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Celtic Folly v2 by Inchdix

DJ Full 9 10 9 9
eRIC 9 9 10 9
ersatz 10 10 10 10
Gerty 9 10 10 9
guss18 9 9 9 9
Ivan 10 9 10 10
Jay 9 10 10 9
JesseG 8 10 9 9
Jorge22 10 9 9 10
Jose 7 9 8 9
MichaelP 9 9 9 9
Mman 9 10 9 9
Ruben 9 9 9 9
Ryan 9 9 10 9
Shandroid 9 9 9 9
Treeble 8 8 10 10
 
release date: 08-Nov-2007
# of downloads: 92

average rating: 9.22
review count: 16
 
review this level

file size: 111.00 MB
file type: TR4
class: Castle
 


author profile(s):
email(s):
inchdix@yahoo.com

Reviewer's comments
"This might be a bit of a controversial opinion, but I'm not sure this has aged as gracefully as we'd think. I mean, sure, the massive environments are beautiful to look at, but there's a remarkable lack of objects, the entire layout uses intricate geometry very well, and gameplay for the most part is about finding levers and puzzle items scattered about — yes, the very tenets the original Core Design games were built on, but I can't shake this feeling that if this was built in more recent times, it'd be a different beast altogether. I like the use of TRL/TRA motifs, but the LARA object seems a bit bogus: every time you get a pick up off the ground, you need to stay perfectly still for a moment otherwise you won't have access to some of your animations; this is issue as old as time when it comes around to default LARA having some animations blocked after picking objects off pedestals or jumping off poles (you can't grab, for instance), and this because a bit of an issue because there's a lot of climbing and platforming to be done here and sometimes you're too quick for your own good. Minor issue, but still. That pixel perfect jump required for secret #12 reminded me of that one mandatory timed run in Autumn, I have no idea how it even works to explain how to pull it off consistently so I'll just chalk it up to luck, but keep in mind you have to jump back the same way after retrieving the optional secret here! Upon reading my review for the original release it feels like a very distinct release, and even though I'm not sure this revision was entirely necessary I'd say it's still a welcome one as Celtic Folly was one of the earliest custom classics for a reason. Thanks to D&G as usual for guiding me through this mammoth release. 3h15min, 15 secrets. 05/23" - Treeble (28-May-2023)
"I had a wonderful time replaying this fondly remembered classic in a new light. From what I remember, the gameplay in this version has had a few substantial changes made to it differing from the original level, but the majority is similar so you should have no problems to reach the end. Lots of exploring, plenty of swimming, loads of buttons and levers (maybe a few too many but not too bad) and some puzzles to solve. The scenery is still as gorgeous as ever and despite mainly stone textures being used, it was still as impressive as ever. Atmosphere is excellent and the flybys show the environment off to very good advantage. Definitely recommended." - Ryan (18-Aug-2018)
"Of all the gameplay changes, I agree with reduced underwater maze, simplified timed switch puzzle, fixed chapel slot and removed path choice to witness all the stuff on a single route instead. Altered map connections, casual wall switches and a beetle replacement didn't really appeal to me, as well as the new ending - I see how it might be clearer but it's also a lot weaker and doesn't make much difference in terms of fairness, since you burn during the wraith cutscene anyway. Lighting has been tremendously improved and makes things a lot more watchable, my eyes were never tired while wandering over this ambitious world again." - DJ Full (02-May-2018)
"Replaying this revised version 9 years later, for me it still is a great game to go through. Mind you it is no walk in the park as the levels are huge. Lots to explore as well as swimming quite a bit. Levers and buttons to use (a tad overdone but I didn't mind) and picking up some needed artefacts; that is your goal here. The last level you get a bike to use and luckily it is quite convenient, as you have to ride over pits and smash a wall. Of course I got lost quite a lot but in doing so I got most of the secrets. Better have some time to spare when playing these levels as it took me over 18 hours on the clock and some days in real time. Well done Jon and probably you can tell I am a fan of this builder." - Gerty (10-Mar-2016)
"The original Celtic Folly might have been the first custom pack I ever played (although I'm not fully sure on that), and I played the remade version once before, but I thought it was time to review it. As the name suggests the theme is a Scottish castle, and this is one of the best uses of that set around (and one of the biggest). There are occasional visual flaws that betray its age a little, but it generally manages to stay both varied and consistent. Object use is excellent, including some original uses like lots of pottery on shelves.
The gameplay is mainly a mix of switch-hunt areas, platforming and fast-paced action sequences (including a lot of good wraith usage). The switch hunts mostly work but some involve searching large areas with a multiple doors for switches to open the next door with no-camera hints, which gets a irritating at a couple of parts. There's a nice mix of non-linearity and linearity, and level transitions are used to bring the levels together without getting too confusing (although one trip back to The Dam could have done with a hint of what was changed). Water is quite a major element throughout, with long swims and multiple flooding/draining puzzles. Outside of a couple of overdone switch-hunts the only flaws I had are a couple of instant- death switch puzzles seemed to have no hints I could find at all, so were pure trial-and-error, and a few parts with mandatory damage falls and similar. Celtic Folly was a classic in its original release, and as far as I can tell the remake just makes it better." - Mman (03-Apr-2011)
