Levels listed...
TR5 - 33
TR4 - 3180
TR3 - 179
TR2 - 138
TR1 - 65
73449 reviews (20.4/level)
3585 (99.7%) walkthroughs
454 Hall of Fame levels
1252 levels rated >= 8
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release date: |
22-Dec-2002 |
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# of downloads: |
153 |
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average rating: |
9.08 |
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review count: |
28 |
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review this level |
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file size: |
40.20 MB |
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file type: |
TR4 |
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class: |
Cave/Cat |
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Reviewer's comments |
"This level is certainly an improvement if compared to the previous release of the author.
Although gameplay is heavily focused on finding plenty of switches and keys, I found it
still enjoyable due to good platforming tasks and non-linear structure of the level, which
tests your memory and makes navigating the level a puzzle in itself. Most of the gameplay
takes place within a one massive area that is visually memorable and very nicely
constructed. I also liked the puzzle where you have to align pushable blocks to create a
water flow to an adjacent room. I found this very creative, and as far as I remember, I
haven't seen a similar idea in any other custom level. Few things that are quite unfair
for the player in my opinion include: 1) spikes that pop out unexpectedly from floors that
are not marked in any specific way and 2) push blocks that perfectly blend into the
surrounding walls. Even though I enjoyed the exploration in general, if you miss an item
or a switch, it can be frustrating to figure out what you have missed since you have a
constant access to a very large area. I also found a shortcut which allows you to skip few
sections of the level (you are supposed to find a key and activate some switches to reach
the bridges on top of the central area. However, you can get to these bridges simply by
jumping there from the highest tower.). All in all, this was a very enjoyable level, and
it is for sure worth playing." - Samu (15-Oct-2023) |
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"If this is not a hall of fame trle when what is...This game is all about the 2nd level with a beautiful flyby kicking in..Maybe exploring vastly or no action gameplay is not your taste but really when u play North America levels what are u expecting..This massive level where u dont know where to go, what to find , when it ends it absorbs you so much that it will stuck in your head forever..There are so many tasks to do without knowing what is the right order that it could be tiring, i get it..But still searching around without walkthrough is quite a challenge..
My only complain here is that u can end the game without finding the key items or using them..For example i finished the game without using the torch or without using a key in the top of a big ladder cause i could find my way with different routes..so i wasnt sure if the game will progress or my game crush..
In such NA levels be aware for moving boulders (tip) although i was flaring every wall still missed a few..
Hope builder is safe and make new games" - Petaludas (03-Jul-2021) |
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"As with the first installment in this series, I don't think I have what it takes to finish this adventure on my own, but thanks to the amazing community surrounding us, we always have a walkthrough to resort to. And this is one in particular that hit all the right spots when it comes down to nostalgia, its place in the Hall of Fame is definitely justified and is one that everyone should play - whether they chose for the guided tour or not. The envinronments are massive and the short introductory level has a few throwbacks to Vilcabamba which was quite nice, but it twists and turns into something different entirely, with a series of massive chambers as you quest for a handful of different keys. I particularly quite liked the pushblock puzzle in which we have to make a canal so that water pours on the other end, and I have to admit that the torch segment left me a bit uneasy as we have to throw it in a hole and then take the scenic route to get down to where it fell. In that sense, you can expect a lot of backtracking as you proceed, which is why I believe following the walkthrough is in your best interests. Visually it might not look as pretty as most other releases as it relies mostly on TR1 Peru textures, but it does so perfectly well. 100 minutes, 6 secrets. 08/20" - Treeble (03-Aug-2020) |
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"It's good, when playing such old (largely unmemorable) levels, to get the occasional welcome reminder of just what could be accomplished with the basic level editor when employed by a builder with real talent. One can only wonder why he produced two such good levels and then stopped. Such a pity. Anyway, in the concluding part of the Peru adventure, he has excelled himself with the surroundings – vast, imposing and brimming with atmosphere. It can be confusing at times and you may want to dip into the walkthrough, as I did, but with a little helping hand from time to time this is a highly enjoyable outing for players with a bit of experience. Not too challenging, but most definitely not for the newbie. Highly recommended." - Jay (11-May-2020) |
