Levels listed...
TR5 - 31
TR4 - 3141
TR3 - 177
TR2 - 133
TR1 - 61
72368 reviews (20.4/level)
3532 (99.7%) walkthroughs
445 Hall of Fame levels
1221 levels rated >= 8
|
|
|
 |
|
| |
|
release date: |
01-Jan-2006 |
|
# of downloads: |
98 |
|
|
average rating: |
8.39 |
|
review count: |
30 |
|
|
|
review this level |
|
|
file size: |
36.66 MB |
|
file type: |
TR4 |
|
class: |
Oriental |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Reviewer's comments |
"(7) Gameplay & Puzzles: There's a lot of interesting exploration to do in this challenging, non-linear level, and plenty of tricky traps to avoid. While the traps were very difficult, I didn't find them frustrating. What did frustrate me was that the player is severely punished if they happen to miss an obscure pathway somewhere, hidden behind foliage, and they'll be running around in circles for ages. I don't agree with this kind of game design when the level is already non-linear with so many side areas to unravel. Aside from my issues with general progression/flow, two specific gameplay issues weren't good: 1) There's an underwater spike passage to navigate in order to lower a trapdoor, which gives Lara access to the 2nd floor of a room. But Lara can just backflip off a chain to the 2nd floor anyway, so the underwater spike passage was pointless. 2) The chain pulley object is very hard to see (invisible in some areas) and when it is visible, it is dark brown. Why the builder chose to place dark brown wooden textures behind this barely-visible chain (in the temple) is beyond me. It's a shame that the gameplay was generally quite frustrating because there were moments I really enjoyed, such as ascending the diagonal waterfall with rolling balls, or exploring the treetops. (9) Enemies, Objects & Secrets: It did get old and repetitive to trigger a fire wraith, kite them back to a water area, and then return to where you came from. Doing that more than a couple of times is too much. Sharks seemed to behave erratically as well. There's great use of trap and decor objects and I enjoyed finding the secrets, especially the last one involving the campfire. Although, it doesn't make sense to give revolver ammo since no guns aside from pistols are available. (7) Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras: The quality of atmosphere really depended on the type of room; most smaller man-made areas looked great -- for example, the diagonal underwater tomb with the warrior statues. Natural areas looked too rectangular, with perfectly straight cavern walls which detracted from immersion. I enjoyed the music tracks and flybys, although I do think there should have been a camera once Lara inserts the yin yang piece. (6) Lighting & Textures: I could tell that the builder put a lot of effort into texturing, and smaller rooms generally look nice, but ugly wallpapering is evident in larger areas, especially the large central cavern. I can't give good marks for this category because there are NO flare pickups. It's not a dark level overall, but there are some dark areas that could use a flare, and you only get 3 for the entire game. Not cool. Overall, despite some moments of absolute brilliance and thrilling spike traps, this was a frustrating, exhausting level with some very player-unfriendly design. 7/9/7/6." - nerdfury (19-Dec-2020) |
|
| "This level is included in the full Quest
of Gold release as part of the Korea
section, but as it was also released as a
standalone level as part of this contest,
I will also review it here. This is quite
a long level (definitely one of the
longest of this competition) that is very
difficult but also quite exhilarating and
rewarding in places. It's predominantly
trap-based gameplay and there are no out
and out puzzles and such. Some of the
spike traps were a little too precise for
my liking (definitely not for beginners)
but there are also a few enjoyable routes
to explore and the torch puzzle near the
end was well executed, even in its
relative simplicity. The enemy placement
is occasionally unfair (one shark attacked
Lara through a closed door) and the
lighting is a bit dark and dull for my
taste, but this is still a good choice for
those willing to test their skills. 70
minutes." - Ryan (11-Jan-2018) |
|
| "I liked the first age of this builder, when he started The Quest of Gold adventure; that levels were entertaining and playable for everybody. But later, and for some reason, he started to add increasingly difficult tasks until his levels were only playable for a bunch of expert players. A pain. This level is a good example of that; the first part is entertaining and not very challenging; even the room with the deadly pool, hammers and spikes is hard but not impossible. But later when you arrive to the area with the pool and the croc, there are some tasks with spikes you have to perfectly time with an adjustment of miliseconds, so most players had to reload and reload hundreds of times, or ask for a savegame in the forums. The one in the wooden ledges with spikes to grab the monkeyswing was a torture for me. So it's normal I give a low rating in the gameplay section 'cause only some parts of the level were enjoyable for me. I also missed some more camera hints, more musics, more guns and ammo, more flares and more enemies, but the design of the rooms, architecture and texturization is quite good. Take a try only if you are a very expert player." - Jose (10-Jul-2017) |
