Difference between revisions of "Tomb Raider II Story"
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Lara is seen approaching the surface, with breathing apparatus. She is back in the rig, and clambers onto a platform. Stealthily, she jumps onto a plane in the bay area and takes off in it, heading in the direction of Tibet, where Brother Chan had said his monastery and the door the Seraph unlocks lies. Mid-way through the flight, she is seen taking approval of a bomber jacket (which is her new clothing for the next four icy levels). Trouble occurs when the plane runs low on fuel as it approaches the Barkhang Monastery. Her plane begins to fall and it takes damage, as Lara uses the ejector seat to escape. The plane crashes and explodes, and the ejector seat deposits her safely next to it, away from danger. | Lara is seen approaching the surface, with breathing apparatus. She is back in the rig, and clambers onto a platform. Stealthily, she jumps onto a plane in the bay area and takes off in it, heading in the direction of Tibet, where Brother Chan had said his monastery and the door the Seraph unlocks lies. Mid-way through the flight, she is seen taking approval of a bomber jacket (which is her new clothing for the next four icy levels). Trouble occurs when the plane runs low on fuel as it approaches the Barkhang Monastery. Her plane begins to fall and it takes damage, as Lara uses the ejector seat to escape. The plane crashes and explodes, and the ejector seat deposits her safely next to it, away from danger. | ||
==Tibetan Foothills== | ==Tibetan Foothills== | ||
| − | The Tibetans is remarkably brighter than the previous level, and releases some of that tension. The level also features the second vehicle in the game, the [[Snowmobile]]. Lara has the Seraph firmly in her backpack, but now hired mercenaries of the Fiamma Nera will stop at nothing to retrieve it. Note that mercenaries are twice as difficult to kill than the average Rig Worker or Fiamma Nera follower, because of either heavy padding on their bodies to impede bullets or an actual bullet (to a certain limit) proof vest. They are also deadly, with each one of them being armed. However, the Snowmobile can lend a hand. You can use the snowmobile to run them over. It's very effective. | + | The Tibetans is remarkably brighter than the previous level, and releases some of that tension. [[Image:Tibetan.jpg|thumb|250px|right|'The bright Tibetan Foothills]]The level also features the second vehicle in the game, the [[Snowmobile]]. Lara has the Seraph firmly in her backpack, but now hired mercenaries of the Fiamma Nera will stop at nothing to retrieve it. Note that mercenaries are twice as difficult to kill than the average Rig Worker or Fiamma Nera follower, because of either heavy padding on their bodies to impede bullets or an actual bullet (to a certain limit) proof vest. They are also deadly, with each one of them being armed. However, the Snowmobile can lend a hand. You can use the snowmobile to run them over. It's very effective. |
Lara starts the level in a bright alcove aside of a snowball trap pit. Past that is a long, winding path up to the hut, where the snowmobile is parked, and guarded by two mercenaries. | Lara starts the level in a bright alcove aside of a snowball trap pit. Past that is a long, winding path up to the hut, where the snowmobile is parked, and guarded by two mercenaries. | ||
Revision as of 20:29, 5 July 2008
Contents
Prelude
Tomb Raider 2 is all about getting the mystical Dagger of Xian, a mystical and historical artifact which can bestow the powers of a dragon onto the person who drives the dagger into their heart, thus surrendering their soul to the ancient power. If the dagger is ever removed from the heart of the person, now dragon, then they will melt down into a large carcass, powers ripped. The Tomb Raider 2 opening sequence showed this, when the current possessor of the dagger, the Emperor of China had decided to conquer the vast lands of China with the power of the dagger inside him.He was a force to be reckoned with, and as the China mainland fell, one group of brave Tibetan Monks fought against him and his forces. One monk (who seemed hazy, probably due to the heat of the dragon's flame) was not noticed by the dragon as he flamed a part of the Great Wall above him. The monk was right underneath the dragon, and so ripped the dagger from the heart of the beast. The effects were immediate, but not fast enough for the dragon to melt instantly; with one last breath of fire, the dragon burnt the monk into oblivion, before collapsing, and turning to mere bones. After the battle, the monks discovered the hidden entrance to where the dagger was first found, the Temple of Xian. With torches, they slowly made their way down the hallway, until discovering the door shaped as the symbol which recurs very often throughout the game. The Talion is still in the door, and so they turn it. The door dramatically opens, and one monk is sent through, while the others return to the surface with the Talion. He places the dagger into a dragon like slot, also called Dais, and the 'eyes' on it light up in purple when the dagger is inserted. Blue lights fill around the room, and the monk screams, followed by the camera zooming out of the Dais room, and then the door lights up for a second in the shape of dagger symbol.
