Dying for a complete walkthrough? Well, you won't find it here. There's not enough room for that kind of thing and besides, if we gave you the entire solution the game would be solved in a matter of minutes, wouldn't it? Value for money? Quite.
So here's something to really get stuck into. Instead of leading Lara dumbly through every level, glance over our guide to find out how to really play Tomb Raider II. There are details on weapons, special moves, cheats and so much more it's almost encyclopaedic. Once you've absorbed this library of information, there's nothing you won't know about the lovely Lara. So, tool up and get cracking.
Negotiating the landscape
The environments Lara finds herself in have been created using a deceptively simple landscape editing system. No matter how organic it may appear, each landscape adheres to a strict grid system and breaks into squares of uniform dimension. Look closely and you'll get the idea.
You may be wondering why we're telling you this - well, it's because every single manoeuvre in the game, no matter how tricky it may seem, can be calculated beforehand in terms of the number of squares covered by the movement undertaken. For instance, a single backward hop covers precisely one square. Assuming the terrain is level, a jump from a standing position places her two squares forward - a leap of one square - while a running jump clears two squares, leaving Lara standing three squares forward.
It's often crucial to precede a jump with a short run-up, but don't go overboard: a run-up of a single square will suffice. If you're on a particularly precarious ledge, hold down the walk (shift) key, and let Lara take three steps backwards. Not only is this equivalent to one square of ground, it's also safer than taking a backward hop (since Lara never falls off ledges during 'walk mode'). Clever huh? Similarly essential is the ability to grab ledges in mid-air. A running jump followed by a grab will allow Lara to leap three whole squares, then clench the edges of the fourth one.
Don't forget, however, that the ledge you wish to grab onto must not be higher than the one on which you currently stand.
As in most things, practice makes perfect. Don't be afraid to experiment with Lara's many moves. Make the most of the training level, and memorise as many tricks as you can.
Weapons
Lara loves her weapons. She always goes gooey at the glimpse of a grenade launcher and mischievously moist at the mention of an M-16. The harpoon gun gets her horny, the automatic sends her half-orgasmic and even the puny pistol prompts passionate precipitation in her primrose-scented pants. She's a woman. She's a sick woman, that's what she is. A sick woman. With plenty of guns.
It's no use darting around waywardly blasting muthas in the goddamned face, however. A teensy weensy bit more care, attention and worthwhile selection is called for. In other words, pick the right tools for the job.
Pistols
Use against rats, spiders, Dobermans and unarmed men. The good thing about pistols is they've got unlimited ammo. The bad thing is they're pretty ineffective. Use them primarily for tiny foes such as rats and fish or distant enemies that can't reach you.
Automatic pistols
Use against Dobermans, tigers, leopards and armed men. This weapon is automated for ease of use and is best deployed against multiple foes or far-off enemies. Be prudent with the ammo.
Harpoon gun
Use against sharks, frogmen and fish (in an emergency). Ammo for this is hard to come by, and must be reloaded after three shots. Bear in mind it's possible to stand on the shore and take out marine life from there. Don't let off a harpoon gun unless you have no other choice (which is good advice for everyday life, by the way).
Uzi
Use against yeti, warrior, monk and Xian. Like birthday cake, the Uzi should be saved for special occasions. The ammo doesn't grow on trees, so make sure Lara doesn't riddle everything in sight with bullets.
M-16
The biggest and best weapon in Lara's arsenal. Use against yeti, warrior, monk and Xian. Don't waste a single shot. The M-16 can pick off enemies from a very long distance but it's too cumbersome to be effective at close range. You shouldn't really use it at all until well into the second half of the game.
Grenade launcher
Use against yeti, warrior, monk and Xian. Grenades are extremely hard to come by, so don't even think about letting one off unless there are no other options. In the long run, it's better to use up a medipack than to waste grenades on bad guys who could be eradicated via less spectacular means. And try not to fire it in a confined space.
Shotgun
Use against packs of dogs, armed men and tigers etc. Most effective when deployed against nearby enemies or when fired wildly into slavering packs of animals. Top tip: hop backwards after firing, and reload on the move.
Top tips
Knowing how and when to use your weapons is one thing, but there are other things to bear in mind to get you through the game more effectively. These may be obvious, but in the heat of the moment, they can easily be forgotten.
Life force
When Lara's life force is low, the power bar will start blinking like a car indicator. Use a medipack quickly. It's also highly advisable for Lara to dabble with a medipack or two when something big is approaching. Always remember to watch your life force during battles: when it gets low, fill up.
