| Reviewer's comments |
"This being my first level played by the builder, I was curious to see how this would go and
I have to say I had a good time for the most part. Some solid gameplay to be found although
there is some troll moments, its not a complaint though! There were at least 3 instances
where I came across some impossible moment only to find there is another simpler way to
achieve my goal. Once I found out that simpler way my rage subsided and I could appreciate
how clever the builder was in that instance :) Although saying that there was an instance
where I had to monkey bar over some electrified water and there was no safe way to disembark
without what I considered to be an obtuse way which was down to sheer dumb luck and possibly
a glitch. Also some large areas that I felt could have been utilised better and be for more
than just picking up one item. But all in all despite the minor gripes and it showing its
age slightly, this level is still well worth your time. Would recommend :)" - Feats (17-Feb-2023) |
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| "A complete level in a city environment, but it also contains some interesting labs and what
looks like excavation sites. It has its moments, I'll admit. The sounds, textures and
everything are well placed and add to the atmosphere. It's not very linear, so it's
important to make sure you don't forget anything and check every place thoroughly." - alan (24-Nov-2022) |
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| "The builder changed from zero betatesters to one and this number still has implications - there are several skips so easy they feel intended, and in my case they accumulated to bypassing 30-40% of the entire level. Only after I finished and felt something is still off, I turned around, checked everything several times and found a huge water tank area, and all the real ways to do everything - but it was too late to repair the continuum in my head, so I ended the game confused. You could say 19 years ago the mechanics of the game were still being discovered, causing a shortage of pro testers, opposite to the current problem which is too many pro testers and not enough newbie ones. But am I not just trying to excuse the builder, and wouldn't two or three more people in the testing team make this level more fullproof? Still, the immersion is good, and I play mostly for that, so I'll leave a relatively high mark." - DJ Full (20-May-2021) |
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| "Again and adventure by Hokolo with an intriguing
progression , it often picks up the interest , the
gameplay is diversified but you don't really know what is
triggered sometimes and the experience would have been
better with a few things corrected that causes confusion
but not for the good reasons : the brick wall texture and
the pipe metallic is not always consistant to indicate a
climbable wall , one pushable box in the first areas is
useless as there is two ways to proceed , farther near
the street with the truck another pushable box hides an
umarked climbable wall. And i'm not fond of red herrings.
I noticed doors not placed in portals. The setting is
globally well built with a mixture of textures that go
well together, a few areas are average lookwise others
are more pleasant and well done and you can appreciate
the efforts in the details like the lamps and their
lights placed with realism. Enemies are placed well ( i
think i've never hated crocs so much than in this level).
The level is long with plenty of exploration and
activities and if there is a bit of frustration at times
there is a feeling of accomplishment at the end (the end
part is good and easier)." - eRIC (27-Aug-2019) |
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"The town theme here is somewhat coastal, but it mixes in
some ruins and TR2 gold and TR5 tech theme (including a
trip to a submarine type structure); it's quite a melding
of themes but manages to generally feel coherent despite
that. In particular the geometry has a somewhat organic
unique style to it, which I guess is a precursor to the
author's later maps like Mysterious Alien Cave. The
lighting is decent throughout, if not especially
standout. There aren't really any custom objects, but
they generally fit well enough, even if some new stuff
could have really brought the theme together.
When it came out I recall this level was somewhat known
for it's difficulty; compared to brutal newer stuff it's
not too tricky, but it has a lot of traps and enough non-
linearity to create some easy to overlook paths. The
focus is supposed to be on a secret hunt to find five
artefacts, but only a couple are out of the way, and most
of them are just small diversions off the main path,
which means finding them doesn't feel especially
rewarding; this as a secondary goal does make the layout
heavily interlinked though, with it being possible to go
back through the whole level as it gradually opens up. I
did have to restart due to pressing a switch on a boulder
trap you're not "supposed" to press (with a nearby switch
doing the same thing and trapping you if both are
pressed), but it's at least near the start of the level.
Getting down from a certain monkey swing is also a bit
frustrating. Given it's stronger moments I did feel it
petered out a bit at times with simple corridors and
climbing including the last couple of obstacles, but
that's still a pretty short part of the map. A good level
that holds up well outside of a few aspects, and might be
the best of Hokolo's releases from a pure gameplay
standpoint." - Mman (25-Jul-2019) |
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| "A very great level from year 2001. I liked levels TR5-objects and TR5-rome style. Two pieces were hard to find to open the last gate. But I didnt need a walkthru more than to find those pieces. Great textures and atmosphere so level is very recommendable!" - vienna (14-Jan-2017) |
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| "A lot of the time, these older 2001 levels
aren't particularly absorbing and far too short
and uninvolving to be rated quite highly. I am
happy to state that this brilliant level has
held up extremely well indeed. The environment
does indeed look good and the lighting and
texturing nicely done. I enjoyed the gameplay
here, consisting of avoiding devious flame
traps, finding the armour pieces and doing a
spot of rope swinging and key collecting. The
only gripes I had were with the deliberate red
herrings and the fixed cameras at certain
points. Aside from those, a must-play." - Ryan (30-Oct-2016) |
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| "I do so wish Hokolo still made levels. Such a talent to have gone missing is just sad. It's not very often levels of this age stand up so well and the standard of the actual building is just superb. It's a long game for the era at the best part of two hours and you may need to dip into the walkthrough occasionally as it can be a touch confusing, especially if you're intent on collecting all the armour secrets. The gameplay is diverse and entertaining. Enemies are a touch pedestrian, but effectively used for all that. If you haven't played this yet, I really urge you to do so." - Jay (30-Aug-2016) |
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| "I had very high expectations from this level as it is in
hall of fame and it is built by Hokolo. Atmosphere wise I
wasn't disappointed. The design makes you feel like you
are really traversing through an abandoned city district,
with its many streets, alleys and gates, and even filthy
sewers beneath, all divided by gates and bars so you can
see the other side and where you are. Excellent job.
