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Level: Lara at the Movies - 12 Monkeys back home search
Author(s): Thierry Stoorne
total rating:8.43 Gameplay &
Puzzles		 Enemies,
Objects &
Secrets		 Atmosphere,
Sound &
Cameras		 Lighting &
Textures
Andzia9 4 4 4 5
Bene 10 10 10 10
Blue43 8 8 10 9
Bogey 7 8 9 10
Brigidsgirl 8 9 9 10
Capt. Abbey 8 8 10 10
CC 9 9 10 10
Deekman 10 8 10 10
Dimpfelmoser 9 8 10 9
Duncan 7 7 8 8
eRIC 8 8 8 9
eTux 8 9 10 9
G.Croft 9 8 8 10
Gerty 9 8 9 9
gfd 7 7 7 8
Horus 7 6 7 7
Jay 9 8 10 10
Jorge22 10 10 10 10
Jose 5 7 7 8
Josi 8 7 9 8
Kristina 9 9 9 9
Loupar 9 8 9 9
Magnus 7 7 8 8
manarch2 4 8 9 9
Mezcal 6 6 8 9
MichaelP 8 8 9 10
Mman 7 9 9 9
Obig 9 8 9 9
okuhtfesq 7 8 9 7
Phil 8 9 8 8
QRS 9 9 9 9
Ravenwen 9 9 9 9
Scottie 8 7 7 9
Shandroid 9 9 9 9
Soul 7 8 9 9
Staticon 9 8 10 9
Sutekh 8 8 10 8
TombRaiderFan 8 7 7 7
Torry 7 8 9 10
Treeble 9 9 10 10
Whistle 8 8 9 9
Yoav 10 10 10 10
category averages
(42 reviews)		 7.98 8.02 8.81 8.90

Reviewer's comments

"I can't understand the excessively high punctuations to this couple of levels. Yes, it has a good appearance with well applied textures, but few more. Lights are not well worked, I will never understand where is the fun with all those hard banana jumps in several places, all the backtracking to level 2, level 1, level 2, level 1... only to look for items to place in the other level; and the very loooooong way to place the fuses near the end of the level was simply unnecessary. No furniture or objects in many rooms, only boxes, boxes and more boxes; there are some puzzles but sometimes not so logic... Definitively not a good adventure for my taste. Sorry." - Jose (09-Oct-2012)

"Let's cut a long story short and start with my verdict: 'Take away the last 30 minutes of the game and it's actually quite enjoyable!' The year is 2035 and a huge pandemic virus killed millions of people - a bitter truth that Lara finds out after leaving her hideout in the sewers and finding an abandoned city that's only "populated" with the eponymous friendly monkeys and some other animals that serve as enemys in this game. Basically Thierry did a very good job at creating a great environment and at the beginning I really enjoyed exploring all the buildings in this beautiful city, that's seperated into two levels to stay within the limits of the level editor. Architecturally it's no masterpiece, since there are loads of empty rooms (more objects would have helped), long corridors (some of them have to be cleared at a crawl) and so it all has a rather boxy look but I still liked the multi-levelled areas in the city and the mysterious bluish lighting that added a lot to the atmosphere. Gameplay was nice too, as some of the numerous pushable puzzles actually required some thinking and despite the complex setting it was pretty straightforward, once one found out that the (physically impossible!) banana-jumps are required to progress. So all in all one could say that I was quite satisfied with the game, if there wasn't my verdict. It's a real shame, but the end is both incredibly tiresome (with a large amount of seemingly unnecessary backtracking through long corridors and empty rooms) and has some obscure gameplay elements - how should a player know that the motorbike is used to activate a trigger, that's hardly noticeable? Still recommended." - Soul (09-Apr-2012)

"This two-level (both are similar, so it's more like one large level) set is based in an apocalyptic snow-covered city. You can see a lot of Thierry's signature city style here (the clean looks, scale and multi-levelled street areas), and it's as good as usual, although maybe a bit too clean looking for an abandoned city. While very good in itself I thought the lighting was also a bit too monotonous in style, with the same dark blue with occasional highlights repeated throughout the entire level, outside of one area at the end. I also thought a few more custom objects would have spiced things up a bit, although what objects are there are used well.
The level starts with some simple tasks that are a bit time- consuming regardless, and it's unfortunately a bit of a harbinger for some of the later challenges; there's a lot of backtracking and block pushing (although some of them are at least creative in concept). There's also parts where curve- jumps are needed, which held me up the first time I played LATM (as they weren't needed in other levels), but as I knew about them this time I didn't have much trouble. There's also another rope that requires knowing special techniques. If you know all these things it's okay, but it can get very obtuse if you don't. There's also some general weird stuff, like multiple puzzles items located so near to each other you wonder why more than one was needed (I can only assume the initial concept was much more ambitious and got cut- down). Maybe there are some more complex ones I missed, but there are also several secrets that I found easier to find than anything in the standard progression. Despite these issues the set is still enjoyable for the majority of it's duration, but feels like it could be much better." - Mman (23-Jan-2012)

