Level reviews

"Amount of work it took must have been insane, because it is not short adventure. That alone deserves praise on its own. It's a long and difficult level and by difficult I mean time-based platform sections which take a lot of tries. The author was kind enough to mark places where saving was almost necessary, but after playing few of those custom levels I made a habit of saving almost all the time, because in some places You are just bound to die at first try. The atmosphere is nice. I enjoyed a music that was put into it, although because I was dying a lot, it forced me to mute after a while, to not listen to the same melody starting for the 15th time. Textures and levels are well made and I really enjoyed trying to do something different (hallucination sections). If You’re looking for a long, difficult challenge, that’s a level for You. P.S. Do not trust levels duration times in Readme file. It takes 3x more to finish level, than what is written there." - El Dorado

"An excellent set of TR1 levels, I enjoyed this one a lot. You visit a nice variety of locations here including a shipwreck, Venice and more traditional tomb/temple settings- although these have a real unique flavour to them. These levels look great, and some of them are real sprawling locations that you can get lost in for a while. There were some nice puzzles integrated here too. The puzzle section at the end of level two had me stumped for so long that I had to resort to checking a walkthrough, but this was the only instance in which that was required, I found most puzzles here were crackable with a little thought. I particularly love that you included a visual hint in level one that helps to direct the player to an important location, one that is subtle enough that some players may overlook it. There are some nice trap sections and plenty of enemies to kill too, so many that I often felt I needed to ration my ammo and health kits somewhat. I like this though as it makes you feel a little more vulnerable. There are also some interesting sections where you visit a kind of alternate dimension, it's nothing too crazy but a nice touch nonetheless. Overall, a really great level-set if you want a fairly challenging classic TR experience. Levels 1, 2, and 4 were particular standouts for me. PS I'm a little torn on the 'save here' signs. Whilst I appreciate the fact that it's very player-friendly and can save the player a bit of time, I also kind of feel like its a bit immersion-breaking in a kind of 'who put this sign' kind of way - this is me being very nitpicky however." - Passalaqua

"An absolutely stunning adventure that has you exploring the city of Venice, a shipwreck, abandoned temples and cathedrals in search of a mysterious gem. All the environments are beautifully designed both from a stylistic and gameplay standpoint and textures along with decorations are lovingly placed. The level set makes use of a lot of custom soundtracks and ambient music, which further enhances the atmosphere in every level and makes it feel unique. There is a nice mix of combat, puzzles, traps and platforming sections and the levels do a good job of splitting up the pacing of each aspect of gameplay. I am also glad that the second level has been improved from the demo version, as it toned down on the amount of timed switches and added new areas that nicely connect with the rest of the campaign. I can't help but be impressed by the amount of creativity displayed in some of the areas and puzzles as the author seems to have tried to combine some of the best bits of future TR games into his campaign. The first few levels start off easy compared to the last few, though it's nothing an intermediate player can't handle. But I will suggest hoarding a few medkits for the sixth level as you will have a very frustrating time without them. As someone who wasn't completely sold on this project by the earlier demo version I am happy to say that the author has surpassed my expectations and improved/fixed a lot of the issues I feared might happen in the final release. Very nice job and very highly recommended!" - LuxQSD

"This Tomb Raider 1 set is very original thematically, as you begin on the kind of wild premise of a wrecked ship somehow under Venice, and then moves onto an adventure into lost ruins that the story implies is at least partly hallucinatory. There's a lot of texture and object tweaks to give the base themes a different feel, and the geometry and design has a well-executed surrealism even before the illusory areas. There are all kinds of large and multi-layered areas with interesting geometry. The later parts also combine some familiar textures in a way that creates a ruin theme which feels entirely new. That it's made with the older editor for pre-TR4 games makes it even more impressive, and it's maybe the best looking TR1 set I've seen, and further enhanced by the sheer strangeness of a lot of it.
The gameplay is mostly strong with a good mix of puzzle, exploration and traps, and generally pretty challenging design, along with doing some things I've seen rarely before. There also a nice initial horror aspect to the way the stranger aspects are handled. This is actually a prequel to Shattered Memories, and some of the tricks from that are built on what came from here. For a TR1 set the combat is surprising tough at times too, with some of the gun-based enemies being able to shred you very fast, although there's plenty of equipment provided. I did feel it lost a little steam towards the end where it's more linear and combat based, but that's a small part of the set overall. This might be my favourite of the TR1 sets I've played, and further enhanced by it's willingness to do something a bit different. Based on this and Shattered Memories I'm excited by what this designer might make in the future." - Mman