"I have no idea how I missed the original Celtic Folly, but alas, I did. However, I did enjoy this extremely well-done level set that was revamped. There is not much I can say that others haven't already said. There are many great puzzles and much exploration for Lara here. The level really stands up against the newer, fancier levels that are being released today. I did find one problem, that I am not sure anyone else noticed. Right at the end, I was able to trigger the end before I acquired the final thistle. I found that to be odd. Everything else here is so solid and very fun! This is deserving to be a classic." - Shandroid (04-Sep-2010)
"It is really hard to believe that the original Celtic Folly was released almost 8 years ago now! And this 'refreshed version' from late 2007 - that I finally got around to play now - allows me to actually review level 4 and 5, which I never actually played back in 2001, as they were released only a little later than the original set of three levels. The most remarkable conclusion for me is how this package stands the test of time and is a great adventure to play through - even so many years later...
The Aqueduct (50 min, 3 secrets): The one thing that is true for all levels of this set is that they are quite 'pedestrian', ie you do a lot of running and swimming in a very sizable environment. But nevertheless you do not often feel lost, as the next area to get to and the next task to accomplish is always quite clear. Enemies are some skeletons, crocodiles, guards and of course a few wraiths that will keep you on your toes.
The Dam (30+15 min, 4 secrets): Huge body of water here and the obvious objective to open the dam, which gets accomplished rather quickly and you then come back later to collect a few secrets (I missed two of them unfortunately) and get back to your starting point.
The Dungeon (70 min, 3 secrets): A massive hunt for switches here. You sometimes need 5 here or 4 there to trigger whatever is required next. And quite a bit of backtracking too, so even more foot-work for our poor Lara. But the environment is so nicely built that you will likely not mind spending the time and looking at it from all angles.
The Sanctuary (60 min, 2 secrets): As said, I had never actually played this part in the 'old days' and liked it a lot now. A fire wraith chase, an interesting 'circle run' puzzle, beautiful church windows, the rarely used ice wraith freezing a pond all make this a fun experience. I did not care so much for the push puzzle which is unnecessarily tedious and there are really a few too many doors to open, but all in all this may well be my favourite part of the entire series. Missed one of the two secrets here.
Celtic Folly (50 min, 3 secrets): The grande finale and quite a good one at that. It has plenty of guards to kill and a few sentry guns to avoid (for none of which I could find a way to actually eliminate them). Maybe rather a few too many buttons to push, but the bike ride high up is great fun and you get a superb sense of achievement when you finally reach the vraeus and the level ends with a nice flyby.
Bottomline, I can only appreciate the effort to 'touch up these levels' by adding a few newer objects and some lighting effects (I think) and thus giving me the opportunity to experience this masterpiece in its entirety again. Well worthy to reach the Hall of Fame!" - MichaelP (14-Apr-2009)
"In this epic 3.5 hour adventure, Lara journeys through 5 interlinked Celtic levels, collecting many, many puzzle items (as many as 8 are found and used in the same level) and other pickups, including 4 additional weapons to defend yourself against SAS baddies, turrets, and skeletons. I appreciated how the higher tier weapons were kept as secrets, as they weren't needed exactly, but still more satisfying to use (especially the grenade gun). Some of the 7 secret areas that I discovered were wonderfully elaborate, either in the secret area itself or in the method of reaching it. Gameplay has its ups and downs - the good news about gameplay is that you will face several interesting puzzles, action sequences, and a bike ride before you reach the end. The bad news? Imagine seeing a switch next to a door, and pulling the switch. No, it doesn't open the door nearby. Instead it opens some other door on the other side of the room. This other door conceals a room containing nothing but another switch - which finally gets that first door open. Now imagine going through half a dozen such switches before being able to move on. In this way the author (or should I say authors?) needlessly extends the gameplay in a rather dull manner, and this is done usually more than once per level. On top of that, very few camera cues are used and you must guess which of the 6 or 7 doors in the area you just opened. All the strenuous monkeyswings are also a bit much. On a brighter side of things, the texturing and lighting are great, and the length of the game will make sure you are entertained for a good while. I did encounter one bug, which was that when I reached the top of a hill with the bike, the game would finish each time. This doesn't seem to match up with the walkthrough, though at least I was close to the end, and I enjoyed the raiding while it lasted." - SSJ6Wolf (26-Dec-2008)
"Long , creative and very interesting game, one of the best . Wonderful music which together with textures and action built unforgettable atmosphere. Not to hard but not too easy game , with well hidden secrets , a lot of different adventures but still in the same great old TR climate. Big plus for really great music! Well done ! I am waiting for the next part!" - ersatz (27-Dec-2007)
