Level 12
VCI Headquarters:
Escape with the Iris
This level is very challenging, and you will need all of your Tomb Raider skills to get through the level.
X-ray area:
Do as Zip instructs and put your beloved HK gun in the tray on the left, or you won't get past the x-ray hall. As you pass down the x-ray hall, open the suitcase on the left, look for the handle to find the side to open it. Do not open the suitcase on the right for it contains a bomb.
Waiting room:
Once past the waiting room, take a left down the hall. If you go to the right towards the elevators, you will run into nasty hidden laser beams. Use the Action key on the machine at the end of the hall. It will show one of the guards on the stairs. Follow the small hall near the machine.
Hall of offices:
Note the keypad near the door to the restroom. Then start searching the shelves and filing cabinets in the offices. In the first office, find a bottle of chloroform. The cut scene shows a guard standing further down the hall. In the next office, find a cloth. In the third office find a small medi-pack. Combine the cloth and chloroform to make chloroform soaked cloth. Walk up behind the guard, but not to close, and use the Action key to put him to sleep. Search the shelves and filing cabinets of the next three offices with the automatic doors and find a bottle of chloroform and a Restroom access card. Go back to the first office and find the keypad near the door to the restroom.
Restrooms:
Go to your inventory and find the number of the Restroom access card - 8526. Press Action by the keypad to the restroom. Select the number 8 on the keypad using the arrow keys. Finish entering the rest of the numbers 8.5.2.6 and press Enter after each number is selected. Finally, select the * key and press Enter and the door to the restroom should open.
Enter the girl’s bathroom, and use the Action key to kick open the door to each stall. Pick up a large medi-pack at the centre stall. Now enter the boy’s bathroom and kick open the first stall. Enter the first stall and look at the ceiling. See the broken pattern in the ceiling above the door of the stall. Do a jump grab to the ceiling tile and pull the ceiling tile down. Face the wall and do a jump grab and use the up arrow to climb up into the crawlspace.
Crawlspace:
Crawl in until you can stand up. Then do a safety drop over the edge to the pit. Release the action key, then immediately press it again to drop to a crack in the wall. Now let go of the Action key to drop to the bottom of the pit with the red flashing light. Crawl to the elevator shaft.
Elevator shaft:
Save your game. Look down into the elevator shaft and see the chain. Crawl backwards while holding down the crawl and back arrow, add the Action key to lower yourself to the climbing ladder.
I found that if I took Lara down to the VERY bottom rung of the ladder she would move in and out while hold the down button. On one of the inward movements let go of the Action button and Lara should end up on the ledge with secret.
But if that did not work, try this.
From the climbing ladder, you need a back flip with a twist, to the chain behind you. Climb sideways to get centred on the climbing ladder, then perform the back flip. Grab the chain using the Action key.
Chain:
Slide down the chain to the ledge at the bottom. Now you need to jump to the small opening with the rose. Stand along the right wall and walk backwards to edge of the ledge. Take a simple jump to the opening with the rose. Pick up Secret #1 - a gold rose.
Return to the ledge with the chain. With your back facing the opening with the rose, do a jump grab to the chain and climb up until you see the platform behind you by the elevators. Do a backwards jump to the platform.
(You can turn Lara around while on the chain to see where the platform is.)
Turn to the left, and take a long running jump with grab to the white horizontal bar. Swing around it and use the Jump key to land in the small alcove above the bar. In the small alcove, walk sideways to the edge of the ledge and place your back against the wall. Take a diagonal standing jump with grab to the top of the elevator. Shimmy to the left and climb up.
Top of elevators:
Walk around the top of the elevator and look for HK ammo near the brake pad on top of the second elevator. Then look for the white trapdoor with a handle. Stand next to the handle and use the Action key to open the trap door (do not stand on the trap door). The elevator buttons don't seem to work, so walk near the elevator doors to open the doors. Walk quietly to avoid disturbing the guard. You cannot get past the guard, so go into the hall and press the up/down elevator buttons to open the door and the other elevator.
Save your game.
Second elevator:
Press the elevator buttons to go up to a top floor. But trouble waits in the form of three guards who are protecting two large medi-packs. Don't even bother getting out of the elevator. Just press the elevator buttons to take a rocky ride to the bottom of the elevator shaft to get away. Something has gone wrong with the elevator! Quickly run to the elevator buttons and press them to turn on the elevator brakes, or Lara will die in the elevator as it plunges to the bottom of the shaft.
Cut scene:
Zip pipes in to congratulate Lara on surviving the fall. Lara is now on the ground floor.
Bottom of elevator shaft:
In the elevator, look up at the ceiling near the broken doors to see a hole. Walk next to the door, then side-step to the left. Do a jump grab to the vent which acts as a climbing ladder. Climb up on top of the elevator. Take a standing jump with grab to the horizontal bar. Swing around the bar and use the Jump key to fly across the gap. Immediately press the Action key and grab the ledge opposite from the elevator.
(If you drop to the bottom of the elevator shaft, you can climb up along the side of the elevator.)
Ledge above the elevator:
Look up and see the platform high above. Do a jump grab to the metal wall. Climb up until you see a grate on the left wall, then do a backwards jump to the platform behind you. Look across the elevator shaft to see a horizontal bar and another platform on the opposite wall. Do a long running jump with grab to the horizontal bar, swing and use the Jump to fling yourself across the gap. Land on the opposite platform. Nowhere to go? Ahhh, but look up high on the wall above the platform to spot a crawlspace. Do a jump grab to the crawlspace and crawl in.
