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Complex Simplicity 2010 - Castle Burgeck by Zickenalarm

Andzia9 10 10 10 10
Bene 9 8 9 10
Blue43 9 8 10 10
Christian 10 9 9 10
Diz 9 8 8 10
DJ Full 10 9 10 9
dmdibl 9 9 9 10
eRIC 8 9 8 8
Gerty 8 8 9 9
Jack& 8 8 9 10
Jay 9 9 10 10
JesseG 7 9 10 9
Jose 10 10 10 10
Leraf 9 9 9 9
Magnus 6 7 8 8
manarch2 8 8 9 9
MichaelP 9 8 9 9
misho98 9 10 10 10
Mman 10 10 10 10
mugs 9 8 9 9
Mytly 8 10 9 9
Obig 9 8 9 10
Phil 9 9 10 9
Ruben 10 10 10 10
Ryan 9 9 10 10
Scottie 9 9 10 9
Shandroid 9 9 9 9
TheStig 9 9 9 10
Treeble 9 10 10 10
young Lara Croft 9 10 9 10
 
release date: 01-Jul-2010
# of downloads: 115

average rating: 9.15
review count: 30
 
review this level

file size: 141.00 MB
file type: TR4
class: Castle
 


author profile(s):
email(s):
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Reviewer's comments
"A rather inventive level — I personally quite liked the magic hall — with very beautiful surroundings. The action takes place both around a small village of sorts in the outskirts of the castle and then the castle itself, with a lot of running back and forth but thanks to Mytly's thorough walkthrough my play time and experience was optimized. I quite liked the effects for the statues, sometimes retreating into alcoves and sometimes being laid onto the floor, and the 'ghost' roaming the castle was also a neat touch (including stealing the torch away when it's no longer needed). The author also made extensive use of on-screen text to tell the tale, which adds up to the experience (but, truth be told, the cursive font made it a bit hard to read the scrolling text, but maybe I'm just getting old...). 45 minutes, 3 secrets. 08/22" - Treeble (14-Aug-2022)
"Lara visits a haunted castle and goes on a quest to serve tea. The castle grounds have quite a few different areas to explore, from a village and a church to a large mystical chamber. These areas are built quite well and have immersive visuals. The gameplay is a bit on the lean side, and most of the time is spent running back and forth for many different keys and switches, some of which are quite sneaky, but there are some nice pushable block and torch puzzles to make things a bit more engaging. Either way, this is a nice place for Lara to spend time in for a while. 1 hour 22 minutes." - JesseG (13-Apr-2021)
"Cool and relaxing medieval-theme level. The last puzzle was interesting and somehow challenging. Level more than worth playing, really enjoyable." - Leraf (27-Apr-2017)
"I really enjoyed this one. It is quite enemy light and is mainly based around exploration and puzzle solving and works really well for that. The Hall of Magic was a sight to behold. Definitely a favourite of mine." - Ryan (12-Mar-2016)
"Some odd-lit cracks and indifferent secrets are the only things that can irritate You here - all the rest is pure awe. Right in the beginning we are welcomed with a broad, spacious fight, then we hunt for funny named pickups around the castle haunted by a prankster ghost, then we visit a whole separate village and a dungeon, to finally enter a magic hall and break its spell. All this trip covers multiple aspects of gameplay and few new ones are applied, as in the pushable through water (!!!) and a remote pushable (not to mention it's one of the shortest and finest I've ever seen). Finally, the presence of other main characters, to whom the author has even introduced some dialogues, fills the castle with life and holds the storyline together. I think something was inverted during the building process, as some keys are separated from their corresponding owners, but that's not enough reason to change the gamepley score. SUMMARY: A brilliant level! I enjoyed every second. One of the best from the series, and a sure must-play." - DJ Full (02-Oct-2014)
"What I loved about this level was the setting, everything looks authentic! The medieval surroundings are accurately built, I've often found myself pausing and taking a look at some of the corners like the blacksmith's tools, the drawbridge and many others. I also loved the textures and objects, everything was nicely put together,the enemies were part of the medieval setting as well and I found that to be a great addition. The objective of having tea with the princess had me laughing, it was an unusual task but still nice. The timed underwater switch was a pain because I had to do it double the times required since I had to get back and get the key from the pool but eventually got through in the end. All in all I really enjoyed this level, a definite recommendation!" - young Lara Croft (02-Oct-2013)
"Magnificent adventure this castle level was! There are many pickup items to be found in the castle and in the village, so we can have a tea with the host in the end. :) There are also three secrets in the level, with booklets in each one. We only have the Pistols as weapons, but nothing more is needed anyway. There are four knights, a few archers, a dog and a few spiders as enemies. There’s only one harder task, getting out of the deep water with timed platforms. This is a little bit frustrating, but the builder compensates with beautiful textures and clever puzzles. I recommend this masterpiece to everyone. You can find a Hungarian walkthrough (as we don't have English version), savegames and pictures here: http://treditor.hu/trle/treditor/10/castle_burgeck.htm" - Obig (05-May-2012)
