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Level: Tales back home search
Author(s): tombrdr
total rating:7.67 Gameplay &
Puzzles		 Enemies,
Objects &
Secrets		 Atmosphere,
Sound &
Cameras		 Lighting &
Textures
bERT 6 6 7 8
CC 8 8 9 9
Duncan 9 8 8 9
Engelchen Lara 8 8 9 7
eRIC 6 7 7 6
Gerty 7 7 8 7
Glow 7 8 8 9
Jorge22 7 7 7 6
Josi 8 8 8 8
Kristina 9 8 8 9
MichaelP 7 8 8 8
Orbit Dream 7 6 8 7
Phil 8 9 9 8
RaiderGirl 8 8 8 8
Sash 6 6 7 7
Sherry 8 8 8 9
category averages
(16 reviews)		 7.44 7.50 7.94 7.81

Reviewer's comments

"This level is a good example of (relatively) unpretentious entertainment. Although the bewildering array of different texture themes is a little disorienting,and the forest is your typically green boxy area,there is nonetheless great entertainment value to be had here. There's never a dull moment,be it hunting for devious hang-levers or being attacked by massed skeltons;working out how to lower blocks or trying not to fall into lava;shooting knights on horseback or running from a huge Dragon. The locations range from impressive (the Dragons Lair is a fabulous place)to serviceable,but you tend to be too engrossed in the gameplay to notice many faults anyway. There's a sort of developing storyline here and many idiosyncratic touches,so although no classic I nevertheless recommend it strongly." - Orbit Dream (22-Dec-2008)

"A level that begins differently as Lara is inside a depot at the beginning , then the course branches to some caves exploration before reaching the main puzzle room. It is a pity that a part of the level can be avoided as you don’t need to lower the blocks in this room, except maybe if you want to find all the pickups and secrets. I quite like the outside area with the texturing of the TRC Ireland levels, very atmospheric. The end of the level is spent in and above the final cave with the mutant dragon spitting locusts and fire, and it was an adrenaline rush at times to raid this place before escaping. There is no great puzzle in this level , but the course was rather pleasant for the 35 minutes it took me to reach the end." - eRIC (19-Oct-2008)

“I played this over a year ago and realized I hadn't reviewed it. This is a fun and engaging level which starts at the mundane present and moves into a fairy world of its own. There are some bits to make you think but nothing so difficult to make the blood pressure get out of hand. I liked the complex puzzle and the clever way Lara has to get past the dragon. Recommended.” – Duncan (21-Nov-2004)

”Lara is in a kind of storeroom beside an 'excavation' site with snakes! She goes underground to a dark cave with a very clever globe pushing puzzle, only they're not globes, more like pedestals. These pedestals are on blocks that you need to lower to work the puzzle. Around the room are doors through which are different areas to explore to find the switches that lower those blocks. One area is a spooky forest with our old friend the dead knight on that great looking black horse, ahmets and skeletons on the ground, some come to life. The atmosphere here is terrific with the cricket sounds. Another is a mirror room with a run through glass wall. When the puzzle is complete we move through the cave to . . . Oh my God! A fire breathing dragon, and if that wasn’t bad enough continuous swarms of locusts. There's lava below and you need to run past the dragon to find the switch that turns it to water. Exciting stuff. And finally you come to the last gate with the helicopter hovering ahead of you, place the star and run to it while being attacked, again, by locusts. Another little gem from Debbie.” – CC (11-Aug-2003)

“I'm seeing significant improvement in Debbie Overstreet's levels as I move down the list. This one has a more elaborate puzzle requiring trips down side roads and back again an easily navigable maze and a nice touch at the end with the dragon-locust. The atmosphere is especially well done here particularly in that wooded area with the mounted knight and the werewolves. Very nicely done.” – Phil (05-Aug-2003)

