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BtB2006 - The Killing Fields by Loch

Anurag 9 10 8 9
Bojrkraider 9 10 10 10
Catherin 9 8 10 10
CC 8 10 10 9
DJ Full 9 9 9 9
droogie 7 9 10 10
Dutchy 8 10 9 10
eRIC 9 9 10 10
eTux 10 9 10 9
Gerty 7 9 9 9
Jay 9 8 10 9
Jerrod 9 8 10 10
JesseG 9 10 10 9
Jorge22 7 9 8 8
Jose 8 9 10 10
Kristina 9 9 10 10
Loupar 8 8 8 8
manarch2 9 9 10 9
MichaelP 8 8 10 10
MigMarado 9 9 10 9
Mman 9 10 10 10
Moonpooka 10 10 10 10
Mytly 8 9 9 9
nerdfury 7 10 9 10
Obig 9 9 10 10
Orbit Dream 8 8 10 10
Phil 7 8 8 8
Relic Hunter 10 10 10 10
Ryan 9 8 10 9
Sash 8 8 10 10
Selene 10 10 10 10
Staticon 10 10 10 10
Sutekh 9 8 10 7
Treeble 10 10 10 10
Whistle 6 6 8 7
 
release date: 01-Jan-2006
# of downloads: 149

average rating: 9.11
review count: 35
 
review this level

file size: 44.70 MB
file type: TR4
class: Oriental
 


author profile(s):
email(s):
lochie@gmail.com

Reviewer's comments
"This is definitely one of the more unique entries of BTB2006. It starts in a large, open layout with several puzzles to solve, while a sniper takes some shots at you like in TRC, so Lara has to stay on her toes. One of the puzzles I have mixed feelings about, only because I never would have guessed to look at the lantern blinking and connect that to the pushable objects, but an interesting idea either way. I highly enjoyed the dramatic camera shots as Lara slides down the water while dodging spikes and a rolling ball. I loved how the story ties together with Lara freeing the caged monkeys, ending in an amazing little duel where Lara must beat the sniper at his own game. I still have quite a few more levels to play in the set but I'm sure this will remain one of my top picks. 1 hour 1 minute." - JesseG (30-Jun-2022)
"A visit to loch's younger mind revealed all the genius to be there 15 years ago already!

The Killing Fields is a short level, that goes straight to the point with it's original pairing of storytelling and gameplay. And I loved that! The sniper follows you around as you try to free the poor innocent and joyful monkeys, so the heat is on.

The obstacles along the way were mostly puzzles that always required the use of a walkthrough for little hints. There could have been more enemies along the way, to spice things up, since that seemed to be one understaffed crime syndicate. Some of the canopy also seemed a bit off to me, I can't say why for sure (maybe lighting?).

When you reach each new area, it is a showcase of the author's architectural skills. The flow of the level is nearly perfect, and very comfortable for a mostly relaxed raid. The atmosphere is always drawing you in, to a point where you nearly forgive the lack of hints for those pesky puzzles.

Thank you, my friend Lochie! Congratulations on your talent and grace!

Unknowing players: Play this game! Don't feel guilty for needing the walkthrough. You'll spend around an hour, and find that the raid is not too demanding on the old fingers. Have fun!" - MigMarado (06-Oct-2021)
"This level is very interesting, the initial puzzle left a very sour taste in my mouth. It felt so cryptic and I had to reference the walk through to correlate the lamp with the push blocks. I also felt that the hint area for the blood stone (?) part was just as cryptic as the puzzle, and difficult to even find, which was an overall theme of an issue I had where there were general difficulties deciphering what were intended paths and what were just the edge terrain of the map. With that said, this level was beautiful with amazing atmosphere. The music and environment worked extremely well together and loved the entire aesthetic and feel. The waterfall boulder run was a huge highlight! The sniper mechanic was interesting, I like the idea although I wish it were executed differently, albeit this may be unfair criticism because I've never attempted to be a builder, but I feel like there may have been a better way to handle the mechanic where you see the sniper POV (loved it), but more to it instead of "immediately leave this spot and then you can wander around without issue from now on" which doesn't make sense to me. I felt maybe there's a way to implement some trigger system which would make a sound or such of sniper fire within a region of an area so you were constantly trying to avoid/get cover because you're under fire. Maybe I'm completely incorrect but just brain storming, could you use transparent spikes which come up and kill lara upon a "gunshot", to trigger a death but without suddenly bursting into flames, to simulate being killed by the sniper but in a more realistic manner? Regardless, the level was extremely well done and I greatly enjoyed it outside of the overly cryptic initial puzzle. I also felt the ending scene showing the released monkeys enjoying the land they used to roam was a great touch" - droogie (10-Sep-2021)
"(7) Gameplay & Puzzles: If it weren't for the first 20% of the game, this would be a 10/10/10/10 from me. The 2 initial pushblock puzzles, while unique, are far too obscure and frustrating. I don't mind glancing at a walkthrough occasionally but if I need to stick with the walkthrough line by line, in order to figure out what on earth is going on inside the builder's mind... well, I get frustrated. For the first "blood" pushblock puzzle, I think the "clue area" was too vague, and it's entirely plausible that the player will miss the "clue area" entirely (since it's on a path that may not look immediately accessible). If they miss the "clue area" entirely, they will just pull out their hair when faced with the "blood" pushblock puzzle. For the second "lamp" pushblock puzzle, there absolutely needed to have been some kind of camera indicator showing the player that HEY, this is a very special lamp and not static decor. Aside from my initial frustrations above, I really enjoyed the rest of the game, particularly the waterfall trap gauntlet and of course saving lots of monkeys. I appreciate that the builder did incorporate a thrilling storyline and many unique gameplay aspects, such as dodging the sniper. However, unique doesn't always necessarily equate to fair game design. (10) Enemies, Objects & Secrets: The sniper concept (and the fact that you get to snipe him at the end) more than makes up for the lack of normal enemy variety. Decor was great and while the 3 secrets were a little on the easy side, I still enjoyed them. I just loved little subtle details such as watching all the friendly monkeys escape through a little gap in the foliage. (9) Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras: The outdoors atmosphere is top-notch and I could tell the builder put in so much effort to make the forest organic-looking. My favorite area was the lake with the bamboo huts and piers. Music tracks were chosen well, and I particularly enjoyed the eerie thunder towards the end of the game, when I was getting close to confronting the sniper. The builder did a wonderful job with flybys to tell a story, however, as touched on in the gameplay category, I feel that there absolutely should have been more camera hints to help the player with the 2 initial pushblock puzzles. (10) Lighting & Textures: The general look and feel of the level was just stunning; I have no more words. Overall, this is a breathtakingly beautiful level, but I'm hesitant to recommend it because the first 20% feels like the movie "The Cell". You know, when Jennifer Lopez enters the dude's mind and it's just super, super messy, and you're thinking, "what the heck is going on here?!" 7/10/9/10." - nerdfury (24-Dec-2020)
"This was quite a challenging level and I can see why it divided some reviewers here. Admittedly, it does have some obscure points (particularly the beginning object puzzles which you may or may not immediately grasp the logic of) and you do need to have a VERY keen eye to know when you complete the puzzle. That gripe aside, I admired the rest of the level. Some nice platforming around the outside areas, well thought of sniper sequences, a target shooting exercise and some top-notch atmosphere. Admittedly it isn't my favourite of this competition (The House of Kuan-Yin Lo takes first place), but it is a great effort nonetheless." - Ryan (23-Feb-2017)
"I just wanted something great and Chinese and the restaurant is closed but here I got an instant fried Lara. In fact Korean not Chinese but any Asian food will do and I also found secret plates to serve the dish on. This must be the most creative approach in all BtB06 adventures I have played, however I failed to discover I shall destroy what was already working if I want to proceed - it would be easier to make each part of the solution permanent, but on the other hand doing so would destroy the whole concept of the puzzle. Maybe I would figure this out via few hours of intense thinking, but I already did just that with the earlier blood tiles, so I simply refused to do another thought marathon so soon after the previous one. I would prefer less complexity and more content, but what did I expect? This isn't a piece of cake but an oriental dish made of potentially hazardous ingredients hard to swallow for anybody who's not a perfectly balanced karate monk - all the dessert will wait until you eat that! So open your mind as much as the scenery is, explore corners with snake patience, use your eagle eye to spot the targets and - unusually - don't be as fast as monkey but take example of the caged ones, so when you are done you will admire the creativity. SUMMARY: Unfamiliar yet definitely outstanding puzzles recommend to reserve some time and take'em in one go without external disturbance, to increase the chance for solution. Brilliant enemies, nice cutscenes, fitting music, great geometry, good lighting, convincing textures, some wallpapers could go." - DJ Full (26-Mar-2016)
"I had very good expectations when loading this one up and actually looked forward to playing this level even some levels ago. Luckily, I wasn't disappointed at all in here. Each and every element in this game is just fabulous - mostly the atmosphere which feels utterly realistic at times, with a very natural design and it's basically the only level in the contest which uses very large outside areas up to their full potential. In fact the views and also the very great use of textures and lights (save for very, very minor mistakes - yet again - this level is NOT dark at all and I'm starting to get curious if me and some other reviewers have played the same level) are creating a feeling that I seldom experienced in a custom level - maybe Codo's Blood Mountain comes somewhat close in this regard. Perfect choice of sounds and cameras do the rest to give the maximum score here, especially the ending sequence is like quite nothing else, although it has similarities to the title loop of TR 4 it's sheerly amazing. The two puzzles at the start are agreeably a bit confusing but hints are given and even if they could be a little less vague I found the puzzles to be solvable, if you're stuck anyway you can always have a look at the walkthrough. Excursion: In my opinion there are too few builders which take the risk and implement some more taxing passages. Repeating the same stuff from other custom levels again, like many other BtB levels did, is just pointless and I would have given up tomb raiding if I always had to solve the same puzzles again and again. So congratulations on the builder to this level. And if tasks like this aren't your cup of tea, please, there are many other levels out there waiting for you, and if you can only get through basically all harder tasks in a level by cheating it would be better to ignore this level totally. There are other, quite tricky tasks later on, like a majestic spike gauntlet down a steep river (guided by a fixed camera showing Lara from the forth) or a kind of picture puzzle - spot the five balls in this picture - very great ideas, and it seems the builder had enough in mind to fill three levels with his imagination. Such a shame this is his last one. Each and every thing in this custom is just fine - even most of the jumps have to be done with careful observation of room geometry and represent a solid task each in themselves. That said the game loses a bit of steam later on, when climbing the pagoda, but the cutely panned out storyline really saves it; I won't spoil too much here, but in short this game is - for me the best BtB level of the year 2006 - incredibly recommended even without having in mind to play all levels of this series - a masterpiece. Found all three comparatively easy secrets in 25 minutes." - manarch2 (19-Mar-2015)
