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Lara Croft and the Forgotten Scribe by Leonvdn

Andzia9 9 9 9 9
Blue43 10 10 10 10
Chopper 10 8 9 10
Christian 10 9 10 10
Daffy 9 9 10 10
DatoDavid 10 10 10 10
Diz 9 10 10 9
DJ Full 8 9 9 10
dmdibl 9 10 10 10
Dutchy 10 10 10 10
eRIC 8 10 10 9
Glouglouton 9 9 10 10
Jack& 10 10 10 10
Jay 10 10 10 10
Jorge22 9 10 10 10
Jose 9 10 9 10
manarch2 9 10 10 10
MichaelP 8 10 9 9
Minox 9 10 9 9
MizzCroft 10 10 10 10
Mman 9 10 10 10
mugs 10 10 10 10
okuhtfesq 10 10 9 10
Petaludas 8 8 9 9
Phil 10 10 10 9
Ruben 10 10 10 10
Ryan 10 10 10 10
Sarikman 9 10 9 10
Scottie 10 10 10 10
Shandroid 10 10 10 10
TheStig 10 10 10 10
TonyG 10 10 9 9
Treeble 9 10 10 10
wdavid 10 10 10 10
 
release date: 27-Sep-2010
# of downloads: 264

average rating: 9.65
review count: 34
 
review this level

file size: 122.07 MB
file type: TR4
class: nc
 


author profile(s):
email(s):
leonvandernoll@hotmail.com

Reviewer's comments
"This level has a bit of a commercial flavor to it, I can't quite explain why. Visually it's nothing short of stunning and the lighting may seem a bit dull to some players but it works flawlessly in my opinion; the entire setting is top notch. Gameplaywise you get lots of short text prompts where Lara shares her thoughts, much like adventure games did in the early 90s which might be why I get that initial feeling, and it's rather neat. The boss fight was also fun to deal with. On the flip side, I'm positive the reason why I enjoyed this level as much as I did is because I always go for the guided approach to avoid aimlessly wandering about, in which case I suppose I could be lost for days in here as the environments are massive and with a lot of verticality to them, so you might be climbing up and down trying to figure out your next move. Definitely worth checking out. 105 minutes, 8 secrets. 09/22" - Treeble (25-Sep-2022)
"What a flawless and well constructed level this is..great gameplay , great tips and guides and comments from the Leo..totally recommended" - Petaludas (04-Jul-2020)
"Your first thoughts will probably be: another boring Egyptian level. Not this one. This level is absolutely amazing. It is actually one big area split up and packed full of entertaining puzzles, traps and jump sequences. I liked the hazy effect added to. Great for a debut level." - Ryan (24-Apr-2016)
"This level deserves a perfect 10, at least for me. Excellent atmosphere, good looking textures and lighting, helpfull flybies, funny traps and a gameplay which reminds a lot of TR4. The drawbacks are very few and you won't even notice them. It is very interesting exploring these Egypt areas and sometimes you will face some nice puzzles. Thank God, there are still levels like this one which are close to the basic idea of TR games. I have played many levels which are very diferent and they didn't remind me of that classic gameplay. Wonderful experience. Highly recomended." - DatoDavid (27-Mar-2012)
"Egypt levels don't usually excite me much I must confess. So what I expected here was to find something visually nice but set in a land-scape of familiar objects, familiar traps, familiar puzzles etc etc. I couldn't really have been proved more wrong. The second you start forward with the Forgotten Scribe you immediately become aware of it's innovative features, enhanced move-set and clever puzzle set-pieces which form together to form an excellent Game. I loved the exploding earns and mines throughout the levels! The environments are vast and beautiful. The blue distance fog help sets the ambience perfectly and I love the way that the chambers have proper high vertical areas giving the whole labyrinth a sense of scale often missing in custom levels. Gameplay is perfectly balanced. It's complex enough to make you give your environment a good exploration, but not so hard that you have to refer to the walk-through. All of the jumps and timed challenges are also well within the capabilities of most players making this a very accessible release to all depth of experience raiders. The final polish on this 'complete' feel is the music. It's always perfectly timed and expertly chosen to match the mood of each room or situation you encounter. Negatives? Only that I wanted the adventure to continue when I'd finished. There's definitely potential for a sequel here. What ever Leonvdn does next, this is most certainly a release to be proud of. I completed The Forgotten Scribe in 3 hours. This should absolutely be on your must play list! Stiggy :)" - TheStig (13-Aug-2011)
