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Climb up by Daoine Sidhe

Bene 9 8 9 9
dmdibl 9 9 8 9
eRIC 9 7 8 9
EssGee 8 8 9 9
Gerty 7 8 9 9
guss18 9 8 9 9
Jay 9 8 8 9
Jorge22 9 8 9 9
Jose 7 7 8 9
Lizard Queen 10 10 10 10
manarch2 8 7 9 9
MichaelP 8 8 9 9
Mulf 8 5 7 7
Mytly 9 8 9 8
okuhtfesq 8 10 10 9
Passalaqua 9 7 7 7
Phil 9 9 9 9
Ryan 9 8 9 9
Scottie 9 8 10 9
Shady Croft 9 9 9 9
Shandroid 9 7 8 7
 
release date: 28-Sep-2008
# of downloads: 77

average rating: 8.50
review count: 21
 
review this level

file size: 21.40 MB
file type: TR4
class: nc
 


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Reviewer's comments
"Short but pretty challenging level that takes place almost entirely in a single area. As the title suggests, the aim is basically to ascend to the top of the level, collecting a few gems on the way. There's not too much in terms of enemies or traps, this is more based around exploration - the difficulty mainly comes from the fact that the path forward often takes a while to find. Not the most aesthetically pleasing, although it does have a fairly unique look and atmosphere to it. Overall enjoyed this one, finishing it in about 1 hour 40mins." - Passalaqua (02-Dec-2023)
"Here’s one for the explorers among you. The in-game title is Climb Up the Building, but shortening it was a good idea. The form of a terse order is not only much more punchy, it also characterises the level’s demands quite well. Also, ‘building’ may suggest a wrong idea of the structure in question—it consists of large, interconnected bridges arranged in a square and in two tiers, with some satellite structures on top and off to the sides. It’s obviously useless, hence appropriately described as an work of art (dmdibl). I’d be lying if I said I liked the custom textures a lot, but I acknowledge that in combination with the lighting, they succeed in lending the setting an otherworldly atmosphere.
Although there are quite a few tricky jumps to master, the individual tasks are not overly taxing in themselves; the difficulty of this level is more than the sum of its parts. Platforming figures prominently of course, so it certainly helps if you are an experienced player or able to view the map with a builder’s eye, so as to determine which slope is slippery and on which you can stand, or where you may conceivably be supposed to jump to next, and so on. Tasks are varied though, and especially in the first half your willingness to explore and your sense of orientation are put to the test; in part because in addition to regular secrets, the level features Golden Skulls as secrets in the second degree, which the builder not infrequently seems to use as decoys to steer you away from the path of progression. Since you may then have to retrace your steps from the beginning, I would recommend going after them only for dyed-in-the-wool secret hunters. Otherwise, though, the gameplay is apparently intended to be entirely linear, which in this case means that if you miss one link in the chain of events, you may well waste an hour looking for a way to continue that doesn’t exist. Conversely, it’s also possible to skip several steps ahead only to come to a cropper some way further down the line, as the experiences of MichaelP and others attest. Other parts may be skipped without consequences; thus, I unwittingly entered the cave with the spike wave from its rear end and claimed the secret there, which rendered the rest of the cave redundant, as I could then simply continue on the higher level without ever opening the door at the bottom or triggering the spike wave. So, ‘foolproof’ (EssGee) it is certainly not; but then I seriously doubt that a map like this ever can be.