|
| "A very good try as for a Back to Basics level, though I think the author have left a bit too many characteristics of a segment level. This shows primarily in form of multiple ammo packs yet no weapon given for them, because the level is a part of something bigger and in this point of that adventure we already have the respective guns in backpack. Also, the conclusion is just about unlocking an exit and sliding down into nothing - again, quite good for a part of multilevel set, but not for a single unit. It should at least have that alteration to a little bossfight plus some getaway with a priceless artifact. If this is really a demo, then anything could differ in the full release, so the author didn't have a reason not to adjust this game a bit to fit the standalone requirements. Visually this level is very solid, and I both refer to its texturing variety and heaviness of rocks embedding. It has again a feeling of isolation just like the author's previous attempt of Mineral City, however the Oriental environment makes it warmer and comfier. Several guardian towers, as they might feel, are erected in the very middle of setting, and we unlock one by one to discover each of them contains something different. It all goes smoothly, just one backtrack for the Yin-Yang symbol could have been avoided (or even if not, it feels unnecessary), but aside from that, hopping around the rooftops, jumping the trees and shimmying over a temple patio is always fun, spiced up with clever hammer usage (the author seems to love this trap). Some opponents trouble us on the way, and, what is exceptional, there are no tigers at all. One shark could have been killed with FlipEffect46 if not by a player on time, for it can unnecessarily damage Lara when she opens the final underwater door (still I made it without medikits, ha!). The torch riddle is left for the very end, so there's no wondering if to take it somewhere or not, very good, that possibly saved me a lot of time. Thank You. On the contrary where I lost too much of it was on search for the Symbol Puzzle raisingblock raisingblock lever, but it was rather my carelessness, as the crucial opening was "masked" with a quite well accented and hardly missable vine. SUMMARY: Anytime I play Oriental I'm surprised how much I like it, so I don't know why I do it that rarely. Recommended." - DJ Full (15-Apr-2015) |
|
| "The first level that really impresses me in its gameplay. Although there aren't quite many puzzles in a classical sense, the way how you have to overcome the masterfully designed traps is amazing and there's really excellent use of spikes in this level, in all forms. There are also good jump sequences, e.g. around the roofs and up a waterfall (with many boulders to avoid). I found the invisible chains to be a bit unnecessary - is a part of the object missing? Also, the level really could have had a few more 'real' puzzles else than the torch one at the end, but overall the entertainment factor is very, very high. The variety of enemies is not very huge and maybe there's an over-reliance on fire wraiths which are rather painful because you always have to return to the hub area to get rid of. Some rooms are rather nicely designed with good use of objects and colourful visuals but generally the looks are a rather secondary factor, some areas are rather bland, the texturing is often boring (many wallpaper effects) and a bit messed up, the lighting is rather flat and the architecture rather boxy. Some waterfalls end up in solid floor which doesn't make much sense. At least the gameplay doesn't disappoint at all and this is what counts here. I found three nice secrets in 40 minutes." - manarch2 (19-Mar-2015) |
|
"Playing a demo when I've already played the finished version
seems wrong, but I did the same with The Blue Sun, so I
guess there's already precedent for it. Lara falls into an
underground chamber full of temples and other places. Some
parts come across as rushed for the BTB release (for
instance, there's a series of rooms with only a couple of
textures near the end), but it mostly looks good, and the
way small discoveries can lead to completely new areas-
combined with multiple height variations-infuses it with a
sense of adventure beyond other BTB entries. Objects also
work to help the ambiance, although there seem to be a few
bugs like pull-switches not displaying properly.