"I think it is the best level I played so far. It's been a while since I played it and I don't remember well all of its parts. It reminds you a lot TR4, but it is way too different. Puzzles are good enough, but at some points you may feel tired of what you are doing. Anyway, they are very interesting. Secrets many times could be hard to be found, but this makes it better. Fighting with Seth was enjoyable, but very easy. The atmosphere is awesome. It could better if the music was used in differnt ways. It is one of the best choices. It worths a try. You will feel like playing bonus levels in TR4." - Sarikman (23-Jun-2011)
"This masterpiece still gives me a headache to rate. While everything to build a convincing and wonderful level has been done, objects for creating doorways, for good gameplay and for the looks were really good, texturing was close to perfection and the never too dark lighting made this place unique and mysterious in its kind, sound was good, there were many camera hints and flybys, I have big problems to rate the first category. I do not in any kind think it is uninspired, there were many clever puzzles, traps (circle- moving fires, blade traps, jumping parts that were extremely challenging, a wonderful final fight against Seth), nice support of the storyline via many text hints and never being completely stuck, plus the point that I immensely liked the idea for several mini levels lasting only 15 minutes and were combined as one big level, but the gameplay at the end was maybe a bit rushed for me. I don't know why but there were too many jumping parts in Harcesis and I could not really enjoy this level as much as the others. The new moves that only were available in this level are used well, but this level somehow did not have its own specialness as the three previous. Without my not so good impressions about this still solid level my rating would've been 4-10 for the second time, but so I lower my rating one point, because I think an 8 would not show how good this level is. I had exactly two hours of great fun with it.
By the way, I remember this level had a 9.82 rating after the first reviews or so, but afterwards nearly all reviews were "worse" - I don't want to critisise the first of the good or bad ratings, but: make your own opinion about each level and don't follow the current standard ratings! ;)" - manarch2 (14-Jun-2011)
"Over all this was an amazing there were a few times when I was aggravated with the camera view and the lighting was a little too dark but that was easily made up through the gameplay and baddies! I really like the who upgrade idea as well. It is something I think a lot of people should start looking to do! The builder OBVIOUSLY has a grasp on the Building system and I look forward to more levels soon :)" - TonyG (20-Apr-2011)
"While this pack is four levels long the first three are essentially one giant level that's divided into three. This buried Egyptian ruin is extremely atmospheric and nothing is neglected. There's also a great sense of scale with large rooms everywhere. The closest thing to a complaint I have is that the colour scheme stays relatively similar throughout which can feel slightly repetitive towards the end, but the overall quality and consistency of the visuals easily balances that out, and it ends before that becomes too big an issue. Objects and enemies also fit perfectly, and there are some slight twists on stuff like puzzle items that works as well.
