Level reviews

"This is the kind of level that outstays its welcome, had it been half the length it is the overall experience would possibly be better. As it stands, the author has you going back and forth all too often, and sometimes you end up backtracking way too much. In that regard, it's good that I've played this in one sitting as I could slightly remember where to go back to (and that's with the walkthrough at hand, yes), but I believe that if it were spread out in two or more sessions it wouldn't be quite as aggravating. The author has nailed the TR3 London atmosphere and general feel (as in, it gets tiresome over time and you just want it to end), and there are quite a few similarities to some of the original levels. That one alley where we fight Sophia for instance, and at the top there was a cutscene in which Lara reminisces about the exact spot her enemy had died in the first place, but sadly the voice acting gets drowned in the background audio. Other minor complaints I have are the timed run over the burning platforms, which you end up having to do at least twice due to all the backtracking, and that office towards the end requiring stealth made no sense whatsoever to me. As the guard is out of view you never really know what exactly made him jumpy, but I found myself quickloading a lot in that area until I finally succeeded. 105 minutes, 7 secrets. 10/22" - Treeble

"Having played this as part of the full League of the Dragons series and as the details were still fairly fresh in my mind, I was somewhat prepared for what I experienced here. And it is very competent even in this state. The TR3 London environments are pleasing and nicely constructed, music is incorporated well and secrets and enemies are nicely placed, as are objects, but the cameras are a tad sticky. But, the main downside of the gameplay is the incredibly exhaustive backtracking across one end of the level to the other. It isn't exactly prominent in the first half, but definitely makes itself known once you reach the factory area. The stealth segment was perhaps a tad too aggravating (and actually a game- stopper as that guard seemed to have gained hypersensitivity since I last saw him, but since only an additional backtrack back across to end the level was in store, I decided to finish there), but there's also some nice puzzles and timed runs to spice things up. If you're up for it, turn your patience level up to eleven and jump in." - Ryan

"I played this previous demo release as part of the full Dragon series and I only had a dim recollection of the previous smaller demo played years before. You get a City setting here with plenty of agility actions between the high buildings and around the roofs which is kind of fun. There are a few timed activities near the beginning but then it turns more and more into the usual find button for next door gameplay. This is also a level that utilizes elements that only more experienced players will easily manage, such as a few banana jumps and aiming with the shotgung to shoot grates. Other downsides include some rather substantial backtracking, often repeating the very same path back and forth a few times which is rather tedious and also a phase where the otherwise helpful camera hints are completely absent. Enemies are a dozen or so thugs and some dogs, crows and rats again. The brief stealth scene was an interesting element and I really liked how several of the secrets here did indeed require some unusual and creative moves to get to them." - MichaelP

"Well now im relaxed i can just say this:listen Raidermatty, you are a great levelbuilder and have talent but your sucking backtrackings are ruining the gameplay i don't want to be rude but stop doing backtracking in your levels or i will never play them again." - janachorider

"Again a demo and although this one is much longer than the first demo, I still didn't like it that much. Why you asked, well I've done those same rooftops before. Then to repeat the same tricky jumps for the umpteenth time is for sure not the way for me. Nasty timed swim and run one has to do twice, come on. Also my opinion about backtracking is well known. If it has a purpose, fine, if it is only there to prolonged gameplay that is a big NO in my book. The latter applies here. Sounds are missing at my end and the gameplay is a lever pulling galore." - Gerty

"Back in 2010 I decidedly ignored this level since the reviews described it to be full of long backtracks. Now, I played this level in the League of the Dragons series, and since I followed the walkthrough, I didn't notice any significant changes until late in this level, so I decided to review this demo release on its own. What first comes to my mind is the excellent recreation of TR 3 atmosphere in this level; the city level was a little short so it was nice to see a longer level based around the same location. Textures and lights are very appropriately applied and there were only few misplaced textures (most of which clashed badly against each other) in here. Now concerning the backtracking: If you had asked me after playing the first half of this level, I would have said their moaning was exaggerated... but in the second half the to and fro really was over the top. In the full version I've just played, the builder put a few handy shortcuts to aid the player, but since I'm reviewing this demo I lower a point because of that. Elseway, I found the gameplay to be quite imaginative, not because of never-seen-before puzzles or challenging tasks, but I liked how one has to progress in this level; the whole infiltration of Sophia's corporation was just awesomely exploited. Also noteworthy was the stealth task near the end - very well done. The seven secrets I found were really well hidden and it was a great task to find them all. All in all I spent 70 minutes in this level and if one doesn't count the serious backtracking towards the end, this is a very good level in any regard." - manarch2

