Tomb Raider: Catalyst

This section details the various environmental obstacles Lara Croft can interact with in Tomb Raider: Catalyst, along with the controls needed to navigate them.

Ledge (or Crevice):
Lara can grab ledges by jumping or falling toward them while holding R2 (if safety grab is disabled). Shimmy along ledges by moving the left analog stick. Tap the / button to move faster. Press O to let go. To jump away, hold down on the left analog stick and press X. To jump to the side, hold the direction of the ledge's end and press X. Press X without a direction to jump straight up to higher obstacles.

Pole:
Grab poles by jumping or falling toward them while holding R2 (if safety grab is disabled). Use the left analog stick to position Lara along the pole. Push in the direction Lara is facing to swing; tap the opposite direction to turn around. Press X to jump while swinging or O to drop. Hold the opposite direction while swinging for a quick midair turn.

Rope:
Jump toward a rope to grab it in midair. Hold / and move the analog stick up or down to climb or descend. Move the analog stick left or right to change Lara's facing direction. Swing on the rope by moving up and down, then press X to jump to a destination once enough momentum is built.

Ring:
Ceiling Rings: Press [] while jumping below a ceiling ring to grapple to it. These function like ropes for swinging.
Wall Rings: Press [] while jumping below a wall ring to grapple. Lara will run back and forth along the wall. Use the left analog stick up or down to continue running. Press X to jump to a destination when swinging in its direction; sometimes holding the direction and tapping X is required. To stop and stay suspended, hold the opposite direction Lara is running. While suspended, hold / and move the analog stick to climb or lower. Tap X to jump away from the wall.

Column:
Jump toward a column to grab and wrap Lara's arms and legs around it. Move the left analog stick up or down to climb or descend. Press X along with the direction of her destination to jump. Press X without a direction to jump away from the column.

Perchable Column:
Jump toward a column with a flat top to perch on it. Press / when Lara starts to lose balance. To jump from a perched position, press X along with the direction of her destination.

Adrenaline Dodge

While firing at a locked-on target (hold L1 to lock on), if the enemy becomes enraged (flash followed by a sudden dash), wait until the screen blurs while the enemy approaches Lara then press any direction + the dodge button (O) in order to make Lara dodge in the desired direction in slow motion. Keep the auto-targeting activated while dodging and two crosshairs will form over the target while Lara aims in mid-air. The crosshairs will eventually form one crosshair then turn red. Once the crosshair is red, press R1 to fire and score a one-hit kill on all normal enemies. The adrenaline dodge is used quite often to stun bosses so you must become familiar with using this!

Wall Run

Jump and grapple to any gold rings mounted along the side of a wall and Lara will begin a wall run. Press to the left and right on the left analog to make Lara run then press X to jump. Stop pressing a direction or quickly pull in the opposite direction to have her stop. Hold / hen press up or down to have Lara climb up or down the grapple. Press X while standing still on a wall to have Lara jump backward off of the wall.

When leaping to an area that is across from the wall that Lara is wall running on, press toward the platform (or area) AND press the jump button as soon as Lara is about to turn on the wall. This will make Lara turn toward the platform then kick off the wall with her legs and jump toward the area across from her. The timing must be fairly precise and the platform must be across from Lara, so line her up with it if she isn't already across from it during some portion of the wall run.

Somersault

Press X twice in succession (once for a jump then again) to make Lara perform a somersault jump.

Crouching/Dodging

Press and hold the O button to make Lara crouch in order to move under overhead obstacles. Press the O button while holding a direction to have Lara quickly dodge in that direction. Press O about a second after rolling to make Lara spring upward feet first.

Flips and Spinning Jump

Tap the O button while holding forward on the left analog to make Lara perform a series of forward flips followed by a spinning somersault. Tap the X button during the flips to make Lara perform some different flips and an even higher ending jump.

Walking

Press and hold the R2 button while moving to make Lara walk. This is helpful in highly dangerous areas and helps with precision when moving.

Dive

Quickly tap X followed by O to make Lara perform a dive. This move is very helpful when jumping into water since Lara will remain submerged a bit in the pool in stead of floating to the top.

Special Pull up

Press and hold X while pulling up to make Lara swing her legs onto the platform in order to pull her body up onto the ledge.

The "Special" Stuff

Hey there, adventurer! So, you've been diving deep into the world of Tomb Raider: Catalyst, huh? That's awesome! While the main walkthrough covers all the nitty-gritty of Lara's journey, this little corner is for all the extra bits and bobs that make the game truly shine. Think of it as your friendly nudge towards discovering those hidden gems or understanding some of the more unique mechanics that might not fit neatly into the main story progression.

We're talking about things that might not be immediately obvious, or perhaps some behind-the-scenes info that adds a whole new layer to your experience. Crystal Dynamics has really outdone themselves with this one, building on the Unified Timeline and continuing Lara's story after Tomb Raider: Underworld. It's a big undertaking, and sometimes the most rewarding parts are the ones you have to look a little closer for.

So, whether it's a quirky gameplay mechanic, a deep-cut lore reference, or just a cool piece of trivia about the development (like its Unreal Engine 5 build or the Amazon Games partnership), you'll find it hinted at or explained here. Keep your eyes peeled, and don't be afraid to experiment – that's what being a Tomb Raider is all about!