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Level: Return to Alexandria back home search
Author(s): Inchdix
total rating:7.74 Gameplay &
Puzzles		 Enemies,
Objects &
Secrets		 Atmosphere,
Sound &
Cameras		 Lighting &
Textures
Andi Croft 8 8 8 8
CC 7 7 7 7
Daffy 8 7 7 8
Dimpfelmoser 9 8 8 9
eTux 8 7 7 8
Gerty 7 7 7 7
gfd 7 7 6 7
Henk 9 9 8 8
Kristina 9 8 9 9
MichaelP 7 7 7 7
Miguel 7 5 6 6
Momster 8 7 7 8
Monika 9 8 8 9
Orbit Dream 8 8 6 7
Phil 10 9 9 9
RaiderGirl 10 9 9 9
Sash 8 7 7 7
Torry 8 7 7 7
Treeble 8 7 8 9
Whistle 8 7 9 8
category averages
(20 reviews)		 8.15 7.45 7.50 7.85

Reviewer's comments

"Anyone expecting a quick and easy little debut is going to be in for quite a surprise here,as this is an hour of really rather devious raiding.Actually,it's a little too devious for its own good at times,and I became highly irritated by (among other things)all the important looking 'different floor squares';which sometimes seemed to cause things to happen and sometimes didn't.The constant (nee obsessive)use of flipped water rooms was effective to begin with,but became contrived and annoying by the end.Nonetheless,a sense of great intelligence shone through - the clever placement of the third hand;the timed fire jumps;translucent platforms;ingeniously hidden door lever's - whioh made up for some of the excesses. Textures were fine,but scrappy in places (especially underwater);lighting relied too heavily on shadow bulbs,and cameras could have been enormously helpful but were entirely absent. All the same,this was an absorbing and generally entertaining adventure;and a great example of the sort of technical strides that were already being made by gifted builders so soon after the Level Editors release." - Orbit Dream (03-Jul-2010)

"It is a bit short and not too difficult level in a decor rather made well. Some effects of water bring a little of originality at level and the enemies are not very tough, of scorpions and mummies. A level based on the research which allows to cross a right time." - Daffy (08-Aug-2009)

"Alexandria did become dangerous... do not expect anything like the original Alexandria level in TR4, but do expect great fun. I remember having booted this level long time ago but dropped it right near the beginning because it looked very non-linear (you have two paths to go right at the beginning, which one is correct?), but it isn't. You have two choices, but in the end, you will have to go through both only once to collect the Cartouche pieces in order to reach the second part of the level, which will get you roaming to the Hand of Orion and Sirius. There were several flipmaps here, the first ones I think were there just for testing purposes, but the last one, in the room with the receptacles for the hands, I found to be very ingenious. You will drain and flood that room a couple of times to finally reach the end of the level. 30 minutes, 2 secrets. 01/05" - Treeble (06-Feb-2005)

“I was motivated (6/04) to play this classic debut by Inchdix when Bex released her well-written and marvelously helpful walkthrough. I wouldn't have progressed very far without it. This delightful little level that would fit on a floppy disk with room to spare was more fun to play than many recent releases that take up 20 times as much hard drive space. A fair number of the previous reviews boast playing time of an hour or less but even with the help of the walkthrough I took considerably more time than that. The enemies aren't that much of an obstacle (a few ninjas and mummies here and there with some very deviously placed scorpions) but what taxes the brain are the location of the essential artifacts and the means by which to place them. I can't add to what other gamers have said here but you can get a sense of Bex’s appreciation for the artistry of Inchdix simply by reading her walkthrough. If you somehow have missed playing this level deprive yourself no longer. It's been a couple of years since we've been blessed by a new release from Inchdix a dearth that I hope he will soon remedy. Highly recommended.” – Phil (24-Jun-2004)

“There is something very very familiar about this level. Either I played it before which I doubt or it's part of another level possibly. Either way I still enjoyed it very much. In a very straight forward coastal level indoors making your way through rooms shooting ninjas scorpions and mummys killed with the crossbow the only secret I know of. All is not as first appears when you reach a receptacle and think that's going to open the nearby door. Oh no you must flood and drain rooms and sometimes more than once to get to the outside and the desert. I thought the boulder slopes were very good i.e. you think there's only one up there! and I really liked the tease about the final doors you've placed the two hands on either side of it and the stupid thing won't open why? Answer: go do something you did before. An honest little level with good gameplay.” – CC (25-Jan-2004)

