The Nightmare DLC

Before you go any farther you must know there are spoilers here. If you have not played “The Nightmare” DLC yet you have been warned.

Image by Okh Eshivar from my own game-play 2019

If you have been playing the latest DLCs of Shadow of the Tomb Raider you know and have probably already beaten the current addition “The Nightmare”. I usually beat the DLCs on their release unless I am busy. This one along with the others from SOTTR do not have replay ability built in. Yes, that means when you are done, you cannot go back into it and play it again. Many like to do that (I do) for the benefit of taking photo mode shots or the sheer fun of a replay. I took many shots during play with “The Nightmare” and that led to me taking a longer to finish this one than usual. However, due to taking shots throughout for description purposes and just because I can, and because I am a shutter bug, I found it even more enjoyable.

When you go into the Challenge Tombs screen you will find a new one for “The Nightmare” called “Howl of the Monkey Gods” I like to play the tomb for the DLC first, and then the mission. In this case the mission name is “The Path of Fear” I am not sure if you can start the mission first, for I never have. This way after the preliminaries of the mission, you will have the tomb at the end to conquer in order to complete the mission. For me it is something I am acquainted with since I beat it first on “explorer mode” and it goes by like a breeze.

In order to start this mission, you will have to go to the mission giver as usual. In this case it is Jonah. Lara learns about the mission from Uchu. You meet both in the Scull cave where they always are by the camp fire. He tells Lara about a recipe “the white breath” for a skill needed to combat enemies. This powerful hallucinogenic works with “fear arrows”. You will earn this after you complete the mission.

Below is the partial transcript of the dialogue between Lara, Jonah and Uchu about the White Breath and the Path of Fear.

Jonah: Hey Lara come and join us.

Lara: What are you two up to?

Jonah: Uchu and I are swapping scar stories.

Uchu: Jonah tells me you have a few yourself.

Lara: No great tales with mine … just me being carless.

Jonah: I got this one here from my cousin Eli.

Uchu: Your cousin gave you that? Are you still speaking?

Jonah: Mmm well it wasn’t my cousin exactly. It was worm that I …

Uchu: Perhaps I had to have been there.

Jonah: Yeah, probably. So, what about you? That one looks like it’s got a good story to go with it. What happened?

Uchu: A very ancient recipe.

Jonah: If my recipes did that, I think I’d rather starve.

Uchu: It is not that kind of recipe. This one was for a weapon.

Lara: Ah, what sort of weapon?

Uchu: The White Breath. It is a poison found deep In the wilderness. Its effects would double our numbers without adding a single life. Just the thing the rebellion needs to push back Amaru and his army.

Lara: So, what happened?

Uchu: I failed …

Jonah: You couldn’t find it?

Uchu: No, my friend … I was not worthy. To master the recipe of the White Breath, you must travers the Path of Fear. It is a treacherous place filled with terrible demons.

Lara: You believe the White Breath could save rebel lives?

Uchu: Many. But that hope is lost now. I cannot go back. It is too dangerous.

Lara: What if I went with you? We could get the recipe for the White Breath together.

Uchu: I appreciate your offer, Lara. But the Path of Fear must be taken alone.

Lara: Then I’ll go.

Uchu: I cannot ask you to do that.

Lara: You didn’t. I am offering.

Uchu: No!

Jonah: Lara, maybe this isn’t something …

Lara: Uchu, I can help … Please let me.

Uchu: Take the passage though the water beneath this cave. It will lead you to the wilderness. From there you are on your own.

Lara listens to Uchu about the Path of Fear.

The Underwater Passage. This is the beginning of locating the Path of Fear.

After Lara leaves the Scull Cave via an underwater passage that leads to the wilderness, she traverses the terrain to end up at the temple from the challenge tomb called “Howl of the Monkey Gods”. She finds herself outside of the main wall of this temple.

It is after Lara sits in front of this woman that she blows a strange dust in her face that creates the hallucinations.