"I remember reviewing the first iteration of the infada power back in July this year (2011). While it was strong technically it was short on gameplay time. This by contrast offers about as much gameplay time as you could hope for a single level tipping the scales for me at 3 hours and 10 minutes to complete. As I mentioned before texturing and lighting is to a very high standard. In fact I'd go as far as to say this is probably the best application of the old Tomb Raider III textures that I've seen so far. Cameras are mostly well thought out, and music selections are all drawn from Tomb Raider III's library of tracks too. Gameplay wise, there's a few bits here that may frustrate less experienced players. The first bit is a sequence jumping burning platforms to a timed door (which in the end I did 6 times due to missing a few key items early on), and some of the jumps are a little tricky. This is particularly true of a high crawlspace that you have to pull up into, only for a fire to ignite within it that you then need to extinguish else where before going back up there again. This leads me onto what will probably frustrate players the most, and that's the back-tracking. There's allot of it, so any doors you see and can't immediately open you will more than likely re-visit on your third or fourth time in a given room. Personally though, I don't mind it at all, in fact it kept me sharp and means you have to form a good mental map of the level as your playing it. One cautionary note is the room with the centry gun. Beware that if the guard triggers the gun...that's it...no recovery. I lost allot of progress on a save here and had to go back 20 minutes because of it which was rather frustrating. These gameplay issues aside though, you have to admire the time and quality that raidermatty has put into this. It's a very strong release with some excellent gameplay elements and well crafted locations. Will I play the final game? Yes I will definitely. Not without it's flaws but still highly recommended. Stiggy" - TheStig

"What regards playing this long level with a TR3 style! I liked the TR3 musics, cameras were well worked too and the old enemies were well located. From the other side I hated the builder forced the players to repeat the same very tricky jump with curve to the high crawlspace near the ceiling... three times! And the same way, the tight timed swim/run through the fire ledges twice. Also it was really a nightmare all those very loooooooooong backtrackings from one extreme to another extreme of the level, repeating always the same tasks; very very bored. Therefore I think I shall never play the complete version of the game 'cause when I download a level I'm only thinking about fun, not about boredom." - Jose

"Those are a couple of right hefty demos I've played this month. First there was Prithvi in dark Indian passages, and now along comes this three-hour marathon set in the rainy rooftops of London. I'm told these are complete levels that are a part of larger compilations, but standing on their own they provide an enormous amount of entertainment. The major flaw with Prithvi is its too-dark ambiance; the problem with Infada is all the hair-pulling backtracking. I have a renewed respect for DJ Full, who provided the walkthrough. He and manach2 have practically singlehandedly completed our walkthrough library, and if many of the levels they played were as complicated as this one is, they must have spent untold hours putting everything together. Anyway, I have to say that Infada is more fun to play than Prithvi. There are several difficult moves, not to mention new twists on old themes (eg., having to arrange Lara so she can shimmy further left to complete a rolling jump and grab, positioning Lara so that she side flips to shoot a grate covering a secret crawlspace, etc.) There's also a timed run over flaming platforms that you have to perform three times, and I was almost done in by a curved running jump from a cramped alcove to a crawl space high up in a wall (also required to be done three times). The really aggravating backtracking doesn't set in until late in the level, and it seems to have been laid out that way for the sole purpose of extending the game clock. Not very player friendly, and I've deducted points for this tactic. On the positive side, the gameplay is varied and engrossing, there's plenty of light (I rarely felt the need to flick a flare), and the resemblance to TR3 brings back some fond memories. Recommended for those who don't mind a healthy dose of "been there, done that" in their raids." - Phil

"I hit the 2nd cutscene from the opposite direction than the author intended. I visited several places several times. I nominate this game King of Backtra. Backtra King, as backtracking is what a player does here for 1/2 of playtime. For 1/4, one gets confused and wonders if follows an intended way or a shortcut. For 1/4 of playtime, one can find ingenious secrets, and this is challenging. But still, the remaining 3/4 of playtime kill the fun. Shame - because technically this is a very well constructed level. SUMMARY: Only for very, very, very patient players. And TR3 fans. I recommend referring to the walkthru (when it is finished), as it often happens in this game that if you miss a vital switch, you need to repeat backtracking - a long, long way, sometimes through the whole level." - DJ Full

"I thought this level was really complicated, in a good and a bad way. It's a good thing to make the player think, but to be utterly confusing and to deceptively hide key items, is a bit much. There is much to this demo that isn't really a demo. Much exploration and much backtracking also fills it. I missed every secret, but that's to expected since the place is crammed with complicated areas to explore. The author liked to abuse the player with difficult jumps, timed runs and exhausting backtracking (through difficult jumps again of course). The place looks great though and the gameplay, although exhausting at times, is very good. I think the level would have been better if weapons were available in other places besides secrets, the player would not have to backtrack and the areas weren't so confusing. I couldn't give the level's gameplay score lower than an eight, though because it is quite engaging if difficult." - Shandroid

