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Temple of Prithvi (Demo) by The Eye of Isis

Bene 7 8 7 7
Daffy 7 8 8 9
DJ Full 8 7 8 7
dmdibl 8 8 10 9
eRIC 7 7 9 8
Gerty 5 7 7 7
Jay 7 8 9 9
Jose 5 7 6 9
manarch2 8 8 9 8
MichaelP 8 8 9 8
Nomad 7 7 9 8
Orbit Dream 5 8 8 8
Phil 8 7 6 6
Ryan 8 8 8 7
Scottie 6 7 8 8
TheStig 8 8 9 9
Treeble 8 8 8 8
 
release date: 14-Oct-2010
# of downloads: 74

average rating: 7.68
review count: 17
 
review this level

file size: 26.51 MB
file type: TR4
class: Jungle
 


author profile(s):
email(s):
theeyeofisis5@gmail.com

Reviewer's comments
"This review is, in fact, based on the 2010 release, although the author has released a new version just a few months ago. Despite the 'demo' level, this is actually a full-fledged level, and one with a rather intricate maze-like design at that. Following the walkthrough mitigates a lot of frustation, but I still found myself wandering rather often, especially towards the second half when more passages are open and the author opts for twisting camera fly-bys. One of the secrets has a timed run which spans over something like half the level length, it took me a number of tries to actually learn the optimal route and then doing quicksaves after successful short bursts towards it. I personally am not a big fan of the India setting, and while I thought the visuals here were solid the lighting definitely hinders the experience. It was always down to a flare in hand or abusing the muzzle flash from the pistols... I'll eventually get to the new version (in about 10 years, maybe?), but I'm sure my reviewing peers have mentioned these notes and hopefully some of them were taken into account. 75 minutes, 5 secrets. 10/22" - Treeble (09-Oct-2022)
"Not easy to make up my mind about this level. The map design feels like it is the work of a structural engineer because it seems to be made logically, but the huge complex is very confusing and not so fun to navigate through. Everywhere looks the same and it is easy to get lost. And you will have to backtrack a lot in this massive area, if you forgot where a certain door was, or you are stuck (which you will be), well good luck. So I think the problem with this level is not its gameplay which is brilliant and creative at parts (including a very good box puzzle), but the lack of decorations etc. that will make certain areas stand out, which would help with the sameyness and confusion. Lighting work is also interesting, it is actually done skillfully and areas with the shining lights look beautiful. However the level is very dark and unfortunately the author decided to give you few flares. As I said you probably will be stuck a lot, and the darkness doesn't help when you are lost and trying desperately to find what you have missed. I really loved the sound effects though, especially the crickets. Definitely helps with the immersion. Overall this is obviously the work of a skilled builder and still a solid level, but its problems make it fall short of being a particularly good one." - Nomad (18-Jul-2021)
"This demo isn't one of those five to ten minutes jobbies that can be ticked off the list very quickly, quite the contrary in fact. It is definitely quite confusing to make your way through, which is due to the overall mazelike layout, repetitive corridors and overly murky lighting. Having said that, I actually enjoyed this more than I thought, due to the fact that there really are some ingenious bits to this 90 minute long level: well thought out block puzzles, well paced enemy encounters primarily with Shivas, the exhilarating timed run for the Gold Reward secret and the rewarding and wonderfully executed flyby of the main pool being drained thanks to the plug mechanism. And yes, there is no fatal spot with the order you use the keys, as I did the crawlspace segment last and still managed to complete the level successfully. Maybe not the most player friendly level out there, but while it has its fair share of irritations, it is definitely a rewarding experience." - Ryan (29-Dec-2017)
"I think this is another level you have to savour carefully to enjoy it, but at the end it felt like a game of a very clever and talented builder. It's not the uniqueness of the tasks or the great flow that makes this an immersive raid, but I found it to be extremely well set up and the leisure exploration feels just about right. That doesn't mean the tasks in this level aren't totally missing though - there are some good timed runs and interesting block puzzles which require thinking a bit around the corner. I found the secrets to be really well hidden and especially solving that timed run to the gold secret creates a great sense of achievement when finally managed. Enemies are sparsely used in here but I thought their placement is rather effective, though I wished the shotgun would have been available earlier (and I've never found the Uzis). The atmosphere is absolutely great and the feeling of a human-deserted temple is well set into scene, and the visuals (both textures and lighting) are professionally applied. The finale with the draining of the main room is just great. Indeed, the lighting is rather on the dark side at times and while it's not that hard to navigate through the rooms because of that, I wished there were a few more lighter areas for a change, because everything is pretty grim and sinister without. There are also a few texture mistakes in here but nothing too bad, as I really admire the creative application of the textures elsewhere which is quite remarkable for a debut. I'm not a huge fan of the Jungle textures, but coupled with the lighting in some rooms the builder has done some good things with them. Overall, the hour I spent here has been one of the best spent in classic TR 3 environments, even better considering this is a debut, and while not everything is perfect in here I found this level to be a bit underappreciated." - manarch2 (01-Jan-2014)