Save games
Lara's an intelligent woman so she's sensible about saving - isn't she? Doesn't she always save after a particularly hard section such as the massive cave obstacle course near the beginning of the game? Doesn't she avoid saving when she's got hardly any energy? And doesn't she always have one particular prime save game to rely on if things go terribly wrong? What do you mean "no"? Sort it out immediately.
Vehicles
There a few vehicles in Tomb Raider II and it's important to know how to control them. Take a few moments to familiarise yourself with the machinery - try doing stupid stunts and generally throw them around a bit. This way you'll learn every intricate detail of Lara's throbbing piece of machinery.
A vehicle's weapon can be activated by pressing the action button. If a vehicle doesn't have a weapon, the action key will cause the turbo to kick in. At times the turbo is an integral part of the game, but beware, if Lara crashes at turbo speeds (such as when attempting the jump in the Venice level) a life will be lost. Be careful.
Pay attention!
Pretty much everything in the game is linked to something else - it's like a giant jigsaw puzzle. If Lara pulls a switch and nothing happens, don't just wander on regardless. Take a step back. Look around. Be patient. A door further back may have opened, a switch may have appeared, a key may have fallen from the ceiling. Just pay attention.
Sound effects
Keep your ears open - the stereo sound isn't just there for the hell of it. If you can hear footsteps, someone is close. If there's a growling sound, something is about to pounce. Eerie sounds normally mean danger: have your guns ready.
Climbing ladders
Who would have thought it would take Lara so long to master the apparently simple process of clambering up and down ladders? Going up ladders is straightforward but time-consuming, no real tips there. But you climbing down is much quicker: just fall and hold the action button, but do it before she screams. Ladders can sometimes be hard to spot, so try climbing anything that looks kind of, well, different, like bookcases, or cracked ice.
Fight, fight, fight
A good way to deal with gun-toting scumbags is to run at your quarry, all guns blazing and then once Lara has passed him, do a roll so you turn around and then start firing again immediately. The monks in the monastery are experts at this. The only trouble is it doesn't work on animals or unarmed enemies, so just use the classic jumping around like a nutter routine.
Special moves
You've walked around, climbed a few ledges and done a bit of swimming - all pretty straightforward stuff. But did you know Lara's capable of more complex moves?
ò On The Great Wall stage why not let Lara show off with her swan diving? Ascend to the top of the first tower and go over to the corner closest to the lake below. Look down and line yourself up so you'll definitely land in the lake when you jump. Now take a deep breath, step back and do a running dive by pressing up followed by jump and walk together. For added effect press the roll (end) key in the middle of the jump and Lara will perform a pretty nifty pike (or something like that anyway) before landing in the water. God she's good!
ò From the bottom of a ledge, hold the walk button, then press forward and control simultaneously. Voilα - a dainty handstand. It's not very useful, but it is fun.
ò Here's how to climb using only Lara's hands: go to any place that needs to be climbed, jump and press the action key. Lara will clamber up using only her fairy-soft hands.
ò In any corner that contains a wall and a drop you can fall off, use this trick to get on top of the wall: turn around so you're almost facing the wall, but not quite, and press jump. It might not work straight away, but keep trying until Lara's legs stick inside the wall. Press jump again and Lara will miraculously appear on top of the wall.
Handy hints
Here's a few tips to get you out of a tight spot and make life a bit easier.
ò Do a backflip jump to reach platforms which can't be reached face-on.
ò When Lara encounters a bunch of bad guys or beasties, be sure to concentrate your fire upon any projectile-firing swines that may be in the vicinity - even if another foe is at a closer range. Momentarily taking your finger off the fire button will cause Lara to target another enemy.
ò Practise the 180-degree mid-air spin around: do a forward running jump, then hit the 'backwards' key the instant Lara leaves the ground. If all goes well, she should twist at the peak of the jump. A great tactic for putting the wind up any nearby aggressors.
ò Don't panic if you've run out of flares: pull out the trusty, unlimited-ammo pistols, let off a few rounds and the corridors will be temporarily illuminated.
ò When confronted with several gun-wielding cronies, hop backwards while firing to keep a lock on your quarry. Don't back into a wall though.
ò Remember to take some snaps by pressing the 's' key mid-game. The .tga grabs take up a lot of hard disk space, so quickly convert them to other formats.
ò Call us perverted, but it's highly recommended that you enjoy a few sick hours by allowing Lara to die at the hands/teeth/claws of various enemies. Some of them do an excellent job of mutilating poor Lara and it looks cool. So do it.
ò Every room contains a puzzle. Look at the various objects on hand and the layout of the room and with a bit of brain power the mystery can be solved. If a room is too dangerous to enter, there's probably an easier way in. Just keep thinking about possibilities. Keep that brain ticking.
