Level reviews

"I wasn't particularly keen on the forest bit of this level, even though it was fairly linear and there were plenty of literal sign posts to guide you. I suspect all the steep cliffs and ledges you need to climb to get around may have been an aggravating factor to my experience (which was already optimized by the guidance of manarch's walkthrough, I doubt I'd have gotten far on my own). But when you get to the castle itself it's quite a sight to behold, even if you don't get to explore it much further than a couple of towers and battlements. Excellent background audio and motifs, too. 50 minutes, 5 secrets. 07/25" - Treeble

"A good forest/castle platformer in blue but all we discover is a static wizard and a custom wild boar. I think the Arthurian myth has much more potential than this. Underwhelming." - DJ Full

"This author definitely knows how to construct strikingly attractive and imposing architecture. The castle areas in particular are a sight for sore eyes. I have almost no complaints on the visual side of things apart from the fact that the lighting was just a tad on the gloomy side (nothing annoyingly dark though). The enemies are relatively scarce: just a couple of boars at the beginning and a couple of guards at the end, so this level generally focuses on the puzzle side of things, although there is a lot of jumping around on the hillsides to test Lara's agility. I loved some of the objects used here, in particular the rotating cages that also form part of a puzzle, and the rainy atmosphere is topnotch. A wonderful level that's highly recommended." - Ryan

"This is a level of a project (I hope still) planned by l.m. set in a very atmospheric forestmountain-like area of legendary king Arthur ages. Lot of exploration, where you may have a feeling of complexity at first sight, but as you progress further and deeper you`ll handle it easier also there is a diary many times at help, also some really impressive puzzles and secrets are something special as they are fantastically hidden. There are really good variety of tasks in every area just a little dissapointment for me is that the final big area with two towers are not polished with tasks as in previous locations but this is just a little issue and a whole impression for me about gameplay is impressive! Enemies are perfectly chosen and despite that they are absolutely fitting to the ambience they also appear at the right time. Speaking about ambience I can say that background musics are nicely chosen and fitting to the atmosphere also some nice soundtracks when you reach specific location but what is a no for me is that when bakground and foreground music play at once! (perhaps it may rarely work in some special situation?). Textures are very well chosen and well applied (there are some which could have been done with more care) and lighting professionally done, never too dark and perfectly fitting to the rainy ambience. I am really looking forward playing the planning project from this very talented young builder and many thanks for this level just to show what will be in a project and I am sure that it will be another great masterpiece in trle world. 9/10/9/9" - OverRaider

"This is a great level.the setting,the gameplay,the atmosphere.I haven't played many levels from this author but i can see that he is great building castles,this one looked real and majestic.i wasn't so impressed by the talk with merlin as i already saw him in another custom level that im not going to say to avoid spoilers.but still its a pity that the builder didn't continue the adventure but what can we do?.Reccomended" - janachorider

"I don't particularly care about the King Arthur myth, don't hide my dislike and am simultaneously puzzled what others think is so great about it. This occasionally manifests in me having some internal resistance to playing games based around it. But having recently finished "Mists of Avalon" I figured why not plunge in the deep end and tick this one off the to-play list as well. The great thing about games is that you can pretty much shrug off the story (though, it has to be said that it can both enhance or spoil the experience depending on presentation) and enjoy the level for its gameplay and atmosphere by their own merits, so I think it would've been very hard for me to deny the qualities of Leif's game even if the story had been more involved than it was here (you basically chat with Merlin twice and he gives you a handful of tips via a diary). I don't think I have to go on in great detail about the aesthetic quality of the game - if you're familiar with the author's previous offerings you can rest assured his skills have not depleted one bit. The exterior settings are beautifully done and had the slightest touch of Bojrkraider's "Under the Moonlight" (a level I greatly enjoyed too) to it, and you surprisingly don't encounter the author's much-beloved castle settings till very late in the game. Everything here blends together so well, that it actually on many occasions is a bit hard to tell if something is there only for show or if you will have to scale that particular rock wall for a pickup or a switch. However, this occasionally ends up being a double-edged sword for the level: on one hand it's a compliment for the author's skills to marry gameplay and settings together in a seamless fashion (many of even the so-called good builders sometimes focus far too much on one or the other, so the setting may look good - but the gameplay ends up being contrived and unstructered, or they may create excellent, inventive tasks, but it's quite obvious that the setting was built around the task and doesn't feel like it organically fits in) but on the flipside - I had a hard time finding the right way to do something, and when scaling the large landscape of this ravine I had to ponder if I merely found an unintended path in the labyrinths of the rock sections or if it will actually lead me somewhere. The conventional gameplay parts in turn are more agreeable. There's nothing overly complicated in the way of solving the block and jump puzzles, and like most other players I loved the one involving chains and cages. The secret placement is great and to my surprise I found all 5 (the one you have to snatch before a boulder blocks your way and the one on top of Merlin's tower were my favourites), and if there's any other complaint - then I found that the font - as aesthetically pleasing as it may look was a bit of a pain to decipher and I never really got fully used to it. All being said and done - this is yet another excellent adventure from the author that can be enjoyed by everyone." - eTux

