Level reviews

"As I finally wrap up this behemoth of a release (I'd wager two thirds of the thirty remaining levels on my pending 2008 raidlist will be of similar scale), I have mixed feelings. It started off strong, but the more it went on the less invested in it I found myself - and it took me the better part of my free time for four days. While at first I was entranced by the very psikodelic feel (pun intended), it started to feel too busy and not quite as coherent. It's not a bad looking level, but it feels too abstract for its own good. The audio track selection is top notch, some songs replay often but it's no big deal because it's a good selection. The biggest experience detractor was definitely gameplay however; this is one of the levels where the walkthrough is pretty much necessary every step of the way, what with hidden jump switches and the many, many, pixel precise sequences which at some point just made this a chore to play. The rope swing to the jump switch in the waterfall took me well over a dozen tries until I finally landed it and at that point I knew it was one a in a million and hoped I never come across such setup again. Perhaps I'm getting too old for all of this after all. There are several of such sequences, some devious trap gauntlets as well which will see you smashing that F6 button more often than you'd ever care to admit. I accidentally skipped one Bonus Key in the rush of such trap gauntlets but at that point I had seen enough of the levels to know I'd be better off with the "lesser" ending (which is as abrupt as it gets, yes). 3h15min, 9 secrets. 05/24" - Treeble

"That was a great experience. This level certainly has some not really great moments like invisible walls and really hidden objects, but on the other side it has some great platforming sections and well made puzzles. There aren't many enemies in this levelset and when there are they aren't that difficult to take down. Secrets are well made and give you access to an interesting bonus level. The lighting is really weird as it uses either really intense colors or a fairly flat lighting. Texturing is well made except for natural areas where there are many misshapen and stretched textures even though the atmosphere is really good from beggining to end. This is a very good challenging level, if you are interested on a not so extremely challenging level with a lot of platforming and puzzles, this is for you." - Neltharion

"You can expect any of this builder's games to be spiked with challenges left, right and centre and this is no exception. They do tend to hover on the expert end of the difficulty spectrum, and even this, his debut effort, shows that. Unfortunately, this one I just couldn't get into. I was able to finish properly his other two games with much frustration and perseverance. This time, I made it to the disappearing platforms puzzle, but just couldn't get the timing right for the later part, so I decided to pack it in there (according to the walkthrough, I was about three minutes from the end). Elsewhere the gameplay was also too devious to be enjoyable with many sequences requiring countless tries and reloads (or even bugs) to get past them. I also found the lack of camera clues to be rather unfair in a game like this, and the music was a matter of taste. To be fair, the textures were a bit neater than Vikings, although still a bit patchwork for my liking, and there are some really enjoyable sequences in the form of trap sequences or timed runs, but these were few and far between. I see other people have loved it and you may too, but I wasn't one of them, sorry." - Ryan

"I have seen everything in this level: knights, cats, rings, steering wheels, figure tubes, planet symbols and a grand piano, set to custom textures, crazy animations, music of Pink Floyd, medieval folk and Nightwish. The last is not as good choice as for Vikings because naturally Nordic symphonic metal is not so much Celtic and feels forced here just like the anime stuff did in King Arthur Project, that one less risky since allowing eyes to rest - note I live where the sky looks like a GMac level and happy Italian colors are sometimes too much for me so consider having some mercy. I bet if you play this on drugs the effects will cancel each other and the game will feel just normal, hopefully also less difficult because in normal conditions it's absolutely unbearable. I accept agility sequences as a matter of practice, but there's no point in black jumpswitch on black background, or green lever on green, or in new moves demanded without telling about it (eRIC's floating medikit comes to mind) but the most of all in constant requirement to change the method of interaction, no focus given, stuff drawing attention away - I wasted time trying what wasn't intended but looked like it was, many rooms became desperate Action pressing and halted me for longer than they should, producing overwhelming temptation to give up I had to resist through entire game, and anytime I didn't I felt like a moron just because the simple solution I missed wasn't among multiple things I tried. Such design doesn't make any sense but only two places were strictly unfair: the explosive finale in the first level and the water slide in bonus, both impossible to pass if you missed something before attempting them. Maybe fair, but still what I wouldn't design, was the ice room with three skeletons, a hint I still don't understand. SUMMARY: As genious and on-topic as later Taras games but the fun factor is just good, so the highest I can rate is 5+3. I of course recommend to check this one out, especially the first level, but use the walkthru to trade a bit of satisfaction for a lot of saved time." - DJ Full

