Levels listed...
TR5 - 31
TR4 - 3141
TR3 - 177
TR2 - 133
TR1 - 61
72342 reviews (20.4/level)
3532 (99.7%) walkthroughs
445 Hall of Fame levels
1221 levels rated >= 8
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release date: |
19-Aug-2005 |
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# of downloads: |
169 |
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average rating: |
8.15 |
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review count: |
24 |
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review this level |
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file size: |
63.70 MB |
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file type: |
TR4 |
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class: |
Mystery/Horror |
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| Reviewer's comments |
"Mixed feelings towards this level. I really enjoyed the first half of it, which is rather grounded and takes you from a small town driving up a hill to a desolated house and then the insides of said house, but the second half which takes place in a magical circus of sorts wasn't much of my thing — not that it's bad, but I'd definitely have preferred more of the former. Driving up the jeep through the 1-block wide corridor felt aggravating by design (and I even got a random crash to desktop along the way, but I'm sure that's just bad timing of something else on my system). The camera panning around the corner casually showing a person felt like a random yet brilliant touch, and so did the house. It's incredibly cramped and you don't really do much other than finding keys and buttons, but the fact it's all so small makes the events within that much more interesting. As you make your escape you get warped into the aforementioned warped circus which is very akin to navigating a more standard floating islands type of level, but the author makes clever use of the engine rendering limitations as you swim through the air. The ending animation, in which Lara vaults into the hot air balloon, was flawless. All in all, I'd say this is worth checking out for the first half alone, it's got that mystery/thriller vibe that few levels have. 65 minutes, 4 secrets. 02/23" - Treeble (26-Feb-2023) |
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| "This is a fairly long six-parter, starting out in dark city
streets (reminiscent of Agnes' Hell's Kitchen), then to a
spooky house filled with creepy inhabitants and then finally
to a surrealistic floating islands universe. I actually found
the first four parts to be the more enjoyable of the whole
game due to the grabbing atmosphere, great custom objects and
challenging and fun gameplay (a couple of fun timed runs and a
jeep ride were the highlights). Although I generally admire
floating islands levels, the last two went over the top
slightly with the annoying looping music file and the overdone
combat sequences (those wasps are the bane of my life!). I'll
not discourage you though, so try it out." - Ryan (01-Mar-2017) |
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| "I definitely didn't expect to finish this in under an hour. For your time you get seven levels with quite different settings. I'm not to keen on the first level as I find it quite boring but after that it all gets better. It all goes by way too quick and it's not only because you enjoy it - it's actually very short. I didn't like that you can't go back to the first level because I missed the cross and I got stuck and had to reload. As a whole the gameplay is fairly easy and only has some challenges in the last two levels. I love platforming and exploring but puzzles are missing except for the one to get the house key. Texturing is okay, I liked how colorful the last two levels are although it doesn't click with the other textures and seems somewhat messy - I know it's supposed to be but it can look messy and flattering at the same time and here it's not quite there. Atmosphere is unique - it's not scary but mysterious and after you encounter the clown he keeps you on your toes. Some sounds on the levers are missing. Great use of horizons and enemies. Not the best levelset you'll play but it has a nice interesting back story and some very atmospheric levels and since you can finish it in less than an hour - why not check it out?" - misho98 (23-Jan-2016) |
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| "I feel like rating my own level - great stoty and packload of experiments yet basic things way underdone. For example I liked the concept of dissolving world but I'm not sure if paperthin walls were the right approach to execute it. I liked the jeep and the effort put into its totally cutscene level but the trapdoor can make the vehicle stuck forever. The tight passage is something different than the usual 2-block wide ones, but it's too twisted to drive through it without struggle. Also there are some basic glitches, I just think the author focused on inventing and forgot to deal with obvious things like frequent door collision cubes Lara can get stuck within or totally unmarked timed runs, both inconveniences unnecessarily lenghtening the game duration. Still, even with the lighting way too flat, the immersion manages to prevail thanks to the proper intensification of drama developed with unusual blend of demon-poltergeist-apparition encounter. The game is mostly an interesting, odd piece of pleasure, if one can call horror pleasant, and I can. I will play more of this author soon. Recommended." - DJ Full (21-Jul-2015) |
