Level 23 - Citadel Gate (Part 1) - Guide for Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation

LEVEL 23: CITADEL GATE (first time)
 
Secrets: 1*

You enter this level for the first time from the CHAMBERS OF TULUN level, through 
the gate guarded by the Minotaur.

ALLEY WITH WOUNDED SOLDIER: Don't panic if the camera goes wiggy and doesn't allow 
you to look. Hop down into the alley; it's safe. Approach the wounded soldier on the 
low ledge.

Cut scene: Lara kneels near the soldier.

Pick up the revolver ammo on the ground near the soldier. Follow the street away 
from the soldier.

Cut scene: The camera pans the area, showing the "creature" Azizus mentioned: a 
huge, armored, fire-breathing dragon. If you take note of the scenery, you'll see 
the munitions truck the sergeant described parked in the alley in front of the 
dragon and another road leading away from that area to the dragon's left.

DRAGON GUARDING THE CITADEL: To the left of the dragon (when facing it) is a safe 
spot behind a low wall near some columns. Run in here and pick up grenades and a 
small medipak. Don't even bother shooting at the dragon; it's just a waste of ammo. 
Wait until it has just unleashed a series of fireballs, then sprint past it down the 
street.

Just beyond the dragon is an area where you'll encounter a swarm of locusts every 
time you come through. There's a pick-up to be had here. This isn't an official 
secret, so I personally don't think it's worth the aggravation. I have included it 
later on, when you return past the dragon to re-visit Sergeant Azizus, to save one 
pass in front of the monster.

For now, keep running down the street until the locust swarm abates (around the 
place where you pass under a clothesline). If you continue along the street, you'll 
come to a deep pit. You can't get across it on foot, so there's no need to go there 
now. Backtrack along the street toward the dragon (north) until you come to an 
opening on the left. 

ALLEY WITH CROCODILES: Climb over the low wall into an alley. Advance with your 
shotgun drawn, ready for the crocodile that comes out of the crawlspace at the end 
of the alley. Repeat the process for a second croc. Then crawl into their lair for 
poisoned arrows and revolver ammo. Crawl back out. (NOTE: You can also climb on one 
of the ledges and shoot the crocs with pistols.)

AREA WITH TWO COFFINS, SWITCHES AND BELLS: Climb through the break in the wall on 
the left (when Lara's back is to the croc lair). Below are a pair of coffins with 
symbols on the tops. There are also four switches, one on a ledge to the left above 
the coffins and three at ground level. High on the north wall are tiles with clues 
about these symbols. The tile on the right is partially obscured by a wooden box 
(what is this thing?). If you like, you can use your crossbow (with the laser sight 
and explosive arrows) to blast the box, knocking it aside so you can read the 
inscription. Note that the symbol keys on the tiles show which symbols on the 
coffins correspond to the numbers above the switches. Hop down near the coffins.

Cut scene: A bird's eye view of the area, showing the symbols on top of the coffins.

This puzzle isn't as hard as it may at first seem. The coffin below the dangling 
rope has the symbols corresponding with 1 and 3 (| and |||). The other coffin has 
the symbols corresponding with 1, 2 and 4 (|, || and ||||). And, in fact, pulling 
these combinations of levers slides each coffin aside, revealing an opening beneath. 
However, the coffins and levers don't reset, so all you have to do is pull all of 
the switches to move both coffins. Not much of a challenge.

Go down into the hole beneath the coffin that's closer to the rope. Use the CROWBAR 
as a handle for the lever, opening a door in the other hole. Climb back up and go 
down the other hole and through the door you just opened. Use the switch there to 
open the door above near the coffins. A swarm of locusts emerges and follows you 
back to the surface. Go through the door near the coffins, killing a couple of bats 
roosting there. Then continue up the ramp. There are more locusts in the hall and 2 
more bats fly in when you reach the opening above the coffins.

Cut scene: A panoramic view of the area.