This is a very challenging level (not unexpected for a Quest
of Gold level), with some brutal trap sequences and a semi-
non-linear layout that can get confusing if you overlook
something. If you're careful though it's not too bad, and
most things are segmented enough that you can handle major
sections one at a time without things getting overlapped
much. This level loses something when it's not in it's
context as part of an epic adventure (along with the issues
with not being fully polished), but it's still one of the
best levels in the contest." - Mman (07-Jan-2012) |
|
"This level keeps you on your toes, with its strongly trap-based gameplay. Apart from a torch puzzle at the end, puzzles are mostly absent (beyond the simple 'find a switch to open this door' kind, I mean), but I didn't miss them. There's plenty of exploration, as well as a lot of traps, most of which are deliciously tricky. I particularly enjoyed making my way up a boulder-trapped waterfall slope. The numerous spike traps can be quite tough, but still great fun.
The enemies present little problem, except that the placement of the wraiths is a little annoying, as you have to keep running back to the main pool to get rid of them. One of the secrets is a bit pointless, as it is revolver ammo, even though there is no revolver in this level!
Unlike the rest of the BtB2006 levels I have played, this one is not particularly pretty - some parts are even - I'm sorry to say - quite ugly, because of the dull lighting and the rather careless application of the textures in places (wallpapered or wrongly rotated textures). There are a few pretty spots, of course, like the temple with red pillars, or even the main area, surrounded by waterfalls (but even that would have been better if it had been an outdoor area instead of underground). I also turned off the background music halfway through the level - mostly because I hate that particular track, but also because it was really tiresome hearing the same music throughout the level.
Overall: An interesting level as far as gameplay is concerned, but lacking a bit in looks and atmosphere." - Mytly (04-Dec-2010) |
|
| "A save editor is require for this level, because if the author is generous with the spikes, he's a real tightwad for the flares! :) Except that problem, I enjoyed this longest and harder level, only the last jump with spikes (backflip, jump/grab, go forwards) gave me some trouble due the "bad collision" with these spikes. Otherwise, I don't understand the choice of "underground city", this jungle level could have a better look with sky & light in my view." - Jerrod (24-Apr-2010) |
|
| "I believe this is one of the good mini games of this year's challenge. Maybe a bit complicated from nearly the start but I didn't find anything frustrating in it. There are a few puzzle items to find in a setting with a nice garden outside and small areas you have to explore, inside. I found the traps really nice and two of them with the spikes and hammers were challenging as well but nothing difficult for an advanced or an expert raider. The sharks and crocodiles though are getting stuck on walls so they're easy to kill. I found only one out of three secrets." - Kristina (10-Mar-2006) |
|
| "This level is probably the largest in the project so far. While adventuring in Korea, we have to collect the 4 Dynasty Symbols, but in the meantime we have lots of things to do. There are many spiky platforms and some really tricky jumps are required. We have to look round in rocky passages, in houses, on treetops and rooftops as well. I found 3 secrets, and one of them is very-very well hidden in the rocky wall behind the house. There are some inevitable injuries, but we don't need to use medipacks. Although there are not much of them. We don't have too many weapons either, but we don't even need them. Some sharks, crocodiles and bats try to disturb us, but they can be eliminated from a safe distance. The textures are wonderful and various; the whole level has a great feeling. Nobody should skip it. It's a masterpiece. :) You can find a Hungarian walkthrough (as we don't have English version), savegames and pictures here: http://treditor.hu/16/btb2006_11_tears_of_a_lost_dynasty.htm" - Obig (01-Mar-2006) |
|
| "This has gotta be the best level of BTB 06, it was hell of a tough level for me. Full of traps & wraiths. All the objects & textures are placed in a very well manner. Browse through the level & the traps & enemies to find 4 Dynasty symbols use them & slide down to finish the level." - Anurag (24-Feb-2006) |
|
| "This is mainly an explorers level. According to the readme Lara is in
Korea this time. The long exploration of a large cave with temple like
structures, waterfalls, tunnels in the rocks and large central pool. We
become very familiar with this pool as we come back to it many times, to
get rid of wraiths, or through an underwater route followed each time by a
shark. This became just a tad too predictable. Looking up we see leafy
branches that we can get up to and onto the high up roofs of these
structures. I always love a run across roofs, and here it is accompanied by
some good jumping across branches. There are smaller areas off this
main room/cave to explore. We are searching for four Dynasty Symbols to
help us escape. In hindsight this, to me, was the longest level in this
competition, but that may have to do with the fact that we travel through
these rooms a lot searching for yet another entrance. One room (almost
church-like) interior with altar and benches has a well camouflaged
entrance in the red walls that I ran past a few times before I spotted it.
