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Franco Bula's Searching For The Savegame Crystal Remake by Feder

DJ Full 9 9 8 9
eRIC 9 9 8 8
Jay 7 8 8 7
JesseG 9 10 9 9
Jorge22 10 10 10 10
Jose 9 10 9 10
manarch2 5 7 8 7
Mman 8 8 8 8
nerdfury 8 8 8 7
Phil 8 8 8 7
Rad 8 9 8 10
Ryan 8 8 8 8
Sabbath 8 8 9 9
SeniorBlitz 8 9 10 10
StudBuddha 8 8 9 9
The Snarky Lesbian 7 8 9 8
Torry 10 10 10 10
Treeble 7 7 8 8
 
release date: 31-Dec-2019
# of downloads: 182

average rating: 8.46
review count: 18
 
review this level

file size: 34.10 MB
file type: TR3
class: Remake
 


author profile(s):
email(s):
fedelopo90@gmail.com

Reviewer's comments
"The longest title by Feder and a nice short game. Maybe the most "standard" level he built, and paling in comparison to his latest TR3 work, but it's classic and comfy with cute cozy places. Forest exploration and combat is slow but you can make it faster with useful secrets or just running, often forgiven in this jungle. Quite recommended, yep." - DJ Full (21-Nov-2023)
"This level was very good, but never played the original version of this level. To be honest i dont really have much to say about this level than i definitely recommend it to people who like classic jungle levels. I give it a 8.2/10." - Sabbath (18-May-2023)
"Although this is built with the Tomb Raider 3 Engine, it really felt like this was a part of a classic series and not just a custom level. The atmosphere, lighting, and textures were pretty spot on. Puzzles weren't really complicated, a couple of traps, keys, etc... Secrets were really good hidden, but there were two things that annoyed me a little. The first thing: those crows/vultures were getting either stuck or were hiding and it was hard for me to shoot them. The second thing: there were several places (slops) where I got stuck and couldn't let myself out, loading previous save was a solution for me. Despite these two issues, I was thoughtfully enjoying this single level, and it wasn't been really hard." - Rad (25-Jan-2021)
"I haven't played the original, but just from looking at the screenshots there are obviously a lot of improvements. This is a jungle setting, and it's well executed and does a good job holding up to the original game, although the settings are relatively small-scale. Object use is also good and does a convincing job of using the India objects. The lighting is the strongest element overall, and holds up to some decent Tomb Raider 4 releases despite the TR3 engine limits. The gameplay isn't especially complex, but there's a nice mix of challenges and it flows quite well, although the tight jungle environments combined with foliage requires some observation at times. Relatively simple for a Feder map, but that makes sense as it's limited by being a remake, and it's still a fun, relatively short level." - Mman (04-Nov-2020)
"(8) Gameplay & Puzzles
The gameplay is solid, but never very creative or thrilling. It's mostly exploration, with some platforming, combat and traps thrown in. I was a little disappointed that there were no puzzles or timed runs, and I wish the platforming and traps were more challenging. After awhile, I felt like I was "going through the motions" in terms of progression. (I haven't played the original level)

(8) Enemies, Objects & Secrets
I enjoyed combat against the Shivas, human baddies, and tigers, however, fighting vultures high up in the treetops wasn't cool. I would have liked to have seen more decorative objects used in interior/temple environments. I found 5/7 secrets and I had much fun finding them; particularly with finding the Uzis. I loved how this secret rewarded the player for being attentive earlier in the game (so that later in the game, when they can finally reach the Uzis, it's an "aha!" moment).

(8) Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras
The atmosphere was excellent, however, some outdoor rooms had boundaries that were too square/boxy -- examples being the areas where you pick up the Uzis and the Secret Key. The music and ambient background noise usage was perfect. I only recall a few cameras, and I would have liked more camera usage. I feel particularly strongly about this with regards to a fairly long monkey swing sequence -- there's a keyhole at the end of it, but there's no way for the player to see that keyhole unless they commit first to the monkey swing sequence. So if the player doesn't have the key, they would have done all that for nothing. A camera here, indicating the keyhole, would have been great.

(7) Textures & Lighting
Flares are sparse in the early stages and there are plenty of dark Jungle areas. Initially, there are 2 separate paths, each to find 1 key. The first flare pickup is found in one of these paths, so if by chance the player goes down the other path, they're spending quite some time with only 2 flares to work with, which is sloppy in my opinion. I know that the player can increase gamma in TR3 (which I had to), however I believe it's up to the builder to be more generous with flares. Textures are mostly done well, and the colored lighting (when not in dark areas) is beautiful.