"This level starts off slowly, due to a long and extremely obscure multi-pushable puzzle. I really wonder if anyone managed to figure out this puzzle on their own, as getting it right involves finding an incomprehensible 'clue' in a part of the area you may not have visited yet; looking at the right spot (which is not normally in your field of view) at precisely the right time; and moving pushables onto the right spot and then moving them off. After considerable frustration, I gave up and looked up the solution in the walkthrough. The rest of the level proceeds considerably smoother, except for a shooting puzzle about halfway through, which is pretty obscure as well. Apart from these two puzzles, the level is quite enjoyable, with an interesting story that is depicted well - it's very satisfying to see Lara doing some good for a change instead of robbing ancient places! The trapped waterfall slide is the gameplay highlight. The sniper-eye view that shows up intermittently throughout the level is probably the most memorable part of the level - I can't even figure out how it was done. The final showdown with the sniper is nice, though it's over a little too quickly.
The environments are very lovely - lots of waterfalls, greenery and organic landscapes, as well as interesting man-made structures like the beautiful pagoda at the end, or the bamboo huts over water. There are a lot of little side-paths you can explore, but most of them lead to dead-ends, with rarely even a pickup to reward your effort. The three secrets are fairly easy to find if you do explore all such nooks and corners. There are few enemies: a snake, a few of the traders, and the sniper at the end. A new looping music track begins in each new area, which is a good idea, though it can get tiresome when you're stuck in a single area for a long time.
Overall: While this level probably deserves its recent Hall of Fame entry, given its innovativeness, I personally feel it is a little too clever for its own good. Recommended nonetheless, for the sniper-view and if you feel the urge to rescue lots of cute monkeys." - Mytly (03-Jan-2013)
"This is very different to most of the entries so far, as you go through a large jungle area and move on to a sort of swamp with Bamboo huts (a great twist on the theme that no- one else seems to have done), and finally an impressively tall pagoda. All these areas look great, with a very convincing jungle atmosphere. What really takes the presentation to another level is the subtle way storytelling is added to the level, such as the various views from a sniper's scope and a really cool use of camera angles during one trap sequence.
The game starts off with a push-block sequence that has an original concept but is far too vague, and you'll probably need the walkthrough. After that it remains challenging but all the obstacles can be worked through with some careful perception, and there's some nice twists on standard puzzles, like a shooting range with various hidden targets and the "boss" fight. I also got the feeling a couple of areas could have had a bit more gameplay in them, but it's mostly fine. This is another top-tier entry, although let down a little by the somewhat obscure beginning." - Mman (17-Jan-2012)
"Original, this level is really original. However the beginning is not very exciting (the way to resolve the lantern-puzzle is unclear), but a lot of surprises and "vicious jumps" waits for the player. The atmosphere, the cut-scenes (the free monkeys, the target shoot..) and the graphics are awesome. It's hard to imagine that only the 3rd level from this author." - Jerrod (20-Apr-2010)
"Wow! What a level! It's so amazing what the author created with the level editor that I could hardly believe this work was also done with the same level editor we all used when building the Back to Basis levels. Absolutely stunning ideas. I had lots of fun playing the game though some puzzles are very hard to solve. Great builder skills! What else to say? You just have to play it, not only for the originality of this level but also for the amazing landscape, the flyby cameras, lighting and especially because of the sniper." - Catherin (01-Aug-2006)
"We are adventuring in Korea, in the jungle of the National Park. Our goal is to free the trapped monkeys. There are more, not-too-easy challenges waiting for us on our way, and the solution of the puzzles requires hard brain-teasing. I especially liked the puzzle of the blinking light; if we did everything correctly it starts to light on the top of the cliff and it ensures the way on. There are some traps too; the slide on the huge waterfall was fun with the spikes and rolling rocks. This is even more difficult with the front camera, but it can be tricked by a save-reload combination. The enemies are some thugs and snakes. The top is the invisible sharpshooter, who is on Lara's track, sometimes shooting at her, and if we are not fast enough, maybe he will also hunt her down from the distance. Of course, at the end he will get what he deserves. :) Neither the various shaped platforms make our way easier - these represent sometimes rocks, sometimes branches. Some of them are slippery on one side and flat on the other side, so - as it can be expected in the jungle - we have to look round carefully before stepping or jumping or trying to climb up. We have to get the revolver and the lasersight, because we have to fire some precise shots; you wouldn't even think that except the one visible balls there are still four balls in that small area. We can look for three secrets on the level, these are three compasses that can worth very much at such a place like this. The textures are great, the forrest, the water, the buildings, everything is wonderful and in the meantime the music is playing all the way. So in a few words, we got a great game from the creator, I am grateful, and I suggest it to everybody by heart. You can find a Hungarian walkthrough (as we don't have English version), savegames and pictures here: http://treditor.hu/16/btb2006_18_the_killing_fields.htm" - Obig (18-Mar-2006)
