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A Time Odyssey by Trix

afzalmiah 9 10 10 10
Andzia9 10 10 10 10
Bene 10 10 10 10
Dick 9 10 10 9
DJ Full 9 10 10 10
dmdibl 10 10 10 10
eRIC 9 10 10 10
ersatz 10 10 10 10
EssGee 9 10 10 10
Gerty 10 10 10 10
Ivan 10 10 10 10
Jack& 9 10 10 9
jawi 8 10 10 10
Jay 10 10 10 10
Jorge22 10 10 10 10
Jose 8 10 10 10
Juno Jim 10 10 10 10
Magnus 9 10 10 9
manarch2 9 10 10 9
mary-jane 10 10 10 10
MichaelP 7 10 10 9
Monica 10 10 10 10
Moonpooka 10 10 10 10
OverRaider 10 10 10 10
Phil 10 10 10 10
Ravenwen 10 10 10 10
rtrger 10 10 10 10
Ruben 10 10 10 10
Ryan 10 10 10 10
Samu 10 10 9 10
Scottie 10 10 10 10
Selene 10 10 10 10
Sethian 6 8 6 9
Shandroid 10 10 10 10
Torry 6 6 7 9
TrueRaider 9 10 10 10
Vaughnage 8 7 8 9
VoodooChild97 10 10 10 10
 
release date: 11-Sep-2008
# of downloads: 186

average rating: 9.65
review count: 38
 
review this level

file size: 111.83 MB
file type: TR4
class: nc
 


author profile(s):
email(s):
trixbox@aol.com

Reviewer's comments
"It states in the readme that I was one of the beta testers. This is correct but I had to abandon the task when I came to test Somewhere, Sometime due to severe frame-rate lag, and a confusing layout that gave me a headache. Thirteen years later, I finally managed to play the whole thing without lag - partly due to improvements my end - but also I think the level has been tweaked since the beta and features like rain have been removed. Anyway, Somewhere, Sometime turned out to be a great level, but one has to be patient when playing as it only reveals its shape after much exploration. I’d offer the same advice for the other levels as well - be prepared to spend more than one day playing an individual level. Overall the gameplay is very inventive but it often lacks the clues that the player needs if they are to solve the more original puzzles. As a result, trips to the walkthrough are inevitable, I averaged about two or three per level, which is a bit too much stuckness for my taste. That said, I’d still strongly recommend this, if you fancy an exploration challenge amid very impressive architecture. Oh, and by the way: there is an attractive distance fog applied here but no mention of the fact in the readme - so you need to turn VOLFX off to appreciate it." - Dick (05-Jan-2022)
"SOMEWHERE SOMETIME: Sorry but I found this initial level incongruous and boring. After two hours of hopelessly wandering about I gave up and resorted to the walk through as the player has no chance on god's earth of completing this without it. The vista here in the city is huge and you will find yourself back tracking so many times trying to find yet another access point that it will drive you to near madness. Some in game clues via cut scenes would have been helpful. I did not see what the manufacture of fuel had to do with any point within the level and I take it that is still to come in a later level BUT you can proceed to the Museum Bonus level without doing this (and missing a good third of the level). The falling block puzzle totally confused me as I tried the first switch numerous times and only one block fell so I assumed (incorrectly) that ALL the switches would only drop one block which of course is not the case. How is the player supposed to discern this? So after a good two hours I trashed it and started again meticulously following the walk through which is the only way to successfully proceed and garner all the items you will require. This should have been called Tomb Hater as I was certainly hating the entire premise of raiding by the time I finally completed this two plus hours of misery. Score: 5,7,6,9. NO MANS LAND: Now this bonus level returns us to true raiding and whilst short is much better than Somewhere Sometime. The idea of feeding the large spider that spins a web allowing Lara access across the chasm is inspired. This level bears no relationship to our original quest however so exactly why it is included in this package is a mystery. Score: 7,8,9,9. MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS: This level takes some experimentation to get through and an immense amount of saves. You cannot afford to alert the guards and whilst you need not sneak, you need to find the path the author has decided is the safe path and sometimes that is not the logical path. At the end you get a reward item if you do not trigger the alarm and some paths have to be crossed twice so it becomes somewhat tiresome. Once I had the reward item I went back into the museum and shot all the guards dead, simply out of spite. Score: 4,5,5,8.To transition to the next level you need to get back to the time machine but if you are like me, after hours of running about this place you have no clue where it is anymore. Secondly, the lock picking device you picked up in the museum allows you access to two padlocked doors. One leads to a half med pack and the other leads to...... zip, nada, nothing. Just an empty staircase and an empty hallway leading nowhere. What a waste. At least reward the player for going to the effort of finding the secret that contained the lock pick. Finally you need to refuel the time machine before heading off (Now I get it. Wondered why we were making fuel). SHADOW OF VESUVIUS: This level shares many traits as the first in that there is an inordinate amount of running around and back tracking through a vast landscape that will confuse the bejeebas out of the raider, so once again you simply have to keep the walk through close at hand so that you do not become lost in the past forever. I actually do not know why we even went there in the first place as we never brought any treasure back with us except for the trophy helmet. All the running around was simply to garner items to please the gods but the damn volcano blew up anyway so what was the point? Score: 5,7,8,9. DAYPORT: I am happy to admit that this level (incorporating the Castle) was my favorite as it got back to traditional raiding and left out the excessively long journeys from one point in the village to another and back tracking was nearly non existent. Perhaps because the village was simply smaller than a modern day city? The tasks were not overly complex and good cut scene hints always kept the raider on track as to what came next. The only time I found myself running about aimlessly was when looking for the cannon and I freely admit to running passed it four or five times before I recognized it for what it was. See, I was looking for a cannon on wheels as they had in those days, not a cannon lying on the ground with no support. Score: 9,9,10,10. OVERALL I spent seven and a half in game hours here and really only enjoyed the last two hours as the first two levels really became tiresome with the huge amounts of running about between points and all the back tracking involved. Good level set but great? Hmmmmm." - Torry (05-Oct-2018)
"I hope you do have a lot of time on your hands when you start this up, as it is huge. But I found it utterly charming. The towns you travel through have such a great atmosphere and it invites you to wander around to look in every nook and cranny. If you do you probably stumble upon the secrets, at least I did. There are great new puzzles to do, not many enemies to slay and of course exploring is high on the list. There are some glitches at my end, I found like picking up an item and then not finding it later when I reloaded. Lucky me, a save before picking up and not reloading in between worked then like a charm. A pity there hasn’t been another level by Trix, but I for sure will keep hers on my HD to replay them later." - Gerty (17-Sep-2017)
"A very fitting swansong for Trix, a masterpiece, a long time in the making. You are taken to an old city at nighttime, Pompeii at the brink of Vesuvius' eruption and an old medieval village. These places may seem to be confusing initially, but it all fits together. Great puzzles and sounds too. A must play." - Ryan (28-Feb-2016)
""A Time Odyssey" is one of those levels (IMHO) in which you just want to relax and enjoy the gorgeous atmosphere created by the builder. Not very challenging, yet not that plain. It has its moments now and then, but it's mostly a typical tomb raiding. What makes it so special, is the design of the levels. I personally love when a level is big and overwhelming, because you can totally feel that you are next to Lara exploring Pompeii or Dayport. And don't let me get started with the first one (Somewhere, sometime): simply stunning design!!!! Also, kudos for attention to the details! It seems that Trix had made some research, to make sure that everything is "placed" correctly as far as time and place is concerned. Last but not least, Selene has written one of the best walkthroughs ever!! Everything is thoroughly analysed and depicted, reassuring players that there are no mistakes so they can just sit back and relax. I really enjoyed playing this one, so thank you Trix (and Selene) for perfectly doing your jobs. A MUST PLAY!!" - mary-jane (05-Apr-2015)
"I finally got myself to review this game, which provides many hours of gaming in unique locations, but this definition does not quite describe the level aptly, so here comes the "slightly" longer version:
Prelude: This marks a great transition from the last happenings Aegean Legends to the new plot, then Lara enters the time machine and the fun begins with a very dizzying cutscene that has to be seen to be believed.