The Great Wall of China
Lara is first seen as she descends from a helicopter circling the Great Wall of China in modern times, 1997 to be precise. The pilot could find no where to land the craft, so Lara simply said "No problem", and so descended her way down the rope to a patch of land aside the wall. She then fell down a slope to a small valley by the Great Wall, and gameplay begins. Lara must of heard that the Temple of Xian was hidden deep within the Great Wall, protected by numerous traps that, unfortunately, Lara must face. Lara makes her way up to the first Guardhouse, seen on the valley floor as the helicopter pulled away. After pulling the first switch, she walks upon the top of the wall (the camera pulls out at this point for an interesting view), and down into a pool on the right hand side of it, where the first key lies. Lara then makes her way through dangerous traps someway underground. These traps include spiked walls, collapsible floor tiles (with spikes at the bottom) and slashing blades capable of killing Lara with one slice. These traps end with Lara being deposited (by a 'good' collapsible tile) into a large cavern like area. A rope sliding mechanism lies at the edge of a gigantic valley (home to two T-Rex's and the Gold Dragon). Using it takes Lara across the large valley, where the same door seen in the Prelude is seen, but with no Talion inserted. It's hard to beleive, but the next 13 levels are all about just getting the Talion! As she approaches the door to investigate the key mechanism, an armed follower of Marco Bartoli attacks her from the small ledge to one side of the cavern area. He hits the door, and his weapon (believed to be a Tommy Gun) flies out of his hands. Lara raises her pistols towards him, and orders him to divulge about what he knows about the dagger. He explains that the doors are waiting for the right person, and tries to get Lara to pledge her loyalty to Marco Bartoli, who the follower believes is the one that the dagger would honor. He commits suicide by drinking an unknown liquid just after admitting who he worked for. Lara uses a nearby laptop to discover who Bartoli actually is, and discovers a link that he is currently in Venice.
The Venice Levels
Lara arrives in Venice, through unknown transportation, but she is seen dropping from above the small avenue. Armed Fiamma Nera's are positioned all around this scenic level, as well as Rabid Dobermans and unarmed Fiamma Nera's. Lara, using her discovered speedboat, must make her way through the canals, dodging and killing those wishing to kill her. She must discover the switches that raise two iron gates so she can race her speedboat to Bartoli's hideout, through double, timed, doors and water mines that must be defused first with the second speedboat provided. There are three keys (Boathouse, Steel and Iron), and the latter two open doors that can access switches that raise one of the gates, or open something else which can eventually be used to find the switch. After Lara opens both, she guns her speedboat along the Iron Gate canal (it's a shortcut, and the only way to make it in time) once the button that opens the exit is pressed. Beyond the opened door is the hideout of Bartoli. Lara gets into the hideout via the two double doors seen as the Level begins. After dealing with Armed Fiamma Nera's, Lara enters another section of the hideout, and then to the huge Ballroom,which is one big puzzle. Then, through the grand library, and into the outside area (where the hidden Uzis can be discovered, (see Tomb Raider 2 Secrets) and then she obliterates the hideout by detonating it with a key (The Detonator Key). Through the rubble, the long, sloped tunnel is the entrance to the Opera House (which evidently looks like the Venetian Opera House, La Fenice.) The Opera House is the final level in the Venice series, but has a more darker touch to it. More Fiamma Nera enemies reside here than anywhere else in Venice, along with one super baddie at the end; the Fiamma Nera Boss (or sub-boss, as it is not Bartoli). Lara first needs to kill every baddie in the area before attempting to find the Relay Box, which operates the elevator in the area. This reveals a pool which contains a Circuit Board, which raises the stage of the Opera House when inserted into a panel in the control room. She then has to fight the sub-boss in an airport storage room full of boxes. Lara then opens the large bay doors and gains access to a ready to fly plane, with Bartoli onboard. As the clip shows, Lara first opens several boxes, probably trying to discover anything interesting in her search, but then overhears Bartoli and a follower talking in the cockpit. Bartoli is accusing his follower (also the driver) that his belief is too fragile, and punches him. The plane momentarily plummets, until the driver recovers. Bartoli then explains how he is destined for the dagger, and talks about the Seraph. Lara, though does not notice it, is being approached by a bat-wielding Fiamma Nera from behind, and is knocked unconscious, and then Opera House ends.
