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Barkhang's Nostalgy by Drakan

afzalmiah 10 10 9 10
Bigfoot 10 10 10 10
Christian 9 9 10 9
Diz 10 9 9 9
DJ Full 9 10 10 9
dmdibl 10 9 10 10
eRIC 10 10 9 9
Feats 9 9 10 9
Gerty 9 10 10 9
Glouglouton 10 9 10 9
Jack& 9 10 10 8
Jay 10 9 10 9
JoeTheCrazyGamer 10 9 9 10
Jorge22 10 10 10 10
Jose 9 10 10 9
Juno Jim 10 10 10 9
manarch2 9 9 10 9
Mezcal 10 10 10 10
MichaelP 9 9 10 9
Mman 9 10 10 9
Nicky 9 10 9 8
Phil 10 10 10 9
Ruben 9 10 10 9
Ryan 10 9 10 9
Scottie 10 10 9 9
Shandroid 10 9 10 9
TheStig 10 9 10 10
Treeble 9 9 9 9
 
release date: 05-May-2010
# of downloads: 127

average rating: 9.51
review count: 28
 
review this level

file size: 110.00 MB
file type: TR4
class: Oriental
 


author profile(s):
email(s):
drakan72@wanadoo.fr

Reviewer's comments
"While quite challenging and a little obtuse at times, I had a very good time with this level set! It was the first level I had most of my problems with obtuseness, eg. irregular moveable objects and the like. Also it was quite dark which didn't help matters. Once out of the first level cave things picked up a bit and I made decent progress through the levels. Please don't think I'm hating on the first level the gameplay was as solid as the rest of the levels but there was just a few things that niggled at me while playing it. The next level you acquire a Ski-Mobile which stays with you for the 3rd level and I actually had fun with it, which makes a change for a vehicle in TR! The main event though was the final level in the Monastery, although technically split into 3 levels. If it was just that level alone I probably would have given it straight 10's! A very well crafted level, not to say the other 3 levels aren't, but this was a cut above the rest! Gameplay and Puzzles were engaging and it looked stunning! It was pretty cool how you could freely go between the 3 mini levels as you pleased too. All in all this is a level set thats definitely worth playing, would recommend!" - Feats (23-Nov-2022)
"I had somewhat expected a remake of the original Barkhang Monastery level to be featured along the way, but while part of the original design is there, it's a brand new level on its own and is accompanied by three introductory levels, in which Lara journeys through the snowy mountains to get there. The initial cave level felt slightly dark, not dark enough to require a flare but enough to get a bit tiresome on the eyes, but afterwards it clears up. The mountainous valley was beautiful with a thick white fog, really helped set the mood. The monastery itself has been expanded upon and you're now tasked with finding eight prayer wheels (plus four dragons for a secret Chalice), but from start to finish I found this to be a lot of fun. Definitely worth checking out. 2h10min, 16 secrets. 09/22" - Treeble (18-Sep-2022)
"Long story short, if you survive the dreadfully boring and underlit prologue the second part will make up for everything. For the first hour I wondered what I'm doing here, but then things started to make sense and this is how it lasted until the wonderful ending. Only one complaint, I would like to place the final key myself." - DJ Full (22-Oct-2018)
"This is brilliant stuff, and undoubtedly an enjoyable and creative adventure. The first three levels, although short, are still quite challenging, and mainly involve various acrobatics (slope jumps, tightrope walks and pole swings), with a bit of cart pushing and the highlight being the well executed timed snowmobile jump in the White Valley. But all this is just a precursor to the piece de resistance that is the final level. The puzzles and general gameplay is incredibly creative and involving in this level with a few enjoyable traps, a raising block/pushing puzzle, a small torch sequence and a flipmap puzzle and I had a great time working my through all of these. It is quite dark in the first level, but lighting and the textures are otherwise great throughout. If you find all secrets in the final level (not all levels, which was lucky as I missed one in the Long Cave level), you get a Chalice quest item as a souvenir. And the ending scene is one of the most memorable and heartwarming scenes I can remember. Definitely a must play for everyone." - Ryan (26-Dec-2017)
"This TRLE is really awesome. This level can be Difficult and the intense timed runs make this level deservant of the Hall of Fame The Concept of Picking up 8 Prayer Wheels is really cool and Very different to Tomb Raider 2 and much Better." - JoeTheCrazyGamer (11-Jul-2015)