"If this is a demo then I can only imagine the scale and size of what the author would have in mind for a full release. Make no mistake this is not some 20 minute long technical concept. Instead what you have here is an massive single level easily on a par with some of the largest levels that I've ever seen or played. You will really have to be prepared to do some proper hard core exploring and raiding to make good progress in this level, and that makes me score it all the more strongly. While it does play in a quite un-linear pattern I didn't find myself having to resort to the walkthrough guides, but rather focused one area as much as I could remembering any key-hole I couldn't make use of until later. Enemies are fairly sparsely spread and pretty easy to kill (even the Shiva's who you can get without worrying about them blocking your shots with their blades). Architecturally this is as good as anything I've seen. It's a fantastically complex and believable location. Lighting is mostly on the dark side but you shouldn't need to resort to flares too often in order to make progress. Sounds & music queues chosen fit the level well too. All in all I got almost exactly 2 hours of raid time from The Temple of Prithvi. It's a very strong release and I hope that the author chooses to release more of their work in the future. Highly recommended. Stiggy" - TheStig (28-Aug-2011)
"This is only called a demo because apparently the author intended to expand it into a full level series. So, what you get here is a massive single level in which you will likely spend up to two hours or more of net gaming time. And I have to say that the scores really do not give the level the credit it deserves, because it is indeed quite ingeniously and cleverly constructed. The problem with this construciton is that it is not very player friendly and will test people's patience quite a bit. This TR3 India style temple area is superbly intricate and very smartly connected, but at the same time it looks very much the same in most places and as you make your way around and return to places at various levels, even the helpful camera hints are not always helpful, as the place they show looks just like the next one in this huge construction. It is also way too dark in too many places, so you run around with flares or shooting pistols for light too many times in this temple that more and more feels like a giant maze. Still, over time you get a sense of place and appreciate a few clever push block puzzles, enemy encounters with tigers, crocodiles & shivas and the occasional timed run - the longest and toughest one for the Gold Reward Secret. It all culminates in a very cool 'pull the plug' flyby, which finally means that it all made sense and that is very rewarding. There has been some confusion whether you may run into a dead end if you do things out of sequence with the use of the three Temple Keys, but as DJ Full correctly describes in his walkthrough, that is not the case, as you can indeed get to all necesary places at any time in this level, which is quite remarkable. Bottomline, I have cursed the author many times while finding my way through this adventure, but hats off to the ingenious construction he has been able to design. If you make the various areas of the level a little more distinguishable in the future and a little brighter as well and maybe take the player a little more by the end versus leaving them rather alone in the non-linearity of the temple, then I am sure the overall scoring will also be increasing. I, for one, have high hopes that the author will be providing some follow up to this debut at some time in the future." - MichaelP (22-Apr-2011)
"Another promising level ruined by pervasive darkness. I manufactured unlimited flares for myself very early on, and I must have used hundreds of them in the two hours plus that I spent here. Nevertheless, it irks me no end to have to flick one every 30 seconds or so just so I can see what's going on around me. Unless the overall lighting is boosted substantially in the full game, I won't be in a hurry to download and play it. Apart from that, this is quite a complex level that won't be easily navigated unless you have the walkthrough close at hand. Most of the action consists in wandering to and fro along passages and hallways that seem to have a certain sameness about them, making the few cut scenes rather worthless in directing the player where to go next. Because of all of this, I didn't have a very good time weaving my way through the intricate game map. The builder has obviously learned his craft well, but more care needs to be taken in making his levels player friendly. If that is done, I have no doubt that his later works will be more enthusiastically received by the raiding community." - Phil (09-Dec-2010)
"Demo, schlemo, tsk. This is a well-made but very intricate level and because of that it falls short. There are a couple of very stuck moments that made me believe that it wasn't tested. Don't know, as I couldn't open the read-me file. I was so glad that I could add flares by means of the TRsg Editor as there were parts way too dark, giving me a headache. As I am a player that doesn't play hours on end (I play in short bursts) the walkthrough was not really helpful. Just by writing"go back" that doesn't give you the direction you need after a day or so of not playing. The level itself looked like a huge maze and it is very hard to keep track of where you've been and where you need to go. There is a very dizzy making fly by although the rest was quite helpful. The textures throughout were well done but they were too uniform to help you out. Clever.. yes, but it didn't pan out for me." - Gerty (09-Dec-2010)
