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Level: The Quick and the Dead back home search
Author(s): Hendrik Kunze
total rating:9.67 Gameplay &
Puzzles		 Enemies,
Objects &
Secrets		 Atmosphere,
Sound &
Cameras		 Lighting &
Textures
afzalmiah 10 10 10 10
Aims 9 10 10 10
Andzia9 9 10 10 10
bERT 10 10 10 10
Blue43 9 9 10 10
CC 9 9 10 9
Duncan 10 10 10 10
Engelchen Lara 10 10 10 9
eRIC 8 9 10 10
eTux 9 9 10 8
G.Croft 9 9 10 10
Gerty 10 10 10 10
gfd 8 10 9 9
Glow 9 9 10 9
Ivan 10 9 10 10
Jay 10 10 10 10
Jorge22 9 9 10 10
Jose 9 10 10 9
Josi 10 10 10 10
Kristina 10 10 10 10
Lady Lara 9 10 10 10
LePerk 9 10 10 10
Loupar 10 10 10 10
Magnus 8 9 10 10
manarch2 9 9 10 9
MichaelP 9 9 10 9
Miguel 9 10 10 9
misho98 9 10 10 8
Miss Kroft 10 10 10 10
Orbit Dream 10 10 10 10
Pam 10 10 10 10
Phil 10 9 10 10
QRS 10 10 10 10
RaiderGirl 10 10 10 10
Samu 10 10 10 10
Sash 8 9 10 10
Shandroid 10 9 9 9
Tombraidergirl 10 10 10 10
Torry 9 10 10 9
Treeble 10 10 10 10
Xenutia 9 10 9 10
Yoav 10 10 10 10
category averages
(42 reviews)		 9.40 9.67 9.93 9.67

Reviewer's comments

"Great levelset. The opening cutscene was very good, it really puts you in the mood of the wild west theme. The first level starts directly with a fight. It's kinda boring because you have only pistols and all you do is jumping around and shooting. It took me 5 minutes to kill the guy. After that it becomes interesting - you must explore the town looking for some artifacts to open doors. The uzis were hidden very well. The figts with the cowboys were fun. The gameplay was mostly involving switches or puzzle items. The second level is one of my favorite types - train. It uses the TR4 textures very well, but the level is short. The task in it was to find a star and it was pretty easy. The third level was the hardest fot me because I was confused at the beginning and didn't knew where to go. But after you do one thing, you do another and you continue further in the level. This level involves some torch play. The whole game is pretty good, the atmosphere is perfect, the lighting, the objects. There where lots of enemies, the cameras were enough. But as much as I want I can't give a high grade for the textures. There's just so much wich aren't rightly rotated. The levelset took me 2 hours to complete and I recommend it to everyone!" - misho98 (02-Jul-2012)

"This Wild West levelset has a whole lot of reviews (mine is yet the 41th), but I believe that if the starting cutscene would appear on the levelinfo page, it would easily have at least yet ten more in less than a year, due to its brilliantness - the whole game profits from it, not only the first level.
Silverado Town (9-10-10-9): After the mentioned cutscene the pace directly keeps up as Lara has to fight a horseman and then enter the plundered bank performing a difficult jump up a sill. The size of the level is not too large I think, but there's quite a lot of exploration and I mean fun exploration, not the kind that you run around for hours not knowing what to do, as the builder gives a lot of hints via cameras or a note from an (un?)dead bandit. There actually aren't many puzzles in this level but it didn't need them because admiring all the Wild West objects (especially in and around the saloon) was simply great and the other gameplay elements provided here were either fun or innovative enough - especially loved the roof jumping which always is one of my favourites when the setting is superb. At some parts there was a little too much backtracking through this level but it's bearable in my opinion. There was quite a variety of well placed enemies with dogs, bats, scorpions, Larson brothers and cowboys. Four secrets to find that were hidden well in general and I liked that you can see one secret through a fence and had to figure out how to get there later on. What I didn't like so much in this level were the sameness of those yellowish textures throughout the level and a little more variety would have suited well, the occasional squeezed texture is forgivable though as it happens really rarely. The town walls at the start were a little bit too low so I had a little bit the end-of-world feeling, maybe it would be better to build a few houses without any other purpose than a better background, but this is actually a very minor gripe. And at the end there again is a great love to detail here since you get glimpses of the train of the second level. 45 minutes.
Locomotive Breath (7-9-9-8): The quite short transition level and it is executed remarkably with a TR 4 - reminiscent train level; most of the architecture and bits of the gameplay are "copied" from this level and it actually works quite well. Of course there also were new elements like the sentrygun which you first have to avoid and then have to shoot from behind or the theme-matching enemies, but even two of the three secrets were more or less on the same place as in the original level. Texturing was not that great in the deserts where the train runs through, but I think this comes also due to the difficulty of installing such train levels so it's OK. 15 minutes.
The Quick and the Dead (10-9-10-9): A furious finale in an atmopsheric Indian village with lots of new enemies to fight, not only the Indians, and overall fantastic gameplay which even is better than in the first level as it's a little more puzzle but also exploration based and just manages to find the right mix between them. Again you can see a glimpse of the now just arrived train at the start, then the game starts with Lara exploring the area with finally having to perform an extensive torch puzzle which was just perfectly done as you get to spot the wood piles while progressing and eventuallly after finding the torch you need to re-find all of these and light them. There also was a quite challenging climbing session across the village and a lot of other traps and jump combinations later in this level, especially remarkable were the breakable tile sequence (of which you actually can skip a half), the swim against the steam with the help of a rope and a few well hidden balls to shoot. The objects weren't that much creative as in the first level with a slight usage of Tinnos objects and a few Indian ones later on in the caves, but I liked the round door objects and the lock close to the end. Speaking of the finale - it actually ends how it started with a horseman fight and Lara finally being able to rescue Von Croy. 40 minutes.
Summary: This level was and still is a classic and deservedly so, as it contains a lot of wonderful design elements but also can provide fantastic gameplay, and everything even for today's standards - all in all an old HoF level which has aged pretty well. The only bigger thing I missed was a final cutscene which maybe would have rounded off the levelset, but even without every level made sense and was a great pleasure to play through. Should be on everyone's to-play list." - manarch2 (22-Mar-2012)

