Level reviews

"The remake of this level barely changes anything. Only things that seem to change are textures and some enemy placements. While this release focuses on one setting texture wise, it has way more texture clipping issues than the original. So does the remake get a different score? I'm gonna say no. The flaws balance everything out to the same score as the original. Check my other review if you want my thoughts on the level, as I'm mostly using this to point out differences." - LuxQSD

"Not many changes since the first release. The gameplay and room geometry don't differ at all. There are only new enemies (shark and fish), new items (harpoons + gun), some changed textures and it seems like the level builder worked with lighting this time. And I forgot about the spiked corridor." - Nuri

"Not a bad Tomb Raider 2 level but very simple in it's design. Very difficult to get lost or confused with adequate hints at what to do next. Not much in the way of ammo lying about though so take care with what you use. Playing time around 15 minutes. As with most of these unofficial levels, paper thin walls and floors are in evidence with texture fade outs here and there." - Torry

"The only noticeable difference I could detect is that the texturing has been streamlined to give a more cohesive feel to the whole thing. Beyond that, this is pretty much a case of deja vu, maze, enemies, keys and all." - Ryan

"To be honest I can't see any difference but hey I have a Teflon brain. Still the same maze (which I hated) and still three secrets." - Gerty

"Remake is a strong word, I'd say this is more like a "makeover" as it pretty much plays the same way as the original level, but the confusing and out of place India textures give room to Nevada ones, so this one is more consistent in the fact you're exploring a base-like installation. I can now confirm the maze is exactly the same as the original TR2 Lara's Home, so you can zoom in and out with the two keys in hand in about two minutes or so. 10 minutes, 3 secrets. 05/17" - Treeble

"Meh. Just don't know what to say about this rather then "meh". "Meh" expresses how i feel after finishing this level. If you enjoy "meh" levels then this one will suit your style. It's pretty strait forward, with a bit need of roaming for a while in the maze and most of the level serves to find the secrets then actually progressing. Just...meh." - Zhyttya

"A fast level with some fast killing where you get ammo and a weapon to kill enemies that you already pass. The puzzle's are non-existent, the textures are out of place, the enemies are not that bad and if you get the Rusty key first you just have to do the maze twice.. witch is boring. Not recommended, just move on to another level" - Leeth

"Beyond texture changes in many of the rooms(which helps to make the overall level design feel more cohesive), many spike traps on your way to the golden skull in one specific corridor, tweaked lighting and a camerashot for when you pick up one of the keys, this is still the same 'Dholavira Surroundings' level through and through, in terms of actual quality. So, if you've already played the original version, then you'll be able to complete this one in a roughly similar time. To conclude, as I said previously in my review for the original 'Dholavira Surroundings', I can only really recommend this one for the gameplay alone and not much else. If you're not a fan of mazes in TR games specifically however, then this one probably isn't for you." - Ceamonks890

"Aside from some amended texturing,I could detect no appreciable difference between this and the original.Surely,the point of a remake is to take out all the bits that don't work and replace them with those that do? Not in this case,it seems.It hardly matters which version you play,although it's probably best recommended that you avoid both." - Orbit Dream

"Much the same like the original with some added enemies (you can harpoon a few fish if you are so inclined), changed texturing and slightly improved lighting and one room with spikes to walk through. There are also a few camera hints and while not really needed, they show improvement in level design that goes in the right direction. This will be only about 10 minutes of play if you have played the original level before." - MichaelP

"Almost exactly the same as Dholavira Surroundings, so see my review for that. Lighting is more subdued, and some may find that more professional. Now Lara quickly acquires Uzis, harpoons, and harpoon gun. But if she dives down and grabs the first secret, she can beat the shark out of the water, and doesn't need the harpoon gun. There are texture changes, with the whole golden skull portion completely redone, spikes added (just walk through spikes in TR2). I liked the glass roof over the golden skull, as the visible sky is nice, but other than that the "improvements" didn't mean much. The first version has a charming simplicity. If you've already played that original, this version will be less than 15 minutes." - dmdibl

"Literally a desert/base flipmap of the jungle prequel (if we can speak of prequels in case of remakes) - because, apparently focused on fixing previous fails, Forger now forgot to care about atmosphere. Gaps in texturing, thin ceiling, dismal water. He tried to add some extra gameplay - a fish fight and a spike trap - but both are executed wrong: the former because of an added harpoon which doesn't appear that necessary as long as the shark can still be hit with normal pistols through the air hole, and the latter because of the killer wall triggered too early combined with collapsible floor placed not high enough above the spikes for Lara to survive the test untouched. So all in all too many "special effects" compared to unfinishment of obvious things make the remake worse than the original version. If You play these two in chronological order (and I think You will), even the secrets won't surprise You anymore, because they are exactly in the same spots. The only saved part of fun comes from progressing further and further, but the rest is killed. Recommended for - I like this word - "completists" :D:D" - DJ Full

"In this level we see textures from TR3. I have to say they are well placed this time. There are not much to do. Just shoot two guys, a fish and a shark, than find your way in a maze and end the level. Also, there are paper sized floors, like the one above the water. The floor is so thin, that the shark managed to grap Lara even she was on land. Once again there is no lighting, just basic room light. Also, I saw that Lara's foot were brighter than the upper body. There are few horizon problems and sometimes you see the sky in places where you shouldn't. I believe the author has to put more effort. Even it is TR2, there are still many chances to make a great level. Just try the "Cape Fear". You will play a nice TR2 level. Some more fights, a vehicle and more jumps sections can make a TR2 level way more interesting. Keep trying. I know this author can do much better than this." - Sarikman

"The only real difference I could see in this remake is that the somewhat manic mixture of styles has been refined to give a more cohesive feel to the level. Still got the maze though. Sigh." - Jay

"This is mostly the original version (see my review for it) with partly changed texturing and more enemies. On the one hand the setting is now more consistent because of the similar textures, one the other there is not much variety, so I'll just leave the ratings as they were for the orignal. I only needed 15 minutes now for a perhaps understandable reason. If I only could play one version, I'd probably pick the original. Enough said." - manarch2

"The remake has the same rooms and gameplay , with added enemies in water that you don't really need to kill. The main differences are in the looks. No more India textures , a lighting a bit darker and with Lara appearing now in 3D in most of the rooms." - eRIC