Level reviews

"This level is really old, but it aged well. It was probably a masterpiece in 2002... 20 years later and with the advancements of tools, this is just a normal, but good level. I liked the level architecture and the reasonably non-linear gameplay. Some of the physical challenges are tricky (like not getting killed by the rolling boulders), the enemies are relatively tough. There's a bug: I could reach an area with missing textures by going down the fenced hole with the crane, don't save there. Conclusion: good even for modern standards, definitely still worth playing." - tuxraider

"I'm down to less than 10 pending levels from 2002 to wrap this raidlist, and as I keep trying to decide which one to tackle next I couldn't help but noticing how lenghty this one in particular seemed and at the very top of the walkthrough is a note about the non-linearity of this level. Keeping that in mind, I decided to embark on this journey fully guided by Dutchy and I am glad that I did, as you get a level split into two which will have you roaming not just back and forth, but also up and down, rather often. There were quite a few unique touches, such as how we flood a bathroom (I hope Lara burned those clothes afterwards) or how we have to launch a grenade through a slot into exploding barrels in the distance for some impressive fireworks. Despite the general non-linearity which isn't a trait I enjoy, the environments here were quite immersive thanks to the careful use of lighting and textures (even a couple of funny 'signs' to help you along). 80 minutes, 9 secrets. 07/20" - Treeble

"Here we have many mercenaries to shoot, secrets to uncover, and quite possibly the most dramatic explosion I've ever seen in a custom level. My main criticism is that there is no clear goal presented to the player. The walkthrough isn't joking when it says the gameplay is non-linear. The level is split into two parts, with many interconnected paths crossing between them. It can be easy to travel in a circle, wondering if you missed something. While I don't condone backtracking in a level, the good news is that thanks to the many different paths, once you're familiarized with the layout of the land it does not take long to get back to wherever you need to go. In other words, the non-linear nature of the level is smartly condensed so it is not too frustrating. Overall a very engaging adventure. 1 hour 15 minutes." - JesseG

"This definitely comes under the header of - golden oldie' as time has done little to dull the terrific atmosphere and enjoyable gameplay. The cut scene when Lara blows everything up is particularly spectacular. There are plenty of guards and dogs about, but firepower is generously provided. It's definitely not a linear level so you may be grateful for the walkthrough from time to time, but it's an experience not to be missed. What a crying shame that such a good builder - retired' after this level." - Jay

"This is MUCH better than I thought it will be, with every room I was more impressed with how clever it is. Of course it's an open-space map so you either have time for it or you don't... but if you do, you will love it. Totally recommended." - DJ Full

"An excellent level, very reminiscent of TR2. Even Lara's "aha!" remained. This is quite a broad level with many different ways to go but is fun to figure out. Highly recommendable." - Ryan

"Looking for something to play at the Team Gerty meet, I decided the best thing to do would be to play a level by one of the attendees (in case I got stuck and needed help). For some reason, this particular level seemed to be the obvious choice. Having never played a level by Mulf before, I had no idea what I was letting myself in for. It feels a shame to be playing this level in the age of TRNG, because when this was built, it surely must have been the pinnacle of TR custom levels. Now, it still looks great, but I can't help but wonder how good it would have been were it to be made in this day and age. The new effects and ability to create objects would certainly have made this one of the best levels on trle.net. Were I to have played this 4 or 5 years ago, I would have probably given all 10s. However, as you can see, this is unfortunately not the case. The opening area looks incredible, and there is not a badly textured square in sight. Somehow, Mulf has done the impossible and made a level look great without all of these hi-res textures. The atmosphere created in this level is also perfect, with a base being crafted perfectly around a massive chasm. However, it is the first two categories that suffer the most from being outdated. Gameplay was fun and straight-forward, with a few notable moments, such as flooding the bathroom and the whole explosion sequence. Technically, there is nothing wrong with the gameplay (except that there may have been a bit too much shooting for my liking), but there is definately something lacking. It is the same with the enemies, objects and secrets categories. Both enemies and secrets were fine, but objects occasionally look a bit too outdated by today's standards. However, these are just minor 'gripes' that I have. Were this level to be brought into the new-age of TRLE, then I would have no complaints whatsoever. In fact, I shall have to play Mulf's other level tomorrow, just to have something to actually complain about. 1 hour 30 mins, highly recommended, especially if you want to see what can be achieved without all of these new fancy gimmicks." - Cory