"Right from the beginning of this 3-level adventure I got the feeling that this is going to be a real treat and it sure was. Considering that this level is from the earlier years of trle and built with the regular level editor, I can only call this amazing. I found the Gameplay interesting and action packed, exploratory and honestly also quite confusing, as I sometimes had no idea where to go next, especially in level 1 – the Silverado Town. I did run in circles for quite some time and lots of running back and fro, so the net game time does not reflect in any way the real time spent playing through this. Of course all came together nicely in the end, but not without the help from the excellent walkthrough. The second part with the train was rather easy and fairly straightforward, also action packed and I got stuck in the secret area with the sentry because I was not able to kill it – although I had the right weapons for it and according to the walkthrough it should have been possible. So I ended up just reloading and bypassing that section and ignoring the gun. Part 3 – the “Quick and the Dead” is pretty much the closest to a “standard” TR level with some interesting jumping and climbing sequences, cave areas and lava rooms. Lara encountered a good amount of enemies, mostly tough gun fighters and a few horsemen, bats, dogs, crocs and natives. Most of them were well placed and there were a couple of shootouts that made the OK Corral looks like child play. The atmosphere and sounds were my favorite part of this game, as I do like Westerns and it brought back all these great memories from Once Upon A Time In The West and The Good and The Bad And The Ugly. I think when it comes to choice of sounds and background loop this had to be one of the best levels I have seen so far. The texturing was really cool looking and well executed. Everything looked solid, correctly placed and matched the Wild West architecture perfectly. Definitely a worthy Hall of Fame level and I am glad I finally got to play it. Highly recommended – not just for fans of the genre. (2 hours 15min, 7 secrets found)" - Blue43 (28-Apr-2011)

"I remember playing this game back in late 2009. This was very fun western style game. The first level starts with a great flyby with fitting music and the level has the usual cowboys, salons and barrels! The textures in this level was very fitting and nice which makes the village look hot and wild. Lara's outfit was a cowgirl costume and it wasn't my favourite costume but I didn't mind. The second level was a fun train level which slightly reminded me of coyote creek. Entertaining and there were a couple of enemies around. The other level was in an indian sanctaury sort of thing. The game sort of reminds me of coyote creek but they're both wild west level and this game was very fun. There were a lot of medipacks and ammo which was enough for me. Recommended for everyone." - afzalmiah (19-Apr-2011)

"Really a very good and complete adventure. First part in a wild western city with its wooden buildings, its saloon, its bank and the cowboys... Second level in a train, short but entertaining. Third level in an indian reserve, natural environment, outside areas, dangerous caves, and finally rescuing Von Croy. Enough guns, ammo, medipacks and flares, not very hidden secrets, well builded new enemies, typical wild west songs and a good designed gameplay make of this game one of the best old creations (2003) I've played. Only a couple of defects: when finishing the first level, near the train you can do a sidejump over the high fences and reach the end of the world; and in third level you don't need to use the last Little Big Horn to shoot the underwater barrier. A great work taking into account the available resources in that date. Highly recommended." - Jose (11-Feb-2011)

"This is very nice game, I'm really enjoyed on it. Shame that is only few custom levels on Wild West. The graphic is perfect, the rooms are great attired, music is beautiful." - Andzia9 (30-Jan-2009)

"This is one of my very favorite levels. I think the wild west theme is great and I wish more builders would use that theme. Lara looks westerny with her cowboy hat and she gets to traverse a Old West town in search of her friend, Von Croy. There is much to do and enemies to disperse of, with only a few minor problems. There could have been a bit more sprucing up with objects, but this being made so long ago, that may have been impossible. This is a must-play for everyone." - Shandroid (29-Oct-2008)

"This is my favourite custom level to date! I'm not usually a western fan, but this level was just so much fun it was impossible to let that put me off. The gameplay was smooth, logical, never so hard or frustrating that I wanted to give up, but challenging enough to make it interesting. And Lara's western outfit was just too cute. Occasionally there was a lack of camera shots to alert you to which door you'd just opened etc, but that didn't detract too much. If not for that I would have awarded 10 points for that category as well. The enemies were suitably tough on occasion (especially the 'boss' character and the sheriff at the opening), and all-in-all there was an amusing array of weaponry etc. Definitely worth any raider's time. I think I'll be playing it again in the near future! " - Xenutia (30-Mar-2007)

"Silverado (7/9/9/9): Be warned that it’s possible to get stuck right at the beginning of this level if you don’t kill the horseman straight away because he himself may become stuck in the scenery and become unkillable, leading to a restart. Very annoying. Another annoying thing is switches that you pull but which don’t have a camera attached to them so you don’t have a clue what you just opened (luckily, it just turned out to open a secret that you do not need). The setting is unusual though and there is some very good music that lends it a film-like quality, both of which keep you entertained despite long periods of time where you won’t particularly know what to do or where to go. Luckily the map is not too big and it’s possible to eventually get your bearings after exploring it for a while. So if you do get stuck just make sure you look everywhere: up, down and in between. I would say that this is certainly a playable map but one which can lead to feelings of boredom or confusion and therefore I can not recommend it to anyone but experts (this is especially true considering some of the moves you are supposed to know to complete the level). I completed this first part in 2hrs and 15 minutes and found 3 secrets. Locomotive Breath (9/10/9/8): I loved this little level! The fights on top of the train, the music, and the running along the roofs and through the interior were all very good fun. There were a few texture errors as the train went along but I suspect that’s very difficult to avoid. It only took 15 minutes to complete but I still found 1 secret. The Quick and the Dead (8/10/10/9): More excellent music and good fights here (though you always have far too much ammo to spare so the fights are never too dangerous and therefore never too exciting). There are some tricky jumps on this level and some real tests of skill, a few of which may test your patience but the thing that really stood out was the final battle against the cowboy boss, all set to ‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ theme. What a final showdown! Why can’t all boss battles be like this? One strange thing about this level and that was the second Little Big Horn artefact you may come across. Well, you don’t need it at all. Very strange. This took me 1 hour and I found 3 secrets. The entire trilogy took 3hrs 30 minutes and I located 7 secrets in all and I certainly enjoyed parts two and three more than one." - gfd (27-Dec-2006)