I had the impression that the higher you climb, the more conservative the gameplay becomes—a simple pushable task; a few underwater tunnels that don’t even amount to a maze; levers multiply. This part still features a brief timed run, and a neat monkeyswing / jumpswitch / slope combo; but the ending in particular is, if not downright disappointing, then certainly anticlimactic. A few lesser (and much shorter) levels based on a similar concept (Reach the Top, or even Ekarbian) have handled their endings with more aplomb." - Mulf (29-Mar-2022)
"Here’s another level I noticed via the random/featured screen and just the name itself made me want to download and play it. What I liked about the level: 1) Clear and simple objective! 2) Very few enemies, easily dispatched! 3) Lots of jumps to get to where you need to go and which are quite doable. 4) The overall effort and cleverness to build such a structure and surrounding area just blows me away. 5) The jump room with the burning floor… so much fun! 6) Being so high up (near the end, of course) is such a cool feeling. 7) The colour scheme is so surreal, you almost feel like you’re on Mars or something. 8) The structure with the 4 internal grabbable walls, slopes and platforms on all 4 sides was just brilliant. What I didn’t like: 1) Well, there’s nothing I didn’t like! Ok, maybe having to shoot all those poor dogs who were howling all the time… that was cruel, lol. 2) And maybe a bit more pizzazz of an ending would have been nice after all that climbing. So, if you like a surreal atmosphere with few and mostly docile enemies (those poor dogs were after all only resting there until you disturb them) while searching for your path upwards with lots of jumping to get there, then you’ll enjoy this level as much as I did." - Lizard Queen (04-Feb-2020)
"Exploration and lots of it. This level has an ingenious concept in requiring to climb all the way up and up a tall room to reach the end. I initially thought that it would be tedious trying to search out the correct routes to take, but it was anything but. There are plenty of sneaky nooks and crannies providing access to other passages, as well as the main area that provides the vast majority of the gameplay. The enemies aren't too much of a threat (dogs and scorpions which aren't very vicious), but that's not a bad thing. There's also the opportunity to go for various gold skulls and secrets scattered around, which are nice little side trips, although I could have done without the backtracking required to get back on to the main route. The textures and lighting are very colourful and pleasing, despite being fairly minimalistic. Overall, this level won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I must say I loved it." - Ryan (13-Jul-2018)
"The majority of the level is visible from the beginning, as most of the action takes place in one huge outdoor area with a complex climbable structure in it. The goal of the level is summed up in its title: you just have to climb up the structure. Easier said than done, of course. This is a really good example of how an enjoyable level can be built mostly with room geometry. As can be expected, the gameplay is mainly platforming-based, with a few good timed runs and traps.
The level is predominantly bright pink, due to the heavy distance fog of that colour. The colour scheme of some areas clashes rather badly with this fog. But still - the sight of the huge structures rising out of the fog is impressive enough to make me forgive the occasional ugly colour combinations.
There are 4 secrets as well as 10 golden skulls to be found, and getting them all can be pretty challenging. The quest for these sometimes can sometimes distract from the main challenge. In some cases, getting to the secrets/golden skulls was not too difficult, but getting back to where I originally was involved so much backtracking that I simply reloaded an older savegame and continued the main challenge.
Overall: A good level for when you're in the mood for a little platforming fun in a minimalist setting. Recommended." - Mytly (29-Nov-2015)
"The concept of this level is simply fantastic: Lara starts on the floor of a simply enourmous big area with great modern textures and has to find the way up. You have many tricky jumps to master and apart from four secrets a side quest for ten golden skulls with even more hard jumps to master. Enemies were only skorpions and jackals - I missed a little variety here. There are a lot of levers to pull, but I can forgive this as the trick is how to reach them without falling in the deep. The highlights were a very unique cutscene of some spikes slowly killing poor Lara, a slope jump sequence over deadly floor and reaching the top of the tower with a great view on the whole area. The slight downsides are that it it sometimes very hard to progress in this level as the jumps are often not very obvious and it is easy to miss a vital item in this level, so I recommend to use either of the two walkthroughs provided. Also, there weren't many different objects but some pillars used here and the textures do most of the design work. Recommended for the more experienced raiders out there." - manarch2 (20-Jan-2012)
"This is a great adventure. It has just the right level of difficulty, great textures, plenty of camera hints, and is very nonlinear. There is no story, but that's not a problem for me, because I never read the stories anyway. My one complaint is that it is very difficult to get started! There is a large bottom area to explore and you are basically just thrown in with no clues about where to go (you must perform a jump that looks impossible, in a place you'd likely storm right past). However, once you get past the first floor of this level, it is pure joy to play! It took me 1 hour 15 minutes to beat, and I got all the secrets and nine of the golden skulls (I found the last one by mistake, but didn't want to backtrack to get it). I would highly recommend this level to anyone who has some patience." - okuhtfesq (09-Jan-2011)
