LEVEL 2: PERU - RETURN TO PARAÍSO (Paraiso) | Updated: 8/12/09(†) |
Items: health packs, grenades, assault rifle, shotgun, ammo
Enemies: mercenaries
Rewards: 8 bronze, 2 silver, 1 gold (*)
Time Trial: 21:30 (**)
Back at Croft Manor, Zip tells Lara what he's learned about James Rutland. Lara then decides Peru is the next logical destination. She asks Zip to arrange a meeting with Anaya in Paraíso. (This cinematic is titled "Returning Home".)
In a separate cut scene ("Unwelcome in Paraíso"), the locals scatter as Lara arrives in town. Over the headset Zip directs Lara to meet Anaya at the statue in the marketplace.
STREETS OF PARAÍSO: Just beyond CHECKPOINT 1, Lara can play with the abandoned football by standing near it and pressing Interact to kick. If you kick the ball into the area below the pennants (shown in this screenshot), you'll hear an imaginary crowd go wild.
The sparring dummy offers an opportunity to practice shooting and hand-to-hand combat. Follow the on-screen instructions and/or refer to the Controls page for tips. Use pistols so you don't waste ammo, unless you plan to restart the level.
Before going to meet Anaya, pick up a reward: Enter the first alley after the starting point (on the right if Lara's back is toward the big wooden doors). Follow the alley around to the left and use the small ledge to climb on top of the house. Go to the edge of the roof above the street and grapple-swing across the road to the next house. Then use the grapple to grab the bronze reward (1/8) in the alley behind the house. If you drop down into that alley, push the movable crate against the low fence and use it to climb back out to the street. (screenshots)
Head left toward the village square, crossing CHECKPOINT 2 on the way. Anaya and her yellow Jeep are visible from a distance.
In a cut scene ("Rendezvous with Anaya") Lara greets her old friend (who apparently shares the same plastic surgeon). They're only able to reminisce briefly before a truck full of mercenaries roars into the square. Lara tells Anaya to get going and she'll catch up.
PARAÍSO TOWN SQUARE: When the cut scene ends, Lara is standing on the wide stairs of the big building (town hall? church?) with armed men closing in. Take cover. The area below the stairs on the right is one good hiding place. Only the one soldier on the veranda to the right can hit Lara from here. Then gradually move out and deal with the other 3 mercenaries one or two at a time. (strategy and screenshots)
Press Interact when the environmental hazard icon appears to shoot the explosive objects (i.e., the truck's gas tank, the barrel of fuel on the wheeled cart and the propane tank on the other side of the square) to blow them up, killing any nearby bad guys. Just remember, enemies can do the same to Lara, so don't stand right next to any of these.
Also, try and move behind cover when Lara runs out of ammo. Reloading takes a few seconds, and she's vulnerable when she can't move or shoot back.
When you've killed the first group, 4 more mercenaries emerge from the building with the old-timey menswear posters on the opposite side of the square. Use the columns, crates and other scenery for cover as you run around scooping up dropped ammo and health packs. Take out the second group of mercenaries as you go.
When they're all dead, a sniper with a shotgun comes out onto the balcony of the building diagonally opposite the truck. Stay under cover until you can get below him. Then move into range and take him out using the rifle. (screenshot) Heal and pick up any goodies you didn't get before.
Climb onto the market stall near the truck and jump from there to grab the nearby veranda roof; pull up. You can save time by using the magnetic grapple to snag the bronze reward (2/8) on the roof of the next building instead of swinging across the horizontal bars. Then drop back down to the ground. Or, if you do swing across to the reward, you can grab the diagonal cable and slide down just for fun. (screenshots)
Go between the building near the flagpole and the one where the sniper emerged. Head back toward the wall with the menswear signs. Then look behind the building on the left to find another bronze reward (3/8). (screenshots)
Return to the flagpole, climb it and jump onto the balcony. Kick in the door (Interact), enter and pick up a silver reward (1/2). (screenshots)
Go back outside, move to the edge of the balcony across from the building where the sniper was and grapple-swing across the gap. (screenshot) You should find some goodies that the sniper dropped, including a health pack, grenade and SHOTGUN.
