Stella's Tomb Raider 2 Walkthrough - Updates for Tomb Raider 2 Remastered Coming Soon

LEVEL 4: OPERA HOUSE

Updated: 2/5/24()

Kills: 46 Items: 25 (29) plus 2 keys, relay box, circuit board, and 3 secrets

NOTE: Under items, the number in parentheses (29) includes the reward for finding all three secrets. Three of the regular pickups will be the AUTOMATIC PISTOLS, UZIS, and GRENADE LAUNCHER if you didn't get them in previous levels.

LEVEL MAP by VGCartography (used with permission)

Opera House Video Walkthrough by Eldincy

OBJECTIVES: This level is complicated. First, you must make your way across the rooftops and find a way into the opera house proper. Once inside, you'll need to do a bit of exploring to obtain everything you need. The main items are an Ornate Key, a Relay Box, and a Circuit Board. The Relay Box is needed to repair the elevator on the top floor. With the elevator running, you'll be able to find the Circuit Board, which will then allow you to raise the curtain on the stage so you can get into the area behind it. The key is for getting back into the lighting booth, where you first entered the building, in order to actually use the Circuit Board. Finally, go through the backstage area into a storeroom at the end of the level.

ABOVE THE CANAL: You begin on a ledge behind a huge wooden crate swinging back and forth on a rope. Don't stand too close to it, or Lara will get clobbered. There's an armed goon patrolling the dock directly below. It's hard to target him from here, though. So take a running jump over to the small, flat ledge on the tiled roof to the right and shoot him from there. (screenshot) Otherwise, wait until you get to the other side of the canal or backflip off the ledge into the canal, draw weapons and shoot him on the way down. He's carrying automatic pistol clips.

NOTES: If you didn't get the AUTOMATIC PISTOLS in Venice, this baddie will drop the guns instead of the clips. Also, after killing him, you might want to take a little detour to the dock opposite where he was patrolling. There you'll find a poster of Gianni Bartoli—famous magician/occultist and father of our villain, Marco Bartoli. (screenshot) I only discovered this my third time through the game. There's nothing else here, but it's a fun bit of Tomb Raider trivia.

From the ledge where the first baddie fell, dive into the canal and swim to the far left corner. (screenshot) Climb the ladder to the first small landing on the right. Turn around and pull up onto the ledge above. Throw the switch (screenshot) to open a trapdoor not far away. A brief cut scene shows a golden key sitting on the floor in a dark room.

Jump back to the ladder and climb to the level above. To dismount, either climb to the right and let go or backflip and do a mid-air roll. If you just press Jump, Lara will leap off the ladder, overshoot the walkway and fall into the /canal. Then you'll have to climb all the way back up. From this, the uppermost ledge, take a running jump to the white ledge on the other side of the canal. Walk to the left end and take another running jump to grab the edge of the platform where you started the level. Traverse to the right to avoid the swinging box and pull up. (screenshot)

Carefully position Lara at the outer left corner of the ledge with the swinging crate on her right. It won't touch her here. (screenshot) Hop back once and then angle Lara a little to the right so she's squarely facing the open trapdoor in the roof on the other side of the canal. Use the Look button if necessary to move the camera directly behind Lara and check the angle. Now wait for the crate to swing away to the right and take a running jump past it so Lara sails across the canal into the open trapdoor.

A burly guy with a club attacks as soon as Lara hits the floor. Deal with him and then pick up the ORNATE KEY. When you start up the stairs toward the exit, a second enemy enters through that door. If you run up the stairs, get a lock on him and back away shooting, you can kill him before he does any damage. Steal his small medi pack and continue to the top of the stairs to emerge on the cement ledge near the trapdoor switch.

Once again, jump across the hole in the floor to grab the ladder and climb to the level above. Take a running jump back across the canal to the white ledge. From there, jump back to the wooden ledge near the entrance. (screenshot)

BREAKING AND ENTERING: Move to the far end of the ledge between the swinging crate and the slide where you entered the level. Take a running jump to the small, flat area on the tiled roof ahead. (These screenshots show the sequence.) Hang from the left edge and traverse to the left. (Or jump onto the slanted roof, slide and grab the edge, then traverse to the left if necessary.) Drop to the small, square ledge below. Drop and hang from the edge and traverse to the left until Lara is hanging in front of the window. Release the Action button to let go and quickly press it again to grab the windowsill. Pull up.

