Level reviews

"SPOILER ALERT! My reviews tend to be very detailed in what I saw and enjoyed so if you think this will spoil it for you stop reading now! I remember playing this ages ago and couldn't finish. Let’s see if I can do it now.
What I liked about the level: 1) Love the turtleneck outfit. 2) The bridge extension is fantastic. 3) The cathedral is stunning with stained glass and light streaming in. 4) Super impressive shimmy pole across the vast cathedral lava pool. 5) Epic iconic transport sequence. Loved it!
What I didn't like or thought could be improved: 1) All in all a really tough level starting with a tough blade gauntlet for the detonator. TIP: Grab the ledge, shimmy left, pull up, pick up the flares then run to the skeleton, pick up the detonator then run jump north to minimize health loss. 2) Super tough jump via diabolical block. TIP: Alternative to the walkthrough: Angle to face north/east, take a running jump from the rock wall with sharp curve left then jump/twist off the diabolical block and grab the crevice in the rock wall. Climb into the small crawlspace then crawl out to the triangular opening to the right (north). 3) Placing obstacles to block jumping tasks to increase difficulty not what I would consider good gameplay. 4) Would prefer far more cutscenes as to what happens when something is done (ie. after hitting the gong, after placing the sword in the anvil, after picking up the tooth) instead of a readme text file. 5) Just a wishlist but would have preferred the 2nd sword door to open after picking up the skellie book.
Conclusion: Well, I made it through this really tough level. I only started getting invested in the level about halfway through and followed the written walkthrough word for word (which I don't mind). If you want to test your skills, enjoy the "Japanese style" pixel perfect jumping tasks, don't mind saving a lot and have lots of patience, you will enjoy this level. Due to the tough jumps and tight timed runs, not suitable for beginners. Onwards to the sequel... wish me luck!" - Lizard Queen

"Astonishing. This is definitely top of the crop, with a pitch perfect atmosphere and a plethora of custom objects that help drive home the unique experience you get here. There are a few pixel precise jumps which require you to deal with object collision but most of them can be accomplished with two or three tries at most, so nothing particularly impossible. The hardest bit for me was the run through the series of hammers, and ironically the way back is timed and poses half the challenge. I definitely recommend following Kris' walkthrough though as there's quite a lot of going back and forth and some unusual things to do (jumping through small windows, for instance), so you could be here a while otherwise. Despite being a level from 2005, this still holds up very well in my opinion. 75 minutes, 3 secrets. 01/23" - Treeble

"An iconic level from the past. I'm not a fan of redoing the same paths many times, the lava section is tiring and unnecessary, and the chandelier jumpswitch can choke and die, but it's all a good price for discovering all the groundbreaking setups on the way. Highly recommended, of course." - DJ Full

"Year 2021 here, fellow corona-raiders..This level is many years before created and dam i will remember it for many years ahead..The central first area with the waterfalls is something u cant unseen..and believe me i have played many good levels here..U want gameplay?u want tricky jumps?tricky switch?lacosts?u want nice features?u want epic music and osts during the level?u want witches popping out of walls suddenly?how about excalibur into an avnil? recommended for experienced raiders..God bless you Josep..wish u still reading reviews" - Petaludas

"This rather difficult level with complicated jumps make it inaccessible for the players not mastering this difficulty. For the time of release, this level offers objects and animations never seen before. The battle against the dragon is not easy with these locusts that take life. The final is beautiful and this level is highly recommended ... for experienced raiders." - Drakan

"Wow, what a beautiful level. Believe me, it's worth playing just for the sights and scenes that you will encounter along the way. However (and the author warns of this in the readme file) this is not a level for beginning or even intermediate raiders. There are many diabolical jumps and tricky tasks to surpass. I enjoyed it, but can understand that certain players could be scared away by it, which is why I have downgraded the "Gameplay and Puzzles" category slightly. Apart from that I have nothing else to fault. If you are experienced, I am sure that you will have a great time. It is too good to miss." - Ryan

"A recent review of this older Hall of Fame level prompted me to take a peek, and I was amazed to see that I had not previously reviewed it (although I had a dim memory of having played it). However, when I downloaded and got started with it, I concluded that although I may have indeed played the first parts, I had no memory of the rest of it so I must have gotten discouraged and quit the first time around. In my twilight years I have lost all patience for river currents that are virtually impossible to swim against, for Japanese jumps to places that under normal circumstances should be accessible with a simple hop, and for other artificial impediments to steady progress in a level, so I shamelessly used all available tools to bypass the more difficult moments in order to keep the gameplay smoothly flowing. Even at that, and even using the walkthrough provided by Kris of Lara's Home, I indulged myself here for the better part of two hours. The special effects and the scenery are quite stunning, and that's what I enjoyed most about this level. The lighting is fine, and everything is laid out with impeccable logic. A more patient and expert player would probably find the difficulty factor invigorating, but I played it for the eye candy. I'm just sorry it took so long for me to stick with it until the end." - Phil

