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Level: Tower Air back home search
Author(s): Tradewinds
total rating:3.68 Gameplay &
Puzzles		 Enemies,
Objects &
Secrets		 Atmosphere,
Sound &
Cameras		 Lighting &
Textures
DJ Full 4 4 3 4
Gerty 2 4 5 3
Jay 2 4 5 4
Jorge22 3 5 4 4
Jose 1 2 2 6
Kristina 3 4 4 4
MichaelP 1 8 3 4
Moonpooka 6 5 5 5
Orbit Dream 0 6 3 6
Sash 2 4 4 4
Sutekh 2 2 4 2
category averages
(11 reviews)		 2.36 4.36 3.82 4.18

Reviewer's comments

"At first glance it was like "Wooooow! A plaaaane! What an original concept!" And then the concept appeared to be the best thing I encountered for next several minutes, as everything else was about opening identical doors to get into identical bathrooms, each of them containing a sink and a toilet. Anyway, no level lasts forever and when I counted chairs up to 236 and I knew this one will fortunately be a short one. I avoided some swinging axes (what the...?! hahahah), then I counted the bathrooms and it appears that, with their doors included, they take up another 30 object slots. I brought it on and counted axes (4 of them) and realized I didn't cound 31 chairs in the first compartment, so actually there is 264 of them. Then I counted all the curtains (24) and the 31 ceiling TVs to finally find out the author used 353 statics in a space that is so small the whole level may be considered as an object density world record. And, after all of these epic calculations, I started to play... and got stuck immediately, as there were 3 keyholes and no single key for any of them. So I was very close from thinking this is one of "these" levels... and then I investigated everything carefully... and WHAM!!! This level has made my day. Giant scorpions, a devil in the luggage compartment... it was great. At least until the moment I realised there is no finish trigger... What a switch of feelings! SUMMARY: Strange one. Everything that is good in the plane is bad underneath it. Recommended. Or not. Or yes. Or I don't know." - DJ Full (20-Nov-2010)

"I’m not going to repeat all the bugs and troubles here as everyone else has said it all, I will just say that as you can’t finish this level do you really want to start it." - Sash (26-May-2005)

"Very boring level. Bored going from room to room killing always the same guy. Bored looking for keys without clues. What do a swinging blades in an aeroplane? Textures were the best of this level which I should not have played." - José (11-Apr-2005)

"I certainly wouldn’t fancy being a trolley dolly on this aeroplane; it’s absolutely enormous and security is decidedly lax - chaps with guns everywhere, ammunition lying about in the isles and dangerous animals lurking in the cargo holds. I can’t help but feel the pendulums would make pushing the drinks cart around a fairly hair raising experience too. Plenty of loos though, which, as any woman will tell you, is a definite plus point. This is pretty much a stratospheric shoot ‘em up and it’s an interesting concept but regrettably flawed, the main drawback being that it isn’t actually possible to finish the level. Still, it is a first time build and does show potential. I thought the audio file gave a very authentic ‘inside an aircraft’ feel to the whole proceedings and if you like shooters this very different setting might just appeal." - Jay (04-Mar-2005)

"Playing this a month after it was released the same bugs are still in it. Indeed a novel idea but it falls short on gameplay. Specially with the bugs in it as in not finding the last key because one trapdoor doesn't open. I was amazed what this plane had for cargo, you won’t see me in a plane like this one. Lara did look the part only I wouldn't shoot with a gun or even Uzi's in plane, unless one has a death wish. 17-02-2005" - Gerty (21-Feb-2005)

"There is really a variety of reasons why Tower Air should be your airline of choice. They offer the same excellent quality of seats in Economy as well as in Business Class (and only give more leg room and a ceiling mounted TV per seat (!) in Business Class. They have plenty of restrooms aboard which are rather spacious and well equipped and instead of those curtains to separate the classes they have swinging blades, no if that doesn't scare an economy passanger away from trespassing into Business Class I don't know what would ;). Now, on the other hand, there may be even more reasons not to choose that airline. Like the gunmen that travel with it, the weaponry you can just pick up scattered around and not to mention some very strange creatures lurking in the baggage department down below. But, those minor gripes aside, I am sure you will have a fun ride and you just have to pity those flight attendants for their suitably ugly outfit. P.S.: Too bad the author could not be bothered to fix this fun little level, so it cannot actually be finished." - Michael (20-Feb-2005)

"It's not enough just to have a good idea; you have to be able to follow it through. Here is a perfect example of a Builder with a neat concept (‘I'm going to make the lead character an Air Hostess!’) completely failing to do anything workable with it. The plane (although rather too big) is well put together, as far as it goes (with some fun custom objects and textures), but right from the start it's clear that the whole concept has been poorly thought through (Egyptian Scythe's on a passenger plane?) and obviously jettisoned when the whole level-creation thing became too much of a bore to the builder. I waited several weeks for a revised version to become available, but nothing has appeared. Therefore, if the builder can't be bothered to complete his level before releasing it, I can't be bothered to give it any score for its gameplay. Better luck next time." - Orbit Dream (06-Feb-2005)