"The first epic levelset by Taras - in here he created a whole new world with lots of imagination and creative ideas. The game is thoroughly enjoyable for the more experienced raiders out there, but there are only a couple of sequences I really would call "hard" and the walkthrough added a lot of savegames so there is no reason to not try this level. The first level takes place on a ship with great object usage and a superb atmosphere, gameplay was good but I think I ran too often from one side of the ship to the other without knowing what to do, as one first has to get used to the new objects and how to behave with them. The timed run at the end was a real challenge when going for the secret and I thought I'll never make it but after some tries it worked fine. The next three levels have a somewhat sameish atmosphere in a surreal castle setting, but this worked very well for still a lot of unique ideas and spectacular areas. The texturing in some places was rather badly applied and the only reason why I'm not rating it with 6 or 7 is that the plenty of new textures helped to create this wonderful atmosphere and if one can overlook some of the nastier cracks, streched and misplaced textures, the rooms' looks are pretty convincing. Lighting was partly very good with great usage of colours, partly too flat and partly nonsense, thus also a mixed bag. The camera usage and the audio were nothing but great with a lot of good tracks used in here in combination to the great and almost heroic flybies. But this game is not all about the looks. The gameplay is really enjoyable even with some frustrating areas. I really can't list all the tasks but they worked great as a unit and the gameplay fun never ceases, but to mention a few of my favourites: The large outside area in KotRT II with the timed runs, slopes and tricky jumps, the snowy area with more of those great jumps, the lake with four levers to find and some really interesting riddles where one has to look for wall paintings carefully to solve future puzzles. Sometimes there are indeed a little too much to and fro, tedious pushing sessions like in the "mirror room" and heavily consfusing object usage, add to this a few missing camera hints, but with the excellent walkthrough nearby you won't have big problems. When you find five bonus keys you are treated to a bonus level, very nice idea, with a really hard challenge concerning vanishing platforms and a lot more to enjoy. All in all a totally immersive gameplay experience of four hours net gameplay time and twelve well hidden secrets to find, and only minor downsides mostly about texturing. Download it now - when you are up to a real challenge, don't miss this one!" - manarch2

"Sea Girt: (10/10/9/10) - A very good opening by a new author (because technically this was the first level built by Taras). The gameplay is brilliant for me, it's full of hard parts like the one of the turning valve or getting the secret at the end of the level, since it requires perfection. The objects in this first level are absolutely amazing and they fit very well in the level. Atmosphere is great too and the sound is lovely for me. I didn't know about the Nightwish band until I played the two games by Taras. And as for the Lighting & Texturing, it's pretty perfect.
Knights of the Round Table - Part I: (9/10/9/10) - This level is much harder than Sea Girt. There're more hard spots distribuited throughout the level and they're really almost impossible to beat. For me, the gameplay in this level hasn't reached the perfection, the objects in this one are much better and prettier than in the previous level; atmosphere & sound are still being awesome and the lighting & texturing are still perfect for me.
Knights of the Round Table - Part II: (10/8/10/10)- This level is in opinion even harder than Knights - Part I: There're many spots that the author wanted to create for making the game very hard and entertaining. In my opinion, the gameplay is absolutely brilliant and the same for atmosphere & sound and Lighting & textures. The objects aren't so pretty as happened in the previous two levels.
Knights of the Round Table - Part III: (8/9/8/10) - Sadly, the level I less enjoyed. The gameplay is quite good, the enemies and objects are really amazing; atmosphere and sound are really fabulous and the lighting & textures are perfect, as happened with the rest of the levels.
Overall rating & Conclusion: (10/9/9/10) A very good and indeed challenging level (being aware that it's a debut from this great and talented author). Recommended for all of you who love the hardest challenges known in Tomb Raider so far. Excellent work, Augusto!! :D" - MrJavi94

