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The Hidden Nile by Herp Raider

alan 3 3 4 3
bERT 3 3 5 5
Dimpfelmoser 5 5 6 5
Gerty 6 6 6 3
Jay 4 5 5 5
Jose 3 4 4 2
Kristina 7 6 7 6
Magnus 3 3 4 4
MichaelP 7 7 6 5
Orbit Dream 4 4 6 3
RaiderGirl 5 6 6 6
Ryan 4 4 5 4
Sakusha 6 5 4 4
Sash 6 7 6 6
Scott 5 4 6 6
Treeble 4 3 3 3
Yonatan 3 6 6 6
 
release date: 16-May-2001
# of downloads: 75

average rating: 4.76
review count: 17
 
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file size: 15.39 MB
file type: TR4
class: Egypt
 


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Reviewer's comments
"A linear, straightforward and not half tedious run through a bland Egyptian setting. This is a debut (and only) effort and I'm afraid that's very apparent here. The textures are dull, badly applied and are repeated and stretched through the entire level, giving a very bland ugly appearance to it. The lighting is also unreasonably dark in places, not helped by the flare bug. Gameplay progression is simple, underwhelming and tedious, with monkeyswings that seem to go on for ever, mazelike rooms, simplistic, long corridors and long climbs. Sorry, but I can't really recommend this one." - Ryan (04-Jun-2018)
"This is just about running through large and empty rooms, long corridors, badly textured, killing lots of ninjas, crocs and scorpions, finding puzzle items... It's tedious and boring, therefore not recommended!" - alan (23-May-2018)
"I see this is the first and last level made by this builder and I have to say it really does have just about every classic debut level hallmark. It's not particularly pleasing to the eye, with dull, badly applied or missing textures and vast empty rooms. Gameplay is linear and consists of battling massed ranks of ninjas, collecting a few artefacts, pushing buttons and traversing tediously long corridors, crawlspaces and monkey swings. Sorry to say it, but this Nile was hidden for a reason!" - Jay (28-Apr-2016)
"Not funny this tedious level with a gameplay based about press buttons or place artifacts to open doors. Huge and empty rooms with nothing to do except run, run and run (well, there's a couple of very large monkeyswings); some enemies (crocs and ninjas) to shoot here and there, if you want extra guns you must find the secrets (I coudn't find a reason for the secret crossbow near the end of the level; not useful). No cameras except a couple of flybies, the lighting was made placing shadow bulbs ramdomly and lowering near zero the main light of the room in some cases. The texturization is quite bad: missing textures, stretched and elongated in another cases, all big and large panels textured with the same tile... Sorry but not recommended." - Jose (25-Nov-2015)
"For some reason,I gave this game up when I first attempted many years ago. I have no idea why,although it was quite possible I fell asleep and then forgot to complete it as this is definately one of the less exciting adventures that Lara has had to involve herself with. It's none the worse for that,given the LE'ing era in which it was built,and the fact that the high concept idea (a huge underground cavern housing a massive river) was probably too ambitious an idea for a novice builder to tackle;and it shows. The textures are abominably stretched almost everywhere and Gameplay gradually fizzles out completely,culminating in a series of uneventful long runs though a succession of pointlessly huge rooms.There are good ideas here and there (stopping the tide to allow access to an underwater door;allowing a huge pillar to move out of the way of a crucial puzzle receptacle)but these are few and far between. Not an especially good level 8 years ago,and time has not been kind to it since." - Orbit Dream (11-Mar-2008)
"This level shows the unexploited part of the Nile river which is infested with crocodiles that come in groups of three or four and a fire trap at some point if you fall in it when the current is there to push you to your death (until you place two canopic jars that will deactivate the current). The transparent fire traps the mazes the death room (containing only blade traps) the hidden monkey swing and the inaccessible uzis were interesting. The enemies (crocodiles and ninjas that can even appear in groups of six) have increased the difficulty but there was some animation chugging at some point (this is typical if more than five enemies are triggered at once). Lara has to obtain three guardian keys two golden vraeuses and two canopic jars in order to end the level. The main goal is to acquire the amulet of Horus. The author can really scare the player with his blade traps which can either kill you (cf death room) harm you if you're careless (cf room with golden vraeus) or be immobile until you finish a particular task. The poisonous darts are not threatening at all however. Unfortunately some textures are stretched the lighting is uneven (ie either too dark or too bright) and the horizon is a little bit black. There is a paradox. The textures create a nice Egyptian atmosphere but at some point there a few stretched textures that mar it." - Sakusha (01-Nov-2004)
"This was one huge rushed work. As a level designer I always try to work with the smallest areas possible because you can show a lot more in them than you would in a huge boring room. In this particular level every area is huge and the author didn't even bother to break the walls into segments to texture the walls so what you get is a lot (and I mean it!) of stretched textures all around. Needless to say that the level is a torture to the eyes. Lighting is also non existent and when it does it's just pitch black. It's either pitch black or nothing. Gameplay it's not very exciting. Run (run run run...) through those huge areas until you arrive to a different point. Pick the pick up and then go to the next area. Then after a short swim you'll find a very dark room which you luckily just have to run through the metal parts of the bridge and in the end you can avoid a boring maze by jumping over the gap to the end but I went down there just for the sake of the review. Boring. Also I don't know what happens or who molds the sand here but in the very end the sand looks SO unbelievable. It almost makes you think you're playing one of those blocky games. Oh! 30 minutes." - Treeble (28-Jun-2004)
"There are a lot of bugs in this level and unfortunately also a lot of other things that make it worse than it could have been. Large rooms uninteresting gameplay stretched textures missing textures too many enemies triggered at once seeing the end of the world... Well you get the point. Too many bugs too little gameplay. The level ended after just over fifteen minutes and I'm sad to say that I'm glad it wasn't longer." - Magnus (29-Jan-2004)
