Level reviews

"A nice difference to all of the Egypt levels that were released around the same time, this one has no stretched textures and lighting throughout. The atmosphere was taken away a bit from the rooms main configurations being boxy but apart from that a fun and quick adventure, you wont need more than 20 minutes to complete this little level. Definitely worth a run- through." - ColeMoles

"Again, another enjoyable debut from this talented author. I personally enjoyed to see a somehow ' train ' class within a TR4 based game system. Gameplay was designed nicely, no errors to mention, Enemies and objects were all placed properly, nothing to complain about. Atmosphere was absolutely nice, although some SFX files were a bit cut but not a big deal! Lighting and textures were absolutely perfect, especially this goes for the TR3 textures which had been put together pretty nicely. Recommended level. Thank you!" - Mehrbod

"While the atmosphere and architecture are both impressive for this time period, unfortunately there is very little to do in this level beyond pulling a few switches and sprinting around to find the next room. There are some climbing sequences, an out of place section with the motorcycle and an area with what seem to be arbitrarily placed fire tiles, but beyond that the gameplay is easy, linear, and honestly quite boring. There are a handful of enemies in the form of bats and SAS guards, as well as a few pickups scattered here and there across the level. What really stood out to me was the train station itself, carefully crafted to look as realistic as possible, which combined with the ambience of the City WAD makes for a gloomy and eerie adventure. TR3 textures fit nicely with the theme here, and lighting is contrasted well, going from brightly lit subway areas to the darker underground (for which flares are provided thankfully). I think this level is best for players looking for something quick and easy that they can complete in under 30 minutes." - Ejecta

"Set in a lonely station with few bats and guards. You have to find some levers to open doors in the dark corridors. By the many piles of dirt you could think something happened there, like an earthquake or something. I liked the textures from TR3 and it looks real, but pay attention to the thin walls. You use the motorbike to get over a pile of dirt. There is a puzzle where if Lara steps on a tile she'll burn. There is no real clue to know which tile is safe. Then you do some jumping and climbing to find the final lever and get to the level exit. 34 minutes." - alan

"Not bad at all for an early level and it's nice to see that builders were trying to branch out from the default Level Editor assets even way back then. The train station was nicely designed and reminded me of Aldwych. There's some guards and bats to shoot, a few levers to pull and a brief motorbike ride. I enjoyed the 22 minutes I spent here." - Ryan

"A bat carrying a pack of flares; that's the only fun I got playing this level. Some SAS and bats to shoot and some levers to open some doors. Few more except the jumpings and shimmies in the underground. Still can't figure out the hint to know what tiles were safe in the area with the jumpswitch (if there's really one). It notices an effort with the lights, but sometimes textures are not well applied. At least the cameras show you the obvious doors, but the environment is always empty with no objects to decorate and the musics are not appropriate. I'm really amazed about the very high rates from another builders." - Jose

"For such an old game, this displays a nice originality and seems to have been designed on a real station. Obviously, such a setting can't help but invite comparisons to the official Aldwych levels and, although it hardly comes up to those standards, still it's not at all badly made and entertaining enough for the time it lasts. There's a lot of exploring to do, quite a bit of which doesn't yield very much, but at least the builder doesn't overdo the pickups. You will certainly be glad to find a few flares along the way as it can be rather dark in spots." - Jay

"So far the only level where big rooms with same texturing looked good! I liked the overwhelming atmosphere of being lost and alone. Gameplay was fun and rather smooth. Was almost sure that on those tracks I will get hit by train like in TR3 level, but it didn't happen. Really loved this level for its uniqueness." - Casual Raider