"I loved this romp through TR1 territory and thought the whole concept of adding TR2 textures and environments to the TR1 engine was absolutely fantastic. There are a couple of tight timed runs, two puzzles that you need to think about and a veritable labyrinth inside the ship to negotiate and it is easy to get turned around. Took me a long time to find the final switch to get the doors open for that first key. The human enemies are difficult to dispatch but the only other nasties you will encounter are the mutant rats and a couple of those centaurs (although how they found there way on to the sunken ship from Atlantis is a mystery). Playing through the tombati.exe rendered exceptional graphics and the whole time spent here was a joy." - Torry

"Really a great multi-level adventure with a lot of work behind. I liked the architecure and texturization, some fresh puzzles, enough guns ammo and pickups and the well worked atmosphere. On the other hand, many rooms are too dark and without flares it's difficult to explore the areas; in certain rooms there are too many enemies, forcing you to reload a lot of times, and some timed runs are really hard. Anyway, a good and long adventure worth to play, but not for beginners. Good work." - Jose

"You know those levels which make no sense but are still fun, right? This is one of them. For some reason there is an Olympic-class ship stuck underneath Venice. For some reason there is a temple this very ship has crashed into, and for some reason there is a temple below that temple. All of these settings have enemy combat of such a questionable difficulty curve it puts in doubt why an intermediate weapon like magnums was even included. There are a few confusing gameplay errors, and the soundtrack choice made me take a break in the early late game, and I think out of all my peeves I would most likely make this game a bit smaller, so the texturing and lighting limits of TR1 engine don't stand out that much. All of that is still not enough to distract from the impressive scale and build quality, which is on par with the best TR1 custom levels and definitely surpassing the official TR1 Gold. I guess this is a solid nine - though nothing was perfect, everything was here." - DJ Full

"Nothing to say about this level beside it is just amazing, very well made and so fun to play, the puzzles are the best part of this level, it is just next level they are quite challenging and a bit hard and I love to play these kind of levels. The design of the levels are so amazing, I love the big areas so much, it gives so much tomb vibes. secrets are fun to find as well, they are always were you don't expect them to be. 10/10 highly recommend playing this level." - p1kaa

"Very good TR1 level. Somewhat linear with easy secrets to find. Enemies were nicely challenging. Large rooms often quite empty but some excellent interconnectivity in the maps. I did notice that the builder incorrectly placed all textures of wall lamps in the ship level upside down." - Adrian

"As if the original TR1 wasn't hard enough, this TRLE makes that game look easy! One element that I enjoyed from this game was the intense mystery and the progression of difficulty. The game was definitely difficult in the beginning but got harder as the story went on. Some of the rooms where battle took place were a bit overwhelming but still very much possible to succeed. Practically every battle was either a mini-boss or a boss battle, which added to the intensity of the game. My personal favorite part was the very end after you've defeated the final boss, that part took some effort to get through. The textures were put together in a way that made the story more vivid, which is very creative in my opinion. However, I wouldn't recommend this level for a beginner at all. I would still say that is a great level for those who are skilled. I'm looking forward to the next one!" - g12STL

"What a tour de force from the TR1 engine this was. Admittedly I did have to fiddle around with the files a bit (even to the extent of having to run it from a different download, and as a consequence the level names were wrong), but it was absolutely worth the wait. The environments are remarkably crafted and are among the most delightful I've ever witnessed in the TR1 style and the atmosphere is sublime throughout, helped in no small part by the nostalgic soundtrack (although the looping tune in level 4 did get a bit grating on the nerves after a while). In terms of gameplay, you get the opportunity to sample everything that Tomb Raider has to offer, including the usual timed runs, traps and pressure pad puzzles (with a few nice twists in between) and a truly brilliant nail-biting enemy/trap gauntlet, which was possibly a little overdone with the lightning spheres. A truly brilliant experience overall." - Ryan