"It was an interesting level with nice gardens and waterfalls. I liked the idea with the puzzle that had a lamp as a hint but I had a problem with those hidden balls we had to shoot in the second part of the level. It is a bit dark at some places but mostly it is set outside. The slide down the long waterfall is the best moment in the level, the spikes and boulder you had to avoid was challenging and it is what I like in levels. Also the sniper idea was brilliant and I've never seen it before in a level. I found three compasses that were secrets and absolutely loved this level. Great work and in my opinion this level should have won the challenge. I expect more levels like this one from the builder." - Kristina (10-Mar-2006)
"This is an original game where Lara's often caught by a sniper. The last goal is find him and shoot him. The puzzles are really confusing and impossible to do without help, the settings are a bit square but in some parts very realistic. The lighting is scarce and it makes difficult to play sometimes. All in all, the gameplay is fun and is a very good level." - Loupar (04-Mar-2006)
"I got the first download for this level and experienced a serious crash after the third sniper view. I had to rename the .tr4. The latest download should run fine on the mac now. What an original level with a unique perspective and good background story, of a criminal gang slaughtering monkeys for their rare fur in the National Park of Woraksan, Central Korea. Word spreads that an English explorer is on their trail so they send a sniper to kill her. We see Lara through the sniper's sight and must keep moving or she dies. This makes the exploration of this beautiful mountainous jungle more exciting and dangerous. No time to admire the scenery, which is in fact awsome. At first it seems impossible to decide where to go, running behind rocks, over waterfalls and canyons, picking up items and finding little areas with puzzles, and not knowing exactly what to do. Do we hang around to be shot or venture further down river? I spent absolutely ages trying to figure out that object pushing puzzle, the first part of it I mean. I opened the gate into the building, but wondered how to open the gate underneath the puzzle. Well, darn it, I eventually found out that it was just to reset the puzzle! Then the dragon cubes on the building, while giving me a camera shot of the lamp on the first correct square, did not give a shot on the second, only a flicker, and I had no idea what actually happened. I'm afraid this puzzle, although absolutely brilliant, is far too obscure for players. I certainly wouldn't have figured it out, especially as you have to move the objects on the building three times for this to work, and in the right order. The walkthrough is definitely needed here. So sadly gameplay score is down, otherwise it would have gotten a 10. By the way, that first holy clue was obscure too. It never occured to me to throw down a flare or up the brighness to look down the holes, nevermind understand what I was looking at. The slide down the waterfall with a boulder in pursuit was a blast, Whoohoo! The target shooting session was great, but I had to read about there being five balls to shoot. Although you don't actually see it happening, in the area where the monkeys are caged in wooden huts, a tree falls on one of the cages to free the monkeys. I thought the setup where Lara is lured into a cell by one of the gang so she becomes a sitting duck was terrific. She has to be quick and shoot the sniper before he aims. If she doesn't pick up the ammo she has enough time to aim and shoot. This done, we then free the rest of the monkeys from their dark prison cells. When I entered this tall building, I bumped into one the gang, I ran back outside along the broken ledge to get myself ready to deal with him. He came after me and fell through the broken ledge all the way down to the river. It was so funny looking at him down there walking around in a fury. There are some texture problems and I really don't like those flickering waterfalls. They just don't look real. And there's a few places that the player can get badly stuck, like illegal slopes. The level is beautifully designed with good lighting, and a great feeling of actually being there in this magnificent mountain environment. As Lara's goal here is to twart the criminals and free the monkeys there is no artifact or precious stones to steal. This is a level that I will remember for a long time for many reasons. Very unique." - CC (22-Feb-2006)
"At the beginning it's easy that you get really stucked 'cause the puzzles to open the red house door and the river door are very very difficult to solve, but there are not difficult tasks and I found great details like the sniper shooting you, the death slide down the river or the final scene shooting the sniper. The five targets in the jungle were difficult to find too. The flares provided along the level were not sufficient for me. Atmosphere is very good, as the architecture. At the end, my game crashes. A level only for expert players." - Jose (21-Feb-2006)
"This is a level that almost certainly you will love and hate at the same time. It features an absolutely awesome landscape, has a great sense of place and you really feel like being there. It features a nice storyline that is wonderfully set in scene with the intermittent appearance of the sniper that eventually you get to eliminate at the end. And it features a few wonderfully original puzzles that would truly deserve a top score for gameplay, but I found that maybe they were almost too clever for their own good. All superbly logical once you have figured them out, but tricky to get there. Also I felt positively blind, when I learned through hints from the author that all five (!) targets were basically in reach from pretty much the same spot, when I had looked for them forever, only seeing the obvious one. In comparison the three compass secrets are suprisingly easy to acquire. Breathtaking and captivating level - an absolute must-play and already a personal favourite of mine..." - MichaelP (19-Feb-2006)