Gameplay was not as good as I expected it to be. Simply
put I didn't like the red herring types of traps. One
lever just burned Lara, in the room with the non-stop
boulder two switches triggered the same door and could
make you trapped forever. I spent an annoyingly long time
on monkey bars with the split-second fire traps, because I
thought that this was only a hard sequence like getting
the laser sight earlier. Little did I know it was
impossible and I should climb the pipes in the wall..While
these kinds of things make it more real (in a realistic
setting, there would be many potential ways for a
situation and some of them would kill you) this makes it
no less frustrating. The pros are many, exploring the
atmospheric city was done very creatively, there were very
sneaky crocodiles and made them dangerous for a change,
the trigger you had to shoot with the revolver was
cleverly hidden, not to mention switches in general. Going
above the electrocuted water via monkey bars was
entertaining (though getting down was again frustrating. I
honestly didn't understand when I succeeded when I did).
The placement of the secrets were not bad. The length of
the adventure was very satisfying with a nice
ending..Twilight City deserves its place in the hall of
fame but it is not without faults." - Nomad (13-Feb-2016) |
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| "I went into this level expecting two hours of fun, and I kind
of received that, sort of. Most of my time was spent dying on
some unfair trap though, and that is more infuriating that
enjoyable. And it's not like the hard aspects stemmed from a
need for skill and clever timing; they were all based on luck.
It would be fine if it had just been one trap, but half a
dozen? I'm sorry, but that extends further than my fortune cap
for a day. So, not much fun was had on my part, and I just
used a walkthrough to unceremoniously wade through this one.
The atmosphere was decent, and the enemies were a needed
addition. But I can't shake how frustrating this level became
in such a sort amount of time. Only check this one out if you
like directionless searches for items and obviously unfair
traps. The entire level isn't like that, but enough of it is
to warrant a warning." - Xela (25-Jul-2013) |
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| "Finally got through this one. The only thing I can say I enjoyed was that it was a long lasting adventure and some of the gameplay was fun. However there were just too many cheap-shots thrown in for me. One example would be the poorly defined sink traps that trap Lara without even the mercy to stab her with spikes or something to end the suffering. These traps plague the underwater sections, making you discard them as dead-ends where you instead miss something important. There are some pickups that are completely useless, such as a diamond that opens a door to a route that you can literally round the corner to access a different way. A shame that saving the diamond was for naught. The author likes to make you swing on ceilings above timed flames (which float in the middle of the air, by the way) that you can't even see on the screen because they are too low. All you can do is wait for the onerous orange glow to fade and hope for the best. Some of the switches are red herrings that do nothing but set you on fire. Alligators like to assault you in skinny underwater tunnels where you had just grabbed an item and need to get past them to return to somewhere where you can shoot them. This is much harder than it sounds and I put several of my signature swimming moves to test in trying to get by, including the "drunken mermaid" and the "hermit crab", but the "one-winged butterfly" got me through after many, many tries as I shoved Lara's face into the rock repeatedly and saw with delight that I had finally slipped past the aggravating creature. And the author has the audacity to tell you to use your pickups sparingly while assaulting you with enemies in such situations. The atmosphere is broken repeatedly as you discover the end of the world, especially on the roofs, while the fixed cameras turn simple chores into complicated tasks, including combat and swinging over a deadly pool with a rope - a pool that can be crossed without the need of a certain raising block, I might add. Texturing is poor in several areas where textures are squished or stretched, or horribly triangulated. The lighting is okay in most places, but becomes a single dark color (usually blue) in others. Of course don't forget the badly marked ladders that prevent you from one of the necessary quest items. Overall while there is some fun, it just felt like the author was trying to trick the player more than entertaining him or her. Finished in an hour and 20 minutes." - SSJ6Wolf (13-Apr-2012) |
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"This is one of these moments where one could embrace as a player with joy the whole world. Those who have been convinced that old levels are no good and that only these that contain all those new-fashioned gimmicks are worth playing, be embosomed that very level, so that they may thoroughly scrutinise their cold-hearted, heretic opinion. One notices in the whole game, that here an early master of his field has deposited his business card. So many riddles, so many winding ways and thus a well thought-out Gameplay finds one seldom. But where a lot of light is, is also a lot of shadow. Though well, so much shadow does not exist, but he is there. Not so good was, for example, the room with the Monkey swing and three Burners. It was nearly impossible to pass the Burners. The only
possibility was to stop shortly before the Burners, then to save, to load the saving and immediately further work the way along. Just as annoying was the small Monkey swing about the electrified water. Though it was easy to work the way along into the niche to the lever, but the way back was a right test of patience because Lara landed constantly in the deadly water. Just as bad was the room with the 8 levers. There existed no visible hints which lever the inclined player had to pull. So the Try and Error principle had to hold out. Either Lara pulled the right lever, or she burnt. I find such a thing not at all amusing. Such a thing has no place in an otherwise very good level. But apart from the fact one wants to know constantly what is behind the next
corner. And behind the next. Et cetera.