"This level features some nice hq textures and objects and fun gameplay. Because of the hq stuff and the huge environment my pc was lagging since is not very strong, but this didn't stop me from playing it. I loved the inside castle settings and the puzzle with the chains and cages was very good. Recommended!" - misho98

"l.m. always turns out levels with a fantastic visual quality and King Arthur and the Time Portal is no exception. The beginning of a series, it has Lara travelling back through time to medieval England. Being English it's always a pleasure to play levels which interpret ancient architecture like this. You start off in a dense and mountainous forest on a quest for Merlin, before working your way to the out edges of a massive castle. Special mention also needs to go here to the sound design. Usually I comment on music selections, but it's the wonderful gloomy and spooky background ambience selected here which plays off so well against the environments. There are times however where the amount of foliage gets a little wearing (I completely missed a path for literally not being able to see through the trees!). It's quite fun and aside from one or two tricky jumps it's there shouldn't be anything to frustrate the player. All in all I netted 1 hour 40 minutes from Part one of this adventure. Looking forward to part 2! Highly recommended. Stiggy" - TheStig

"What a phenomenal level! The textures, music, lighting, and atmosphere are just about perfect. The gameplay and puzzles are also incredibly cool and a lot of fun. My only complaint is several very difficult jumps which, first of all, seem impossible, and secondly, may not even be noticed (or determined to be possible) without the walkthrough. Otherwise, top notch level here!" - okuhtfesq

"I have a somewhat inexplicable fondness for an old PS1 game from 1997 called 'Excalibur'.It was a sort of TR wannabe in a medieval environment,and involved an Arthurian heroine running around complicated underground environments performing tasks and quests for various characters she met en route - finding a medicine bottle to give to a sick old woman,who gives you a key to a door as a reward;which leads to a wizard who needs a special vegetable as a vital ingredient for his spell of invincibility which will enable you to get through the Cave of Fire,unburned;which leads to...well,you get the drift.(Try and get hold of a copy.They'll be dirt cheap by now.) Anyway,the gameplay in this Custom level was very similar.Dig up a Mushroom to give to Merlin,for which he will give you a key,etc etc. It makes a slight change from the usual working out what to do,but it's a little bit flawed.For a start,the clues in Merlin's Diary are visually garbled (at least,they were for me);for another,the over-abundance of vegetation meant that searching all the sizeable environments for appropriate pick-ups became more of a chore than a pleasure.There is also an almost complete absence of enemies,which makes the adventure sometimes rather less than exciting. Nonetheless,it remains a rather stunning experience overall,especially visually. The landscape is crafted to perfection;is extremely atmospherical;and looks a treat.Just when you think it couldn't visually improve,along comes the castle of Camelot and you consequently find yourself experiencing one of the most spectacular scenes of any TR adventure.Textures are superb;objects,ingenious (I adored those rotating rusty cages);lighting is top notch;while the music is majestic and appropriate,but never overdone. If you can adapt to the somewhat irritating (and often fairly ambiguous) gameplay,then you'll experience one of the best (and longest) single levels of recent years. Excalibur for the PS1:eat your heart out!" - Orbit Dream