"What I liked most in this adventure is the very classic feel to it while still being modern, with the new moves, objects and textures. All levels are highly atmospheric and there are numerous highlights to enjoy. The first level is centered around several large-scale caves and some enjoyable platforming, with clever but not too overdone usage of the new moves, the diary being quite helpful for novice players. There are a few problems with the texturing, and when lighting a flare the reddish ambience of the level is partly destroyed, but those weren't large issues. What I didn't like were the snowy hills at the end of this and throughout the whole second level, which look a bit amateurish. Nonetheless, I highly enjoyed the snowmobile ride and especially the boost jumps and timed runs with it. The last three levels are interlinked and probably intended to be one level; they are surely the centrepiece of this game and the highlight both gameplaywise and atmospherically, with a very inspired search for eight prayer wheels, which include creative puzzles, very enjoyable exploration of a not too extensive space (but still in a way that it never feels linear at all). The monastery the levels are set in resembles the original one from TR 2, but there are various changes that make this creation unique. To be honest I didn't like the choice of texturing at some parts since they appear too bright and strong which doesn't fit the theme very well, but I can barely find any "technical" fault in here. The end makes up for any gripes you could possibly have had in this level, it already starts nice with an additional quest item when you found all secrets, and thereon, the final cutscene has to be seen to be believed. Spend nearly two hours in here and found all 16 secrets. Exceptionally well done and certainly my favourite level of Drakan until now!" - manarch2 (11-May-2013)
"Overall a great level series. The overall gameplay was definitely a step better in the last half of the game, in the monastery. Gameplay was pretty fluent and balanced throughout. The first couple of levels don't have as much visual appeal as the last few. Still the game was well worth the play with an upgrade to the snow mobile." - Nicky (07-Mar-2012)
"Certainly one of the most beautiful barkang style adventure. Everything is enjoyable in this game. About the gameplay: it is not too hard, exept maybe some time run, the new NG puzzles are also amazing and original. About the news objects: I really like the monks in the beginnings and the many puzzles items. The atmosphere is great, the caves are really realist, the mountain have a fantasy style and the monastery is so beautiful. I really enjoy the news textures, specially in the monastery. Another good thing is the secret system, we can find a special artifact if we found the dragons secrets. To conclude, a beautiful tibetan adventure. Very recommended" - BigFoot (28-Nov-2011)
"I downloaded this game a VERY long time ago on my old computer (which is now slower than a snail stuck in tar) but I thought it wasn't good because it was too dark. I tried it again now and I loved it so much. Only most of the first level is dark but everything else is fine. The gameplay was so fun and a bit challenging. In each level there are 4 secrets and in levels 4, 5 and 6 there are 4 golden dragons which after you get a golden chalice if you get all four. I got all 4 dragons but not all secrets. Enemies were little spiders and guards. There are only 6 levels and it will keep you entertained for a very long time. Highly recommended." - afzalmiah (06-Aug-2011)
"Great levels !!! I HAD to give you a little off, because the first parts were so dark, even to distracting from the game. Otherwise, it was very fine - good puzzles, not too bad baddies, long and elaborate treks, with multiple tasks at the same time (nonlinear) which is good for me !!! Love Lara's outfit, she looks good on my widescreen. Good interesting transitions between levels, and nice use of water, and water levels. Loved the Snowmobile, as always - I like driving... Several interesting locations. Very cool ending, cutscene - Lara waving." - Juno Jim (07-Apr-2011)