Summary: Apart from the appealed little things and a few missing camera hints was this an excellent level. It is a pity, that Hokolo builds nothing more since a long time. What would it be for great levels." - Scottie (23-May-2011) |
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| "Twilight City by Hokolo is a incredibly well designed level with a variety of challenges that range from finding well hidden secrets, electrified waters, sneaky crocodiles, small groups of ninjas, monkey climbing and rope swinging around burners, dangerous dives with deadly currents and many more. It has everything to make a hall of fame custom level. The textures are perfectly applied and the lighting was also perfect. I really like the fixed cameras in certain situations. Also enjoyed the sounds and background music. The only part I didn't like so much was mainly that I got stuck a few times, because I had simply no clue as where to go next. I would have never found the first ball that one needs to shoot in order to continue, if it hadn't been for the excellent written walkthrough. This level is a real gem, which everyone should play once.
I will definitely play more levels by this builder. It is not an easy one to complete, but seasoned raiders will love the challenge. Highly recommended!" - Blue43 (24-May-2010) |
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| "I think Hokolo has definitely caught the "TR4 feeling". This level is superb. Easy, relaxing, well-designed and looks realistic. The complexity of the level is also amazing, you can reach every place in the level if you're missed something, and this also gives an opportunity to collect the secrets, and the lighting makes hard to spot them. The level is very non-linear, I spent more than an hour to find my way through this magnificent coastal city, and it wasn't boring, since many different tasks are in this city to solve them. All in all, I loved this one. Classic raiding for everyone." - rtrger (18-Apr-2010) |
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| "I played this level several years ago for the purpose of writing a detailed walkthrough, but for some reason I neglected to review it at the time. I've just now replayed it, and eight years after its initial release it holds up remarkably well. The walkthrough is actually attributed to Scottchu, and I must have used his notes to play the level the first time. It's a sure bet that I could never have finished the level on my own, much less found all five of the secrets. You get about ninety minutes of playing time here, and it's an absorbing adventure throughout. I liked the builder's touch of showing essential objects just out of reach, and leaving it to the player to find the way to them. The enemies aren't particularly elaborate, consisting of the usual cadre of assassins, crocodiles, dogs and bats, but you'll want to play this one for the mental and physical exercise of solving one task after another. A glitch I experienced with the keys the first time around wasn't repeated when I replayed the level, which means I probably used a wrong savegame to reload at some point, so I've made substantial revisions to the walkthrough as a result. Some of the level's solutions are obscure enough that you may want to use the walkthrough if you've put off playing this masterpiece until now, but once you know what you're doing the gameplay can be handled by most raiders. This may be the excuse I need to go back and play some of the other forgotten gems that are no longer mentioned in our forum discussions. High recommendations." - Phil (13-Oct-2009) |
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| "Here is a very amusing level to be played in an internal decor and external varied enough and well made. Game is not of the most complicated and allows to cross a right time. Very great work of the author." - Daffy (05-Aug-2009) |
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| "Really a very good work with one of the best architectures I've seen. The rooms are well interconnected and it seems that you are in a real city. Many times the author lets you see items that you need through windows or bars, but you'll have to do a hard work to get it. The level is very long with some tricky tasks, and sometimes you can get stucked 'cause there are timed runs or switches without cameras and the level is no-lineal with some hidden switches and small openings to discover, having to revisit areas to look for items you've missed. Few ammo and only the shotgun as extra weapon 'cause the revolver appears too late and only with six bullets. Well placed enemies and some interesting camera views; I missed some more flares for the dark areas. Look carefully all the rooms, you'll need to find secrets to open some doors and continue playing. Hint: in the timed underwater level (without camera), if you don't find the correct door in time you'll have to pull again the level two times to reopen the door (it made me waste a lot of time and read the walkthrough)." - Jose (06-Jun-2008) |
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| "I was simply amazed at my own capacities to find my way out of this level myself -- after all when I first tried playing it, some good five years ago, I couldn't figure my way out of the first room (D'OH!). But even more amazing is the level itself! This level is just massive and you'll be quite impressed with the diversity of environments you'll encounter while questing the armor pieces plus the amulet of Horus. There is a little backtracking involved, and the rather desert city makes it even more attractive. During the big combats there were fixed cameras which I thought were put to good use. 80 minutes, 4 secrets. 09/07" - Treeble (05-Sep-2007) |
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| "I remember it was the first custom level I ever played. I really found that it was a masterpiece ! I discovered a lot of things with this level. Twilight City is the first level where I remember exaclty having been burned by big throwed flammes by example. The City was really well designed and I never felt "imprisonned". I mean even if we can't pass above the wall and go at the other side we can imagine that there IS something behind the wall... Some other city levels gives just the feeling that the city is floating somewhere in the void. I played this level for long now and I have just some flashes of some places... I just remember that from the start to the end it was beautiful. I have never played another level by Hokolo but I should." - TimJ (20-Jul-2007) |
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| "This was a thoroughly enjoyable level, but unfortunately I couldn't complete it due to a bug! I did get through almost all of it before coming a cropper, however, and this is ideal for Raiders that like the exploratory nature of the game. It's not too heavy on enemies, which will count as a plus for some and a minus for others (I'm cool either way), but the city itself is beautifully designed and the puzzles and traps are suitably challenging at times without being so difficult they make you want to give up. You probably won't need to revfer to the walkthru too often! All in all, a darn good bit of Tomb Raiding." - Xenutia (08-Mar-2007) |
