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Dangerous Fragments (Demo) by Bamba

afzalmiah 7 7 8 6
Bene 7 8 7 8
Diz 7 8 7 6
dmdibl 6 8 8 9
Gerty 5 7 7 7
Jay 6 8 8 8
Jose 5 8 6 7
manarch2 5 8 7 8
MichaelP 5 7 8 8
Phil 8 8 8 7
Ryan 5 7 7 7
Scottie 5 6 7 7
TheStig 5 7 7 8
Treeble 4 5 6 5
 
release date: 19-Feb-2011
# of downloads: 49

average rating: 6.86
review count: 14
 
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file size: 30.36 MB
file type: TR4
class: Base/Lab
 


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Reviewer's comments
"I didn't want to start yet another massive 2005 release shortly after wrapping up the previous one, so I skimmed through later years and stumbled upon this Demo. Figured it might be on the short side, and the condensed walkthrough helped sell that idea. Whether this was a better use of my alloted TRLE time or not is up to debate however. It's dark, I don't think there were flare pickups, and the level design is anything but intuitive, so without the walkthrough I feel I'd not get anywhere at all. Major grievance is how platforming is so precarious, I'm not sure whether by design or just the author didn't really bother. There was one jump from a three-click high alcove which proved to be impossible (and mind you, I've played quite a fair share of notorious difficult levels recently) and after about two dozen tries I tried and discovered DOZY hasn't been disabled. I found myself using it a second time later on for a timed run over trapdoors and ropeswings to a very out of place jump switch, I suspect it might not be possible to be done legitimately as the two tries I did before cheating my way through hardly got me as far as the second trapdoor, and that was with a decent rope maneuver, landing across in just two swings. Lots of missing SFX and the mesh model for the pistol ammo in the inventory is missing (plus the loadcam coordinates seem off, too). Bottomline, not enjoyable at all - sorry. 25 minutes. 12/22" - Treeble (04-Dec-2022)
"I somehow managed to get through this demo version with slightly less hassle than in the full version of this level. It wasn't just because of the reduced length, but a couple of the difficult tasks were removed, so it only took me around half an hour. However, I see no reason to drastically change my scores because it still isn't a whole lot player-friendly. I still had real trouble with a particular jump around a low ceiling in the deadly pool room and the timed run across platforms to reach a jumpswitch still took too many attempts to get right. The enemies also tended to gang up unfairly on you when very little ammo was provided. The atmosphere and textures were actually on point, but a little dark at times. I spent most of my time in frustration here, which is a real shame." - Ryan (27-May-2018)
"I wrote a walkthrough for the full version of this game about three years ago, but when I played this demo I remembered little of it except for that diabolical timed run initiated with a gyrating rope swing to the first platform and ending with a curved running jump to a jumpswitch. It's hard to forget that one. Anyway, what we have here is a much shorter 30-minute raid that nevertheless presents some formidable enemies and tricky jumps. Even so, you have to backtrack all the way to the starting point to insert a final artifact to end the level. Not my idea of a sound gameplay decision. Still, it's certainly a worthwhile download, especially if you haven't played the longer version." - Phil (15-Oct-2015)
"I'd probably describe Dangerous Fragments as a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand you've got pretty good visuals and while the lighting is a tad on the dark side it's pretty well applied (I played it using my TV, I doubt I'd of managed using my monitor). On the other hand you've got needlessly difficult gameplay which heavily detracts from the appeal. There were a couple of moments that just had me going, re-load/die/re-load/die/re-load/die/re-load/die again and again and again!. I've said this before and I'll say it again, needlessly difficult jumps that require pixel perfection and 70 odd-re-loads do not make good gameplay. If you're given traps the player really needs to be given a realistic chance to avoid them. The sequence with the laser I found especially difficult and given how tight the medi-packs are I had to keep at it until I got through with minimum damage (the return trip was even worse!). Enemies themselves damage you heavily and take allot of ammo to kill. Finally I also managed to some-how complete the last puzzle only moving only the red-block (with the nasty aliens then appearing in turn for me to dispatch). This seemed odd as the colouring would indicate all three blocked needed to be placed. All in all I netted 45 minutes logged time from Dangerous Fragments (but I think you can triple that for all the re-loads I had to do). I'm hopeful that the author will incorporate the feedback they have received from this and other reviews and perhaps temper the difficult level and jumps to appeal to a wider audience. As it stands it's a frustrating experience that I'd only recommend to hard-core completists. Stiggy." - TheStig (31-Jan-2012)