"Great level with entertaining gameplay and amazing castle atmosphere. The only thinks that I didn't like was the key in the pool under the bridge - you can't see it at all, the door in the little tunnel after getting the key - also can't be spotted and you may think you actually hit a bug. Anyway, I can warmly recommend this one. It took me 1 hour and I found all the secrets." - misho98 (16-Mar-2012)
"Very beautiful level. There are great puzzles, nice atmosphere, beauty objects and very good music. The rooms and the yards are perfectly done." - Andzia9 (25-Mar-2011)
"As I continue pondering through my back-log of 2010 levels to review, the complex simplicity series was one of those that I had been most looking forward to. From a visual standpoint it certainly doesn't disappoint. This is a great case of believable architecture combined with near perfect lighting. Gameplay is very well balanced and I didn't find myself having to resort to the forums to find my way, indeed aside from missing the odd switch here or there I'd say this strikes an excellent balance, with a nice consistent level of difficulty. The last multi-tier room is a masterpiece, and will require a good deal of exploring to get everything covered. I just over 2 hours-worth of gameplay out of Castle Burgeck, and managed to find all three secrets. Use your eyes and you'll really enjoy this one! Highly recommended. Stiggy" - TheStig (01-Mar-2011)
"Lara goes to help at a Castle. As well as being beautiful there's more variety than most of the other CS entries; as well as the Castle (which itself is made up of some varied areas), there's even a village to explore later on. Lighting and texturing are near-flawless and support the thematic variety convincingly.
Gameplay is quite varied (although there are quite a few keys to find), with traps being the only things that remain unused. It all flows well and interconnects in a way to avoids backtracking. There's also some more original ideas like the pools of water in the magic room. The only flaw I came across is one key towards the end being near-impossible to see, but I enjoyed the rest so much I could forgive it (and you are at least contained in a relatively small area). Another cool thing is this being one of the few levels to integrate its story a little more (although it's still a pretty minor factor) A great way to end playing the contest levels on, and another contender for my favorite." - Mman (22-Feb-2011)
"I usually find myself starting to write reviews in my head immediately after booting up a new level. Sometimes these first impressions are spot-on, but other times levels exceed my expectations - or end up being worse than I thought they would be - forcing me to adjust my mental review as I play through the level. In the case of Castle Burgeck, my first draft was along the lines of, "I was ready to hate the level when Lara was immediately attacked by four knights, but fortunately things got a lot better after that." But then I kept playing and... eh. A deluge of enemies isn't the level's problem, so I can't really bring up the beginning of the level as an example of what's wrong with it. Instead, Castle Burgeck suffers from the same problem as many other castle and mansion levels: a veritable Where's Waldo of keys and switches (and pushable blocks, in some cases). After entering the eponymous castle you find yourself in a fairly attractive main hall, with locked doors in almost every direction. After that, it's a matter of searching for key after key after key - and then searching for the proper keyholes to use them in. You see, the author decided to give the keys helpful names like 'Key of the Knight in Shining Armor' and 'Key of the Purple Red Avenger'. And while I can certainly appreciate the poetry in those names, they tell me squat about where to use them - it doesn't help that most keys are silver or gold, as are the keyholes. Add to that the fact that some keys are hidden - as are several switches - and you end up with a level that starts grinding on your nerves before you're even halfway through its fifty minutes of key-hunting. To make matters worse, there's very little that adds variety to the gameplay. Though you'd think there'd be a lot of enemies in the level after the initial attack outside the castle gates, the rest of the level is almost completely devoid of enemies, except for some scattered spiders and a couple of bowmen. There are no traps to speak of, and the puzzles are all very easy to figure out. To be fair to the author, though, there are some parts that show promise, like the timed run, the church and the final magic room, but these are scattered too far apart to really make a difference. What saved the level for me were the graphics and atmosphere. The author has created a very attractive castle with its surrounding lands, with all the places you'd expect to visit in a level like this. The music was a bit overused in places, but usually worked well. Having Lara be in contact with the maid, Annika, throughout the level was also pretty cool, even if I never understood how it was supposed to work (or where Annika was supposed to be). It really helped to create a story, and I'd like to see it used to even better effect in future levels by the author. Overall, this level showed a lot of promise, but I get the feeling that the author could have used some help when it came to coming up with ideas for the gameplay." - Magnus (30-Aug-2010)
