Custom Levels Reviews (2004-2012)

Τα παρακάτω reviews δημοσιεύτηκαν στα αγγλικά στο site trle.net τη χρονική περίοδο 2004 - 2012

Diocletian Thermae by Zack (21 July 2004)

I am trying to imagine just how a whole game designed by FZ would actually be! You can see even in one single level (though not too brief and much more requiring and challenging than his San Giorgio one) that there is flourishing talent and unlimited creative imagination that makes DT one of the best custom levels I have played so far. It may not have impressive textures (although they are perfect for the case) but the architecture of the level is brilliant and the sequence of puzzles and movements is just genial. There is a totally capturing feeling throughout the level which by the way brings nostalgic memories from TR1's Colosseum! Lara wanders about in a deserted Roman network of a drained cistern and her basic aim is to actually find a way to open a door that is located pretty much at the beginning. But it's not that easy, of course. She will have to find tokens and open doors, climb walls jump on ledges, pull jump witches, face angry skeletons and furious crocodiles before she finally locates the item that will help her open the door leading to the exit. The puzzles are tricky but not too tough - you can solve them rather easily if you are an experienced player. The switches, for example, are carefully placed on spots where you can't miss them although not always at plain sight. The flybys help you a lot to understand what you have to do next. The skeletons are very vindictive - a real pain especially the one at the end (he made me waste most of my medipacks while I was trying to figure out a tricky jump!) The crocs are fast but not a problem since you have the shotgun from almost the start. By the end you are also rewarded with a Crossbow (a brilliantly located pickup!) and a Grenade Gun. Again there are plenty of flares to help you make your way through the darker rooms and enough medipacks and ammo. The textures are solid in general - although at some point I encountered a bug where Lara was trapped between a moveable block and the wall and she couldn't get out. The level gives you a sense of completeness and although you surely wish there was a continuation, you do have the sense at the end that the circle has closed. You have the feeling that there's nothing left unexplored and that your mission has been accomplished.

San Giorgio by Zack (21 July 2004)

A single part custom level that takes place in some areas of an Italian village. It starts off unsurprisingly in a series of storerooms filled with crates none of which is moveable - on the contrary, you have to find hidden levers and open doors that are located in the less expected places. This only gives you a hint of what's to come next though. Mainly it consists of a variety of empty internal areas with the exception of some brief sequences, where you explore some terraces and a number of alleys. But this doesn't mean that the level is predictable or easy; there are labyrinthian underwater networks that can drive you crazy and drain your breath; sequences where you must not at any rate step on the ground cause you'll catch fire and die; rooms with identical decorations on every side that can easily confuse you; levers placed near doors that don't open unless you discover and pull a jump-switch far away. This means you have to go back and forth in many cases cause some doors that were closed upon your first visit will be open after you do something in another area (not necessarily pull a lever though!). There is an impressive and imaginative collection of textures brilliantly combined together to successfully give the atmosphere of an Italian village. The external decoration of the church is an amazing piece of work and so is the seemingly innocent decorated room that conceals traps of fire near the end. There are enough enemies (including tough guards big dogs bats) to make the adventure challenging enough but you can easily dispose of them with your revolver which you discover early in the game. Lara's inventory is good - there are plenty of medipacks many of which remain in her backpack cause she doesn't need to use them, enough ammo for her revolver and her grenade gun and she also finds the laser sight but never comes to use it (at least I didn't find any place where it could be useful). Also she finds the grenade gun close to the end and doesn't really need to use it by then. The lighting is good although there are many dark areas - but then again you are offered plenty of flares throughout the level so there's nothing to worry about. Τhere are just a few music effects that match absolutely the atmosphere of the moments they accompany, helping the player understand what they imply. There are also a couple of amazing flybys in certain crucial moments of the adventure. The puzzles are a bit frustrating at the start, but after a while you get the picture and they become rather player-friendly. What's more, they become really fun. It's a bit shocking but after all totally entertaining when you run through an endless network of corridors where you run the risk of getting injured by poison puffs coming out of walls and you finally get to the end of this labyrinth only to find out that by doing this you trigger open a door in an area away from there.

Coastal Run by UFO (17 August 2004)

A single level based on the TR4 ‘Coastal Ruins’ level, using also textures from the Rome levels of TR5. The game loads from the main TRLE menu under the name ‘Coastal Ruins’ and all the features (loading screen music in-game sounds) are the same as the original. The architecture of the level is pretty straightforward, not too complicated to understand and follow, yet there is an element of surprise (in a seemingly dead-end area there is a door hidden somewhere above your head leading to a whole new place). There is a limited but interesting variety of rooms but you need to keep in mind certain areas as you will need to return there later after having collected any necessary items. Another interesting element is the fact that there are vast areas hidden behind tiny openings doors above rooftops or narrow underwater tunnels. Speaking of which, there is a very well-organised underwater labyrinth leading to a number of rooms with goodies and ammo (including a secret) and to the next-to-visit area which in turn leads back to one of the main rooms near the start of the level. Lara's inventory is rather rich compared to the limited length of the level (her discoveries include a Crossbow a Shotgun a Revolver a Grenade Gun plenty of ammo and medipacks and a few items and artifacts that she uses in order to go on) and she's called to face some unexpexted enemies (hogs!) along with other more usual ones (skeletons crocodiles). The solid textures, smooth environments, fine lightings and certain impressive effects (after you place a token in a slot, the room around you lights up each corner under a different light) add to the whole. Overall it is a very good level, easy to navigate and pleasant to explore - yet it leaves you with a bitter taste at the end: after placing all the items where you are supposed to and unlocking all doors, you arrive at a newly opened area where a magnificent curtain of blue water reveals a secret passage behind it. But that's all as soon as you pass through that water curtain, the level ends and you wish you had a way to explore what lies behind!

Search In Venice by Malte Linder (16 August 2004)

A rather easy but quite charming and imaginative Italian level that brings us in the heart of Venice in search of an Egyptian statue. Lara must make her way to the city's museum and of course this is not going to be an easy task. She has to locate keys, unlock locked doors, drive a jeep, face nasty baddies before she can actually reach her goal. The level is straightforward and rather simple - usually the keys are easily spotted and you don't have to search much in order to find where's the door they open and the puzzles don't require much hair-pulling. This of course doesn't mean that the level is piece of cake! On the contrary, there are some rather tricky situations (a provoking padlock may easily confuse you making you think that it requires some powerful means to be opened while a simple pistol bullet will actually do a trick!) - and there's no less surprise when you jump to a lovely balcony and enter a storeroom only to find out that you are attacked by an army of cultists, angry dogs and ninja-trained thugs - while you can get really frustrated examining the endless bookcases in a vast library only to discover that none of them is climbable and there's actually a conventional ladder leading up. However you may get equally disappointed when you throw a switch to open a big metal door and realise that there's actually nothing behind it. A fresh summery mini adventure that ends up quite unexpectedly with Lara finally entering the Venice museum - as you get in the gloomy building spotting the objective of your mission at the other side and some undead crusaders threaten your steps the level suddenly ends; and this takes you a while to realise as you have the feeling that you left many places unexplored.

Hanami In Kyoto by Miss Croft (14 August 2004)

A two-part adventure that brings Lara and us to the exotic Far East in search of the Katana sword. Monika has enriched her level with many original textures (and a really fancy and original outfit for Lara!) and some unexpected enemies (beautiful but deadly purple butterflies!). The whole game is a real pleasure to the eye with its bright colors and exotic feeling yet there are more dangers than you'd expect and a whole lot of puzzles that require solving. Basically you have to explore a series of temples and huts and the areas outside them including pools and greeneries but as the adventure begins you are introduced to the vast area you must explore via an impressive fly-by which shows you that all the entrances around you are locked. Unlocking them and solving the puzzles further on is not an easy task - although in the interior areas you don't meet that many enemies (some of them are really tough though!) you don't easily find your way to the next area. A jump switch just above your head may pass unnoticed if you don't pay attention - and a timed run above some burners may become a headache if you are not fast enough. There are dangers and traps and hidden items and keys that may require more detailed exploring but overall ‘Hanami’ could be characterised as a 'vacation adventure' and ends leaving you some sweet memories at the end.

The Dead Sea Scrolls by Trix (11 August 2004)

Just like in the recent ‘Aegean Legends’, Trix mingles reality fantasy and legend in a remarkable way. The result of this mixture is a vast level series that takes place in Asia Minor and Middle East and is characterized by high-class adventure and awesome graphics. You get the picture pretty early in the game - the switch puzzle at the start may not require much time to be figured out but isn't at all an easy task; also the seemingly endless caves and openings that lead to similar rooms around that area can be really confusing! Of course as you move on the game becomes more tricky and challenging and more beautiful! The blocks that need to be rearranged in The Great Ishtar Gate are an exceptional puzzle and the nightmarish but fascinating ascension and descent along some invisible platforms in Har-Meggido is a memorable experience! The graphics are excellent and imposing; the capturing atmosphere of the games owes them a lot. It's hard to choose a highlight but I'd say that the huge Origins of Tigris and Euphrates surely stands out with its backtrackings and deadly traps. And of course the surprise the extra level that's unlocked once you locate a key in the next level: a small interior adventure on its own with no human enemies but with puzzles and traps of any kind many secret rooms hidden doors and some really original findings!

Saudi Arabia Episode One by DnF Productions (10 August 2004)

Saudi Arabia has it all: tombs, top secret headquarters, an underground station, a sunken palace, catacombs, a zoo, puzzles, mystery laser traps... There' s a variety of locations and thus many different textures, moods, sounds effects, all brilliantly combined together to create a full multi-aspected adventure. There's a lot of Tomb Raider feeling too underlined by the use of some of the most memorable music pieces of the games. The one puzzle follows the other and some of them can be really tricky (the room with the numerous slanted pillars in the first level is genially constructed; also the puzzle with the crates in the third level requires some hard thinking!) The good thing with them is that you can figure them out at last but without having the feeling that they were too easy (because they weren't!). There are a few but really good timed events and enough enemies to make you lose your head! Favorite part? The Grotto's Dark Palace... The reign of traps dangers and puzzles! Also Kuwait City mainly for its exterior settings and Rooftops - the peak of the adventure at the end. And I couldn't leave out the imposing Dark Dungeon with its unexpected and thrilling techno beats adding a modern touch to some gloomy skeleton-filled catacombs!

Aegean Legends by Trix (10 August 2004)

It wouldn't be too much to characterize AL a masterpiece. Four fascinating and genial levels that take place in two Greek islands - Crete and Santorini. The graphics are amazing and so are the sound effects (including some authentic Greek music and some brief but exceptional classical pieces). Following Lara in her quest, you get captured by the haunted yards of Knossos, the mesmerizing atmosphere of the legendary maze that may or may not exist in reality, the astonishing beauty of Santorini, the imposing grandeur of the labyrinthine caves that Lara discovers below the crater of Thera's volcano, while you have to fight guards, skeletons, undying creatures and search for some famed artifacts. All the levels are huge, complicated and full of action puzzles and tricky traps. There is a great and very imaginative variety of places in each one, most of which need to be visited more than once in order for the level to be completed - and you are challenged to perform some brilliantly set timed runs that can drive you mad - if you hesitate for just a fraction of a second or if you do just half wrong step, you are surely condemned and you have to try again.

Twilight City by Hokolo (1 September 2004)

A beautifully structured level that takes place in an abandoned city (ancient Alexandria and whereabouts?). Although this is a one-part adventure, it's so massive and full that it gives you the impression that it's almost a complete game. Basically you are called to locate certain items - and the quest for each one of them requires following a different path and applying a different strategy. There are plenty of rooms to explore and they are brilliantly connected with each other in such a way that, upon accomplishing your first mission, you are guided towards the second, after finishing the second you are 'pointed' where to go in order to get to the third etc. There are external locations of high-class scenic beauty, amazing street scenes and extra action on rooftops and terraces. The puzzles are not easy but they are 'friendly' - you can solve them if you concentrate and if you explore thoroughly; I could mention as an exception the tall room with burners and electrified water... it took me hours to find out how to move in that trapped hell without being fried or electrocuted!

Mona Lisa by Miguel (1 September 2004)

In hunt of the Mona Lisa... Lara sneaks into a haunted Italian castle and we follow her trying to solve a new mystery. Just upon entering the castle, a nasty block puzzle awaits for you. Very soon, you get to visit the many areas around, as solving this puzzle unlocks most doors in that room and your first impression is that you have to deal with some vast and hostile rooms that contain nothing but closed doors and deadly traps - in reality though there's more to it than meets the eye. ‘Mona Lisa’ is rather tricky and complicated given its rather short length - there are many beautiful textures and a brilliant sequence of rooms, puzzles and findings. Speaking of findings, there are enough items to look for and you have to search for them in the most peculiar places. Even if you get disheartened at the start by exploring cold rooms with undead knights and bulls, you will get rewarded after catching a glimpse of the most beautiful garden in the world and you know you have to get there someway. And of course you do get there even if it's close to the end. It looks as if Miguel wanted to include everything in one single level - if this adventure was split in three or four levels, all those fine elements that it contains would be more developed and of course it could be more complete. In general it's a good, challenging and original adventure but it's a bit stressing because of all those ladders you have to climb, gems to locate etc and with no obvious reason: you finally reach your objective but can do nothing more afterwards except for seeking the exit. Just for the record I found a multiple bug where after backtracking to a glassed-in corridor some sharks that were swimming in pools outside the glass walls passed through the glass and attacked Lara on dry land (they were floating in the air) and while she was attempting to run away she got trapped between a moveable block and the wall next to it and couldn't get out - and as if this wasn't enough, the sharks stuck inside the block as well and kept attacking the imprisoned Lara resulting in her dying in a most humiliating way.

Knights Of The Cross by Malte Linder (1 September 2004)

I have a thing for Italian levels, so this one wouldn't leave me indifferent! There is a teasing feeling in Malte's levels - you get the sense that they're entertainment adventures and nothing is too serious. And how couldn't it be that way when you stroll about sunny alleys and swim in lovely canals with turquoise water, enter fancy rooms with stunning decorations and imperial red carpets... But then you jump to a rooftop and an army of baddies attacks at you so you realise there's some serious adventure taking place here! There's action on rooftops, plenty of secrets (all of them worth looking for) and an absolutely stunning Venetian feeling. All this changes however as soon as you enter the second part: there is a very well-organized puzzle near the start which involves rope swinging and climbing walls and it's not really tough but requires all your attention and concentration. But this is where the fun ends - after a while you are trapped in a series of endless confrontations with stubborn enemies and the enjoyment of solving the puzzles and living a fascinating adventure is lost in your struggle to survive. Having to do a series of endless jumps just to get to a pool of water and get rid of some fire elementals is fun once, but doing the same process twice within a few minutes is too much. It isn't half as fun when you waste nearly all your medipacks in a nightmarish boss fight (which would be tough even with half that boss squad) where Lara tends to always aim at the enemy which is the least likely to die, only to find out that it's not over yet. But then your steps lead you back to the blue waters of Venice and somehow you are rewarded for all that you passed through!

Lara at the Movies - Pirates of the Caribbean by Cowboy (18 October 2004)

An exceptionally tasteful and atmospheric level which combines thrilling puzzles, stunning scenery and impressive lighting effects. Split in two parts, it first introduces you to a massive jungle which includes an amazing beach, deadly caves, many hidden passages and some well-organized puzzles. Although there is a feeling of magic from the start of the level and you get to meet supernatural elements in the first part as well, you have to actually get to the second part in order to experience encounters of another kind. The second part starts with Lara 'trapped' in a huge cave with a pool where she must find a way to open the door that will lead her further. From there we are then transported to a deserted inn (one of the most beautiful places in the level) and later on to an isolated enclosed harbour where we are challenged to explore a magnificent pirate ship and face its peculiar inhabitants. The bright colours of the outdoor first part come in contrast with the dark atmosphere of the interior second part but the element of surprise and the sense that 'someone is watching you' are present in the whole adventure. Overall a fascinating two-part level which is characterized by genuine adventure feeling and action and requiring puzzle solving, while at the same time it's a pleasure to the eye due to the exemplary use of textures colours lighting sounds and music.

Lara at the Movies - Jurassic Park by GMac (18 October 2004)

One of the best LATM levels and the best among the best of them, a brilliant piece of work that touches perfection and surely sets very high standards to the level editing business and gaming in general. The stunning texturing and lighting effects along with the excellent audio selections create a fast-paced and breathtaking high-class adventure which may be tough and very requiring but it totally absorbs you and literally puts you in Lara's shoes making you think as if you were her and actually guiding you through even when there are no hints of what to do next. The level starts off with the most amazing flyby accompanied by an imposing music piece and as soon as you see Lara on the screen you know there is some fascinating adventure going to take place. There are lots of wicked but genial timed events, deadly flames threatening you at the less convenient places, burners on timers that you have to pass intact by; yet all these puzzles are so challenging and brilliant you almost don't feel frustrated at all when trying and retying to make it on time and alive. They are set up in such a way that challenge you to work the best you can do so as to succeed your goal and keep your brain constantly working and calculating your next moves. The architecture of the places is impressive and precise in both parts - outstanding examples are the underwater cave you swim into then have to work your way on some high ledges above the water in the 1st part and the vast storeroom and the beautiful jungle which also includes a stunning temple area in the 2nd part. There is an intense feeling of suspense and mystery as you catch glimpses of doors on your way and wonder where and how the key or switch that opens them is. Nothing is wasted - there's a good reason to visit every corner and every side street and to enter every crawlspace you spot as you move on. A real gem.

Lara at the Movies - 12 Monkeys by Thierry Stoorne (18 October 2004)

Another amazing LATM level, which is mainly a two-part snowy city one it starts however in the sewers and Lara has to find a way to get out on the streets. The puzzles that you have to solve on your way out have mathematic precision and thus they are rather player-friendly since after the second or the third you are able to work out the rest without much thought - this however is rather welcome, since the main part of action will take place outside therefore it's good that you get to figure out the sewer puzzles easily and get to the streets without having exhausted your brain much. Because this is where you are called to think really hard and have your eyes constantly open so as to spot breakable windows, seemingly unreachable ledges that however can be reached with 'clever' jumps and also here you will be challenged to visit both parts of the level as the action is split and you have to go back and forth a number of times before you actually make some progress. In the second part, an imaginative block puzzle awaits for you and also some jumping action high on the snowy ledges which lead to an awesome gloomy church. You will also have the chance to make a brief ride with a motorbike over some steep ramps so as to enter another area which is unreachable in other ways. The blue and white colours that dominate in the level add to the mysterious and chilly atmosphere and contribute to the whole offering an unforgettable gaming experience.

Lara at the Movies - Indiana Jones - Temple of Doom by Raider X (18 October 2004)

One massive, rich and entertaining level that sets Lara on the path that Indiana Jones followed years ago like the title indicates. You are prepared from very early about what is going to follow, when you find yourself in a room with no obvious exits and various trapped passages here and there which however are locked and you have to work out how to open them. There is a tough and brilliant block puzzle which holds the key to the exit of this room and it's in that very first area that you find a torch which you need to carry along almost for the rest of the level. Now I am not a torch fan and holding them around frustrates me but I must say I was thrilled by the way Raider X decided to involve it into gameplay without it being a burden of any kind. Instead of carrying it all the while and therefore restricting dramatically her movements, Lara can simply throw it before her even at spots that don't seem convenient for such an action, yet in reality they are strategically intertwined in such a way that the torch-carrying business becomes an entertaining game. When you get to the main temple area, you come across a huge room with many openings and one of the most genial and challenging jumping sequences I've ever seen. There's a lava room with blocks spread here and there and four switches you have to activate, yet getting to those switches is an imaginative and hair-pulling challenge since you have to take advantage of every angle and corner available around you. The textures, although originally tombraider-ish, create a 'temple of doom' feeling which is also underlined by the use of some original Indiana Jones music pieces. An impressive work as a whole definitely a 'must play' for every serious raider.

Andreas' Sword Part2 by eRIC (31 December 2006)

This is the sequel to Andreas's Sword Part1, which also ends the Omegapolis saga. Part1 was amazing, but this one is really fantastic! eRIC has been particularly inventive again, using familiar textures and objects in a new way and smartly combining them to create the most beautiful environments. The level starts off in a peaceful island setting - it is literally an island, as it's called Isola Bella and it's exactly what it's name says: a pretty island! The colours, textures and sounds do make you feel that you are indeed wandering around a lovely mediterranean island with cute balconies, trees, colourful skies. It's all tranquil and playful at the beginning but soon it becomes really serious and challenging, as you are called to go through a series of puzzles and traps so as to find the two gems that you need to open a main gate. Finding the one of the gems involves a brilliant puzzle which is literally one: you have to place blocks together so as to correctly complete two wall paintings. Further on, you have to find two tridents, and the journeys for this purpose are particularly well-organized and enjoying. This whole section is characterized by high exploration level; and detail plays a major role (for example, there is a pressure panel hidden in the most remote and higher corner and you have to be very careful and concentrated so as to suspect it's existence and locate it). In the next part, you enter a huge cave with water, after sliding down a slope in a funny zig-zag style. This area reminds a lot of TR1's St Francis Folly; it even has the classic four rooms trials - Atlas, Thor, Midas, Neptune - some of which are easy peasy while others are tough as hell! However nothing is imitation; it brings memories of TR1 while at the same time having a unique style and atmosphere, something that I noticed also in Part1; I think that levels like this are a very good example of how you can create fresh and brilliant stuff with good old material. The Thor room includes a maze with a very inventive trap that awaits whenever you take the wrong path. The best of the four though has to be the Atlas room - this one is a full challenge on its own, as it includes everything: the most amazing tricky jumps over a deadly pool, escaping rolling boulders and fire traps at the same time, crawling over breakable tiles that conceal lethal spikes... etc). There are several nice objects that are used in a new way - like a miniature Poseidon statue and a miniature rolling boulder (those two are actually some of the artifacts you need to find). Don't miss this level, especially if, like me, you love coastal settings, as this element is prominent in most parts.

