Tomb Raider speedrunning site
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This is a regrouping of all the speed-tricks known in the tomb raider series. Currently it covers every Tomb Raider. It starts with basic concepts and techniques that can be very useful even in normal playing, then moves on to tricks that are more exclusive to speedrunning.
Quick access menu
| Basic movement |
| Other movements |
| Advanced techniques |
| Cancels |
| Corner bug variations |
| Other bugs |
| Angel of Darkness |
| Legend and Anniversary |
| Underworld |
Basic movement:
In terms of speedrunning it's helpful to know the basic movement details before you move on to more advanced techniques.
Here are more detailed notes on each (in order of speed):
Crawling backwards
As the slowest form of movement you should minimise this as much as possible. Although, in very short crawls, it can be quicker than having to go forward and turn around.
Walking
Obviously, you should walk as little as possible, although there are some situations where it is almost essential that you do so, such as certain very precise jumps.
The short delay after pressing walk can be exploited to your advantage. If you run towards an edge and hold walk as you get close you can immediately stop at the edge without any walking at all.
Crawling forwards
While this is faster than walking, the delay of ducking down means there doesn't seem to be any use for this, especially as the amount of walking should be as minimised as much as possible anyway.
If exiting a crawlspace requires you to climb out backwards, then it is faster to turn to the side as you approach the end of a crawlspace, since you then lower the amount you must turn around before dropping out (of course this does not apply to Chronicles).
There is a way to get out of many crawlspaces a movement earlier; pressing to draw your weapons makes Lara move forwards slightly, allowing you to get up earlier in many cases.
Running
The default way of moving. As all of the first five games have faster ways to move it should be avoided as much as possible. However, there are some spots where running can set you up better than the alternatives, or the alternatives are far harder to use (such as places with low, blocky ceilings that are easy to bash on).
Standing jumps forward
While faster than running, this movement should be avoided where possible as running jumps are always faster. The only practical places to use it are for jumping puzzles, when on a ledge too short for running jumps to work or for setting up positioning in certain instances.
Backflips
Backflips seem a little... odd, they get you both higher and further than forward standing jumps and also give Lara a smaller collision area (you can get into gaps you might not get into with a forward jump). However, I'm not fully sure if they are faster as the actual animation may be a little slower, and of course they are more troublesome to perform.
Basically, See standing jumps.
Running jumps
In TR1 and 2 this is the ideal method of movement where ever it can be used. Part of route planning in the first two is working out how many of these can be fit into the space available. As part of this, it is almost always better to use slight detours that keep your run-jumping consistent than to take direct routes that require you to stand-jump or run at some point.
In areas with low or uneven ceilings (or both) you should try and stick to the parts with the highest ceiling so your jumps are as long as possible, provided it only requires a minor detour.
Sprinting
This is the ideal movement method from TR3 on, use it as much as possible. There are, however, some caveats:
On any lengthy run where your sprint bar will run out always dive (note the difference between a "dive"; and a "swan dive";) at the end as this means you will recharge your sprint bar while still continuing at sprinting pace for a short time. It also has some more obscure advantages:
Firstly a dive can get you up steps and slightly raised sections of ground (allowing you to climb them at sprinting pace).
You can also dive DOWN slopes, this is quicker than sliding and therefore can give you a small advantage if you do it right.
Sprinting in TR3 is different from the later sequels. In TR:TLR and TRC if your sprint gets "interrupted" you can restart it again without having to wait for your sprint bar to recharge. Also, from TR:TLR onwards you can press crawl after a sprint to roll into a crawlspace, which speeds up your progress through them.
It also helps to know where sprinting isn't practical; in some cases jumps can get you over bits of geometry which can be quicker than sprinting around them, also, if you are running up a series of raised blocks (like steps) then jumps will get you up quicker than sprinting.
On the PC version you may find you cannot sprint left without releasing a key for a short time first, the only way to fix this seems to be to change your movement keys (E.G. use the numpad to move instead of the arrow keys). Of course it will take some time to get used to, but being able to sprint left easily is a very good advantage. However this is only for TR3, you can set sprint to any key you want in later sequels. I recommend keys right above spacebar.
EXTENDED SPRINT
There’s an oddity in the game engine’s Sprint function: during the first nine-tenths of a second while sprinting, you can release the Sprint key, and Lara maintains sprint speed, but stops losing energy. You must hold Sprint again before the .9 seconds is up, or she slows down to normal running speed. If timed correctly, the few tenths of a second you save may drop you to the next lower second when the level is displayed. This run of Thames Wharf shows it at 0:18; look at the power bar in the upper right, which stops descending for a moment when the black portion is still small. Reported by xRikux89.
Blocks
In the first 5 Tomb Raider games blocks are the central gameplay aspect in terms of lining up jumps and other moves. Each bit of geometry is made out of blocks, and learning to see the world in these blocks is central to playing the game and exploiting the system. In general you can just see the "seams" where the blocks join, and, if not, then there is usually a repeating texture pattern or some other thing to help, as well as your own intuition after you get used to them.
Walk-run jump
This is a simple trick that seems to have been completely overlooked. Begin a step forward; add Jump and release Walk before the step finishes. This allows the running jump to occur in as little as one step.
As well as allowing for things that wouldn't be possible otherwise (or would be ridiculously hard), this is an extremely useful general technique. Pulling off running jumps in much smaller distances can be very convenient, such as when you land half-way across a block, as this is faster than setting up a full running jump.
Longest jump
The longest running jump possible is to perfectly align yourself with an edge (E.G. drop off and climb back up), then roll and take seven sidesteps (direction does not matter, as long as none are interrupted by a wall or other obstruction), then do a running jump. This is useful for testing, but it takes a long time. For a speedrun, you can usually find a quicker way, such as angling and then rolling or hopping back.
Other Movements
Shimmying VS Climbing (and ladders in general)
These two movements are the exact opposites of each other: Shimmying is much faster than climbing horizontally but much slower vertically, Climbing is much faster vertically but much slower horizontally. This means that good use must be made of both on some of the more "complex" ladder climbs, and using the right one in the right situation can drastically improve your speed.
Backflipping off ladders is important. It helps to know exactly what "rung" you need to be on before you can backflip off the ladder and land where you want to be (as it is faster than climbing all the way up), you also need to know whether a mid-air flip will help or not.
When you are going down a ladder, let go and grab again further down, repeating until you reach the bottom, this is much quicker than just climbing down, how close you want to cut it is up to you (obviously the less grabs on the way down the better, but it's risky on long ladders).
On very short climbs it can be better to stick to the sides so Lara climbs with just her arms and does not spend time latching on to the ladder.
Moveable blocks
Up until TR:TLR (where the speeds seem about the same), whenever you move a block you should try to push it as this seems slightly quicker.
