Throughout this walkthrough I use abbreviations for north (N), northeast (NE), southwest (SW), etc., to give directions. There is no compass in this game, but just to make it easier to navigate on screen, we'll assume north is up, west is left, east is right and south is down. Outdoor levels include a map screen in the Inventory in case you get lost. Also, we played using the medium combat difficulty setting so your experiences may differ slightly on a different setting.
*Although the PC, console and iOS versions are similar, there are significant differences in a few areas. This walkthrough covers the original version but may also be helpful to iOS users.
Level 5: Forgotten Gate (Two-Player Co-op) | Updated: 9/22/12(†) |
For the single-player walkthrough, please see here.
Score Challenges: 140K, 170K, 230K (Bonus: Double Barrel Shotgun) Reward Challenges:
Artifacts: Stone Arrow, Clay Arrow, Gold Lizard A complete list of artifacts, relics and weapons can be found here. |
NOTE: There is no in-game map for this level. I may make a map later on.
ENTRANCE: There are health and ammunition pickups just inside. You won't need them yet, but they may come in handy later on. Go past them into the large room to the north.
MAIN ROOM WITH EIGHT ROUND PADS: Here there are 8 circular pressure pads, but only one LARGE BALL (1/8). In order to open the huge skull-shaped gate, you'll need to find at least 5 more balls to place on the pads. (If you have at least 6 balls, Lara and Totec can stand on the remaining pads to depress them. This is handy if you're going for the time challenge, but you'll need to retrieve all 8 balls for one of the other challenges.) Smash the urns for more health, ammo and gems.
There are two staircases leading out of this room. The door at the top of the left flight of stairs is barred for now, so head up the stairs on the right to the second landing. Go through the doorway with the blue flame sconces into the room to the NE.
BI-LEVEL ROOM WITH MOVING COLUMN: When you enter this room, numerous lizards spawn from the floor. Once you've dealt with them, drop down into the area on the right. Shoot the bull's-eye target to lower the square column. Push the LARGE BALL (2/8) onto the column and drop a bomb on the lower right (SE) side of the column. Shoot the target again to raise the column and then detonate the bomb to propel the ball across the gap to the upper level of the room. (screenshots)
Lower the column once more, stand both characters on it and shoot the target to raise the column and collect the floating gems. When you jump back over to the upper level, a squad of enemies appears. Roll the ball over them if they're clustered together and then finish off any stragglers. Destroy the stone coffin in the upper corner with a bomb to get the gem inside. Then push the ball out the door, down the stairs and off the ledge so it lands in the MAIN ROOM below.
There's no need to go downstairs yet; you still have more balls to find. So climb the stairs to the SE as far as you can go. Smash the urns on the small landing and the L-shaped walkway at the top to get gems and ammo. Jump across the gap in the walkway to the NW.
ROUND CAGE WITH HOLE IN FLOOR: This contraption looks like a slightly demonic version of the "Rotor" carnival ride. And look! There's another LARGE BALL (3/8) inside. Move around the edge of the circle, tilting the cage to drop the ball through the hole in the center. (screenshot) When you do, it ends up down below in the MAIN ROOM.
Shoot the nearby urns to get gems, ammo and health. Then continue up the stairs to the right (NE). Position both characters on the square pad and shoot the bull's-eye to raise a column beneath them. Have Lara grapple the golden ring in the next room so Totec can tightrope walk across. Then have Totec throw a few spears into the wall between the column and the ring so Lara can jump across. (screenshot) Watch out for the spikes just below the doorway.
ROOM WITH TWO SQUARE PRESSURE PADS AND TALL COLUMN: Several enemies attack from behind as you enter. Shoot them and then smash the urns for more health and ammo.
There's another LARGE BALL (4/8) on top of the square column. To get it, plant a bomb behind the column close to its base. Position each character on one of the 2 pressure pads to lower the column. Then detonate the bomb to move the ball off the column. (screenshots)
Before leaving with the ball, go after 2 red skulls (1 and 2/10). First, roll the ball onto one of the pressure pads and have one character stand on the other pad to lower the column. Position the other character on top of the retracted column. Then have the first character move off the pad so the column rises up again. Now the elevated character can jump to grab the wooden ledge above on the left (NW). Pull up and take the skull. Then carefully drop back down onto the column and then to the floor.
