Level reviews

"This normally talented designer started this level pretty well, then took one of the worst design decisions he could ever take, and the whole thing fell flat on its face. Note for builders, featuring a maze in your levels is fine, but don't EVER force a player to redo it again and again. What's the point? It is not about skill, it is not about memory (especially if every part of the maze looks the same), it is not fun, all it essentially boils down to is how hardcore the player is, and if they have the patience to go through hell. Cherry on top is the music loop that is accompanying it all. Very good visuals for its time, the switch hints are okay, unfortunately they are the only pros overall." - Nomad

"Level 1. It starts in a quite well textured and dark jungle. There are dogs, guards and bats to kill. There's a brief ride on a bike and a very big maze. I couldn't complete that maze, not even with the map in the walkthrough, but the end of the level was just another short ride away, so I jumped to the next level. Level 2. This is longer than the previous one. Lara arrives to what seems to be an abandoned church. There are many closed doors which you'll never get to open, or maybe there's a way somewhere. In here there are a lot of jump switches and levers to find, in order to open doors and proceed. The place uses textures from TR2. You'll find some wraiths, guards, dogs and those moths that you can't kill. Level 3. Short level consisting in the same tasks: find levers to open doors, then find the final lever that triggers the end of the game. I liked the first level the most, I think, except for that maze." - alan

"This is quite advanced and rather extensive for such an early game and for the most part, I was able to progress easily and gain some form of enjoyment from it. The downers were the rather tedious and infuriating maze (thank God for the newly created map in the walkthrough to alleviate further roaming there), the slight darkness in some places (not as annoying as some other levels) and the rather deflating ending after pulling a floor lever. Nonetheless, there are nice parts: the exploration of the house and auditorium, the vase puzzle and the brief bike ride. Take it for what it is - a product from way back when and you'll find it to be more enjoyable than the current scores would suggest." - Ryan

"Instead of Fearsome 1+2 this level trio had better been named Boresome 1-3 (not sure if such a word really exists though). It's one of the earliest custom levels and I take my hat off for a few nice custom textures, decent lighting and some efforts in camera work, but all in all the gameplay is really low. The first level flows along with a few caves to explore and levers to find, finds its highlight at an all too short bike tour and then goes downhill at a monstrum of a maze whose only function is to let the players run around and around so that they never know where they are, and even the lever puzzles are with one exception trial and error. Pointless! The second level (not connected to the first) is only a bit better but it's still all about running and crawling up and down (mainly down) a mansion pulling dozens of levers and being chased by locusts and wraiths if you were not careful enough. There are only small shining moments like the ladder hint in the library and the little jar puzzle, but it still outstays its welcome heavily. It ends with a pseudo retour to the first level (which is in a totally different location) with guards, levers and a final crash that ends this 55 minute game. The 12 secrets are very easy to find as they're mostly just lying on your way, no special care for object design (most rooms feel pretty empty) is visible. But the builder has proved to do better eventually in later efforts, a good sign..." - manarch2

"This is a remarkably ambitious achievement for such an early release, and for the most part I enjoyed it a great deal. Harry Laudie has provided a comprehensive walkthrough for the three levels, but unfortunately his map of that huge maze in level one has been lost, so unless some kind soul can come up with a replacement map players will just have to navigate this area on their own. I believe I spent at least 45 minutes in the maze alone, and I had this distinct sense of accomplishment when I finally finished. The second level is almost as complex, requiring a full hour for me to complete, but the third level (which is really a continuation of the first level) clocks in at a mere fifteen minutes or so. Other reviewers have complained about the gameplay, but I found it to be fairly innovative in this regard. The lighting is on the dark side, but plenty of flares are provided. There are aspects of the game that didn't particularly appeal to me, but the positives far outweigh the negatives in my mind." - Phil

"Sure that there is much work behind, but I didn't enjoy this levels. The first oe is based about a very complex and nasty maze (except the ride with the bike, of course) pulling a lot of switches to lower a lot of blocks 8sometimes there's a hint so you know what switches to pull). The second one is very bad too pulling dozens and dozens of switches to open hundreds of doors and returning continuosly to the same places again and again. At least near the very end is a small puzzle... Secrets are very easy to find. Sometimes you'll find excessive enemies, but always sure very excessive amount of ammo, guns and medipacks. You'll never use all that hundreds (yes, really hundreds) of pickups. The best of the game are the helpful cameras, allways showing you where to go, and the texturization is not bad too; but Tomb Raider is not only that. Definitively not recommended; very tedious and boring." - Jose