Mid-air turns
Mid-air turns are extremely helpful if used right, for instance, they can substitute for a flare cancel (detailed later) when landing in open areas if you turn in mid-air and roll after landing (as Lara will then be facing forwards again). During a mid-air roll Lara assumes the "properties" of the jump you WOULD have done if you didn't turn, so if you do one while doing a backflip you will get advantages like the smaller collision area, but will be facing forwards, which can be extemely useful in some circumstances.
Advanced Techniques
Pendulum jump or Swing Jump
Sometimes when you jump you land part way into a block and need to immediately do a running jump from there. If you just run forward you will fall off, however, if you "swing" slightly to the side (so you cover a little more ground) before turning forward again then you can usually cover enough distance to start a running jump. The discovery of the walk-run jump has mostly obsoleted this technique, but they can be combined for the shortest distance running jump setup possible
Avoiding bashes
If you hit a wall in the middle of a jump then you bash against it and get knocked back, however, if you do a grab in mid-air you do not. This has all manner of uses.
Safety Drop - Grab/Bug
If you fall backwards off a ledge and press grab WITHOUT holding it you can land on ledges below you (if you hold it you will just grab the ledge again). In some cases this can save a lot of time. This is sometimes labeled a "bug" due to it apparently not being intended by the designers, but I consider it an unintentional extension of the controls like curve jumps are.
Curve jump
Possibly the most useful advanced technique of all. Core seemed to have not taken into account the curve jump possibilities that various levels have, allowing you to break huge sections of them. Curve jumps come in several forms; some are almost effortless, while others are incredibly hard.
UZI-like shooting
This trick only works in Tomb Raiders that have a switch between automatic and manual aiming in Options. In manual mode, the game allows you to keep pressing Shoot button faster than Lara does, which means you can reach a really high rate of fire, almost as firing with UZI. It seems the speed is only limited by human capabillities, however the second shot has to be always delayed due to animation. The only negative thing is that you have to aim manually, so this trick can be only used in a direct confrontation with enemy, who must be in a similar size as Lara.
Quick Crawlspace Move
When the ground beyond a crawlspace is at the level of the crawlspace’s floor, replace the last forward crawl with drawing a weapon. Lara stands 4/10 of a second sooner.
This video shows a crawl with Draw used, and a normal crawl.
I timed this in Windows Movie Maker from the first crouching motion to both feet flat on the ground. The first clip take 4.00 seconds, the second takes 4.40 seconds.
In the second clip you end up one walking step farther from the wall, but in the first clip you will cover the equivalent distance at running or sprinting speed, not crawling speed.
Reported by MMAN. Also works in TR4 and TR5.
Fast Turn Move
You probably know this, but think of it another way: it’s hard to make accurate small turns while a weapon is drawn. That’s because Lara goes to full turning speed at once while a weapon is held (handy for combat); she increases her turning speed more slowly with none. Lara takes a little more than a quarter turn to reach full speed weaponless, and this takes a third of a second less while holding one.
Here's a video that shows both a normal turn, and one with guns out.
Of course, you must have the weapon out before the time for the turn comes. Works in TR’s 1 – 5. Pointed out by xRikux89.
Roll-flip Move
This allows you to jump up a series of blocks without moving too near the next block. Alternately jump with a twist (roll) and backflip; start with either. As here.
There are only a few places where it’s known to be useful. Works in TR’s 2 – 5. Pointed out by xXApelaumXx.
Cancels
Cancels are some of the main optimisation techniques for runs, in some situations they save a lot of time, in others only a matter of seconds.
Swan Dive Cancel
If you swan dive into a wall Lara gets knocked back slightly and reverts to the normal falling animation. I have not found any practical use for it in Tomb Raider 2 and 3, but it can theoretically be used to knock you onto a ledge behind and below you.
"Trip"
If you roll right on the edge of a ledge Lara "twitches" then falls off, the main use of this is if you stumble on the edge of a ledge (as you can roll out of the stumble and keep moving). It also makes sure you move forwards as you fall (at least on TR3 there can be some weird bugs where you fall "flat" off a ledge if you don't do this).
Stumble Cancelling
This is where the "meat" of cancelling comes in. There are two kinds of stumble, a small one (from hops) and large ones (from falls longer than hops).
Small stumbles can be cancelled with a forward jump or by just holding run as you fall.
Large stumbles can only be cancelled by rolls or a flare cancel (detailed later). However, in quite a few cases a roll will either take the same amount of time as waiting for the stumble to finish, or be slower (because you will have to turn around again), in these cases you can flare cancel, or do this:
If you plan for a large stumble by flipping in the air beforehand you can roll as soon as you hit the ground and be facing forwards again. This is slower than a flare cancel but a good alternative when you need to save flares.
Grab Cancel
This seems to be a technique exclusive to TR1 and 2. If you are making a jump where you land in a large stumble but DO NOT take damage from it, then grab just before Lara puts her arms in the air (the point where grabbing becomes impossible), and you will land in a small stumble instead. This technique is very specific so far, but it has only been discovered recently, so it may have further depths (and uses in the later games).
Flare Cancel
This is a special technique that only works in Tomb Raider games where flares are available. If you hit the ground while in the animation where Lara throws away a flare and hold forwards you cancel out of the large stumble completely.
While it allows for various small tweaks, the best thing about this technique is that it allows you to pull off "impossible" moves at times, for instance you can fall in the path of a boulder (where you would normally stumble and die), but cancel out of the stumble and instantly evade it (rather than get around it in a alternative, slower, way), the same kind of thing can also apply to collapsing tiles.
Perpetual Flare Cancel Glitch
This glitch allows Lara to automatically cancel out of all stumbles for an indefinite time period. Much like the arm jam glitch, Lara won't be able to draw her guns or grab ledges. The state will also wear off if Lara comes to a full stop.
To perform, Lara must be in possession of at least one flare, although this flare won't actually be used. Just as Lara is rising up after crawling, hold the flare key. You must also hold a movement key (Forward etc.), as the state will otherwise immediately wear off. You should see Lara skip a piece of the stand up animation (in effect a flare cancel), and point her left hand out as if holding a flare. From now on, every time you land into a stumble, it will automatically be canceled as long as you keep holding buttons to keep moving.
This glitch only works in TR3.
Action Cancel
If you are in a fall where you would normally stumble, if you hold action while landing on a switch, item, or keyhole you cancel out of the stumble and perform the action. Mostly this works in TR1 and TR2, but in TR3, it also occurs at the detonator of Nevada Desert(4:00), and diving onto the quadbike (2:43).
Swing Cancel
When jumping to a ledge Lara will sometimes 'swing' for a short amount of time.