"Wow! What a neat 3 level game! This is evidence of what you can do with some imagination using the level editor. I loved all 3 stages (even if the first was best) and you actually get the feeling that you are in the WW for real ;) Hard to find secrets, lovely graphics and objects. Lara’s outfit is wonderful! It was a tad to easy and short for 3 levels but everything else makes up for that. Probably one of the coolest custom levels up to day. It seems like the building skills are strong in this family :) (I have played all of Monika’s levels and they are amazing) Full score from me. 2005/04/15" - QRS (16-Apr-2005)

“Levels look really good and lightings textures and atmosphere are also good. There is nothing bad to say in these levels.” – Samu (28-Jul-2004)

“This level is fantastic so original I loved it! A wild west level never seen before that's what makes it unique. Lara has to find and rescue Von Croy who has been kidnapped by bandits during a robbery (you see the robbery at the start of the level). Enemies have been edited to look like proper bandits and when you get to the third level they are made to look like Indians. The 1st level is around a town you've the saloon and stables with horses in! The 2nd level is brilliantly made. It's a train ride and the train moves and looks like the one in tr4 but of course changed a little to look like a western train. And finally the 3rd level where you have reached your destination and also where Von Croy is trapped. There is Indian's chanting in the background with tents and fires. And of course Von Croy in a cell. These set of levels are some of the best I've played. I like the part where you enter a room to pick up a key item and the theme from pulp fiction starts as you are attacked by thugs and dogs. Definitely recommended to everyone! Play it or you'll regret it!” – Aims (30-Apr-2004)

“After all the TR games set in exotic places it was fun to see one set in my part of the world the American West and drawing on that mythos. This level has the right balance between challenge and flow so the energy stays up and there is a charge of satisfaction from playing. A great piece and far more enjoyable than other levels that get similar ratings.” – Duncan (24-Feb-2004)

“Amazing level in a western town. Everything in these levels is perfect and giving a real feeling of being there. Excellent Gameplay and Puzzles – wonderful. Atmosphere in the little town Hmm in all three levels. This is the second time that I played this levels and I really feel like a cowboy LOL. You will love to play these levels - look at the scores.” – Yoav (11-Feb-2004)

“A level that dares to be different. It feels like Tomb Raider at the same time as it feels like something completely new. The author manages to capture the feeling of the Wild West perfectly while still keeping the gameplay of Tomb Raider. Sure there are a few too many levers (some which are quite hard to find) but when a level is this good it doesn’t really matter. The music the textures the enemies the objects… Everything fits perfectly. There’s even a train-level which although it doesn’t add that much to the gameplay is a nice change of pace and makes it feel like you’re watching an old Western movie. There are a few illegal slopes it’s easy to get stuck sometimes when you’ve missed a lever and some of the enemies move a little strangely but otherwise this is a great level which is highly recommended. Oh and it lasts for seventy minutes.” – Magnus (29-Jan-2004)

“Well I have played this game twice now so I guess I should at least know exactly what I think of it. First - it was certainly worth playing through twice no question. Second I only played it the second time to get a save game to give to Josi so that she could get me across the last lava pit. So that was my one big problem with this level - that ^*^*! jump in the third level - across the lava pit to the sliding block. I tried this a hundred times and could not make it. Hence the 'nine' instead of 'ten' in the gameplay department. I simply don't know why game designers put in really touchy jumps that can only be made once in a dozen attempts. Well at least it wasn't timed. Other than that this was a fabulous level. You have to see it to believe it. I think everything has been said by other reviewers but I'll just mention a few details. I got 6 out of 11 secrets. There is a set of uzi clips that disappears if you don't pick it up before the pulp fiction fight (I think that's what it was). And you can bypass that 'climbable buttress' in the second part of first level (leaves a lever unpulled but it didn't hurt me). Simply jump to the roof besides the building with the jump switch slide back hang shimmy to the railing and pull up and jump back and forth between the 2 roofs. Eventually Lara will slide back inside the railing and land on the platform. Voila - no climbable buttress needed. (Can you tell the climbable buttress was also giving me a problem - LOL.) All in all 3 hours of great fun.” – Lady Lara (26-Dec-2003)

“YEEHAW!! Down in a West Texas town called El Laro I fell in love with a big breasted gal. A cowgirl is only as good as her shootin' iron and I'll be hog tied 'iffin it t'weren't a damn sight hard to find. Firstly she had to rid Silverado of a whole heap of varmints both the four legged and the two legged kind. Those two legged varmints all came from the same clan I'm sure they were all so goddamn ugly. Give poor old Billy the Kid a helpin' hand and Pow-wow with two Medicine Men just so'as she could hitch herself a ride on the old locomotive to the Injun Pueblo. Here she must help the Injuns who can't light their own fires fight off a couple of rampant bears that were terrorising the community and rescue Von Croy who had the misfortune to be kidnapped by the tribe. Lan sakes he mor'n likely deserved it pilfering their treasures as he does.” – Torry (16-Oct-2003)

“Silverado - This is by far the stand out level here with a town full of everything you would expect in the olden days a brilliant saloon bank jailhouse stables it’s got it all. Lara Annie Oakleyed up in western gear is thrown straight into a fight at the start with a cowboy astride his horse that just set the scene perfectly for this game. I did however think the gameplay was a bit straightforward and it could have done with some more puzzling but as the atmosphere was just so fantastic with the help of great music and camerawork I couldn’t really fault this 70 minute level too much. Keep a look out for the 4 secrets to be found. Locomotive Breath - This is a train level that is not much different from the original Desert Railroad. Great initial flyby cowboys and warthogs to kill 3 secrets to find all up about 15 minutes. The Quick and the Dead - In all good cowboy movies you always get to see the Indian reservation and here we actually get to visit it. In this reservation you have to complete a puzzle that fits perfectly lighting campfires the Indians however don’t appreciate this gesture of friendship too much so you have to take care of them as well as some vultures and bears that have wandered into the camp. After some cave exploration and swimming you find out what this was all in vain for to rescue Von Croy who has found himself locked up underground. With 4 secrets tucked away and 45 minutes played this level ends and finishes off a really interesting and original game that we need much more of.” – Sash (24-Sep-2003)