"When I've seen a gameplay about this game, I though I'll never ever play it, since it seemed to be brutal hard. But recently, I've downloaded it, and I realised it isn't so hard or fustrating. It's very entertaining. I've enjoyed the challenging gameplay in this lovely, colorful atmosphere. Also, I've never seen a thing in any TRLE level: The manual aim with the shotgun. Wow! I liked the songs too, Nightwish is one of my favourites. But I don't want recommend this level to beginners, because of the tough timed runs and jumps. But to the experienced players, this level can be a huge fun." - rtrger

"The first job of Taras is an excellent set of levels for expert player, the first level "Sea Gift" is a very beautiful ship where the tasks to do many and difficult, survive Lara taking secret will not be easy. The other 3 levels are very challenging, the puzzles very difficult and original, but always very interesting, the player must do much to reach the end and especially retrieve the 5 bonus key enabling him to play a wonderful bonus level. As I see Taras is one of the few that are real creativity and the gameplay of the core design." - Pablito_it

"Alright, this level has just been much discussed in the forums due to the new release 'Vikings' by the same author, and much noise has been made about the difficulty of it. So, finally I got round to playing it myself and make no mistake, this IS a challenging set of levels; yet, with a decent amount of custom raiding experience and (just in case) a helpful walkthrough not too far away, they are perfectly manageable. It all starts to impress with the very long title flyby (some of these rooms you will revisit in the bonus level eventually) and the intro flyby of the ship out on the sea. So, off we go...
Sea Girt (9/8/9/8, 35 min, 1 secret): The ship is really cool and the tasks are interesting and diverse enough to keep the interest as you explore the ship for 4 rudders. It has a challenging timed run across the entire deck and one jump that is a little on the tricky side, but nothing too overwhelming. I really enjoyed the timed escape - made more challenging if you go for the secret.
Knights of the Round Table I (9/8/9/8, 100 min, 2 secrets): Spikes. And plenty. In the water and around push blocks. Avoiding burners (tough!) and tricky ropeswings. But - if you put all of this aside for a moment, much of this level is simply a hunt from one switch to the next and the biggest challenge for me was that more often than not, you have no clue where to go next and run around a lot tracking back and forth to find that next open door somewhere. The use of the torch is good fun and there are a few enemies, but they really seem to have been added for to be a nuisance than actually fit in or represent a challenge by themselves. It is all very colourful and often bright, but generally texturing and lighting is not the strongest point of these levels.
Knights of the Round Table II (8/9/9/7, 85 min, 5 secrets): Probably the weakest level of the set for me. Texturing seemed really rather poorly done with many stretched or squashed and not fitting together very well. There is also a swimthrough wall (argh) and some very sneakily hidden trapdoors (never fun). Plus the harp puzzle left me clueless as to why it had to be pushed where it had to be pushed and then did not give any indication that it is in the right place; same for the multi lever puzzle which was more trial and error than anything. The secrets are at times tough, but really fun to get.
Knights of the Round Table III (9/9/9/9, 90 min, 4 secrets): I must have warmed up to the style of the builder by now, as this part was probably most fun for me, despite 2-3 very tricky moments, namely the timed runs at the start, shooting the scorpions in time before getting burned, and the jump through the double swinging blades. But the whole atmosphere felt so much better and fresher than before, some of the puzzles were nice to be seen again, like pushing the mirrors around, and the secrets were again worth the effort.
Bonus Level (8/9/9/9, 45 min): What stands out in this extra part is the clever multi-alternating-platforms puzzle that allows you to get up and around in a huge room. Seems very tricky at first but is actually not too difficult once you get the hang of it. The big let down, however, is the very sudden und anti-climatic ending, whether you play through the bonus level or not, that has you wonder what you went through all this effort for.
Overall, I spend 6 hours of net gaming here and easily double the time during the course of a week's evenings. And it is certainly worth spending that time, as it is a very ambitious project with many great ideas and lots of things to do. It misses out a bit on coherence and hints and clues to guide the player along, but as said: with a walkthrough available there is really not reason today not to jump in and challenge yourself with this excellent game!" - MichaelP

