LEVEL 32: THE GREAT PYRAMID
Updated: 5/5/19(†)
Kills: 15 Items: 7 Secrets: 1*
NOTES: The diagram on the MASTABAS walkthrough page includes the four tombs at the beginning of this level. Also, one of the regular pick-ups will be the GRENADE GUN if you didn't find it in an earlier level.
MASTABAS: After the level transition, continue along the twisting tunnel from the MASTABAS and climb out into another ruined tomb (blue #1 on the Mastabas map). Pick up a small medipack and shotgun shells in the northeast and southwest corners. Use your pistols to shoot the boards blocking the doorway. Then, if you like, switch to more powerful weapons to kill the blue-robed mercenary waiting just outside on the right. (screenshots)
Across the excavation pit to the left (west) is another mercenary. You can probably kill him from here with the pistols. Lara won't aim at this distance, but if you stand near the edge of the pit and face him squarely while shooting, it should still work. You'll see blood if your shots are connecting. When he's dead, take a running jump across the pit to the left (south) side. Run into the doorway on the right for cover because another enemy now starts shooting from across the pit (on the north side). Again, you may be able to hit him from a distance with pistols, but if he starts shooting back, you can switch to the crossbow or revolver. (screenshots)
SECRET BENEATH THE MASTABAS: Kick down the door of this building (#2 on the map). In addition to the mercenary waiting inside, there's also a giant beetle. If you run inside and fire immediately, one grenade or explosive arrow should kill both. After you clear the room, find the concealed trapdoor in the floor. Lighting a flare can help you spot it. It's the one square that's divided into smaller squares. Position Lara facing west, standing just outside the edge of the trapdoor. Press Action to lift the trapdoor. Climb down the ladder to the bottom of the shaft, where you'll find the level's only SECRET (68/70), the GRENADE GUN (or 10 grenades if you already have the weapon). Climb back up the ladder. (screenshots)
Exit through the doorway to the north. Shoot the boards to get out into the space between the mastabas. (There may be a mercenary waiting here if you didn't kill him earlier from across the pit.) Kick open the door to the next building (#3 on the map). Enter and kill another blue-robed guy. Ignore the trapdoor, which contains a deep pit with no ladder and no goodies. Exit through the door in the far right (northeast) corner. (Again, if you didn't kill him earlier, there may be another enemy waiting here.) Follow the path to the left (northeast) and approach the edge of the deep chasm. (screenshot)
A short cutscene shows the path ahead, along one face of the GREAT PYRAMID.
Before going on, turn around to face the building with the wooden barrier and 'DANGER' sign. (screenshot) Shoot the boards, enter the mastaba (#4 on the map), and kill a couple more giant beetles, one on the left and one on the right. Pick up Uzi clips and normal grenades in the corners. Open the trapdoor and drop into the shallow pit to get a large medipack. Exit the way you came and approach the chasm separating this area from the PYRAMID.
SCALING THE PYRAMID: Now it's all about climbing. Your destination is the base of the pyramid on the far left (west) side, but naturally there is no direct route. Instead you must criss-cross the face of the pyramid, climbing higher as you go, then finally slide down to the level exit. Here's one possible sequence.
NOTE: The numbers in the text refer to the labels on the linked screenshots. For running jumps along the flat ledges on the side of the pyramid, line up each jump so Lara takes off just a tiny bit before the next raised block; otherwise she'll nick her foot on it and end up doing a standing jump instead. To set up a running jump, walk to the spot where you want Lara to take off, check your angle by pressing Look, adjust if necessary by pivoting left/right to face where you want to land, then hop back once before doing the running jump. Also, be sure not to press Action while in the air unless it's necessary, since grabbing shortens the jump.
(1) Take a running jump from the jutting ledge across the deep chasm to land on the small, square block in the middle of the sandy area at the base of the pyramid. (2) Turn left (west), step forward, and slide down the slope to the next flat-ish ledge. (3) From there, take another running jump to grab the ledge ahead, which also juts out below the base of the pyramid. Pull up. (4) Walk forward onto the next angled block, which slopes down to the left. (screenshots)
(5) Turn right, climb up to the first tier of the pyramid. (This triggers a giant beetle up on the third tier.) (6) Run forward onto the second tier, immediately roll for a better angle and kill the beetle as it approaches. (7) Climb up one more tier onto a flat ledge two squares wide and three tiers up from the base of the pyramid, where the beetle originated. (screenshots)
(8) Turn right (east) and take a running jump along the third tier over two sloped tiles to land on the flat ledge beyond. Immediately stop. Wait here to avoid a falling block that tumbles down the side of the pyramid in front of Lara. (9) After the falling block passes, walk forward until Lara is standing near the edge of the next sloping block but not touching it. Take a standing jump over the sloping block onto the flat tile beyond it. (10) Take another standing jump over the next sloping block onto the flat ledge beyond. Then stop and wait for another falling block to roll past in front of you. (screenshots)
(11) Step forward and climb onto the next (fourth) tier. (12) Turn right (east) and take a standing jump over the next sloping block onto the flat ledge beyond. (13) Then take another standing jump over the next sloping block onto the next flat ledge, which is two blocks wide. (14) Take a running jump over the next two sloping blocks. Either angle the jump slightly to the left or press Left while in the air to pivot slightly so that when Lara lands, she slides down facing uphill. Let her slide all the way down to the sandy ledge on the first tier. (15) Immediately run forward to stand near the base of the slope you just slid down. The next falling block should then sail over Lara's head and tumble down into the chasm. (screenshots)
