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The Croft Curse by God Horus

afzalmiah 10 8 9 10
Ali 9 9 9 10
Blue43 9 10 9 10
Bradley 7 9 8 8
Brikas94 8 9 9 8
Christian 9 9 9 10
Cory 7 9 9 9
Diz 9 10 8 9
DJ Full 9 9 10 8
dmdibl 8 9 10 10
eRIC 6 9 8 8
Gerty 7 9 9 9
ggctuk 9 9 10 10
High Priestess 10 10 10 9
Jack& 8 8 8 8
Jay 9 10 10 10
Jessica Croft 10 9 10 10
Jeys 10 9 10 10
John 9 9 9 7
Jorge22 8 8 9 9
Jose 10 10 9 10
Juno Jim 10 10 10 10
m.julien 9 10 10 10
manarch2 8 9 10 10
MichaelP 7 10 9 9
Miriam 8 9 10 10
misho98 8 9 9 10
Mman 8 9 9 9
MrJavi94 10 10 10 10
MrXenomorph123 8 8 9 7
mugs 9 9 9 10
Nina Croft 9 8 7 10
Orbit Dream 8 9 9 10
Phil 9 8 9 10
Roli 9 9 10 10
Roxas Kennedy 9 10 9 10
Ruben 9 10 10 10
Ryan 8 8 10 10
Scottie 10 9 8 9
Shandroid 9 10 10 10
TheStig 9 9 9 9
TjwCroft 10 8 9 9
Torry 9 10 10 10
Treeble 7 8 9 9
wdavid 10 8 8 10
young Lara Croft 8 8 9 9
Zhyttya 6 8 9 10
 
release date: 29-Jul-2010
# of downloads: 261

average rating: 9.06
review count: 47
 
review this level

file size: 293.52 MB
file type: TR4
class: nc
 


author profile(s):
email(s):
ps3fanboy25@yahoo.ca

Reviewer's comments
"Some things are indeed cursed but mostly this is a fun trip. Assets change quickly, story unfolds fast, sound is rather atmospheric (minus wrong sfx, sigh). Gameplay is simple yet varied and effective. What I found insufficient is organicness of shapes, these could be better. Still a valuable game after those 14 years." - DJ Full (02-May-2024)
"This is a lovely set of levels which feels heavily inspired by the Legend trilogy. The levels are rather short (there's 8 in total, I think, and the total runtime is short of two hours) and take your through a wide variety of environments, all of which are presented with very high quality textures. Gameplay for the most part is rather uninspired however, relying on tried and tested basics (which isn't a bad thing, mind you). The Croft Manor was a cute recreation of sorts of its TRL counterpart but brings in its own reality of tomb raider logic (baking bread to open a door in the opposite hallway? check). I love the use of TRU style outfits, including the Xbox 360 exclusive black and blue catsuit which has an additional feature here which reminds me, there are quite a few nice technicalities spread across the levels such as the journal entries, a Lara flashing in and out of existence, the flamethrower enemies, the board of Sent etc. I don't recall the board of Senet in any custom level I've played, and even though it didn't quite work as it should (the enemy pieces were not moving across the board but their actions were being properly accounted for, ie my pieces would randomly get moved back to the start or the AI would roll twice in a roll, for instance), but eventually the AI won and the pieces faded away and I could still claim the secret. The author also has supplied several voice overs to narrate the plot which, sadly, get often drowned in the background music, however D&G have supplied transcriptions for most of them. 100 minutes, 5 secrets. 08/22" - Treeble (21-Aug-2022)
"Fantastic level set here! so much variety both in locations and in gameplay which i adore as we are literally globe trotting from one place to the next from underwater sea levels to lara's mansion, tibet, japan, venice and finally the timed level in egypt before a showdown with the villain herself. The story is very good with a race against time for lara to save herself from certain death and the music was just seriously epic! really good tunes here (some from past TR games and films etc) to get your adrenaline going. the levels themselves are quite short and simple mostly but certainly not boring as you have some great puzzles, traps, vehicles, enemies and timed tasks and runs to contend with to make sure your always having fun and i was because there is no level here that is weak, id thought that id have a favorite like laras's home or venice but they are all brilliant. i think the visuals such as textures and lighting etc were very good but with a bit more polish they could of been great and i did experience some missing or dips in sound effects occasionally but i really commend the effort here its a really well made and enjoyable game and one i'll definitely replay again well done" - John (26-Jan-2022)
"Very good !!! The best thing is good lighting !!! I'm weary of "dark" games, where I can't see what's going on or where stuff is. Very good gameplay, fun & pretty linear." - Juno Jim (19-Jun-2021)
"Wonderful level set that will have you engaged for a good few hours. Only issue was the diary. It would freeze the game every time it tried to open but simply hitting ESC would bring you back to the game. Pity as the diary was necessary to give the player hints as to what was going on and keep them engaged. I loved the timed run for the final level but I admit to cheating and watching a video walk through so that I was not hindered with unnecessary actions that just took up time to no avail. Having the grenade launcher to dispatch the evil Jade was a godsend. Managed to get the jeep keys with 220 seconds to spare." - Torry (29-Jan-2021)
"Here's another set of levels I may or may not have played when they came out, I'm not sure anymore. A relatively easy ride that ends with a showdown between Lara and Jade, the evil "friend" whose main interest in life lies in becoming Lara in Lara's place. The various levels are short-ish and varied (she goes from the Aegean Sea to a showdown in Egypt with her manor, Tibet, Venice and maybe some VCI-type settings (?) - hope I'm not forgetting anything - along the way) although not, in my opinion, terribly convincing. It's entertaing, I suppose." - Jorge22 (30-Oct-2017)