“This is a unique level there is absolutely nothing else like it. I'm not just talking about Tomb Raider either. Whilst the level design is by one person there were many collaborators on this project. It becomes obvious this is the case since no one person could manage all those new objects. They were great. Lara is in a cowgirl outfit and the environment fits that perfectly. The music is superbly added especially the saloon music and the Dick Dale song for Pulp Fiction. The first level is a little illogical with a level at one end of the level opening a door at the other but you always get a camera shot so that is not too bad. The second level is a train level that is done brilliantly. I can just imagine the technical difficulties this presented. The third level is straightforward linear tradition Tomb Raiding with many tricky jumps though it ended a little too early for me. This is a great level that well deserves its place high in the Top 50.” – LePerk (27-Aug-2003)

“At the beginning you will find a lot of good ideas and how much time has the Builder put in. Sound Horizon background music - Cameras and the early Enemies - all that gives a lot of fun and let us hope for a good entire Game. A Bank touched by thieves Saloon with Music a lot of Buildings A Jail and you can use the Train.... (how lovely since the original tr4) The Train stops near a Claim and you feel Danger is approaching ....Challenges and Traps - yes you will try more than one time! Very good Western-Style. One of the last Jumps was so difficult - but Lara went on. 3 hours and 45 min. real good Gameplay - I can recommend it to all. If Hendrik can top that work later?” – Miguel (07-Jul-2003)

“A very original adventure with many good things such as the choice of textures a fluent gameplay helpful cameras retextured enemies (outlaws Navajo natives vultures bears) and music fitted very well the location of the story. The huge download size is justified by excellent or funny audio files music from the far west folklore or soundtracks from Italian films written by Ennio Morricone among others. Silverado (8 9 10 10): Lara is somewhere in Nevada or Arizona. Silverado is a little town which seems to have not changed since the 19th century. The outlaws seem to rule here in the saloon or in the stables. Lara has to explore a lot to spot jump switches and things to shoot. This exploration is fun the most enjoyable part of this level was some good jumping on the roofs. On the downside some of the baddies did not react when Lara was shooting at them and there seems to have no obvious purpose to this level: why did Lara had to solve all those puzzles was it only to find the station and take the train? Locomotive breath (5 6 10 8): From Silverado to an Indian reservation Lara is in a train. The starting fly-by is beautiful and the background music is cool. This is a well done remake of A train in the desert the level of The last revelation. Although there is some variation in the puzzles or in the progression there is no real interest in this level and no need to describe it because you have all played TR4. The quick and the dead (9 9 10 10): Lara is now in what seems a Navajo reservation. I really had the hook for the beginning of this level with an excellent atmosphere. I really don't know why but it recalled me the atmosphere of the lost city in the Golden mask (the TR2 bonus levels made by Eidos). There are good puzzles to solve here switches to find and bonfires to light. It was for me the best moments of this game I enjoyed myself a lot. Then Lara goes underground and the level lost a bit of its charm. However there are good actions to perform in those underground caves such as running on breakable tiles or shooting puzzles until the end where Lara will free Von Croy from his jail. One more word on this whole adventure: it was really fun the time it lasted and the difficulty is not very high.” – eRIC (01-Jul-2003)

“This three leveled set is simply awesome! Lara starts off in ‘Silverado’ (105 minutes; 4 secrets) looking for her mentor Von Croy who was captured by some thieves. Right in the beginning there's the first cut scene of a masked man coming out of the bank and riding a horse. The whole first level is a big city and it's quite easy to get lost there. There is everything a western city needs - including a saloon! There were many switches to activate but it was quite tough to find them! What about Jean Yves arrested? LOL. The level finishes when Lara arrives to the train station then the second level starts and by mentioning ‘train station’ you might have supposed it is a train level. Yes - it is. ‘Locomotive Breath’ (15 minutes; 2 secrets) was the shortest of them but very fun as well. No though puzzles as you're in a train but you do have to look for some items. Eventually it arrives to its destination an Indian reserve. The last level ‘The Quick And The Dead’ (60 minutes; 2 secrets) starts. This was the best of them in my opinion. Great puzzles nice atmosphere and a nice combination of textures from all the games in one place! The secret on the ladders was quite ingenious didn't see anything like that before. After getting through it Lara finally finds Von Croy's jail. There's a pseudo cut scene where Von Croy asks to Lara get him out of there. So she does! Then unfortunately the level ends. This game is REALLY great all the custom sounds are awesome and really adds to the atmosphere. Highly recommended but be sure you have 3 or so hours free before starting to play it because you won't want to stop playing it! (and BIG thanks to Geckokid for his assistance!)” – Treeble (24-May-2003)

“What more can I say that hasn't already been said? Well I don't know because I haven't yet read the other reviews; but this is the most deserving 4x10 personally rated Custom Level I have so far played as I thought it was absolutely lovely. The first of the three adventures possibly went on a bit too long (and 2 'smily-face-on-a-stick' puzzles is maybe one too many) but the atmosphere and appearance was so absolutely spot on that I was too enchanted to be properly annoyed. The Train segment was very short but a good brisk contrast to the opening and closing levels; the third was basically a jumping level but really good for all that. Individually they are all superb. Together they are magnificent. There is so much care and affection for the 2 genres (TR and the Western) on display here that the whole project comes across as an ingenious and meticulously built labour of love. I don't know what Hendrik has chosen as his career but if it's anything other than Computer Game Design he has surely missed his true calling!” – Orbit Dream (15-May-2003)