"A recent new job and study commitments meant that my initial play of this author's level got cut short. I'm so glad I've finally had a weekend to sit down and give it the proper time and attention that it deserves. Lara here is on a mission to rescue the Monks of the Barkhang Monastery. She met them before in Tomb Raider II, and it seems that Bartoli's former ades have come back to cause some trouble. We kick off the action in some beautifully lit caverns, and then out into the icy Himalayas before finally arriving at the Monastery to try and free the monks. From the very beginning the pacing, level design and attention to detail are apparent. The author's use of lighting and ambient colour is amongst some of the best work I've ever seen. Every texture is thoughtfully and meticulously placed. This clearly is a product of considerable time, effort, patience and dedication. The pacing again is absolutely perfect. I never found myself hopelessly stuck either which is always a mark of a good level series. The location designs themselves are also great, with solid believable architecture lending to the atmosphere perfectly. And when I played the winter sections, I genuinely felt cold (though that could be the winter kicking in here!). Seeing the giant gold Buda from Tomb Raider II bought loads of memories flooding back too. I am glad that the author stuck with the original Tomb Raider II textures for this, just to add to the authenticity! Music and ambient sound are well selected too. If you manage to pick up all of the secrets you'll find yourself rewarded with a nice golden chalice at the end too! All in all it took me 3 and a half hours of absolutely excellent and entertaining gameplay. It also features one of the finest end-sequences I've seen for a good long while (I liked it so much I watched it twice!). Absolutely 100% recommended. A product of hard work, dedication that any TRLE regular should have on their play list this year. Stiggy." - TheStig (14-Nov-2010)
"This level was such fun and quite lovely to look at. The first sub-level was a bit on the dark side, but it is in a cave, so I didn't get too worked up about it. My favorite part of the level was definitely the Barkhang Monastery. I could tell that the builder spent many hours designing this level and its great puzzles. This was the most non-linear of the sub-levels, however, if you get to a few places before acquiring a key item, you will have to backtrack. I was sadly, in this group. There wasn't too much to complain about, really. I was quite impressed with this levelset. Definitely a must-play!" - Shandroid (28-Aug-2010)
"First time around I had problems with the level to work properly. Just downloaded it again some time later and no problem whatsoever. Have no idea why or how. At the small meeting I had at my place we all gave it a go, one time or the other. Glad though because when one was at ones wits ends, someone else took over and found a new way. I found it rather confusing at times but we finally got there in the end. Your goal to set the monks free sounds easier than it really was. Finding all kinds of keys and then 8 prayer wheels will get you your tasks fulfilled. Some small mishaps like illegal slopes, textures that could use attention. I understand at the room with the spiked walls why the saved game feature was disabled, but that doesn't mean I liked it. But for the rest you won't be bored and it'll keep you busy for quite a while." - Gerty (23-Aug-2010)
"Himalayan Cave (8/8/9/9, 60 min, 1 of 4 secrets): The adventures starts in rather sinister atmosphere with a nice variety of colours used, a few small spiders to annoy you and lots of wondering what to do next. It is all about exploration and finding the vital next step that needs to be accomplished. A few timed jumps and plenty of platforming to do, which is great fun. Then you find a way outside into the cold snow and need to master a neat push block puzzle to find the snowmobile that will accompany through the next two levels.
The White Valley (8/8/9/8, 20 min, 4 secrets): Nice use of fog here to enhance the snowy atmosphere. Gameplay is fairly predictable and linear with the snowmobile following the path and when you are blocked, you need to side track for a few tasks to open a door or so. The long timed drive and jump over the pit is clearly the highlight here.
The Long Cave (7/8/9/8, 20 min, 2 of 4 secrets): A bit too long of a cave in my opinion and probably the weakest level of the set. More snowmobile riding - now inside in a very grey and same looking cave - and even the sentry gun blow up did not add much to the overall feel of this part.
