Level reviews

"Amazing level. Visuals are stunning and the gameplay is highly engaging. I had a lot of fun exploring the colorful icy areas while completing various challenges, such as avoiding cleverly used traps, surviving in cold water and battling against icy skeleton warriors (these were some of the coolest custom enemies that I have encountered). Moreover, the boss battle was a great and memorable way to end the level. I liked the decision to disable saving during the fight, which forces the player to really stay focused. All in all, this is definitely a level worth replaying in the future." - Samu

"A level where I have virtually nothing to criticise, because it’s flawless. The design, puzzles, textures, lighting, difficulty level and the sheer wealth of detail all come together perfectly to create a consistently smooth gaming experience. It contains so many new elements that, as a builder myself, it drives me nearly mad with envy to think of creating such a polished level. It’s a reminder that I should make use of the 99 extra static slots to make my levels more detailed. The secrets are alarmingly easy to find for my liking, and the game lags in a few places, but those are the only drawbacks I can think of. So here’s a top recommendation to stock up on a winter level this winter." - Astraf

"? Short and sweet. Level design and layout are nice, Lara has extra new moves. The challenges were fair but Lara awkward movements (clinging to walls underwater) made the swimming part unpleasant. It was more of find keys than doing puzzles, wish it had more puzzles. ? Disliked: Enemies don't deal damage when they attack you but when they touches you, it only takes 2-3 second to deplete all your health, and they are bullet proof sponge lol. ? Overall, I liked this level and enjoyed it, loved the unique icy look for it :) Thanks for making and sharing this level!" - black horse

"Very nice and polished level. You can just start exploring at the beginning and try different things. After a while, you can dare to take on the tougher challenges the starting/main area presents. It has some difficult physical challenges, like requiring exactly timed jumps. The level title is not just for show: Everything looks icy. The water has the additional freeze bar, which requires extremely tightly timing for diving. The skeleton enemies were even more difficult. The boss fight was a little too much, taking so long and spawning dozens of tough enemies, and the only reward is that you can climb up in the room to reach the level end trigger. I somehow beat it by jumping around lots. In summary, nice small level, difficult, didn't like the boss." - tuxraider

"Expedition Deep Freeze is a treat to escape the summer heat. With a gorgeous, otherworldly ice-bound temple filled with physical challenges, from tricky traversal to icy water, as well as a few puzzles and some fearsome (and beautifully designed) enemies. The level’s strengths lie in a combination of 1) the visuals (the hot pink of the sky glows off the outside snow, while the blue torch flames make interior chambers flicker ominously), 2) entertaining platforming, especially a timed run involving flames and a jump sequence climbing up as blades threaten to impale Lara, and 3) a story that is told well through visual journal entries (which can be humorous too), environmental and object clues (read more about each object as it appears in the inventory), and enemies that gradually ramp up in difficulty all the way to a formidable final boss that makes reaching the last artifact feel like an achievement. The skeleton enemies were especially cool, and while they were hard to beat, I was excited whenever I saw the blue glow warning of their approach. The architecture, with frequent windows and multi-leveled vertical cliffs and caves, gives the player a nice sense of the overall space and a preview of challenges ahead. These windows made the level feel airy, open, and sprawling despite being an incredibly produced 20x20x20 that makes you forget the compactness of the map. There are a few frustrating elements: a) backtracking is a common necessity, and sometimes exploring too soon can result in some arduous returns to earlier stages to correct a pushblock or find a pickup; b) some of the animations made certain jumps difficult to gauge, and while I was impressed with the faster climb, the heavier-seeming jump and rapid step threw me off balance, and I missed the ability to somersault forward in crawlspaces; c) finally, some platforming challenges, slides, and traps lacked the ability to observe and then test your skills, instead being a matter of luck. Swimming was especially difficult, since the timer for cold water conflicted with the need to search for where to exit. Both secrets found, boosting Lara’s weapons. I’m glad I saved all of it since the boss was challenging and needed every shotgun shell. Now, if you haven’t already, go play in this deceptively dreamy snow, but stay on your toes while you do!" - Cbl

"I was very pleasantly surprised by the level! The new animations significantly streamline Lara's movements, with the crouching walk animation standing out as particularly useful. The level is visually stunning, with highly detailed textures. Although the action takes place mainly in a small area, the variety of challenges is astonishing, with perfectly balanced difficulty. The box puzzle was especially enjoyable for its clever design. The enemies are excellent, and the final boss is simply breathtaking, one of the best I can recall in the community. I hope this creator is inspired to develop a more extensive project. Great job!" - requiemsoul