"Being stuck in the first game I tried this for the time being, as there was a heat wave and staying indoors was better then going outside. Funny enough I got stuck at the weirdest places and even had to ask for a save-game with that nasty timed run over that trapdoor. Thanks again Eric, little did I know that I didn't use the lever for the drawbridge, so back in the water and this time I nailed it. As said, I liked the WAD and the textures quite a lot and this builder made a nice game with it. The fights one had to do are exciting, as you have to slay more than one enemy at times. You however can jump over the balcony to get the green crystal and then with some luck jump over the fence way too early, but it doesn't hinder the game-play at all. A funny place to hide that Dish though and that princess is rather spoilt if you ask me LOL" - Gerty (18-Aug-2010)
"The first part of the level was really unexiting. The search for the keys was too linear for me. But then, in the village and in the Hall of Magic, it grew into a real adventure. You had to make four balls explode to get a teapot, great idea. The textures were really well placed here and there was a real castle feeling. The secrets were well-hidden and to search them was another hard part if not using the walkthrough. As it is the first level of the contest I played, it was a good opening. Can't wait to see more levels like this." - manarch2 (10-Aug-2010)
"Just as Fortress of Fear was dark and somber, Castle Burgeck is bright and cheerful and makes the player feel as if he's really vacationing in Olde England. Mytly's walkthrough debut was very helpful and kept me on task throughout the hour or so that it took me to complete the level. Some of the artifacts have been given rather arcane names, but everything flows quite smoothly and the picturesque surroundings are really what make this a delightful level to play. The use of the water columns near the end, and the concept of making a series of blue balls explode so that you can pick up the can and cup, were quite ingenious, and I encountered no bugs along the way to speak of. Another excellent entry in the Complex Simplicity competition." - Phil (23-Jul-2010)
"Lara's task is to provide tea for the princess but in true TR fashion, in this kingdom, one does not just have to go to the kitchen. This is the most work anyone has ever had to do in order to get a cup of tea! No wonder the servant hired Lara to get it for the princess. Nonetheless, there is much to do here and a lot of it quite creative. I like levels that ask you to do something unexpected with the usual items and you will find that here. The atmosphere was lovely and puzzles super. I really enjoyed this level immensely even with that nasty little swimming tmed run! Not to be missed." - Shandroid (19-Jul-2010)
"I finally finished this great one. I had some problems to find in my game, a well hidden jumpswitch in the central hall of the castle opened the way to the rest of this stunning level. It may sound a bit trivial, but it's your task to bring tea to the princess. But it's not an easy task. A lot of well elaborated puzzles have to be solved in three areas, the gameplay is quite linear, but the way leading through this level is not always obvious. The builder shows a lot of creativity and love for details. Two great timed runs are spicing up gameplay. Even experienced players may take a few tries to do them. The atmosphere convinced me every minute of this great game. Highly recommended!" - Christian (15-Jul-2010)
"What a pleasant level to play. Light and airy, even the underground areas didn't seem at all claustrophobic. Not many enemies but well placed. Not enough in the way of testing your agility for my liking but the gameplay made up for that. However, there seemed to be no urgency to the game, the enemies were easy to kill, the only timed bit was very short and merely a matter of getting the right technique and even the swing pole runs were child's' play. That said, it was all very nice and, if you want a fairly quiet, fairly peaceful level then this ones for you. The only down side was that darned Princess always wanting her tea. Boy, did I want to shoot her!" - Diz (15-Jul-2010)
"From the impressive opening flyby and the battle with four knights that you have to engage in right near the start you might think this could be a tough level, but from then on it is actually a rather calm exercise, initially being a bit of a key hunt (where you always seem to have the wrong keys in hand for the locks you encounter), but steadily getting more interesting with the activities in the cathedral, the very nice looking stables area, some clever use of the torch and culminating in the wonderful Hall of Magic with its great looks and creative and original gameplay. The timed trapdoor in the water and the hard to see key in the same area felt almost out of place, because of their 'frustration potential', but even those are easily overcome with a bit of practice and 'playing with open eyes'. With all its beauty and nice use of objects, the fairly easy to find secrets and the almost full absence of additional enemies did not quite keep up with an otherwise very inspiring adventure. Took way over 90 minutes the first time I played this and now 50 minutes net gaming time when I went through it a second time, knowing where to go. Highly recommended!" - MichaelP (13-Jul-2010)
