NOTES ON THE REMASTER: At this point I can't guarantee 100% accuracy for this guide. Updates are in progress but will take time. Levels that have been worked on will say "Remastered," rather than "Classic," in the title. In the meantime, I have attempted to provide a running count of all kills and pickups, including totals for health packs, chocolates, sellable items, and cash, as well as notebook entries, which are needed for some achievements/trophies. If I've missed any, I do apologize. Please let me know if you discover anything not mentioned here. Also, in case it's not obvious, these guides are based on classic tank controls, and I have not yet included strats for all achievements/trophies.
LEVEL 12: TOMB OF THE ANCIENTS (Remaster)
Updated: 3/24/25(†)
LEVEL MAP by VGCartography (used with permission)*
Angel of Darkness Remastered Video Walkthrough by Eldincy
Items: 5, including 2 health items and V-PACKER SHOTGUN**
Kills: 4
Upgrades: Lower Body
Notebook Entries: 1
**NOTE ON PICKUPS: You briefly re-enter the TOMB OF THE ANCIENTS near the end of the next level, HALL OF SEASONS. There's one pickup during that section. It is counted in the stats above but described here in the next level.
NOTE: The "Fast and Curious" achievement/trophy requires you to "Get to the bottom of the Tomb of the Ancients in 3 minutes or less." If you haven't played this level before, or it's been a while, I recommend saving the game in a new slot at the start of the level. Play through cautiously to get a feel for the area, killing bats, and grabbing some bandages along the way. Save in a different slot when you reach the bottom. Then reload the first save and attempt the speed run, following the more direct route on this page with screenshots. Then reload your second save, with the kills and pickup, once you've unlocked the achievement/trophy.
TOP OF THE RUINS: You begin the level in a rough-hewn, greenish tunnel. Follow it to an opening in the floor. Drop down onto a wooden beam and from there to the floor. Approach the tunnel opening for a panoramic cut scene. That trapdoor at the bottom of the very tall room is where you're headed. (screenshots)
Hang from the edge, climb down the textured rock wall, and drop onto the small, green ledge below. Keep walk mode activated as you turn to face out over the room and draw the K5 Impactor. Walk prevents Lara from stepping off the edge, which helps compensate a little bit for the wonky controls when she has a weapon drawn. Shock the pesky bat (1) that flies toward you. If you also tased one of the rats in the LOUVRE STORM DRAINS, you'll unlock the "Electrocuties" achievement/trophy here. (screenshots)
NOTE: In this level, only a few of the bats actually bother Lara. Most are just there to provide atmosphere. Lara won't target the decorative bats, so don't waste ammo shooting at them. Definitely kill the "real" bats, though, since bat bites will poison Lara, requiring you to use an antidote or large health pack. (screenshot)
Quick-save because the next jump is glitchy. Walk to the right edge of the ledge and take a standing jump onto wooden beam. Or, jump forward, grab the beam, and pull up. Harmless bats fly out of the tunnel ahead. (These are barely noticeable in the remaster, but I flag them for the chiroptophobic.) Jump into the tunnel and follow it to a hole in the floor. Drop down several ledges to a small room that opens onto a broken bridge. (screenshots)
BROKEN BRIDGE: As you approach the end of the bridge, you should be able to target another bat (2) clinging to the underside of the bridge ahead. Take a running jump across the wide gap to the other side of the bridge and get the bandages (1) in the little room at the top of the steps. (Here you can glimpse the room below the floor grate, but the grate doesn't open.) Return to the end of the bridge. If you draw and look up, Lara should target another bat (3) high above. It probably won't mess with Lara, but if you want all kills, shoot it down. Then stand at the end of the broken bridge and look out to the right. Notice the three ledges, two with gargoyles, one without. Take a carefully angled running jump to grab the small ledge with no gargoyle. Pull up. (screenshots)
NOTE: If you're having trouble with this jump, the page with screenshots includes an alternative.
On the small ledge between the two gargoyle ledges, turn left, walk to the edge, and take a standing jump to grab the next ledge with the gargoyle. Lara won't shimmy all the way around, so pull up, drop and hang off the front of the ledge, and shimmy around to the far side. Drop to the sandy ledge below. (screenshots)
Walk to the middle of the sandy ledge, hang from the edge, and climb down the rock face to the ledge below. Turn left, grab the climbable wall, and climb to the left, all the way around to the other side. Continue climbing downward until you can drop safely onto the next ledge. (Or, if you're in a hurry, instead of climbing around and down, take a carefully angled standing jump down to the lower ledge, taking care not to run on off the edge when you land.) (screenshots)
Walk to the end of the lower ledge and take a standing jump onto the jutting wooden beam. Pull the lever to extend a series of manmade ledges. (screenshots)
FIRST SET OF LEDGES: Activate walk mode to keep Lara from falling as you make the next several jumps. Take a short hop (Walk + Jump) from the beam to the first ledge. Walk to the edge then take a regular standing jump to the second ledge. Walk to the edge then jump forward and grab the third ledge; pull up. Take a short hop to the fourth and then safety drop onto the fifth, directly below. Ignore the next ledge and just safety drop to the ground. (screenshots)
GROUND LEVEL: The undead knight (4) can be disable for a few moments at a time by shooting or punching/kicking him until he falls down, and if you do this twice, he will be destroyed permanently. However, if you want the "This is Lara!"achievement/trophy (below), you'll want to keep him alive. Later, when you've opened the trapdoor, you'll be able to knock him into it. For now, either run/jump past him or side flip to the right, then run/jump forward toward the small, well-lit opening and crawl inside. Lara is safe here. Use this second lever to extend more ledges out in the main room, creating a path to the third lever, in an alcove high above. (screenshots)
NOTE: If you haven't already unlocked the "Fast and Curious" achievement/trophy, for reaching the bottom in 3 minutes or less, you may want to make a new save here. Then reload your level-start save and try for a faster descent using the shortcuts described here.