“Western for relax and about 3:30 hours of active playing. Found 8 secrets. First level 4 second in train 2 and in last third two secrets. Only not found where is crossbow. Found a lot of weapons and medical packs. Music parts are very nice and for mold cowboys movies who was very popular in last century from Ennio Morricone. Levels are very nicely made and excellent combination of battle and action with our super star Lara Croft - cowgirl:))” – Ivan (04-May-2003)

“Now this is quite an adventure to save Von Croy. Lara must have a soft spot for him to go through all that. It begins with a great flyby the bank robbery. Then you have to go through the village opening doors killing baddies and things like that then you get on the train that will bring you to the entrance of the mine. There are some native people who will try to stop you from entering so you have to kill them and even two bears. Look around carefully and remember where the wood stacks are so you don't have to run around like crazy to find them when you have the torch. Once you're in the mine watch out for boulder traps deadly water and more of those 'nice' things. The levels are beautiful made Lara's outfit is great and the baddies look very good too. I loved the music it's a big download but worth it. But don't waste to much time reading about it play it!” – Josi (03-May-2003)

“This is a great level. I once had the idea to create a Wild West level and if I would have been able to do so this is how I would have liked it to be. Sometimes a good story adds to a custom level this is definitely the case here. The enemies are well chosen. We have got scorpions alligators and a lot of bad guys some of them on horses. Then there is the wonderful music - some well known pieces from western movies - which makes the atmosphere unbelievable. Lighting and textures were also well done. The riddles are not too difficult if you keep an open eye (or lasersight) you might prevent getting stuck. I found the gameplay very logical and you’ll get some hints on what to do next. I always found the right way and got stuck only once because I was too blind to see. You have to take some unusual ways I haven’t found any other way so I guess that’s how it should be. The first part takes place in a western town with a bank saloon and prison where you will meet Jean-Yves and a dead prisoner. The second part takes place on a train. There you have to find a way to get into the steam engine. There is a very nice secret in this level. The third and alas final part of the level is a mixture of Indian village/temple and mine. At the end you will come to an underground dungeon where you will be able to free Von Croy who was taken hostage. There are 11 Secrets to find. At first I only found 6 but I was eager to start again - this has never happened before- and so I collected the other 5 as well.” – Tombraidergirl (27-Apr-2003)

“I'm always amazed at how far the level creators went from the original possibilities provided by the level editor. That is also true (or should I say definitely true) as far as this set of 3 levels is concerned. How does someone come to transform Egypt into the Wild West? I thought the Indians were great. But I hated (although I very much appreciated the work put into transforming the TR4 metal knights into wild west bandits on horses) the bandits on horses cause I always do and that's the kind of thing that makes me like a level less. Go figure... They just take too long to kill and you have to shoot them on the right spot so there's no use in firing powerful weapons - you just draw your faithful pistols and run from side to side as you go on shooting or maybe you can jump to some higher spot and shoot them from there. Either way it's as boring as it can get. Sorry... The same goes for any level with knights cowboys robots or whatever they may be just as long as they're mounted on horses and take half an hour to kill. In this game at least it made a lot of sense to have bandits on horses! That's a fact. But let's move away from that... Globally this isn't too hard a game and it's difficult to get Lara killed. You have to pull levers find entrances discover how to get to certain places that initially seem inaccessible... In that sense as in the sense of the ambiance transformation this is a very well conceived game. As I started playing the second level I was afraid it would be almost just like TLR - but it also makes sense it has been transformed and it is kind of a transition level which is a good idea. Only on the last level do things get a little heavier. It's not too complicated to find your way around if you pay close attention but certain parts (jumps traps) have to be repeated till you get them right. There was that part in a lava/fire water room where I kept trying to jump and grab and then jump back while turning in midair to reach the breach on the wall ahead when all I had to do was jump and re-jump for the breach. And that rope above the pool got me confused. Where did that lead? Until I found out it didn't really lead anywhere and it was only (unnecessarily) placed there to help Lara fight the (weak) current. Anyway the music is a must in this game. Somebody else was wondering how many copyrights the author had infringed and you know that's the kind of thing I wonder myself. But I don't believe anybody's going to sue the author for creating a level with such interesting and appropriated music. Thank the Lord Almighty! I also liked the fact that Lara had to save Von Croy instead of just finding artifacts as so often happens. That was interesting. Well I guess I can place this game among the best and most original (without totally becoming something other than TR) that have been created with the LE and I'm going to keep it. You should definitely try it too and keep it if you will...” – Jorge22 (27-Apr-2003)

“Wonderful original and very impressive re-build of the West. A kind of level that never has been done with the LE. I can't find any fault: no bugs perfect music and sounds (totally custom) and a gameplay out of rate. The lighting and textures (city textures and some from the caves in TR1) are also perfect making for very realistic scenery. The retextured enemies are great and the cut scenes are among the best I've ever seen in Custom levels: they are perfect to make up the story. Download it now!” – Loupar (26-Apr-2003)

“What an excellent game with a wonderful story. I’m impressed how these authors come up with new ideas all the time. This is so very lovingly put together: The fantastic music from the intro and in-game the incredible fly-bys the beautiful textures and even Lara’s very tasteful cowgirl-outfit. The story plays in a fascinating western-style environment. Three levels each full of clever puzzles but not too hard to solve gave me hours of great raiding fun. The first level plays in a western town. You encounter some bank robbers with and without horses dogs some scorpions and crocs and there is this entertaining scene where Lara has to fight a couple of mean outlaws at the same time (very well retextured baddies by the way). Keys gems crowbar lasersight and portal guardians are the vital items to find. The second part is an excellent train-level and it fits just perfectly with the western atmosphere. Besides the typical train-activities you have to come up with a good trick to get past the sentry gun and find the missing hand. The third level plays in a cave/mountain area. Five fires have to be lit to open a door on Lara’s way to free Von Croy. This mission gets more complicated due to some wild Indians and bears trying to get her. (Did I hear Indians chanting in the distance? Very creepy!) I also had a fun time in the caves performing some interesting jumps. Throughout all levels I found the gameplay really wonderful. This talented author is capable of keeping the right balance between the pleasures and pains of raiding. I even found nine secrets out of eleven. 60MB? It’s worth it! Treat yourself to this first-class adventure!” – Pam (18-Apr-2003)