"So you think that you are a veteran hardcore TR player? Maybe you will reconsider once you attempt to play this levelset! From the very beginning I realised that this game is going to be like no other, and I was not proved wrong: I don't think there are many TR games (official or custom) that can stand close to this in terms of difficulty and complexity; and as far as architecture is concerned, in this field too it's a winner. It consists of four parts (although the last three are basically one big section split in three) plus a bonus level, which is unlocked as long as you have found five bonus keys that are hidden throughout the other sections. The first part (Sea Girt), as its name implies takes place aboard a ship and opens the game in a spectacular way. The other three sections (Knights Of The Round Table I, II, III) as well as the Bonus Level, take place in beautiful celtic/roman environments. So what is it that makes this levelset so very special? First of all, the top-notch and extremely challenging gameplay. This game is surely not for beginners, maybe not for average players either. Very few tasks are easy to carry out - most of the time you will find yourself wondering, after completing a challenge, now what's coming next? In fact it is the best challenge for those who want to test their player skills. Second, the construction of the environments, with all that this may include: visually, this game is an orgy of colours, the lighting is spectacular, the rooms are incredibly amazing. Colour, detail, lighting, several visual effects and what to say about the music; the epic Nightwish tunes that are used as the main score can't go wrong, but all the other tracks that are used are perfect as well. And third, the background. The fact that there are historical facts based on the story of the game adds a lot to the whole presentation, as you come across items and environments that reflect actual events or historical figures. It's also worth noting how well the author combines classic thematology with a futuristic, colourful outlook, including Lara's fancy outfit that changes shade according to the setting she's in, thanks to the impressive use of lighting effects. I have to focus some more on the gameplay though as it seems that it's a quite vital issue in this game: the puzzles, timed events and jumping sequences are designed with extreme precision - such precision that sometimes they seem impossible to accomplish; although I have to say that certain timed runs that on first try seemed like that, with just a little practice not only I managed them but also I had a few seconds left. What I found much tougher were certain jump sequences; it's not that those were that hard per se, but trying to carry out those tasks with the precision that was required made my wrists hurt and I had to stop playing for a while, although I so wanted to go on. Such tough 'game stoppers', as ideal as they may be for showing the builder's skill, virtuosity and ability to pulling the game engine's limitations to the extremes, many times end up quite discouraging for players. A relevant downside concerning these demanding tasks is that maybe not all players will be patient enough and they may get tired of trying and retrying to achieve them, abandon the game and therefore miss out on completing an incredible game. I must say I feel very happy for not giving up playing, as I had the chance to have a unique gaming experience. Overall, this game is a genial work of art, combining visual perfection and highly intelligent crafting; extremely demanding and absolutely enjoying, quite difficult to forget once you have played it." - Ravenwen

"Well it's very hard to describe this custom. There are five long and difficult levels. All you have to do is find four treasures. Five bonus keys are for bonus level if you want to play in it. Areas and rooms are very beautiful and there's lot of strange objects. Very few enemies but lot of tricky jumps and moves. However I used only four or five savegames from other players." - Andzia9

"By now, all the TR world knows that this is a difficult game to complete. Made so deliberately by the builder, perhaps a bit arrogantly. He throws down a gauntlet, daring only the most experienced Raider to try it, telling the rest(us mere mortals) to go to the forums and use savegames(let them eat cake, anyone?). Well, I'm here to tell you yes, you should download and match wits with this new, seemingly brash but definitely talented new builder because it's not just another game - it's an experience. The graphics are stunning and truly immerse the player into the environment and yes, there are savegames both here and at the levelbase to get you over some rough spots, but you may not need them if you are not going for all the secrets. This is another time when I wish Atmosphere, Sound and Cameras were not tied together because Atmosphere and Sounds deserve high ratings whereas the lack of cameras to show the object of a very tight timed run is a definite cheat and mars game-flow IMO. There are a few points where the frustration level may over-ride the determination level of most Raiders but that is probably true of most if not all of the truly great levels. So give it a try if you already have not and add your voice to the fray. It will hold your interest if you can hold your frustration level down and it is truly a great first level, creative, stunning and hard to forget." - Bene

