Level reviews

"If this I’ve played is the performance mode, well, I cannot imagine the beauty of the eye candy version! Graphically, it’s like TR2013’s “good sister” with rainbows and cascades instead of mud and bad weather XD. It’s probably the best looking level I’ve played so far. Gameplay consists of very good and immersive parts, although I often found myself stuck in confusion. One example is reaching the platforms with spikes at the end of Mount Fuji level, I thought it was a shortcut as it felt too hidden to be the intended solution, so I kept searching vainly for the “proper” way. Another thing were the timed trapdoors in the village, I really couldn’t understand what to do with them until the fire was lit, I thought it was a timed run but I couldn’t make the jump. And then when I found the pushblock, I immediately used it for the secret, later realizing it was a softlock, but thankfully I always save in different slots. I also didn’t understand what the Japanese notes activated, and I’m still uncertain about the purpose of the cutscene after lighting the first torch in the last level. Was it Oda Nobunaga trolling me? I love his diary notes, bad mouthing the trapdoors and writing the instructions in case he forgot. A funny hint system. I’ve talked about the main inconveniences, but those paired with some sneaky switches/torches don’t stop me from still giving the gameplay a full score. Simply because the very good moments and the genuine structure of the map abundantly make up for them. Key word is “immersion”. The ascension of Mount Fuji, it felt so realistic in addition of being a great platforming experience. And how could I not praise the breathtaking views every time Lara’s on a roof? I took so many screenshots… and other than being great sunset watching spots, the roofs also serve to connect basically everything together, contributing to the organicness. Another thing I loved are the secrets. I got them all and I’m a big fan of the two more challenging ones. The one in the tower with a lot of timed trapdoors, and the other in the room with the spiked wall, similar to tr2 but harder to get. And to get out alive. There’s much more that can’t be faithfully described in words (at least by me), I suggest to play and see for yourself, armed with patience and a walkthrough. Like it happens with other excellent maps, I felt reluctant leaving the place, in fact I watched the flyby title two times before closing the app." - Leti

"Brilliant atmosphere, very unique sound selection, impressive architecture, object choice as well as texture palette, cool puzzles and climbing interludes, in short WOW! On the other hand, a bit too complicated for me, especially always finding the way, a lot of backtracking, the music piece in the final boss fight was a bit annoying and the lying lion statues looked a bit out of place. Thanks Leif for this impressive work!" - vandit

"While somehow I think the ultimate classic monastery level hasn't been built yet, at this point in the timeline (2022) to me there are two flagship levels of the class: Movement and this one. Why two is because one of them follows a classic path and another excels in thinking out of the box, so if you play both, then you're good. Brace for epic sights and some wacky platforming as you make your way through multilayered, rich environment." - DJ Full

"Good return of this excellent builder. The architecture and environments are impressive, perfect texturization and lighting, good use of variety of objects to ornate the rooms, well balanced enemies, well chosen musics, professional use of the cameras and flybys... The gameplay has some interesting tasks, like the three switches to pull in the serpents room or the food for the piranhas, never too difficult or frustrating, but it was too much no-lineal for me to like; even when it's a pleasure to explore the marvellous areas, once you run around like a dizzy duck after half an hour or so, finding often dead ends and looking for dozens of switches to pull, you get a bit tired because the areas to explore are too huge, it's easy you miss something and you need to re-explore the same areas several times in a real labyrinth. Near the end, when I reached the top of the tower with the gong, I was stuck without a hint (perhaps there is one somewhere but I couldn't find it) to know the order I must pull the three switches. Even so it's a great adventure you can't miss if you like pure exploration. Good work." - Jose

