Level: Helene's Library Author(s): Lambert Bouley total rating: 5.18 Gameplay & Puzzles Enemies, Objects & Secrets Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras Lighting & Textures Boris 5 4 5 6 CC 6 4 7 7 Dimpfelmoser 5 2 5 4 Fairy Godfather 6 6 6 7 Gerty 6 5 6 5 Jay 6 5 5 5 Jose 5 5 4 7 Kristina 6 4 6 6 MichaelP 6 3 5 4 Momster 5 4 6 5 Neso 6 4 5 5 Nomad 5 3 5 5 Orbit Dream 5 3 4 5 RaiderGirl 6 5 6 7 Ryan 5 5 5 5 Sash 5 5 5 4 Tombaholic 4 3 6 8 Torry 5 5 6 6 Treeble 5 5 5 5 vienna 6 5 7 6 category averages (20 reviews) 5.40 4.25 5.45 5.60 Reviewer's comments "If you're a fan of library levels, then you could give this one a go, but there are much better offerings out there. It's not too bad as such, but the surroundings are bland and repetitive (with only the occasional flourish) and the gameplay is unremarkable and tedious at times. The hub room concept works quite well, but none of the respective tasks are that enthralling and the underwater maze and the long shimmy was far too boring. Enemies are scarce, consisting of a couple of wraiths and horsemen. It does seem possible to skip the entire thing as the Gem receptacle is ready and waiting at the very start too." - Ryan (01-Jun-2018) "Your goal here is to get a blue gem to open the exit door, but when you get it, you still need to take a long way back to the very beginning. There are some novice defects like the swinging chains trespassing the solid walls or the underwater doors trespassing the brick walls too; there are also some nasty tasks like the very long shimmy or the underwater maze only to pull a jumpswitch and find some large medipacks, but the level is well builded and enjoyable. I missed some more enemies and some puzzles to solve; also the atmosphere is not well worked. Anyway a playable level you can try." - Jose (19-Dec-2017) "Very average level. I liked levels atmosphere and brightness. I missed more camerawork when you push buttons etc. Gameplay is quite easy." - vienna (04-Oct-2016) "I've seen better use made of the library textures and objects I have to say. Some areas look quite good, but many are rather bland. Gameplay is unremarkable and easy, with just a few traps to negotiate and a couple of tinmen to bump off (really only because you need the gem one of them is carrying). It only takes about 30 minutes to complete, but unless you just can't pass by a library level I suggest you find a better example of the genre." - Jay (05-Sep-2016) "After a funny start with Lara facing the corner of the wall, the level only gets more boring. Besides immediately realizing the textures weren't going to be good, I actually thought this would be a diverse and non-linear level seeing the various pools and rooms but as the game progresses it becomes monotonous and bland. This is partly due to the rooms being empty and having samey textures individually. Gameplay isn't much better and consists of finding levers and opening doors and there is a horrible and pointless underwater maze. I did like the boulder traps though and if the designer spiced up the rooms visually the level would improve." - Nomad (10-Jun-2016) "This is pretty much as average a Library level as you could find which is not to say that it isn't enjoyable; just predictable. Atmosphere is pretty much lacking (due to the absence of lighting) and progression is quite predictable (right down to the underwater maze) except for getting a door to open by apparently doing nothing more than running around back and forth for a bit. It passed 30 minutes well enough for the small download but it lacks a certain zing." - Orbit Dream (08-Apr-2004) "I thought this was a good if easy library level. At the very start Lara is looking at a courtyard with four pools and the first thing I saw was the trapdoor nearby down which you see you need to get a gem so you must find out how to move on. A switch up on the wall starts it all. Everything from now on we've seen before swinging chains scroll metal knights boulder and fire traps and a LOT of huge cogs to start turning. I loved the blue rooms then again I always love those blue rooms. One room had a slope with boulder a hop over fire and grab to a very long shimmy crack. Good level for a half hour or so." - CC (22-Nov-2003) "Second level of Bruno Turc... Such The Ruins of the Castle I test this level long time ago but I decided to test them again! That is a good level the slides at the middle of level are good some bugs but nothing very terrible... the black horizon at the start is not cool-_-... So globally it is a good little level!" - Neso (04-May-2003) "This is a library level with a difference but even so gameplay is still pretty bland. There is an underwater maze a few boulder traps some swinging chains a doozy of a shimmy and of course the obligatory horsemen. You finish the level where you started after acquiring the horseman's gem and I don't really see what it was all about." - Torry (26-Jan-2003) "Nice level although I still have some questions. Finding one secret a medpack I still wondered what that torch was doing there. I did light all the pedestals and probably that was it but I kept wondering if there wasn't more to it. And another one that one astral blue room was completely empty. Finding weapons and a lot of medpacks kept me also on my toes but there are only 2 wraiths and 2 tinman. For the rest a straight forward level. Finding levers and opening doors. This game had the steepest slope I have ever seen. And in the end you are where you started with a blue gem and using that gem is the end trigger. 