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Game play & Controls

Basic moves and those executed using a combination of controls are detailed in the tables below. As the games evolved, Lara has gained more new moves and the controls have become more complicated. To show which moves are available in which games, some information is colour coded: Moves available only in TR2 through 4 are in blue. Moves available only in TR3 and 4 are in red. Moves exclusive to TR4 are in yellow.

(NOTE: The controls for the 'Gold' versions of the games are identical to those in the original versions.)

Where the Macintosh controls differ from the PC, these are listed in green. PlayStation controls are in teal.

Basic Moves

MOVE	CONTROLS (PC/Mac/PSX)	DESCRIPTION/NOTES
Run	Forward (up arrow)	(See the note on remapping keys in TR4 below.)
Hop Back	Reverse (down arrow)
Turn Right	(Right arrow)
Turn Left	(Left arrow)
Walk	(Shift/R1)	Used in combination with the direction keys for slower movement. Lara will never walk off an edge, though she will run off. It's also handy for areas with spikes, broken glass, barbed wire, etc. Lara won't take damage if she WALKS through these.
Jump	(Alt/Command or Apple/Square)	Jump straight up (useful with certain combo moves, below.)
Sidestep Left/Right	(Delete/Page Down) (Shift/R1 + left/right in TR3)	In TR4, you can use either of these for sidestepping.
Roll/Reverse	(End, or 5 on numeric keypad, or Forward + Reverse [up + down arrows] together/Circle)	Lara drops to the ground and comes up facing the opposite direction.
Draw/Holster Weapon Stow Binoculars/ Drop Flare	(space bar/Triangle)	Also used to put away binoculars or drop a flare without lighting another in TR4. To equip binoculars, choose them from the inventory ring. (See TR4 Menu & Inventory.)
Action	(Ctrl/X)	Actions include firing weapons, picking up objects on the ground, pulling switches and using keys, puzzle items, etc. Activates flashlight built into the binoculars (TR4). (Also useful with certain combo moves, below.)
Look	(0 on numeric keypad + arrows/ L1 + directional buttons)	Look (labeled "Ins" on some keyboards) shifts perspective to what Lara sees. Arrow keys look in different directions. (The Look key has other functions as well. See TR4 combat and Vehicles, below.)
Light/Throw Flare	(forward slash) (comma in TR3 and 4) (Select + R1)	Press once to pull out a flare and light it; press again to throw it in the direction Lara's facing. Lara can climb or swim while holding a flare, but she'll drop it when it goes out or she draws weapons. (In TR4, pressing the Space Bar/Triangle makes Lara drop a flare without drawing weapons.)
Crouch/Duck	(period/L2)	Used alone, Lara will crouch. She can draw the weapons she doesn't need two hands to hold (pistols, Uzis) and shoot from a crouching position. In TR4 Lara can turn around while crouching and holding weapons. (See also crawl, under Combo Moves.)

Combo Moves
(The section on Basic Moves, above, lists the keys for simple moves like Jump, Action, etc.)