"Luckily with the download now of this level, you don't have to rename anything and apart from then end when it crashed to my desktop, it is plain sailing. This three level game starts of in a jungle and there is a huge maze you have to master or else you cannot take the bike with you to get into the second level. I have to say that I hate mazes but keeping to the right all the time, it took me probably much longer than using the walkthrough, but I got there in the end. There are many pick-ups throughout the level; even the dogs will drop some stuff. The second level is in a house (of sorts) and a lot of doors I couldn't open. Sometimes it is rather gloomy but I found quite a lot of flares. Save before you use a lever as well as shoot things. They might hide a goody or some locust or wraiths. There is another door I couldn't open in the basement bit. The ending is rather abrupt. But all in all it is a nice adventure if you have spare time on your hands and don't forget, this level is an oldie." - Gerty

"After having read a few of the other reviews I went into this expecting a tough grind;but surprisingly I enjoyed it quite considerably.With the aid of the diagram in Harry's Walkthrough I negotiated the maze with comparative ease and thereafter everything was comparatively plain sailing;including numerous enemy attacks,plenty of door-opening puzzles,and a few jumping challenges - nothing too tricky,and the difficulty was pitched at just about the correct level. Enemies are plentiful indeed,but no match against the motorbike or the heavy ammo.Secrets are well hidden and rewarding;atmosphere is quite effectively spooky and tense,particularly in the second level;while cameras provide appropriate guidance. Textures and lighting are pretty much as good as you would expect from a level of this particular age,and there are signs of a considerable talent at work.IF you can tolerate the extensive and potentially confusing labyrinth,then the three-level series provides plenty of entertainment and suspense.The big let down was the absurd and horribly abrupt ending,which allowed for no reward for the player whatsoever.Nonetheless,this is one of those adventures which was somewhat underrated at the time;especially when you consider that it was one of the first custom multi-level series - and that surely deserves a degree of credit. 100 minutes of decent entertainment." - Orbit Dream

"Unfortunately Matthias' method hasn't worked for me so I had to play the two levels separately, but I don't think there was any major influence since there were no pickups necessary for level 2 (other than the countless goodies you pick up along the way of the first level). *LEVEL 1* (35 minutes, 5 secrets): the beginning of the area will look oddly familiar to you as most of us have played Harly's later outings, and I'm so glad that he only kept the best bits on those levels. I spent quite a long time on the maze as well which was really annoying, but keeping the wall on your right will guarantee you will come through all the levers, even if it takes you two or three runs, as you'll be looking for new openings as you find the switches. Not much else to say, you have to find the jumpswitches to raise some blocks in the water and reach the other side where the level ends. *LEVEL 2* (35 minutes, 2 secrets): Lara reaches an abandoned house, unfortunately gameplay here narrows down to simple lever pushing progression until you eventually slide into darkness from one of the rooms in the first floor. As other reviewers have stated, though, floor 2 and 3 remain with lots of closed doors, as well as the bike outside. I liked how the author used the Maria Doria textures to create the mansion, though, it gave it a fresh new old look. Total stats: 70 minutes, 7 secrets. 02/07" - Treeble

"I was just about to write how to play these two levels in one go when I saw that Matthias had done the same thing. His way was a little different than mine but it probably works just as good. Oh well... Level 1 (23 minutes; 2/2/3/4): When the level started I could barely see anything but when I had played for about fifteen seconds I realised that I was in the same place where I had started both 'FHsv' and 'The Lost Acropolis 1-3'. The only difference here is that the level is ten times darker. Actually a big part of this level has been reused in FHsv (what does that stand for anyway?) which to me was a big disappointment. Well at least this level explains the non-existent secret in FHsv... After a short while you find the motorcycle jump over a pit and then the level is completely destroyed. You have to leave your motorcycle and run into a gigantic labyrinth with a seemingly unlimited amount of dogs. It seems like there is a dog around every corner and the labyrinth is incredibly large. Well after about twenty minutes I finally found my way out of the labyrinth and could continue to the next level. If that level is anything like this one I'll have a nervous breakdown and you'll never get to read this review. Level 2 (18 minutes; 4/2/4/4): This level is fortunately better than the previous one (you thought you would get rid of me didn't you?) but it's still not that good. The level is even darker than the previous one but at least there's no labyrinth in this level. When you first get into the house it may look like one but every place you need to go to is on the lowest floor. This level isn't very confusing even though you have to run back and forth all the time which gets very annoying. Well at least there weren't any dogs in this level. All in all two not so good levels - they are too dark and too boring. I advice you to play The Lost Acropolis 1-3 instead - those three levels are much better (and I can't remember any labyrinth in them either even if there might have been a couple of dogs)." - Magnus

