trle.net ::: Level Reviews

Level:	The Stone of Perseus 2
Author(s):	Snap125

total rating:	7.69	Gameplay & Puzzles	Enemies, Objects & Secrets	Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras	Lighting & Textures
	Bene	7	7	9	8
	dmdibl	9	9	9	8
	eRIC	7	8	8	7
	Gerty	7	8	8	7
	Jay	7	7	8	8
	MichaelP	7	8	9	8
	Orbit Dream	7	7	9	8
	Samu	8	8	7	7
	Spike	5	7	8	8
	category averages (9 reviews)	7.11	7.67	8.33	7.67

Reviewer's comments

"I enjoyed the dramatic "Stone of Perseus," an adventure that deserved higher ratings, and so looked forward to this sequel. It starts with a good cut-scene that reminds us of how the "Stone of Perseus" ended. A groggy Lara regains consciousness from her fall (the baddie is not so lucky). A Shiva attacks, Lara uses the last few bullets in her pistols in a futile attempt to stop it. For once Lara's pistols are empty, and she has no flares or other weapons. The playable level begins with the Shiva's attack. I had Lara try to escape by climbing a pillar, and the Shiva knocks her into a dark corner. Nothing is visible, the screen is black. Lara tries to jump or side flip, but I had no idea what was happening in the dark. Eventually it did dawn on me how to trap the Shiva, but by then I was ready to give up. A year later I gave this a second chance, and it turned out this is a very good level. This time around I played with a flare** always in Lara's hand, so you can forget the comments in other reviews about dark rooms or corners. I found the architecture interesting and professional, always serving the game play. The initial climb up the central structure is easy with a flare, but the jump to the western ledge would have been easier to spot if the ledge had been illuminated. We get an assortment of jumps and pole swings, then a tense underwater timed swim. I did the timed swim twice, just for the fun of it, and both times a long camera shot shows doors opening. Meanwhile a snake slips through a trapdoor to attack Lara, and she is losing health. I always hate it when camera shots shut us out while Lara takes damage, and here, with only a small medipack, the health loss is serious. After some gymnastics there is a spike ball overhead that is a concealed jump switch, and this is too tricky. Lara looks at this spike ball hanging above her, but how is that supposed to clue us in that it is a jump switch? Then we get a clever puzzle with four wraiths which was a pleasure, and an end that promises a continuation. Recommended. [**Giving Lara flares. The author did everything to make this impossible. Edit a savegame to give Lara flares and the shotgun. The shotgun doesn't need ammo. Load savegame. Select flares from inventory (don't use a shortcut key, Lara may go into an animation loop). Lara holds out her arm, but no flare and no light. Select shotgun with 2 using a delicate touch. We don't want the shotgun, only for Lara to drop a lit flare on ground. This is the only way; throwing a flare or pressing 1 for pistols won't produce a lit flare landing on the ground. Now step into the bright circle of light and pick up the invisible flare. Eureka! Since this is tedious to repeat, use TREP to create a tomb4.exe with long lasting flares.]" - dmdibl (12-Jun-2009)

"Size can be deceiving as we all know and in this case I somehow expected to get more out of this sizeable download than what I got - a single Angkor style level of less than 45 minutes of net game time. However, what is there to play was entertaining indeed. The author has tried a few new things, such as a nice animated opening scene and a different approach to enemies, as you have to find ways to avoid them rather than kill them. Lara has no weapons and applies various techniques to avoid a shiva, snakes, mummies and (very cleverly) a set of four wraiths. What I liked most about the gameplay were the fun jump/platform sequences. There is a tight double timed swim to master and a few unusual rope swings to do. And of course several traps thrown in for good measure (boulders, spikes, burners, collapsible tiles). Even though it is a Part 2, it seems unfinished as you carry a few itmes in your backpack when you finish, so maybe some day we get to play Part 3. Looking forward to it!" - MichaelP (16-Feb-2009)