This next bit of business is a bit of a challenge, so you probably should save your 
game first. Take a running jump to grab the dangling rope. Scoot to the bottom and 
turn around to face the bell to right of the opening where you just emerged. Line up 
a swing toward the wooden box. Make sure Lara's got a nice high arc before jumping 
off the rope. Press Action as you fall to land in the opening with the bell. Drop 
back and hang from the ledge. Let go and grab the opening below. Crawl in for secret 
#1 (58/70), a large medipak and explosive arrows. Crawl back out and safety drop to 
the ground.

ACROSS THE LEDGES ABOVE THE STREET: Return up the ramp to the high ledge. Again, 
take a running jump to grab the rope. Slide to the bottom and this time swing out 
straight ahead, jumping to land on the small square ledge on the side of the next 
building. Turn left and take a running jump to the striped awning. Take another 
running jump (or a standing jump-grab) to the next ledge. Turn and kill a giant 
beetle that flies at you from behind. Take a running jump across the street to 
another striped awning in the corner to the left. Turn right and take a standing 
jump to grab the ladder on the opposite side of the street. Climb around the corner 
to the left. Lara won't continue climbing along the horizontal crevice. So drop to 
the ledge below, turn left (south) and take a running jump over the wooden bars and 
clothesline to grab the next ledge, which juts out below the crevice. (This way you 
avoid the giant beetle described below.) Crawl up into the opening and take the 
small medipak. Crawl out and drop to the ledge below.

Alternately, from the ledge below the ladder, turn around and take a standing jump 
to grab the ledge on the other (east) side of the street. Pull up and kill another 
giant beetle. Then take a diagonal running jump across the gap to grab the crevice. 
(Or, jump up to grab the overhead bars, traverse across to the end, let go and 
quickly grab the crevice.) Traverse to the left until you can pull up near the 
medipak.

From the ledge below the medipak, turn around and take a running jump to the striped 
awning across the street to the right (southeast). From there, take another running 
jump to grab the square opening ahead (south). Pull up.

THE WRECKED TRUCK AND DEEP PIT: Follow this passage to emerge above a deep pit. Kill 
the bat that flaps in from the right. (You might want to save your game before this 
next tricky jump.) You're aiming for the ledge near the overturned truck on the 
right side of the pit. Position Lara with her right shoulder against the right side 
of the opening. Take one sidestep to the left, then turn about 45 degrees to the 
right. Hop back, then take a running jump to land near the truck.

Immediately draw a weapon or two to take out 2 giant beetles. Be careful not to hop 
back into the pit, and stay clear of the area to the right of the truck, or Lara 
will catch fire. Walk around the left side of the truck and carefully retrieve the 
NITROUS OXIDE CANISTER.

Take a running jump across the pit toward the wrecked taxi. Follow the street back 
through the locust-infested area and sprint carefully past the dragon toward where 
you began the level.

If you want every pick-up, find the high crawlspace on the left wall just before the 
dragon area. Crawl in (getting bitten by locusts the entire time). Slide down the 
ramp and pick up flares and a large medipak. A couple of bats join the swarm as you 
exit through another crawlspace at the opposite end of the small room. Drop to the 
ground in the street and run forward then to the left to return to the start of the 
level.

Climb over the ledge near poor Sergeant Azizus.

Cut scene: When you return to Sergeant Azizus after talking to him the first time 
but before getting the codes and mine detonator, he'll tell Lara that her bike will 
need modification to clear some of the larger obstacles. Nitrous Oxide connected to 
the carburetor, he explains, should give it extra punch. Then he urges her to go 
find the codes.

Climb back into the hallway in the left corner to return to the CHAMBERS OF TULUN 
level.

CHAMBERS OF TULUN - AREA BEHIND (NORTH AND WEST OF) CHAMBERS: Follow the passage to 
the opening. Climb down the ladder to the ground. Turn left and follow the short 
passage to a raised opening. Jump to grab the edge, pull up and slide down the other 
side into the street. Run to the left (north), past the Minotaur and around the 
corner to the right. Keep going to the low drop-off near the back door of the 
CHAMBERS. Get on the motorcycle and follow the road to the north and up the hill to 
enter the TRENCHES (PART 1) level.