Vents:
Save your game as you have a nasty jumping sequence to master.
Sliding ramps: Depending on which angle you are at when you drop on the ramp determines whether you go down forwards or backwards. Turn a bit to the left before dropping on the ramp to go down forwards.
Slide forward down the ramp. On the second ramp, slide down the centre of the grate in the ramp, then press the Jump and Action keys to grab the horizontal bar. Swing around the bar and press the Jump key to swing to the next bar. Press Action to grab the bar. Swing around and watch the flames from the vent by the platform. Wait until the flames go out, then press the Jump key to land on the platform. Immediately side-step to the right to avoid the flames. Face the bars and look to the right to spot a high ledge. Take a diagonal standing jump with grab to the high ledge.
Tightrope:
Cross the tightrope tapping the left and right arrows to keep your balance. Pick up the bottle of chloroform and save your game. Slide down the ramp.
Centre hallway:
Hide behind the crawlspace until the guard's footsteps are far away, then crawl out and run down the hall at the guard. Run side to side to avoid the bullets. Where the hallways branch, wait by the green glass as a target and the guard will shoot out the glass revealing a secret. Pick up Secret #2 - a gold rose. If needed, take a medi-pack, then run to the corner to the right hallway and jump over the wall surrounding the pool. Hide in the pool to catch your breath.
Round room with windows:
Note - both ramps lead up to the round room with windows. Go up the ramp above the pool and immediately run over to the windows. Follow the white line along the wall to avoid the overhead sniper. Find the window blinds and look up to see that they are not blocked by the top ledge. Walk to the right side of the window blinds and do a jump grab and climb to the top. Climb sideways to the right as far as possible and drop on the ledge.
(Note: Make sure Lara is flat against the wall when jumping to the blinds.)
Round room with windows (top ledge):
Run around the top ledge to the fire extinguisher. Hop back and forth in front of the fire extinguisher until the sniper hits the fire extinguisher and it explodes revealing a small tunnel. Enter the small tunnel and pick up Secret #3 - a gold rose. Have a medi-pack, then walk along the ledge and push the grey button on the wall. Safety drop over the ledge and drop down on the table below. Enter the hall below the big V.
Hall with guard:
Run to the end of the hall and take a long running jump over the sunken floor, which is electrified. Stand by the green glass until the guard shoots the glass out releasing water to short out the floor. Press the grey button on the wall to open the door. Enter the waiting room.
Cut scene:
Zip is on the headset telling Lara that a robot machine gun is one corner of the room and to make no sudden movements while the enemy is torching the door.
Waiting room:
Walk! To avoid triggering the robot machine gun and press the two buttons on either side of the door. Walk into the next hall. Meanwhile, they have torched the door open and a Dreadnought is after you. Run down the hall and enter the door on the right to the teleporter room.
Teleporter machine room:
Find the room with the suitcases. Remember the suitcase with the bomb. In this room, many of the suitcases have bombs. Look overhead for a ceiling tile that looks broken above the door. Facing the door, do a jump grab to the broken part of the tile to pull it down.
Do a jump grab to the newly opened vent and crawl in and drop down. Press the grey button to turn on the X-ray machine. Note which case is safe and drop back into the room with the suitcases and open the suitcase that does not have any wires inside. Pick up the Teleporter disc.
Teleporter machine room:
Find the room with the computer and place the Teleporter disc in the computer. The teleporter machine whirr's to life. Place the Iris in the stand at the centre of the room using the Action key. The Iris comes to life and then the room turns red and a hole in the floor is opened. Find the hole in the floor in one corner of the room and drop down into the tunnel. Climb up and look out the grated vent.
Hall with guard and security keypad:
Zip calls in and tells Lara to watch the guard on his rounds. Watch the guard through the grate to see his patrol pattern. You can also use the headset and zoom in on the keypad to learn the combination - 1672.
Drop down by the crawl space. Do not go in the crawlspace, but instead crouch and watch through the crawlspace for the guard to turn and head back to the keypad. As he heads back for the keypad, crawl out and wait until he enters the door.
Run and pick up the bottle of chloroform, then run back to the crawlspace, crawl through and hide. Again, crouch, watch and wait until the guard heads back for the keypad. Crawl out and follow him to the keypad and run past the guard through the open door.
If you time it right, you can leave the guard outside the door leaving you in peace and quiet.
OR
You can use the keypad to open the door, but the guard will be shooting at you.
Keypad: Go to your inventory and find the number of the Restroom access card - 1672. Press Action by the keypad to the restroom. Select the number 1 on the keypad using the arrow keys. Finish entering the rest of the numbers 1, 6, 7, 2 and press Enter after each number is selected. Finally, select the * key and press Enter and the door to the restroom should open.
X-ray control room:
At the top of the ramp, climb up on the crate to the right and drop behind it to find a large medi-pack. Press the grey button on the wall near the hall to turn off the X-ray machine. Go through the crawlspace and jump grab to the climbing ladder.
Drop down into the waiting room where you left your beloved HK gun. Pick up the HK gun and go through the X-ray hall and take a left towards the restrooms. On the door next to the restroom door, use the HK gun in sniper mode and shoot the fire extinguisher which blows up - opening the door to the fire escape outside.
End of level
Secrets: 3 of 3 (33 out of 36 total Secrets)