Andreas' Sword Part1 by eRIC (28 December 2006)

It's the first time that I've played a level by eRIC and I must say that I'm very impressed by his inspired work! This is a two-part level, which however contains serious and challenging situations (both puzzle and gameplay wise). The setting is Egypt - a theme that is widely used in custom levels, and fairly so as it is so popular and moreover it is connected with what is, in my opinion, the best TR game (TRLR). Precisely for this, sometimes it is difficult to keep the original atmosphere and feel of the TRLR Egypt without ending up being repetitive. eRIC however manages to create a fascinating adventure which creates similar feelings to the player with TRLR while at the same time it gains its own identity helped by the creativity that the builder has put in making it. For starters, a bit of grumbling. I encountered a few minor buggy things in this level. First of all, the title screen looked buggy (there was something wrong with the title and the menu, because they were looking half-transparent). Also half the slots of the Load Game menu appeared semi-transparent too, and were so every time I would start the program (this screen was fixed though every time I called it up while playing). Moreover, the LE crashed when I tried to run the level in windowed mode (which I prefer to do for various reasons of technical nature). Now in-game, there is an instance where Lara enters a room with torches. There are lit-up braziers in the room that go off as soon as you enter, so you are supposed to look elsewhere for a working brazier to light your torch. I found out accidentally that Lara could still light her torch by placing it in the seemingly lit-off brazier that was supposed to not be working. These are trivial issues, as I said before, but I thought I'd mention them because eRIC says in the Readme that the level wasn't beta-tested. Maybe those things would have been avoided with a little testing beforehand. OK, so lets move on with the review. In the first level, we are in a beautiful, colourful Egypt that has both indoors and exterior locations, both brilliantly constructed and decorated tastefully with lovely Egyptian textures. There are some nice rooms to explore and a few rather easy puzzles to solve. Many times you get a glimpse of areas that seem unreachable, and all of a sudden you gain access to them thanks to a flooding, for example. In general, the feeling is very TRLR-ish - many times, I really felt nostalgic as this level's look and style reminded me so much of TRLR. There is also a TR1 element in it, thanks to both the new revised TR1 Lara model, and to a couple of sequences (ie, a burning pillars puzzle that's a reminiscent of the classic one in Palace Midas). The second level has a cave setting, and is an elaborate and particularly well-constructed network of pools, hidden passages, doors that you have to open someway, and you have to make your way past various enemies and several traps so as to locate four artifacts that are needed so that you can get closer to your goal. Lara's quest for those artifacts is fascinating, and it involves lots of jumping, climbing and monkey-swinging over pools with deadly water or spike traps. There are some quite inventive traps (ie, the rolling boulder in the narrow water tunnel - wow! This would have been half as bad, if it was not for those nasty crocodiles not letting you move nor even see a thing in that tunnel, lol). You find enough ammo to face all the enemies (I have to make a special mention to the fire dragons, I just love those enemies :D), but as far as the medipacks are concerned, I found things a bit tough close to the end, in the room where you have to pull two pedestals and there are locusts sucking Lara's blood. I couldn't find a way to get rid of them during that process (dropping in the water unfortunately didn't make them drown), and it was rather annoying. I usually play Tomb Raider without using almost any medipacks at all, but in this specific case, I would have been grateful if I had a couple more in my inventory. Overall, I enjoyed this level very much, both for its beautiful locations and its creative and challenging gameplay, and I will surely play the sequel.

Tomb Raider Revelations 2 - The Golden Mask by Roli (25 December 2006)

This is a beautiful and well-constructed set of five levels, which uses many elements (textures, sounds etc) from all the originals and features a very pretty Lara model. In her quest for the Golden Mask, Lara explores an impressive variety of locations that are genially combined to make up a quite inventive and entertaining game. Many areas that you get to visit bring up memories of the classics, however at the same time they have a special uniqueness about them, a new feel. The enemies do not disappear, like in the first TRs, and several of the traps and trials that you have to pass through remind many classic gameplay moments. The lighting effects are very good, but some areas were too dark, making the gameplay a bit stressing. The first three levels are rather easy, especially if you are an experienced player; but with the start of the fourth you realise that there is a complete change in the scenery, as you are called to pass a series of tough traps, solve challenging puzzles and make it safe through areas that are not friendly at all. This feeling builds up as you move on in the level, and reaches its zenith in the last one, which is a real revelation. What a magnificent way to end this level series, in a beautiful golden realm that is a reminiscent of Furnace of the Gods from TRGM, only the puzzles and trials in this one are much tougher! Among other interesting things that you are called to complete, you have to make a quite long and tight timed run which involves jumping above lethal gold, pole-climbing and ladders; and special mention should be made about the two very well-set and inventive mirror-room puzzles in the second half. Absolutely recommended!

Lara at the Movies - Rebecca by tombrdr (25 December 2006)

If you have watched Hitchcock's classic movie from which this stunning level was inspired, you will find yourself smiling many times while playing it, as it is full of references - either subtle or more evident - to the masterpiece film. We find Lara, dressed in 50ties style, in an atmospherical black and white setting which is filled with mystery and goth feel; practically in the mansion of Maxim de Winter, where there are many puzzles to solve, enemies to face, items and secrets to find. It is a very well-made level, which features some particularly challenging sequences (the whole set of traps and trials that are hidden behind the fireplace, for instance; or the shootable globes puzzle close to the end), and a pretty good boss battle for the finale. What is very interesting in this level, apart from the brilliant gameplay that it offers, is to see how familiar textures gain a totally new quality in black and white, adding up to the already existing cinematographic feeling of the whole.

Lara at the Movies - Psycho by tombrdr (25 December 2006)

Another amazing black-and-white tribute to Alfred Hitchcock by Debbie Overstreet, also part of the 'Lara At The Movies' project, like 'Rebecca' by the same builder. One of my personal favourites from the LATM project. After completing LATM once, I have restarted it several times so that I could arrive to this level and enjoy playing it again and again. 'Psycho' is naturally more spooky and eery than 'Rebecca' and the thriller element is much more prominent here. You start off in a deserted highway, where your first task is to explore a ravine - one of the most fantastic parts in the level. What awaits next is an awesome bike ride which leads you to the heart of the story and the action, as you find yourself in the Motel and the Mansion of the Bates family. The Motel and its whereabouts involve some excellent settings, and an undead enemy which keeps chasing you around wherever you go. The Mansion has beautiful architecture and the atmosphere in the interior is amazing - giving you the feeling at times that you are being watched for real! There are several hidden things to discover in the house (switches, trapdoors, a spooky basement), and some very good gameplay sequences in the balconies and the roof. The lighting effects are very effective, as well as the sounds and music. In all, this level is a masterwork that stands out for its originality and brilliance in all fields.

Tomb Raider A - The Techno Egyptians... by Psiko (21 December 2006)

This is one of the most complete, unique and original levels ever created, although in fact the length, richness and geniality of Psiko's work rather classify it as a full game on its own, rather than a level or even a level series. It's clear that he put lots of inspiration, imagination and talent in making this game, and the result is a hi-tech masterpiece that blends mythology with science fiction in a series of futuristic settings where a particularly imaginative adventure takes place, with several subtle messages concerning the 'real' world. This game sets very high standards in level building in all aspects (texturing, storyline, puzzles, gameplay, atmosphere), and I don't think there will ever be anything equal or similar to it. I would bet that the people behind the level editor would be more than pleasantly surprised to see how far builders can go with the editor and create stuff that exceeds all sorts of expectations and ideas. There is a solid, powerful and exceptionally creative storyline behind this game; the vast environments that Lara is called to explore, although beautifully textured, are not just decoration but in reality are more than functional in the progress of the plot and gameplay. Speaking of which, be prepared for some really serious gameplay where not only action skills but also plenty of wit is required. Everything used in this game is impeccable; moreover there are some brilliant puzzles (one that comes to mind is the mirror room puzzle, where you get to see a twin Lara - one of the most spectacular sequences in the game; also the huge four pylons sections that provide some of the most amazing TR gaming moments). A top-notch masterwork that can proudly stand beside the official games and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that, in many aspects, it even surpasses some of them.

The Lost Soul of Maria by TombRaiderFan (19 December 2006)

It's pure enjoyment reviewing levels like this, as much enjoyment as it is playing them. 'The Lost Soul Of Maria' is definitely one of the most original, imaginative and genial levels made so far; it's one of those levels that not only show the genious of the builders, but also demonstrate clearly the potential that there is in the editor itself, as they go far beyond the common and conventional settings and storylines and provide a result that is stunning in its originality and geniality. 'The Lost Soul Of Maria' could be subtitled 'Lara in Nightmare-land', as we follow Lara in her quest for a girl's lost soul, in nightmarish imaginary places that however don't create a feeling of fear, but rather one of psychedelica and dreamy eeriness. Everything that is used in this level (or better, this mini-game) has a purpose, and the result is an adventure that stands out from every aspect. The objects are original and wisely used; there is imposing music, an impressive fog effect that dominates throughout the sections. Lara gets to wear more than one outfits and this is a nice addition to the whole. The first levels are rather easy, but it all becomes darker, tougher and more imposing as you proceed. There is a great variety of settings, creating different feels in each section/set of sections. All the parts are great, with immaculate texturing and some fantastic gameplay sequences; various elements from the classic TRs are re-introduced in an inventive way and seen from a different perspective. My personal favourites however have to be 'Maria's Dream' - a masterpiece eye-candy graphic-wise, and 'Over-Darkened Hell' for its gothic feel and its subtle references to classic TR1's Atlantis levels. There aren't many enemies in the level, but all of them appear in crucial parts, offering some good action sequences. The mutant monsters weren't too tough to beat - especially as in several places they would get stuck in openings, making killing them too easy - but the skeleton harpies provided a good piece of challenge wherever they appeared. The secrets could be a bit more challenging (I managed to find all of them without consulting a walkthrough) but this is just a side-note; the imaginative puzzles make up for this, as well as the excellent timed events. Besides there are so many good elements in this game, that this detail is of no real importance. 'The Lost Soul Of Maria' is a must-play for all raiders, but experienced, open-minded players will just love it.

The Forgotten Latin Realms 1+2 by Stitch (31 January 2007)

This is an enjoying two-part adventure which, although it basically uses familiar texturing and settings in general, it manages to be original in its own way. It's based on challenging and clever gameplay, which is at the same time varied. In the first part, you mostly have to make numerous jumps around a series of cave areas with interesting prehistoric setting, so as to locate the entrance to the second part/temple. Some of these jumps are easy, others are tougher, others are rather inventive. Sometimes you have to backtrack a long way, after having moved a block out of a path, so that you can move on. All the caves look similar, but it doesn't get boring because of the moves you have to make in there, that keep you occupied and concentrated on your goal. You meet giant scorpions, nasty harpies, crocodiles and huge bugs, and you get to find several idols (bronze, golden and silver) that don't serve a purpose but are rather rewards of sorts (a-la TR-Legend). Some are there in front of your eyes, for others you have to search a bit. I found several of them, although I guess I must have missed some. In the second part, you arrive at the temple (Egyptian-looking setting) which is split in two main areas. In the first one, you again follow the jumps pattern so as to find two items that you need to combine in order to open a main gate; but in the second area things change, as the gameplay gets enriched with more elements (jumpswitches, ropes etc); as for the enemies, you have to deal with huge bugs, leopards and fire wraiths. And of course, more idols/rewards wait for you here. Several times, as you move along, you get camera views of crucial areas or spots, so you know more or less where you are heading at. The atmosphere is very good, and the creepy music in the first section makes a nice, spooky effect. The puzzles are more or less easy to deal with, although some of them require some thought and are a tad time-consuming (the moveable pillar puzzle near the end).

Vendetta! by Treeble (31 January 2007)

I liked this brief and enjoying adventure because despite it's 'dark' title, it was rather humorous and pleasant. Lara sort of returns to the 'scene of the crime' so as to fight Sophia Leigh again, and to get to her she must complete some missions in the zoo. The area is split in several rooms and you can explore each one in any order so as to find three items. Although there are some tricky things to do (in that it's not very clear at some points what you are supposed to do), the level is overall very straightforward. The gameplay is easy, and there are no complicated puzzles to bug you - only simple switch-pulling stuff. There are a few traps but you can easily pass them. What I didn't like was some weird fixed cameras at certain points, as I couldn't see what Lara was doing because things got in the way due to the camera angle that was impossible to escape from. Also the enemies were far too many for such a short level, but I found it so funny when that group of tigers attacked Lara all of a sudden. I liked the inventive use of the classic golden roses (with a different appearance here), but the final battle was a bit too easy, in spite of having many 'participants'. Quite entertaining as a whole though.

Ghost Ship by Ego (30 January 2007)

Inspired by the ocean levels from TR2 (and mostly The Deck and Wreck of the Maria Doria), this level is a fast-paced and rather brief adventure which however features some rather complicated architecture. You start at the shores of a huge cavern from where you have to dive in the ocean so as to locate a sunken ship. If you don't like underwater levels, don't worry because this underwater swim is pretty much all the swimming you have to do in the whole level (there are some water sequences later on, but they are too short). Once you enter the ship, you have to locate a few keys and artifacts so as to move on. There is hardly any decoration in the interior rooms (and how could there be any, as we are talking about a destroyed shipwreck, which moreover is haunted) and the texturing is similar to the aforementioned TR2 levels. Also some objects don't quite fit in the style of the level (ie, the pyramid keys or the egyptian-style artifacts), but since this is a ghost ship you expect to see all sorts of weird things happening... like meeting headless guards shooting at you! The latter is a rather creepy detail, but I got used to it after the first two or three headless baddies. I noticed that they couldn't harm Lara much - probably because they are headless and they can't aim well. Incidentally, all the sharks I came across in the underwater sections would swim close to Lara yet would never bite her. I don't know if it was intended to be this way, or I was simply lucky. The gameplay is very easy but it gets a bit frustrating due to the organization of the level, as there are so many passages, openings and crossing corridors around you, that you have the feeling that you are in an extremely vast area and you may get a bit lost at points. Moreover the dim lighting makes things even worse. Luckily, the flares are in abundance, as are the ammo pickups - didn't manage to find the shotgun anywhere though, although I found lots of ammo for it. I also found the lasersight, but there was no need to use it anywhere. The puzzles are pretty much predictable, but every time you pull a lever or push a button, there's no camera showing you the effect, so you have to wander a bit trying to locate which door opened (with an exception close to the end). There's a lot of block-pushing/pulling, but you won't have any problem with it, as all the moveable blocks have the same texture and you recognize them immediately; and usually it's all about moving the block out of the way in order to reveal something, so there's nothing complicated to go with.

Eternal Mysteries by JMN (29 January 2007)

This level could be a tribute (and a rather tasteful one!) to the classic Tomb Raiders to date. Based on a mystery-solving storyline, according to which Lara is trying to find who murdered Winston, the builder has included several references to memorable levels of the old games. The main part of the adventure - which also represents what happens 'now' - takes place in a beautiful and colourful Egypt that reminds a lot of the TR4 Egypt; even the puzzles are similar, and to such a degree that for experienced players some of them will be very easy to solve. As Lara moves on, we are transported, via flashbacks, to the past, where she finds clues or hints related to her quest. These sections are less colourful, almost black and white, looking like psychedelic dream sequences, and they involve an oil rig (reference to TR2's Offshore Rig), a roman sewer system (reminiscent of The Cistern from TR1), a frozen Russian forest (reference to The Base levels from TR5) and a sunken ship (which brings nice memories from my personal favourite from TR2, Wreck of the Maria Doria). All these are masterly interlaced, resulting in a rich adventure where the alteration of settings and moods doesn't let you feel bored for one second. In my opinion, this level is a must for all devoted TR fans, even if only for its referneces to the classics. The gameplay is flowing and smooth, there are no surprises; the puzzles are easy in general, as well as the traps and trials - with the exception of one of the Egypt sections later on, where there are some pretty challenging situations to face. There is a variety of enemies waiting for you, but (what a disappointment!) they all go down far too fast, even the mighty demigods. Only the boss in the sunken ship provides a tough fight and requires some skill and strategy. A serious drawback was the lack of medipacks and flares. Challenge is one thing, but torture is another. It's really cruel having to dive in a pool of toxic water that kills Lara within seconds when you have only one medipack left and no others to find anywhere around, and thus witness Lara's death dozens of times before you manage to make it in the end. And it's even more cruel to have to go around a pitch dark room where you have to locate and jump on invisible platforms, when you have no flares left. The binoculars are helpful, but not enough. I know I probably should have used less flares up to that point, but when there is such a dark room to deal with, a pickup with flares close to it would have come more than handy. In short, be careful with how you use your medis and flares so that you won't have to worry about them, and you will be able to enjoy this beautiful adventure even more.

Ninive by Miguel (29 January 2007)

I enjoyed this level series very much, and it is among my all time favourites; and I think it's Miguel's best work so far. Lara is looking for a valuable treasure and for this reason, she explores several places, starting off outside a museum, and you have to find a way to sneak into it, as it is heavily guarded. I had a bit of a hard time trying to find a necessary key - in plain sight, yet so well-hidden at the same time (pay special attention to the street lamps!) but as soon as I did, everything started to flow. Once inside the museum, there is a series of theme rooms waiting for you (except for the Egyptian themed room, which is a separate level on its own), and from there you are trasported to the Palace section where the treasure you are looking for is hidden. Exploring all those areas is a great challenge which also offers visual pleasure - and in particular, the Egyptian room and Palace sections are artistic masterpieces. The last one also happens to be my personal favourite: it features a green-eyed Lara, dressed in a bright purple uniform and looking as if she escaped from a sci-fi movie, and driving an awesome pink jeep (incidentally, the rides you have to make with it are just amazing). The settings in all the sections are masterfully textured and constructed; the gameplay is very enjoying and although extremely challenging at some points, it never gets tiring because everything is so clever and inspired that the whole experience ends up being totally fascinating. The puzzles are very good and they involve rope swinging, torches, scarabs, raising blocks, and there is a lot of action and mystery feel. The atmosphere is great, matching each section in the best way. A fantastic level series, that I would gladly replay any day!

Castle Riverrun - Part II by masha (28 January 2007)

This is a beautiful-looking level, which is moreover organized in such a brilliant way that it has a true professional touch in it. The four parts it consists of are inter-connected, and you can go back and forth as many times as you want; you open the paths as you move along and once you want to go back to find something you have missed, doing so is very easy and straightforward. For example, upon reaching the room where the Iceheart sword was kept (a beautifully made artifact, by the way!) I found out I was missing two keys. Going back to find them was not only easy but also very enjoying. The settings are awesome, and there is a great veriety of them. The castle and its surrounding areas are pure eye-candy, while the dungeons, although much darker and creepy, have excellent detailed decoration that creates a very realistic feel. All the levels are massive, yet you can't easily get lost, as there is a lot to do and you never stay inactive wondering what to do next - and each step you take leads to the next one naturally. There are many traps to pass through and puzzles to solve, some of which are particularly genial (like the brain-head puzzle in the dungeons or the mirror room puzzle in the castle) and some of which are a bit bugging (the switches lowering blocks for finding the two blue gems in the castle). In particular the mirror room is fantastic, and very cleverly made. Lighting all the torches so as to reveal the aforementioned room was also something I enjoyed. Incidentally, this was one of the few levels where I didn't get annoyed by the use of the torch. There are also a lot of timed runs, but they are very good and although they may get a bit repetitive after a while, they are rather friendly with the player: you don't always have to run like mad, as you have time in your hands in most cases. Overall this level is a real work of art, that you can't miss.

The House on a Hill by teme9 (26 January 2007)

Another 'different' Tomb Raider level, that several times brings memories from games with a creepy feel, like Resident Evil or even American McGee's Alice (the detail of the flying books - which btw is a very clever addition!). The level is quite linear and straightforward; Lara is trapped inside a mysterious mansion and she has to explore several interesting rooms, unlock doors and solve puzzles. Eery sounds and a particularly creepy atmosphere dominate everywhere, and there are several changelings to bug you as you move along. The lighting and atmosphere are amazing, and the textures, although familiar to a great extent, are combined in such a way as to accentuate the feeling of creepiness that runs through the whole level. There are some pretty clever mini library mazes, where the camera gets a bit misleading and confusing at points. I didn't like that pushable block puzzle at about the middle of the level, because although it was simple, there was no hint concerning how those blocks were supposed to be moved, so I had to do it by trial and error. I don't mind doing that, but it got boring after a while of trying without any result until I finally figured it out by fluke. There are several nasty enemies that need a lot of shooting until they die. I particularly liked the part with the spiked ball and the explosions, that was a very good and fast-paced sequence. The end boss was quite terrifying to look at! Try it out, especially if you like atmospherical and creepy levels.