"This author is quickly becoming one of my very favorite builders. He has a keen eye for authenticity, with lush environments, realistic textures and great sounds. I really enjoyed travelling through this level, meeting Merlin and seeing Camelot. There were some fairly difficult jumps, inventive gameplay and the wonderful voice of Gandalf to spice up the level. Although it could have been a bit more interesting in places, all in all I think this level is very topnotch and a great experience. I really hope the next level in the series comes out soon..let's take a look inside that castle!!" - Shandroid

"Very good, I.m. !!! Everything was great !!! She looks very good on my flat screen. I liked the sound effects - even back to... was it TR1, ah haa, and omph, when she runs into a wall. I also liked the extra spring when she climbs up. I'm training my dog to not be thunder phobic, so I made her play the whole game with me - she's bored with thunder now - LOL. Thanks for a great, but too short a level !!! BTW - some of the fish jumped out of the water, and died - sorry for your loss... very good effects." - Juno Jim

"This is certainly a great level, but I must say I was somewhat disappointed by the atmosphere damp and dark as well as dark colors and uniformes.Il is difficult to spot the places to climb and I have done much research to find the witch's blue mushroom. I loved the cages when you must activate the chain several times to find the right position. The last region is very large and finally there is not much to do in this area to complete the level. It's still a great level of the author and I look forward to continuing the adventure." - Minox

"My review count for this month is down because I've been replaying the Lara at the Movies megaset. Because of the rave reviews this level has received, I decided to download and play it during my spare time at the office. In terms of setting a mood and creating a convincing ambiance, it succeeds admirably. The gameplay is more of the cerebral variety, as I recall relatively few enemies. And although I thoroughly enjoyed playing this level, I do have a few gripes. My enjoyment would have been enhanced considerably had I been able to see clearly everything around me. Yes, it's too dark, and there's too much of that annoying vegetation that destroys your visibility while you're hiking around among the pine trees. I know that we're playing at night, in the woods, in the rain, but even though I was using my office computer with a monitor that normally provides ample lighting, I found myself flicking flare after flare so I could be sure of where I was going and what I was doing. Perhaps in the next segment the builder will consider boosting the overall lighting a bit, so that we players can better experience the fruits of his labor (the architecture is quite stunning). Other than this not-so-minor quibble, I can recommend this level wholeheartedly." - Phil

"As an appaetizer for the designated much larger King Arthur Project this is just perfect - almost too much already with a 90 minute adventure in the gloomy and rainy atmosphere of the 13th century near Camelot. It all starts off with a funny dialogue and stepping through the very cool time portal and then turns into an adventure of exploration and finding the right next spot to jump to. The latter did actually spoil the overall gameplay experience a bit for me, as the right next square to put Lara's feet on often eluded me in the fairly vast landscape, causing significant back and forth without making any headway in the game. On the other hand you get a neat mix of small puzzles, some with push blocks and a really simple but nice one with chains and turning cages. The overall atmosphere and the grand scale architecture is truly stunning and makes us wait impatiently for whatever else the whole series may have on offer..." - MichaelP

"A great work of a great builder, I can say. Leif always manages to entertain the players with beautful levels in completely different scenerys, as recently in the advent level, or in a well crafted mansion. This time, Lara makes a time travel to the medieval time, even the laboratory looked very well, and it had a great portal as a change-place trigger right into a rainy forest. The atmosphere in this place is stunning, with great realistic texturing and some nice, even if not many, enemies, like the roar at the start. Gameplay is builded on diary entries, that help Lara not to get lost in this big area. Even if one block in Merlin's Tower was maybe too well hidden, the first steps in the forest were really interesting and it made hopes for another masterpiece. The many trees and other objects in this level however were a little problem, as Lara and also the skeletons (good for the players of course) often get stuck in these. But after few tricky jumps in the rocks above the forest I was completely absorbed in this level, the underground castle was great too, in the outside areas there were not many puzzles, but this castle changes everything. Not only a fantastic cage-rope puzzle to solve, this castle had so many great and logic puzzles. After exiting this rooms the exploration goes on, now with access to the hut, which was also great fun and also a bit spooky with the crusader-looking habitant. Again, this area had great gameplay, with a very unique use of the torch. After getting the mushroom back in the mountains you get to see the last area, even topping the previous atmosphere with a gigantic castle with moat. Unluckily, the castle only gets explored in the second part, but the tasks in this area which were even trickier jumps than before, some underwater trap mazes and some keys to find were again fun. The big tower with the trapdoors was maybe not that good, as you can open all trapdoors in one go, but to find the right lever is again supported by another diary entry. The end also was a bit of a let-down, as Lara only approaches a door, but let's see how the second part succeeds. Surely a unique masterpiece of its own." - manarch2