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| "This is a rather engaging, offbeat series of levels that starts off in a spooky city area and winds up in a surreal floating islands off in space somewhere, where your survival depends upon warding off several hordes of Tinnos wasps in cramped quarters. The longest level was the fifth one, and most of it had to be endured while a mild earthquake was going on, which put a damper on my enthusiasm for playing. All told, I spent about 80 minutes in these six closely-connected levels, and Yoav's walkthrough certainly helped me through the rough spots. I didn't load the special sound files (I rarely do, since those that come with the level editor suit me just fine), and that may explain why I didn't have that feeling of hair rising on my hackles as I played. There are some nice touches along the way, such as a wheelchair (in the fourth level) that acts like a beetle horde, and an indestructible evil clown who appears several times throughout the game and plagues Lara with demigod-like lightning bolts. A good raid without being overly challenging. Recommended." - Phil (20-Oct-2011) |
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| "For the first 90 minutes of this adventure I was thoroughly enjoying myself,first in a small town and then a spooky little house.Between these two levels was a short by amusing 'rollercoaster in a jeep' sequence,and everything was heading in a logical direction with an imaginative little storyline linking everything together. Then came the 'End Game' sequence,and it was here that I found my enjoyment waning. The final 40 minutes or so are done in a bright and zany style somewhat in the manner of Richard Lawther,and it's all hilarious good fun to start.However,the constant Carnival music combined with 'platform-jumping/nasty enemy attacking' gameplay and bright pastel-coloured dreamlike surroundings went on far far too long and became ultimately tiresome. I'm all for a fun-filled action-packed Finale,but not one lasting well over half-an-hour and containing such vibrant colours and constant zany music (along with everyone's least favourite enemies - the wasps -attacking en-masse),and this one long outstays its welcome and ensured that I ended the adventure with relief rather than regret. That being said,it is everywhere inventive both in terms of Gameplay and visualisation and filled with a terrific sense of humour which had me laughing out loud on a number of occasions.The technical achievement is impressive and the sense of fun and forward momentum never disappears,even when it becomes somewhat overwhelming.I regretted the fact that the visual style of the adventure changed from 'spooky and slightly surreal' to 'madcap cartoon',but many people will probably enjoy that sort of thing. Overall,this is a hugely fun adventure exhibiting a unique level-building 'signature' (think: Richard Lawther meets Staticon)and I recommend it thoroughly for those in the right frame of mind." - Orbit Dream (10-Mar-2008) |
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| "From the start, I think that I should say that this is one of the most spooky levelsets that I have ever played, even though I was playing this in the daytime. The level inside the house made me nervous throughout, and the clown jumping out at me every so often scared me to death. The opening level in the city/town area was also very atmospheric and suitably eerie. Once we had reached the more surreal levels at near to the end of the game, it was just as atmospheric, and the circus-like feeling to the environment was particularly effective. The music was also of a high quality throughout, with tension-raising music inside the house, and traditional circus-style music in the last two levels. The texturing was excellent, and it was very varied yet suitable throughout, however the large amount of strange textureless walls (while actually intentional) in the underwater circus areas often led to some moving/waving textures and also being able to see above the ceilings of connected rooms. The gameplay on offer here is also very varied and occasionally quite challenging. The first level involved some exploration within buildings and underground, as well as a tricky timed run through a gate. The jeep ride shortly after was a nice change of pace, and the fantastic camera work as you travel up the hill was also a nice feature. The next two levels mostly involved wandering back and forth collecting keys and pulling switches, although the atmosphere managed to make up for it. In my opinion, the final two levels were the best, with a lot of traps to avoid and difficult jumps to make. There were also a plethora of wierd enemies to face, the most memorable being the evil clown that seems intent on killing you until you manage to escape from it's wrath. In all, this was a brilliantly presented, and also fun levelset, that is also one of the most original ones available out there." - Spike (12-Aug-2007) |
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| "A great level series with many timed runs, its a story of Lara's friend Elaine & her boyfriend Mike. Elaine asks Lara to come fast at her place as mike is acting weird. Lara sets out on another adventure. Finding a Jeep on her way.
I liked the camera angles of the 2nd level "Driving Up The Hill"; the views look great as you see the jeep going up & down the slopes from a wide angle.
The third level consists primarily of levers & trapdoors only. IN level four you get many things related to penny; whearas Penny is not even described by the author in her readme file.
In level 5 I think the author has tried to show us the other dimension, I hated this level like anything as there are only ledges hanging out of nowhere with different annoying colours. Jump from ledge to ledge killing all enemies & get a skull. I liked the Clown enemy very much. But the ending is abrupt as soon as Lara lands on a wooden deck with the clown on it, she runs towards the Hot air baloon evading the clown.
As soon as Lara gets up on the baloon the level ends & so many mysteries are left behind as to:
Who Penny was?
& What happened to Mike & Elaine?