"An excellent 3 parts game with two levels where you have to explore everywhere in search of objects , master some traps and solve puzzles , and one more linear where you need to find your way. A lot of excellent work has been put into the game, and the vistas of the settings are often impressive. It is easy in the two non linear levels to overlook a switch or something else so the chances to retrace your steps and explore again or redo things are high, plus you don't always know if your are making progress for the main quest or are side tracking for some secrets, and i notice that the torches that you have placed strategically for later disappear after level changes between level 2 and 3 which was a bit disappointing. Still the side quests can be fun, and placement of pickups gave satisfaction. There is many moments of good entertainment in all levels , like the trips on the roofs and some ahah moments, my favourite portion was the first half of the second level where you need to find your way amidst high suspended temples and mountains , this was very exciting and there was great audios particularly in this level." - eRIC

"A set of three levels set in Japan. The first one is a trek through a secluded village. The second brings Lara up to the mountains, and the third (interlinked with the second) is a sprawling monastery with impressive towers. Aside from a few small areas that are wallpapered, the visuals are very impressive. All three levels have various amounts of blades, boulders, wildlife, and ancient guards to contend with. The more intense trap sequences and timed runs offer those tempting secret dragons if players choose to push themselves further than necessary, a nice way to provide an optional challenge. There's also more than a couple of thematic puzzles which are coupled with some helpful diary entries. The only slight downfall in my experience was that I got a softlock near the end; after opening some doors with a gong, I dropped to the ground outside and every path leading to those doors was mysteriously blocked off, and I had no way to get back to the second floor either. Other than that, it was quite a solid adventure. 2 hours 38 minutes." - JesseG

"I'd like to justify my 9 in Gameplay & Puzzles by explaining I spent most of my time in this otherwise wonderful Oriental adventure quite lost (thank walkthrough makers for walkthroughs). The game looks truly excellent, it's very vast and also very clever in its puzzles and platforming (I must add the first word that comes to mind when I think about it is precisely platforming). It's also rather complicated because everything seems to interact with everything else, but one may not really understand when and how or where whatever was when you last saw it, and that's where the "very clever" becomes "too clever". It's mazy in its puzzles, and mazy in its huge platforming. Other than that, the enemies (tigers, snakes and ninja warriors, plus three hammer gods in the end) are well placed, the secrets are rewarding, and the atmosphere is actually great. Clearly recommended, especially if you're a lot more patient than me." - Jorge22

"An outstanding comeback from this builder. I too ended up playing the "detailed" version and the frame rate drop was a tad annoying, but not at all insurmountable and it didn't adversely impact on my experience of this brilliant release. The environments are stunningly beautiful, definitely up there with the most beautiful in the custom level world and the music is amazing too, really accentuating the atmosphere alongside some charming background audio that is never intrusive. Combat is actually on the relatively scarce side, but does ramp up nicely throughout, culminating in a fairly tense hammergod battle (the threat is admittedly lessened if you find all of the generous secrets). Gameplay is initially centered around exploration, but there's also some ingenious puzzles and trap sequences and I loved the way that the architecture constantly interconnects with previously visited areas. Masterful raiding." - Ryan

"Since I don't know what FPS drops are, I'm not sure I played the improved version or not. In any event, I experienced no gameplay issues, and this three-part game is certainly worthy of top honors. The surroundings are absolutely stunning, and the tasks to be performed are challenging without ever seeming overwhelming. A couple of the secrets involved some nifty timed runs that can require multiple efforts, but the feeling of accomplishment once you've succeeded is worth the effort. The only grueling segment in my estimation was the considerable platforming required at the beginning of the second level to reach the monastery complex, but even that can be accomplished with due care and attention to detail. Doggett's glitch-free video walk clocked in something less than two hours, but I spent more than two and a half times that while writing a walkthrough and enjoying the well-crafted structures and visual amenities. One of the best releases of the year, without a doubt." - Phil