"I decided to choose this level for my 800th review mainly because it's one of the best single levels ever released and if not for a couple of things I personally didn't like this level could've earned four tens for me. First of all, this level starts utterly great in the gorgeous waterfall area and never fails to impress till the spectacular finale. The rooms are created with much care for detail, near-perfect texturing and good lighting and a lot of new objects making this level feel modern even if it's nearly eight years old, ranging from simple design elements like the arches to breakable walls, dangerous traps, enemies you've never seen before ... Gameplay in this level also was very, very enjoyable for me, there are lots of timed runs, new traps and difficult jumps, and I never felt any kind of boredom throughout while it was still hard to know where to go next. My only gripe was that this level didn't fully managed the right combination from the traps/jumps/timed runs to exploration and puzzles; the level would've benefited from more solid puzzles instead and some areas felt a bit underused in terms of exploration. The lighting while being good throughout was a little flat or bright in some areas like the lava room where you would meet the boss or another lava room with many difficult slope jumps; textures were faultless though. Overall I had much fun throughout the whole 55 minutes it lasted and found three excellent secrets. Highly recommended." - manarch2

"At first, this has highly possible the most original custom I've ever played (together with Richard Lawther's ingenious levels). But this one, apart from being so beautiful and enjoyable, it contains lots of difficult spots, such like really tough jumps, challenging timed runs and lots of locusts that the dragon will send you constantly when Lara is out of range of him once in the big chapel. As for other aspects, I should highlight an awesome architecture (full of insanely beautiful gothic arches) and very original and great objects. Regarding the objects, the most important to tell, apart from that most of the objects that are present in the level have been designed by this potential and talented builder, I have never enjoyed such original objects in a level. So one of the most recognizable aspects of the builder is his creativity and originality when building. As mentioned above, this level is full of hard moments for gameplay, very enjoyable puzzles and more. Even the enemies are original, those scary demos that will appear fast and will try to frighten you. I also love all the camera angles in certain places, some of which made jumps even more difficult. Overall conclusion & recommendations: This is mainly a very beautiful level full of challenging, but really highly enjoyable spots. I recommend this masterpiece of level to everyone, although newbies will surely find it really complicated." - MrJavi94

"This level immediately starts with a beautiful circular waterfall, and that's just one great sight in the level. Despite this level's age the use of objects is still matched by very few others; there's new animations and sequences everywhere. The texturing and lighting is also sublime, and further helps sell this castle built around a waterfall.
Gameplay goes straight into the "sadistic" category; there are nasty traps and jumps everywhere, and one downside of all the new objects is that the usage of a couple is pretty vague (and they are frequently well-hidden). The Author provides a bunch of hints in the readme file though, which helps makes it less irritating than it could be, and a lot of shortcuts are provided to minimise backtracking. With those things together the only thing that got outright frustrating to me was the Dragon boss area, with a combination of the Locusts along with a section where you're getting sniped by enemies from lava and need to lure them on land to fight them properly (at least the Locusts aren't present there). It finishes with a great ending. This is an excellent level, if you can deal with the very high difficulty level." - Mman

"'Wow!' seems to be the most commonly used word in the rest of the reviews for this level, and who am I to mess with tradition, so here goes: Wow! ;) The single most impressive aspect of this level is the objects: the level teems with objects never seen before in custom levels, and several never seen since either, even though this level is more than 5 years old! They range from magnificent architectural objects like vaulted ceilings and spiral staircases, to fascinating devices like smashing hammer traps, moving bridges, an expanding staircase, a teleporter, and an artefact that becomes a switch, to name just a few.
Though the gameplay is excellent when these new objects come into play, the rest of the time, it gets a bit tiresome. While I have no problem with the 'diabolic' jumps and timed runs in this level (IMO, the more diabolic, the better!), I do have an issue with the illogical flow of the gameplay. Almost every time I seemed to make progress by opening a door, either it would be just a shortcut leading back to a previous area, or else I had reached there without the necessary items to continue. It's possible to miss nearly every important pickup, so there's a lot of backtracking and an almost constant sense of not knowing what to do next. The walkthrough doesn't always help either, as it is rather confusing.
There are a lot of beautiful places in this level, starting with a gorgeous circular waterfall in the beginning, and leading up to a magnificent cathedral-like area near the end. The background music is soothing and pleasant most of the time, but the music in certain areas - for example, the waterfalls and lava area - is far too loud and jarring.
Overall: This is one of those awe-inspiring levels that show just what can be done with the Level Editor - from the fabulous new objects to the disturbing final cutscene. Definitely not to be missed!" - Mytly