The gameplay is on the challenging side but flows well and avoids being too obtuse. There are some very complex areas like a massive vertical chamber the fourth level is based around. There's also a lot of use of "Next-gen" features, like comments from Lara, explosive pots, new moves and twists on objects such as flame emitters. The secret system is also good and provides a reward at the end, as well as a couple of the secrets themselves having some nice challenges. One push-block puzzle seemed a bit long, and the boss seemed to bug and become completely harmless. It's all fine other than that though (although feels lacking a certain something for me to outright give it a ten). An excellent debut and hopefully the author has a continuation on the way." - Mman (24-Mar-2011)
"Very nice adventure with a nice end with the god Seth, who lost his life gradually. I enjoyed the new moves when Lara is hanging. With the solution I was able to recover all the secrets. For a first level, the author hit very hard and I look forward to his next realisation.Congratulations." - Minox (02-Mar-2011)
"it is really fantastic. when i was playing it, i thought that it could be a part of "the last revelation". Excelent work. very good puzzles, especially if you're looking for all secrets. The architecture of the levels is very well structured. There are big rooms without making you get lost in one of these. In my opinion, the enemys could be better chosen and sometimes the flybies just delay you than helpin' you. Maybe they could be placed a bit better. these are the only drawbacks. The game is really awesome. very very good." - Chopper (16-Feb-2011)
"New moves, very interesting puzzles, perfect way to defeat last enemy. Because of that, this custom is very good. Nice textures, great music. And amazing atmosphere." - Andzia9 (06-Feb-2011)
"For a first game, the author has placed the bar high, in this adventure that makes of Egypt an interesting place to raid again. New possibilities are put to good use , like the messages that appear on the screen , they are what Lara thinks of some situations, the new objects of which some are quite cool like the block that goes backwards with the switch when you pull it, or the rotating fire trap at the top of a pillar. Gameplay is not very fast paced , thus you have some time to admire the surroundings , and sniff the atmosphere. The few timed tasks are friendly, indicated as such with the countdown showing on the screen , and you have plenty of time to make them quietly. On the opposite , there are a couple of tricky moments with fire , and this was a bit unpleasant. The author has a penchant for fire, at least in this game. Some puzzles and features are quite original , the pushable puzzle with the symbols in The lost key, I enjoyed also the exploding vases on the ledges to retrieve the 4 keys in Tunnel of fire. In the last level, Harcesis, tension raises one notch as some enemies are bigger and what you have to do requires a bit more 'faith'. Great use of heights in this level, that is also the level where the use of new objects is the more impressive. In the hall of ledges, I noticed there was more than one way to do part of it , which I think is a welcome good idea in a level , but Lara managed to get stuck for a while by one of the annoying big objects here. The quests for the secrets offer also a plus even if I did not always knew what was I did exactly to obtain a couple of these rewards. The end boss with Seth is well put in scene but not very hard , at one point he got in the water and seemed he could not (or did not want to ) get out from here , I will not complain of this. Bottom line , this is quite an adventure, professionally made , atmospheric and rather satisfying." - eRIC (21-Dec-2010)
"What do you get when you combine fantastic puzzles with fantastic music and fantastic scenery? You get a fantastic levelset! I really have no complaints; this is quite a fun and professionally-made custom level." - okuhtfesq (15-Nov-2010)
"I'm speechless... BEYOND AMAZING, Beyond well done... Amazing." - MizzCroft (11-Nov-2010)
"I have to say i'm not a fan of Egypt based levels but this one is amazing. :) It's fully with great puzzles and traps and sometimes it was quite hard to figure out what the heck should i do lol :D Most of the time when i got stuck i figured out but i had to use the walktrhough as well. The atmosphere of a lost egyptian city is really breathtaking thanks to the well places object and the horizont fog and of course the realistic lighting and texturing. It was a 2 and half hour amazing play with 3 found secrets :) I'm looking forward for more great adventures from the author." - wdavid (04-Nov-2010)
"Without a doubt, this is an absolutely stunning debut level, but just like DJ Full, I do not quite share the overall hype with which it has been received by the reviewing community. Although I was quite prepared to really like it from the start - a long flyby, great audio choice, the impressive Sacred Hall... all the best ingredients for a great adventure! Also, nice and original touches - like the use of text hints, the explosions of vases, the hydra, countless objects that take away the usually square appearance of the environment etc etc. As you play into the sub levels from the hub, I was also positively impressed with the new spin on a few old puzzle ideas, like the push puzzle with the symbol hints. But then, all of a sudden it went a little bit downhill for me (just a little...), because after the great start, it then became a bit of an odd run and jump