The Offshore Rig Levels
The Offshore Rig Levels are very different to Venice, with new more powerful enemies.
Offshore Rig: Get your Guns Back
Lara arrives at an offshore Rig in the Adriatic Sea, but completely stripped of all her weapons, but she still has ammo, medi packs and flares. The main purpose of "Offshore Rig" is to get the weapons back that were stolen, starting with the pistols. The base order in which you can get the weapons back is this: Pistols, Automatic Pistols, Harpoon Gun (New weapon), Uzis (only if you collect all three secrets) and finally the shotgun. The Grenade Launcher cannot be reclaimed until at least Level 8 (and that requires collecting all three secrets too).
The pistols are hidden inside the plane, after you have escaped your prison cell. The pistols must be found to kill two Fiamma Nera (one armed, be careful to avoid him without the pistols) as one has a Yellow Pass Card which opens a door. In these levels, Keys are temporarily replaced with Pass Cards, that range from Yellow, Red, Green and Blue. There are five in total from both levels (Red Pass Card is used twice). The main objective of Level 5 is to redistribute water from one of two giant tanks to the other (this complex is just past the Red Pass Card door) so the player can use a path in the middle of them to access the Level Exit, but this path can only be used when the Green Pass Card is slotted into it's lock in the control room of that area.
The Green Pass Card lies in a vast chamber pool below the trapdoor in the control room. You must find a ladder on one of the four main pillars and use that to access catwalk around the area, guarded by several Fiamma Nera's (all armed) that can be called Rig Workers and Rig Bosses. In the vicinity are the shotgun (dropped by a Rig Boss when you kill him) and the Uzis (only if you have collected the two previous secrets upon picking up the gold dragon, easy to see on the base of one of the pillars). Also, you experience Divers (also called Frogmen) in the large pool. When you have collected the Green Pass Card, use the tunnel provided to return to the control room and utilize it. This, as aforementioned, lets you finally get to the Level Exit.
Diving Area: Flamethrowers and Frogmen
Diving Area is much harder than the previous level, with more enemies, more puzzles, and the introduction of a brand new, deadly enemy; the Flamethrower. Gladly, their reasonably easy to kill, with the right weapon. Speaking of weapons, Tomb Raider 2's big gun is finally introduced; The M16 (for help finding it see Tomb Raider 2 Secrets).
Diving Area also introduces Toxic Pools, Long Ladders and Fatal Hooks (these are only seen in the first part of the level, after the Big Fan section). The main part of the level is located around or in a perimeter hallway. Two doors can open, and if you look through one door you can see a part of the last level. When you first enter this area, a Flamethrower lies around the corner on the left, and four Dobermans assist him when you approach that corner. The Flamethrower is simply a pyromaniac and will love to set Lara on fire, so you must kill him and the dogs quickly. The rest of the level entwines itself around this perimeter hallway. It is mainly about shutting off the saw hacking away at the Red Pass Card (it's deadly to Lara if she goes near it) by getting two machine chips. When this is completed, Lara will use the Red Pass Card door in the middle of the perimeter hallway room (It had opened from getting the second machine chip) so she can access the Diving Area for real. Here, submarines are used to excavate and investigate the destroyed ship of the Maria Doria, which was sank by Tibetan Monks some years ago. The ship had belonged to Marco Bartoli's father, Gianni Bartoli.
