Level reviews

"A solid Venetian raid, with quite a maze-like feel to it truth be told. Nina's got the key to the kingdoms however, so you don't need to go at it alone. There's quite a fair share of things to be done here and more often than not they involve some backtracking but the author always makes it come full circle so in a way there's a constant sense of progression even when it seems slow. I loved the dusk setting and generally speaking had a very good time here. 60 minutes, 1 secret. 02/26" - Treeble

"I played this way back ... probably the year it was released, but I did not recognise it, when replaying recently, until hitting the library/vespa area. A complex and sometimes confusing level, and one I was rather relieved to finish. Needed the walkthrough on a few occasions, which is unusual for a Bf level." - Dick

"This is a BTB Venice based level; it takes a different direction to the average Venice level visually, as it has a stormy and slightly surreal, almost apocalyptic atmosphere with the colour of the sky. It generally looks good and objects and textures are used very well throughout. The lighting is fine but overall the weakest aspect, as it occasionally veers between being a little flat and being on the dark side, but that's only an issue in a couple of areas, and it mostly works and supports the overcast take on the Venice theme. There's also a nice bit of theme evolution, as you start in familiar Venice street, house and sewer areas and gradually move into places that are a bit more abstract.
The gameplay for most of the map is fine and relatively straightforward, and there's a good use of action tasks (like timed runs) that aren't too intensive but have multiple steps of setup, culminating in a well-handled Vehicle challenge. Combat is relatively rare but gets a bit more intense later, however by then you have some better weapons to handle it with. Unfortunately after being mostly fun and doing a good job giving hints to keep progression smooth, the last parts get weirdly backtrack heavy with a couple of somewhat obscure moments compared to everything before, the actual climax is fine though. The one secret is fine but also a little simple given there's plenty of room for a few more (although perhaps there was a technical issue/limitation stopping this). A good level and a somewhat original take on the Venice theme despite a bit of a drop-off near the end." - Mman

"This was a good offering. Relic is played in intricate areas that open more and more as you progress. The player's memory and other wits are tested here, even if the level does not have very difficult actions. Some good ideas of gameplay are on display here, and for some situations you need to think. Maybe a bit too much of stuff which can bring some confusion , anyway a recommanded raid with good atmopshere." - eRIC

"The green sky creates a unique but also creepy atmosphere of this Venice level. Apart from the backtracking, a really good TRLE!" - vandit

"This Venice level started out perfectly for me, first of all i loved Lara's catsuit and with a great setting, fantastic darker atmosphere and visuals and really fun and varied gameplay including clever puzzles, timed runs, traps, challenging platforming and fun use of a motorbike for a puzzle i was definitely having a good time. The first half was very enjoyable especially not having to rely on a walkthrough and opening up new areas and discovering what needs to be done was a joy but unfortunately the second half of the level takes a bit a nose dive when it comes to gameplay into very repetitive tasks, mostly finding levers/switches or objects and the endless backtracking back and forth several times as well as getting lost trying to remember where to go or wondering what to do next was disappointing. Overall i think the good definitely out ways the bad here as you can tell a lot of effort has gone into making a fun adventure in a gorgeous environment i just wish it was bit more compact" - John

"Amazing adventure with entertaining and sometimes challenging gameplay - the best part in my opinion was the timed run with the Vespa and the raising block puzzle to build the path for it. Even though there's some annoying backtracking near the end there's a whole lot of other stuff that make up for it. The combat in general was a big highlight due to the choice of weapons you had. I loved the rainy atmosphere. Thank you Bigfoot for this amazing level, I had a great time with it!" - misho98

"This level is very well done, we have all the things that a tomb raider need, some fights, some timeruns and of course some exploration, textures from BtB are nicely set. Objects were well used, lighting and textures are very nice !" - Angel_K

"What an excellent level! Quite a joy to play and pass and everything was near perfection. The Tomb Raider 2 appeal was something that got me from the beginning, and when i saw the enemies I falled in love with the level. The puzzles were simple but fun to solve, the atmosphere and sounds were spot on and the camera work was on of the best. There isn't a single thing i can point out negatively about this level, only that I would love a better final boss and some hard puzzles. Highly recommended, almost an obligatory level in my opinion" - Leeth

