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Level: The Quest of Gold 1 - Canadian Forest back home search
Author(s): TC14
total rating:7.84 Gameplay &
Puzzles		 Enemies,
Objects &
Secrets		 Atmosphere,
Sound &
Cameras		 Lighting &
Textures
afzalmiah 9 8 7 7
Bene 8 8 9 9
CC 6 7 7 6
Duncan 6 5 8 9
Dutchy 6 6 8 9
Engelchen Lara 9 9 9 9
EssGee 7 7 8 7
eTux 7 6 7 7
Gerty 6 9 8 8
Gill 9 9 9 9
Jay 7 8 8 9
Jorge22 9 9 9 9
Jose 8 9 8 8
Kristina 8 8 8 9
manarch2 6 9 8 8
MichaelP 7 7 8 8
Moonpooka 9 8 9 8
Obig 8 9 9 9
Pam 7 9 9 8
Phil 8 8 8 8
QRS 8 7 7 7
Ravenwen 8 8 8 9
Relic Hunter 8 9 8 8
Samu 7 8 9 8
Sash 6 7 7 5
Selene 8 8 8 7
Spike 8 8 8 8
SSJ6Wolf 7 8 7 7
Sutekh 8 7 8 7
category averages
(29 reviews)		 7.52 7.86 8.07 7.93

Reviewer's comments

"I admit I haven't really played exactly this level, but since I am currently working through the Gold Edition and see there are only minor changes, I will rate the single levels seperately here. This first level was a good introduction with about half an hour duration. Mainly was a shooter level, it was quite a challenge to conserve health packs to be able to finish this level despite of 20 dangerous enemies (bears, modified SAS, eagles) and one not that dangerous... The drunken yeti was extremely funny and I thought about a Richard Lawther level first, but after few seconds realised this level is by TC14, a completely different builder. But to be honestly, overall I didn't find this level too interesting because there were no puzzles and only running around in quite complex areas with the same architecture as in TR 2 Gold's Cold War, I often got stuck. There were only few highlights like the ice bridge, of course the yeti, and the valve pipe room at the end which was nicely constructed. There were few wallpapered textures near the "end of the world" and I disliked the big squaric room near the end with the lake that has to be destroyed. Let's get on with the second part..." - manarch2 (10-May-2011)

"This was a really nice start to TC14's quest of gold series and a very fun one at that. The canadian forest was a very lnice place with guards, birds and bears around here. There are some caves as well. One thing I didn't really get is that the level starts in what seems like a forest and then later it gets snowy! Also the lighting could've improved but it is a debut and it is very good. I really enjoyed the gameplay trying to find valve wheels and other items. Very nice and recommended." - afzalmiah (28-Mar-2011)

"Ah, a Canadian level. I've never been there myself, though it did remind me of my visits to New Hampshire, so it must be close. But this is not your normal vacation spot - angry birds, bears, and gunmen are out for your blood as you pick apart an outpost of sorts with its pickups, keys, and valve wheels. I think the backtracking might have been cut down a bit, however. I also had the unfortunate mishap of an enemy dropping a key underneath a minecart, making it impossible to pick up. Some illegal slopes also made me replay parts of the level again. Still, the level was a great 45 minutes or so. I very much liked the horizon used, and the scenery, though the forest areas seemed a bit "square" at the sides. Play it for a mostly relaxing raid, or maybe instead for the start of a series that I think I will find to be something epic." - SSJ6Wolf (06-Feb-2009)

"I've played Thibault'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 TC was when he made this level." - Ravenwen (17-Sep-2007)

"The jog up the forest path at the start of the level looked great, with high mountain ranges in the background and a multitude of trees in front of you. There were a few enemies to kill here, but the best gameplay comes when you reach the main area surrounding the broken mine track. The main aim is to get 4 valve wheels in order to open the door to a key, which can then be used to progress to the next level. Firstly, however, you have to find the crowbar, but even before THAT you have to find a fuse. This did actually lead to quite a bit of backtracking at times, but the exploration and jumping tasks through icy caves made up for it. The texturing is varied, and well placed, although they could sometimes have been better rotated. I also felt that some areas were too dark, and I was going through my flares quickly. Overall, however, this was a fun level and I am looking forward to playing the next part." - Spike (30-Jul-2007)