adventure, where the creativity stayed mostly in the excellent creation of the architecture and the environment, but the puzzle ideas seem to be few and far between. It is also quite dark and gloomy in places, but that is only a minor gripe. I then found Harcesis quite confusing, as I was never sure whether I did a certain jump as intended or got to a place earlier than the author had anticipated - and then eventually needed to check the walkthrough to find I had found one of the balls to shoot, but missed another nearby. Towards the end then, that 'battle' with Seth was wonderfully set in scene and served as a great finale after more than 2.5 hours of net gaming time. I only found 4 of the 8 secret skulls, but for the reasons mentioned above, I will probably not go back to look for them another time. I'd rather wait for the next level that the author is already working on, because I am sure it will be even better than this fabulous debut, which just did not work out for me in all aspects..." - MichaelP (01-Nov-2010)
"A game that's not quite as easy to figure out as some may have thought but still irreproachable in most senses. Well applied textures and finely conceived settings, interesting and varied gameplay and nice suiting music just where it's needed. It's hard for me to say Tomb Raider cannot go much further because despite the series title, tombs are not my main thing and even though the lighting looks perfectly applied I like it a little more creative, that is not really real but still of good aesthetic taste. But that's all too personal. A job well done, that's for sure!" - Jorge22 (30-Oct-2010)
"This is an astounding tour de force that will likely take most players at least three hours to complete even if they (as I did) take advantage of the walkthrough that was released at the same time as the levels. Although there are a number of unique touches along with at least one new move (a ladder jump invoked with the sprint key), there are no jumps or other maneuvers of game-stopping difficulty. My impression as I neared the end was that this is a release approaching perfection. The only flaw I would deem worthy of mention is that, although the lighting is certainly adequate and there are few occasions requiring the use of a flare, the surroundings seemed uniformly colorless and drab, a far cry from, for example, the Rescue series that I recently replayed. (I used the latter term in a review not long ago of one of George's retreads, which made him go absolutely ballistic.) Maybe pretty colors are a luxury not available with the most recent building tools. I'm not a builder, so I don't know. I do know, however, that I miss the visual amenities that we routinely enjoyed with the older classics. And speaking of George, much about the Forgotten Scribe mirrors his varied talents, notably the effective use of music, the stunning flybys and especially those huge concluding rooms with multiple death-defying tasks. Whoever Leondvn is, it's pretty obvious to me that he learned the tricks of his trade under George's expert guidance. If Leondvn is not an assumed name for an established builder, the Forgotten Scribe is an awesome debut that should achieve Hall of Fame status in short order. Highest recommendations." - Phil (26-Oct-2010)
"So here we are - in the gloomy bowels of Sotar's invention Harcesis - full of traps powered by its energy, and a bunch of undead gladiators and skellys. Let me rate one element after another, all of them separately and very carefully, as this level is a piece of very solid work. So... (cough, cough)... let's begin. #OBJECTS# I haven't seen so creative usage of simple elements for long time. A familiar Hand Of Orion key is released from its base, floats in the air, and rises to finally reach a platform you can pick it up from. A flame emitter does circles, forcing you to move faster. Shatter objects burst into flames, a standard falling stone pushes the block to make the way out, a raising block hides in the ground for Lara to be able tu push another cube over it... Simple, very simple and very well-known resources, but used very well. 3 points for them. #ENEMIES# I admired the way of defeating final Seth, vulnerable at last. I've never seen something like this before. That's the first reason why I give 3 points for enemies, and the second one is very fine placement of horsemen, forcing a player to perform some agility tricks to avoid and kill them, what makes those well-known opponents freshly dangerous again. The third reason is the flame headed skeletones. Lovely! Er... I mean... Nasty! #SECRETS# I really like secrets in this game. They are rewards for thinking, not for luck. I'm replaying Harcesis part now to find how to get to one space I once considered to be beyond my range. Now, when I finished the game and 3 golden skulls weren't found, I know that space I missed must be accessible and I'm concentrating my thoughts directly on that place, without taking false assumptions. So if you miss a secret, you KNOW exactly where it is and all you have to do is to open your mind to work out how to get the skull. This prevents you from searching all potential places without a clue. Secrets should be created this way. 3 points as well as for the two previous parts of this category. #LIGHTING# I generally don't like such gloomy levels - I prefer those where, even if I go into the dark, I can then feel some relief when stepping into the sunlight again. Nevertheless, the lighting is truly climatic - beautiful, I can say. 5 pts. #TEXTURES# And it's a pleasure to look at the temple graphics. None of the textures I found misplaced. 