"This level will be complex and difficult to play, 'cause it's very no-lineal and it's easy to find dead ends. Aspect is very professional, very well builded with great architecture and atmosphere. Lots of areas to explore, lots of guards and dogs to shoot but lots of guns and ammo too; many pickups. Secrets not much difficult to find, hopefully I found the grenade launcher to shoot the barrel near the end and finish the levels. Perfect cameras and flybies, well worked lights and very well textured envolving yourself in an fantastic and very real environment. Better play it with the excelent walkthrough from Dutchy in hand to avoid the backtracking 'cause even so it's very long and you'll need to jump between levels several times. Good work." - Jose

"This was another very good level from this builder. The sound effects and music were perfect and the atmosphere was very well done. The area was very fun to explore, and the combat added excitement without being overdone. My only problem with this level is that the grenade launcher is required to win (unless I am mistaken) and in order to get to it, it is necessary to perform one of the tricks exploiting the engine to get into a crawlspace that is not at ground-level. Other than that annoyance, the level was a joy to wander around and discover where to go and what to do. I especially enjoyed the couple of signs on the walls which blatantly lied to me about where to go. That was quite amusing. The cutscene near the end of the level was spectacular (I ended up loading several times to watch it over again). I am looking forward to the next part of this series." - Ward Dragon

"This was among some of the first levels I've tried when I discovered trle.net, but alas I couldn't finish it as it was too hard for a novice raider like myself. 3 years or so later, I gave this another try and was amazed by what I had missed out on so long ago. Here's a wonderful two-parter with clever, challenging, inventive gameplay in a wonderful setting of a mountain base around a huge chasm which kind of serves as a hub to travel through the level, as you need to go through the top, middle, and bottom of the chasm to be able to complete the level. As such, this is built in a non-linear fashion, so it is important to explore every nook and cranny here. Some things I enjoyed here were the various spikeball moments, the collapsible floor jumping, and I've also liked having to break some toilets to flood an area to progress further into the level. I have to say though that at times the amount of enemies you face may be a bit too much, but the author provides ample weaponry and medipacks to keep you sustained throughout the level. The big bang and the melting of the pit was quite an amazing scene, but I was kind of sad when the level had ended after jumping into the water. Hopefully, part 2 will be coming along soon. Until then, I highly recommend this level." - Relic Hunter

"This is not a liniar level, so you have more aproaches in order to finish it. You begin your exploring on the edge of a white chasm and you have to make your way to the base camp.The suggestion of cold and snowy weather was very realistic (a plus for the textures and atmoshere). The puzzles were hard, as you have to make your way up and down and this can be confusing. Great the puzzle were you have to fire at the plumbing in order to flood a room.The enemies (SAS guards) became at some point boring,as you have to fight quite a lot of them in the camp.But per total, this is a very well structured and very complex level that will capture your atention the minute you start playing it (there is MUCH exploring to do)." - dya1403

"I played this level right after i had played the author's previous "artifact of heroic manliness". it is amazing to see how far the author has come with this level, compared to his previous one. this is probably one of the best and most well designed levels i have ever played. The gameplay is incredibly creative, and although the constant backtracking and level jumping gets very tedious (and one can easily get lost) the author makes incredible use of effective traps and hiding the three most important objects (gurads keys, crowbar, fuse) incredibly well. when it comes to the traps i dont think i have ever played a level where rolling balls are placed so perfectly. the adrenaline one is filled with when they slowly start rolling towards one in the flat long corridors is truly brilliant. Mulf went into really immense creativity with this and i commend him for it. also, the spike pits that are set up in such a way as stagalcmites and stagalctites are really creative, and i wish he had included this sort of setup more often... yet i guess the fact that they appeared only once makes them more special. the rolling balls were great.. although the fact that he chose the spikey ones from tut1 is beyond me, because they do look rather out of place in a base camp... yet, they were still fun. once again, he is perfect at placing enemies, objects and secrets. he places so many enemies everywhere, and at the same time is selective with the health packs. this way, combat in tomb raider actually becomes a challenge! ususally it is quite easy to shoot one or two enemies at a time and use health packs, yet mulf adds so many enemies to his environment that FINALLY the enemy aspect in a level is actually challenging. he also places tonnes of ammo everywhere, which is great; especially uzi ammo, which gets used up quite quickly, so his generosity with this adds to the fun. the atmostphere is great as always... everything has a very dark and cold feeling to it, and really makes me think i am playing an official tomb raider level from russia tr5 or tr2 gold. it's very rare that a creator acctually manages to make me feel that i'm playing a real tomb raider level as opposed to a custom level. the audio tracks are also great, and thankfully not overused. i especially loved the jeep chase track that starts to play when a big gun fight is about to start. the final flyby sequence when the big explosion happens is also done wonderfully, and the matching sinister audio track adds to the dark yet humorous "lovecraftian" nature that these levels are based upon. the textures are also placed and used perfectly, and really enhance the environment. he also places the objects great with the textures in order to create beautiful organic and realistic rooms. all in all, running through the mountains of heroic maddness was a really amazing experince, and although very difficult at times, it really was a worthwile and memorable level. i really look foreward to where he is taking these levels in the continuation he is working on now. well done mulfy!!!" - Sethian

