The Opera House

This was one of the hardest (and longest) levels in the game which makes it also one of the hardest walkthroughs to write.

As you start the level, you'll be sliding down the slope from Bartolli's Hideout. You'll land on a platform behind a large swinging block. Turn right and walk to the edge. Do a running jump to the platform ahead of you and quickly turn around. Draw your weapons and kill the menacing goon down below. When he's dead, drop into the water below and climb out onto the deck where the goon was. Grab the automatic pistol clips he was carrying and then get back in the water. Swim to the left and turn the corner on the right.

Climb up the ladder and shimmey sideways to the right when you get to the top. Climb about halfway up the ladder and then press the jump button to do a backflip. You should land on the platform behind you. Turn to the right and pull the small switch located on the wall. This should open a trapdoor on the roof. Now jump back to the ladder and climb to the top. Get off to the right, turn around, and get on the platform. Do a running jump across to the nearby platform. Turn left and walk to the edge. Take a hop back and do a running jump and grab in the air to catch the platform where you started the level. Turn left and walk to the edge of the platform keeping to the left edge so you don't get hit by the block. Take a hop back and aim for the hole in the roof across from you. Time yourself with the block and take a running jump towards the hole. You should make it in the hole and land near the key. If you don't make it, slide off the roof and climb up the ladder, jump to the swinging block platform and try again.

As soon as you land in the hole, pull out your guns and get ready to fight. Kill the guy that should already be in the room and grab his stuff, then run up the stairs and shoot the guy who tries to descend upon you. Grab whatever he was carrying and then go back in the room and get the key. Go back up the stairs and head out the door onto the platform with the switch. Climb the ladder just as before and get back onto the platform where you started the level. Being careful of the block, get to the platform where you shot the goon (not the one where he was running around).

Jump back and grab to catch the edge of the building and shimmey to the left until you can drop to the roof below. Don't waste your time trying to jump over the top of the building. The floor is lined with broken glass and you'll just kill yourself over and over. To get in the room, drop back and grab the edge of the sloped roof and shimmey to the left again until you are positioned above the opening below. Let go of the action button to make Lara drop, but as soon as she lets go, push it again. You should grab the bottom edge of the opening. Pull up and shoot the glass. Walk through the glass so you don't get hurt and head for the far-left corner of the room. Climb the ladder to the top and light a flare. Run along the passage to the end and use the key to open the door.

Follow the hallway into the large room with holes in the floor. Actually, that isn't the floor. It's the ceiling. And it's very old. In other words, the panels collapse. Line Lara up with the three panels in a row. Jump forward (don't run and jump: if you do, the panel will collapse before Lara gets up) and keep running. When you get near the edge, press jump to do a running jump and you should land on a section with only two panels. When you get to the end of this section, press jump and then action to grab the edge. Pull up and follow the path to the opening on your right. Draw your weapons and get ready for a duel. Peek through the opening and shoot the goon running around down below. When he's gone, run and jump towards the bulging roof of the opera house. Another goon and two dobermans will come at you. Kill them all and then make your rounds to collect their inventory. You should get shotgun shells, automatic pistol clips, a large medi-pack, and a small medi-pack.

Now find the swinging box in one corner of the room. To get onto the platform you will have to do a running jump from the bulging room and grab the edge (this part can get a bit frustrating). Once you make it, light a flare and fall into the tunnel. Push the button on the wall to open the trapdoors. Climb back out of the pit and kill the two guys who come out of the trapdoors. Collect their items and drop into the trapdoors on the floor.

You should find two switches below. Pull the one on the left to open the grate nearby. The one on the right has no effect right now. Climb down the ladder and drop to the floor below. Turn right and head for the switch on the wall. Push the switch to close the grate. Turn around and head for the ladder, but turn back quickly to aviod the boulders. Now it's safe to jump up to the ladder. Climb up the ladder and continue onto the grate. Shimmey left to get into the hallway.