Somewhere Sometime and bonus levels (9,9-10-10-10): I always love playing city levels, may they be as large as possible, and this is one of the best, so you could say this level started off just perfectly for me. The totally immersive atmosphere is hardly describable; the blueish lighting, the gorgeous texturing and all those little details of which there are too many to list them all made this level to a very special experience which stands even notches above the other two settings in this game. All areas are masterfully put together and there is a wow moment each time you arrive in a new part of the town, seeing just another large and beautiful courtyard or building. I could not find a single thing that I would change in this level in those regards. Else than that, the gameplay is pretty refreshing, with several great puzzles, like the "creation" of a block row, the wagon that has to be moved in order to progress, the whole distillery/furnace part which was an adventure of its own. Every task just fits perfectly to the other and seldom a game feels utterly realistic. I agree though that you have to be a gourmet to really enjoy the game and if you're searching for non-stop action games, this might be not the level for you. The "gaps" between the great moments might be rather longish and running to and fro in the huge setting to search for the next step could be pretty extensive, though if you enjoy leisure exploration and orientate yourself either by your own memory or by the map provided in the download, this should be half as tedious. The two bonus levels are marvellous encounters and I don't want to spoil much here, but I suggest you try to reach those because they are adding much to the experience, and (to spoil just a little bit) the museum level is especially a wonderful trip down memory lane. 2:00 hours.
Shadow of Vesuvius (9-10-9-9): My first impressions of the level were nearly as positive as in the previous one. I thought the texturing of the initial rooms was very good and the sunny Pompeii setting felt just about right. Not that this level turned out to be bad at all, but my expectations weren't fully met. The overall appearance of the level was still very nice, with well crafted streets, lovely textured buildings and lots of eye candy. The object design is used well to create a great atmosphere, like the coliseum or the stones on the street. But here and there you could see some nastily compressed textures (some on the street, but most of them in the coliseum catactombs) and the overall structure felt a little bland and uninspired in the outdoor areas, with uncomplicated architecture and lighting lacking contrast. The atmospherical and also action highlight for me was the great fight inside the arena, I thought this was just plain fun. The puzzles in this level are still very, very nice and fun to solve, though in comparison lacking originality and the progression did not seem to be as inspired as in the city levels, but I think the builder just wanted to set up a different kind of gameplay and it's still very good, and the different gods in the main puzzle room are giving you a good impression where to search for the respective item, so most of the time, when you missed a certain item, you won't have to search forever. And the finale of this level is just another hardly believable moment. 0:50 hours.
Dayport (8-10-10-9): Those two interconnected levels were the most confusing for me and I enjoyed those least, but it says a lot that my least favourite part of the whole game still received high marks from me. The medieval setting is really absorbing - all those rivers floating through the village are such a nice detail and the lighting in the outside areas is very nicely set up, perfectly matched with the sun rays in most rooms. Textures, although a bit sameish indoors, were nicely applied. The only things that disturbed me a bit were the water textures of the rivers floating orthogonally into each other, but I think that can't be helped; but the main thing was that the inside areas, especially in the castle level, were tending to be a bit bland. Gameplaywise, I found too much of the action relied on too uneventful exploration (meaning getting the needed items was too easy - although the name for one of the key is quite funny) and the puzzles in between didn't make up for a change and felt a bit dull instead, e.g. the one inside the mill. The idea to make the boss fight in the castle easier by using a rope accessible after finding a secret in the previous level was already great, but the way it was done is even more ingenious. The moulding of the key was another great moment. On the other side, I found it also a bit harder to orientate in this level than in the others, but the map is luckily not that large and thus it's bearable in a way. The castle level was a bit more stress-free in that regard as you don't often have to go to and fro here and it's certainly the most linear level in this levelset, but still has several wow moments concerning good object usage - just to name one, a ghost coming out of the torture coffin, a very thrilling scene. The game ends with another brilliant cutscene that is highly rewarding and a great conclusion to the whole game. 1:10 hours.
Summary: Even if one has to get acquainted to the very unique style of Trix to be able to enjoy her individual approach on gameplay, this game is just utterly fantastic to play and one doesn't even need to speak about the object design or atmosphere! This is not the most homogeneous level though - the levels around Somewhere Sometime were the most inspired for me in any regard, being close to a perfect adventure, so since I played them first the following levels could not quite attact me as those did, but in the end this doesn't matter because all parts are small masterpieces in themselves and it's only to the level's advantage that one of them sticks out most. It's kind of superflous to highly recommend this game, but I'll still do that. I also want to note that this level has delivered so many ressources, may it be objects or textures, used in so many later levels, that Trix actually has effected more than her one (highly deserved) Hall of Fame entry. Meaning that this is one of the rare eternal masterpieces. Kudos to that! Final stats: 4:00 hours, 8 secrets." - manarch2 (01-Aug-2013)
"This is the true raid, this is the classical TR, this is masterpiece!!! Trix is one of my most favorite builders, there is no doubt about that. This adventure takes you to three various locations plus two little bonus levels with full of explorations, puzzles to solve, wisely hidden secrets plus trophies (special bonus items), beautiful atmosphere, I just loved it, I loved every second playing it. I played it twice so far, found 6/8 secrets and found all trophies. Full recommendation for every TR player!! 10/10/10/10" - OverRaider (26-Feb-2013)
"This is just pure original genius. The settings will wow you. The nuts and bolts will astound you. The atmosphere will carry you away and you'll be left with a deep feeling of admiration for the creator. The visual appeal is blockbuster in this set. Do yourself a favor and don't think twice before playing this, or any other Trix treat." - VoodooChild97 (21-Apr-2011)
"This levelset was very very fun! You go to three locations: Somewhere sometime, pompeii and dayport sunset. In dayport there is another level called dayport castle. My favourite level was sometwhere sometime. This was one of the very best cities I have ever seen! I loved everything about it, the crystal palace, the objects and the puzzles. The levels are very non lineal and pretty hard. I needed the walkthrough a lot of the time and I could tell you can feel pretty lost without it! Very good storyline and puzzles and the cities looks amazing. Pompeii was a really nice level with the arena and the gardens and the roman baths! In this level you have to find objects which suits the roman gods. A Very good puzzle. Dayport was very nice as well. Your main goal is to find the left gauntlet and make the key for the castle. There are really good places like Gallow's place and the mill. The castle was really fun and scary. There was a ghost in the torture chamber which made me jump! There also was undead and alive knights around the castle. The puzzles were pretty fun too. Give this game a go and it will entertain you for days. I might try Aegean Legends now." - afzalmiah (06-Apr-2011)
"Excerpt from Somewhere Times: Page 1
After Jermes Fex, the well-known owner of the controversial "Magic and occult items" store placed - everywhere in the city - announcements about his lost key, someone broke into the store and destroyed a priceless pyramid that was said to gather cosmic energy. Sceptics blame magic believers and vice versa. The first group is sure the magician finally got what he deserved, and rumors say about a hidden war started by an unnamed assasin who entered Mr. Fex's flat, killed his dog and got away unnoticed, with a stolen barrel of crude oil. It's very likely it was the same person who has destroyed the pyramid. This seems to be proved by the city brewery which was unexpectedly found fully functioning last night, with a dead worker near the distillation machinery. However, there is no evidence this was the person responsible for the event. One thing is certain: he tried to make some petrol illegally, out of sight and not caring about safety rules.