I am glad that the author has declared a sequel to this level." - Anurag (01-Feb-2006) |
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| "Congratulation, Jens. You have become only the third builder to defeat my humble playing skills. It was the wasps that finished me. I just couldn't compete with their incessant onslaught while balancing on small platforms and contending with sword-bearing statues. Pity, as up till then, I had been really enjoying this study of madness. The opening levels were not too difficult - apart from a fairly lengthy timed run through the city streets. I liked the short car drive section but by far the best part was the house. The adrenaline rushes from the encounters with the evil clown were great and I loved the Poltergeist-like touches about the house, such as the rotating chair and the empty wheel chair. I half expected a small child's voice to call out; 'They're here'. The 'Be My Valentine' section was real edge-of-the-seat stuff - bright, colourful and most exhilarating. My downfall happened in the last 'Nightmare' section that I have already explained. Oh well, you can't win them all. Nice concept and quite well executed. Beginners could well experience difficulties at the end but the rest of the adventure is still worth a play." - Staticon (01-Jan-2006) |
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| "If you like dark levels, this is one of them, you have to use flares continuosly. The monkeyswing in the dark garage (first level) is not necessary, you can do a diagonal standing jump from the ledge with the ladder to the top ledges. The timed run to get the car keys was very very hard for me. The underwater levers in the house basement doesn't work properly. Once you have seen the house outside and enter, you realize that inside is more big! Animations and objects are spectacular into the house, and the level has a great atmosphere. A good and hard work for a builder, but I've heard that some people had miss the cross at the beginning and when arrived to the house outside couldn't continue playing (and couldn't go back); this is a very bad detail which never must happen. The fiveth and sixth levels didn't like me, too much colourful and unreal; moreover, game got totally blocked when I placed the skull and I had to go back to the desktop; the bunch of giant wasps in last level without guns/ammo to defend you makes the gameplay very slow and tedious. Last animation in the balloon was great! Definitively, a level with very good and very bad features." - Jose (14-Nov-2005) |
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| "This six-part level was a great adventure. It takes place in a district, on streets, in a mysterious house, then we rise to the skies and follow on coloured floating platforms. The locations are various, and so are the enemies: hobos, dogs, then small gnomes, beasts, bird-headed beasts, birds, immortal clowns, and on the last level the for me most nerve-racking wasps who often tossed me into the deep. On the second last level I could hardly find where to jump off into the deep. Well, Lara was screaming many times until finally I found the place. :) And the way to one of the secrets could be find only by using the binoculars. I found 5 secrets on the level, and one extra gun: the Uzi. Though it was enough. Maybe the last two levels are too colourful, but it was good for a nightmare. :) There are many challenges, and a timed run as well. But after some practising it can be done. The levels have a great feeling, and this is raised also by the added sounds. Try it! :) You can find a Hungarian walkthrough (as we don't have English version), savegames and pictures here: http://treditor.hu/15/be_my_valentine.htm" - Obig (26-Oct-2005) |
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| "Wow, this certainly is a spooky and crazy level! A friend of Lara called Elaine, sent a letter to her in distress, about the fact her hubby Mike, is acting very oddly. Lara decides she will drive round to her, but decides to wait till the next day, as it is pouring down really badly. She then gets a phonecall from Elaine who says things are much worse. Suddenly Elaine cries out when Mike catches her, and the line goes dead. Lara doesn't hesitate a moment longer, and despite the terrible weather, sets out to her friend in need. Not far from the house, in a little town, the car packs up, so Lara must find another vehicle to reach Elaine. So starts the first level, which is in the small town, it is quite run-down and quiet, apart from a few dogs, bats and bat wielding blokes. In this level you have to get some car keys, and access the jeep in the garage. Not forgetting the cross, which is on a little ledge on a building, this is a necessity to completing the game, without it you'll be buggered later on. There are a few switches to pull and push, which open doors or lower/raise blocks. The level is pretty short, but to make it that bit longer, going for the secret adds more playtime. The next level is very short, you just drive the car along the roads to reach the house. It looks great, it is raining hard, and the camera flies around to make it more interesting. There is a freaky looking guy sitting on a corner by some gravestones. When I reached a flat spot, I had to get out and run back just to confirm that I had indeed seen someone. He looked like a zombie, and luckily didn't move which was a relief lol. The next level is outside the house, theres a lot of lever pulling/pushing switches to open loads of trapdoors. It did get a tad tedious after a while. There are some of those little creatures from tr5's first young lara level, and a creepy zombie woman in one hole. I didn't wanna go down there lol. You eventually get a key to access the house. This next level in the house, was so unbelievably scary! There was a creepy tune from resident evil in the bg which added to the atmosphere. The level consists of finding a key, using it, which usually opens a trapdoor with another. I was pretty spooked throughout the level, but not to scared until I entered the basement... Down there a phone rings, and by the phone was a little dolly. Penny's dolly. I am guessing she is Elaine and crazy Mikes daughter? This is obviously the place where Elaine rung from. I so wish I didn't have to pick up the doll I tell ya lol. There was an explosion, then the sound of shooting could be heard. When I left the small alcove my heart