"Just like the original the visuals, atmosphere, cameras and music are all superbly done, you really feel like in your icy/snowy setting with great detail and emphasis on these aspects. When it comes to gameplay it’s no longer short and sweet, loads of new areas and rooms have been added with even more tasks, enemy attacks, puzzles and traps to evade. I really enjoyed some of the challenges like the timed runs, the spiked platforming, the tense and panicked ice water swimming and of course the general exploration of the level but I can’t forget some of my frustrations I had the annoying and irritating backtracking, bothersome wraith ghosts and trouble with a hidden swing pole halfway down an ice pit. For these reasons I would rather play the original level again but I must admit that boss fight near the end was very cool." - John

"This is a remake/expanded version of a 20x20x20 contest entry; it was a while ago, but from what I recall of that the additions are pretty substantial. Visually it looks excellent, and this area is especially enhanced with both the old and new content; the snow with Greek style ruins are quite an original theme, with a lot of new and modified objects to add to it. The lighting is also a highlight, as the pinkish sunlight contrasted with blue and green shadows is quite original and gives the level a very unique atmosphere while also feeling fitting.
While a few tasks are familiar, most of the gameplay seems new or expanded from the original release; the main part of the level is quite non-linear, and you have various routes to go from the start, although you want to find the Crowbar first or else there will be some backtracking (although there are also plenty of shortcuts). While things like the Tomb Raider 3 exposure meter see plenty of use, the combat is probably the biggest challenge here, as it starts with tanky Wolf packs that can eat your health fast, and then Skeletons that can damage you just by proximity, and it ends with an original boss fight, which is one of the most creative I've seen, but takes a little while and doesn't let you save during it. Outside of that there also a few tricky traps and platform sequences though.
Lara's movement is changed a bit, and while there are welcome changes like faster animations for things like climbing and crawling (although the new crawl seems a bit buggy and I got stuck in walls and had to reload a few times using it), it also makes the default jump shorter, although you do have a sprint jump that brings it back to about standard length. The jumping change seems walked back a little from the original version, and not as leaden as I recall there, but it still feels odd to have nerfed basic movement, especially as the sprint jumps mean that normal length jumps are still possible and just a bit harder, so it's not even really gating you off from anything. There are other additions like a journal that gives some story and informs you of the new movements, and the level comes to a decent conclusion despite still not being especially long. A big improvement to a level I already recall being decent, and a must play, although it might be little tough for newer players." - Mman

"One of the best levels I've ever played compared to the previous version. The game starts off challenging and ends with an even more challenging boss. The gameplay has many moments that require greater attention, and the secrets are well worth finding and are very well hidden. Graphics? Wow! Needless to say, they are incredible and well done. I just found the enemies a little ‘unfair’ because Lara takes absurd damage just from being near them, and there is an exaggeration in backtracking. Other than that, it's an excellent project by Martini, as always, recommended only for experienced raiders. 1 hour and 12 minutes, and all secrets found..." - PedroCroft_