"A truly remarkable project considering it was made with Dxtre3d! I particularly liked the first level which reminded me a lot of Venice in TR2, I loved how the author combined TR1 and TR2 into one game. In later levels, I enjoyed the tense atmosphere on many occasions when it touches the horror genre and often had my heart in my mouth! I didn't like very much the presence of numerous levers in some parts of the game, the use of some textures (I didn't really appreciate the suggestions written on the walls) and the music as the background of some levels (I prefer a background made of sounds and noises). Excellent use of cameras and lights, excellent presence of enemies and the arrangement of ammunition and medkits. I enjoyed the puzzles and the places. I find the difficulty challenging but not excessive. I am sure that using TRNG the author will be able to build even better levels because he will solve some problems such as cracks and objects that disappear, and also have many additional features that will give an extra touch to his next levels. In conclusion, I really enjoyed this game and highly recommend it." - ilariacroft

""Gargantuan", as Elle Driver would say. This level set never ceases to impress, as each level tries to one-up the previous one so you have these beautiful yet ever expansive areas to explore in search for keys or levers, or face a number of side challenges of all sorts. Things can get quite mazey at times (especially the first level) but I felt the design itself was pretty ingenious and often looping into itself, so while you wind up in the same place every now and then you know you're making progress. I personally loved the black and white rooms through the mirrors, things got really wild in those specific bits (including Winston's ghostly appearances, lol), but this pushes the envelope in standard areas as well with several traps coupled together requiring quick decisions to get through. Fighting Natla's abomination sorrounded by four thunder spheres was more of a nuisance than a challenge, but the author gives you plenty of supplies (ammo and medipacks alike) in previous levels, so I guess it's all fair. Also, bless the author for including several SAVE signs prior to tricky places. I've been caught up with a number of parallel activities that I haven't had the chance to check Tomb1Main just yet, so it's hardly a surprise that I couldn't peruse it on my playthrough but I am happy to report my personal GLRage kit worked just fine, coupled with the author's alternative level3.phd and some extra tweaks (as this set has seven levels, it required an additional dummy FMV). I can't vouch for any Tomb1Main enhancements, but TombATI definitely made this a wonderful experience. Time to dive in a second time to write a walkthrough now! 4h40min, 13 secrets. 06/21" - Treeble

"A complete almost 3 hour long game with a lot to do. I wasn't much of a fan of the first level which has you going back and forth a huge Venetian setting quite a bit but it serves well as an introduction as the following levels become more and more intense. By the end you have absolved a lot of sometimes easy but sometimes rather challenging trap sequences, a lot of puzzles and exploration in well designed areas with interesting combat. There are some too long sequences where you just have to look for levers in large areas and to and fro could still be a bit reduced but overall this is an enjoyable game. At the start the (freshly designed) enemies were a bit too tough but with a lot of ammo they pose little threat by the end, not even the bosses. I don't know why the builder has often used automatic pistols as pickups, they are completely useless. Anyway, it's not a real problem. The hunt for the secrets was good too, there's enough care in hiding them and the ammo you get there is surely helpful. Atmosphere is spot on in those levels, there are impressively large rooms which were all well designed and texturing is quite clean too. I found parts to be a bit dark given there are no flares around, but usually nothing is hidden in the darkest spots, thankfully. In short, another very good TR 1 offering and despite some lengths warmly recommended." - manarch2

