Trajan's Markets - Giant Mechanical Head and Mars Symbol
"Mars Is Attacked!" Achievement/Trophy
After obtaining and using the GOLDEN COIN, and entering this new area, as shown in the previous section, jump into the pool below the big-mouth doorway.
Pick up a small medipack (16) (49/239) on the bottom of the pool on the left side. (Notice the VENUS SYMBOL on the other side of the bars? You'll reach it soon.)
Surface behind the falling water and climb out on the wide ledge. Go through the doorway...
...and pick up the revolver ammo (17) (50/239) lying on the floor to the right.
Cutscene: A machine clanks to life, activating a huge mechanical head hovering above a claw-like base.
The mechanical head (not counted as a kill) shoots deadly rays from its eyes. If Lara is hit, it means instant death. Destroying the head requires you to shoot both of its eyes using the revolver equipped with the laser sight. To unlock the "Mars Is Attacked!" achievement/trophy, you must do this in two consecutive shots, without exiting laser-sight view.
Lara is safe until she steps onto the tile in the doorway. So position her just outside the doorway, with her back to the wall, and the opening ahead and to her right. Equip the revolver combined with the laser sight. Sidestep toward the doorway tile, but not onto it. If you can see the boss health bar (as in the screenshot below), that means the head can target Lara. Step back to the left a little. Quick-save.
NOTE: If you don't see the boss health bar, check that 'Boss HP bars' is set to 'on' in the Options menu. Review the laser-sight controls in the STREETS OF ROME walkthrough if necessary. If the Duck/Dash controls feel awkward for zooming, change them temporarily under Options > Control > Change Controls.
Now sidestep to the right, into the doorway.
Quickly press Look to enter laser-sight view.
Zoom in (Duck/Crouch) then aim at either eye. Fire once.
When your shot connects, the eye shatters.
Shift your aim horizontally toward the other eye, then wait for the head to float into position...
...and fire once more.
It sounds simple, but it will probably take several attempts. When you shatter both eyes, with two consecutive shots, the head is destroyed, and the achievement/trophy pops.
- OR -
Alternatively, if you don't care about achievements, you can step out, press Look to activate the laser sight, shoot one eye, release Look, step back into cover, and repeat. (See above screenshots.)
Or, run into the room with the head and follow the catwalk around to the left or right.
Run forward off the edge of the catwalk.
Keep running around the metal armature surrounding the head and through the opposite doorway into the ROOM WITH RED MACHINE AND PIPES.
Lara is safe here as long as she stays out of the doorway.
Use either of the blocks flanking the door for cover. Sidestep as close to the danger zone as possible without activating the boss health bar.
Then use the revolver + laser sight to shoot out the mechanical head's eyes. The head bobs around quite a bit when it can't "see" Lara, but if you aim steadily at a spot where you know the eye will eventually be...
...wait for the eye to move under your reticle, then fire, that works pretty well.
Note that I playtested the "Mars Is Attacked!" challenge several times from this position, but the achievement did not unlock. So I'm assuming you have to do it from the entrance.
When the head explodes, retrieve the MARS SYMBOL (18) (51/239) left in its place.
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