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"Our adventures in Peru continue and Lara
manages to retrieve the Scion... at the
very beginning of the game! This must
surely be one of the longest levels I've
ever played, certainly from the early
years of the editor. Not so much in the
prelude-like first section, but the second
section is absolutely massive. It's also
very non-linear and can take you a while
to figure out where to go. Once you manage
to get into the flow of things (either by
being very observant or utilising the
walkthrough), things do progress more
smoothly but no less easily. There are
plenty of traps, jumps and tricky puzzles,
plus plenty of exploration segments. It is
a testament to the builder that he was
able to construct this huge level without
allowing the player to become permanent
stuck with no hope of return and that must
have been no mean feat. Setting-wise, it's
pretty much flawless. The areas are
beautifully textured and lit and the
atmosphere and the atmosphere is well up
to standard. Highly recommended, but maybe
not for those who are intimidated by
large, non-linear levels. Do give it a go,
though - it's worth it." - Ryan (30-Jun-2018) |
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"And so i got to play the next part of Qualopec's Curse.
The first level was good and enjoyable but i can sadly not say the same thing about the second chapter even though i wanted to like it.
It all begins in City Of Vilcabamba with the famous 3 room area but the tasks are completely different here as well and the rooms are not the same as in TR1 after the first one you are in. You will mostly deal with skeletons along the way like in the first part in the series and are put so they can deal a lot of damage to you. Then i came to the second part of the level and i have some mixed feelings about it, the architecture is mindblowingly good and the place is huge with a nice flyby showing you the whole area and it is nothing short of a masterpiece when it comes to the design. Now comes my gripe though and that is the gameplay which mostly consists of pulling levers that you can find all over the place and it got tedious as i got lost so many times not knowing where to go next as there were way too few camera hints, if only there would have been more camera hints then i would have enjoyed this part of the level very much, as it stands now it's sadly a frustrating experience for me. Still if you are an explorer and use the walkthrough when you get stuck then it will be much more enjoyable. The game froze for me several times but mostly after climbing the ladder to the last room which meant that i had to use the rope across the room and swing to the left statue to get up there and it takes such a long time to get to that rope from where i was. It may not be the builder's fault that the game crashed there though. it all ends with you putting the Scion back where it belongs. Only recommended if you have the walkthrough nearby while playing because it is one hell of a level and i was amazed by the whole architecture and story aspect of the game. Hard to rate this level as i loved some aspects of this level a lot." - totizedger (25-Aug-2017) |
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"This is a little awkward for me to review as I played 95% of
it several months ago, but encountered a bug that crashed
the game on a certain tile and made it impossible to
progress with nothing I tried helping. However, I recently
decided to give it one more chance with some new glitches
I've picked up, and a hero glitch got me around the
offending tile while skipping nothing else. So my memories
are mostly based on various screenshots I have and the
walkthrough (along with looking around a little while I was
finishing up).
This is a two-level set, after a nice intro with some
surreal settings you enter the level proper. The first level
is more like an intro; there's some exploration, traps and
jumping tasks but it's nothing compared to what's in store
in the second level.
The second level is unbelievably immense; quite possibly one
of the largest TR levels ever made. This comes with an
inevitable increase in complexity, and the difficulty level
stays high throughout with tricky tasks all over the place,
and working out where exactly to start is an ordeal in
itself. It's quite easy to miss something small and
encounter big problems later (hint: finish the block puzzle
in the central temple as soon as you can do so to save a lot
of trouble later on). This isn't helped by a few near-
invisible push-blocks, or the fact it's not too hard to
enter the final area early, and some trial-and-error (like
completely unmarked spike-traps). Despite these arguable
overcomplexity problems the flip-side of that is how
brilliantly worked out it is; almost every part of the area
is used and everything has had its place in solving the
level worked out.