To avoid this, let go of action (during the swing) and immediately press action again. She will now be able to climb up without having to wait for the swing animation to end. You can even save a fraction of a second where there is no swing.
Corner Bug Variations
The corner Bug is a really awesome technique that is very useful and a lot of fun. If it's not for exploring the game then it will be for sequence breaking. It works in any of the first five games.
Normal Corner Bug
The short version: stand with outer foot at the corner, turn 45 degrees toward the corner, and perform vertical jumps.
In more detail: you will be testing or speedrunning. For testing, it's inconvenient if you turn too far, because you move off the corner and must set up again. So turn a little short of 45 degrees, test, and then increase the angle by a small amount if needed.
For demonstration, Lara is set up a couple of inches from the corner.
Turn almost 45 degrees. Use Look to check the angle.
When Lara is at the correct angle, if she is too far from the corner, each jump will move her along the wall by a small amount.
When she reaches the corner, Lara may appear to move a little past it, but don't give up.
Keep jumping and she may move sideways toward the corner as well as forward, and begin to imbed in the corner. Note Lara's left leg is partly in the wall.
Another jump or two will activate the bug.
Or, as here, the ground may be flat enough to activate the bug after imbedding by walking into the corner (running works too, but Lara immediately runs off the other side and falls to her death). If the corner requires many jumps, this may be faster, or easier while being attacked.
A few corners allow the bug only if certain offsets are set to begin the process.
During speed running, of course you want the process to work as quickly as possible. Learn the best offset and angle to make the bug work. Sometimes the game helps you find the angle - if the other side of a corridor or other object is behind Lara, and you first use Look to get a side view, the camera will suddenly shift to another angle just at the point where the bug works. Other actions besides jumping may help to start imbedding. In TR3+, a crawl corner bug sometimes does not work on its own, but imbeds enough for jumping to work.
Pressing Forward while off the ground may reduce the number of jumps needed. Sometimes you can even bug from a square of spikes, because the bug may work during the first jump.
This video shows both a normal corner bug, and one with Forward pressed while in the air.
If the wall has a sloping top, hold Action while jumping and Lara will catch the bottom edge of the slope and hang. This only works on the face below the bottom edge.
Arch (Corner) Bug
The arch bug may exist at corners where the other face of the corner is covered by a surface, such as a wall with a flat top that has a doorway in it.
Here's an example in Bartoli's Hideout of TR2.
Turn and imbed in the corner by jumping.
Run forward. Lara runs onto the upper surface.
Or, after 5 more jumps, she bugs to the top but falls off the edge.
Quickly press Roll to prevent the fall.
Here's a video of both successful outcomes.
Turning Corner Bug
At many corners, trying to imbed by jumping appears to be working, but Lara just hops out the other side of the corner. In such cases, stop near the halfway point. Then turn continuously toward the corner, about 90 degrees, and press Forward, WITHOUT STOPPING THE TURN. Lara will run onto the high surface; it's like an arch bug with a twist.
This example is near the hedge corner of the racetrack in TR3. Use this offset from the corner.
When you turn to the 45-degree angle, a vertical jump moves Lara a little toward the corner.
More jumps begin imbedding her in the wall.
When Lara imbeds this far you are ready for the continuous turn.
During the turn, while holding the Right key.
Add Forward while keeping the turn going. Lara runs onto the roof.
The normal corner bug does not work here.
At first, players usually stop the turn momentarily, and Lara just pops out of the wall. But this form of the corner bug works more places than any other, so it's wise to practice it until you can do it reliably.
Here's a video from TR2.
Crawl Corner Bug
Works in TR3+. The bug may raise her to the upper surface immediately, or only after you allow her to stand.
Set Lara a foot or so from the corner:
Turn a little MORE than 45 degrees from the wall. Here's a view using Look to make the angles easy to see:
Release Look, and hold the Duck key:
Still holding Duck, press Forward for a moment. Lara should imbed her head into the wall:
Press Forward for a moment again. Lara should shift to the right slightly, and imbed a little more:
Now just release the Duck key, and Lara should pop up to the balcony and then stand:
If you started a little farther from the corner, when you release Duck Lara may only stand, without the bug working. That's OK - just hold Duck and press Forward again. Lara will move closer to the corner.
This bug can be a problem if you don't turn enough. In that case, when you press Forward Lara shuffles in place, but doesn't enter the wall. If you're too near the corner and the angle isn't quite right, Lara pops sideways AWAY from the corner.
The crawl corner bug can also work if you start at the corner and turn to exactly 45 degrees, but the other way is much easier to perform quickly.
The crawl bug works at most corners, but with a serious limitation: if the ground levels next to the two faces of the corner are more than a few inches different in height, the bug fails. Even then, sometimes you can imbed by crawling and perform a normal or turning corner bug.
Shelf Corner Bug
At corners which you approach while under the edge of a shelf, face the wall and place the outside edge at or just inside the line from the corner. Turn a little past 45 degrees, and press Jump and Forward. If Lara is at the correct angle she will jump from the top of the corner. If she is not turned far enough, she will make a landing sound and remain in the same position; turn a bit more and try again. If she has turned too far, she will jump through the bottom of the corner; this also happens if you set up a little over the line.
In this case, press Jump-Forward-Right together, and she curves onto the shelf.
But such constructions are rare, so this bug will be MOST useful as a form of embedding in a corner. Start as above, and hold Action while you jump forward; Lara will fall down in an embedded state. Then do other bugs. Sometimes Action is not necessary. There are many corners where no other form of embedding works.
This bug doesn't work in TR1. It should be very useful in TR2, because there's no crawl bug to aid embedding. It's in TR3 (as seen above). The full bug does not work in TR4 and TR5; Lara always embeds straight away when at the correct angle.
Here's a video of the same place.
Swim Corner Bug
Works in TR1 – TR5 and some custom levels. Most corners in water deep enough for swimming allow some form of the bug. Generally, place Lara against the wall so she reaches near the corner when her arms stretch out.
Then turn at least 45 degrees, usually so a couple of inches of wall shows between Lara’s head and the corner, like this:
Press Swim (same as Jump). Lara will begin to duck under water. She may bug up immediately, or she may dive all the way to the bottom, begin to rise and then bug up. Timely addition of the Up or Down key may aid this.
Depending on the corner, the bug may work at a range of distances or angles to the corner; experiment to find the best position.
At many corners with edges at the top on both sides, Lara just falls off the other side, but sometimes there are ways around this. At northeast corners, face Lara against the wall. When her arms extend, her hand should be right at the corner, or no farther than this:
Turn a little short of 45 degrees. Use Look to see the waterline hit the bottom edge about here:
Dive and bring Lara horizontal. Her head should be pointing at the corner. Press Forward for a moment. If her head begins to enter the corner, inch her in until the bug works. Otherwise turn a bit further from the wall and press Forward again; be sure not to hold it.