NOTE: You may want to pick up the shotgun and use it to deal with the guy in the next room, since one shot kills at close range. But I recommend switching back to the rifle before going on to the next area. It works best at long range.
There's another mercenary inside the room from which the sniper emerged. He drops the same items (SHOTGUN or ammo, grenade and health pack) and there are several grenades on the table. This room also contains CHECKPOINT 3.
NOTES: Lara can carry up to 4 grenades. To use them, lock onto an enemy by holding Target Lock (G/L1/LT). Then press the Grenade button (K/R2/RB) to toss one at the targeted enemy. (If you're playing on the PC and have a 3-button mouse, you might want to assign this control to the middle mouse button.) Remember that enemies can also throw grenades at Lara. Stay alert and be sure to dodge when one comes her way.
MORE PARAÍSO STREETS: Move through the room to the other door and kick it open. This gives you a view out onto the next street. There are 5 or 6 more mercenaries ahead—2 on the ground and either 3 or 4 on the rooftops and balconies. They're armed with rifles and grenades. Of course you can just jump into the action, but here's one possible strategy for engaging the enemies a few at a time. (screenshots)
From inside the room, shoot the sniper on the balcony straight ahead. Now you can use the doorway for cover as you pick off the soldier below using your own rifle or grenades. (The shotgun is not so good at long range.) You may also be able to kill him by targeting the fuel barrel in the road nearby.
Then run out across the roof to the back corner. When Lara is standing there, the neighboring building shields her from the 2 shooters farther along the street (one on the ground, one above), while allowing you to target the man (or 2 men) on roof across the street. Once you've dealt with them, move onto the peak of the roof to target the remaining enemies.
If Lara falls off the roof, you could use the drainpipe on the building where the first sniper was standing to climb back up. However, if there are still men on the opposite roof, they can hit her as she climbs. You're probably better off on the ground using the buildings for cover.
After defeating the first group of mercenaries, either grapple-swing across the road to the roof of the next building (screenshot) or climb down and pick up the various dropped health packs, ammo and grenades. Another ASSAULT RIFLE is available here instead of ammo if you took the shotgun in the previous area.
Using the same grapple point, you can also swing to the small balcony where the first enemy was in order to get his items. But if you're already well stocked, there's no need.
Do not advance beyond the next corner until you're ready, since this triggers the appearance of another wave of mercenaries. If you go cautiously, retreating into areas you've already covered—or take the rooftop route described below—you can draw them out a few at a time so you're not overwhelmed.
If you continue at street level instead of climbing into the building, 2 soldiers appear as you round the first corner. There may also be another man on the balcony on the right. The rest of the mercenaries show up when you advance past the vendor's stall.
Alternatively, to take the high route and possibly avoid some damage, climb into the building across the street using the ladder near the metal garage door (screenshot). Step out onto the roof and pick up more dropped ammo, grenades and/or health packs, if you can carry more. Then move through the room and out onto the balcony. There may be another soldier waiting outside on the right to ambush Lara. (screenshot) He may already have come out onto the roof during the previous fight, however. If you saw 2 men on the roof earlier, this soldier shouldn't appear.
Step off the balcony onto the adjacent tin roof. Immediately turn right and move toward the edge of the roof overlooking the street. When you do, 2 more men materialize in the street below near the vendor's stall. (screenshot)
Once you've eliminated them, turn right to face the T intersection in the road. Then advance a little farther along the tin roof to trigger the appearance of the remaining enemies. A squad of mercenaries appears around the corner to the left—out of range for now. Reinforcements arrive from the right in a truck with a mounted gun. Take out the gunner on the truck first, either with your rifle or by pressing Interact to shoot down the electrical transformer on the pole behind the truck, electrocuting the gunner. (screenshot) Then deal with the other 2 mercenaries guarding the truck. If you need a breather, retreat along the street or into the room at balcony level, depending on your strategy.