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| "I played this level quite some time ago, so I decided to give it another bash, so I could review it this time. This is an amazing level and I enjoyed it even better the second time around. There are many places you can go in this level, so a lot of exploration is needed here. Your main objective, is to try and find and locate all those important items that are required in finishing this wonderful adventure. During your quest you will encounter many obstacles and traps, like boulders, blowing burners and some circular blades, solving some puzzles, like pulling some switches, which will raise some blocks, monkey-swinging past some burners, which wasn't easy, I must admit and was quite tricky to say the least and you will be dodging that hateful bull in the arena, which is one of my pet hates in these Lara adventures. On your journey you will encounter enemies like ninja's, bats, fire wraiths and crocodiles, all of which, that needs to be taken care of and disposed off . You will also have some swimming to do, locating and finding some keys, locating the revolver and laser sight and with all this in hand and taken care off, you will be able to complete this wonderful adventure successfully. In general this was a very well laid out level, with some excellent game play and architecture. The atmosphere was brilliant, which gives you a thrilling and most enjoyable adventure to raid in, I loved it. Textures and layouts were nicely done, but there were some dark areas during the game, but saying that, this did not hinder, tamper with the game-play or the enjoyment during your quest. In my opinion this is a wonderful laid out level and it is well worth the download. So, thanks Hokolo for giving us such a wonderful Lara adventure for us raiders to play, I enjoyed playing this level very much." - Gill (28-May-2006) |
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| "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!" - Ravenwen (01-Sep-2004) |
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| "I have no idea what so ever how this level got into the Hall of Fame. I'm not even sure it deserves a place in the top 50. For a start there is no way in hell you would ever complete this level without reading the walkthrough. And before you say 'Well a lot of levels are like that'; trust me when I say almost no levels are like this. You will have to refer to the walkthrough if not quite constantly then somewhere pretty damn close. If it were just to solve some tricky puzzle or complete a tough jump sequence then it wouldn't be so bad. But it is so bad. You will need the walkthrough to show you when to climb an untextured wall or solve a puzzle without logic or shoot a brass ball you didn't know was there in the first place or to find an almost invisible switch. Talking of invisible this level has a multitude of completely unfair and completely unobvious deathtraps that will catch you out every single time. It wouldn't be so bad if they served some purpose but they don't. Apart from all that most of your time will be spent running around a nearly empty city looking for something that just won't be there and even when you somehow do find it it will be in the last place you expected it to be. Talking of unexpected there's a very annoying lever/boulder red herring that will have you tearing your hair out when you discover the solution and like so much else in this confusing level you'll almost certainly never work it out by yourself. A final word of warning: you will need all 5 amour pieces to open the final door despite the fact that there's no clue that this is what is needed. It's even more confusing when you will be sure they were just secrets anyway because the 'secret' sound plays when ever you find them. There's no way in hell a beginner should attempt this level despite the fact that because it's right near the top of the HOF it's bound to be one of the first levels a new player will want to try. Well I pity him and the inevitable frustrations he will no doubt feel. I completed this level in 3 hours and found strangely enough 4 secrets. Despite the fact that there were 5 armour pieces (sigh)." - gfd (18-Jun-2004) |
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| "I can't say I'm very impressed with what I experienced here since there were quite a lot of those moments when you think 'where oh where do I go next?' and that stops the nice flow I thought the level had till my first big stuck moment. But then again - I can't say this is a bad level you shouldn't play either - the tasks here are rather inventive especially liked how you get or most probably miss the first gem. The use of the rolling-balls was exceptional here and I had a great time avoiding them (yes I am mad so what? lol). The few occasions like the dangly-ball near the rope above the mud-lake and the fake jump-switch in the perpetually rolling ball room kind of makes you feel stupid as a player and the climbable walls especially the one above the lasersight were not always so obvious. Also the switches in the room where you find one piece of the armour (I think) were enigmatic and it was a bit tiresome to check out which of them set Lara on fire and which are actually needed for progression. There might be some charms to this diabolic (lol) approach though. The settings were nice but sometimes (near the key you see at the start but get later) the end of the world bug appears - and it is possible to bump Lara's head at the sky. Sometimes the 'horizon' of the houses in the city seemed like cut away with a knife too - but unless you really stop playing to watch the a bit monotounous environments like I do you don't notice so it's half as bad. Overall - the flow is not so great and there are many stuck occasions when you don't know what to do but the level is worth playing anyway." - eTux (04-Sep-2003) |
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| "I really liked the teasing that goes on here like in that first room you see a key on a ledge and you can't get to it - yet. The rolling ball which looked impossible to pull that switch but it's fairly easy. And trying to get the lasersight - just jump over the right hand pipe and crouch down then jump and get the lasersight and crouch down. The brown ball you have to shoot that you need a metal detector to find! the sand under the rope that ain't sand and constantly getting a glimpse of other areas. Hokolo has a devilish streak an innocent switch is an instant death trap. This city is basically coastal looking but not overly big and sprawling with monotonous white walls but designed in an interesting way and keeps you going - on streets indoors roofs underground in the water and in sewers. The fire room was great and that drop from the monkeyswing was a right stinker. As you open doors you are opening up the whole level so if you've missed something you can go back and get it. Only problem is the more areas you can access the more backtracking you have to do or should I say I did and it can get confusing. So to sum up look everywhere an unmarked wall that's climbable and a marked climbable wall that isn't and well hidden secrets. A definite must-play." - CC (11-Aug-2003) |