Head down the hallway to the end. Drop down to the floor below and watch for the falling sand bag. Shoot the guy who comes from your left and pick up his small medi-pack. Head in the opposite direction now towards the double doors on the far wall. Watch for the falling sand bag as you approach the doors. They should open when you get close. Shoot the goon and doberman that come at you. Now make your way down to the next level by way of the hole in the floor by the double doors. A goon and some dobermans should appear. Shoot them before continuing and collect the large medi-pack from the goon. Also, try to shoot the guy running around one level up.

Drop down to floor level and head towards the water. On the wall farthest from the stage are some dark areas with boulders in them. Run out in front of them to trigger the boulders. Wade into the water and kill the guy that comes out. Swim over to the stage and climb out. Kill the doberman and the guy that appear. Go into the room on the left hand side of the stage and pull the switch in the corner. Now run across the stage and enter the room.

Kill the two guys that come out and collect their things. Run around the room under the sand bags to let them drop. After all of them are on the ground, go back to the entrance and jump up and grab onto the above level. Walk through the broken glass and head to the left. Align yourself with the lowest part of the crack in the wall and make a jump to grab it. Shimmey left up the crack and then pull up at the top. Pull the switch at the top to make the bridge fall into place. Jump back to the wooden platform and head across the bridge. Do a running jump and grab to catch the edge of the platform. Get into the hole in the wall above and turn around to face the highest platform. Take a hop back and do a running jump along with a grab in the air to make it safely to the platform. Follow the platform to the first swinging sand bag. Time yourself and you should make it alright. The second sandbag is easily bypassed by simply jumping to the plaform against the wall. Pull the switch in the hallway to open a hole in the stage floor. Proceed down the hallway with caution. The end is sloped. Before you reach the end, turn around and slide backwards down the slope. Grab the edge and pull yourself up again. As soon as you are up, press jump and you'll do a backflip directly into the hole.

Light a flare once you're in the water. There should be a small passage to your left. Swim down it and follow it into the room with a low platform that you can stand on. Get up on the platform and push the switch on the wall which opens the door above the relay box.

SECRET #1- On the opposite wall of the switch is a hole underwater. Swim in the hole to find the stone dragon. Swim back out into the room with the switch.

Follow the passage back to where you first fell into the water below the stage. Follow the other underwater passage into a large room with the relay box and a ladder. Climb out of the water and grab the relay box. Climb up the ladder and onto the stage. Head back up to the top level of the opera house by way of the holes in the floor of each level. Once on the top, run around past the dead doberman and goon and follow the level to the right. You should find that a door opens on the wall. Watch the dobermans as you enter. Once they're dead, head for the relay control panel on the right wall. Insert the relay box into the control panel to activate the elevator.

SECRET #2- Pull the switch near the elevator to make it descend but don't get in. As soon as it passes Lara, step onto it and turn right to face the ladder. Jump forward and grab the ladder. Climb to the top and pull up into the passage. Walk through the broken glass to the gold dragon and pick it up. Pull the switch in the small indention on the left wall. Go back to the glass covered floor and head further down the passage to the next indention. Pick up the uzi clips and walk through the door to get back to the elevator area.

Pull the switch to make the elevator come to you. When the doors open, get inside and wait for it to go down. Pull out your guns while the elevator is making it's descent. At the bottom, the doors will open and you will face two armed enemies. Blast them both and collect their shotgun shells. Pull the switch to make the elevator go up, but don't get in. Jump into the water underneath the elevator and swim to the right towards the grate. When you get near the grate, turn left and follow the steps up to the room. Turn right as you enter and pick up the circuit board.

Swim back down the steps and towards the grate. Swim to the left side of the grate to find a switch. Pull it and the piece of grating next to you will open. Swim through the grating and get some air. Pull yourself out of the water and shoot the rats on the ground. Turn around and walk to the edge. Jump forward and grab to catch the edge of the platform ahead of you. Pull up and turn around quickly. Jump across to the other side and shoot the goon, doberman, and rat. Follow the hallway up to the right and around the curve to the left. Shoot out the windows and go through them. Drop down into the dressing room. Walk across to the door and pull the switch nearby.