"Thus ends my adventure with Back To Basics....and what an adventure it has been too!!! Just my luck that I got to play the best two levels(IMO) last. Because to me the moments of ecstatic pleasure in this competition have been Teahouse and The Killing Fields. The only negative thing I can possibly say about this level is that the enemies are a bit too few. The sniper also posed as a magnificent opponent, but I felt somewhat let down when he turned out to be an enemy that just stood in his corner and could be taken down with a few revolver bullets. Apart from that this is a god-sent gift. I just loved the plot with Lara going to Korea to rescue some monkeys from fur-traders...to me this was the best idea of all of the BtB levels. The level is mainly about exploration and solving puzzles and these puzzles I can say I have never seen before in any level. I especially loved the bloodstain piece-puzzle to open the gate into one of the houses and although I needed help from the walkthrough to solve the puzzle with the blinking lantern it was to me pure bliss....the idea behind it is something completely different than the average "find-an-object-and-place-it-in-the-right-receptacle" or "pull-a-lever-to-open-a-door" concepts. There were few pickups in this level, mainly some medipacks, weapons and ammo and I really loved the idea with the compass secrets(of which I found three). Not many traps either, but I really enjoyed the waterslide with the spikes and boulders. The sound fitted the gorgeous atmosphere like a hand in a glove, the lights were perfect and all in all I see this as the most realistic and skillfully made scenery of any of the 23 levels I've played. I'd give this four thumbs up if possible......definetely recommended for everyone!!!" - Selene (18-Feb-2006)
"Not a level with a great deal of fun playability. Large areas of running round with not a lot to do, and even the enemies are few and far between, just large open spaces and puzzles that need a lot of lateral thinking and shear luck you can spot how to do the solution. Many dim to dark areas, and when you are desperately trying to find items not there it did make your eyes ache. Textures fine and graphics actually well crafted. Too much use of the"critical event" musak and too many areas in which Lara freezes or gets caught. Cameras also at time seemed to fussy or did not keep up with Lara as she moved. Why the"killing field" in the title, apart from some sniper who is easily avoided and then moves away, there was little killing, and fields to me were just jungle." - Whistle (17-Feb-2006)
"What can I say? This is one of the most exquisite-looking levels I've ever played and is built by a true artist.I'm usually rather averse to non-linear adventures and I suppose this one was no exeption (although progression became somewhat simpler after the first area was left behind),but as the surroundings are so beautiful it wasn't much hardship to wander around until you eventually found your way.There were,unfortunately,a few places where progress was halted completely due to the rather too esoteric nature of the gameplay (some of the puzzle-piece sequences;shooting more than one Object at a time)and if it hadn't been for the walkthrough,I would probably have got bored. As it is,though,there are occasional moments of sheer excitement as a reward for the puzzle solving,and one of them (the water death-slide) was so good I replayed it 10 times,just to experience the rush. The plot is rather neatly worked out and several of the ideas are surprising and extremely clever (the Assassin POV sequences in particular),making this level a supreme example of imagination combined with expert craftsmanship to produce a superb product." - Orbit Dream (10-Feb-2006)
"This is a very memorable level for some reasons. Firstly I was stuck a long time in the first main area, I think the author could have placed more obvious hints for the movable puzzles. Aside from that, it is memorable for the great architecture (see how the author has made a great job in the shaping of the blocks or for designing all the pools) , the enjoyable great and long slide ,the atmosphere , the puzzle with the 5 targets , and the great storyline. there are some very innovative touches too , with the sniper and the different flipmaps used to create the illusion of blood spots on the ground when you move the object. I appreciated also the sobriety of the texturing for the ruined tower, and the fact there are sometimes two different ways to reach a place. Very good work !" - eRIC (09-Feb-2006)
"For some unknown reason, I was expecting this level to be extremely hard so you can imagine my delight when I found what an excellent and original level this turned out to be. It has a couple of elements that I have not encountered in a custom level before. One of them, I have an idea how it was done, the other, no idea at all. One of the sliding block puzzles was executed in a very different way to other levels in this series that I have played so far and had me scratching my head and visiting the 'Stuck in a Custom Level' forum on more than one occasion. Combine the sophisticated puzzles with some exhilarating climbing and jumping sequences and you have a superb little Must-Play level. All this, plus the added bonus of being stalked by a sniper - that gets the adrenaline flowing and the heart pumping at various locations in the game - and the opportunity at the end to dispose of the would-be assassin. Very well done. A most refreshing approach." - Staticon (07-Feb-2006)