Barkhangs Monastery (9/10/10/9, 110 min, 4 secrets): Aaah - now we are talking! This is raiding at its best. After the warm-up in the previous levels, these interconnected levels provide wonderful entertainment with plenty of diverse activity to master, like the mirror room, the moving spikewalls challenge, the breaktile run and a clever push/raise puzzle. The main buddha room looks great and the four secret golden dragons are fun to go for. The level is a lot about exploration again, as you need to find keys and objects to dive deeper into the monastery, so keeping your orientation is a must. Personally, it was a bit of a downside for me that the bundle of keys had to be used in 6 or 7 key locks that you needed to remember where they are, but that is a minor gripe. And it all gets topped off with a wonderful final 'mission accomplished' scene and credits rolling. Highest recommendations!" - MichaelP (01-Jul-2010)
"As far as I can tell, there's no such word as "nostalgy" in the English language, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of this magnificent level set. The first three levels are played in cramped underground settings, but my claustrophobic inclinations were overcome by the crisp gameplay and the addition of the snowmobile for a significant role in second and third levels. You then gain entrance to the temple, where you embark on a quest for an octet of prayer wheels in three interlocking levels that conclude your adventure. The graphics are a bit modernistic, but everything is quite pleasing to the eye and the lighting is for the most part completely satisfactory. Enemies are few and far between, consisting mainly of assorted baddies who may or not leave something behind when they die, so your enjoyment of these levels will rest primarily upon your ability to solve the many puzzles sprinkled along the way. I managed to milk more than four hours out of this game, which I heartily recommend." - Phil (14-Jun-2010)
"I have thoroughly enjoyed this well made game , complete and very well balanced in every respect. Well presented (the savegames system that show a pic of each save), and well concluded with generous camera scenes , it has all the ingredients that a good TR adventure can offer : platforming actions, (not overwhelming) exploration, puzzles, and some innovative situations thrown in. The author has made a good use of some of the new possibilities. The various challenges stay 'middle of the road' all the way through, really nothing tricky in this game ( I only had some difficulty to get a secret in the first level ), even the occasional jump or timed door with the Snow-bike in the two short middle levels , are largely accessible for players who are not too skilled with vehicles. The first level was a lot of fun with a few series of stunts to perform, and the last great section in the monastery which is mostly non straightforward quite exciting ! Good objects and placements of them. While some cave could look even more 'organic' , and some textures cracks show up in a few places, the looks are quite appealing with good texturing and a pleasant and well dosed lighting , colourful but not too much. Bottom line : well done and very recommended." - eRIC (05-Jun-2010)
"I have the terrible habit of taking no notes, hence I can't really comment on details anymore, but when I happen to feel sad that a game has come to its end, as so clearly happened in Barkhang's Nostalgy, that says it all. The first three levels, the first of which more gloomy, the second in a snowbike ride across well lit snowy valleys in contrast and the third along a cave with a few obstacles, still on the snowbike, are all very cleverly built and deserve a thumb up on their own, but Drakan hits the spot with the fourth and final level, when Lara arrives in Barkhang's Monastery, currently taken by a horde of well known TR2 baddies. But nostalgia isn't really the point at all here. The monastery, albeit based in the original, is by no means a copy of any sort and offers loads of interesting puzzles in search of eight prayer wheels plus four golden dragons that will provide Lara with a special reward: a golden chalice. I found the story and the settings very solid and thought the music was always there when required and no more, something I appreciate. My son said Lara had a funny face, but who cares? Great job in every sense!" - Jorge22 (29-May-2010)
"What an adventure! I liked visiting the monastery again, but this is quite more than a remake. Intelligent gameplay, new ideas; the author used an inspiration to create something of his own. And it succeeded. It's a masterpiece." - Christian (28-May-2010)
"Stunning visuals, lovely soundtrack, and brilliantly designed game play packed with intellectually beautiful challenges. This masterpiece will wind you up and ring you out. Congratulations to a creative genius for giving us an atmospheric sensation where the entire journey is gorgeously shrouded in dark, mysterious caves and monasteries which are perfectly lit to create an astonishingly mesmerizing journey. This is a difficult challenge that pays off time and time again with wonderful surprises, ultimately obtaining that awesome experience where you are totally immersed in an alternate dimension. Once in, you won't be able to leave, and your heroics are ultimately rewarded with honors!" - Mezcal (26-May-2010)
