Rise of the Tomb Raider - Flooded Archives, The Cathedral, Ana, rebreather, artefact
Our complete guide to surviving the Flooded Archives section of Rise of the Tomb Raider, from exploration to escaping in one piece.
Use the grab bar to leap across into the window, then scramble your way up the wall to the right. Follow the handholds around the wall, finally ending up on the platform above where you entered. Climb the wall to your right, move along the beam, and grapple-jump to the boards opposite to reach the top of the bell-tower.
Ana is in the room below you and is accompanied by some guards. The situation will turn tense and escalate quickly, and before long you'll find yourself dangling precariously. Draw your pistol and destroy the generators hanging from the ropes before they pull you to your doom.
Glimpses
Before proceeding, explore the room behind you to find an audio log and some berries, then head through the small gap to find a new campsite. Use it if you want, then examine the mural on the wall. Head down the passageway and try to ignore the grisly scenes surrounding you - put the poor guy out of his misery and carry on downwards.
Detonate the barrels at the bottom, head down the short set of stairs, and pop to the right to find a scroll. Drop down into the chamber below and collect the priceless object that everyone's been bickering over, then fight off the usual array of enemies. Use the exploding jars to your advantage to even the odds, but this is essentially a straight up shoot-out with little room for clever tactics - kill or be killed.
The Atlas
Follow the marker and be ready for another firefight. This area provides for a little more finesse, but it's still largely a fight to the death. After the first wave is clear, a second will burst through the door, so prepare a Molotov and try and take as many out with it as you can when they enter. Loot your fallen victims for precious ammo and move out.
Dark Waters
Head down the watery tunnel to trigger another on-rails experience. Dive below the surface and swim as quickly as you can beneath the flames. When the sequence is over, you'll acquire a rebreather which makes swimming sections less fraught. Take a leisurely swim along the tunnel until you reach the objective and a long-overdue puzzle room.
Your first job is to make camp. Once you've upgraded, it's time to explore before tackling the puzzle. From the campfire, looking directly at the statue in the water, turn left and enter the archway ahead. Dive under the water and stay submerged, stealthily taking out the panicked guards in the room from beneath the surface.
When the room is clear, climb out, look around, and then climb the rope ladder. Pull down the barricade to your right, collect the Coin Cache from the far corner of the area, then follow the passageway around to a small chamber. Grab the map from the table, locate the artefact, then make a grapple leap from the small ramp in order to cross to the other side. Pull down the next barricade and jump across to the wooden structure. In the alcove to the left ahead is another Coin Cache, and another item can be found in the area to the right.
Now to tackle the puzzle itself. Drop down to the lower level near the wooden structure and fire an arrow at it to release a barrel. Wait for it to drift through the water to the blockage, then detonate it.
Position yourself near the rope-covered pillar between the barrel dispenser and the waterfall. Release another barrel, then wait for it to drift past the post before firing an arrow to attach it. The current will pull it to the left. Cut the rope and it will fall into the pool below.
Collect the Coin Cache from the ruined brickwork in the middle of the waterfall, then use the zipline to head to the lower area. Detonate the barrel, then head to the north-west part of the area to find another dispenser and a crane type structure.
Stand in front of the dispenser and shoot an arrow at one of the crane arms to rotate it. Dispense a barrel, stand behind it, and loose an arrow to attach it to the crane. Head to the other side of the crane and use an arrow to rotate it another 90 degrees. One end will sink into the water due to the weight, so return to the dispenser, release a second barrel, and attach it to the higher end of the crane.
Push the barrel over the edge, then rotate the crane another 90 degrees, positioning the first barrel above the platform on the other side. Head over and cut the rope, then push the barrel into the water. Wait for the barrel to reach the statue then light it up.
Escape the Archive
Now it's time to run away! Head up the statue, turn left, and scramble up the wall. Climb the steps, then scramble up the next wall. Now turn right, grapple-jump from the ramp, and immediately scramble up the wooden panel.
Head across the collapsing wooden walkway, grapple-jump from the end, and crash through the burning timbers. Quickly jump from the ramp, cross the narrow beam, scramble up the wall ahead, grab the rough stone with your axe, and jump up and left to the next platform.
Grapple-jump from the ramp to the crate, hit X to secure your grip, then climb on top of it. Jump to the grab-bar, and as it swings round, jump and climb your way to the balcony above. Turn left, grapple-jump from another ramp, run to the end of the platform, and make a leap of faith...
There's only one way to go from here, so swim your way down the tunnel. The second chamber you emerge in contains a couple of collectibles, so pick them up, then climb back out into the lovely fresh air of the valley.
- Our walkthrough continues with a step-by-step guide to completing Rise of the Tomb Raider: The Gathering.
- You can find the rest of our Rise of the Tomb Raider guide from the first page of this article.