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Peruvian set of levels
Tomb Raider 1
Caves
The Caves level of Tomb Raider is set in a series of mountain passages hidden deep within the Andes Mountains. Lara Croft, with the help of a guide, gains access through a large carved door that is set in the mountainside.
Caves is essentially one long progression of chambers and passages, where naturally occuring caves are complemented with Incan masonry. The level commences with a trapped hallway involving an Indiana Jones style dart trap and ends with the gateway to Vilcabamba which features a very similar type of hazard. In between there are various rooms, for example, one with twin rope bridges, one with a bear pit in the floor and one where you must use timed switches in order to continue in the level.
Lost City of Vilcabamba
Vilcabamba is essentially a collection of dwellings built into the cave floor and roof, with a central pool as a water supply. Now deserted, the only inhabitants are various wild creatures that live among the ruins. Lara can explore these areas to find several objects to continue her journey.
A second area consists of a temple-like structure, with three doors set into one wall. The two doors openings at the left and right access tall side towers, from which levers open the door in the middle at ground level. Inside is a long room with another central pool and colonnades at both sides, where Lara can exit the level into the next, the Lost Valley.
The Lost Valley
The Lost Valley is a temperate gorge high in the Andes Mountains of Peru, and is the third level in Tomb Raider. It contains the entrance to the Tomb of Qualopec and is explored by Lara Croft.
Upon exiting the City of Vilcabamba Lara comes out on top of a high glacial waterfall that flows from deep inside the mountain. The area running along the river consists mainly of old Incan structures and machinery, the area below the waterfall leads to the Lost Valley itself. Lara can visit either area first, but will return to the path along the waterfall at the end of the level.
The Lost Valley itself is a large canyon which is filled with both tropical plants and dinosaurs. Glacial waterfalls punctuate its length and there are many tunnels and caves on its peripheries. It has been quoted as one of the most recognisable areas from Tomb Raider, and is certainly a landmark area in the canon.
In the original, Lara enters the Tomb of Qualopec through an underwater passage, and later exits from a door behind the waterfall.
Tomb of Qualopec
The Tomb of Qualopec is the final resting place of one member of the Atlantean Triumvirate, who keeps his piece of the Scion within his gaze even in death. His tomb is hidden deep in a mountain close to the lost City of Vilcabamba which Lara has only just re-discovered.
The level centres around a room with four entrances - one where you entered from the Lost Valley, one leading to Qualopec's tomb and two others leading to puzzle rooms. The aim of the level is to find various levers and switches to open the gates leading to the tomb itself.
The puzzles and traps are more complicated than those seen thus far, with a wolf pit and boulder trap featuring most prominently. Texturally the level is bright and colourful with red and orange featuring as the major part of the colour scheme.
Tomb Raider: Anniversary
Caves
The level was changed somewhat, but not unrecognisably, as part of Tomb Raider Anniversary's 're-imagining'. Now called 'Mountain Caves' the approach to the level became playable, as there was no need to re-reveal Lara in a cutscene, and this part of the level serves as a short tutorial to the basics of Anniversary Lara's movement.
In addition several of the rooms were cut from the Anniversary level, but new concepts were introduced such as breaking the first rope bridge in the Bridge Room. The final approach to the level is made towards the gate to Vilcabamba itself, rather than entering in one of the siderooms as in the original Tomb Raider.
Lost City of Vilcabamba
In Anniversary the approach to Vilcabamba is changed significantly. Rather than first arriving in the city itself, the player must first pass through a decorated passageway and then down a mountainous track. The 'city' is much reduced, featuring only a few small stone huts as well as the original central pool, which is fed by a waterfall from inside the mountain.
Once access has been gained to the temple area, the similarity with both the original and Anniversary's version is striking, with the side towers and temple structure. However, the long room with the colonnades does not feature, with a passage leading straight to the Lost Valley.
The Lost Valley
In Anniversary Lara approaches the waterfall from below, at the side of the lake. In Anniversary she cannot access the Lost Valley before visiting the area at the top of the waterfall, as she must operate some of the machinery before doing so.
The approach to the lost valley is also different, as Lara passes through various caves and passages first, eventually falling right into the valley. A complaint from fans was that the valley cannot be adequately explored as some sections of it are blocked by fallen masonry. However the new route around the top of the valley from the area where Lara battles a Tyrannosaurus Rex was quite popular.