5 pts. #GAMEPLAY# Some new moves can be acquired during the game. I like this idea. Apart from this modification, the "classic" parts of gameplay aren't neglected as well, being quite challenging and entertaining. Flames make you shimmy around corners, climb faster or do banana jumps, objects block your way and you need to remove them before you can proceed, and you can meet some swingpoles to use. What I found really helpful was the counter appearing during timed runs. But all these things can't prevent me from assuming there could be more slides, jumps, fast action parts... I feel lack of something awesome that would've added more soul to this game and made me sit in front of the monitor to the very end. So I can rate the gameplay as "good" only (3 points). #PUZZLES# Generally, they are unconventional - I liked the application of raising block in the pool the most, and the final fight includes a nice collection event as well. But some of the riddles are repetative, e.g. we have to shatter 3 identical urns to get 3 identical keys, and all of them are placed in the same room. Also, the pushable section seems too long and too boring for me. 4 points only. (Here, I can give 1 extra point for the whole G&P category, as I found puzzles well surrounded by and settled in gameplay environment, which smoothly connects various riddle parts, making a player more observant, explorative and curious about what's behind the next portal.) #ATMOSPHERE# Convincing. But I think the climate is too monotonous. Everything is covered in dark blue, there's no wider variety in colors. The level seems to be a bit dead, even with the Harcesis device turned on in the end. Maybe it's because of the fact no single cog of the machine is animated. It is a bit disappointing thing - I suspected the whole chamber is gonna come to "life" after the gem is picked up, but nothing happened. 2 points. #SOUND# John Williams. Jerry Goldsmith. Applied perfectly. So there you go, 3 points for the sound and 1 extra, because I was scared by the last flyby music. #CAMERAS# Warning about threat, preparing you for battle, giving a sign of clue, showing what you've changed... Applied like they should be in every level. Static, movic, fixed... whatever you want. 3 points. #SUMMARY# Before I played this level, I wondered what kind of masterpiece it has to be if it achieved the 6th place in Top Ten in a week after the release. And after all I've seen here, I think it doesn't deserve it. Maybe this level has its own plot, but it is definitely not comparable with e.g. "Jungle Ruins", a custom which - even if it doesn't look great, with its wallpaper-looking rocks and square environment - has so unique, remarkable storyline, that even if you will die as a 120-year-old granny or grandpa and won't be able to remember anything from your actual life, you will remember that dead T-Rex from JR you've seen many years ago, as the unforgettable memories will remain in your head till the very end of your life. Also, "The Forgotten Scribe" objects cannot be rated as high as those from any part of "UUB", with Dick's daemonic world and creatures so original that even J.R.R. Tolkien or J.K. Rowling could create them. Furthermore, despite of technically perfect application of textures and lighting, there's no climate in "Forgotten Scribe" like I experienced in "Sanctuary of WIF" or "Himalayan Mysteries". For one more part of my explanation... puzzles. Even shooting hanging balls in this level is incomparable to the epic finale we know from "Beyond the Scion". So I feel very, very, very, very, very sorry EssGee's level ended up rated lower than "Forgotten Scribe", as much as I feel sorry for "Vikings" by Taras, with its extremely challenging and genious gameplay I will always remember and learn about it from. So I feel fully justified not to give any 10 except the one for "Lighting & Textures". You can either kill me or place me in one of your levels for this painful comments I write if you want to - but I don't mind if, or who is gonna do it - the creator or the players - because, independently of anything, I always honestly write what I think. Leon - don't take me wrong - I don't find your first level bad. I'd like to see it in the Hall of Fame, what I think is sure to happen soon, but I just can't agree it deserves getting to the Top Ten. Now, when all of us saw you are able to put all the elements together in fine way, nothing stops you from kicking your own ass_mesh by inventing something like never before. I hope you gonna show us. Good luck. For now, it's only 9.00 from me." - DJ Full (19-Oct-2010)
"Wow! Don't be put off by the rather barren opening sequence. If anything, it's the worst part of this level. The rest is pure gold. It's basically a hub level, central area with areas radiating from it. Go into one area, complete the tasks and return to the central area. This does not begin to describe the complexity of the interwoven threads this builder has magically woven for us. If you'll take a tip, explore everywhere and take nothing for granted. The builder cleverly uses angles and subtle lighting differences to hide areas and object. So, look everywhere! Timed runs, baddies, puzzles, agility (admittedly not much) and a Boss ending (not quite the end, but close enough). This level has the lot. Play and enjoy, I did." - Diz (14-Oct-2010)