"What a wonderful level this is. I knew already in the beginning of the level that this is something really good. The environment containing many nice inside areas, big outside areas and snowy mountains looks brilliant. Atmosphere, puzzles, objects and almost everything is excellent. I don't have much else to say about this level because everything is done really well. I recommend this for everyone." - Samu

"It was great to enter such a lovely artic adventure as this one. You start your journey by a very deep chasm, and your objective here is find your way through the base camp in search of the guard keys, the yellow fuse and the two artefacts, 'the seals of the old ones'. But along your way you will meet many obstacles and traps like, collapsible tiles, boulders, swimming by some deadly fans, avoiding electrified waters, dodging those sentry guns and many enemies, like SAS men and dogs that will try to block your path, in stopping you in achieving your mission here. There are many ways to proceed through this adventure though, and it does get somewhat confusing at times, but if you may have overlooked something, like I did, this does help you, if you have missed doing something or forgot to pick up an important item to help you proceed, by doing some backtracking. So the backtracking during this journey, was quite helpful in this sense, which I did a fair amount of, as I got to a point and I could go no further, and had to back-track to find the guard keys which I missed earlier on. All in all, this was an excellent adventure, it was most thrilling and extremely exciting as you made your way along the chasm and finding your way through these very interesting rooms, to finally reach and blast some barrels, which will succumb you to a huge and most impressive explosion which will take place, so you can finally leave and complete your mission in this cold artic adventure. The textures, layouts, lighting was superbly done, everything was perfectly placed and well thought out, which gave you an nice feel and a great atmosphere throughout your journey, game-play was excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed playing this one. Thanks Mulf for a great adventure, with some nice and interesting touches, my favourite being, flooding an area by shooting the toilets and seeing that explosion by blasting those barrels, excellent stuff. 26/02/05" - Gill

"This is a truly amazing level with a very profession touch to both the look and gameplay. Lara infiltrates an Antarctic base two get two artifacts. The level is spilt in two but plays like one seamless level. There are some amazing effects in this level especially the explosion. But the main reason I liked this level is its non-linear gameplay and total lack of really frustrating puzzle and traps. I'm not saying it's easy you will get lost in this mountain but it doesn't have those annoying bits where you have to keep trying trying to get pass. This is a major achievement I can't wait to play the sequel." - LePerk

"I like non linear levels such as this and Astrodelica 3. Once you get over the initial 'hmm where shall I start?' and just go for it the level opens up so that in the end you can go anywhere. I had to go back for the grenade launcher which I found strange as you cannot finish without it and it is a secret (in his review Dimpfelmoser says he will go back for it later. How can you finish without it Dimp?). I got seven secrets which were not too hard but it's always satisfying to hear that bell noise. The enemies were well placed too as in Manliness and still had that 'Omigod here we go again' element of surprise. The overall realistic and industrial atmosphere was superb. Not too dark this time with some unusual inclusions like the crane and the fuses. All in all a great level and a suitable progression from Manliness." - Jez

"I loved this two-part level! The thing that sticks out most in my mind was the return of Lara's sexy 'aha!' from TR2 but the Arctic environs from TR3 brought back fond memories as well. Again I could not have navigated this challenging course for very long had it not been for Dutchy's much-needed walkthrough. The gaming experience was every bit as enjoyable as anything I've encountered in all the commercial releases and I hope that Mulf releases his promised sequel soon. Madness and Manliness have little in common but rarely have I had as good a time playing any two levels back to back. Many reviewers have raved about the climactic and explosive cut scene near the end of Madness which puts an emphatic exclamation point on Lara's treks across arctic landscapes and through labyrinthine tunnels and caves. I won't go into the specifics of what you'll find here. All I can say is if you haven't downloaded and played this level by now (9/03) you owe it to yourself to do so immediately." - Phil