leapt out of my chest, for what was I locked in the room with? A clown! I have never been so scared in a custom level in my life! It was Set from tr4 retexured. Set has never bothered me, but when it looks like a clown... I was crapping myself lol. The clown is meant to be Mike. I tell ya, if I caught my hubby in a clown costume he'd be out the door quicker than he can honk his bright red nose! lol Luckily, it got caught on a wall and ran against it, so I got out ok. But to my horror, after being stuck and checking a walkthrough I realised there was a key in the basement I missed, so I had to do that bit over... When you come out, there is a chair spinning upside down, the same chair as in the custom level "the ring". And when you open the door to the attic my heart started up again when a wheelchair shot out! It was stalking me, it didn't harm me, but God it scared me. Unfortunately you encounter the clown a few more times, which was even worse than the first encounter. Imagine it, you pick up an item, suddenly you hear "it" in the room and while you try to run away it leaps at ya, arms outstretched, my God, how unbelievaly scary!? I have never been a fan of clowns, so my heart was thudding throughout this whole level, although I can't say it wasn't a brill level, the best in this mini game if I say so myself. You also get to see a rocking horse rocking away too, which looked great. After picking up some more items, you get to escape the evil clown by going down a brightly coloured slope to the next level. This level is really crazy. It's like a scary toy version of floating islands! Colourful blocks float in the air, a bright purple sky, rolling balls, chopping statues and strange looking birds, monsters and dogs. You have to make you way across the blocks, collecting a skull on the way which you use to open a door. After fighting some giant birds and jumping across more blocks, and doing some more swimming, you eventually reach a room with more giant birds and one of the items you picked up in the house earlier. Then the clown appears again :o luckily he is stuck on a block in the centre, but the floor has disappeared, and you have to collect the other items which appear, by jumping on the floating blocks and avoiding his attacks. You then reach the final level, which I found really really annoying. It isn't long, but I was having problems with the tinnos wasps. There is no safe places to stand and kill them, so you're stuck on little floating blocks. It was doing my head in, as I kept being knocked off them. Having only the uzis doesn't help, they take a lot of bullets. Aside from those flying pains, the level was fun. When you eventually, reach the end of the level, avoiding Mike again who pops up (that bleeding clown! lol), you catching a hot air balloon to... who knows? I am really hoping there is to be a sequel, because the mystery doesn't get solved. You don't find Penny or Elaine, and Mike is left undealt with, so a sequel will finish the story up nicely ;) (although I aint looking forward to being scared by that clown again! lol). So for my verdict, I think the game is top notch, really good fun. The music has been chosen very well and goes perfectly, the atmosphere is really creepy, which is what should be expected! So I definetly recommend it to everyone, except those who are easily spooked and hate clowns lol A brill level, and I look forward to the sequel which I hope there will be very soon!" - Aims (16-Oct-2005) |
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| "was not able to open the readme, so I have to go on what others have
written - that Lara is searching for her lost friend Elaine. But there are
three characters involved here, Elaine, Mike and Penny. An intriguing
mystery. And this set of levels certainly are intriguing. Very unusual in their
eclectic mix of locations and themes. Seems like one main theme is the
circus, but not as we know it. The clown is definitely not funny and the
circus rides in a whole lot of dark nothingness is positively surreal.
So Close. the first level. The flyby scans a pretty normal looking town, with
bus stop, parked vehicles, warehouses/offices, and zooms in on the door
of a storage area where Lara is trapped inside. Getting out is simple, but
the way out starts the weirdness. I laughed at the script changes at the
start, instead of new game, load game, etc., we have 'Help me', 'Try
Again?', and 'We're running away aren't we?' lol. Lara is looking for a
Celtic cross and keys for that good-looking jeep. It was nice searching
around this small city, and the fixed cameras were good, especially the
one where we see Lara in one of the windows of a high building. I was
slightly confused in the warehouse with the timed run switch. I got up onto
the walkways by a simple jump and pull up, and couldn't figure out what
the monkeyswing was for, until I realised that it was the intention of the
autor for us to get up there by using it. The timed run is fairly tight and I'd
suggest players start to move immediately even though they can't use the
look button. It's a blind tactic but it will pay off. Having got the jeep out of it's
garage, we have to get it through a very tight maze like setup, and I
managed to get the thing stuck forever in the walls, so saving just before
you move the jeep is recommended. This brings Lara into a large garage
and the exit door onto the street. There's a pretty obvious looking
smashable brick wall across one street which is the route into the next
level.
Driving up the Hill, is exactly that. Well, it's actually up and down a couple
of hills. We are warned not to get out of the jeep and stay on the road! This
is a good idea that links the first and third levels. Towards the end of the
drive we see an exhausted guy sitting on a hill. Has he escaped the horror
somewhere? I wonder what side of the road you will drive on .
From the Outside. We reach the end of the road and go through the gates
to a large shack of a house, having dispatched ghost babies along the
way. A couple of tasks on the outside and we get into this shack from
underneath. There is a shaft we must climb down, and meet a zombie,
who 'could' be the remains of one of the people Lara is looking for, or a
previous victim! The cellar is a gruesome looking place and looks like it's
been used for torture. We flood this cellar, twice, to use levers at different
heights on the wall. Through the cellar we climb . . .