"I went into this one blind and was surprised at the scope of this expansive, engaging level set that kept me entertained for the better part of a week. This already features a unique vibe being a TR1-based adventure and featuring settings not typically featured in its class. From the beginning in Venice, the geometry and presentation of each level is very visually appealing, featuring large organically-constructed areas to explore and unraval. The scale of the levels lends itself well to its non-linear gameplay structure with multiple paths that need to be explored, laden with solid platforming, trap evasion, the occasional timed run and well-paced gunplay. These trends continue in the subsequent ship level, gently expanding on the difficulty curve of making the platforming trickier and maintaining good gameplay pace, while effectively setting a wet and decrepit atmosphere. This level also added a clever compass-direction interpretation puzzle, and starts to become more elaborate with switch puzzles. The remaining levels start to take a more surreal bend, with more abstract and fantastical rooms, dimensional abysses, and a genre shift from a shipwreck to more of a castle. Combat increases with tougher enemies to fight, but the author is generous with ammo and medical supplies throughout. The mix of settings here that make the player question reality gives this set a unique vibe of its own. More puzzles in the form of pad triggers start to show up here too, while the remaining levels combine the non-linear scale and varied challenge types together to keep the pace going. This momentum keeps up well through the final two levels that present increasingly challenging platforming tasks while never being frustrating, and even adding a retextured Natla and torso-monster as boss fights too. Though the latter could have done without the constant lightning spheres sparking. The adventure caps off with a gauntlet of lava flows, boulders, and jumping past chasms on collapsing floor tiles and a brief epilogue showing Winston taking Lara home after she claims her prize. While very high quality overall, the limits of TR1's ability to make unique gameplay get stretched, with many tasks consisting of platforming sequences to get to switches to open doors to new rooms with a similar divergence of tasks, but the inclusion of more logic based puzzles mitigates this. I think the atmospheric choice of using a classical music piece as the background track for two levels also was a miss. The music itself is nice, but it wears its welcome out and I would have liked more atmospheric background audio. While visuals are excellent throughout, some areas did feel flatly lit. Mostly the white dimensional abysses - I think had those areas been wide enough on the sides too for the black distance fog to create a diffusing effect against the all-white background it would have been better. With my concluding thoughts, this is a very enjoyable game with unique sights to take hold of, and gripping gameplay to provide a great time." - Relic Hunter

"Good levelset. My favourite levels are Out of tune/Lara's delirium for the originality, for some unique situations and puzzles, despite the redoing (to get back to the five Y/Omega switches) in Out of tune. I spent quite some time in Night in Venice for it is easy to overlook a switch somewhere in this non linear level. Resonance is based mostly on platforming/traps/enemies, the enemies becoming more and more of a threat but we have enough medipacks and ammos. I could have done without the lightnings while dealing with the final boss. I noticed some new/modified textures and a couple of levels have a classical music as background audio loop which creates an offset between what you see on screen and what you hear , this works rather well in Out of tune but less in Resonance. Despite some backtracking or redoings , there is lots of fun and originality in these levels and globally the game is unto my liking with intuitive progression and many enjoyable jumps." - eRIC

"A solid TR1 Levelset. The puzzles are a bit boring and uninspired; Switches on one side of the level open a door on the other side which results in an (in my opinion) artificial attempt to lengthen the levels. Especially in the beginning the balancing is a bit off with the strength/health of enemies and Lara but it gets better in the later levels. The music is well used; But I am not a fan of music as an ambience track (which affects the later levels). All in all a very solid TR1 experience." - Raildex

"As someone that has seen some TRLE sets. I must say the following: Gameplay/Puzzles: Perfect! Puzzles are nice and refreshing, Searching the max of the TR1 Engine, really on the edge of what the possibilities are! I also must say, I am not a pro player in any means, but the puzzles were also putting my mind at work. Enemies, Objects & Secrets: It hurts me, they were to hard for me lol, You really have to rely on the uzis and other weapons. I wanted to do a pistol only run guess what, that never happened. It is not possible to me, Objects/Secrets nicely worked out, took me some time to get it all. multiple runs as well. It really puts you on a work for all secrets/items. Atmosphere Sound and Cams: Not really a comment or anything, I liked it a lot, good work on not making me dizzy Also liked the sound effects. Lightning/Textures: What I have noticed for it. it is really good, also again with the power of the engine. I know it has its limits. Again I said this before, you really put a good work in finding the edges of it! Loved it! also puts me sometimes at a weird spot but in a good way! Conclusion: I'd wish i could give more points! to me this is an amazing levelset!" - Akirakina

"This levelset is literally masterpiece. I'm so impressed how builder managed to create this everything on TR1 engine. Hats off for him. Whole levelset had amazing ideas and great puzzles which I never saw in other TR1 levels. All levels were very unique with great design. Some locations really made me jaw dropped. Level has really mysterious feel. As far we getting further into undergrounds more weird things and ilussions happening. That was so good. I also loved usage and diversity of textures. Lighting was also very good with much darker areas. Enemies did their job perfectly. Very well deployed, often maked me jumpscare. Overally, I think it's best level ever made on TR1 engine, and in my opinion a bit better from Feder's Nordic Adventure and I definetly recommend it for everyone! Great job leoc!" - BlackWolfTR

