Relive: Friendly Spike Trap of Possible Certain Death Tomb Raider II [By Guns and Grapple]

Relive is a new feature on the site which revisits specific moments in the Tomb Raider series. In this post we're going back to one of Lara's earliest adventures, Tomb Raider II. The game promised to be bigger and better than the original, with more locations to explore and new gameplay variety. This time Lara was after an artifact, the Dagger of Xian, which granted whoever was impaled with it, the ability to turn into a dragon. An impressive power sure, but incredible impractical given that most doorways aren't dragon size... or in fact takeaway food. And being a dragon is great and all but, you know, burritos.

While there are so many fantastic moments in the title, there's one which stands out as the greatest for me, and it takes place pretty early on in the game.

The game starts off with a trip to the Great Wall of China. After wrestling with some of the wildlife including some kittens, a pack of angry spiders and some heat seeking eagles, Lara finds herself at the start of an adrenaline fuelled ancient assault course. The course only takes around one minute to complete but also consists of back to back traps, and yes, most of them are highly impractical and ridiculous.

Of course this series has no illusions that it frequently delves into the fantasy genre; it's what allows awesome situations like this to happen. Plus I have a fondness for level design which has "wait...what?" elements.

The assult course is as followed:

Lara first runs down a darkened tunnel and over collaspable tiles which breaks seconds after she touches them. Below the tiles are bloodied spikes so continuous movement is imperative. Once over the tiles, keep running to the steep incline and quickly slide down. Behind you are two huge boulders, in front are sharp spikes, so make sure you keep moving and you jump at the precise moment. Once on solid ground you haven't got a moment to lose as two walls, baring spikes, closes in on your position. Turn left, and sprint to the tunnel, and you can escape just in time. In the dark tunnel, you're allowed a moment to pause, and perhaps save before the insanity starts up again.

Once on the move you're faced with a more blades and loose ground, move fast and jump when needed, matching the pattern: tiles, blades, tiles, blades, tiles, blades. Once in the next room, run quickly to the exit as once again the walls close in on you. Run over the collapsible tiles, past three sets of spiked walls, and drop down into the next room. In this room, you will face more moving spiked walls. The loose ground in the corner proves to be your salvation. As the floor gives way, you are thrown into a cave. The final trap lays in front of you; two rolling wheels, armed with a spike in the centre.

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Relive: Angkor Wat Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation

Relive is a new feature on the site which  revists specific moments in the Tomb Raider series. Today marks Guns and Grapple's fifth anniversary (we'll do something special soon!) so I wanted to return to a level which had a major influence in my childhood...

"Ah, and you are the world-famous archeologist adventurer Lara Croft, ja? No, no, I am the reknown archeologist adventurer Werner Von Croy and you will do as I say! Go to wall and pull the lever!"
- Von Croy

It occurred to me the other day that I had passed the age that Lara was when she first embarked on her adventure with Werner Von Croy at the start of The Last Revelation. Despite passing that age a few years ago, I felt mixed feelings at this realisation. That level had a huge impact on me when I was a child; growing up I wanted to embody Lara in some way*, and that level built the foundations of which that dream was built.

At the start of the game, the player is introduced to the game's mechanics through a cleverly designed tutorial. While traditionally game tutorials can be slightly uninteresting, Core revisited one of Lara's first adventures taking place at Angkor Wat. In the level, the player controls a 16 year old Lara on an adventure to find the Iris with Werner Von Croy. Von Croy is a world renowned archaeologist, an achievement he is not the least bit humble about. Lara's appearance on the quest may be slightly strange, but considering her family's fortune and her adventuring buddy's absent enthusiasm for actually solving any puzzles himself, it becomes pretty apparent that his parasitic actions are as honest as his intentions.

The level is most remembered in the series for the introduction of Lara's backpack, which she continues to wear throughout many memorable adventures; from that moment she became the adventurer we loved.

The flashback is split into two sections; the first shows the player how to control the character and informs them of new movements added to the game since the last time we met Lara. The second part is a timed level in which the player uses their new knowledge to try to beat Von Croy to the Iris. Although given the sudden appearance of the time trail, you weren't punished for failing to get there ahead of your opponent.

As a child playing this level, I used to be terrified of the time trial, but thoroughly enjoyed and continuously played the first part of the game. At the time, I memorised the location of all the golden skulls with my four year old mind thinking this was the greatest achievement ever! And I loved how karma came back to Von Croy, and the banter between the two characters.

There's been a number of forum threads over the years asking fans what moment they think of when they think of the series, for me, my mind returns to Angkor Wat and being four again.  

* I've learned through my carelessness, I obviously focused on the side of the character which would randomly swan dive off the side of cliffs after saving. 

Photo from Katie's Tomb Raider Screenshots

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