"The author behind this one is a brilliant genious! I remember starting it a while back and pushing it aside because I couldn't figure the first puzzle out, but now the walkthrough is available I got through that bit - and barely needed it for the rest of the level. This is the most different level of all BtB06 ones and it sure shows the author creativity - you're on a mission to save monkeys from becoming clothes to lusty people. Everynow and then, a sniper will have you on his sight so you better quickly move out of his sight - this was something I had never seen before (if I did, I really can't remember) and really added a lot to the level. Then there are the pushables puzzle which are completely different from what we're used to see - the first one you have to mark the ground with blood (you get the clue to do this right after some hiking) and the second one you'll be guided by a blinking lamp - brilliant! Then you go down the waterfall to a deadly series of spikes and a boulder as you slide down, the camera changes to a cinematographic view, which was awesome. When you get the revolver later on in a setting that reminded me a lot of the swamps in Zelda64, you're also given a written clue on a flyby to solve the mystery and let the monkeys roam free back into the jungle. The temple on the end also was well done and the view from the bottom was gorgeous! I couldn't watch the final flyby as it crashed the two times I tried, but I certainly enjoyed this one most creative level. 45 minutes, 2 secrets." - Treeble (05-Feb-2006)
"I seriously doubted whether I'd rate any back to basics level this high, but then this wonderfully inspired masterpiece came along and not only became my favourite from the competition this far, but also became one of my favourite levels in general. True, the initial 2 game piece puzzles are out of the ordinary and very confusing, thus can cause many players to give up before they've even started it for real, but the only advice I can give is to persist, find some clues in the forum or walkthrough, once there is one (or in the best case scenario - figure it out yourself) and not let that miss you out on what follows in this truly remarkable level! Of course, if you found the beginning hard, the booby-trapped cascade, various jumps and the "find-and-shoot-the-five-dangling-balls" among other tasks, like escaping the overshadowing omnipresence of the sniper (brilliant touch! Especially the sniping 'duel' at the end), won't make this any easier as you progress through the well done intermixing jungle and temple scenarios. Along with the wonderfully atmospheric settings the storyline also brings a great message of preserving the wildlife from the destructive clutches of humans, and there even is a sort of an Easter egg in one of the waterfalls for comic relief if you happen to use your binoculars often to explore dark places you cannot reach :) Though maybe not all too well suited for those who consider themselves novices, this level has mixed various inventive components that make it highly enjoyable for those who like to have something different when playing games. As far as the guessing of the author goes - despite that I was a part of the competition for a while, and do indeed remember who are the authors of a handful or so of the levels, this one had me stumbled for a while, till I refreshed my memory of who was in the competition. Then the style of the author seemed to scream in my face. I wouldn't normally reveal my guess, but since Michael's not adding my reviews during the time of the competition as it seems (:P) I guess there's no harm in saying that I'd put my money for this one on Loch." - eTux (04-Feb-2006)
"Absolutely stunning locations: jungle, massive booby trapped waterfall, bamboo huts on stilts in watery area, and more. The atmosphere was just perfect, and was aided on in a thrilling way by the knowledge that a sniper was hunting you down as the crosshairs of his rifle would target you every so often, and if you weren't quick enough you were toast. And the puzzles were enigmatic and extremely smartly designed. But this was probably the levels only downfall as well, as the first couple of puzzles made up of movable objects were too ingeniously built so that only the builder with their insider knowledge would catch onto the hints given to the solutions, and as one of the puzzles is spread across the jungle so that you have to make long trips to complete it and also de-trigger the movables once you solve their locations to allow yourself to work out the other movables trigger position, it was all just a bit over my head. I just hope though that this doesn't put off anyone from playing this hour long level as it really is second to none in so many ways, it's just a shame the beginning was so cryptic. I found all 3 binocular secrets and happily kicked the sniper's butt at the end, how dare he think he was any match for Lara!" - Sash (03-Feb-2006)
"There's a real sense of drama with this level and it looks magnificent. The puzzles are delightfully enigmatic and the action is lively, with the added frisson of periodically finding yourself in the crosshairs of a sniper's rifle - what an imaginative touch. Definitely something a bit different and I really liked the idea of releasing all those captive monkeys, despite what I usually say about the damn things getting in the way." - Jay (31-Jan-2006)
"I'm speachless. Apart from the flashlight puzzle everything was almost perfect. Would you like to try your flashlight manoeuvre abillities, maybe join Lara in a crazy ride down the waterfall or play hide and seek game or just free some monkeys? It's all here. The flashlight puzzle was a little strange, if you first push the movable near the waterfall the trigger doesn't work, it seems like this one needs to be the last. I had to move this one again after positioning the others two. I liked that Lara was able to acess almost every part of this game, but there were a little to much illegal slopes, making her stuck in the geometry. Oh, and hi back to the author, nice touch. ;) Time: 1/08/42. Difficulty: very hard. Lighting: darker. Gameplay type: explore/puzzles. Tech skills: expert. Other: very inventive, if you want something different, this one is for you." - Bojrkraider (30-Jan-2006)