Now move to the gap on the right (SE) wall. Have Totec drop down onto the wooden ledge to get the other skull. Then Lara can use her grapple to pull him up. Alternatively, Lara can go after the skull, grapple Totec on the ledge above and climb up. (screenshots)
Push the ball out the door and off the ledge with the spikes and bull's eye switch below. Carefully hop down past the spikes. Shoot the switch to lower the column you raised earlier. Push the ball down the stairs and into the chute in front of the ROUND CAGE so it falls into the MAIN ROOM below.
Now go past the ROUND CAGE and up the steps on the left (NW). Step on the square pad to open the door and go through.
SMALL ROOM WITH SPIKES AND CHALLENGE TOMB ENTRANCE: The door closes behind you, and an ogre, 2 shamans and various lizards appear. When you defeat them, the ogre drops health and/or ammo. You can also use a bomb to blow up the stone coffin to get more health/ammo.
There's a red skull (3/10) floating above the spikes. If you're agile, you can get it by running onto the second set of spikes and quickly jumping out over the first set, but it's easier to have Totec throw a spear into the wall just above the skull. Then have Lara run onto the spikes and hop onto the spear, snagging the skull in the process. Wait for the spikes to retract and then jump off. Triggering both sets of spikes also opens the alcove to the right, where you'll find a HEALTH UPGRADE. (This screenshot shows the single-player version, but it works the same way in co-op.)
FIRST CHALLENGE TOMB: Go through the door on the right (NE) with the red lights. Inside is a round, spike-lined pit with a spiked column in the middle of it. Position Lara on the side of the pit nearest the square pressure pad but don't step on it yet. Position Totec on the opposite side of the pit and have Lara grapple him. Be sure the grapple cable extends directly across the pit, passing over the middle of the square column with the spikes on top. Now have Lara step onto the pad. This will raise the column and retract the spikes. Lara should continue to grapple Totec as he jumps toward the column and climbs up the side of it. Once he reaches the top, she can release the cable. After retrieving the Stone Arrow Artifact (+ weapon, - bomb), Totec can jump down to the edge of the pit. Now both can return to the main area. (screenshots)
Cross the room with the small spike field, where you found the last red skull, and climb down the ladder in the left corner to the room below. On the way down, pick up the LIGHTWEIGHT MACHINE PISTOLS on the ledge. (screenshot)
ROOM WITH SQUARE SPIKE FIELD: To get the LARGE BALL (5/8) off the pedestal surrounded by spikes, climb the steps to the ledge on the left (SW). Grab the gems. Then have Lara grapple the gold ring on the opposite side of the room. Totec can then tightrope walk halfway across, drop a bomb near the ball and jump clear of the spikes. Detonate the bomb to blow the ball off the pedestal. (screenshot)
When Totec passes over the pedestal, it triggers the appearance of an ogre at the foot of the stairs. Keep cool heads as you fight it so you don't accidentally step into the spikes. When it's dead, repeat the tightrope-walking procedure to get the AMMO UPGRADE that was hidden under the ball.
Roll the large ball out into the hallway. Break the urns to find 2 health and 2 ammo pickups. Then roll the ball onto the square pressure pad to lower the bars ahead and raise a pair of wooden ledges on the level above. (You'll be headed up there soon.) Push the ball down into the MAIN ROOM.
MAIN ROOM WITH EIGHT ROUND PADS (again): When you descend into the room, all hell breaks loose. A long-haired ogre (basically an armored version of the usual giant), a pack of lizards and numerous man-sized enemies appear, including 2 shamans. All the gates close, preventing you from leaving the room, but you can go as far as the top of each staircase to shoot down on your opponents if you like. Don't forget about the health and ammo in the urns if you didn't use them earlier. When you defeat the shamans and other enemies, another wave of creatures spawns. Take care of them as well.
When the fight is over, the gates re-open, so you can get the health and ammo in the entrance hall to the south and at the top of the left staircase.