"What can I say that hasn't been said already. Well, maybe one thing for starters: if the level can't be finished, then maybe it shouldn't be here in the first place. Especially when its builder, probably aware of the fact that the game was incomplete, hasn't bothered to try and provide a revised version or asked for it to be removed. From where I stand, it's a bit like having a child and not caring anymore... Apart from that, the concept is interesting but there are several missing textures and ladders that can't be climbed unless Lara takes one step back and jumps to it. Searching for hatches amidst hundreds of chairs couldn't be more tedious either. I also agree that the giant scorpions are a bit misplaced inside a plane even though the retextured demons and birds (to the sound of a train) were pleasing to see. Finally, the room with the swinging blades and the unopenable lock seems a little bit too rushed since Lara doesn't really have to go where the blades are. I know this is a first try and not everyone delivers something fantastic in a first try, but we've had several very, very good games in first tries too. My advice to the builder is not to rush things the next time. And to care. (January, 30 2005)" - Jorge22 (04-Feb-2005)

“’Ladies and gentlemen Tower Air is happy to welcome you aboard flight 666. Due to the odd smoking habits of our airplanes designers you are invited not to leave your seat at any cost. If you do so please mind the swinging blades and darts on your way to the restroom. As a result there won't be any refreshment served during the flight. Access to restricted area will be prevented by giant scorpions. Be nice to the flight attendants they are heavily armed. We are also sorry to announce that neither the pilot nor the co-pilot have been able to be aboard on time so we will do without them. We are sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you for flying Tower Air.’ Here we have a level which is a perfect example of a good idea gone wrong. The plane itself is rather well-done but the whole level should have been made differently. Unless it happens at the very heart of the Twilight Zone it requires some serious suspension of disbelief. Technically and apart from the fact - already mentioned by both Kristina and Moonpooka here - that you simply cannot finish it there are a good load of bugs and conception mistakes all screaming incompletion. Missing textures a terribly tedious search through fifty or some seat rows a ladder becoming unclimbable once you've flipped the switch opening the hatch on its top the latter you could pass while closed a set of swinging blades traps you can simply ignore and so on... Too bad because there are some fine stuff. The demon and the bird look very fine for instance. I do realize this is a first attempt so all I'd have to tell the author is ‘Practice practice practice.’” – Sutekh (20-Jan-2005)

“Although this seemed like a good idea to place Lara in an airplane I am afraid it didn’t work as the author imagined. The seats the toilets are all giving you the impression you’re in an airplane although I wouldn’t mind some turbulence to make it more believable. It was going well until I reached the areas below the plane which had scorpions that I thought were out of place and the textures in general in the entire level are sort of patched and stretched. There are definitely plenty of beginner’s mistakes and two problems with the one of them being serious as the player can’t finish the level. The trapdoors are so low that Lara has some difficulty grabbing the ladders; just run and try to grab it will work eventually. I am afraid that the second problem is more serious though there’s a missing trigger which prevents one of the plane’s trapdoors that is under one of the seats to open therefore you can’t access a key. I believe this level should be updated and not only because of the missing trigger. The author can take the opportunity to fix the textures as well and a few other things. As far as I could play there were some keys to find axes to avoid with one room being easy to cross without having to use the blocks and a condor to kill among other enemies. Also a spike wall didn’t move for me. A nice effort all together but in order to enjoy this and get the full atmosphere out of it the bugs have to be fixed.” – Kristina (19-Jan-2005)

“You will be unable to finish this level and I sincerely hope the author will release a revised version because I seemed to be having a lot of fun in this somewhat strange environment. Lara is on board a huge plane guarded by mafia style guys who take quite a bit of health from you as they turn up at almost every corner and making your way from cabin to cabin you will have to pass swinging blades. Searching several toilets you’ll need to find two levers to open two hatches in the seating area only this was the problem the author didn’t place a trigger to the second hatch this leaves you unable to collect a vital key to finish the level but as only two rooms get missed its still worth playing as far as you can if only to see the creative design of the plane and its other rooms. Below the main cabin you’ll meet large scorpions and a demigod who guards a key but in his lair is a spike wall which unfortunately doesn’t trigger and we miss what could have been one of the most exciting moments of the level. I liked the design of the level its quite unusual to see Lara up in a plane too so I have to say it was worth playing as far as I could. Take a look and lets hope a revised version gets released.” – Moonpooka (18-Jan-2005)
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