"This is a neat start to what we now is an adventure to be continued (so save your SAVEGAME somewhere safe). As the Title indicates, the setting is a mountainous snowy Canadian fir forest. You'll get a generous amount of flares along the way to explore the dingy caves as you avoid swooping eagles and grumpy bears that seem to have been awoken from their winter hibernation. Willard's henchman are a-foot so watch out as you discover the mining areas in search of 4 valves, which need to be relocated for use in the another place. Your main aim is to get hold of the Gold Mine Key which will lead you to your next adventure. The steep mountainous setting is well created in parts. I didn't like the squarish treatment of the forest areas though. A bit more care could have been taken with texture application in some of the ice areas, and there are several nasty illegal slope traps. There were some baffling (what appeared to be) 'ice that catches on fire' traps that did not make sense to me, especially if you safety dropped from the broken centre railway block. I felt that the level did improve as you progressed through it. There is a useful flyby and the use of enemies in areas that you revisit gives you hints that you are on the right track. Objects and weapons are well done. Enemies are plentiful but never over the top. Puzzles are essentially exploratory and there are no challenging runs or moves that need to be done. Suitable for all players." - EssGee (10-Mar-2007)

"I know this is usual TR stuff, but it was such a pity to have to kill all the wildlife in this mountain forest setting. They were just going about their business before this gun slinging female arrives on her quest to get into the mines. No wonder some of them sensed danger and attacked! It was awful to shoot the ones that could not escape. Of course I could have just left them alone and see what happens, but as I was stuck forever a while ago in one long level series because I hadn't killed everything in sight I couldn't chance it. I had no qualms though about shooting the guys trying to fry Lara. That was self defence. Lara is looking for a fuse and keys and the eternally elusive crowbar, needed to collect four valve wheels. There are no puzzles or traps here. It's an explorers level. Generally speaking the environment is quiet effective, especially the conifer trees in the forest. But it looks too boxy, with flickering textures and unnecessarily pitch black corners. Lara can get permanently stuck in illegal slopes, and it's possible to 'trip' over cliffs because she will get stuck at the edge; this last one is easily solved by just turning her around, but we really shouldn't have to do that; if she's already gone over the side you can wave goodbye to her unless you've kept lots of savegames. Other oddities are bald eagles that live in dark icy caves and bears that get their bulk stuck in ceilings and walls. Aren't bears supposed to hibernate in winter? I had a strong feeling of deja vu in the mine cart track gorge. It greatly resembled a TR2 Gold level I played years ago. The difference here is that we don't get to ride those mine carts, or a snowmobile as we did in that old level. The impression I'm left with is a level jam packed with enemies, and endless backtracking. I confess it reached a stage when I really wanted to just finish this and be done... which is a shame, because it's such a nice looking level and a good introduction to all the levels that follow in this series. It is important to keep the last savegame to go forward to the second level." - CC (05-Jul-2006)

"Having beta-tested the Korean levels in Thibault's Quest Of Gold series I decided to go ahead and play all of the levels from scratch, naturally starting with this one. In the beginning it struck me as a bit dull and the scenery felt awfully box-like. The trees looked lovely and realistic, but at times there were too many of them and they easily got in the way. I also found/got stuck at quite a few illegal slopes and had to reload, which was a tad annoying. But once I got about halfway through and started searching for the crowbar/valve wheels the full enjoyment of it kicked it and I spent the remaining part of this 1-1 1/2 hour adventure having a blast. Not surprisingly for a forest there were eagles and bears to shoot and although they came in pairs or more at times they could often be taken out from safe distance and so didn't pose as too much of a threat to Lara. What did though were the guards running around in the forest and that got a bit frustrating in the end too, especially seeing how they often appeared at the same time. There was quite a lot of backtracking in this level, but as you covered a limited amount of ground it became pretty easy to find your way back to previously explored areas. The cave areas with the icy lakes were lovely and that alone made it all worth while. I found two secrets and plentiful ammo and weapons as well, a good thing considering the massive amount of enemies at times. The sound most of the time limited itself to a type of cricket-sounds, which gave you a feeling that you were wandering around in the forest at night time...a lovely touch in my opinion. Cameras were well placed and good work with the lights. It is a brilliant debut level we're faced with here and it really made me look forward to playing the rest of the series. Highly recommended!!!" - Selene (31-May-2006)