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| "Have you ever had the urge to run naked through your local park shouting 'I've just played the most beautifully designed Custom Level I've ever seen!'? You're rather a sad person in that case because in love though I am by the craftsmanship of this particular adventure any such feelings of caustic Rabelaisian abandon I may have had were slightly dissipated by the mildly irritating quirks of the gameplay. By all means hide the secrets well but please don't cheat by using unmarked climbable walls (and even on occasion textured climbable walls which aren't!); or levers that when pulled do nothing other than set you on fire. I counted 4 of these and that just isn't on. Apart from that this is utterly utterly brilliant. I loved the way the City opens up as you progress even though all the areas can be seen at some point from afar at various moments throughout the game; leading to my favourite 'so this is where I've ended up!' gameplay experience not once but many times. The texturing (except at the very very end where it became ever so slightly lazy) and the beautiful lighting were just supreme. This is all quite brilliant." - Orbit Dream (07-May-2003) |
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| "I've played Twilight City in 2 hrs 40 min. of "statistic" game but indeed the real time of playing was 10 hrs. I went everywhere of the level searching for the right greave but I never found it until I read the forum. The invisible climbing wall and some traps like the boulder falling and the wall switch or the tricky monkey swing in the burners room have downrated the score. All the rest of the game I've enjoyed with the superb 'mise en scene' and the beauty of some rooms and cameras." - Loupar (21-Mar-2003) |
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| "A very nice level that me and my Lara enjoyed a lot. Everything was here - diving puzzles timed puzzles throughout the city and tricky jumps. Very good sound as well. Not always well done camera guidance but I am patient. And as you always find a next area to explore it is still fun and I happily explore every corner. Enemies sometimes showed up very surprisingly. Graphics and textures were not always perfectly applied but I liked the overall atmosphere. At the start I had to find a star and two gems and the armor. Near the end there is a bull to battle with. Congratulations to the designer - very well crafted and I can only recommend it." - Navi (23-Jan-2003) |
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| "A lighter 'City of the Dead'. This level was dark in some places but light in most and it was very challenging like CotD. A tough level kind of needed a walkthrough. I got lost at the start :D. It was textured very well and you could gain a sense of reality. I hope you like tough city levels this one is full of surprises. I didn't like the underwater maze pipes thing... I didn't much like CotD or most city levels for that matter but I did like this one so it is worth a play even if you don't like city levels. This one was hard though. :)" - Chronicles5 (23-Jul-2002) |
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| "It's been a little while since 'The Caves of Pandora' for this brilliant new level from Hokolo but it was well worth the wait! This is quite a tricky and seemingly not always linear level set around a small fantastically designed coastal looking city complete with huge ship where you must go in search of some keys a fuse and 5 pieces of armor 4 of the pieces are secrets which when found will open a set of large blue doors that lead eventually to the end after a nasty run in with a bull. The city is so wonderfully intricate allowing you access to almost every square inch from the sewers to the rooftops and even inside the deadly ship but be warned you will need a keen eye to progress sometimes or it is easy to get stuck and also when some things look incredibly difficult to do they actually might have a very easy solution. The placement of pick ups normal and necessary are all wonderfully situated as are all the enemies although there are not an overabundance in this 2 hour level but when they pop their heads up you know about it! Alright I could rave about this level endlessly as I loved it so much but you should just check it out for yourself and see how good it is." - Sash (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "This for me was an absolutely brilliant two hours of net gaming time from a gameplay perspective. Quite tricky but not too hard and almost every next move you need to think about at least a little bit and this is what gives this great feeling of accomplishment throughout the level and makes it hard to leave it alone before you actually finished. There are timed doors boulder traps swimming climbing rope swings burners and you need to find and use two gems a hand a fuse and four keys - and of course the five pieces of armour which allow you to make it through the big blue doors near the end. The rooms are very nicely connected and allow you to always get back to where you already were (except of course if you forget that golden key near the beginning of the level). I liked the little side adventures like the one to get the shotgun which are optional but fun nonetheless. A small gripe for me was the tricky monkey swing landing at the electrified water the unhelpful fixed camera at the monkey swing across the mudpool and the rather uneventful placement of enemies (some ninjas dogs bats crocodiles fire wraiths and what was that bull at the end for?). Also I am not a big fan of booby traps and red herrings (and there are a few here) but that did not spoil a fantastic adventure." - Michael (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "I have got to give this one a perfect score because I just could not pick out anything wrong with it. This is a rip snorter of a level. It starts out with a puzzler straight away and the puzzles just keep coming. You really need to think some of them through as Hokolo is a master of deception. The graphics were brilliant. The theme was the same as "Hunt for the Five Artifacts" a Lara's House level that Hokolo did earlier (and that rated quite highly) but hey if you're on a good thing.....The level is a long one and will run you into 2 to 3 hours of game play (not counting the curses kicks to the cat the questions raised as to the authors parentage etc) but is well worth downloading and playing." - Torry (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "Hokolo has put together a wonderfully intertwined level in a coastal village setting. Every inch from top to bottom (and underneath) seems to be accessed at some point and often you can see where you'll need to go - through a window or gate - but getting there is the tricky part. More than once I was stumped for the next move. A very fun level if you like to explore and poke your nose into every corner." - Tombaholic (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "Amazing level! You just have to play this one! You run around a city