Inside. A very dark and spooky house. Great atmosphere. A lot of doors
have to be opened, and as Lara is pushing some of them open we are on
tenter hooks as to what awaits us. This is not helped by the fact that those
spooky baby ghosts are hiding here, there's a chair in the kitchen upside
down spinning in midair, a rocking horse rocking all by itself, and a
possessed wheelchair. It was creepy watching it coming up the stairs
after Lara. There are lovely pictures on the walls that can be shot. I'm not
sure if shooting these pictures summons the maniac clowns. I had to
deal with at least three of them in this house. These guys are scary, they
jump on top of Lara and keep throwing fire balls at her, and they can't be
killed. But at least they are confined to certain areas of the house, so
running past a certain point you can breath a sigh of rellief. Lots of
switches and keys to find, and a doll. There is a dead guy in a bedroom
(is this another 'friend'), and lots of smashed tv's! The last key is for a
secret door in the attic When opened we see a vortex to another world . . .
Be My Valentine. An enigmatic question, and to whom, by whom? Things
become very surreal in these last two levels. Lara is now in a short red
dress. Her hair is the worse for wear, but she must continue on her quest.
The environment here is like a lot of circus rides suspended in a whole lot
of nothingness. Jumping series over slopes, rolling balls, sword statues,
snapping jaw doors, and a collection of weird and wonderful creatures,
like griffons, ugly monkeys, horned flying creatures, collecting a skull on
the way to place it outside a temple. And the weirdness continues with a
very high climb, a winding running jump session over burning tiles, a
deep dive into water tunnels that seem to vanish as Lara looks like she's
swimming in fresh air with only arrows to point the way. I must say I found
these swimming parts fascinating. Further on we encounter those big
birds that shake the ground when they walk, and finally meet that clown
again in his gigantic tent. Some really good special effects here. Is it this
clown that wrote the name Penny in a few places that lures us along?
Nightmare. A very short level, as the crow flies! lol. Distance wise anyway.
But getting there is far tougher than any task done so far. Mainly due to the
umpteem mosquitoes that fly in and attack at very awkward places, like
when standing on tiny ledges in mid-air. They all seemed to fly up from
below, and in groups of three. Then there are more rolling balls with
precise jumps through them. And finally the clown appears for a final
laugh, but at that stage I found it easy enough to rush past him towards
the waiting hot-air balloon that takes us up into the air and off, hopefully, to
the next part of this unusual and original series." - CC (14-Oct-2005) |
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| "Now this is a cool and fresh adventure! 6 short levels that each and one tells its own tale so to speak. All of the levels are very well made and together they add up a feeling that is very eerie. I seldom get scared while playing tombraider games but this one freaked me out. Especially that damn clown in the house *gulp* I found this adventure to be easy except the last stage. We are in for some serious raiding with a lot of traps and cool jumps. The harder and most annoying spot was the perils near the end though... those Tinnos wasps had me dying many times before I could reach the balloon for safety :) Make a sequel, Hochgiftig. I will play it, that's for sure. Top stuff! - 2005-10-08" - QRS (08-Oct-2005) |
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| "So Close: Some quirky music and a flyby of an attractive city area certainly whetted my appetite for this level and by the time I'd shot a thug, his dog and lots and lots of barricades I was really in the mood for mayhem. What I got was bats, bees and a really tight timed run. Oh, and after quite a bit of exploring I also got a car to drive through some fun winding tunnels and into the next level.
Driving up the Hill: This is just a short driving in the rain sequence so just sit back and admire the scenery.
From the Outside: The grounds are full of those little white imp creatures and you have to climb down a lot of holes and do a bit of flooding and draining in the cellars before you find the house key. Have these people never heard of leaving it under the mat?
Inside: Spooky place - a homicidal clown, spinning chairs, a wheelchair moving about by itself and lots more imps.
Be My Valentine: Wow, psychedelic world and a sky-high assault course to the strains of fairground music. There are some very unfamiliar creatures lurking about and the whole thing is rather fun and endearingly dotty, with a super 'leap of faith' type finale.
Nightmare: And it is a nightmare too, trying to leap around on tiny platforms with Tinnos wasps pushing you off all the time. Basically, this is a continuation of the mile high assault course only more difficult - quite a lot more difficult actually. Did I mention the Tinnos wasps? Believe me, you will grow to loathe them. The ending is lovely, with Lara escaping by balloon.
There's quite an imagination at work here and I look forward to future levels from this builder." - Jay (03-Oct-2005) |
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| "A level with a bit of a storyline is always a plus and this mini series certainly has a nice one, so make sure you do read the readme file.