"When I started to play this level I thought that this would be really bad level because environment looks quite bad and all you have to do is to run and shoot some enemies. However, the level started to feel much better when I had played it a while. I noticed that environment is not as bad as I thought and there are also other things to do than just shooting enemies in the level. There are still quite many enemies in the level and shooting them which lowers the rating a little. There are also some keys and other objects to find and some jumping tasks to clear. I don't recommend this very highly but playing it isn't painful and it is worth to play." - Samu (22-May-2006)

"This is a good, solid level with several major areas to explore. The goal is to find four valve wheels to place in a boiler room, and the major enemies are bears (lots and lots of bears) and goons who look like they stepped right out of the early commercial TR releases. Gameplay is of medium difficulty, and Dutchy has provided a typically through review that explains the several confusing spots (having to go from one area to a previous one). I thought at first that I would play the whole series straight through, but I've decided since then to play it piecemeal (too many other outstanding levels out there). But if this beginning effort is any indication of what I should expect for the remaining levels, I'm sure I'll be quite pleased. Recommended." - Phil (10-Apr-2006)

"First off, keep in mind that I'm not a SAS person. Meaning I really hate those guys and not the good way. They tend to spoil the fun for me and turn any level - no matter how good the gameplay otherwise - into a long and boring shooting feast. So this review might be a tad biased since there lies my main problem, along with the number of enemies generally speaking... Too many of them, be it the aforementioned SAS or the local fauna (bears and eagles). Apart from that, this is a good debut (thinking in retrospect as I write this while Thibault is building the 13th level of the series), with nice ideas here and there and a solid sense of gameplay - albeit a bit simplistic. Settings is nice, even though the forest is a bit too square and sometimes looks like a snowy French garden. The level has a tendency of being "too dark in the corners", which given the fact I only found one set of flares doesn't ease research and there are a couple of illegal slopes of the "stuck and must reload" type. All this being said, it remains fairly enjoyable and fast-paced so playing this is definitely not a waste of time." - Sutekh (13-Mar-2006)

"Well this certainly is a nice start to the level set as we find Lara up in the snowy mountains of Canada. This is a really beautiful setting with huts and trees scattered about, and with many areas to visit. Be sure and take your compass along as you will be wandering through caves in all directions searching for four wheels, crowbar, keys and a fuse. Enemies are bears, eagles and guards who show up at almost every location; and there’s maybe just a few too many for my liking because it gets a bit tiring with the shoot outs, especially on the bears because I really dislike killing the sweet beasties. There are a lot of pickups scattered about and I found two secrets, but the mass of ammo was useless as I found no weapons, not even the shotgun could be found in the location described in the walkthrough so maybe this stash is for the next level? I will see as I now head into the next adventure of this level set. All in all, this is a good exploration and shoot ‘em up and level." - Moonpooka (28-Jan-2006)

"A nice debut level with a very unusual envoirement; The Canadian forests! Your main goal is to get down into the gold mine and on your way you need to find a few keys and valve handles to make it possible. In your way there are tons of bears, vultures and Canadian 'redcoats' hehe. I really liked the gameplay and settings of this level. Although a lot of backtracking was needed as I had problems finding the crowbar ;) Overall a great level and a very enticing start for this saga! On to the next part." - QRS (17-Jan-2006)

"The horizon and the trees are great, but the linear and rather boxy start makes you wonder what you are up for in this hour long adventure. It does get better and better as you proceed though with rather cleverly connected areas in a rather non-linear fashion. On the one hand this is interesting, on the other hand it will likely have you run around a lot and visit many areas several times, before you collect and place the four valve wheels. There are also many dark corners and I quickly ran out of flares and many of the icy caves look rather square. The other little gripe I have is that this is really almost a Shooter level with about 40 enemies to kill (bears, vultures and guards). But still it feels rewarding to make your way around and complete all the tasks, so I am looking forward to the next part of the series." - Michael (27-Feb-2005)