“This is a thoroughly delightful mini-game. Here we have three levels that are as different as night and day. We begin in a town where different buildings with a Western motif must be accessed and solved including a saloon with honky-tonk music and stables so realisitic that they fairly reek with the pungent fragrance of horse manure. Then we have an all-too-brief excursion on a train similar to but different from the comparable level in Last Revelation. The final segment takes us to an Indian village where the tom toms pound a beat in your head from start to finish. The moves were challenging without ever becoming a source of frustration. The walkthrough was VERY helpful and I thank whoever was responsible for writing and posting it. Some of the theme music was lifted right out of popular cowboy flick sound tracks as for example "The Magnificent Seven" and two of Clint Eastwood's spaghetti westerns. Don't know if any copyright laws were violated but the theme music sure does add a touch of realism to the gameplay. Not that there's any fair comparison between the two works but I was reminded of ‘Mantua's Squares’ during the early going. Both deserve to be remembered as classics of 2003. More from this level builder please.” – Phil (15-Apr-2003)

“Tarnation it's so difficult to not do a cowboy whoop and holler but I'll try and control myself. An enormous download but well worth the wait. Lara as Anne Oakley. Brilliant opening flyby with a well known western music score (don't know what it's called but everyone will recognise it). A cowboy mounts his horse and comes te get ya. I thought it was clever the way Hendrik makes him kick out at Lara from the horse. A well built Old West town with Saloon Bar Bank Stables (two horses are gone!) Jailhouse (why is Mr.Yves in jail?) and a lot of floor and wall switches to find some hard to see so look carefully. The order of these switches can be confusing and what they do but at least everything is within this small town so it doesn't become tedious. Your main aim is to find the crowbar crossbow and lasersight which you'll need to target a swinging ball and a bell. Enemies are cowboys hound dogs bats scorpions and alligators (can't call them crocs here lol). The shoot-out near the end of Silverado is the most memorable piece of raiding I've ever done to the music from Pulp Fiction. I just loved the way you get to the train level by climbing onto the train excellent. And the flyby and music as you work through the train amazing. Again the end of the train level is excellent and you come smoothly to the village. At the start of The Quick and The Dead if you look back you'll see the train behind you. Now you are treated to a flyby and music from The Good The Bad and The Ugly (I'm nearly sure). WOW. Here is a very clever puzzle of lighting 5 fires. A cave with bears into more caves and nasty traps with snapping jaw gates boulders and breakable tiles burning water (lava?). Phew! And the big decision at the end whether to let Von Croy out?! Nah I'll leave him there to rot grab a pony and mosey on back to the saloon for a well deserved drink. You just have to play this.” – CC (13-Apr-2003)

“As Hendrik told me last year about this project I really couldn’t imagine how he wanted to realize this. Where to take the textures from the outfit and the objects? And as I saw then the first ready part of the trilogy I knew that this would be a something very special ;-) It contains everything a real western needs! The feeling in these levels is absolutely western-like. Hendrik has made a fascinating game which is very well playable. You get into an absolutely new TR-world and charming beautiful levels. The highlight is surely the included music and the fantastic self-made background-sounds. You almost can feel how much work there is in this project. The story begins in the small-town Silverado where one of two bandits is robbing a bank. The second bandit kidnapped von Croy and took him away to a forgotten Indian reservation. In the first level you have to get to the train-station in the second level you fight against ugly cowboys on the train on the way to the reservation and in he third level you are almost there. There are violent Indians awaiting you ;-) All levels are very funny and tricky too. There are many many small and important details and it’s just really a fun to play it. I just can say: GREAT!” – Miss Kroft (10-Apr-2003)

“This was a great adventure. I feel quite privileged because I could witness the idea for this being born at the 3rd German TR-Meeting in July 2002 as Hendrik and J.J.S. had exchanged some ideas and now the end result is there and seeing some of those ideas put into action was quite a treat. Silverado (9/10/10/9 70 min. 4 secrets): The big download is worth it for the 1:20 minutes of cinematic introduction flyby alone. Lara in suitable Western outfit then quickly deals with the bank robber and embarks into a long exploration trip around town visiting the saloon (great fight scene) the jail (poor Jean-Yves locked up there) the roofs of the buildings etc etc. You get way over a dozen helpful cut scenes when pulling the jump switches and levers but still you will be running back and forth quite a bit and need to keep your wits about to stay oriented. You need a gem and two portal guardians along the way and the cut scenes and fight scenes along the way with their accompanying music are the clear highlights of this level. Quite a few enemies but always well placed (crocodile scorpions condor several cowboys dogs and bats). I thought the hint with Billy the Kid's scroll was a nice idea and the four secrets were also fun to get. Locomotive Breath (6/9/10/9 15 min. 3 secrets): I always enjoy a train level and I think putting it in here as a transition works really well even though it is short looks a lot like a copy of the original and by design there is only so much gameplay you can put into it. The ambience music is great though and you get a few more cowboys bats and warthogs (!) to battle until you find the Hand of Wyatt Earp and make your way back to place it. The Quick and the Dead (9/9/10/9 40 min. 3 secrets): Moving right along with the story you are now entering an Indian village and around here the exploring is a little less as the path is slightly more linear but instead you get a good mix of a complex torch puzzle boulder traps objects to target shoot climb/jump/shimmy combination to levers and switches collapsible tiles and crawlspaces to find. Two guardian keys and a star are your puzzle items bears dogs cool Indians condor crocodiles scorpions wasps and bats are the yet again well placed enemies. You get the crossbow (secret) and revolver again here in case you missed those in level one. Eventually and after yet another great fight scene you can rescue VonCroy and finish the level. Bottomline this is probably one of the most authentic TR adventures that carries a totally different theme than those we have come to know so far. Very impressive and an absolute must-play.” – Michael (05-Apr-2003)