"I like a challenge and this set of debut levels is certainly that. I also don't mind resorting to quirks of the TR game engine or peeking at the forum (even if it means trying to interpret dodgily translated German), however this is the first time this decade I have had to resort to someone else's savegame - just couldn't find the trick to navigate those high up floating slopes in Knights of the round table (part two). That and the bonus key hidden behind an unmarked pushblock in the collapsing tile/spike run were pushing the boundaries of fairness, but some people did it so they weren't impossible tasks :-). The rest of the puzzles were generally tricky but with enough patience, persistence and attention to detail could be done without resorting too often to the wisdom of the forum posters. The textures were excellent and evocative once the colours were acclimatised to. Objects were inventive and although more camera clues would have been nice, I really enjoyed the story and battle for the player that these levels presented and felt a real sense of accomplishment with every one of the secrets found. Not for everyone it seems, but what a great game! Looking forward to the next set after a suitable recovery phase...phewww!" - Adrian

"I always said that when the players need savegames from another players so they can continue playing it can't be a good level. And this is not an exception. In this game you can get stucked often 'cause there are very well hidden items, trapdoors without handle, hidden passages with stone textures you can trespass, objects which you can't figure out you can move or shoot,... All this can be accepted in a custom level, but another thing is to know what to do and try a task hundreds of times. But in this game you have not to try a task a hundred times, you have to try too many tasks a hundred times. It was very bored for me. Talking about another things, there are very good and innovative puzzles, a lot of new and impressive objects very well made, excelent architecture and fantastic lights and textures, the best I've seen. I've missed some more enemies (there are very few) and some sound effects although the musics are very good. I missed some more cameras in certain places too, although many times the triggered objects are not very far, another times it's not so obvious and the objects are not near. Definitively, this levels will be a real challenge for many players." - Jose

"I want to thank Targas for making this magnificent game.I agree with most of what the other reviewers have said..up to a point.This is more of an experience than a regular game.There should be a catagory for these over the top hard games,and thats what I like about it.In order to be fair and open minded,I played this game twice.believe it or not,the second time was much better than the first.without the forum for hints and help along the way,this would of been a long time to finish.playing it second time,I had a walkthru in my head,thats when it hit me just how special and great this games really was.the hardest part about this games is knowing what to do and where to go,just like other tr games,only in this one the lack of clues (screenshots)when pulling a switch,made it hard the first time around.If you enjoyed games like Cil,Autumn,Eye of the Eye,Taki and a few others,you will love this game with pixel precision moves.This game is recommended for the hard core raider." - SPry

