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The Loch NG by GMac

alan 8 7 9 8
DJ Full 7 8 8 8
eRIC 9 8 9 8
manarch2 7 8 9 8
MichaelP 7 8 9 9
Mortensmor 8 8 10 8
Phil 9 9 9 8
Ryan 8 8 9 8
Treeble 9 9 10 10
 
release date: 03-Nov-2011
# of downloads: 106

average rating: 8.39
review count: 9
 
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file size: 113.00 MB
file type: TR4
class: Castle
 


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Reviewer's comments
"Rather taxing, dragging and boring in comparison to little satisfaction it gives. Has varied shapes but they don't really stand out because of similar and simple texturing we find all the way. Even the key landmarks feel too simple, same as little density of objects used. The fortitude of level is in being straightforward and well organized, so you know what is main tasks and when you should care about secrets - still, I don't approve of forced disabling of one of them. Occasionally, we can hear a monster roar but neither Nessie nor T-Rex appear in the game. Overall, I was underwhelmed in curiosity and overwhelmed with everything else. Optional level, I'd say. I liked the OG better than NG for sure." - DJ Full (19-Mar-2024)
"I never played the original version of this level, but I'm glad the author took the time to revisit his older projects to bring them up to (then) new possibilities as the result here is amazing. I personally loved the lake in the first level, exploring it under a calm night sky under what I'd presume to be a local folk song. It shortly delves deeper into castle and tower like areas underground, but the high quality textures are a constant from start to finish, coupled with great audio tracks. I played through all three levels on a single sitting, granted I was using the walkthrough but usually I find myself needing a break but not here. Combat is kept to a minimum in just a few areas and there's a huge focus on platforming, some very tall areas you need to climb to the very top by jumping across pillars spread around the room. All in all this was quite an experience, just wish I had been here sooner! 90 minutes, 7 secrets. 11/22" - Treeble (20-Nov-2022)
"Lara explores a castle in Scotland in this levelset. In the first level, you explore the outdoors, the castle surroundings and such. Then in the second level you explore the inside of the castle itself, and then in the final one you must find some gems in order to get the final artefact (which looks like a rose). It's a good level with some custom songs that will be played along the way (some are from TR Anniversary!). Gameplay consists in some jumping, platforming, using torches, climbing, etc. Even though yes, it's quite complex, it is not to the point of getting stuck for hours. For me it took me 1 hour and 29 minutes to finish, so yeah. Found 3 secrets." - alan (01-Nov-2022)
"This is more of a foreboding Scottish castle than I've seen in other levels: the architecture and general texturing is really quite sombre. It's a bit too greyscale in places for my liking, but it's undoubtedly well done and atmospheric, combined with some neat audio choices. These three levels are definitely complex, and while there is usually only a couple tasks you can accomplish when you first enter a particular area, there ends up a huge amount to do and it's easy to get disorientated. I also found that the running around elements of the gameplay got a bit wearying at times, but as a whole it comes together nicely in a satisfying manner. In summary, another solid outing in George's recognisable style and a worthy download." - Ryan (26-Apr-2019)
"The gameplay runs smoothly; the general player should know what to do next, even if it's unclear how to approach it technically (tossing the torch through a crevice was indeed a bit tricky). I really liked the music, it was mostly well-placed (although, at one point, the player is greeted with a very dramatic track a moment too soon). A missing texture or a texturing mistake here and there, but at least the lighting and texturing are coherent. Curiously, the atmosphere reminded me of 1998 Unreal. An enjoyable classic ride." - Mortensmor (15-May-2018)
"I played The loch , straight after Catacombs of the guardian and there is quite a difference ! Despite the grey textures for the sober buildings , this one is more joyful , the audio at the beginning surely helps to set you in the right mood and lighting is more pleasant. Gameplay is also more enjoyable in my opinion, in fact it is a model of gameplay as fluency is concerned. There is no fancy puzzles and progression flows so well with some very enjoyable chunks , especially some jumps and use of the torches. Enemies are not very diversified , and i could not help but notice some place was copied from another one , but i don't mind much as the gameplay was even better. Net gaming time : 2h26. Found only 3/7 secrets. Enjoyable level set." - eRIC (18-Aug-2017)
"If GMac is still keeping his finger on the level editor pulse, he's doing so behind the scenes, as his Skribblerz site advertises as the "latest adventure" a level that was released two years ago. I've played all his previous releases, and The Loch NG bears little resemblance to the version that was one of his earliest efforts. You get three interrelated levels that took me just under two and a half hours to play, and this game deserves to be treated as a current release so that it will get more attention (and reviews). Dutchy has provided an updated walkthrough, which I really needed because of the somewhat complicated gameplay, particularly that extended torch puzzle near the end. Although the scenery is something less than breathtaking, there's plenty of ambient light and I rarely had the need to light a flare. Enemies are relatively few, but the puzzles and the platforming exercises are what will keep you busy in this adventure. Recommended." - Phil (14-Aug-2017)
"Again it has been a very long time since I had played the original adventure, so it is hard to actually compare the NG version, but all by itself it sure looks nice and the atmosphere is conveyed very well and at times beautifully supported by the audio choices. I spent 25 minutes in part 1 and part 2 each and then chose not to play part 3, as I had just finished the Skribblerz Stonez 3 - Return to the Loch level before, which is the same one. The biggest downside of part 1 and 2 lies in the fact that they are both very 'pedestrian', ie you will be doing a lot of running back and forth and only on occasion this gets spiced up by a few surprise dog attacks, fun jump sequences or an easy series of timed runs. Nonetheless it does hold together as a solid adventure and was definitely worth the replay for me." - MichaelP (29-Dec-2014)
"The Loch (6-7-9-8): The loch at the start is really nicely designed and even if most indoor areas can't keep up to the exterior ones, the atmosphere in this game is pretty great. The gameplay in here is rather limited though and involves a lot of tedious backtracking, and the puzzles are rather uninspired as well, pulling several levers is often the only thing to do. The torch puzzle is one of the highlights, but also very easy and dull except for the secret. A much better version of it can be found in the third level.
The Castle (7-8-8-8): The gameplay picks up here with more actual tasks and overall the quest for the various key items (which by the way could be different in each level) is nicely designed. There are some more or less challenging boulder parts and jump sequences, a small interlude with the guide, a small flooding puzzle and two rather nice secrets to find. The rooms tend to look pretty sameish here, with no outside areas this time (in comparison to the first level) so the looks are a bit repetitive. Castle Sanctuary (8-8-9-8): There's a good usage of flybys and music, the texturing is nearly faultless and the lighting is good. Maybe some rooms feel a bit grey (I've said enough about this) and uniform and some of the one-square towers really don't look quite believable but overall the looks are quite pleasant. Gameplaywise there is quite a large variety of tasks and especially the platforming parts are quite inspired, as well as the torch puzzle in which you have to drop several boulders. It feels a bit monotonous at times but the good and fast pace and the steady variety of tasks never let this level feel dull. There's nothing quite outsanding in this level but overall I had a pleasant time in here.
Summary: Another solid release that suffers from the usual things in GMac's levels like monotony and some dull-ish gameplay sections, but the atmosphere is quite nice (I really enjoyed the haunting music choices here) and overall it's a pleasant effort. Found all seven secrets in 1:10 hours." - manarch2 (25-Oct-2014)