Excerpt from Roman Library of Pompeii scrolls:
Actually, this one has been destroyed by Vesuvius explosion. The only understandable words remaining are Decretum falsum punio. Researchers from Prof. Wells' institute are not sure what these words refer to.
Excerpts from Prof. Wells' research notes:
We always wanted to know where the origin of the "forge key" task is. It seems we finally found the answer in Dayport. However, we're not sure, so the research will continue with other adventures and locations Lara travels to.
If the continuum theory is true, we should soon find out if one of those guys Lara has killed in the past was her ancestor.

Excerpts from Lara's diary:
Finding the first energy sphere in Greece was more entertaining. And more flowing. Finding the next two, I was often confused. Shame some not so well shaped or unexpectedly accessible roofs were misleading. If all of them look the same, how could I know some of them are parts of the path I need to follow?
The escape from Pompeii was the best backtrack I've ever made.
Obtaining
Moonlight Sonata score after someone played it behind the wall seconds earlier was magnificient.
The guardians encounter in Castle Dayport was one of the best knight fights I can remember.
Finding trapdoors was the worst pain.

Excerpts from DJ Full's review:
No matter which time period we are in - anytime, we can get confused. We need to be observant and remember everything. Fortunately, Trix provided some useful maps. For me, it was Dayport map which I found the most helpful. Sometimes we can explore areas we're not supposed to enter, and sometimes we encounter bugs, with the most annoying sudden alarm triggers in the museum. I also found waterskin puzzle crashing the game if one pours wrong amount of water into the jar. Anyway, no matter how many flaws the game has, anyone currently being in explorative mood should try this adventure - after playing Aegean Legends, of course - because it's extremely open-spaced and non-linear. Trix teaches us how secrets should be created, making them the most interesting areas of the whole project. Lighting is senseless on some of the roofs in Dayport, but it's perfect anywhere else, so it's enough for me to give a 10. Also, taking this raid on is the only way for You to know what Diapphire and Ruberald are, to see water level changing, to break down the medieval mill and to GET LARA BACK HOME, where a wonderful cutscene with modified Von Croy ends it all. And to hear the soundtrack, hypnotizing in the cavern, epic in survival moments, spooky in dungeons, and - simply - so realistic in flats and streets that I really felt like there were people sleeping around me (this can give creeps to some of You), and I thought it's a real dog barking somewhere outside. Seconds later, I realized that Somewhere was the one from the game." - DJ Full (17-Feb-2011)
"I'm...speechless. This levelset is amazing! Wonderful, creative, cool! Maybe Dayport or the City is the best. I liked the City because of it's beauty, and it was very complex. Dayport is beautiful too, and it has awesome ideas. (like the key-making) Well, I liked Pompeii too, but it's short, unfortunately. Secrets are increasing the gameplay, or making the things easier. I've never seen ideas like this, very creative! I've completed without any kind of medipack, and I only used pistols. Recommended for beginners too, because it's easy, but everyone should play it because of the cool ideas." - rtrger (24-Oct-2009)
"Prelude / Somewhere, Sometime / No Mans Land (7/10/9/9, 120 min, 0+2+1 secret): The adventure is certainly off to an impressive start with the movie style introdcution of the storyline and the psychedelic time travel sequence. Quickly the authentic city settings draw you in as you begin to explore and you can almost grasp the sense of desolation that will overcome you here. Well, and that is also where it quickly began to fail on me a little, as there was just a bit much of exploring the same alleys time and time again, with the possibility to miss many crucial actions easily and having no idea where to go and look for them. The customary objects are awesome and there are a few neat things built in, such as moving that train wagon, the building of the 'stairs' with the boxes, the destillery and the secret with a choice, but a lot of fun in playing got lost when I had to revert to the walkthrough quite a few times to spot the next one thing I had missed in order to allow for progression. Still, I cannot miss to point out the very cool boulder/water effect in No Mans Land and the beautiful caves, which are a great bonus level treat to have.
Museum of Fine Arts (8/10/10/9, 40 min, 1 secret): Wonderfully architected and a wonderful tribute to other builders out there! Great flybys and cool and rarely seen stealth type gameplay - so again, a bonus level that is optional, but that you really do not want to miss out on.
Shadow of Vesuvius (7/9/9/8, 80 min, 2 secrets): The weakest of the set for me. Yes it is colourful and bright and yes it has many cool new objects again, but it also has the issue of endless wondering around the place and getting lost big time as it is very easy to miss a few of the crawlspaces. The concept to find all the necessary items to 'please the Gods' is neat, but it required a little more directional guidance for the player to be fully enjoyable. The ending is well done though with the flying lava and the run back to the time machine.
Dayport Sunset (7/10/10/9, 75 min, 1 secret): I just loved the setting here. It is beautiful and authentic and really draws you in and thus makes the (yet again) large amount of exploration in non-linear fashion almost bearable. The puzzles are quite unique as you deal with a mill and the smithery to mould a key and the use of the torch with the cannon was cool too. Not sure I got the point about that Easter Egg pickup though?
Dayport Sunset - Castle (8/10/10/9, 50 min, 1 secret): This part was gameplay wise probably most to my taste, because the areas are more confined in the castle, the next steps a little more obvious and the backtracking comparably limited. I still missed the occasional hard to see ceiling trapdoor, but nonetheless it flowed quite well and had great moments with the ghost in the dungeons, the use of the ram and the 'boss fight' with the two knights on horses.