Here's a video of four examples around the Sacred Lake. The second example shows the result of pressing Action (fall and re-bug) and Roll (fall away from the wall). The fourth example illustrates the full setup.
Or at some corners you can use one of the two varieties of the Turning Swim Corner Bug. In one, dive (Swim key) and swim to the surface after embedding.
Turn the other way and dive again.
Lara arrives on the roof.
Here’s an example in Venice of TR2, from xXApelaumXx.
Sometimes Lara gets too close to the corner during the first dive; to get around this, as you begin press Swim for a moment so Lara ducks her head and embeds, then with the Down arrow alone tilt her straight up. Now swim to the surface, leaving Lara a small distance from the corner. Turn and dive.
The second form of the turning swim corner bug may work where Lara cannot swim up after embedding. Start her facing the wall with an inch or two from her outstretched fist to the corner. Turn toward the corner a little more than 45 degrees. Dive till embedded, tilt up, and turn away from the corner; she pops to the roof. If it's a ceiling flicker motion is possible. A video by rr_carroll, also in Venice, shows this.
In some cases it may help this second form if you make small turns the “wrong” way, then make small turns the right way.
In TR2 and TR3 where the corner has a ceiling, Lara may be flickering at the top after the bug. In TR2 press Roll to start flicker motion (see below). In TR3, hold Action and Forward; she usually cycles through dropping, bugging up again, and pausing at the top for a second. Press Roll during that second to start flicker motion. Here's a video that shows this. After flicker motion starts, it shows backing through the corner by holding Roll.
Turn-in Corner Bug
This works only in TR2. At some corners, you can make the corner bug work by turning into the wall while holding Forward, and then pressing Roll starts flicker motion back across the square. Another Roll makes her fall from the stopping point.
More precisely, it works at those few faces of corners where Lara doesn't run off the corner if you turn past 45 degrees, as she normally does. Instead, Forward causes her to move slightly forward and sideways into the wall. It's as if she's hooked on the corner. When you release Forward she moves back to her starting position, like she's spring-loaded. This all happens even if you turn her well past 45 degrees, to look almost straight along the wall.
Here's a "useful" example near the top of the zip line in the Great Wall. Despite apperances, the knee-high straight section makes this a corner.
Turn to less than 45 degrees at the corner. Hold Forward and turn slowly until Lara imbeds in the wall like this:
If you turn too far, Lara will run through the corner (because of the triangular portion beyond the corner, here she may slide through the corner).
Her right leg should almost completely disappear, as shown.
Then turn right slowly until she is about 45 degrees to the wall. If you turn too far or she isn't deep enough in, she will pop out of the wall entirely, but it's easy to just turn the other way and start imbedding again. If it works, you will see a quivering closeup of wall texture.
Press the Roll key. Now you can release Forward. Hold Look and use the arrow keys to see Lara moving along the top of the wall. She'll stop when she reaches the other corner of the square:
Press Roll again. Lara is ejected forward and sideways, so she lands atop the wall, which is too high for jump-and-catch.
The ladder to the cavern below is a few paces ahead. Possibly this is a few seconds faster than the normal way (drop from the cliff to a square, traverse right).
Incidentally,a normal corner bug does not work at this type of corner.
This corner bug variation was found on the tombbugok site.
Side to side Corner Bug
There are also some slight variations from that, like this one.
Although this seems to be the only place you can do it (I didn't search all the tomb raider games though) It's a crawl corner bug that works the same way that the crawl one does except that you don't have to release the crawl key.
Roll Corner Bug. Only known to work in Tomb Raider 2 and Tomb Raider 3 so far.
Set Lara up like so by either performing a corner bug, and pressing action to make her drop, then turn into position. Or by not completing the corner bug. Her knee needs to be in the wall.
Ceiling Wall Imbed Bug (or a similar name). Only known in Tomb Raider 3 so far.
Grab the ceiling like below, and continue going forwards into the corner where you are going to 'corner bug.'
Once imbedded into the corner, drop and face almost at the corner.
Simply press roll, and you will appear above.
Flicker Motion
So far corner bugs have been discussed only in terms of lifting Lara to a higher surface such as a roof. But some corners go to the top of the "room" (which may be an outdoor area). Bugs at such corners may lift her to the top and drop her right back down, but usually she appears stuck at the top of the corner in a flickering state. Since her braid points straight up, she is falling and bugging back up in a rapid cycle. In TR2 you must hold Look to see this.
For TR2, if you press Roll, Lara switches directions by 180 degrees and moves along the top of the wall, making a machine gun-like noise! She stops at the other side of the square, but then pressing Roll again ejects her forward and away from the wall a few feet (this also occurs while still moving).
Occasionally this lands her on a ledge for a shortcut.
TR3 is different: imbed in the corner somehow; if Lara is flickering at the top of the corner, press Action to drop her down, which may cause some damage. Then press Roll and Lara will bug up and begin moving along the top of the wall immediately. But in TR3, she moves as long as the wall continues! Roll is also different: Lara falls BACKWARDS, and will restart flicker motion if she is high enough; the depth of imbedding may change, altering the rate of flickering and the speed of motion.
Turning the corner can be complicated. When Lara reaches the corner, she stops flickering and becomes silent. Turn so she faces along the next wall (hold Forward to turn faster). If the next wall is to the right, use the Right key, and vice versa. Stop turning when she begins flickering noisily again. Press Roll; in rare cases she will restart flicker motion, but usually she faces toward the corner. If you hear a single footstep sound, you’re almost done, but often she’s silent. Roll again to face forward (and restart the noise), turn a few degrees and repeat the test. After the single footsep sound, rolling forward is silent. Slowly turn more away from the wall, stopping when the noise starts. Then press Roll, and she should take off along the next wall; sometimes it takes two separate presses of Roll. If that doesn’t work, turn a little more and try Roll again.
If all this fails, start over at the corner before any turning. Drop with Action; if she is till imbedded in the wall, try WALL HOPPING (vertical jumps) or a WALL SLIDE (press Forward) to move away from the corner. If she is stuck, try turning a few degrees. When she is several inches from the corner, do a continuous turn (toward the wall) until Lara is almost facing the other way, but still about 10 degrees into the wall. Press Roll, and flicker motion should re-start.
Wall hopping and wall slides also work in TR2. In both games, they can be used to cause flicker motion toward the starting corner.
This video shows all of the moves for both games.
Wall-Catch Bug
Used to bug up a wall and catch the bottom of a slope. Use some kind of corner bug to embed, drop to the ground, and turn continuously to look almost along the wall. Then move forward by Wall-Hopping (see above Paragraph). Hop at least 3 times. Then hold Action, start a turn toward the wall and without stopping, add Forward when Lara is facing straight at the wall. She will bug up to catch the top of the wall; quickly release the turning key and Forward, or she may move in a way you don't want.