"This is a 'Must Play!' Excellent and innovative gameplay with well hidden secrets (I only found 12 of the 16). Not many enemies but well placed to either give you a surprise or to make life awkward. Lots of climbing about to be done to begin with, then slopes and ropework. Great fun to be had with a snowmobile including running down enemies (a personal favourite) and a couple of tricky sentry guns. Nothing too difficult, just enough to make it interesting. Finally in the monastery, which is very familiar but different enough not to be a repeat. I found the four dragons (or 'little fat crocodiles') but only because I was determined and kept looking, a couple were very well hidden - nice one Draken!. All in all, a very entertaining romp. First class!" - Diz (17-May-2010)
"Awesome set of levels. The author had to spend a lot of time to build this amazing adventure 'cause it contains all kind of special details. Very well balanced with inner and outside areas; excelent puzzles and extraordinary ambience. Perhaps some areas in the first levels are too dark, and in the last levels you can take some backtracking before you find the bunch of keys, but I liked a lot the puzzles, the well-done objects and the excelent texturing, with fantastic light effects in the monastery. The final animation was extraordinary too, giving a nice ending to the adventure. Many thanks Joel to giving us all those hours of big fun!" - Jose (14-May-2010)
"Himalayan Cave: The monks have taken refuge in some rather gloomy caves but at least their fires make the place a bit more cheerful. Lara gets to spend some quality time doing timed runs and some splendid jumping/sliding/pole swing sequences White Valley: I liked the contrast between the dark caves and the blinding light of the snowy valley and a snowmobile ride never goes amiss, especially a timed one. Great fun. The Long Cave: This is a well named section and involves another enjoyable bit of snowmobile riding. After dealing with enemies no more fearsome than those creepy jumping spiders it was something of a shock to encounter thugs and sentry guns, but blowing up the latter is a pleasure than never gets old as far as I'm concerned. Barkhang's Monastery: This really is where the nostalgia kicks in. Whilst not a slavish copy, it certainly does evoke the look and feel of the original, with its huge Buddha statue in the main hall. Regrettably, the monks aren't free to lend a hand this time so poor Lara has to battle the thugs all by herself, plus shooting a couple of Dalmatians. Dalmatians? Oh no, Walt Disney must be turning in his grave. The place seems bigger than I remember it (which is doubtless why it's split into three levels) and initially it feels as though everywhere you turn there is a locked door. I was thrilled to get my first key and really get going. There's a lot to accomplish in search of eight prayer wheels and it's all highly entertaining stuff. If you find the four golden hippos, err sorry dragons, Lara gets a nice souvenir to take home - a lovely golden chalice; just the thing to hold some of that fine wine she found in Venice lately. To sum up, this is a very well crafted set of levels, with lovely coherent gameplay, of nicely judged difficulty level, and a good storyline. It has an interesting mix of areas and even the darker environments are good looking and have some gorgeous lighting effects. The monastery in particular has benefited from some new custom objects and textures and looks better than ever. The ending scene where Lara gets a guard of honour from the rescued monks quite brought a lump to my throat. Wonderful." - Jay (13-May-2010)
"well this game provided at us by Drakan could be a big succes ...... AND I DEFINE -COULD BE - but is not but not cos is not great game it is a great game ..... just throw a bit back bye the visuals .... first 2 levels are EXCESIVE DARK .. and is not very much fun to go all the time around with a flare in the hand moustly cos even flares are not very much ..... and me personaly i run out off flares even before last level also medipacks are not manny and trust me u need to use them all .... iff u find them all cos not easy ...cos manny gunners and spike walls and timed !!! also alot off trapps and even at bike ride at 3rd level -wich i think was the week part off the game cos visual distance is very short ... u need to drive at max speed cos are some timed sequences and is alot off turns at wich u hit the bike and in mean time lower ur health ...also is some difficult very long junps with the bike even iff u have nitro feeder for it .... the highlight off this game was the last part ''Barkhangs Monastery'' wich is split in 3 smaller parts and is a huge level at wich u need to find 8 !! prayer wheels + 2 gemms for a door + another gem for another door + 3 or 4 keys too !! this last part worth 10 in my opinion but the overal game was throw back by the previous 2 levels wich was too dark and not so well builded like the last one ..... all in all a good game from a very talented builder and i am sure his next game will be even better iff he work a bit on visuals & lightnings and provide a bit more flares and medipacks iff he choose to make a gloomy dark level like was the first and second one .. Bravo keep in this way Drakan .." - Jack& (10-May-2010)
