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Level: Harp of Sailor Mercury back home search
Author(s): Razyel
total rating:7.52 Gameplay &
Puzzles		 Enemies,
Objects &
Secrets		 Atmosphere,
Sound &
Cameras		 Lighting &
Textures
Blue43 7 6 9 8
Elsa 7 7 9 9
eRIC 7 6 8 8
Gerty 7 6 9 8
huif 7 6 9 8
Jay 7 6 9 8
Jose 7 7 8 10
Kitkat 7 7 9 9
Kristina 6 6 7 8
Magnus 6 6 7 7
MichaelP 7 6 9 8
Orbit Dream 6 6 9 8
Phil 8 8 10 10
Samu 7 7 7 7
category averages
(14 reviews)		 6.86 6.43 8.50 8.29

Reviewer's comments

"Here we have a pretty classic raid with easy and very straightforward game play. There is a bit of back and forward but it is clearly one of those levels where you won’t easily get stuck and need to look at the walkthrough. It is always clear where to go and there a well-placed camera hints throughout the whole level. The level is almost “too easy” at certain sequences like the boulder traps or swinging chains, where the traps look like they were rather placed as decoration instead of posing a thread to Lara’s health. Since the level is very straightforward and fast paced, boredom shouldn’t come up for most players. There are a few enemies, which can be easily avoided like the skeletons or just shot from a safe distance without taking any hits. The atmosphere was nice and I liked the background loop and soundtracks. There is also not much to complain on the texturing and lighting side. It is not perfect but in general the level has a very solid look and feel. Definitely recommended, especially for beginners who want a fun relaxing raid without getting stuck, but still play through a well built level with good atmosphere." - Blue43 (25-Jan-2011)

"A good level, pretty fluent , that lasts 35 minutes. Except for the soldiers in the first room, I did not fight the other enemies , skeletons or shivas , the shivas were stuck in the walls and it was fun to dodge the skeletons. Have found 2 shotguns but did not used them. I really like the textures used, mainly from AOD with a few Latin American paintings. I don’t know if they fit well together anyway but I don’t mind , I liked them all the same. There is a couple of visual problems between static objects and the shapes of the architecture, the artefacts are still called ‘load’ in the inventory and there is a couple of shortcuts , but these are not a problem as you miss nothing of the game if you take these “shortcuts”. At one point you have to shimmy to reach a ledge but in fact you can really go there with an accurate and enjoyable jump. Also in the room with poles, one can reach the ledges with enjoyable jumps instead. The traps are fairly easy ; anyhow the pace of the level was quite enjoyable." - eRIC (18-Feb-2008)

"I downloaded this level simply because I loved the name! 'Harp Of Sailor Mercury' - Brilliant! I wasn’t sure what to expect but I wasn’t disappointed. The lighting and textures are wonderful; the atmosphere they create is great. {There is one or two stretched textures but they don’t detract from the overall effect.} The gameplay was easy but fluid. I liked the way the “death” squares were marked near the beginning so if you watched out you could avoid them as you made your way through the cave to the underground palace. I did think the Shiva’s looked a little out of place but the skeletons and even the gunmen fitted in well with the palace surroundings. The music also fitted the location nicely. I think it’s just a shame Lara wasn’t wearing a Sailor Mercury outfit! ;)" - Kitkat (19-Jul-2007)

"I would call this a medium level with just puzzle items to find. The atmosphere and textures which have been taken from the dig site I think of AOD give the level something unique. The skeletons are many at some point but you have the shotgun to help you get rid of them. The boulders have not been placed well though and are very easy to avoid throughout the level. I hope the next one will be even more improved." - Kristina (09-Apr-2007)

"A nice level very easy to play suitable for beginners. Most of the tasks are look for objects and place them in their receptacles to open doors. Few kind of enemies, I couldn't find secrets. Good atmosphere, the level is well decorated and ornated and perfectly textured. If you like to think a lot to solve tricky puzzles this is not your level, but you can play it if you want to take a good time." - José (09-Oct-2006)

"Finally, after a drought lasting several months where I've played dark level after dark level, I've come across a level that approaches perfection in its lighting. Note to builders: Here is a prime example of a level where all of the action takes place underground, but where the lighting is such that the player can see what's going on at all times and can even enjoy the scenic appointments along the way. The only thing that keeps me from giving it top marks is the fact that it's a little on the short side (requiring only five pages for the walkthrough) and a little too easy in the gameplay department. But on the other hand, this would be a perfect level to use as a tool to introduce a beginner to the joys of Tomb Raider. It's got a snappy title, it's easy, it's gorgeous and it's fun. The only enemies you really need to kill are the four guards at the beginning and a couple of belching Shivas that you meet along the way. The skeletons are a pain, and they can't be killed with the weapons you're provided, but part of the challenge is avoiding them while performing your required tasks. A nice little level, and I wish there were more like it." - Phil (26-Sep-2006)

"Great beginning to this level, with blocks crashing down from the ceiling – it just somehow really set the scene for me. This is a really interesting looking level, although initially I only got a quick glimpse of most rooms as I was escaping the attentions of skellies a lot of the time. Even when I found the shotgun, I still had nowhere to blast them into so I couldn’t hang about to admire the scenery. Apart from the skellies, the only hazards are blades, boulders and swinging chains, which seem to be provided more for visual purposes since they’re all easily avoided, and a couple of shivas which are easily despatched with pistols, so I really never needed all the shotgun ammo I found. This is a shortish, uncomplicated level with a really good atmosphere and a nice feel." - Jay (25-Sep-2006)