Catacombs of Rome by Samu (26 January 2007)

This rather brief and linear level is well-made and I enjoyed it in general, however it includes some inexplicably tough and complicated situations where you may get stuck for hours. I wouldn't mind a tiny hint concerning the use of switches in the big room with the three doors, for instance, as I spent half an hour trying to figure out the right combinations. Also that timed run with the shimmying around corners to the closing door was a bit too mean. The texturing is nice (follows the patterns of the TR1 roman levels mainly), but it gets too repetitive after a while, and because everything around you looks so much the same, you can easily miss ledges, openings, crawlspaces and spend a lot of time looking for the next exit when it's practically in front of your eyes most of the times. Upon starting the level for example, I had no clue what to do for a while, as there seemed to be no way to proceed anywhere. But overall it's a quite good level, with some interesting gameplay moments (ie, opening /unlocking the gates close to the start, or the sequences where breakable tiles are involved). A few enemies, mainly bats and rats, add a little more spice to this classic-looking (and feeling) tomb raiding adventure. By the way, what do they feed those rats in these catacombs? They are incredibly huge!

Rustay by Agnes (25 January 2007)

Another enjoyful and beautifully made level by Agnes, split in four parts. In the first part, you are on a moving train, heading towards the station of Rustay. This is a classic train level that goes along the lines of the Desert Railroad level from TR4 gameplay-wise, but the similarities stop there, because otherwise this one has some nice details that make the difference (ie, the passengers that you encounter in the corridors or wagons, who don't take notice of the hoolaballoo that takes place around them, or the toxic pool that you have to empty), and also some textures are very original. The second part takes place in the village of Rustay. The settings here are lovely, we run around in a beautiful village that is covered in snow, under a blue sky. The sweet and calming music that plays in the background matches perfectly the wintery landscape but comes in contrast with what happens when you meet angry guards or hungry wolves! There's a lot of exploring to do as you look for keys and necessary items, and some traps to pass through as well. In the third part, you are still in the village but things are tougher and darker for Lara here, as she encounters the danger that keeps threatening the village. There are many rooms, balconies and roofs to visit, as well as hidden passages. The ambience remains beautiful, yet a feeling of eeriness builds up as soon as you begin that section, and it becomes stronger as you proceed, reaching its zenith when you get to the fourth part in the Cemetery. You have several tasks to complete here too, and there are a few well-hidden secrets to find. Overall, this level features some cleverly made puzzles that make you think without ending up being tiring or boring. Nothing is too easy, but you only need a bit of careful exploring so as to spot everything and make the right moves. The only thing that bugged me a bit was that there were a couple of metal keys that would fit in ornate keyholes. The first time I found one, I would run around aimlessly trying to find where was that metal keyhole that I missed, only to find out by chance that the key fitted in an ornate keyhole. Other than that, all was just lovely and enjoying. Don't miss it!

Hell's Kitchen by Agnes (23 January 2007)

This is the second level of Agnes that I play within a few days, and I am still impressed by the way she organizes her levels and sets them up. Hell's Kitchen is humorous and challenging, with a smooth, player-friendly gameplay. The puzzles are not tough, but some of them do require some thinking and make you feel very happy with yourself after you've found the way to solve them. On the first part, Lara has to explore some deserted city streets and a few offices where gangsters lurk. Although I'm not a fan of rap/hiphop music, I did enjoy Eminem's track following Lara's first runs around the streets, as it matched the story and the settings so much. In the second part, you take a tour in an abandoned subway - this section is very atmospherical and creates a feeling of eery mystery, which is also accentuated by the weird laughter that you hear every now and then. Here there's more to do, as the area is quite vast and there are several sections to discover and explore. Agnes surely knows how to create imaginative and original levels that are a sheer pleasure to play; Hell's Kitchen is definitely one of those, and one that you will enjoy tremendously.

Summer by Agnes (22 January 2007)

I decided to give this level a go when I saw its tempting title and after reading in the brief summary that it includes a bike, as I have a soft soft for bike rides. It turned out to be a brief (took me about 35 minutes to complete) but rather enjoyful and feel-good adventure, with beautiful environments and a real summery atmosphere. The gameplay is rather easy, although some moveable blocks or crawlspaces are rather well-hidden and you may need to explore more thoroughly so as to spot them. Despite its short length, the level offers a variety of locations - you start off in a lovely villa and its green garden, later you get out to an almost jungle-like natural park, your next stop is a beautiful village and you end up at the beach (although you only get the chance to catch a glimpse of it and you don't actually get to it). You get to ride the bike for most of the level, which I found very cool. There are a few keys and items to find, but they are rather easy to locate, and the place where you need to use them is always somewhere nearby, so you can proceed quite fast and without having to think about it much.

Evening in Rome by Nick (21 January 2007)

This level is sweet and relaxing like a promenade in the streets and alleyways of an italian town... a promenade that gets interrupted a few times by a guard shooting at you or the attack of a stray dog, but in general what dominates in this brief adventure is the lovely evening atmosphere, the calming sounds of the cicadas and the beautiful tranquility of the environment. The level starts with a tasteful flyby showing you the areas that you are going to visit, and then you begin exploring around. Exploration is pretty easy, as most items are usually easy to find and close to where you need to use them after you've found them. There's plenty of tightrope walking above alleys and coutryards, as well as jumping and running on rooftops and balconies. The level follows pretty much the logic of the Streets of Rome level from TR-Chronicles, and it's very straightforward and enjoying. It took me less than half an hour to complete and I didn't get stuck anywhere - I did waste some time on the rooftops deliberately though, as I just loved the settings there ;) When you arrive at the end, you get to watch another nice flyby of the areas you had visited, showing you also the way that Lara will probably follow so as to leave from the last room where you leave her. A nice little adventure which I wouldn't have minded at all if it was longer and a bit more complex.

Back to Basics 2007 - Another Metro Station by TC14 (17 January 2007)

This is not exactly just another metro station, at least not the usual metro station that you expect to see when going to the Underground! I started this level some days ago, took the wrong path and got so terribly stuck, that I abandoned it and was decided to not give it a second chance. A few days passed and I thought then I'd give it another shot and, as it turned out, it was a right move: this time I decided to explore a bit more thoroughly and within a few minutes I had discovered the right path, so the adventure began. I'm glad that I did play this level in the end, because I enjoyed it a lot. Its strong point are no doubt those challenging puzzles that involve (evil) fans and poles, as well as the very well-organized puzzle close to the end where you have to do a lot of climbing, jumping on platforms and tricky angled jumping around rocks, monkey-swinging among flames all around and up the walls of the cave that surrounds the main tracks area; all these are brain-challenging and offer some fine moments of good, tough gameplay. Most of the action takes place in a vast underground station where there are many rooms to visit, yet there are also a few things to do in a couple of areas in the open. The texturing is nice, and especially the cave is very atmospherical. I found two secret fuses that I didn't use anywhere; also got the revolver and the lasersight after the second half, but managed to finish the level without having to use them at any place - not sure if it was intended to be that way. In any event, this level is a very good piece of adventuring, you will surely not regret chosing to play it.

Back to Basics 2007 - Key to the Mutant's Locker by mugs (17 January 2007)

This level was a bit too confusing, despite the very nice texturing and atmosphere in the exterior locations. There are two timed runs early on, which are not particularly challenging (in fact, they are fairly easy) but they sort of put you off, as there is no reason for them to be there at that so non-crucial point of the level. In general I enjoy timed runs, but not when they are practically the one after the other like that. Moving on, I don't know why you just have to look all around the city for a switch that reveals a button and when you backtrack a long way so as to push that button, you open a door and arrive in an office where there's yet one more locked door, for which you need to find a key - so you have to go out again searching all over the place for it; and more than once throughout the level you find yourself in the situation where you arrive in front of a keylock and you have no idea where to begin searching for the key that matches it, because there are slightly any hints concerning what you are looking for and why. You can easily lose track and go exploring the wrong way only to find out after hours of aimless wandering around that there are several things you have missed. The settings are beautiful however - especially around the river & bridge area - and they somehow make up for the frustrating gameplay.

Back to Basics 2007 - Following a London Sect by TimJ (15 January 2007)

As the adventure begins in a quiet temple, little you suspect about what will follow later on. The two baddies and the lone crow that attack you in the alley outside are just desserts. After a quite nasty puzzle that involves pole swinging, fire traps and jumpswitches, you open up the trapdoor to the underground. Two evil fans make your life hell for a few minutes then, as you struggle to pull a lever and swim into a tiny water tunnel. But then the whole scenery changes all of a sudden, as you arrive in the most amazing flooded underground train station. The setting here is just brilliant, both as concept and realisation; in contrast with the limited starting area, here you have to explore a complex and ingenious network of tunnels, passages, bridges and rooms, while looking for keys and fuses. One of the major highlights in this section is definitely the atmospheric and imposing semi-ruined temple that's hidden at the other end of the semi-flooded rail tracks. There's much to explore, much to enjoy, a few clever timed runs and some very well hidden items. A beautiful and massive adventure that offers some great gameplay moments and is very challenging but in a friendly way (with the exception of the aforementioned poles puzzle and the evil fans, that are a bit too mean). One of the best levels from the London project.

Back to Basics 2007 - Docklands by dennis16 (15 January 2007)

This is a brief but very nice and well-structured level. Although there is a lot of button-pushing/lever throwing/door opening to do, it doesn't get tiring as almost always you either know or can easily guess where to go next. The whole setting and atmosphere remind a lot of Lud's Gate and Shakespeare Cliff, especially in the second half. Basically there are two different sections, one on 'dry land' where Lara has to do some climbing and monkey swinging around the 'docks' area so as to open a few doors and make her way to the train station. This section is a bit dark and many times I had to use the binoculars so as to spot keyholes, crevices or ledges. After some wandering around, you arrive at the underground which is ruined on one end (a very atmospheric and nicely textured area, with nice lighting) and there's some exploring to do here too until you are able to flood even more the already flooded pit, so that you can get to the exit. A pleasant and straightforward level, that will keep you good company for the brief time that is lasts.

Back to Basics 2007 - Jobmond & Co by Skyld (15 Januray 2007)

So many things to comment on, so little time. First impression upon starting the level: Wow! An upturned city, building segments here and there mingled with mud and ruined parts of train tracks, house roofs at the most impossible spots, rocky overhangs coming out from the most unexpected places... A surreal, futuristic setting, looking like a parallel upturned version of London. A brilliant idea, realised in a very original, particularly inventive and creative way. When I saw that this year's BtB was going to be London-themed, I was very glad because the London levels from TR3 have always been and still are among my top favourites, so it would be very interesting to see what the builders would come up with, having in their hands a specific set of level-building stuff. I have to say that this level surpasses all expectations concerning what may be original or inventive. This subversive and unexpected use of textures is definitely something that you don't often see in a TR game, and it's really amazing to see what impressively original stuff can be produced with using a simple set of familiar city textures. Second impression: gameplay. Oh my goodness! I nearly gave up many times, as several situations seemed impossible, and I had to reload so many times until I was able to successfully make that evil timed run or that weird angled jump on the most inconvenient surfaces. Surely the gameplay is no easy task here; nearly all the situations and puzzles that you are called to deal with are highly challenging and requiring. However it wasn't so bad after moving along a bit - the timed runs seemed more friendly then and although it all seemed too confusing and frustrating at first, as soon as I got the hang of it, 'understood' its surrealistic logic and explored a bit beforehand in every area for recognition, everything seemed smoother - even those evil and unfriendly corners. There is a lot of backtracking to do, and many times you may not know what you are looking for or which path you are supposed to follow; but if you think calmly and sort of form the setting in your mind, you will realise that it's the unexpected texturing that creates all the confusion (when for example you expect to see a smooth road on the next turn, and instead you come across a path made of roofs, uneven steps and hanging rocks); in fact it's not at all that bad. There was a slight problem with a camera close to the start - its use made things worse instead of being helpful, but this really isn't of much importance considering all those quality elements that this level has. There are very few enemies to deal with, as the main focus is placed on the gameplay and atmosphere. I'm happy that I had the patience to continue playing after a necessary small pause, so that I did have the chance in the end to experience the so original and fresh feel of this unusual level. I've played levels that are conventional, levels that are less conventional, levels that are original, levels that are particularly inventive. This one however is like a completely different 'genre' on its own and it definitely stands out from this year's BtB project. If you are up for a big challenge, forget all you knew about conventional Tomb Raider, arm yourself with patience, make sure your brain is clear enough and enjoy this magnificent, genial level.

Back to Basics 2007 - Escape to St Paul's by PaoloM (14 Januray 2007)

This is a well-made, dark city level - industrial, as I like to call such settings, as what we mostly see is the industrial part of the city. Apart from the way that the familiar London textures are combined and Lara's classic catsuit that will remind you of the classic TR3 London levels anyway, there are also other things that will bring up memories from the game: there is action and tricky jumping on rooftops over abismal chasms, timed burners, dark alleyways, crevices to shimmy across and many more. I enjoyed this level in general, although at certain points it was a bit tiring - ie, the timed run with the burner close to the start. Moreover, there are so many timed events in this level, that everytime I would come across a new button or lever, I would find myself thinking that it was surely timed, even if it wasn't. Basically, I can't see any point as to why there just had to be so many timed events in one single (and relatively short) level. Apart from that, the level is well constructed, with nice ambience and atmosphere, and it will surely appeal, more or less, to all the fans of city based levels.

Back to Basics 2007 - Hell Hath No Fury by staticon (14 January 2007)

I couldn't find any connection between the title and the story, apart maybe from the fact that Lara sort of raises hell so as to find her beloved crowbar. Surely the feeling of this level is humorous though, and as such it should be seen. I played this BtB07 level after two much tougher ones from the project, so it was a nice and relaxing interlude, as it didn't cause any hair-pulling nor screen-punching from my part. Although not exactly easy-peasy, it's rather linear and the path you have to follow is crystal clear most of the times. It requires no hard thinking, and the gameplay is very easy; there are no big surprises awaiting, however there are some nice and clever sequences included (ie, the changing pillars or the jumps on the collapsing tiles above the lethal pool). I found three secrets and the crowbar at the end, without much effort. A nice level to pass your time, if you want an amusing and relaxing adventure for a change.

Back to Basics 2007 - The Escape by Adngel (14 January 2007)

One more level from the BtB07-London project. Here Lara must make her way through troops of guards so as to escape. The level starts with quite an action, as you have to shoot down plenty of enemies so as to get out of the 'prison' area. The logic of this first section reminded me a lot of the beginning of Wolfenstein 3D where BJ, the hero, has to do similar actions so as to move on. As Lara goes along, the setting changes from time to time. You arrive at caves, rocky areas, pools, spooky interiors and finally a semi-destroyed train station where there is lot to do and explore. This level is quite original in that it creates a weird, eery atmosphere that is somehow different from the one that you usually encounter in classic 'spooky town' levels. Its settings are a bit too dark and depressing for most part, which of course underlines the eery feel but on the other hand made me waste all of my flares and there were parts where I couldn't see where I was going or what I was doing. Things change however when you arrive at the aforementioned train station; the setting there is far more promising and there is lot of action and, of course, more baddies. In fact, I don't remember meeting more baddies in any TR game so far - either official or custom. God bless the unlimited ammo pistols. I don't know how much lead I wasted on all those guards and baddies. Just before Lara locates the exit to freedom, a quite memorable sequence of jumps on some rooftops and breakable tiles awaits, where you have to put a great deal of concentration and will probably make you reload a few times. Overall the gameplay is very good, challenging and particularly inventive at times (ie, all the jumping/swinging/shimmying/climbing sequence that you have to go through so as to move from the entrance of the big cave to its exit). There are tricky and complicated situations to deal with, as well as some backtracking (locating the right items and switches/buttons at the station, for example), but in general the level is rather straightforward and it won't frustrate you much.

Back to Basics 2007 - An Adventure in the Night by Mikki (14 January 2007)

This fine level from the BtB07 project has most of its action taking place in and around a train station, which is partly a reminiscent of TR3/Aldwych. As you begin, an amazing flyby offers you glances of the places you have to visit. On first look, it seems like there is a whole lot of areas to explore, but as you move along, you realise that they are not that many. There are, however, many things to locate, including fuses and keys, and searching for some of them can be really frustrating (it took me a long time to locate that very well-hidden opening above the roof of the train, although I was sure that there was something going on with those trains and that they were surely hiding something). The atmosphere is very good, the textures are finely combined and there are some nice puzzles to solve, as for the gameplay, although tough at times it's rather entertaining and well-organized. The temple, which is Lara's final destination, is very well-constructed with great atmosphere. Such a shame you don't get to explore more in there, apart from doing two relatively easy puzzles. The level ends a bit abruptly, with Lara finding a key and arriving back at the sewers from where she started. Although her mission was nothing more or nothing less than finding that key, the end still left me with the feeling that there should be something more to follow - or at least that the ending should have been a bit more spectacular.

Back to Basics 2007 - Lara and the Pit by Isis (14 January 2007)

This level is a real fest for the eyes! The settings are amazing, and if you wander a bit on the high rooftops, you get to catch some beautiful views of the Thames. Both the interior and exterior environments are particularly well-structured and creative (the temple and the towers are majestic), as is the whole level in general. It is simple but in no way simplistic; rather straightforward and playful.

The puzzles are not tough but some of them are rather inventive (ie, the fires that go off one by one as you slide down the ramp in the towers area) and the gameplay is smooth with no particularly frustrating moments. There are timed events that are challenging enough without being crazy (with perhaps the exception of the timed exhaust fan close to the end, which requires a faster than fast swim), and some interesting flipmaps that make the gameplay even more enjoyful. There are not many enemies to deal with - incidentally, one of the first enemies that I met when jumping on the boat in the river, fell in the water while trying to attack me, and when I returned to the river at the end of the level, I found him still roaming on the river-bed, whacking the water with his stick. A very beautiful and entertaining level that's definitely among the best from the BtB07 project.

Lara at the Movies - Blood from the Mummy's Tomb by Josep Borrut (2 September 2007)

Like most of Josep Borrut's levels, this one too is a masterful combination of complex puzzles and impressive, mazey environments where many times you wonder where to go next. As far as gameplay is concerned, there's so much to do, a lot of jumping around, monkey-swinging and shimmying around rocks, there is even a jeep and a nifty jeep ride on narrow rocky paths above water. The atmosphere is great and everything seems to work perfectly, as soon as you find your way along. I managed to find a few secrets this time. One of the most requiring and intelligent levels of the project.

Revenge of Osiris - Secret of the Pyramid by Pouco2 & Thierry Stoorne (17 April 2007)

Apparently Thierry Stoorne saved the best for last, as his two final levels (this and the following one) for the RoO series (with the collaboration of Pouco2 this time) are the most unforgettable among his contributions for the project. Lara is finally inside the heart of Osiris' pyramid and is exploring it so as to find the secret that it's hiding. She has to face traps, solve puzzles, deal with several enemies, and she is doing all that in a very atmospherical and spooky environment of nicely textured rooms. The gameplay is smooth again, perfectly organized, and the effects that are used add up to create a beautiful result. At the end of the level, the setting changes almost completely, preparing the grounds for the next section. Overall a wonderful level, which you will surely have a great time playing.

Valentianum by Katya (18 February 2007)

From a visual aspect, this is one of the prettiest levels I have played. The decoration of the interior settings is rich and beautiful and the exterior areas are magnificently textured. There are several nice objects too, tastefully combined with the rest of the decoration. Lara is exploring a real-life museum and the lovely gardens around it, so as to find a precious manuscript. Before locating it, she has to solve a series of enjoying and rather easy puzzles in the rooms outside, so as to enter the palazzo. The first part is centered around opening several doors - the one leading to opening the other via solving a puzzle, and in the second section you open a secret passage that leads to the main area of the museum, and the library where the manuscprit is hidden. There are plenty of guards but they go down fast and most of the times leave something behind for you to collect after they disappear. An ice dragon that I met somewhere in the second part wouldn't die no matter how much I shot him, I guess he is supposed to not go down. The only part where I was a bit confused concerning what to do, was when I arrived behind a timed door and was missing a necessary star. It took me a while to locate the climbable wall that led to it (although the wall wasn't looking as if you could climb it). A beautiful adventure nonetheless.

Infernal Tower by Quentin Cartier (17 February 2007)

I absolutely enjoyed the gameplay in this level, it was just perfect - inventive, original, fast and brilliant. Lara's task is to reach the top of a huge and imposing tower, but climbing it is not done in any conventional way. To begin, you have to find a way to reach the area outside the tower, as it is blocked by rocks. Then you have to start exploring around so as to find a gem that will give you access to the interior of the tower so that you can start the ascension, which involves jumping on high ledges around the perimeter of the tower, swimming in pools inside it, locating cartouche pieces and other items, moving pushable blocks on narrow ledges, avoiding boulders, so that you can open up gates in order to move on until you finally reach your goal. On the way, you have to face demigods, golden harpies, scorpions, skeletons and bats. Nice use of known egyptian textures and items, which gain a new dimension thanks to the clever gameplay. The ambience is well-set and atmospherical. Sometimes there are no cameras to help you, but it's not too difficult to locate where to go next, as you can pretty much have control of the area with a few glances around beforehand.

