LEVEL 3: BARTOLI'S HIDEOUT
Updated: 2/5/24(†)
Kills: 37 Items: 18 (22) plus Uzis, 2 keys, and 3 secrets
NOTE: Under items, the number in parentheses (22) includes the reward for finding all three secrets.
LEVEL MAP by VGCartography (used with permission)
Bartoli's Hideout Video Walkthrough by Eldincy
OBJECTIVES: Get inside Bartoli's villa and make your way through the building to the ballroom. Here you'll find the Library Key and the secret entrance to the flooded basement, from which you can access the library. Go through the library to the boathouse to find another key that will enable you to reach the next area.
CANAL OUTSIDE BARTOLI'S VILLA: You start this level in your boat in a dark enclosure. Proceed straight ahead and the gate raises automatically. Dock your boat near the big doors on the left, hop out and shoot 2 rats. And now your boating days are over. . . sigh!
Climb the wooden stairs to the left. Draw pistols and shoot 2 more rats that appear as you turn the corner. A thug with a club then emerges from the building on the left. Deal with him and take his large medi pack. Go through the doorway where he came from and continue up the steps. Vault onto the wooden ledge and shoot 2 more rats. Flip the switch to open the big doors in front of the villa. Another bad guy with a baton comes out. If you move forward to the edge of the wooden ledge, you can fire at him as he approaches. Unlike dogs and rats, he can climb, though, so hop back from the edge when he gets close. When he's dead, grab the small medi pack he drops. Then go back down the stairs and enter the villa.
THE VILLA - ENTRANCE HALL: As you enter, 2 gun-toting thugs greet you—one is on the balcony above on the right, the other emerges from behind the pillars. Take the shotgun shells from the one at ground level. You'll have a chance to search the other in a few minutes.
Go to the blue-curtained windows on the left side of the room. Shoot one of them to break it and kill the 2 Dobermans (Dobermen?) that charge out. Step through the window into a glass-ceilinged sunroom. Run to the right end to find a pile of goodies: a small medi pack, flares and auto pistol clips. (If you didn't pick up the AUTOMATIC PISTOLS in the previous level, you'll get them here instead of clips.)
Return through the broken window and turn left. Several mechanical guards with hacking swords block your way. Make your way carefully past them to the end of the passageway. Flip the switch to open some doors outside. Now, return past the statues, which are no longer active, to the ENTRANCE HALL.
To reach the balcony where you shot that sniper earlier, go around to the area between the front doors and the balcony. Notice the section of rough, climbable wall above. Stand beneath it and jump straight up to grab it (as shown in these screenshots). If you're having trouble with this, it may help to position Lara on or just behind the seam between the floor tiles below the spot you want to grab. Then jump straight up, holding Action to grab. If Lara doesn't grab at first, just hold Action + Jump and she'll gradually hop her way forward until she's able to catch on. Scale the climbable wall upward and to the left, and then drop onto the balcony.
Or, if you prefer, you can take this longer route: Go to the largest of the angled wooden ramps, near the middle of the ENTRANCE HALL. Stand with Lara's back to the ramp, about one square (three walking steps) in front of it. Then backflip onto the slope and immediately jump and grab the ledge above. Or, climb up the back of the ramp and, as you slide down the front, jump to grab the ledge. Follow the ledge around to the movable block with the flowers on it and push it up against the railing (2 pushes). Stand next to the block and take a running jump to the balcony with the sniper you killed earlier.
Relieve the sniper of some auto pistol clips. Then use the climbable wall to cross to the hole in the wall leading outside. (screenshot) Ready weapons and go out onto the balcony. A sniper is firing at you from the balcony to the right. Kill him.
THE BACK DOOR: (The following sequence is shown in these screenshots.) Turn around and move to the end of the balcony with no railing. If you look down the canal to the left, you'll see where you're headed. Start by taking a running jump to land on the red awning on the other side of the canal. Slide back and grab the edge. Hang and traverse to the left. Pull up and immediately press Jump to backflip onto the balcony behind you. Take a running jump from this balcony to grab the small wooden platform jutting out of the wall ahead. Pull up and then jump to the red awning on the other side of the canal. Turn around, walk to the lower edge and take a standing jump into the doorway below, holding Action to shorten the jump so Lara sails right into the opening. (If you don't hold Action, she'll bang her head and fall into the canal. Then you'll have to reload or swim back around to the front door and try the whole sequence again.) As soon as you enter, 2 Dobermans rush down the stairs, so ready weapons and take care of them.