Here's an example from The Deck of TR2, where it allows a wonderful shortcut. In this case you'd want to perform a Wall-Slide to the other side of the square before bugging up.
The same actions work if the top is flat, too, but then you can usually do a simple turning corner bug. So far, I know this works in TR2, -3 and -4. Reported by xXApelaumXx.
While perhaps not a separate bug in its own right, this deserves its own name because it's unlikely to be discovered otherwise.
Roll-Teleport Bug and Fall-Forward Bug
Works only in the TR3 engine. Think of Roll-Teleport as "bugging up around the corner". As an example we will do it in RX-Tech Mines, at the column corner to Lara's left in the screenshot.
Embed in the corner by some means, such as a crawl bug and dropping with Action. Turn to look almost straight along the wall, as below. Save. Hold Roll so Lara tries to start flicker motion; but she doesn't, because Roll keeps making her fall backwards to the corner. Count the "bump" sounds until she bugs to the ceiling; she falls because you're still holding Roll, which ejects her away from the column.
Load the save and do the same as before, except this time try to release Roll just before you hear the "bump" when the bug occurs. When you get the timing right (it's not difficult), she stays at the top, as in the first picture below.
Now you're ready for Fall-Forward. Save again. In quick succession, hit Roll and Action; both keys should not be down at the same time. Vary the timing until you see Lara fly forward. In this case, she lands more than a square ahead, as you see in the second picture. The first time might take 10 or 15 attempts.
This video shows both bugs.
Roll-Teleport can be used to start other things; at this location, turn left 90 degrees to start flicker motion, or stop turning just before f.m. and hold Roll to do another Roll-Teleport bug!
You might object that Lara can simply bug up at the other face of the corner in the first place. That's true, but then Fall-Forward doesn't work. And there are many corners where the other face is unavailable. Madubu Gorge has doorways in the face of a cliff, and in some cases Roll-Teleport lets you bug to the top of the sheer wall.
xXApelaumXx reported these two bugs and their combination.
Trigger Bug
This works at many places in TR4, TR5, custom levels and several known places in TR3. In TR4 and beyond, attempt a corner bug, and no vertical movement occurs, but instead it triggers a nearby action, as if you had flipped a switch. A door may open or the level may end, for instance. In TR3, the corner bug actually works before the trigger bug. Research by xRikux89 using a constructed room indicates that the bug may work if it’s horizontally within 4 squares of a trigger location in one direction, and 5 squares in the perpendicular direction, though this can be affected by complex geometry. In TR3, flicker motion has triggered an action 40 squares away! (just music, unfortunately).
Here’s an example from rr_carroll in Catacombs:
In this example the trigger bug is unusual, in that Lara is sucked into the wall, and sometimes she must turn in place before the bugs work (she can jump out again). Also, two events are sometimes triggered: the opening of the exit door from the climb out of the flooded room, and the materialization of a skeleton, who is normally triggered in the passage to the the exit door.
Here’s a video by Ewil showing many trigger bugs in TR4.
Trigger bugs were probably discovered piecemeal by many people; they were recognized as a class (and named) by Ewil.
Flying Corner Bug
Pending.
Roll Crack Bug
Described below under “Block or Crack Bug.”
Jump-by Bug
Most events in the games are triggered by Lara passing over certain squares. This includes creating enemies, releasing rolling boulders, running cutscenes, ending levels and many others. It's possible to learn where the squares are by testing in-game or using a program such as Fexinspect.
It often speeds Lara on her way to avoid triggers. In easy cases you can just run around the square, but often it's placed so you apparently must pass over it, such as just beyond a doorway. It's often possible to pass these with bugs: you can embed in the corner (sometimes) as if preparing for a corner bug, then jump through the corner; but the jump-by bug is usually faster, because no embedding is needed, and an angle range of 5 or 6 degrees is OK.
Here's an example in The Great Hypostyle Hall of TR4. When you approach a deep pit, a 25-second cutscene is triggered and can be avoided with a jump-by bug. Set Lara against the wall near the pit with her foot between these two positions:
Turn to an angle near this, and jump forward. Curve left to land on the shelf.
The yellow outlines the trigger square.
Here it is in action.
This example shows that the bug can be performed far from a 45-degree angle. Ordinarily it's done at 45 degrees, and when facing the wall her foot should be placed just outside the line.
Often you can do the same setup and simply run by the corner.
Effect of Movable blocks
The first three games and some custom levels have these. Placing a block against one face of a corner or touching corner-to-corner may create or destroy bugs, or leave them unchanged. Don’t forget to test the corner from on top of the block also.
Blocks can also create crack bugs and roll crack bugs (see below).
Compass Directions and Corner Bugs
Though there are many exceptions, in general northeast-pointing corners exhibit normal corner bugs, southwest corners have no bugs, and the other two directions show turning corner bugs. So this can guide your corner bug searches to some degree.
TR2, TR3 and TR5 have no compass, but PC players can use the position editor. Also, any platform can determine compass direction by using the one-step running jump. Perform tests at the edges of a horizontal surface.
Here’s Lara on the second obstacle of the TR2 assault course. Stand at an edge, turn a few degrees from straight on, and take one step back.
Attempt a short running jump (hold Walk, add Forward and Jump, then release Walk before the first step finishes).
At this location, Lara performs a running jump, so you know this is a north or east edge. (If it had been a standing jump, this would be a south or west edge.) Make a similar attempt at the edge to the left, for example. If it’s another running jump, this second edge must also be north or east, and the only way that both edges can be north and east is for the left edge to be north and the first edge east.
But in actuality the left edge leads to a standing jump, implying that the left edge must be west and the original north. Similar reasoning works for any pair of edges at right angles to each other.
This video has several attempts at one-step running jumps. The first confirms that being exactly 90 degrees to the edge spoils a one-step running jump. The others show the results in all four compass directions.
Other Bugs
Fence Bug
Normal Fence Bug
Fences and railings sometimes allow Lara to run or jump between panels. This works frequently in TR1, often in TR2 and a few places in TR3.
Often one must approach the division between panels at 20 or 30 degrees from straight on, as in this example from The Deck of TR2.
Here's the same bug in action. Note how Lara runs a little to the right of the fence division, and how her path is straightened out by passing through the fence.
Off-Seam Fence Bug
Several locations in TR2 have large panels that allow this odd bug. You run at a point about a third of the way across the panel! E.g., near the Jade Dragon in Offshore Rig.