"Some levels are mainly built around physical dexterity while others are more puzzle based. This level blends the two perfectly. There are lots of 'jaw dropping in awe' moments as well as lots of 'headscratching'. Be warned - This is not an easy level. (In the readme Josep gives some help/hints and he describes one jump as "diabolic", I would have to agree with him!) But if you are a more experienced Raider then this is will be a very satisfying and rewarding raid for you. It is full of difficult jumps, real puzzles which require thinking, amazing custom objects, frightening enemies and an ending I simply wasn't expecting!" - Kitkat

"The author clearly made this level ultra-difficult thinking it would be fun for die-hard types. i consider myself a die-hard type of sorts, and for me, the fact that this level was so difficult actually had the opposite effect. The jumps and the traps are so hard and so constant (one right after the next) that i was just reloading my game 10 times in a row every other sequence and it just wasn't fun anymore. 'So you made a bunch of traps and jumps that'll take me hours of trying to get through. You may have thought that was fun, but really it's just tedious. There's no excitement in that IMO.' The author certainly did some spectacularly stunning imagery in the very first scene. The opening waterfall environment is certainly worth seeing just for visual impressiveness. But now that i've seen it once, i probably won't ever play this level again." - drguycrain

"Wow, what a stunning opening area...and courtyard...and lava room...everything, basically. The texturing here is perfect, as is the lighting. The audio is well suited to the environment and the use of cameras is also great. Atmosphere is also excellent, and there are many well designed rooms and hidden passages that you would expect to find in a place such as this. The custom objects are brilliant, with new traps, architecture, doors, switches, and many more other items, including a particularly nice-looking teleporter. Gameplay is also good, involving a nice variety of tasks from trap-dodging to some tricky jumps, however, 'tricky' may be too much of an understatement. Some of the jumps were a total nightmare to complete, specifically the ones in the lava cave and the courtyard. There were also a few other sections that I couldn't progress through without the walkthrough, one being the pulling out of the sword once it had been placed...something that wouldn't usually be done, and which thrown me off course quite a bit. If it weren't for these few gameplay problems, this would have easily scored all 10's from me, and it is highly recommended." - Spike

"This was surely a very nice level to play. It's great gameplay that makes you really THINK about what are you doing. It's surely not easy to play, but not too difficult as well. The enemies were great, especially those demons. I almost fell of my chair when I met the first one. The knights were great as well, but I didn't understand one thing: Can all of the enemies walk in the lava? But never mind, it doesn't matter. The objects were really good. There were a lot of things to pick up, and a lot of them were the objects I've never seen. The atmosphere was just good. The cameras were all well placed. The one thing I didn't like were the sounds. Especially the music. In a lot of places the sounds were just 'broken' at the end. They stopped suddenly. But never mind that. The lightning was also just good, but it looked a bit the same in all places. That's at least what I think. The textures were all familiar to me, except the cathedral ones. This is level is worth to play, it really is!" - Danja

"This was a bit of a double-edged sword for me. There's no denying that the level itself is utterly stunning to look at (the niagara-like waterfall at the opening of the level says it all) and the idea of hunting for Excalibur is a true classic with a quite 'bewitching' storyline to it. But unfortunately there was a major downside for me in that so many of the jumps, traps and timed runs were unnecessarily difficult. I *could* do them - eventually - but in the end I found I wasn't enjoying it any more. When you've tried the same jump twenty-five times in a row to no avail you sort of forget why you were taking Lara there in the first place. Ultimately I didn't quite finish the level - I think I was about 85 percent of the way there when it all got too much for me - but I hope I can go back to it one day when I'm fresher and do better at it. I also can't complete a review of this level without mentioning some of the phenomenal animations throughout - the bridges over the lake and the descending stairway are just two that stand out in my mind, but I know there were more! All-in-all, this level is worth it if you're into exceedingly challenging raiding, but if you're looking to relax or if you're a beginner, you're probably better elsewhere." - Xenutia

"I actually started playing this level more than a year ago, but when I got stuck early on I got bored with it and gave up. Am I ever glad I decided to go back to it. From the first waterfall-filled area to the shocking end, this is an adventure you'll never forget. The most impressing thing is, of course, how great the level looks. The author has created tons of new objects and filled his level with them, making every room a work of art, and minimising the number of perfectly square rooms Tomb Raider is known for. The author obviously has a lot of experience, having built the Tarragona levels, and it shows. Of course, the level would be nothing without great gameplay, and here too the author shows that he knows what he's doing. The level seems to have been planned out in detail beforehand, with doors opening up all over the place, connecting areas with each other. The first area with the waterfalls is almost a level in and of itself, and you'll spend a lot of time in it. The biggest problem I have with the level is the sometimes very difficult moves you have to pull off. Ironically, a lot of these moves are only difficult because of the previously mentioned new objects which have a habit of being in the way. Making a curved jump off a walkway suddenly becomes a lot harder when there's a railing and a pillar in the way. My net gaming time was just under forty-five minutes, but that doesn't include the time I spent trying to perform some of the difficult manoeuvres. If you haven't already played this level, believe me - you don't want to miss out." - Magnus