Hunt for the Blue Hope II by Seemeister (16 February 2007)

Lara is back on the hunt for the Blue Hope, but this time things are much tougher and complicated than the previous one. Technically speaking, I had a very serious recurring crashing issue in the second part, which made gaming really frustrating. I'm sure I would have enjoyed this wonderful adventure much more if I didn't have to restart it every little while. Anyway, the first part takes place in a small town setting, with a lovely harbour and nicely built and textured houses (both inside and outside) and a church via which in the end of this section you enter the catacombs. There is a lot of exploration and action, and like in the first Blue Hope adventure, many things are so well hidden that you have to check every area really thoroughly so as not to miss them. At some point, I found out by chance that a seemingly innocent wall was shootable, concealing a vast water cave behind it. But the real challenge begins in the second part (the catacombs) - practically as soon as it begins, as you have to carry out one of the toughest sequences that involves sliding on blocks while at the same time shooting vases that will open up a gate to exit for you. More challenges await as you move on, and basically you have to explore two main rooms - a lava room and a water room. There are several puzzles to solve, some of which are incredibly inventive and brilliant, and some interesting tough moments as well. One special and very tricky jump over a poisoned pool had me frustrated for quite a while, but then I made it when I didn't even expect it. The moving platforms sequence close to the finale is among the best moments in the series. There are several enemies in both parts (in the first one, you meet many baddies, but in the second one all of them are animals and skeletons). As a side note, it was a funny and nice idea to replace the classic medipacks with bread and beer, it added some realism to the story.

Hunt for the Blue Hope by Seemeister (14 February 2007)

I loved the style and setup of this seemingly brief but in reality very rich level. What dominates is the particularly inventive use of the environment and the many details that you have to spot so as to find ways to move on. Instead of expanding the action in vast areas, Seemeister has taken advantage of almost every corner in a few rooms so as to add hidden levers, dark crawlspaces, concealed passages. In that way, a seemingly limited area is packed with things to locate and do; only spotting them is not always so easy! You begin in a small alley and you see several balconies on the walls around you, but how you get to them is another story. The gameplay is excellent, highly requiring at points, but always very inventive. A very important thing about this level is that, although the actions you have to do seem complicated (for example, there are many doors to open, and several times pulling a lever close to them doesn't have any immediate effect), the general style of the action is such that it helps you understand the outline and therefore after a while kinda guides you through, as you can figure out all the logical connections. Moreover, the limited spaces make all the necessary backtrackings a rather easy and entertaining process. All in all, a great little adventure.

Centralia by kutuup (13 February 2007)

This felt more like a demo, but I did enjoy it while it lasted, thanks to its smooth and flowing gameplay - although truth is it was extremely easy. The atmosphere in the first part reminds that of TR4/Cairo - and so do the textures. I found the room with narrow corridors and low trenches quite interesting as a concept; it would have been really good if it was more elaborate. The second part looks like the TR4/Catacombs level, although there are some nice lighting effects in a couple of rooms. The surfaces look and are solid, in general the level looks well-built and details are also looked after. The enemies are mainly guards, and you also get to face some classic egyptian demigods close to the end; you come across a few sentry guns but you can easily avoid getting seriously injured by them and the zombie mummies that you meet at some point pose no serious danger. It would be interesting to possibly see a more complete version of this one.

Restless in Paris - Dawn in the Backyards by Miss Kroft (13 February 2007)

Now this is one of the kind of levels that I enjoy playing most of all. A colourful suburb environment with tasteful, solid architecture, lovely cobblestone streets and greenery, rich interior settings and a fair amount of action in the sewers. This is the first part of an upcoming series, produced by the talented Miss Kroft who always manages to reward the players of her levels with amazing gameplay, clever and fast puzzles and wonderful ambience. The level begins with a very well-made cutscene showing Lara playing the piano and Winston telling some bad news to her about Jean Yves, and then the game itself starts, with Lara ready to begin adventuring in the beautiful backyards of Paris early in the morning. The main part of the action takes place in the streets, but you get the chance to explore the (beautifully set and textured) interior of a couple of houses too, where there are also very important things to do, and of course the sewers. There's some rooftop jumping as well, and at some point you get to drive a cute red car along the city streets. There are several baddies (henchmen and workers) waiting for you at crucial points of the adventure. Puzzles involve timed fires protecting jumpswitches, lighting a fire, finding a torch, causing an explosion so as to open up the way close to the end and many more. Nice use of the environment and objects, good and atmospherical choice of music. Definitely a must-play; and I'm looking forward to the next part of this so promising level series.

Mantua's Squares by Traio (12 February 2007)

I discovered this level by chance when looking for 'City' levels in the search engine, and decided to give it a shot. As it turned out, it was an original-looking adventure with a rather peculiar setup; it took me a while to get accustomed to the whole style and feel. Dressed in an impressive fancy lace dress, cute hat and high heels, Lara is exploring a lovely italian city with interesting resort spots, pools with weird 'inhabitants', but also with several hidden traps and mysteries... and I'm sorry to say that's pretty much where all the originality ends, as gameplay-wise, I found things quite confusing and random: it all starts off being somehow incoherent at first, gets a bit interesting in the process but ends up rather repetitive. There are endless backtrackings to do, several times just to push a button and then go back again so as to do something else then repeat the same backtracking so as to move on a bit. Often you have no idea what you pulled that lever for or why you had to shoot that target, and looking for it may be interesting at first, but ends up rather boring and confusing after a while, although it never gets difficult enough to keep you hooked. Many times, the most impossible actions cause things to happen (ie, picking up a medipack opens an exit door or a trapdoor). The textures are good, but on many occasions they look too flat and stretched. I enjoyed the climbing and exploring on the rooftops (there's quite a lot of it) and the bike, but I wasted too much time going around in circles looking for ways to move on, which is why, although I like italian levels, I ended up feeling rather impatient with this one.

Underworld UB4 - Taking Care of Business by Bojrkraider, Richard Lawther, Titak & Trix (10 February 2007)

It's impossible to find flaws in such a brilliant masterpiece that overflows with wit, humour, challenge, creativity and talent. Undoubtedly the product of a genial mind, this last installment of the Underworld series writes a new, bright page in the custom level history (and imho, in the gaming world in general). Richard Lawther has invented and created a whole new universe, ingenious, futuristic and humorous, which manages to make you feel part of it as soon as you step in. This universe conisists of unique and original elements never seen before in any TR game, but implemented in such a way that they create a rich, solid environment for Lara to live her extraordinary adventures in. In there, he has integrated classic tomb-raiding in the most inventive way, giving it a totally new and fresh look and feel. The Descent (Trix): this introductory level has brilliant design, challenging gameplay with several memorable and unexpected twists. Swamp (Titak): a vast, atmospheric ambience, where the settings are used in an inventive way. The environment is almost interactive. Several times you have to explore the setting very well so as to spot the next to-go section. A beautifully lit castle with some lovely (yet lethal) plantation awaits close to the exit. The Asylum (Richard Lawther): ingenious concept, impeccable design. Entertainment park feel (accentuated by the sounds) and a humorously creepy atmosphere. Several brain & technique-challenging puzzles to solve, so as to proceed. There are numerous rooms to explore, crossing corridors that lead to more rooms leading to more crossing corridors, and a disco that you won't easily forget. Realm of the Lost (Richard Lawther): this psychedelic-looking level is the one that comes closest to classic tomb raiding from the whole game (speaking always in terms of the Underworld spirit of course, where nothing is conventional anyway). The Great Mausoleum (Richard Lawther): imposing, haunted atmosphere. There's a lot of climbing / jumping / sliding / monkey swinging to do here. The puzzles are easy to figure out, but become rather tricky when it comes to realising them. Factories (Richard Lawther): or, how to construct a beacon. This huge level is mainly a big experiment, where you have to find and combine several items and mix them in machines so as to finally construct a beacon and summon Geryon (which will lead you to the next level). This experiment got me a bit confused at first, but as soon as I got it, it was so enjoying putting together the pieces of this fantastic puzzle. Dark Souls Stronghold (Richard Lawther): amazingly spooky atmosphere. The main setting is a dark, creepy castle. Three particularly challenging boss fights wait for you here, as you move closer to the heart of Deep Hell, where you will meet... Lucifer (Richard Lawther): beautiful design and a most uncoventional finale, ending humorously this equally unconventional, high-spirited adventure, leaving you feeling a bit sad that it's all over. Congratulations to Richard & Friends (Trix, Titak, Bojrkraider) for this magnificent masterpiece. This is a real gift to every true raider out there.

The Unremarkable Egyptian Pillar by Skyld (5 February 2007)

This is Skyld's second level, and what an impressive progress he had made compared to his first one (Underground A). This level has its own special style, yet it does have certain similarities with Jobmond & Co, and I am sure that had I played this one before, I would have certainly recognized the builder behind the BtB07 level immediately. Despite the humbly self-sarcastic title, everything is particularly remarkable in this level - starting from the genial design, moving on to the inventive gameplay and of course not leaving outside the subversive sense of humour. The level is split in two parts, although the first one is mainly the level, as in the second one we discover the so-called unremarkable pillar and then make a humorous brief run towards the end (metaphorically and literally). Lara is exploring a bright Egyptian interior setting, and although all the elements are well-known and classic (textures, puzzles, traps, enemies) they are put in such an original context and are viewed from such a brilliantly creative perspective, that the result is far from being common or familiar. I don't know if Skyld did this intentionally, but I noticed that there is some sort of circular action recurring in the level, matching perfectly with the idea of the 'pillar' (Lara jumps/climbs on ledges around central structures or around perimeters of rooms most of the times). I enjoyed this unexpected Egyptian adventure a lot, and it's definitely one of the most entertaining and original levels I have played so far.

Necro's Domain 7 - Captive in the Ice by Necro (4 February 2007)

I haven't played the older levels of Necro's series, but this one I enjoyed a lot, thanks to its flowing and fast gameplay. The beginning is rather challenging, as you start off weaponless and without a single medipack, so you have to quickly locate the armoury and grab your pistols before you get shot down by guards or eaten up by dogs. The sequences of the things that you have to do are very well-organized, and the puzzles, although easy in general and familiar to some extent (there is a puzzle with timed burners, one where you have to jump quickly on platforms to reach a timed door, another one where your goal is to stop the flow of water with a moveable block) are all well-placed and nicely set up. There are also a few nice boulder traps; and two cool bike rides - a feature I always appreciate in custom levels. The first one is longer, but the second one is trickier, as it involves driving on short snowy platforms and challenges you to prove what a good driver you are. It took me a while to manoeuvre that bike well enough on those platforms. There is a variety of enemies - from human (guards) to animals (bats, dogs, crocodiles) to superhuman (yetis and some little ice demons that I didn't have the time to examine well, as I run them over with my bike) - but apart from the beginning where you are weaponless and the situation is rather tough for Lara, the rest are not a problem to deal with. The lighting effects though not spectacular, are working well, and the horizon looks very matching with the setting; I would have liked the texturing to be a bit smoother though - especially in the exterior settings, the areas look too flat and sharp, almost two-dimensional. I came across several missing textures and there was a spot where Lara could pass through a seemingly solid wall. Necro's 'message' near the end was a nice addition.

Underground A by Skyld (3 February 2007)

After learning who the creator of BtB07-Jobmond & Co was, I decided to play more levels made by this incredibly talented guy, as the aforementioned level is my personal number one from the latest BtB project and one of my all time favorites. It is always interesting to see how a builder's skills develop level after level and how they refine and enrich their techniques with every new level they make. Underground A is Skyld's first level, and although it features some classic first-time-builder characteristics (extremely high walls, endless corridors, repetitive texturing etc), still there is some noteable amount of originality in it, and the element of the unexpected is there already (ie, among boring-looking rooms and corridors with crates placed randomly here and there, all of a sudden you encounter an impressive semi-darkened chasm with nicely lighted pillars scattered about). The gameplay is very easy and the game itself is quite brief (took me less than 20 minutes to complete) and rather linear - and although there are no cameras to show you what corresponds to any of the levers that you pull, you can easily figure things out within seconds most of the times. There are many guards to block your way, but they pose no serious danger as you can easily get rid of them. With my little personal knowledge of level building, I find it a rather good effort for a first level. If I hadn't played anything else made by Skyld, I would say that this could mark the beginning of a promising future in level building, but his genious BtB07 contribution is here to speak for itself.

The Mystery of Eden 1 by Sweet (2 February 2007)

What a beautiful set of levels this is. The first part takes place in a lovely italian setting with charming fountains and cobblestone alleys, where Lara is wandering in gardens, swimming in cool pools, jumping on high terraces - but she's not doing all that for fun, as she is in a mission... and while admiring the beautiful environments of this Lost City, at the same time she avoids traps, locates artifacts, finds keys and secrets, in her quest for the secret entrance to the Catacombs of Nowhere.

Naturally the second part takes place in those Catacombs, and the scenery changes dramatically as we are transported underground, in places where lava and fire dominate, however it's not dark nor depressing at all. The ambience is impressive in both parts, and although each one has a completely different style from the other, the change from the first to the second comes sort of naturally. There are a few enemies in both sections, but they are all rather easy to deal with. The player-friendly puzzles, the very well organized timed runs and the convenient cameras contribute to a particularly entertaining gameplay. The use of textures is really good and effective, as is that of the ambient sounds. There is a classic horseman fight and a good mirror room puzzle in the second part. The third part, still in the Catacombs, ends up rather abruptly after a few minutes' gameplay, as there are two sequels to this adventure - which I'm definitely going to play the sometime in the future.

Himalayan Mysteries - Part 1 by Titak (2 February 2007)

It's amazing how Titak managed to create such a stunning Nepal setting so many years before the release of Legend. In this charming two-part adventure, we find Lara in the Himalayas, after her plane crashed (the incident that we see in the FMV at the beginning of TR1). Starting from that point, we go along with Lara in a short but quite enjoying journey in the icy mountains, where we have to shoot down wolves and guards, find keys and, if we are lucky, locate secret sculls (I managed to find 4 of them in total). The first part starts in the mountains, then we move on to an open area with huts where there is a lot of action, and at the end Lara sets an impressive explosion that causes an icy lake to melt, so that we can swim to the next section. The environments there are similar to the first part at the beginning, but in the second half we go underground so as to explore a temple hidden in the snow (the setting here is inspired by the TR2 Tibetan levels) and locate a couple of artifacts that open the exit gate. The areas are set up in a very effective way so that everything, although not at plain sight, is hinted discreetly and you can't easily miss things as you explore. Although this makes gameplay somehow too easy at points, yet it is much more convenient than having the player searching for ages to find where to go next. However there is a lot of jumping, monkey-swinging, shimmying to do, all that in a sequence several times, so the easiness of the exploration is balanced by this complexity of moves. Still, in the second part things are a tad tougher, as there are more traps to pass, more enemies to shoot, and the exploration is much more complicated. There is even a moveable block puzzle in a dark maze, and later on, a brilliant one where you have to set water on fire. In this section, some of the guards are your allies, although I accidentally shot down one of them, lol. All the texturing is more or less familiar, but it contributes effectively to creating an imposing atmosphere of mystery and suspence. Lara's funky outfit is an interesting addition to the whole. I know that Titak is working on a Part 2, so will be eagerly waiting to play this continuation.

Mayberry Street by Jor-Jor (26 April 2007)

In this very pretty-looking level, Lara is trapped somewhere in Venice and is trying to find her way to Mayberry street which is the only way to escape. There are lovely and relaxing settings that create a wonderful provincial town ambience, aided also by the nice sound effects. All the environments are full of light and tastefully decorated, creating a very charming place to expore and wander in. There are several pools, gardens and courtyards, alley streets, nice interiors (the room with the transparent floor is fantastic), particularly clean sewers and even a library. The gameplay is rather easy, with no spectacular twists, pretty much linear and straightforward, although you will have to keep note of certain spots a few times, as you will need to get back to them later after you've found a key or pulled a switch. Enemies include baddies, thugs and dogs that are easily done with. A beautiful and easy level that is perfect for some relaxing and enjoying tombraiding!

TR Anniversary Demo: The Cave by Razyel (26 April 2007)

This is a very interesting demo that is preparing the grounds for a potentially impressive full levelset. It's not exactly a remake - rather a tribute to TR1, as there are several references to the classic's Caves level but the whole atmosphere and feel go beyond that and the general style partly brings Legend's Bolivia and Ghana to mind. Being a demo, it naturally has several flaws (ie, too many unmarked climbable walls, lack of sounds and cameras etc), but I expect all this is going to be smoothed out in the full version. The atmosphere is imposing and eery thanks to the texturing and the dominant green lighting effect, and there are samples of some interesting gameplay moments - however the gameplay overall is a bit predictable so far as it's basically switch-pulling and door-opening stuff. I'm looking forward to playing the full version, as judging from this demo, it looks promising enough. A very good effort from Razyel.

Tomb Raider Unfinished Business - Remake by ggctuk (25 April 2007)

TRUB is the TR game that I have played less than any other of the series, so playing this remake was a must for me. The builder has made a very decent effort in recreating the atmosphere and feel of the original, and has achieved it to a certain degree, as he has managed to reconstruct the environments faithfully and in such impressive detail, and at the same time introducing several new elements (mostly objects and enemies). The use of the original's textures help a lot, and there are sections that are impressively remade. In the last section, there's a great deal of improvisation, including puzzles and enemies that weren't existent in the original. There are a few weird cameras that are supposed to show you what you did by throwing a switch, however last for less than a fraction of a fraction of a second; I don't know if they were meant to be this way, but it would be better if they weren't placed there at all since they weren't much effective. However you don't have to search a lot for things, as everything is usually nearby; and if you know the original, you won't have problems. Apart from the four levels, there is also Lara's Mansion at the beginning, where you will find several elements from all the versions of Lara's houses (ie, the attic puzzle from TR3 or the maze/timed basement door puzzle from TR2). As a sidenote, I didn't find particularly challenging the extremely-hard-to-die Atlanteans in the first two sections; although killing them wasn't a problem as you could always find safe places to shoot them from with your pistols and also several times they would get stuck posing no real threat, wasting so much time to get rid of them kept holding the action back, making you slow down too much in what should be (and actually is in general) a fast-paced adventure. However, the overall effort is really impressive and the builder has done a very good work with this levelset.

Revenge of Osiris - Osiris' Spaceship by Pouco2 & Thierry Stoorne (17 April 2007)

This level was fantastic! I loved everything about it, the sci-fi feel, the settings, the atmosphere, the gameplay. In a complete change of scenery, Lara is now found inside the futuristic spaceship of Osiris (wearing a pretty neat new outfit too!), where technology meets ancient Egypt in the most creative way. There are hi-tech texturings and settings, but the egyptian element is still there, either in the form of original egyptian artifacts, objects (the 'chess' puzzle pieces that appear here with a different texturing) or the colours of some rooms - bright red and green, that bring to mind egyptian wall paintings. Thierry Stoorne and Pouco2 have outdone themselves with this level, proving that they can create diverse environments with equal mastery, as this level is much different from their Secret of the Pyramid one. There are several laser traps to pass through and plenty of enemies to shoot; there are also a couple of bigger enemies (sort of bosses) that are a bit of a pain. Αction and gameplay are excellent, and there are many challenging situations as well. Objects including some weapons, ammo and the aforementioned puzzle pieces are modified so as to match the style of the level, and so are the demigods that you meet. A level beautifully crafted from every aspect.

Revenge of Osiris - Somewhere in Farplane by Leroy (17 April 2007)

This is the finale of the RoO adventure, and it's just the boss fight with Osiris. Lara has to defeat him and his helpers within a specific period of time, otherwise it's game over for you (and her). Moreover, you can't save during the fight, so you have to be super-quick. It may take a bit of practice, but it's a quite awesome challenge, that requires from the players to keep their eyes on everything - you have to dodge several attacks while dealing with the priests of Osiris at the same time. I didn't mind much the lack of saving, it actually gave the whole challenge a more adventurous feel. Due to this level being so brief, there's not much else to comment on, as all the focus is set on the action and the fight itself. It's worth the while to see what happens when you don't defeat Osiris on time, so even if you make it with the first try, reload and take your time so as to see the different finale too. Since this is the last review I'm making about this project, I'd like to thank all the people involved that put in their ideas and creativity in making this wonderful series. It took me around 17 hours to complete the whole project, and despite the occasional frustrations and hair-pullings it caused, I had the best time playing it.

Revenge of Osiris - Osiris' Pyramid by Thierry Stoorne (16 April 2007)

This is another beautiful and enjoyful level from Thierry Stoorne, where action is smooth and straightforward for most part. Coming after the incredibly challenging Lost Spirits & Farplane sections, it's very welcome with the linearity that is has. After several levels in a row in Ro0 where Lara would meet exclusively supernatural creatures, now she is facing human enemies again, that are quite a few in this level. There is a variety of locations, while the action takes place both in spooky interior rooms and well-guarded exterior grounds around the big pyramid. The ambience is very tasteful and atmospherical, sounds and lighting effects work very well. The gameplay is flowing and varied, with no particular difficulties (although it doesn't lack more challenging situations); among other things, there are several switches to pull so as to open exit gates, a pushblock puzzle, gems to locate and a very cool bike ride around some platforms. The underwater/switch puzzle with the rolling boulders is one of the level's highlights action-wise. Apart from the human enemies, you are also facing demigods and ghost harpies. Overall, a level that has everything that can offer a good tomb-raiding experience, and one that you will surely enjoy.