Now, if you haven't done so already, drop down to the ground. Pick up any ammo, grenades or health packs you need. Then take care of the last 3 mercenaries near the end of the road. You can climb on the truck and use the big gun to blast them. (Press Interact to grab onto the gun, then shoot as usual.) Or use the corner of the building on the left side of the T intersection for cover. Step out to shoot or throw a grenade and then move back behind the wall to reload or dodge any grenades the enemies lob at Lara. (screenshot)
Don't approach the motorcycle yet. First, return to the vendor's stall and go into the alley directly opposite it. Behind the house on the right is another bronze reward (4/8). (screenshots) Now heal fully, pick up anything else you need and approach the motorcycle.
A cut scene ("Any Bike Will Do") ensues, in which Zip tells Lara that Anaya is being chased by mercenaries. Lara says she's on her way and hops on the bike.
MOTORCYCLE CONTROLS: These are covered in an on-screen tutorial. Refer to your manual or the Legend Controls page to review. Note that in the PC version, moving the mouse too much can cause problems. The camera doesn't respond well when Lara is riding, so you can accidentally move it to an odd angle, making it impossible to see ahead. Instead keep the camera behind her and steer with the direction keys.
MOTORCYCLE CHASE: During this sequence, speed is important. If you go too slowly, time runs out and Anaya is caught. Game over. But Lara takes damage if she hits solid obstacles going too fast, so you need to balance speed and caution. I don't think there's a specific time Limit, but Zip warns Lara to speed up if you start to lag. So if you're hearing impaired or play with the sound turned down, be sure to activate Subtitles in the Language section of the Options menu.
I have not mapped the course. There are a couple of forks in the road, but all paths converge so you can't take a wrong turn.
Look out for red health packs and drive over them to pick them up. Heal and shoot as usual. When multiple enemies are present, to switch targets press G/R3/LT instead of using the mouse or right stick. Shoot environmental hazards by pressing Interact as usual. I'm not sure why there are first aid kits and propane tanks scattered across the countryside. Maybe they fell off a delivery truck trying to navigate the bumpy road.
CHECKPOINT 4 is at the start of the chase sequence. There are a few mercenaries on cycles early on and lots more as you near the end of the ride. Most of the other hazards are just rocks and other obstacles in the road. The wooden crates won't damage Lara, but they make it harder to steer, so avoid them if possible.
Some specific hazards to note: Not far from the CHECKPOINT 4, there's a wooden ramp spanning the entire road. Steer straight onto the ramp to jump the bike in the air, eliciting whoops from Zip. A bit farther along there's a smaller ramp on the right followed by two heavy wooden barricades. Use the ramp to jump over the first. Then press Interact to shoot the propane tank and destroy the second barricade. Otherwise, Lara will take damage running through them.
Just after CHECKPOINT 5, you reach a burning bridge with huge gaps in places. Steer around the flaming holes and accelerate up the ramps to jump the gaps between sections of bridge. If you stay near the middle of the bridge, it's easier to hit the ramps and avoid the hazards. Just beyond the bridge, there are 2 medipaks sitting in the middle of the road, which are easier to pick up if you're already headed straight down the middle. (screenshots)
Soon after that you'll encounter larger groups of mercenaries on bikes, some with bigger guns. Rather than waste time hanging back and trying to shoot all of them, just concentrate on moving ahead as fast as possible without crashing, picking up health packs when possible, and only shooting at enemies and hazards that happen to come in range.
