| Reviewer's comments |
"Very interesting levels, the series has started in high gear. Remembering Le Chateau I
was expecting tough times riddled with confusion but in comparison these were more
straightforward yet still as creative and frankly, more entertaining. Always good to see
designers evolving and building better levels. The setting has some odd combinations,
Cambodian textures combined with library ones, church style architecture and even some
kind of technological stuff. I can't say I understood what is going on but it
surprisingly worked. Some textures are stretched and a few look low res but they are in
the minority. Gameplay includes a lot of variations including tricky jumps intriguing
exploration, flipmaps, traps, and an interesting globe puzzle which will confuse you if
you miss the clue. Action is plenty making finding secrets mandatory. I didn't mind the
loads of enemies but there has been two instances a camera cutscene occured during which
soldiers were assaulting Lara and my ears so they could have been placed better. Finally
I really liked the look and progression of the last area and I'm looking forward to play
the next levels." - Nomad (20-Jul-2021) |
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| "If you like action and a linear gameplay, I think this is for you. I quite enjoyed the great pace and challenging enemies, despite my general dislike for foes. Here, according to the author's interview, they are very justified in the storyline.
Most rooms were somewhat grandiose and good looking, giving this a larger than life look, which is unusual and appreciated in an introductory level.
My biggest qualm was with some stretched or compressed textures, which look easily fixable. The 'exclusivity' signs also take away from the atmosphere.
Overall, a job well done! I recommend it." - MigMarado (29-Oct-2019) |
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| "This is a much improved and more playable
and enjoyable effort versus this builder's
first level. About an hour of swift,
entertaining raiding through a Cambodian
environment. The surroundings and textures
are much more pleasing to the eye and some
of the architectural structures are
impressive (particularly the tall
pyramidal pillar and the church at the
end), while gameplay is also fairer and
more achievable to the player. Everything
is mostly smooth and straightforward, but
fun and the addition of a sneaky globe
puzzle kept things interesting. Maybe a
few too many guards around for my liking,
but otherwise my time here was well spent." - Ryan (06-Jan-2019) |
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| "I'm currently on a 2002 marathon and I've been dodging this particular level because it seemed too long (I mean, not only it is the first part in a series but it's also a double level on its own). Having just reached the finish trigger, I can say I was wrong. This is a rather straightforward level with quite a few nice moments (I particularly liked the foggy cave, I'm not sure if the effect was entirely intentional but it behaved a bit like the misty Sctoland levels in TR3 Gold). You set off on a quest for a handful of golden stars while gunning down a number of SAS soldiers along the way -- this might have been my biggest gripe with the level, of all things. I also spotted a few texturing mistakes, such as missing or stretched textures, but nothing that harmed my experience here. A fun level, and I sure hope the remaining levels in the series follow suit. 50 minutes, 3 secrets. 04/18" - Treeble (09-Apr-2018) |
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| "Entertaining level with a lot of flipmaps, but I didn't see so good features so players gave a very high ratings. Good architecture and nice texturization, correct cameras and sounds, perhaps I missed some camera shots when doing the tasks in the final area with the cathedral. Not entertaining puzzles except the one with the moveable globes, I finished the levels with a couple of stars in my backpack. Perhaps there are too many enemies, but if you find the secrets you'll get enough guns and ammo. Worth to play but don't expect fabulous features." - Jose (20-Jun-2016) |
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| "This is a very enjoyable two-part level. The City of Gods series is now bundled as a single download, and I was surprised to discover that those levels by the same builder named The Unexpected/Gates of the Forgotten City are included as part of the series. I well remember playing those levels years ago, and now I have an excuse to play them again. But I digress. These two Cave levels are action packed and have some nice varieties of scenery. Dutchy has provided his typically thorough walkthrough, although Anna27 found a secret he'd missed in the second level. I had an hour and a half of gaming fun here, and I would recommend this series to anyone who's looking for a good challenge (particularly in the concluding levels)." - Phil (18-May-2011) |
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| "After having recently played and utterly hated this builders debut level,I was loath to give this one a go - but I'm so glad I did,as the lesson from his earlier mistake (i.e. don't be so totally unfair to the player) has clearly been learnt,together with a profound improvement in the quality of the overall construction.From the very beginning,this adventure engrosses;and it never lets up for the enitre 80 minutes.The puzzles are generally straightforward but constantly intriguing;the locations are well assembled and immersive;the atmosphere is continually gripping;and the enemies are devious and plentiful.Provided you search out all the secrets you'll not have a problem despatching the various foes,as you're subsequently overloaded with heavy weaponry.The gameplay itself is varied,although occasionally a little too sneaky (one too many concealed hang-levers);while something has gone very wrong with the fly-bys - it surprises me that a builder who evidently took such great care in crafting his locations should be so curiously unconcerned with cameras hurtling through walls and spinning haphazardly across rooms. Nonetheless,the adventure develops imaginatively,and the final room (a beautiful and truly impressive Church) is worth waiting for. A perfectly enjoyable adventure." - Orbit Dream (01-Oct-2010) |