"This was a very pleasant experience. Roaming through the streets of Venice with TR2 vibe it's an absolute combination. Loved the sound effects and soundtracks from TR2, really fitting and brought a lot of good memories. The game play is most parts pretty solid; there's a few times where you'll get stuck not knowing what do to next and there's this entrance where you need to jump to off a chain and you need a absolute precision. These are my only complains, the rest of the levels flows perfectly, next gen textures helping a lot on the scenario here as well. The final boss was a bit disappointing though, easy to kill. Anyway, totally recommend checking out this level!" - Zhyttya

"This was an extremely long and highly enjoyable Venetian adventure, apart from the backtracking. Great puzzles, atmosphere, lighting and textures. The secret was different. Highly recommended." - Ryan

"This game has the best puzzles it only had one secret which is less than most TRLEs of its length. But the Enemys and Objects were well places and the puzzles were hidden really well" - JoeTheCrazyGamer

"Level very well built, very nice and beautiful, a beautiful venice level. After a fairly simple beginning, the task becomes more complex, but nothing difficult though. 2 beautiful path motorcycle. Excellent !" - Drakan

"Well, if you guys don't mind backtracking a lot, then this is a pretty good level. The textures could have been a bit better though... but otherwise, a nice, enjoyable game." - MegaGamer

"I made the mistake of playing this level in rather too many session with too much time in between them - and hence got often a bit lost with backtracking needed that would not have been so bad if my memory of the previous areas had been fresher than it was. Aside from that, this is a very solidly built BtB Venice level that would have done very well in the competition back then, focused on exploring deeper and deeper into the area that continues to open up for the player and with a few dedicated highlights, like the rather cool timed vespa drive or the use of the torch near the end. The single secret seemed a bit added only as an afterthought and the expected enemies are placed effectively, but not with too much of an element of surprise. All in all, great to see this building package used again to great adventage and as any other level by this builder, one you should not miss out on." - MichaelP

"Furniture and architecture is casual Venice stuff so I missed some revolutionary usage, but what is here is always applied properly, with every single object having proper tinting: awnings and balconies accompany narrow backstreet ascension and canal traversing, trees growing on roof terraces surround a greeny patio, rats dwell in sewers, thugs in houses and ghosts in the catacomb. None of these locations is oversized or overwhelming and they're tightly packed together, while inbetween double doors are nicely utilized to switch from place to place and reduce backtracking. Of course some retraction is still present, but the attention put to minimize the distance is clearly seen. Those double doors, even if already open, can make enemies bulletproof, but once You figure it out You shouldn't have any fight problems and be able to fight the whole numerous batch without even using a half medi. The most creative thing for me was using the same raising block shortly after the game began and in a completely different purpose near the end. But the single best moment was to finally fold the library block after a lot of diverse preparations, so the pickup acquired from it this way felt really precious. SUMMARY: Balance, balance, balance. Lacks a "wow" moment in three categories to be classified as "epic", but it's still really solid as for a post-BtB stuff. Well done, Sylvain!" - DJ Full

"This is a cautionary level illustrating the importance of knowing when to stop. As several reviewers have pointed out previously, this outtake from the Venice BtB sessions floats along nicely for about 75% of the way before it suddenly takes a sharp U-turn and deteriorates into an anticlimactic and quite tedious back-and-forth over the same grounds. Nothing in the earlier parts of the level indicates that it had to end in such a disappointing way: previously, the author had in fact actively avoided any dull lulls not only by including helpful hints but also by nicely varied gameplay and clever construction, so that for example on an earlier occasion where you pick up a key, you end up near the place where you need it via an alternative route. The level should have ended soon after its high point (the timed motorbike ride), but the author ill-advisedly chose to defer any sense of closure until after he sent you several more times across the map for comparatively mundane tasks. Nothing comes out of it other than a feeling that the level outstays its welcome, sadly and quite unnecessarily, since up until that point it was a pleasantly entertaining stroll through a perhaps generic, but capably constructed, well textured and atmospherically consistent setting." - Mulf