The pack makes great use of Peru textures, the first level
is very solid but the second level's epic scale takes it to
another level, and is one of the best uses of the texture-
set around, along with great lighting and overall detail and
object use; pretty much no part of the level feels
neglected. As I mentioned I had a critical crash bug, but it
seems I was one of the only people that had it, and no-one
else seemed to have it to the degree I did, so I'll let it
pass as a one-off issue. Very recommended, although not for
those uninterested in extreme exploration." - Mman (25-Jan-2011) |
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"Here we have a set of two levels with a professional design. Both levels are very well builded, with all kind of details, puzzles and a lot of work behind. First level was good; short with no much backtracking and certain hidden areas you must discover. Second level is very very no-lineal, with one of the most excessive huge area I've seen in all my life in custom levels (I've played thousands of levels); it's a great effort, but I think it's not a good gameplay for most players. Only for people who have a lot of time to spend and like to explore a lot. Excessive for my taste. Many times I missed cameras to show what I was triggering, another times you find dead ends and have to explore again hundreds of square kilometers to find the items you need to continue playing. Not for my taste. Even so we all have to recognize the big work from this expert builder. Only for players who like a lot the exploration. Much better reading the walkthrough, guys." - Jose (23-Nov-2010) |
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"What a fantastic level!!! Even with its old, outdated textures the author has produced some eye candy here. There are beautiful floating temples, incredibly complicated and nonlinear buildings (just the way I like them), and some familiar places from TR1. This set of two levels captures the TR1 feel PERFECTLY. There are brilliant puzzles here, but not much fighting, except for annoying skeletons. The second level especially is quite innovative, particularly the water tunnel that Lara must "construct" to flood another room. There are complaints, however, and some of them are big. My 2 biggest complaints are in the second level and involve gameplay: first of all, this second level has so many things to do everywhere, and if you miss just one, you'll come to a dead end, and run like a chicken with your head cut off until you eventually stumble upon some other task, where you'll just as likely miss something there too. This level is like a bunch of independent tasks that don't really "gel" together into a level until you're almost done. Also, the second level suffers from what I call "Aldwych syndrome"- there is a huge, beautiful area for you to explore, but absolutely NO indication of where or how to start. For these reasons, a walkthrough is almost necessary. The first level is short but sweet, with no particularly challenging tasks. My third complaint applies to both levels: it is hard to distinguish between climbable walls and normal walls!!! And the waterfall in the second level and the crawlspace in the first level are hidden too well..... My final complaint is the waterfall sounds, which are screwed up and very annoying. Anyway, despite all my angry rambling, Qualopec's Curse 2 is a levelset that you should not miss out on. It may be an oldie, but it's absolutely a goodie. I hope the author allows us to experience his brilliance at least once more in the future." - okuhtfesq (11-Apr-2010) |
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"The fist level was good, but this follow up is amazing! The flyby in the opening to level three is absolutely awesome and beautiful and shows a HUGE watery cave/Peruvian temple enviorment that promises hours of exploration and adventure. This is a classic custom level in TR1 style, and one of my favourite levels. BEAUTIFUL!" - Thorir (02-Jul-2006) |
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"Looking through the top 50 levels, this one appeared to catch my eye with its nice TR1 feel, so I was obliged to boot it up, and I won't regret it. The adventure begins in a linear, opening level, The Second Chance. As you enter, you are greeted to a moment of deja vu - the attack of the wolves, and the three stone doors of Vilcabamba. Now you might ask yourself what's so special about it, since you'd think this is just another remake of that level. You're quite wrong there if you're thinking that though. As you find the first switch to open the first door, you'll slide down into a room that looks like Lara's trophy room, with the Scion on its pedestal. 