Level reviews

"I think I was more bored here than in the other ones. I don't know if it was the pacing, the amount of elements or regularity of shapes which caused that. But I think everything was technically correct here, so there will be people who enjoy this one." - DJ Full

"I really enjoyed this level. Great looking landscape and monastry buildings. Gameplay - difficult enough to be interesting but not frustrating. Audio cues were good and appropriate. Could have be used more to create even more drama. Excellent build of intensity and drama and good ending." - EssGee

"At the beginning I was quite amazed how the author create a really good chilling atmosphere with very little resources. You get a good sense of desolation and cold there and it draws you right into the adventure. Once you reach the big valley, things flow quickly and smoothly and up until that mildly tricky tightrope walk, I ended up using only a single savegame slot, which is very rare for me. Even the three secrets are not overly difficult to find. I liked the see through windows that gave you good hints and how in the later half the game shifts from exploration more towards traps and bigger enemies without ever becoming a very taxing raid. The three repeating big birds fights seemed a little empty and uninspired though, while the final confrontation room works quite well. Overall, a very solid and clean build that is accessible to all sorts of players, which is a good thing after all. [75 min]" - MichaelP

"This is the 7th level I chose to play selecting ones with the least downloads at the time. What I liked about the level: 1) The sloped walls to avoid the boulder trap near the beginning is a nice gameplay feature. 2) I had no idea that bells can be shot without a lasersight by using the shotgun of all things. 3) The level exploration is very intuitive with clues for a smooth progression thru the level. 4) I enjoyed the torch puzzle and the path back along the snowy mountainside. 5) The massively wide slide area where you had to jump and slide to a side alcove is my kind of gameplay. What I didn't like: 1) Not that this was a bad thing, but I was able to place the Seraph while the Dragon was still alive and bypass the intended ending without going through the Dragon Eyes sequence. At first I thought it was strange to complete the level with Lara in flames but maybe that was a part of the storyline and her sacrifice for the greater good. But then I read the walkthrough afterwards and realized that wasn't the case. In conclusion, this is a very nice level to play. It is mostly what I would consider exploration with a few nice trap sequences. I didn't get bored but really wished for less exploring and more traps and obstacles but again, that's just my personal preference. Appropriate for average players." - Lizard Queen

"I'm just going to assume that Little Tibet is nestled somewhere in-between Little Italy and Chinatown, because man, do I need a break from Big Tibet at this point. Anyway, some bird people stole an artifact from some monks, and it's up to Lara to get it back - and I guess Lara's willing to travel anywhere as long as she gets to shoot stuff. The level opens with Lara jumping from a plane without a parachute as it crashes to the ground and I have so many questions. Like: where was she planning to land the plane in the mountains before she so conveniently crash-landed really close to where she needed to go? Little Tibet turns out to look suspiciously like Big Tibet, and you get the usual mountainous caves, temples and monasteries. I kind of liked the area with temples in three cardinal directions, but other than that, most rooms look fine but unimpressive. The gameplay also fails to impress, and you'll get the usual traps and enemies, with nothing that really stands out in a good or a bad way. I found a few switches a bit too well-hidden, but the level is very linear, so usually if you've missed something, it's nearby. The level is nearly an hour long, but I felt like I was making steady progress the whole time, so while I think the level failed to stand out, I did have a decent time with it and I was never frustrated. At the end of the level, the monks trick Lara into releasing a fire-breathing dragon, but unfortunately for them, she finishes it off rather easily. Now she just has to figure out how she's going to make it home to England without an airplane…" - Magnus

"This is set in a manastery, ruins and the terrain around them. The visuals aren't the best of the contest, but they're perfectly serviceable for most of it, including some nice terrain areas. There is some kind of cubic geometry mixed with flat lighting at times, but they are the exception. The object use is interesting too, with some more creative use of the new assets and engine features to put a twist on familiar stuff. The gameplay flows well and provides a good mix of exploration, puzzles and traps, with a layout that nicely links up with itself. The only times it got a bit weaker was a somewhat repetitive section near the end with three near-indentical mini-bosses, along with a couple of moments of slightly heavy backtracking. A strong entry with few issues although not quite up with the very best so far." - Mman

"Another very good BtB2020 level that I recommend to everyone! This one did not blow me away, and it was quite short, but it doesn't disappoint.
I think that some areas could have been more developed and more challenging, giving the player something to really chew on for a bit. Still, it had a very nice flow, which can be pleasant too.
Thank you and congratulations to the builder! In my view, it will not be a top contender, but is still very enjoyable." - MigMarado

"I loved this level. It is almost relaxing, and throughly enjoyable. For me, there were only three difficult parts: the tightrope walking, with that fire in the middle, the corridor of the blades, soon after that, and the dragon part. The beginning is stupendous, and the game flows easily, the player being kindly conducted from place to place, from task to task. And I think the puzzle room with the elevators and the great cilinders is one of the most interesting of this BtB series. The level presents even a bouncing pad that was not necessary at all: it doesn't provide a shortcut, because the previous path to that Monastery is shorter, so I concluded that it was put there simply for fun! Thanks!" - Josey