"Yes this looks fabulous, yes this has some amazing visual effects, yes there are new and interesting things to do, but you know what I really didn't like playing it and from early on I was wanting it to be finished. The reason simply is that I had to practically guide myself through with the aid of the walkthrough for the entire game as logic seemed to have been lost. It seems the player has to have knowledge that we have as of yet never had in every other level to progress and this stilted the game constantly for me as I had to check what I should do as this point, like place the sword into an anvil, which I worked out myself, but then you had to straight away pull it back out to use again somewhere else, well what player would use that logic, once you use an item it is used and you move on. Oh well, I was maybe the only frustrated player of this level and it doesn't matter what scores I give it as it won't count to the overall score." - Sash

"Well this was an interesting adventure to say the least and it was quite difficult in places too. But saying that, I was determined and glad that I stuck with it and persevered past all those difficult tight spots which enabled me to finish and complete this fine and masterful level built by this author. From the moment I stepped into this adventure, the atmosphere and environment totally enthralled me and yet again I was completely submerged into yet another Lara adventure. During your mission, you will be encountering enemies like knights, ghosts, dragons, mutants, locusts, gladiators and creatures throwing fire bolts at you, all doing there utmost best in trying to make your mission here, just that little more difficult to complete. With much patience and perseverance, you will also need to master some difficult jumps and manoeuvres, traps will include dodging sliding blades, conquering timed runs through fire blowers, while avoiding being smashed by hammers. Oh yes, you have it all here and in tern I took a fair amount of damage in the process. In general this level is totally impressive and amazing, it was well worth all those battles and getting past all those nasty traps, just to see such fantastic fly-bys with wonderful well laid out rooms with excellent architecture in. In my opinion there is no doubt the game-play was suburb and exciting and kept the adrenalin flowing and gave me a most enjoyable raid with some extremely challenging tasks ahead of me, to master and complete this fine adventurous level. The music, textures and lighting was perfectly done, which gave this adventure an excellent atmosphere, as you made your way around these finely built rooms and achieving all those tricky tasks to finally reach that special ending. I would suggest you download this one and see for yourself and see all those WOW moments that you will encounter during this wonderful adventure. Thank you Josep, for such an amazing level for us all to play." - Gill

"This is truly a great level. The scenary and the environment is fantastic. But beware cause the solving this level won't be by far an easy task. You will come face to face with medieval characteres who will be your enemies: knights, ghosts, dragons but also some weird mutants and locusts.They will be your enemies but by the time you finish the adventure this situation will change.....you will understaind what I mean only when you finish the game. The ending brings a new approach on LARA who in the end will stop being"a nice girl"  When I began the level for a long time a was stuck and didn,t know what to do, but once I found my way into the castle (built in the gothic style) I discovered an excellent atmosphere -very scary if you play with head-phones created by the sworming ghosts. I found also some new puzzles (really great the idea of the suspended lever in the bedroom wich took me quite a long time to figure it out) and the concept of retriving an object you have already used(the Excalibur)." - dya1403

"A great adventure, from Josep here! I've downloaded this level ages ago, but just started playing it and finished it. The level is beautiful and technically awesome. This builder knows how to make levels! First of all, this level is NOT easy. Only experienced players will probably finish it. There are lots of extremely difficult jumps and some very well hidden levers to pull. This level qualifes for my list of "levels where you die a lot". I'll say it again: NOT EASY. The flyby scenes are awesome and almost cinematic. There is also a fantastic custom cutscene at the end of the level. Great work! The music is mostly from AoD and fits perfectly with the mood of this level. Dark and gloomy in some places, very dramatic in some. At the end of the level, I felt very proud that I had been able to finish it! It was a spectacular experience everyone should try! Highly reccomended, but this level is not for beginners." - Thorir