"After 150 walkthrus written on levels from the very bottom of the listing, my mind was soooo much washed by stretched textures, unmarked ladders and giant eels it seemed a level with ANY challenging gameplay will be not to beat for me. But I made it - through the mazes of patience, pushblocks of faith and keys of disorder. Or rather: any order. "Lara Croft and the Order of the Keys" - this would be the most adequate name for the game. Fine thing was there are two slots for a Temple Key. Choosing one of them, you choose one of the two corresponding sequences of visiting the remaining chambers. I read some people thought there is no way to retrieve a missing Temple Key when following the non-intended way. But actually, the non-intended way is a part of intended way, and those parts overlap in the center of the whole game. That makes us able to use both Temple Keys independently of the chosen path. So much for the thing I liked, but the thing I LOVED was the sound. Beautiful silence, occasionally interrupted by discreet wind or sound crickets announcing they are somewhere outside the temple, really helping concentrate on solving puzzles. Shivas waking up in complete darkness were dark and awesome... Marvellous, simple beauty. Nothing overdone in this field. Also, max for cameras, as it's very rare for a builder to be able to bring dynamic flight together with usefulness of a flyby. Unfortunately, -1 for the atmosphere - sometimes firing pistols to make light was just too tiring. And shame a player has to find the silver secret to be able to reach the golden one... Secrets shouldn't be created this way. SUMMARY: Recommended only for classic gameplay connoisseurs and players punctilious enough to have fun solving clever puzzles instead of contemplating the dense gloom climate which they don't mind. Nice try. Waiting for full version." - DJ Full (25-Nov-2010)
"This demo may be the first level of a whole game , as it is quite long to be a only demo. The author has surely enjoyed himself designing this map , with all the areas that interconnect together , taking care to offer atmospheric scenery. It is rather uneventful and simple at the beginning with levers and pushable blocks but evolves farther to a rather complex course with some subtleties such as the key lock placed near by the timed door. Things that could be improved for the full game release : some rooms lack lighting , one timed door should be placed in a portal otherwise Lara can be stuck in an invisible block , and BY ALL MEANS GIVE FULLY FUNCTIONNING BINOCULARS AS THEY ARE QUITE BUGGY , and it the most annoying factor in this rather dark level which is otherwise quite pleasant and immersive. The setting are good to look at , even if there are cracks in the texturing." - eRIC (24-Nov-2010)
"Uf! What a dizziness! This is one of the levels where you'll have to run a lot of kilometers. Always looking for switches, keys or moveable blocks from place to place through very long distances, sometimes finding dead ends or keyholes you can't use 'cause the keys you have in your inventory are for another ones. The timed run in the dark room to the door with the keyhole was insane too. From the other side, architecture is good and textures are well applied, you can see that lights are worked, but where are the cameras? This level is only for players with much time to spend and who like exploration." - Jose (03-Nov-2010)
"I do not know so surely what I should hold from this level. He is well built and many rooms look very nice. Up to a few small exceptions the lighting feels well and the sound also fits. But on the other side this level is too long for my taste. And there is here not enough change. One is constant here in search of some keys. And if one has found one, he does not fit guaranteed in the key hole. Lara runs constantly from pillar to post and back. One must visit the most places several times and with the time the level becomes more and more confused. Sometime I did not know at all where I had to go there and am running only like a headless chicken in search of the right key hole. Or the right key. As I said, the level is well built. But the play fun keeps in narrow borders" - Scottie (22-Oct-2010)
"After a rather frenetic start (two vultures and a tiger), things settled down to a more leisurely pace with the emphasis most firmly on exploration, although there are a few tigers, crocs and Shivas to deal with from time to time. This is a traditional India style game, impressively well built for a debut level and don't be fooled by the 'demo' categorisation - this is actually the first level in what is intended to be a multi part game. The temple is a huge, warren-like place and I sincerely hope you don't get as confused as I did, making my way around in search of a succession of keys. I must say I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this one. On one hand, there was a definite entertaining aspect and everything was most carefully thought out to mesh together in the end. On the other hand, it was really frustrating not knowing where to go or what to do for a major part of the level and it didn't help that all the areas looked very similar. Perhaps more hints with the finished version, please? Oh, and very definitely more flares. To summarise, this is well worth playing, but if you tend to lack patience with a lot of running around in headless chicken mode, you might do better to wait for the walkthrough." - Jay (18-Oct-2010)