"I threw this one away as apparently I had the dodgy download. So this is the last level I played with a lot of help from Dutchy as I still don't understand the push puzzle. If there should be a fly by for that puzzle, fine, but I wasn't so lucky. The lamp only blinked once in my game and I wasn't fast enough to notice, but that is what the saved games are for. There are in certain areas some illegal slopes and I got stuck into a wall when I tried to follow the path the monkeys took into the foliage where they disappeared in after the tree fell. Having said that I really think it is a shame as this could have been one of the best BtB levels. The gameplay follows the story and there are really good parts in this. I liked the jumping one had to do and that slide down the waterfall was thrilling to say the least. The sniper sure adds a creepy feeling and was surprisingly easy to shoot. What was very hard was shooting those 5 brass balls as I had to shift Lara about a hundred times. But soon the walky will be out so you all can have a go at it as this is one of those level I sure needed it. Original? Yes this one for sure is. 28-01-2006" - Gerty (27-Jan-2006)
"Not exactly my cup of tea, but one thing I must grant this level: it's different. That it is. From the first block puzzle which puzzled me to death to the interesting use of the sniper that Lara shoots down near the end. Let's face it, the first puzzle isn't exactly obvious at all and I'm not sure I wouldn't have given up on the game if it hadn't been for the precious forum help. Even after knowing what to do (and how puzzled can you get when all the very first lever you use is only meant to reset the puzzle in case of need?) I still wasn't sure what to do. Because the light only started to blink after a little while and because you had to put the blocks in their places and then out of their places and then back again. How obvious is that? A tad overdone, I'd say, even though I'm able to recognize the ingenuity behind it. Then, things started getting better... I liked the long ramp with the spikes and the boulder right after that. As I enjoyed the very next room with the cabins and the shoot the globes challenge. As I enjoyed the final room with the building and the sniper. And the final scenes when Lara frees all the monkeys. Very good, that one. Some things aren't that important but I'll mention them, anyway: a place in the cabin lake where Lara would become frozen between nothing and nothing else and a place where Lara landed on solid water. But that's not a big deal, really. Not my kind of game at all times but it wins in originality." - Jorge22 (23-Jan-2006)
"A spectacular level with a great jungle type environment. Consists of pretty hard puzzles which seem impossible without some help. Download this level if u like pretty hard Levels. I was badly stuck at the pedestal & lamppost puzzle. Then there is the slide down the waterfall avoiding the spikes & a boulder situation with great camera views which add to the excitement. There is another place where you have to shoot 5 golden balls to open a gate; out of which 2 are almost invisible. In the end you are trapped in a cell & the sniper is about to aim at you; snipe him before he does anything & release all the captured monkeys to their natural habitat. In my view this is a pretty difficult level & I think it is build by the purpose of trying out the limit of patience of the player (Atleast the puzzles make me think so) Anurag" - Anurag (18-Jan-2006)
"No flyby showing the Lamp and the Puzzle pieces to give a clue the first time around (at least I didn't get it), maybe that could have been different, that puzzle was not clear for outsiders this way. Behind Monkey cage are several nasty spots to get permanently stuck in a fold at the waters edge. That constant thunder became quite annoying after a while. Nothing wrong with the rest, the rest of the level was great, a superb Death slide (been to several ledges on the sides to look for secrets, that was challenging and fun) cleverly hidden targets to shoot, setting Monkeys free and a Sniper on your tail throughout the level, thrilling! I had fun in the last part of the level, in that great Gorge. The end was also very cleverly put together, shooting the Sniper before he got you... Got the 3 Secrets. (BTW, didn't the pic in the walk show where the targets were Phil?)" - Dutchy (14-Jan-2006)
"I'm afraid I'm not as enamored with this level as Val is. To be sure, it becomes evident quite early that the builder must be one of the upper echelon. The surroundings are stunning, and great care has obviously gone into mapping out the jungle setting. However, even though I had Dutchy's walkthrough close at hand and knew exactly what was happening and why, I became weary with the counter-intuitive pushpiece puzzle and finally enabled DOZY so I could fly back and forth to the pieces and just move the heck on. Not my idea of fun, folks. And it's a good thing I did. Enabled DOZY, I mean. When I came back to resume play the next day, I found that I could load a previous savegame from the conventional load screen. However, once in the game I experienced save and load screens that were in an ununsual font with blue lettering. I found it impossible to save from that point on. Moreover, the next time I died the game crashed to the desktop, so I was obliged to reload from my last save of the previous day. At that point I read carefully ahead in the walkthrough and resorted to DOZY each time I was confronted with any possibility of a death situation. Took a lot of the fun out of playing, but we're talking survival here. And when I got to the target shoot, I tried in vain to locate the additional four targets that the walkthrough insisted were there. I finally zoomed in on a piece of something that shattered when I shot it, but I never got a glimpse of hide nor hair of the other three. I finally loaded up a quite illegal crossbow with explosive arrows and shot at random into the woods. Of course, this dispatched the poor monkey in short order. Eventually the gate to my left opened so I could proceed. I could go on, but you get the idea. An ingenuiously conceived level with several interesting innovations, but frustrating and hard to recommend with all the glitches I encountered." - Phil (13-Jan-2006)