"A well playable level, perhaps too much no linear for me to like but a good level anyway. Rooms are too much rectangled, geometry is not too good. Somebody would have to tell Lara that bears and eagles are in risk of extinction! Canada must be a great reserve of this species! Enemies quite well. In some places, the ceiling sky is too much low and Lara can touch it. Few flares for a level so long. Wall textures with trees in the sides of the rooms have bad appearance put this way so near of Lara's path. In one of the bears lair there are some stones floating in midair. You can travel along almost all entire level before find the crowbar, this way you have to pass through the same places through all level again to get the wheels. Near the wheel which is into a wooden cabin, there's an illegal slope, Lara stay trapped and you have to reload a savegame. But it was a good level for me. I liked it so I gave it a good score." - José (07-Feb-2005)

"Question: What do bears do in the woods? Well, you were close, but the answer actually is ‘shot’ which is what they get when Lara Croft is about. The forest setting was very pleasant and I could almost smell the fresh, pine-scented air. The eagles soaring on the thermals looked gloriously majestic, at least until they were shot down by the aforementioned Ms Croft. Then two chaps in red coats started shooting at her. Hardly surprising given the way she’d been decimating the local wildlife - they were probably conservationists. There is quite a lot of shooting to be done actually and the only weapon I found was the shotgun, although I did pick up other ammo, presumably for future levels in this series. Basically, this part consists of exploring the forest and gold mine in search of four valve wheels and three keys. I enjoyed myself with this one and I’m certainly looking forward to the continuation of the series." - Jay (07-Feb-2005)

“Now not to want to sound like a conspiracy theorist I really have a terrible feeling that the hub area of this level was extremely similarly designed to another level I played quite a while ago the name escapes me though but I think it was also set in a snowy environment and there was if I'm not mistaken an ice window that you smashed through with a vehicle and where the iced over pool is in The Canadian Forest there is also an iced pool or a pool in the level I can't name maybe even more of the level is similar but as I can’t remember much more of that older level this I can’t say if I am wrong though I apologise sincerely for any inferences I may be making but I really feel there is definitely a similarity that can’t be just coincidental as I knew what one area was going to look like before I entered it and I know I am not a psychic. Overlooking that this is a fairly easy hour long level where you just have to remember where you have seen some locks and valves to return to as you collect the necessary items for them. I did love meeting the bears everywhere in this at first foresty and then snowy base level and although they are quite slow and cumbersome for the most part when they decide to take charge they can really give you an anxious thrill. I am unfortunately going to rate this level down somewhat because I think it isn’t totally original but if I am wrong I will re-score it accordingly.” – Sash (26-Jan-2005)

“Personally I liked this level very much. We are plodding our way on a forest pathway in the Canadian mountains toward a mine. Meanwhile we have to fight grizzly-bears and eagles then gunmen at the mines. We have to gain the 4 Valve Wheels so that we can finally open the mine at the end. For this we have to get through the whole level first getting the Secondary Complex Key for gaining the crowbar. After that walking through the whole forest and the surroundings of the mine again we can pry them of their place. In the meantime with enemies disturbing us of course. The textures are wonderful I hope this great adventure will be continued. You can find a Hungarian walkthrough (as we don't have English version) savegames and pictures here: http://www.treditor.hu/15/the_canadian_forest.htm ” - Obig (18-Jan-2005)