Block or Crack Bug
Normal Crack Bug
This bug works in TR1 and TR2. When the 90-degree corners of two solids touch, it is often possible to approach that point from either open direction and jump through it. The two solids may be two fixed objects, but they usually consist of a building or passage corner touched by a movable block. Lara must be pushed all the way into the corner; the fastest way to do this is to run along one wall while scraping it until Lara hits the other wall. Then turn so you can use a forward, backward or side jump. The angle need not be perfect.
Here is an instance in Barkhang Monastery of TR2. Lara can also lean through the crack to view the other side.
This video shows a crack bug in Great Wall of TR2.
Roll Crack Bug
This TR2 bug works at the same cracks that permit the ordinary crack bug. It raises Lara to the upper surface of the object on one side of the crack, so it might be thought of as a form of the corner bug. Movable blocks can create it.
Here’s an example where a wall meets a corner of Lara’s mansion. Lean through the crack to check Lara’s angle in the corner.
If you angle a few degrees toward the mansion, Lara bugs to the top of the wall.
But if you angle toward the wall, she appears on the roof! This is probably the fastest way up there.
Dive Bug
This works in all games through TR5. Dive to the base of a vertical wall and Lara lands with no damage! But the takeoff position and angle usually must be precise.
Here's an example from TR4's Catacombs, at the platform on a high column. Go to the southeast corner of the platform. Face the south wall and turn Lara to between these two angles:
However, this angle doesn't work!
So I suggest aiming at the middle or left side of the range. Then hop back, step back, let Lara come to a complete stop, and step back again. Now take a running dive.
The stop is necessary because two continuous steps back are slightly longer than two separate steps.
Here's a video that shows an earlier trigger bug at the opposite corner of the platform. The first angle (at the corner) must be precise
Weapon combining bug
Have Lara crouch, and press the hotkey for a weapon that Lara carries on her back. While still holding crouch, press forward. You may notice Lara flickering out of position for one frame as she gets ready to crawl forward. Now stand up again, and press the hotkey for another weapon carried on her back. Lara will now draw the weapon of your latter selection, while firing it at the fire rate of the first weapon.
Wall-Slope Bug
This works only in TR1. A jump at a wall can cause Lara to to bug to its top. It may work where a vertical wall meets a slightly-sloping floor, or where a slightly-sloping wall meets a horizontal floor. Found by AKA.
Here are two examples in the City of Vilcabamba, on the roof with reddish wedges.
Case 1: Slope down to the wall.
Here's Lara one sidestep from the wall, just barely off the sloping square:
And here are the left and right extremes of working bug angles:
A reasonably wide range of angles.
Case 2: Slope up to the wall.
When the slope is up toward the wall, the range of angles is rather wide. Face parallel to the wall, sidestep against it, and sidestep away once. Then everything between the two following angles lets the bug work.
There's an overhang at this spot, so Lara just falls down, but the bug is working.
The bug still works if you face the wall, take up to 7 sidesteps toward the wall (alternating directions, of course) or 1 away from the wall. Of course during a speedrun you'll prefer a faster method of reaching a spot in that range.
Here's a video that shows the bug with a sloping wall and a horizontal floor, at 1:34.
Ledge Bug
This bug is a form of vaulting; in a normal vault, you put Lara at the base of a vertical wall, and press Action and Forward. If the wall is low enough, she jumps, catches the top and pulls up onto it. If it's only a few feet high, she will put one hand on the wall and step onto it.
The bug is this: if you jump Lara to a line where a slope meets a vertical wall that's not too high, and you keep holding Forward and press Action at the correct instant, she vaults from the top of the slope onto the wall! This works even if the slope is too steep to stand on.
It works in Coastal Ruins of TR4. This is a spot that allows it:
Take a running jump and try to add Action when Lara is a few inches from the wall.
This video shows the bug in operation.
This is known to work in TR2 through TR5. A description of this bug was found and reported by xXApelaumXx.
Flare-Wall Bug
Discovered by xXApelaumXx. This very useful bug works only in TR4, TR5 and custom levels. Drop a flare near a wall, face away from the wall near the flare, and pick it up. The pick-up animation causes Lara to move backwards slightly, embedding her in the wall! If the wall is below a surface (horizontal or sloping), Lara bugs onto the surface as if she is performing a corner bug, and then stands or slides off, depending on the degree of slope.
If the wall has a ceiling above, or goes all the way to the “sky”, Lara remains standing and embedded in the wall. Now you can perform trigger bugs. If the geometry is right she may bug through a ceiling.
Any method of getting the flare near the wall is OK, but there are three fast methods. Draw a flare as you approach the wall and stop against it. Then either:
Step back and turn to this angle:
Or, turn left to an angle between these two:
Then draw a weapon (to drop the flare), roll and holster the weapon to put your back to the wall. Hold Action and crouch. Lara backs into the wall and picks up the flare. In the second method Lara will also make a sudden shift to her right (which takes no time).
Here's a video of it. It's used at 5:14.
Another way to embed is to run to the wall, Look up and draw, and roll. Because the flare is in her left hand, Lara can turn almost 45 degrees to the right and have this work, but less to the left (found by Deszka).
You can also just stop a little from the wall and turn to the appropriate angle, but that takes practice.
In TR4, Lara usually takes the flare with her; if the ground is sloping she may not. Use it again for a flare cancel or another flare-wall bug.
The bug also works with torches, but often Lara leaves the torch.
ITEM-WALL BUG
This is similar and works in TR2. Kill an enemy so he drops an item close to a wall, stand with your back to the wall looking at the item and pick it up. Lara moves backward into the wall; if she’s deep enough, do a continuous turn to face toward the wall (within a large range of angles) and jump vertically or run forward. Lara bugs to the ledge above or if there’s no top to the wall, she remains there flickering – flicker motion can be started with Roll. This video in Venice shows it. Reported by xRikux89 and xXApelaumXx.
Advanced Look Triggering
Discovered by xXApelaumXx. This extremely useful bug is another form of trigger bug, and may "teleport" Lara up to 25 squares! It works in TR4, TR5 and custom levels.
Embed in a wall. The flare-wall bug is usually convenient, but corner bugs sometimes work. Turn toward the square with the trigger. Angle up or down with Look as needed, though you can do this later. Use Binoculars; if you’re fortunate, a view of the landscape allows you to adjust your aim, but often the view is totally black. Looking horizontally and vertically may bring something useful into the frame; then leave Binocular and re-enter it to “zero” your aim.
Press Draw to drop out of Binocular mode. If you aimed correctly, the action may be triggered at once. The bug is especially useful if you’re trying for an End Level or Cutscene square. But often it needs “coaxing”; press Look or Roll (sometimes a very quick press is necessary). Occasionally a second press of Look works.