Lara enters and exits the Tomb of Qualopec through an opening behind the waterfall, which is revealed when all the cogwheels are set in place.
Tomb of Qualopec
Although built on essentially the same lines, the Anniversary version of the tomb has a vast area the tomb is bigger in scale compared the the original version of the level. In Anniversary it was made slightly more challenging by breaking the floor of the main entranceway, the structure of the level is much simpler. Each passageway to left and right now contains short, movement based puzzles in order to access door switches, while another switch is accessed by using the grappling hook.
In the Anniversary version, Qualopec is shown still to be alive and kicking, rather than the skeletal form depicted in the original. When Lara takes the Scion and leaves the tomb, Qualopec stands and moves from his throne. However, masonry blocks the entrance and traps him.
The design of the level is also very different, tending towards mossy stone passageways and undecorated walls and interiors.
Notes
Caves: Cave dwelling was not a usual pratice among most societies by the time of the Inca Empire, where the earliest ruins inside the Caves may date from. It may be that the oldest ruin within the valleys and caves within the Andes is the Tomb of Qualopec, and was the earliest focus for religion and civilisation in that part of Peru (assuming that the break-up of the Atlantean Triumvirate was at least several thousand years ago).
Since then, it is clear that succesive generations of ruins have been built up around the tomb from the earlier temples and vantage points of the Lost Valley, to the City of Vilcabamba which may correspond to the European Medieval age, and the defenses of the Caves themselves, constructed to defend against the new Spanish invasion.
Lost City: Vilcabamba and the myth surrounding it was and is a real-life location. Built as the last refuge of the Incan people from the invading Spaniards by Manco Inca, it was finally conquered in 1572.
Vilcabamba became a legend, an unidentified location of a long gone culture. In 1909 American archaeologist Hiram Bingham re-discovered the ruins but paid little attention to them, preferring instead to concentrate on the ruins at Machu Picchu (also re-discovered by him) as the original 'Lost City of the Incas'.
It was only in the 1970s that the area known as Espiritu Pampa was excavated and claimed as the site of Vilcabamba. Credit is generally given to Professor Edmundo Guillen and Polish explorers Tony Halik and Elżbieta Dzikowska who excavated the area. Before setting out on the expedition however, they found letters in a museum in Seville, Spain by Spanish soldiers describing the progress of the invasion and what was found in Vilcabamba. These letters significantly assisted the excavations.
Vilcabamba is in actuality located in a rainforest, not inside a mountain. In the Tomb Raider universe, it is clear that Vilcabamba was never found until Lara Croft re-discovered it.
Lost Valley: It should be evident that the presence of dinosaurs in the cold Andean climate would be at best unlikely, if not impossible. The Lost Valley is an example of a micro-climate of which examples exist all over the world - for example in the Colosseum in Rome.
Something about the topography of the mountain and the abundance of fresh water from glacial rivers has created the perfect conditions for a warm, steamy environment for the dinosaurs to develop. The Lost Valley must of course extend much further than the area that Lara explores, as there must be some variety of prey animals for the dinosaurs she meets to feed on. The vegetation seen in the valley, consisting mainly of palms and ferns is also similar with flora of prehistoric origins.
Tomb of Qualopec: The Tomb of Qualopec is the earliest structure within the Caves of Peru. It would have been chosen as a secret place not only for the protection of the Scion, but also to act as a temple for the continued worship of the god-king Qualopec.
Subsequent structures were built around the tomb, demonstrating the growth of a settlement for spiritual purposes; common in later civilisations with institutional religions. This may be one of the earliest spiritual sites in human history, and certainly one of the longest-lived.
The beginning of the Lost Valley Stage, TRA
The real Vilcabamba
Peruvian National Institute of Culture sign of the Archeological Park
Tomb Raider: Legend
Dry highlands, where Paraiso could be located.
AoD Weapons
Boran X
Dart SS
Desert Ranger
A Pair of vector-R35's
A Pair of Scorpion-X Pistols
K2 Impactor
M-V9
Mag Mega
Rigg 09
Scorpion X
V-Packer
Vector - R35
Ciper SMG