Before long, you reach CHECKPOINT 6. There's a health pack just ahead on the right, then a brief stretch of nothing before you catch up with the trucks chasing Anaya. As you approach them, stay on the left side of the road to avoid the crates the last truck in the group drops in your way. Pass the last truck and move into the right lane behind the middle truck to avoid more crates dropped from the truck on the left. Then move in behind the left truck and shoot the 2 soldiers in back. When they fall, the truck's tailgate extends and you can drive on board. (screenshots)
In an action-packed cut scene ("Wrecking Crew"), Lara kills the truck driver and jumps into Anaya's Jeep. Then the two speed away. Soon they arrive at the old dig site outside Paraíso. The two talk briefly about the past and closure.
Next comes a flashback to the earlier expedition. As Lara follows Amanda down into the excavation pit, the climbing rope breaks. (This second cut scene is titled "Digging Up the Past".)
FLASHBACK: In this section, you play as a somewhat younger Lara. (Hey, that outfit looks familiar.) CHECKPOINT 7 is on the platform where you start. Duck or roll through the low opening straight ahead. Slide down the short slope. Amanda tells you to swing across the sinkhole, so grab the overhead bar and traverse hand-over-hand across the pit. Drop down on the other side and continue along the tunnel. At the fork in the path, go to the left for now.
A growling sound emanates from within the tunnels. Then the body of Eva, apparently another comrade, is flung into view. Amanda screams as rocks tumble from above, blocking the tunnel between her and Lara.
Backtrack along the tunnel and take the left fork. (The entrance is back to the right.) Throw down a flare or two to light the way.
NOTE: You have unlimited flares, but only two will stay lit at a time. Use the same button to light and throw flares as you do for grenades.
Duck under the half-open bars, triggering CHECKPOINT 8. Lara recognizes the body of another colleague, Sarah. Push the crate around Sarah's body and onto the right side of the pressure pad in the floor to activate a half-broken spear trap. (A nice, realistic touch. After so many years, you'd expect some decay.) Climb onto the crate and jump to grab the one full-length spear. Swing around it and jump to grab the ledge ahead. Get the bronze reward (5/8) in the corner. Take a running jump to grab the ledge above the huge carved face. Traverse to the left and then jump to the flat spot at the top of the slope. This is CHECKPOINT 9. (screenshots)
Hop down into the next room to find another body and one friend, Kent, still alive but trapped behind bars. The spear trap has already been triggered. Go through on the right side, where the spears have been broken off, and listen to Kent. He says there's a hole above and urges Lara to get up there and help him escape.
Roll the stone sphere off the pressure pad to reset the spear trap. Return to the other side of the room, crossing the pressure pad on the left side, where the spears are broken, so Lara doesn't get hurt. Climb onto the ledge in the corner. Note that Lara can't climb up where the ledge has crumbled, only on the left where it's intact. Take a running jump to grab the dangling rope. While hanging onto the rope, turn to face Kent's cage. Then swing and jump to the ledge above it. Go through the open door to CHECKPOINT 10. (screenshots)
Drop into the hole to trigger an interactive cut scene ("Demon of the Past"). A monster like something out of Miyazaki grabs Kent and then comes after Lara. This sequence is similar to the interactive cut scene on the wooden bridge in Bolivia. Rather than indicating a particular button, the blue Lara icon just means "get moving". As soon as you regain control of Lara, you need to press the correct controls to run forward and vault over the low wall. Keep running forward, vault over another pile of rocks and then run off the ledge to land in the room below. Use the same controls you'd normally use to run forward and jump. If you make it in time, the Unknown Entity sails over Lara's head and disappears into the wall. If not, the game reloads so you can try again. (screenshots)
NOTE: There's a stack of wooden crates in the next room. It's possible for Lara to get stuck between two of the crates, or even inside a crate, after this cut scene. If Lara gets stuck between crates, try pressing Interact to kick the crates aside. But if she's inside the crate, you may have to quit and reload a different save. To avoid this, do not try to jump and grab the rope during the chase scene. Just run forward off the edge and Lara will be safe. (Thanks to Stephanie, Gustavo and Joel for these tips.)