Shoot out the window and enter the room, carefully walking over the glass shards to avoid taking damage. Head for the back, left corner of the room, where you'll find a ladder. (Be careful not to step off the edge here and fall into the water. If you do, you'll need to reload your last save or swim back to the other end of the canal, retrace your steps to the starting ledge and try the whole sequence again.) Climb the ladder, go up the steps and use the ORNATE KEY you "liberated" to unlock the door. Follow the passage and climb the next ladder to the roof.

ROOFTOP WITH BREAKAWAY TILES: The remains of this decaying roof are 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, as long as you keep moving. Start by positioning Lara at the middle-right side of the ledge, facing the part of the roof that has a gap, three wood squares, another gap, three more wood squares and another gap. (screenshot). Walk to the edge, then take a standing jump forward onto the first set of wooden squares. Immediately start running. Don't pause as you cross this first wooden section. Just before the next gap, jump to land on the next wooden section ahead. Continue running and jump just before the last gap to grab the cement ledge ahead. Then pull up. Or, when running across the last wooden section, veer to the right and jump directly onto the wooden walkway below the cement ledge. (screenshot) Move to the right end of the cement ledge, and climb into the raised opening on the wall. (screenshot) Follow the passageway to where it ends overlooking the opera house roof.

OPEN AREA WITH DOMED ROOF: There's a thug with a gun patrolling below. It may take a minute, but you can shoot him without dropping down from this ledge. If you then dangle Lara from the ledge and quickly pull up, it will draw out another baddie with a bat and 2 Dobermans. (Normally they'd appear as soon as Lara touches the ground.) They can't climb onto the ledge, so you can take your time and shoot them with your unlimited-ammo pistols from above. If they run off, just hang from the ledge again to get their attention.

Drop down and pick up the goodies the men dropped: a large medi pack and auto pistol clips. Cross over the roof to the far corner. When you near the area with the swinging crate, 2 more men with guns appear. If you shoot from the top of the dome and flip from side to side while firing, they won't do too much damage. If you do come down from the dome, be careful not to accidentally fall into the trenches along the side walls; these are lined with broken glass. These two guys drop shotgun shells and a small medi pack.

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

Head for the cement structure with the swinging crate. To jump from the dome and grab ledge below the crate without injury, start by positioning Lara on the flat part of the dome farthest to the left when facing the crate. (These screenshots show the setup and jump.) Walk to the edge and sidestep as far to the left as possible. Then use the Look button to check Lara's angle. Adjust her so she's facing just to the left of the center line between the two blocks that make up the ledge. Take one hop back, then run, jump, grab the ledge. Lara should end up hanging below and to the left of the crate. Traverse to the left and pull up onto the ledge. Drop down into the dark area below and push the button to open the trapdoor out on the roof.

Two thugs, one with a club, one with a gun, come charging out. Climb out of the dark room and shoot them from above. Just watch out for the crate. The guy with the gun leaves shotgun shells and flares.

LIGHTING BOOTH: You can now drop down into the LIGHTING BOOTH, which is the uppermost room in the abandoned opera house. Here you'll find 2 switches. The one on the right doesn't work because it's missing a CIRCUIT BOARD, which you'll need to find. The left switch opens the gate so you can get inside.

Before we go further, note that the opera house has 4 levels, not including the LIGHTING BOOTH and the FLOODED BASEMENT, which we'll get to shortly. To try and keep things clear, I am calling the ground floor where the stage is LEVEL 1, and so on, up to LEVEL 4, where you'll start your explorations.

After using the left switch to open the gate, drop down into the dark room below the LIGHTING BOOTH. There's a boulder trap here. I recommend setting it off now, since you'll return here later and by then you may have forgotten about it. The boulders come out of the rough, brick opening at the top of the slope. To trigger them, run down the slope directly in front of that opening. When you reach the bottom of the slope, veer into the right corner. The boulders should then land harmlessly on the left. (These screenshots show the sequence.)