"There are ideas who quickly fall into oblivion. And there are ideas who are not realizable, all the same what one tries. And there are ideas from which one believes as a player that they are impossible to be realise. Though I have learnt in the meantime, that is nearly for everything possible in the CL-Universe, but still today I am astonished at the fact that there is really such a project. Now it is not in such a way that LatM is absolutely unknown to me, because I have played this level package already about 5 years ago. But at that time I have played it just for the fun of it without bother myself about how much work must be behind. Now, in the meantime, I can roughly imagine, how big the amount of work must have been. This already starts with letting look the different level in such a way that they are more or less similar to the suitable movie. Above all the black-and-white-movies might have been a big challenge. And then still comes that somebody must co- ordinate the whole project. And it needs a common superstructure because to jump simply thus from movie to movie would be dull. So much to my general thoughts about this mammoth's project.
12 Monkeys: Very good movie with a Bruce Willi at his best. But what would be a Bruce Willi at his best without a good director. Terry Gilliam is the typical Englishman with a penchant for oddities. He was, finally, a member of the Monty Pythons and this says everything. Well, the level was admittedly good, but he could have been better. The town looked too good. It lacked the debris. And it lacked the demolished cars. And there were no wild animals. the few straying dog and the few monkeys were not sufficient. Maybe a few corpses would have been quite good. Or a few zombies. No, it lacked a little bit of the right atmosphere. But otherwise it was a good level." - Scottie (29-Jun-2011)

"I can completely understand Andzia's gameplay rating. This level looks quite good, set in a beautiful lit town with good textures, but the builder didn't make anything that really made fun here, except for a little jump sequence with the motorcycle, however too easy as you just had to speed up to the ramp straight of you. The first level started with an interesting lever-puzzle and some tricky jumps, but then you had to push thousands of blocks on the right place, without any other tasks. The completely linear gameplay didn't attract me much, just as it's repetitive all the way. When getting into the second level you first had your hardest fight, shooting four dogs, and few nice tasks in and around a mansion, but when getting back to the first level the whole thing gets even worse than it was in the first level. The curved jumps were not managable for beginner players, I think, and that should have been avoided. After some underwater activities you get back to the second level, climb up, run, crawl, pull tons of levers. There weren't any harder traps or something like this. All you did is an extremely annoying to/fro, through VERY long crawlspaces, and collect several things. Not enough, you had to crawl three times through the same long crawlspace, backtrack to the other end of the level more than once. The idea of triggering a block with parking the motorbike was absolutely unobvious. The only puzzles were block puzzles, that somehow didn't make any fun after the first level. There weren't many objects in this level, only good ones were in the church, which was the best designed room in this two-parter, however many secrets, rather easy to get as one first thinks that is regular gameplay path. Exspecially because of the backtracking I didn't enjoy this level, sorry." - manarch2 (28-Jan-2011)

"I have mixed feelings about this level. While it is constructed brilliantly and the puzzles are well-designed, this is one of the dullest custom levels I have played. It is dull-yellow for the first part of the level and dull-gray in the second 2/3. The gameplay, which is otherwise fun, is spoiled by REPETITIVE backtracking, oftentimes through long crawlspaces, and LOTS of block pushing. I hate to say it, but my favorite part was finishing and going to Hound of the Baskervilles; the boring texturing and backtracking just KILL this level." - okuhtfesq (12-Jan-2011)