'Huh? What the heck's going on?' you might think, but after taking the artifact you recovered ages ago, the game starts progressing like normal. Anyway, now that I've set the scene, now it's time to go over this double level - It's wonderful! Being a fan of TR1's Peru levels, I've enjoyed every bit that this level had to offer, from the simple linearity of The Second Chance, to the massive, sprawling expanses of The Forge of Scion. There was great action involved everywhere - Jumping, climbing, with a wonderful mix of puzzles! For example, I liked the push puzzle in the second level, where you had to push blocks with holes in front of a small leak in the wall, so the water goes through the holes in the blocks you're using, which eventually floods a room you'll be visiting later. The environments that Lara explores are very well made too, such as the big waterfall cavern in The Second Chance, and of course, the large valley in The Forge of Scion. However, some of my excitement was spoiled near the end, in that large, dark room with unmarked spike traps. I did like the atmosphere the room intially set, as you light a wall torch, which illuminates the room with flames to reveal some transparent blocks, but once you get down there, you could be skeptical about the moves you make, since you don't know where the spikes are set. Also, this area will be hard to overcome with a skeleton that you can't get rid of unless you get the Grenade Gun secret. Nethertheless, this level is quite spectacular, except for that small aforementioned part. If you were looking for about two hours of exploring a TR1-ish environment, stop looking - This is what you're looking for." - Relic Hunter (15-Feb-2006) |
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"This is a classic in ways but... so very difficult! Not the first chapter A second Chance which is more closely related to A Bad Dream and even has a part near the beginning where you visit Lara's trophy room before going back to Qualopec's temples (I liked that). I mean the second part The Forge of Scion which must be one of the most complex labyrinths - what else can I call it? - I've had the pleasure of seeing in a custom game. Maybe I should have followed the walkthrough (as a matter of fact there are two) and I wouldn't have missed the grenade gun which would have come in handy for the dreaded skeletons which can become a major nuisance at times. But I can tell I must have missed a lot... A gate by a skeleton near the start which I never opened. A switch behind a red metal structure after flooding a room with serpent statues and the underwater lever in a room below that never became flooded plus a door there that I never opened. Another place nearby with an invisible wall meaning it wasn't time to go there yet or perhaps one should arrive there from the other side. Several gates in the room before the torch which remained stubbornly closed. Another underwater gate in the lake below. And I never used the old steel key. The list is endless... By I still managed to end the level by swinging in the rope behind the waterfall and managing to jump across it without falling to my death - from the looks of it I still wonder if I haven't "cheated" somehow and if that place wasn't supposed to have been flooded but frankly I don't know. From everything else I've played though I can tell you this is a huge adventure a very complex and challenging one coupled with perfect textures in an awesome classic Tomb Raider environment. I liked the joke sign with the smiley and the graffiti signed by some well known builders. If you're willing to spend days solving this gigantic puzzle go ahead. I recommend it vividly. (November 4 2004)" - Jorge22 (05-Nov-2004) |
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"This is a couple of levels which I encounter very different from the first part. These are two beautiful levels but the gameplay gets worse when we arrive to the best and most beautiful room. I had to read the walkthru because I didn't know where to go next and what to do. I was lost the major part of the game; but after all I found 4 secrets just wandering up and down....All in all a great series." - Loupar (29-Aug-2004) |
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"This series of levels starts fairly simply and progressively gets harder and more impressive as you go through. I liked a lot of the gameplay however in the final section it just became impossible to know what you had to do - thank goodness for the walkthrough - and several of the things to do were obscure. Like finding the one hang-lever in a vast space or realising what you had to do in a block puzzle ... There were also some things that really annoyed me - spike traps in the floor with no warning whatsoever and jumps which are hard to do and you die every time ... I like there to be a little bit of a clue for the player if possible. The textures are wonderful though and I was very impressed with the final level - big and sprawling. It needed some clues as to what to do next though. Overall good fun but perhaps a little too hard." - David (18-Apr-2003) |