In sum, this level has solid but not very innovative gameplay. It's not challenging, the gameplay gets repetitive after awhile, but it looks well polished overall. I would recommend it to fans of TR3 Jungle/Temple Ruins. 8/8/8/7." - nerdfury (13-Oct-2020)
"Gameplay & Puzzles - This was a pretty nice remake of the original level. I enjoyed the smoother experience here along with the remade sections. I actually wanted more when I knew I was near the end because of the rush previous to it. I like the blue crystal as well. Enemies, Objects & Secrets - The changes didn't make me feel like this was a bit of an empty place this time. I was glad too that I managed to a least find some secrets during my first play. Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras - Atmosphere is much better here for sure and most things are kept the same which is nice. But done better. Lighting & Textures - I thought this was pretty faultless overall. This adventure took me 1hrs and I found 3/7 secrets." - StudBuddha (27-Jun-2020)
"It seems i've played the original by Franco Bula 10 years ago, but it was too long ago and do not remember much of it ; according to the screenshots or walkthrough it seems this present level is an enhanced version. The reviewers who gave 10 marks seemed to had fun playing this tribute and i understand this. I also had an excellent time playing it ; took me a bit over an hour for i do not like to rush when raiding, the interest i had was constant from start to finish (c. Well textured and lit (better than the original), the level is not difficult but is varied with traps and jumps and secrets finding, with a logical progression ; placement of enemies and pickups is very thoughtful. I'm sorry but this is good raiding to me. Thank you for this good offering." - eRIC (09-May-2020)
"I am with Phil here in that I appreciated this decent little game but still felt this remake was not entirely necessary and I am also baffled by the many generous marks. It is better than the original, surely, but I would've bet that before regarding the builder. Atmosphere is quite spot on, the enemy placement is decent (some crows hidden behind foliage were getting slightly annoying though) and also secrets are well hidden. A few textures are slightly streched but overall the visuals are good as well. Gameplaywise it's rather basic TR 3 stuff you are provided with, not badly presented, but not exactly creative either and there are very few puzzles, longer platforming parts and no timed tasks at all, mainly a lot of exploration. Solid enough for the 35 minutes it lasts." - manarch2 (29-Apr-2020)
"Here we have spike traps, Shiva statues, and snakes. The secrets were particularly fun to find in this level. If there were just a few more puzzle elements this level would have perfect gameplay as far as I'm concerned. A very nicely crafted jungle level. 1 hour 8 minutes." - JesseG (12-Apr-2020)
"Another fine level by Feder. This classic TR3 jungle level has all the ingredients to enjoy one of the old TR environments: moving spiked walls, spike traps, tigers, sheevas... Really a very good tribute worth to play not only for the TR3 nostalgics, but for everybody. Look for the secrets if you want to get extra weapons; in that sense, the rocket launcher appears too late. Really a solid and professional level to enjoy. Recommended!" - Jose (25-Feb-2020)
"It is like the original but actually fun, joking aside it is quite amazing how faithfully Feder recrated Franco's level yet how much he improved it, streamlining areas, adding secrets to spice things up, improving on the original's traps and combat challenges so they are a lot more fun, though visually speaking there is a notable difference, the areas are a lot more well decorated, the lighting really colorful and nice, textures are very well applied and level geometry actually makes sense, wish there was more new content though since I finished it relatively fast, however as a tribute from builder to builder this is a great level." - SeniorBlitz (22-Feb-2020)
"Well, here's my disclaimer: I've never played the original, I may never play the original and I don't even have the slightest notion of what the original feels and looks like. Still, I must say this was, for TR3 fans such as myself, a really well made level that managed to capture Core's original feeling. Hence my ratings. Was it perfect? I once got caught on one of those tree lamps (or whatever they are) as I let myself fall from a branch while some mean soldier kept shooting at me. But, you know, that's so occasional and so picky... The atmosphere, the sort of traps and the way they unfold, the Shiva fights, the treetop jumps and the way Feder decided to show us we were on the right way to a lever there by making a couple of vultures appear, plus the final zip line ride to get the elusive savegame crystal, I found it all so well crafted that, without any kind of bias (except for the TR3 bias, which it is not because it could work against the level if the level were bland), I really must rate this level as highly as it probably and subjectively deserves. My ratings go to Franco Bula and Feder and may they divide them how they find fit. Pretty cool indeed." - Jorge22 (26-Jan-2020)
