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Maya Legends - Part 2: The Sun Temple by Die Basis

eRIC 8 9 8 8
Gerty 8 9 9 9
Jay 8 9 9 8
Jose 8 9 9 8
Kitkat 9 9 8 8
Kristina 9 9 9 9
MichaelP 8 9 9 9
Phil 9 8 9 9
Ryan 8 9 9 9
Samu 9 9 9 8
TimJ 9 8 9 8
Treeble 8 8 8 8
 
release date: 10-Jul-2007
# of downloads: 87

average rating: 8.58
review count: 12
 
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file size: 47.20 MB
file type: TR4
class: South America
 


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Reviewer's comments
"This felt more like a TR3 India level than a TR1 Peru one, despite the mixed textures. It feels a bit odd at times, but as a whole it works very well and even brilliantly when you come to the sandboxy area in the second level. Some of the areas are a bit confusing to navigate, even with the walkthrough, as you search for a number of keys and levers. The overworld approach in the second level, with lots of small pyramids and temples, was very unique and you explore each of them in turn, even if they're mostly just one or two chambers each. The concept itself is streets ahead (especially for 2007), I suspect with the recend advent of TEN we might be seeing things similar on a grander scale. The jeep ride towards the end was a bit annoying as several stops were necessary, and even if it follows the tried and tested (not necessarily good) layout of driving over a narrow 1-block wide pathway over water, it still added something new in the form of rising blocks which would push the vehicle forwards at full speed. Don't recall ever seeing that and found myself reloading often trying to counter this trick around a corner. All in all, good fun, but a bit overwhelming at times. A bogus trigger along the way pushed my counter up to the hundreds, but at the finish trigger I had seven Golden Skulls in my inventory so I'll presume I skipped one along the way somehow. 130 minutes, 7 secrets. 12/23" - Treeble (10-Dec-2023)
"You get a huge dose of gameplay in this lengthy jungle levelset in three parts. It was only after 2 hours and 45 minutes of gameplay that Lara finally approached her waiting helicopter and the game ended. When it did, I felt I had experienced a challenging, involving, immersing, occasionally frustrating, but worthwhile raid. The most enjoyable part to me was the second section (the Sun Temple) because despite its non-linearity and occasional confusion, the way it is laid out like one big puzzle is ingenious and worthy of admiration. That said, there is much to enjoy across all three of these parts, with plenty of block puzzles, torch puzzles, jumps, devious traps and plenty of bracing enemy encounters, plus a pretty challenging Jeep ride. The jungle atmosphere is very well caught and the lighting and texturing is well up to standard. Wholeheartedly recommended." - Ryan (29-May-2018)
"Finding the Valley (8/9/9/9, 60 min, 3 secrets): From a fairly tricky start this turns quickly into a very sneaky level, ie you need to really keep your eyes open, shoot objects you may usually not shoot at, watch out for well hidden entrances and so on. Quite a variety of enemies thrown in as well in the luscious greenery of the jungle. The push block puzzle is well designed but once you figure it out becomes a bit tedious to execute. Nice idea on how to fill the pool with water.
The Sun Temple (7/9/9/9, 55 min, 3 secrets): Alright, the huge area with the many temple pyramids is impressive and I am sure many raiders have lots of fun exploring, exploring and exploring some more - but personally I hated that I never quite knew where to get started, what to do next and if you miss the elusive next switch, you may end up running in circles forever. Only the walkthrough helped to avoid total frustration here. That said though - once you at least had an idea where to go next, the whole execution of the level is quite brilliant as it is set up as one big puzzle in a way.
Inside the Temple (9/9/9/9, 45 min, 2 secrets): Easily my favourite level of the set. This is more linear with some traps to master, a nice variety of jumps, climbs, fights, timed runs and a brilliantly designed area for the use of the torch. Once Lara has her book it becomes a fairly straight forward but still fun way out with a shining yellow jeep.
All in all, this ambitious level set took a while getting used to for me but it got better and better over time, so definitely worth playing!" - MichaelP (06-Nov-2008)
"This three level adventure turned out to be very enjoyable and atmospheric containing nice jungle and temple settings to explore. Atmosphere has similar kind of spirit as the official TR games and also some originality which makes it good in my opinion. I was especially impressed by the gameplay even though the second level is a bit too non-linear including an enormous area which is full of little details. You have to also complete many jumping tasks, solve some puzzles and figure out how to get a torch through some obstacles which in my opinion is done very smartly. I think that the biggest minus side in this game is the environment and how it looks. Textures and lighting are done well but the shapes of the rooms are rather boxy in most of the areas. The jungle in end of the game was especially boxy and didn't even look like jungle which it is probably meant to be. Anyway I recommend this game for every player even if it has some downmarks." - Samu (04-Apr-2008)