"I must admit, without hesitation, that I consider the author both brilliant and perverse. This is a wonderfully executed level that easily rivals any other, custom or original. I was deeply impressed that the author could make this old game format do what it did, and many of the ideas are delightfully orginal. Alas, for me, it is consistently marred by the author's unwillingness to give up perverse tendencies in the gameplay for the sake of the energy and flow of the game. The author consistently puts in jumps that are needlessly blocked by bits of architecture and often inhibitied by fixed cameras. Every time the level starts to roll and momentum is achieved, then Lara has to navigate some pointlessly difficult jump. A level is just not a bunch of jumps and maneuvers, it is a sense of flow and energy. It doesn't make a difference to me that the author warned that it was hard, I consider being hard for it's own sake a flaw. Certainly this one has a great many wonderful features in superb and unique animations, extraordinary settings that show a real understanding of architecture, and perfect execution. I wanted to like this level a lot more than I did, but I felt the author was constantly snickering in the background, and the ending only confirmed for me that the level was willfully devious. Why have Lara go through all of this in order to become the enemy? I could hope that there would be a sequel to make sense of this, but I am left with the sense that there won't be. Regardless, I feel every Raider should give this one a go, just to enjoy the many outstanding moments it offers." - Duncan

"What an amazing, beautiful and brilliant adventure. Not easy, but not so hard it becomes frustrating, although I found it sometimes very hard to find what to do or where to go next. The waterfalls and the cathedral are wonderful places to wonder around on your quest to find Excalibur. Amazing cutscenes worth to look at more then once. Some scary enemies and a terrible dragon will try to stop you, but don't let that bother you, most are not so hard to get rid of. This adventure is a must play in my opion and I really hope there will be a follow-up. 5-12-2005" - Josi

"This level is amazing!!! It's one of the most innovative level I've played since psiko's Tomb Raider A!!! The first impact with an enormus pelting waterfall is simply striking!!! During the level there are a lot of surprises (flying daemons, moving bridges, spiral staricase and more more more more more ;). There are nice textures and lights, the atmosphere is very enthralling!!!" - Miya

"I found this to be an incredibly challenging level. The scenery is just amazing very beautiful in places and there are some new objects which are interesting to say the least - certainly added interest to the game. The first time I saw one of the new enemies I actually shouted out I got such a fright. I really enjoyed the game but, for me, I don't think I would ever have finished it without the walkthro'. I missed a couple of important things and had to find my way back. I found that sometimes it wasn't clear where or what I had to do next. I found some of the jumps a bit frustrating. I like to have a challenge but a couple of times I think I must have tried 50 times (felt like it anyway) before I made it. My poor fingers are very sore! That said I wouldn't have missed this level for the world, and what an ending. There has to be a sequel! It must be played! Congratulations to the builder for this innovative level." - Moonliteshadow

"Now, this is really very, very good material, grand design and all. It is, nevertheless, also very much clueless gameplaywise and a little too overdone regarding the use of fixed cameras, even though they can generally be somehow justified in the places where they are used - or... just a way of making the gameplay harder somewhat artificially. Even though the author warns about its high difficulty level, I'd say difficulty is medium, only made hard precisely because of the almost absolute lack of clues throughout the game. This game is also very original in several scenes, namely the use of Excalibur, the new teleporters and mainly what is called "wow scenes" in the walkthrough (except maybe for the spiral staircase since, in fact, I've seen that before). All in all, anyway, I must say this is a very well done top game. Quite varied, quite challenging, no visible design flaws. I didn't like Lara turning into a witch at the end, that's not the way I see Lara. In spite of what I said, very advisable, of course." - Jorge22

"Do you ever have those moments while playing Tomb Raider where there's a section that is so difficult that you find yourself saying, 'I hate Tomb Raider so much I am never playing it again!'? If you do, then A witch shall be born may not be your cup of tea, as every moment is like that. You will be dodging sliding blades, making a timed run through fire blowers while avoiding being smash by hammers, testing your precision jumping, and a whole other array of traps and puzzles await you. Fortunately, there are so many new objects and cutscenes that you will be left in awe of what has been packed into one level. I especially loved that the icy floor was indeed icy and slippery. Very enjoyable, although taxing at times, and the ending leaves you wondering and hoping that a second part is to come." - Celli

"A perfect ten, many many congratulations to the author! This level was perfectly made, I must say the best I have played so far. I had this one waiting on my desktop because I was playing another one... I didn't know what I was missing. Lots of favorite moments: The impressive waterfall ending in a small lake, the small chapel in the center, the moving blocks that formed a stair, the fountain, the waterfalls and the lava room, and OMG! The spirits attacking out of nowhere, I got chills when the first one came down from up the room (And I mean it!) The lighting effects, and the gothic arches (awesome!) No boring common textures (:0p) I could write several praragraphs about how good, no, excellent, this level is. Highly recommended for everyone (it may turn a bit tough though, for some). Looking forward for a sequel. =)" - Ivan

Take it from an old raider who has seen most everything that this little gem will blow you away. Combining tricky maneuvers & hazardous environments within a stunning multi-faceted level that will have you swearing and cursing whilst gasping in awe at the marvels to be found within, this is a level not to be missed. It is not as difficult as the author lets on, just take your time and save, save, save. This level simply demanded I come out of reviewing retirement. - Torry