All in all, it is a great and diverse adventure that truly deserves its spot in the Hall of Fame, even though the gameplay conceptually did not appeal to me that much with all the non-linear exploring one has to do. We have certainly been blessed with Trix' wonderful work in the custom level scene and can only hope that she might be back one day with another masterpiece." - MichaelP (08-Oct-2009)
"Wonderful game. Beautiful levels, nice textures. I think the most beautiful textures are in Somewhere Sometime. Streets, lanterns, crystal palace and wonderful night. Of course the other levels are amazing too. Not many traps and not many enemies. I don't know why there were crossbow and its ammos. They weren't needed. But this is nice work." - Andzia9 (05-Sep-2009)
"It’s my first contact with Trix’s levels and she has proved that she is a great builder. I loved those beautiful sceneries especially in “Dayport Sunset”. This game is long and full of wonderful objects, textures, music and cameras. In some places when you don’t know what to do and you move around the whole level to find a hidden way, gameplay is a little bit frustrating.. But every hardness is rewarded in the end when you can see magnificent cutscene of Lara coming back to her home and placing her trophies in the famous room with other well-known artifacts from original Tomb Raiders. As I said I loved the high-detailed objects which you can see all around. I have to admit I found all of eight secrets because they aren’t well-hidden. In this custom, you travel in a Time Machine going back to past. The game contains big amount of little beauties like falling leaves in Dayport and (which I loved) a spider making his web over the pit. Those are just small things but they make you smile. Somewhere Sometime: It’s the city from about eighteen century and I found it very enjoyable to play. You’re visiting peoples’ houses and see their equipments. The most fun moment is when you cross the street on the line. We can enjoy very realistic built areas with great textures and really nicely-thought locations like channels, clock tower or the train station. I do love this blue fog. It’s my favourite level in this game. Museum of Fine Arts: Very good level too but I hated ambient track from “City of the Dead” level. There are paintings of famous customs and names of grateful builders. Unfortunately to get the Trophy 2 you mustn’t kill the guards and have to be very quiet. It’s not easy but it’s something completely different from the things done in other customs. Like in previous level and in the whole game there are very good textures. No Man’s Land: Here is very spooky atmosphere and it is like the relax from the city levels. Cave area is very realistic and lighting is perfect. I had some problems to find the way through. In this level are some very unique objects (like high-detailed spiders covering their lairs with webs) and a little bit strange (like the plant with the eye). We can find here some valuable jewels. And the most strange area is with water corridors in the cave. Very interesting one. Shadow of Vesuvius (Pompeii): In this level I only found one moment interesting: the fight in the Coliseum. The rest is mostly running over the whole city with some push puzzles, elements to light with torch and the scale. All in all I found this level the most boring despite of beautiful objects and good textures. Finally we have timed run to Time Machine before you get burned by the lava from volcano, but it isn’t hard to do. All in all, I got bored with this and didn’t want to play it anymore. Dayport Sunset: In this level I liked realistic areas and textures and most of all the great lighting. Sunset has a specific light effect which Trix has copied into the game. I was really impressed by this when I was playing this level. Once more I had some problems to make my way through it but the walkthrough helped me. I especially like the mill and the area looking like a church. Dayport Sunset – Castle: I enjoyed myself a bit here (especially Dungeon). The background music fits perfectly with the Castle atmosphere. Some puzzles and torch elements are in the level. I love the look of the Castle Guardians and soldiers. We can see brilliant objects i.e. those which make the Castle’s towers look not so square and wonderful windows. Cutscenes: Trix had a good thought of travelling back in the time and every time while I was doing this I loved it. The final cutscene with Lara backing to her home and placing the Trophies from the whole adventure next to artifacts from the original “Classic” Tomb Raiders. And (on which I was waiting for all the time) we can at last hear the track from other Tomb Raider than TR4. Lara has finished a great adventure and I was happy to end this game so nicely. To sum up, it’s a pity that Trix decided to stop building levels because I enjoyed these which I had played very much. Unfortunately in The Time Odyssey are some boring moments. Now, I would like to play other levels from this author. Congratulations to Trix for such a magnificent custom!" - jawi (07-Jun-2009)
"I find it very hard to review this level... especially since I was looking forward to playing this game so badly and was ultimately so utterly disappointed. I'd like to say that for the most part in this game there is virtually no gameplay - unless for you, gameplay consists of nothing but endless wandering that really leads nowhere. After two hours of wandering in"Somewhere, Sometime" I was truly fed-up, and hoping I would finally stumble on an actual lengthy puzzle that I could sink my teeth into. Instead, all you do is find the occasional pickup item that then forces you to journey back to the other end of the city once more. Endless wandering and backtracking for no apparent reason is not good gameplay in my opinion, but bad level design! Pompeii was a level I was looking forward to more than anything else, and in all honesty it simply feels dull, dead, and has absolutely no tension. Tension and story is what makes one want to continue a level and pursue ones goal... instead you get to wander around feeling clueless in a city about to be destroyed by a volcano, with a bright sunny day to greet you (doesn't the sky normally get exceptionally dark and cloudy when a volcano erupts?). The only thing that saved the Pompeii level for me was the puzzle with the gods, where we have to find fitting offerings for them. Now that was a great idea and also well researched. What also saves this entire level-set gameplay-wise is the Dayport Castle which has some really nice puzzle ideas and for once gives the player an idea as to what one must do... rather than wander a deserted city for hours until finally things make sense. There are however a few nasty bugs in the Dayport Castle, one of which allows you to jump through a door into a major room, allowing you to cut out a good chunk of the level if you feel so inclined. Anyway, the god puzzle in Pompeii, and the Dayport Castle, are what caused me to at least give a 6 for this level for gameplay instead of a 5... in all honesty, there is almost no gameplay in this level-set and I really wish the author would have worked more on this. Enemies are quite buggy for the most part if you ask me (the grandpa likes to shoot at thin air, and the crows keep getting stuck in walls), but I was a big fan of the crossbow-archers in the castle... this was a very nice change to be shot at with medieval arrows as opposed to guns as always. I thought the templar knights where great, even though the horseman fight was a pain... rather like the centaurs in TRA... not knowing where on earth Lara was aiming. The other objects in the levels are quite beautiful... the architecture Trix added was great, however sometimes some of the object meshes had buggy and bent faces (mainly in the inventory), and I do think the texturing could have been nicer on some of the statues. I found most of the secrets in the game - with all of my mindless wandering I had no choice but to stumble on secrets. Actually, I was annoyed every time I found one, because I was hoping I was on the main path of gameplay and instead wandered into a secret area. The secret level"No Man's Land" is quite good gameplay-wise at least, but could have looked a lot nicer with texturing compared to the other levels. It's almost as if the great textured levels (Pompeii, Sometime, Dayport Sunset etc) have no gameplay because they are beautiful, and the other way around for the bonus level which actually has gameplay. I personally couldn't stand half of the ambient music... I was getting so sick of the screaming cats and dogs whilst wandering Somewhere, and there was this other track of dripping water that was terribly nerve-wracking. Atmosphere was good in Dayport Sunset I thought and in the castle. In Pompeii it felt rather dead and boring until I was beneath the Coliseum at least. And Somewhere Sometime had a very dull and dismal atmosphere that I did not like at all because it made the clueless wandering in that level even more unpleasant. Lighting and texturing is very good for the most part... although I did feel the lighting in Pompeii could have been more atmospheric. The strange thing with these levels is that in some rooms and areas Trix seems to have gone out of her way with texturing, lighting, and architecture objects... and then there are other rooms that look like they were quickly put together without that much time involved. This odd mix is the major weakness in my opinion that this level-set has when it comes to Lighting and Texturing. I realize that I probably stand alone in all my views, but this is what they are. Trix's past levels are also for the most part about endless wandering, and I really wish in this level-set that this had changed and been improved upon. Generally it was a great idea, and the finishing cutscene of Lara placing her trophies is wonderful... but all in all this is not an enjoyable game to play... unless you like to wander without a clue as to what the goal is..." - Sethian (24-Apr-2009)