“A nice little level that won't tax your brain or your trigger finger too much. Unfortunately though it has the flare bug now and again which is a pity because there's at least one area where you will need to use them to find an item (luckily the bug didn't seem to appear in that particular area). There's also a rather strange 'puzzle' right at the end where you'll be wondering why the final doors aren't opening. Well don't worry the solution will be something close by and it will not hidden either. One last thing: I wonder why the water-raising and lowering had no sound effect? This level took me 1 hour and 15 minutes and I found 2 secrets.” – gfd (01-Jan-2004)

“This is a riddle-level more than an action but not so difficult to solve. You will find the well known Catacomb textures and some baddies and scorpions. I found very nice the room with the water where you have to find your way to get to the other side. Some good flipmaps and it’s worth to invest about 45 minutes to play it. At the end have to place Hand of Orion and Sirius to give Lara the chance to get back to the daylight.” - Miguel (31-Mar-2003)

“This is a good level. The textures are nice and the athmosphere too. The enemies were scorpions and mummies and ninjas. You must find two half cartouche-pieces and three hands. The first hand you can find easy. But the second and third hand to find is hard. It is very frustrating. The second hand is behind a water area. You must find the invisible platforms and when you find this you must find the dark opening in the wall. Find one hand. Now you must jump on all platforms to other side. Find second hand. This level is easy. But the hand-search hard. I was playing one hour to find the end .One secret I was finding.” – Andi Croft (06-Mar-2003)

“Game play good in this rather short level. Ninja scorpions and mummies are the baddies. Typical search and find but lots to miss if you do the wrong move. Dark corners need particularly to be looked into frequently as you can get lockins. Four crucial finds are the cartouche (both halves) and three hands. Atmosphere and textures both good without the really dark rooms often found in this type of level. Definitely well worth playing but beware the twist to open the final doors to the outside.” – Whistle (02-Dec-2002)

“Quite a reasonable first level from the man who would later be talked of in whispers in dark corners of bars! Jon already shows his innovative style in this first attempt at frustrating the everyday Raider with clever underwater mazes vases that should be shot only at your own peril and a puzzle involving flooding and emptying a room on a number of occasions. You are trying to locate two halves of the cartouche and three hands which you will deploy in the final room and I'll tell you the last hand had me reloading an earlier save wondering if I had missed something. However it's there you just need to look hard enough. Use of invisible floating tiles had me going for a while too. The flare bug shows up about midway through the level but then disappears again which I have never seen before. The FINAL room once you place the hands still contains an enigma as nothing happens. Think about what you have just been doing and do it again and the exit will be revealed.” – Torry (09-Nov-2002)

“Raiding the old fashion way. That’s what this level is all about. Find the cartouche and 3 hands and you’re out and about again. Now first some griping sliding down a shaft Lara could grab and climb but at the top of that she had to enter a crawlspace. Normally you let go of the grab-key and immediately grab again so she can get into that space. No matter what I tried it didn’t work. So I had to rely on the fly cheat. Then there is that rather dark maze and a flare bug. Even two doors I couldn’t open (also the one near the entrance) and that had me searching for a very long long time as I thought I needed to find a hand in that maze. Waited for a day to get an answer and decided to move along. And Lord and behold I could go on. The traps are very well done spikes boulders mummies shooting vases levers and everything one does raiding a tomb. Found 2 secrets 17-10-2002” – Gerty (19-Oct-2002)

“You can see the start of Jon’s genius developing if you play this early level by him. There is nothing terribly brilliant about this level but just has that ‘Jon deviousness’ all the same. 2 very good instances are the crawl space you can’t access if you shoot a vase and the (for me) climactic obtainment of the 3rd Hand which I never would have found without RaiderGirl. A fun smoothly moving adventure involving a few boulders spikes and fire. At one point an area must be flooded to advance drained and flooded once again. I highly recommend this hour’s pleasure.” – Momster (12-Oct-2002)

“Guess we all start somewhere and so this is Inchdix' first released level his Tut1 WAD experience with coastal style texturing. And it is 50 minutes of plain fun raiding nothing extraordinary difficult or breathtaking but still you move along nicely. In the first part there are two pieces of a cartouche to gather in the second three hands. I enjoyed the repeated use of water flipmaps and the translucent platforms were cool. Enemies are only some ninjas scorpions and mummies which are no threat especially if you find the shotgun and the crossbow secrets. Lots of swimming monkey shimmy and run around passages a boulder here and there and of course the unavoidable flarebug in the room with lots of fire. A few cameras would have been nice but were not really needed to help progression. A nice start of a master level builder career.” – Michael (06-Oct-2002)