"I've just finished this game and I stayed there open mouthed for a little while. I had read the end was surprising and it was - unless I had to use the seals and I didn't. Did I have to? Well I did finish the level and the ending puzzled me as much as the rest of the game. But then I remembered this level is supposed to be continued - well that leaves me more at ease. And happier too for this level despite its puzzling nature which makes it quite difficult at times goes directly to my top five. First the atmosphere was perfect I loved the snow and all those rusty structures! Second Mulf certainly must have had a lot of work to think it in a first stance to build it in a second. Should I say I got stuck about a hundred times? I guess everybody must have gotten too. Right at the beginning I had a hard time finding my way up to the place with the machine guns without sliding down to my death. I could have given up - but most fortunately I was patient. Then there was a time when I managed to go all the way down to that rusty structure close to the warehouse and there were no textures inside there was an entrance without textures a little up above there were catwalks I would fall through and a ladder that wouldn't work and I couldn't even get back up. Later when I got there the right way it all worked fine. So there's this thing about Mulf's not very linear games - he lets you get to places before you should but the only way you can find some use for those places is if you've done the right tasks previously. In fact this must be the most complicated custom level - it certainly is one of the most complicated - I've played and it's still so good! I can't even start to say how you should or shouldn't play this great solid beautiful and so very well imagined game. And maybe I shouldn't. You really should find your way around for yourselves. And enjoy your achievements. Don't be discouraged if you feel like you can't find your way to anywhere and you just don't get it during the first part. Eventually you will and it will pay off - a lot! There were a lot of baddies (but they made sense) that made a dying sound as in TR2 and their dogs and they usually left things as in TR2 - I liked that. I also liked Lara's "ah-ahs" which you won't find in most games. And I loved the final explosion and its result (that's all I'm saying about it!). As much as in the end and after pulling out a lot of my hair I loved the exploring. This game is unforgettable and you should definitely give it a try." - Jorge22

"The level begins under a wonderful starry sky and near a deep pit. You can explore the upper part of the scene or rather go directly to the second level to keep your search of the two seals of the 'First Ones'. The graphics are perfect and the gameplay is almost 10 but in some places is very confusing with all those changes of level (very well done). There's only one fault: the enemies. Only soldiers and dogs. I got 10 secrets (I know there are only 9 but I entered twice in a secret area after changing of level...) all of them quite easy to find. I'm waiting for the rest of the levels to play them; and as I wait I'm reading 'At the mountains of Madness' to keep the thrill. I love it...." - Loupar

"What a tour de force. I must say I like this better than Mulf's first level as it is nothing but brilliant in terms of the overall architecture the texturing and lighting and the little added details give it feel of realism which is quite unique. You start out in front of a deep Arctic pit at night and have many options to get started your very non-linear adventure as there are several levels to explore. And exploring it is mainly as you search warehouse areas evade spiked snowballs and deathly fans underwater pull a lot of levers to open a lot of doors move a few blocks around to get those crucial items you need - the crowbar the fuse the keys and eventually the two hands (Seals of the Old Ones) which are your prize as you take them with you the end. Lots of weapons to find too (many shotguns and Uzi around and desert eagle and grenade gun come as 2 of the 9 secrets). I did get a tad bit frustrated at times because I simply had no clue what to do and where to go next but at those occasions the forum thread helped so I made it through in a little under two hours of net gaming time. The most remarkable moments probably being the rather unique (though logical) way to flood a room the scene where the crate crashes down from the crane and of course the fabulous and dramatic ending flyby which you will simply have to see to believe. Gameplay wise the room with the collapsible tiles was fun and clever and I wish more authors would be so considerate and put up signs that say 'Wrong Way Go Back' - LOL - not that it helped much though. In any case - one not to be missed and I sure hope the third part that has been talked about will be coming along shortly." - Michael

"Of course I could not possibly miss those two levels by Mulf ;-) They remind me strongly of TombRaider 2. Lara starts in a snowy environment and Mulf had put a lot of effort into it and designed these levels with much care. As my Lara switched back and forth between the levels it took some time to get oriented. Puzzles were well thought out enemies appeared suitably as did the sound. The atmosphere is ingenious. I did especially like the camera at the end where you could nicely see what all changed. Found only five secrets but did get the grenade gun as my Lara was smart ;-) Lara also finds two stars to carry along. Well then Mulf carry on building - looking forward to the next part." - Engelchen Lara