"And again a levelbuider of the top class leaves the scene. But before we may enjoy once more an absolute highlight. A friend of Lara has built with the help of one of her artefacts a time machine, which Lara wants to try out of course immediately. And of course the first excursion fails first thoroughly. Instead of returning as planned only a few minutes in the time, it nails up Lara to an unknown place in an unknown time. Indeed, it can date back not all too far, because there are though no cars, but already a railway. Lara has to master, actually, "only" one job: She must find oil and work on this, so that she can use the time machine again. Simply sounds, however, is extremely complicated. This first level is a town level as I have never seen him before. When I had found the way from the roof of the building where the time machine stood down, I have run first more than 20 minutes just through the town and have to me everything in rests respectably. And there is a lot to see. You do not come out of the amazement at all. If you have found then still the suitable Items, you can still play two bonus levels. One of it is a museum level. And there is quite an easy rule: Lara has to go unseen along all guards. This is a hard piece of craftsmanship, however, gives incredibly pleasure. The second bonus level is a cave level., Among the rest, there are one-eye plants and a spider who helps Lara to come about an abyss. Also here you can be astonished only at the imagination and level architecture of Trix. If Lara has done her real job, she can get going the time machine again. And it goes on to the next level. This time she lands in Dayport in the year 1381. And again you walk around with open eyes and mouth and ears. It is simply unbelievable. There falls foliage, animals become apparent, etc. Generally I must say, the background noises are so realistic here, that you could think, this would be the reality and no play. This time it goes through a village, a church and a castle. And again the player is on the move several hours. However, besides, it is so diverse which becomes never dull it. After the requested energy source, was found, it goes straight back to the time machine and into next level. And here Lara lands in Pompeji, to mention with her luck of course shortly before the outbreak of Vesuvius in 79 B.C. Needlessly how incredibly also this level part was formed. Lara has to look hereself again after an energy source, so that she can come back to her present. Hardly she has found it, Vesuvius breaks out of course and Lara has to go back as fast as possible to the time machine. But also this makes our heroine natural and thus she returns safely in her time. A fantastic idea is, that Laras opponents fight with the weapons of her time: E.G., Lara is fired in Dayport with the crossbow. There are also knights, dogs, rats, gladiators. Or say it short: It never becomes monotonous. Indeed, the opponents do not seem too often, because it should be no shooting level. To sum up, only one result remains: It is simply an unbelievable level. Thank you for this great end" - Scottie (15-Apr-2009)
"I played most of this level set with a fever. I don't mean that as slight against the author - I just think it shows what kind of mindset you need to be in when you play this level set. Normally, I'm more inclined to enjoy fast action and shorter levels, but having a fever slowed me down considerably. And this is a level set that requires you to be slowed down. It's a level set for the people who consider exploration the best part of the Tomb Raider games. The premise behind the adventure is that Lara gets transported through time to three different time periods. For most builders, this would most likely mean: a) a trap-riddled temple, b) a trap-riddled castle, and c) dinosaurs! And while there is a castle and a temple or two, none of them are particularly trap-riddled. Instead, the author has taken great care in creating three realistic and distinctly different towns/cities. To keep them as realistic as possible, the gameplay mainly revolves around exploration and trying to figure out how it all fits together. It works pretty well, and is varied enough to be entertaining for the most part.
The levels are all fairly non-linear, and there are even two completely optional levels. One of these is a brilliant museum level, where stealth is added into the mix. Because of the limitations of the game engine, it doesn't always work perfectly, but it's still a very unique idea and makes for a great change of pace. The other optional level, meanwhile, has a few cool moments, but I found it very disappointing compared to the rest of the level set. It feels like something the author threw in just because she didn't want to waste something she'd already built.
Overall, this is one of those level sets I don't know why I bother reviewing, since everyone's already played it by the time I get around to it, and it's going to end up in the Hall of Fame anyway. And it definitely deserves it. It's mostly brilliant - the Roman level goes a bit too far in its non-linearity (none of the objects are related to each other, so if you miss one, you're going to have to search the entire level to find it) and one of the bonus levels brings down the quality of the entire package. I also can't help but dream about how wonderful the level set would have looked with high-resolution textures, but I understand why the author didn't want to re-texture everything. But those small niggles aside, this is one of the better custom levels out there and a fitting swansong for the author." - Magnus (18-Mar-2009)
"What an amazing set of levels. I enjoyed every minute of this great adventure. Quite hard puzzles - but believe me you better spend some time and think how to solve them than use the walkfru, it gives you a lot of excitement when you know you have solved them yourself. Fabulous idea with the time machine to move through different levels and a great storyline. There are not too many enemies, but brace yourself for a good fight! Great job Trix - thank you." - Monica (07-Feb-2009)
"A Time Odyssey is simply a wonderful piece of Custom TR work. Lara's experimentation with time travel takes her on an epic adventure through Space and Time visiting three expansive towns - one set in medieval times, one in ancient Pompeii and an unnamed location that has the feel of a classic european city. The sheer scale of the locations is jaw-dropping, and naturally the emphasis is on exploration. This can be a little daunting at times if you lose your bearings. Generally the gameplay is not hard, puzzles are clever yet logical, and there are no unfair tasks. The difficulty lies in discovering everything that you are required to do in the somewhat non-linear environments. But there is great satisfaction in completing each location. There is so much interesting stuff to do in the game, the object work is of the highest standard, and each of the towns has a tremendous atmosphere. Highlights for me include the Colosseum, the Vesusivius eruption, the great enemy characters in Dayport, and just the great 'look' of each town. To me, it's a sign of a great level set when you can be stuck for a long time but never totally frustrated, because you can just wander around and absorb the great atmosphere. These levels successfully did that for me. There are two side play/bonus levels that a really are worth the effort to make sure you visit them. I particularly enjoyed the stealth elements of the Museum level. I located 5/8 secrets which was quite rewarding and spent an embarrasingly long number of hours completing the game. I thoroughly enjoyed this levelset and can only give it the highest recommendation for players of all skill-levels to try. Thank you Trix for this monumental work." - EssGee (15-Dec-2008)
"A most impressive adventure , with amazing objects and good ideas never seen before , wow moments with some new animations for the puzzles with appropriate sounds and cameras. It is obvious that Trix has spent a lot of time creating with talent such features and also the great maps with many places that look real, and many details that resemble to real life, like the sleeves falling down from the trees among many others. As for the gameplay it is certainly a matter of taste considering the amount of running around in the 3 main levels, the last regular level in the Castle was somehow more easy to handle. In fact I could not cope playing the game in one go , as i found it sometimes tiresome and not very gripping because of the running around, one thing that was a bit confusing is that a few areas serve little purpose and some objects are not really essential , so I was never sure in some places that I had not missed something important or if it was just because the area reached or the object found was essential or not. In conclusion one of the most impressive games , but not one of those I enjoyed playing the most the time it lasted, although some places were enjoyable to raid. I still don't know what to think about it really , except that after the last flyby showing Lara placing the new artefacts in her collection , I was sad it was eventually finished, which does not happen often to me when playing a game." - eRIC (14-Dec-2008)