"This is my first review, so I'm a bit inexperienced with professional reviews. I'm gonna say this was a fantastic TRLE, had some really cool puzzles, music, and enemies, particularly the robot Lara in Jade's home. My only concern was a bug at the start which turned it all black, but I found a fix just by swimming back a bit and it's all sorted so I won't let that affect my opinion of this TRLE. Although I'm not sure if it's just my PC, but cut scenes before the levels begin don't show and it looks like the game crashes until I just press the Esc key and it's all running fine. Definitely recommend to any TRLE players! And I'm looking forward to the sequel as I hear there is one in development." - MrXenomorph123 (03-Dec-2016)
"This was a thoroughly enjoyable level set. The storyline is that the evil Jade has stolen Lara's identity and cursed her and Lara has to try and break it. Starting with a short interlude in the Aegean Sea, then onto the Manor, then Jade's House, Tibet, Venice, a spooky church and finally for a showdown in Egypt. Gameplay is actually quite easy but the audio and atmosphere make up for it. Lighting and textures faultlessly applied." - Ryan (17-May-2016)
"It was a good game overall. Really beautiful textures and Lara's animations are fun. There are a few things however that i think need to be mentioned, mainly because those things annoyed me quite a bit when playing the game. So start i'm going to justify my lower score, which is a 6 on the gameplay and puzzles. Some of the puzzles and objects to pick up were in fact well thought, however there are a lot of puzzles which were simply recycled from the classic games. I enjoyed the nostalgia feeling but it kinda gave the impression that the author was a bit lazy deciding what puzzles to make. For example, the Semerket puzzle, it was nice to see it back but a shame it didn't work properly, and ultimately it didn't had a purpose what so ever. Lara glitches a few times when trying to interact with two triggers which were way to close to each other (to be more precise, between a lever and a key). The other bad experience, but quite enjoyable at the same time, it's the soundtracks. They are beautiful and a charm to listen to, however sometimes the volume goes up for no reason at all, being both annoying and intrusive to the game play - being the reason why i gave a 9 on the third option rather than a 10. Now speaking of the good things, the story line, Lara's diary, the progression, graphics and atmosphere were wonderful. Loved all of the scenarios, specially in Jade's House." - Zhyttya (28-Jul-2015)
"A nice levelset , containing a lot of areas to explore, solve puzzles and conquer. It had me up and running the whole time I was on full alert, Jade's house with the flamethrowers, the mobsters in Venice and The Egyptian foes. The puzzles are not that hard once you get the hang of them, one exception was the bin in the church, which I found quite odd. Other than that I just loved the variety that this game has to offer, even if it takes under 5 minutes to solve some levels I still enjoyed speed-traveling. Overall a great addition the trle vault." - young Lara Croft (24-Jan-2014)
"It has been more than two years that I tested this and I have to say it still had me running around a lot. You have quite a few levels to go through and some are pretty short. I did like the story and the looks, although no compass in-game is still a big NO in my book. I still hate the flamethrowers and for the life of me I never made it through the door this time. Thanks to Dutchy and his savedgame. That was the only one I had to use, the rest is not that hard or that difficult. Even the extended timed run at the last level is very doable, but boy oh boy, that Jade person was hard to kill. Even with all the levels you have to go through, gameplay is at a minimum, what is a pity. But it for sure is worth your while to have a go at it. Great job Jesse." - Gerty (15-Aug-2013)
"Prologue - Aegean Sea, 1994: (10/10/10/10) - A very good opening to the adventure. The "element puzzle" is a good idea to just open a door. A great start by this talented builder.
Poolhouse and Greenhouse: (7/10/10/10) The gameplay here has been some worse in my opinion. It's actually a very short level where the objective is to collect the key in the upper area. Not very enjoyable this one.
The Croft Estate: (10/10/10/10) - Here the gameplay has been reforzed amazingly well. This level is full of perfect objects that fit very well in it.
Jade's House: (10/10/10/10) - A much longer level than the previous ones. This has a lot of enjoyable raiding. I specially liked Lara's clones and snowmobile part. I think the author wanted to make us remember while playing Tibetan Foothills from Tomb Raider 2. The mirrors room is specially lovely and dall the other rooms have a master design.
Tibet: (10/10/10/10) - Another long level in which the difficulty has started. Those snow leopards are... divine and the best part is the sound they emit. The music is mainly from Tomb Raider Underworld, which fits very well for a level such like this. And in the of the level, you have to ride on a funny vehicle that surprisingly lets you to walk through the lava surface, and that's how you get the secret, so original... :D
Venice: (10/10/10/10) - This shorter level is another enjoyable one, the "puzzle" at the start might you awhile to do. This level could perfectly remind you to the BtB2010 levels. Another good idea of this one is Janice. Looks like the builder wanted to make us remember who Janice was.
The Church (7/10/10/10) - This is possibly the shortest level I've played through. Firstly, you have to move a garbage bin onto each bloody tile on the floor and once you've done so, it could be said you're about to finish the level. So the gameplay is not pretty good here.
Showdown in Egypt: (10/10/10/10) - My favourite out of all the eight levels. First to highlight is the music. As he did with his "The Serpent Gemstone", he has included again my favourite theme from Resident Evil 5 game, The Mercenaries. I also love that this level is timed, I mean you must be fast in order to avoid Jade escapes. Another brilliant idea has been to put the Requiem for a Dream theme. How much I love it!!