to find 5 pieces of armor which you need to open a door that leads you to the treasure. Not so many enemies but a lot of good puzzling and really good looking environment with among other things windows and fences everywhere to give you a glimpse of what's coming. I also liked the little details such as skeletons where there are traps. Be sure to look around everywhere; I mean EVERYWHERE!" - G.Croft (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "It's a good Tomb Raider level! It reminds me of Tomb Raider 4 one of my favorites Tomb Raider. The puzzles are good but you won't find any really challenging trap. The atmosphere objects and enemies are good but the best part of this level is the textures and lighting: really good! One of the best I've ever seen on a level of this type. The architecture is good too. Nice level very interesting." - Leandro (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "Hokolo - you're a genius! This is one of the few levels that I am certain to play again someday. There are very few levels I have enjoyed this much. The puzzles are clever and imaginative the textures are just perfect - many different areas with a different look and every one is just amazing perfect lighting - only a few areas where you need to use a flare and few enemies - this is more a level of exploring. It covers a large area but in most cases it's possible to travel to any area at any time. Let me just say that everyone should play this level - it's as good as anything you'll find in the original games. Two thumbs up!" - RaiderGirl (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "I finally finished this tough great looking level. I couldn't have done it without help of forum friends. Almost at the end I was ready to give in I was so fed up running around and guessing what to do next but now I'm glad I didn't. Great thing I liked in this one that this level also opened up in the end you could travel from the end straight through to the beginning in case you 'forgot' an item. Only one thing that was very funny before I knew how to cross the mud pool I tried different ways to do it. One way I tried made the hudge room go all wavery and I felt nauseated. That was positive proof that that was not the way to cross it LOL. Hokolo if you have time DO make a walkthrough for ALL your levels." - Gerty (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "Great and very hard level well designed and well structured. You have to find on your way 5 quest items to end the level 4 of them are also secrets. The items and levers are so well hidden sometimes you have to go back looking where you have missed something so keep your eyes up! Anyway one of the best levels I have played you will need about 3 hours to finish. A must-have-played go and get it!" - Freeman Porter (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "A wonderful level with great texturing and lighting. Your objective in this level is to find five pieces of armor most of them well hidden. The level is very long and there are lots of windows and fences that give you a look of what to come. The level has lots of tricky puzzles and many times you can see if there's a deadly trap somewhere because of the skeletons that lie on the ground. But even if you know there's a deadly trap in a room you just have to go there anyway right? The thing that annoyed me the most in this level was the high difficulty and sometimes I didn't know what to do. For example when you get to a submarine you have to open a door in the water. You search everywhere trying to find it and of course it's well hidden in the water! Anyway this is a great level that everyone has to play!" - Magnus (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "This level yanked my chain (sorry if that doesn't translate well). But hey! You know at the start that this is going to be tough: 5 'quest items' - 4 of which are secrets ... this is a level all about EXPLORATION. It's also a FANTASTIC level one that draws you right in ... 'Where the hell is it!' you will say to yourself. ... 'it's right next to you!' will be the answer you don't hear .... If you get stuck - I got stuck - Hokolo will help you out. But first see if you can find the Right Gauntlet - bet you can't. Great great great level pure TR gameplay." - Dick (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "The best custom level I've played yet - and I played more than one hundred. This level really thrills and bares your nerves. You'll have to find five quest-items 4 of them are secrets to open a door at the end of the level and finish it. Therefore you have to run swing swim and climb through a wonderfully designed city get into a submarine and end in a broken theatre. Hokolo is the master of hiding switches setting traps and showing wrong tracks. At several places you can look into other places and wonder how or when you may get there; this will strengthen your will to move on." - Chicken (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "Having read other reviews for this level I was expecting a lot and for the most part I wasn't disappointed! The level appears fairly open but is in fact quite linear. The author has very cleverly constructed things so that you are able to get a glimpse of new areas well before you reach them. Everything that you see in this level you will get to in time. The puzzles are well thought out and the author very often presents you with an obvious solution that is in fact a trap so beware! One passage and one important switch are very well hidden so look around well. However there were also 2 areas that could be got in and out of with regular jumps without the use of the intended key or switch. Pickups were thin on the ground but more than enough for the occasional enemy that invariably appeared behind you. The lighting in this level was very nice and a huge amount of textures were used that clearly defined each area which really helps in a level this size. Unfortunately there were loads of textures which were stretched/squashed or not rotated correctly which spoilt the otherwise great look of the level. Secrets were not obvious but not too tortuous to find. Cameras were adequate showing necessary doors opening etc but a level this size really begs a decent flyby or two. Overall a very competent and engaging level which is challenging and interesting for the whole 2+ hours it lasts." - Inchdix (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "Mmhh.. This level is long but the textures are repetitive and the wad is a casual mix from other TR games! Many new ideas a terrible ;) rollingball! And a very low gameplay. The gameplay is not well." - Miya (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "This is what tombraiding all about - great level Core have not made a level to equal this. I spent a few hours really enjoying the gameplay and puzzles - all this in such a small download. The lighting was excellent and added to the enjoyment of the level. Download and play this if you are a true Raider!" - Grayboy (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "Wow! This Level is perfect! You run through a huge area which is divided into different sections. For each section