"I particularly loved BigFoot's BtB013 entry, 'Summertime Sadness', so when I saw this new release by him, I had to play it asap. While I am a tiny bit disappointed that this isn't quite as good as his previous effort, it is nonetheless a pleasant and enjoyable level.
A Venice setting is always welcome, and this one is a little different than the usual, with its brooding skies and a slightly dark atmosphere. Though the texturing is technically fine, I didn't quite like some of its aesthetics such as the multiple different types of textures used in almost every room, which made the level look a little too 'busy'. The lighting is a bit flat at times - a bit more contrast and colour would have helped.
The difficulty level is just right, IMO: it's challenging enough that it makes you think, and makes you feel smart for figuring out the right answer; but it's not so tough that it makes you constantly wonder what to do next. I would have a given a full 10 for gameplay, if it hadn't been for one glaring flaw: it's possible to completely bypass a fairly long section in the middle of the level, and that too accidentally. After getting the second Vespa, if you drive over the square with the element puzzle, you can skip the entire quest for the waterskin. Indeed, I didn't even realize I had missed anything until I saw a reference to it in the stuck thread.
There is only a single secret, and it's pretty easy to find, but the area it is found in is lovely.
Overall: An enjoyable level from a talented builder, even if it is not quite his best work. Recommended." - Mytly

"I really enjoyed this level by a very talented builder. The level gameplay was very smooth and linear at first, but gradually became more complicated and I have to admit, I got a little confused towards the end. There are a lot of switches, that are usually accompanied by a cutscene of a door opening, but sometimes you forget where that door was. The level is not terribly difficult by any means, but a person who is either not playing it straight through or has a bad memory, may need the walkthrough. I think a bit more music would have been nice and there were fewer enemies than the ammo found. The look of the level was nice, if a bit sparse. All in all, I liked it a lot and recommend it." - Shandroid

"This Venice adventure gets two thumbs up from me architecture wise, the way the rooms were made plus the small details that went into it. Finding some ceiling texture on the floor and looking up you could see that a part of the ceiling was indeed broken. I know I haven't reviewed any other level made by Sylvain, but that is because I tested them. Those reviews will come later, as I will play them over again. For now this one started very promising but I came to a screeching halt after the pushable harp. I had no idea where that block was that went down and I couldn't make sense in what was answered in the stuck forum. So I had to peek in the walkthrough when that was available. There was another very confusing moment where I couldn't figure out the whole torch business. What made it even more confusing is that by leaving the game for what it was for a couple of days, I had to travel back and fro even more, figuring out where I've been and where not. Found one nasty glitch, that one could get down one floor at the block where you much later had to drop the torch to get it up one floor. Just standing on that block and use CTRL to get up, you fell through the block. It didn't hinder the gameplay apart that you needed the block down for the torch later on. Another quite annoying glitch is that this is the one and only game I couldn't take screenshots, not even through the print-screen key. Setting all the above aside, the level had some great moments. Hating vehicles with a passion, I liked the timed ride in here. Exploring is high on the list and every task was doable. Lighting was perfect (even on my dark monitor). Way to go Sylvain." - Gerty

"I have little of substance to add to the observations of earlier reviewers. This is a fun, if rather complex, Venetian level that took me just a few minutes less than two hours to complete, even with the help of Nina Croft's thoroughly documented walkthrough. The lighting is easy on the player's eyes, and although there are scads of flare pickups I rarely had occasion to use one. Unfortunately, however, much of those two hours was consumed in backtracking through previously explored areas, a drawback already noted in more than one review. I think there's a healthy balance between a strictly linear level and one allowing variable paths, but there seems to be a nearly universal comdemnation of gameplay that, for example, requires you to pick up a torch and retrace your steps along a healthy chunk of the game map so that you can light it. Ditto with keys opening doors in remote but familiar places. Builders usually pick up on pet peeves such as this rather early on, so I'm a bit surprised that this seasoned builder would rely heavily upon forced backtracking. But the scenery here is so gorgeous that I wasn't too put out over having to enjoy the same areas two and occasionally three times. Give me challenging, eye-pleasing levels such as this one and I'm willing to overlook a multitude of sins. High recommendations." - Phil