"Wondering what will be the length of the full game as this demo version 2.0 is quite long with many things to be mentioned, with good quality work in all categories. Some of the things to be done or to be noticed are a bit tricky , I came to a stop because the door you have to shoot did not seem shootable for me, especially as one has met another type of these 'doors' before that that was not shootable ! That may be just me , but some of the more challenging tasks are not that so hard but not quite enjoyable either as the player does not have enough space or sight to feel comfortable with the challenges at hand. And the backtracking/redoing is what spoils this fine level a bit. Still a lot of good work has went into this map and when the level plays the"middle of the road" card, it was very enjoyable with a great sense of tomb raider discovery/gameplay/progression." - eRIC

"Well, I had already written in my review for the first demo that the first timeruns was pretty short and was lacking the sound of a switch. As well as it looks, the level builder has had to show mercy with this timerun and has given a few seconds more. The switch, however, still lacks sound. Unfortunately, there are more sound problems. The cable railway have for example no sound. A major red light was hidden too well. You had to shoot this little red light, because otherwise you could not press a switch. Now and then lacked a camera hint. And for my taste, this level is too long. It runs continuously from pillar to post and back again. You have to press too many switches and levers. No question, the level is well built and has some good puzzles and ideas. But this level is too lengthy, so I do not thoroughly enjoy playing this level." - Scottie

"well iff this is a demo - than i am George Bush - lol .... ok let's put the jokes away i was impressed with this ''demo''... well is not a game for those wich have weak heart ... alot off jumps and some very tricky ones .... some insane timeruns ... moustly one was killer across burning platforms wich not shut off !! only thing u can doo - iff ur realy fast !! is to get in time at the opening door at the wall and avoid in mean time to get toasted lol..useless to repeat my fellow reviewers ... is alot off running crawling monkey swinging involved in this game .... moust off it at hights. so dont look down lol ........enemyes i was found very anoying moustly cos they are placed exactly at places where they cannot be hit untill u dont get closer cos they are somehow protected bye a grated railing but they lower ur life from distance prety fast.. cameras show the opening door after action.. but not the path leading at ...... so is very tricky ... moustly cause some off doors are far away from the button wich u pressed or lever wich u pulled ..... i was find alot off ammo even for grenade gun . but no gun for it ..... maybee will be in the full version. all i can say iff this game will be finished and keep the standards up could be another hall off famer ...... but ''lets not rush with the head on the wall '' city of sanus 4 beggin marvelous too and turned into a Hall of Shame .. so i say to wait for the final release .... all i can say i was enjoy it untill now ........" - Jack&

"I'm impressed. Fascinating fluent gameplay in a TR3 environment, a lot of to and fro, up and down - but it wasn't boring to do several tasks more than once,to go certain ways again and again. It was a fascinating run through different areas, the author has the talent to create refreshing and unorthodox ways through the complex structures he builds. Two timed runs that had to be done twice spiced up gameplay, the 1st one over burning blocks was timed shortly and challenging, as there were some not that easy jumps to perform. Gameplay and puzzles: nearly perfect. Annoying only some up and down because of a bug that could have been sorted out by proper testing. I'm talking about the burning platform under the first zip-line that couldn't be switched off by pressing the related button once. Enemies were gunmen and some dogs, partially coming out of nowhere; I liked an episode with a guard who will start an automatic-gun if you don't take care. Good ideas so far! The TR3-atmosphere could have been supported by some more sound, but it wa quite realistic. The author also has a feeling for adequate lightning. I'm really looking forward to see the final release. Great work!" - Christian

"Well this demo has certainly progressed from the last one. In fact it is hardly a "demo" now since it took me an hour and 55 minutes. The downfall here is that if you took out the backtracking, you could literally take an hour off of that time. The level is very large and there are way too many times where you use a switch for a door that is across the world from you, only to find another switch for a door that is near where the previous switch was...and so on. You will also have to perform certain timed sequences multiple times because of this, including the infamous, dastardly fire tile run from the first demo. Of course if you missed something from a previous part of the level then that's even more backtracking to do. It is all a great waste of time and rather frustrating. On top of that, there are times where there is no hint as to what a certain switch did, leaving you to backtrack and track back again wondering which of the 30 doors in the level opened this time.
On the plus side there are quite a few puzzles to overcome and some clever secrets to find, most of which lend you extra weapons that you would not find otherwise. The level looks rather nice and has a nice touch of "City" from TR3 with much originality added to it. And the timed runs add a nice touch of challenge, at least, the first time you do them.
Overall, if the level ended at the place where you find the three fuses, my ratings would have been higher. At that point you experienced most of the level and it is before all the annoying backtracking started. But if you can be very patient then check this level out. It should raise a red flag if you have built a single level and it takes around two hours to complete. But the author is showing much promise and I wonder what will come next." - SSJ6Wolf