"This is made of three Asian-themed levels, with some elements from BTB Tibet as well. Each of the three levels has a distinctive style, as you go from a lost village to an treacherous mountain climb to a monastery. There visuals are excellent throughout with almost nothing neglected, and beautiful sights throughout; I played the "eye-candy" version and it certainly ran bad at times, but at least a less taxing option is provided. Texturing and lighting is implemented near perfectly, and new and tweaked objects add to the theme. It's one of the best looking Asian based sets around.
Gameplay is strong too, with the main focus on exploration, but it ramps up with more intense aspects later on. While the second is more of an transition (though it has some of the most challenging platforming), the first and third levels are the meat of the gameplay, with large semi-open locations to explore, which gradually open up as you solve them. While complex, there are enough clues to work everything out, outside of some slightly odd shootable walls in the first map. The third map in particular unfolds in a great way as you explore and solve puzzles within it. Combat is relatively low-key-especially if you find the secrets with weapons-and seems to exist just to add a little intensity to the exploration. The secrets are also well-done, with some nice side-journeys to get them, especially a big torch one in the last level. l.m. consistently released excellent levels but hasn't been active for a while; this release is another amazing one and was worth the wait." - Mman

"Lovely game, unfortunally only three levels, but beautiful levels. You must look allcorners, the game uses every possible space, roof, corner. Everywhere there are ways to continue. Everywhere is needed to complete the game. Secrets are amazing. I feel proud my self that I was able to get all secrets and the complete game with out any help. If you feel there is no other way to go, look in shadows, look down, look up, if you see something that seems possible, but challenging, yes, this is the way. I must thank the author for this amazing game." - Juan Carlos

"Brilliantly conceived architecture and realised in 3 fun-packed levels. Takes a little time to orientate oneself with the multiple roof levels and similar pagoda buildings. Gameplay is varied with some clever puzzles. Enemies are appropriate and objects/textures were detailed and well crafted giving a beautiful ambience. Secrets (9/9) get harder to find as you progress. Loved the atmosphere, but maybe a tad too much echo on the footsteps for my liking if I had to find a fault. A shame to reach the end, but what a ride! More of the same please!" - Adrian

"GAMEPLAY & PUZZLES: Gameplay is a mixture of all kinds of tasks and I can almost guarantee that you will have great time without any dull moments. Non-linear structure of the levels will test your orientation skills, and the frequent use of platforming sections and traps offers several adrenaline-filled moments. You get to also solve many puzzles including ones where you have to figure out correct switch combination. One of my favorites was the riddle near to the end although solving it by simply guessing is entirely possible. Difficulty of the game is relatively high, but if you have been playing some custom levels before, all the tasks should be feasible.
ENEMIES, OBJECTS & SECRETS: Enemies, including various kinds of animals and ninjas, are plentiful but not excessively used. The game features also 4 monsters as boss enemies, which were slightly tedious to kill, since they were so powerful against bullets. Object selection is great and I really loved the use of those rainbows in certain temple courtyards. Even though, they are such a small detail, they add a lot to the overall look of the surroundings. I found 4 out of 9 secrets, and each of them included an additional set of jumps or a quest to find, instead of being added as an afterthought.
ATMOSPHERE, SOUND & CAMERAS: Atmosphere is built masterfully with the choice of music and the overall level design involving beautiful oriental architecture and stunning cliffsides. Besides music, the sound effects, such as Lara's footstep sound, gunfire and water splashes, were great and highly realistic. Cameras were used always when necessary.
TEXTURES & LIGHTING: I don't have much to say about this category except both texturing and lighting look amazing. I especially liked how Author used saturated colors in certain spots, while keeping the environments overall relatively desaturated. I find that this way of using color is visually very pleasing and it also helps to make certain things pop up making them more interesting to look at.
CONCLUSIONS: Needless to say, I highly recommend this level set due to its varied gameplay and beautiful locations. Hopefully, we will see more top quality levels from l.m. in near future." - Samu