The bug may take up to 30 seconds to work after pressing Draw, Look or Roll. But I’ve always found that better aim shortens that to 5 seconds or less. A small angle change may cause distant bugs to fail.
This works for any trigger which is activated by Lara merely entering the square; it fails if you need to use a key or do something else.
This bug has worked at a distance of 25 squares! But in a few cases the bug fails when you’re too close.
ALT is so powerful that it can act like a level-skip cheat. For this reason, we have decided to include runs with trigger bugs that end a level in the “glitched glitched” category, abbreviated in the Times Tables as GG.
It’s not all good news. Because of its power, ALT may trigger things you don’t want, principally enemies. They can be quite distant, and you can’t try again, because an active enemy prevents trigger bugs, as far as I know.
Sometimes nearby trigger bugs occur as you embed, or turn to the angle you want. xRikux89 has found that quickly pressing a key may forestall unwanted actions. It's useful in a few places to enter Inventory just before Lara stands fully. Or drop a burning flare, which prevents trigger bugs. Embed with a second flare and do all to perform the ALT; it occurs when the first flare dies.
Crawlspace Roll Bug
Some custom levels have an additional new crawlspace roll move, which allows you to move quickly forward in crawlspaces. Press Duck and Sprint. But it also leads to a marvelous bug: at a wall with a ledge on top; move about two steps from the wall and face near to straight at it. Press Duck and Sprint. Lara shoots forward into the wall and bugs to the top! Sometimes Lara will pass through intervening overhangs. Here’s an example by Storm that shows the bug at 3:18, 4:41 and twice in a row at 6:33.
In addition, the crawlspace roll move (not bug) will launch Lara off a ledge. Move about two steps from the ledge, and again, press Duck and Sprint. Lara travels almost as far as a running jump, but with a shorter drop. If she hits partway up a wall with a ledge on top, she bugs to the ledge; for a sloping top, hold Action during the bug. This video shows the launch forward, which was pointed out by xXApelaumXx.
Games which have a different speeds during this move may require different distances than two steps from the edge of the square.
Petrified Guardian Bug
In TR2, destroy or damage the frozen guards of Floating Islands before they animate:
On a PS, select the Grenade Launcher, and shoot four times in the direction of the statue. It should be destroyed. Here's a video of it. It's used at 5:14.
You can use the harpoon as well, it takes 25 shots. Lara won't auto aim, but you know that the shot is hitting it because they bleed. Then, awake it, and it will be destroyed immediately. This also works on a PC, but only 20 harpoons are needed. Fewer harpoons cause a proportional amount of damage; i.e., 5 harpoons damages the guard by one quarter.
In TR3, destroy or damage a frozen Shiva statue of Temple Ruins:
This is only possible in NG+, since you can't have any of the three weapons in Temple Ruins. On PS and PC, shoot four times with the Rocket Launcher or five with the Grenade Launcher. The statue will wink out of existence immediately. On PC, you can also shoot 34 harpoons into a statue, and it will collapse and petrify when it's activated. But this is totally impractical, since Lara reloads after every shot and the whole process takes over a minute.
Laser Sight Bug
This bug is very useful during a normal playthrough, not just in a speedrun. While holding Look key with a laser sight to zoom, you can press Numpad 1 key to switch to pistols and be able to shoot with them while still in zoom mode, saving you precious ammo. When you release Look key, you'll see Lara equipped with pistols. This trick is easiest on PC due to hotkeys, but Stella describes it for PS and Dreamcast on her "Useful Bugs" page.
Object Bug
In TR4, TR5 and custom levels, some objects allow Lara to penetrate them with repeated jumps. In Action Adventure, here's an example at 0:56.
Reported by Storm.
Crawl Drop Bug
This infrequent bug allows you to drop from a great height without damage. Discovered by xXApelaumXx.
Walk up to a diagonal edge until Lara turns off course. Face approximately at the diagonal and jump vertically once. This angle is fine.
Now rotate Lara so her back is to the edge; the angle shouldn't be too parallel to the diagonal ledge, but it hardly matters. Hold Action, crouch and back up; she will turn toward the invisible edge which she's nearest to pointing her feet at, instantly translate to that edge, and perform the bug.
If you keep holding Action, she stays underground.
When you release it, she pops out, as if propelled by a spring.
Here's a video of the bug in action.
Here's a variation in TR5 with an irregular edge.
And an example from a custom level which works at a lowering ledge.
In TR3, it starts to work at a diagonal edge, but Lara becomes frozen hanging from the invisible edge.
Steep Slope Bug
This is known to work in 11 squares of TR2. Lara stands, slides or jumps from the middle of a steep slope. It was reported by chreden. He found this slope in The Great Wall.
Jump forward to near the middle of the slope. Keep Forward pressed so Lara does not slide down the slope. Jump vertically or backward; or at certain angles she moves horizontally; if you reach a vertical wall, she can vault to a ledge.
All are shown in this video. Here is another example from The Deck.
This square in Barkhang Monastery and 3 more to the right also work.
All of TR2 has been searched and nothing useful was found, but something could have been missed. Tomb Raider II Golden Mask has not been checked.
Slab Bug
This works in TR4, TR5 and custom levels. Jump into the edge of a slab at least one-and-a-half clicks high; the slab must be a thickness that would allow Lara to vault. This case is in Coastal Ruins of TR4.
Hold Action, start a continuous turn, and press Forward when perpendicular to the edge. Lara bugs instantly across the square and performs a vault to the top of the slab.
She can pass through certain types of barriers, or as in this case, enter the wall beyond and bug up.
Here’s an example from “I Am Legend”.
This bug has also worked where the top of the slab is sloping slightly. And you can adjust your position along the edge by vertical jumps.
This was reported by imFatSmilEy.
Angel of Darkness
This section is dedicated to Angel of Darkness only, because the engine is completely different from TR1-5.
Standing jumps
This kind of movement is only recommended for getting over some gaps or obstacles, because Lara always stumbles upon landing.
Running jumps
Running jumps are basically same as in TR1-5. It's also faster, but there is a difference in speed depending on how many leg upgrades you take.
Stair-jumping
Going up the stairs is really slow in AOD, that's why you should use this nice trick. Simply jump onto the stairs, then jump again right before you land and Lara will continue jumping without stumble. It requires some practice, but it's not hard. You can do this several times in a row, but it's usually hard to make more than 3 or 4 jumps.
Curve jump
Same technique as in TR1-5, but you can't fully control desired angle. You can only press either of the sidekeys and she'll turn to maximum angle automatically. You have to deal with it.
Sprint
You get to sprint in Galleries Under Siege and it's the fastest way of moving, although be careful about bumping into objects, you will significantly stumble.