"Now this is another well-made adventure with interesting and not too easy game play. The level is fairly large and there are some very long runs and crawls through hallways and ductwork in order to get to places, with quite a lot of backtracking to get back. Additionally we encounter some serious block pushing, a rope swing and not to mention a cool although very short ride with the bike. The main tasks here are reaching levers and finding fuses in order to open doors in order to progress. There are also plenty of curve jumps required – many of them in areas that had to be played more than once. Not that hard once you know how to do them right, but maybe a bit challenging for inexperienced players. It was really easy to get lost in that large area and I found myself checking with the walkthrough more than once. The level has a very interesting atmosphere as almost the whole area is lit with a cold blue light, which makes the already cold looking area even colder. The enemies range from crocs in the sewer area at the start to wolves/dogs later in the level. There are also multiple monkeys running around (12?), but they are friendly and only slightly annoying when Lara is lining up for a critical jump. I accidentally ran one over with the bike and it exploded (the monkey – not the bike), so felt bad and reloaded a save game. The texturing was professionally done and the architecture was nice to look at. It could have been a lot smaller with less forward and back running, but nevertheless it was a very enjoyable raid where a good sense of direction was needed." - Blue43 (02-Dec-2010)

"For me this level didn't make a impression. It was boring. All time to go furher and back. But there are few tricky moves and riding a bike. This helps a little with reviewing. All have to do is collect some fuses. I see there a lot of high points, but for me it wasn't very good." - Andzia9 (12-Sep-2009)

"I replayed this level in order to review it and it was just as good the second time around. I really couldn't connect it with the movie, the movie was just too weird, but it didn't matter. The level was very industrial, but not as much futuristic. There were some tough jumps and intriguing puzzles that had me scratching my head even the second time around. I enjoyed this level just as much the second time around." - Shandroid (24-Oct-2008)

"Monkeys! I love the Last Revelation monkeys, since they implode when you kill them. I still don’t know why they do that. Anyway, the monkeys are obviously a big plus for this level, and so is the rather realistic city the author has managed to build. There are some extremely long and empty hallways, which are obviously just meant to connect one area with another, but otherwise, it really does feel rather realistic. The texturing fits, but the whole level goes in a blue tone, which, although it gives the level a cold atmosphere, gets really boring after a while. Despite its realism, the level ends up looking very repetitive because of this. The gameplay has two major flaws, the first being the use of the banana jump (or whatever you prefer to call it). While in most levels it would be considered an illegal move, leading to places you’re not supposed to get to, it’s used a few times in this level, and I couldn’t help but wonder if I were doing things out of order. The other flaw is the backtracking; the author constantly has you running back and forth, and backtracking accounts for a lot of the sixty-five minutes I spent in this level. I got extremely frustrated near the end, when the fuses I needed were in the room next to where I had to use them, but I still had to take the five-minute route to get there. Besides that, though, the gameplay is quite interesting, but with a slight overuse of pushable blocks. All in all, this wasn’t my favourite Lara at the Movies level, but it’s not a bad level overall. Anything with monkeys in it gets my approval." - Magnus (15-Oct-2006)

"This is a really good level with a stunning map layout and a high overall difficulty. I found the first level to be a walk in the park but later on in the second one it got really hard. The cathedral was extremly cool and had a great atmosphere. One of the highlights is the block puzzle at stage 2. A very clever puzzle! Actually the whole adventure felt very solid and I could not stop playing it until I was back in the theatre again :) I had a few save bugs during the levels though. I'm not 100% sure it was due to the level but it happened only at the 12 monkeys. It doesn't affect my rating anyway. Overall a great set of levels that should NOT be missed! 2005-10-08" - QRS (08-Oct-2005)

"Lara comes into a city deserted but for animals. It is quite dark except for the blue twilight. There are monkeys trapped in small areas acting like they were foraging in the jungle, a sight that I am sorry to say I found ludicrous. Unfortunately, this is a short level with few gameplay ideas, and has been extended by tedious back and forth. The highlights are the jumping (why do it twice?) and the bike ride (why so short?). The enemies are only a few crows and dogs - no need to shoot the monkeys - and there are no hazards or traps. So the game lacks tension and suspense, and, although it is very well constructed, ends up being rather dull." - Duncan (12-Jun-2005)

"There is very little that I remember concerning the locations from the movie but I think the atmosphere of the deserted city in the past has been adapted rather well. It looks almost spooky and the absence of humans underscores the uncomfortable feeling while running around in that little part of a city. Generally it looked pretty convincing, it's always a little bit tricky to create a good and realistic-looking city but this one is apart from a few exceptions pretty well-done. Every now and then you run through very empty corridors whose only intention is obviously only to take Lara from point A to point B the quickest way possible. I usually dislike such bleak and loveless created passages and it's not very likely to see something like that in usual buildings. The gameplay was very nice at the beginning but got a bit tiring during the level because you had to run around a lot and over quite long distances. The enemies were of course only animals set free by the '12 Monkeys', as humans didn't survive that virus. The monkeys were quite friendly as long as you didn't shoot at them so there are only a few crows and dogs left to kill. Nearly the whole level was in blue-tones once that you get out of the sewer system at the beginning, which of course added to the cold and uncomfortable feeling of the city but it became a bit boring over the time." - Horus (16-Apr-2005)