Continue up the stairs. A masked thug with a gun comes out of the room at the top of the stairs on the right. When he's dead, go into this room and find the switch on the wall next to the entrance. (The switch is well camouflaged by the garish, yellow wallpaper. This screenshot shows its location.) Pull it to open the door at the top of the stairs. Exit this room, turn right and you'll see that door just ahead. Go out onto the balcony, where you'll find the sniper you shot from the other balcony earlier. Take his shotgun shells and SECRET #1, the Silver Dragon. (screenshot)
Return to the room with the switch and the yellow wallpaper. Another of Bartoli's henchmen is patrolling the balcony outside. Shoot out the window, climb up and take care of him. Relieve him of 2 sets of Uzi clips and then move to the other end of the balcony. Shoot out the window here and enter. Two goons with clubs and a dog come through the doors on the right when you hit the floor. Try to stay out of their way as you shoot them. There are a few tables you can climb onto where the dog can't go, but the goons can climb as well as Lara can.
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 a secret, though. So use it at your discretion. Details are on a separate page.
At the back of the fireplace is a movable block. Push it twice then climb into the passageway above. Kill the rat lurking there and follow the passage to the end.
FLOODED ROOM WITH BLADES AND FLAME TRAP: At the end of the passage is a slope with blades at both ends, as well as a fire trap and pool of water below.
You may be able to avoid these traps altogether. (These screenshots show the sequence.) Begin by taking a standing jump over the first blade, angling the jump to the right so Lara doesn't slide down the slope at all but instead lands directly in the pool. Then swim underneath the flame traps and surface in front of the last flame jet. (Ignore the trapdoor on the bottom of the pool for now. You'll return here later from below.)
Save your game, just in case the next step doesn't work. Pull up near the center of the ledge and quickly run through the fire. I don't know if this is a bug, or if Lara's wetness protects her, but as long as you move through center of the flame, she should be fine. If you try and run through on either side, Lara always seems to catch fire. Also, if you try and go back through the flame toward the pool, Lara catches fire.
If this glitch doesn't work for you, try navigating the trap as the designers probably intended: Climb out of the water on the wooden ledge next to the first flame jet. The flames are on a timer. When you step on this wooden square they go out. But once Lara steps off the wood, the flames relight after a few seconds. To get through quickly, start by positioning Lara on the seam between the wooden square and the square that touches the corner of the room. Use the Look button to make sure she's facing straight ahead along the series of flames. (Again, check the screenshots if necessary.) Save the game if you like. Now take a quick series of standing jumps (i.e., press and immediately release Jump + Forward together to hop forward without running). If you take one quick forward hop after another, you should be able to clear the flames before they reignite. If Lara catches fire, reload the game or drop into the water and try again.
THE BALLROOM: Once you've cleared the fire trap, turn right. The door ahead opens automatically. A thug with a gun and 2 more Dobermans are waiting in the room below. You can kill them from the doorway if you like.
When the coast is clear, hop down into the ballroom and climb onto the first angled block. Stand at the higher edge (i.e., the edge nearest the entrance), jump straight up and grab the chandelier above. Pull up. Turn around and take a running jump to grab the middle chandelier; pull up. Turn right and take a running jump to the wooden ledge against the wall. Throw the switch to open a secret alcove on the opposite side of the room. (The entire ballroom climbing sequence is shown in these screenshots.)
Do another running jump back to the middle chandelier, then another to grab the highest of the three chandeliers. Pull up, walk to the far edge of the chandelier, jump straight up to grab the wooden ledge above and pull up onto it. Draw pistols and head to the right. It's difficult to see the 2 rats lurking near the square, brick pillar, but Lara can spot them. When they're dead, go around behind the pillar and walk out onto the brick ledge. Step to the edge and jump straight up to grab the big, wooden rafter. Traverse to the right until Lara can pull up.
Stand with the thick, vertical support on Lara's right, walk to the edge and jump across the gap to land on the wooden ledge below. A thug with a club jumps out from behind the low brick wall, so be ready for him. Watch out for the edges and don't jump around too much as you fight. Afterward, grab the thug's small medi pack.
Climb onto the brick wall, walk to the right end and jump over to the other wooden rafter. Pull the switch to change the height of the chandeliers. Then jump back onto the brick wall and safety drop onto the first chandelier, which is now the highest.