"Lara Croft and the Forgotten Scribe is a professionally built debut level, which is made with such a quality of texturing and lighting, room design and custom objects one might think this is a seasoned builder's masterpiece. There are amazing flybys and there is a stunning atmosphere. Everything is this level is done right. The game play is great because there are lots of different tasks to perform and it is never repetitive. It isn't really hard and there were only a few difficult parts, so that I think an intermediate player wouldn't have any difficulties finishing it. There are always camera hints so one never gets stuck, at least not for long. I really liked the room design with the sacred hall as the hub level, from where the player explores different areas where tasks have to be performed to progress. I did like the on screen information that is given during the game like when Lara has acquired new moves. I thought those moves were put to use perfectly, although I completely forgot about them a couple of times, wondering where to go next. The texturing and lighting in this game was exactly how I love Tomb Raider games. A little bit gloomy, but never really dark and a bit of a dust filled hazy look to the air, just how it would probably look there in real life. A great mixture of daylight and warm light from the torches. The enemies were all well placed well and the final boss battle in the end was just a classic. I never had the game crash, but I did have some strange flashing lettering on the bottom of my screen during the Seth fight. Even a reload didn't fix that, but after the battle ended the screen went back to normal. I can only highly recommend this game to everyone and I am looking forward to see more from this talented builder." - Blue43 (07-Oct-2010)
"Just finished this debut. What an adventure! I did the final fight a few minutes ago. I'm so impressed. There's no new concept. There is a central "sacred hall" from which different sub-levels start. They all will lead back to this central point and you'll finally find your exit out of the game there. Entering this "sacred hall" the first time I knew there was coming up something special. The initial flyby, the sound attending it, the 1st (moderate) timed run down to the hydra - a great start of an adventure I've not often seen before. But it's getting better and better. It's the atmosphere, the movie-like sequences with perfect lightning in perfect architecture that make this game that outstanding. Gameplay is brilliant. A lot of fascinating ideas, very well elaborate. The final fight against Seth was extraordinary. One of the gratest games I've ever played. Hall of fame stuff!" - Christian (04-Oct-2010)
"Wow, wow, wow what an amazing level! I am just flabbergasted that this is Leon's very first level, say what?! Perhaps he has honed his considerable skills elsewhere, because this level is one of the very best Egypt levels and one of the very best levels ever made. Every room was seeping with atmosphere. I especially liked the haze in the larger rooms, as I can imagine they would look like this in real life. I liked the central hub with offshoot areas as well, but I missed the seventh secret at first, which meant I had to go back and retrieve it so I could get the 8th secret. This was not cool, but whatever, I finished the level with no less than 25 medipaks and ammo galore, so it would not had been crucial to retrieve a goody bonus. I adored the tips coming from Lara, this method was much better than using an annoying journal. I thought it strange that only one creature, besides the boss featured the HP meter. Perhaps this was an oversight? Gameplay was a nice combination of exploration, combat and puzzle-solving with a very fun and exciting final boss confrontation. I was absolutely bummed when this one ended. I will be eagerly awaiting this phenomenal new builder's next entry...congrats Leon!" - Shandroid (02-Oct-2010)
"Oh yes .... this game is a borderland ... a ethalon of other builders .. because this one rises the level AT VERY HIGH STANDARDS!! An example of how a perfect game must be built, a real masterpiece, very well balanced ... with nice puzzles, relaxed parts combined with tough ones ... but all this without frustration!! I was never stuck, I enjoy every second of this piece of art ... it is mainly a single level game, but a huge single level at which you need to collect 2 guardian keys, later another 4 plus a star and city gate items ... unbelievably well constructed huge tall rooms with multiple structures ... burners, timed runs and puzzles all of along with top notch graphics and very good camera work and great atmosphere ... not to mention the marvelous final stage with Boss fight with Seth himself ... I still cannot believe that someone can make such a masterpiece at first shot!!! It is an unbelievable game ... probably between top 5 of all time from those I played until now. And a 100% HALL OFF FAMER ... a big bravo for this new builder - the marks can be only 10 in the line HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - IS ONE OF THE BEST GAMES EVER MADE!!!" - Jack& (02-Oct-2010)
"Very good level. Firstly there are a lot of little things in this level we have never seen before, as example the rod movement to allowing a jump or the beautiful final battle or the new movement of blocks to free some ways... That's why this level is a constant pleasure. And Of course the lightings and fogs are perfects and the gameplay various, this level will be a standard." - Glouglouton (01-Oct-2010)