"This was a very short but very challenging level. The base has good audio and enemies but the lighting was too dark and I needed to use a lot of flares. Enemies were gangsters, dogs and a machine which was hard to kill. Two parts of this level which was challenging for me was the run past the two lasers but it was harder to get back. The other challenging part was to get out of the toxic water room by doing a very very tricky jump. That was so challenging! The textures were nice and fitted the lab atmosphere. Recommended." - afzalmiah (20-Apr-2011)
"Warehouse, yes, dangerous, yes again, tedious, absolutely. Very dark and not enough medipacks comes to mind. A push puzzle that didn't work as it was intended but that was the least of my worries. If this demo ever sees the light as a full version, I hope that the builder does take all the comments at heart, as doing a tricky run once is OK but twice is not funny at all. Remember this is a demo" - Gerty (06-Apr-2011)
"OK, I admit it, I enjoy difficult levels (even if they're just a Demo). And I've probably rated this one higher than I should because of that. But why shouldn't there be levels for all classes of player. Let's not get into the 'lowest common denominator' syndrome with Tomb Raider. I enjoy a straight forward, easy level sometimes and other times I enjoy being tested and this one is testing. Laser runs, timed runs, good enemies with limited firepower and a dollop of agility testing. What let it down mainly was the lighting and lack of flares, one or the other but not both! A half hour demo that should produce a good level. I look forward to it." - Diz (29-Mar-2011)
"Boy was I wrong when I thought I would have a quick and painless play through a short demo when I loaded this one up. In net gaming time it is indeed short at under 30 mins and it conveys a rather accomplished (if a little too dark and gloomy) atmosphere, but what makes it a bit of an ordeal to get through is a series of rather tricky tasks. Tricky can be good, as a challenge - but here the challenge in places turns into tedium and that spoils all the entertainment completely. I managed the return through the second laser by sheer luck and with a fraction of health left. The cyborg style enemies are rather tough to beat with pistols only and require quite some patience. The timed run is well thought out and actually not all that hard to accomplish with a bit of practice - if it were not for that very last jump to the switch, which took me way too many tries to finally master. In contrast you then get this totally simply push block puzzle and the backtrack to the start of the level at the end. Lots of good ideas here, but for a full version the author should get rid of the 'I build this extra harder because I can' elements and balance the gameplay a bit better, so that more players will be able to enjoy this good looking setting." - MichaelP (13-Mar-2011)
"Many things the author has to modify in this level so I decide to play the final version. If not, I think that final version will be played by very few people around the world. Too dark and no flares to can see something; a lot of situations to hurt Lara a lot; too tricky tasks where you need to reload hundreds of times, like the laser in the very narrow corridor or the extremely hard running jump around the low ceiling in the deadly pool room; only the pistols to shoot innumerable enemies; not enough medipacks to restore Lara's health; no cameras... Definitively, not a good level for my taste. The only good feature I saw was the texturization. Please, think about a gameplay so players can enjoy the game and not suffer." - Jose (09-Mar-2011)
"If this is truly a demo and the builder is looking for feedback, I hope he has an opportunity to read and incorporate suggestions for the finished project because there is real potential here. The biological machines as enemies show imagination and the timed trapdoors/rope sequence is designed well if a bit too tight for most Raiders. The dark warehouse in the beginning was realistic, if irritating, but the brighter rooms later were appreciated and a good relief. The laser traps were nicely thought out but to have to go through them twice was a bit much or maybe that's just me as it's a particular dislike to have to go through a difficult area twice when a shortcut or other gameplay could have been provided.
