LEVEL 2: DERELICT APARTMENT BLOCK (Classic)
Updated: 2/6/25(†)
Items: 10, including 3 health items, 1 chocolate, lift maintenance key, apartment key, and VECTOR-R35 SEMIAUTOMATIC
Kills: 1 (optional)
Upgrades: Upper Body
You begin on the ground floor of an abandoned four-story apartment building. If you like, you can pull the wardrobe in front of the door (by facing the short side, holding Action, then pressing Back/Down to pull). This will only give you a little more time before 3 gendarmes break down the door. (If you don't move the wardrobe, they break in when you move onto the second set of stairs. If you do barricade the door, they break in as you move along the landing of the floor above.) When the policemen enter, they throw tear gas, and the building gradually fills up with toxic vapor. If you like, you can head back downstairs and kill one of the policemen (1) using melee attacks. (Stand close to him and tap Action once to punch, twice for one-two punch, or press firmly to kick.) Do not approach the other 2 policemen or Lara will surrender. Game over.
NOTE: If you don't mind cheating just a little, you can prevent the police from entering by not stepping on the area of floor that triggers them. From the entrance, go up the stairs just to the first landing. Instead of continuing upstairs, turn around to face the entrance. Then jump forward to grab the edge of the opening above the stairs (as shown in this screenshot). Pull up, turn around and jump across the hole in the stairs. Now pick up the walkthrough in the middle of the next paragraph.
Now you need to make your way to the top of the building, picking up goodies as you go. As you enter each apartment, you'll find pockets of fresh air, but soon these rooms also fill up with gas. So don't hesitate too long or Lara will run out of breathable air and die. Ignore the boarded-up doors; Lara can't get in. Jump across the hole in the stairs between the first and second stories (i.e., the second and third if you speak American, but here in France, we'll use the European conventions). If you approach one of the doors on 2, Lara says, "This door is locked. I'll need a key." Just beyond that door, there's a brief cut scene in which a section of floor collapses. Take a running jump across the large hole to grab the opposite side of the hole and pull up.
Pick up a pack of health pills (1) (20% health) on the floor in the hallway opposite the elevator. Find the movable wardrobe to the left of the elevator and pull it out of the way so Lara can continue upstairs. There's a small medipack (2) (60% health) in the next hallway.
After getting the health pack, barge through the nearby door to gain another upper-body strength upgrade. Enter the room and find V-Packer cartridges (3) and K2 Impactor batteries (4) (for weapons you don't have yet) in the cabinets. Exit the room and continue forward. Pick up bandages (5) in the next alcove before the stairs.
Go upstairs to the next landing and pull the heavy box. (If you get here before barging open the door below, Lara won't be strong enough to pull it and you'll need to go back downstairs for the upgrade.) Climb onto the box, turn around, walk to the edge and jump to grab the railing ahead. Pull up. Go through the door on the right.
LIFT MAINTENANCE ROOM: Pick up the LIFT MAINTENANCE KEY (6) on the floor. If you don't care about getting all the pickups, you can leave this room through the other door as soon as you get the key.
APARTMENT 21: To get everything, first take the APARTMENT 21 KEY (7) off the hook on the wall. Use the switch to the right to bring the lift up to the top floor. Exit this room, enter the elevator and use the Down key to select the 2nd floor button, then and Action to press it. Ride down to the second floor and step out of the elevator. Go to the left and take a running jump back across the big hole to grab the other side. Pull up and run forward to the alcove with doors. Use the key to unlock Apartment 21. Go in get the VECTOR-R35 SEMIAUTOMATIC (8) in the cabinet and a chocolate bar (9) and V-Packer spread cartridges (10) in the desk. Return to the hallway, jump back across the hole, ride the lift back up to the 4th floor.
NOTE: If you're having trouble making the long jump across the hole in the floor, instead ride the elevator down to the first floor and go up the stairs to reach Apartment 21. Get the goodies and then return downstairs to the elevator.
Back on the 4th floor, re-enter the lift maintenance room. Exit through the door on the opposite side (marked "Sortie").
†UPDATE HISTORY: 1/16/07 - Added useful bug for preventing the appearance of the gendarmes and alternate route to Apartment 21, thanks to Cathy and Mave, respectively. Also made a few minor changes for clarity.
2/6/25 - Added notes on killing the first gendarme and American vs. European floor numbering, along with running item, kill, and notebook entry counts, which hopefully will be useful in the upcoming Remaster.
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