“You can tell in the first thirty seconds that this is going to be different than any level you've ever played before. It starts out like a movie with a great flyby of a western town while 'The Magnificent Seven' is playing in the background. The flyby ends outside the Bank of Silverado where you can hear a gunfight going on inside before a back robber comes out gets on his horse and rides off. These levels play more like a western movie than a Tomb Raider level and it's hard to believe that the author is from Germany and not from the wild west. The atmosphere is so authentic - the saloon with the sign swinging in the wind the small bedrooms behind the bar and the saloon music playing in the background; the horse stable; the cowboys and Indians that are the enemies plus Lara's great new outfit; and the great train ride to an Indian settlement where Von Croy is being held captive and you must free him. The puzzles were perfectly done - just hard enough without ever being frustrating - and there were lots of areas to explore along the way. The custom music really adds to the story and so do the great flybys and camera work and the lighting and textures are just about perfect. What a brilliant level and one of the most original ones I've ever seen! I only found eight secrets the first time so I'll have to play again soon.” – RaiderGirl (05-Apr-2003)

“Lara in the wild west! Nicely dressed up in an appropriate outfit and everything. The level starts off with a great flyby which transfers into gameplay. Lara has to find and rescue Von Croy who has been kidnapped. Of course you meet cowboys and Indians and no wild west without a train. Great fun all the way! The sound adds on a lot to the atmosphere and the little town the train and the Indian reservation with the gold mine are perfectly built. It would have been nice with some people strolling down the streets or some barmaids in the saloon but of course that’s not possible. :-) Anyway - great level don’t miss it!” – G.Croft (03-Apr-2003)

“A different Lara here – a cute Westernlady the outfit suited her very well. The whole atmosphere was ingenious whether in the Western City or in the small Indian village including Indians and especially the train ride which I have not seen in a custom level yet. Built with much care and especially the added sound was great to listen to. Puzzles were not hard – Lara needs to find two portal guardians to progress. In Level 1 you deal with levers and sometimes Lara needs to put her brain in gear and there are also a few trigger happy cowboys and dogs crossing her path. In Level 3 it is a bit more difficult as there are several tricky jumps traps and a well thought out torch puzzle. There is so much in here but play for yourself I don’t want to give it all away. Textures were well crafted and the lighting was good and caused you to look twice into some corners. I found 8 secrets and the ending is quite remarkable. I can only recommend it even if it may be a matter of taste.” – Engelchen Lara (02-Apr-2003)

“The most funny and entertaining level I've played in the past months! And probably the first and only set in the West Lara is dressed western style hat and waistcoat...etc..very nice! The music is so brilliant that makes you dance near your PC! Puzzles are quite difficult and the game is never boring. Textures are well placed and done I didn't find bugs. Enemies are not too many and ammos are enough. It took me ages to find the crowbar! The atmosphere is fantastic just like a film cameras are ok I really enjoyed playing this level and I hope the author will make some more!” – Glow (02-Apr-2003)

“Hendrik chose a Western theme and he succeeded big time. From the beginning till the end it oozes western at least what I would picture as a Western. The music he used fits the bill as well and adds so much more to this game. It starts with a beautiful flyby and right after that Lara has to do a shoot out with a cowboy on a horse. Finding levers and artifacts and some nice hidden secrets is your main goal. The town is really remarkable and Hendrik does leave clues lying around so you won't be stuck for long. There are not that many enemies but you won't miss them. Finding keys Portal Guardian blue gem and a scroll and later even a Hand (level 2) and Guardian keys and a Star (level 2 and 3) those are the artifacts. The crowbar did take a while to spot but that is my own fault. The train ride in the next level starts also with a beautiful flyby and finding a Hand is your main goal. Then you are in the last level and Lara has to solve some puzzles. I loved the torch puzzle that was a novelty. Be sure to save before using the torch as I let Lara die quite a couple of times. In this level there is some tricky jumping to do some climbing and finding cracks where you can shimmy. There is also a mean boulder trap that had me reloading a couple of times and if you think you are stuck look again as the answer might be near. Now I am doing it all over again because I understood that I did some illegal jumping. 26-03-2003” – Gerty (31-Mar-2003)

“I can't find words to describe this level. Excellent amazing terrific and whatever other word there is in the English vocabulary for describing something so good. Everything is great from the textures and the wild west setting to the wonderful sounds and music. I think one music theme was from the movie 'Pulp Fiction'. Lara is dressed a cowboy and all the enemies are retextured well there are some regular bears bats and crocodiles. I loved the atmosphere a bank a saloon with music playing as you enter and explore in one part of the level I was expecting to see Clint Eastwood but I guess he was too scared of Lara to show his face. A gem two guardian keys two portal guardians a star are items to search for inside caves in houses and swimming around. I really can't describe everything I saw what about the jailhouse with Jean Yves and the Indians those looked so 'real'. I found three secrets here out of four. The second part was a train level quite similar with the original from TR4 but no doubt a fun level. A sentry gun was added here and I found all three secrets. The last part was the hardest so to speak with much climbing and burning floor water with collapsing tiles around. The torch puzzle was nice you're goal is to light five fires and finally get to the first guardian key. In the cave with the waterfall though it's easy to miss the second guardian key and shoot at the wood to proceed I did at first thinking that maybe I would get back and the key was further. It was after I read at the forum it's not the right way that I went back and got past that area the proper way. At the end you see and hear Von Croy pleading Lara to save him from that hell. Our girl having a golden star in her back pack and always having a weak spot for the helpless she helps him escape and unfortunately the level ends. I found three secrets out of four and enjoyed it very much. It's a level that you mustn't miss and I am sure in the end you will be asking for more like I was. Please more levels like this.” – Kristina (31-Mar-2003)