Walk to the edge nearest the middle chandelier and take a standing jump forward to land on it. Walk to the far edge of the middle chandelier and take another standing jump down to the third chandelier. Turn and take a running jump to grab the edge of the alcove you opened using the first switch. Pull up into the alcove and take the LIBRARY KEY. Then take a running jump from the alcove to grab the third chandelier once more; pull up. (If you miss the grab, just use the angled block below to climb back onto the chandelier.) Run, jump and grab the middle chandelier and pull up.
Take another running jump from the middle chandelier to the wide windowsill ahead on the right. Pull the switch to open a trapdoor behind the fireplace. Shoot out the window and walk out onto the ledge. At the other end there's an opening in the back of the chimney. Drop into this hole to land in a pool below. (Again, if any of this is confusing, check the screenshots for clarification.)
DARK, FLOODED ROOM NEAR LIBRARY ENTRANCE: When you surface, the books on the landing show you've found the library. But before entering, do a little exploring to find a secret: Pull the underwater lever, which is on the left just below the surface when facing the Library doors. (screenshot) This opens a small door next to the lever. Swim through to the other side of the flooded room.
NOTE: Here there are broken windows below the surface on the left. Beyond these windows is the canal that runs along the side of the villa. A climbable wall at the far end, beyond the striped poles, leads back up to the ballroom windows, in case you want to return there for some reason. (screenshot) That won't be necessary, however, if you followed this walkthrough.
UNDERWATER MAZE AND GOLD DRAGON: The next sequence involves swimming through a dark labyrinth. It's easy to get turned around and drown, so be sure to save the game before starting out. (These screenshots show the route to the secret.)
From the small door you opened with the lever, swim straight forward into the other side of the flooded room. Take a deep breath, then swim down into the submerged stairway on the right. Do an underwater roll to face in the direction you came from. Then swim forward into the maze. Stay close to the bottom as you continue straight ahead through a second fairly large opening. Then veer to the left just a little and go through the small, rectangular opening near the floor. Head toward the far left corner of the room, where you'll find 2 pairs of grenades. Pick them up. Then turn right and swim straight across the room, keeping the wall on Lara's left. SECRET #2, the Gold Dragon, is sitting on the floor in the corner. On the wall to the right is a lever that opens a trapdoor directly above. Pull the lever and swim straight up the shaft to the surface. (Perhaps this is stating the obvious, but if you're running out of air before getting the grenades and dragon statuette, you can pull the lever first, get air, then swim back down and pick up the goodies.)
NOTE: Each grenade pickup is actually a pair of grenades. If you don't yet have the GRENADE LAUNCHER, it's counted as '1' pair of grenades in your inventory. Once you obtain the weapon, the game starts counting individual grenades instead of pairs. For details on how ammo is tracked in your inventory, see the TR2 Controls page.
After pulling the lever and swimming up the vertical shaft, you wind up back in the FLOODED ROOM WITH BLADES AND FLAME TRAP. To return to the LIBRARY, you can either swim back down the shaft and through the maze, or make your way past the flames as you did before (see above). Re-enter the BALLROOM, break the window on the left and drop into the canal. Then swim through the broken windows into the DARK, FLOODED ROOM. Swim through the small door on the right and climb the steps to the LIBRARY entrance.
NOTE: You can also get the Gold Dragon and grenades by jumping out any of the BALLROOM windows into the canal below, then swimming into the flooded area through the window. However, you can't get from the secret area to the LIBRARY entrance without opening the small door from the other side. So, you'll need to return to the ballroom—either via the trapdoor above the gold dragon, or by climbing the ladders on the outside wall of the building (screenshot). Follow the BALLROOM walkthrough above to get the LIBRARY KEY and reach the LIBRARY.
THE LIBRARY: Use the LIBRARY KEY to unlock the door and enter with guns drawn. A thug with a club comes out of the room opposite. If you run forward, get a lock on him and hop back shooting, you should be able to take him down before he reaches Lara. Take the small medi pack he's carrying. Then enter the room he came from, go around behind the first bookshelf and climb on top of the second shelf. Kill 2 rats, jump across the gap, vault up onto the low shelf and flip the switch (screenshot), which opens one set of doors back in the main room. A bad guy with a gun comes out, so go down to meet him.
