Tomb Raider II

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Tomb Raider II

Developed by Core Design

Published by Eidos Interactive

Lead Programmer: Gavin Rummery

Level Design: Neil Boyd & Heather Gibson

Lead Animator: Stuart Atkinson

Character Models: Joss Charmet

Music by Nathan McCree

Engine: Custom: Tomb Raider Level Editor

Platforms Windows 95, Macintosh, PlayStation

Release date(s): November 1997

Rating: ESRB: T

Introduction

Tomb Raider 2 involves more enemies, larger levels and it introduces much more of modern life and recognisable places than that of tomb raider 1. The Offshore Rig levels involve key objects which are much more modernized (Machine Chips,Pass Card | Pass Cards.) Also, the Offshore Rig levels have flashing electronic technology, never seen before. Many people believe that both Tomb Raider 2 and 3 lose the original Tombs that made Tomb Raider 1 popular, although some prefer this. It also notable that Tomb Raider 2 contains much more human enemies than its predecessor, and an overall introduction into a more modern life.

Prelude

Tomb Raider 2 is all about getting the mystical the 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 Barkhang Monks | 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 symbol seen constantly throughout Tomb Raider 2

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,

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 inside, Lara has access to the 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. This unlocks the second Guardhouse. Lara then makes her way through the dangerous traps someway underground. These traps include spiked walls, collapsible floor tiles (with spikes at the bottom) and slicing mechanical blades capable of killing Lara with one hit. 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 believe, but the next 13 levels are all about just getting the Talion artifact, though for half the time, Lara does not know it.

The Door Ambush

As she approaches the door to investigate the key mechanism, an armed member of the Fiamma Nera attacks her from the small ledge to one side of the cavern area. He hits the door, and his weapon, a Tommy Gun, flies out of his hands. Lara raises her pistols towards him as she says "Pardon me, if that was just your way of trying the doors for me..." , and orders him to divulge about what he knows about the dagger. He is initially curious about Lara, saying that somehow she doesn't behave like she has monk's blood. Lara replies by saying "I understand that "somehow" is in my favour. So indulge me about the dagger. I'd be indebted with your life." He then explains, though not very clearly, that the doors are waiting for the right person, and tries to get Lara to pledge her loyalty to the "sins and fortunes" of 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 hacks into a nearby laptop to discover who Bartoli actually is, and discovers a link that he is currently in the Via Caravelli, in Venice.

The Venice Levels

Venice is very different from the usual tombs of Tomb Raider. The first transportation in the entire series is found in this tranquil (kind of) part of the game. However, don't believe that this little Italian holiday is easy; puzzles are constantly appearing through these three levels, along with tens of Fiamma Nera's and Brawlers.

Venice

Lara arrives in Venice, through unknown transportation, but she is seen dropping from above the small avenue where she begins Level 2. 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,

Venice

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.

Bartoli's Hideout

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,

The Hideout

and into the outside area (where the hidden Uzis can be discovered, 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.)

Ball Room

The Opera House

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,

In The Opera

along with one super baddie at the end; the Fiamma Nera Boss (or sub-boss, as it is not Bartoli). Firstly, Lara must find a way into the actual Opera House using the first Ornate Key, and then 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.

More Of The Opera

However, the control room cannot be accessed without the second Ornate Key, which is found in the ventilation system, full of electrical, killer fans. Then, once back in the control room, Lara raises the stage with the switch activated by the Circuit Board, and must fight several Fiamma Nera's before taking a path to above. Then, after moving past several more swinging sandbags, Lara has to confront the sub-boss in an airport storage area.

Sub Boss

Confronting the Sub-boss

The Sub-boss, known as Colt is difficult to combat with, being extremely resistant to gunfire and he moves quickly, and is also deadly with his two large revolvers. Also note that you'll be fighting in a rather small space, which is also shared by two dobermans and two hidden Fiamma Nera's. These are the best way to combat Colt:

You'll be needing high power weapons such as the Shotgun or Grenade Launcher. It'll take around 7 to 9 Shotgun shots to kill him, or around 5 Grenades. Using the Uzis will just waste ammo, and the Pistols and Automatics are barely effective.