you need a key or a switch to enter this section. The keys and switches are mostly well hidden. There are lots of hidden passages you need to find first. For the last section you need 5 parts of armor 4 of them are secrets. Take a deep breath when diving because in some locations you will need all of your air to get back safely chased by crocs! Enemies usually come in bunches of 3 or 4 (mostly red ninjas). But there is also an old 'forgotten' friend: the bull! There are no 'real' puzzles but lots of exploring and searching for the next passage key or switch. Many of these switches are traps - so be careful before pulling a switch. There are also some tough spots. For example monkey swinging over burning oil or fire steams. One specialty is the fact that you can get back right to the start of the level. Even when you are (almost) at the end. So you have the opportunity to search for the missing secrets. The only glitch in this level are at least two locations under water where you can get stuck without being able to move. That's the only reason that prevents a perfect score! Better you save your game often. In conclusion this is a very challenging level! You always are searching for a way to go on. If you ever wanted to download a level this one should be it!" - LaraFan (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "This level is a must for all you Tomb raider fans. This is one of those levels that will draw you in to want more. I found the only way to play this level was with the lights out as there are some very dark areas and if you miss that all important switch or secret you will not be able to finish the level. If you do miss anything you can still access all areas again to search for any missing things of which I had to do several times. The one possible quirk (I wouldn't call it a bug) is at the large swamp rope swing. When I first reached it I actually managed to jump the swamp (6 times in all) it wasn't until later on that I realised I was supposed to use the revolver which I didn't have at that time. If I had all the armour at that time which I think I could have I think I could have finished the level without using the fuse or revolver which would have made me miss a part of the level. Do yourself a favour when you get to the swamp area don't bother to jump the swamp without using the revolver first instead go and look for the revolver and do it properly don't miss out on another puzzle. Thank you Horst for giving me more grey hair well done." - Jason (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "It was a great pleasure in TR-Style to play this level - a really good atmosphere nice textures and some surprises well placed. The challenge of some places was very good and took some time to resolve it. Hokolo spends a lot of time to create a fine map - sun light sounds and often some windows or floor tile where you can look inside....Even every sound of the floor - like sand stone and wood impresses...very good work." - Miguel (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "This fantastic piece is the best level I have played so far. Hokolo just became my new favourite designer in terms of 'upcoming levels'! In this City level which consists of many small roads and rooftops but also mysterious laboratories and a submarine Lara has to find a way out. On the trip there are difficult puzzles to solve and also five secrets to be found which are the five pieces of armor. If you find them all at the end of the level there will be an add-on which challenges the player one more time. As said the puzzles were (especially near the end) quite difficult but they have not taken anything away from my gaming fun. Especially challenging 'find the way'-puzzles reveal at a closer look much easier paths to follow. Certain death with some of the traps was not too bad once you got used to it and saved often. The secrets were not too hidden and if you look around for them you will find them all. The designer has built the level in a way that you can always reach earlier areas via slides or walkways in case you forgot something or need to solve a puzzle you missed before. The talent of the designer to camouflage doors and areas I had already admire in the predecessor level (Cave of Pandora) but with this one he really delivered a masterpiece. Also texturing objects and lighting are ingenious and the tense atmosphere is never interrupted. Core Design & EIDOS should look at this creation to realize what still can be done with these out of date tools if you have a few creative ideas. For the next masterpiece it will be tough for Hokolo to outrank this one but if it gets anywhere close ... ;-)" - Hendrik (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "Twilight City sure is one of the finest custom levels I've played so far. It has everything I ask from an adventure - large locations to explore beautiful textures some - but not too many (!) action parts and superb and logical light-effects. In fact Lara has to explore a whole city the houses the streets the rooftops and even some building that looked like a sub in search of ... god I forgot what it was she was after. Maybe because I had to concentrate on the puzzles so hard. Yes some WERE hard and I had to ask for help twice. After that I had to call myself a fool since the solution was always obvious always right before Lara's beautiful nose - only I didn't see it. I can't remember how long I needed to finish but I had fun and excitement for more than one week (only playing at nighttime before going to bed). It's a level you must not miss and it's one of those you won't trash after having played it once." - Percys (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "One of my favorite levels. The player has to collect the five pieces of armor which are secrets as well and finish the level. One of them is very well hidden it did give me some trouble. Texturing and lighting are good and the city is well done. A long underwater maze in search for the fuse was quite exhausted for Lara while crocodiles were giving her a hard time. Other puzzle items are a gem and a hand. I liked very much the area with the water sand the ball on the other side can barely be seen and with the texture there it is just perfect. Ninjas are blocking your way especially at the last part you have to battle with four of them if I am not mistaken to reach the final door. The rusty key and a few others are often. Fire and boulders are also an obstacle and the current you have to fight in the area with the ship as well as in water again when you try to get one more key. It is one big adventure you won't regret it." - Kristina (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "I played this around the time when I started to write reviews but refrained from rating this one cause when I finally reached the end I was so frustrated I feared I might write something I would later regret. As this is another one of those rare levels that made such a big impression on me I still can remember most it and see myself fit to assess it now. The setting architecture and the atmosphere are among the best inside and outside of Core/Eidos; in fact the rusty room with the fake monkey swing is