Revenge of Osiris - The Lost Spirits & Farplane by Leroy (15 April 2007)

There was something about this level that I liked extremely, despite it being quite frustrating and complicated at times, and although certain tasks it involved were particularly tough and confusing. In the essence, it is a bizzare, surrealistic yet wonderful level. Very inspired, with a complicated construction, very challenging, based on a genial concept and made in an exceptional way. The whole action takes place in two sections which you visit several times. 'Farplane' is a vast, dream-like area with floating ledges/islands. There are various gems to collect (several of them you use so as to make your life easier; ie, after using an ice gem, ice ledges appear so that you can cross a chasm) and you also get to activate teleporters that transport you to various areas of the 'Lost Spirits' level, a dark and creepy place where your main aim is to locate four skulls. After finding the skulls, you place them in a special area of Farplane and you are transported to the final area where there's still more to do. There is a surrealistic logic in the sequence of the actions, that for some strange reason I had no problem following, and I got familiar with the unusual and inventive gameplay quite fast. Speaking of which, we have to do with a particularly challenging gameplay, where your tombraiding skills are put to the test many times. This level is definitely not for the beginner player, and I'm pretty sure that even veteran players may find it impossible at points. There are a few situations that are extremely demanding (ie, that nasty timed swim... And you thought the timed swim in the underwater maze in Underground Lake was bad! This one is far worse; not so much because of the short timer, but mainly because Lara has to be underwater for a long time, and her breath is never sufficient. Also getting the last skull involves a quite nasty challenge with an evil use of the camera, where you can never control Lara properly and you may end up with a dizzy head at the end of it). However don't let all these ruin the experience for you. They are all part of the whole concept and they work perfectly. It could have been equally good even with less difficult tasks, but all the other elements in it are so unique, so inspired and masterly combined, that any possible 'flaw' is easily overlooked (incidentally, I remember only one more level which, although being overall different from this one, had left me with the same impression and that was Skyld's Jobmond & Co). Leroy's level is a true masterpiece; in my humble opinion, if you haven't played this, you haven't played anything!

Revenge of Osiris - Kingdom of the Dead by TC14 (13 April 2007)

And just when you think you've seen it all, Lara gets teleported to the Kingdom of the Dead and you realise how wrong you were! After the amazing City of the Priests, Lara now finds herself somewhere close to the entrance of Hades or something similar (as you can see Charon waiting too), and her mission here is to find three artifacts that will help her open up the way to get the necessary obole so as to pay Charon to pass her to the other side. The whole setting of the level is majestically beautiful and totally different from the other two RoO levels by Thibault; a dusty green colour dominates here creating a mystical, dreamy atmosphere. There are elements similar to Floating Islands from TR2, but the level maintains its own special identity thanks to the impressive skills of its builder. As there is no even ground here, you are basically making your way with jumping on ledges (some are visible and others are not but marked with crystals - which is a beautiful image) floating in the air while spooky sounds accompany your every step; but there is also some action on solid grounds that are quite dangerous nonetheless. The action is quite straightforward, although there are a few backtrackings to do, therefore the gameplay is flowing and you can't get stuck. There are several demon demigods to deal with, as well as ghost dogs and nasty birds, and some eery floating skeletons that can't get killed. Take your time to enjoy the scenery, as it's incredibly stunning! Again, a perfect 10 from me. Many congratulations to TC14 for creating such wonderful levels.

Revenge of Osiris - Parisian Streets by Thierry Stoorne (12 April 2007)

Thierry Stoorne's levels are always innovative and well-constructed, so this could be no exception. Being the introduction to the ambitious and so promising 'Revenge of Osiris' project, it is rather straightforward and friendly so as to put the players in the right atmosphere and get them familiar with things, but this doesn't mean that there are no challenging moments here. Lara is in a dark, hostile Paris and is trying to find a way to enter an abandoned church. She has to face many guards (so many of them actually, it almost felt like a shooter at times!), locate switches and keys, navigate in lava rooms, sewers and rooftops, all this in a particularly well-organized series of actions that lead from one to the other, never leaving you confused about what to do next. Everything is working well (although at some point the camera angle had me stunned for a while, wondering what it was trying to show me), the atmosphere is imposing and puts you in the spirit of the adventure; there are several secrets to locate too (I found four). A great beginning for the series, which is also a beautiful level on its own.

Revenge of Osiris - The Church by Rapetou (12 April 2007)

I loved the gothic and dark atmosphere in this level (which is the second from the Revenge of Osiris project). Lara has now to explore an abandoned church and its surroundings (including the underground areas and the roof), and doing so involves wandering in caves, searching crypts, fighting mean priests and ghost dogs, driving a bike up the most inconvenient surfaces (which is, imo, the highlight of the level). I have to say that I was quite intimidated before playing the levels of this project, because of the comments I had read at the forum about those bike rides. As it turned out, they were not that bad and to be honest I enjoyed them a lot (but I just love bike rides in custom levels anyway, so I somehow expexted this). They offered two of the most challenging moments in the level, and it felt so great when I made it through in the end (although I don't know why it was impossible to save during the second part of the second one, as Lara would be on fire with every reload, meaning you have to do it in one go). Of course there's lot more action in the level, and many more challenges to face. The atmosphere is very creepy, almost terrifying. Several times you have to examine the surroundings very carefully, so as to discover things (I found out by chance that a certain crypt was shootable). I liked the teleporting close to the end; I didn't realise at first that I also had to look for a secret there though, as there were no hints anywhere.

Revenge of Osiris - The Airport by LeelooBastet (12 April 2007)

I don't particularly favour levels that are based on looking for keys to open gates to find more keys to open more gates etc, so I'm afraid I'm somehow biased on this one. Exploring the (heavily guarded) airport was enjoying at first, and the setting was good; I liked the look of the rooms with the airline counters - they gave a realistic feel, and so did the aeroplane sounds - but there were so many closed doors around that the fun ended quite soon as I was trying to find a key and then search the whole place so as to locate the keylock that was right for it and start from somewhere. The city textures work well, but there are too many wafer-thin walls and Lara could pass through several of them. Another thing that I liked was the AOD music that was accompanying Lara all along; that was a nice addition and offered a touch of mystery. I found the cameras inconvenient though; some of them were far from being helpful and it would have been better if they weren't put there at all; it would have been easier if I had to look around on my own to find which wall was kickable. There are lots of enemies that keep things going, but in general the action is a bit incoherent and I grew impatient with this level rather easily.

Revenge of Osiris - Return to the Temple by Thierry Stoorne (12 April 2007)

Thierry Stoorne offers another masterful level with solid environments, challenging gameplay and a bizzare atmosphere which is much to my liking. First you have to explore the areas (including a pool with very nasty cameras) around the huge temple so as to find two keys that open the main gate; in the second part your task is to locate four precious stones by opening doors and passing through trials. Everything is working perfectly well here, the settings are amazing and the gameplay is very requiring. That narrow gap in the small pool in the second part annoyed me every time though, as Lara would get stuck, refusing to swim on. I don't know why builders like such things, as they are a torture for the players. A beautiful level nonetheless that doesn't let you feel bored for a single second.

Revenge of Osiris - Lava of the Depths by TC14 (12 Apr 2007)

I absolutely loved and enjoyed this bright, colourful yet lethal at almost every step level by TC14; its settings are gorgeous and the textures used are magnificent and create such a great atmosphere. The gameplay is very challenging and there are a lot (and I mean, A LOT!) things to do here, the highlight of all being the block puzzle that opens several doors around, giving you access to rooms or trials that lead to finding artifacts. This level interconnects with the next one, as one of the artifacts is found there, and there are a few backs and forths you have to make due to this. The challenges you are called to complete are amazing and the gameplay is of high standards. As a general note concerning the Revenge of Osiris project by the way, these levels (at least most of them) are definitely not for beginners, as gameplay-wise they are extremely requiring. This specific one is of those that remind me every time why I love playing custom levels so much.

Revenge of Osiris - The Underground Lake & The Castle of Corpus Fatalis by TimJ (12 April 2007)

These two levels are not easy to review, as my feelings about them are rather contradictory. On the one hand, there's wonderful ambience, great music, beautiful textures, very intelligent puzzles; things for which I loved them. On the other though, there are some situations that are so hostile, that the player (well me at least) may end up a total wreck. To begin with the good things, there is a variety of tastefully textured settings that create a beautiful environment. You get to explore a castle, a (huge) lake, rooms holding treasures, all beautifully lit and constructed. Visually, both these levels are impressive and real works of art. The block puzzle in UL is brilliant and well-made. In COCF, it was an interesting innovation that you couldn't draw weapons at the beginning because Lara would be on fire. And now the grumbling. I don't mind underwater action and I like challenging timed events, but it becomes really nasty and sadistic when you've been swimming in an abismal underwater cave for hours, trying to figure out what you are supposed to do yet having absolutely no clue whatsoever. And when you finally find a lever, you get to realise that the gate it opens is impossibly timed. But this is nothing compared to wandering in the nastiest underwater maze, pulling levers that (you find out too late due to the total lack of cameras) open timed gates, and swimming to them out of breath (literally!) is a real nightmare. It's known that Lara can't go superfast when swimming, so doing a tight timed swim is by default a difficult task; let alone when there are huge plants and furniture scattered at the bottom of the maze, dragging her back and stopping her at the most inconvenient turns due to the collision detection, resulting in her not being able to reach the timed doors on time, but instead getting stuck opposite them behind a plant, watching them closing. It's a shame that such a brilliant timed challenge was almost ruined because the obstacles were way too many and because, due to all that, Lara would get out of breath before the challenge was over. After a million tries including saving and loading in-between (which didn't work), I just got tired, reloaded my very first save from the entrance of the maze and managed to make it in one go. Ha, that was a good reward for so many hours of trying! In my opinion, both of TimJ's levels would have been challenging enough without those nightmares, it wasn't necessary for those trials to be so horribly nasty. However, call me a masochist, but I did enjoy the whole thing.

Revenge of Osiris - City of the Priests by TC14 (12 April 2007)

I think this is the level that I enjoyed the most of all the RoO levels so far. A beautiful level that has everything: amazing atmosphere, varied and challenging gameplay, clever puzzles, high degree of exploration and discovery, sceneries that change and interlace in a masterful way. Lara has arrived in a city where the scary priests of Osiris rule, and she has to find the artifact that will teleport her to the next level. To achieve that, she has to run, jump and climb a lot, kill several priests and ahmets, solve pushblock puzzles, throw levers, find keys and a lot more. All this in a wonderful ambience where the lava and fire elements are dominant again (like in TC14's first RoO contribution), however there are intervals where you can take a few swims. Action is incessant and fast, and Lara has to constantly be alert and on guard. All the rooms are magnificent, yet the one where you find the first eyepiece and the final one where you use the Osiris artifact are just stunning. There are not always hints on what you need to do, but with the whole action and setting being so well-organized, and with a few flybys that are featured in crucial moments, players shouldn't encounter serious problems in moving on. Everything here is top-notch and just as challenging as it needs to be, so I can't give this level anything less than a perfect 10.

Legend Of Ancient 1 - Unknown Undergrounds by Ader (25 May 2007)

I enjoyed this level immensly, mainly thanks to the very challenging and at times quite inventive gameplay which never lets you feel bored, always keeping the player alert. Some of the puzzles are rather easy to figure out, but the overall level of adventuring is so high and so impressively organized, that you can hardly consider the predictability factor as something negative. What stands out is the existence of several tough trap sequences that involve spikes, flames and lethal blade doors; and there are also a few nice additions (ie, there is a timer whenever you light a flare, so you know for how long you will have it lit; and the grabs have a limited time as well). There is a relative variety of enemies (including giant bugs, skeletons, lizards), but most of them pose no particular threat; only the skeletons may get annoying at points. The environments are atmospherical and pleasant, decorated with familiar textures but in a rather tasteful way. Since this is the only level in the author's profile, I assume it is his first one, and for such it's more than promising.

The Lost Acropolis 1-3 by Harly Wuson (22 May 2007)

When I downloaded this levelset, I didn't see the warning about it being only for experienced players, but this posed no problem as I consider myself one, so I didn't encounter any particular difficulties with the gameplay; on the contrary, I enjoyed very much the high level of challenge that this game offers in its three cleverly made sections. The first section is rather easy compared to the other two; in the second, there are several traps to pass through, but the highlight is surely the awesome and quite tough jeep ride along the most impossible areas. I was put off a bit in the last section, as I came across an infamous (as I learned earlier) flaming Lara bug, which didn't allow me to move on, so I had to use a ready savegame, which I don't like doing as I consider it a kind of cheating; and I hate it when there are such bugs left over in levels - and especially when the latters are so good like this one - because they totally ruin the gameplay experience for me. Anyway after that point, all went well and I found the final part rather rewarding, as there are several challenging things to do. Overall this is a demanding and absolutely entertaining levelset that offers some fantastic tomb-raiding moments (there are several tight timed-runs too) and if it wasn't for that nasty bug, it would have gained a 10 for gameplay from me.

The Quest of Gold 9-13 - Korean Levels by TC14 (28 September 2007)

Another fantastic levelset, which is no surprise anymore for me, as this series by TC14 turns out to be a masterpiece. After having her 'mystic experience' in the previous level, Lara now finds herself in a hi-tech environment somewhere in Korea - in the first two sections at least, as the rest of this five-part installment takes place in exotic-looking oriental mountains, gardens and palaces. A touch of VCI, a portion of the TR2 Rig atmosphere, spiced up with essences of Xian Temple, and the result is a totally charming mixture of challenging gameplay and eye-candy settings. "Nuclear Base": the first of the two hi-tech levels; although it may look mazy on first impression due to the winding ducts, huge shafts and backtrackings, in fact this section is actually rather straightforward and once you get the hang of the action, you won't lose your way. "General Contamination": the gameplay here is a bit too complicated and confusing, however I found the concept behind this level so imaginative and original, and its realisation so masterful and imaginative, that any frustrations were put aside soon. There's so much originality in this level, starting with the simplest, like Lara's unexpected look. The Contaminated Area is a brilliantly conceived and designed set of rooms, and the finale is a big highlight undoubtedly. "The Hidden Palace": a colourful yet trap-filled world, designed with wit, imagination and plenty of skill. The effects are gorgeous, there are many 'wow!' moments as well as tricky sequences, original use of known elements and a quite inventive use of the elements/scales puzzle. Only one thing - those spike traps, omg! There are so many of them, it's just insane. Same goes for the remaining two sections of this levelset. But it's OK as they are all manageable, and they just make the gameplay more challenging, and they are well and cleverly placed. "Tears Of The Lost Dynasty": another fantastic, colourful and bright environment that however hides many traps and trials for Lara to pass. There are huge areas to explore, where the environments are used in a particularly creative way. "Wrath Of The Dragon": along the same lines of the previous level, a tad easier though it seemed to me despite the many tricky traps it involved. The finale where you aquire the artifact is very spectacular, but you have to be very careful and fast-moving so as to make it out of there alive. Too bad it's over already, but now on to the Folly levels (a personal favorite from the originals, so can't wait to play TC14's version!); and from the little I've seen so far, I sense it's going to be something truly amazing.

The Quest of Gold 8 - Mystic Experience by TC14 (25 September 2007)

I usually avoid this kind of 'labelling', but in this case I just have to say it: you can't consider yourself a serious raider if you haven't played levels like this one! In a totally different mood than all the previous installments of the QoG series, 'Mystic Experience' finds Lara in a dreamy, psychedelic and haunting environment where nothing seems to be on solid ground; everything is hanging in the air or hovering above her head, and there are so many traps and dangers that the journey results in being one constant challenge from start to finish. TC14 is a master of such creations anyway, if you bring into mind his masterpiecical 'Kingdom of the Dead' from 'Revenge of Osiris', which moves along similar lines. Wicked jumps, tricky sequences of actions, inventive moves, thorough observation of the surroundings, are only a few of the things that this level requires from the player. But it offers a lot more, it offers a sense of highly challenging adventure that tests your expertise, a major feeling of accomplishment once you've found all the items that you need (disovering most of them is very very hard!) and some of the most beautiful and original environments that you have seen in custom levels (especially the invisible walkway part is brilliant). Absolute and total perfection from any aspect. Those of you who still haven't played this level, do it right away!

The Quest of Gold 4-7 - Great Spirit Levels by TC14 (22 September 2007)

What a fantastic set of levels that was! GSL, the fourth part of the QoG series by TC14, consists of four sections, one better than the other. "Portal of the Great Spirit": the level where you begin, and you have to pass through a series of tasks so as to eventually gain access to the final area, where you find the doors to three sub-sections that you apparently can visit in any order you like. The environments are colourful, bright and decorated with detail, and even the rooms where nothing happens, are thoroughly designed so as to please the eye. Action is smart and varied and the gameplay is well-organized and effective. "Mineral City": the first of the three sub-sections (which I think was the longest) - here we have a huge village of sorts, with several huts in different levels that you have to visit one by one, solve puzzles, pass through traps until you reach your goal which is the aquisition of an artifact. Blue and white accentuate the atmosphere of the cold mine, yet again the decoration is warm and artful. Look carefully around you for hidden jumpswitches or crawlspaces, as many times the exit from one room is not very obvious. "Depths of the Mine": this level looks mazey as a first impression, but in the essence is a brilliantly designed network of passages, rooms and railway tunnels; you also get to ride a snowmobile and cover long distances with it. The atmosphere here is a tad darker, so as to justify the title of the section. Your mission here is to find yet another artifact. "The Hidden Forest": a paradise of greenery! Beautiful level; you have a lot of climbing to do here and justly so as Lara is exploring a forest and her aim is to get a third artifact. Each section of this levelset has its own unique style and feel, yet all of them create a charming and fascinating adventure. The only "negative" (so to speak, as you can't talk of anything negative concerning such a fantastic work) of this game, which is also why I didn't give it a 10 for gameplay, is that several of the tasks, although apparently designed so as to be accomplished with a specific series of actions, you can however work-around them in a shortcut kind of way, avoiding most of the actions and the dangers that those involve, therefore lowering the level of difficulty, and it's obvious that, in most cases at least, those workarounds weren't included intentionally. Because the gameplay of all the series is high-quality stuff anyway, it's a pity that such requiring tasks can be passed through 'the easy way'. But even so, those levels are genial, definitely among the best ever made.

The Quest of Gold 2 - The Gold Mine by TC14 (18 September 2007)

Just as I was sure it would happen, the levels in this series get better and better! The Gold Mine is a fantastic section, constructed with impressive detail and complexity and spiced with generous and varied gameplay, quests and puzzles. There is quite a number of paths to explore, several to open up one way or the other, while you have to look for several items that are necessary for the accomplishment of your mission. The combination of snow textures with rusty metal ones gives perfectly the look and feel of a mine. There are a few nasty traps, as well as monster enemies, but the friendly guards take care of the latters. The gameplay is much more elaborate than in the first level, and I'm expecting things to get even more fascinating in the next section.

The Quest of Gold 3 - Indian Sanctuary by TC14 (18 September 2007)

A level brilliantly crafted from beginning to end, with masterfully organized gameplay and several puzzles to spice it up. The main action is centered around the elements puzzles where you have to locate the respective jars and put them in convenient places so as to open up a new section. Beautiful environments, great atmosphere, challenging but nonetheless entertaining sequences (including flooding and unflooding a cistern) are the basic characteristics of the third part in the QoG series that gets even more amazing with every installment.

The Quest of Gold 1 - Canadian Forest by TC14 (17 September 2007)

I've played TC14's fantastic levels from the 'Revenge of Osiris' project and have become a huge fan of his talent since then, so playing his 'Quest of Gold' series was just a matter of time! 'Canadian Forest' is the beginning of the epic saga where Lara is on the hunt for a precious Indian artifact, and here we find her in the cold mountains of Canada, trying to find out how to open the way for the mines. Although the surfaces are a bit too square at places, the texturing is very effective and manages to successfully create the atmosphere of the forest. There is an impressive alteration of sceneries, as well as the element of the unexpected environment-wise, for example you locate an opening in the snowy mountain, you jump in and find yourself in a green dale. The gameplay is fun, smart and fast, and everything is crafted thoroughly and with amazing skill for a beginner that TC14 was when he made this level.

The Treasure of the Lost Spanish Galleon by teme9 (16 September 2007)

This was one of the prettiest levels I've played lately! Amazing atmosphere, fascinating gameplay, several puzzles, lots of swimming in a beautifully constructed bay with a sunken ship, as well as exploring exotic palm beaches and climbing on rocks and roofs so as to locate switches and keys, perfect use of sounds, textures and effects so as to emphasize the exotic feel of the adventure. Try to explore the areas as much as you can, because every single corner and detail is cared after, resulting in a brilliant work of art. Teme's levels get better and better, and I'm sure he will create great things in the future! I found three of the four secrets as listed in the Stats screen, where you can also see how many kills you've got. On another note, I got a few weird reactions from the enemies: one of the sharks followed Lara on dry land floating in the air (!) and kept attacking her, while a couple of gorillas would freeze after a few seconds of battle. Things of not much importance though, considering how much I enjoyed this beautiful level!

South Pacific Contest - Time Machine by Lara Croft (15 September 2007)

The longest level of the SPC (at least for me) wasn't however the toughest. To be honest, this level reminded me of some crosswords, the words in which are dead easy yet the clues for them are bluffing. Something similar happens in this level: the environments look so rich and there is so much to do, yet the actual tasks themselves are rather easy and not particularly challenging. You spend a lot of time doing things, but not because they are complicated but simply because they are, well, just too many. Looks as if the builder wanted to put in just one level a whole load of things, puzzles and tasks and in general what characterizes this work is excess: you collect too many items, you pull too many switches, you pull/push too many blocks. All this results in a gameplay that is quite entertaining, but ends up a bit tiring and repetitive after some time. Also, there are several tasks that look promising but in practice could have been much more elaborate (for example, the two kayak rides or the mirror puzzle). The atmosphere is great, bright and charming; although the texturing seems a bit too overdone and overwhelming - again way too many things put together. The time machine effect is impressive, but feels more like a simple teleportation to a different area of the same place rather than a transportation to an other time and place. There are several enemies including the seems-to-take-forever-to-kill T-Rex, and I found three secrets (the last one is kinda hard to miss).