Now go back up the slope and push the button on the left wall to reposition the gate above, closing it over the lighting booth and opening the way into the main auditorium. Stand on the step below the ladder and jump straight up to grab it. Then climb up onto the gate and into the doorway. (screenshot)

LEVEL 4 (TOP): Before jumping down into the room, notice the huge sandbag dangling from the ceiling in front of you. You'll encounter a number of these. When Lara walks under them, they fall down and squash her, so take care. With that in mind, hop down to the floor carefully. The gate in the doorway closes behind you, preventing you from climbing back into the LIGHTING BOOTH. Head to the left, kill another thug with a gun and take his small medi pack. Then carefully trigger the sandbag if you didn't do so before.

NOTE: For now, ignore the hallway the thug came from. If you do explore there, you'll find 2 Dobermans and an ELEVATOR with a switch that doesn't work yet because it's missing a RELAY BOX. We'll come back here later after locating that part.

SHORTCUT: You can take a substantial shortcut here, which will bring you nearly to the end of the level. If you take it, you'll miss all the secrets and most of the action, though. Details are on a separate page.

Return past the raised doorway where you dropped down from the LIGHTING BOOTH. The double doors on the other side of this level (i.e., the right side when facing the stage) open and another gunman and guard dog rush out. Kill them. Go to the balcony near the door where they came in, turn around and look out across the auditorium. You'll see another enemy patrolling on LEVEL 3. With patience, you can shoot him from here. (screenshot)

CLIMBING DOWN TO THE FLOOR: You can draw out the next group of enemies by climbing down to the lower levels in a specific spot. Start by moving to the edge of the large, square opening in the floor, near the doors where the last man and dog entered. Hang from the edge of the opening (as shown in the first of these screenshots). You'll hear a click as a door opens below and a goon with a club and 2 more dogs enter. Traverse to the left and drop directly down to LEVEL 2. You can then shoot the man and dogs from here, and they won't be able to reach Lara.

LEVEL 1 (GROUND FLOOR): Drop down to ground level. 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. (screenshot) You may want to trip it now to avoid accidents later. In any case, watch out for it as you pick up the goon's large medi pack. Don't bother going in the door he came out; there's nothing inside but another nasty boulder trap.

Approach the flooded orchestra pit to draw another enemy with a gun out onto the stage. To kill him from across the water without taking too much damage, get a lock on him and flip from side to side while shooting. He drops Uzi clips, but I recommend waiting until later to get them. You'll need to return to the stage later anyway and if you climb onto the stage now, you'll trigger the appearance of several more enemies.

LEVEL 2 and 3 AGAIN: Climb up to LEVEL 2 through the square opening in the ceiling near the boulder trap. Walk to the edge on the far left (again, when facing the stage) where there's a gap in the ceiling. Take a standing jump to grab the edge of the floor on the level above and pull up. Turn around and jump across the gap and take 2 sets of automatic pistol clips from the baddie you shot earlier. (These screenshots show the way.)

There's another DOOR AND KEYHOLE at the back end of this level, so add one key to your "wish list." For now, go to the opening in the side wall near where you just pulled up (i.e., the left wall when facing the stage).

OPEN SHAFT WITH WATER BELOW: Drop into the water, climb out on the first step and kill a rat. Turn around and take a standing jump to grab the ledge across the water and above. Pull up and shoot another rat here. Turn around again and look up. There's a thug with a gun on the floor above. You may be able to shoot him from below. You'll get a clearer shot by jumping up and down, but take care not to jump off the ledge. Or, take a standing jump from the edge of this ledge to grab the edge of the floor above and pull up. Finish off the thug plus 2 more rats and a dog. (screenshots)