"Another scenic, well-crafted entry in the Tibet BtB competition. Some of the unique motifs are becoming familiar to me by this time, but I liked the way in which the small and large prayer wheels were employed here. There's a satisfying blend of indoor and outdoor activities which together make for an appealing raid of about an hour and three quarters. A nice variety of weapons, along with ample weaponry to deal with them, not to mention some devious traps, round out the playing experience. It's going to be hard for me to pick out my favorites; I'm barely halfway through and it seems that each new level is even better than the one before." - Phil

"A slightly smaller and easier entrant this time, compared to the others I've played so far. The level was very cleanly and proficiently built, with good gameplay throughout. Because the gameplay was mainly on the easy/moderate side I tended to zoom through the various monastery settings. Maybe this could have benefited from an increase in scale, both the exteriors and mainly the interiors." - Dick

"At the beginning we have little boring sequences but a little later the gameplay come more interesting and better. We collect there many keys and artifacts. There were some enemies and few bosses. Decorations was good but some places was poorly decorated. Athmosphere was good but lighting was sometimes poor. It was nicely textured. I also don't find any secrets. They was good hidden or I just bad at searching :P I completed it in 1 hour and 14 minutes. I recommend it. Thanks!" - BlackWolfTR

"This is a bit of a slow burner, insofar as the difficulty/complexity of the level builds up as it progresses. Mostly, the difficulty level is moderate, but I did struggle with avoiding the flames during the tightrope walk – definitely a sadistic touch. Joking aside, there are some well devised traps in the latter part of the level and it's good fun. Atmosphere-wise, I really liked Lara's first sight of the temple valley; somehow it really spoke to me." - Jay

"An Uninspiring start with bland ice valleys improved when coming to the valley with the monastery. Gameplay was then better but not special. Again a single yeti easily dispatched and perhaps a little repetitive to have 3 big birds in consecutive rooms. Straight forward 3 secrets. Probably a bit too much backtracking for my liking, but a solid effort." - Adrian

"A slightly more streamlined adventure in comparison to the previous ones, your goals here are always clear so there's never a dull moment. Some of the environments, especially indoors, are very beautiful, and again a testament to how great this year's package is. While you set off after a number of items to proceed, there's a minimum backtracking to be done and I loved the way you interact with the monks, sending you off to quests (it was especially neat when you went back to show you'd retrieved the Seraph). The enemy encounters were few but nicely laid out as well. All in all, it was quite a pleasant raid and not too demanding. 65 minutes, 3 secrets. 06/20" - Treeble

"I haven't reviewed any levels for about a year and a half now, but a new BtB is just the thing to get me back in the swing of things. And this level makes for a pretty good introduction to BtB2020.
The level starts off in a series of caves and snowy valleys, but most of it takes place in the monastery buildings in a single valley. There's rather a bit of back and forth among the areas, and you need to keep track of stuff you have done or places you have been much earlier. Nonetheless, gameplay flows mostly logically; I was stuck a couple of times, but it was mostly due to a lack of observation on my own part.
The locations are pretty, but not overly impressive. The interiors of the monastery are nicely decorated and lit – I especially like the room with the final boss fight. But there's not much in the way of ambitious architecture – most of the rooms are plain squares (the worst culprits are the rooms where you fight the three bird monsters in succession). The outdoor areas look a little blocky.
Overall: A nice and moderately challenging level, which shows off the lovely BtB2020 package well. Recommended." - Mytly

"Starting with a blast, this level is another mixed bag mainly because it starts original and inventive, with solid looks (even if maybe abusing the seamless nature of the ice textures to mask the obvious wallpapering on the outside mountains) and really accomplished immersion; however, deeper in the level, some uninspired areas and texturing bits, little graphical mistakes, repeated/unoriginal tasks and an inexplicable lack of a simple raised block giving a shortcut (given the presence of many others) to avoid backtracking for 3/4 times from the sanctuary to the outside, makes it feel like something was rushed/is missing here... nonetheless, I wanted to award the mostly inventive and fun gameplay with a solid 9 and an 8 in everything else because there was nothing really bad to be honest, even if mostly nothing groundbraking either. Secrets were fun, music was always fitting, cameras were useful and nice, many original but intuitive ideas keep you constantly interested, so I think in this case the letdowns don't really overcome the good bits - good job, but I hope next time there will not be a deadline forcing to be faster and not polishing things, because the competence (expecially in outside areas geometry) and ideas are there, only maybe a bit underused. Looking forward for your next level!" - Topixtor