"I can't believe it's been more than 10 years we haven't seen a level from l.m.. His levels always have a very special charm and this is no difference - the atmosphere is absolutely immersive and from small areas to grand scale mountains and halls this is pure eye candy throughout, even in the visually toned down version. The only thing I didn't like was that Lara actually falls on a dark floor in the exterior areas when she drops, perhaps the game could return to the menu when you are in midair - a minor issue. Gameplaywise this is as diverse as the builder acclaims, exploration of smaller and larger areas very well mixed with puzzles (mostly the levels are huge puzzles themselves), platforming where you have to carefully find your route (very enjoyable and so different from the always similar "jump to the next obvious slope" kind), engaging trap sequences and fights - an overall very successful game. The nine secrets were quite tough to find especially since generally the whole map is accessible, it is also impressive that the builder has managed to do so without any feeling of being at the edge of the map. I was a bit disappointed by the finale, firstly that you had to find all secrets before using the gong (and I'm not entirely sure if you can finish the level at all if you drop on the lower floor afterwards), and secondly because the boss fight is rather simple with a lot of ammo and the fact that the bosses are entirely harmless if you climb on a near ledge. Anyway, the 1:50 hours to get to the final reward were high-class raiding and so it's almost needless to say this is a highly recommended set you should definately try out soon..." - manarch2

"After 10 years, l.m. comes back to amaze us for one more time! It took me 4:30 hours to complete this three-level adventure but I must say that every few steps I stopped to savour the beauty of this place or listen to the wonderful music tracks. Everything stands out in this game: gameplay, aesthetics, music choices, ambient sounds, SFX sounds. Loved the echo and especially Lara's footstep sounds on different surfaces. The first level is set in the village, focuses on exploration/secrets/pickups and is the easiest to navigate of the three. The second takes us to mount Fuji on our way to the monastery. This part is more focused on platforming, tricky sometimes and secrets are harder to find. The third level is set in the monastery where the gameplay becomes more complex with interesting puzzles. Found 7/9 secrets and I loved the "big tour" in order to get the Revolver as a secret. All extra weapons are part of secrets, but you can manage easily just with pistols. [NOTE: The game has been updated with a "non eye candy" version. (Do read the readme.) I played the first two levels with the eye candy version on my son's more powerful PC and the last one on my own PC using the non eye-candy version. I found it equally stunning! So, if it lags for you, use the standard version that will not spoil the experience.] Thank you, l.m., for this wonderful adventure and eager to play your next levels :)" - billie2001

"A remarkable level from such a prestigious author. The exploration, the sections of traps, the secrets and the artistic design are the best of the game. By contrast, there are many switches; the deliberate solutions of the puzzles are interesting but they can be easily solved by trial and error without the need for clues or observing the environment; Paradoxically, I would have removed some song to improve the immersion (sometimes less is more) and the time of some time trial is not very well measured (for example, I did not need the scroll to overcome the last one)." - requiemsoul

"A fantastic comeback from l.m. with a marvellous package of 3 levels in an oriental setting. Kept me busy for a good 3 1/2 hours. Exploration plays a huge part in this level set and there are moments where you are more than likely to get stuck for a while. In that case it helps to take a break and come back later. For some it might be a bit frustrating but I really liked the challenge here, especially finding some of the secrets is a very rewarding experience. Gameplay-wise this level set offers a complete TR experience: exploration, combat, traps, and puzzle-solving (particularly in the monastery level). Each level challenges the player on one or more aspects. "Lost Village of Oda Nobunaga" is the most compact level and out of the three the easiest to navigate through. Not easy but not really difficult either, it sets the tone for the whole adventure and gives the player a first impression of what to expect. "Mount Fujisan" requires the player to complete tricky jump and climbing sequences, the player will also have to revisit this level in order to 1) complete the adventure and 2) gather all secrets. "Monastery of Legacies" has by far the most puzzles to solve and a fairly large map. Keeping track of where to go next is rather difficult here. Personally I did not need the "Diary of Oda Nobunaga" to solve the puzzles. I would have preferred for the story to be a bit more elaborate like more details on the person "Oda Nobunaga", nonetheless this is an aspect which won't make me lower the rating. Objects used in this game were really suitable and helped establishing a great atmosphere so I have nothing to complain about in this category. If you were really picky you could point out the low-resolution TR2 terracotta warrior statues but this would not justify deducting points from this category, at least in my opinion. Speaking of atmosphere, I was very immersed during my time playing this level set. The choice of music was top-notch and I especially like levels where authors put emphasis on the sound effects. They are just as important as music and make enemies, traps, doors and guns much more effective. Can't say much about textures and lighting except for that I loved both of them. Verdict: Highly recommended level set for all tomb raider fans. Experienced raiders might have an easier time completing this adventure. I am eagerly anticipating the author's next adventure!" - KingdomHearts