"What could be more delightful or whimsical than this level? Well, My Lady must be served and Lara sets out to please, looking for a tea set amid fighting knights and finding wonderful, silly - named keys that make one smile, a lovely church with a rainbowed courtyard and a well - designed Magic Hall, truly delightful, complete with water columns and exploding globes. There's a village to explore with a seemingly movable bin that will not move. I don't know if it's something I overlooked or the author decided not to complete. There's also a door in the castle with a lock that seems in need of a key but is opened not with a key but two icons. Good use of movable armor and a really beautiful, well - done mirror floor in the castle. A good addition to the contest and an all around fun adventure complete with a unique 'stolen' torch. Very much recommended - well designed setting and gameplay." - Bene (12-Jul-2010)
"Definetely one of the most excellent "one-level-wonders" I have come across in my time as a TRLE reviewers life. Unless a new star was born in TRLE heaven shining brightly in the sky I can image only two builders in the CS 2010 list would be capable to create such a masterpiece. The overall complexity and perfection of this adventure tells me it must be ..... but the sheer overwhelming beauty and atmosphere shows all the talent and subtle skills of .... I am almost sure my guess strikes near the truth ! This game can be described as a completely well worked out TRLE custom game in every respect and is surely one of the highlights of CS 2010. It is , however, a very difficult game as to gameplay and the player needs a cunning plan to overcome its tricky and mindbending parts. But we are used to this little inconvenience , are we not ? A game which will give you both toothache and sunshine . Highly recommended. An almost perfect issue." - Ruben (09-Jul-2010)
"From the initial flyby I thought I was going to get four horsemen at once, but they turned out to be knights on foot, which are quite a lot easier to deal with. Whew. I really liked the humour in this level; the premise is funny and the naming of the inventory items delightfully quirky. I'd say this is probably one of the more accessible levels in the series, in terms of ease of gameplay - it's a bit gentler and not as confusing. There's only one spot at which some players might have a bit of difficulty - a tight timed underwater switch - otherwise it's all very achievable. There's great use made of a torch and the whole sequence in the hall of magic is wonderful, plus I just adore the fact that Lara's mission is to provide somebody with a cup of tea. Loved it." - Jay (09-Jul-2010)
"Another excellent level in the CS2010 series. This level has very interesting game play and great texturing and lighting. The feeling and atmosphere is mesmerizing. Everything is well laid out in the 2 main areas, the castle and the small village. I really enjoyed the game play in this level, although I got stuck quite a few times, usually because something was overlooked. There was good use of the torch and I was surprised by the ability to actually swim with it. There is a bit of back tracking involved but nothing too bad. The castle ghost was a nice touch and quite amusing. I found the crystal room the best part of this level. My least favorite part was an important key that was easily overlooked and a rather annoying timed swim/climb/jump combination. A great level overall that shouldn't be missed by anyone." - Blue43 (07-Jul-2010)
"Perhaps it will not be the winner in this contest, but for me was the best at this moment (only two levels remaining). Certainly there are some small defects in several sections, like background music in some areas, some textures or the trick to move the last block through the water column, but that ones were not very important for me 'cause I've enjoyed a lot this level, always with something to do it's difficult to get stucked, nice environment, no much backtracking and excelent design. I could lower a bit the punctuation in some sections (only to 9, of course), but finally I've decided to put four 10 to manifest all the satisfaction I've got with this extraordinary work. Congratulations!!!" - Jose (06-Jul-2010)
"another great game in this competition ! hats off to all you builders ! It seems that keeping our princess happy is the bottom-line in this game - she makes no bones about her teatime. So, it's off to find the little tea set. Along the way there are lots of puzzles to solve, keys to collect, and villages to plunder (the sheep here are not quite so delighted for company). It's all great fun and I really enjoyed this raid." - Mugs (06-Jul-2010)