After the cut scene, you hear the chime for CHECKPOINT 11 and Lara is standing in a room with two dangling ropes and another decrepit spear trap. Climb onto the ledge in the corner and push the stone sphere down onto the pressure pad that triggers the trap. It may just roll onto the pad. If not, climb down and give it another push, then climb back onto the ledge. (Alternatively, you can just kick one of the wooden crates onto the pressure pad to trigger the trap.)
Jump from the corner ledge to grab the one ahead; pull up. Amanda appears at the barred door. She runs off as the Unknown Entity chases her along the passage. Jump to grab the spear you just extended by triggering the trap. Swing around it and jump to grab the rope. Swing on the rope and jump to the ledge ahead. This is CHECKPOINT 12. There's a bronze reward (6/8) just to the right. (screenshots)
Follow the tunnel to a pit lined with spikes. Use the horizontal bar above to traverse over the pit.
In a cut scene ("Amanda Falls Behind"), Lara meets Amanda near an ornate carved door. They argue about whether or not to remove the stone set into the door, but with the monster rapidly approaching, there's not much time. Amanda grabs the stone and then, just as the monster charges, it vanishes. The ruins begin to collapse, trapping Amanda under falling rubble. As the room starts to fill with water, Lara tries in vain to save her friend.
Back in the present, Lara and Anaya discuss whether or not re-entering the ruins is a good idea. Lara advises her friend to remain on the surface and to contact Zip if there's any trouble. (This cut scene is titled "Going Back In".)
ENTERING THE RUINS, PRESENT TENSE: This section begins at CHECKPOINT 13. First pick up a bronze reward (7/8) just ahead, behind some boxes near the base of the winch. (screenshot) Head toward the low ridge, climb up and locate the last bronze reward (8/8) in the wreckage of the small wooden shed. (screenshot)
Jump into the flooded pit. Swim down to the bottom of the vertical shaft. (screenshots) When you reach the ring of stones on the floor, swim forward along the passageway. A short distance ahead is another vertical shaft. Swim up the shaft and surface to breathe. Once Lara's air meter refills, dive to the bottom of this shaft and swim forward through the opening with broken bars. Just beyond the bars is another shaft. If you need to breathe again, head upward for air. Otherwise, swim down toward the bottom of the shaft. Then head forward until you see another circle of stones on the bottom. If you like, you can swim upward again to a third air pocket.
Finally, swim back down to the bottom of the third shaft, then on through the small, semicircular opening. (This is CHECKPOINT 14.) Keep swimming forward to a large, flooded chamber where you can surface and breathe.
NOTES: The swimming controls are a bit different in Legend than in previous games. If you're having trouble here, you may want to review the controls and practice a bit in the pool at Croft Manor before tackling more challenging underwater sequences.
If Lara drowns before you get to CHECKPOINT 14, don't forget to pick up the rewards in the excavation pit again after the game reloads.
FLOODED CHAMBER WITH BLUE LIGHTS: The fast-moving current prevents you from swimming through the jagged hole in the wall. To exit, you must first swim down and pull on each of the 4 blue lights to activate them and drain the water from the room. This sequence is timed, so you have to work quickly; otherwise the lights reset and you have to start over.
Swim along the surface until Lara is just above one of the lights. (You can start with any of them.) Dive down to the light and press Interact to use it. Once the light has been activated, it shines brightly and emits lots of tiny bubbles. As soon as Lara lets go of the first light, point the camera (using the mouse/right stick) toward the next light and press Forward to swim toward it. All the lights are at the same level, so you shouldn't need to move up or down. Tap Interact in time with Lara's strokes to make her swim faster. When you reach the second light, tap Interact again to activate it. Repeat the same procedure for the third and fourth lights. You may have time to come up for a quick breath, but it's possible to make it without surfacing. For me, swimming up then down again was more difficult than just staying level with the lights. (screenshots)
Using the fourth light triggers a cut scene ("Amanda Survived"). Grates open in the floor and the water drains out of the room. Lara examines the rubble and discovers Amanda's Chuck Taylor high top, without a foot inside. Perhaps her friend didn't perish after all.