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"Here I am again throwing out all my fingers and toes to rate a level. But this one richly deserves it as it combines all the elements that make Tomb Raider such a rewarding gaming experience. You have vast wide-open spaces tunnels with block puzzles dark rooms with hidden spike traps for an instant colonoscopy and the indescribable elation that one gets (me anyway) when playing these jungle levels. Again Monika's walkthrough proved invaluable as there's a considerable amount of backtracking required here and the extended puzzle in the upper room with blocks and tunnels is nothing short of ingenious. The game consists of two closely related levels probably necessitated because the project grew too ambitious. But if you have a warm spot in your heart for the earlier Tomb Raider games this one is definitely for you. I sure do hope a Qualopec's Curse 3 is in the offing." - Phil (07-Mar-2003) |
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"Wow what a huge and massive level. I really enjoyed when played and maybe after second time when I start from beginning to play I solved all. Nice atmosphere with very good and brilliant experience. I like this level because it reminded me of nice time of TombRaider1 and great atmosphere and feelings when played this before. Excellent work for looking for some secrets and keys and put water on some places and last big area with rope and go 'inside' waterfall." - Ivan (26-Feb-2003) |
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"Don't sue me Christian but I couldn't help but think that this level was somewhat influenced by the work of Jedi Master (obviously you could do worse) yet it misses the action packed bits. A kind of sedated South American adventure in my view. However I thought the gameplay the lay out of the big room the puzzles and the atmosphere are nothing but brilliant. I left the level with nothing but joy in my heart; and this despite the start being really frustrating as I had to replay the first ten minutes two times. Entirely my own fault so let's not get into that. Other reviewers pointed out how daunting and frustrating the second part of this double level is but I found the puzzles most logical and there are actually enough cut scenes to give you all the clues you need. The only time I got stuck was due to the Bronze Key. Now finding and using it was no problem but I had no clue what I was supposed to do in the area that was made accessible by it. Now the walkthrough told me that it's sole purpose was to get me back to the upper level. Trouble is you can get back to the upper level without the bronze key so that really got me confused. The torch puzzle is most ingenious and if you watch the fly by carefully you should be able to work out for yourself what to do. I also liked the moving block puzzle and the many jumps that you have to perform throughout this 2 1/2 hour adventure. But beware it is extremely non linear and quite often your path branches and you have to return there later. So make sure you make a mental note whenever you leave an area unexplored. Although you usually get a helpful cut scene should you need it as the area is so huge you might want to watch it twice to get a better idea of where you have to go next. So better save before you pull a lever. My only complaint is really that there were too many unannounced pop up spikes and that the enemies seemed to be placed as an afterthought (strange thing most of the time you couldn't shoot the skeletons off the ledges). I didn't mind the long climbs bearing in mind how long it took me to reach the abrupt end there weren't that many. So folks if you are into a bit of exploring and don't mind the occasional backtracking this is the level for you. An awesome setting and some vintage puzzles await the bold raider. Highly recommended!" - Dimpfelmoser (05-Feb-2003) |
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"The Second Chance (7/7/10/9 30 min. 2 secrets): This short level is more a prelude to the subsequent part and a showcase of how you can create a great atmosphere and set the scene with excellent use of flybys with added sound. Awesome stuff! Apart from that there are only two short and not too tricky timed sequences a few wolves bats and skeletons to get rid of the Scion to pick up in Lara's Home (?) and then caves and waterfalls in TR1 style to marvel at. I had a savegame bug once when the flames were suddenly back on when I actually had pulled the lever to turn them off but with an earlier reload that was not a problem anymore. The Forge Of Scion (8/8/10/9 90 min. 3 secrets): Another long and lingering flyby at the start introduces you to the very vast area you will spend your adventure in. It is utterly huge with a large pool and a couple of very high towers and rooms - impressive architecture indeed. And also the course around it is quite cleverly constructed as you need to find many levers underwater switches jump switches and four keys to progress across jumps slopes wooden bridges avoiding burners flooding rooms and killing very few enemies (a bat a wolf and a bunch of skeletons are all the foes you meet). I liked the small touches ('keep cool' and the beta testers hint) and some of the camera angles and apart from the general frustration of 'where do I go now?' there are a few climbs and shimmy passages that are a bit too long and tedious. But if you have the heart of an explorer this level is definitely for you. You are also treated to an interesting pushable block puzzle with a twist and a very smart use of the torch (which I could only figure out with the help of the walkthrough). All in all - an excellent setting with the danger of heavily frustrating you in your quest to find your way - but one I would suggest not to miss." - Michael (31-Jan-2003) |