"This is another level from the talented l.m. This time it is a big story about king arthur. This is only part 1 and it is amazing! You start in a sort of lab with a professor. This lab is small but it has flawless lightin and textures. The outfit and voice is the same as his previous level no Xmas without a tree. After you go through a portal in the lab, you are transported to england but thousands of years ago. In this forest you find lancelot's(I think, I forgot) castle where merlin asks you to find some magic mushrooms. The gameplay was good because you mostly knw where you're going, the atmosphere and textures were unsurprisingly brilliand and the objects were placed perfectly. Amazing level and should nit be missed." - afzalmiah

"This level represents the epitome of what great raiding can be. The author has an intelligent and artistic grasp of every element...beautifully crafted textures and original objects, ingenious and challenging puzzles, logical and surprising game play, perfectly scored music and ambient sound. It's not very often one gets the opportunity to experience such an immense range of unique talent...this is just an amazing adventure. We are very fortunate to have a true artist give us such outstanding work." - Mezcal

"What can we say about this excelent author? I think his better feature is his incredible imagination. Not only for the story, but for all those places were in his mind and how he knows how to translate to "reality" with all kind of details. Scenaries are impressive, half lineal gameplay was good too with all that hints helping you, very well builded objects, nice musics and perfect lighting and texturing lead you to a fantastic medieval environment. Looking forward for the continuation of this (I expect) extraordinary adventure. Great!" - Jose

"Slowly but surely my stock of superlatives is running out. Can I borrow that somewhere? Or buy? Actually, there are only two possibilities how I can resolve this dilemma. Either I find somewhere a few, or I play no more level from Leif. Well, there is still the third possibility which Leif ceases to build level. But he will not do the favour to us certainly. What should I make? I have no notion where I could find superlatives on the Internet, hence, this possibility is not the solution. Remains, actually, only to play no more level which Leif has built. Or still wants to build. However, is this really thus a good idea? If we take only once this level. At the CS-Contest one could see some very good built castles. But Leif must play once more the overachiever and must go the extra mile. And, besides, one could not see the whole castle yet and explore, because this level is only the hors-d'oeuvre. And, actually, I would have to award the pure 10th evaluation. But what should I make when Leif serves the main course? More as 10 one cannot evaluate. Oh yes, one has it not really easy as a reviewer. There is in this level, however, a thing which has disturbed me. I have nothing against skeletons. They can make a level very interesting. However, it disturbs me massively if I cannot defend myself against these skeletons. It must not be the grenade launcher. No, the shotgun is completely sufficient, because with a shotgun one can shot a skeleton into a hole. But in this level one has at disposal only the pistols. Though the skeletons interfere only now and again, but, nevertheless, something like that must not be. However, otherwise this was an excellent level with many great ideas. I can only hope that there is in part 2 either no skeletons, or there are corresponding weapons for the players." - Scottie

"This is an epic adventure that lara travels to the past (king Arthurs time). The storyline in this level involves Lara, Merlin and a scientist in some intesting cutscenes. There was a great use of medieval set and very creative puzzles, I liked specially the one that lara has to move the wooden jails to be able to pass and use the chains. The scenarios make me really fell that I was in England rainy forest centuries ago. The gameplay is so much better than some other games from this same author in my opinion. I had soo much fun playing this level and I am really curious to know what happens next. I think this is one of the best sences that a game can promote to a player. I really loved the huge scenarios and the illumination is kind of good too. I think some textures are kind of repetitive but they're very well applied though and that what matters. Get lost the forest ways are almost impossible because of the wooden signs and short ways. Getting stuck in this game for the ones who are used to play tomb raider are almost impossible, the objects are perfectly possible to find and the puzzles possible to solve. I think the gameplay is the best attractive of this game for those that don't have patience to be stuck for a long time in the same game." - Adriel