Overall rating & Conclusion: (10/10/10/10): For me one of my 10 favourite custom levels. God Horus' customisations leave me constantly speechless, so I highly recommend this great adventure. Excellent work, Jesse!!!!!!!!" - MrJavi94 (21-Apr-2012)
"First of all, this game is not as long as I thought it was going to be (judging by the size of the download and the number of levels). All of the levels are pretty short which means you quickly do a couple of puzzles and the level is over. At the authers place I would have put the mansion and the pool in one level rather than a 2 min level and a 10 min one. I had to consult the walkthrough a couple of times because I didn't know that I had to push a bin or a golden Lara. Some of the puzzles are good but sometimes there aren't enough camera hints. Now for the positive : Some nice HD textures and ok lighting. The levels expanded from Lara's home to Tibet, wich means you wont get boared from seeing the same place all the time. There are some new animations : pole swinging, tightrope walk, crawl role, jump out crawlspace... All in all this is a pretty good game with a few short levels. Recomended to all!" - Bradley (16-Dec-2011)
"When I started this level I was very enthusiastic, but after i got out of the water everything turned black. After some steps it was fixed, but later when I saved and reloaded I was missing some items for the element puzzle. The first level was nice. Yes, it had some bugs, but if you leave them on a side - it's a nice beginning. The second level was very short. I think it should've been included in the Croft Estate level, but I guess there's a reason to be separated. The Croft Estate was nice as well, but it didn't felt like a big manor. There wasn't much to explore, but it was beatufully built and fun to play. Jade's house is very strong level. Very scary and atmospheric level. The Lara-enemy was very scary, but the Flamethrowers were very annoying. Tibet looked very big, but as the Manor - not much to explore. But it's one of the strongest levels anyway. The new vehicle was very fun, the monster, the imps, the atmosphere, textures and everything was great . And after that another strong levels comes - Venice. Short, but nice, including even Janice. The secret was well done. The Church was nicely made, but gameplay - nothing special. Egypt was a strong ending - you must catch Jade before she escapes, but you have a lot of time to do it. So... nice game, very cool new animations, and despite it's bugs - it's nice level and definitely recommended!" - misho98 (30-Nov-2011)
"I rediscovered this unfinished (on my part), level recently in my list of downloads so decided to pick up where I left off and finished this evening with a little help needed in parts, particularly direction on the timed run near the ending although there was in fact ample time allocated. I agree with other comments in that this was so professional, one could have mistaken it for an official release. In fact one could even argue that it was better than some of the original levels! The sounds (like that eerie screaming in the Church), musical scores, textures and gameplay were so absorbing that it really did keep me from the things I should have been doing instead! I marked it down just one point because of the loss of texture in some swimming tasks where the surroundings disappeared into darkness. However, it was so enjoyable that I intend to keep this in my TR:LE download folder and play it again at some point in the future. I'm so glad I checked this level before deleting it for I would have missed a truly fantastic Raiding experience. This is a builder I shall keep a close eye on for future great, expansive adventures. HIGHLY recommended. Thank you!" - High Priestess (23-Jul-2011)
"This is a great effort here from God Horus. It's quite a nice mini-game with lots of varied locations to give you a bit more of the 'globe trotting' feeling. Gameplay is pretty straight-forward and uncomplicated, so it should be suitable for pretty much any player. There's also nice selection of music & cut scenes. One of the things I was very pleased to see the return of was the harpoon gun! I think TR really misses that element and I wish more people would include the harpoon gun so that we can have under-water combat more often :) There's been a great deal of effort into making this feel like it's packaged like a game. For the most part this is sucessful, but I did run-across a few audio glitches which leave you without a sound-track, and sometimes the background sounds could completely over-power the dialogue. Some of the geometry in some rooms could also be better (the ice-levels particularly felt a little bit too square/box roomed in places for my liking). Visually my favorite area was venice, as the architecture, texturing and lighting were pretty much perfect :) All in all I completed the Croft Curse in 2 hours and 40 minutes. A good strong mini-game here and I hope to review God Horus' previous level (which I understand this was a sequel to) in the near future so that I can get the whole story & background. Highly recommended. Stiggy" - TheStig (05-Jun-2011)
"This is a really long mini game with completely different levels. It is a sequal to God horus's previous minigame serpent gemstone. My favourite level was croft manor. I love home levels! Another favourite level of mine is venice with the surprising encounter with janice and another surprising encounter with a zombie! The other favourite level of mine is jade's house. Very detailed house with challenging gameplay. The house isn't very big but you go to an underground cave where there is almost every adventure of lara's! A level which I didn't like very much was the church because of the gloomy atmosphere and the screaming background sound! I had to put the sound down because of it! God horus has ceratinly improved from his/her last adventure. The other levels were really fun and players shouldn't miss this astonishing adventure." - afzalmiah (07-Mar-2011)
"A very "next-gen" based pack; there are meshes, tweaked moves and advanced effects used around every corner. The Croft manor levels are especially beautiful, but there are a lot of nice sights throughout, and the detail levels stays relatively consistent (compared to some next-gen based packs that have pretty weak visuals in areas without meshes everywhere). There are a few areas with very stretched textures, and also a couple where the lighting didn't fully convince (A couple of rooms in Venice with off yellowish lighting in particular), but it's high-quality beyond that. Also, the dialogue is completely inaudible at times due it frequently playing at the same time as quite loud music.