"It is an ungrateful job to be the bringer of bad news when other reviewers seem either to have loved the level or phrased their reviews in the customary diplomatic manner... As they say, it's a tough job but somebody's got to do it. This game is extremely demanding and has lots of"impossible" moments (do notice that I place impossible between brackets because some have been able to do it) with several tasks that can only be achieved after an enormous amount of tries and with great luck. I'm thinking of moments such as a room with fire emitters that is nearly impossible to pass even with the save and reload trick because Lara may catch fire even when the fire is down if she steps on it and, in that same room, a lion's head that you have to shoot but which is placed in such a position that it is nearly invisible. That is, to say the least, very unfair to the players. I'm also thinking of a nearly impossible timed run at the beginning of level III. It's not just a timed run, I rather enjoy timed runs, but one that also requires many, many tries and a lot of luck. Many other situations could be mentioned in this game that gives you challenge after challenge and no time to breathe in between. And the main problem is that those challenges can be very devious and they are so on purpose... Plus, there's a total lack of flybys to show where one has to go, what one has to do, what anything is about. Since that seems to have been done on purpose, I find it rather unfair. Only near the end, say in the middle of part III does the game become more like other games that you've played, the bonus level included, with some challenges but more spaced out and certainly more doable. Speaking of which, you have to find five bonus keys to be able to reach the bonus level, but some of them are so deviously placed that they're virtually impossible to find (again, I'm aware that there were people who found them)... I'm speaking mainly of the bonus key that's located in the middle of a run among crumbling tiles and spikes - you must push an unmarked block on the wall while standing on a rapidly crumbling tile in order to get the bonus key. Now, how unfair is that? The first bonus key, in the first level, which is probably the best, also has to be gotten with a nearly impossible timed run. I could go on but I think you get the idea and I don't mean to sound too peeky. I think you can therefore understand why I'm not particularly thrilled regarding the gameplay. This is the kind of game that even experienced players can't finish without help from the forums and even the occasional savegame help. This game has more to it, though... Nice objects, fine music and an atmosphere, perhaps not the best atmosphere I've encountered so far, but still an atmosphere. It's great for someone's first game, and I mean great, but clearly and obviously overdone in many senses. I only wish the author could learn something from that... Unfortunately, from the words I had with him in the forums, I doubt it. Maybe I'm mistaken... So, my advice is for you to play it but be aware that it will take you very, very long and will include a lot of frustrating, not at all relaxing, moments." - Jorge22

"I was going to write a more blow by blow account, but I soon ran out of superlatives (and curses). This has got the lot really - an interesting storyline, incorporating Arthurian legend, exciting and varied gameplay, super music and simply breathtaking custom objects and textures. Be warned however, there are some highly taxing pixel perfect jumps and timed runs to achieve. Unless, like me, you are lucky enough to have a resident expert to help you out (my husband has never yet been beaten by a level) you may find yourself begging for saves on the stuck threads. I gave it a 9 for gameplay rather than a 10 because, good though it undoubtedly is, I feel that levels aimed at the top few raiders are a bit unfairly elitist. However, if you feel up to the challenge I'm sure you'll have a very good time." - Jay

"Hard to review one level when the builder himself decides he wants our top gun players ONLY to deal with his issue and all the rest will have to work their way through forum threads or savegames . I do not know why you make it so hard , it is not necessary . A 7 or even less it deserves for Gameplay as the builder uses the faults in the Editor itself to make the gameplay more difficult. (i.e. Save when flames come up - reload when flames dissappear). Now come on Taras , your game is so well designed . what is it that you wanna prove with all this nightmare of a gameplay ? Please tell us ." - Ruben