NOTE: If you don't come up for air during the above sequence, Lara may lose some health in the process. You can avoid using a health pack, however, if you just continue to the next checkpoint. Then save and reload and Lara will have full health.
Before leaving this area, pick up the silver reward (2/2) in the side passage just to the left of the semicircular opening where you entered. (screenshot)
CHECKPOINT 15 registers at the crumbled remains of the door where Amanda took the stone all those years ago. Climb through that jagged opening.
Here Lara discovers a carved panel whose inscription tells of an ancient queen, Tanupa, whose history parallels that of King Arthur. (The cut scene is called "The Queen's Story".)
CRUMBLING PASSAGEWAY: Go around behind the panel. The steep slope prevents you from going farther. So climb the carved stone handholds on the left and jump back to grab the ledge behind. Pull up. (screenshots) Once Lara is standing on that ledge, turn to face the top of the slope, jump off the ledge and immediately press Jump again to snag the metal grapple point above. Then either swing to the flat spot at the top of the slope and climb onto the ledge on the right, or shorten the cable and swing directly to that ledge. Note that Lara can't climb up on the left side of the ledge where it has crumbled, only on the right where it's intact. Once Lara is standing on that ledge, turn to face the next slope. Again, double-jump off the edge to extend the grapple. Swing and jump to the flat spot above the second slope. Continue to CHECKPOINT 16.
Climb the steps to begin an interactive cut scene. As Lara attempts to cross a crumbling floor over a deep pit, the floor gives way. A series of icons appear on the screen. As soon as each icon appears, quickly press the control indicated and she will make it across. These are:
PC: Up, Up, Right (i.e., Forward and Right direction keys or the actual arrow keys)
PS2: Left stick up, X, Triangle
Xbox: Left stick up, A, Y
PSP: Analog stick up, X, Triangle
GameCube: Analog stick up, A, Y
NOTE: There's a bug in this cut scene in at least one PC version of the game. For the third control, instead of an arrow pointing to the right, the game shows an arrow pointing down. This is wrong. You still need to press Right to pass the cut scene.
STONE SPHERE PUZZLE: Just beyond CHECKPOINT 17 is a huge room with a stone sphere, 3 pressure pads and 3 massive statues. Lara can step on the pads, but it has little effect. You'll need something heavier.
NOTE: The solution to the puzzle is shown in a set of screenshots and in this video tutorial, which also shows how to obtain the gold reward.
Begin by rolling the one available sphere onto the nearest pad to activate one of the statues. Its "arms" open, revealing a pair of ladders, but the broken ends are too high to reach. Looks like you'll have to find more big balls. Turn back toward the huge pit. Along the right wall is a carved pillar holding a second stone sphere. Use the magnetic grapple to topple the pillar. Roll the sphere onto the pressure pad on the right (when facing the statues). This activates the second statue, extending two full-length ladders.
Climb either ladder to the stone bump halfway up. Jump sideways to grab the narrow ledge at the figure's waist. Climb to the middle then jump straight up to grab its open mouth, then straight up again to grab the edge of its headdress. Climb back toward the ladder and jump to grab onto the upper section. Continue climbing to the top of the ladder and into the space on top of the statue's head.
Push the third stone sphere off the edge. Carefully climb back down the ladder. When you reach the bump in the ladder, instead of jumping over to the statue's face, just let go; Lara will grab on again below. Climb down a bit more and drop to the floor. (Alternatively, take a running jump from the top of the right statue to the middle statue and climb down the front of it.) Push the third sphere onto the center pressure pad to complete the puzzle.
Once all three spheres are in position, the third statue opens, revealing a passageway. The small statue between the pressure pads also rises and we see that it is actually a crypt. (The cinematic in which Lara examines the inscription on the tomb is titled "Viracocha's Staff".)
Climb either of the ladders on the third giant statue.