"A beautiful level, oozing sadness and a heavy ‘end of the world’ mood, with those enigmatic monkeys watching you as though they were about to pass judgment on your actions. Gameplay-wise, the main difficulty lies in the agility department, with some tricky jumps and an expert rope swing. Research and puzzles were quite fluid, although I would have appreciated some shortcuts here and there, as I had to run back and fro a lot. And there's one particular not-that-easy ‘banana jump’ I had to redo three or four times, which tainted this excellent piece with a dash of tedium." - Sutekh (07-Feb-2005)

“Awesome level very challenging but not too tricky for me to figure out...I really enjoyed playing this one. The monkeys were cool once I realized what happened when you pick them off I would go kill them and reload so I could do it again :) I really do like monkeys...I just seem to like them better when they explode. Great level!” – Brigidsgirl (19-Jan-2005)

“A level with lots to do but also plenty of running around and one of my favourite hates having to do tricky manoeuvres several times. Another level I found difficult to put a story to and just what we were trying to achieve. The monkeys in fact just got in the way as they always do. Enemies were bats dogs and crows. Puzzles were few but I suppose the biggest puzzle was in just getting round the level i.e. working out what/how to do next. The author has also included a number of unusual moves-side jumping over fences being the most prominent. The graphics/textures were good but snow is just white stuff and can get boring after a while. The author obviously likes hanging walkways and suspended blocks a number of them appear. Sound was the usual background stuff as nothing really stuck in my mind.” – Whistle (09-Dec-2004)

“This is also an interesting level though a little bit monotonic sometimes. The location was a little bit dead for me somehow. We are adventuring on a base but we don't meet people. We don't have to hurt the monkeys and so they won't disturb us. The level consists of two parts so when we go through the other our health will be regained so we don't have to use medipacks. It is important that we can side jump over the fence by standing sidelong. There's a harder jump with the rope on the level when we have to jump onto the grating above the switch. Well I was running helter-skelter between the two levels until I found the correct order and I could get on the motorbike. Arriving to the warehouse it is not all the same where we park the bike because a heavy-switch opens the door. You can find a Hungarian walkthrough (as we don't have English version) savegames and pictures here: http://www.freeweb.hu/treditor/12/lara_at_the_movies.htm ” – Obig (08-Dec-2004)

“This level was so quite I ended up playing very slowly and meticulously for fear of what may come. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. And I actually felt chilly in this snow laden deserted town. Not a whole lot of enemies to fight but a lot of exploring to do and plenty to figure out. I was able to use the corner bug in one spot causing me to play out of sequence but it didn't affect the outcome because when I realized what I needed to do next - it had already been done - and then I was off to my next task. And after having experienced The Making Full Use Of The Keboard In Unexpected Ways For Unusal Moves discoveries in earlier Lara at The Movies levels I had no problems with the curvey jumps.” – Deekman (02-Dec-2004)

“It's one of the few levels that actually got me ‘into’ the game the atmosphere was all bluish very moody sinister empty but with that feeling there's something lurking just behind that corner... I just loved that feel! Gameplaywise 12 Monkeys is a double split level so there's quite a lot of backtracking to do between both levels you got keys and fuses in level 1 so you go to level 2 and use them to find out you just got more pieces to be used in level 1 so retracing your steps you are again. The place was truly desert with the occasional monkeys around still I believe that more baddies would indeed break the absolutely amazing mood set up here. I just think that those banana jumps were overused here (you have to do THREE in a row at one point) and this probably will scare beginners. Recommended. 75 minutes 6 secrets. 11/04” – Treeble (13-Nov-2004)

“I did enjoy this one. It was very nearly a perfect level for me though I must admit a quick consultation with the walkthrough on a couple of occasions though on the whole I managed pretty well by myself. Set in the post-epidemic world of an unspecified future the atmosphere and lighting are excellent as also is the camera work. I have a soft spot for sliding block puzzles so with this level I was in my element. The whole thing is littered with them. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven until the level ended bringing me reluctantly back to reality. The only thing I was not so fond of was the huge amount of back tracking over previously explored territory and a couple of the long crawls but then we can't have everything. Overall this must rank among my favourite 'Gold' levels so far. And so on to the Hound of the Baskervilles.” – Staticon (11-Nov-2004)

