tunnels of death and flip the switch to reset the puzzle.
North east gate: to tunnels of death:
Go down the tunnel until the tunnel splits into two tunnels. Crawl through the tunnel with balls on chains dropping out of the ceiling and spikes coming up from the floor. Crawl right next to the wall along the corridors. When the blades pop up from the ground she will not get hurt.
After the blades pop up, crawl back one step before they close. Then simply crawl forward, as the blades will not reappear.
Now the tunnel splits into three tunnels with more deadly ways to kill you. Each of the side tunnels has a low blade; you can crawl but have to go through one of those round slicer/dicers. To get back to the centre tunnel. Crawl through the centre of the three tunnels. Crawl right next to the wall along the corridors.
When the blades pop up from the ground she will not get hurt. After the blades pop up, crawl back one step before they close. Then simply crawl forward, as the blades will not reappear on the last tunnel, you have to go through the round slicer/dicer.
Slicer/dicers:
There are several ways of getting through, here are a couple. Walk up close within one walking step of the slicer/dicer and press the Roll key at the right time. Nothing to it. Start a dash and add the Jump key to roll through the slicer/dicer. Pull the switch at the end of the tunnel to open the gate where you entered.
All that just to open the door. Now you have to go back through the tunnels of death. When you reach the deep pit, stand close to the right wall and as close to the pit as you can. Take a long running jump with grab to the high ledge on the other side of the pit.
Save your game.
The Hieroglyph Puzzle:
Okay, it might be a good time to solve the puzzle. Because doing the wrong combination keeps sending you back through the tunnels of death and there are only so many medi-packs.
But more than once down the tunnel of death is, well, just too much. Use the Scrap of Paper in your inventory and translate the hieroglyphs. The bird is an A (could an O or M too), the symbols that look like 44 is an I, and the lopsided square is a Q. Push the symbols in this order, bird, 44, lopsided square which corresponds to A, I, Q.
This opens a new gate and not the gate to the tunnels of death.
West Gate: to cave with chess pieces:
Now that you have got the gate open, go down the hall to left of the puzzle and through the gate. Shoot a bat, and then take a long running jump from the centre of the pit to the other side. Shoot some more bats. Carefully walk around the corner to the next deep pit. Use a long running jump on the left side of the pit to get across. Shoot the bats.
Cave with chess pieces:
This is another mind teaser. The chess pieces won't move, and now what to do? Get out your binoculars and look up the coloured slots with the ramps in the wall (not in the small cubby hole). Use the Action key to light up hieroglyphs at the end of the slots.
Read each slot and you will have the following.
Red slot: bird, lopsided square, 44, north-west gate
Green slot: lopsided square, 44, bird south-west gate
Reddish slot: lopsided square, bird, 44 south-east gate
Blue slot: 44, lopsided square, bird east gate
Northwest gate opened by bird, lopsided square, 44:
Shoot the bats and walk up the right side of the pit. Take a simple jump over the ramp to the top of the block. Walk next to the wall and as far forward as you can, make a long running jump to the ledge straight ahead.
Do a simple jump over the slanted block along the wall. Shoot the bats and find yourself in a room with three tunnels.
Tunnel to the south:
Light a flare and crawl down the tunnel. You will soon learn that boards cover deadly spike pits. Take a left then take a right into the middle tunnel and then take another left. Crawl until you can stand up. Pull the switch to open the north-west gate so that you can return to the puzzle.
Carefully crawl back to the cave.
Tunnel to the east:
Light a flare and start crawling in the east tunnel. Take a right and crawl until you are on boards that usually cover the spike pits. Fall down and discover you are still alive. Pick up the grenade gun (more ammo) for Secret #1. Jump grab to get out and crawl back out the tunnel taking the first left back to the cave. (The other leg of the tunnel has a real spike pit!)
Tunnel to the north:
Crawl and keep taking lefts, pick up the Stone of Maat with the red gem. All other legs of the tunnel lead to bad things. Return back to the Puzzle.
Southwest gate: opened by lopsided square, 44 bird:
Shoot the bats and walk to the left edge of the pit along the wall, take a long running jump. Shoot about three or four crocodiles. Run around to all of the small holes in the wall and use the Action key to activate them.
Pull the switch at one end of the room to open the gate so you can return. After all of the small holes are activated, the grate at the centre of the room will drop and you can retrieve the Stone of Khepri with the green gem.
Southeast gate: lopsided square, bird, 44
Take a simple jump to the lower ledge on the right side of the pit. Then take a long running jump to the ledge near the back wall. Jump over the sloped block and you are in a room with two chess pieces, bats and a hole in the floor with water.