"This is definitely one of the best custom Venetian I have ever played, although it has some downsides in addition to its marvelousness. The overall map is well built and though of, and the entire level is superbly interconnected and built when it comes to geometry, that I have absolutely nothing to complaint about in this segment. Very realistic, not too huge, and very Venetian-like! The GAMEPLAY includes all possible elements you can imagine, and for my taste, a bit too much. Swim sequences over traps, jump sequences with occasionally tricky moments, timed runs (three in total, two of them being rather challenging), exploration, push-block sequences (the one with the table being a bit overdone), wraths, lighting torches, shooting the bell in order to open the door, burners, shimmying, two bike rides (with two different bikes), all in all, very involving gampelay with hundreds of tasks to be accomplished. What I did not enjoy that much was the necessary backtracking near the end of the level, forcing you to return to the beginning of the level and yet again, to explore that area once again in order to find a way to ignite your torch. PUZZLES and keys, levers, switches, pulleys and buttons are so numerous, and in my opinion, the level would have been much, much better if their number were reduced by at least 20%. Puzzles are sometimes so complex that even if you find and use the glich in the game that enables you to find the Rose Jewel a bit earlier than it is supposed to, you still do not gain a lot by it: you can only save a fraction of time and skip one shimmying sequence and use of waterskin, but apart from that, you still need to solve all other puzzles and collect all other items in order to proceed. ENEMIES are numerous: rats, shooters, one boss-like enemy, all of them very well placed and ballanced. The builder was very generous and provided many nice ammo and medipacks to help you beat all the badasses and the boss at the end. OBJECTS are extremely well placed and the level is nicely decorated, not too much, and perfectly ballanced. There is one SECRET to be found which is very easy, provided that you pay just a bit of attention to it. The overall ATMOSPHERE is superb and deserves the highest possible grade. The builder created a really nice-looking and well-built Venetian level, spicing it up with nicely applied SOUNDS and music tracks, with CAMERA hints helping you to find your way around this rather complex level, and there is nothing to complaint about in this segment. LIGHTING is just a bit too dull, maybe some rooms are too dark while other are too bright, and TEXTURES are well selected and applied, with no cracks. You will spend at least one hour playing this level and you will never be bored playing it. Highly recommendable, although the beginners would probably have to refer to the walkthrough in order to solve some particularly difficult puzzles and to find a cleverly hidden button or something else. This is an epic Venetian adventure, with many trademarks of the builder, which is, imo, always a good thing." - Nina Croft

"The first 80% of this epic single-level adventure was truly marvellous.A constantly inriguing and entertaining journey through a slightly sinister venetian environment,where progress was ingeniously worked out and the numerous tasks were extremely inventive - the timed Vespa ride across the raised blocks being a particular highlight.Unfortunately,it was shortly after that moment that the remaining 20% of the gameplay duration went markedly downhill,with a series of backtracks (each one considerably longer than the last) through all the previously visited sections of the level (including a return to the very start)in order to insert aquired keys into their respective keyholes,or to light various sconces.This was nothing less than tedious and confusing in turns - and God help the unfortunate player who may have taken a temporary break from playing the level in the interim,who would then have had the hell of a time recollecting where these various places were located within such a huge map!Things perked up again near the end,with a couple of enemy confrontations within an atmospheric Mausoleum;but,by then,I felt that the adventure had considerably outstayed its welcome. For those with greater degrees of patience than I(and access to a Walkthrough)this will no doubt be feel like a Masterpiece;for (despite the aforementioned longeurs)it most definately is a stunning piece of work.The lighting and texturing is absolutely faultless;the construction is stunning;the atmosphere is continually gripping.Objects are used perfectly,and enemies are not overdone yet appear in just the right places.The one Secret could hardly be missed,though (it was basically signposted with a huge arrow);but the sense of satisfaction when the objective is finally reached is unquestionably immense.This is an extraordinarily fine Venetian adventure (it took me over 2 hours of net playing time);but Lara's feet were painfully blistered by the time the Finish Trigger came along." - Orbit Dream

"Loved this Venice level, it has all the elements of a successful adventure. Every 5 mins or so I had a new challenge finding a key solving a puzzle or how to get to the opened door. There's was never a dull moment, the whole level was well built and neatly thought, it almost felt like a classic TR. My only complaint would be the recycled TR2 textures. All in all I recommend Relic, it's worth the time and effort!" - young Lara Croft