"A very big work which can give you many hours of fun. The levels are well builded and there are a lot of very huge areas where you can spend many time exploring. Many times you'll have to go back to get something you missed, and jump between levels getting disoriented. At least there are a lot of flares and ammo to shoot the enemies. The best of this scottish levels were the architecture, the textures and the ride with the bike at the end; the worst was to have to pull and push hundreds of switches and buttons which opened doors too much far from the places they're located. A good work anyway." - Jose (11-Dec-2007)
"I never played the original version so this was all new to me. Beautiful level, interesting straight forward gameplay, loads of interesting areas. Classic TR style. Sometimes the many switches did become tedious but all the rest made up for it so you never will become bored. Enemies SAS and skellies. Timed runs but very doable. I think this is very suitable for beginners and well as hard core TR games. Try it out I think you will be pleased." - guss18 (01-Dec-2007)
"I played twice the former version of Celtic folly in the early years of trle and I did remember I had a great time then. At that time it seemed to me that -although not too difficult- it was a complex game and I enjoyed the company and help of other players in the forums to get through the parts that were a bit disorienting. Playing the game a 3rd time , with this revised version, the evidence of playing a great classic piece of TR imposed itself naturally to me. There are many things I really appreciated along these 5 levels, the fact that you met your first lever only after 30 minutes, the great areas that you revisit from another point, the 4 quests in the 3rd level which are well in the spirit of an official game, the hunt for the artefacts in the intricate puzzling oriented sanctuary , the fact that some of the secrets consist of whole added areas, the fact that some enemies are easy to kill from a safe distance while others took you completely by surprise so you never know what will come next , and some fine puzzles sprinkled in a delightful and solid meal of exploration type of gameplay with some good doses of action. The revised version has been enhanced by a better lighting (which was quite flat in the former version) , new atmospheric sound tracks , a new model for Lara , and some changes in the puzzles or placement of objects. Also some confusion or possible stuck situation have been removed (for example, there is now only one way to arrive to the last level and you will have everything you need). I had a great time, thanks to England and Scotland united for this :)" - eRIC (29-Nov-2007)
"It's such a long time since I originally played this level that I'd forgotten quite a lot of it. Although given that I can forget most of a level in a matter of days, I suppose that's hardly surprising. Anyway, it was nice to revisit the attractive Scottish castle settings and to realise that some of the manoeuvres I found challenging then seemed much more achievable some years and several hundred levels later. Ah, progress. There's no doubt that levels have become ever more sophisticated over the years since this was first released and certainly Inchdix himself has built even more impressive levels, but this nevertheless remains a rattling good raid that everyone should play and enjoy. Plus, shotgunning skellies off ledges just never gets old does it?" - Jay (26-Nov-2007)
"For some weird reason I never played the first Celtic Folly and after playing the version 2, I must say I'm glad there was this version now. It's totally classic Tomb Raider with wide settings and loads and loads of levers and keys (well, things that function as keys) plus the many SAS and the occasional fire and ice wraiths but it's never boring and it's always intriguing and enticing. The music was also well chosen and atmospheric. All the things you can do with a castle! I guess this is how, in the first level editor days, you could tell the good games from the bad and the mediocre. A game such as this (it has just a few minor changes, namely welcome object changes, from what I can tell by quickly looking at the walkthrough of the first version)is the living proof that a good game then still stands now." - Jorge22 (20-Nov-2007)
"A very well constructed level with a straight forward gameplay. I especially loved the Dam level , it was beautiful to behold. Enemies are mainly SAS but beware , there are plenty of them . This TRLE issue could simply be described as "The Game Of A Thousand Switches" , and for this reason becomes tedious at times as it has no real heights or downs but merely continues all the way. Huge areas to be explored in search of numberless key objects which are sometimes very well hidden . There are a few timed runs but not too challenging which makes this game also suitable for beginners. Wiping the dust from the original 2002 issue the builder has done an excellent job and I recommend this game to all TRLE lovers ." - Ruben (18-Nov-2007)
"After a few years again very beautifful, almost say remake of great levels. In new "clothes" this time :) Perfekt made, great game playing and searching, not too hard but at any moment good thinking for next move. Inchdix made great job and probably a lot of used time for make this one of most beautiful levels of Lara Croft. Big water area with crocodiles (aligators) and military patrols on almost every corner. Textures and colors are amazing and every pieces are good put it in all levels. At time when you must run from wild spirit ghosts and from fire ghosts, than when you must escape from machine guns which keep old secrets of Celtic Folly. Bridges of ruined castle are very good made, and part with motor bikes excellent for playing. Congratulations for excellent job Inchdix!!!" - Ivan (14-Nov-2007)