“I can’t say I was as impressed with this as I was with ‘Spooky Places’ although this is still a nice level especially if you love going toe to toe with the evil locust spitting giant serpent. Apart from a movable object puzzle with a really cool little twist you get not much more than switches to find and a fair amount of enemies from a horseman werewolves and skeletons to fire sprites and a handful of tiny snakes that can give you a nasty little nip if you don’t watch yourself. I suppose like the others I wondered why after 45 minutes I finished with only two pieces of the armour one of those being one of the three secrets but as this is one of Debbie’s unique levels I didn’t ponder on that question too long. So if you’re a fan of Ms. Overstreet’s little gems I say go play it and have some fun and if you’re not a fan well then just get over it and play it anyway.” – Sash (18-May-2003)

“What a relief to get out of the dragons lair it gets my hart pounding to run around that terrible creature. But that's the end of the level you start in some kind of base and very soon you are in a cave to find your way to a cemetery (creepy) to find a music scroll. Once you've solved some puzzles and battled knights and monsters you end up in the dragons lair. There you have to pull some levers find stars and battle skeletons all that while that dragon is breathing fire and let his flies bite you. But nevertheless it's a real good level and I enjoyed it a lot. After I finished I remembered a hatch in the ceiling (above the push and pull puzzle) that was open but I never got up there so I loaded a savegame to find what was there. First I found a maze and a mirror room where the grenade gun is and after pulling some levers and blowing away skeletons I could get up there to find a piece of armor. There is another piece somewhere up ahead but I don't remember where exactly. If there are more I did not find them.” – Josi (03-May-2003)

“Debbie's levels have a look and style all their own and part of the fun for me is exploring all the different styled rooms she has in her levels. This one starts out in a warehouse and then moves on to include a forest caves lava rooms a fun pushable planet puzzle a small maze and finally the great room with the dragon with its fireballs and breath filled with locusts. There are also a few skeletons scattered about so make sure to pick up those health packs. I loved the snakes that were found in a few of the rooms and hope to see it in a few more levels now - mine were definitely deadly though and poisoned me if I got too close. There are secrets to find plus two golden stars and a scroll and I just ignored the knight on the horse - he was too cool looking to kill. Don't forget to check out the great new outfit that Lara is wearing too.” – RaiderGirl (21-Feb-2003)

“This level was really well made: not too many enemies at the start but soon you find yourself surrounded by snakes monsters and templars...luckily they are easy to kill! The atmosphere is very dark it gives you the creeps! There are a lot of medipacks and it's ok because at the end you'll meet the dragon with his horrible friends insects that eat Lara alive...plus some fireballs of course! I especially liked the grave the stones and the light were really realistic. I didn't have any bug and the game was smooth only a little bit too short for my taste!” – Glow (17-Feb-2003)

“I'm not certain what to say about this level. It is definitely very original but I'm not sure I always liked the textures as they sometimes tend to be a little simple or confusing. And original still! The puzzles aren't too complicated just enough to make it interesting it does have a very ‘taley’ atmosphere and I liked the crusader on top of his horse the ghost serpents and the werewolves. You don't see much of this in custom levels. The dreaded part somehow is the last part with the dinosaur/serpent/dragon/monster and the horrid grasshoppers that won't leave you alone for a single second! Really hard! Perhaps harder than necessary especially the part where you have to jump to a room with a lever so you can open another door and finish the level... The least one might say is the jump is not obvious at all. Hmmmm I wish I could annihilate the grasshoppers. All in all a positive mark for this one.” – Jorge22 (17-Feb-2003)

“A very enjoyable 45 minutes raid. It seems Debbie begins to move away from her oversized rooms more and more and certainly that is to the advantage in this one. After a short start in a warehouse area you soon reach the central cave with raising blocks and pushable objects that opens up the branches of exploration. You need to get a scroll in a wood area (well done) master a very small maze and a mirror room and a rocky outside area. And you will need two stars and two armor pieces (one being one of the three secrets) and escape with them in your heli. The fire under water effect was rather cool and the whole area around the dragon is very well designed. I thought maybe the multitude of pickups was a little overdone but the addition of the standard sounds is nice. Enemies are rather short living snakes a knight on a horse an ahmet many skeletons and two wraiths. A game with nice progression in an interesting setting - play it.” – Michael (16-Feb-2003)