(16) Turn around and step off the edge to land on the small ledge below, which juts out over the chasm. (17) From there, take a running jump to grab the flat, square ledge on the other side of the chasm and pull up. (18) Turn left (east) and kill the giant beetle on the steeply angled block a little farther along the wall of the chasm. (You can use pistols to roust the beetle then switch to the shotgun to finish it off when it gets closer.) (19) Take a running jump to land on the angled block where the beetle originated. Be sure to line up this jump so Lara runs along the right side of the starting ledge, close to the wall, in order to get a long enough run-up. (20) Turn left and take another running jump from the angled block to grab the square, brown ledge on the north side of the chasm. Pull up. (screenshots)
(21) Climb onto the ledge directly ahead. (22) Move partway up the slope on the right, then pull up onto the tier above. (23) Immediately run forward until Lara is touching the block ahead and duck to avoid being squashed by another falling block. (24) After it passes, turn around, position Lara near the middle of this ledge, then take a standing jump down to the block with the large medipack. (screenshots)
(25) Once you have the medipack, turn around and jump back to the previous ledge, where you ducked to avoid the boulder. (26) Take a standing jump onto the flat spot above and to the left, (27) then another standing jump up to the next flat spot above and to the left. (Now you're on the fourth tier.) (28) Ready your weapon of choice, take a standing jump over the slope on the left onto the slightly raised block beyond. (29) Turn right and run up onto the next tier so Lara has a little more room to maneuver as you shoot the next giant beetle, which approaches from up the slope. (screenshots)
(30) Climb up onto the next (sixth) tier, onto a flat ledge 3 blocks wide. Turn right. (31, 32) Take a standing jump over the next slope then another standing jump over the the slope beyond. (33) Immediately turn left and run up against the next tier (or crouch near the middle of the ledge) as another huge block tumbles by. (screenshots)
(34) Climb up two more tiers to a flat ledge three blocks wide on the eighth tier. (35) Off to the left (west), a pair of beetles waits above on the next long ledge. If you have revolver ammo to spare, you can kill them from a distance with two shots each. Otherwise, you might want to shoot the first beetle with pistols to get it moving and switch to the shotgun to finish it. Then repeat with the second beetle. (36) Vault up onto the ledge where the beetles were (i.e., the ninth tier above the base of the pyramid) and follow it to the left (west) end where the beetles originated. (37) Take a running jump over the next two sloping tiles to land on the third and slide down to a flat-ish spot three tiers below. (screenshots)
(38) Face west (so the top of pyramid is on Lara's right) and take a running jump over two slippery blocks to land on the flat tile beyond. (39) Kill another beetle that approaches from higher up on the pyramid. (40) From the flat spot where you shot the last beetle, climb up twice (back to the eighth tier) and turn left. (screenshots)
(41) Now set up the next jump carefully: Walk forward along the lower edge of the ledge until Lara runs into the edge of the sloping block ahead and won't go any farther. Hold Walk and step back once. Then release Walk and hop back once. Now take a running jump over the slope onto the flat tile beyond. Landing here triggers another falling block. (42) To avoid being crushed, immediately side flip to the right and roll. The deadly block should then pass in front of Lara without touching her. Or, if you're having trouble with the side-flip-and-roll, instead set up the running jump over the two sloping tiles so Lara lands near the middle of the flat tile. Then immediately take a standing jump angled slightly to the right to land on the tier above just beyond the path of the falling block. (screenshots)
(43) After clearing this hazard, face west and take a standing jump over the next sloped block to land on the light-colored area beyond. Lara will then slide down onto a flat spot three tiers below. (44) Take a standing jump down to the next flat spot to the southwest (i.e., one tier down and two tiles ahead). (45) Turn slightly to the right and take another standing jump up to the next flat spot on the tier above. From here you can see another giant beetle sitting three tiers above. If you like, you can use the revolver or crossbow with the laser sight to kill it before it starts flying. Or, climb up to the next tier to trigger it and kill it as it approaches. (screenshots)
(46) When the coast is clear, climb up to the block where the beetle originated (i.e., two or three tiers up, or until you can't climb any farther). (47) Take a standing jump up to the next flat spot above and to the left (west). There's one more block perched near the top of the pyramid ready to roll down and crush you if you aren't careful. (48, 49) To get past it, turn left (west) and take two standing jumps: one to land on the next flat spot and trigger the falling block, then a second to reach the next safe block. (50) Finally, take a running jump over the next two sloped tiles to land on the third and slide down into the next level. (screenshots)
*NOTE ON SECRETS: There are 70 secrets in the entire game. These are marked "(x/70)" in this walkthrough. To check your progress in-game, press Pause (P on keyboard, Start on PlayStation or Dreamcast controller) then choose Statistics. At the end of this level, you should have 68/70.
†UPDATE HISTORY: 6/11/00 - Last tracked update before 2019. Unfortunately the details on what actually changed have been lost.
5/5/19 - First major update since this walkthrough was created in 1999. This revision includes many new screenshots as well as various other corrections and clarifications.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Special thanks are given to the participants in the alt.games.tombraider newsgroup and the old tombraiders.com forum, without whom parts of this walkthrough could not have been written. Thanks also to Roberto P., Sturm, and Zomber, who contributed tips and corrections for this level.
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