Level: Pyramid of Course Author(s): Robin van Dijke total rating: 3.37 Gameplay & Puzzles Enemies, Objects & Secrets Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras Lighting & Textures CC 2 2 1 1 Dimpfelmoser 3 4 4 1 DJ Full 1 0 3 2 Gerty 3 5 6 4 Jay 3 3 3 3 Jose 3 3 5 2 Kristina 6 6 6 6 Magnus 3 3 3 2 MichaelP 4 5 6 3 Momster 4 4 5 4 Mulf 2 2 4 2 Orbit Dream 3 5 2 2 RaiderGirl 5 5 6 6 Ryan 3 4 2 2 Sash 3 5 6 5 Scottie 1 2 2 2 Tombaholic 3 3 3 2 Torry 3 3 2 6 Treeble 5 4 2 2 category averages (19 reviews) 3.16 3.58 3.74 3.00 Reviewer's comments "Nothing really special in this level, look for artifacts to open doors and kill red ninjas, crocs and scorpions. I never though to say this, but there are excessive guns and ammo; the secrets are not hidden. The architecture is very simple, and the textures are often very elongated; the rooms are empty of objects and the author placed a lot of flybys with fast cameras, but why don't add music to the flybys? At least, the mazes were not too nasty. Playable, but not entertaining." - Jose (19-Dec-2017) "Any description of this level cannot help sounding like you’re explaining a joke, beginning with the punning title of course, and continuing through the pointless pickups, misplaced enemies, ostentatiously mismatching textures and delirious flybys (extra points for those) to the hilariously absurd ending, in which we see Lara standing on a block she’s just raised—triumphantly, as if standing eight clicks higher than before made the slightest difference to her being trapped in a room surrounded by sky-high walls. And yet, and yet…I cannot shake the feeling that the builder wasn’t entirely in on the joke. So...is it art? Who knows? Who cares?" - Mulf (18-Apr-2017) "What a very strange level this was! I don't know if the author intended to humour us, or if everything was just thrown together in a sloppy manner, but this was one strange level - and not in a good way. Stretched and wallpapered textures, gut-wrenchingly fast flybys, a rather boring maze and shimmy sequence and a wild mix of enemies. I suppose the author had good intentions, but I wasn't really entertained all that much." - Ryan (18-Jan-2017) "This is a major goodie collecting exercise. There's also some basic platforming and quite a lot of ninja/crocodile annihilation. The bland scenery does little to alleviate the uninspiring gameplay and the only really memorable thing about this level is the frantic (and occasionally rather nausea inducing) flybys." - Jay (28-Aug-2016) "I can't possibly believe that the builder of this level was under the impression that he was,in any way,creating something sensible.Icy textures and angry bedouin;snowy labyrinths and ravenous crocodiles;ninja's pacing impotently around inside crawlspaces,their heads buried into the ceiling - surely this all demonstrates a palpable sense of humour? Oh well,perhaps not;as the massively stretched textures and wild fly-bys also betray a disinterest in anything aesthetically pleasing. The gameplay itself is fun,albeit way too simple (you can bypass many of the 'tricky bits' with ease);but the experience of blowing up a tiny solitary scorpion with a grenade is always something to relish.If you go into this with tongue in cheek,treating it as a joke level,you'll have plenty of fun." - Orbit Dream (23-Nov-2010) "One point for the wackiest cameras ever. Another one for getting me inside the empty block of ice. Third point for the sound. Fourth for the lighting, as I was able to see everything. And the final one for texturing, only because it allowed me to finish the game. The overall experience is just monotonous and boring. We don't even have to use one of the puzzle items, what makes me assume the game wasn't tested before its release. Most of the weapons we find are useless. I have a strange feeling some people's ambition is to place all the weapons ingame at all cost, no matter what the results will be. So, here we go again: we pick up 240 uzi ammo, trying not to drown in the meantime. SUMMARY: So much overrated. I don't understand why I didn't find this game among the levels rated from 1 to 2." - DJ Full (20-Nov-2010) "Were this really so few rooms? Quite astonishingly which one can waste in so few rooms so much time. And where was then now the pyramid? I have seen, in any case, absolutely nothing of a pyramid. But stretched textures. And opponents who appear suddenly and disappear as suddenly again. And a lot too bright rooms. And bald rooms. And so hectic flybys which could become bad to one. And what does one make now during about 20 minutes? One walks around, opens a few doors, must find some Items, shoots several Baddies, crocodiles and scorpions and is really glad, that one is at the level end." - Scottie (25-May-2009) A very strange level. Yes, it's Egyptian, with ninjas, scorpions, crocodiles, vraeus, canopic jars, and pyramid keys. But what a strange place! It's big sprawling and . . . indescribable! At one time it seemed to me to be just an environment to encounter lots of enemies and pick up a truck load of ammo. There are huge problems with textures which didn't help. Some rooms, I presume, were meant to look like ice walls, others were like caves, but all of them were big boxy and plain. The flybys were totally unnecessary and should only be watched when sober! Doors open with the objects found and seem to be placed in the nearest available wall without thought, or else they open when picking up ammo, like the grenade gun. The title is funny, almost like the author has been asked a thousand times what exactly this is, and said 'pyramid of course'. - CC (12-Jul-2005) “It has nothing to do with pyramids so there goes the title. It has many flyby scenes though and annoying if you ask me because they show everything where the puzzle items are everything not to mention that at times they