STAIRS AND ELEVATED WALKWAYS – UPPER LEVELS: Climb the stairs on the right (E) and continue up all 4 flights to the L-shaped walkway. Jump across the gap to the ROUND CAGE. Cross in front of the cage past the chute where you dropped one of the balls earlier. (screenshot) When you approach the gap on the left, where the wooden ledges were just raised, several regular enemies attack. Deal with them and then jump across. (screenshot)
Break the urns on the landing for a gem and some ammunition. Then climb the stairs. Have Totec use his shield for protection as he bombs the arrow trap ahead. Lara can follow behind using Totec for cover. (screenshot) Grab the health pack and gems and continue upstairs to the right (NW).
At the top of the stairs is a wide gap with a wooden wall ahead. Have Totec throw a spear into the wall so Lara can climb onto the ledge above. Then she can grapple Totec and pull him up. (screenshot) Smash the urns for a gem. Then climb 2 wooden ledges, a ladder and a flight of stairs to another room with blue flames on each side of the doorway.
ROOM WITH ROUND PRESSURE PAD AND COLUMNS: There's a LARGE BALL (6/8) perched atop the tall column. Stepping on the round pad raises two medium-sized columns, one with a golden ring on top, but they sink again as soon as you move off the pad. You'll need to find another ball to hold it down.
SHORTCUT: If you're trying to complete the level in under 10 minutes for the Reward Challenge, you can take a rather large shortcut here. Use the alternate method for retrieving the 6th ball, shown here. Then roll the ball out into the hallway. Do not deposit it into the chute. If you do it will end up down in the ROUND CAGE, and you'll need to take extra time to tilt it into the hole. Instead just push the ball off the edge of the walkway so it falls directly into the MAIN ROOM. (screenshot) Then return downstairs. If you use Lara and Totec to stand on 2 of the 8 round pads in the MAIN ROOM, you should now have enough balls to open the gate. ;)
If you're not taking the shortcut this time and want to explore the whole level and collect all the balls for the other Reward Challenge, continue through the ROOM WITH ROUND PRESSURE PAD AND COLUMNS. Smash the urns and blow up the coffin for gems, health and ammo. Then climb the wooden ladder in the corner. At the top is the red-lit entrance to another CHALLENGE TOMB.
SECOND CHALLENGE TOMB: When you step out into the room, 6 shamans appear on the other side of the wide gap in the floor. Dodge their blue energy bolts as you shoot them across the gap. (Until you acquire some of the more powerful weapons, Totec's spear is quite effective against shamans.) After the fight, smash the urns for ammo. Then jump across the gap and take the Scepter of Huitzilopochtli Relic (Health Regeneration) from the pedestal. (screenshot) Return to the main area.
ROOM WITH BALL IN SPIKE FIELD: Continue NW to the next room. Here you'll find another LARGE BALL (7/8) with a HEALTH UPGRADE floating above it, sitting in the middle of a spike field. As you begin to explore, enemies spawn, including numerous lizards and several shamans. Take care not to run into the spikes as you fight. There are 2 ammo and 2 health pickups here, some inside the breakable urns.
Have one character stand on the square pressure pad to retract the spikes. Then the other character can jump on top of the ball to reach the health upgrade. When you have it, gather the gems and roll the ball off the spikes.
Now, if you like, you can do the Reward Challenge: Bomb a ball onto the skull pedestal. Position the ball just a little bit in front of the pedestal (i.e., the square block with the round divot on top). Set a bomb on the opposite side of the ball and detonate it to (hopefully) blow the ball onto the pedestal. (screenshot) If it doesn't work at first, just keep trying, adjusting the position of the ball and bomb if necessary. The reward is a HEALTH POWERUP.
Afterward, push the ball into the chute in the NW corner. Exit this room the way you came in, return to the end of the hall and climb down the ladders to the room below.
ROOM WITH ROUND PRESSURE PAD AND COLUMNS (again): Go through this room and out the other side to find the 7th BALL, which you sent down the chute from the room above. Roll the ball back into the room with the round pad and columns. Have Lara stand on the retracted column on the left. Totec can then roll the ball onto the round pad to raise both retracted columns. Then use Lara's grapple to pull him up onto the column with her. Release Totec and grapple the golden ring on the other column. Now Totec can tightrope walk across to the middle of the cable and jump onto the column with the 6th LARGE BALL. Roll it off the edge and then drop down. (screenshots)
Alternatively, instead of bothering with the 7th ball, have Totec stand on the retracted column on the left and throw a series of spears into the tall column as Lara raises the column beneath him by standing on the round pad. Then Lara can climb the spears to reach the 6th ball. (screenshots)
When you roll the 6th ball off the column, a long-haired ogre appears on the ledge at the top right. If you start shooting right away, you can probably kill him as he descends. He drops health and/or ammo.