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"Schookbaer has spoiled me with this and the preceding Qualopec level. It took me just under six very short hours to complete this level (finding only five secrets). I never knew where I was going. I never knew what my next step should be. I saved my game 246 times (a record) and still was in trouble a lot of the time! There were some neat puzzles -- and there were some easy puzzles. The best puzzle was the concept of the dream. So many places were familiar. 'Had I been here before?' 'Did I do this already?' Etc. An extra challenge. There were very few enemies none were difficult. So what. They were still expected. The expectation was enough. The atmosphere was as good as I have ever experienced in a TR offering. The textures were excellent within the author's stated goal to keep within the limits of TR1. The lighting was MUCH too dark but so wasn't it in TR1. The Gameplay and the Atmosphere and the feel of the environment were beyond belief. They were as good as Schookbaer's original Qualopec and that blew me away. This is the first quadruple ten I have awarded. Maybe my new meds chill me too much. I think it isn't the meds. I believe it is 'Qualopec's Curse - The Forge of Scion'. Schookbaer I applaud you and recommend your effort to every serious 'Raider.'" - Dougsan (20-Jan-2003) |
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"This is a wonderful level that brings back memories from TR1. You get to go back to city of Vilcabamba for a short time not exactly the same but that was not meant by the author just enough to give you a familiar feeling. You have to play this just for the beauty of it it's amazing. The puzzles are sometimes hard (I needed help to find the red key) but if you look carefully everywhere you can come a long way by yourself. There are lots of levers to be found to open doors and crates and some are very well hidden. Not many enemies some wolves and bats and skeletons. Most of the time if you pull a lever you will see the door it opens if not the door is usually close by. The cave you go to after you throw the torch in is very dark but there are enough flares. It's the hardest part of the level though it took me quite some time to get through. The reward when you get high up the 'floating' building is a beautiful view on all sides. Go for it!" - Josi (20-Jan-2003) |
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"Before this I had just finished playing 'Inside the Lost City of Gold' and I thought that was frustrating well we have a new winner people. This level well specifically the second part of this level was just one long arduous frustration that lost any sense of fun for me. This is however a beautiful set of levels with again the second part being especially well designed and structured but as soon as you step into the one enormous watery area that it is set in and you watch the flyby scan the fullness of it you can't help but feel daunted by the task at hand. There are levers just everywhere that half the time I couldn't tell what triggered a torch that hasn't got an obvious reason for being but is extremely important otherwise my game crashed without using it and not the only time my game crashed a movable block puzzle that I actually worked out fully by myself except for the fact that I didn't know most of the blocks existed if I hadn't read the forum and areas that I would get to before I was supposed to. How do I know that I could get to areas before I was supposed to? I know because I found a way to end this level early without having to do the movable block puzzle the torch puzzle and I guess a lot of other things. To do this all I had to do was find my way into the floating temple this we know can be done without finding all 4 keys and then get onto the bridge by climbing the spiked block from here you go to the end of the bridge that raises a little and angle yourself so that a running jump can be made to grab the edge of the second floor above and then you easily just jump on the pillar that makes the rope appear and swing to the end. It's a shame that this for me was more annoying and frustrating than anything but some may find it a fun challenging 2 hour level or 1 hour if you take the shortcut." - Sash (19-Jan-2003) |
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"From the opening flyby to the ending room that looks just like where you find the scion piece in The Tomb of Qualopec this is an awesome level - both in looks and in size. From the clear blue water to the starry sky it's obvious a lot of care was put into the building and texturing of this level and I never got tired of looking at it. It is huge though and I must admit to getting tired near the end as it takes forever to get to the other areas and many times I wasn't sure where to go next. I did read the thread at the forum which helped with the torch and the pushable blocks otherwise I might still be stuck today. I probably would never have thought to swing through that waterfall by myself either. Thankfully there were few enemies because finding and using those four keys took all of my energy. I recommend playing this just to see the brilliant atmosphere and buildings in this level - it would be hard to find many levels that look this good!" - RaiderGirl (12-Jan-2003) |