"Despite an overdose of backtracking throughout, this level seemed to flow a lot more straightforwardly and in a linear fashion than some of the larger, more extensive entries. The architecture doesn't quite have the same pizzazz and isn't as inspiring as some of the higher rated levels in the competition (indeed some areas seemed a little bland on the texturing side of things), but still it's nicely constructed on the whole and some of the music choices were rather neatly cued (particularly the action theme from TR Underworld that warned you of an approaching enemy, or in this case three). As mentioned, I thought some of the backtracking could have been trimmed down (and having three bird monster chambers situated right next to each other was a bit uninspired and arbitrary), but the wheel/elevator puzzle proved to be a pretty neat gameplay sequence and the whole thing had a rather fast-paced feel to it which I enjoyed. Definitely worth a play." - Ryan

"This entry took a more focused, linear approach to its design in a setting encompassing snow caves, a canyon, and a monastery complex. From the beginning, the adventure makes each task clear and guides the player through its areas in a linear fashion. Initially the gameplay consists of simpler platforming tasks before it starts to ramp up in difficulty with traps through the middle portions and throughout until the end. Some elements of gameplay felt a little repetitive or anticlimactic, notably with three back-to-back demigod battles to get the prayer wheels, and the accompanying sequence of lining up the three wheels to have a key/artifact just pop up with little fanfare. The setting was well realized with its variety of locations, some felt slightly rushed in their design and artificial, but many had an authentic feel to them. I especially liked the sanctum with the first monk, and then the monk congregation. Speaking of the monks, they were a nicely employed mechanic to provide the player with goals to progress further in the level. Overall, this entry was very solid throughout and provided an entertaining hour of game time. Good job!" - Relic Hunter

"Decent level that clocked in at 45 minutes for me. Perhaps more of a so-so-level this time. Some of the outside areas are quite realistic and natural while other parts felt a bit artificial, but it is obvious that a reasonable amount of care has gone into the design, despite not being perfect. The gameplay is nicely flowing despite some avoidable backtracking, and after a calm start I enjoyed the tasks underground some more, also with decent usage of moving platforms. Some parts felt a little more dull like the three chambers with one giant enemy each but this game is still rather enjoyable on the whole. The three secrets are not very hard to find and enemies, especially the dragon at the end, are decently used, the object usage is not so creative here but still okay. Overall maybe not among the best levels but a well-rounded and commendable entry." - manarch2

"A map with some spacious areas, solidly built but the design has some strange choices (it is weird to enter into a temple by a trapdoor) . Visually speaking not on par with the better levels of the contest but still good enough. Given the start , I thought the gameplay would be about action and enemies (how many bullets to kill even some small enemy ?) , but it reveals itself to be eventually quite balanced between puzzles , exploration , platforming and action. After a good torch puzzle, The 2nd part of the level has some interesting gameplay with good use of some objects and the new possibilities. Overall good entertainement with little difficulty." - eRIC

"This level also starts in a frosty mountain landscape. But you can make it very quickly into the monastery valley. I liked the architecture of this valley very much. Finally something new. This level starts very easy and relaxed, but increases in the course of the game to a complex and very well thought- out level, which challenges the player again and again. But all tasks can be mastered very well. Very good textures, the music is well used and the lighting leaves nothing to be desired. During the boss fight I had to search for something until I found the right way, but after that it was quite easy." - nad

"This is my sixth level in this year's competition, and I must say I don't know exactly what to think of it. My gut feeling is it has plenty of good ideas, but maybe a bit too many at times. I also felt it wasn't as "cleanly made" as some other previous levels, whatever that may mean - maybe I liked its design lines less, globally speaking. Or maybe I thought some of the sudden traps were sudden because I wasn't counting on them being a little like more classic trle at times. Still, it was a perfectly good entry with some great moments - one of which, perhaps surprisingly, was something as simple as Lara being suddenly attacked by three hyper-active snow leopards. But a few things weren't just as polished, I thought, namely in that room with the Seraph - does it really make much sense to pull the chain again so that a plaque appears on the top of the block behind Lara, right after she placed the scrolls and moved the wheels? I don't know. Maybe I just don't get it... But never mind my words, it's clearly a good game that even includes a few interactions with the monks to help in Lara's missions." - Jorge22

"It seems that this year I'm "forced" to give high ratings in the contest. Better, better. I've really enjoyed this new level with variety of tasks and good features; a fantastic architecture and texturization, nice environments, dangerous situations and a fluid gameplay (that's the best for me) even when sometimes certain backtracking is necessary, but never annoying with some shortcuts. I only missed the grenade gun, but found all three secrets; the puzzles are easy to solve and the atmosphere is really nice. Excellent. This year it will be very difficult to reach the first place of the contest with levels like this. Recommended." - Jose

"Second level of the Tibetan BtB played and concluded. In this adventure, Lara must recover the Holy Seraph between snow-capped peaks and brightly colorful monasteries. Graphically the level looks sublime, it seemed to play a low-poly version of Rise (or an HD version of Tomb Raider II). Like the previous one played, it doesn't have excessive difficulties (aside from some somewhat complex steps). Perhaps slightly vast, but not excessive with backtracking. Recommended!" - Talos