The pack keeps a fast pace with quite short levels and a variety of settings, there's also a story which is implemented well (including an intro video), along with a diary. The difficulty level isn't too high and there are some nice ideas, like the timer in the final level. There are a couple of things that feel like they are used and thrown away a bit too fast (like the hoverboard), and the overall level design is just solid without any particular wow factor (beyond the visuals), but it mostly works. Some documentation on the new moves would have been good (pole swinging in particular worked very different to how it normally does, which took a little getting used to). One final oddity is that the end of Tibet and the final level let you finish without actually doing what you came for (collecting an item and killing the boss respectively); perhaps a bit of a play-testing issue, even if it doesn't actually hinder progression. Hopefully the author has more to show us in the future." - Mman (26-Jan-2011)
"One of the best levels I've played congratulate you and a great creator of levels, the level is very strategic and has great pluzzes very interesting, is excellent, the sound of the game and the graphics are great it has almost no error!" - Jessica Croft (23-Dec-2010)
"Seven levels, all different in many aspects, but the storyline is tight and fluent, which is very hard to accomplish with seven completely different locations. The story begins in the Aegean Sea, deep under water, and it's of catacomb type. Here you have underwater battles with sharks (and Lara has her faithful harpoon gun with herself), and elemental puzzle to solve. It is not very hard once you find your way around, and it's a great start of a great story. Then the adventure continues in Lara's home, a rather short level, but with some really great moments. For example, I particularly liked the grapple gun and oven puzzle. A typical home level, with a Manor that looks like Legend or Anniversary Manor, but this time very well build and textured. Then another manor in the next level, but completely different: the House of Jade. Here you'll finally have some serious adventure, with a lot of traps, enemies and action elements. Excellently built, this level is probably the best developed in the collection. After it, you find yourself somewhere in Tibet, so we have a snow and mountain type of the level. However, unlike the Jade's House, the Tibet level is not so well built, in my opinion. Caves here are designed poorly, and are more or less square. But still, there are some really good moments here as well. For example, I liked a hovering plate a lot, as well as the mirror room, which is superb. Then Lara visits Venice, a rather short level with climbing and swimming, not so challenging and decently built. The next level is even shorter, but much more annoying, due to the long push sequence in the church. The horror element of this level is well done, including the screams in background. Finally the last level, Egyptian one, is probably the best textured Egypt level ever. The whole level is timed, so you need to get to Jade before she flees away, which is here done extremely well. The final battle is great, with tough enemy and jeep escape. This mini-game is overall well built and textured, with lot of challenges, traps, enemies, swimming, running, climbing, exploring etc, so it's very exciting and not so easy to finish. Although some bugs and glitches were really annoying (wrongly placed doors, objects with bad collision, missing sounds and cameras etc), I still highly recommend this level set to everyone, this is one game really worth playing. God Horus is not famous as a builder for nothing. Great work!" - Nina Croft (05-Dec-2010)
"I played this one a while ago, but didn't review it then. After having played the builder's first level, which was good, too, I can say he has still made big improvement. The fantastic atmosphere and texture use in "Serpent Gemstone", which I rated 10 there, were even better here - only look at the brilliant manor levels -; gameplay however was in some levels a bit too low, as in Jade's House and Venice the puzzles were much too obvious and some levels were straightforward ones. But I liked the idea of the timed run at the end, maybe God Horus could have made it a bit more tight because I ended up with way too much time. Fun factor was very high in this one, maybe even because of the levels' simplicity. Enemies were really cool looking and well placed, the ride with the disc was, too - a bit too short, in my opinion. Secrets were mostly easy to find, only one or two needed special attention. A real masterpiece by this builder and some levels one must not miss!" - manarch2 (28-Nov-2010)
"This is a multi level game which I really enjoyed, mainly because it has a complex story line that follows through the whole level instead of just the usual searching for an exit or and artifact. Gameplay & Puzzles: Very nice and fluent game play. Not easily to get stuck in here. Most everything is very logical and most of the puzzles are easy, although some are strange (like the dough and pan). It's definitely never boring as the builder has managed to put a lot of content into rather short levels and the constant change of scenery makes game play even more exciting. In general the game play is easy, there aren't any really hard jumps or tight timed runs. Enemies, Objects & Secrets: Yes, everything is there. From the Bartoli baddies, to rats, dogs, bats, sharks, tigers, the giant head and big and little ice monsters. There are lots of custom objects throughout the game. It was nice to see the grapple gun again. The secrets could have been a little harder as I found all of them quickly and some weren't really hidden at all. The hover board ride was something I had never seen before. Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras: Here we have some hits and misses. The music and sound effect were great for the most part and fit the game play very well. There are several speech scenes, which I found great, BUT the music and speech was not mixed well as I could never understand anything. Adjusting the sound settings didn't help either. It would have probably been better to not have any background music during those parts - maybe a thought for the next game. Camera work was great - I liked the fixed cameras in some areas. In general there was a wonderful atmosphere throughout the whole game, some relaxing and some exciting but never boring and dull. Lighting & Textures: Good lighting and textures throughout the game. Some rooms were a bit boxy and could have used more decoration, but that's nitpicking. Textures were mainly high-rez and looked clean applied. Lighting was dome really well. It was never really dark so that one never really needed flares, except for thorough inspection or searching for an item. There was a bug in the beginning after the dive, where Lara climbs up and it was pitch black. But the second time around it was fine. The builder has created a wonderful game, that in opposite of so many other great level has basically no hard an frustrating parts at all, which I am sure some will criticize as too easy, but I personally like just that. I also liked the story like and the fact that the builder was able to pack a lot of game play and a lot of completely different scenery into a relatively short game. Well done! I think we all hope to see more from this builder. Highly recommended to everyone!" - Blue43 (18-Sep-2010)
"In my first review, I'm gonna talk about this game, and boy, is it awesome!! This has to be one of the better levelsets I've played, if not, one of the better GAMES i've played recently. But that still doesn't mean this game is flawless! First of all, I must say that story is pretty good. It's definetly somewhat original. Now let's talk about some little flaws that aren't fatal, but are actually funny.I was playing the third level (Croft Manor) and I was in library. I climbed up, and I searched the room andHOLY SH*T, LOOK AT THAT SWORD!!!! That sword is as 1.5x larger than Lara herself! Also, this game contains one of the most colorful Egypts I've ever seen! But there are also two glitches I've encountered: 1: In Tibet, at the near end of level, there is a room with lava and there is a pillar you have to climb. Problem is, there are blades that swing around the pilar, and, I think beacuse of that, Lara can climb inside the pillar(!!!). 2: When you meet Janice in Venice, you can't pass near Janice beacuse air keeps blocking you! Also, what was she doing there in the first place? I have no idea. Graphics in this game are amazing! They look like Legend... in current gen. Atmosphere is good, it makes you feel like you're realy in Venice, or Tibet, etc... mostly beacuse of many remaded textures and objects. There is also one thing I would like to say before I end... The last boss battle is EPIC (mostly beacuse of the song)!! Bottom line, this game is awesome. I recommend this game to everyone!" - Roxas Kennedy (31-Aug-2010)