Castle of Dark Illusions I / II by Seifer Zero (15 September 2007)

I was lured by the title of this level and thought I'd play it, but I can't say I was particularly thrilled with the gameplay in it. The idea may be original, and Lara's appearance is very cool, but in the essence all you have to do is wander in empty rooms and locate levers or switches that open gates miles away. Moreover, I don't know what's the deal with those huge rooms, but I don't think it's a good idea to have a series of them in a row and have to spend ages so as to climb endless ladders, swim up endless shafts and go along endless crawlspaces. Not sure if the builder did all this to accentuate the dark and creepy atmosphere of the level, but I'm sorry to say personally I didn't get such a feel. You collect numerous medipacks and ammo for your stronger weapons, but in fact the pistols are more than enough to help you through. Things get slightly better in the second part, yet again you wander in deserted rooms - there is a trap every now and then but can be easily passed through, and the enemies are a bit tougher, but still not particularly threatening (you can even ignore most of them). There are a couple of instances though where you can see some more creative sparkles, and I would guess (not having played his other levels yet) that this is an indication of how the builder developed his skills later on, considering this was his first effort.

South Pacific Contest - The Lost Stone of Puna by teme9 (14 September 2007)

Lara's objective is, as the title indicates, to find the lost stone of Puna and she goes hunting for it in a series of lovely, fresh and exotic environments where we can admire the beauty of the scenery and have a nice adventure at the same time. The sequences are generally easy but very pleasant to carry out, you can easily figure out the puzzles (mostly jumping stuff, but there's also a pushable object one) and overall have a great time while playing this beautiful level. There are a few tighter sequences however, so more experienced players won't get disappointed either. The settings are great, and the atmosphere is gorgeous. I only found some of the enemies acting a bit weird, as they would get stuck somewhere or run around in circles, making killing them far too easy. In any event, this level is a little gem, and it's such a shame that it had to be so brief.

South Pacific Contest - Blood Mountain by Codo (13 September 2007)

I'm going to be a bit picky with this one. Although it's undoubtedly a solid and thorough piece of work, with exemplary use of all the elements - it's fantastic as far as environments, atmosphere and gameplay are concerned - it's structure is a bit too chaotic, resulting in it often being rather confusing; I lost my orientation many times on those mountains, and although I spent a lot of time exploring the areas thoroughly, still I missed an important item and was unable to get all the secrets at the end because of this. The gameplay is pretty fine, it's challenging enough with some tricky situations, and there is a lot of exploration to do, so you will never feel bored. But I found the action to be a bit incoherent in general; and with so many things to look for and so many areas to visit, several times I felt that I was really close to losing the actual objective of the adventure.

Resident Evil (Demo) - The Raccoon City by Level Planet (13 September 2007)

I came across this level while browsing the database and decided to give it a go, because it's a 'Resident Evil' one. As it turned out though, it doesn't have much connection with the RE atmosphere. Considering that this is a brief demo, it's expected that it has flaws, like random and dull texturing, as well as lack of details that could give it a feel of uniqueness. There are some interesting features like the upturned cars or the zombies (although the latters pose no particular threat), but personally I'd expect to have a much more claustrophobic, creepy and dark setting for a Raccoon City reconstruction. There is a jeep for the finale, but unfortunately the ride is extremely short.

South Pacific Contest - Dangerous Paradise by Mr XY (13 September 2007)

This was lovely, but unfortunately ended too soon!There are several things to do in the beautifully set environments, and the gameplay is smart, fast and very well-organized, as is the generally clear-cut structure of the level. The atmosphere is brilliant, the effects & texturing work perfectly, while a couple of amazing flybys add conveniently to the whole. A few more puzzles and more elaborate trials could have been rather welcome though, as the overall architecture of the areas looks quite promising, but most of the times you find out quite easily what exactly you have to do.

Cold Winter Nights by Dark Death (13 September 2007)

Although this level is rather brief and straightforward, it's quite enjoying and fun, thanks to the good atmosphere and the well-constructed gameplay. In general what you have to do is pretty much clear, however there is a nice tight trap sequence close to the end. Enemies are guards and dogs, and you have to look for keys and fuses in several huts and other buildings on some snowy mountains. The nice, promising title and a spectacular and original finale add more plus points.

City of Vilcabamba (Remake) by Stitch (11 September 2007)

Everything that you'd wanted from a Vilcabamba remake, is here: the nice mayan textures, the caves, the wolves and bats, the bear, the artifacts, the quest for the secrets. Although this is a rather faithful reproduction of the original, it contains some quite creative details that make the difference. And that's pretty much all? Well not quite! A cleverly placed crawlspace at a spot that you may easily miss if you are not observative enough, is only the beginning of a series of actions that you can make so as to enter a wholly new lava-filled area that you have to cross with some tricky jumps, so as to open up the way for the special artifact secret. If you have played the original, you will just breeze through the 'official' part, but the secret one is more challenging and, since it's all new stuff, will offer you a nice bit of fun and a good degree of exploration.

The Lost City by Marco Bartoli (11 September 2007)

Enjoying and fast adventure, in nice coastal style ambience; gameplay is flowing and clever but not particularly challenging, and the puzzles are very easy. Secrets are also easy to locate (I found four).

There are only small hogs, skeletons and a few crocodiles from the enemy front, and a few items to find that you need to use so as to open gates on the way. There's action both indoors and outdoors; the atmosphere is fine, although the lighting effects could be a bit more natural in some rooms. Good overall, could have been a lot better with some elaboration gameplay and structure-wise.

KCR Project by Gaabr (10 September 2007)

Upon starting this level, you are given the choice to select between normal and hard mode; I took the challenge and selected the difficult path, and I was more than rewarded! This level in its hard mode is top notch gameplay, unstoppable action, traps, tight jumps, impossible timed runs and many other challenges that make you hold your breath many times as you try to make it along. The action is split in two sections, and your objective is to find a series of code cards and four important hangar keys that will finally open up the exit for you. Sometimes finding those items is relatively easy, but making your way back to where you must use them is extremely challenging! If you miss something, you may have to go back a long way through several trials and tricky sequences; and there is a lot of backtracking too. Nice lab atmosphere emphasized by convenient texturing, sound effects and music, many baddies (and lots of bats!) who try to stop you, but the major highlights in this level are the amazing, professionally set gameplay and the brilliant construction of the network of rooms; truly a masterwork concerning both those aspects. I haven't tried the easy mode, but I guess it's conveniently set for all players; however experienced players that want a high-class challenge, should definitely try the hard mode - you won't regret it!

The 10th Life by Lizard Queen (8 September 2007)

An amazing level and what an impressive debut! Although a bit too overloaded with traps, tricky jump sequences and timed events, overall it's one big challenge with several requiring gameplay situations that is perfect for those who, like yours truely, enjoy this sort of action in a game. What I didn't like that much however was that I had to look for so many alike artifacts; I always get impatient when the main action in a level is locating a dozen of similar items, because after a while it gets a bit repetitive. Not so much in this level though, as most of the times the tasks you have to go through so as to locate the items in question are quite inventive and challenging. The atmosphere is good in general, the surfaces though could be a bit smoother in certain rooms. Great first level, very promising; looking forward to Lizard Queen's next work.

South Pacific Contest - Cook Islands Treasure by Miss Kroft (7 September 2007)

This level reminded me of some exotic adventure movies that I used to watch some years ago. Lovely atmosphere, brilliant settings, all flawlessly organized in a bright and fascinating whole. The gameplay will be generally easy for the experienced players, but as the action is non-stop, there is much to do, keys to find, trapdoors to open, traps to pass, there's plenty of swimming and even a few timed events to spice it up even more. Puzzles are not tough either, but since they are so cleverly connected with each other, you can't feel bored while solving them, and a few times you will have to think carefully about where to go next and what to go looking for. Like all Miss Kroft's levels, this one too is a beautiful piece of work, that noone should miss.

South Pacific Contest - Paradise Island by illyaine (7 September 2007)

This was quite enjoyable but very brief and without much challenge; the lighting effects were great and so was the atmosphere, although I would have preferred an environment a tad brighter for an exotic paradise. Nice and flowing gameplay, but really easy and apart from a certain amount of exploration that I had to do at the beginning to locate a few keys and underwater openings, the rest involved no surprises. Apart from the aforementioned keys, you have to locate a few artefacts as well, and close to the end there's also a jolly kayak ride waiting for you.

Sudeki by Agnes (3 September 2007)

I found this levelset quite entertaining as a whole, kinda liked the fairy tale atmosphere of it and the dreamy feel, not to mention the absolutely lovely environments and the artful use of textures (which, in my opinion, is its strongest point). However I thought the gameplay to be a bit too predictable most of the times; and a few situations that, on first look, seemed to be tougher, were actually rather easy to handle and posed no serious problems in the end. This by no means goes to say that I didn't like 'Sudeki'; like said, I enjoyed it while it lasted, and it was a joy to look at and wander in its worlds. But for me, what makes a level/game/etc essentially stand out, is most of all the gameplay factor, which in this one, imho, was somehow not so original nor particularly challenging.

Beneath the Forbidden City by GeckoKid (3 September 2007)

This is a very good level by GeckoKid, consisting of fast-paced action, sequences of several sorts of puzzles, a rather high level of exploration and many secrets to find, despite its relevantly short duration. The environments are amazing, and the atmosphere is quite convincing and capturing. Most of the puzzles are rather easy, the gameplay however, although not being extremely challenging, overall it's very clever, creative and particulary effective, keeping the player alert from the beginning till the end.

Lara at the Movies - The Movie Theatre by MichaelP (2 September 2007)

I've just recently finished replaying "Lara at the Movies" for yet one more time, and decided to finally review the rest of the levels, starting off with the 'Movie Theater' which is the backbone of the project. The 'Movie Theater' is essentially a series of intervals that connect the levels which are groupped in themes, but they are not just simple levels; each one of them is a masterfully organized puzzle (involving, among others, pushblocks, timed jumps, mazes of all sorts and many more), quite complex and tough most of the times, providing a special challenge that leads to the aquisition of a star, which is necessary for the completion of the adventure. Although it's difficult to judge those individual intervals separately from the whole, puzzle-wise and gameplay-wise at least they are genial and impressive, all fitting perfectly the spirit of the project. Seriously, I would have enjoyed immensely a whole game made this way.

Lara at the Movies - Hound of the Baskervilles by Emoo (2 September 2007)

Although the atmosphere of this level was pretty imposing and the general idea seemed to be quite interesting, all this back and forth and hunting for keys and keyholes ended up a bit tiring and repetitive after a while, as there wasn't really much more else to do than that. There was a certain degree of mystery and creepiness to justify the theme and title of the level, but these elements were mainly highlighted by the environments and the lighting, and not by the adventure or the gameplay per se. I found it a bit weak compared to other levels of the project, to be honest.

Lara at the Movies - Alien Resurrection by Codo (2 September 2007)

Although this wasn't among my favourites from LATM (not really a fan of this genre of levels myself), it's definitely an exquisite piece of work which offers some really amazing gameplay moments and challenges. As I haven't watched the 'Alien' movies, this was all new to me (I was told though that it captures pretty well the spirit of the films), and I quite enjoyed it - this time, much more than the others. The puzzles are well-made and don't lack originality, and the atmosphere is very good and capturing. Overall, a solid and professional-looking level.

Lara at the Movies - Star Wars Episode 1 by EssGee (2 September 2007)

I've been a fan of Star Wars, so playing this level was a great enjoyment, moreover because it's a brilliant work with many memorable moments and several ingenious puzzles. The atmosphere is particularly starwar-ish, from the very beginning, and the use of convenient texturing and sounds adds greatly to that. I enjoyed the timed cage puzzle, as well as the incredible pod race, and entering the Battlecruiser for the second part was a nice change of environment. Great work!

Lara at the Movies - Stargate by Titak (2 September 2007)

A beautiful level, with fantastic atmosphere and solid gameplay. The alternation of environments is impressive, as is the way they are combined together. The lighting effects are beyond perfection. Puzzles are very good, not easy but not impossible to figure out. Fans of 'Stargate' will love this level, but even those who don't like or don't know the series, will undoubtedly enjoy it a lot. Ιt surely stands out too in this great team project.

Lara at the Movies - The Blair Witch Project by eTux (2 September 2007)

This was simply amazing, and every time I play it, I like it more. There is eeriness, there is mystery, 'out of this world' atmosphere; definitely a level that is not your average Tomb Raider from any aspect. The gameplay is perfect, rich and complex, and there are several (creepy!) puzzles to solve and trials to pass through, the top of which is the hauntingly awesome finale. Locating the three items (hearts) that you need so as to proceed is your main task, but the paths to find them are not easy and they are full of traps and horror! The environments are spectacular, brilliantly set, beautiful and creepy at the same time. A truly exceptional and original level.

Lara at the Movies - The Treasure Island by Psiko (2 September 2007)

This was fairly easy, brief and straightforward, without any surprises; entertaining but not particularly fascinating, despite the theme and the generally good atmosphere. I've played Psiko's magnificent 'Techno-Egyptians' and I have to say that I was expecting something more grandiose from his LATM contribution. In any event, I'm sure most players will enjoy it (I did too), if only for it being a breezy interval between other, tougher and more complex levels.

The Templar Archives by Wasp (5 October 2007)

Lovely level! Starts off with a trip down memory lane, in the alleys and channels of Venice that we know from TR2, but with a very creative and clever exploitation of the familiar environments. The first two levels are breezy, straightforward and simple, but things become more complex in the third section, where you have to explore a whole lot of channels, sidestreets and rooms so as to find four main keys that open the way for the next level. In the last two sections however is where things become really serious, as the action is transported to beautiful underground caves, manors and tombs, where there are lots of traps to pass and several puzzles to solve. The gameplay is very solid, well-organized and enjoying; although it could be a bit harder in some sections. The puzzles are clever (especially a couple of pushblock ones), although easy to figure out most of the times. Also the enemies could be a bit more threatening. The atmosphere is fantastic; excellent choice of textures, colours, objects and decoration, as well as music and sounds. All the environments are tastefully and artfully built and there are fine details that add up as well, creating a wonderful whole. A level that shouldn't be missed! I'm surely looking forward to the next work by this very talented new builder.

The Quest of Gold 18-21 - Martinique Levels by TC14 (2 October 2007)

TC14 couldn't have chosen a better setting for the finale of his QoG saga, and so Lara is transported in mystical Martinique. There are four sections in this levelset, and they are all brilliant; once again the gameplay is top notch, the atmosphere is fantastic and everything is crafted with exceptional skill and wit. "The Ship Graveyard": in this pleasantly familiar setting (reminds a lot of The Deck from TR2), Lara wanders mostly underwater in caves with ship wrecks, looking for batteries, levers and tunnels. There are several tricky things you have to do here, including a crazy timed run (this made me pull my hair a bit). "Voodoo Magic In Martinique": beautiful tropical-looking level, with a title that puts you in the mood instantly; you begin in some caves with temples, and you end up in a gorgeous exterior with waterfalls, cascades, huge pillars to jump to, and other tricky things to do so as to find several voodoo keys. There are some pretty neat sequences, like cghanging the route of a stream so as to flood a room. There are the occasional tropical lizards and some lovely bright blue parrots which unfortunately you have to shoot as they are equally dangerous. "The Flying Dutchman": the scenery changes as you arrive at the banks of a blood river, looking for the way to enter the ghost ship. The atmosphere here justifies the voodoo feel that the previous section was preparing the ground for; also the gameplay is even more challenging and there are several tricky situations to deal with. "Aboard The Damned Ship": one of the prettiest and most atmospherical levels in the whole saga; the use of textures, objects and sounds contributes majorly to this. There are many spectacular things in this section, like the flooded ceiling where you get the artifact, the wicked maze, the ballroom or the fire-trapped library. There's also one of the most crazy timed runs I've ever encountered in a custom level. As a general note concerning the QoG series, it left me with the best impressions and memories: 17+ hours of fantastic gameplay in the most amazing and imaginative environments. Since I played all the levels in the saga in their release order, it was clear how the builder developed his skills from section to section, and how he every time elaborated more and became more and more creative with the moves, the environments and the puzzles. I read that TC14 is preparing a Gold version with a bonus level, so I'm looking forward to playing that one too. Nobody should miss this series, such games change your standard view about TR and make you a better raider! Thank you TC14 for this magnificent series.

The Quest of Gold 14-17 - Saint Francis Levels by TC14 (1 October 2007)

Because of several things (awesome mediterranean/ancient temple settings, St Francis Folly memories, brilliant gameplay) and the sentimental factor (the greek themes that dominate and that are amazingly exploited and elaborated), this levelset could have easily been my favorite part from the QoG saga (so far, as I've still to play Martinique), were it not for certain sequences where there's a lot of repetition and backtracking. Not that these elements lower in any way the quality and beauty of this levelset, which is so original and so cleverly organized that it almost puts the St Francis section of TR-Anniversary to shame; it's just that, as much as I love challenging gameplay, I know that with a little less complexity I would have enjoyed this ingenious levelset even more. "Mountains of St Francis": in an idyllic mountain setting, you begin your exploration along with your friend Pierre. This is a brief introductory section, where your mission is to locate the entrance to the next part.

"Poseidon's Domain": a cisterny section, where there is a lot of switch-pulling, flooding and unflooding. The atmosphere reminds a lot of the original Cistern, however the action is far more complicated and challenging. At the end of the section, you find one key that you'll need later. "Caves of Midas" & "Hall of Legends": a massive, rich and complex network of rooms where you have to roam so as to find more keys, the quests for which offer some of the most intelligent puzzles and trials (the rooms that hide the keys are named after gods and heroes of the greek mythology, and the trials you have to pass through are references to their attributes or legends connected to them - ie, in the Sisyphus room your task is to move a boulder up a (not so even) path, or in the Artemis room it's all done with target ball shooting) as well as some fantastic and imaginative details (the sword spirits in the Damocles room, or the pool of blood in the Hades room). Once you find all the keys, you have to use them so as to unlock the secret entrance to the caves of Midas in a spectacular way. Your task there is to find three iron bars and turn them to gold; doing this, opens the way for one more precious artifact. Like all the previous installments of QoG, this one too is a beauty environment-wise, and as far as gameplay is concerned, it's definitely top quality stuff: puzzles, traps, tricky jumps, elaborate moves, tight timed events, everything is there to contribute to an unforgettable gaming experience. Highly recommended for experienced players as it is extremely professionally made, and surely a gem in the custom level production.

Back to Basics 2008 - Incatacombs by Neso (29 January 2008)

My feelings about this level gradually changed from frustration to enthusiasm as I moved along. After a mostly awkward beginning, where I was wandering around for ages looking for a deviously hidden (as it turned out) underwater lever, I managed to move on to a majestically huge, multi-levelled room where the tasks you have to accomplish are many and varied and you have to backtrack a few times to visit newly opened areas. Getting familiar with the environment is not so easy in this level; there are many sections and subsections, well-hidden switches to discover, cunning traps, lots of running around to find the correct route. Many times fixed cameras will make you lose your head, and there's an almost hintless four-door/switches puzzle to possibly drive you crazy. However, there is so much skill and brilliance put in organizing all this into a solid whole, that soon after the start I found myself enjoying it immensely, despite the many confusing moments and weird cameras. Action is very solid, well-thought and complicated; you don't just simply enter a room, pull a switch, enter another room, shoot a raptor, find an artifact; on the contrary, everything you have to do requires thinking and effort. Several times you get to a room where there seems to be nothing of interest and you wonder why the builder wasted the space to include a useless room; but later you find out that this room was put there for a reason. Other times you see a closed door and can't seem to find a way to open it; but again later the mystery is revealed and you have to backtrack to that door which is then open. Or you discover an underwater maze and you imagine there is something very important hidden somewhere in its twists and turns, but then you realise it's put there just to save Lara from unlucky high drops, as it extends over a quite wide underground area and its several openings on various spots serve as rescue shield for a falling Lara. Atmosphere wise, it's pretty fine. Not too colourful and not too dim either. However it truly 'felt' like Catacombs (to justify the title) only close to the end, where you enter an actual catacomb complex. The ending is good (although it felt a bit abrupt), with Lara finally making her exit through the higher grounds, after having slowly been moving from the deeper depths to the upper sections of the catacombs all along the adventure.

Back to Basics 2008 - The City of Parabailarlabamba by Thierry Stoorne (28 January 2008)

Despite the humorous name of the title's city, this level offers some serious and solid gaming; it's thoroughly crafted and its vast areas, built with care and attention, are ideal for exploration and gazing around (especially the big complex with the many slopes that you get to flood later). There are a few good challenges, with the rest of the game being absolutely enjoying and fast. You need to find several items; most of the times you get to locate first where you have to use them, then go on the hunt for them. Although most areas are quite big, the environments are made in such a way that you can easily get familiar with them and plan your moves. A few nice traps for spice, and there you have a perfectly decent adventure, bringing up memories of the good old TR classics. As a side note, I loved how the water looked in this level, it was simply awesome.

