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Level: The Jumps'n'Runs of Sara Droft (Demo) back home search
Author(s): Dancing Dead
total rating:5.08 Gameplay &
Puzzles		 Enemies,
Objects &
Secrets		 Atmosphere,
Sound &
Cameras		 Lighting &
Textures
Anurag 6 5 10 7
CC 3 5 6 5
eTux 5 6 8 6
Gerty 2 4 6 3
HaveFaith4Lara 8 9 10 7
Kristina 4 4 6 6
MichaelP 4 4 8 4
Orbit Dream 5 4 6 1
Sash 3 4 6 5
Whistle 2 2 2 2
category averages
(10 reviews)		 4.20 4.70 6.80 4.60

Reviewer's comments

"This is my first review of a level and am glad this level is my first. Very original idea in fact I was going to make something like this. Too bad the author has canceled the project." - HaveFaith4Lara (28-Jul-2008)

"I can't fully comment on this level as I was only able to play the first part on the Mac. But I can say that it certainly is original and unique. I've only seen tiny parts of levels where this side-view fixed camera scenario is used. It's obvious the author was experimenting with the LE to see if it would work. And in a way it does. But unlike older 2D platform games this is constantly pulled back into Tomb Raider when Sara Droft (Lara) falls off the long platforms to her death, climbs and jumps, picks up objects, and uses weapons on a few familiar enemies. The player can use the binoculars to get some sort of view of what's ahead. I'm not sure if invisible walls would have been better, but using them would have made this an even shorter level than it is. And there was no point in placing a slope for Sara to slide down when obviously she needs to jump to the platform at the side. Rendering this a totally unresovled 2D/3D experiment. The hardest part was trying to pass a Seth-like enemy who can't be killed and is constantly firing at Sara. It's no use hiding as his fire will reach her around corners. I personally didn't like this level. But I will say it was one of the most unique raiding experiences. I did like the unusual opening flyby and the sounds when Sara jumps. A lot of thought, and work, needs to go into any similar type level being produced in the future. Congratulations to the author for making the effort." - CC (12-Nov-2007)

"This must be the lowest ever score I have given a level, in fact this is miss placed and should never be masquerading as TR. Nothing in it appealed, I don’t like dark levels and long cameras which are useless to control Lara (or even Sara). In fact I never did like 2D platform games when they first came in (yes I am that old). Graphics manages to be both cluttered and boring. Enemies you get are condors which seem benign and the Demigod who goes away. My recommendation should be obvious-AVOID" - Whistle (24-Feb-2006)

"What a great idea of making a side scrolling level & it must have taken a good amount of time & effort, especially for putting the cameras in place. I loved the idea & the camera views so 10 on cameras , the gameplay is average & sometimes difficult due to the level being a side scroller with 3D controls." - Anurag (24-Feb-2006)

“Fresh innovative different but did I like it well not really. You play on a thin ledge and try to accomplish moves jumps and the like all in fixed camera views from the side which is very frustrating to say the least. There is also a bonus level that made the main level look downright easy and smooth as in the bonus level you are given just an overview of your path without seeing Sara or anything as you walk so I had to constantly take a few steps then check out where I was with the binoculars. Frustration plus. Thankfully the bonus is only a couple of minutes long and the main level just 10 otherwise I may have just exited out of them myself. This doesn’t say much for my chances with playing the whole version when released which will contain 14 levels and a bonus for each...EEK!!!!” – Sash (23-Oct-2004)

“Started to play games on a computer somewhere around 1988 I never was smitten with games like this one. Although I admit that it is indeed a novelty still certainly not my kind of game at all. Apart from the darkness (and it is really dark) this is a level where Lara dies a lot as you cannot see where she has to go and every step of the way you need to use the binoculars and the darkness in this case doesn't help as well. So one miss the girl dies as she is surrounded with burning tiles. I was hopelessly slow with a harpy or whatever it was) and died too many times for my liking only on that part alone. This is also a huge download for only such a short gameplay (after you mastered the movements she has to make). 08-09-2004” – Gerty (27-Sep-2004)