Roll both balls out into the hallway, but instead of depositing them into the chute, just push them off the edge of the walkway. They'll fall directly into the MAIN ROOM. (screenshot) If you put the balls in the chute, they'll end up in the ROUND CAGE on the level below, and you'll have to spend time later tipping them into the hole in the center of the cage. Also, as you deposit the first ball in the chute, a shaman will appear on the other side of the gap.
STAIRS AND ELEVATED WALKWAYS – UPPER LEVELS (again): After pushing the 6th and 7th balls off the ledge, jump across the gap onto the walkway to the SW. This walkway has flights of stairs leading up and down. Climb the stairs at the end of the walkway to find a red skull (4/10). Run onto the break-away tiles to get it and quickly run off before the tiles collapse. (screenshots)
Go back down to the walkway and descend the other flight of stairs. Shoot the enemies that spawn below. Then carefully retrieve the gem and red skull (5/10) sitting on the 2 tiles with retracting spikes. You can do this by running over the spikes, but they extend pretty quickly. You may have better luck if Totec throws a spear into the wall just above the skull. Then Lara can run forward and jump onto the spear before the spikes extend, snagging the skull in the process. In any case, you'll need to use the spear so Lara can climb onto the ledge above. Then she can grapple Totec and quickly pull him up. (screenshots)
ROOM WITH SPIKES AND WOODEN LEDGE: Continue upstairs to another room with blue flames flanking the door. Climb the wooden ledge just inside and have Lara grapple the golden ring on the other side of the room. Totec can then tightrope walk across the spikes. (screenshots)
Position Lara on the square pad near the entrance. This retracts one set of spikes on Totec's side. He can then roll the LARGE BALL (8/8) onto the clear tile in the middle of the spike field. Move Totec onto the square pad on his side of the room, retracting the spikes on Lara's side, so she can grab the ball and roll it onto her pressure pad. With Totec on one pad and the ball on the other, Lara can safely cross the spikes.
Smash the urns for ammo and gems. Then have each character pull one of the 2 handles, raising the gate so you can get the AMMO UPGRADE. Totec should then return to his pad so Lara can cross back to the other side of the room and climb onto the wooden ledge. Grapple the golden ring again and Totec can tightrope walk to safety. Roll the ball out of the room, down the stairs, and into the chute, which leads to the ROUND CAGE below. (screenshots)
STAIRS AND ELEVATED WALKWAYS – UPPER LEVELS (again): From the chute, head to the left (SW). Jump down over the spikes where you found the 5th red skull. Go up the stairs and then right (NE). Jump the gap in the walkway, pass the next chute, turn the corner and continue past the ROOM WITH ROUND PRESSURE PAD AND COLUMNS. Go down the next flight of stairs, climb down the ladder and ledges and jump across the gap to the stairs below. This is where you destroyed the arrow trap earlier. (screenshot)
Continue along this walkway, fighting more enemies, including a long-haired ogre and a shaman, that spawn as you approach. Retrieve any health/ammo the ogre drops and jump across the gap between the wooden ledges to the ROUND CAGE with the hole in the middle.
ROUND CAGE WITH HOLE IN FLOOR (again): Depending on how you played the earlier sections, there may be one or several large balls inside now. Move around the edge of the circle, tilting the cage to drop the ball(s) through the hole in the center and into the MAIN ROOM below.
NOTE: If you followed this walkthrough and pushed the 5th and 6th balls off the edge of the walkway earlier, rather than into the chute, there should only be one or two balls in the cage now: the 8th ball, from the highest room in the level, and possibly the 3rd ball, which was in the cage at the start. If you took the shortcut, described above, and didn't obtain the 8th ball, there will be one ball (the 3rd) in the cage, unless you sunk it earlier.
If you found all 8 balls and sent them down, you'll receive the AMMO POWERUP promised in the Reward Challenge.
Jump across the gap in the walkway to the SE. When you reach the top of the wooden ramp, a squad of enemies appears, including an ogre between you and the ROUND CAGE, and a long-haired ogre on the landing below. You may want to have one character concentrate fire on the closest ogre, while the other deals with the minor enemies. You should have a few moments before the second ogre arrives. Take health and/or ammo from both and continue down to the MAIN ROOM.