SECOND SET OF LEDGES: After using the second lever to extend more rectangular ledges, crawl back into the main room, run/jump past the undead knight, and pull up onto the lowest ledge, ahead on the left. Activate walk mode to keep Lara from falling as you climb all the way up to the alcove with the next lever. The exact sequence of jumps is covered on a separate page with screenshots.
Use the third lever to open the trapdoor in the middle of the room below. Then climb back down to the third highest ledge (again, check the screenshots for details) and save the game before dropping to the floor.
If you don't care about achievement/trophies, ignore the knight and drop through the open trapdoor. (screenshots)
The achievement/trophy "This is Lara!" involves sending all undead knights into the pits. This is the first of 17 such knights and the only one in this level. Drop to the floor and move near the trapdoor, but take care not to fall in. Wait for the knight to approach. If he doesn't notice Lara right away, run toward him, and lure him back toward the hole. The side near the trapdoor hinge (and the ledges you just came from) seems to work best, since the ground is a little flatter here. Move around behind him and kick him a few times (long press Action) to knock him into the pit. (screenshots)
TUNNEL BENEATH THE TALL ROOM: Drop through the trapdoor. If you knocked the undead knight (4) into the pit, he'll be waiting here. If you want all kills, you can now knock him down twice with bullets or melee attacks. The second time, he won't get up. Or, run along the tunnel to the fork. Head to the left to load a new area. Immediately turn around and return to the main tunnel. The knight should now be back up above, so you can explore without being attacked. Follow the short passageway, now on the left, to a door. Kick it open for a lower-body strength upgrade. Enter and get the V-PACKER SHOTGUN (2) and 2 boxes of shells (3-4). Exit and head to the right, past the new area load-in. At the end of the passageway, kick down the next door. (If you try this before getting the upgrade, Lara will tell you she's not strong enough.) (screenshots)
TRAP ROOM WITH BEAUTIFUL SHINY FLOOR: Proceed through the first small room. When the gate closes behind you, look to the right for a lever. This opens the gate at the far end of the room. It's timed to close after about 10 seconds, so you have to hustle to get past the poisoned darts and spikes. If you also want the "High-Flying" achievement/trophy, you'll need to "pass through the trap corridor with one swan dive and no damage taken." (screenshots)
Here's the sequence: Pull the lever. Turn left to face the traps. Quick-save and start running. Conveniently, there's a long, horizontal stripe on the floor just before each set of spikes. If you jump just before that stripe, Lara should clear the spikes. Keep running and jump just before the next stripe on the floor to clear the second set of spikes. Continue running, and just before the next stripe on the floor, take a running swan dive (Forward + Walk + Jump) to clear the third set of spikes. Then run on through the gate before it closes. The achievement/trophy registers as you enter the next room, so don't save again until you're sure you have it. If Lara takes damage, or you miss a jump, reload your quick-save and try again. (screenshots)
NOTE: If you don't care about achievements, just take regular running jumps over the three sets of spikes. Then, when you make it through the timed door, use an antidote or large health pack if Lara has been poisoned; or just run for the exit, and Lara will be healed when the next level loads.
Follow the hallway to the left. I don't see an inscription on the wall anywhere, but apparently Lara notices something we don't because you get a new notebook entry (35/62): "Ultrices Atrium Custodiunt. The wrathful sentinels guard the hall within." (Again, this page on Von Croy's Notebook lists all entries.) Continue through a series of doors to the next level. (screenshots)
NOTE: You should finish this section with 4/5 pickups, one of which is a health item. (statistics) The last item is found when you revisit the TOMB OF ANCIENTS near the end of the next level, HALL OF SEASONS, described here.
†UPDATE HISTORY: Updates made prior to the Tomb Raider IV-V-VI Remastered release, including credit for tips sent in by other players, are tracked in the archived classic guide.
3/23-24/25 - Remaster walkthrough posted. Added note about destroying the undead knight permanently the next morning. (Oops!)
*NOTE ON LEVEL MAPS: VGCartography's Angel of Darkness maps follow a slightly different level-naming convention than I do. You'll notice most of the Parisian Ghetto-adjacent areas on the same large map. Later, the elemental levels off the Hall of Seasons are included on the same map as the hub level. Visit VGCartography on DeviantArt and follow on Twitter/X and YouTube for more fantastic game maps.
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