finish upside down or are too fast I got dizzy. Two canopic jars three vraeus and two guardian keys if I counted correctly are what you need. The ninjas are easy to kill because of the revolver shotgun and grenade gun not to forget the Uzi and crossbow but so are the crocodiles and scorpions. The level ends with Lara placing the last guardian key and while being on a raised iron cage.” – Kristina (10-Dec-2002) “What a strange but funny level. Although with all the ammo Lara could start a war on her own the enemies are not that plentiful some crocs and ninjas and a lost scorpion or two. Getting two Guardian keys three Vraeus and two Canopy jars will allow you to finish the level. Found even two secrets but that was easy as a matter of fact the whole level is very easy. There a few mazes but they are OK a long shimmy and even a swim. Some burning tiles but they are no surprise so you won’t die in this level at least I didn’t. 05-11-2002” – Gerty (09-Nov-2002) “This is rather confusing. Why is it called Pyramid of Course when this is not an Egypt style level but instead has a lot of icy textures? What are all the weapons and ammo for? What opened the underwater door? You make your way through a few mazelike areas collect a lot of items and fight quite a few enemies. The textures are carelessly applied and stretched in most places so there is no atmosphere to speak of. But I liked the wild and whacky fly bys that sometimes ended upside down and being attacked by crocodiles scorpions and assassins all at once was moderately thrilling.” – Dimpfelmoser (05-Oct-2002) “Hohum an extremely linear and simple level. You’ll never wonder what’s going to happen and the only surprise you’ll get is raising up on the cage. Why do some of the level builders think it’s a good thing to make upside down and inside-out flybys? And this author made way too many of these irritating flybys for so simple a level. I certainly am not impressed and doubt if any of you will be either. And where do they get these well-trained crocodiles that always pick on Lara and not the ninja standing there with her?” – Momster (23-Aug-2002) “All this level offers is a hunt for a myriad of objects so that Lara can simply exit the level. YAWN. This was in no way assisted by the ill designed flybys that left one giddy and wondering how they were supposed to help. The level will take you 20 minutes to complete which was about 18 minutes too long.” – Torry (15-Aug-2002) “With only 8 rooms making up this level I assumed it would have been a joke level but to my surprise it wasn’t and in fact it lasted for nearly 25 minutes on the downside though this is a very simplistic game where you need to collect many easily found key pick ups and absolutely loads of unnecessary normal pick ups to make it outside and to the end which in itself is a little bizarre as Lara is lifted on a raised metal platform for no apparent reason and then the level ends. Enemies are used quite nicely making Lara have to think quick to take them out and the fly by cameras were fun as they twisted and turned but texturally the interior was a mix of arctic icy rooms and Egyptian settings which made me wonder what kind of place I was playing in and I assume the creator may have pre-empted my thought with the title of the level a pyramid of course! But a very odd pyramid!” – Sash (21-Jun-2002) “Indeed surprising how much time can be spent in a level of only 8 (!) rooms (about 25 minutes). It stands out for a number of dizzy-making flyby cameras lots of (unnecessary) pickups and a bit of action with crocodiles ninjas scorpions and the usual set of key pickups to find and place to progress.” - Michael (21-Jun-2002) “This is a first try so I wasn't expecting a great thing but I was surprised when the 10 rooms that compose this level took me 20 minutes to finish it. It's rooms are usually texturized with the same textures giving a bad look to it there's no lighting after all and the gameplay is made of searching puzzle pieces to open doors. There's no atmosphere and the cameras are CRAZY. Secret places are as hidden as the floor -- no way you'll miss them.” – Treeble (21-Jun-2002) “A 20 minute jaunt through several large box-shaped rooms. There are no lighting effects and the textures are plain and monotone. Lara is kept busy picking up the weapons and ammo that litter the floors so the many enemies posed no threat (let's just say I was shooting scorpions with explosive arrows). There are no fewer than 5 very dizzying and pointless fly-bys as well. I did like the way the author had Lara place puzzle pieces in a way that she's raised up on blocks. And finally there was one small puzzle at the very end that wasn't bad.” – Tombaholic (21-Jun-2002) “This was an interesting level that kept me on my toes with the many ninjas crocs and scorpions that jumped out at me from around the many corners. Supposedly set in a pyramid this looked like no pyramid I've ever seen before. Very interesting though with many different sets of textures used including both sand and ice. A pretty straightforward level I had no problems figuring out what to do next but still found it to be entertaining. There are plenty of weapons and ammo to take care of the enemies and the lighting was just right - no flares needed. A few puzzles added would be nice but I enjoyed this level and recommend it to anyone looking for a fairly easy level.” – RaiderGirl (21-Jun-2002) “Set in a very very strange pyramid this level doesn’t look like any pyramid I’ve ever seen before. There isn’t much to call ‘gameplay’ in this level you just have to find different kinds of ‘keys’ and battle a lot of enemies. The texturing isn’t very good at least I didn’t think so. After I had finished the level after 13 minutes I wondered if it was really worth downloading it and I decided that it wasn’t.” – Magnus (21-Jun-2002)