"By sheer coincidence, Gerty and I played this older level at about the same time. It's a wonderful little gem, and I'm amazed that I've let it languish until now. When I started the game and had a chance to look around, I thought that I was facing a fairly boring exercise in finding my way up a huge structure. However, I soon found that there's a variety of environments and tasks here, where the builder has skillfully woven hidden areas in the surrounding caverns with the more open environs on the structure itself. As an added incentive there are a bunch of golden skulls scattered about for you to find, although finding them gives you nothing but a sense of satisfaction. Everything is well lighted and it took me about an hour and a half to complete the level, even with the excellent walkthrough nearby. If you didn't play this one the first time around, don't miss it now." - Phil (17-Jul-2010)
"I have to say that with a level made by Daoine you will experience something different. This one was on one hand quite exited but my fear of heights and figuring out where and what to do, it took a long, long time before I finished this one. So exploring is high on the list and in doing so I did find nine Golden Skulls. It was rather confusing at times and that is also I took my time to finish it." - Gerty (16-Jul-2010)
"This level does not bears his name wrongfully Climb up is he called and with it (almost) everything is already said. Lara must climb here and jump. A lot climb and jump. A mountain goat fromt Tibet looks quite old against this. The primary aim is to find two green and one red crystal, so that one can open finally the door to the level exit. But before it Lara must get the adrenalin flowing. Occasionally one can also gather 10 golden dead skulls what still needs sometimes a little time and energy. This time the Location is a valley kettle which is surrounded by mountains. In this valley kettle stand towers which are connected with each other at several levels. The mountain walls adorn colonnades and also Lara has to explore a few tunnels. The whole area is formed wonderfully. It is simply a pleasure to disclose this level step by step. Because the degree of difficulty is not too high and it gives only a few dogs as opponents, this level is also well suitable for beginners" - Scottie (02-Jun-2010)
"Wow, what a climb up ! This was a strange looking level, but was great fun for me. You're thrown in to this very spacious world with weird sci-fi structures and mountains surrounding them and what you have to do is perform jumps, solve tasks and just navigate around ledges and find the right way up. This is best played at one go because it does take sometime and there's so much climbing and path finding and going up and down that you'll likely forget what you've done so far if you leave it for a while. Overall, this is definitely a level to be played by experienced TR players (new comers may try it as well). Good job, Daoine!" - Shady Croft (17-Apr-2009)
"A very original level that actually would deserve and get even higher scores from me if it did not fall a little short on its very ambitious concept, which is about building a rather huge single area which the player is supposed to explore and navigate, slowly but surely opening up new paths and finding your way further up and up until you reach the exit door after about an hour+ of net gaming time. The setting itself is solidly built with fairly bright colours and enemies (dogs, scorpions) do not play a major role here. And like I said - I loved the concept and was intrigued by finding the right next step each time, but: three or four times along the way I ended up finding a next step that was out of sequence and reached places kind of backwards and then it gets very, very confusing. If you play things in order, the author actually guides you along quite nicely with camera hints, but if you don't that does not help you all that much, so when I did reach the door and needed two green gems and had none I was quite stumped. That gripe aside, I managed to eventually find the right track and then it is not all that hard and very entertaining to play. Maybe a bit much of a 'switch hunt' especially towards the end and maybe that very first step to start your journey could have been made a little more obvious, but still... try it if you dare. It is certainly something different!" - MichaelP (12-Mar-2009)
"A very cleverly constructed expansive level that requires some challenging exploration in a surreal setting to get to the top of the construction. Your goal is to find two green crystals and one brown one which will set you on your path to freedom. Besides discovering crystals to open doors and optional golden skulls, the player's sole objective is to get to the top of the building. One can only admire the thought that has been put into this map to make it all possible and fool-proof in its execution. The level difficulty is high in my opinion because of the routes one must pick out, so may not appeal to all players, but for those that like devious exploration this is a must play. I fear I could not have persisted without the assistance of the walkthrough. Lighting and texturing are very well done. camera work is fine, and enemies are just an after thought in the form of dogs and small scorpions. Certainly innovative in its design and quite different to the average tomb raid. Perfect for the curious explorer." - EssGee (17-Dec-2008)
"Interesting level where you have to make your way around a very huge room full of ledges trying to open some doors and getting the upper levels to finally open the last door at the top of the room. Architecture is very angulous with a lot of ilegal slopes, but good. I liked the nice and well applied textures too. Enemies are only scorpions and jackals, and I couldn't find extra weapons; there are few pickups too. Not difficult tasks, it's a psychedelic level where the jumps and climbs are the predominant tasks. There are ten golden skulls to find but some of them may be very well hidden; I only found seven. An enjoyable level." - Jose (04-Nov-2008)
"This level was really unique and abstract. It is full of interesting jumps and puzzles. I found myself really having to think what to do next. I normally don't play levels like this, but I am glad I did, it's well-worth playing." - Shandroid (24-Oct-2008)