"I find it ironic that Lara had problems believing the myth about King Arthur, but has no qualms about going out on an adventure to find the harp of an anime character. Talk about double standard. I guess the fact that finding it takes less than twenty-five minutes might have weighed into her decision about setting out on this adventure, and that it really isn't too taxing. The gameplay mainly consists of opening doors, which is usually done by finding the right item. Which is standard Tomb Raider fare, but it's all very linear and the items are never hard to find. There are quite a few enemies - mostly skeletons - but they're all easily avoidable, and the only enemies I wasted any ammunition on were the ones near the beginning. There's also a pushable-block puzzle, which was more time-consuming than it was entertaining. Lara sports her Angel of Darkness outfit (though there's something seriously wrong with her face), and the texturing and the first enemies you come across are reminiscent of that game. It all looks quite impressive, though the objects could have been used more effectively and I would have liked to see more colourful rooms - there are a few, and I really like the look of them. I think Lara would be willing to go on a quest to buy milk if it would involve going to a shop that looked this good and there wasn't much chance of dying." - Magnus (22-Sep-2006)

"There is definitively progress to see building wise. I liked the level and I didn’t wander around endlessly to find the next task that Lara had to perform. Here it is finding levers and obtaining artefacts to find at last the harp of Sailor Mercury. The first half has some nice traps and some enemies, namely skeletons. No shotgun in sight just yet, but you can easily avoid them. You will find the shotgun later (even a second one) and it is handy to stun the skeletons for a bit. There are however some faults I detected. At the start (what a great idea btw) Lara disappears knee deep in the slanted floor tiles. Also there is an invisible wall (door?) in the room with the circular door. I also could use one pick-up of flares though as some corners were a bit too dark. For the rest, have a nice roam around this palace." - Gerty (11-Sep-2006)

"The screenshot is what caught my eye when looking for the next game to play, and then I noticed it was Razyels’ level so I was looking forward to playing it. I was hoping Lara might have the sailor mercury outfit but instead her dark shirt and shorts were more suitable for game play. The level takes place deep underground, nice wall textures, high ceilings with touches of the colour green throughout. Enemies are guards, skeletons and Shiva’s. Lara’s mission is to find jewel keys that unlock doors so she can eventually find the harp. There is enjoyable music and game play is easy and flows very well, easy to avoid the dropping blocks, chains and rolling balls. Razyel is a creative builder that is improving with each new game." - Elsa (11-Sep-2006)

"In the beginning I didn't know what to expect from this level and it turned out to be quite nice. Level designing is pretty good and textures are quite good too despite some of them are a bit stretched. Lighting is actually very good and I think that objects are chosen and placed quite well if not counting shiva enemies which aren't very good for the gothic kind of setting. I still didn't let that to affect reviewing. One of the minus sides is that this is too easy level even for beginners and you know always what to do. This level is also quite common and not very memorable and I think that variation of rooms could be a little wider. This level was still very good and enjoyable adventure and hopefully we'll see more levels from this builder in the future." - Samu (10-Sep-2006)

"A very remarkable improvement from the first levels by this author indeed. It seems Razyel and Max are friends have exchanged notes a bit, as the architecture and texturing seems similar between the recent levels of the two of them, but as architecture, texturing and lighting is great in this adventure that is entirely a good thing. It has a bit of an AoD feel to it, with yellowish glow, straightforward progression, guards, skeletons and two shivas (that don't really fit in). All the traps a very harmless and you only need to find a few gems and stones, the push globe puzzle is not really a puzzle. But I really liked the room which you have to traverse using the climbing wall. Cleverly done and the gameplay highlight for me. Nice level for just over 30 minutes and looking forward to seeing more from this builder." - MichaelP (10-Sep-2006)

"This is the best of Razyel's levels to date and is a decent stand-alone adventure with tons of atmosphere and extremely well-constructed gothic-style rooms. Much of the level is eye-candy,which is a good thing as the Gameplay won't be keeping you particularly absorbed. Aside from a neat 'climbing the walls' chamber,you basically run from one room to the next,dodging skeletons and easily avoidable rolling balls,while gathering up and using various re-textured key objects. It's all very fast moving and enjoyable,but it's a telling point that the one and only genuine puzzle is a rather tedious and simple object-pulling sequence. This whole adventure was rather reminiscent of Max' "Symbol of the world,Part 1" (I especially liked the shining beams of light emanating from the various religious icons) and provides 45 minutes of good,though mentally unchallenging,fun." - Orbit Dream (08-Sep-2006)

"It took me about 40 minutes to complete this level and i must say that the music surprised me in a positive way, i heard some tunes (of the original tomb raider games (tomb raider 3??) that i didn't hear in a long time, but also the other music (new song) was very atmospheric. The textures were ok and the lighning was ok. There weren't a lot of enemies (most of them were skulls, but it was always easy to ran away from them because you have no crossbow with explosive darts). The puzzles are very, very easy but nonetheless this level was never boring" - huif (06-Sep-2006)
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