So Close / Driving up that Hill (7/7/8/7, 30+1 min., 1 secret): The adventure starts in a City setting with a nice introductory flyby. You get to explore the area for keys (including a small maze underground) and fight off baddies and dogs. I thought the fixed cameras were rather annoying and not helpful and in places it was unnecessarily dark. The timed runs for the Jeep Key and a button are fun, but the rest of the gameplay is too much about buttons, jump switches and trap doors. There are quite a few texture errors and 'end of the world' views in the first part. Once you leave the first level you get a nice transition with an interesting camera as you ride the Jeep towards the house. Very well done.
From the Outside / Inside (7/9/8/8, 10+15 min., 1 secret): It gets spookier in the middle section as you explore around the house first and then inside. Plenty of those little white creatures to kill, many more trapdoors to open. The puzzle with the water levels was interesting. Inside you need six keys in sequence and I enjoyed some of the 'haunted effects', although the wheelchair was quite annoying. The clown is a great enemy and the audio was nice in these parts and added well to the atmosphere.
Be my Valentine / Nightmare (8/9/8/7, 30+5 min., 2 secrets): Total change of place as you enter a colourful dreamworld with fairgound music in the background. There is a lot of fun jumping in this floating island style setting and you encounter very suitable enemies, like the beasts, gollums, big birds, sea hag and more until you reach kind of a circus arena. The final part is indeed a small Nightmare as you need to master a gauntlet of wasps and boulders while managing a few more jumps and eventually you reach the Balloon at the end with a nice Lara animation as she jumps in.
All in all this little series has lots of imagination, but it falls a bit short in the actual execution and design of the ideas with the editor and thus I cannot score it much higher. It is definitely a recommended play though, so don't miss it!" - MichaelP (03-Oct-2005) |
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| "Interesting level but with several minor glitches and a bug that almost wouldn't let me play to the end for, before placing the skull in 'Be my Valentine' (name of a level, not the entire game) not only my game kept freezing but it would nearly freeze my whole computer! Fortunately, the problem was solved by getting back to a previous savegame and not saving till I placed the skull. That having been said, overall the game was a pleasant experience and a varied one too. Starting in a city, then driving up a hill, reaching a haunted house, entering it and finally reaching some meta-cosmic original place with armies of wasps, deadly clowns and some other monsters in between, plus loads of jumps and traps before entering a hot air balloon to take us away from the creepy ambiance and back to daily normality. I wouldn't go as far as saying this was one of the most original customs I've played but I'd still rate it high on originality. Nor would I dare say this was the best horror level around (I've seen some with far creepier and more interesting ambiences and not as dark - I can name them if anyone wants to know) but it's still 'horrific' enough. Action and some thinking are well balanced and the level provides the player with what I consider to be a nice gaming experience. I'm not sure but I think this is a builder's première... If it is, it's a very nice première." - Jorge22 (02-Oct-2005) |
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| "A creepy level based on, from what I can tell, a cheesy horror movie. This
one has six parts, and they increase in difficulty. There are some really
nice touches with re-texturing wraiths (as furniture) and demons (as
clowns), and there are some engaging game bits. There are also giant
bird demons who get stuck in the texture and are no challenge, and
enough Tinnos wasps to be thoroughly annoying - but not scary. The first
sections are far too dark, and there are poorly applied textures throughout.
The level has a story in the readme, but it doesn't follow the story, and so
the level doesn't make sense. There are references to Penny and Mike but
these characters never show up - so I wondered why ? There is
supposed to be an Elaine to be rescued, but no trace of her either. Lara
also changes dramatically, as does the setting, but for no apparent
reason - although I like the wacky floating world setting. So the level feels
disconnected. If you like horror-type levels, this one is worth a look. It does
have some really good ideas and it's a shame the author didn't spend a
bit more time polishing it. - Duncan" - Duncan (10-Sep-2005) |
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| "From classic TR raiding to a haunted house to a nightmare of jumping through the sky to, finally, safety in the form of a HotAir Balloon that takes you presumably to the next episode in this series, this is one wild ride. On her way to help Elaine, an old friend, who is concerned about the stange, now threatening behavior of Mike, Lara has car touble and is in need of a different vehicle and it's keys. This is the classic Raiding part and there's a small area of a city in which to search. Not too difficult but with a challenging timed run. Unfortunately, if the Celtic Cross is not picked up, it's possible to go to the next level and not be able to progress. If there is a way to return, I never found it. Luckily, I had a savegame to get me back to the city. There have been haunted house levels but I don't think any with spinning chairs, a runaway wheelchair that will just not leave Lara alone, those little demons from Ricard Lawther's levels who are put to good use here and... and a Crazed Clown. Phew... all to prepare you for the Nightmare.To get pickups from drawers, you will need to take a step back before you use Ctrl. If you have nothing but Lara's pistols and(IMO) those useless uzis, the Nightmare will indeed be challenging. The jumps are fun but those flying thingies (wasps) are indeed nightmarish. There is shotgun ammo but not finding the shotgun (I'm sure it was one of the secrets I didn't get) makes for no joy. Lara starts out with an outfit from L. Croft - combat fatigues, short boots and ends up with a short burgandy dress with matching tall boots by Trinity. Both really nicely done but one would think the second outfit better suited for an evening out but then again, it is a nightmare dream. Follow the arrows to find Penny (a nice touch but I thought we were looking for Elaine - must have missed something there) but she's not to be found although I think I spotted Mike earlier. And where is Elaine? Is she the body found back in the haunted house? All to be explained in the rest of the series. Great storyline, beginning fly by,a spooky haunted house,a great finish, suspense, and more to come.... I am looking forward to what Jens has in store for Lara's friends and for us. Thank you Jens." - Bene (28-Aug-2005) |