Ladders
It's best to do a standing jump without Forward key to force Lara catch the highest point of a ladder. Also a well-known trick in old TRs. AOD has a feature that will automatically force Lara to climb the ladder if you get too close, so remember that.
Fighting
Avoid fighting every time you can. It's very annoying, because the camera and Lara automatically locks onto the enemy. If you still have to fight, use tranquilizer ammo, because just one round will be enough to remove your opponent.
Legend and Anniversary
This section is dedicated to Legend and Anniversary only, because the engine is completely different from the earlier games.
Framerate
Several aspects of both Legend and Anniversary are modified by your framerate, for instance, damage traps like fire hurt you slower at lower framerates. Left and back roll bugs need at least around 60FPS to work properly. There are a myriad of specific tricks (especially in Anniversary) that also become much easier/harder at certain framerates. This closes several tricks off to the console versions.
Stumble Cancelling
Drawing your guns during a fall that makes you stumble replaces it with a short pause instead, it works from any distance. There is also a bug related to this that lets you fall fatal distances without getting hurt, but it only seems to work at one spot in Nepal.
Fastest Movement
In Legend, the fastest method of movement is rolling, in Anniversary the fastest method of movement is swan diving.
Manual Grab
Manual grab should be enabled when running Anniversary, as a few tricks only work with it enabled, and it allows for more control in some situations.
Pole Jumping
In Legend, when jumping between multiple swing-poles (this does not work for the first pole in a sequence) if you hit jump at the approximate moment (a small frame window) you hit the next pole you will instantly jump to the next pole without swinging around it at all, you can also do this by simply button hammering, but timing your press is far more reliable after you get the timing down. In Anniversary, having manual grab enabled and releasing it instant you grab a pole (how fast you are swinging doesn't matter) makes Lara instantly propel to the next pole at full speed, Anniversary is much more forgiving with pole movements and allows it even on the first pole, but this trick obseletes it.
Left-Roll Bug
When weapons are drawn your left and back rolls assume strange properties that allow them to warp you up walls in certain cases, it generally only saves small amounts of time, but there are exceptions.
Airwalk
This glitch applies to TRL and TRA. It allows Lara to literally walk through the air. Uses vary from crossing gaps to performing large-scale out of bounds sequences.
There are two ways to perform the glitch, depending on the situation. One thing they have in common is that you need a ledge which causes Lara to go through the "knee-climb" animation when jumped onto. Note that there are two such animations, and usually, only the shorter one works here.
The first method is to press jump+shoot (or jump+draw guns) simultaneously, and only then press the directional key(s) towards the ledge. The timing for jump+shoot needs to be quite precise. Immediately after the jump, you must be holding a directional key, as stopping, as well as jumping or holstering guns, will interrupt the glitch.
The second method is your only option when jumping off something other than the ground, such as a vertical pole. (This is not saying it's not applicable anywhere you'd like.) In this case, you must shoot/draw guns just as Lara hits the ledge to activate the glitch. The timing for pressing shoot here also needs to be quite precise.
The glitch becomes easier in TRL or when using the Mini SMGs in TRA, as the guns do not require you to press shoot for each separate shot. You can then hold shoot after jumping, which allows for effortless usage at most of the applicable places. Also worth noting is that you can put your guns away during the glitch and press jump immediately after, allowing Lara to, say, grab something or throw her grapple.
Grenade Fall Cancel
This trick allows Lara to cancel falling animation thus surviving a fall from otherwise unsurvivable height.
It's much easier to pull off in Legend than it is in Underworld, but it still requires precise timing and quite accurate positioning.
To perform this, simply throw a grenade towards a place you want to reach, and 1 second after the throw, jump in the same direction. Lara will of course fall faster than the grenade does, and if timed correctly, she reaches the grenade just when it explodes, thus cancelling her falling animation. If also positioned correctly, she will now land on the desired place without dying. If played on hard difficulty, this trick does require at least one medipack that must be used after the explosion and before landing.
It seems so far that it can be used only at two locations of the game and in both cases it saves only 2-3 seconds. It can be seen in usage here.
This trick should work in all the versions of the game.
Of course, this trick won't allow you to survive any height, because the grenade has to explode some time.
Underworld
Same engine as Legend and Anniversary, but heavily modified, which means most of the tricks don't work and some new ones appeared.
Crouch Drop Bug
Crouch drop bug allows you to get down ANY height without any damage, and it does also pretty quickly.
There are several methods of crouch drop bug - the fastest one is using a swan dive. This method works this way: You swan dive so Lara will land on the edge, over which she will roll and normally would fall down afterwards. But, during whole jump and during that roll you must keep crouch key pressed - that way Lara will magically drop in a crouch position after the roll happens and won't get any damage no matter where she gets. The good thing about it also is, that during the fall in crouch pose, you can stop it at any time by simply letting go of crouch key, and then you can yet jump in any direction.
Another useful method is this: If there is some platform directly below the platform Lara stands on, where she must get, the swan dive method is useless because the roll pushes her slightly forward, so instead of landing on the platform below she would just pass it and fall all the way to the bottom. However, you can use the "classic" crouch drop method. That is crouching at the edge of the platform where you stand and very carefully keep going towards the edge and stopping after each step, until Lara slips of the edge. The crouch key must be pressed during the whole action, of course. Having a gun out and targeting may be helpful. This way, Lara won't be pushed forward, so she will land on the platform below herself.
Both of the methods can be seen in usage here
But, there are parts of the game where even crouch drop bug won't get you down. For instance, in Mexico, when you try to bug yourself down from one of the puzzle areas, it will kill Lara for some reason. But other than that, she survives the fall as long as you drop down somewhere, where you would normally get. Don't drop into traps - it will either kill Lara, or you won't be able to get back up in case she survives.
This bug seems to be working only in PC version.
Delayed Swandive
Delayed swandive was first recorded by TI2ophy. It allows you to swan dive without moving forward (except for the following roll).
To perform delayed swandive, simply jump and just before Lara would start falling back down, press crouch key and Lara will land in swandive position, making her roll forward after landing. After a roll, Lara can jump once more in any direction, even if the roll happens into thin air (that's when you perform this trick on the edge of something). The jump after the roll requires precise timing, if you do it from some edge. So far, this trick provided the biggest shortcut found yet.
This trick works in both PC and X360/PS3 versions.
Grenade Fall Cancel
This trick allows Lara to cancel falling animation thus surviving a fall from otherwise unsurvivable height.
To perform this trick, follow the same instructions as in Legend, except here you have to keep in mind more details that vary based on the certain situation in which it's used. Can be seen in usage in this compilation (make sure to read a description of that video).
This version of the trick seems to be much more health-friendly, than it is in Legend.
This should work in all versions of the game.
Of course, this trick won't allow you to survive any height, because the grenade has to explode some time.