"Assuming usually turns out to be a very imprecise science, but I guess one would not be that far off to jump to the conclusion that this level is based on a real life location. The trouble with levels like those is that once the setting is there, it's not easy to actually fill it out with relevant gameplay. The settings here as such are nice and at times eerie and atmospheric, especially when you go deeper underground and wonder what could've possibly happened to all those trains. The tasks leave much to be desired, though - all you do at first is run around aimlessly through large areas till randomly stumbling upon a lever. Thankfully the author is diligent about the camera clues so once you do stumble upon them you should not be at loss at least regarding the general direction where to go next, and it picks up a bit when the areas get more compact, but not by much as you get to use the bike to get over a mudhill, traverse the environment through a long shimmy section and master a burner field, where I could not pick up on the logic as to what made each tile safe or not. It all amounts to 25 minutes of net gaming (probably a bit longer real time, since you will be searching quite a bit for the elusive cracks in the wall and floor), and if I'd recommend it for anything then for the authentic feeling of a train station and the nice gloomy atmosphere, though if you want something to sink your teeth into gameplay-wise you'll be better suited to look elsewhere." - eTux

"Lara explores here the railway station Genova Principe. This railway station is apparently just developed or altered, because at many places heaps of earth pile up. The only way to go over these heaps of earth is to drive with the motorcycle. After she has got this, it goes quickly to the level end, which she reaches after about half an hour. Occasionally she delivers to herself a few gun battles with SAS-Soldiers. This level is of one of those rare pearls, which become easily overlooked. The Level is built very well and the textures look really good. One sees here no stretched textures and the few texture mistakes do not count. There are enough flare for the dark places. The lighting is good. Pity is only, which the level is relatively short." - Scottie

"This level appears to be the first city level ever released and it's a good one too. Lara is trapped in an underground train station and she must find her way through the maze of underground passages to find the exit. The biggest selling point of this level has clearly got to be the atmosphere. This level just oozes atmosphere and is complimented by the level design. The level looks very much like a train station and it plays like it too. The enemies are thugs with guns and the rarely used bats. They don't provide much of a challange except to change the level up a bit. The level looks great and only let down by a couple of thin walls and a little bad texturing. The camera work is also good and the secrets I found were easy to find. I recommend this level for someone who likes atmosphere in their levels. If I had to give this level a grade, I would give it a B, a distinction." - The Aussie Adventurer

"I played this level (11/04) for the purpose of writing the walkthrough. As there was not a stuck thread to be found and as the reviews indicated the level was fairly short I didn't anticipate a grueling experience and I was right. There are however some vast areas that can cause you to waste a lot of time just looking around for the next thing to do. Enemies consist solely of SAS and bats and there are no booby traps to catch you off guard. However there is a flaming tile gauntlet that some of the reviewers deemed a bit unfair because the solution is apparently a trial and error exercise. Well with the walkthrough that problem no longer exists. A workmanlike middle of the road level that's certainly worth downloading and playing. If there were any secrets I didn't find them." - Phil

"This level made me want to visit Genova for sure. The train station looked pretty nice (except for a few stretched textures and paper thin walls, but on the whole, the textures gave the impression that Lara was visiting a real train station). However, it felt weird seeing bats in a train station, even though the bats and the SAS soldiers blended well with the darkness, and pulling switches was a bit more challenging because some of the switches were in tight spots. Fortunately, there were enough objects for Lara to survive the level." - Sakusha

"Genova Principe! That rings a bell what was it - a film with a slightly altered title? I believe though it's an actual train station in Italy or so I read. I really liked this. Then again I like base city and like here train station levels. It's very well built and very convincing despite a few texture and slope problems. For a long time I thought the only thing to do was run around that train and the tracks then I found a route through a wall to another area which looked like the station has collapsed in on itself. Further on I found another station. So far it's well-guarded. And now I find a bike to get up that pile of dirt. One thing I though funny was a floor lever with flares embedded into it and Lara couldn't pick them up. And the fixed cameras in the tunnels gave a good view of the station each time Lara turns around and looks back out. In this second old station there is a fire floor to cross to a wall switch - make life easy for yourselves and jump to it from the train first then you only have to do the return trip across the tiles by saving a lot. Be aware that you'll be thrown to the desktop if you reload a savegame throughout this level. Further on from the second station with stairs we drive over another dirt pile and find another older station. I like the climbing in here. And soon after we drive away to end the level. I enjoyed this level very much." - CC