Back to Basics 2008 - Water of Life by eRIC (26 January 2008)

What a lovely and enjoying level! One of the prettiest and most well-constructed adventures I've played recently. Action is fast, clever and tight; all sequences are brilliantly set up. Environments are functional, and also pleasant to the eye, with tasteful decorations and many little details that add more to the atmosphere. Items are wisely placed so as to discreetly hint you towards the right direction. Nothing here is wasted; every angle and crack are cleverly used so as to play a part in the game. The tasks are challenging and complicated, yet very enjoying and they never become tiring, even when you have to reload a lot of times so as to succeed or find the correct route. A truly beautiful and high-quality level; don't miss it, you will miss something amazing! Kudos to the builder!

Back to Basics 2008 - In Cuzco by Jonson (26 January 2008)

If you want to test your jumping skills, then this level is for you; if however, like me, you want a bit more from a level, like adventure feel and exploration, then you may feel disappointed and grow impatient playing 'In Cuzco'. This level in almost its entirety is consumed in having Lara trying to spot the right surface to jump to, and more often than not you may find yourself wondering if you are doing the right thing. It starts off with a rather stylized and not particularly inspired exterior setting, then you get to make your way with jumps around the perimeter of a pool (that's a nice sequence actually), and then you are trapped in a continuous struggle to make it through spikes, annoying skeletons and more jumps. All this, in a quite dull setting that sometimes remotely reminds of the Catacombs level from TR4 and other times the South Pacific village from TR3. Speaking of which - things become a bit better when you get to the village, the atmosphere becomes more solid and with more character; the action also gets more coherent although there's still the same pattern of locating switches that open doors that lead to more switches etc that was also prominent in the first part. It gets somehow more interesting towards the end, but that's just when the adventure is over. The reason why I gave this level a low rating for gameplay is not because I didn't like it, but because, like I said in the beginning, I like a level to have something more than just testing the player's ability to handle peculiar jumps; and imo this level is more of this and much less of a truly tomb-raiderish adventure.

Back to Basics 2008 - Lost Treasure of Primal Breathe by Oxy (26 January 2008)

I am not sure if I liked this level or not... It has so many interesting and worth-noting as well as innovative and original elements, something that I always appreciate and enjoy in custom levels; yet it is so confusing, that this takes away nearly all the fun that otherwise it would offer. The settings are chaotic on many occasions, making things seem and feel much tougher than what they actually are; and there are situations where you may leave a place without even realizing that you have missed something. I thought I wasn't going to have the patience to complete this level; however I insisted and made it to the end, and it was really rewarding when I did. But I was sorry that I was unable to enjoy all the good elements of the level due to the frustration that its complicated setup was constantly causing, and the repetitiveness of certain situations - ie, the pushable block routine close to the start takes too much time and unavoidably ends up a bit tiring after a while. This indeed could have been a brilliant level if it was better organized and a tad clearer on certain neuralgic points of the action, and also if it was not so overdone in terms of texturing and decoration (especially in the exterior environments), because all this visual exaggeration can easily draw your attention away from the action and unnecessarily distract you from your actual route in the game."

Back to Basics 2008 - Etalocohcilihc by Horus (22 January 2008)

This level can be a bit too tricky at certain points, especially at the beginning - at least that's how it was for me. There are several situations where you think a move is impossible, yet can be achieved, or other cases where the settings are misleading and you think you are supposed to do something yet you actually have to do something else. In spite of all this however - or maybe just due to all this - I found the gameplay particularly inventive and clever, as most of the tasks you have to make are far from being conventional and this not only shows creativity from the part of the builder but also requires creativity from the part of the player. I was going to give this level a 10 for gameplay but the reason why I didn't was because for such a challenging and requiring game I think a spectacular finale would have been more matching. Atmosphere and scenery wise, this level is a feast for the eyes, the effects are beautiful (the fog valley in particular), also the sounds and music choices are very fitting and add to the imposing feel of the adventure. Cameras are OK, but I have to say that as much as I enjoy discovering things on my own, I wouldn't have minded a camera at a couple of situations, hinting where I'm supposed to go next. But these are details really, as the level overall is crafted with mastery and brilliance and surely stands out among the best in this year's BtB project.

Back to Basics 2008 - The Lost Tomb of Secrets by userpaul (22 January 2008)

This is the kind of level that, although being neither too tough nor particularly challenging, it can drive a player crazy. In most situations you know (or easily find out) what you have to do, and you also know how you must do it. But actually achieving the task is a pain, because of those incredibly huge and empty rooms and hallways you have to run across, that are either dimly lit or have the same texture on all walls - in both cases resulting in you killing your eyes trying to locate a switch or an item. I didn't mind the annoying skeletons breathing down my neck throughout the whole Earth section, I didn't mind the fire traps in the Fire room, I didn't mind the gong that you have to shoot while jumping backwards with a roll from a ladder; give me challenges like these anytime. But please no more huge rooms, endless corridors, vast pools where, moreover, there is almost nothing to do and you just have to run across or along them simply to shoot a vase or flick a switch at what seems to be the world's end. The tasks themselves are sometimes tricky, but they are OK; for an experienced player they shouldn't be really a hassle. I wasn't particularly thrilled with the lighting and atmosphere, but I have to say that the music and sound were well chosen and placed. The sequence with the switches and collapsing tiles at the end was very good - in fact, the best part of the level. I also liked the idea to obtain one different artifact from each element room.

Back to Basics 2008 - The Riddle of Pacha Camac by TC14 (21 January 2008)

Another amazing game from the BtB08 project, and also the most challenging so far. There are several tricky tasks to achieve and tough situations to go through, but you are rewarded with the most brilliant gameplay that tests both your skills and your mind. All the elements here are used in a very creative way, and the given objects are combined inventively so as to produce a challenging, entertaining and unforgettable adventure. Starting off, you are called to accomplish a series of tasks so as to flood a room in order to access a lever that will get you through the next section of the level, where a cleverly set trap ends the game for you if you are too hasty, warning you that there are still more riddles to solve before you can actually get there. All the sequences are brilliantly organized (some examples: the boulder chase, the water-wheel room, the fire & slopes room etc). Atmosphere and texture-wise, this level is equally amazing. Nice choices of music too. Definitely not to be missed!

Back to Basics 2008 - Journey through the Andes by Mikki (21 January 2008)

One of the easy and fast-paced BtB08 levels, which however doesn't lack interest and adventure feel. In fact, it's very enjoying and pleasant. Τhe puzzles, although not exactly original, are nicely set with much care and skill, and as far as the exploration part is concerned, the builder did a good job, as there are several things to look for and in various different rooms and areas. The textures are tastefully placed, but the general atmosphere didn't give me much the impression of a peruvian setting. The exterior areas are rich and quite realistic though. The action is split in two main sessions; in the first you have to get four masks by solving the respective puzzles which include, among others, pushblocks, a torch, spikes, gongs and moving platforms, and in the second, which is much shorter, you have to find two scarab gems. After you've done this, you are pretty much close to the end where your final task awaits. This level was pretty good overall, a nice change after two tough levels that I played in a row.

Back to Basics 2008 - Sweet Memories by Dutchy (19 January 2008)

It's hard to imagine, judging from the tiny room where this level begins, how things will develop further on, but with the flyby that follows soon after, you pretty much get the picture; and I was quite certain from almost the beginning that this level was going to get a perfect ten from me. The longest - from those I've played so far - BtB08 adventure was also the best; a complex and challenging level, rich with brilliant puzzles, timed events, perfectly set trap sequences, amazing settings thoroughly made with realistic detail, environments where almost everything is placed for a purpose, fantastic gameplay and so much to explore and discover. The puzzles most of the times require deeper thinking; they are not your average 'pull a switch to open a gate' stuff. Camera work is good, sometimes you don't get clues about what triggered something that you just did, but getting familiar with the environments first works a treat. Action is exemplary, impeccably organized and distributed wisely, so that there's not a single place that you can remain idle. A great adventure, from every aspect.

Back to Basics 2008 - The Death Mask Of Kween Quizi-Kal by Kitkat (18 January 2008)

This was a very good level, and although it could have been more challenging and could have more action, it was nonetheless very entertaining and refreshing. Items are easy to locate, and there are three secrets (scarab stones) the two of which I almost bypassed, so reloaded a previous savegame in order to find the way to get them - as it turned out, in both cases it was rather easy, but enjoying still.

Atmosphere and texturing are fine, environments are colourful and bright. The gameplay in general is fluid, traps and trials are there in the way, but they never get particularly threatening, and all enemies are quite easy to deal with (even the wraith at the end can be totally ignored). There are some really nice gameplay sequences, like the classic pillar jumping over a lava pool or the rope swings above a lava corridor; actually if there were more situations like these and if the existing trials were a bit more elaborate, this would have been a great game.

Back to Basics 2008 - Pachacutec Inca's Valley by Roli (18 January 2008)

A beautiful and most enjoying level, with much action, puzzle-solving, exploring and item-hunting - all that makes a game fascinating and worth-playing. At several instances, it reminds of the original games, but this is not a bad thing; the elements are used in a creative way and exploited further so as to produce a solid advneture with its own special atmosphere and feel. The rooms are impressively built and there's a great variety of settings in them; action is never repeated, as there is almost always something new to do in each new area that you enter. You begin by emerging from water in a sunny and colourful garden and then you are called to open and explore several areas so as to find three keys that will open up the way for the final part of the level. The processes to find those keys are like mini in-game adventures as they include traps, puzzles and a lot of searching. The gameplay is solid, fast and challenging and there are cameras and flyby's to help you through at crucial parts of the game.

Back to Basics 2008 - The Mask of Ettal Otaihccam by Die Basis (17 January 2008)

I loved this level! A rich, inventive and perfectly structured game, solidly created with detail and mastery. The gameplay is complex, challenging and creative; the puzzles are varied and so well organized. You can't remain idle nor feel bored while playing this level; you have to be constantly on guard, moreover keeping an eye on every single dark corner or plant because it may be hiding something. There are several items to find, lots of areas to explore, a few nice timed runs and nicely set-up jumping sequences. The only drawback is the sometimes very dim lighting that, on occasion, makes the exploration a tad frustrating, especially if you consider that there are switches hidden behind plants or items buried below greenery spots. Other than that, everything works greatly. With equal doses of trap sequences, exploration, puzzle-solving and action, this level should be among the best of the BtB08 project.

Back to Basics 2008 - The Mystery of Oiccaprac by illyaine (16 January 2008)

A very good, well-set adventure, quite entertaining that keeps you interested from beginning to end. The gameplay is rather easy to deal with, however there are some nice puzzles that get you thinking many times, as well as inventive use of the surroundings that are not always there just for decoration; also the degree of exploration is rather high. You get to look for, find and use several things and almost everything in this level is there for a reason. There's variety of settings, from narrow underground corridors to snowy exteriors, from waterfall lakes to flooded pools and lakes, all of them thoroughly made so as to create a matching atmosphere. A level that I enjoyed a lot, wouldn't have minded if it was longer.

Back to Basics 2008 - The Lost Inca Outpost by mugs (15 January 2008)

A colourful and rather fast-paced level - despite the couple of times where I got a bit stuck and the two timed runs - although a bit too brief. There are a few pleasantly surprising features, like rooms opening up behind tiny crawlspaces, well-hidden vases to shoot so as to open gates and the inventive use of the water-wheel. The gameplay in general is rather smooth and nicely organized; although there are not always cameras to guide you, you can easily figure out towards where your next step must be, as the rooms are closely connected to each other, and there are no vast areas to get you lost. Overall, a nice, pleasant and quite cleverly-made level, finishes a bit abruptly though and you end up with an item you never used (at least I didn't).

Back to Basics 2008 - La Guardia del Monstruo by Cory Smith (15 January 2008)

Now this would have been a very enjoyable level, if certain details were organized in a different way.

The beginning is very promising and puts you in the mood of a fascinating adventure, but as you move on all you have to deal with is traps, traps, traps and - did I mention the traps? Personally I love trap sequences in games, but in this particular one although they work so well at the beginning, after a while you start having the impression that all these obstacle courses were put there just for the sake of it. It's neither that they are many nor that they are tough (because they aren't), rather than the fact that the way they are arranged they result in being repetitive and even tiring. There are many good ideas put in this level that however are somehow poorly realized, and not elaborated enough. On the other hand, there are some situations that sort of made me feel impatient - like, an unnecessarily long pushblock routine (in a nonetheless beautiful exterior setting) or the T-Rex fight at the end which can only be achieved in a certain way, otherwise you are stuck there pistol-shooting for an eternity (or so it seems, at least).

Back to Basics 2008 - ???? by Leroy (11 February 2008)

This level is anything but classic tomb-raiding, and this one the one hand is a good thing, as originality is always welcome in custom levels, on the other hand there are points in the game where all this inventive flair doesn't come out very well. There is a lot of action but several times it's consumed in shooting vases and gongs (although sometimes getting to actually shoot these objects requires a lot of exploring and puzzle-solving). Some sequences seem to have no logical connection with each other (ie, getting to a backroom where the floor disappears then appears again causes the deactivation of a set of spikes in a room close-by), and there are quite a few bugs left too. The gameplay overall however is quite inventive and challenging, which is something that can't be overlooked. There are several items that I found and didn't use; I am only guessing that they were intended to lead Lara to a secret maybe. The structure of the level is quite impressive and there are some nice complex rooms (both interior and exterior) where you have to be very careful and explore them thoroughly. Although the feel that you get is not exactly what you would expect from a South America level, there is a certain something about its atmosphere that is quite charming and surreal, which I found much to my personal liking.

Back to Basics 2008 - Inti Is Watching You by TimJ (9 February 2008)

I had mixed feelings about this level and wasn't sure how exactly to rate it. To start with, it's based on a rather original idea; the problem is however that you get to realize and find that out only when you are about to complete the level, so until then you'll probably spend a lifetime wandering around and wondering what you have to do and moreover if there's still more to do and you have possibly missed something. Second, this level looks and feels as if it was not completely done. There are several places that you can reach up in the mountains just for tourism, but I am not sure if the builder's intention was this or it's due to lack of beta-testing. For instance, there is a big gate somewhere up that you get to open by using a key in another place. However I managed to get to the back of that gate long before I found the keyhole (I could do nothing there of course at that point, but still the gate was perfectly reachable). Jumping and running on the mountains was fun, which is another reason why I felt disappointed whenever I saw that they were hiding nothing more than the place for using the key for the gate. Several other places up there that looked promising were just for decoration and not really functional. In the official games, I've done this sort of exploration many times, on seemingly unreachable areas, just to see what exists there. It was enjoying doing it here too, but having no hints as to where to go and what to look for it became a bit repetitive and annoying after a while (not to mention the many sharp angles causing collision way too often). There are a couple of timed runs, but only the one is really serious, as the other can totally be skipped (there is a timed trapdoor that's supposed to help you reach a column, however getting to this column is absolutely manageable from the ground). The environments are huge, detailed and tasteful; however the actual action is disproportional with them, because only a limited section of them takes part in the adventure, the rest is just for eye pleasure. You get attacked by stray wolves every now and then, but for most of the level there's not really any danger enemy-wise. Only at the end you meet a pack of raptors but if you have the shotgun they shouldn't be a problem. Maybe I would have enjoyed this level more if it was tighter and if its action was more logical. I didn't mind the lack of hints, although at certain points they would be more than welcome (ie, in the case of the invisible crack leading to the crawlspace for the golden key). The mirror room at the end looks promising, but once you activate it, what you have to do is quite simple. You can even pass to the other side of the mirror, but there's nothing spectacular waiting for you there either. I appreciate the builder's effort for creating something original, but I feel that it somehow didn't work out the right way.

Back to Basics 2008 - Chupacabra's Lair by Pouco2 (1 February 2008)

Despite the sometimes frustrating lack of camera hints early in the adventure, this turns out to be one of the most outstanding, rich and cared after levels of this year's BtB project. When you just push a block one square away to make a door open at the very start, you may consider that the rest of the level will be equally easy... But soon you find out that it is a complex, vast and prolific level and you see its qualities develop as you proceed. Although it's just level-pulling to open gates up to a point, gameplay gradually gets more and more elaborate; trials become tricky and challenging, pushable puzzles get more complicated, the tasks you have to accomplish require more thought and action; to mention just two examples among the so many amazing moments that this level offers, there's an evilly long swim in a tunnel with no place to take a breath, as well as a fantastic timed run near the end, involving a rope swing and a timed platform; and the finale is equally impressive. The settings are detailed and tasteful, putting you in the mood for exploration, and there is such a great variety of them - from atmospheric, realistic exteriors to underground caves with waterwheel mechanisms, futuristic tunnels and huge temple-like rooms with hidden switches and entrances. With just two more levels to play so as to complete BtB08, I can almost safely say that this level is the one that took me the longest to complete (over 2.30 hours!) and it's surely among those with the most action, gameplay variety and originality - and definitely one of those that I enjoyed the most playing.

The Castello Visconteo by Agnes (4 April 2008)

This level may not be what you would call exactly original gameplay-wise, however it's a very pleasant little adventure that you enjoy playing through. Like most italian levels, it's mostly colourful and bright; and like in most works by Agnes, textures, effects, objects and sounds are tastefully combined so as to produce a level that offers the player a brief but quite entertaining play. Puzzles are easy to solve, as keys/switches/pressure pads are never too far away from Lara or are quite easy to find. Enemies are just lions, that shouldn't pose a problem even when they attack in packs of three. Atmosphere is delightful and charming. Despite the briefness of the level, there is quite a variety in sceneries, including an atmospherical church, pretty gardens, fancy pools, dark crawlspaces and trap paths. Speaking of which, the highlight of the level has got to be the enjoying zip ride over flame traps close to the finale. Would have loved if there was a way to collect all that gold in the end, though!

Coyote Creek by Bojrkraider, Cowboy, Dhama, EssGee, GMac, Raider X & Titak (19 May 2008)

A great level series, result of the collaboration of several talented builders, its plot taking place in the Wild West. There are several unforgettable moments and situations - personal favourites are the Mines complex (Abandoned Mine & Working Mine) and the ghost town (Coyote Creek); the gameplay is requiring, cleverly set and entertaining; there are several puzzles to solve, secrets to find and trials to pass; and as far as atmosphere is concerned, all effects, textures and objects are carefully created and contribute to a marvellous whole, which includes both exterior and interior settings of impressive beauty and taste. It's one of those levelsets that you want to play more than once, and that you want to take your time while playing them so as to explore all those promising and detail-packed environments. There is also a section with a chase on a train (Ambushed), quite enjoying and fascinating one. An amazing adventure; any true raider should play it!

Neon God by Horus (17 May 2008)

This is an incredible game, crafted with impressive inspiration and geniality, a definite must-play; it has a little bit of everything: fascinating gameplay, brilliant action and puzzles, amazing environments, original plot. Horus's building talents were obvious from her first works already, but with Neon God she proves that she is simply one of the best custom level builders of now. In this game, Lara is after a notorious drug dealer (quite unconventional plot for a Tomb Raider!) who's seeking the artefact of immortality. To locate him, she first starts with exploring his luxurious villa and the surrounding areas (awesome architecture and settings in these levels), then she moves on to the green valleys and snowy mountains of Peru until she finally reaches his den (another brilliant setting). The gameplay is excellently set and organized - only a few of times I felt I was missing something due to lack of cameras after some actions. But this is just a minor detail; the level overall is fantastic, there are several innovative moves, clever and flowing action, brilliant timed runs, plenty of enemies and some of the most beautiful environments you've seen in the custom level world. A great achievement from Horus. Don't miss it!

Walhalla by Miss Kroft (31 August 2008)

There is not really much more to say about this wonderful levelset; the numerous reviews up to now pretty much say it all. That Miss Kroft makes some of the best levels is already known, and her games are always enjoying and providing her players with great adventure feel and lovely settings constructed with mastery and making wise use of effects, cameras and sounds. This levelset consists of five sections, including impressing interiors and a variety of exterior locations, where there are naturally several puzzles to solve (most of which are relatively easy) and many enemies to fight. The only downside was that in the second half of the last section (looking for the stonebadges), puzzles and tasks became somewhat repetitive after a while, making gameplay slightly tiring. Other than that, this game is great and I do hope there's going to be a sequel, like is promised in the closing screen.

A Time Odyssey by Trix (27 September 2008)

A Time Odyssey' is the highly anticipated sequel to 'Aegean Legends' and I can tell you it was more than worth the wait. With several hours of solid gameplay (nearly 8 it was for me, as I would take my time exploring everything in this wonderful game), providing not only great adventure moments but also some eye-candy settings, impressively set action sequences and elaborate but enjoying puzzles, this surely stands among the finest in custom level production. Like most of the levels that Trix has made so far, this one too has two elements that make it even more special: interesting historical background and high replay value. Setting off from where Aegean Legends ended, Lara returns home with the energy orb she found in Thera and uses it to start her friend's time machine so as to test it by travelling in time. There are three different destinations that you can choose to play in any order you like (but you can travel to each only once). 'Somewhere Sometime': spooky city environment, where an atmospheric blue lighting dominates. This massive level with a great deal of things to do and several beautiful rooms and exteriors to explore, is not only an eye-fest but moreover hides two nice surprises: two bonus mini-levels, made available once you make the right moves: 'No Man's Land' which is a dreamy complex of caves with mysterious crystals and enchanting spiderwebs, and 'Museum of Fine Arts' that challenges you to break in a hall of arts and grab an artifact without getting noticed by the guards. Stealth fans will love this. The builder has also included special rooms in the museum to pay homage to the trle.net community. 'Dayport Sunset': this medieval village is once again a massive level where you have to carry out many tasks. Don't hurry to finish this one; it takes a lot of time and patience. Besides you won't enjoy it as much as you should, and it's definitely worth your time and effort. Be patient, explore thoroughly, organize your moves and who knows, maybe you will find an Easter Egg hidden in a high, remoted balcony, barely seen from the ground. You collect artifacts too, as well as a couple of items that you can use to replace missing things (ie, a dagger to make a switch, a lockpick to make a key), and you also have the chance to craft the castle key yourself. 'Shadow of Vesuvius': what excells in this level is the rich and colourful decoration but this is Pompeii after all; what else did you expect? Pompeii is the shortest section of the three and, despite the several side-streets and rooms you have to visit, the easiest to navigate (possibly the bright light and blue sky to achieve the mediterranean atmosphere effect is highly responsible for this). However this section doesn't lack variety - there are tastefully decorated halls, cobblestone streets, shrines, temples and even an arena with a neat fight for Lara to carry out. When you find the energy orb, you have to run like mad to the time machine before Vesuvius errupts. I didn't find the secret which opens the shortcut for this point but I didn't mind; it was pretty fascinating sprinting along the streets with the earth shaking under Lara's feet and lava rain falling from the sky! Not a good thing that such an amazing game had to finish... but like stated earlier, thanks to its replay value I will surely get back to it again! Definitely not to be missed, go and play it right away!

