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The Sand Temple by illyaine

Catherin 6 7 8 9
eRIC 7 7 8 8
eTux 6 6 7 7
Gerty 7 7 8 9
Gill 7 7 8 8
Jay 7 7 8 9
Jose 7 7 8 10
Kristina 7 7 7 7
MacRaider 8 8 8 9
MichaelP 7 7 7 9
Moonliteshadow 6 6 8 7
Orbit Dream 6 5 8 9
Phil 8 9 9 9
Ryan 7 8 8 9
Sash 7 4 8 7
Sherry 8 10 8 9
Sutekh 7 6 8 10
Treeble 7 8 8 9
Zhyttya 7 6 8 9
 
release date: 09-Mar-2006
# of downloads: 447

average rating: 7.59
review count: 19
 
review this level

file size: 7.32 MB
file type: TR4
class: Egypt
 


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Reviewer's comments
"Quite a shame that this level is not available here to download easily. Even though it is an experiment, no secrets, maybe some tweaks missing, this almost one hour level was really a good Tomb Raider experiment. Good TR4 vibes, good puzzles, well thought level structure. Maybe some doors could have been open at a point to allow for a shortcut, so we don't have to go back and forth so many times. Towards the end I started to get somewhat lost, it was not clear to me that on the treasure room, the blocks would come down as you pick up one of the major items, had to consult the walkthrough for that. Nonetheless, I completely recommend to try to get your hands on this level, classic old but gold." - Zhyttya (26-Aug-2022)
"This builder's levels are not available for download on this site anymore, and in the case of this one, I downloaded it from the Hungarian site and ended up having to convert the files. Builders retracting permission for hosting downloads on this site might explain why those levels aren't simply of the "unzip and play" type. That little negative aside, this 35 minute level does have its entertaining parts. The backtracking, which in other levels would have irritated me quite a bit, didn't bother me so much here because the environments are so well crafted that I didn't mind running past them a few times. The enemies and traps are scarce, and gameplay is relatively simple and linear, but I still enjoyed myself here. Recommended." - Ryan (27-Jan-2018)
"This builder approaches his craft with a sense of color and beauty, and he provides ample lighting so that the player has no problem experiencing visually the fruit of his labor. I greatly appreciate both gestures. However, this builder has inexplicably removed this site as a source for downloading his levels, so I had to get it from the Hungarian site. (I also had to compile the TR4 from the individual files, which I haven't had to do for a long time. It's a standard Egyptian raid of about 50 minutes, but it looks uncommonly good and Harry Laudie has covered all the essential bases in a walkthrough of a page and a half. Better than its scores would indicate. Recommended." - Phil (20-Mar-2014)
"A good 45 minutes Egyptian raid , with the usual enemies and objects except for the stone artefact that is not often seen. The level is on the easy side although it took me several tries to reach a jump switch with a long jump. The puzzles are simple and pleasant and the progression was good until you reach the final area where much backtracking was required. It would have been good to"open" a short cut at the appropriate time. Despite this , it was a level I enjoyed playing given the good looks and lighting and the rather friendly course." - eRIC (20-Oct-2008)
"I am exhausted, oops wrong word, as Lara is the one that should be exhausted. Especially at the latter part of this level as there was a bit too much back and fro for my liking. What I did like however is all the gates that never opened but you could have a glimpse on what was ahead and you could hear an"aha" every time I peeked through a gate. Apart from that it is a nice level and for me it wasn't an experiment as it is a decent level with not much to do than finding your way through the buildings and picking up some artefacts. Some levers are hidden in dark corners and there are two small torch puzzles." - Gerty (23-Oct-2006)
"This egyptian level is very well builded; good architecture, some interesting puzzle, good atmosphere and very well textured. I can only critizice three aspects: there were very few enemies, you'll have to run many times to the same places and sometimes when you do certain actions there's not a camera to show you what you're doing, so you have to explore again the same places and this can cause you have to run through the corridors and visit the same places too much times if you don't pay attention to the details; this create a gameplay more tedious. Still thus, a good work." - Jose (22-Jun-2006)
"Ah, experiments, don't we all have them? (by 'we' I mean level builders) And if the experiment turns out nicely it becomes a level. Kind of like here. Well, I assume. But no matter how, this rather classic Egyptian setting with a twist here or there turned out rather nicely. It's rather linear, straightforward and no outrageous skill level is required to complete any task here, so it's fitting for any player who may attempt to play this. I must admit I liked the first part of the level better than the one where torches and parts of the Times/title fly-by level started coming in, as up till then the progress was rather fluent, while that part introduced quite a bit of backtracking, thus some tasks inevitably became repetitive. The looks are ok, while nothing out of the ordinary - the standard texture tiles are used well, the lighting is intense, but nicely done as well and the weird red skies add a bit of a gloomy atmosphere to the otherwise 'normal' feeling adventure. All in all, perfect for beginners, but can be enjoyed by anyone - will hardly make you scratch your head, but it doesn't insult your intelligence either, looks are standard but done really well. Definitely worth a try." - eTux (10-Jun-2006)