“Lara in the wild West? I thought that this level must be something special and I wasn't wrong one bit. There were some things that annoyed me a bit through the play time but didn't affect my ratings that much but I'll get to them later gotta start with the good stuff. Silverado - As I've already experienced in Hendrik's previous level the ‘Prison of the lost souls’ he really does a good job with the flybys and the music the opening scene is fantastic and the music in the saloon is well chosen and fits really well to the cowboy shoot out in there the music in the room that is hidden in the rooftop in a big house where you get the 2nd Ornate handle also fits well to the sudden attack of the bandits and of course the stables are very nice too. You can get lost in this western town too since I was running around like blind after finding the Billy's gratitude gem searching for the pool of water even if I had been there before. And I wonder why Jean Yves was put in the jail and Lara didn't help him out too LOL. The train at the ending gave me hopes of yet another quality level since it looks so good from such a viewpoint. As a bad point I would have to name the ‘lack of logic’. Of course Tomb Raider is not that logical itself but the tiny bit of logic we still can have we should spare in the levels. This fault really doesn't affect the gameplay but there were some things that seemed a bit odd like the good old – jump switch activated in one building but a door opens up somewhere else. Maybe this could be achieved in real life somehow too but to give a comparison - it would be quite strange that I'd have to break in my neighbors apartment flush the toilet and then the door to my apartment would open. This is a bit exaggerated from my side and maybe other players don't care much about that but that's one of the things that seemed odd for me. Also I think this was somewhere in the saloon where you had to move a crate to find the revolver but the funny thing about this was when I moved the crate away the one atop it remained suspended in the air. Also there were some window textures in the interior of places which seemed a bit odd to me. I guess the author wanted to break the monotony which wasn't there since the environments never looked that boring to me. Well there are more good things in the level than the bad ones anyway this is just something all players should think about since I've seen bigger nonsense in other levels. Locomotive Breath - a train level as you might have guessed having seen the ending of level 1 or just reading the title. And as such it really doesn't offer that much like any other train level I have played actually if I remember correctly this level didn't last much longer than 10 minutes. I personally can't imagine how hard it was to build a train level since I've never tried before so I can only congratulate Hendrik since it was made very professionally even if it reminded me a lot of the original Desert Railroad from TR4. The 2 secrets I found were placed about in the same spots as in that level and there was the shimmying to the edge of the wagon which we've seen before too. I did like the last wagon part with the life stock and yet another cowboy. Nothing remarkable about this level but it serves it's purpose - gets Lara to the ruins. The Quick and The Dead - Starts out a bit more spooky than the previous levels and as all the levels is made very well. The ruins of an Indian settlement are made astonishingly well even if I knew that some of the textures were taken from a city texture set. The puzzles are pretty simple here - light 5 fireplaces to open a trapdoor get a guardian key and activate 3 switches to open a Goldmine I presume. Simple but fun nonetheless. Once in the goldmine (?) your search for Von Croy begins (even if that's the purpose of Lara being here you only feel it more once here in the goldmine). There are a couple of jumps over a burning oil on collapsing platforms and another one where you have to look carefully for a crawlspace otherwise it seems like a dead end. Getting the golden star was fun and so was freeing Von Croy. Once this is accomplished the level ends for me it was almost 2 hours after I had started. The only thing I could complain about in the last level was a texture of Incan God effigys which seemed a bit out of place here but that's not a tragedy and you will enjoy this level anyway. Overall this really is a unique experience settingwise we don't get too many new things in the gameplay we've never seen before but it's still fun. Even if there were a few things I didn't like so much I enjoyed the level a lot while it lasted :)” – eTux (31-Mar-2003)

“Well howdy-doody-doody! What's all this then? This is the HIGH NOON of all TR-custom levels! And it's over. I want to play the sequel and the next one too: start building now Hendrik. No you deserve some rest now. Where to start? There is absolutely nothing I would dare to criticize. Everything is spot on. THE MUSIC's well chosen and fully appropriate (that Indian singing softly in the background in the last level; the ‘swinging-saloon’ where you could expect each moment the ‘ladies of the house’ showing up lol cosy little bedroom upstairs and all...). TEXTURES AND LIGHTING: unrivaled. THE SMALLEST DETAILS in all the settings: the saloon board slightly swinging in the wind; the train settings before and after the train level. THE SECRETS: absolutely what they should be with special mentioning for the one before the train level (my counter says 8 but I honestly do not remember finding all of those 8). CAMERAS both static and flybys can rival the ones from all the classic westerns. Another remarkable achievement: there was no point whatsoever where I was confronted with an annoying sequence or a ridiculous move you had to make Lara perform except for the confrontation with my own stupidity walking by some crucial jump switch for about 500 times without noticing it... Hendrik thank you thank you thank you. The number one level on my list from now on (27 march 2003)” – bERT (31-Mar-2003)

“Yippeeiyokiyay let's ride into town pardners. Silverado - Well what a treat a visit to a western town complete with saloon with the most wonderful honky tonk music. In fact Hendrik's choice of accompanying audio files is inspired as usual (don't we all remember finding the motorcycle in Prison of Lost Souls?). The opening sequence with the retextured tinman 'bank robber' is worth the download by itself. Lara's western clothes look just right and the whole atmosphere feels really authentic. Pity Lara can't ride a horse! Locomotive Breath - I love train rides don't you? Basically this is Desert Railroad only this time it's the Nevada desert with some interesting Hendrik twists. Anyone who like me is a fan of the original level is going to love this. The Quick and the Dead - Keep the campfires burning! Nice variation on the torch puzzle. Here we have an Indian reservation and caves to negotiate (one of them with resident bears which I thought was rather a nice touch - be warned they aren't hibernating). The normal audio files went AWOL during this part but I wasn't going to quibble about not being able to hear Lara's guns when there were so many wonderful sounds in this set of levels. At the end of the level you get to rescue Von Croy (although do we think this is necessarily a good idea I mean the man does cause a lot of trouble doesn't he?) Personally I was tempted to leave him in jail. I was sorry when I finished - I was having so much fun. I would really like to give more than 10 for atmosphere sound and cameras but I can't so I'm giving it all I can. I found seven secrets but doubtless I missed some - I usually do. If you don't enjoy this then you don't know what fun is!” – Jay (31-Mar-2003)
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