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| "Well this title shows me not to judge the level by it title LOL as the start was far from what I expected for a Valentine's level. You need to find a Garage Keys and of course also the keys to the Jeep. Don't go rushing through breakable walls with the jeep as you don't need the jeep for one wall, only to break it, but you need it for the other wall. My favorite level was the second one, the house. If you want spooky and scary, this is the level for you. Found numerous objects and didn't know what to do with them so Lara took them with her to the next level and even left with them. Loved the rotating chair and the rocking horse. The wheelchair gave me the creeps LOL. I hated the last level as my fear of heights kicked in like it always does what something that resembles the Floating Islands. Be sure to get all the objects on the tiles before the black voids. I might have jumped in the Floating Islands part not the way it was intended as Lara lost a lot of health but I was so glad it was over and I could dive into the water. The level ends when Lara steps into a balloon. I couldn't read the readme as my Word program is kinda old, so am oblivious about the story. 20-08-2005" - Gerty (25-Aug-2005) |
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| "This is one of the weirdest levels I've ever played. It has great atmosphere though, it is spooky and it is best played at night. I loved the chairs that float and swirl fast like they are possessed. The clowns are creepy and malicious so be careful what items you pick up as some of them will trigger them. It starts nicely in a city with cars around and you need to negotiate timed runs, find keys and a crucifix. If you miss that crucifix you can't go back for it so you can't finish the game which is a nasty flaw in the gameplay. The next level is just a car drive through the night and at some point I noticed a man sitting on the side of the road. Then the fun begins with all the weird and spooky areas you have to visit. Lara needs to find a few keys again, swim underwater and face those cute but nasty creatures that are poisonous. The next part is totally different with many traps/obstacles and a lot of jumping on ledges avoiding boulders but killing birds and wasps as well. The last part has a nice dive and underwater areas. The enemies are big birds and dogs but most of the birds get stuck on walls which make it easy to kill them. Unfortunately Penny is dead, unless that body next to the bed wasn't hers. It's a great level but if you're scared easily don't play it. I found three secrets." - Kristina (25-Aug-2005) |
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| "Well now - this is a very interesting game! Jens has provided an in-depth storyline so you will know that Lara is off in search of a friend in need. She must first get her car fixed in the city and this means finding the key to the garage and, of course, the keys to the car. It is here that you will have one of the first of many tough timed runs. Once in the car, the directions are pretty explicit about staying in it. I admit I was a little confused about whether or not that applied to the area to the right of the garage so I explored that on foot. Next, it's on to the house...and the little demons that await you. The atmosphere in this game is excellent and the horrible Clown from Hell is masterful. The objects that Lara collects are unique (and I wished that they had served a purpose) and the spinning chair was a great touch! The attic leads Lara into a another world - the world of the Clown from Hell and, believe me, the gameplay/enemies up here match the description. I did make it to the end, but I never found Elaine, Mike, or Penny (who's Penny? the doll?). I did find four of the five secrets. And if I ever meet another wasp, it'll be too soon. Good job, Jens! I enjoyed this game and I think raiders who love the 'off-the-wall' genre will too." - Mugs (22-Aug-2005) |
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| "I like storyline-driven games and custom levels and this sort of is one, as it starts with Lara receiving a letter, then a phone call from a friend who has some problems with her lover, who has gone mad appearently, and thus sets this a rather scary tone (mind you, after hundreds of custom levels played, I don't really find Tomb Raider a scary game anymore, and besides one element, this didn't do much for my scare-factor too) to this mini advenutre.
So Close - all starts with Lara being trapped in a sort of a storage room, and once she gets out she finds herself in a city filled (scarcely) with thugs and dogs. It's pretty much searching for stuff like the Celtic Cross and keys (garage, jeep + more) and one rather tight timed run accross the city, which took me a few tries. You can leave directly after getting the jeep to work through the narrow alley on your left, but strangely the author has added a superfluous jeep track - which does nothing, but getting you on the street from other end. I found this strange as I at least expected a secret to come out from the longer route to the end you can reach immediatly after getting into the jeep, and maybe I DID miss it, but oh well, onwards and upwards...