"Impressive, striking, shocking... This man is a great architect. Josep, you have excelled yourself with this level. In some moments along the level you can think about abandon because the very difficult tasks you have to overcome, but when you advance through the level and see the fantastic scenes you're living there is no alternative but to continue playing. Gameplay was very hard (for me), there were very difficult moments and I had to reload savegames many, many times, for this I didn't give a 10 in that section, but the other features are very, very well. There are many things nobody has seen before, so this level be worth to be played though the high difficulty. Only for professional players." - Jose

"Josep's levels can always be recognised by the massive 'Wow-factor'. On replaying it I got through in about 75 minutes, so a relatively short adventure, but it certainly does not feel like one as you will be fully engaged into the storyline and marvel at the breathtaking surroundings. So, it's all about Excalibur and Lara explores a great waterfall area, masters a wide variety of traps, the occasional tricky jump, a sequence of timed runs and battles a handful of demons, a knight, two cool mutants and a dragon. The settings change from a library, to a castle like area to a cathedral and there are also lava rooms in which you get to jump and climb around. Everything is brilliantly connected and several times you open up shortcut doors that make your life easier. The three secrets are fun although not too inspired as largely you need only one particular move/jump to get them. As said, there are countless unique moments never encountered in a custom level before, like the bomb, the spiral staircase, the appearance of the bridges, the awesome opening of the entrance to Hell, the transporter and then of course the trademark special ending. An absolute must-play level." - Michael

"Dear God...the level is absolutely STUNNING! (Not to mention that it is so hard that you have to find every tombraider skill there is to actually survive.) It took me close to 2 hours to finish and I was stuck twice. On the rope sequence and on a tricky jump. I don't know where to begin to describe this game as it is a feast for the eye, a wonderful challenge and well just amazing to see. Josep must have spent months creating this level. It is a true masterpiece! The secrets are placed on hard spots (but not too hard). The textures are wonderful and really fit the story of the adventure. All objects are so neat like the pillars and the arches in the cathedral. There are so many new things that I have never seen in a custom level, like the bridge, the descending stairs, the spiral stairs, the gate to hell, fireplace and the (%/¤/(% to find jump switch.. The music is also great and the spooky flying ghosts *brrr*. This is one of the best levels I have ever seen. I hope there will be not only one sequel but a whole series of them! All tens from me and I would have given it all 15 if that was possible :) 2005-05-29" - QRS

"An impressive level with so many new things never seen before in any Custom level. Great use of custom objects and puzzles. Astonishing animations: they look like cut scenes although they are not. Only a few enemies which fit perfectly the scenery, an unique atmosphere and great use of sounds (although the background audio loop in the big room with the first knight you meet was a bit irritating after a while). There are a few things I did not like that spoilt this great experience: a couple of puzzles which, although logical, are a bit unfair and do not add anything to the enjoyment and brings down the gameplay to frustrating halt, like the camouflaged jump switch in the chandelier: a nice idea but so easy to miss if it was not for the hint in the read-me file. What is the point to design a good puzzle if your only chance to solve it is to read the read-me file? And a curved jump over a railing was quite unnecessary and really frustrating. Also, I really hate the ending with Lara transformed in a witch, maybe it's just me but I think it's unhealthy. There are many, many good moments too, I really liked the use of swords to open doors and I had a great time with the fun jumps and moves in the lake and in the several lava rooms and I enjoyed the timed tasks with the dragon. Highly recommended, but be warned that you will be probably scratch your head wondering what to do next several times, or die and reload a savegame often." - eRIC

"This has got to be one of, if not, 'the' best levels I've ever played. The WOW factor is sky high throughout and it's almost unbelievable that Josep didn't spread these moments out in another long series, but instead we have them all here in the one level. I was staring at the screen watching a cut scene, or animation, or gorgeous scenery, objects, etc. But this is not just a good looker, and although everything can be done, eventually, it is also frustrating in places, which sets the bar high for gameplay, architecture, and overall layout. Some things are frustratingly right in front of you after an action, but it's not obvious what to do, like the wall's opening up, trying to find what door slowly opened after pulling a big timed cog wheel, where do you put this combination explosive device (and how to avoid blowing yourself up while you're at it!), what's the idea with all the cameras in the bedroom (keep looking), and are all skellies just a pile of bones? Enemies are not thick on the ground, or floating in air for that matter (you'll see), but when they do show up they'll both scare the living daylights out of you and leave you in awe. I'm sitting here wondering if I should mention things the player can expect to find in this level, as all of them are so astonishing they should be left for the player to discover themselves. What to do, what to do! OK, just a few then: Finding a way inside, down and around a huge waterfall, to see a flyby of bridges joining the central gatehouse (challenging jump through this structure); a timed run avoiding a number of hammers hitting huge moveable objects, and fire emitters; unkillable enemies; very well hidden objects and switches; amazing site of the entrance to Hell opening up; the run to pass a familiar nasty enemy, timed platforms over lava (the most difficult task, for me, in the level), a flyby of Lara using a gong, great shimmy line high across this cathedral like room, the acquisition and use of Sword; the brilliant transporters, and something I've never seen in a level so far - a spiral staircase. I was left scratching my head wonderful if I had done certain tasks the way they were intended, like jumping over a balcony to a slope, to shimmy along to a crawlspace. And just when I thought the gameplay, animations, cut scenes, puzzles, jumping, etc., were all just about as much amazement I could handle, Josep inserts one of his unusual closing scenes that is a little gem all it's own. This is a level that will stay in my memory for a long time to come, as all Josep's are. A terrific achievement." - CC