This exploring involves some excellent climbing, tricky jumps, swimming
(through spikes at one stage), runs across spikes and through hammers
in deadly water rooms, climbing chains (and chains to pull that are
practically impossible to see), making our way up a waterfall, dodging
dragon boulders along the way, and finally a slide down this waterfall and
a tremendous fall into a pool below. I spent a long time in one room with
spikes shooting out of blocks, trying to jump to a switch, and then trying to
grab a monkeyswing before Lara is skewered. There certainly was a great
variety of tasks to perform, well balanced between the almost sedate (i.e.
a good torch exercise) to the hair raising (many spike traps). These tasks
and the size and layout of the level is a credit to the builder, who obviously
spent a long time putting all this together. It can be confusing at times and
I visited certain rooms more than once to figure out what I had misssed.
All told this was probably too long, and too good a level, for the
competition but must be considered alongside all the other entries. If the
player has the walkthrough beside them I believe it would still take a long
time to play. As a stand alone level it is superb in many ways. So it's hard
to know how to score it. Certainly it's a level that I highly recommend. It
might be a tad too difficult for beginners (how would they know about that
shimmy and backflip twist in the temple!), the walkthrough is needed in
places, but the player will get a great sense of satisfaction when they
finally hit the end trigger." - CC (20-Feb-2006) |
|
| "Phew - a thoroughly exhausting level this is. The longest of the BtB batch at 80 minutes and rather tough in places where precision timing is required. Your quest is the collection of four Dynasty Symbols and they are truly well hidden in this very complex environment. It all revolves around one very nicely designed central area that you explore in and around in various levels, including the tree branches and roofs, as well as several surrounding caves. It is all very clever and often you have a great rewarding feeling when you master a passage, but I felt at times it was almost overdone and particularly when spikes are involved things often are frustrating until you get it right. The cathedral type area looks nice too and the one room that you have circumvent and then make your way up had a great series of clever and diverse moves. Towards the end you also get a torch puzzle, which in comparison to the rest of the level is a piece of cake until you finally reach the end and can sit back and pat yourself on the back for making it through. Great level, but only try it as a more experienced raider." - MichaelP (19-Feb-2006) |
|
| "Now - this easily became one of my favourites from the competition so far. Yes, it's confusing sometimes (more camera clues would've been nice, though the ones that were there (fly-bys), were cool), yes it's unconventional (the way you have to get past pillars, fences), sometimes seemingly impossible (spikes and hammers, need I say more?) and incomplete to some level (some fly-by's partially went through walls, the flipmap that created the ladder also removed the textures from the water surface, and one grating from a nearby waterfall. Speaking of waterfalls - mostly they seem to start and end up nowhere) but that's partially the charm of the level too - it's perfectly flawed, so to say. Well, one could argue about the bug that makes the switch in the yin-yang tower not do its thing, but with an updated file, even the savegame, in which I had activated the lever, worked, and I merely had to step on the lever's tile once more to get the desired results, so that was half as bad. But otherwise (and I won't say there is nothing to complain about, because there is plenty when you count the things) the huge underground cavern with 4 towers and many other adjacent areas seems to have had all the makings to become the top offering of this set, had the details been polished - but you never know - the puzzles and action sequences *are* pretty tough, so maybe that would've worked off-putting for the majority of players. Not for me though - and if you're one of those who don't mind a challenge once in a while (so far this has been the closest there's been to an actual 'Japanese level' in the Asia set, if you get my pun) do try this one - recommended!" - eTux (12-Feb-2006) |
|
| "Whew!!! This level was certainly something and certainly the longest BtB level too(I can hardly imagine that any of the remaining ones I have to go through can be any longer). On the other hand it is possible that it's the many challenges that makes it seem a lot longer than it really is. The atmosphere and textures are absolutely gorgeous and the "Parisian Backstreets" theme wellknown from AOD makes up for a perfect and gloomy suspense. Enemies consisted of sharks, wraiths and crocs and for once it felt good to face something different from the usual ninjas and snakes. I did feel it as a bit unfair though to have to open an underwater door with a shark biting its way through it at the same time. Also it got frustrating to have to save and reload constantly and having to try at least 40 times to manage every single challenge, whether it be a jump or swimming through underwater spikes. Quite a few traps(spikes and snake boulders) and some really tricky jump sequences. Lara had to gather a Yin Yang symbol, a gemstone and four Dynasty Symbols and there was also a part that included the use of a torch. I found three secrets. All in all it's a difficult level, a bit too much to and fro, but fully enjoyable and recommend for everyone." - Selene (11-Feb-2006) |
|
| "I have to love a level where the fences/railings can be jumped and the spike traps are seemingly impossible but altogether doable. Throw in a few backward angled jumps and some nice secrets and different textures(other than the hit- you-over-the head oriental) and this Raid is over way too fast. Enemies are sharks, crocks and some wraiths. I don't remember a timed run...no wonder I enjoyed this -it makes for a nice change. Keep a sharp eye out for any doors/gates you find and remember where they are located to have an easier Raid. The overhanging plants did tend to get in the way and while they are nice 'eye candy', much of the time they were just too much. I never found any flares and I thought some would have been helpful in the darker areas.