"Being directionally challenged at times I'm surprised I enjoyed this level as much as I did, that is once I located my first step for my ascent. Setting was unique and quite lovely. Enemies, scorpions and jackals, were more of a nuisance than a threat, but your main objective is to find your way to the top with a few detours along the way. I totally missed the jump switch in the slope-lava room and only discovered it by accident jumping around the room and after that things went very quickly. I found 2 secrets and eight skulls. If you decide to go after the skulls save before because a lot of times you will end up back at the ground level and will have to start you climb again. Recommended for a different type of Raid." - guss18 (20-Oct-2008)
"The return of the 'concept' levels with this great and clever map. If you are bored with straightforward levels in dark undergrounds , try this for a change, and if finding your way is one of your favourite tasks in TR you will have a great time. There is also some diverse other tasks as well. I reckon that the progression could have been even better , as the beginning was a bit obscure, also you can have a long sequence of"redo" for example if you choose to solve the movable blocks puzzle instead of sliding towards the slopes room first. But generally the level flows very well , and the excellent camera works is friendly. If the enemies do not play a major role, the architecture and the lighting are technically very good and the textures are new. Found only 2 secrets and 8 of the golden skulls." - eRIC (18-Oct-2008)
"Excellent level for those who love to explore and find their route. The aim is precisely to climb up a structure from the rocky bottom to the top, with several detours, until finally opening two gates and crossing them to the finish. Meanwhile, there are secrets (of which I got one, probably the most obvious) and ten gold skulls (of which I picked six even though more were visible)to find. The settings are quite creative and really very nicely done. The enemies are just Egyptian dogs. I must say the beginning is rather cryptic and I had a hard time starting to find my way but I persisted and later it got better and easier. There's a small timed run, some swimming, a burning floor with slides, a bit of monkey swinging, just a little pushing and pulling and a lot of jumping - nothing excessively hard but you do have to pay attention. Easily recommended if orientation is your cup of tea." - Jorge22 (14-Oct-2008)
"I always enjoy the type of level where the emphasis is on finding the correct route and this is a particularly good example of the genre. There are a few puzzles and timed runs to achieve, plus a smattering of jackals and scorpions to shoot, but your main objective is indeed climbing, which can involve some quite tricky jumps at times. The setting is beautiful, comprising the enormous structure itself, housed in a vast cavern and your route will take you through cave areas at times. There are four secrets and ten golden skulls to find along the way, but I only managed eight skulls and two secrets so there were obviously areas I missed. Shame. At times a confusing game, but I must say I loved it." - Jay (06-Oct-2008)
"This well-designed level is quite enjoyable, and I certainly recommend it for enthusiastic raiders. The building that Lara is supposed to climb is really more like a modern art sculpture, and getting up it requires some thinking as well as skill. You'll feel you have accomplished something when you make it to the top and finally exit the big doors. However, I did have some questions about it, and so went back and played it again. The beginning seems too cryptic. You can spend a while searching for the one place where Lara can first climb up. Then if you take the obvious path by dropping into a hole you'll end up at a checkerboard floor and pick up a golden skull. From there I tried all different ways to continue, jumping across and to the side, and couldn't find a way to progress. Apparently everything is just for the golden skull, or maybe a red herring, and what Lara really needs to do is go back to the beginning (where she first climbs up), and make jumps from there. So I wasted a lot of time at the beginning, even though the rest of the game actually went smoothly. Originally I tried to collect the ten golden skulls, and that unnecessarily prolongs the game. A skull may be tucked into a niche under a central pillar, and getting to it isn't difficult. But getting out is another matter: the only way was to drop to the ground, and then start over again making the climb up. My patience ran out and I left most skulls where they were. After making hard won progress, you just don't want to give it up for some useless ornament which isn't even a secret. Also Lara got physically stuck at one golden skull when a trap door raised. The second time playing this game I ignored the golden skulls and was much happier. My last peeve is rather personal since I dislike the red mist or fog that cloaks the structure. For my second play I used my own TREP-patched tomb4.exe, which has an expanded memory buffer and distant sight lines. That means that I could see from one end of the level to the other without any of that red fog, and the level seemed far more attractive and dramatic. It was much easier to spot where Lara had to go using my own TREP exe, so I'm not a fan of the old-fashioned parameters the author chose to use. My advice: play the level and enjoy it, but look carefully where Lara first climbs up. And save your game before going for any golden skull. Then if Lara can't get back you can optionally reload your save. That said, this is a pretty good and distinctive level." - dmdibl (05-Oct-2008)
"Great opening flyby bringing you to a desolate futuristic looking area with sounds of the blowing wind. Enemies are scorpions and the Egyptian guard dogs. Textures are very good, sometimes blindingly so. Sneaky spike traps are really sneaky as I didn't see an indication of spike tiles....maybe I just didn't look hard enough. I inadvertently found a shortcut but it in no way hindered gameplay or my enjoyment. Perfect level for anyone looking for a unique TR experience. Innovative and imaginative, a very interesting, different kind of Raid. Recommended." - Bene (02-Oct-2008)