“This reminds me of the good old days of the original games - TR2 Gold in particular - battling endangered species of animals and having no one around to sue you for it since you kill all the human eyewitnesses as well. A great debut from the author using a not so popular setting up to now in Lara's world - a forest in the mountains and all that comes with it. The environments are well made of special notice being the nice fir trees which are the most realistic trees I've seen in a level up to date the grassy paths mix with the glaciers well too and make this a rather believable setting spoiled maybe by the places where Lara can easily bump her head into the low ceiling and by the tree textures through whom you could see the mountains but that's just minor. Besides the few compressed textures there's nothing wrong here too and the lighting is put to good use though I would have preferred to spot a flare package earlier in the game (though I suppose this depends on which way you take as the level is non-linear). The tasks don't offer anything new - gathering a few keys finding a crowbar and then collecting valves to place them elsewhere but generally it is enjoyable so I didn't mind. What I didn't like though were the enemies more precisely - the amount of enemies. I knew I was in trouble (lol) when the first enemy I encountered was a brown bear. In place of the brown bears I would have preferred wolves as the bears were quite tough for a start in an upcoming series. Well hardly tough but since it takes quite a lot of time to take them out with the pistols - undoubtedly tedious. A couple would have been half as bad but there are dozens of them practically appearing out of any nook and cranny and that's what troubled me really. The same problem with eagles and soldiers - a few along the path to make going from point A to B would've been just fine but I think the author overdid this. That would really be my only complaint - otherwise this is a top notch level well worth playing but if you feel the same way about the enemies as I do prepare your pistols or simply ignore them where they can hardly harm you.” – eTux (10-Jan-2005)

“This level is so good I had to play it a second time right away. I just didn’t want to leave this beautiful place! Everything looks just wonderful. The mountains in the background and trees all around in a snowy setting. There is a new kind of tree that I don’t think I ever saw in a level before and it looks so... Canadian:). In the beginning there is a path that you follow through the forest and here you already meet two typical Canadian animals: Eagles and bears. The way leads from the forest through some icy caves over the track for the mine carts and a mountain gorge into the wooden station of the woodcutters. The woodcutters are not too pleased about Lara’s appearance and I had to watch my health at some point because I wasted quite a few medipacks in the beginning. Once you get to where most of the gameplay takes place it all is pretty much close by so it was no problem to backtrack for a fuse some keys and four valves for which you need the crowbar. I noticed that once I had found an important item another enemy would appear right around the corner where I had already been which added to the very lively atmosphere. As a stand alone level this is one of the very good and unique ones and I am happy to hear this is the first of a series!” – Pam (09-Jan-2005)

“What stands out for me is the trees they just are beautiful. The adventure starts in the middle of them and look good as one tree has a present for you into the roots. Your goal is to find four valves a fuse and two keys and in a round about way the crowbar to pry the valves loose. That does mean going back and fro for quite a bit as finding a fuse you have no crowbar so you have to get back for that valve. Prolonging the gameplay unnecessary in my book. I hated to shoot the bears though they look so cute but you better or in my case I could outrun some of them as they will harm Lara. Loved to see those mine carts and it is a pity that the engine doesn't allow you to ride them. 26-12-2004” – Gerty (04-Jan-2005)

“A well-made setting with trees that look pretty realistic for TR. The mine in the wilderness setting is convincing and intriguing. The gameplay has a lot of backtracking - you find the crowbar in the same area where you have to use the pieces that you acquire with the crowbar. I found the use of animal enemies without logic with three bald eagles flying in a cave and bears falling from the ceiling (in a cut scene) and all this wildlife romping in an area where there are also heavily armed bad guys. Nonetheless this is a decent level for a first outing.” – Duncan (03-Jan-2005)

“The first level of the series is a nice introduction and I hope the rest of the levels will continue to keep our interest with a certain variety in the gameplay though. Most of it unfolds in the woods during winter judging from the snow around with bears and guards present. The player is called to explore a complex structure of houses within a mountain at least that’s what it looked to me but with not much variety in puzzles. There are some good moments like the icy caves below the ground and the scenery was wonderful with well constructed areas and nice looking trees. I admit I was a little puzzled with the valve wheels and that was my only halt in this level until of course I figured out that I needed the crowbar to pry them off instead of trying to turn them around. I found two secrets in about an hour. From what I understood this is Thibault’s first level so all I have to say is very well done. I am looking forward to seeing how the sequel will continue.” – Kristina (02-Jan-2005)

“Well I must say I like the settings in this game and that's already half way through to please me. The Canadian Forest (naturally) with lots of pine trees snowy landscapes entire armies of birds and bears (note to author: no you didn't overdo the pine trees but you may have indeed placed just a little bit too many birds and bears) and well armed baddies near wooden cabins and rusted devices. Lara has to find four valve wheels and some keys until she's able to open the entrance to the mine where episode 2 will take place. Somewhat intriguing at times this level isn't tops complicated but can take you some time to figure out in places. The secrets aren't hard to find but are very rewarding. Well what can I say this somehow captures the essence of real tomb raiding (maybe not tomb but certainly raiding). Looking forward to the second part. (January 2 2005)” – Jorge22 (02-Jan-2005)