Thanks to the author for an exciting, interesting level.
Highly recommended." - Bene (10-Feb-2006) |
|
| "This is a splendid level set in and around a pool and four towers. Various rooms and caves lead off from this central area and there is something to do just about everywhere. The design of the rooms is excellent and the lighting and camera work is very good. The puzzles are, however, a tad tricky and some of the jumps a little difficult putting this into the more experienced raiders realm. One particular jump sequence involving hammers and spikes was way beyond my limited capability making this one of only four Back to Basics '06 levels that I got stuck in. Fortunately, MichaelP and loch both came to my rescue with a timely gamesave and got me back on the road of exploration. Thanks guys. :-) The walkthrough, too, saved my sanity a couple of times and, eventually, I reached the end. The overall impression is of a challenging and immensely satisfying level and well worth playing." - Staticon (06-Feb-2006) |
|
| "This is definitely one of my top B2B's! You start this level with a long plunge into an underground cave filled with lovely temples and who is there to greet you, a large very hungry shark, the fun has just started. I would have to say this must be a very seasoned builder as the thrilling fab precise timed jumps to spike tiles strewn throughout, the great interactive territory, 3 well placed secrets, and just the all over perfect structure of the place were first class. As an avid adventurer where climbing over everything in sight and nosing into every crack and crevasse is my true pleasure, this 75 minute level sated that passion fully. There are huge trees, temples, caves, waterfalls, and rivers all of which to immerse yourself in and it doesn't seem one spare inch was wasted as I left my footprints everywhere. This is great stuff and I hope everyone gets to visit." - Sash (05-Feb-2006) |
|
| "This level was nice, though it was really huge and most confusing. I've never been much of a fan of non linear levels and I can't say this level is non-linear, but I had to check the walkthrough every 5 minutes to know what to do next. There are quite a number of underwater passages here so it's bound to please fans of that kind of level. You have to get four dinasty symbols, and to do that you'll be jumping across pagoda rooftops, facing deadly trap rooms where timing will be they key to stay alive, an ingenious timed jump through a spiked staircase... the list goes on. There were several fire spirits and having to lure then back to the initial pool yard got annoying towards the end. The shimmy on the rooftop of the church also was tricky - would never have noticed that hadn't it been the walkthrough. All in all, this is a nice level, but I suppose it could have been more "player-friendly". Ah ignore me by all means. 70 minutes. 02/06" - Treeble (05-Feb-2006) |
|
| "Quite puzzling and quite thrilling too. Many were the times when I just had to ask myself what I had done or what I was supposed to do. Annoying sharks, terrible traps, unthinkable ways and, in the end, a fine sense of completion. The settings, the textures and the lighting looked good. I quite advise it and... try not to use the walkthrough. :)" - Jorge22 (31-Jan-2006) |
|
| "I must say I really enjoyed this level, you almost always know what to do, there are a lot of helpful cameras and if not, the solution is just around the corner. You're in some cave area with lots of hidden rooms and whatever path you take, seems the right one.