"Phew I finished it. Did I like it? Yes and no. I should know that this wouldn't be easy and it wasn't. This mini game has three levels (finding the Valley, The Sun Temple and inside the Temple) and is set in a jungle environment. Main word is exploring and of course, the hunt for Artefacts. Do keep your eyes wide open as the levers are sometimes very well hidden. Throughout there are nice puzzles to solve and some timed runs to do. Also some tricky jumping to perform but that makes it more exciting in my opinion. The best part was the second level, but I also hated it as I completely lost my way and I've been over this area so many times that I almost can make a map. The last part is a jeep ride and do get out of that vehicle as there is levers to find and the all important Crowbar so you can leave by helicopter. There aren't that many enemies in this level as I recall and there is plenty enough pick-ups. Didn't get my hands on all the secrets but that will come at a later date." - Gerty (31-Aug-2007)
"Now this game is quite good. As you can imagine the setting is jungle like with structures that resemble an ancient civilization and in this case the Maya one as the title indicates. I liked the atmosphere and surroundings very much although the gameplay becomes a little confused after the first level. Some areas were a bit"tight" but the overall structure was satisfying. There are many doors to open and look alike temples that will make you run around searching to find which one you opened. It can become tedious but it isn't so hard once you pay attention to find a few differences in them so you can move around more easily. There are friendly monkeys, fish and crocodiles in the waters as well as lynx. It looks like the game is well thought of and it has a few challenges but I can't say it is hard at all. In my opinion medium players can get through it with not much trouble, if any. I liked the secrets and found eight, although one of them was a bit unfair and had me going nuts trying to find it. The hint the builder provided was not helpful and it was focused in the entrance and not on the object that was linked to it. Near the end we get to drive a jeep and fight guys that can diminish Lara's health in no time so watch out for them. I think the level ended abruptly but it was very enjoyable and obviously recommended." - Kristina (22-Aug-2007)
"What did I like best about these levels? The puzzles and traps! Obviously a lot of thought has gone into thinking them up. And as an added bonus the environment they are set in is lovely too. The levels are textured well {although there are a few stretched textures here and there} and decorated with lots of objects which add to the jungle atmosphere. There is also a good choice of baddies which also suits, too often baddies can look out of place in some of the environments they are put in but here they do fit in nicely, and there are also some baddies which are rarely seen in custom levels which always spices things up. I found this to be an enjoyable level set in lovely surroundings." - Kitkat (21-Aug-2007)
"This set of three levels is quite good, with a lot of jungle areas to explore and good puzzles, but it's easy to get stucked 'cause there are a lot of hidden switches and hidden passages so you'll have to explore conscientiously. Secrets are well hidden, and enemies are hard (I had never seen bats like those, hard to kill and causing you so much damage), there are enough ammo though. There are many cameras showing what you are doing too :-D and the level is well lightened and textured. Another thing I liked was the enormous quantity of flares to light the dark areas. Although the second level was difficult to finish 'cause the no-lineal gameplay and a lot of tasks to do, this adventure was good for me." - Jose (20-Aug-2007)
"I liked a lot these three levels! There is a lot of varied things to do. The beginning of the first level is a bit confusing. It seem that you have a lot of paths and you don't really know where to begin. But finally the level appears to be rather linear and not too hard. The second level is completely confusing. You have to find 4 sun elements and the tasks can be done in the order you want. I like these levels with a lot of freedom even if we are lost at the beginning. The things that annoyed me in this level are the bats which kill Lara really quickly and the shatters which trigger something. I needed the walkthrough to know that I could shatter a specific totem. It could have been better if it has looked different than the others. The third and last level is quite different. It is really linear and there is rather traps, tricky jumps and battles with enemies than search or puzzles. There is even though a very clever torch puzzle that I liked a lot. The end with the Jeep was a bit boring and I expected a better end. The overall adventure are well designed even if the rooms seemed a bit too cubic (above all in the jungle). The builder used a lot of objects to decorate his levels and they are beautiful. There is a good use of TR1 and TR3 textures here. The texturing is good even if there are some flaws (especially at the end of level 3 were there are a lot of stretched textures). The audios were good and well placed but more wouldn't have been too much. Some additionnal flybys cams would have been great too. I recommand these levels to everyone because they are great. I'm sure the next levels of this builder will be great." - TimJ (14-Aug-2007)