The reason of the excavations were explained by a captive monk, Brother Chan Barkhang. At the very end of the level, a movie plays that shows that Barkhang's father had sunk the ship as it contained the Seraph, an important key in the quest for the dagger. Barkhang also explained to Lara that the Seraph had been stolen from his monastery in Tibet by imbecile vagabonds centuries ago. This Seraph was uncovered by Gianni, and so the monks feared that he would come to the monastery and utilize it. They were determined to protect the entrance to the catacombs which the Seraph opens. Barkhang commented on Bartoli as "infected with madness, he has a violent mind, but not yet the power to satiate it...". During this, Lara changes into a wetsuit, a piece of clothing she would wear for the next four levels. Before Barkhang could change into swimwear, however, he was shot by Bartoli from above. Lara draws her pistols and begins shooting as Bartoli does likewise (no bullet hit either) and Lara jumped into the Diving Tunnel just as the submarine dived for another excavation. She clung onto it as it exited the rig and slowly descended to the sea floor.
The Maria Doria Ship
The Maria Doria is a luxury ocean liner that Lara has to explore for four levels to discover the Seraph, which Brother Chan had explained about. It is notable that each level is set in a different part of the ship:
- 40 Fathoms - Set in back of ship areas, engine facilities
- Wreck of the Maria Doria - Set in the more luxurious and leisure area
- Living Quarters - Set in piston and engine room and entertainment areas
- The Deck - The deck, wedged in an underwater cave, of the ship
40 Fathoms: Three Big Puzzles
40 Fathoms is the first level in this part of the game. As said in the title, this level has three big puzzles (though number 2 isn't so bad). These three puzzles are the following:
- The Burner Hall Puzzle
- Swimming Up and Down Puzzle
- Moving the Earth Puzzle
Anyway, the Level starts with a short clip showing Lara on the back of the submarine, her air supply coming from breathing apparatus on the outside of the craft. The driver, ignorant of her presence, then notices her, and uses a mechanical external arm to try to get her off. However, he is too busy doing this to notice a Great White is coming towards him, and when he does finally notice it, he panically dives the craft right into undersea rocks, and the craft collapses. Lara detaches herself from the craft and, obviously, needs to find some air. She enters the ship through a tunnel by a giant anchor sticking out of one side of the Maria Doria. Then, after getting away from the shark tailing her, she enters the first puzzle; The Burner Hall Puzzle. This puzzle is about getting past a row of burners in a hallway so you can access the rest of the level. It uses multiple switches, and quick movement, as most switches are on timers. There is also a dark hallway in the middle of the complex, where you start. There is a ledge up there you must pull up to, and a switch to pull. Pulling it activates a cinematic of a door opening in the complex. Find it (it's not the one by the shallow pool) and that's where the trap quickness begins. You must discover the way to order the switch pulls in order to turn off all the burners temporarily (for about 10-15 seconds). Past the Burner Hall is the Swimming Up and Down puzzle, which involves swimming up through the chambers, pulling a switch, swimming down again, pull another switch in a room that opened with the first switch, and then swim back to the top again. The next one is the Moving the Earth Puzzle. It involves moving the rock around this chamber so you can access rooms with switches that then in turn access the exit. Lara then exits the level through an opened door.
40 Fathoms, similar to the first level, is mainly about putting Lara through a series of traps and puzzles, but instead of in the air, now it's in the water. There are only five human enemies in the level (excluding a Frogman). Also note, though this is unimportant, that this level is very wet, and very rusty. The next level is very different, and the first signs of the once luxury ship are first seen.
The Wreck of the Maria Doria
The Wreck of the Maria Doria is mainly about discovering three circuit breakers that solve the largest puzzle. The level shows the remains of the once proud vessel. Below are the two main sections of this level.
The Three Circuit Breakers
Near the start, you will come across (actually come through) a large overturned pool, then see a large and impressive ballroom, then a restroom. Finding the three circuit breakers are reasonably difficult. The first one is located on one of the tiers in the overturned ballroom, the second hidden in one corner of another overturned tier of another ballroom, and the last by one side of the doors in the restroom (but you can't get at it from that way). Once you have collected all three (you would of also discovered the Restroom and Rusty Key), you use them in another large chamber near the pool at the level start. They each shut down one of the three burners that are stopping you from reaching a hallway above. Once up there, the player must cross the huge ducts across the room until reaching a tall drop off to the water below.