"Everything is perfect, be briefly. The author tried to deliver different locations and vibes to the players. To make us feel fresh when coming to new level, he must have done lots of efforts in designing the level. From Venice Street, to sacred temple beneath the city. Every level is full of surprises. Of course, umm... jumpscare included. Not to mention the Winston illusion, Leoc almost had me the heart attack. He really knows how to let player feel peaceful then give you the extreme changes at the moment. The background music started from Level 4 really haunted me for few hours even I closed the game. The melody is really fit the temple. About the objects, I have to mention these two special items in level 4 and level 6. I assume they are the tribute to Turbo Pascal and Dxtre3D editor. It's really cool. If you have played the whole levelset, you can see Leoc (the author) tried to make different enemies, not to make the so repetitive. At last, for the lighting, the only something I have to say (Considered for other players), in some corner of the game really lack of the lighting. I mean it's a bit too dark. I've tried many different devices, players could be confused where to go. At last, this levelset is a in my must play list. Why? This is probably the latest one of the best TR1 levelset since The Nordic Adventure by Feder. A huge thanks to Leoc :D" - steven35175

"this is the second best TR1 in history, and that will certainly please many. let's start. Gameplay & Puzzles: (remembering that I will quote in all the limits of the TR1 engine ok?) To start I really liked the gameplay and it is very productive and it is not boring but very fun that you just can't stop playing, and the puzzles it was well thought out and planned that mine left me stuck for a considerable time, in general the game is well balanced and for me it is very calm mainly the final boss was very calm (this gave beta testing) Enemies, Objects & Secrets: I found the enemies in good numbers, even though some moments were a little complicated mainly in the windows room, which in my first reaction was incredible, so the author balanced well, more less experienced players will have a hard time more, the secrets I can't find many, but even so, the game ends without major problems. Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras: the atmosphere for a TR1 for me is well made and well produced, certainly the author has done a good job and not what to complain about. Lighting & Textures: I liked that seeing the textures of the btb venice present here, and also some new textures like castles, AOD, TR4 mixed catacombs and for me they are decent and well applied, the lighting is well applied and that was a great raid! !! (thank you very much for the fantastic level leo!) I recommend this level, 2h, 20min .... super recommended !!!" - PedroCroft_

"This unique TR1 levelset is a marvel among the wide array of multi-level game packs to be found here. Each level had a special feel to it, and flowed into the next seamlessly. The puzzles and gameplay felt unique to the levelset, offering things that many of the original games and Hall of Fame levels don't have. The take on Venice was fresh and captivating, the ship was creepy and eerie while Lara's descent into delirium and the further levels were perplexing and almost majestic while still realistic and true to the bounds of a Tomb Raider experience. The atmosphere and background audio was often a mix of different audios previously heard in other TR games that made it feel even creepier. The lighting always set the mood. The flickering lights in the cathedral and the moody night lights in Venice made it feel homey but also dark and dangerous at the same time. Sometimes TR1 levels have a harder time capturing that essence with lighting as it is arguably not as powerful in the future games (what with flares not being implemented) but it was never dark enough for that to be a problem anyway, despite the locations. The texturing was a blend of different ones from various games and custom creators, but the level creator was able to make them mesh so perfectly that it seemed they were all made for this levelpack. Really amazing job, and I look forward to seeing more masterpieces like this." - Hosannah

"I don't understand how Leoc1995 can create so many marvelous things using vanilla classic engines using elements from TR2, with all constraints and limits, it is beyond my level of comprehension, but this creator is an expert with that. This is yet another level which I can't understand how people envision great things. This map is a mix of awesomeness with a classic cherry on the top. Every detail is crafted perfectly, the texturing is amazingly done, puzzles are nicely spread throughout the map. Despite some minor issues I think this is one of the best levels I played in awhile. Definitely recommend it!!!" - Richard Ba

"I was a proud beta tester of this level set. I must say that the author really improved as a builder since his first release. Everything is constructed pretty well and polished. A lot of creativity in puzzles and a lot of beautiful areas and a very unique atmosphere. Despite I was only beta testing and there were some errors or mistakes I think this level set is really worth playing. I think it is the best TR1 custom since Nordic Adventure by Feder. Definitely Recommended." - Mahetus