"The first level was nice except that horrible maze. It starts in a forest and in the same setting as a few other levels of Harly's and you need to raise some blocks for the bike to pass and reach the second level. That is not an easy task as there is a big maze with many corridors many dogs many jump switches not to mention you have to search for the block that lowered every time. That describes the first level I found six secrets. The second level was not good there is a kind of house with many doors that I couldn't open and again some levers and jump switches along with SAS guards locusts and wraiths. Oh and annoying bats. Basically you flip a switch open a door and so on until the level ends. One other bad thing about it apart from lucking puzzles was that I couldn't open the double iron doors. I had to use DOZY to pass it and to reach a balcony and enter the house. Weird thing is that as soon as I walked behind the gates a cut scene showed SAS guards coming and the door opening. I have the feeling that many of us didn't play it right because of the use of the original script files since the ones from the download were crashing the game. It would be nice if the author bothered to see into this problem and one terrible bug with the crossbow in another level of his not these two. I would say try it out but don't expect too much. I found three secrets in the second level and total time one and a half hour." - Kristina

"I had been putting this level off for later after reading about the huge maze with many dogs that you have to get through in the first level. The second level did turn out to be my favorite with the huge mansion to explore and it's dark and gloomy atmosphere. Gameplay consists mainly of finding and pulling switches and then finding the newly opened door but I had a great time because the house had so many of the textures used from my favorite TR game TR 2. There's even a stage with rooms off in the wings that include a dressing room. Enemies in the second level were easier though I admit there were times when I was being chased by an elemental bats and locusts all at the same time!" - RaiderGirl

"NewCity (5/6/8/8 40 min. 4 secrets found): A spooky jungle leading into a rocky cave is the really nice starting scenario here. You then press on through a canyon with the bike and this is where it all files because in order to pave your way to the exit you need to make a little detour into that maze. Countless dogs and lots of running make this very tedious - I was almost glad those dogs kept dropping pickups - gave me a few laughs while grumbling along with my right hand on the wall. City (6/7/8/7 45 min. 3 secrets found): Again the spooky forest and the view of the castle promise a lot which is then not kept as you enter the house after a short bike ride and find it rather bare and empty and I never opened any of those closed doors higher up. All the action happens on groundfloor or below. The darkness becomes a little too gloomy pickups and levers and switches a plenty and always an obvious next step or a helpful camera to make it real easy to proceed. SAS bats wraiths and locusts are your enemies." - Michael

"The first one of three level fascinates with the sultry atmosphere in jungle and mountains. Strange is the fog as if it would hardly be there. In puzzles Harly offered quite something although it was almost only about switches and jump-switches. The biggest part in the level however plays in a labyrinth which is really fantastic and has cost me a lot of nerves. There are some jump-switches to pull which release then again new entrances. Permanent running is here the rule. Although well done. As for opponents there are a lot of dogs SAS and bats. But there is a large amount health packs (I have used not one). Lara may also drive with the motorbike. In the second part Lara is in a building similar to a castle however the mixture of the textures was a little bit strange. This time there were not as many opponents. Again one had to search for switches to open various doors. Also here a pleasant atmosphere existed. Finally the third part was relatively short with a lot of shooting but without too much stress. Apparently it was the cellar of the building. Note: Part 3 is a part of the first level." - Xxenofex

"Really good levels these are and even if they are meant to be played together they are very different. And also unfortunately it is not possible to play both together with the given scripts. Newcity level: The start reminds of a lot of the starting parts of other Harly levels and only later becomes clearer that you are not playing another level of his. I found out how annoying dogs and bats can be and how tedious a big maze can be that took me probably at least an hour to complete cause it's so easy to loose orientation. The rest of the level was great but that maze somehow ruined it all for me. City level: This was a truly great level that took place in a spooky mansion that a bit reminded of Lara's home. There were also some weird things in this level like the clothes-line in a library bedrooms next to a pool a stage. But I liked the coloured vase puzzle and I actually didn't mind the stage cause it was made really nicely and this level had a great atmosphere overall. I would've rated the textures and lighting higher too but if it wouldn't be so damn dark in the second level. But it's well worth it and you can give it a try." - eTux