"Why bother spending lots of your precious money on a visit to the cinemas when all the entertainment is for free on TRLE.net ? This one is an eyecatcher as well as a wonderful adventure placed in the tibetian highlands .After travelling through caves and white wastelands the player finally encounters one more time the hidden monastary of Barkhang .This time the mercenaries seem to have taken the place so its Laras job to get rid of this foul breed and free the monks. The highlights in Drakans adventure are certainly the 3 Monastary levels where Lara is on a good job to collect the 8 missing prayer wheels to free the monks ,if she has time she may also look out for another 4 well hidden dragon statues so she can carry away her reward , a golden chalice. But this is only an option similar to the expert medals in Richard`s UB 3 and not essential to finish the game. A wonderful ending with Lara waving good-bye and well chosen custom music makes this game complete. Highly recommended by me and if nothing unforeseen happens it should make its way towards the Hall of Fame ." - Ruben (10-May-2010)
"An exemplary Tibetan adventure. You begin in some caves with the Monks sitting around (linking the story into the level), and with various attacks by Spiders (thankfully for me, they are nice enough to stay small throughout). After that you move on to a snowmobile ride through a couple of levels and then the Monastery itself, which has apparently gone through some extreme renovation. The detail level is very high throughout, from the atmospheric caves to the Monastery itself, and objects and enemies fit well, along with some original uses of objects, such as the Monks I mentioned earlier. The only issues I had were with the lighting, which seemed a little overdone to the point of being garish at times, but it's mostly very good.
The first level has some slightly unintuitive tasks to start off (like an underwater lever in a large chamber and having to search a random pile of logs), but it gets going soon after that with many good platforming challenges and a well implemented vehicle ride, along with a lot of exploration and puzzle solving in the Monastery itself (which echoes the original level in concept). The difficulty level is on the tougher side of moderate, but there's the occasional difficult moment, and the pack has quite a few agility-based tasks. I liked the revisions of the menu, including a much more detailed save system. A must play." - Mman (09-May-2010)
"Very good throughout, but for me the adventure became superb in the latter half of the Barkhang Monastery, as puzzles come together in completely absorbing game play. I was willing to forgo dinner, or at least postpone it, to stay with the adventure as Lara picks up the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth prayer wheels. At that point two doors were left unopened. So it was unexpected to have the key trigger a concluding fly-by showing doors opened and monks freed. In the end, after letting Lara do all the work, the monks pay her a deserved homage. Lara's journey starts in a dark Himalayan cave with monks, includes a snowmobile ride with obligatory jumps and snowy haze, an aptly named Long Cave, an arrival at Barkhang Monastery, then access to its vastly remodeled interior. The giant statue that dominates the interior is here for those who remember TR2, but it has important differences. Indeed, if you remember TR2 too well, you may at first miss crucial additions. This game has a modern Next Generation interface, with screenshots identifying save games. At the beginning I had trouble saving, the F5 key simply not working. This put me off as I thought things were buggy. In the monastery, Lara has to do a series of spike runs and the save-game feature is lost, only to be restored when Lara leaves this area. I realized that authors can now cancel at whim players' ability to save. Giving authors that power is a bit like handing a loaded gun to a child, and expecting everything will be all right, but such is the philosophy of the Next Generation. If the author really wanted to innovate with a gift to players, why not make 90-second flares to deal with the initial dark cavern? Lara's gymnastics to climb up and out of the underground chamber are excellent, but a little more light would have been appreciated. In her journey, Lara acquires the shotgun and revolver. In the Long Cave, Lara picks up the crowbar early, in order to get a secret with revolver ammo. This seems critical. Lara needs to not only use the revolver to target automatic machine guns, but needs to shoot an object in the monastery to trigger a rope for a Golden Dragon secret. This links to what I thought was a weakness in these levels: the mercenary enemy who is used over and over like a blunt instrument. Coupled with the lack of shotgun ammo, and that revolver ammo must be conserved for other uses, and you have Lara mostly fighting this enemy with pistols. In the original TR2, Lara had a range of weapons, and faced a diverse mob of enemies (at one point they nearly overwhelmed her on stairs). By comparison, the enemies here are unexciting. I should also mention something common to other author's levels: the lack of consistency in standable objects. At one point, Lara needs to monkeyswing over double scything blades. She stands on a table-like thing to reach the monkeyswing. Later, Lara uses an Everest stone to release an identical object from its cage. She moves the table thing up to a wire enclosed walkway, then on top of the wires, in order to stand on the object to reach a high central hole...only to discover that the table-like thing is no longer standable. The inconsistency here, and the way the situation is resolved, felt a bit half-baked. But this is a minor quibble in a huge epic. Wonderful scenery, innovative game play, clever ideas, nicely choreographed timed runs, and a must play for all Tomb Raider fans." - dmdibl (08-May-2010)