"One thing I must say is that the author does have a talent at telling a story and setting up an atmosphere. Long time I didn't have that feeling to "live" Lara's adventure and totally be part of the plot. Regarding both this and the gameplay this level oozes creativity, inventivity and originality. It really has a unique touch and a great one at that. Gameplay relies more on the players' logic than dexterity, and some of the puzzles are indeed incredibly clever albeit a bit twisted. However, adrenaline is there as well, be it during the incredible sliding sequence (spikes and boulder, oh my!) or all along the level with that sneaky sniper aiming at Lara every now and then. Brilliant idea this one. You'll also have to figure the exact jumps to go from A to B, and it's not that easy considering most of the level takes place in an outdoor area littered with rocky slopes. Alas, the game seems to be a little buggy, especially regarding one of the very first puzzle, and this is why I didn't gave a 10 to gameplay. Enemies are few and well staged, again playing a role in the story, but the secrets are way too easy to find, especially considering the mind-boggling puzzles. Would have liked to work a bit more for them. On the downside, I wasn't really fond of the settings. There are several texture mistakes scattered all over, and generally I had a feeling of a messy, hectic and greyish surroundings. The cascades are beautiful but the few buildings are a bit dull and "neutral". But fact is I did enjoy the story so much that I didn't really care. So there. If you're in for something different, interesting and enjoyable, you must play this." - Sutekh (13-Jan-2006)
"From start to finish, I had an excellent time playing through this level, and for sure it's going into my list of personal favorites. British explorer Lara Croft has been sent to a national park in Korea to free the monkeys that a group of poachers is stealing in order to sell their fur, and she's adamant to stop her. Unbeknownst to her, the poachers intercepted her arrival and sent a sniper to hunt her down... Things start out in a beautiful outdoor area with a flowing cascade, and you get alerted to the presence of the sniper once you go down the first few steps into the park. Tasks are quite interesting here, starting out with a clever pushables puzzle that first has you painting the floor with a pawn a certain way to get a door open so you may proceed, and then aligning three pawns to light a lamp to open a gate in the waterfall river so you could proceed. Quite an adrenaline rush follows as you slide down the waterfall (spikes and boulders, eep!), and soon after that you've got the sniper aiming at you again. Next comes a neat lagoon area with wooden houses floating on the water, where there's some monkeys to free! You've also got to find a way to open a gate into a cavern area that leads out to a river cascade and an ancient tower can be seen up in the cliffs. Keep in mind that the sniper is still following you around, so be on your toes! Once you get into the tower, you'll have a few baddies blocking your way to the top, and at the top, you'll find all the other entrapped monkeys. There's somewhat of a final showdown here too, where one of the poachers traps you in an area and the sniper starts fixing up a shot on you to end your life. However, quick thinking will put an end to him, and you're free to let the monkeys free. I really liked the ending of the level, which shows the restored tranquility to the park where you can see the monkeys frolicking in their beautiful environment. I didn't come across any bugs, textures were used nicely, enemy placement was good, lighting was perfect, and cameras were quite spectacular too! This level is definately not one to be missed, download now!" - Relic Hunter (13-Jan-2006)
"Oh my, me want more!!!!What a fantastic level this was, I didn't want to leave and I am still stunned by this game. Where do I begin? Well, Lara has gone to Korea where a gang of monkey traders are work. The word has spread about her being there, and a sniper hunts Lara down, trying to pick her off during moments of the game. You will see Lara in a scope, and if she hangs around too long, she's dead meat. The level begins in a fantastic rocky gorge, with waterfalls and small wooded areas below. It's all quite breathtaking. Lara's first task is an object puzzle move, and to be honest this took me several re-loads to get it right, and this is no ordinary object puzzle either, you will be going from a tower to another location in order to place the objects on the right tile, and so light the lamp on a hill; fabulous stuff! But I needed a lot of help to finally get the drift and thanks to Raymond in the stuck threads; I was able to move on. Now Lara will take a long slide down a steep waterfall, while a boulder crashes behind her, and spike traps lay ahead. Phew, what a ride! Eventually Lara arrives in a small village and here she will have to do some ball shooting to release some trapped monkeys and open the way ahead. There's a really cool slope jump session in the next area, then Lara finally makes it to the tower. Everyone should see this place, its stunning to say the least. There's a beach below, a waterfall at one end, and the rocky room goes as high as the eye can see; plus there's the beautiful tower that I couldn't wait to get inside. Now Lara is into her final moments, the sniper is nearby and is waiting to trap her, but some quick thinking from the player will ensure Lara gets out of here alive. What a fabulous ending!! Enemies are Ninjas and snakes, and there are no items to collect other than sparse amounts of health, weapons, ammo and the revolver and sight. I can't say enough about this level and it will always be a favourite of mine. It is both visually stunning and game play is thrilling; but the biggest buzz of all is the awesome atmosphere; especially knowing that guy is watching Lara's every move! I highly recommend this and I wish I could give more that tens for this wonderful adventure. I found three secrets and I hope one day we will get another chance to visit this place." - Moonpooka (09-Jan-2006)