DRESSING ROOM AND VENTILATION DUCTS: Follow the hallway to the right. It comes to a dead end at some windows. Shoot them out then safety 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 ahead and avoid being chopped to bits by the huge fan below. Pull up and take the ORNATE KEY. Climb the two brick ledges on the right. Then turn around so the sloping duct is on Lara's left and the ledge where you found the key is directly ahead and below. Position Lara in the middle of the brick ledge and then side flip to the left onto the sloped duct. Slide almost to the end of the duct and then jump forward into the opening ahead. If you miss and fall onto the slope below, quickly jump and grab the ledge where you got the key before. Then climb back up and try again. Kill the rat before proceeding along the duct. (screenshots)

When you come to an intersection, walk to the edge and then take a standing jump across the sloped duct. Lara's head will bump the ceiling, but she'll land safely on the other side. Be sure to release Forward so Lara doesn't run on into the moving fan. If you moved forward at all after landing on this ledge, step back to the edge. Then take another standing jump forward without pressing Action to land on the ledge above the fan. Again, step back to the edge if necessary and take another standing jump forward and Lara will clear the second fan and land on the ledge above it. Turn around and take a standing jump to grab the edge of the dark alcove above. Pull up, walk carefully toward the next fan and retrieve SECRET #1, the Jade Dragon. Return to the edge where you pulled up and take a standing jump down, pressing Action to lower Lara's arc so she lands safely on the ledge below. (screenshots)

Continue to a small room with a movable crate. Pull it once. Press the button that was hidden behind the crate to open a door leading back into the DRESSING ROOM. Now pull the box once away from the wall. Push it through the opening into the dressing room. Climb onto the crate, shoot out the windows and go through to find another crate. Push the second crate through the broken window on top of the first crate. Jump from the edge of the ledge to grab the top of the stacked crates and pull up. Kill the goon with the club who's waiting above. You can get his attention by climbing onto the ledge and then drop back down onto the crates to shoot him from safety. (screenshots)

The ledge where the goon appeared is the same one where you entered the dressing room earlier. Follow the hallway back to the OPEN SHAFT WITH WATER BELOW. It's the second opening on the left—the one not blocked by metal grating. Take a standing jump to grab the ledge above, pull up and climb the low ledge to re-enter the auditorium on LEVEL 3.

THE STAGE: Turn left and hop across the gap in the floor where you climbed up earlier. Jump from that ledge into the flooded orchestra pit below. (screenshot) If you jump directly into the pool from the corner where Lara is standing in the picture, she'll land in the shallow water and die.

Swim across the pool and use the submerged block to climb up onto the stage. Avoid the area around the trapdoor near the back of the stage. Approaching it will trigger 2 falling sandbags. (screenshot) 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 other side of the pool. He isn't carrying any goodies, so there's no need to swim back across to search him, but if you killed the gunman on the stage earlier, you can now loot his body for Uzi clips.

Now carefully trigger the 2 falling sandbags above the trapdoor if you didn't do so earlier by accident. Then enter the room on the left, where the dog came from, and flip the switch to open the gate above the doorway on the other side of the stage. Notice the bright object in the water below the floor. (screenshot) This is the missing CIRCUIT BOARD from the LIGHTING BOOTH. You'll get to it from below in a few minutes.

BACKSTAGE IN THE WINGS: Head for the doorway at the other end of the stage. When you approach it, 2 goons with clubs come out. You can back out onto the stage so you have more room to fight, since you already brought down the sandbags. Take the large medi pack one of the baddies drops and 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. Run underneath them do this. Then return to the doorway and pull up onto the ledge with the gate that you just opened using the switch. Move carefully around the glass shards to the raised wooden drawbridge at the far end of the platform. Take a running jump to grab the low end of the crevice in the brick wall. Traverse to the left until you can pull up. Climb into the alcove and flip the switch to lower the drawbridge and cue the ominous music. (screenshots)

Turn around and take a running jump back to the platform with the broken glass. Be careful not to run on into the glass when you land. Turn left and cross the bridge you just lowered. Take a running jump and grab the wooden platform in the far left corner of the room. Pull up. Climb into the alcove above. Shoot the rat on the high platform across the room. Then take another running jump to grab the edge of that platform. Pull up and go to the right.