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"This is a monster of a game. It is very well made and has a totally professional feel to it. There are 2 parts. In the first you need to open a couple of doors and than get to a large area that requires some tricky climbing. There is a difficult jump to achieve over some fire to get to the second part which is set in water and requires a good memory. I found this part a little frustrating as it was quite big and sometimes the flybys were missing when you most needed them. There was a good block-pulling puzzle which allowed water to fill some areas to allow switches to be pulled. All in all I found this very very playable and is not to be missed." - Doug E (01-Jan-2003) |
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"I could say that this level is fun but from a point and after it gets frustrating and personally I stopped enjoying myself. The area you will be exploring is a huge pool with many jumps and blocks there is the upper level of the waterfall and the lower one. The textures and lighting are very good and matching the setting perfectly dark when needed but mostly well lighted. The lack of enemies made this level look like one big exploration adventure and a few times I got bored to death doing all that back tracking there are areas that you need to visit four or five times and accessing them if you have a good memory and remember how to get there again require you to go back down climb a block jump jump again and so on and in about three minutes each time you will make it. That's not my way of fun. I also found two bugs one is at the area with the spikes down where you lit the torch if you pull the switch on the right side then the one at the left and climb up to go through the door the level crashes to the desktop at least it did that to me. I don't know if forgetting to pull the third switch had anything to do with it but just in case I mentioned it. The other bug was near the end when you need to use a rope when Lara let go and passed the waterfall I saw a loading screen and suddenly she was on a block at the area above the big pool with the high blocks a totally different part of the level. I had to try quite a few times until I could finish the level. Another strange thing was that I never got a loading screen for the second level for me it was like I played a single level. The author definitely needs to take another look to it and fix a few things. Apart from that the puzzles were keys to open doors you also need to flood a couple of areas. It's just a huge place that needs a lot of searching for each key. The puzzle with pushable blocks and gates was frustrating for me and with David's help (FG) I managed to get through it it's too complicated and as mentioned above back tracking is necessary here too. If the areas were at least a bit smaller and the player didn't get lost so often it would have been an excellent level. Don't let all of the above discourage you it is a very good level but needs patience. I liked it most of the time and I do recommend it." - Kristina (30-Dec-2002) |
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"An extremely entertaining and beautiful double level, although the first part was somewhat short. This is a level for the explorer. Enemies are almost non-existent but the level is so vast and there's so much area to cover and remember, that stopping to fight a bunch of baddies would have made you totally loose your train of thought. So in my estimation, this was a good thing. As you stand over the upper part of the falls and look over, the view is breathtaking and this author has done a fantastic job in design. For the most part, I moved along nicely but there were a couple of areas I'd like to mention. First, I never used the steel key. According to the help threads, it was to be used in the key hole between rope bridges but although I had acquired all 4 keys, none of them worked in that keyhole. I ended up jumping from where you used the bronze key to the porch, as did many others. Second, the moving block/3 grated doors puzzle was very tricky and very well thought out. That one had me going for a couple of days and it's a tribute to the author that I stuck with it. The puzzle and concept was very well designed along with the torch puzzle being a part of it. I enjoyed the level immensely but also found the swing into the waterfall a bit anti-climactic and felt the ending should have been better done, considering all the work put into the level as a whole." - Momster (30-Dec-2002) |