"Another great levelset by God Horus. :) I really like this levelset, there are mixtures of the classic feeling and with the Crystal D.'s feeling too, IMO. :) Every level well builded, the enviroments are choosen well, and builded well. Sounds too, the bacground sounds, the musics fits well of course, i really like them. The main theme is fantastic!! Gameplay is good, i think easy, so beginners could finish the levelset too. :) The puzzles aren't that hard, the seaching for objects are harder i think. :) Enemies are baddies, and other humanoid enemies. If you want a great adventure for the weekend, try this out, worth it!!" - Roli (28-Aug-2010)
"I loved this game. From start to finish. Awesome story, awesome locations, and great design. Apart from a few small issues I noticed with a few objects, and the glitch with the yeti cage, this was great. Next time though, try to actually get the issues the beta testers mention, and not rush it to get it out. I'd give it a total 9.5 out of 10 :)" - TjwCroft (18-Aug-2010)
"I really enjoyed this little adventure, and the sequel to the Serpent Gemstone Too! I really wish I could give 10/10 for this but there were a few flaws such as not knowing where to go next because of a lack of cameras. Aside from that, the game was a very enjoyable experience and I would highly recommend this. I really do look forward to whatever God Horus offers next." - ggctuk (16-Aug-2010)
"There are a lot of positives about this multi-level release, but there also some negatives, which I'll deal with first. No compass is provided, which makes it more difficult for those writing walkthroughs and for those who use them. I'm aware that this is probably done to thwart use of the GUNS cheat, but in this case the builder has gone the extra mile by using a different name for the executable, ostensibly to prevent additional cheating through the tweaking of that file. I'm sorry, but until they completely revamp the game engine - in which case it will no longer be Tomb Raider, but something else - all I have to do is rename the file as tomb4.exe, apply the god mode patch, then change the name back, and I can then play without being distracted by enemy attacks or the possibility of drowning. As I've said before, cheating isn't for everyone, but those who are bent on doing it will find a way despite the builder's best intentions, so in your zeal to prevent cheating by a few, don't deprive other players of standard game options. I'm not quite through with my rant. I don't mind a little heroic music to signal that something dramatic is about to happen or that the player has conquered a particularly difficult move. However, the looping triumphal march in the opening level grew so annoying that I turned the music completely down for the rest of the game. I may have missed something nice in the process, but I do just fine with the sound effects encountered in normal gameplay. Special music is fine in moderation, just don't overdo it. And now for the more pleasant aspects of this release. These are uncommonly good-looking levels, and the scenic environs have been crafted with obvious care and are very pleasing to the eye, particularly in the Venice level late in the game. You get a nice variety of playing environments as well, from an underwater exercise to an elaborate mansion to a wintry jaunt in icy waters with nice rides on a snowmobile and a hover board, winding up in Venice and Egypt with a church service in between. Other reviewers have mentioned what they consider the relatively mundane gameplay, but I found that the provided tasks were varied, challenging on occasion and thoroughly invigorating. I would, however, echo Dutchy's comment in the walkthrough indicating that the secret in the Tibet level is likely impossible to reach through conventional means. When I played, the slowly turning blade pushed me a notch to the right on the ladder (which may well have killed me had I not been playing in god mode), allowing me to back flip with a roll and a sharp curve to the left so I could land safely beyond the lava. The Croft Curse is quite an ambitious project, with a lot of time and effort having obviously been invested in it, but it's a mighty hefty download for the two and a half hours or so of gameplay that comes with it. All of this having been said, the positives overwhelmingly outweigh the negatives, so I can recommend this release without reservation." - Phil (13-Aug-2010)
"I had a lot of fun while playing this levelset, and it surely is one of the best game of the year! I really liked the story, and the ending was just perfect. I had trouble with some of the puzzles, though. Some of them were a little too easy. And I can't not point out the oven puzzle in the Croft Manor. How on earth can baking bread open doors? I like silly puzzles, but this one crosses the line a bit for me. Lighting and textures are both well executed, but some slip-ups could have easily been fixed, the window reflections on the venetian church, for example. I loved the objects, the atmosphere, the music, the sounds and the variety of locations. Jade's house was a very original level, along with the tomb filled with old TR memories. Venice was extremely well pulled, with a big help from the BtB2010 textures. One thing I liked in this game is that it never got boring or tiring. It was fun from start to finish. I'm looking very forward to the sequel! :)" - Brikas94 (13-Aug-2010)
"Well this was a special raid, I loved every minute of it and the dark atmosphere of the levels were great. The thing I loved the most was the story. Jesse has created a great levelset that could be the level of the month. Gameplay was outstanding, I actually didn't know what to do in Tibet until some people from TRF helped me out. Puzzles were fun in Croft Manor and the Church Level. Atmosphere was great, I loved the music and how he made it so exciting whenever you entered a tomb or temple. And that scream in the church made my heart stop. T.T Lighting and textures were good, I really liked the textures he used in the Aegean Sea level. :D Good job Jesse! ^_^" - Ali (11-Aug-2010)
"First of all, I would like to say thank you to Jesse for finally clearing up the questions I had following the Serpent Gemstone level. The Croft Curse has such a great premise, giving it a sense of urgency which is really cool. I enjoyed every location, although some were more likable than others. My main complaint is that the levels were fairly short, however, that does coincide with the theme of the level. Lara would surely die if she had to spends days and days in each location. I simply adored the Croft mansion and especially the pool area and the music was phenomenal, if a bit loud. I would have rather seen more of Jade's house, with tricky laser puzzles and such, rather than the out of place "Lara's Greatest Hits" in the basement. I didn't care for that much and I felt that it took away from the that sub-level a bit. Lara looked absolutely smashing in each outfit. I really hope that Jesse continues building levels, because by the looks of things, they will be just brilliant!" - Shandroid (10-Aug-2010)
"And now for something completely different... This is an adventure in the true sense of the word. It has a compelling storyline and many aspects that give it a professional, almost commcercial look. And through this it really did draw me in with its fast paced and rather simplistic and linear gameplay flow, supported by truly great ambience audio choices.
Aegean Sea, 1994 (15 min, 1 secret): Amazing how you can squeeze a full elements puzzle and a few funny animations into so few minutes of gameplay, but it works great as a kick off level.
The Poolhouse & Greenhouse / The Croft Estate (20 min): Very good looking rooms but very little to do. The use of the grappling gun is a nice add and the security system comment made me chuckle.