"Well Mulf's magnificent 'Lost Artifact of Heroic Manliness' was always going to be a hard act to follow but I can't help thinking he rather lost his way with this level as did I several times whilst playing it! In common with 'Heroic Manliness' this is a large expansive level which becomes increasingly interconnected as you progress. Unlike it's predecessor however there doesn't seem to be any real 'flow' to the level and with the area so large it can become tedious having to trawl from one end of the level to the other in search of the next point of progression. Visually the level is not too interesting reminiscent of the 'Fools Gold' level of 'Golden Mask' a lot of snow and ice and some industrial textures. Attractive enough but nothing really to take your breath away. There are some nice touches - the bathroom puzzle for example - but in general the level didn't really 'grab' me. I only found eight of the nine secrets despite a good deal of back-tracking in search of the final one. In any case the secrets aren't really so inspired again in stark contrast to 'Heroic Manliness' where it really is worth searching out every one. I'm probably being rather unfair on this level - I certainly enjoyed playing it well enough and at least it avoids many of the irritating pitfalls of some other levels. Probably I was just expecting too much based on Mulf's previous form but I have to admit I found 'Mountains of Heroic Madness' something of a disappointment." - Tune Razor

"Very interesting and different levels of Tomb Raider and very good for playing and spending time in front of 'hot' monitor in cold days:)) Very good atmosphere and excellent camera (flyby) with some new elements for excellent atmosphere and all what you need from one of a good Tomb level. I really enjoyed when play snow levels by Mulf. Congratulations!" - Ivan

"I see why the word 'madness' is in the title of this level - you will go mad running around trying to figure out what to do next and what each switch actually does as most of them don't have any helpful camera work. The level itself - the atmosphere the textures the environment - everything is so brilliant that you almost don't mind how confusing everything is - almost. You start out at the top of a deep ice chasm and by the end - after run ins with guards and German shepherds giant underwater fans countless hallways and offices to run through some spiked snowballs and collapsible tiles - you'll end up at the bottom of the chasm which hopefully leads to what will be the next level in the series (though I'd like to see brighter rooms and more camera work in the next level). I only found seven of the nine secrets along with many pickups and my time at the end said 2.5 hours but I actually spent all day and had to ask for help twice (thanks dimpfelmoser and Momster!). Don't miss all the cool things like the beautiful starry sky the pictures of snow scenes on the walls of the offices the funny signs ('there's nothing down there' and 'Wrong way - Go back') the shootable walls and magnificent flyby after shooting a barrel." - RaiderGirl

"This is a nice snowy outing for Lara. The snow textures are very nice and I had to put a warm coat on whilst playing 'cause it made me feel a little cold. Nice rusty metal effects - I love that sort of thing. There was a part where you had to shoot the plumbing in the toilets to flood the level - excellent work. There is a good bit where the boulders chase you to enable the ice to be broken. Finally there is a great cut scene at the end showing the ice melting. Well worth a download." - DougE

"Again a typical example for a custom level where you only find out after playing a while how good it is. In the beginning there are a lot of possibilities how to start in the game it's the players decision which way he chooses. It's also possible to go immediately in the second level to start the mission. After a while you will find always more ways to proceed while changing often between the two levels. I disliked the lots of guards and dogs for me it was too much shooting in the first hour so I stopped playing the level. On the next day I changed my mind and continued playing and once all enemies were killed I began loving this level. It's brilliant. The scenery is very complex and until the end it fits all together very well. The atmosphere is very realistic especially in the outside areas the puzzles very good with some new ideas and the graphical design is awesome. The sound are cool I liked the sounds of the dying enemies and the well known 'aha' from Lara. Nobody should miss the big explosion at the end of this stunning game. All in all except for the enemies a very well designed game recommended!" - Freeman Porter

"Most confusing and complex. This level is open to explore in every corner even the second part of it from the beginning but I believe that is a disadvantage. There are no clues or hints or I couldn't see them so I was there for hours desperate trying to go further. One step in half an hour isn't my way of fun and with a lot of help from fellow raiders. One place was accessible before its time since it was the second part but if you made the mistake and go down there you were trapped also getting to the bottom of it you could see the missing textures from that rusty thing in the middle. Speaking of textures there were little parts through out the level that had little pieces of another set. An icy area is what you will see here with rooms filled with crates and guards as well as dogs. Two stars that are named seals are the items needed for a level to come but not needed to finish the level although if you don't access the room with one of them you can't finish as there is an action necessary to reach the end. In many occasions the player has to chatter the ice to access an area. Not much else to say an underwater lever between fans was difficult but in general it's a little boring to play an entire level going from the bottom to the top to the middle and back again without much to gain. It does deserve your attention though if nothing else because of the different game play it has and if you do like that kind of challenge be sure to play it. " - Kristina