"This is a superb level; I'm surprised because Josep has made one of the most beautiful levels I've played. The architecture is so real and perfect that I could rate with a 12. The music is the main part from AoD but there is some music from TR2. The atmosphere is great, with only few enemies some of them very easy to dispatch (ghosts and mutants) and with one gladiator that I was unable to destroy. The main goal of the game is to find Excalibur and use the sword to travel between different parts of the level. Finally, Lara uses Excalibur to get the Skelo's book and soon use it to become herself a witch. I got 3 secrets (after a lot of travels from here to there) in 1hr and 50min; it's not very bad although the puzzles and some parts of the game are extremely difficult (I hate specially the timed runs) and so were some jumps. I have a big headache, this level requires a lot of attention and the end can produce nightmares..... ;)" - Loupar

"This level for sure has a WOW factor. It starts when Lara is standing on the edge of a crater surrounded by water, till you used the transporter almost at the end. I for sure had a buggy download the first time around as I had problems with the timed tiles in the lava room. Lara could jump on them but she died every time. In the next download that luckily was gone. Josep is like Elvis already said an evil man as the jumps one had to make involved maul-handling ones keyboard. Only thing that had me puzzled was the gate, way down in the water, that never opened up for me. 25-04-2005" - Gerty

"Lara's objective is to find Excalibur and it is not an easy task. Puzzles are tricky and you have to think a lot. There are plenty of timed runs to master, as well as tough jumps - not too hard for me though - shimmy along waterfalls and Lara's skills are really tested and there are some devious traps. Graphics are wonderful, I especially liked the cathedral. Clean textures and nicely added sound. The ghosts were something different and several modified objects. Kudos to Josep for all the effort. One thing I did not like - when Lara gets shot at while she cannot defend herself. Especially as this passage was also timed with platforms and I really did not enjoy that. Other than that a must for every player :-)" - Engelchen Lara

"Josep Borrut has surpassed himself once again, delighting us with a technically perfect level. It combines objects, atmosphere and textures so that we enjoy playing (some I had never seen them before). It can be that the level is a little difficult, but has put us sufficient tracks so that we pruned it to finish. Really a fantastic level with final surprise including. By the way, it can be an appetizer for us, because the cascades also will appear in the new commercial version of Tomb Raider.......Congratulations and thanks for this new level." - Albert

"It is clear that this game was inspired from the Excalibur myth and not only, just read the authors notes for more information. Some rate this very difficult but I tend to disagree; it's not as difficult as it appeared to be. Sure it has one trap that requires good timing and I am talking about the area with the two blades and a much needed pick up on a skeleton but they are not so bad actually. There are timed runs but the most 'difficult' of them is the one with the timed raising blocks in a lava room. It is nicely done and the teleporter was impressive, so was the use of the Excalibur but I found the dragon to be out of place. Your enemies will be gladiators and creatures throwing fire bolts, mostly. The game isn't for beginners though but no one should feel intimidated and must give it a try. I liked the custom objects and especially the way Lara can shimmy to the teleporter, also the ending sequence with the grail was very nice. I found two secrets and I have to say that this was a different level from Josep, but very enjoyable." - Kristina

"What spectacular scenery - caves, waterfalls and lots of sink holes to fall into and get trapped, plus gorgeous interiors, especially the cathedral. There are some truly amazing 'special effects' in this level - things I've never seen before. Don't ignore the readme file; it contains helpful hints and the information that this is not a level for beginners. It's true there are a few tricky jumps to achieve and a somewhat hair-raising timed run involving fire emitters and hammers, plus some timed runs later on that are made more difficult by the presence of locusts, so a reasonable level of experience certainly is required. I do urge you to try it, even if you aren't totally confident of your raiding abilities, as it's an outstanding level that you really shouldn't miss." - Jay