“Even though this level lasted around 45 minutes it seems most of the game play took place in only a small amount of rooms and most of that game play consisted of pulling quite a few levers either filling or emptying rooms of water and finding three hands which was done in an interesting way but maybe a little more variance in puzzles would have spiced it up a little. This also uses the Tut1 WAD but is textured with Coastal which fit the large amount of water used throughout nicely.” – Sash (21-Jun-2002)

“I have to say that this creators first attempt is better than a lot of the levels that are available. The objective is to collect the three hands in order to open the final door leading to the exit. Sounds easy right? It would be if it weren't for those long underwater tunnels the deadly jumps through fire puzzles some surprise attacks from ninjas and mummies spike covered boulders and overall tricky puzzles. How exciting! I enjoyed the rooms that you fill with water and then empty again. I had a hard time finding the third hand because the doorway that lead to it was so well hidden in the dark (unfortunately the flare pickup right underneath the door wasn't enough of a hint for me). I found one secret but I think there were probably more. When you enter one room if you don't shoot the two mummies you have access to a crawlspace on one wall. This leads to a very tricky jump and a maze that has you running around pulling switch after switch trying to open the last door situated by the front of the maze. I ran around and pulled all the switches but never found the one to open that last door. Also the flares did not work for me in the maze and it was a little hard to see but it's fun if you like being in small dark rooms. I enjoyed every second of this level with its spooky atmosphere and clever puzzles so much I played it twice in a row. I only wish it had been longer.” – Raider Girl (21-Jun-2002)

“Marvellous level to play. Great rooms with nice puzzles many many levers and doors. The underwater maze is great work every trigger is well placed. The level is constructed in sort of zones. You cannot go further until you have done or collected everything. Jon has used everything possible to make this an outstanding level.” – Henk (21-Jun-2002)

“One has to climb ladders and push switches and swim through underwater areas avoid fire on the blocks and so on. In between you have to think carefully what to do first or you might miss something interesting/important. Enemies are ninjas mummies and scorpions. Objects that have to be found are 2 Cartouche Pieces and 3 Hands. You get all sorts of weapons you could use but you don’t really need anything more then the pistols and maybe the crossbow. You better don’t shoot anything in the second room with mummies before you have been in the crawlspace. In the maze with the switches look carefully so you don’t miss one. Some corners are very dark and especially when looking for the third Hand. You better have a look in the very dark areas too. There was a flare bug in a dark place but later it had gone. The idea to flood and drain a room several times was new to me. I enjoyed the game. Not too much killing but enough of suspense wanting me to go on. I played about 90 minutes and found 3 secrets.” – Monika (21-Jun-2002)

“Not original not exciting but very good in all categories although standard in gameplay. It's the kind of level that keeps you going with practically the ordinary and well known textures and puzzles for example it's as simple as flooding a room and getting hold of a hand but so nicely done that doesn't give you time to get bored. While baddies and mummies are your enemies a big part of the level involves swimming and climbing. From the main area every door that opens leads you to another little adventure with the mainly traps to be spike balls but more often fire like. The one room that seems to be more interesting or more complex if you like is the one that involves monkey swinging and our usual flooding in order to exit. Definitely a fun level that will give you a nice feeling finishing it.” – Kristina (21-Jun-2002)

“A nice short level which I wouldn't call an excellent level but it's better than an average level. This level has some nice use of water in it shadows hide what they're supposed to lights show what they must show still I wouldn't call this level a must-play and it's not very original too (even if I liked a lot of things in here like the final door that didn't open unless it was underwater) but you won’t regret it if you choose to play this level.” – eTux (21-Jun-2002)

“What an entertaining little Level. A really smooth gameplay some nice puzzles and a lot of wicked traps. I enjoyed this immensely and would be pressed to find any flaws. Don't expect a lot of gunsmoke or hidden levers this is just the unspoiled tomb raiding action. Maybe there is nothing too original about the tasks you have to perform and maybe but only maybe they are a bit too easy but who cares if the setting is as beautifully done as this.” – Dimpfelmoser (21-Jun-2002)
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