“’A monkey in wintertime’ was the title of a movie telling the story of an old man living in a sad city remembering the fun years of his youth. Mixed feelings strange atmosphere the future and the past acceptation of the abrupt reality of the present day monkeys in the snow of an abandoned bluish city sadness all around crows and dogs waiting to use a red motorbike for an ephemeral pleasure. Interesting movable blocks and fun jumps trying to find a meaning to this apparently absurd world. Bottomline: a good double-level not too long but which tends to be a bit boring in the last 20 minutes.” – eRIC (18-Oct-2004)

“Another amazing LATM level which is mainly a two-part snowy city one it starts however in the sewers and Lara has to find a way to get out on the streets. The puzzles that you have to solve on your way out have mathematic precision and thus they are rather player-friendly since after the second or the third you are able to work out the rest without much thought - this however is rather welcome since the main part of action will take place outside therefore it's good that you get to figure out the sewer puzzles easily and get to the streets without having exhausted your brain much. Because this is where you are called to think really hard and have your eyes constantly open so as to spot breakable windows seemingly unreachable ledges that however can be reached with 'clever' jumps and also here you will be challenged to visit both parts of the level as the action is split and you have to go back and forth a number of times before you actually make some progress. In the second part an imaginative block puzzle awaits for you and also some jumping action high on the snowy ledges which lead to an awesome gloomy church. You will also have the chance to make a brief ride with a motorbike over some steep ramps so as to enter another area which is unreachable in other ways. The blue and white colours that dominate in the level add to the mysterious and chilly atmosphere and contribute to the whole offering an unforgettable gaming experience.” – Ravenwen (18-Oct-2004)

“Starting in the sewers you have to find your way to a snowy area with buildings and monkeys. Once there the real searching begins with curved jumps rope swinging and block pushing (to name a few things). You also have to jump over fences and shoot windows. Look and search very carefully everywhere it's easy to overlook something. A very nice level with few enemies I really enjoyed it. 24-9-2004” – Josi (03-Oct-2004)

“Start off down in sewers and ventilation systems to get out in the city. (Where it is a bit empty I would have liked an occasional rat to run away...) But anyway I like running around in this city exploring looking for keys and fuses overcoming hard jumps and solving block puzzling.” – G.Croft (09-Sep-2004)

“Here Lara is running back and fourth through a wintry city. There are no people but a lot of crates and some construction equipment. The level is fairly dark and the white snow together with the bluish light produces a very suggestive winter atmosphere. Lara has also got a perfect outfit. Many of the crates need to be moved. Although there is sometimes an interesting twist to it there is more than enough of pushing and pulling. You also have to do some tedious backtracking. There is ample opportunity to exercise your jumping skills but fortunately pixel accuracy is not required. A rope swing is rather esoteric though. Enemies are not so frequent but there are some attacking animals here and there. The monkeys are friendly unless you attack them.” – Bogey (04-Sep-2004)

“This is my first disappointment in an otherwise fabulous collection of levels in the TR Gold project. Maybe I've just been spoiled by the superb quality of the levels I've already played and by the fact that I'm simultaneously playing Psiko's TR-A and Horus's Fragments of the Core. Anyway while this two-part production certainly presents challenging gameplay and keeps the gamer's undivided attention throughout I was rather underwhelmed by the stark unimaginative scenery and the all-too-short motorbike ride near the end. And whatever pleasant memories I had built up along the way were wiped out by the inexcusably tedious backtracking required at the very end to complete the game and advance to the next movie. I could even detect a note of the same frustration in CC's excellent walkthrough. I realize that my remarks make it seem as if I hated this level which really isn't the case at all; it just stacks up against some very formidable competition.” – Phil (01-Sep-2004)

“I've seen the movie and I know that this level is based in the part where Bruce Willis is sent to the past. There's no people (nor enemies) only monkeys that you can ignore although is great to see them explode. The action takes place in an empty city with a church and some boxes areas. The goal is to find few fuses and four gems to open the door to the future. All in that city is silence and cold; is very well captured from the original movie. I found all the secrets of the level and I loved the use of the special jumps (the curved and the tricky jump at the rope). It's after all an enjoying level very well built and full of exploration with great lighting and textures and beautiful camera views.” – Loupar (01-Sep-2004)