"The Flyby at the level beginning with the great music looked very good, indeed, I feared something bad, because at the castle entrance there stood 4 knights and 2 horses. Hopefully this goes out well. Then, however, it had turned out which was rather harmless the situation. Generally relaxed Raiding was announced here rather. Few opponents and easy riddles are a relief after two heavy CS-Levels. Something has irritated me, however, the Egyptian coffin. I would not have supposed him in a castle level thus at all. Particularly has liked to me the big space with 4 water columns. He has very good riddles and looks really great. all together I must say which was this level a real highlight. Fair and relaxing Gameplay, a few, however, well placed opponents, well built rooms, an always suitable sound and informative Flybys make this level a true pleasure." - Scottie (05-Jul-2010)
"Surely by a seasoned professional as this looks great from the start: pleasing design, excellent lighting, and good opening music. The initial fly-by is worrisome as it looks like the four knights waiting for Lara include two horsemen, but players get a break. The beginning feels slow, searching the castle for keys, though keys and artifacts have new fanciful labels. Soon the game picks up, expanding to include play in a churchyard and church, then moving to a good medieval village. Has a tricky jump for a starving bandit's key. (The grain bin is movable, but is frozen in place, probably intended.) Back to the castle for underground swimming with a torch. Ends in a huge Magic Hall, with transparent blocks, vertical water columns, suits of armor that go down when shot as if in an arcade, and a series of rising pole jump. All this in a quest for a complete tea service so that the princess can have her 5 o'clock tea--the princess never having heard of keeping a tea service on a convenient sideboard. In the Magic Hall, Lara does clever tasks like pushing a crate over an edge then through a vertical water column, all to explode globes protecting teapot and cup. Lara prevails and the princess gets a nice hot cup of tea, ending the game. For a resolution, maybe this is taking the light-hearted approach a bit far, but a thoroughly charming game." - dmdibl (05-Jul-2010)
"well this is my second level finished from the pack ....well this one is a bit shorter one like ''Prisoner in the castle '' but the same well crafted .. with a short timed run involved UW switch ... and some curved tricky jumps ....not so manny switches to pull and so manny puzzles like at Prisoner of castle . also this one ending a bit sudden and unexpected ... after u serve the princess with the tea .... well not so exciting this one but still a very good game ..... highly recomanded .." - Jack& (04-Jul-2010)
"Quite an interesting level , in a good setting (despite many textures cracks) that starts as a hunt for some keys and switches , but happily enough offers soon a more various and interesting gameplay , in the chapel , in the village area , in the undergrounds with the torch , and finally in the 'magic hall'. Fluent flow and some very interesting things to perform , the game was quite engrossing after having started slowly. I got no background music in the castle area, some weird sounds at the beginning of the 'magic hall' , the key at the bottom of the water was not noticeable enough (one of my pet hates in custom levels) , and the great puzzle with the movable box was a bit buggy on my end, as the box could become unmovable at some point , depending on how you have manoeuvred it so far. A level full of riddles , with some good use of objects and a bit of humour as well. I would have easily rated 9 without the above remarks. Very recommended anyway. [ 1 h 50 - 3 secrets ]" - eRIC (04-Jul-2010)
"Instead of hunting for powerful artefacts, Lara decides to help a castle maid serve tea to the demanding princess - quite a departure from her usual work. Still, it's a mostly very enjoyable little (or rather, not so little) chore, even though the tea set seems to be hidden in the most unusual places. The first half of the level involves a quest to find dozens of keys belonging to everyone, including a 'starving bandit rogue'! I marked down the gameplay category because of the overuse of keys. Fortunately, the latter half of the level involves some very unusual and imaginative gameplay: from swimming with a lit torch in hand, to the very enjoyable tasks in and around the Hall of Magic (including pushing a block into a column of water - something I have never seen before!). The only negative point in the latter half is a rather tightly timed swim/run/jump that took me dozens of tries to get right - only to realize that I had missed a barely visible key, so I had to do the timed sequence again ... argh!
The secrets are copies of a book called 'Haunting for Everyone' (written by the resident ghost, no doubt) - a cute touch. The names of the keys and artefacts are also amusing. I enjoyed the occasional appearances of the friendly ghost, who has split himself in four - or not so friendly perhaps, since he once steals your torch.
The level looks really lovely, marred only by the occasionally strangely coloured lighting. The architecture is superb: along with the authentic looking castle and its outbuildings, there's also the magnificently surreal Hall of Magic, with it floating translucent blocks and columns of water. Atmosphere is consistently good.
Overall: The builder has built a basic castle type level, and then added his/her own unique touches, resulting in a very memorable level indeed. Recommended." - Mytly (04-Jul-2010)