"Even now after I played this level again (the first time was when it was released) it still keeps on high level. Lara starts in some train station and very soon she finds the way underground. She needs there the motorbike to pass a high hill and finds the end. Another excellent level by FZ." - Yoav

"Did you like the London Underground? Then here's one level for you. It's not too difficult although some levers are well hidden in dark corners. You even get to do a little motorbike jump. Probably you can finish the level in 15 minutes but I needed 45 and why? Because I was running up and down the empty train station for miles always thinking: there must a secret or other item somewhere. No such luck it's all just empty concrete floors. Every 10 minutes you'll meet a lonely guard who should be happy for company instead of shooting at you ;-). In the end you're happy that it's over and needn't replay it." - Rüdiger

"I was amazed after I had played this to notice that the release date of the level was December 00. This was indeed way ahead of its time and all the more praiseworthy for it. Exploration is what its all about but provided you observe carefully you shouldn't have any problems. The fire floor puzzle was irritating and the end was crushingly anti-climactic as it only served to accentuate the fact that there was no obvious storyline; what exactly was Lara's purpose in being there? Give this little outing a go for its atmosphere and really effective sense of place and ignore any reviewers who claim that it has no Load screen." - Orbit Dream

"As everyone else has said the train station itself is beautifully done and gives you the feeling of actually being there - it's very realistic looking with the use of lighting and new textures. It felt a bit empty though because I'd really expect a crowd of people at a popular train station and all I got was some grouchy soldiers. I personally thought that some areas were a bit odd - who expects to see huge mounds of dirt in a train station? Gameplay consisted of finding and pulling switches and of course the burning tile puzzle which I was glad to see the last of." - RaiderGirl

"The only thing that is worth seeing here is the station with the trains unfortunately not moving ones. All you do is pull three-four levers and get the motorcycle only to climb one sloped side. Some SAS guards and bats are going to disturb you throughout the game and then comes the end. The most time spent was to cover all those stations and find some flares because at first it's quite dark after that everything just falls into place. There are floor tiles you need to pass to get to a jump switch but you only need to do it once as you can easily access it by a jump from the top of the train nearby watch out for those medipacks they are traps. I have spotted some thin walls and generally the textures are very boring. Well not much of an entertainment." - Kristina

"This is a very well designed level as it's usual in levels made by FZ. The atmosphere is perfect and the gameplay good. Some areas are a bit dark and the level quite short. The only difficulty I found was how to get the motorbike because the switch was well hidden. However I think it is an interesting level." - Cuqui

"A relatively short level of 35 minutes that will throw you to the desktop every time you try to load a save game (which really is annoying in the fire tile puzzle). Simply unacceptable. Other than that this was a wonderful portrayal of an underground railway station with the feeling of being there almost palpable. The gameplay was smooth with one or two mind twisters as to how to get to certain areas but with a bit of thought and looking about are easily accomplished. It was a bit too dark in places for my liking although there are plenty of flares provided." - Torry

"Set in a subway station Lara apparently has only to get through it. A few SAS were placed here and there no real menace and a few bats keep annoying her in this journey. The unique puzzle was the fire grates one which I did by trial and error but I doubt there was another way. A nice touch though was adding a picture of the author himself hidden in a column. No doubt also about the structures well designed even if sometimes they were too big and squarish. 30 minutes." - Treeble

"Stunningly set in an above and underground railway station this level is just wonderful besides the flawless texturing the atmosphere of the place was palpable there was an ever present unease as I proceeded deeper into the bowels of the station wondering if or when the next enemy was going to pop out and start blasting away at me the creator of this level has a precise eye for detail and knows how to not only keep his levels interesting to look and play but how to keep the excitement level way up as well." - Sash