20-12-2002" - Gerty (22-Dec-2002) "I spent 30 minutes wandering around in this level pulling switches advancing to other areas. I was so happy when the level started and it wasn't the traditional upper level with door door door door and lower level door door door door. But as it ended I think I would have been happier with those doors than those darned underwater tunnels. Loved the chains that swung right into the walls too. 30 minutes playing 20 in the tunnels." - Momster (19-Aug-2002) "This has nicked quite a few elements from Nlabricole's Forgotten City (or vice versa don't sue me Lambert); in fact when I stared out for a moment I thought I must have forgotten to convert the tom file. I don't know if it was such a good idea that Michael tells us in his review that you only get two tinmen and a fire wraith. I know those notes he scribbles down diligently while playing have to be good for something but you meet your enemies in the first half of the game and for the second half you know there isn't going to be any more resistance. Which takes a bit from the excitement away and this level is rather dull to start with. And you're not really tempted to pick up all those big medi packs in the underwater maze. Plain textures a not very ambient lightning even less atmosphere swinging chains that come out of the wall the horizontal chainsaw floating freely and a gameplay that has you running from lever to lever. I liked the blue bits and the two bouldertraps though." - Dimpfelmoser (11-Aug-2002) "An average level. Lara has to get inside the building in order to find the Horseman's gem and then go back to the beginning by activating a lot of machine cogs. Quite simple." - Treeble (26-Jul-2002) "I was a little surprised when I saw the starting area as it looked like a larger version of the start of 'The Forgotten City' then when I moved into the first interior rooms I knew that it hadn't been a coincidence as these rooms had also been copied with of course a few textural differences so for that reason I have rated it down. The rest of this level though had its own look although in some rooms the use of the astral blue texture just didn't fit in whatsoever with the overall look. This game-wise is a pretty simple level and has you looking for a blue gem to open a set of large blue doors to the end to accomplish this you need to make it through a medipack filled water maze take a long shimmy around a room and do a few more things to activate a large amount of huge cogwheels that will give you access to the gem. I found 2 secrets and fought only 2 horsemen to make it through in a little over 30 minutes." - Sash (21-Jun-2002) "47 rooms with a few nice ideas like the darts in the pools but also with many avoidable bugs such as the 'end of the world' issue a door bug water bubbles in non-water-rooms etc. There are quite a few rooms with nothing to do in but gameplay improves a bit toward the later part of the level although I hated the long shimmy passage and the underwater maze. All in all a nice and easy 30 minutes play with only three enemies in total (2 tinmen 1 fire demon)" - Michael (21-Jun-2002) "The usual Library of Tr4 with the rooms a little diverged light effects absent and three enemies two horsemen and a fire demon. You have to find a gem to go out from the Library activating levers and avoiding some traps in about 25 minutes of gameplay." - Boris (21-Jun-2002) "This half hour level consists of simple linear gameplay and practically no enemies. The texturing is quite nice though and the lighting a pleasant change from levels whose authors think that having the night vision of an owl is a prerequisite for playing TR." - Tombaholic (21-Jun-2002) "It's always great to see a library level that hasn't taken the 'dark and spooky' approach and if fact this doesn't even look like most of the library levels I've seen and is quite a nice change. It starts out a bit slow but soon I was dodging boulders and swinging chains fighting horsemen jumping over fire and drowning - a lot - in the underwater maze. I found one secret and plenty of pickups to get through this fairly simple 30 minute level." - RaiderGirl (21-Jun-2002) "Short easy level about 1 hour play. Most difficult part was a water tunnel maze searching for a switch. But at least the level could be completed." - Fairy Godfather (21-Jun-2002) "Basically the atmosphere and scenery is from the library as someone could imagine from the title. In the outside though with small pools all around and most tasks taking place underwater or underground. Big rooms with gears and a very big and long underwater maze with many medi packs I am guessing in case you are going to drown because other than that no enemies. Many doors that open with switches from rooms with fire traps or monkey swinging to reach the opposite side and find one more a lot of jump switches too. One gem as puzzle that opens the last blue door to finish the level. Most of the time you are running or swimming because of the big rooms and underwater areas short and simple." - Kristina (21-Jun-2002)