The Cabin Key
This part of the ship is where the captain and crew would pilot the ship. This area is about opening doors and throwing switches in order to get the Cabin Key from the water outside. However, there is angry aquatic life out there; Sharks and Barracuda's in particular. Once the trapdoor at one end of the area is opened, Lara has to avoid the denizens of the deep to salvage the key from the ocean floor, which opens a door near the tall drop off that started this section of the level. There is a switch in the room which opens a trapdoor back in the main area outside of the room This allows you to reach another switch (after moving a box) that lowers a trapdoor back in the Cabin Key room. This leads to another overturned, glass ballroom, with access to water, and the level exit.
Level Overall
This level puts Lara against a lot of not just human enemies, but quite a few aquatic ones too. It is also one of the longer levels, and has three very secret secrets.
Living Quarters: Pistons and Theatre
Living Quarters has only one key, and that's near the end. Lara, still without the Seraph, ends up from the last level in a giant piston engine room. Note the switch high on the wall and the hallway leading off up above. The first part of Living Quarters is to move the pistons, so you can access that high switch, which floods are room with a water switch. When the room is flooded, the switch can be pulled, and that opens a door in the same room. This leads to an aquatic chamber with a sealed door up above. To open it, you must look for the adjacent chamber to the one you're in, and pull the switch that resides in there, but with caution. A giant moray eel guards it, and he lives in a small chamber in the right, so it's best to keep to the left. Then, atop the now open door, you must work your way along the ductwork until you finally do enter the Living Quarters. Everything, though old and damp, is almost as majestic as it once was. Loads of Rig Workers, Guards and Bosses are around here. The Theatre key needs to be found to access the theatre, and then to pull a switch that floods a small chasm with water so you can cross to the entrance to the deck.
Living Quarters is a rather interesting level, with intelligent puzzles, and also contains some well hidden secrets. Living Quarters is much more of a movement and key combination exercise than anything else.
The Deck
The Deck is the one of the most unnerving levels in the game. Not only is it dark (the Deck somehow got stuck in a cave), and has that strange, scary background music, but enemies are out in force around here, mainly because the Seraph is here, among the tall hulls and propellers. It is actually located in a Storage Shed just away from a pile of boxes near the Stern Key door, and requires a Storage Key in order to open it. There are three keys, including that one. The other two are the Stern Key and the Cabin Key. Flamethrowers are back in The Deck (they make only two appearances in the whole game). Upon discovering the Stern Key on a ledge by a pool near the level start, the player follows an underwater tunnel to the lower vicinity. Here is where you can see the Storage Shed. The level continues when you discover a tunnel that goes past a propeller blocking a path. Now you must find the Cabin Key, on the raft. When you have it, you move up and up a series of paths until you are back in the higher, deck vicinity. You are currently several deck levels above where you started this level. You must then jump to several levels below you (the pool level) and then to the one below that. Here, you must travel across to the top of the orange structure and follow the paths around here (and finally utilize the Cabin Key) until you land upon the Storage Key. Use the key to unlock the Storage Shed after disposing of two Flamethrowers. The Seraph, waits in the corner. Picking it up ends the level.
Back to the Surface Movie
Lara is seen approaching the surface, with breathing apparatus. She is back in the rig, and clambers onto a platform. Stealthily, she jumps onto a plane in the bay area and takes off in it, heading in the direction of Tibet, where Brother Chan had said his monastery and the door the Seraph unlocks lies. Mid-way through the flight, she is seen taking approval of a bomber jacket (which is her new clothing for the next four icy levels). Trouble occurs when the plane runs low on fuel as it approaches the Barkhang Monastery. Her plane begins to fall and it takes damage, as Lara uses the ejector seat to escape. The plane crashes and explodes, and the ejector seat deposits her safely next to it, away from danger.
Tibetan Foothills
The Tibetans is remarkably brighter than the previous level, and releases some of that tension. The level also features the second vehicle in the game, the Snowmobile. Lara has the Seraph firmly in her backpack, but now hired mercenaries of the Fiamma Nera will stop at nothing to retrieve it. Note that mercenaries are twice as difficult to kill than the average Rig Worker or Fiamma Nera follower, because of either heavy padding on their bodies to impede bullets or an actual bullet (to a certain limit) proof vest. They are also deadly, with each one of them being armed. However, the Snowmobile can lend a hand. You can use the snowmobile to run them over. It's very effective.
Lara starts the level in a bright alcove aside of a snowball trap pit. Past that is a long, winding path up to the hut, where the snowmobile is parked, and guarded by two mercenaries.