"<== INITIALISING REVIEW ==> This level's got to be one of the best I had played in terms of visuals, as Martini had put an immense amount of detail in order to make the level what it is: the VFX on the enemies, the gentle snow effect in the air and the attention to detail as well as the custom assets not from the BtB Pack make this a joy to look at. Since this is right before my maths exam, why not celebrate and distract myself with a long review with some details to give my appreciation to this reinteration of an already great level. =================== <== LEVEL PRAISE ==> =================== The visuals: yes, they are amazing, and yes, you might have lags at certain points when there is a lot going on, but it's worth every second for how nice the VFX [Visual Effects] look. From the unique particle effect on enemies, to the gentle but noticeable snow storm effect in the outside area, to the way that flames look and bounce off the geometry, you will absolutely be in love with how it looks. The Audio experience is also very pleasant, with many high quality and special sound effects that not only sound good, but also fit the vibe Martini was going for. The menu sound effects alongside the snow ones are some of my favourites, and the weapons have a good knockback to their sound, which makes them feel powerful. The graphical presentation leaves nothing to be desired, aside from micro nitpicks of mine. The gameplay has a lot to offer: from keys to platforming to combat, it strikes a difficult balance of challenging but smart gameplay versus simple exploration. The water sections are tough and often struggle to get to their highest potential because of TRNG's collision system for underwater Lara, but it does the trick, and getting stuck isn't a death sentence... most of the time, or some of it anyway. Health items are abundant and you'll save them for when you potentially get hit by the wolves or skeletons that roam the level, and the guns provided do a good job at providing a means of self-defense, aside from the uzis for a specific reason I will say in the next section. The custom moves are explained well within the diary, and the few funny bits in it are a joy to read. The final boss... man, I won't say anything, but it's genuinely an amazing use of TRNG and you'll be bound to want to come back to it, though only if you get used to the difficulty of the level altogether. Your jump is nerfed significantly, and movement feels both stiff and so much better: with the new crouch by Gecko, crawlspaces are no issue, and the custom animations for the ladders makes movement feel less slow and more responsive, except jumping as once again it is nerfed, which does make you think about parkour intricatly and how to make certain jumps. Minor details, but the custom flares, the custom flavour text in the inventory, the font, and everything of this caliber is really nice and adds to the custom feel of the custom. It's a shame the bars are the regular kind, but that's nitpicking. =================== <== LEVEL CRITIQUE ==> =================== The level has quirks that are minor, but some might impact the gameplay experience of other people. For one, the wolves can often gang up on you and make it difficult to dodge properly. The small spaces do not help this issue, and you'll find yourself struggling at times to jump normally, instead potentially spamming jump to avoid damage. Skeleton enemies are hard because of their aura, and the range is both fair and unfair, as their unstaggering movement speed makes it difficult to dodge, especially in the hellish section where there are several of them- You can however use a crawlspace to bait them, as the dart towards you at all times, so it makes it easy to converse ammo, which you really need for the final boss, but that's in a moment. Some assets don't quite fit the new visuals, such as the medipacks or the shotgun, and the shotgun is not attached to the backpack which personally bothers me, but I mention this since Thor's TEN package would fit here, although the concern would be to not go over the TRNG limits. This isn't a huge deal, but what is that the jump is so nerfed that it makes certain jumps a little too pixel-perfect- not quite, but they require more precision than you can afford at times- I am talking about the ladder to regular tile over two rows of spikes especially. I also found that the wraiths and their "statue" killer are unclear, with it being a trident and nothing suggesting that they could be related aside from proximity and it being in a unique space, unfortunately not quite enough for me to connect the dots. I'd say the difficulty is medium to hard with some moments, but the critiques don't actually drag the level that much down, but are noticeable enough if you nitpick, like the medipack example. The issue that I'd say is significant enough is the final room: with the amount of skeletons you're bound to struggle a lot, and wasting your ammo is a terrible idea as the final boss is a literal ammo sponge, requiring over 50+ shotgun shots to kill, accounting for pellet spread and the fact his attacks can be difficult to dodge at times, requiring you to use some medipacks unless you're highly skilled at the game. Respectfully, I was at a single medipack from over 8 of both kinds before the fight, but my strategy might have affected it greatly. Overall, all issues aren't enough to downgrade the experience by a lot, but are noticeable nonetheless. Oh, and the uzis are respectfully useless with their low damage output. Your entire level supply might only last two to three skeletons if you're lucky, which isn't a good thing, since the shotgun only takes 6 or so to kill one. <== PERSONAL OPINIONS ==> Personal opinion time! I loved the level and I really really want 6 more of these, even if I had moments of genuine rage because of myself. I had to re-do 1/2 of the final chapter after you get the second puzzle piece since I missed the uzis and had to go back for them. The movement is a love-hate thing for me, with the jumps too nerfed for me to enjoy at all times, but with the crouching making me feel good about not having a sluggish Lara for once in a custom. Overall, this is a MUST PLAY if you are decently skilled in TRLE. Despite the critique, Martini had created a really good reimagination of his Deep Freeze level, and you'd be foolish to not even give it a try, just for the visuals alone. =================== <== CLOSING REVIEW ==> ===================" - OblivionJaw

"Oh snap that was cold, perfect for this late Summer. The map isn't much gated which grants free exploration but also allows visiting rooms too early, so I'd cut some back/forth running intended aside of that, as both kinds of fallback stacked may be tiring - but the nourishing mood sustains motivation, and the map is quite small so you should manage, with your own memory and with reminder hints given in case if you run out. Keep the meds for hard bits, I mean better reload after a bad swim - then there's a challenge and a chance, likely for the intermediate and beyond, at least in the current version (2)." - DJ Full

"Certainly a nice idea to revisit this place, I definitely enjoyed my last visit but this was nearly a whole new experience. The surroundings are stunning from the outset (more so than the original level) and the atmosphere is even more convincingly "freezing". This is not so much a straight- up remake as a re-envisioning (if such a phrase even exists), and once Lara drops beneath the ice after getting the crystals the challenge really ramps up. The enemies are fearsome throughout, while the platforming and puzzle sequences are challenging but fair. It all culminates in one tough beast of a boss fight, which was possibly a bit over the top with the numerous spawning enemies, but still doable if you save enough ammo (and don't blithely waste your shotgun ammo on wolves like I did). I enjoyed it very much." - Ryan