"This begins with a very cool scene of Lara awaking with aches and pains from being passed out from a previous battle - the end of part 1, I assume - and as she tries to see if the body next to her is alive or dead, the battle with the Shiva begins and it's at this point that you begin the real gameplay which is quickly Saving and re-doing if necessary and it's usually necessary. Having nothing but a SMALL medipack in inventory, it's a long way to the ONE future health pack and so the game becomes very quickly to conserve what health there is because once you get to the timed UW sequence with a snake, you're going to need that small one. I was lucky with my opening re-do as the Shiva just disappeared after my using one lever. Don't know how or why, I was just relieved as first time around, Lara had a tiny breath of life to get her through and that didn't work for long. No guns(despite them being strapped on), no ammo, no flares, just what becomes the very necessary and then tedious constant use of the binoculars. Lots of traps and what used to be merely pests such as bats now become instruments of a quick death. The architecture, from what I saw as it was really too dark in many places to appreciate it, was well done and very atmospheric. The second time around I took great pleasure in beating the builder at his own game such as avoiding the tightrope with a slightly curved jump to the edge across the way and handling those pests as I saw fit. Petty, I know, but I did get a measure of satisfaction from doing so. More medipacks and flares would have made this a highly rated game IMO but if it's a challenge you're looking for and don't mind saving at every step (no exaggeration) and have a high threshold for frustration, this is the one for you. With the ending slide down a slope, it seems there may very well be another installment and if so, good luck to all of you that will continue." - Bene (20-Oct-2008)

"I can live without the weapons part, as in hindsight there aren’t that many enemies in here. What I cannot live without is flares as it was too bloody dark. So that did ruin the enjoyment for me big time. I was battling the Shiva (or rather trying to avoid it) and as I couldn’t see a thing and I was very weary of loosing the battle (or health) I added through the TRsgEditor some health pack. So sue me. The flares wouldn’t work sadly. In the end I only used one small and on big medipack, so what was on offer wasn’t that bad, but I needed them in a different time then it was on offer. To be honest I really liked the level if it wasn’t for the dark bits and the medipacks, there are some novel ideas in here. Don’t know about the rest of the players but it was rather funny to see Lara having her guns strapped to her thighs but she can’t use it, why not make the extra effort so that she isn’t wearing them at all. Oh well…" - Gerty (16-Mar-2008)

"I was slightly disappointed in this level because it is a way shorter and simplier if comparing it to the previous part of the series. However, it has well designed gameplay consisting of usual jumping tasks, hidden switches, a very tough timed underwater run and a nice task where you are chased by whraits. Atmosphere is okay too and the surroundings look pretty nice but a little outdated and simple compared to some other lately released levels. Some other reviewers complain about environment being too dark but it didn't bother me and I probably wouldn't have used many flares even if I had had them. The thing which bothered me was the lack of medipacks and I had to be all the time extremely consentrated to save as much health as possible to finish the level. If you are for a short and challenging level then this level is for you." - Samu (03-Mar-2008)

"Ye gods, I’d forgotten how the previous level ended. Poor Lara’s stuck down a pit with only one small medipack to her name – not even any flares and its DARK in here, plus there’s a great big Shiva thumping about. By the time I figured out what I was supposed to be doing I was just about as sick of that Shiva as it’s possible to be – he was shaking the place so much I got a headache. And, why were the statues fainting? Has Lara been trying out some particularly aggressive new perfume? The gameplay is actually pretty good, but I would have enjoyed it far more if I hadn’t had to do so much in semi darkness. Being without flares just makes me ill tempered. Plus, pickups? No, practically non-existent. When I did find a large medipack I immediately became quite delirious with joy. There are occasions during this level when losing health is inevitable no matter how careful you are and the paucity of medis made for a really frustrating raid at times. Overall, I enjoyed it, but don’t even think of playing it if you’re having a bad day." - Jay (25-Feb-2008)