I was missing flares, because some of the rooms were really dark. Nothing important was hidden in the dark "just" some secrets and corridors, but please maybe some flares here and there next time. :)
Time: 1/36/46. Difficulty: hard. Lighting: darker. Gameplay type: traps. Tech skills: expert." - Bojrkraider (30-Jan-2006) |
|
| "I have a special builder in mind, not only because of the gameplay but also of the small details that went into it. This is no walk in the park mind you as there are really nasty jumps over spikes that should be timed perfectly. That kept me busy for quite a while and is not to my taste at all as not everybody can do it. There is some back and fro and everything is reachable from the central room. Bit predictable and boring was seeing a wraith and knowing you had to go back to the water. Keep your eyes open and make a note of every gate, opening and door you come across. One nasty let down is that this level I had to download again as there was a bug in the first download. Tsk, tsk. 08-01-2006" - Gerty (27-Jan-2006) |
|
| "I have never felt so frustrated for a very long time. The jump sequences over the spiked blocks are extremely finicky. To make matters worse you heavre a sigh of relief to complete one and a few minutes later you get another. Some of the jumps also needed very dextrous fingures (As I use a special set up on my game pad I find using mant manouvers imposssable). Apart from all this the actual comp[ilation of the level was good and a varied sequence of rooms and levels to investigate. The enemies were crocks, sharks, bats and when you least wanted one a wraith. Sudden appearing ladders a bit of a no-no however. Some of the runs/swims through the tunnels again I found frustrating as you need a first person camera to keep up with Lara, as you try to peer through the growth. The use of textures was good and gave a semblance of atmosphere along with the music. My last comment is that in devising so difficult sections I think the level has been diminished, as the game flow defaulted to trying to solve these jumps etc and you lost the thread." - Whistle (24-Jan-2006) |
|
| "This is a complex level that can get you confused more than once, especially due to its non-linearity. Here you'll have four items to retrieve which apparently you can do in any order. On your way, you'll have to come across a bunch of well-designed traps - mainly spikes and hammers - which I thoroughly enjoyed, will have to perform a couple of tricky-but-not-that-hard jumps and solve an easy torch puzzle. Gameplay is indeed great, especially the traps part, and shows inventiveness. The whole thing is organized around a main central cave area, which somehow eases orientation, provided you've got a keen eye for concealed openings. Enemies are generally well-placed, with the exception of sharks which apparently only dwell in the main pool (plus I always had a problem with sharks in fresh water - they're sea fishes after all). They also seemed a little buggy, especially in the way they would swim up small water holes despite of their size, and would find themselves with head and caudal fin sticking out the ground. Weird, but probably due to the object itself more than the level design. Secrets are rather easy to find - with the exception of a well concealed one. What puzzled me, though, is I found some ammos but never could put my hands on the matching weapons, no matter how hard and thoroughly I searched. Wouldn't have needed them anyway but still it didn't seem "right". Cameras and fly-bys are good and the atmosphere is indeed intense, especially due to the looping "suspense movie" music. Settings is beautiful but a bit too crowded and I would have appreciated less hanging vegetation blocking the view here and there 'cause it did get on my nerves after a while. All in all a very good level with solid, expert gameplay and lots of excellent ideas. And no matter the aforementioned flaws, I absolutely recommend it." - Sutekh (20-Jan-2006) |
|
| "I've never been able to figure out this love affair between builders and dark levels. With a bit more ambient light--and a bit less of that ubiquitous purple foliage that kept obscuring the player's vision to the point that it became quite annoying--this one could have been a classic. As it was, I found it to be a moderately challenging and eye-pleasing level that should place high in the 2006 BtB competition. It's also generous in terms of gaming time, requiring well over an hour for me to finish even with the advantage of Dutchy's advance walkthrough. Although the level is quite complex, it takes place within a fairly confined geographical space that has to be explored thoroughly in order to find the four Dynasty Symbols that must be placed to make your exit. The torch puzzle near the end is well done. I echo the gripe that others have shared, about wraiths that appear in Area B and require you to flee back to Area A where the water is, and then return. Other than these minor objections, it's a fine level that I can highly recommend." - Phil (19-Jan-2006) |
|
| "There are some fairly exhilarating agility tests to accomplish - the spikes and nutcracker room in particular left me with sore fingers, but I enjoyed the challenge. This is one of the longer and more complex entries in the Oriental series and I did get rather confused (no change there then) from time to time. The emphasis is firmly on agility, enemies being sparse (mainly crocodiles and sharks) and I hope you really like spikes. Not easy, but definitely rewarding." - Jay (18-Jan-2006) |
|
| "Here's a great level for you, challenging and exiting, everything looked great and the atmosphere was excellent, you really felt far away from home. A quest to find 4 Stones throughout the level and there were some nasty jumps through spikes involved getting that Yin-Yang Symbol, but if you got the split-second timing right it wasn't all that hard and what a great feeling if you finally manage to do all those jumps yourself (don't give up to soon, take a brake and try again), no hard puzzles, the level was an exiting puzzle by itself. One of the best in my book ..." - Dutchy (14-Jan-2006) |
|
| "The longest level in the btb2006 competition. The author of this brilliant if confusing piece of work has plenty of neat and imaginative ideas , but (s)he should discipline him(her)self to not make the course so confusing. It's a non straightforward quest for 4 artefacts in a jungle/temple/caves environment which was a welcome change of setting versus many other levels of the competition. The setting is solidly made, although the main areas look a bit too square.