When he's dead, head into the room from which he came. Grab onto the shelves to the right of the door, climb almost to the top and then press Jump to backflip onto the wooden ledge behind. (These screenshots show where to go.) Here there are two windows, one above and one below. Climb on top of the shelf next to the windows and hop onto the higher windowsill. Shoot out the windowpane and walk out onto the sill. Turn around, slide backward down the red awning and grab the edge. Pull up and quickly backflip onto the small balcony behind you. (Or, slide down the awning frontward and jump to the balcony.) Do a running jump to the orange tiled roof below the awning, then jump onto the brick wall. From here, you can see the boathouse across the canal. Don't jump down yet.
BOATHOUSE & HIDDEN UZIS: Walk along the brick wall to the right end, where it slopes upward slightly. Stand at the highest point and take a running jump to grab the edge of the boathouse roof. Pull up and go to the back of the roof. On the left side, near the little chimney, there's another brick wall with an opening behind it. Jump onto this wall, pressing Action to lower Lara's arc so she lands on the wall, rather than banging her head and falling into the canal. Drop down behind the wall into knee-deep water. On the floor are the UZIS. (Again, check the screenshots if you need visuals. If you miss any of the jumps and fall into the canal before getting the Uzis, the screenshot page explains what to do.)
Climb out of this area and hop down to the walkway below. Go around to the door at the front of the BOATHOUSE, kill the armed guard, grab his automatic pistol clips and take the DETONATOR KEY off the table.
Cross the canal to the garden door, either by swimming or by taking a running jump from the wooden dock and holding Action to lower Lara's arc so she lands in the doorway. The door opens automatically, and a thug with a gun is waiting on the other side. Take him out and steal his large medi pack. Shoot out a window and re-enter the LIBRARY.
LIBRARY (again): Return past the bookshelves to the main room and pull the switch to open the remaining set of double doors. (screenshot) There are 2 thugs with guns in the garden outside. When you enter the room, you can see them through the windows. Kill them and take their shotgun shells and Uzi clips.
ABANDONED BUILDING: In the garden with the small gazebo, where the bad guys came from, is a door that opens automatically when you approach. Go out to the canal and swim over to the far left corner, where you'll find a low ledge where you can climb out. Quickly climb onto the brick ledge on the left before the rat on the lower ledge can bite Lara. Shoot it from above. Then head to the other end of the ledge. Do not use the DETONATOR plunger yet or you will not be able to get the final secret.
Instead, climb onto the garden wall and follow it to the left end. Vault onto the brick ledge and pull up onto the roof. Shoot out one of the windows and go inside to find SECRET #3, the Jade Dragon, plus 4 boxes of shotgun shells if you've found all three secrets. (These screenshots show the path to the secret.)
SECOND SHORTCUT: After obtaining the Jade Dragon, if you don't mind missing one kill and a medium-sized explosion, you can take a shortcut to the end of the level. Exit the Jade Dragon room through either window, turn right and walk across the roof. At the corner, face the wall and press Forward + Action to pull up onto roof. (screenshot) Follow the brick pathway around to the back right corner. Drop into the dark passageway, head to the left and slide down the long slope into the next level.
THE DETONATOR: To get that last kill, you'll need to blow up the abandoned building. Return to the detonator at the other end of this area and use the DETONATOR KEY to set off an explosion. A sniper begins firing from the balcony above on the left. To take him out without losing too much health, run/jump to the left end of the detonator ledge and take cover beneath the overhang. Then sidestep out to the right with pistols drawn. If you move carefully, you can get a lock on the sniper before he's able to target Lara. (screenshot) You can also get a clear shot from the garden wall, but keep moving since you'll be vulnerable as well.
CLIMBING TO THE EXIT: When the sniper is dead, swim or follow the garden wall across to the ruined building. Climb to the top. (These screenshots show one possible path.) Don't bother crossing over to the sniper since he's not carrying any goodies. At the top of the ruined building, follow the brick pathway around to the back right corner. Drop into the dark passageway, head to the left and slide down the long slope into the next level.
†UPDATE HISTORY: 8/9/10 - First major update since this walkthrough was created in 1998. This revision includes many new screenshots as well as a few minor tweaks and shortcuts.
12/1/13 - Added "objectives" section for each level.
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 Arjun, Gege, Hank, Melanie, Olli, Stefanie and Tom C. for their helpful suggestions/corrections for this level.
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