"This is a lovely and most enjoyable Egyptian level to enter. The game-play was fairly easy and straight forward to complete and suitable for most raiders to accomplish. You will only encounter a few traps along your journey, like spiked balls, circular blades as you are descending/climbing a pole, (I could never master that without taking any damage), but nothing is too tedious here or over challenging to master. Your enemies are few, only some ninjas and a mummy will be crossing your path, which allows you plenty of time and space to explore and dealing with all your tasks ahead of you. Finding 2 sets of Ba Cartouche, a Guardian Stone and 2 Hands of Orion, pulling some levers and jump-switches, raising and lowing of some blocks, which will enable you to take the torch further along into your journey to continue on with your quest. My first impression of this level, as I entered, was the layouts and lighting, which puts you in the right frame of mind for another great Lara adventure. Everything was finely chosen by this author, with the right chosen objects and correct lighting applied, which achieved the required atmosphere and enhanced the game-play for this Egyptian environment setting. This was a short and most enjoyable level, with a fair amount of back-tracking, but a good Egyptian adventure, at its best." - Gill (10-Jun-2006)
"This is a very nicely built Egyptian level which I quite enjoyed. Got off to a good start but bogged down a bit closer to the end. I thought I could not make the jump to the wall switch in the treasure room after trying a number of times, but after referring to the walkthrough, found out it was quite easily done. So went back and sure enough, it was easy after all and then I was on my way again. Have a real fondness for Egyptian levels and think this was well done with excellent lighting and textures." - Sherry (19-May-2006)
"It was a nice level, although I don't really like Egyptian games. It has a nice flow and even though there is nothing spectacular in it, I found it enjoyable. You are searching for two hands and an artifact while killing some ninjas and scorpions. I have to say that the levers were many and unnecessary; I believe the builder could have found another way to go around this so it doesn't become tedious. After forty five minutes and after getting one canopic jar the level ended abruptly. Do take a look at it as it is worth the 'trouble'." - Kristina (12-May-2006)
"Classic Egyptian style raiding - if that's what you're after then you may definitely want a look at this level, because it's pretty good. The gameplay is fairly straightforward, but absorbing and pacey, and the level looks well built and solid. The fact that, although this is not my favourite genre, I still found it enjoyable has to be a recommendation in itself. I even liked the torch work and that certainly isn't always the case. At around 45 minutes it's a good length too - enough to get your teeth into without becoming bored. Definitely recommended." - Jay (23-Apr-2006)
"Loved the"old" feel about this level, and straight into jump switches, spikes and lever/mazes puzzles. I really enjoyed the underwater levers and the raising of the blocks. I think we could have had more camera shots to show us what was opening and where as there were a lot of levers. I also noticed that the star of orion had no receptacle until you actually collected the star. This happened in both cases so it was, for me, just a bit of luck to find the receptacles. I enjoyed the torch puzzles. There was probably too much going back and forward for my liking in this level." - Moonliteshadow (10-Apr-2006)
"I must confess to never having been particularly fond of Torch puzzles,and I am even less so after this adventure.When the Gameplay revolves around either a pointlessly easy aquisition of key objects (as it does at the start) or a highly tedious traversing of the same extensive area over and over again (sometimes with a torch,sometimes without)then you can be assured that your patience with the level is going to be sorely tested.Coupled with the fact that several doors were left unopened and the Finale was a complete anti-climax,the only thing that can be said in this level's favour is its construction. Fortunately for the builder,his talents in this regard are high indeed and I therefore actually (perhaps rather peversly) recommend this level if only to impress upon other players and builders just what can still be achieved with an Egyptian scenario. The Gameplay may be highly irritating,but the level itself looks like a million dollars!" - Orbit Dream (22-Mar-2006)
"Wow, that was quick! This one really felt like a walk in the park despite some nasty Egyptian bandits and the infamous and devious circular saw + pole combo. Nice research and a very very easy gameplay, perfect for beginners. Nice use of the torch too. On the visual department, beautifully rendered. Perfect texturing and incredible lighting. A feast for the eyes with a somehow relaxing atmosphere. And I loved the sand mechanism doors. Really really loved them. So this is an experiment, Christoph dixit, and as other reviewers here I wonder what was experimented. Maybe easiness, as his levels aren't usually that easy, especially the latest. Or maybe it's an experiment to test how many reviewers would wonder what the experiment's about? Whatever the case, a nice, enjoyable, fast-paced and almost soothing level." - Sutekh (18-Mar-2006)