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| I've read the story behind this adventure, and I have found out why there are so many SAS guards here. Lara received a phone call from her friend, who was in an Indian temple and got in trouble with an organization that has been sending him threats. If he did not reveal the secrets concerning the City of the Gods, a sacred place inhabited by a strong force, he would face dire consequences. So far, he has managed to keep everything to himself and to his allies. Since he already discussed this matter with Lara, Lara had a vague idea about its existence but she wasn't aware of the fact that other people knew about it. Lara, who has come to rescue her friend, has found out that the radiant temple that she knew was now at the mercy of unscrupulous missionaries. The only hope of finding him alive was by going to the city of the gods as quickly as possible, even though she knew that in the center of the sanctuary, there was a passage that has been kept a secret for many generations. I was quite impressed by this adventure. It seems that the City of Gods was a place where polytheistic and monotheistic religions managed to coexist peacefully. Perhaps there were interfaith services, and it could probably be deemed a religious utopia, where people were able to worship freely without fear of persecution. Aside from fighting against groups of SAS soldiers and jackals, gameplay consisted of solving puzzles, avoiding fire wraiths, obtaining key items (scrolls and golden stars), jumping and avoiding traps (spikes, chains and boulders). The cameras were perfectly placed, I have found the planets puzzle intriguing, and I was surprised by the transparent walkway in the church and the glass pyramid. At the end of the second level, I had 5 small medipacks, 4 large medipacks, 90 bullets of uzi ammunition, 27 revolver bullets, 23 shotgun shells, 6 normal grenades, 8 super grenades, 4 flash grenades and 15 flares. I have managed to find 3 secrets, and I have only used 3 medipacks. I am looking forward to the next two parts of the series. - Sakusha (20-Jul-2005) |
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| "Now is that an entrance or what? Lara slides down and down we hear a boulder camera changes to a huge head out of which she must come where's the boulder? ah there it is now where is Lara? Press forward on the keyboard and there she is! Keep going and for a second you are blinded by the sunflare. Now you're blinded by the beauty of this level. Open a door and pull a switch and a bridge appears to an enormous room how beautiful. When you manage to get rid of the reception committee (a lot of SAS and dogs) you can spend some time looking around. Quite a lot to do here find a torch a crowbar a star switches burn the floor slide down a pole the rolling balls made me jump. More dogs a slide down through swinging chains into another nice room with a big glass pyramid. Off this room is a nice water room and a swim down to a base type setting and a switch pulling puzzle. All through you'll find blocks to push. Off this again is another lovely room with columns to jump and a switch that alters the columns so you can get the scroll and the star. That's really what you're looking for all the time - the stars. When you place the scroll we see a boulder crashing through that glass pyramid and we see underneath is a clever globe pushing puzzle. I got the hint that you push a globe along the snakelike patterns on the floor - worked for me. This gives you a gem and you can move on to another huge open courtyard type place with a cathedral and in the centre what looks like a glass pyramid-topped column inside which is a metal ball that you'll be shooting later. This opens the cathedral up and when you go inside an army of SAS start shooting at you. For crying out loud is nothing sacred any more shooting in a church! When you get rid of the vermin have a look at the gorgeous stained glass. Placing the scroll here gives you a transparent walkway to the altar and beyond. Gameplay is fairly easy. Too many black guards some appearing out of thin air a bit OTT." - CC (19-Aug-2003) |
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| "Another fine level. The textures are applied with much care. The cameras were not always good because at times Lara got shot at during a flyby. The planets were a smart idea. And the cathedral at the end was nice. Great atmosphere. All in all a good level that you should play." - Navi (19-Jan-2003) |
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| "A double level that plays as one really although you do spend about half an hour in each of the two parts. It is set in Angkor style making use of a lot of the library objects such as the burning floor swinging chains pushable globes (nice puzzle with them) and blue doors. Gameplay is quite fluent and enjoyable flybys are much improved versus Claude's previous levels and I had a good time finding 5 stars (of which you use four) a gem and two scrolls. Enemies are fire wraiths (if you wake them up) way too many SAS and dogs. I found three secrets (Uzi grenade gun and goodies). Most remarkable is how the boulder opens the transparent pyramid and then the very nicely designed chapel near the end." - Michael (27-Dec-2002) |