"Trust Leif to come up with a castle you so far have never seen in a TR level. His keen eye architectural wise is eye candy. A pity that the binoculars are not up to scratch, but that is the engine and not Leif. In here you are looking for entrance into the castle of Camelot but before that, you have to solve some puzzles. Like digging for a mushroom but in order to do so you (of course) need a shovel. Nice use of the torch and the hunt is on also for some keys. Nice jumping of the rocky environments. Enemies are hardly there, a warthog or two (they are huge) and some skeletons. A pity the knight didn't have anything to smash (apart from Lara)." - Gerty

"I loved the opening of the level with Lara speaking to her scientist friend, entering the time portal and arriving in King Arthur's days (whenever that may have been and who cares). I know some bugs were mentioned but I found none. The music fit the level perfectly and the textures looked quite alright to my maybe not trained enough eyes. I loved the forest (and of course there are trees on your way there; no, I don't think they were overdone), the caves, the hut (even though I never thought of setting fire to that structure near the entrance) and the magnificent castle. I found the puzzles interesting and not too hard as I did the several needed jumps throughout. Good atmosphere. Interacting with characters, namely with Merlin, is something that interests me. In the end, I think there may have been a trapdoor near Merlin's house that I never opened and I didn't get the secret on Merlin's rooftop, but that's because I chose not to. That means I absolutely have no gripes regarding this level. Was the ending a little sudden? Well, what do you expect from part 1 when part 2 will continue? I'm eagerly waiting for the follow-up. Great job!" - Jorge22

"This is part one of a larger project and it sure is a well built two-level game with a good story line. Lara time-travels back to the age of Camelot. The game play is very interesting and there are quite a variety of different tasks to perform. The level is not overly hard, but there are a few jumps that need precision. I really enjoyed the first part where Lara can explore a wooded are with some climbing, caves and a few traps. It was all pretty straightforward, but the player sure has to pay attention what's going one to not get stuck. I did like the interaction with Merlin, which had a well-done voice-over. There are not many enemies and they are fairly easy to eliminate, except for the character in the hut and I ended up just avoiding him. The atmosphere in the level is fantastic from the beginning to the end. There were plenty of forest sounds, howling wolves and all that mixed with a steady rain created a realistic feel. The camera work was excellent with nice hints and flyby sequences. If there is one thing about the level that I didn't like that much, it had to be the character used for Lara. While pretty cute looking, I thought she looked like she was dressed for an afternoon at a shopping mall or a French coffee shop. A camo-outfit or some other adventurer look might have worked better here. But that's just my personal taste and not a criticism of the quality of the level. Just as the atmosphere, the lighting and texturing was beautifully done and the same can be said about the whole layout and architecture of the level. Great job by the builder - I enjoyed it very much. Highly recommended! (70 minutes, 2 out of 5 secrets found)" - Blue43

"This guy named Leif is definetely buildind in a fast lane : from his very first work way back in September 2008 he has presented to the community a number of outstanding TRLE adventures of high quality . The first part of LKA already forebodes a follow-up with high expactations for every player to see what goes on in Camelots Castle and how the story is going to be continued. My very personal belief is that this builder should take his good own time as to continue the idea of a real story rather than jumping up on the train of building a suberb environment spiced up with some sort of gameplay and backtracking.As soon as the next time portal should open I will surely be a witness of Leif`s excellent skills of a top class TRLE Builder." - Ruben

"Another outstanding work from this author. Absolute creative storyline! The level is divided in two parts. In a first stunning sequence we have to deactivate some spikes to get a shovel to dig out a mushroom merlin needs. Once you brought it to him he gives you acces to the 2nd part of a game I really have to call a great adventure, once more a movie-like experience, a dark and mystic atmosphere is perfectly composed with elaborate lightning and sound-effects. The author has created an absolute convincing reality." - Christian