"If you are in the mood for a challenge , you can make your teeth on this one. The level is smartly presented by a very well made introduction. Then the playable level is all about a challenging escape with a rather fast pace. Some pleasant tasks to do along the way (like the big room you navigate with ladders and “swinging poles”, or the room you have to climb using slopes and shimmying actions) and others a bit more challenging or irritating. Not many enemies but the player has used some of them extremely well (a Shiva, a snake , and some wraiths) to make your life miserable, and there is no medipack to find except one near the end. The background audio loop is of good quality but is no natural sound. There are dark corners and no flares , fortunately there was nothing of interest in the dark corners , but some areas are really too dark for their own good ! The looks are quite decent without being brilliant or polished, I will say that the setting is quite 'functionnal' for a level with this kind of gameplay. In fact I really think the author has succeeded to design challenge after challenge in a clever way without being too much difficult, the only -but important- drawbacks are the darkness and the lack of medipacks. A level that has good potential to entertain , but spoiled a bit by these choices. I really liked the new zombies and the “falling warrior statues”." - eRIC (15-Feb-2008)

"The first 'Stone of Perseus' was,in my opinion,one of the greatest (and most under-rated) Custom Level adventures ever built.It pains me,then,to state that this sequel is simply not the classic level that it should have been. Rene still has a huge amount of flair when it comes to Gameplay invention,and there's loads of that on display here;but he crosses the line between 'challenging' and 'infuriating' one too many times,in this instance. Having no weapons is perfectly alright as far as I'm concerned,as it always makes a pleasent change not to have to kill anything; but having no flares or (crucially) no medipacks is nothing less than a crime,especially when you plaster huge swathes of the level in complete darkness AND put Lara in situations where topping up on health is essential for survival. This developed into one of those aggravating excercises involving constant saving,reloading and re-playing in order to get Lara through each of the various gauntlets while losing as little health as possible.Take it from me,every sliver of life in this adventure is essential for her preservation! Consequently,losing too much of it in the completion of any one of the challenges on offer is unnacceptable.I ended the adventure with no life whatsoever in her health bar, and with considerably shorter fingernails than I had when I started.Those looking for a relaxing raid have unquestionably come to the wrong place;but there is no denying that it IS fun in places,constantly ingenious and very well put together.I would love to have scored it higher,but the frustration factor caused by the toughness of the Gameplay and the darkness of the surroundings has,alas,prevented me.It's also disapointingly short after the multi-level adventure that was Part One. Worth a try,nevertheless,if you consider yourself something of an Expert." - Orbit Dream (11-Feb-2008)

"I enjoyed the original part of this series very much, and the prospect of a sequel to find out what happened to poor Lara at the end of the last game was quite enticing. However, I was pretty disappointed to find this level to be somewhat less enjoyable than the first game. After an annoying opening where we have to pick up items while dodging a Shiva, then jump around above while trying not to hit one of the doors' collision boxes, the rest of the level is slightly more enjoyable but thanks to the lack of medipacks, tasks become somewhat less fun than they could have been. One particular underwater timed run was very tight, and by the end of it Lara still hadn't really recovered from the lack of oxygen and snake bites on her. Another memorable situation was where we get attacked by 4 wraiths at once, and have to pray that they don't kill Lara before we can dispose of them. The fact that we get only one medipack pickup in the whole level made that more annoying than it should have been. Another complaint I have is with the amount of equipment Lara has, and while we do have her binoculars' light function to solve one 'puzzle', the fact that she has no flares and several parts of the level were quite dark was pretty annoying. Thankfully, the gameplay as well as lighting and texturing in the rest of the level was somewhat better, with the former including some classic jumping around and swinging to deal with, but not much else that was truly original. As we reach the end of the level and place the gem to escape (which I obtained from a pretty well designed trap involving being attacked suddenly by a group of 'mummies') I was wondering why I still had 2 unused puzzle items in my inventory. The fact that Lara also ends the level by sliding down into the darkness suggests another sequel to come, and hopefully one as enjoyable as the original game." - Spike (10-Feb-2008)