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| "I liked the premise of this level a lot but I think the guards were WAY overdone. I could deal with the fire sprites and the dogs but I think the author went a little over the top with the number of guards. Aside from that it's a marvelously playing level with some excellent puzzles especially the moving globe puzzle and lots of explorations and figuring to be done. Quite a bit of switch pulling but in a necessary way to accomplish certain tasks. I spent about 90 minutes and found 3 secrets but probably 20 of those 90 minutes were spent looking for the way up to the second level in the second to the last room. The cathedral was magnificent as well as the run across the blue translucent walk way to the end." - Momster (05-Oct-2002) |
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| "A level that reminds you of Angkor Wat due to the textures and the environment in general. Even so it's quite interesting. The puzzles are stars you need to find and place plus a very tricky puzzle with the planets I also got a gem that I didn't use. The author was very sneaky with that one when you do get to that room don't pay any attention to the obvious the answer is elsewhere maybe trial and error and smoke related from the initial place of the planets. A lot of SAS guards and dogs to kill which at some point almost left me with no medi packs but fortunately there was one more close by and in fact the whole level is like that the player will always find what is needed before or after a fight for instance. Rope swinging swimming and flooding rooms are a few things that are apart of the game play. The textures although ordinary are well placed and in the last part more colourful than before. The rolling balls are an obstacle commonly used in this level actually there are two linked together not hard to avoid though. A fun level all together." - Kristina (02-Oct-2002) |
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| "I've become quite a fan recently of Angkor Wat levels especially when the textures are combined with another WAD's textures and you also get to play with Lara as an adult and that's what this one is. What added to my enjoyment in this level was that the gameplay was really interesting with some very good puzzles especially the movable sphere one with the not so obvious solution unless you notice a small change when something is done correctly and the architecture which was just beautiful in spots with the creator using room altering changes to make it a little more exciting but it was a bit of a stretch though to believe that you would find some of the different areas combined together as you did here. There aren't a huge mix of enemies only SAS and fire sprites but they are used well so that you have to think fairly quickly before you lose too much health. With 3 secrets found in the first level and none in the second I assume I missed some these 2 levels took me all up 75 minutes to play and it was 75 minutes of sheer fun." - Sash (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "What can I say about this brilliant set of two levels? What a pleasure these were to play. The textures and sights you will encounter are fantastic and the gameplay whilst bordering on the difficult cuts that fine line where you know you can do it with a bit of thought. Extremely well done level folks. You are out hunting for stars and the author has put more than needed into these levels it's just that some are more difficult to get to than others and YOU make the choice (which I liked). The church scenes with the stained glass windows were brilliant and the movable planet puzzle was devious. (Look for tiny changes above you to guide you on the correct path here). Both levels can be completed in 75 minutes and what a marvellous 75 minutes it was. 'Nuff said!" - Torry (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "If you're looking for a good time this is definitely the set of levels to play. They were so good I've already played them twice just because I missed a few things the first time. It starts out with an exciting run from a boulder and ends an hour later when you have found the Forgotten Passage to an area below the church. I found a nice blend of interesting puzzles that were never too hard but kept me guessing a time or two and plenty of areas to explore. The pushable planet puzzle had me puzzled for a while as I thought the color of the steam had something to do with the solution but it was really the steam coming out from the squares where the planet originally started from that mattered. I found five golden stars but only used three so hopefully the other two will be needed in the next level. Enemies consisted of a few well placed soldiers and dogs but were no problem with the three well stocked secrets in the first level and one more in the second levels plus plenty of pickups scattered around. The look of the level and the mix of textures used is something you really must see especially the church at the end of the levels and the effect of the boulder crashing though the cover over the planet puzzle. I think everyone would enjoy this level and highly recommend it." - RaiderGirl (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "All in all a good level to play. Although straight forwards it had me puzzled quite a bit what the next move should be. Reading afterwards the other reviews I admit that I haven't