"I have mixed feelings about this level. On one hand it just oozes atmosphere. The reality factor is amazing and great sounds good lighting. And gameplay for the most part is very entertaining but I must say that in the later stages of the game it became very confusing as more areas were opened up and there were so many ways to interact between areas. I am sure Mulf thought this to be a good thing but I'm not so sure it was. You certainly could not get 'stuck' but you could get very disoriented. I also thought the guards and dogs became a bit tedious after a while but all in all I enjoyed my 3 hours and found 6 of the secrets." - Momster

"Really good gameplay put toghether very smartly. You start in a small outdoor winter area and as you move along the whole big base opens up and you can always return to where you have been before. A lot of enemies - SAS men and dogs - well placed and almost always dropping something when they die with a moaning. This level reminds me of the original ones - realistic and with a good storyline - which is to end in the following levels." - G.Croft

"A masterpiece! Lara begins in the snow (my Lara loves snow). She explores a mine. Task is it to find with two stars the level exit. Which naturally is not so simple. She jumps between the levels back and forth but one never loses the overview. The mysteries were well thought out whereby one must find a safety device (yellow fuse) and a key. Besides that there are still another few switch to operate. My Lara thought the snowballs were great. The diagram was simply ingenious whereby the textures were processed very cleanly. There were some cameras thus I searched in nearly all important places that did not have one. Stretching the atmosphere especially the one camera sequence was great where there was a smaller explosion. Superbly designed. Opponents were mainly SAS and shepherd dogs. Many sometimes but enough ammo available. Nine Secrets were not so easily found. The most I had to think about the grenade gun. In any case one to play. Big praise to the level designer!" - Navi

"This level starts somewhere outside in the middle of winter and you have to find your way into a base camp that is being taken over by mercenaries. Main goal is to get two Seals of the Old One (Hands of Sirius). First you have to get into the building dodging fire from a sentry gun and without letting Lara fall to her death in the abyss. And if that is not enough there is tricky jumping to do to open a door into the camp. Once inside I loved the sound that machine made. In the building there will be levers to find that will open doors so that eventually the whole level opens up. This is something that not many builders do. As Mulf wrote in his readme file there will be 9 secrets to find and knowing him some of them are very hard to find. Most of the secrets are very handy to have though and even one that has a move one hardly ever makes. You will find enough ammo and medpacks and the enemies are SAS men and dogs all very well places. At the end there is an enormous explosion and later a dive that had me reloading a few times as I liked it very much. You end swimming towards the next level so maybe it is wise to keep a saved game just in case. Found 5 secrets so far. 01-10-2002" - Gerty

"As the PR campaign for this eagerly awaited second level from Mulf started in February and since the Heroic Artifact is one of my favourites expectations were rather high here at Dimpfel-acres. The forlorn base set in some remote mountain range is a marvelous scenario and due to impeccable texturing and lighting the atmosphere is simply breathtaking. You start under the starry night sky and have to find your way into the huts. As this is a non linear level there are different ways to proceed and although the interacting areas might be confusing at times if you observe carefully you will eventually get to all the important places. As you push more and more levers the whole area opens up more areas become accessible and you can move back and forth as you please. The room with collapsing tiles spiked boulders and the big slicing device was positively thrilling and swimming past all those turbines in the underwater area was really scary yet in between there is quite a bit of uneventful lever pushing and the SAS guards and German shepherds you get as enemies might be suitable for the arctic base setting and they are generally placed well but after a while the frequent battles lose a bit of their initial excitement. There are some really neat and inventive ideas and lots of nasty surprises along the way but the two hands were placed rather listlessly the sentry guns never pose a serious threat and I think more could have been made with the pushable blocks. Flybys and cut scenes are used to maximum effect and at the end you even get a chance to do the swan dive but all things considered I liked Mulf's debut better. The secrets are a class of their own and apparently you have to perform a special move to get to the grenade launcher so as soon as I've submitted this review I will go back there to see if I can do it. Did you get it?" - Dimpfelmoser