"A lot of gameplay is packed into this three-parter. I clocked in at just over three hours of net gaming time and never felt the creeping onset of boredom from start to finish. What I liked best about it is that much of the action takes place outdoors where there's plenty of light. This is a refreshing change from all those confined, creepy levels I've been playing lately. Jenni has provided a workmanlike walkthrough that greatly assisted me, as there are a number of hidden switches and levers scattered throughout that would otherwise have stumped me for ages. The first level is rather brief, and one could look at it as a training exercise where you become accustomed to the jungle setting before getting down to business in the village. The part I enjoyed most was navigating the temple village in the second segment. I probably spent close to half my total time here. The tasks are quite complicated but logical, centered around a Sun Temple where doors are opened to reveal levers that allow access to surrounding temples. There's a nice block puzzle near the end that's also worthy of note. The only sequences that really taxed my patience (and playing skilles) were the slope jumps in a lava room and a timed jump routine with the torch in the final segment. There's a patched tomb4.exe included with the download, and I've learned through experience that you'll almost always have savegame problems when you use the expanded executable. I hope someone with the requisite computer savvy will fix this problem soon, as it can be quite annoying. Other than that, I can wholeheartedly recommend these levels." - Phil (14-Aug-2007)
"The scenery certainly is lovely even if all the inhabitants are out to get you. Actually it seemed a shame to shoot the beautiful lynxes. This really is a gorgeous set of levels with a lush jungle atmosphere and lots of little temples dotted about. Of course, it takes a lot of exploring and jungle textures are notoriously good camouflage to fool the unobservant (and I'll stand up to be counted here). There are also some rather unexpected shootable objects about so if in doubt just whip out your pistols and blast away at everything in sight. It may not work, but it's always therapeutic. It's complex gameplay as all the little temples look the same and you really can get massively confused as to where you've been and what you've done in your search for various vital artefacts. Once inside the main temple, you find yourself faced with a hell of a lot of interesting traps - not a great incentive to go and worship perhaps, but certainly great fun. There's even a jeep ride thrown in for good measure at the end. A very playable set of levels." - Jay (25-Jul-2007)
"Finding the valley (8 8 8 8) After a 1st puzzle/red herring and a little maze where you can find pickups, the adventure really begins outside. I like how you have to visit all these outside areas to finally find something decisive to do in the most remote place then everything falls into place as the areas begin to open up and you return without any backtracking to the first valley . It was hard though to spot the climbable surface to get started. The highlight is a good pushable/rising/expanding blocks puzzle. There are also some objects to shoot and a torch puzzle at the end. Piranhas , lynx , crocs , tiny dinos , crows are your enemies. There is not a lot of action except for the occasional timed door but the puzzles are good if a bit sneaky at times. Temple of sun (7 7 9 8) Change of setting and gameplay here as you have to explore thoroughly a huge area without many enemies where you have to open up half a dozen Mayan pyramids in order to find the sun artefacts and enter in the Temple. The general idea of the level is excellent methinks , the place is atmospheric , and the tasks nicely diversified. The problem is that it becomes confusing at times and some of the puzzles are a bit unfair. For example you have to shoot a statue in order to trigger a raising block : there is nothing wrong with that, but in such a huge area which has so many (too many) objects in the decor it is just a matter of chance. Really patience and perseverance are needed here, without speaking of the fact that I experienced crashes in this level. Maybe this central area is too huge or my PC is too old ? I can't tell , anyway at this point the temptation to give up the game was very high. Sure there are some good puzzles, but sometimes too much "subtle". Inside the temple. (8 8 8 8) Two parts here, the first underground and the second is the escape with a yellow car through the jungle. I really liked the 1st part as it is quite straightforward with many fun challenges , squishy blocks or stargates , then a very fun run on collapsible tiles, before reaching the room where Lara will find the Mayan book she was looking for. But before that she will have to solve a great torch puzzle , including a challenging timed run with the torch. I liked the ambush with the bunch of mercenaries , on the opposite the fact that the dog drops the key looks a bit strange. The 2nd part of this level with the car was a bit boring , at first easy then quite challenging. So I was glad when I reached the end of this game. Conclusion : all in all the author has made a great work with this adventure , the texturing and lighting are good (some of the jungle areas are a bit"boxy" though) , some objects and enemies are interesting , there are many puzzles some of them are really good. Actually the author has improved in this category as the puzzles and tasks are more diversified than in Mayan Legends Part 1, showing a good imagination. Frankly I liked some parts of this game, but some others did not click with me. Oh well maybe some players will quite enjoy this game." - eRIC (16-Jul-2007)