"As a forewarning, these are very challenging, and at times quite frustrating levels that serve as a good test to one's raiding abilities. I struggled quite a bit in this one myself, but managed to persevere and get through it. Now, this is an interesting debut. Like the forum said, Taras is apparently a skilled player of TR and decided to release a set of levels after working on them for some time, and it is indeed interesting to see what players can come up with as builders. There are 5 levels here, one of them being a bonus level for finding some special secrets in the other levels. The first level starts off on a nicely built ship sailing the sea. The atmosphere is set nicely with a good beginning flyby, and the animating water textures give the impression that the ship is moving somewhat. The first level is a hunt for some key items with some pesky birds that interfere, but some fun is mixed in with a couple of timed runs, a collapsible tile run, and a few other fun sequences. I liked the unique setting of the level, and the timed run to escape I found fun as well. A little hectic too if you choose to go for the bonus key in this section. The level is an introduction to much harder things to come, and after a strange transition from the hold of a ship in the middle of the ocean, to a series of Arthurian fantasy castles, the real test of raiding begins. Be prepared to keep your eyes open for peculiar textures most importantly through the levels. The cobweb in the first part of the Knights level wasn't really much of an issue, but later on it is a bit silly with passages concealed by solid looking textures, as well as trudging on hot ash and falling into a passage through a solid looking texture. With the hot ash, there was a very subtle hint given, yet there's little sense behind jumping into a fireplace for a passage IMO. Another irritation I encountered was how the author used burners in his levels, mostly in part 1 though. The burners are on a nanosecond timer before they start to spout flames again, and the only way to get past them (unless you're really lucky) would be to save the game while the burner is up, then reload the save so that the burner stays down long enough to pass. I think that's rather unfair and cuts away from the enjoyment of the game because of the inconsistency of fluidity it produces. Bad things aside though, these are rather fun levels with much to do. There were sloping sequences that are quite challenging and can be frustrating for most players, yet I found them quite fun once I figured out the trick behind them. There are some timed runs as well throughout, which I do enjoy. Some are more difficult than others, especially a nasty run in part 3 where you must sprint towards a slope, then jump at a precise angle to get to the timed door's point of elevation. There is also a good element of exploration used throughout the levels, as well as good traps and interesting puzzles. While very frustrating, there is a certain spike-and-collapsible-tile gauntlet in one of the levels that I found rather fun. The looks are interesting too - I don't particularly fancy unrealistic shades of lighting, but it isn't so bad here. The colors aren't too intensified, and give the levels a kind of surreal, magical feel. I did like the textures though. These are quite good levels that aside from some jumps or gauntlets that can be very challenging to certain players, have a calm side with exploration and puzzles. Plus, if one finds the five secret keys, some hidden cleverly, and others hidden a little *too* well, there is about another hour of gameplay offered. I found the bonus level easier than the main levels, yet there is a possible incident that you can get stuck for good if you save there. Check all areas for any hidden switches, hint hint. Though, the bonus part is relaxing as opposed to most of the series' difficult parts. The run with falling blocks was interesting, there was a nice push puzzle, and I also enjoyed the runs with the shifting platforms. Technically, for a debut this a great levelset, but given the difficulty many players can be turned off by how complicated some tasks may seem, and the frustration with some of the jump and trap sequences. However, if a skilled raider can stick through it until the ending, they can find quite a rewarding adventure in this. Heh, after playing these, Meganebashi and CIL are starting to look appealing." - Relic Hunter

"One thing is sure: Taras is a talented builder. He certainly managed to keep the tension high and maintain interest in what is going to happen next while progressing through the game. The game is really extremely hard. Sometimes it is not clear what thing should be done next, and you should know certain tricks like at what moment Lara must be released from the rope so as not to hit the ceiling - otherwise it is impossible to play the game smoothly. Some jumps need some practicing first and precise positioning and you should start the manouver at the exactly the right time (so as not to be cut off by the two swinging blades, or passing that fantastic spike passage f.e.) so you can spend an afternoon or two (or a couple of days :D) at point A trying to reach point B. I was happy to find out there aren't too many hard-to-deal-with enemies, and I enjoyed the trips for secrets, even if a surprising fall through a certain floor and getting killed a few times involves getting it. What I really missed in the game are the clear hints regarding the pushables. Also, I generally appreciate the camera after pulling wall, floor and underwater levers, jumpswitches, etc, and that is something which clearly lacks in the game. The colours are a little strong for my taste too but I got used to them all right. Being a timed-run fan, I find them thrilling and challenging. If there was a sole rating for the music used in this level, I would rate it 10. I enjoyed the music each time I would reach a new area. Really uplifting. Looking forward to Taras' next level - this one has given me so much adrenaline!" - Lady C