"For those a little sick of the usual Egyptian levels here is one that puts a little spit and polish on the old theme. It is a shame that the gaming aspect was a little on the easy side as I felt like I flew through and 35 minutes after I started I had finished. As some have already mentioned there is a certain back and forth flow to getting around the temple until you can finally claim the canopic jar and leave but I never found it for one minute annoying or bothersome as it is not a large environment and there is enough camerawork to give you clues on where to go next. I do however feel that there is something missing here that didn't allow me to fully immerse myself, it could be that there are not many enemies and no secrets, or it could just be that it was a fairly short level, I'm not really sure. Actually I think what it could be is that it feels like the start of a larger game and thus not a complete game, it is still fun though so give it a go." - Sash (17-Mar-2006)
"Described by the author as an 'experiment', this level is a thoroughly enjoyable hour or so in an Egyptian tomb setting, which in a couple of places reminded this player of the default Title flyby (which is also similar to the Times Exclusive level) so may have been adapted from that set of wads. (As the Title wads aren't complete, was the use of those particular wads the experiment..?) The setting is nicely realised, the map compact, and for the most part the texturing and lighting are very well done and all the rooms look fantastic. There are few enemies and traps so the player can concentrate on the puzzles, and these are a lot of fun! There is quite a lot of running around but as the map is compact I didn't find this a problem. It could have done with maybe a few more cameras but it's not too difficult as long as the player takes the time to explore and make mental notes of all the doors and the obvious falling blocks that will be triggered along the way. The author has supplied several torches, at least two of which will be needed as one has to be taken into a room that it can't be carried out of to use again. There are no secrets, and some areas seem a little under-utilised, so I'd be interested to see the author expand on this experiment in a future release. This level shows that the classic 'tomb raiding' still has some life in it - well done Christoph, your experiment seems to have been successful!" - MacRaider (16-Mar-2006)
"So this level is only an experiment? Makes me wonder what the experiment was about. Whether people still play and like a good old classic Egypt level? What ratings you can get for a level thrown together relatively quickly? Well, whatever it was, we should be happy that this 'experiment' got released because it sure is a very good looking Egypt level with stunning lighting and very solid texturing. And gameplay actually starts nice and easy as you collect four cartouche pieces in no time with solid camera hints, but it does go a bit downhill from there, because it is really too much of a switch/lever hunt, there is several back and forth that becomes unnecessarily tedious (especially the two hands) and of course it somehow ends a bit sudden after 45 minutes. Enemies are only a few scorpions and ninjas and a lonely mummy. Worth a try for a bit of entertainment in between." - MichaelP (13-Mar-2006)
"Quite a lot of running to do in the second part of this level because you have to backtrack several times. Although the ways of backtracking are not long, this wasn't to my liking. If I hadn't got a hint by another player when to drop the torch finally, I would have run around with the burning torch til the end of the level as I expected to have to light more objects, first because the builder provided 3 torches and second because many doors remained closed. Though the fact that doors remained closed, only added to a realistic and brilliant atmosphere which you will encounter in this level. Lighting and textures are very well placed and worked out. Not many enemies to face but altogether a beautiful level, especially when you like the Egyptian environment." - Tinka (13-Mar-2006)
"I know we've all complained about the ammount of Egyptian levels at least once in our meaningless lives, but I must say I quite enjoyed this one. As you'd expect, you'll see lots of sand here, and most of the time the level feels alive, it's a joy to roam through the nicely crafted chambers, but there's one really bad thing about it. 'Bad' is not the exact word I'm looking for, but the thing I liked the least on this level was the continuous backtracking. The level is built around the logic 'you can see but you can't reach', meaning you'll push a lever, and if you look through a gate, you'll see a door opening, but to get there you'll have to climb, crawl, run around, jump to finally get there to guess what - find another lever and repeat the same as above. It was quite interesting the first two times, but later it got repetitive. Overall, the design of the level is really good and like I said - it's a joy to roam around. I suppose that if we had a more straightforward gameplay the level would be just too short, so I think I should say the author was clever by using that logic gameplay to extend the level - even if I wasn't excited about it. 40 minutes. 03/06" - Treeble (11-Mar-2006)