"This level is for those who like to look. The gameplay is original and varied but requires a good memory to remember what you saw. it is not always easy to navigate but many cameras help much. The decorations are beautiful and the atmosphere very realistic, nothing objectionable to the textures and lighting, it's just a great job. BigFoot Congratulations and thank you for this very good level!" - Daffy

"The first part of the level was very entertaining, but you'll leave behind a lot of closed doors, and in the second part you have to remember where every closed door was. Even with the great help of the fantastic use of the static cameras and flybies, many times is not easy to find the places you need to visit, 'cause the whole level is really a huge labyrinth where the backtracking to previous places is often present. Example: when I lit the torch it was difficult for me to know how to raise the platform, 'cause I lowered it a lot of time ago. I liked the timed run with the bike, and the other timed runs were not difficult too. The architecture is fantastic, as well as the texturization and the nice environment very well worked (and tested) in each room. Enemies are well balanced, and the only secret I found near the end was not difficult to find. A good level to enjoy; recommended." - Jose

"An entertaining level with good use of textures and lighting .. Venice is a classic and always a pleasure to play them. Gameplay is not difficult at all and luckily someone who remembers the good use of cameras to show something ... It is a recommended game for a couple of hours of fun...Thank you BigFoot!" - McRaider

"Well, this is more than another Venice game. It's a very entertaining journey through several well created areas, a nice, not hard timed jumping sequence in the beginnig, a few demanding 'turn-in-midair' jumps and nice, but sometimes a bit too easy, expolring. A funny timed run with a vespa is the highlight of this nice game. Very recommended!" - Christian

"Venice is almost always a pleasure to visit and this was certainly one of the better trips. It would in fact have been a very definite contender in the Back to Basics Venice competition and gave me just over two hours of highly entertaining raiding. All the usual Venetian elements are firmly in place, apart, possibly, from a speedboat ride, but on the other hand you do get a couple of short but fun Vespa rides. The timed elements in the level are on the generous side and, apart from a couple of jumps that some players might find a little tricky, everything should be readily achievable. I liked the neat way the various areas were woven together as the game progressed and it was one of those games that I didn't get frustrated with at any point (which can be surprisingly rare these days as I seem to be turning into a really grumpy old woman). If I had to use just one word to sum up this level, it would have to be 'pleasant'." - Jay

"I must admit that this level didn't quite catch me right off the start - the initial actions felt a little too much based on pulling various levers and simple ways of progression to the next area. But this is one of the games that simply grow on you the further you play - as pretty much all levels of this builder. The deeper you explore every nook and cranny of this wonderfully interconnected level, the more inspired the task feel and at the end I was fully pleased with what I experienced in here. I liked the good dose of timed runs of which some are rather easy, some are really tight and hard to pull off even after some times (especially that great bike ride), but there are lots of smaller but really clever and fun puzzles throughout the whole level - the one with the mirror pushable is really perfect in its simplicity, and the whole setup to light the torch is intelligent too. While the setting has a potential to make the gameplay totally confusing (the map is large and complicated), the builder has taken enough care for the players to not create too many stuck moments, by a VERY kind camera guidance (almost too much ;)), glances of the room which is your next goal, shortcuts and lots of other things. The amount of secrets (one) in this level might be a bit low but it's kindly placed near the end of the level and it's nicely hidden as well, so I can't complain. As we came to expect from BigFoot, the atmosphere of this level is absolutely convincing, though only the mausoleum area really stands out in comparison to the rest of the level, which is "only" very good, but not as utterly awe-inspiring as in, say, his latest BtB level. Showing a somewhat darker version of Venice is a rather good idea, as Venice levels often tend to be mostly bright and shiny, and in general it is rather convincing at that, although I think that some areas are unnecessarily dark. "Dark" in this case doesn't been that it's so dark in some areas that the gameplay gets affected in any way, but rather that the atmosphere in some rooms would have benefited from more brightness. This also spoils the objects a bit, which are sometimes not perfectly lit in comparison to the surrounding lighting. The texturing is near-perfect though and apart of one (!) misrotated texture near the start it's hard to fault it in any way. Overall, this is just another high-quality release that manages to convince in any aspect, despite it's still missing something to really stand out from other very good levels. This is not a real gripe though because what you get here is just too good to only compare it to others, it's a well-rounded and definately fun game I'll recommend thoroughly. 65 minutes." - manarch2