"Disclaimer: I have been a tester for this custom level, I played the level several times thus I have taken a considerably small time to finish the level, moreover my opinion is not influenced.
An unexpected come back from the author that brought you Fortress Stonerock! (and several other customs, but the running gag for me is remembering him for his debut) And sure the author has not changed, if not became better at his building. There are 3 level to play I will review them individually so I can get deeply into describing my review.
Lost Village of Oda Nobunaga (10 10 10 10): The first level drops us in a wonderfully built lost village with some tasks to complete, compared to the third level, it is non-linear but once you exactly know what you are supposed to do you can complete this in less than 30 minutes guaranteed. The gameplay the level offers is mostly focused on exploring the area while completing different tasks or setting a task so that it can be completed later, it is genuinely satisfying to see all the raising block lower entirely allowing you to take the goodies beneath :3 moving on onto objects and enemies, we got a wonderfully oriental looking level with a lot of tigers, snakes and bats waiting for us, the secrets are not really complicated compared to some that will come next, but are genuine satisfying to take and they reward curiosity quite a bit! ^w^ The atmosphere is made magical by the fog surrounding the village, plus the excellent choice in music and the new sound effects blend wonderfully into the Tomb Raider world, cameras are also given to help the player in the more obscure gameplay moments, especially when a key is taken and we discover we have to go on top of a roof in order to find the place to use it. The texturing is perfect to today's standards and so the lighting is.
Mount Fujisan (10 10 10 10): The second level ditches a huge area to explore for a much more linear path, but do not fear the level itself is made memorable by the different heights the game brings us to and the tasks are plentiful, some quite hard but satisfying to pull off, object usage is still great as the first level, enemies are lesser but still present and the secrets are a huge pro to this level, it is here that we take shotgun and uzi through the harder to find and to get secrets, truly a satisfying time. The atmosphere is incredible too, shamefully my potato computer has problem rendering it all smoothly, and again it has a magical feel to it, despite this exterior part of the monastery be supposed to be attached to the mountain, it still feels like it is floating in midair giving this special vibe this level has going on, lighting and texturing is good as well, only far away there can be seen some wallpapering, but in areas that unless the player decides to watch, they will not see.
Monastery Legacies (10 10 10 10): The absolute better level amongst the package, a truly huge map with plenty of tasks to do with incredibly satisfying exploring, it is usually the level I take the longest to complete, because of how some of the tasks do require some travelling and some puzzle solving, there is also a pretty neat throwback to tomb raider 2 with one specific room an a certain secret hehe ^w^, exploring on the roofs felt satisfying and extremely cool as areas previously unreachable became reachable quick enough. Enemies finally included some humans and sometimes even fishes! The object usage was really good as well keeping the Oriental theme and mastering it, what shined the most for sure were the three secrets which all were especially memorable for the way they could be accessed or the throwback they gave to the player ;3 Atmosphere is one of the better in this level and the earlier cutscene of this level serves to show how much beauty in this level there really is, the lighting and the overall texturing serve as well to convey the wonderful look of the monastery.
An extremely memorable come back of the author that has to be experienced, recommended albeit not to new raider, rather to intermediate and experienced ones. Great Job Leif! ^w^ Wolfy Regards :3" - Wolf7