Ancient Temple

**Ancient Temple** is the sixth level of *Switchback VR*. It is the first level themed around *House of Ashes* as part of the "Forsaken Ruins" levels.

## Before Level

The player is back on the flaming, overturned train and can look around as people scream in the background. Charlotte's voice plays from another voicemail where she pleads the player to be safe as they are the only thing she has left. The Curator appears closer and looks at the player over his right shoulder, standing in the middle of the train, before disappearing as the voicemail finishes.

## Layout

The player emerges on the track from an empty train station as Belial once again taunts them by repeating Charlotte's message. The cart rides through the sand caverns and stops outside the temple as the player listens to something moving in the dark. As the area fills with red mist, several human vampires run out and attack the player. After killing them, the cart begins moving into the temple, and is attacked by more along the way. In the entrance hall the player is ambushed by more vampires before proceeding into the throne room, where classical music plays before suddenly cutting out. The cart rides down into the temple's jail area, where Belial whispers "animam tuam vorabo" and then says "Look at me!" while appearing to the player's left. If the player looks at her, she quickly hides and reappears in front of the cart, screaming and disappearing. The door at the end of the room opens, allowing the ride to continue. The player stops in another dark jail room and hears more movement. When the light returns, they are ambushed by several human vampires, including some that spit acid which must be shot to be avoided. After killing them and exiting the jail, the player can choose to go left or right on the track.

* Going left, the player rides through an area of the temple that is falling apart and being shaken by earthquakes. They must dodge some falling columns before slowly going through a series of rooms, some of which have beetles on the track. Suddenly, a swarm of beetles come down from the ceiling, and must be shot a few times to kill them. The player stops in another room where several more beetle swarms attack, and after killing them, two Demon Crates appear. The cart rides through a few more rooms with more beetles, some of which crawl on the ceiling. The player returns to the throne room, which is now beset by alien vampires that screech at the player and follow the cart, but cannot be killed.
* Going right, the player rides upward through a tunnel and then down outside the temple, where part of a large pillar falls onto the track. The player passes by several shaking cocoons before going through a door guarded by two Pazuzu statues. Two alien vampires appear and flee from the player as they slowly go through a hallway, with a beetle swarm appearing on the track. The cart then stops as several more beetle swarms attack, along with two Demon Crates that fall from the ceiling. After killing all the beetle swarms, the cart proceeds into the throne room and through a tent, with another alien vampire scaring the player as it flies past. The alien vampire begins chasing the player and following the cart, but it cannot be killed, and more alien vampires join it.

Returning to the main track, the player rides quickly through the temple and must dodge more obstacles as the alien vampires give chase. A temple doorway is suddenly pushed back, bringing the player through a long hallway with walls that slowly close in on the cart. The player barely escapes, going through a tunnel in the sand caverns and into the catacombs, in an infested room full of cocoons. Each time the player blinks, more cocoons appear and move around. Eventually, one cocoon turns into an alien vampire and start attacking the player. After it is killed, two Demon Crates appear as normal and acid-spitting human vampires, alongside an alien vampire that bursts from a cocoon, attack. After killing them, the cart proceeds and the player can choose to go left or right on the track.

* Going left, the player goes through a tunnel and must dodge numerous large spikes of ice that begin bursting from the walls and ceiling. Two swarms of beetles then charge at the player before the cart returns to inside the temple.
* Going right, the cart slowly ascends a staircase and suddenly stops as three human vampires attack. Once they are killed, the cart starts moving again, only to be ambushed by one more along the way. It then quickly goes through the temple.

Returning to the main track, the player now rides on the balcony above the throne room. The room fills with inhuman screeching, and the player goes down into a blood-covered hallway with Belial's seal on the wall as she is heard laughing. As the player approaches a gate with a skull on it, several human vampires run across the track, and the gate opens to bring the player into the catacombs. The cart stops over the pit of corpses, and the room becomes soaked with blood. Suddenly, the room fills with cocoons, and the player is faced with two waves of normal and acid-spitting human vampires and beetle swarms, with each wave accompanied by two Demon Crates. A cocoon breaks to release an alien vampire as well. After defeating all the enemies, the player goes through the door at the end of the room and into an open, cavernous area full of floating bricks, where they are shown their score and re-enter the empty train station.

## Trivia

* The options on this level's *Journey So Far* screen are:
	+ You shot/didn't shoot Something You Shouldn't Have
	+ You Resisted/didn't resist Belial's Taunts
	+ You spotted/didn't spot a Vampire late to the chase

## Gallery

The Curator stands very close and looks at the player over his right shoulder.