"An old level with an Egyptian theme. It's twenty minutes of exploring to find vraeus canopic jars and guardian keys. The ninjas come in teams and one time Lara had to go up against six of them. The shotgun and crossbow are handy for the ninjas dogs and crocodiles. There isn't much difficulty just a small maze and a room with fire platforms around. The bird blades were moving the first time I passed them and one team of ninjas weren't shooting or hurting Lara they were standing in one room waking around or standing still. I didn't get the Uzi because the ledge was too far and I didn't try very hard to find another way to get to it as I am guessing it was a secret. The textures at places are stretched and the flare bug occurred. Nice level but don't expect too much from it." - Kristina (22-Jul-2003)
"Belgian green party was as good as obliterated in the national elections on 18 may 2003. But who needs a green party when you find the water of the Nile to be as clean as in this game. This author sure loves it big long and wide. As is in fact the Nile. Big rooms very large corridors high stairs very long monkey swings. If I forgot something just think of something and place the word big in front of it: it's there! If you want to let some steam off after playing a hard level then this is your thing for it's linear to the extreme but at least you do progress give and take some ninjas crocodiles and scorpions slowing you down now and then. One room (with the long monkey swings) was memorable because there's two slopes there with those tiny 'walking fires' coming together setting the whole place on fire for a few moments literally blinding your eyesight: now I know what Timbuk 3 meant when they were singing 'the future's so bright I gotta wear sha...' Exactly!" - bERT (24-May-2003)
"Aside from a room where there is too much monkey swinging to do this level is very simple and the puzzles are easy but I still had a good time playing it. There's a Guardians key and a vraeus to pickup before you find the hidden Nile and once there you have another set of the same plus two canopic jars to search for. Aside from what looked like a transparent bridge across the Nile but was really a deathtrap this part was just a bit too easy. For example you open a door to find a huge room with the canopic jar sitting in the middle and that was it. No ninjas or traps or anything. I often didn't even kill the ninjas because I was in and out of the rooms so quickly. Some followed me and somehow ended up at the bottom of the Nile - just running around underwater with the crocs. Then you get to a room with a huge water basin that looks like it should hide something but all you do is cross the room to the next room. After completing the level I realized by reading Dimpf's review that I had done the same thing he had and jumped across the chasm to the Amulet of Horus but I got the artifact so it's on to the next adventure." - RaiderGirl (15-Jan-2003)
"I must have taken a shortcut somewhere I think as I never found the first canopic jar and finished the level with the golden phoenix unused. There are some nice parts in here the underground Nile the ninja that attacks while you stand right in the middle of all those big scissors and the outside area with the pyramid. Unfortunately the whole place is just too big with not much to do a rather plain texturing and the gameplay is kinda half baked. I give you an example; near the end you come to a catwalk that shall bring you to the other side of the chasm where you can see the amulet of Horus. So you faithfully run forward only to fall through the textures of the bridge. Now I pressed reload before I even hit the floor and then jumped over the gap but apparently what you are supposed to do is fall through the catwalk slide down the slope run through endless corridors master a maze and do some more uneventful running until you eventually come out at the other side. Well I'm glad you could jump the distance." - Dimpfelmoser (18-Aug-2002)
"Although the mainly large rooms the one housing the Nile was vast were quite minimal in their look with not many objects they still somehow fit the level. The progression and gameplay through this hour long level is definitely not difficult and at times just a little too obvious the 4 secrets I found weren't hard to find the flare bug is present and there are quite a few dark places in the latter half of the level and there weren't many enemies apart from 2 main numerous ninja battles with the second of those being no contest as you have the revolver saying that though I still found myself liking it." - Sash (21-Jun-2002)
"An interesting an quite entertaining level. After a dune like starting area you slide down and meet up with some crocodiles then make your way through the side rooms of a water area collecting puzzle keys and then arrive at the 'Hidden Nile' that gave the level its name. I like the good use of blades the half visible fiery ledges and the overall progression throughout the level. It does have a long list of small bugs though which could be amended: disappearing horizon right at the beginning a ninja materializing out of nowhere climbable walls not textured as such illegal slopes too much running around and monkey swinging and the flare bug are the ones I remember. I ended the level after a little above 45 minutes escaping with the amulet of Horus and found only 2 secrets." - Michael (21-Jun-2002)
"The level starts off very well. Very good dune design and an enemy who attacks you almost immediately (the ninja comes out of nowhere BTW). Then I was faced with bird plates which I thought were put very well so they will be as deadly as possible. But unfortunately as I continued through the easy rooms which took about 30 seconds each the level has gotten bad. The texturing was awful and some were stretched the traps were easy. Too bad it could've been a much better level only if the author had given more thought into it." - Yonatan (21-Jun-2002)
"I would describe this level as "pedestrian". The level has a lot of messed up and missing textures. But it also has a lot of proper textures. I really enjoyed the placement of the secrets. This level is an hour or less in length and it is only that long because the level is huge. I enjoyed the level even though it was tame." - Scott (21-Jun-2002)
"A shame that there was a major flare bug in this game as in the later part it is quite dark. So those parts I couldn't explore. Also I made a jump over a grated sort of bridge and in doing so you can miss a big part with some secrets. Too much ammo and weapons and even battling the ninjas with only Lara's trusted guns you do not need anything apart from the objects to open doors. As this is the Nile you will find loads of crocs all easy to shoot. There were some invisible platforms one in the first room so you do not need to jump the rope and also in the 'Hidden Nile' room but Lara will experience a spontaneous combustion. With a little bit more thought this could be a great level." - Gerty (21-Jun-2002)