“This level is not for beginners. There's just too much that only an experienced player is going to be aware of including some very difficult jumps. Boy this level was long and what with all the (if I might say so) endless backtracking it certainly felt long too. A quick tip before I forget: if you are stuck why not try shooting a few things? Don't shoot the poor baboons though they are harmless! This was a rather complex couple of maps and a few more cameras wouldn't have gone unnoticed. I was stuck quite a few times and man I just hate having to access the walkthrough it always makes me feel a little bit bad! But I bet they'll be very few players who could complete this without using it once or twice. This tough level took me 2 hours and I found a rather wholesome 5 secrets! They were mostly easy to find though and some of them didn't give you much at all...” – gfd (06-Aug-2004)

“This took me around 1 hour to complete. I enjoyed it too. The audio suited well to the level and cameras worked well too. I enjoyed riding the motorcycle and doing them really tricky curvy jumps. Lots of fuses and keys to collect too. The enemies were well placed with lots of monkeys and bats. The church was really well layed out. Inside it had the scary feeling. The atmosphere was astonishing too. Overall good level!” – TombRaiderFan (03-Aug-2004)

“Well I'm clearly in the minority here but I did not enjoy this level. While I liked the way the author captured the desolate urban atmosphere and dark lighting from the original movie I found little else to recommend it. This is non-stop gruesome crate pushing and monotonous backtracking with ill-conceived objectives. For me this was a tedious exercise with no hint of levity suspense nor any sense of adventurous discovery. Maybe this is one for the cognoscenti the tomb raiding elite. I'm just an average raider and I wanted it to end long before it did.” – Mezcal (02-Aug-2004)

“I give this level very high marks because it was very well done. The atmosphere was amazing you felt like you were in there. It starts off in some sewers involving ho-hum block puzzles to get out of there (but in my opinion almost all block puzzles are ho-hum) then you find yourself in a big area with lots of monkeys. It's divided up into 2 levels which I found sometimes made it easier to navigate (you could say to someone 'go to level 2 to find the blue fuse' rather than saying 'go the place with buildings and snow!'). Now I have never even heard of this movie though I'm now curious to see what it's about because there was nothing that I could see that had to do with 12 Monkeys except for a lot of MONKEYS (aaah!). They sit around and get in the way of your jumps and I know I could've shot them but they were so innocent so I didn't. They looked so weird and I love weird things in Tomb Raider. It wouldn't have made a very good movie but it made a good level. Having said that however it was not my kind of adventure. I appreciate the huge amounts of effort put into 12 Monkeys but at times the gameplay was a bit grindy. Find a fuse find another and another find some gems. Then you finally get your hands on that shiny red motorcycle after peeking through the gate yearning for it and think 'yippee! I love bike courses!'. Don't get me wrong the one set of jumps were a lot of fun nitrous oxide is the best but I had just hoped I could have kept driving. There were really not too many enemies I can recall unless you shot the monkeys and I felt that pushing blocks and finding fuses and sticking them in slots is not really what Tomb Raider is about. I got stuck a few too many times but that wasn't the author's fault now is it? But then again this is just my opinion so you might think completely differently. Congratulations to the author for creating a huge work of art.” – Capt. Abbey (26-Jul-2004)

“Apart from the fact that this level exhibited a savegame issue where once you exited the editor came back at some later time to start again and tried to load a save the game would crash it was a fairly lengthy and involved level that tested some of the lesser used raiding skills. The savegame problem from reading many of the help threads appeared quite at random but it certainly hindered game play as you needed to finish this double level set in one sitting which some of us due to modern day time restrains just cannot do. It really should have been rectified in the beta testing stage and in my opinion if not fixable the level should have been left out. It does mar what is otherwise an excellent compilation of raids. Having said that I felt that apart from the use of curious jumping techniques and a little known swinging rope trick the level itself offered no real challenges and actually became quite bland and boring with the constant to and fro-ing between levels seeking essential pickups. Most of the moveable box puzzles where simplistic but one involving the use of a trapdoor was nicely laid out. I felt that the atmosphere itself had little or no relation to the movie but then again a few other levels were like that.” – Torry (24-Jul-2004)