"Let me see if I have everything straight here. This is a TR3 remake of a TR3 level. The original level was released in 2010. There are 18 reviews of the original level with an average score of 6.08, and there's no rating in any category above a 7. Yet Torry deems this remake, which judging from Harry Laudie's walkthrough follows the original rather faithfully, worthy of 10s across the board. I suspect the influence of builder bias at play here, but no matter. The main question in my mind is the justification for this remake in the first place. And secondarily, whether Franco Bula was involved in the decision-making process. I can understand someone taking a TR2 level, for example, and using it to craft a TR4 remake, as has been done recently, but what's the point of this lateral transfer? On the other hand, I did enjoy playing the remake while preparing a written walkthrough for it, and not having played the original I have nothing to compare it with, but four 10s? Come on. For the most part you're playing in a jungle setting with the usual trappings: tigers, vultures, snakes and Shiva statues. There's a generous total of seven secrets to find, providing some high-powered armament and ammunition that certainly comes in handy in dealing with the numerous enemies you'll encounter along the way. Gameplay is fairly straightforward and not terribly difficult, although there are a couple of devious walkthrough walls and unmarked pushblocks. A good, solid raid, but I still wonder why there was a felt need to drag the original out of cold storage." - Phil (23-Jan-2020)
"From what I can remember of the original release, this definitely looks like a more attractive looking version. The graphics seem cleaner, the atmosphere more palpable and the scenery was less square than previously. All of the jungle level traits are present and correct, from the The obligatory treetop exploration and waterfall filled caverns, right down to the tigers and Shiva statues. The secrets are quite nicely hidden, albeit not too difficult to locate if you look carefully. Nothing too difficult to accomplish, but definitely a worthwhile raid." - Ryan (23-Jan-2020)
"What is this my tired eyes see? ANOTHER FEDER LEVEL? Nom nom nom. So can I say? This level feels like a classic, as in a level that was structurally developped 10 years ago. By which I don't mean to say that it is bad, in fact I thorughly enjoyed this level. But it plays a lot like a classic Tomb Raider 3 level would. Made by a master build, but still very classical. The textures used (Temple Ruins), the enemies to be found and the riddles consisting mostly of finding keys is one of the most classical experiences one can have. And it just works. It plays nicely and is very uncomplicated, as opposed to the more modern style of many TR4 levels or even compared to Feder's other Tomb Raider 3 level set (Templar's Secret), which was more innovative in it's design. Compared to this the level here is almost conservative (because it is a remake of another builder's level), although I did heavily enjoy climbing through multiple levels of tree thickets.
All in all, this level is very uncomplicated and thoroughly honest, it's a charming friend from an older era of level design, and that makes it very fun. Just not AS fun and original as what we are used to from Feder (who to me is the Noam Chomsky of level design). There are no custom textures here, neither in the enemies (which are tigers, vultures, Shiva statues and low tier gunners), nor in the environment (Temple Ruins), most of the time you will be looking for multiple keys to open a bigger gate, which then leads to the next key-requiring door, almost like a Red Coin level in Mario Maker. There are also entirely too many weapons that are entirely unnecessary because the enemies are not difficult enough to warrant the usage of a Desert Eagle or Uzis, so if you keep saving med kits and ammunition like you might be used to from Tomb Raider, then you will reach the end of the level without ever using any of them. But that is a nitpick, since the secrets are all very nicely hidden, and it felt absolutely gosh darn amazing to find a Desert Eagle in one of them early on, and that feeling really outshined whether or not I used the gun in the end. Again, the level itself is conservatively / classic Tomb Raider 3, wears itself on it's sleeve, and I can respect that. I enjoy that. Often more than the most innovatively different textures or designs. So try it, play this level if you want an enjoyable 1.5-2 hours that have no bullshit design ideas, honest and classic." - The Snarky Lesbian (18-Jan-2020)
"Considering it’s the best part of ten years since I played the original game on which this is based, I am utterly unable to say how like the original this is. Certainly it’s a blameless TR3 jungle level, with the usual climbing around tree tops, killing tigers, Shivas etc., and even a bit of wading through mud – classic jungle level in other words. If you like the genre, you could do worse." - Jay (11-Jan-2020)
"What a wonderful adventure true in every aspect to the original Tomb Raider 3 game. I spent nearly 90 minutes here and enjoyed every one of them. As this is rendered in the original TR3 engine I was surprised at how crisp and clean the graphics were. Only found 5 of the 7 secrets but that's ok. Loved the exploration through the trees and only had to refer to a walk through twice (mainly because I missed something) so good level design." - Torry (05-Jan-2020)
"Here's a nice tribute from one author to another. At first, I'd have dismissed seeing a TR3 level remade in the TR3 engine, but alas it's more than a simple 1:1 remake. Lots of areas were reworked, gameplay has changed quite a bit (I think the number of keys was drastically reduced, some were replaced with levers for instance), but overall I think what stood out the most to me was lighting. It seems to use a lot more lighting effects than the original counterpart. As I played the original rather recently, quite a few of the areas felt familiar so the general flow remains the same -- perhaps slightly more streamlined, even. Ah, yes, the deadly laser trap is gone, and so is the unmarked climbable wall. 40 minutes, 3 secrets. 12/19" - Treeble (05-Jan-2020)