Now you'll need to time a jump past the swinging sandbag. Stand to either side of it, walk to the edge, wait for the sandbag to swing away and then jump forward past it. Avoid the second sandbag altogether by jumping to the flat area on the right of it. Then enter the passage beyond and flip the switch. This drops a sandbag on the stage which busts open the trapdoor below it. Continue past the switch and slide down the ramp, jumping just before the end to sail through the trapdoor and land in the water below. Or climb down carefully and jump in. (Again, check the screenshots if you need a visual.)

NOTE: You can't reach the white ledge above the stage yet, so don't tire Lara out trying to jump from the slope to grab it.

FLOODED BASEMENT - BELOW THE STAGE: Once you're in the water underneath the stage, turn around to face the ramp you just slid down in order to get oriented. Go through the doorway on the left, proceed until you can turn left again, and then continue forward, wading through waist-high water until you come to a short flight of steps leading down. Dive underwater and swim down those steps and straight ahead into another room where you can surface for air. In the far right corner of this room, just below the water's surface, is a small opening. Swim through it and follow the narrow tunnel to SECRET #2, the Silver Dragon. Grab it, roll and swim back out. (screenshots)

On the opposite side of this flooded room there's a raised area where the water is very shallow. Climb up there and flip the switch to open a door on LEVEL 3 of the main auditorium. Swim back the way you came to the room with the waist-high water. Wade forward and then turn right into the room with the trapdoor and sandbag. Turn left, so the trapdoor and sandbag are behind Lara. Then swim down and forward, right, then upward to surface in the next room. Climb out of the water on the small ledge. Pick up the RELAY BOX and climb the ladder to the door you opened with the last switch. (This sequence is included in the previous set of screenshots.)

MAIN AUDITORIUM (again): When you emerge on LEVEL 3 of the main auditorium, climb up to LEVEL 4 and head for the far right corner (i.e., the back left corner if you're facing the stage). (screenshot) Enter the wood-paneled hallway in that corner and shoot the 2 Dobermans that charge at Lara from the far end of the hall.

THE ELEVATOR: Place the RELAY BOX in the exposed circuitry on the wall to repair the ELEVATOR. Pull the switch to send it down, then jump to grab the ledge with the ladder on the right side of the elevator shaft. Pull up and 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 with a switch; pull it to open the door to the right. Walk through the glass to the exit, retrieving additional Uzi clips on the floor before you leave. (screenshots)

NOTE: If you didn't get the UZIS in the previous level, you'll find them here in place of the clips.

Turn right and go back into the wood-paneled hallway with the ELEVATOR shaft. Pull the switch to bring the elevator back up. Pull it again, then step inside to ride down to the ground floor.

LARGE OPEN ROOM WITH TWO THUGS: When the doors open, run out and take out the 2 thugs with guns waiting to ambush Lara. If you're low on health, be sure to keep moving as you fight. It may help to get a lock on one of them and keep shooting while jumping from side to side. When he falls, release Action, target the second thug and repeat the process. Afterward take the 2 boxes of shotgun shells they drop.

NOTE: If you look up, you'll notice the decaying roof above. You're now in the area below the breakaway tiles that you crossed on the way into the opera house.

FLOODED BASEMENT - BELOW THE ELEVATOR SHAFT: Pull the switch to send the elevator back up. Drop into the flooded elevator shaft and turn right to face the wall with the ladder. Swim down and to the left. Follow the submerged steps upward and around the corner to the left, then left again. Surface in the room at the top of the steps and turn right. Wade across the room and pick up the CIRCUIT BOARD that you glimpsed earlier through the floor of the room above. (screenshots)

Swim back down the flooded steps the way you came. When you reach the wooden part of the steps, if Lara's air meter is at least half full, proceed directly to the exit from this area by swimming through the square opening ahead (and skipping the rest of this paragraph). Or, if you're low on air, turn right at the wooden landing. Swim forward, to the right and then up into the elevator shaft where you started. Take a few breaths, turn toward the wall with the ladder and then swim back down and to the left. This time, instead of following the submerged steps, go through the square opening on the right.