“Starting in a sort of base you need to find a switch that will raises a block outside so Lara can travel further into the game. The toilets were rather cramped I have to say LOL. Once outside you will encounter a new enemy a snake a first for me in custom levels. Traveling through some spooky outdoors area you have to find some levers and a scroll. Later on some stars as well and of course the crowbar. There are some nasty enemies here a knight on a horse I couldn't kill so I just ignored him and an ahmet. Traveling through caves and also after some swimming you'll meet the dragon. Oh how I hate those pesky locust. Luckily Debbie provides enough medpacks as it took me some good looking before I found out where to go. Meeting a lot of skeletons but by then you have the grenade gun and the crossbow. There is a nice puzzle with the moving chess pieces and later you will encounter some boulder traps. The mirror room was rather empty but nicely done. The dragon you have to pass a couple of times and after you changed the lava into water you are on your way out. Found 3 secrets although I couldn't get the third one as the snakes wouldn’t let me pass. 17-02-2003” – Gerty (16-Feb-2003)

“I look forward to levels from Debbie as I know they will be fun and interesting. She does not fail us and I can only hope she is working on another. The dragon was something else with the escape through lava turned to water which was a surprise. Nice textures and good lighting. All around good fun. Play it!” – Sherry (16-Feb-2003)

“Well Debbie we were a bit harsh on you in our reviews in the past but from what I can see here it was all for the best. Excuse the personal note to the author dear readers but this level is much different in my opinion than the previous levels. It is dark no doubt but it doesn't even come close to what we were used to before the flares are more than enough even I finished with some flares left lol and the gameplay has improved but still we could do with a few more puzzles. A knight on a horse which has the sounds of the horseman a small creature in the woods snakes but they are friendly so don't start shooting the poor things and skeletons are some of the enemies in this level. There is a puzzle with moving objects and many switches to pull also a scroll and stars to collect. The lava rooms have nice textures and the dragon near the end was a nice touch. The wraiths are easy to extinguish as there is always water nearby and I liked very much the fire that was following Lara underwater. I simply enjoyed the one hour I spent in this level. I found three secrets with one of them being the right gauntlet from the armor. You know it would be nice if Debbie started to give us one piece of the armor as a secret in every level from now on and in the end have a bonus level something like Pascal's stars at the Rescue series. Just an idea. Anyway be sure to play this one.” – Kristina (15-Feb-2003)

“Starting our in kind of a warehouse there are first a few boxes to move and switches to use. Then you enter a valley. Puzzles were not always easy and you had to think a bit especially the one with the planets. Then more levers diving climbing and at the end…well I am no giving it away…play it yourself! ;-) Textures are a matter of taste but I thought they were not always so carefully applied :-( In the end the level has a lot to offer. I found only two of the armor pieces and you have to be careful at the end because the dragon and the locusts are not very likeable. Lara finds enough ammo and medipacks and there are also secrets. Make sure you find the grenade gun as you will urgently need it and the crossbow as well ;-).....” – Engelchen Lara (15-Feb-2003)

“Stop the press! Debbie joins the marines! No she does not but it was a bit of a surprise that Lara starts this level standing between some big military vehicles. But soon after you enter that familiar fairytale style we've grown accustomed to with Debbie. The forest from Enchanted/TheQuest is back but in a very small version this time. Also as before weird things happen. I'm referring to the Nevada desert snakes that seem to appear from nowhere and die instantly. The last bunch of them make you get stuck too if you're too fast (the three ones after you take the last star). But enough criticism little challenge as there usually is with Debbie's levels they're so endearing and beautiful and short that you don't mind. So a lot of straightforward raiding with here and there a hang-switch that's a bit hidden and in the end a bit of exploring around the locust-spitting fire dragon (can be annoying but just run from one hiding block to the other and have a look around and you'll get it in the end). Three secrets I found were rather obvious. Was afraid Debbie lost ‘it’ with her previous level but luckily she's back on track with this one.” – bERT (15-Feb-2003)
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