Temple of the Cat - Anteroom and Large Room with Cat Sphinx

After obtaining secret #4, as shown in the previous section, return to the corridor with the 3 gold doors and 6 switches. You can reach the next area through either the left or right door and still get 100%, though it is possible to avoid one mummy by choosing the left door. (See this note in the main walkthrough.) We'll go through the gold door on the right (i.e., at the south end of the corridor). Use the 2 switches and go inside.

As you start up the steps toward the next room, the door closes behind you and 2 mummies (37-38) attack. One drops from the ceiling; the other spawns on the far side of the large room ahead and makes its way toward you. (It's shown below.) There are only a few enemies left, so don't hesitate to bust out the good guns. But if you'd rather use pistols, you can run up the steps and through the doorway...

...veer right, and jump up onto one of the safe blocks just inside the large room.

Then snipe at the mummies from there. The first mummy, shown above, follows you out of the anteroom.

The second approaches from behind the sphinx. You may need to drop down, get their attention, and climb back up a few times.

Now head for the back of the sphinx. When Lara steps on any of the tiles along the far (east) wall...

...a third mummy (39) spawns near the front of the room and sneaks up from behind.

Again, you can destroy it quickly with the shotgun or Uzis, or jump up on any of the blocks and shoot it with pistols.

Go around to the back of the sphinx to get inside. Climb the short flight of steps...

...and push the movable block to find a small medi pack (61) underneath.

Climb onto the block with the cat face. Turn around...

...and grab the gold ledge above. Pull up.

Turn around again and take a running jump to the gold ledge opposite. Be careful not to run off the edge.

From there, take another running jump to grab the long, turquoise ledge across from the cat sphinx.

You'll probably have noticed some growling as you climbed up through the sphinx. There's a panther (42) high above in the sphinx's mouth. You may be able to snipe it from below, but you'll have a better angle shortly.

NOTE: If you avoided the TRAP ROOM WITH MUMMIES (earlier), the sphinx's red "tongue" will not be extended yet, so things will look a little different from the screenshot above. You'll also meet 2 mummies on this level: one spawns on the opposite (east) side, the other in the room behind the bars. If you destroyed the mummies in the trap room, this level will be clear, though you will notice one inactive mummy standing by the east wall. Also, if you like, you can now take a shortcut to the upper level. Details are below.

Turn so the sphinx is on Lara's right and the barred opening is on her left. Then take a carefully angled running jump from the end of the turquoise ledge to the perpendicular ledge on the north side of the room.

Hop down and head to the left, through the northwest corner room, and into the room behind the bars.

- OR -

Alternatively, after pulling up onto the long turquoise ledge, turn left and move counterclockwise all the way around the perimeter of the room to reach the room behind the bars.

Again, if you didn't explore the TRAP ROOM on the level below, you'll meet 2 mummies along the way. If you destroyed the 2 mummies in the TRAP ROOM, you'll only pass by this static mummy. As far as I know, it doesn't animate, and you can't kill it.

Go through the northwest corner room and into the room behind the bars.

SHORTCUT: You can use the corner bug on the taller of the two carved pillars in the northeast corner to jump directly to the upper level. You'll get a lovely view of the cat sphinx and avoid a lot of tedious jumping. However, you'll also miss a kill and a couple of pickups. If you've never used the corner bug or need help, see my useful bugs page. After bugging to the top of the pillar, pick up the walkthrough here at the section "ON TOP OF THE CAT SPHINX."

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