"My first thought was this is a maze within a maze and that held through until the end with the very well - made mechanism raising the bell to empty the pool and then it all clicked and it started to make sense. The dark, unrelenting textures, lack of adequate light, along with the binocular bug combine to make this demo hard to play. There is also the hard to see First Key and the necessity of opening a door with the Temple Key in one of the Shiva rooms before the Shivas come to life or the player loses one of the Keys. There was always the thought that I was going the wrong way and that I had missed something and as it turned out, I was right as I totally missed the Challenges - I would not even know they existed if not for the forum. Although not a lot of enemies, they were well-placed. Despite what my ratings seem to reflect, this new builder has the talent and the capacity to be a rising Star in the TR World. The talent is there and only seeing the gameplay through the eyes of the player needs to be more developed to reach full potential. If Camera had its own category my rating would have been higher as it was very good but since Atmosphere was included, the rating was lower." - Bene (18-Oct-2010)
"Despite being a Demo,this kept me occupied for the best part of three days - and is a perfect example of a very well-made (sometimes exceptional) level which shoots itself in the foot.This is partly due to the overall pervasively drab green of the lighting and the repetetive (although well-placed) textures;and mostly to do with the awfully elusive gameplay,which not only consists of somewhat tedious and confusing lever and key hunting;but which commits the cardinal sin of expecting the player to perform certain tasks in the same strict order that the builder intended.In this case,I placed keys in nearby keyholes apparently out of the correct sequence - as a consequence of which the game finally ground to a halt after around two hours with no way out except to resort to cheating.In retrospect I can see what the builder was trying to accomplish - and they very nearly succeeded.The giant plug in the deep water;the aquisition of keys which mustn't be used in chronological sequence;the design of the map - all great ideas (and highly competantly realised); but there's little enjoyment in wandering aimlessly around identical labyrinthine environments on your way to absolutely no-where other than a massive Dead End. To be played only with the Walkthrough to hand." - Orbit Dream (17-Oct-2010)
"This level is not bad at all but I must say it gave bad migraine. The decorations of the temple style TR3 are well made but everything looks more or less, and it's hard to find. Furthermore, the level is usually quite dark. The gameplay is a giant Pulzer or encountered little enemy, some passages are timed about right but the big difficulty is finding what to do and in what order. It revolves round a lot to find his way and for my part I did not understand everything. I think to carry this game to an end we must show great patience, it's not always me. Anyway, kudos to the author for his work." - Daffy (16-Oct-2010)
"Players may groan at the thought of another demo, but not to worry: this is a fully developed, well textured, complex, and matured level. I enjoyed the feeling of far flung exploration at the start of this level, though recent experience has shown that not everyone appreciates this type of game play. Exploration may appear to be quite complex, but it is interesting watching the pieces come together and make sense in the end. The India temple textures are somewhat lacking in variety, so at first it may feel that Lara is negotiating a monstrous maze, but gradually it all grows on you. There was a binocular bug similar to that mentioned in the TREP documentation. Lara could move binoculars from side to side, but not up and down. When Lara tried to break off, the screen showed her holding her hands to her face, as if holding binoculars. She remained frozen in place, unable to move. In order to recover it was necessary to restore a previous savegame. Since this is a demo, I truly hope that the author will resolve this problem before the final version is released. The well-lit areas, such as the four giant wheels at the end, look so much better than the areas with dismal lighting--and there are many. The author has done a good texturing job, so I hope the author improves the lighting in places. If not, I suggest that flares be made more plentiful, with a ninety-second lifetime. Really, those flares are essential in spotting numerous push blocks. And if the purpose of a demo is to invite comment, I was puzzled at the timed run for the Gold Reward. Taking Lara through the crawlspace, in what is surely the shortest route, never got her very close to the timed door. Instead if Lara ran down the entire length of the hallways, ran perpendicular toward the push block, then raced down the entire distance from there to the climbable chain, then this produced a better results with Lara dropping down on the level of the timed door just as it closed. Anyway, not a very generous timed run. One rough spot for me was when Lara solved a small push block puzzle in tight quarters, to reveal a lever. The fly-by shows the opening door to the climbing chain, and previous fly-bys have directed Lara to where she is to go next. But if Lara takes the fly-by hint, she returns to the beginning of the level where there is nothing to do, and players can waste much time. The purpose of the chain doesn't make sense unless players discover the Silver Reward, which I never did. That was done by a more astute player on the forum. Without some sort of floor tiles to indicate placement, I would never have worked out where the push blocks were to go. When players get stuck in this sort of level--perhaps missing a temple key that is hidden in a plant--it is difficult for them to work out what went wrong. Despite what I thought were rough spots, I mostly enjoyed well-designed game play. The level map with its interlocking and overlapping routes shows ingenuity. If this were just a tiny bit more player friendly it would be even better." - dmdibl (16-Oct-2010)