Driving up the Hill - well, what the title sais' is all there is to it - you drive up and down some hills, while guided by a fly-by (the reason the author doesn't want you to leave the jeep, oh and + the blatant end of the world bits). Nothing special - works well as a drive-through level as long as you don't think of gettng out of the car, and is a nice passover between the hill house where the strange things are happening and the city bit as well.
From the Outside - like he other levels before this one it is rather short, and has not much to it, but getting to the plateu with the house, getting inside of it and killing the occasional TRC monster along the way. The zombie in one of the pits also might explain what happened to Lara's friend - Elaine. At the start, after passing the fence I did wonder what it was for, as just a couple of meters sideways it isn't there anymore, or at least is one of those invisible ones. Not all the well through through, but as said - works as a passover level for a storyline driven level.
Inside - the center of all weird activities. At first it's rather harmless, but then starting from the basement all hell breaks loose - not to mentio the white imps from before, but now probably one of the few things that I actually find scary to some extent appears - a fireball throwing clown - yikes! The first encounter when the music went silent was pretty effective, the other 2 not so much. But that's not where the weirdness ends, as when you go to the second floor you're hunted by a wheelchair with a mind of its own. Since it's harmless, it actually more funny than scary eventually. This is also the part where I (possibly the author too?) got confused with the storyline. Not to mention the enigmatic clown encounters, a new character appears on the scene - Penny. I'm not good with the english nicknames so maybe that's one for Elaine, and that would explain things, but otherwise - why and in what relation she appears on the scene is not very clear for me.
Be My Valentine - after entering the strange door in the attic, and thus this level that gives the level set its name, both Lara's outfit and the setting change completely. Lara's now wearing a red dress, and the surroundings are reminiscent of colourful floating islands. Though the looks are not bad, and rather interesting actually - building a level with floating islands takes a lot of work and considering a lot of things to get it right, and it doesn't seem like the author did so. For example the ambient lighting seems like hasn't been changed at all, but this might be a matter of opinion, and maybe you like the setting more than I do. This level might also explain the clown to some extent as eventually you reach a humongous circus arena - which I found to be the highlight of the adventure as well.
Nightmare - a short but rather action packed finale for the series. Following the theme of the previous adventure this still takes place in the weird floating setting, but is considerably harder than all the previous levels taken together, with having to escape perpetually rolling balls, while being chased by Tinnos wasps, and so on till you reach the balloon and a nice final cutscene that concludes the level. This is also where the story-telling falls short, as unless Elaine was the zombie in the level outside of the house I'm not sure if Lara saved her, and what about Mike or this Penny? Lots of loose ends as far as I'm concerned.
Overall a nice set of levels, yet at times feels incomplete and not too well thought through. Recommended if you like your levels spooky, but is enjoyable all the same if not too." - eTux (21-Aug-2005) |
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| "From the natural to the super natural, these levels will it will have you quaking in your boots. Read the text file with the download first, you will then understand what's going on. Then take Lara to her first mission, which is to get her jeep. This starts in a small town, and Lara must find the keys to various buildings while being hindered by thugs, dogs, bats and a swarm of locusts. Lara then gets her jeep and goes for a drive. It's a straight forward task in the second level and Lara just drives up and down the roads, but even this little bit of a break is fun, especially when you pass a mad guy sitting up on a hill. Now Lara arrives in my fav level. This entails a haunted house, and my God was it spooky! I had to take my headphones off and put the lights on it was so freaky in there. Changelings are all around, and your mission is to grab Penny's belongings. There are keys to find to various doors, plus scouring the underground rooms for ways to open hatches. More locusts attack, plus a mummy type enemy, but the biggest shock is the huge clown, they really are mental. Once you escape them you can still hear them crashing about in the rooms above, this all added to the flesh crawling atmosphere this level had to offer. To add to this, super natural happenings are going on all around, a spinning chair, self driven wheel chair and a rocking horse with a mind of its own yikes! Fabulously done I must say. The later levels are pretty much the same in appearance. You are in a circus type environment and there's a mass of jumping around to do with weird goings on. I loved Lara's outfit, and the way her hair looked totally wrecked after such gruelling missions. Followed by tinnos wasps, a couple of sea hags, beasts, and more of those clowns, this really was fantastic fun, yet I still found it quite creepy, especially in the later stages where you are in a huge circus tent and have to face large birds and yet another clown. Littered with tricks and traps throughout, plus many more things to see and do which I haven't mentioned as I'd love you to see for yourselves, these levels are a must to play. Top marks and many thanks to the builder for a wonderful set of levels." - Moonpooka (21-Aug-2005) |
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