Try to move around, but only subtly, as any large amount of movement will bring in the two dobermans, and you have enough to deal with without added strain. The two hidden Fiamma Nera's only appear when you move to the end of the chamber or press the high button on the wall respectively.

If you manage to kill the dobermans, try to shoot while his back is turned. When he changes direction to face you, jump, rolling in mid-air, then continue shooting, then repeat the process when he turns.

When he dies, he'll drop a Grenade Launcher (if you don't have it already- but it's not that important, as you'll lose it in a minute). Jump over the boxes in the vicinity to reach a switch, which reveals a plane ready for take off, and the Level Exit.

Offshore Rig

While hiding on board Bartoli's plane as a stowaway, Lara is knocked unconscious by one of Bartoli's henchmen. When she wakes up, she finds herself stripped of all her weapons and trapped on an oil rig in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Wreck of the Maria Doria

Lara tags along with Bartoli's sub and dives deep under the sea, were she finds the remnants of a sunken ship, the Maria Doria, which she proceeds to explore, looking for the next piece in the puzzle leading to the Dagger of Xian.

Tibet

In Tibet, Lara drives through the foothills of the Himalayas in a snowmobile to reach the Barkhang Monastery, from where she can enter the ancient catacombs beneath the monastery to acquire the Talion key. After getting it, she returns to China to the Great Wall to unlock the door seen at the end of the first level.

Characters

Lara Croft

Marco Bartoli

Brother Chan

Winston Smith

Enemies

See Enemies page.

Secrets

Tomb Raider II was the first game in the series to introduce secrets that were themed to the game. In each level (except Home Sweet Home and The Dragon's Lair) Lara could collect three small dragon statuettes of stone (or perhaps silver), jade and gold. These could appear in any order throughout the levels.

Although they did not unlock any bonus features, substantial amounts of weaponry and ammunition could be collected if all three secrets were found in a level.

Reception

As one of the most hotly anticipated games of 1997, Tomb Raider II was an immediate commercial success, quickly surpassing the sales of Tomb Raider. As its predecessor, the game was critically acclaimed. Of particular praise were Tomb Raider II's improved graphics, the use of vehicles to add variety to gameplay and the more action oriented objectives.

At the time of Tomb Raider II's release, Lara was arguably at the height of her fame. A third installment in the series was inevitable and by the winter of 1998 Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft was released. Talks for a screen adaptation were in progress, Lara Croft featured prominently in several SEAT and Lucozade commercials and U2 famously used her image as a pop icon on their 1997 PopMart Tour.

Golden Mask

In 1999, Tomb Raider II was re-released for PC as Tomb Raider II Gold in North America and Tomb Raider II: Golden Mask elsewhere. The game comprises the scenarios of the original Tomb Raider II and 5 new bonus levels in a separate mini-adventure entitled "The Golden Mask". Unlike the other two Gold games, however, The Golden Mask contains no story ties to its corresponding game from the main Tomb Raider series. Its plot is completely unique.

The story involves Lara Croft coming across some clues referring to a small island in the Bering Sea: a faded photograph showing an Inuit whale hunter holding what looks like an ancient Golden Mask, an old newspaper from 1945 referring to a conflict over an Alaskan gold discovery, and a secret kind of fortified military mine base. Lara is primarily interested in finding the Mask, as it is rumoured to be the famed Golden Mask of Tornarsuk - a greater spirit said to bestow powers of re-animation on the mask wearer.

Cheat Codes

Effect	Cheat Code
All Weapons	Sidestep Right, Left, Right, Left, Back, Forwards, turn three times then jump backwards
Level Skip	While playing hold R2 and press Left, Right, Left, Up, Down, release R2 and hold Left to spin around three times, then rpess Down + Square and then Circle
Make Lara Explode	While playing hold R2 and press Left, Right, Left, Up, Down, release R2 and hold Left to spin five times, then press Down + Square to do a backward jump

Easter Egg

Secret Room In Lara's Home. Navigate the maze in Lara's home (Go left every time unless your only choice is right) and you will soon find a hole in the ground. Jump in and go through the tunnel and when you come out there is a button there. Press it and quickly exit the maze (Go right every time unless your only choice is left). Enter the house and on the right the door that opened when you pressed the switch should still be open. Quickly enter to find Lara's secret treasure room.