In the following cut scene ("The Queen's Sword"), Lara enters a small chamber containing a statue of Queen Tanupa, along with a broken ceremonial sword. Lara tells the guys she's seen a similar fragment in Japan. That piece was later stolen by Shogo Takamoto, a big man in the Yakuza. Naturally Lara knows someone who can introduce her to the thief. Before signing off, Zip gets a call from Anaya, which he patches through to Lara's headset. According to Anaya, Rutland's men are arriving at the dig up top.
CHECKPOINT 18 registers after the cut scene. Now you're headed for the dangling vine above the deep pit at the entrance. (These screenshots show the way.) From the ledge overlooking the room, jump to grab the handhold on the right. Jump straight up to grab the top of the ledge and pull up. Move to the opposite edge and jump to grab the ladder on the right side of the huge statue. Climb to the top and cross over the statue's head. Jump the gap to land on the ledge beyond. Here you can grab onto a narrow shelf that runs along the entire wall. Climb to the left and around the corner. Continue to the left, above the huge pit, jumping past the broken sections in the handhold.
NOTE: When making a long sideways jump, hold the direction key or push the control stick in the direction you want Lara to go. You'll see her lean that way and begin to lunge forward and pull back as though getting ready to leap. If you jump just as she lunges in the direction you want to go, she should grab on without the need for a saving grab.
Continue climbing to the left. Drop down the stacked handholds to the jutting ledge below. Turn around and position Lara at the squared-off corner of the ledge, facing the dangling vine. Then jump forward to grab it.
Now you can choose to go on or take a detour for the gold reward. To leave now, skip down to the section titled "Exiting the Ruins".
GOLD REWARD: (This sequence is shown in another set of screenshots, as well as in the video walkthrough for this entire room.) Once Lara is hanging on the dangling vine, turn to face the broken ledge on the other side of the pit (i.e., the ledge closest to the statue room). Climb up the vine until Lara is roughly level with the narrow stone shelf running along the entire wall. (This corresponds to the shelf you used to climb along the other side of the pit.) Swing as high as possible and jump to grab that stone shelf. If you miss, Lara should still grab the handhold below, allowing you to jump up to grab the narrow shelf. If she falls onto the ledge, you'll have to jump back to the area with the sphere puzzle or commit suicide and try again from the checkpoint.
Once Lara's got hold of that shelf, climb to the left, jumping past one broken section on the way. Pull up into the doorway, turn right and go up the ramp to find a fourth stone sphere. Give it a good shove to send it rolling down the ramp and crashing into the room below.
Follow the boulder down the slope and drop onto the ledge below the opening. From there, jump over to the ledge on the side of the huge statue. Climb down the ladder, just as you did before. At the bump halfway down, let go and Lara will grab the lower section of ladder automatically. Climb down a bit more and then drop to the floor.
Roll the fourth sphere onto the center pad, so there are now two balls there. This raises crypt a bit higher, revealing the gold reward (1/1) inside.
Once you have it, run toward the edge of the pit to trigger CHECKPOINT 17 again. Then cross the room and climb back up the middle statue to CHECKPOINT 18.
IMPORTANT: You can't use the same checkpoint twice in a row. Since checkpoint 18 was the most recent autosave, it won't register again unless you first trigger another checkpoint. Running to checkpoint 17 takes a few extra moments, but it's worth the effort. If Lara dies between here and the exit, the game will reload at checkpoint 18, but the gold reward will still be in your inventory so you won't have to go after it again.
Now make your way back around the room and along the narrow shelf to the vine. (Check that same set of screenshots again if necessary.)
EXITING THE RUINS: Once Lara is hanging from the dangling vine above the huge pit, swing and jump to the ledge directly ahead (i.e. the middle ledge of the three). (screenshots)
Lara overhears a pair of mercenaries talking below. You can probably target them from here. If not, jump across to the next ledge to get a little closer. Slide down the ramp to CHECKPOINT 19 (which is technically CHECKPOINT 16 revisited) and pick up whatever the soldiers dropped (health packs, grenades, rifle ammo).