"I have really found this adventure very enjoyable. to begin, only a few locations are too darks and the levels with the snowmobile haven't the same magic as tibetan foothills in TR2 (maybe it misses the canyon at the beginning). For the rest, this has the merit to be very well balanced (not too linear not too difficult) and the lighting and texture are well used (espacially the monastery). Must to play." - Glouglouton (08-May-2010)
"Himalayan Cave: It happens seldom that one is sure already at the beginning which one will have a lot of fun in a level. This level is quite sure such a rarity. I have played only a few minutes and am already persuaded. This starts quite immediately with the memory menu. To every Savegame one sees the suitable picture and under the picture one can see a few more statistics. I see such a thing for the first time in a level, but I hope that I do not see to the last sometimes, because such information is very helpful. However, a problem seems to be which has not matured this Load and Save-System yet so completely, because it can already seem which one cannot save or load. Though I press the suitable keys, but then the menu does not appear. However, this probably lies rather with the TRNG. Immediately at the first long slide part down one can ascertain that the level builder has dealt quite obviously in detail with the various camera perspectives, because this camera work and the next Flyby look really good. It is a little bit annoying that the sound of the pistols are a bit too loud in contrast to the rest of the sound. The whole cave with the water holes and the monks sitting in the campfires looks excellent. I must emphasise above all the textures and the lighting here. Furthermore I find it very good, the important Items are marked with a beam of light. This makes it though lighter to find these important things, but better in such a way, as if one must look long for it because the level builder thinks, he must hide these Items so well which one can find them, actually, only by chance. The contrast of the dark cave outward in the snow-covered bright mountains could be hardly bigger. But it fits very well and the mountains look very nice.
The white Valley: This level looks also good, indeed, one does not get too much to see, because most time one sits on a Snow-mobile. Here, among the rest, there is also a rapid time run. However, I must also say that one has with the time runs enough time. It is not in such a way, that Drakan the time runs so has formed which the inclined player would have to fight for every tenth of a second. I find this quite pleasant.
The long Cave: Here drives the inclined player with the Snow-mobile through a long cave system. And here I have seen a few smaller texture mistakes. And I have still found an illegally Slope. However, these are only little things, because all together this was a good level. Indeed, a door remained close. As well as Lara has reacted, here one probably needs the crowbar which I could not find unfortunately. However, I think that there is only a secret behind this door, because I could also change without crowbar into the next level. And because I am not a Secrethunter, this is no problem for me.
Barkhangs Monastery 1+2+3: What I should say. The Barkhang Monastery levels always belonged to my favorite levels. I have quite often played them, but I have made every time the mistake to shoot also the monks. I thought till about 4 years that I must also shoot them. Then, however, it was told me which I should not make this at all. Since if I do not shoot the monks, they leave me alone. Now, unfortunately, in these three levels I had no monks who could have supported me, because they had been arrested everybody by the mercenaries. So Lara must shoot all mercenaries by herself. And must find 8 Prayerwheels, because with these 8 Prayerwheels Lara reaches the prison key. These three levels are quite unambiguously the best of Barkhang Nostalgy. That does not mean that the previous level would have been bad. On the contrary. But this three levels are sheer madness. I could enumerate so many fantastically built rooms, but then the Review would become too long. I must of course still mention the always fitting sound. And the very good lighting. And the nearly perfect textures. Drakan may could have defuse the rooms with the spike walls, because the whole is held very scarce.
Summary: With such a level nobody around the TR-Community must fear the end of the Community, because as long as people like Drakan will build such works, the TR-Community still lives. In this sense: Congrats to an excellent level!" - Scottie (07-May-2010)