"These colorful levels show a truly impressive imagination and talent, and present some absolutely stunning visual moments. Most level authors develop gradually, but this is one who has exploded on the scene. You need only start up the game and see the opening fly-by to appreciate the magnitude of the accomplishment here. The bad news is that these levels are designed to be an expert challenge and really belong in a category by themselves. If you loved "CIL," or other Japanese levels, and wished you could have lots more of the same, then you will be ecstatic over Legio VI Victrix. Regular players are more likely to be annoyed and defeated. The levels are not just difficult, they are often deliberately misleading. Lara slides down into a room with a lava trench and has to jump back and forth between slopes, including onto fire emitters that set her alight. (Some people found that by saving and reloading the game, the fire emitters would be briefly off, so with much repeated effort Lara can do this.) But the point here is that I had previously read the forum, and had some idea that there was supposed to a lion's head in this room--and I couldn't find it. I searched every nook, used the binoculars, had Lara make her way along the slopes on the opposite side of the room, and still couldn't find the lion's head. It is directly over the entrance slide, but is protected by projecting rocks. Only a tiny minuscule sliver is visible from the safe area where Lara can stand. One can easily waste an hour here--and remember I had been clued to look for a lion's head. There are also passages that have been textured over so that they appear to be solid walls, but Lara is supposed to swim through them. There is a notable lack of cameras to direct the player. In "Knights of the Round Table II" there is a pushable harp, but no indication where it should be placed, no floor tiles that are different. If Lara does place the harp correctly, a door opens. How many players would rush down the main grand staircase, and run over to the huge fireplace and have Lara dive into the hot ash? Because this is where the door opened. In "Knights of the Round Table III" Lara has to correctly place a bundle of swords. This triggers a fly-by of gladiator statues in a lake, then closed doors of a building, then the building roof. So what is Lara to do? This is a large area to explore, and that fly-by turns out to be decidedly unhelpful. Lara is supposed to swim to the farthest shore of the big lake and find a small opening, then use an underwater lever. Right. To compound all this, the author has encrypted his levels so that no one can use a Tomb Raider level viewer or a tool such as fexinspect. He doesn't want anyone to get any type of help in playing these levels, or in finding levers or jump switches. Then there is the extreme difficulty of some timed runs and jumps. The first level, "Sea Girt," is by far the easiest, but some players complained of the tight timed run. I thought it rather easy: turn wheel, rotate Lara right, do a back flip with twist to take her most of the way down the stair ramp, land with the dash key pressed, run to door and roll. But there is a timed run in "Knights of the Round Table II" that defeated me one whole evening. I tried it again and again next morning and finally made it. I don't even want to say how many attempts this took me. Success just led to some high platforms and nearly impossible jumps that took more hours to accomplish. Any idea of fun gets lost in these levels. One just wants to get through them. Again, the author has encrypted script.dat so that no one can use fly cheat to bypass such game-stopping moments. As mentioned, the design can be wonderfully inspired and fresh, but the texturing is sometimes sloppy. In the lion's head room I thought there were two openings in the far wall, but only one was real: the other was a bad texturing job. At the end of "Knights of the Round Table III," before placing the four treasures, Lara picks up a life vial [medipack]. Here part of a pillar isn't even textured, so it is transparent. The use of rainbow hues and bright light rays often disguises a rather casual approach to texturing. I have played through large level sets in a few days, but here I spent a couple of weeks to manage only a few levels. I reached the bonus level, which is the four spinning skeletons you see in the title fly-by, but have no desire to rush into it. The author has no shortage of talent, but doesn't want most players to be able to complete his levels." - dmdibl

"well i must admit that i get older with 10 years after i made to finish this game ....this is a EXTREMELY HARD custom level... allmoust impossible timed runs -very short - colapse tiles passage with spiked floor - very short timed also , and to be almoust impossible sharp turns + burner will get ur life a missery untill u made it .... this part sucess depinds more on luck than skill or anything else ...... also alot off blind bannana jumps moustly combined with another very short timed run wich also depinds more on luck to made it + some very tough slope jumps at level 2 also not manny flybyes moustly u dunno what made with a lever or a JS pull - to be not be miss-understanding this game is brilliantly builded but extremely frustrating time to time cos the above mentionated things I THINK IS THE HARDEST GAME FROM ALL WAS BUILDED EVER - THINK TWICE BEFORE U START TO PLAY IT ... EVEN VERY EXPERIENCED PLAYERS WILL HAVE HARD TIME WITH ..... from this considerents i cannot give higher marks ..." - Jack&

"ZOMG! This game is excellent! It contains excellent gameplay, great objects, camera, and BEAUTIFUL texturing! I love this game! A must download.." - God Horus