“Already pretty much at the start you can tell that this is a level of Thierry (and even without the help of the intro leading into the movie :P) as he has a distinctive style that is represented in here too. The adaptation from the movie is made very well but I suppose it doesn't really make a great difference to the one who hasn't seen it and one can't do anything but wonder why you only meet animal enemies why the environments are so blue and what this all has to do with monkeys. Anyway the environments as the atmosphere are truly stunning and though there's a lot to do in here - mainly curved jumps pushable boxes and a bit of bike riding I didn't find this as exciting as other levels of Thierry from the Setback series. Maybe because of all the backtracking or the slow ending with all the crawling but somehow it left something to wish for though generally is a great offering as any other section of the Gold Project.” – eTux (23-Jul-2004)

“Isn’t it amazing how often we end up in the sewers? Actually these are much nicer than a lot of sewers we’ve seen even if they have got alligators. At least they’re light and quite clean looking. From the sewers you make your way through water tunnels and air ducts to a waterfront area inhabited by monkeys. The quiet snow covered city deserted except for crows and packs of dogs is very effectively done giving a really eerie post-apocalyptic feel. This level starts off in a fairly simple linear manner and becomes progressively more challenging. There is some interesting jumping and rope swinging to accomplish and good use is made of moveable blocks. You need to find quite a lot of fuses and a key to access the motorbike. The bike ride was fun but very short and I inadvertently ran over one of the monkeys - I felt a bit rotten about that. Ah well. Lots of fun.” – Jay (21-Jul-2004)

“My personal favorite of all the Gold levels this has a great beginning good camera work and then beautifully rendered snow topped streets and buildings. There's a great deal of back and forth over fences that must be side jumped. The atmosphere is superb with a feeling of isolation and cold. You'll get lots of practice with the jump/curves and there's a very tricky jump from a rope to a ledge above a cage. The monkeys are harmless - no need to shoot. Didn't want this one to end. Very well done.” – Bene (19-Jul-2004)

“LOL 12 Monkeys indeed and that is all that links this level to the title of the movie nice one. On special request of the boss while being on the meeting I started this level first. The level however starts with a great fly by and a nice jump to get to the sewers. In there you have to have some stamina as there is pulling and pushing to do. Enemies are crocs and bats. Then you are out in the open pretty chilly though as there is snow all over the place. Finding fuses keys and gems and there is absolutely no need to shoot the monkeys. There are however birds in the sky and dogs on the ground. Even with some back and fro this level is not that difficult finding levers to pull so have a good look around. The curved jumping is fun no problem with that. What I didn't like was the rope swing to the ledge. I made it it isn't fair no not at all unless you know the trick how to do it. Don't know what that Nitrous Oxide Feeder was for as the jump with the bike is easily done without the use of it. There is at the end however a lot of crawling but hey that is part of the gameplay. Found 5 secrets. 28-06-2004” – Gerty (18-Jul-2004)

“Now that's what I call jumping. Excellent storyline that is only slightly marred by the fact that there is an awful lot of backtracking that involves some tedious crawls. Also I got stuck because you can reach the area you're bound to jump to with the motorbike via the rope; in fact I found this ropeswing-jump far easier than the one you are supposed to do. I mean you are not technically stuck in the sense that you can't get back; it's just that you reach this area and search in vain for a way to progress. It starts all very straightforward obvious and fast paced in some underground tunnel system. In fact everything is so simple that when the game finally opens up becomes less linear and the challenge begins I was completely taken by surprise. Once you reach the main area you have to explore observe carefully and then perform some tricky jumps in order to progress. The chilly post nuclear atmosphere of the film is very well done and I particularly liked the church that has the same desolate and forlorn air as everything else. The puzzles incorporate a lot of crate pushing but it serves as a kind of nice counterweight to all that exciting jumping. I didn't even notice the absence of enemies (well there are some dogs and ravens) because it is somehow understood that mankind has gone somewhere else; also I got attacked by monkeys on two occasions. Like when Lara first dropped into the docks area she drew her guns (force of habit I suppose) immediately aimed at something above and instinctively fired away before realising that it was just a harmless monkey far off on a crane. Well an hour or so later Lara actually had to climb onto that crane to get to one of the many fuses that you need in this level and frankly the monkey was still irritated at being shot at (whereas Lara had forgotten all about it) and gave her a good bashing.” – Dimpfelmoser (18-Jul-2004)