"The reviews and the stuck threads convinced me to wait for the walkthrough before attempting to tackle this one, and the decision proved to be a wise one. Everything about this masterpiece makes you want to pause and savor the surroundings without having to worry about where to go or what to do next. Not to worry: Selene has given us a marvelously detailed guide that's accurate down to the last pickup. I've taken this talented builder to task for what I considered unduly complex and difficult gameplay in her previous releases, but this time she got it exactly right. You get a variety of settings: an ancient Roman city on the eve of the great eruption, a nerve-wracking tour of a museum patrolled by trigger-happy guards, a nocturnal exploration of Victorian London, and a daytime tour of an Olde English village. The visual appointments along the way are simply stunning, and I can only imagine the painstaking effort that went into this unabashed work of art. If forced to choose my Top Ten releases of all time, this one would undoubtedly make the list. I spent a little more than seven hours here, but it's so easy on the eyes that I could have taken twice the time without the least bit of resentment. Once again I'm reminded of how fortunate we in the raiding community are, to have this ever-replenishing supply of free entertainment so readily available. May we never take it for granted." - Phil (12-Nov-2008)
"This was a pretty enjoyable level. I found most of the aspects of this level editor game to be decent, or above average. The gameplay was actually very great, nice atmosphere, and sound were top-notch. What I wasn't very found of was the enemies, I found them to be a bit below average, but they weren't that bad. I loved how this game looked. Great textures make it stand out. I highly recommend this game." - Vaughnage (25-Oct-2008)
"What I loved most about this game was the research that obviously went into both the surroundings and the puzzles. Smelting a key, making fuel for the time machine and the god's puzzle in Pompeii, utterly brilliant. Dayport was my favourite area as the whole period in history interests me and it is atmospherically perfect. The background noise, the swinging of the ropes for the gallows and the sunset lighting really blew me away. I was quite happy just wandering around. I also liked other little touches such as the snoring man when you enter some buildings in Somewhere Sometime, the pushable knights puzzle in the castle and the whole eruption Vesuvius thing. So much thought and planning went into it and thoroughly paid off. The only reason I haven't given 10 for gameplay was the fact that the towns were utterly confusing. I had to consult the walkthrough several times just to find out where to go next or even where to begin. When you are given an entire city to explore from the beginning it is a daunting task. Very rewarding when the pieces of the puzzle all fall into place, but I originally gave up due to this fact. Perhaps some clue might have helped at the start, just to give a hint where to go since you already have some maps. This wasn't really a problem in Pompeii as each area becomes accessible in order so the progress is more logical. But nevertheless, astounding. 5 hours. 4 secrets." - TrueRaider (24-Oct-2008)
"For sure it is the best game of the last few months, beautiful textures , new objects , new ideas , everything is possible . I loved the first level with it is special atmosphere and so wonderful town. Vey interesting action , fresh and full of secrets. I would like only change a little the final because it should be something more than only Home sweet home ;-) But maybe it is for another story ... My opinion 40/40 great job Trix !!!" - ersatz (21-Oct-2008)
"The only thing I didn't like about this fantastic adventure was the too much no-lineal gameplay. The cities/villages are very very big, and you can run around and around hours doing nothing before you really began to play and do the tasks :-(. Rest of the features are exceptional, extraordinary, something I've never seen. Marvellous landscapes very well textured with a lot of small details, clever puzzles, magnificent architecture even better than official games, excellent new objects and enemies, nice cutscenes, appropriate sounds and musics, impressive flybies, new moves and a logic way to proceed with the tasks... An adventure to play more than once :-D." - Jose (20-Oct-2008)
"Another game, I think headed for the hall of fame !!! I love time travel stuff to begin with. What a great way to present such different locations. I liked this one particularly, because there were more puzzles and exploring, and not so many enemies, and especially those maddening timed runs. The detail, colors, imaginative puzzles, lots of pickups, interesting clues, Trix had a little of everything. I didn't miss the master boss ending, that is so popular now. The final run was easy in Pompei (when I saw it was 79 AD, I figured that would be the best to save for last), I stuck around, as Vesuvius erupted, just to see what would happen, and it did !!! Wonderful experience Trix - Thank You !!!" - Juno Jim (17-Oct-2008)
"Trix, dear, you have truly created a masterpiece to behold. The prelude level begins our journey in the time machine, however when something goes wrong, Lara is transported to three different places where she must seek out fuel to try to get back to her correct time. I chose to go to Somewhere, Sometime first. The time machine lands on top of a tall building so Lara must work her way down. I thought the place was going to be really gorgeous, but it wasn't until I ran to the main square that I got the full scope of just how stunning the city really is. Trix spared no creative expense when texturing and designing this city. I was just in awe the whole time. The puzzles here were also incredibly intricate and at times I became really confused. I think Trix should have not made the place so open-ended. I never do well with those places, primarily because I will end up going somewhere before I should, then later, when I need to go, well I forget where it was! I could overlook that though. Next, I was off to Pompeii, a personal interest of mine in real life. This place was incredible as well, with wonderful detailing, bright colors, expansive gameplay areas and tricky puzzles. I adored this level and having to find the gifts for the gods so to acquire the energy sphere to get going again. I was very happy to have found the secret so I could get the shortcut or I may not have made it before the super-heated ash hit me. Not to fear though, and off to Dayport I went. This level had some neat gameplay aspects like making a key and uses for the exploding arrows (an often overlooked thing in my opinion). There were awesome puzzles and a great battle at the end. I was so bummed after I was done. It took me 14 hours, 14 incredible hours not soon to be forgotten. This level is an absolute must-play for everyone." - Shandroid (12-Oct-2008)
"Absolutely deserving of an all 10 score, and I'm actually re-playing this game for fear I might have missed anything. Somewhere A stunning city area where Lara has to find the fuel for the time machine in order to proceed. She will need to collect the oil can and crude oil, and then refine the oil (there's neat box puzzle here to make a box jump to the distillery). The final task is to then take the refined oil to the furnace to make the fuel complete. It's quite simple really, but if you wish to make more of this level then search out the 3 clocks to open the way to the little additional levels,"The Museum" and"No-Mans Land", and I suggest you do as these little extras are well worth the effort. The city is quite large, and getting lost can be a hazard, but take note of the street signs and you shouldn't have too much trouble. The buildings are stunning, and everything is perfectly textured. This is one place I would be quite happy to call my home, and I totally got sucked into the surroundings and atmosphere. The rooms within the buildings are beautifully designed and decorated, so it really is beautiful in every way. Enemies are thugs, rats and a croc, plus one suited up guy who will leave you the revolver. No Mans Land (additional level) Lara has to find 4 gem halves, combine them and place them to leave the area. The inner cave is beautiful with little jewel stones set into the walls, and there's a cool lever swim here and a very nice watery portal to swim out through. The spider task at the end was fabulous, and you will get a certificate at the end. Museum (additional level) I missed this additional level at first, so be sure to go there before heading off to Pompeii because you can't go back and it would be a crime to miss it. Lara's mission here is to grab the most valuable item in the museum (The Moonlight Sonata Score) but it's closely watched by guards scattered throughout the rooms. If you alert any guards they