“The author had the idea of creating a game with fourteen levels as he wrote in the readme with fixed cameras. Judging from this demo I don’t find this idea appealing I dislike very much fixed cameras which I find to be a big pain. Of course this demo has also enemies like condors a tiger a boss and you constantly run the risk of making a wrong step and find Lara off the edge. I liked Lara’s outfit she has blonde hair and the hat suits her. There are a lot of horizon problems all around and the bonus level wasn’t very pleasant. You can’t see Lara or her shadow but you have to reach some goodies a crossbow and a gem. Imagine not being able to see where you’re going but having to negotiate your steps to reach something and actually make turns by randomly calculating where you are not my cup of tea. It isn’t really a bad idea but I guess this kind of level aims for players that are fans of games like Super Mario or similar. I found one secret which was the bonus level and four gems in total. Although this isn’t to my liking others might find it interesting so make sure you give it a try.” – Kristina (20-Sep-2004)

“I guess the reviewers will be sounding like a broken record here. This would score sky-high for originality and as it stands has some great components to be a success already: the added sounds for jumping dying etc some fun textures chosen a few good gameplay thoughts like where you need to go back on a higher level to place the second gem and some (but certainly not all) of the camera angles which give you the impression of being in a 2D jump and run game. And the outfit is way cool but I really found only one spot where you can actually enjoy looking at it from a little closer. The biggest downside is the massive darkness which easily leads to frustration as you try and step around and die and try again far too many times. The difficulty should be in the jumps not in ‘trying-to-make-out-where-to-jump’. Not sure I liked the bonus level although the idea is yet again very original and Seth was a tough enemy and might be more appropriate for one of the later levels. Either way – I hope more people will play and kind of enjoy this and provide their input to Siavash so that he can incorporate the feedback and continue the series and make it great fun to play. Edit: Having re-played the newer brightened up version this is a certainly a little easier and this time I managed to find the second gem which I had missed before.” – Michael (13-Sep-2004)

“It's a great idea...a side-scrolling Lara Platform game; and given time I'm sure it'll be a winner. But not yet. An awful lot more work needs to go into this. Not just in terms of construction but in the realisation of the concept itself. It's not enough to have a good idea; you really need to know whether it's a concept that is actually attainable both in terms of construction and playability. The conflicts between the 3D and the 2D scenarios haven't properly been resolved (I'd be interested to know if they actually can!) with the resulting awkward mix of side-scrolling and 3d movement not blending at all well. Added to that a darkness level that makes most of the gameplay an ordeal and you have a classic example of a 'beta-level'. A terrific idea and I can see where the fun will lie...but only when it's been properly finalised.” – Orbit Dream (08-Sep-2004)

“What an incredibly original idea! Might seem silly to some but those who have played Sonic the Hedgehog will find this great I think! But to give others an idea what’s going on here - you basically play TR from aside-view perspective - the only way to go really is left or right (forward and back from Lara's view) but with having enjoyed the other game I mentioned earlier I found this to be an incredibly fun affair and with some tweaking here and there this truly could be a great level. The following lines are mere suggestions for the author should he be reading this but will give you - the review reader some general ideas of the flaws to expect here too. As this is merely a demo the author has loads of place for improvement here before the final product which I undoubtedly will be playing! First of all it's very dark - though at some point you get to pick up loads of flares it still could be much lighter. Also - all the fall off possibilities where Lara burns are annoying as are the hardly noticable collapsing tiles but those are mostly due to the lighting so maybe Lara should somehow be bound to within the area she has to walk in. And of course some decent length would be good too as 10 minutes won’t do though I know this is just a demo :) Overall - very nice! If you want a rather light-hearted quicky before your bedtime this might just fit for that :)” – eTux (08-Sep-2004)
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