Lara slides down into a new courtyard to find Von Croy waiting for her with a proposition she can't refuse...

This level has two main routes, which are chosen depending on the number of gold skulls you picked up previously. Less than 8 skulls gets you the easy route; picking up all eight gets you the hard route. And boy is the hard one tough! Click here to take the hard route.

In the easy race you have about 2 minutes to get to the Iris. If you hear a short fanfare as you head through the ruins you may as well give up as you're too late. You're also too late if you reach a shut door. You don't need to win the race to progress to the actual game, but you do need to get to the Iris within the time limit. Hardened raiders will want to win for their pride, but even experienced raiders will need a few races to get themselves used to the route. Here goes...

Von Croy cheats at the start, so you should add the 'sprint' key to Lara's first run. Slow down through the short corridor as it turns a couple of times and then prepare for an easy jump when Lara gets back outside. Scramble up the small ledge and take a running jump over the next gap (you should be able to clear it in a long jump, but grab and climb up if you land short).

Head over the edge ahead and turn left, as the camera cuts away to give you a birds' eye view. Turn right and run off the edge of this ledge onto stony ground. Ahead of you is a large gate suspended open (if you're very slow, it'll be closed!) - run through into the next room and then head right and climb through the high opening into another corridor section. Run through the corridors and prepare to do a running jump when the route opens out into a room with a deep pit.

Von Croy will run around the pit. You'll likely fall in, even if you were prepared to jump. Dont panic! head to the right hand end of the pit and climb out using the ledges. Head for the exit door. If you made the jump, you're likely well ahead of Von Croy, otherwise you may be trailing behind by now (he moves fast for an old 'un).

Run through the next corridor section until you reach a gloomy jungle area. Von Croy will go for the creepers on the roof and monkey swing across the deep pit - you don't have to... just run straight over the edge, pick yourself up and head for the far wall. Climb up the wall (roots in the earth, I guess!) and keep running until you reach the room full of rocks.

Von Croy climbs up the pile of rocks on the right - it's quicker to go up the ones on the left. At the top, do a roll to turn round and then a running jump. Turn left when you land, do a simple jump to the next platform and then hang a right through a doorway almost immediately. The camera can barely keep up as you head onto a suspended wooden bridge. Ahead of you is a huge (hopefully open) doorway - sprint for it and if you get through safely - and first - run through the little maze, keeping the wall on your left at all times.

There are several routes through the harder race and this walkthrough doesn't attempt to describe them all. The one below is challenging, but gets you well ahead of Von Croy by the halfway point, letting you take in the scenery... Thankfully, there appears to be no time limit in this version of the race, though experienced raiders won't be happy until they've won! Here goes...

Von Croy cheats at the start, so use sprint to head off after him through the door in the corner. Slow down around the corner and take a measured jump across the first spike pit to the central ledge. Don't panic as Von Croy disappears - just line up a running jump and make it over the second spike pit in one piece with a running jump-grab.

Climb up and do a little sprint into the next room but be sure to take a running jump over the deep pit as late as possible to get you higher into the vines on the other side. Climb up and sprint to the right. If you're well under 30 seconds at this point you will have the option of following Von Croy through the door on the right, but things don't get any easier..! Instead, head left through the other gate and round the corner.

The wooden bridge is unsafe but so long as you keep running and jump off the end, you'll be alright... except you're sliding down a slope into some spikes! When you land on the slope, jump again immediately and you'll get to the opposite ledge safely. Run through the corridor and jump or vault over the pile of rocks ahead. On the other side, take an immediate right through a doorway in the wall and run across a bridge over a pool. Von Croy should be well behind you by now...

Cross the next pool on the zig zag walkway and run through the door to the next room. Here there's two spike pits and you need to make a running jump-grab over each pit. On the other side, turn left through the door and climb up the ledge. Run across the rope bridge and jump or vault to one of the openings ahead and continue on until you find a door on the right.