Advance down the passage to the top of the slope. No need to bother with the grapple points this time. Just shoot the single mercenary from above, slide down and pick up anything he dropped. Continue to the hole in the wall and CHECKPOINT 20 (same as CHECKPOINT 15). You can use the opening in the wall for cover as you kill the 3 mercenaries in the next room. (screenshot) If any of them throws a grenade, just move out of the way until it explodes. When the mercs are dead, climb through the hole and replenish your supplies with the health packs, grenades and rifle ammo they drop.
NOTE: If you missed silver reward #2 here before, you can get it now. It's in the side passage just to the left of the elevated semicircular opening where you originally entered this area. (screenshot)
Jump to grab the vertical rope near the semicircular opening where the water is trickling in. Climb to a little below the opening. Swing and jump into it. This area looks a bit different now, but it's where you did all that swimming before. (screenshot)
Pass CHECKPOINT 21 (same as CHECKPOINT 14) and follow the tunnel forward and uphill. Go up the ladder then climb the stone blocks on the left. Shoot the mercenary before he notices Lara. Pick up ammo/health as needed and continue to the next dangling rope. There's a rough ledge halfway up but climb all the way to the top. Jump off the rope and get ready for a fight.
CHECKPOINT 22 is just beyond the rim of the pit. There's a squad of 10 mercenaries scattered around the open area ahead. Follow the same tactics you did in Paraíso: Use cover for protection (there's plenty of it); pick up dropped health packs, grenades and ammo as you go; run and dodge, especially when a grenade comes your way. Also, stay away from the edge of the pit. Near the end of the fight, Lara contacts Zip and asks him to tell Anaya to hide because someone's coming. One last mercenary appears on the rim near the jeep. When you kill him, the final cut scene plays.
In this cinematic ("Artifacts Recovered"), Lara shows Anaya the shoe. They speculate on why Amanda hadn't contacted them if she had, in fact, escaped. Zip cuts in over the headset to inform Lara that he's set up a meeting with Takamoto at a party being thrown by her old friend Toru Nishimura.
†UPDATE HISTORY: 5/21/06 - Cosmetic changes and typo corrections only.
5/22/06 - Time Trial info added. 6/4/06 - Typo corrections.
6/8/06 - Various notes and additions inspired by readers' questions and suggestions.
6/12/06 - Added missing checkpoint (#12) and renumbered successive checkpoints.
10/3/06 - Updated bug note after interactive cut scene, in which Lara gets stuck inside the crate. This can happen on Xbox 360 and PS2, so I recommend everyone avoid trying to grab the rope here.
10/16/06 - Added controls for second interactive cut scene, link to new time trials page, plus a few minor fixes.
12/19/06 - Added GameCube controls for the second interactive cut scene, thanks to Treeble.
12/28/06 - Added suggestion for kicking the crates in the bug note in the flashback section, thanks to Joel.
4/14/07 - Corrected PS2 control for changing targets while riding the motorcycle, thanks to Hanna.
8/12/09 - Continuing major round of updates on entire Legend walkthrough. Added numerous screenshots, as well as a video for the stone sphere puzzle and gold reward. Also made numerous tweaks for clarity and various minor strategy changes.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Thanks to Guil, JFB and others for pointing out the football Easter egg. (Now that I have a new sound card, I can actually hear it.) Rhys and Sergio for the Time Trial tip; Drew, Evelyn, Lara Man and Treeble for help with the console controls; and to Jildert, Roger B., Sergio (again), Shantaia, Stephanie, and T.J., for other help with this level.
*NOTE ON REWARDS: Finding rewards (formerly known as "secrets") unlocks various extras in the game. For a complete list of these bonuses and how to get them, see the Legends Rewards page.
**TIME TRIAL: After completing any level, you can replay it in Time Trial mode to unlock cheat codes. (See the Legend Rewards and Time Trial Tips pages.)
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