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"After playing this level I was a bit grumpy as this is a very confusing level. Exploring that is what it is all about and in this level you do just that. There is a lot going back and forward and sometimes I found it a bit too much but then how to get as much in that one room as he did. Most of the times I even didn't know what I had already done and what not. Even with the lengthy flyby you get when picking up the torch it took a long time to find that gate that opened. The first level was somewhat easy but the next one is not. Finding 4 keys and endless levers to pull some for weapons or some ammo and some for a door or flooding of rooms. There are also some rope swings and even one through a waterfall. In this level you need to find the monkey swings and climbable surfaces what is sometimes hard to do. Afterwards the pushable blocks did make sense although getting so far to be able to push them is a different story. It took me 2 whole days to get through this level and don't ask me what is where as I for sure would get lost again whenever I will play this for the second time. 27-12-2002" - Gerty (29-Dec-2002) |
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"What a great time I had in these two levels. They're stunning to look at - in particular the initial flyby in level 2 is fantastic. Texturing reminded me of a cross between the early levels of TR1 and Luis Martin's 'South America' series and this is just the kind of environment I love. If like me you're the kind of raider who prefers exploration to blasting enemies into oblivion this will be right up your street you have a vast area to cover. At times the difficulty level is rather high but most of the tasks you have to complete are challenging in a very fun way nothing is impossible to do and if you have a keen sense of observation this will also help as there are several doors and switches to remember (I have a terrible sense of observation and I must thank Momster at this point for her help). There is one great moment where Lara is shimmying over a very very deep pit and the camera angle changes to show a little message on the underside of a ledge. Another moment that made me smile was entering a room to collect a key and seeing the names of the beta-testers written in what appears to be blood on the walls. Nice touch! Given that I had an absolute blast in this game I do feel a bit nasty picking out any flaws but there were a few and I should mention them. First of all because the area is so huge it's quite possible (or even probable) that you will end up in certain places before you're supposed to be there. I found my progress halted by invisible blocks several times only to return to those areas later by a different route and find my way unhindered. Speaking of returning to certain areas it has to be said that there is a lot of backtracking to be done; however I didn't mind this too much because each area is so realistic and convincing that it was no real hardship to have to revisit some of them several times. Some of the most frustrating moments for me though were those with the torch - a couple of the moves required to get the torch lit and to get in the right place seemed a bit obscure to me. I also found the end rather abrupt which was a real shame considering the effort that must have gone into making the rest of the game so special. Maybe it's just me but after rope-swinging through a high waterfall (a superb moment) I somehow expected more. Anyway enough of the nit-picking. In all fairness this is one of the best levels I've played this year and it has earned itself a place in my personal top ten. Very highly recommended." - Bex (29-Dec-2002) |
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"Already his debut level was fun to play and this continuation is as well. Schookbaer presents us with a really large effort especially the design of the rooms and the 3D stars sky is pure eye candy ;-) Especially the sound was itself simply suitably to the total atmosphere again and again pretty to listen to. Also the sound effects were simply great for the caves :-) Lara has to find an artifact in the first level. One cannot say it is too difficult to be mastered even though there are timed doors. The second level is somewhat more difficult here one looks for 4 keys. Here Lara must possess above all speed skill for tricky jumps and a lot of diving. A lot. Levers to pull and much much running. Lara comes also in a dark cave but could use the torch that she found so one can see and that saved me from lighting many flares for some of the cave puzzles. You better play this when it is dark outside. Also the pushable object puzzle is not so simply solved therefore keep your eyes open when you shift blocks ;-) Secrets I must say I found only 2. One finds the grenade gun and the skeletons can be easily avoided with it and the Uzi. For me it gets the highest rating for the atmosphere alone the gamplay the wonderful design of the rooms and the good camera trips and the sound in addition. That's what makes up a Tombraider game :-) Continue like this Schookbaer as you are a very good level builder. My Lara is proud of you ;-) Very recommended." - Engelchen Lara (27-Dec-2002) |
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