Jade's House (35 min): The first level that is a bit more substantial and interesting through its very quick 'location changes'. It does appear that the author rather selected objects he wanted to use/experiment with and then built a room around them, but it still works well. I liked the diversity here, with the mirror puzzle, the fire throwers, the robot Lara, the spiked ceiling, the snowmobile and the (slightly buggy) Senet game. And of course the 'picture scene' at the end is nicely done!
Tibet (30 min): For me this was the weakest link in the adventure. The rooms are too square and empty, the audio seems to stop and thus atmosphere gets lost and too many ideas seem underused, like the hovercraft. Still, the lava pools with blades provided a mild challenge and the mirror room was nice too.
Venice (30 min, 1 secret): Another BtB2010 reference here with a few suitable additions like the flying books, the jump on a boat, the hilarious Janet chit-chat scene and a few traps to manage.
The Church (15 min): Nice work here to scare the players with the howling and the screams. Unfortunately, gameplay is a bit dull with the lengthy pushing of the trashcan, but the use of the torch was fun.
Showdown in Egypt (5 min): A great ending - the timer kind of creates adrenalin and pressure even though you do really have plenty of time to make it through a series of basic activities to reach Jade in time and eventually kill her.
All in all, what you end up with is 2.5 hours of a very diverse adventure with great object use and funny special effects sprinkled throughout. It lacks a bit on the side of really substantial gameplay, but that does not take away from the enjoyment and entertainment that it does create as a whole. Great job! More please =)" - MichaelP (08-Aug-2010)
"This level set is a good example of how an average game can be taken for a masterpiece. Short levels, with gameplay , puzzles , architecture being rather simple. But it is the secondary categories that can make of it an appealing one. Good musics, objects , features and animations. Despite all the good ingredients and the competence of the builder , what makes a great course and a memorable raiding time was simply not there. [ 6 9 8 8 ]" - eRIC (08-Aug-2010)
"This level was simply fun from beginning to end. I had a problem with a 'darkness' bug in the first part, luckily I was able to play the first part on another computer and then transfer it at the start of the second otherwise I would not have been able to play this at all. That apart, it was smiles all round, from the satisfaction of shooting a shark that's been nibbling your toes, to blood curding screams in a church, to a 'boss' ending of sorts. Nothing too difficult, the agility and timed runs should be well within the abilities of all but the most inexperienced raider and for the more experienced, sometimes it's very satisfying to get it right first time! There aren't that many enemies but they always seem to pop up at the most inconvenient times (thank goodness Lara doesn't go to the loo). I was sorry to finish such an enjoyable level." - Diz (07-Aug-2010)
"How many levels have their own YouTube trailer? Impressive. The action begins in the Aegean with Lara underwater, which is always an effective scenario, especially with a brace of sharks in the immediate vicinity. There's a wonderful mix of different locations throughout the game actually - the Croft estate, to which Lara briefly returns to pick up a few essentials and, for some reason best known to herself, bake a loaf! Then on to New York, Tibet, wonderful Venice (including a spooky interlude in a church with the most bloodcurdling screams I've ever heard in the background) and a final adrenalin laden showdown in Egypt. This is a clever idea, well executed. The locations are ravishing, with appropriate and well used enemies for each section and well chosen background music. The gameplay is varied and interesting, fast paced, mainly quite linear, with a moderate difficulty level in the agility department and some well crafted puzzles. Although there are a lot of sections, they are not particularly long and seem even shorter due to the enormous fun factor. Unmissable." - Jay (06-Aug-2010)
"This adventure was a fun to play. Finally a game with a nice storyline, i really like it The game has many well made puzzles, i specially like the one in the church :) There weren't too much enemies during the game but i don't mind it afterall...several rooms were empty in my opinion some objects would make it much better :) The sounds are also fitting to the place where you are exploring (the scream in the church gave me the creeps..in the good way)but sometimes the background sound just stopped playing (i think it happened in Tibet) Absolutely recommended!" - wdavid (06-Aug-2010)
"What an original level! It catchs your attention from the first level until the last race. The atmosphere was great, the first level was a bit dark but the autor provided us with enough flares to face it. Of course, next levels were wonderful packaged. Houses looked fine furnished and very realistic. Moreover, Lara wears different clothes according to the place where she is and her movements looked fresh, I personally like this fact. Lightning was perfect: the colours and the intensity were adapted to the place, and textures looked terrific. As far as gameplay is concerned, I found a pleasant adventure but sometimes very easy. Although the platforms and the challenges are interesting, the game is very linear and sometimes obvious.For example, in the swimming pool level you just move two blocks to pick up the keys, and there's such a big room for just that. I think it need more difficulty and less linearity. The puzzles were fine, but they could be improved being a bit more logical. On the other hand, enemies and objects looked amazing, the final boss was an original idea which I actually loved; but secrets weren't any challenging and too easy to pick up them. In conclusion, a great level with an enjoyable gameplay through different wonderful places. I couldn't get bored!" - Miriam (06-Aug-2010)
"An adventure made up of not very extensive levels, but very funnny. The look is fantastic, with a large number of objects very well done and very good texturing. Almost linear levels, sometimes the puzzles are fairly obvious, but there are also original puzzles. Very good ideas, different locations with a variety of scenarios, perhaps some background music is not very appropriate but in general is the kind of adventure where you enjoy every minute in a truly immersive and engaging. You see a lot of previous work and great effort by the author. Excellent, highly recommended." - Jose (05-Aug-2010)
"Aegean Sea: Immediately at the level beginning I thought, I could sweep the level immediately again from the hard disk. Outdoors in the sea everything was still normal and in the cave I could also see everything, but when I rose from the water, everything was suddenly pitch-black. Even with a Flare absolutely nothing was to be recognised. Then I have run a few steps with the Flare and suddenly a light rose to me and I could play quite normally further. Indeed, then I have also taken immediately the background music from the audio-folder. So well the idea may also be, but this music has totally irritated me. And now I could also concentrate much better upon the well built rooms and the small however fine riddle inserts.