“From start to finish I enjoyed this level immensely you start this adventure by first wandering through a lovely Canadian forest to finally reach a closed up mine which you look down on high above a cliff. In this adventure you are searching for some keys collecting 4 valves and finding the most important item the crowbar. During your quest you have to take out some enemies which will be crossing your path such as bold eagles Canadian mounties & bears. The bears I really felt sorry for though as they really felt the pain after being shot (poor bears). There is quite a bit of running around to do in this level especially if you take the wrong route first like I did I went to all the other areas first before getting my key to finally retrieve the crowbar which is a necessity to have in collecting all the 4 valves with to help you to proceed further into this wonderful Canadian adventure and to finally finding and retrieving your long lost mine key. But this did not damper my game-play as I thoroughly enjoyed exploring every possible place I could find and collecting some different items in the process like stocking up on ammo supplies and medi-packs and finding some secrets along my way of which in total I found 2 but I am sure there were some more though. The layouts was brilliantly done I just loved all the trees and looking down the canyon where the mine was and also venturing down into a snowy cave for some more exploration. The whole setting was wonderfully done and everything was very well placed with some great puzzles to be solved too. This is fun level to play and I would recommend it too all players it's not too difficult in game-play but just keep searching everything and everywhere then you will soon be rewarded with your prize key which will take you down to the mine. I am very much looking forward to playing part 2 and thanks Thibault for putting together such a lovely level of game-play for us raiders.” – Gill (02-Jan-2005)

“This debut level is the first in a series and is very well done. Textures are crisp and the forest and pine trees are beautifully rendered. Do pick up the weapon at the very beginning or you'll find the encounters with enemy guards taking too many of Lara's medipacks. You'll search for a crowbar that gets you the 4 valves that you need to get to the Gold Mine key. Do keep a save game once you've used the key and are at the open mine's entrance as it's needed to play part 2. I think one of the secrets is another weapon and I'm going back for another look around. Excellent debut and I am looking forward to part 2. Well done TC14. Congratulations.” – Bene (01-Jan-2005)

“A nice and refreshing level the Canadian Forest is well rebuilt; the trees are just like real. No hard puzzles or really bad traps and jumps but certainly nice to play as you have to backtrack to certain spots where you saw what you needed there on your first visit find some Keys the crowbar and then go for those four valve wheels fighting a lot of Grizzlies and then find the key to the Gold Mine so the dig can start. The atmosphere was well made that old Powell base in the mountains. Really worth playing.” – Dutchy (01-Jan-2005)

“Lara travels to Canada and enters a mine area where she has to find three keys and four valves. The environment is very nicely designed many caves canyons nice countryside with lots of trees and forests and mountains even snow. Puzzles are well thought out many dangers await like wild bears eagles and a few SAS making it difficult for Lara. Textures are well applied with only very minor errors ;-) Atmosphere is ingenious (my personal opinion). The level is not very hard you just need to figure out the ‚How’ every now and then and remember a few places for backtrack :-). I found two secrets.” – Engelchen Lara (28-Dec-2004)

“Thibault's debut has proven to me to be a very good level. This level starts out in a forest in Canada outside the mine in a grassy setting. The route to the mine complex isn't very long though there are some bears to shoot at and a few eagles. As we get further the setting of the forest turns into a cold snowy setting where the mine is located. There are four valve wheels that need to be found two keys and a crowbar which is necessary to get to the valve wheels. Of course the guards bears and eagles around the complex won't make this easy for you to do. The items that I mentioned above are needed to be discovered in the level to get our hands on the key to the gold mine which is used to open the door blocking the entrance. I found this level to be rather fun and not too difficult. The texturing here is well done and the objects are placed at the right places as well as the enemies are. Lara also sports an interesting outfit and some cool weapon gear. This level took me about an hour or so to finish and I look forward to the next level of Thibault's series.” – Relic Hunter (28-Dec-2004)
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