The lighting could be improved, both for the rooms (sun bulbs are missing) and static objects (too bright). Also the background atmosphere audio track does not fit the setting. The placement of enemies is a bit predictable, as you always return at the same place to kill the sharks and you have always crossed some water when a fire wraith attacks, which implies more backtracking. Aside from this criticism, which I hope is constructive, I really had fun in many parts of this level, particularly in the area where you have to find your way over the railings , or in other tasks where you need to make moves with a pixel accuracy. You also need to think and to observe carefully. If by any chance you like exploration and interesting challenges, you can have a lot of fun here." - eRIC (12-Jan-2006) |
|
| "Determined I wasn't going to be beaten by this level, I soldiered on to the end not really enjoying myself and getting frustrated at just about everything. This is a hard level, it's also quite big, but saying that I think it only seemed big because of the time it takes to accomplish. There are spike traps everywhere and way too many to keep my interest, and once you have reloaded several times to tackle one trap, another one is soon in your face. Another thing that really irritated me was wraiths showing up as I entered a room because this meant running all the way back out to the starting pool, then going back to that room which was totally boring for me, and it would have been far more entertaining to have had them showing up as we left the room. Ok, apart from the over indulgence in tedious spike traps, the moving around obstacles was also a tad much, plants and ornaments hindered the way and getting Lara through anywhere was stressful, especially when some jumps had to be precise or you just wanted to run through places to move on. Some areas are quite dark too, and i ran out of flares so a few more packs scattered about would have been a good idea.
There are my gripes, and now onto some good points, which was the look of the level, and very nice it was too as Lara visits under watery caverns, cave areas, temples, and even has a jump around in the tree tops while searching for three of the four artefacts she needs to end the level. I also found three secrets which were nicely hidden but not too difficult to find if you keep eyes peeled. The torch comes into play and that was a nice area finding wall torches to light in a jump around passage. The level was nicely set out with rooms leading off from the main starting area, and there are a lot of areas to visit which were all decorated well. Enemies are sharks wraiths and crocodiles. All in all this is a good looking level with lots to do, but be aware of those hideous spike traps which will leave you tearing your hair out." - Moonpooka (12-Jan-2006) |
|
| "An exquisite adventure right here if you like big and challening levels! It starts out with Lara sliding down into a big waterfall cavern with mystic temples for you to explore! There are many tasks and challenges in this level to do to get your hands on the four Dynasty Symbols, such as swimming through a spike-trapped passageway, climbing up a waterfall slope with falling boulders, avoiding getting skewered by spikes or smashed by the, well, smashing thing that hangs on the ceiling, and many other tasks too. There are some lovely rooms here too, apart from the main waterfall cavern, such as the temple with the benches, and the cavern with two cascading waterfalls and a tile with impaling spikes. My only issue was that there was a tad bit of backtracking to do, and I personally don't like doing that, so I give a 9 for gameplay. The enemies, which are some crocodiles, sharks, and firey wraiths, are placed perfectly. The atmosphere of the rooms is excellent, as is the use of sounds, music, and cameras. The lighting is very nice too, but quite dark at times (more flares please). If you're up for a long level and don't mind an hour and a half of gameplay, this gem is just right up your alley. :)" - Relic Hunter (08-Jan-2006) |
|
|
|