"Brilliant ! It is the first one thought that I had when I finished this level, from any point of view it is really a success. (I must say to be frank that I finished level without having all secrets and leaving see "Walkthru" from time to time). Level is made up of three parts linked up between them but without need to make uninterrupted flashbacks. I very much liked the spellbinding atmosphere and the a bit surrealist decors of game, the author takes us for a walk in a bit magical world, not need of torch to see lighting there am always sufficient. There are quite a lot of rather tough enemies but ammunition should be enough if they are not wasted. The gameplay is not always easy and asks for quite a lot of research but he remains accessible for a great majority of player, timed shopping is not too fair and jumps do not ask for expert's capacities. In short, it is a splendid game which I recommend to you, the author made a level of big class which deserves congratulations and of thanks for the crossed right time." - Daffy (30-Sep-2010)
"Wow! What a great debut! Really one of the best levels I've played lately. Gameplay is no-lineal with some jumps between levels, but you'll not need to go back to the same places many times cause often you'll get what you need and you'll never visit that places again; even so, you'll have to go back to the main hall several times. There are hints to discover the secrets, and new objects are well builded like the obelisks; the fight with the boss was really interesting and very entertaining. I loved the occasionally messages in the screen too. Appropriate musics in appropriate places, nice flybies and cameras, some special effects (I'd like to know how to make them too!) and defintively, a set of levels highly recommended. Congratulations and, please, don't stop building!" - Jose (30-Sep-2010)
"I had much fun testing this level, it is a very well designed level. Very enjoyable to play where I never really had a moment of total "stuckness". I loved the overall atmosphere, music very well applied. Impressive flybys with appropriate music. A very well thought out treasure hunt for the Secrets. This builder has potential as he has proven in this Debut. Nothing less than straight tens from me... Keep up the good work Leon" - Dutchy (30-Sep-2010)
"I was so impressed with first sight of the surroundings, that a spider was nibbling poor Lara's toes before I started paying attention. This is ostensibly a debut level, but it's clear from the outset that the builder has a great deal of experience with the level editor - this is really beautifully made in every aspect - lighting, cameras, sound, textures are all spot on and very good use is made of music at key points. Some of the special effects in particular deserve a round of applause. It's a 'different routes to explore off a central hub area scenario' which is a favourite of mine and I certainly enjoyed myself with this one. The gameplay is very well balanced, plenty of agility tests, good puzzles, an interesting mix of enemies (speaking of which, at one point, you will find Lara unable to kneel, a crafty move on the builder's part that means having to deal with demigods the old fashioned way, although they do succumb quite readily to a barrage of Uzi ammo) and I liked the way the skeletons with flaming heads mirror the burning skull secrets. There's also an adrenalin filled boss ending with Seth that's an interesting new take on an old idea. If you find yourself confused from time to time, just persevere and you'll find everything meshing together in a most satisfactory manner. A really superb first level from this obviously talented builder and I can't wait for his next offering." - Jay (30-Sep-2010)
"A new talent has entered the stage. But what do I talk there for a nonsense?! The level looks in such a way as if was leonvdn already an experienced level builder. But it is actual in such a way which is this level a first work. Right away only two level builders occur to me who have entered the stage with a drum beat. The first one is l.m. with Fortress Stonerock. And the second one is WayneScales with The Secrets of Nepal.
It is really astonishing how outstanding leondvn this level has built. A good example are the Flybys. I have often enough experienced it that the level builder many mistakes make. There the camera suddenly goes through the walls. Or she moves as if she was drunk totally. Or the camera races like Michael Schumacher in his best times. Or there is no sound which makes such a Flyby immediately much more interesting. But not here. The Flybys are produced perfectly and the sound fits really good. What has surprised me mostly, are the very good built and furnished gigantic rooms. It is easy to build a normal-size room, because there one has in view everything. It must be however damn difficult in such big rooms from which gives here several to keep the overview. A very good idea is the time designation at the time runs. Such a thing should also make other level builders. A real highlight are the exploding vases. One does not hear simply BUMM if one shoots at these vases. No, these vases explode in such a way as if somebody had lit one dozen shells on one blow. This looks first-class. Indeed, one should have a certain distance if one shoots at such vases, otherwise we have Lara well-done. And, nevertheless, we do not want this. Another eye-cacher is the gigantic flamethrower turning in the circle in the level Harcesis. Here apart from the small spiders there is hardly opponent. And few which exist are placed very well. And they are placed fairly, because one finds before the suitable weapons around against these opponents, these are a few skeletons and a few Demigods, to fight successfully.