MOVE	CONTROLS (PC/Mac/PSX)	DESCRIPTION/NOTES
Standing Jump	Jump + Forward	Jump forward appx. 1 square
Running Jump	Forward + Jump	Run two steps then jump forward appx. 2 squares
Jump and Grab Ledge	standing or running jump above + Action	Do the standing or running jump (above), adding Action to grab the ledge ahead
Backflip	Jump + Reverse
Sideflip	Jump + Left/Right
Safety Drop	Action + Reverse	Begin with Lara's back facing out, drop to ledge and hang. (Release Action to let go.) This is a VERY IMPORTANT move, since it minimizes the damage taken from a fall. It's also useful with traversing (above) and climbing (below).
Reverse/Safety Drop	Action + Roll	Begin facing out (at least 2 steps from edge), then drop, roll and hang from ledge (Release Ctrl to let go)
Traverse (shimmy)	Action + Left/Right	While hanging from a ledge (holding Action), use direction keys to move to either side. In TR4 Lara can traverse around both convex and concave corners.
Hand-over-hand Traverse/"Monkey Swing"	Action + direction keys	In TR3 Lara can traverse hand-over-hand monkey-bar style. Jump and grab an overhead surface. Hold Action key and use directional keys to move. Release Action to drop.
Pull Up/Vault	Action + Forward	While hanging (holding Action) press Forward to pull up. While standing, use the same combo to climb up on a low block or ledge.
Jump & Climb Up	Jump + Action + Forward	To climb onto a high block, walk up to the block then use this combo to jump up, grab the edge and pull up (or traverse, above)
Pull/Push Block	Action + Forward/Reverse	Position Lara so her chest is against the block, hold Action and she'll go into a crouch, then press Forward or Reverse to pull or push the block
Handstand/Walkover	Action + Walk + Forward	While hanging from a ledge (holding Action), press Walk then Forward, and Lara will pull up to a handstand then do a walkover onto the ledge (generally useless but spiffy)
Swan Dive	Walk + Jump + Forward	Standing on a platform (ideally above water), hold Walk and press Jump then Forward and Lara will do a graceful swan dive. (Note that she gets a bit of an arc on this dive, so if you're aiming for a small pool, you may need to step back from the edge before diving.)
Dive and Roll	Walk + Jump + Forward	Essentially the same as the Swan Dive, except used on a flat surface Lara will run, leap and roll. (Not necessary but can help Lara avoid damage from certain traps.)
Mid-air Turn	Jump + Forward/Reverse + Roll	Begin with a standard forward jump or backflip, press Roll on takeoff and Lara will turn in the air to land facing the opposite direction. (Note: Jump + Roll alone is useful for changing direction while sliding down a slope.)
Mount Ladder	Action + Forward	Facing ladder or other climbable surface, press Action then Forward and Lara will climb onto the ladder. (She can also take a standing or running jump, above, and grab a ladder.)
Climb	Action + direction keys	Mount/safety drop down to ladder, then use direction keys to go up/down or side to side
Backflip Dismount	Jump	While hanging onto a ladder (or other climbable surface), press Jump to backflip off the ladder and land on the ground or on a platform behind
Mid-air Turn & Grab	Jump + Roll/Forward + Ctrl	When Lara needs to jump from a ladder and grab another ladder behind her, press Jump and either Roll or Forward to jump and turn in midair, then Action to grab the second ladder
Swan Dive with Somersault	Walk + Jump + Forward...Reverse/Roll	Same as the swan dive (above) only pressing the Roll or Reverse key after diving makes Lara do a somersault (or two if there's time) before hitting the water
Crawl	(period/L2 + arrow keys)	Use arrow keys in combination with crouch (above) to crawl. Lara can't use weapons while crawling, but she can come up into a crouch and then draw one-handed weapons (pistols, Uzis). To climb into an elevated crawlspace, press Action + Crouch + Forward. To climb down from a raised opening, back up to the opening and safety drop (Action + Reverse).
Sprint	(forward slash/R2 + arrow keys)	Hold sprint key while running to put on a burst of speed. Lara can only sprint for a short time. The stamina meter shows how much oomph Lara has left. Press Jump while sprinting and Lara will do a nifty forward somersault. Press Reverse and she'll skid to a stop. (The Sprint key has other functions as well. See climbing ropes and poles, TR4 combat and Vehicles, below.)
Climbing Poles/ Climbing & Swinging on Ropes	Same as certain basic controls (see notes at right)	To climb onto a dangling rope or pole, stand against and press Action. Or, if necessary, use a standing jump or running jump (above) to reach the rope/pole, then Action to grab it. To grab a rope that's directly overhead, press Jump + Action. While holding on (Action), use direction keys to climb up/down or to shimmy around to face a different way. For rope swinging, press Sprint to start Lara swinging. If you need to swing higher, wait until Lara's legs come back up around the rope, then after the next back swing (when she starts to swing toward where you want to land), press Sprint again, to make her pump her legs to go even higher. Release Action to let go. Or, press Jump to leap off the rope in the direction Lara is facing or to backflip off a pole.

Swimming

MOVE	CONTROLS (PC/Mac/PSX)	DESCRIPTION/NOTES
Dive/Swim Underwater	Alt/Command or Apple/Square + direction keys	Jump alone makes Lara dive below the surface; it also makes her swim underwater in whatever direction she's facing (use with arrows)
Pivot Underwater	Direction keys	Direction keys alone will make Lara pivot underwater or angle toward the bottom (Forward) or the surface (Reverse)
Underwater Roll	(End, or 5 on numeric keypad, or Forward + Reverse together/Circle)	Same as rolling on land. Useful in tight spaces or after pulling an underwater lever.
Swim on Surface	Direction keys, Sidestep	Dogpaddle (Forward), backstroke (Reverse), pivot (Left/Right), sidestroke (Sidestep Left/Right). Note that Lara swims much faster underwater than she does on the surface.
Climb Out of Water	Action (Ctrl/X) + Forward	Just like pulling up to a ledge (vaulting) on land

Beginning in TR2, Lara can also wade, jump straight up (though not forward or to the side), and draw/fire weapons while standing in shallow water!

Vehicles
(There are no vehicles in TR1. Within each game, many of the controls are the same for all vehicles. Notes are given where controls differ.)

MOVE

CONTROLS
(PC/Mac/PSX)

DESCRIPTION/NOTES

Get on Board
Same as Action
Position Lara at the side of the vehicle and press Action to get in. (She can also jump into a boat from above or climb in from the water, using Action + Forward.)

Drive and Turn

Direction keys

In TR2, these controls are similar to movement on foot. (Note that Reverse can also be used to slow the momentum of some forward moving vehicles.)

Turbo - TR2 Motor Boat & Snowmobile

Same as Action

Used with direction keys, this causes the vehicle to move faster (or fire guns, in the case of certain snowmobiles). When turbo is engaged, Lara will take damage if she crashes.

Slow

Same as Walk

Used with direction keys. Similar to walking; however, it won't stop the vehicle from going over an edge.