Fortress Stonerock by l.m. (20 September 2008)

A great game and wonderful debut, consisting of a brilliantly elaborate and quite flexible network of castle rooms, yards, terraces and basements - which you realise once you proceed further in the heart of the game and start opening doors; that's when you see how rooms are wisely connected to each other, providing useful shortcuts many times for you to go back and forth in the various areas and sections. The right choice of texturing and the atmospheric partly dim lighting adds a lot to the general feel and look of the game, making you feel as if you are truly inside a huge fortress. The sounds are familiar, but very effective still. Gameplay-wise, this levelset is organized in a masterful way and there are several clever actions to do (ie, getting a key from the well, finding the shortcut that allows you to make the extremely tight timed run in the library). Speaking of keys, this may probably be the only minus (if it could be called that way considering how amazing the level is overall): finding way too many keys that sometimes may confuse you and delay action (because, for example, you may find a key and you presume it corresponds to a certain door, so you head back to that door only to find out that you need to look for yet another key because the one you just found is for a different door). The game is perfect in all other ways, there is a notable variety in environments with atmospheric exterior settings and well-constructed interior corridors and rooms, underwater tunnels, a church, a library, wine cellars; action is varied as well, you never get inactive or lazy; several times you have to make tricky angled jumps and there's plenty of enemies to fight with, and if you choose the alternative path at the end, you will have the chance to get involved in a nice boss battle. So even if you have the item that unlocks the easy path, keep a save and try the other one as well. Your quest, apart from the numerous keys, includes also several items like cog wheels, waterskins and precious gems. So make sure you explore each area very well (sometimes you may need to return somewhere later, to find something necessary). This is one of those levels that don't let you leave them until you complete them and that just urge you to keep exploring every nook and corner of the environments - which is surely why I managed to find most secrets (10 out of 13) as well as all the Secret Passage Keys for the special artifact. Thank you l.m. for this amazing adventure!

Tomb Raider City Remake by Christian_c (30 October 2008)

This is a bit difficult to review and rate, as it is practically a faithful remake of the classic Aldwych level from TR3, with better-looking textures and a new Lara model. The original happens to be one of my personal all-time favourite levels, and considering I can't run TR3 anymore on my computer, this remake was quite a pleasant surprise, moreover since it is such a good one. Basically the settings and gameplay are the same, although a major trademark is missing: the drill in the shaft. This trial is replaced by trapdoors, which work quite well and it's a nice surprise element, although the drill at this point was something of a must. Most of the other puzzles are there, including the maze to open the entrance to the masonic temple as well as the three timed doors - although I didn't find them tough in this remake (but I can't tell if it is because the builder was more generous when making the timed events, or it's just a result of personal practice). Some enemies run into walls and get stuck there, and at the last platform you can't climb on the traincar (and naturally there are no flares to get from the top of it). Atmosphere and texture wise all is very good, it really feels like you are playing the original level. I would be very interested to play more TR3/London remakes by Christian_c if he is planning to rebuild the rest of those levels as well.

The Skribblerz Stonez 3 - The Tempest Keep by Wasp (9 January 2009)

A lovely level, with beautiful and detailed texturing, wonderful atmosphere and high gameplay value.

There are three main areas you have to explore; first you have to make your way around the perimeter of a cave so as to reach the central island, then there is one more cave with ledges to climb and jump, so as to get up to the roof of a temple, and one more interior area with a central structure you have to climb, raising blocks and platforms in order to do what's needed so as to open up the way towards the final section. The gameplay is top-notch, fast and flowing, and there are some very clever puzzles (the one with the block and the tile you have to lower so as to find a secret comes to mind). Secrets are nicely hidden and it's worth the while looking for them. Enemies are mostly skeletons - you get to meet a lot of them, but they pose no particular threat as long as you have the shotgun - and ice bats; and close to the end, there is a boss as well.

TR4 Gold - Fading Light by Cowboy (6 January 2009)

A rich and generous adventure, consisting of all the elements that create a marvellous and masterful game, spiced up with originality and amazing atmosphere, all these things implemented in such a way so as to produce a charming and fascinating levelset that captures the player from the very beginning.

Starting from a quiet city, moving on to a spooky cemetery, proceeding in the heart of a voodoo land and a flooded mansion and ending up on a haunted ship, you get to explore beautifully crafted locations in the most impressive atmosphere. There are several puzzles, timed events and spike traps, plenty of enemies to shoot and many secrets to find. If you get to find three special items, you unlock a bonus level which is a haunted circus - quite brief but not less demanding than the rest of the levelset. Nice music choices, visual and audio effects that work great and contribute to the general feel of spookiness and sublte humour that runs through the game. I must pay special credits to the builder for the flooded mansion and the haunted ship; these two are breathtaking environments and the best settings of the game. A levelset that noone should miss.

Return to the Catacombs by Bedazzled (25 June 2009)

This is a classic TR4-style level, and naturally so as Lara returns to the Catacombs in search of an artifact. The atmosphere is very fitting to the theme, you do get the 'catacomb feeling' as you go along. Lighting is lovely, and the music that is used as a score adds a tone of mystery to the adventure. Nice objects, including the colourful secret dragons. The gameplay is too easy though; straightforward gameplay is welocme anytime, but a few more complicated tasks would have definitely spiced up this level. Enjoying nonetheless, albeit too brief. Would have loved a potential more extended version of this.

Lara's Dream 9 by staticon (25 June 2009)

Theme-wise, this is a quite original level; and the gameplay is good and solid. You explore several environments including a house (but it's not your typical home level), as well as psychedelic and futuristic chambers. In the opening cutscene we see an unexpected version of Lara (in fact, I didn't even realize it was her), but in the game itself she is just how we know her. There are several puzzles to solve as you move on, and the various areas that you visit are nicely constructed. At the end you find what you were looking for (the car keys), and then Lara wakes from her dream, which is what you have been playing all along. I can't say it's the kind of level I would be playing everyday, but there were some quite memorable moments (like the one with Lara driving a huge sphere) and I did enjoy certain bits of it.

The Door for the Paradise 3 - The Door for the Hell by Rezaffiro (25 June 2009)

Lara has come close to entering Hell and she has quite a few tasks to carry out. I got stuck at the beginning trying to figure out how exactly I could leave from that lava pool; but after that I didn't encounter anything particularly tough or complicated; the rest of the level was quite enjoying with a few tricky jumps. Setting is imaginative, there are nice and humorous details (like the boatman and the welcome sign in Hell), and several demon enemies to fight. Despite the briefness of the level, you can find three secrets, which are golden skulls. A fun level overall, which belongs to a four-part series (The Door For Paradise).

Hanging Gardens of Babylon by trplayer (25 June 2009)

A very enjoying and well-constructed level, with a good deal of action and puzzles and lovely environments. There are interior and exterior settings, where the use of texture and lighting effects is precise, tasteful and pleasant. The gameplay is very good, you have several things to do as you explore these nice rooms, and there are also a few good traps to make it safe through. It has several elements from the classics, but also nice innovative details that produce a notable piece of work.

Vikings by Taras (24 June 2009)

If you have played 'Legio VI Victrix', then you know very well what to expect from this levelset by Taras! 'Vikings' is a massive nordic adventure, prolific in all fields, with the known unique gameplay style of its author. Although slightly less demanding than 'Legio', this levelset is nonetheless quite difficult and once again not for beginners - unless they want to try out a great challenging level to begin with, to check out how a real good custom TR game should be and feel like. 'Vikings' is split in five parts plus a bonus level. The first part, 'Freyja', is a colourful and bright level with several tough tasks and beautiful environments to explore. The second part, 'Loki's Demigods', is a brief tightly timed challenge that will have you with your fingers glued to the keyboard in your effort to make it on time. Then we move on to the snowy 'Red Tent-Midgardsormr' where freezing to death in the icy water is your constant worry (among other things!). In the fourth part, 'Helheimr', you go down some hot hellish caves to find four important items. In the fifth part, 'Heroes', the setting changes to a peaceful city where you however have to explore quite a lot so as to find the well-hidden routes that will lead you to four other items that will unlock another section of the city where other tasks await. After this, there is a short finale called 'Skibblandir' which brings you back to a familiar place for a spectacular exit. If however you have found all five bonus keys from the previous levels, you can unlock 'Gramr', the bonus level; a brief but quite challenging section where you explore a few islands in a frozen sea. You then return back to 'Skibblandir' for the same ending, but with one more precious item in your backpack, souvenir from the bonus level. This game is made once more with a lot of work, taste, mastery and detail; the environments are stunning. Music selections are beautiful again and ever so fitting, adding to the epic feel of the game. The gameplay is here too one of the strongest points of the levelset; there are no particularly crazy timed runs (although there is a really tough one where you have to go up some slopes carrying a torch) but most jump sequences are set with such an impressive precision that even half mis-step will have you reloading your game in an instant. I found 'Helheimr' a bit too frustrating even for my taste, but this doesn't mean I didn't enjoy this section; the tasks in 'Heroes' were fantastic too. Hunting down the keys and secrets was another challenge on its own, as most were very well hidden. I found all keys so as to be able to play the bonus level, but not all the other secrets. Great new moves make Lara perform previously impossible jumps (darting out of a crawlspace to land on a sloped block nearby, for instance). There are many beautiful objects, a few but interesting enemies who sometimes play a crucial part in the action (like in the second level) and the imaginative and highly inspired decoration of the various different settings once more reaches perfection. I could give only once advice to those who will play this game: save often! If you do this, nothing will stop you from enjoying this fantastic adventure.

Corsica by Horus (16 June 2009)

A beautiful feel-good adventure, with a holiday feel, perfect for some carefree gaming. Lara is in Corsica, wandering in lovely exterior locations and tastefully decorated interiors, looking for easter eggs and tulips. There are no enemies, so you can marvel at the settings as you go. Although this is an Easter level, it has a summery feel to it, but in any event it's recommended to everybody: those who like challenging levels will surely enjoy it because there are a few tasks that do require thinking and there's a fair amount of exploration too; but also those who don't prefer requiring levels will like it too, as said tasks are not difficult to carry out. The textures are rather fitting for the theme, as to a degree you do get the feel of being in a mediterranean island with its sunny gardens, calm beaches and charming side-streets with local shops. Gameplay is not demanding, but still there are some nice moves to do. Overall a charming level that you can play any time.

The Secrets of Nepal by WayneScales (16 June 2009)

Apparently this is the first level by this author, but it's quite hard to tell by playing it: everything is so well crafted, so carefully organized and put together, that it looks as if it's made by an experienced builder. There are some quite memorable moments in this wonderful two-part level, which starts off with Lara in some snowy mountains to then have her move on to the impressive settings of a temple. Many puzzles, several complicated tasks, hunt for important items and battles with various enemies construct the lineout of a level that offers some great gameplay moments (like the section where you have to get four gems in the big room with the knights at the top) as well as some lovely inspired sequences (like the tasks you have to carry out in the mirror room). The texturing and decoration are quite impressive too, all well-made and combined so as to produce convincing and atmospherical environments. A very promising debut that sets a solid base for whatever comes next from this talented builder.

Legio VI Victrix by Taras (16 June 2009)

So you think that you are a veteran hardcore TR player? Maybe you will reconsider once you attempt to play this levelset! From the very beginning I realised that this game is going to be like no other, and I was not proved wrong: I don’t think there are many TR games (official or custom) that can stand close to this in terms of difficulty and complexity; and as far as architecture is concerned, in this field too it’s a winner. It consists of four parts (although the last three are basically one big section split in three) plus a bonus level, which is unlocked as long as you have found five bonus keys that are hidden throughout the other sections. The first part (Sea Girt), as its name implies takes place aboard a ship and opens the game in a spectacular way. The other three sections (Knights Of The Round Table I, II, III) as well as the Bonus Level, take place in beautiful celtic/roman environments. So what is it that makes this levelset so very special? First of all, the top-notch and extremely challenging gameplay. This game is surely not for beginners, maybe not for average players either. Very few tasks are easy to carry out – most of the time you will find yourself wondering, after completing a challenge, now what’s coming next? In fact it is the best challenge for those who want to test their player skills. Second, the construction of the environments, with all that this may include: visually, this game is an orgy of colours, the lighting is spectacular, the rooms are incredibly amazing. Colour, detail, lighting, several visual effects and what to say about the music; the epic Nightwish tunes that are used as the main score can’t go wrong, but all the other tracks that are used are perfect as well. And third, the background. The fact that there are historical facts based on the story of the game adds a lot to the whole presentation, as you come across items and environments that reflect actual events or historical figures. It’s also worth noting how well the author combines classic thematology with a futuristic, colourful outlook, including Lara’s fancy outfit that changes shade according to the setting she’s in, thanks to the impressive use of lighting effects. I have to focus some more on the gameplay though as it seems that it’s a quite vital issue in this game: the puzzles, timed events and jumping sequences are designed with extreme precision – such precision that sometimes they seem impossible to accomplish; although I have to say that certain timed runs that on first try seemed like that, with just a little practice not only I managed them but also I had a few seconds left. What I found much tougher were certain jump sequences; it's not that those were that hard per se, but trying to carry out those tasks with the precision that was required made my wrists hurt and I had to stop playing for a while, although I so wanted to go on. Such tough 'game stoppers', as ideal as they may be for showing the builder's skill, virtuosity and ability to pulling the game engine's limitations to the extremes, many times end up quite discouraging for players. A relevant downside concerning these demanding tasks is that maybe not all players will be patient enough and they may get tired of trying and retrying to achieve them, abandon the game and therefore miss out on completing an incredible game. I must say I feel very happy for not giving up playing, as I had the chance to have a unique gaming experience. Overall, this game is a genial work of art, combining visual perfection and highly intelligent crafting; extremely demanding and absolutely enjoying, quite difficult to forget once you have played it.

Babylon is Fallen by eRIC (9 June 2009)

I'm sure almost everyone will agree that this is not only one of eRIC's best levels, but also one of the best levels ever released so far. eRIC's Babylon shows just how real, old-time tomb-raiding at its finest can be, and if you want to get the classics' feel, then this is your game. But it is not only that; it's excellent from every aspect. eRIC knows well how to create the best atmosphere and justify the themes of his levels by creating environments that richly illustrate the settings of Lara's adventures. So when you enter Sumerian Morning, it does feel like entering a sumerian environment, when you get in the Hidden Gardens, you do sense the mystery and the secrets that those gardens do hold. The levelset consists of three beautiful levels (the two mentioned above plus Lion's Den) and a very brief introductory one (Babylon Will Fall) which also serves as an epilogue once you've completed the adventure, all made with thorough detail, inspiration and eRIC's known mastery. The gameplay is top-notch, and there are several puzzles and timed runs that also contribute to this. Babylon is a levelset that leaves noone disappointed: if you love exploring, there's tons of lovely areas to explore; if you love tough tasks and challenges, there's plenty of those too; if you like puzzles, you'll find many waiting for you; if you like seeking items, again you will find that you'll have lots of such work to do as well. There's quite a few enemies to face, including Sumerian guards, lions, harpies and snakes. Ambience and music are perfect and cameras are used wisely and just when it's necessary. Some puzzles appear to be very difficult to solve, but be patient, explore a lot and you will soon find out what you have to do. eRIC is not one of those builders that place puzzles and stuff randomly here and there without giving the player any clue at all; on the contrary, everything in his games is thought after, serves a purpose and makes sense, which is one more thing that makes his work so unique: the fact that his levels are made with professionalism without however lacking freshness and enthusiasm; and moreover, they have a great replay value. And it's so sad that he'll stop making levels, I do hope one day he will again feel like producing new brilliant things, because his talent is truly unique and rare. A very big thank you Eric, for all the wonderful work you've offered us, and a special thank-you for this wonderful levelset that I'm sure will be a classic in the trle world.

BtB2010 - A Very Good Year by Piega (19 January 2010)

I found this level to be absolutely enjoying and beautiful, just as challenging as it should be; what impressed me in this wonderful adventure, apart from the great sceneries and well-set puzzles was how wisely the rooms are designed and inter-connected so that, after accomplishing certain tasks, you can gain easy access to previous areas and you don't have to backtrack all the way again to them. The environments are eye-candy, and there is quite a variety of them: the interior of a villa including a library, an attic and a cellar, charming gardens, a lovely canal - to refer to just a few. There is also a brief but quite tricky bike ride to cross a huge gap, although there's a series of actions you have to do first before accessing and using the bike itself. Definitely one of the best levels of this year's contest.

BtB2010 - Knights of Cydonia by Horus (19 January 2010)

This level is a great tribute to the classic Venice levels, as it includes several settings and sequences that we have seen in those. However this is just one feature of the level, as the author has used these elements for spice, and has actually created a brand new level with its own character and style. The enchanting Venice atmosphere is still there, and you will come across several reminiscents as you go along, but at the same time you will be discovering new stuff, new puzzles, settings and actions. Speaking of environments, there are many areas to explore, all beautifully decorated and speaking of actions, there are some impressively complex and mastefully set-up puzzles that may seem very tough on first look, but once you get their logic, it's so enjoying putting the pieces together to reach your goal; gameplay-wise, this level is a winner.

BtB2010 - One Day in Venice by l.m. (19 January 2010)

This was one unforgettable day in Venice, but not an ordinary one! Starting off by a small canal and a tiny garden, it's quite hard to predict what follows once you make your way further down, which is actually a fascinating adventure where action is continuous and keeps you busy with constantly thinking about what you should do next - and how fast too, because several tasks are tightly timed. It is one of those levels where nothing is wasted, and you have to be very careful in every area that you visit, looking around everywhere around you for jumpswitches, buttons, levers, items; and while you do that, don't overlook the design and architecture of the rooms which is greatly impressive and effective at the same time.

BtB2010 - Clockwork Orange by MichaelP (19 January 2010)

A very original level this one, where your main task, which takes up most of your gaming time, is to prepare the way for your bike to make it through a timed door. This may sound easy but believe me it's very far from being so. Set up with mathematic-like precision and logic, the big puzzle is centered around raising trapdoors that allow you to use levers that open the way to rooms that you can only visit with your bike. Each of these rooms contains trials that end up in either raising more trapdoors or fidning items that you need so as to proceed. This may be the less Venice-like level of the contest - visually speaking - although there are elements that take you towards that direction; but it is so original and genially designed that it stands out on its own, at least as far as gameplay is concerned.

BtB2010 - The Black Lodge by eTux (19 January 2010)

A very unique and original level, atmosphere and environment-wise; it has a very special character and style that are quite surreal, bringing to mind optical illusions or a magician's tricks. However the beautiful, colourful rooms are not there just to look at; you have plenty of tasks to do and some of them are quite tricky. The highlight is definitely the red curtain complex, with the various puzzles and several connected hidden rooms that look alike, but are not.

River Raider by rufierto (26 September 2011)

This three-part level is a finely constructed adventure that is a reminiscent of the classic TR3 thanks to its old school style of raiding as well as to its atmosphere and settings. There are vast areas but you won't get lost, as the environments are player-friendly (albeit a bit too dark at times) as is the gameplay, which is very well organized and smooth. You get plenty of enjoying raiding time before you meet a puzzle that makes you stop for a bit, examine the surroundings and find where to start from to solve it, but none of the puzzles will make you lose your patience; everything is flowing, making this a most entertaining game. There are several types of enemies (humans, crocodiles, harpies, demigods, biting fish) but you can easily get rid of them, some of them even can get ignored. The items quest is pretty neat, there are just a few objects to find and you get to use them in order, so you never get confused with where to go next. There are a few flybys and cameras hinting at your next steps, and the rooms are built in such a way as to help the player think of the possible ways of proceeding. Overall its a level that may be easy for an experienced player, but it's very enjoying and keeps your interest high till the final sequence. That said, that timed run with the boat was so good that I was a bit disappointed to see that it was the game's finale.

Escape in the Pacific by Daffy (20 April 2012)

The best part of this four-part adventure is definitely the solid and flowing gameplay, which is as tough as it has to be without getting frustrating. There is great precision and balance throughout, the puzzles are extremely well made and their solution and execution are always depending on logical consequence so that you never waste hours trying to figure out from where to start. This doesn't mean that they are easy, but you are always given subtle hints about crucial steps you need to take. There is variety in the environments, texturing is pretty and tasteful and the secrets are always fun to look for. The choice you are offered several times between easy and hard path adds an extra interest too. An excellent game.