will trip the alarm and the prize will no longer be accessible; but this doesn't stop you from finishing the level, it just means you can't take the special item. Get the music score and you will also get a players"Stealth/Skill" award. Enemies are of course guards, and if you manage to find the secret lock pick you can use it to gather some more items back in the city. The rooms in this level have to be admired, and I spent ages browsing through the many pictures on the walls; that are in fact screenshots of Trix's tester's fav levels. What a fabulous idea!!! Again, you will find stunning settings and beautiful decor, but move on you must so head back out to the city and take the journey to your next destination. Pompeii Lara arrives in the warm sunny location of Pompeii, and there is definitely a slight un-nerving feeling about the place. In the distance, you can just see Mount Vesuvius rising above the buildings, and she's getting ready to blow. Lara needs to find the two parts of the sun goddess to leave the level, but there are also a few more items to gather before she can complete that task. Six items in all need to be placed in bowls, and this in its self is a puzzle of sorts; but I won't spoil that by giving the solution. Again you will find stunning street scenes, and even visit The Colosseum for a fight. There are some good puzzles to solve, and hazards along the way from falling debris, and of course the final hazard, Mount Vesuvius erupts and Lara must make a hasty retreat from this place. Fabulous game play, beautiful scenery and enthralling atmosphere. Dayport Lara's final destination. This is a quaint old village, and comes complete with an ancient castle and gallows. You will visit the castle later on but in order to do so Lara needs to do some exploring for keys etc, and this is quite a task. The village is quite large and again you might find yourself a little lost, so take note of buildings and objects along the way, and also where the river is as this will help guide you through. Lara will need to find two pieces of armour, and they will be placed in the castle to finish the game. Yet again, I found this faultless and utterly beautiful. The game play was also fun and I just loved exploring the alleyways and buildings for my much needed items. In the castle, things hot up a little and knights will give Lara a hard time, but with trophies and secrets in hand Lara can head back to the time machine and make her way home. This game really is a must to play so please don't miss it, and I'd like to say a huge thank you to Trix for a superb top class game." - Moonpooka (01-Oct-2008)
"I've played all of Trix's levels at least twice, and I must say I'm already looking forward for the next time I will be playing this one. I had been expecting it since I read last year she was going to release it soon, and I almost had a heart attack when I saw the topics in the forum. I played the levels backwards (Somewhere sometime, The Museum of fine arts, No man's land, Dayport sunset and Shadow of Vesuvius). I don't want to give away many details and stuff cause you would have to see them yourself, but I think that what makes Trix great is the care she puts into every single detail. I'm one of those that loves climbing up to unaccessible areas by corner bugs, just to admire the view, and let me tell you, Trix even manages to amaze me when I come across such details in areas you're never supposed to see!!!!! I couldn't believe my eyes, you know, you always see misplaced texture in those areas cause nobody will ever want to be there, but these levels are flawless... Even though the whole adventure was a delicious experience, I grew fond of Dayport Sunset, I wish I could have lived there, I mean, when I saw the beds I felt as if I could just lay there with the windows open watching the sunset. *singhs* It would be a huge loss if she does decide to retire from building TR levels..." - Ivan (30-Sep-2008)
"Well, what can be said that hasn't been said already? I had the pleasure of being part of the betatesting team and for the first time in my life I haven't minded playing the same levels seven times in a row. As stunning as its sequel(Aegean Legends) is, this one is even better. In fact I find it very hard to write a decent review, because this masterpiece deserves more credit than I could possibly put down in words. In this game Lara must go on a journey through time and space to find two more energy spheres like the one she found in Thera's Abyss(at the end of AL). One of these is located in a temple in Pompeii and the other one is kept in a small village in medieval England. As if this wasn't enough she is also stranded in a foreign, modern-day city in the middle of the darkest night. Here she needs to get a hold of some fuel for the time machine so that she can continue her quest for the energy spheres. The game itself is non-linear in every aspect of the word. You don't actually have to perform the tasks in a certain order, there are several different paths leading to pretty much every single spot and on top of that you can even choose the order of certain levels. To all this you can add three additional(and optional) trophies to be found as well as three special items that enables you to access a bonus level. The result: a multi-level adventure so massive that its sheer size and non-linearity can make even the most intrepid raider turn pale. Never mind that- this is a level that just has to be seen and experienced. The atmospheric surroundings are so stunningly beautiful that you won't mind running over the same areas over and over again- all you'll want is to see more of it. If I had to sum it up in one word it would be PERFECT. The perfect combinations of colours, the atmosphere, the sounds/musical scores that send shivers down your spine, the ingenious puzzles and new objects, the custom-made enemies, the extra treasure hunts for the 3 trophies- every single aspect makes this game worth playing and remembering for life. I'm already considering going through it for the 8th time in a row and NO other game has ever had that impact on me. Thank you Trix for bringing us this masterpiece and I really do hope it won't be the last we see of your amazing talent as a level builder." - Selene (30-Sep-2008)
"What a wonderful idea for a level and, of course, coming from one of our most accomplished builders it's no surprise to find it brilliantly executed as well. In fact, Trix has absolutely excelled herself with this one. Each time period seems to strive to be even more beautiful than the last and the use of original objects and animations adds enormously to the effectiveness of the gameplay. The music and sounds are expertly chosen to enhance the wonderful atmosphere of each unique area and I particularly like the way the inventory objects alter to suit the relative time period. It's this commitment to such attention to detail that sorts out the great builders from the merely very good. Trix has paid homage in her readme to three builders who have most inspired her (and I wouldn't argue with her choice) and as far as I'm concerned she deserves a place right up there amongst them. This game has Hall of Fame written all over it." - Jay (29-Sep-2008)
"I must tell that I'm not surprised why creating this game took so long. It has really everything that is needed for a top level like great graphics, good atmosphere, gameplay containing imaginative puzzle ideas and interesting story. Added to this it is spiced up with many new objects, textures and audio tracks and some cutscenes as well. However, the most impressive thing in my opinion was the way to interact with surroundings which really differs much from majority of custom levels. An example of this kind of situation is how you need to produse fuel for a time machine from crude oil utilizing distillation machine and a big furnace. Even if I enjoyed this game extremely much because of its graphics and great gameplay I still prefer author's previous part, Aegean Legends, to this one. This game partly lacked the inexpressible atmosphere and feeling which Aegean Legends has when playing it. This is of course only my opinion and many others can find this game more satisfying. All in all this game is a good example of a game which manages to be great in every aspects and it's surely a game which no one should miss." - Samu (29-Sep-2008)
"This is destined to be a Classic...sure to be on the lists of The Hall Of Fame and best of '08. Trix has given us not only maps of the three levels to guide us but a flyby in Somewhere Sometime showing us the exact route to take to start our adventure. She has outdone herself with sounds, animations, objects and places where we not only want to stay but in which we want to enjoy every last play feature. In the Museum, we get to play TR as a Thief game, with all the attendant sneaking of which it is well known. In No-man's Land we get an added secret area with water 'tunnels' and in The Shadow of Vesuvius we get the burning ashes and timed run to a safe departure. In each level there is something special, something that will remind of of just how brilliant this is. To add to what I have already mentioned: the clop, clop of horses in Somewhere Sometime; the falling leaves in Dayport Sunset and then there is Lara's Trophy room to which we add the Quest items we have found. The accent is always on exploring in new, beautifully realized environments with new objects and the fun of a memorable, All Time Raid. Of all the treasures that Lara has brought us, Trix is one of the greatest." - Bene (29-Sep-2008)