Climb Out/ Dismount

Jump + Left/Right in TR2
Roll + Left/Right in TR3

Quad Bike

Forward (same as Action)
Reverse (same as Jump)
Handbrake (same as Sprint)
Turbo (see note at right)

Turbo is activated by by holding the handbrake key (same as Sprint), revving the engine (Action), then releasing the brake.

Underwater Propulsion Unit

Forward (same as Jump)
Up/Down/Left/Right (direction keys)
Fire Harpoons (same as Action)

The screen display shows the number of harpoons remaining.

Kayak

Paddle Forward, Backward, Left, Right (direction keys)
Paddle turn (Walk + Left/Right)

The paddle turn is a sharper turn, in which Lara digs her paddle into the water on one side of the kayak or the other to change direction.

TR3 Inflatable Boat

Accelerate (same as Action)
Brake (same as Jump)
Turbo (same as Sprint)

Hold both Accelerate and Turbo keys for a speed-boost, but remember when turbo is engaged, Lara will take damage if she crashes.

Mine Cart

Brake (same as Jump)
Swing wrench (same as Action)
Duck (same as Crouch)

Lara uses the wrench to whack switches, in order to direct the cart onto another track. She will need to crouch to avoid certain obstacles.

Jeep

Accelerate (same as Action)
Brake/exit vehicle (same as Jump)
Shift into reverse (same as Sprint)
Shift out of reverse (same as Walk)

To get into the Jeep and start it, approach either side door and press Action. Select the ignition keys (make sure you've picked them up), and press Action again. To shift between forward and reverse, first come to a complete stop. Then press Walk (forward) or Sprint (reverse). To get out of the Jeep, you must first come to a complete stop on terrain that is relatively flat. Then press Jump + Left, and Lara will hop out.

Motorcycle

Accelerate (same as Action)
Brake/dismount (same as Jump)
Use nitro (same as Sprint)

To dismount, press Jump + Left. Note that the Nitro won't work until you get the necessary parts in the Cairo levels.

Menu/Inventory System & Hotkeys

Tomb Raiders 1, 2 and 3 use essentially the same basic menu and inventory system. This has been revamped substantially for TR4 (The Last Revelation). Details are noted in the tables below.

Menu & Inventory for TR1, 2 & 3

At start-up, use left/right arrow keys to rotate between snapshot (training level), passport (game options: new game, load saved game, exit), Walkman™ (music/sound volume), and keyboard (customize controls). Press Enter to choose one. Additional hotkeys for adjusting graphics settings in-game, are found in the CD liner notes.

Use the following controls within the game:

Escape = go to menu rings to access inventory, compass (TR1 only), stopwatch with statistics (TR2 and 3 only), found items and passport (game options)

left/right arrows = rotate active menu ring; turn pages in passport (to choose between save game, load saved game and exit)

up/down arrows = switch between the three menu rings

Enter = to choose item from ring

Escape = to deselect an item, again to return to game

F5 = shortcut to save game

F6 = shortcut to load saved game

Alt + F4/Command + Q = quick exit (does not work in TR1 for PC)

Other function keys can be used to change display settings from within the game. (See CD liner notes.)

Number keys = In TR2 and 3 the number keys draw weapons or use med-packs without having to escape to menus.

TR2: 1=pistols, 2=shotgun, 3=automatic pistols, 4=Uzis, 5=harpoon gun, 6=M-16, 7=grenade launcher, 8=small med-pack, 9=large med-pack.

TR3: 1=pistols, 2=shotgun, 3=Desert Eagle pistol, 4=Uzis, 5=harpoon gun, 6=MP5, 7=rocket launcher, 8=grenade launcher, 9=large med-pack, 0=small med-pack.

Menu & Inventory for TR4 (Last Revelation)

At start-up, use up/down arrow keys to select New Game, Load Game, Options, or Exit. Press Enter or Action to choose one. Options include choosing and configuring keyboard or joystick and setting the sound preferences. The graphics options can be adjusted in setup from the main menu (appears when you insert the CD with Autorun enabled).

Use the following controls within the game:

P = pauses game and displays the following choices:

Statistics—includes level name, time taken, distance covered, ammo and health packs used, secrets found.
Options—same as in start-up menu, above.
Exit to Title.

Escape = go to inventory.

Once in inventory: left/right arrows rotate the single menu ring, which includes weapons, med-packs, flares, binoculars, found items and save game/load game icons (stone tablets). Use up/down arrows to select different options from text lists.

Action/Enter = activate or use selected item.

Escape = to deselect an item or un-pause/return to game

F5 = shortcut to save game

F6 = shortcut to load saved game

Alt + F4 = quick exit

Alt + Tab = minimize

Number keys = In TR4 these can be used to draw weapons or use med-packs without having to escape to inventory: 1=pistols, 2=shotgun, 3=Uzis, 4=revolver, 5=grenade gun, 6=crossbow, 9=large med-pack, 0=small med-pack.

NOTE: In the PC version of TR4, it is not possible to remap the basic movement keys (forward, back, left, right) unless you download and install the patch.