Labyrinth of Underwater tunnels:
Some maze builder had a field day on this level. Save your game before you jump into the water. This labyrinth or maze is confusing, I would suggest just following the walkthrough as this maze is not much fun unless you have a good sense of direction. You will need to use the compass. Hit Esc to bring up the inventory and the compass will be there.
You need to find the first room with the switch. The switches open the blue doors to other switch rooms.
The Map
1.
South tunnel - South, East, South
Where the main tunnel splits into three tunnels, take the South tunnel. You are swimming downwards to the next split into two tunnels, take the East tunnel. At the next tunnel split, take the South tunnel. At the next tunnel junction, keep going south. Follow this tunnel past the bird door and emerge for some air. In between the two chess pieces is a switch, push the switch down. Returning to the room near the cave: North, West, up, up Follow the passage. At the next tunnel split go north. Next tunnel split, go West, then go up. Follow this tunnel until it splits into three tunnels, then go up. Get some air.
2. South Tunnel - South, West, up.
Where the main tunnel splits into three tunnels, take the South tunnel. You are swimming downwards to the next split into two tunnels, take the West tunnel. At the next tunnel split, swim upwards. To get back to the room near the cave swim down, take the first tunnel east, swim up, then up. Pull the switch down.
3. East tunnel - East, South, South, West, up where the main tunnel splits into three tunnels, at the next tunnel split, take the South tunnel, follow this and at the next tunnel split, take the South tunnel. Take the West tunnel, and then swim up. Pull the switch down.
Returning the room near the cave: East, North, up, East, up Jump into the water, swim down and take the East tunnel, now take the North tunnel, then swim up at the next tunnel junction. Follow this tunnel, then take the east tunnel (don't go up). At the next tunnel junction, swim up and back to the room near the cave.
4. North tunnel- North, East, then up.
Where the main tunnel splits into three tunnels, at the next tunnel split, take the North tunnel, follow this tunnel as you swim up. Now take the East tunnel and where you see the 44 hieroglyph swim up. Pull the switch down.
Returning to the room with the cave.
Just follow the tunnel until the tunnel split into three tunnels then swim up.
5. East tunnel: East, up, up.
Where the main tunnel splits into three tunnels, at the next tunnel split, take the East tunnel, follow this tunnel as you swim up. You will see a snake hieroglyph, swim up. Climb out and lower the switch to open the gate to this area and pick up the Stone of Atum with the purple gem.
Returning to the room with the cave.
Swim down the tunnel, at the fork, go west at the tunnel split, then Swim up and the junction of the three tunnels. At last you are done with this bit!
Slide down the ramp to the ledge on the left of the pit. Take a long running jump to the ledge on the left side. Careful of the sloped blocks. Walk as far forward without hitting one of the sloped blocks, and then take a long running jump to get out of the pit.
Puzzle:
East gate: 44, lopsided square, bird
Go to the East gate, shoot the bats. Get across the pit on the right side.
Hieroglyph Puzzle:
Yet another puzzle, it certainly would help if that scrap of paper in the inventory was legible. After going through a great lot of transcribing with no good results... Here is the solution to the puzzle. Look for symbols which are a mirror images of each other, they kind of look like snakes.
Counting from the left, go to the 3rd and 6th holes.
Use the Action key to reach in the small holes and one opens the gate and the other yields the Stone of Re with a blue gem. All the rest of the holes contain scarab beetles. Return back to the puzzle area near the bulls and find the West gate.
West Gate: to cave with chess pieces:
Find the west gate and take a long running jump from the centre of the pit to the other side. Carefully walk around the corner to the next deep pit. Use a long running jump on the left side of the pit to get across. Place each of the 4 Stones in their cubby-holes using the Action key. The Gate now opens. Go down the hall and watch out for the deep pit. Use the Monkey bars to get across the pit.
Save your game.
Room with swirling blades in the ceiling:
Save your game before entering this room. Immediately run around and pick up the 4 Holy Scriptures near the torches. This opens the gate to escape the swirling blades.
Walk down the hall and stop before the next room. Take a long running jump from the hallway across the room to avoid the blades in the floor (or you can crawl across the floor). Walk into the next hall and discover another deep pit. Use the overhead monkey bars to swing across and shoot the bats.
The Cave:
Enter the cave and clear out the bats. Run down to the end of the cave and enter Menkaure's Pyramid. The trap door in the cave is explained in Menkaure's Pyramid.
End of Level
Secrets: 1 (Total 64 out of 70)