“It's amazing how you play a level with loads of tunnels boxes graffiti cement perhaps some snow all of that maybe not incredibly original in appearance but built with the greatest of cares and you can be sure it must have been made in France. It's a style. I can think of a couple of very differing French levels but most of them seem to be perfectly recognizable this way. Do I like it? Well some (not many) members of our community have complained reviews usually come to a matter of taste and that's it. Yes I do love all those elements I've mentioned and was therefore predisposed to enjoy the game. But the fact remains this is one great adventure where I could find no flaws (except maybe for a rope jump where Lara grabbed the top ledge of a cage and still landed inside instead of on the top but that happens a lot with the editor what can you do?) and instead I found everything perfectly solid and intertwined storywise texturewise atmospherewise you name it... There are no enemies throughout the whole game (because of the virus?) except for some dogs - an entire army of true monkeys won't harm you evenif you happen to kill any. As for the army of the 12 monkeys they decided to remain undercover you get the feeling someone must be watching it all but just doesn't want to be seen nor heard. That lends the entire game a very enjoyable tone of mystery. If the lack of enemies makes it look easy do beware it's not. Even though the game starts in a very straightforward mood Lara's paths are very intricate (it's interesting how you get glimpses of everything long before you find out how to get there or what to do get there) there are several weird curved jumps to perform and there's some very new technique in rope swinging which may be a bit unfair although easily managed once you know how. I was fortunate enough to have someone in the forums (thank you! :smile: ) tell me how to swing or I might still be swinging and sweating at this time. I'll give this game four tens most willingly. Now if you believe that's only because I like the environments which I do then I guess you simply didn't understand a thing. My sincere congratulations to Thierry!” – Jorge22 (15-Jul-2004)

“We have yet another good level from the TRLE Gold project. This time we explore snowy areas with pools around and many dogs. We transfer from level to level which I found tedious and frustrating from a time after to collect fuses and keys. One other thing that was really was the constant side jumps I had to repeat in the same areas to use the items I had to every time and to finally use the four gems. Although what the author tries to do is to recreate the movie I found the setting dull because of the lack of enemies. Through the level the player has to deal with quite a few moving blocks and not very easy jumps. Nevertheless I liked the level and didn’t count the monkeys to see if there were twelve. Well done for a fun level.” – Kristina (06-Jul-2004)

“Wow these two levels are going to keep you busy a few hours. Everything is perfect; some places are gloomy but it looks wonderful with matching atmosphere impressive sound many movable boxes to solve puzzles four fuses and gems and a couple of keys hidden well. Not many enemies. A few dogs bats and crow if you don't know yet there is a new jump over the fence: sidejump – hint: that can help you.” – Yoav (02-Jul-2004)

“A grippingly quiet atmosphere and probably the best lighting in a custom level that I have seen in a while and very suitable and perfectly applied textures too. This starts out fairly linear with a few clever crate pushing puzzles and then opens up and has you jumping between the two parts to collect blue and yellow fuses keys and gems which allow you to eventually open up the time machine and escape from this deserted snowy place where only a few monkeys and crows roam. Some of the puzzles are really fun and take a bit of thinking there are a few rather tricky jumps to master and a cool bike which is a bit underused. The only downside are a few passages which are a bit on the tedious side with long crawls and quite some backtracking especially towards the end but you have to simply go to this place to experience the beauty of it.” – Michael (28-Jun-2004)

“I haven’t seen this film I don’t know what it’s about or even if 12 monkeys are involved? I can see though that it’s a town/city with a river/docks area. It’s in winter time with snow and Lara is in her black and white combat gear with woolly hat. There are two levels here and going from one to the other simply involves running down a street. Everything looks so well done it’s very believable. Some streets are blocked off with fences that you can only sideflip over. There’s a big church with seating and altar the only way in is via the roof. There’s a warehouse by opening doors and pushing a crate allows you to get to another building that looks a little like a temple! Here are jumps to crates hanging high up kind of like the chandelier jumping we’ve done in the past. The docks area is my favourite and I loved the awkward jumping and swimming here. In this docks water area you need to keep your eyes peeled. There are a few things in plain sight but I couldn’t see them at first going back time and again to find each one. If I had seen them all the first time my playing time would have been quartered. Lara gets a great looking red bike and has to drive it over cranes in this dock area and it performs another task shortly afterwards. As for the monkeys well I didn’t bother to shoot them but if you do they explode and the others come after you and you can do without the hassle. I don’t like shooting animals if they’re not bothering me. In level 2 at the end of the street I really liked all that has to be done in the fountain area. Stuff like pushing a crate onto three different textured squares to trigger three different things outside and that awkward swim for the keys in the fountain. Very addictive level won’t let you go and that for me is good gameplay.” – CC (28-Jun-2004)
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