Tomb Raider 8: Underworld

LEVEL 1: MEDITERRANEAN SEA - PART 4: GOD OF THUNDER

MAIN DECK - CARGO CONTAINER AREA:

The level begins with Lara on the upper deck at the bow of Amanda's ship, the Megaera. To her left is a flight of stairs leading down to the main deck. Several of Amanda's men stand guard in the area below. The longer you spend exploring the area with the stacked cargo containers, the more enemies will appear. There's nothing to pick up in this area, so there's really no reason to linger. If you just head straight for your goal, you'll only encounter 2 mercenaries. Here's what to do:

Go down the stairs and head forward, keeping the stacked cargo containers on Lara's left. When you reach the end of the stacks, turn left, so the containers are still on Lara's left, and move forward along the right side of the deck, killing the 2 mercenaries I just mentioned.

NOTE: In case you need a refresher on the combat controls, hold (L1) to target an enemy. At a distance, you'll see a gray reticule centered on the enemy you've targeted. As you get closer, the reticule turns red, showing the enemy is within firing range. When that happens, shoot by pressing (R1) or throw a grenade with (R2). You may still be able to hit when the targeting reticule is gray, but most of your shots will miss at this range. To dodge enemy fire, maintain a target lock by holding (L1). Then move the left analog stick and press Crouch (Circle) or Jump (X) to do an evasive roll or leap.

Go up the stairs on the right side of the deck (i.e., right when heading toward the back of the ship) and through the open doorway.

BELOWDECKS:

Head down the stairs and follow the corridor. Just around the first corner another soldier blocks Lara's path. Take him out and continue through the doorway on the right.

Cinematic: The lead mercenary gets the drop on Lara. She dodges out of the way but finds she's taken cover behind a fuel pipe. She quickly dives out of the way as the conduit explodes, killing the soldier and setting off a nasty chain reaction.

When you regain control of Lara, the passage ahead is blocked. Go to the right and continue along the hallway. When you come to a T in the passage, go left. (There's just a dead end to the right.)

Cinematic: Lara peers into the next room and sees Amanda standing on a glassed-in observation deck. She's holding the gauntlet device that her men stole from Lara. "Damn," she curses. "It's too small. Only Lara can use it now. . .until I kill her."

A familiar voice replies, "Even that won't unbind the artifact."

Amanda then learns that the ship is taking on water. So she leaves the conversation unfinished to attend to the immediate danger. Once Amanda has gone, Lara enters the room to find her old nemesis, Jacqueline Natla, encased in a huge glass cylinder.

"I'm very pleased to see you again, Lara," she says, despite having her back toward the door where Lara enters.

In the ensuing conversation, Lara learns that Amanda has been holding Natla in this giant specimen jar, and it was apparently Natla who told Amanda about the existence of Avalon. Despite her captivity, Natla seems calm and patient. She's taken some enjoyment in watching Amanda's suffering.

When Lara asks about her mother, Natla answers that the dais Lara found in Nepal [in TR: Legend] is actually part of a travel network. She tells Lara that while searching for Avalon, her father accidentally discovered Niflheim instead. But, in truth, Natla believes Amelia Croft did not end up in Avalon but in Helheim, another Norse underworld.

Lara demands to know where Helheim is. Natla says she'll tell her one day, but when that day comes, Lara will need Thor's hammer to enter. Natla taunts Lara a bit, saying maybe she'll have better luck finding the hammer than her father did.

Lara demands to know more, but Natla provides only a cryptic reference to the coast of Thailand before one of Amanda's helicopters lifts her glass prison out of the hold and carries her off.