Atlantean Stronghold
| Atlantean Stronghold | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Unfinished Business | |||
| Section | Atlantis Section | ||
| Level No | 3 | ||
| Length (*) |
| ||
| Secrets | 2 | ||
| Location | Atlantis | ||
| Level Chronology: | |||
| Temple of the Cat | Atlantean Stronghold | The Hive | |
Atlantean Stronghold is the third level of Unfinished Business. After having revisited Egypt, Lara returns to the Atlantis location for more adventures.
Features
The Atlantean Stronghold was originally intended to be the first level of Unfinished Business, taking place straight after Tomb Raider's last level The Great Pyramid. At the beginning of the Atlantean Stronghold level Lara starts by going down a slide, the same slide from The Great Pyramid in Tomb Raider.
The whole level revolves around a central stronghold structure, located next to a tall guard tower. Lara explores numerous rooms in the Atlantean architecture style, as well as a few small natural caverns. Several areas of the stronghold have been flooded.
The level also offers several lava challenges, where Lara has to watch her step or make precise jumps. There are many levers to be pulled, some of which only release more mutants.
There is one particularly tricky drop at the beginning of the large central structure, for which Lara needs to position herself correctly and have full health, if she wants to survive it.
There are many transparent walls and floors throughout the level, which allow the player to see places they would visit later or spot mutants waiting in ambush in nearby rooms. The hatchery from The Hive can be seen through one of those "windows" and it looks slightly different. Lara can see the centaur the she will eventually encounter when she reaches the hatchery in the next level.
Eventually, Lara has to reach a high point, which allows her to jump down to the heart of the stronghold structure, where the entrance to The Hive is located.
Trivia
According to the game developers, this level should ideally be played by cheat-skipping the previous two, so that the player starts only with the pistols and no ammunition. Thus, the level can be the challenge it was meant to be.