"Wow. Where to start? Okay. You must play this game! Yes, it is extremely difficult, but you have not seen the likes of this before and it's not to be missed! The place just oozes danger and there are some wonderfully scary moments. The objects are unique and you will need to muster all of your game-play dexterity to secure them in your inventory. Be prepared to look at objects from a different perspective. Josep has them doing all manner of new things...really diabolical! And step lively there....the ice is slippery.....what a cool touch! Whatever you do, don't give up! You can make those jumps. Remember, Mugs did. This is an outstanding game! I truly cannot wait to see what Josep does next. I hope I'm up to it." - Mugs

"When you start the level you'll see a beautiful area where's a circle shaped waterfall. There are also many other beautiful places in the level like King Arthur's throne room and the hall where a dragon rises from the lava. The level contains many effects like turning of the fireplace. The video in the last room is awesome. There Lara picks up the bowl of the grail and the knight rises from the lava. Puzzles are also good but sometimes too hard. If puzzles had been a little bit easier I could have given better number for puzzles and gameplay. I had to look at walkthrough many times but however the level is top good and I really recommend it." - Samu

"Within this level, I've found a great blend of amazing areas to explore, tricky puzzles, and gameplay full of dangerous perils to overcome. Lara is on the search of Excalibur, the legendary sword that belonged to King Arthur, which was stolen by the witch Morgana and was hidden in her hideout, which is now somewhere in Greenland, where Lara is now to recover it. Starting out above a large hole with cascading waterfalls crashing down into a pool with a dome structure, you'll have to find a way down there, but you won't get far if you dive into the water there, since the current will pull you to your doom. This level is really difficult indeed, so you might not want to play it if you don't wish to see what kind of perils this level contains, particularly a series of fast blades, big crashing hammers, ghoulish hooded phantoms, living suits of armor, and a giant, locust spitting, fire-breathing dragon. I found those things in the level to be quite original, since you don't see living suits of armor in levels that often, or a lot of hammers either. My favorite part of this level was when the dragon comes out after taking Excalibur. The dragon really startled me, but the chase was really fun to do with the suspenseful music that makes you want to keep going. I guess I'll stop here, since I don't want to spoil all of this magnificent level to the people reading my review, so you'd want to download this level yourself to exactly find out what this big level contains." - Relic Hunter

"As a builder I have such a huge appreciation for the technical achievements of this level. I hope players appreciate it too. This is one of the best levels I have ever played. I was blown out by so many WOW moments during the game, it's hard to believe this is only one level. I could ramble on for ages about all the wonderful custom puzzles, objects and enemies in the level, but I think it is better to recommend that you just play it. It is visually stunning. From the moment you start, the crater waterfall is absolutely beautiful - serene yet powerful. But don't let this serenity trick you, there is a much heavier side to this world and it is up to Lara to reveal it. There's no denying this is quite a hard level, but generally clues are fairly given. And if you really are left scratching your head, there are some helpful notes in the readme from the author, which should get you going. Play this when you're in a patient mood and not out for a quick raiding fix. Then you'll have the chance to truly appreciate it. As I said to the builder in my beta test: 'Thank you Josep for raising the level building bar another notch'. So what are you waiting for - go play NOW!" - EssGee

"Already from the title you can guess this has a demonic touch to it. And what a touch it is! Josep is 'EVIL' with capital letters - and you're bound to find out why - this level has some of the most evil use of traps and tricky jumps, tricky timed runs, tricky to master enemies you'll have ever encountered in a custom level. As you might have guessed by now - the difficulty level is rather high - doable, but very, very difficult if one doesn't know what to do. This might not appeal to many players, but I found this to be right up my alley and enjoyed the diabolical tasks immensely, especially on the 2nd retry of the level, when everything seemed and was half as hard. Am not spoiling what awaits you here, you'll just have to find out how evil the use of hammers, blades, fires, jumps - sometimes all simultaneously can be! ;-) The looks are just as great too - with the most memorable areas being the initial waterfall area or some of the magnificent chapels whom you'll encounter along the way on the level. Maybe more could've been done to the lighting to enhance the atmosphere - but with building a level as huge as this the builder is bound to reach certain limitations and Josep has really pushed the limits here. Not only with the clever gameplay, or with the vast impressive surroundings, but especially with the sheer amount of countless WOW moments. From the very start thorough the level moving closer to the rather unexpected, yet fantastic ending you are spoiled with numerous fantastic effects, animations, flybys, objects, fierce enemies like ghosts, indestructible soldiers and hell's demons and sometimes simply by the surroundings themselves - as in the case of a real spiral staircase Lara goes up, the fantastically crafted initial waterfall and many, many more places. What else can be said? Might not be appropriate for novice players, or those who get frustrated easily, but for any advanced raider - this level can be summed up in 2 words - MUST PLAY." - eTux