The Poolhouse and Greenhouse: Though the bikini is scarcely calculated a little bit, however, goes just still in such a way. The space with many plants at the level beginning looks very good. If one did not have to do a few things, here one could spend half a day. And as nicely the pool looked.
The Croft Estate: I thought up to now, Skyler Ortega would be the only level builder who can build so nicely furnished houses. Now I might ascertain, that God Horus plays almost in the same league.
Jades House: Jades house looked damn good and one had to get over some difficult situations. Thus it was quite difficult, for example to kill both Dudes with her flamethrowers. However, there were a few problems with the sound. With the Senet Game one could hear, for example, only the rotary sticks. Another problem was which has moved only one of three opponent's figures at the Senet Game.
Tibet: Thus the level plays give pleasure. Good riddles, well built rooms and a few, however, well placed opponents. Unfortunately, the flying saucer had no sound, but this was the only sound problem. Very well has liked to me the special health beam which was always then obviously and in action if Lara swam in the ice-cold water. The flame with which in the big cave the layer of ice was destroyed was not to be seen in the scorpion fish. The level builder has probably placed them at the wrong place.
Venice: Probably all Level Builders who want to build a Venice-level will use in future the levelset BtB2010 by Horus. And this feels well in such a way, because Horus has performed too good work when one could ignore her levelset simply so. God Horus has not acted differently. And as already in the Levels before the only negative point is also here the sound problems. Some levers and doors have no sound, others have one. And one or two camera hints would also have been quite a lot.
The Church: Wow, what a great atmosphere! With many noises one winces involuntarily and above all the shouts are really creepy. Unfortunately, though the level is short a little bit, but is built very well. And the sound is outstanding.
Showdown in Egypt: This level is one single time run. The timer starts if Lara runs off and ends if she hits on jade. But it sounds more badly than it is in reality. 8 1/2 minutes are completely sufficient and one has behind still a lot of time, for the rest.
Summary: Apart from a few sound problems this was an excellent level which one should miss by no means." - Scottie (03-Aug-2010)
"An adventure with a storyline. Quality, starting at a high level, ist still getting better as tension enhances from level to level. Just the 1st levels seem a bit unconnected, seem to be more an addition of sequences than fitting parts of a story. Puzzles sometimes are a bit too easy, too obvious. Tasks are not hard to do, one timed run at the end of "Venice" is moderate, the final showdown can easily be done, but makes a lot of fun. Lightning an and athmosphere couldn't have been done better. Highly recommended!" - Christian (02-Aug-2010)
"well ....this is another game wich is hard to review ...is the sort off game wich for a particulary player worth 10 for other only 8 .. depinds what he wait from it .. .who like old school TR games will find it very good .. who like more adrenaline packed or difficult ones with alot off trapps & timed runs and tricky jumps may find it not so good , . also who like more exploration pointed TR games judge in a particulary way ..... well i am at middle somehow ... i like exploration -i like difficult adrenaline packed ones too and i like old school TR games too ... this game contain alot off short levels - i dont numbered it but over 5 anyway ..some levels are less interesting / others better crafted . all levels was builded logicaly , all levels have different location from icy caves to city levels ... enemyes are variated ... flares & medipacks and ammo enough for a pleasant ride .. graphics is not top notch albeit cameras missing at some levels at other ones work good ..... despite its size MB - and its manny levels its not a long game . can be finished in 2 hours ...i find the marks a bit to high cause i was played at least 50 games better than this wich was rated lower.. but like i said at the start off this review this game is more addicted at player juddgment some will like it very much others less .... all in all a good ride ..." - Jack& (02-Aug-2010)
"This is an absolutely terrific adventure! I was kept enjoyably absorbed for several hours,and if there were a category for 'endeavour',this would undoubtedly get top marks. The storyline was interesting,imaginative and generally very well conveyed;although I found the combination of actual cut-scenes and still images (both accompanied by decent vocal acting) to be a little disconcerting.The gameplay is generally extremely linear and straightforward,and is all about finding key pick-ups in order to progress.Although these pick-ups are invariably placed in comparatively close proximity to whatever it is they are needed for,they are occasionally placed with a degree of sneaky-ness which kept me searching. Once in a while you encounter bugs,although nothing which impacts on the progression of the game: a strangely revolving door in the House level;a pushable object puzzle which can be greatly shortcutted;objects which can be pushed to places they shouldn't be. This is all irrelevant,really;because the fun factor is extremely high throughout.Textures have been placed with great care,lighting is superb,enemies are many and varied,and camera's are used superbly. The music is gorgeous (I stayed longer in Venice than I strictly needed to,as I was enjoying the accompanying musical score so much);although it occasionally intrudes,particularly on the voice acting.Atmosphere has been well caught in each and every area,but is nowhere better than in the Church which(although a generally benign place)is nontheless creepy beyond all expectations.The story builds to a fast and gripping Finale,and the whole adventure comes accross as remarkably well-rounded and satisfying. It's a mini- masterpiece,without a doubt;and beautifully constructed.If the gameplay had been a little more challenging (the timed sequences are very simple;there are no tricky jumps;the enemies can be desptached or avoided with ease),then this would be an absolute classic. As it is,it's a superb adventure and eminently re-playable;and I recommend it heartily." - Orbit Dream (02-Aug-2010)