"It's certainly easy for a reviewer to award straight 10's for "A Time Odyssey." Trix is known for beautiful detailed professional levels that are also difficult, such as "Aegean Legends," but these new levels actually seem easier, accessible to all players. (So play them!) There is a tremendous amount to explore in the huge levels, but the author often gives hints, or provides several routes to a quest item, so that it is not too difficult to make progress. "Aegean Legends" ended oddly with Lara seemingly stranded out in the middle of the ocean. These new levels start with Lara being flown away in a seaplane. Several years pass while a time machine is constructed with the discovered strange energy source. Lara tests the time machine by dropping back an hour into the past, but then things go wrong. "Somewhere In Time" must be one of the best city levels ever with its incredibly rich detail and varied objects. The player has to pause occasionally to admire the scenery, to feel that this is a real city. And the author has helpfully provided an opening fly-by to show the locations that must be visited to accomplish the goal of finding fuel for the wayward time machine. I needed the map at first to keep from getting disoriented in the vast expanse. And there are fun bonus levels that can be entered: "No-man's-land" and "The Museum of Fine Art," the last a tribute to great Tomb Raider levels (and to sneaky raiding). Then "Dayport" takes Lara to the Middle Ages: flea-infested rats sport among the grain in a barn, decaying corpses sway on a gibbet, the living quarters are cramped and dank, and the castle dungeon has its torture rack. Everything is here to remind you what a really fun place the Middle Ages could be. Though you'll be quite entertained trying to get out of here. Then "Shadow of Vesuvius" takes Lara to Pompeii and everything is bright Mediterranean sun and beautiful Roman villas. Again, the attention to detail makes everything come alive and solidly roots the adventure. And did I mention that Vesuvius is about to erupt? Throughout the level series there are great puzzles such as pouring molten bronze into a mold to manufacture a key, or just Lara finding her way across rooftops. The music is always well selected and the atmosphere evocative. Play and replay this masterpiece. If Trix does abandon Tomb Raider it will be a real loss." - dmdibl (28-Sep-2008)
"well a backdraw when need to review a level is when u played and finished 7/8 days ago -cos was posted late at this site - and after u played another 2/3 games and u need to put ur memory at work to write the review from it .... well is a very good game spitted in 4 levels (i think) very well designed areas albeit a bit confusing sometimes ...cos u need a precious item from a level wich u need to use at another level.... and the levels are not interlinked so is not easy to figure out wich level to choose and the order off it to could finish this game ..... all in all is a top level ...but i cannot give 10 in the line cos a bit confusing gameplay and graphics was good but i see better ones too .... but i can recomand at all true TR fans ... good job Trix .." - Jack& (28-Sep-2008)
"If Trix's A Time Odyssey doesn't deserve four straight tens, no other game does. After her adventures in Greece, Lara returns to her mansion and tries out a time machine that professor *what's-his-name" has been perfecting. Little does she know that she'll be having to visit a large city with two great side quests in between if you find three hidden clocks somewhere in the city, plus the old Pompei and a small town named Dayport in the Middle Ages. Of course, we do know that and we just love it and are only too unhappy when the whole ordeal is finally over. So, what's so special apart from the varied and excellently well done settings, which is definitely a yes-yes-yes for me? There's a special care put into every single detail that you hardly see in both professional and custom levels. Perfection is the key word here. Trix creates many custom objects and creates them proficiently, which makes any level a potential winner. The atmosphere and the music and sounds that accompany it are totally fitting and inspired. And lastly, Trix manages to capture our hearts without having to resort to the usual traps after traps and lava and so forth technique that, quite frankly, doesn't bring anything new much anymore to the Tomb Raider world. And the game is neither simple nor complicated (even though one may get a little lost in the huge surroundings just a few times). To cut it short, I'm out of words to describe this unique experience, so I guess you'll only understand what I'm saying after you try this masterpiece too. On a side note, Trix seems to be saying she won't build any more Tomb Raider customs anymore because she wants to devote her efforts to building Thief games. Without meaning to diminish Thief in any way, let's just hope she definitely changes her mind, otherwise we'll be facing one very major loss here." - Jorge22 (27-Sep-2008)
"'A Time Odyssey' is the highly anticipated sequel to 'Aegean Legends' and I can tell you it was more than worth the wait. With several hours of solid gameplay (nearly 8 it was for me, as I would take my time exploring everything in this wonderful game), providing not only great adventure moments but also some eye-candy settings, impressively set action sequences and elaborate but enjoying puzzles, this surely stands among the finest in custom level production. Like most of the levels that Trix has made so far, this one too has two elements that make it even more special: interesting historical background and high replay value. Setting off from where Aegean Legends ended, Lara returns home with the energy orb she found in Thera and uses it to start her friend's time machine so as to test it by travelling in time. There are three different destinations that you can choose to play in any order you like (but you can travel to each only once). 'Somewhere Sometime': spooky city environment, where an atmospheric blue lighting dominates. This massive level with a great deal of things to do and several beautiful rooms and exteriors to explore, is not only an eye-fest but moreover hides two nice surprises: two bonus mini-levels, made available once you make the right moves: 'No Man's Land' which is a dreamy complex of caves with mysterious crystals and enchanting spiderwebs, and 'Museum of Fine Arts' that challenges you to break in a hall of arts and grab an artifact without getting noticed by the guards. Stealth fans will love this. The builder has also included special rooms in the museum to pay homage to the trle.net community. 'Dayport Sunset': this medieval village is once again a massive level where you have to carry out many tasks. Don't hurry to finish this one; it takes a lot of time and patience. Besides you won't enjoy it as much as you should, and it's definitely worth your time and effort. Be patient, explore thoroughly, organize your moves and who knows, maybe you will find an Easter Egg hidden in a high, remoted balcony, barely seen from the ground. You collect artifacts too, as well as a couple of items that you can use to replace missing things (ie, a dagger to make a switch, a lockpick to make a key), and you also have the chance to craft the castle key yourself. 'Shadow of Vesuvius': what excells in this level is the rich and colourful decoration but this is Pompeii after all; what else did you expect? Pompeii is the shortest section of the three and, despite the several side-streets and rooms you have to visit, the easiest to navigate (possibly the bright light and blue sky to achieve the mediterranean atmosphere effect is highly responsible for this). However this section doesn't lack variety - there are tastefully decorated halls, cobblestone streets, shrines, temples and even an arena with a neat fight for Lara to carry out. When you find the energy orb, you have to run like mad to the time machine before Vesuvius errupts. I didn't find the secret which opens the shortcut for this point but I didn't mind; it was pretty fascinating sprinting along the streets with the earth shaking under Lara's feet and lava rain falling from the sky! Not a good thing that such an amazing game had to finish... but like stated earlier, thanks to its replay value I will surely get back to it again! Definitely not to be missed, go and play it right away!" - Ravenwen (27-Sep-2008)
"The last (?) and final masterpiece by one of our most talented builders , so much effort and time must have been put into creating such a wonderful adventure . Travelling through time the player encounters various ages of history like a huge french city , an old english village and Pompeji on the day before the city fell into ruin. All these locations have been perfectly worked out in every detail . There is always some beautiful custom music to accompany you on your quest and it fits very well. Trix has added 2 Bonus levels which are not necessary to complete the game , but should not be missed at second chance. After all , this is definetely the game of the year , so now its available on trle.net download it right now and enjoy all the wonders of Trixies "A Time Odyssey" !" - Ruben (27-Sep-2008)