As she navigates the area, she finds a woman sitting on the ground bent over forward. She is dressed in Paititi garb, so she is a native woman. Lara takes a place sitting in front of her. The mystery woman then blows a hallucinogenic dust unexpectedly into Lara’s face. This is where the nightmare begins.

“The Nightmare”

Somewhat like the Baba Yaga DLC from “Rise of the Tomb Raider” Lara finds herself in a chaotic world of hallucinations of her horrific memories. She suddenly awakens on the floor of the Manor dressed in the outfit from Rise of the Tomb Raider.

Lara hallucinates being home after she is exposed to the dust blown in her face.

She picks herself up from the floor, however, her vision is distorted as if in a dream and her senses are considerably out of sort for, she hears voices from friends and family that are dead.

She revisits her mother’s art studio.

Lara walking in a dream inside her mother’s art studio at the manor.

As if walking through the past that blends with the Tomb Raider 2013, Rise and Shadow she saunters through the halls of her father’s gallery of artifacts. One by one the contents on display in their cases become a theater of loved ones in tragic scenes from their lives. The following images shall tell the story.

Lara envisions her mother as the White Queen.

This is an image of the White Queen from a childhood game Lara would play.

Lara sees her parents arguing from the past.

Lara and her father weeping at the casket of her mother.

Lara meets herself as a child in her nightmare.

Lara remembers her fall into the water. A mix from past and present.

Lara sees enemies she thought would never end up in the manor, for in her nightmare they appear from nowhere in the halls of her imagination as they did in reality. They are the Yaaxil.

One of the Yaaxil they capture and kill Lara. Nightmare indeed.

Suddenly Lara finds herself face to face with the tragedy at Cozumel!

The memories from the nightmare in Cozumel.

Victims faces from the tsunami at Cozumel.

Lara is grabbed by the hand of Ana on her way up and out of her swim to the surface.

Lara finds herself in front of her home outside the gates. She can hear Jonah screaming in terror for her to help him get out from being buried alive.

Lara digs frantically to find Jonah! She can hear his voice emerging from underground. However when she at last thinks she grabs his hand it is an accuser!

Face of the accuser! It is after they have many hurtful words that the scene changes.

It changes to Lara having completed the trial known as the Path of Fear. She holds her head trying to clear the jolting images from her mind. Screen Shot taken by Okh Eshivar on PS4 Photomode 2019

Jonah: Hey it’s me it’s Jonah, are you okay?

Lara: Yeah, I’m fine.

Jonah: Thank God! She made it! She’s okay!

Uchu: Well done, Lara! You’ve proven yourself worthy. Now you must enter the valley of the monkey gods and retrieve the White Breath.

Lara: The monkey gods? You … you mean the twins Hun-Ahan and Hun-Cheven?

Uchu: Yes! It is believed they authored the recipe for the White Breath, as a means of revenge against the brothers that transformed them.

That is the dialogue that leads Lara to the Howl of the Monkey Gods challenge tomb for this DLC. She stands up and leaves to get the recipe.

Lara has arrived at the place of the recipe. Now just to retrieve it. Look behind you, Lara!

Lara’s eye is always locked onto the prize. Here it is. The place of the White Breath finally!

Here it is! The recipe better known as the White Breath! Lara earned this one!

Congratulations on completing the latest DLC from Shadow of the Tomb Raider!

My Thoughts

I quite enjoyed this one. I do think mostly because it took place in the manor. Though I also loved the way they wove the pieces of the reboot from 2013, with Rise of the Tomb Raider and then to present day Shadow of the Tomb Raider. The chosen characters were highlights from the past and present that worked seamlessly together.

This game further illustrates how far Lara has come psychologically. How her accuser tried to bring her down and she threw it all in her face and arose like a phoenix from the ashes of her past! With this DLC done, I look forward to the forthcoming ones. An awesome ride!

Explore the World!

~Emma