Slide down the slope backwards and just before you fall off, do a backflip. You should land on a safe platform. If that doesn't work, you could always slide forward, but you'll have to grab in the air. Once on the platform, grab the key. Get on top of the block near the key and slide down the slope to the hole. Jump in the hole from the bottom of the slope and shoot the rat once inside. Jump forward to make it across the gap and then turn around. Do a backflip and you should land on the next level up, untouched by the fan. Do another backflip to make it to the next highest level.

SECRET #3- You should see a dark area ahead of you when you finish your backflip. Do a forward jump and grab to catch the edge. Walk up to the jade dragon and pick it up, but be careful of the fan that lies directly behind it. Return to the upper platform to continue.

Go into the room at the end of the passage. Pull the block out from the wall to reveal a hidden switch on the wall. Pull the switch to open the door. Push/pull the block in the room to the raised section in the floor, aligned with the middle window and flush against the wall. Now climb up on the box and shoot out all the windows, if you haven't already. Go through the windows and push/pull the box in the corner on top of the box at floor level to make a two box tower. Drop down to the risen floor section and climb on both boxes. Shoot the goon running around and get to where he was. Follow the passage around to the hole in the wall. Walk to the edge of the hole, jump forward and grab the edge of the platform across from you. Pull up and turn around. Continue to climb in this way until you come to the opening on the second floor of the opera house.

Once on the second floor, navigate through the holes in the floor to the key hole. Open the doors with the key and do a diagonal jump through the doors. Turn right and head for the opposite wall with the switch on it. (Looks familiar, doesn't it?). Push it and then head for the ladder behind you. Climb up the ladder and into the control room. Use the circuit board on the area in the center of the control room, between the two switches. Now pull the switch on the right to make the stage curtain rise. Climb down the ladder, push the button on the wall and then climb up the ladder and grate as before. Make your way back down to the stage where two goons will be waiting your arival.

Shoot the goons and pick up the shotgun shells and the small medi-pack. Enter the room full of boxes. Run forward and turn left. Run forward again and turn left again. Somewhere around here you will find a discolored box that you can pull. Pull it out twice so that you can get into the room behind it. Pull the switch in the room to make the curtain go down again. Climb on top of the boxes to the hole in the wall near the ceiling. Once through the hole, watch for falling sandbags. Turn right and get to the balcony. Shoot the goon running about and then go through the opening on the wall of the balcony. Go to the far right hand corner of the room and you should fall into a pit. Climb out of the pit and jump to the ladder. Climb up the ladder and pull the switch on the wall to your right.

This next part is mostly just placement. It's hard to say exactly where to jump from, but you can try a couple walking steps out from the back edge of the opening and a forward jump and grab, or you can jump to the sloped area with an angle that will make you slide down right in front of the sandbag. Once you make it across safely, hop back and grab the edge of the longest side and shimmey to the left until it is safe to pull up. Walk up to the new opening and turn around. Hop back and catch yourself then quickly let yourself drop to the ground and do a roll. Whip out some powerful weapons and wait for the boss to arrive. He carries two powerful guns so hopefully you have some medipacks. When he comes, just keep firing. Try sidefliping to avoid some hits. Once he's dead pick up the grenade launcher from his dead body and proceed down the passage on the far left keeping an eye out for two dobermans. At the end of the passage you should be attacked from behind by a wandering goon so be ready. When he's dead pick up his uzi clips. There's another goon lurking about carrying uzi clips and a small medi-pack.

After they're dead, climb up on the boxes in the center of the back wall. Jump across to the row of boxes across from you and follow them to the swinging box. Jump to the lower row of boxes to your right. At the end of this row of boxes, jump to the nearby stack of boxes close to where you killed the boss. Finally, jump to the boxes against the wall. Pull the switch on the front wall to open the doors on the back. Drop down to the floor and head for the back wall. In the right corner are the doors you just opened. Run through them and into the seaplane to finish the level.

Aren't you glad you're done?