Result: Excellent Gameplay, excellent sound, excellent lighting, excellent... Oh I could even more often use the word "excellent", but to sum up it, three words are enough: A real masterpiece!!" - Scottie (30-Sep-2010)
"An amazing debut. This becomes a showcase for all the special features of the newest editor, seamlessly applied in game. The physical environment is often stunning. It almost feels as if this is the latest commercial game release. We have a huge smoke-filled Sacred Hall (though frankly a bit too hazy for my taste), skeleton with flaming head, wall switch block that retracts away from Lara to let her pass, pyrotechnic vase explosions, horizontal swing bars that slide sideways into position, a rotating flame emitter that sweeps the tops of pillars, and a Seth who can be killed if Lara collects magical energy sources. In many places the walls are matted with object decor to create a richer environment, and Lara interreacts correctly. As a technical note, in the past collisions have been an issue, as Lara either walks through such objects, or hits them when it seems she isn't even brushing them, but such problems have been resolved. One small detail is that flame emitter tiles are now real three-dimensional fire pits. The eight secret skulls are well done, though I did consult the walk-through to locate two of them; in particular, shooting the vase in a deep dark pit was something that would have eluded me. The bonus from collecting all skulls gives Lara plenty of medipacks and ammo, but early in the game there could have been more flares, as the muted and softened lighting made corners and edges harder to distinguish. Lara travels out from a central hub to get a couple of keys, then on to a new area where she acquires special abilities: a vertical jump while hanging, or from a ladder. So Lara's prowess changes during game. Less helpful was when the author removed Lara's ability to crouch just when she had to confront three demigods. Normally Lara can run up to them, crouch, and shoot with pistols while their energy bolts go harmlessly over her head. Since I didn't expect the author to be interfering with basic controls--this section was played first--I was left resetting the Duck Key, and trying again, and wondering what was going on. There is a great deal of flexibility for players to do tasks in different order or ways. One area has Lara climbing up and up, with poles to swing or walk on. Or so I learned from the walk-through after Lara had climbed the entire area without using any lower swing poles. Lara can also do the 'Tunnel of Fire' very early. Maybe Lara has had enough flame emitters to last her for a while. Game play should be accessible to all players. A marvelous adventure. Let us hope that this is the beginning of a prolific career." - dmdibl (30-Sep-2010)
"When the hurlyburly`s done when the battle`s lost or won and any player sits down breathless to remember the unforgettable hours of fun with only one TRLE Custom Adventure he will surely know he has just been a witness of the rising of a bright new star on TRLE Skies! Never since Richards UB Underworld have I seen such a perfectly worked out adventure.This new builder must have taken his good own time to sit down and study seriously all the NGLE master class tutorials provided by George McGiver to achieve a unique perfection in creating such a masterpiece. I can only bow my head both to the builder and the teacher !" - Ruben (30-Sep-2010)
"Yes, you guessed it! This is my kind of game and it has been crafted to perfection, IMO. Lara embarks on a great egyptian adventure in this game, in search of a great energy source called the Harcesis. She will have to unlock all the puzzles in the Sacred Hall before she gains access to the place where Harcesis is hidden - and protected! The atmosphere is fabulous and exactly what I would expect these great buried chambers to be like. Leonvdn has used objects (both new and old) skillfully and each in an exquisite logical sense. The enemies are easy to deal with and consist of a very cool fiery skeleton, spiders, the Hydra, guardsmen (I don't know their proper name), and the all-powerful Seth. Seth has been modified to include a life-drainer which I found really interesting. Bravo to it's maker (sorry, not sure who). I can't wait to see more from this wonderful builder - thanks for a great game, Leonvdn!" - Mugs (29-Sep-2010)