"A train station replica which is well done but there is so much space to explore with so little to do. I liked the 'personalized pillar' where FZ sneaked in a picture of himself (I guess). There is a fire tile floor puzzle which to me was pure guessing and inevitably you can hit the flare bug after it. A few nice camera angles on the way. Mainly a level to look at not so much worth playing for the gameplay." - Michael

"This level is a tremendous achievement in its design. It is great to look at especially the platforms and the train. It is set (I think) in a main station. I still cannot work out what the objectives are but it is quite fun to play because there is tons of exploration to do. Lighting is generally pretty good especially the coloured ones on the platform. But there are some places like the end of the tracks where it is too dark and there are no flares to pick up. Even at full brightness you will have difficulty navigating. Some of the camera angles are equally annoying. They come on just as you look around sometimes it is quite tedious. On the whole I think it might be worth a download since it is a smallish file. It looks great if rather large and a well-designed original idea. The designer shows real potential." - TrueRaider

"Of course I played the levels in the wrong order but I like them all. FZ captures the atmosphere beautiful in all levels. Although there is a lot of running around to do and some very well placed enemies to shoot SAS and some bats the main goal is finding some levers to open doors. Even a small bike ride over a cave-in. The burning tiles were a pain in the butt because it is trial and error. The two medipacks scattered on the tiles I even didn't bother to pick up. I had more than enough left. The start was a bit slow as it took me a while to find the first switch but the lay out of the station was awesome. 11-05-2002" - Gerty

"Not one of the best but impressive. The first part of this level had this 'chewing-gum-effect' on me but it got better and better. As I said: no masterpiece but worth to play." - WebKnight

"If you liked Aldwych in Tomb Raider III this level is for you. FZ has captured the mood and atmosphere perfectly. The adventure takes place in Genova Principe railroad station and the use of some custom textures highly enhances the mood of the place. The lightning work is also very good especially in those dark tunnels where the only thing missing item is the train to run over Lara (obviously due to the limitations of the WAD itself). Puzzles are also very interesting. I have found myself running around for a long time before I could find the switch to get access to the motorbike. As it is becoming a trademark of FZ the use of fixed cameras also contributes to the cinematic atmosphere of this great level. Download it!!" - Fabio Ribeiro

"Seamless creative a flair for what works! Don't you hate that "whoops I slipped" and end up where you started instead of being where you want to be? And that "how am I supposed to get up THERE!?" feeling? Genova Principe has it. My only disappointments were the brevity and the flat finale. Otherwise a good play!" - MichaelB

"I liked playing this level a lot. The atmosphere is captured perfectly and there are some custom textures thrown in there as well. I liked the opening area the best - very realistic. The only thing I could fault with this level is that the textures are stretched too much and there are a few illegal slopes that I had to "doze" out of. Overall as far as game play goes this is a very enjoyable level!" - Lara

"You feel a bit that kind of atmosphere of the Aldwych station in this level. You have to run around a lot but I liked it although there isn't so much to do except pulling a few levers and shooting some guards - wondered why they shoot at passengers in Genova ;o) - and a couple of bats. The only objects to find are some medipacks and flares - well and the motorbike. In some places I found it a bit too dark so if you spent all your flares you must try to come along using your binoculars. I needed 40 minutes to finish." - Sheevah

"Do you know this dream: You're at the station waiting for your train and just when it's due to arrive there is an announcement over the system telling you that contrary to what the time table says your train is not going to arrive on platform 7 but only today on platform 15. We're sorry for the inconvenience. You are only mildly annoyed until you discover that the numbering of the platforms goes straight from 14 to 16 and then you set out to find the mysteriously lost platform. Needless to say that there is no overfriendly staff around that you could ask. Well this what GP feels like and boy you have a bit of running and searching to do. I like the dreamlike atmosphere of this one I only wish there was something to do on this Italian Odyssey. If there had been I'm sure this level would be really great. As it is it becomes a bit boring after a while." - Dimpfelmoser