Roll 6 of the balls onto the round pads and step on the remaining pads to open the gate. If you're not in a hurry to reach the exit, top up your health with any of the pickups you didn't use earlier (i.e., here, in the entrance hall to the south, and in the hallway at the top of the NW staircase). Then go through the gate you just opened.
GAUNTLET OF TRAPS: Before moving forward into the trap hall, use bombs to destroy the stone coffins—2 on the left, 2 on the right—to obtain some gems and a red skull (6/10). (screenshot)
NOTE: You'll probably need to play this level at least twice if you're going for 100% completion—once to get all the red skulls and the 8-ball Reward Challenge, and a second time to beat the challenges involving finishing the level in under 10 minutes and navigating this trapped hall without dying. These screenshots show one possible sequence for navigating the trap hall, along with the locations of the remaining red skulls. I don't yet have a video of the trapped hall challenge in co-op mode, but this video walkthrough shows the single-player version, which is very similar, and the last 2 minutes of LraCroft's co-op video shows how it's done without also collecting the skulls.
The first part of the gauntlet consists of a series of pounding blocks. Run forward between them until a cut scene takes over. This shows the blocks you've already passed beginning to close. After the first four sets have closed, you regain control. Start running/rolling forward (rolling is faster than running) as the blocks close behind you. There are several gems here. With two players, you should be able to get most if not all of them.
Next comes a section of break-away tiles. If you stop moving, the floor will collapse beneath you. Here it helps if each player claims one side of the course. Then you won't get in each other's way or accidentally knock out floor tiles causing the other character to fall through. If you're going after the red skulls, the character on the left should jump the first gap to snag red skull (7/10) and then veer back toward the middle. If you're just trying to get through without dying, have each player stay on his or her side and keep moving as you jump across the gaps where there are missing tiles.
Beyond the collapsing floor there are 12 more sets of pounding blocks. This time, move forward more cautiously as the blocks ahead of you open. After you've cleared the first 4 sets of blocks, the ones behind you start to close again. Keep moving forward. After the 8th set of blocks opens, it will close again before the next set opens. Notice how they shudder slightly before snapping shut. If Lara and Totec don't step back, they'll be crushed. Don't back up too far, though, since the blocks behind close as well.
When the blocks ahead start to open again, continue moving forward. All but the last set will now open. Then the second- and third-to-last sets close again. Be sure to step back out of the way. It's difficult to count blocks as you're running, so when you come to that last set that remains closed, move back into the safe space between the 4th and 5th sets of blocks from the end. Wait for the 2 sets just ahead to close. After a moment, they'll re-open, along with the last set, so you can run through.
Next comes a second section of collapsing tiles with huge boulders falling from above. Each boulder casts a shadow on the floor where it's about to land and create a dangerous gap. But if you keep your eyes on the shadows, you can avoid those sections or get ready to jump over them as you approach.
There's another red skull (8/10) a little way in, near the middle of the floor; however, a boulder falls right in front of it, so you'll need to jump across the gap formed when the boulder falls in order to get it. The next red skull (9/10) is about halfway along, on the right side of the floor. The final red skull (10/10) is a little more than three-quarters of the way along, on the left side. If you manage to get them all, you'll be rewarded with a Clay Arrow Artifact (+ weapon, - defense).
When you come to the end of the collapsing floor, a humongous spiked boulder falls from the ceiling. You can see its shadow spread out across the floor. Quickly run/roll onto the solid ledge beyond the break-away tiles and straight on through the level exit.
Reward Challenges: If you manage to navigate the trap hall on the first attempt, you'll receive a Gold Lizard Artifact (+ bomb). If you finish the entire level in 10 minutes or less, you'll get the Golden Scepter of Cihuacoatl Relic (Ammo Regeneration, Scatter Shot).
†UPDATE HISTORY: 9/19/12 - Co-op walkthrough posted. For complete update history for this level, see the single-player version.
9/22/12 - Replaced a few screenshots and fixed a couple of minor errors.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Special thanks to Treeble for offering to help me finally finish this walkthrough and for his infinite patience and good humor during our co-op play.
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