Just beyond the square opening, turn right. Swim straight ahead to a lever mounted on the wall. Pull the lever to open the grating on the right. Swim through and up to the surface. (screenshots)

RETURNING TO THE LIGHTING BOOTH: You're now at the bottom of the OPEN SHAFT that you explored earlier on the way to the DRESSING ROOM. Climb out of the water onto the carpeted ledge where you killed a rat earlier. Turn around, walk to the edge and take a standing jump forward to grab the ledge above the water. Pull up. Repeat this twice more to reach the uppermost ledge, which is on LEVEL 3 of the main auditorium. (screenshot)

Go to the keyhole at the back of the auditorium and use the ORNATE KEY to open the doors just to the left. Jump into the doorway. Holding the Action key while jumping will keep you from bumping Lara's head. Hop down into the dark room below the LIGHTING BOOTH. If you didn't trip the boulder trap earlier, watch out for it now. Move halfway up the slope and press the button again to open the gate above. Stand on the low step below the ladder and jump straight up to grab it. Then climb into the booth just like you did before.

LIGHTING BOOTH (again): Place the CIRCUIT BOARD in its receptacle and use the switch on the right to raise the scrim on the stage. If you flip the switch and nothing happens, you probably just need to try again. If you tested the switch when you first entered the lighting booth, it didn't work because the CIRCUIT BOARD was missing. It should work now. You'll know you've done it when you see red Fiamma Nera banners and a square doorway at the back of the stage. (screenshots)

Drop back down into the dark room below. Go down the ramp and vault up into the doorway on the left (i.e., the one you just came through when you returned to the lighting booth). Hang from the other side of the doorway and safety drop to the ground.

THE STAGE (again): As you approach the flooded orchestra pit, a thug with a gun will come out onto the stage to see what's going on. You can take him out from this side of the pool. Next, swim back over to the stage and step into the square doorway beneath the Fiamma Nera banners. Watch out for another falling sandbag to the left of the doorway. As soon as you cross the threshold, a dog and the 2 goons with clubs emerge from the room ahead. To conserve health, you can backflip into the water, swim to the other side and shoot these enemies from there. Then return to the stage, steal some shotgun shells and a small medi pack from their previous owners and enter the room they came from. (screenshots)

NOTE: If you've just come to this walkthrough because you're trying to get backstage and the backdrop with painted trees is still blocking the way, then you missed a step. You need to return to the lighting booth and use the switch there. See the section "RETURNING TO THE LIGHTING BOOTH," above, for details.

BACKSTAGE: Locate the one movable crate among all the others. It's at the base of the pile under the light, on the right side of the room if you're facing the opening at the top of the pile. (screenshot) Pull it twice. Then go behind it and flip the switch to lower the scrim again. Climb the boxes and go through the opening onto the white ledge above the stage.

WHITE LEDGE ABOVE STAGE: A thug with a club comes out to patrol below. Avoid the left side of the white ledge, since there's a sandbag suspended above. Instead, cross to the right side of the white ledge and move across the wooden floor onto the carpeted area overlooking the stage. You should be able to get a clear shot at the thug from here. (screenshot) Or, if you don't care about getting all the kills, just ignore him and move on. He doesn't drop any goodies.

NOTE: If you fall down onto the stage before reaching the next switch, which opens the door so you can climb back up, you can reload your last save, as long as you have one that's not too far back. Otherwise, return to the back of the auditorium and climb up to the lighting booth again. You can use the ledge just to the right of the open doors to jump and grab the doorsill. (screenshot) Then climb up into the booth and pull the switch on the right to raise the curtain. Return to the stage, enter the backstage room with all the crates, and flip the switch there to lower the curtain once more. Now you can climb back up the crates to the white ledge.

Drop down into the small room below the carpeted ledge. (screenshots) Stand at the edge of the square hole in the floor and jump and grab the edge of the opening above the hole. Flip the switch here to open 2 doors—one on the other side of the swinging sandbag ahead, the other just below. You can use the lower door to get back up to this ledge if you miss the next jump.