probably the most beautiful location I've ever died in. However the gameplay is highly frustrating and fairly illogical in places. You get the cleverly hidden lever and crawlspace a really annoying monkey swing where letting go will kill you over and over again until you are lucky enough to get it right. Then there is some cleverly hidden brass ball to shoot not exactly near the door that is opened by this action. In the German Eidos forum you can find three Twilight threads full of desperate pleads for help that are testimony to the degree of frustration you are bound to encounter in this quest. Add to this the many times you die without warning (by pulling a lever for instance) and the dreaded bull near the end and you can very well imagine that the gameplay isn't that fluent and in my case came to a grinding halt more than once. All this aside there are some very neat ideas like the crocodile that attacks from the rear and I particularly like the camera angles you get when fighting the gangs of Ninjas. As the battle is viewed from the distance you are suddenly a bit removed from the action thus making it easy for you not to panic and eventually getting through this without any damage. Like everyone else I couldn't stop playing before I reached the end which tells you how gripping the whole thing is. If there wasn't all that dying and fruitless searching it would be one of my favourites." - Dimpfelmoser (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "Before my eyes and stiff fingers Hokolo has become a master of difficult and suspenseful (to the max) level design even after playing just two of his custom games. Though his follow up Jungle level (which I played first) is not typically hard this initial level is extremely difficult for me because of the following reasons --- well hidden pickups (necessary to finish the level) in a maze of rooms some of which have to be tediously and hastily scoured lest you burn or drown; future tasks and some pickups foretold and revealed in earlier parts making you think they must be taken or done already there and then (when in fact they can only be had or done much later); presence of a 'red herring' (read it from Torry's post) and moves that defy the ordinary (a manual door that threw me off after all the prior switches; a monkey swing that's very difficult to get down from; another monkey swing that you cannot and don't have to cross amidst the split-second fire emitters; infighting and rope swinging in long cam view). In 'Deep in the Jungle' the creator introduced suspense right at the very start. Here he held your breath during the raiding and then made your heart raced during the imminent escape and exit. Small wonder after all these months it's still in the top ten. It deserves its place in the chart." - Drew Pizza (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "I usually like levels with a pre-defined 'atmosphere'. For example levels set in Egypt Nevada Peru or whatever. This one has changed my way of thinking though because I have no idea where it's set but it manages to create an atmosphere all of its own nevertheless. Hokolo is a great level designer and his talent shows in this level. It's a tough level let's be honest here. Even with the difficult parts though I have to give credit where it's due because this was the first time I ever saw a perpetually rolling boulder in a custom level (I've seen them since but the first time is always special!) Nothing is ever impossible but this puzzle took me a while to figure out and I liked that level of difficulty. The one complaint I have is that it's pretty dark in a few places - I would personally have liked to see more light in these areas and also a few more camera shots as it's not always obvious where to go. But overall this is a great level which will have you totally absorbed within the first five minutes." - Bex (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "Brilliant game. Puzzle after puzzle. You'll need all your tombraider skills for this one and as has been said by others you really need to look up!" - Moonlightshadow (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "What is there to be said about this level that hasn't already been said? Not much in all probability but a level of this quality deserves the ample praise it has received and so I'll feel relatively shameless in reaching for my dictionary of superlatives and adding yet another glowing review to the list. The first thing to say about this level is how impressive the sheer enormity of it all is. Immense areas cleverly connected and all exquisitely detailed. Lighting is good not too many dark corners hiding essential object or switches but don't think this level will be a walkover. For ages I thought the laser sight was impossible to get! I kept returning to it to try my hand (and fail) again and it was only when all progress seemed to have halted that I tried one last time and finally got it. Not that it helped with my problem at the time although it was essential for progress later in the level. Other essential objects are equally deviously hidden which gives a real sense of satisfaction when you do finally find them but can slow progress if you don't keep your eyes open. One particular switch eluded me for ages but was probably responsible for my finding all of the secrets on the first play through the level. Once open it is possible to explore the entire level and this is a real joy owing to the remarkable visuals but can also be frustrating if you're stuck at any particular point. The level design gives tantalising glimpses of areas you'll be exploring later though I found this slightly confusing wondering if I'd missed an entrance to an area somehow. Nevertheless this does add to the impressive look of the level and give it a real 'pro' feel. If it weren't for the difficulty of some of the puzzles this could easily pass as an official level. Enemies are not particularly thick on the ground and take the form of a few ninjas crocodiles and locusts though they tend to be placed where Lara is most vulnerable so it's no tea-party to deal with them. There are a couple of timed runs some interesting traps (like the infamous boulder trap) some awkward swimming and some deviously hidden switches. On the face of it nothing very interesting but so well executed that they're really quite challenging. If anything the secrets are a bit of a disappointment some of them are almost impossible to miss one notoriously difficult to find but none of them particularly satisfying (refer to Mulf's 'Lost Artifact of Heroic Manliness' for an object lesson in secret placement). But for me the best part was the end. Or at least I thought it was the end. In reality there was a further fifteen minutes or so to play. Just when I thought the level was over but wanted more more was what I got (and still wanted more when I'd actually finished). This level should be considered required playing for any custom level fan and a fine example of what can be achieved with the level editor. In fact I've got so excited just reviewing it I'm going to have to play it again!" - Tune Razor (21-Jun-2002) |
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