"What a cracking adventure. Lara is transported into the past, to the days of Camelot, and gets to talk to Merlin. The level is beautifully made, from the beginning in the dense forested area, via the rocky hillsides to the castle itself. The scene with Merlin is well done (and amusing) and there's plenty of wonderful custom objects and textures to intrigue and delight. There's a lot of enjoyable exploring of the 'find the correct route' variety and a good mix of puzzles, jumps, timed elements etc., although nothing too hard to achieve. Enemies are infrequent, but effectively used and 'appropriate' - skeletons, wild boar, locals with clubs etc. I did think the fish in the moat would turn out to be carnivorous as they looked like piranha, but they left Lara alone and merely contented themselves with committing suicide, or at least every time I ran around the banks there seemed to be more dead fish lying about. I had a great time and very much look forward to the continuation of this story." - Jay

"Well again I have the pleasure to review a game which was made from a builder who I personally appreciate a lot .. and who made some time ago the best beginner game ever made 'Fortress Stonerock' a pure Hall Of Fame game. Well this one sadly was not so good in any terms like Fortress Stonerock. It is shorter and not so brilliant, but it is a good game, a bit rushed out is my feeling because it ends very abruptly and unexpected. The graphics is top, areas are constructed well. A bit on the low side for the first part, which is forest setting and sometimes the trees and bushes obstruct your viewing around. Second part is a castle setting but apart from flyby and the menacing look of the castle not much to do in this area ..... climb some rocks, pull a lever which opens access to an underwater area .... and through ... you get to other rocks, find a key, open the door in the first tower ..... go to the second one, find a key for the second tower too, pull a chain ..... zipline back at first tower .... at which a door opened, get through ..... and after you aproach the second door .... the closed one, the game ends abruptly. Well ... it is the sort of game which again sentimentally I would not mark it because IMHO other games were much better. I forget to say he made also the best Christmas setting game so far too. So all in all a good game, but in my opinion this time it is not a Hall of Fame game. Recommended. Cheers." - Jack&

"Lara travels back in time to King Arthur's court, and encounters Merlin. As we expect from this author, this has a wonderful appearance. Some highlights are the time portal itself, the torture cages that rotate, a climb up a waterfall, and a zip line ride back to a tall tower to exit. And yet...maybe I expect too much from this author. There is something frustrating in the texturing of the mountainous terrain, because all the texturing looks similar, and it can be extremely hard to tell where Lara can jump, and what is a steep slope. (Actually, I had Lara jumping some places, thinking there was a slope, when it proved to be a sheer drop.) The pine branches are always in your face, blocking vision, if Lara is searching the slopes for secrets. It seemed that Lara was always running back to the tower to see Merlin when all she wanted to do was jump to mushrooms, then she returns to the tower for the key. I was glad to get out of the forest and reach the lake and the tall towers. Everything worked for me in the trapdoor puzzle, just by avoiding pressing the red-dot switch, as instructed. A good level, but for me it felt like an earlier effort by the author, even if the level has been revamped. Again, maybe I'm guilty of expecting too much. Good play, and a good introduction if this will be the beginning of a level series in King Arthur's court." - dmdibl

"Considering all of l.m.'s releases have been hits I was expecting something special out of this, and wasn't disappointed. All the aesthetic aspects of this level are near-perfect with every area having at least some degree of attention to detail, and there's a variety of areas in the level, including some epic sights. Enemies and objects also fit, with various Undead, some Spiders (thankfully for me they stay small) and a couple of other "natural" enemies. The story also has more attention paid to it than most packs, and there's some nice progression of it through conversations and a diary.
Gameplay is very well-executed too, there's a nice flow to the level, and, while there's some reliance on hidden blocks, they stay consistent throughout so it avoids being an issue. There's a good mix of puzzles and climbing challenges, although there's nothing too difficult and observation is the main skill tested. One puzzle with a waterskin can be a bit fussy about where you have to stand to put out the flame, which can make the solution not work properly unless you try it a few times, and there's a bug at the end that can break some trapdoors, although there is a way around the issue if you do encounter it. Those problems are small though and this is a must-play. Hopefully the sequel will be out in the not-too-distant future." - Mman