Rather than try to jump past the swinging sandbag, stand in the alcove with Lara's feet about one step back from the edge and jump diagonally to the slope on the right. If you aim just to the left of the middle of the slope, Lara should slide down to the flat spot out of the bag's way. Turn to face the bag, sidestep to the right and then run past the bag as it swings to the left.

STORAGE ROOM/EXIT: Below is another room full of crates. If you drop down to the floor, a super-tough thug with two pistols attacks, along with 2 Dobermans. You can confront them directly or, if you're low on health or just want to conserve what you have, try this:

Hang from the edge of the doorway in front of the swinging crate to draw out the super-tough thug. Then quickly pull up before he starts shooting. Turn around, step back from the edge a bit and shoot him from the doorway. You can use pistols here if you're patient. Just get a lock on him and continue holding the Action button. He may run around among the crates, but as long as you keep him targeted, Lara will fire whenever she gets a chance. If he starts to shoot at her, just step back from the edge until he stops. Then step forward again and keep shooting. (screenshots)

When he finally falls, take a carefully angled standing jump from the right side of the doorway past the swinging crate, as it moves to the left, to land on the stacked crates on the right side of the room. (You can also jump over there and then shoot the burly thug, but he'll have a clearer shot at Lara too.) Shoot the 2 Dobermans that appear below. If they wander off, just hang from the edge to get their attention and pull up.

When the coast is clear, make your way across the tops of the crates: First, turn so the entrance is on Lara's left. Then take a standing jump to the next stack of crates in the middle of the room. In order to jump onto the L-shaped stack of crates ahead without getting hit by the swinging crate, walk to the edge and hop back. Then, when the crate ahead swings to the left, take a running jump. Lara should pass the crate as it swings back to the right and land on top of the crate just beyond it. Turn left and take another running jump to the crates stacked along the end wall. Press the button to open the exit at the opposite end of the room. (screenshots)

When you press the button, another masked gunman enters. You can drop down and confront him or wait here on the ledge and shoot him from above. Then drop down and make your way along the right-hand aisle toward the exit. Just before you reach it, turn left between the crates, then left again. As you round the corner another masked gunman appears. If you use the shotgun, 2 rounds at close range should take care of him.

If you fall off the crates or choose to drop down and fight the enemies on the floor, there's a low crate at the far end of the room that you can use to climb up onto the others. (screenshot) One of the masked gunmen appears as you approach this crate. Take care of him. Then climb up onto the crates. 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 the button that opens the exit. Press it, deal with the final enemy and then drop back down.

Before leaving, recover a small medi pack and some Uzi clips from one thug, more Uzi clips from the second, and 3 pairs of grenades from the big guy.

If you didn't get the GRENADE LAUNCHER in the first level, you'll receive it now in place of one of the pairs of grenades.

Go through the exit and continue forward, taking a moment to admire the view of Venice at night before sneaking aboard the seaplane and ending the level.

CUT SCENE: Lara overhears Marco Bartoli talking with one of his henchmen. Unfortunately, a big goon with a wrench sneaks up on Lara and knocks her out before she can discover exactly what the bad guys are up to. (cut scene transcript/re-watch video)

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UPDATE HISTORY: 11/25/10 - First major update since this walkthrough was created in 1998. This revision includes many new screenshots as well as various other corrections and clarifications.
5/5/12 - Added links to cinematics on YouTube.
3/30/13 - Added note about raising the scrim for latecomers who get confused at this part. I know I did the first time. ;)
12/1/13 - Added "objectives" section for each level.
1/17/15 - Added tip for getting back to the white ledge if you fall down onto the stage.
2/5/24 - 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 the participants in the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup, without whom some parts of this walkthrough could not have been written. Thanks also to Russell C. and Tom C., who sent in tips for this level.


WAS THIS WALKTHROUGH HELPFUL? If not, I apologize and invite you to contact me with any questions. If you need help right away, I recommend the r/TombRaider subreddit. Other fan-run forums are listed at tombraiders.net/stella/community.html. If this site was useful, please consider supporting it financially or in other ways. For details, visit tombraiders.net/stella/support.html. As always, I welcome your corrections/suggestions. Thank you!

Stella's Tomb Raider Site: tombraiders.net.