found everything. At least one secret in the first level as I got the revolver only in the seconds level. Made it barely with the medpacks as the SAS soldiers seem to come in twos or fours. They were in my opinion a bit out of place sometimes. The fire spirits I encountered were not a problem as you can hear them from a distance and there is a body of water near by but there was either a bug or a trigger tile as I had at least 10 fire spirits trying to fry Lara. Couldn't get the scroll with the ammo at first (the one that opens a door) and I still don't know what I did but finally I could get Lara to grab it. Tried it after that saved game again and no luck but at least I could get to my saved game. The movable sphere puzzle was just trial and error as the small changes Sash is revering to did took place but I still had to move two spheres again to get the puzzle to work. The tricky jumps were a treat. A big tip: look very good as the stars you need are sometimes hard to spot. Although I loved the textures at some spots the lightning could be a bit better (must have missed flares pick-ups). (17 April 2002)" - Gerty (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "Again a nice level from Claude Gross like always nice textured and many different puzzles. The difficulty was really low the gameplay fluent. I didn't like the enemies in the whole level the same baddys the black soldiers with grenade guns and machine guns there are lots of them. Sure you also have a lot of weapons especially if you find the secrets but it gets boring after a while to shoot always the same soldiers. But the puzzles were really good and I liked the design of the church at the end of the game. I played about 1.30 hours and have found 4 secrets 3 in part 1 and one in the second part. Nice one!" - Freeman Porter (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "Medium length level with some interesting puzzles. Some precise jumps required in parts. The pace is reasonably quick usually obvious what to do next but careful observation and exploration of each area is required. Finishes in a church or such-like building with stained glass windows. Give it a go." - Fairy Godfather (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "The first thing that caught my eye was the good design of this level using new textures. I also liked the architecture and the lighting. Gameplay and puzzles were nice although there was this one planet puzzles that seemed a bit illogical to me. The colors of the planet rings suitable to the steam only lead the player astray so don't care for it. I didn't like those all time shooting SAS guards that seemed out of place somehow instead I would have preferred some kind of 'fantastic animals' or so as the surroundings gave me a kind of fantastic feeling too. All in all nice work." - Sheevah (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "The beauty in the level were the textures. Puzzles were not so difficult ... except for the planet shift ones. I did not like this at all. Why everybody should have a look for themselves for me it was frustrating and illogical. I also don't like it if I come under fire permanently and have no chance of counter attack. Although I did use zero medipacks hehehe. But nevertheless a good level particularly because of the beautiful textures and the church window which looked very realistic." - Xxenofex (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "Angkor Wat the last renovation? The author has mixed Cambodia textures with objects from the lost Library some elements of Hallows and of a SAS base. It may seem strange but it is well done. Some rooms have a very good architecture; at the end of the level there is a big church with some new textures and stained glass very catchy for the eyes! Lara's mission is to find the entrance of a lair which is in this church. The enemies mainly SAS are not a great threat if you find early the secrets (shotgun revolver and grenade launcher). You can find 3 scrolls (one useless in level 1) and 6 stars. At the end of the game I had still 2 stars maybe they will be useful in the sequel of this series. It is a pleasant double level there is something special in them but there is also something missing: I think that things will become more serious and harder for Lara in the following levels." - eRIC (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "What a nice level. Not as brainy as the chateau but with some good puzzles nevertheless. I particularly liked the jump combination the camerawork and the windows of the cathedral. And what excellent gameplay that seems tricky at times but I never got stuck. Mind you it took me some time to spot the thing to shoot at. Some rooms where really impressive with new designs and everything and in some places the textures where rather crude and stretched. The guards seemed a bit out of place as did the technical equipment but the former were placed well so I won't complain. At the end I still had two stars so I don't know it I saw everything or if that was what I came here for. Furthermore there were two apparently timed levers and I never found out what they were good for. Well worth playing." - Dimpfelmoser (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "Nice textures and objects. A little minus are the baddies which are basically always the same and will cost you a lot of energy. The riddles are sometimes difficult but solvable with a bit of patience. They are mainly logical. Sometimes you have to have a closer look at everything because you might miss something. At one point I forgot something and couldn't go back." - Tombraidergirl (21-Jun-2002) |
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