"This is the first level I've seen which has a video to watch before you play it. This adventure has a well explained storyline and sends you from the Aegean Sea to Tibet to Venice while keeping you informed by diary updates. This game makes use of all of the objects available on various websites and many of the animations are new as well. All of this makes the level seem very good, but there are still a few bugs that need sorting out. When reloading after dying, Lara always says the beginning of her last speech, and the cutscene after Jade's Home was not smooth at all. The texturing and lighting was almost always immaculate, however, it was a few stretched and compressed textures that stopped me giving a 10. The atmosphere created was very good, but some of the sounds used really annoyed me as they seemed to be over-dramatic or out of context, like the loud screaming in the church. Camera hints were given often, but in some cases, didn't show the door opening. Enemies were used well and infrequently, which was nice. There were many new objects which were used well, but too many seemed to be unusual pushable objects, like a cat in the final level, and a bin in the church level. The only two secrets I found were in plain view, but the others must have been well hidden because I didn't see them (other than the one in the Tibet level, which I assume was a secret). Gameplay was this game's weak point. It was generally do a challenge, find a key, pull a lever, repeat. There was the occasional tricky jump, which was nice, But some puzzles were obscure and unusual, like hiding the blood in the church, even though the objects didn't hide the blood very well. I still don't understand that puzzle. The sea hag dropped a key card when it was killed, which was unfair, as there is no reason for the sea hag to have the key card in the first place. Quite a lot of the gameplay also revolved around pushing a block, and I'm still not sure why the room in venice flooded, hence the lower mark. Overall, a nice raid that will have you running around for about 2 hours. 1 hour 43 mins. 2 secrets. Recommended." - Cory (02-Aug-2010)
"This has an intriguing idea that the evil Jade steals Lara's identity and physical appearance, and that while Jade lives Lara's life the real Lara grows ever weaker, dying in 100 hours. Lara, in pursuit of Jade and desperate for a way to remove this curse, visits locales from Tibet to Venice. Everything is always attractive, and it is clear that the author has spent much time and love in the construction of these levels. The levels, some of them very short, become almost a demo for the expanding new features of the Next Generation Level Editor. A starting deep dive has Lara using a harpoon gun from TR2 to ward off sharks. Soon there is a floating head shooting out burning rays, but this is underutilized, as once Lara dives into water beneath the head she seems safe from attack. There are plenty of good ideas, such as Lara climbing up on a boat in Venice in order to reach a slanting awning. One place that brought a smile was when Lara was puzzling over where to use a crowbar (knife) to open a yeti cage. It turned out that almost every spot on the large cage was a crowbar door. In Jade's house there are flamethrower guys that take huge numbers of shots (invulnerable), so the trick is to dash into their room and let Lara's new flame-retardant suit protect her. Lara's narrative explains about her suit and the flamethrower guys. I liked the atmospheric church with tasks punctuated by screams. The conclusion is a generous timed run for a showdown with Jade. Game play seems both fresh and simple sometimes, because many added features do little more than put in an appearance. In her manor, Lara uses a grappling gun twice. But now that players have been introduced to it, it is never seen again. Later Lara hops on a hover board, but if players begin to anticipate how it will be used they miss the split-second jump that finishes all use of the hover board. The same is true of the snowmobile. Immediately, players recall Lara's adventures on a snowmobile, but here it is driven a few meters forward to crash through a floor. And that's it. I noticed that in the first level Lara climbs up for a torch, and nearby is a pushable block, which Lara can't push over an edge. In the last level, Lara encounters an identical pushable block, yet this time does push it over an edge to block spikes. Good, but inconsistent. Players may welcome the relaxed game play, in order to better appreciate the novel aspects of the adventure. A labor of love." - dmdibl (02-Aug-2010)
"Yes ,it`s an adventure and one with a story and a plot ,not just a dull switch-pulling ,lever-pushing , key-finding operation as in too many other TRLE issues. A game designed as such always makes my day when the player really gets involved into the game helping Lara to achieve her goal by leading her on the assigned path. I missed a few real good challenges for Lara as the gameplay proved too obvious and easy to continue in many ways , but on the other hand who would ever wish for pixel-precised timed runs that only the experts can complete after uncounted attempts ? The author has re-vamped many objects in a most peculiar way , jump on a boat in Venice ? Mount a platform for an easy ride ? Just perfect ! The builder has also taken great care about beautiful custom sound and camera positions to enhance the atmosphere in this game. Last but not least the builder`s choice of lighting and textures show the effort of a first class TRLE level designer to present a perfectly worked out adventure in its own class." - Ruben (01-Aug-2010)
"Amazing continuation of The Serpent Gemstone! Gameplay is about 2 hours and a half but every moment is amazing and you just don't know what awaits ahead which makes the tension bigger. The atmosphere goes along with every level and the story. Playing this game will also bring nostalgia from the original classic or not Tomb Raider games, too. It has many locations, many intriguing puzzles, and even unseen, in other levels before, features! This game isn't just for your pastime, it's an adventure that mustn't be missed! I congratulate the author on this success and I'm sure that in the future his levels will be even greater!" - Jeys (01-Aug-2010)
"Amazing adventure! I finished it in 2 hours and half. This adventure is composed by 6 levels: sub marine level, croft manor, Tibet and more ... Contrary to some people I did not notice bugs. Textures and lighting are excellent, the architecture is really good, gameplay and puzzles are not boring. I admit to be stuck two times. The key point of this adventure is the scenario. An exciting quest! The author did not missed sounds effect in this adventure (for example screams in the church or Assassin's creed song in the Croft manor). This adventure finished by a great timed run: fabulous! I appreciate how the author used TRNG to propose new gameplay. I noticed utilization of the grappel, I would have liked using it more times. I would have preferred more gameplay in the Tibet and Egypt. Congratulations to the author for this stunning adventure, don't miss it!!!" - m.julien (31-Jul-2010)
"This is a great premise for a game - Lara's life is ebbing away under the weight of Croft Curse. She must find the sacred waters that will heal her and also seek revenge on that dastardly Jade. Her adventure will take her to many corners of the world in true Tomb Raider style, including Tibet, Venice, Eqypt, the Manor, etc. It's all very well done and a lot of fun to play. There is one glitch - the music is too loud, especially if the player is trying to hear a conversation. And turning your volume down is not going to alleviate that problem. I loved the variation of gameplay here and we meet up with some unexpected enemies like the Spartan Head. I didn't get much interaction with him - maybe that's all about a secret I didn't go for, but I would have enjoyed more time with that master of the evil eye. Same can be said for some familiar objects like the hover craft. Don't get too attached as the use of this cool object is very short-lived. Ditto that for the snow mobile. Oh well ! Can't please 'em all, but God Horus proves she can please most of them ! Thanks for a great game !" - Mugs (31-Jul-2010)