"First of all let me tell you that you can play this double feature in one go. You just have to use the revised script.dat and rename the city.tr4 to settomb.tr4 and then start afresh under New City. The other question is if you really want to cause gameplaywise this is immensely boring. The first part starts in Lost Acropolis style in a nicely textured outside area that leads you to a little pond and after a couple of climbs and a few jumps you reach the motorbike which takes you to the big maze (running over some SAS guards en passant). If you just keep to the right side of the wall you will eventually come to all the important rooms but it took me ages. Maybe I should have gone for the left side but what the smeg I hate mazes and this is one is extremely tedious. No matter how many dogs you can shoot along the way no matter what clever jump switch puzzles you stumble upon in between the maze remains a pain in the ass. The last threesome of switches raises some blocks in a pool so that you can exit with the bike. You arrive in the second part and if you have problems to get into the premises like Staticon you should simply ride the bike through the fence. If you thought the maze was boring brace yourself for a true ordeal once inside the house. Crowbar door lever door crowbar door jump switch door jump switch etc etc. Some bats to shoot in between and the occasional crawl to drag it out. Thankfully you get all the hints you need via cut scenes otherwise you would be running around for ages looking for the door that has opened. Well we have to be grateful for small mercies I guess. As already stated by the other reviewers the majority of the doors (around 20 or so) stay closed or remain inaccessible which is slightly confusing but nevertheless I was kinda relieved when it was over earlier than expected. It's a pity really that there isn't much in the way of gameplay cause the textures the lightning and the atmosphere are brilliant. The cellar of the house the garden the great hall it's all so very well done it seems like a total waste with a storyline that flimsy." - Dimpfelmoser

"I had trouble installing this double leveled game as the scripts included crashed it when I tried to play so I installed them both as separate levels and played them that way thankfully there were no key pick ups necessary to transfer from one to the other also this way you won't have the trouble that Kev (Staticon) had with the floating butts in the maze instead you will have trouble with the absolutely dozens upon dozens of dogs that you were meant to find. The first level is again the same beginning as a couple of Harly's other levels that then turns into the above mentioned confusingly huge maze with great use of levers but about 40 less dogs would have made it a little less stressful as each corner you turned seemed to bring some dog bounding up to you with barely any warning. The second level set in a large 3 storied house at night was really well designed and I was enjoying it quite a lot even though it was a little on the lever pull side when all of a sudden I slide down a slope and it ended leaving almost all but a handful of the doors in the house unopened. I'm still not sure if I missed somehow opening the doors or if that was the intention of the author but it seems that everyone else that has played it hasn't been able to open them either. I finished these levels in 95 minutes with similar time spent in both and 11 secrets found 6 in the first and 5 in the last. What I liked most was that they were both very different levels and that gave them a great diverse feel I just wish that I could have played them fully connected especially as there were so many pick ups in the first that I couldn't bring over but the pistols did their job with the small amount of enemies in the second." - Sash

"When I saw that this level had not been reviewed but had been around for nearly a year my curiosity was roused. The first problem I had was that the level would not work. It kept crashing back to desktop when I selected 'New Game'. This appeared to be a script problem so I created my own 'English.dat' and 'Script.dat' files and with only minor tweaking got the thing to work. The level is split into two parts. Part one is quite short. It appears to be set in a jungle to start with. It has a couple of battles with SAS men lots of bats plus a number of jumping puzzles and the motorcycle plays a fairly important if short part in completing the level. The main feature of this part is an immense underground maze which I thoroughly enjoyed as I sought switches and levers to open doors in various parts of the numerous corridors. Amusingly there are large quantities of Lara's buttocks floating in mid air throughout this level. Part two is set in a large house. Getting in is the first problem. This is where it all went downhill for me. I spent most of the evening running round this house and found loads of closed doors but no way could I find to open them. Maybe a walkthrough would be useful but I don't know if there is one. I even used the DOZY cheat but could still not progress any further. Maybe one of the hardened level players could finish it but not me. (Maybe I'll try again at a later date.) It was also a bit too dark here for my liking. Thanks to the DOZY cheat I had infinite flares. It's not a big download and if you like a good maze I can recommend the first part. Best of luck with part two though. If you need the Script.dat and English.dat files email me and I can send you the ones I used." - Staticon

"As the author's script did not work I have played these two levels separately. It is not very annoying because there are enough pickups to be found in both levels but please play the one based on Newcity first to respect the scenario. Newcity: it begins nicely in a dark forest and caves. You will have to kill a huge amount of bats and dogs and some SAS. After the beginning there are places you will recognize if you have played Fhsv. Then try to find your way in a frustrating and very well made maze to be able to go on with the sidecar. In this maze some simple and clever puzzles to solve to find the next room. I have seen no 'butt' here but many dogs which give you extra pickups. City: I found this level quite more interesting that the first one but I found the end leaving behind me many closed doors. The atmosphere and progression are good. There is a very good shooting puzzle with vases each colour of vase having a different meaning." - eRIC