"More than just a Demo , a complete TR raid on Londons rooftops and suburbs . A lot of very tedious and annoying backtracking is involved here as the game continues . It seems the builder has always chosen the longest route possible on the map for Lara`s essential pickups and tasks to do in order to stretch the gameplay . The amount of ammunition for heavy artillary weapons Lara picks up is probably aimed at a final complete version of the adventure which I would be delighted to see in the nearest future. A classical raid in London Style . To be continued and recommended." - Ruben

"I'm not sure about the classification of demo for this level - it seems like the full blown thing to me and I clocked the best part of four hours net gaming time. It certainly conjures up the spirit of the official London levels, whilst still being an up to date reimagining. It also involves a great deal of exploration. There is one rather fiendish timed swim/run (twice, aaargh) and a couple of quite challenging jumps, but apart from that the gameplay isn't too hard; it's more a matter of remembering where you've been and working out where to go next (something I'm not always very good at). It does require a fair amount of backtracking, which can be annoying, but frankly I was enjoying myself so much that I felt inclined to forgive it. I particularly liked the part where one has to outwit an automatic gun by stealth tactics and messing about on the rooftops of London is always fun. Altogether a well devised and executed game. Given the slightly abrupt ending I'm assuming there will be a contination. I certainly hope so." - Jay

"This is a Demo? With 2 hours 50 minutes of play, this is one hell of a demo. I can't wait for the 'full' version. I really like three dimensional levels and especially ones that bounce about some city skyline or other. Even the areas inside had plenty of 'up and down'. So, with this one, I was in hog heaven. Well made, well lit (even when gloomy, flares weren't really necessary) baddies (dogs and guards) well placed throughout, some difficult jumps and one you'll have to do three times, timed runs that'll get you sweating, again you'll have to do some more than once (it does get easier) and fairly straight forward puzzles, although getting past one particular automatic machine gun will make you think! As an added bonus, for those of us that like zip-lines, yippee!" - Diz

"An exceptional tribute to the spirit of TR3, in all its strength and weaknesses. This is a complete two- to three-hour level, and is only a demo in that it is a prelude to the full adventure, which explains why Lara picks up a lot of ammunition for weapons she does not yet have. It looks professional, with wonderful exteriors that recall the Sophia Leigh city episode, and a host of inside exploration in warehouse-type buildings echoing the London section of TR3. Has great lighting so that flares are hardly needed (other authors take note). The binoculars are missing, as in TR3, but for once they don't seem to be needed. The timed runs and tricky jumps are challenging but doable, and guards and dogs keep Lara on her toes. A ceiling-mounted machine gun was one place where Lara needed to do thinking instead of just reacting. The well-done seven secrets deserve mention, from the obvious shotgun (so that players will be sure to get it), to a nearly suicidal drop. I did notice that the timing for Lara's pickups seems off: as she stoops down an object vanishes from the ground, and is gone when she actually seems to be picking it up. The original TR3 did have a lot of back and forth, with distant switches affecting an area at the other end of a level. For those who have forgotten just how bad this was, go back and play the original London episodes, or the concluding episode in Area 51. Unfortunately, this is one regrettable aspect that the author has duplicated all too well. Lara is often yo-yoing between sections. This is most noticeable at a trying jump to a high crawlspace near a ceiling. Instead of Lara being rewarded for persevering and finally making this jump, she barely gets to enter this crawlspace before a fire ignites to block her way, and a camera directs her to a distant switch. So off to that switch. Later Lara must do this jump again, to continue through the crawlspace, only to find in the next room that she now needs to acquire three fuses (she also throws a switch). So off to find fuses. Lara must make this tricky jump yet a third time to at last place the fuses. And so it goes, at other places in the level. Since no one can be totally efficient on a first play, it is all too likely that players will need to do more back and forth to find a missed switch at the bottom of a water room. While challenges such as tricky jumps or timed fire runs are all excellent, they do tend to lose some charm when Lara is doing them for the second or third time or--if in search of a missed keyhole--a fourth time. Of course, with a walk-through players will have a much easier time. I enjoyed this level with its top-notch design, and am really looking forward to the release of the full adventure." - dmdibl