No additional flares for the many dark areas and lack of med packs before (not after) a shootout when Lara has only pistols in which to fight, will drive many to cheats or simply give up on what could be a very good Raid.I think the lack of reviews MAY attest to the fact that many started but could not complete the demo.
I encountered a bug that stopped gameplay towards the end and needed the walkthrough to see that a door should have been opened after pulling the jump switch at the end of the timed trapdoor run but was still closed for me. Going back to a Savegame and replaying allowed the door to open and the continuation of the demo.
Did I enjoy it? Yes.
Will I play the completed game if finished? Yes, but probably not to completion without the temptation to resort to a cheat of some kind if gameplay is the same. I enjoyed the atmosphere very much (my rating doesn't show that as much because its together with Sound, Cameras which need work), even the unmarked ladder and if the builder can see a bit more from the player's viewpoint, I think the ratings will reflect that. I'm looking forward to the finished project because as I previously stated, I think there is a lot of potential here for a really excellent Raid." - Bene (28-Feb-2011)
"Blimey, this one takes no prisoners, and don't let the 'demo' bit fool you - between the pixel perfect jumps, deadly laser traps, massed enemy attacks and fun but frantic timed run, there's more than enough action here to give you the impression that you've played a much longer level. I felt positively wrung out by the end of it. Good potential, but it's not entirely 'player friendly' and won't be everyone's cup of tea." - Jay (26-Feb-2011)
"Sometimes I really ask myself what a level builder thinks, when he builds his level. Such a level builder mostly really thinks to himself about his work. And sometimes I have the feeling that the level builder does not think one second of the poor players. Here we have a level builder from these species. The level is at large parts too dark. And the poor player finds no Flares. And must rely solely on his both pistols. And has too many opponents. And sees too few camera hints. And has to overcome too many unfair places. And does not know very often from which direction someone shot at him because partly the sound is absent. And must grapple with missing climbing textures. And then in the end one finds the relay and may carry it back up to the level beginning. And where was please the play fun? He must have been hiding from me. I have not found him, in any case. But, at least, the level is built quite substantially. But this was already the only positive news. Nevertheless, I hope very much that the full level were completely turned upside down, because in this form it makes absolutely no fun." - Scottie (22-Feb-2011)
"Again a surprising return of a builder, and I have very mixed feelings about this level. On the one hand, the textures and the new enemies like the aliens or the big machine were really really well done, the game had good ideas like the laser traps that had to be solved by jumping at a special place, but on the other hand, after some minutes in this level, I had the feeling that it all was about opening thousands of doors, killing few enemies that have no shooting sound and go on, after around 30 minutes get to the final block puzzle which could easily be solved with a single block instead of three and picking up a key, then backtracking over the whole area (firstly, the players have to know that they should go there, it's not so obvious) to the starting room, inserting the key and ending. There could be some more gameplay elements in it, not only a very tight timed run over some platforms to a jump lever; some ladders were unmarked and stopped progression in this game; the levers looked cool but you first have to realise them as levers. The areas all got a bit boring because of the too long central crawlspace you visit more than once and the for some players too difficult banana jumps in the acid room, which required perfect angling. The fights also were rather annoying, with only the pistols and very resistent enemies, I needed some more health kits to go on, before realising you can simply run around the enemies and shoot them constantly (dures very very long). I had one feeling throughout the level, that the builder used all the doors and long corridors to make this level longer, but good levels don't always need to be long, remember that, because the way it is presented here, it all was very boring after some time, although there were some really great ideas in this level." - manarch2 (22-Feb-2011)
"I clearly remember the author's last level with giant spiders and tricky lava jumps and too dark setting. I suspect that I am going to remember this level, too, so the author makes memorable levels (although this may be memorable for the wrong reasons). The author has vastly improved as far as the appearance and texturing is concerned, as this looks like a convincing base level. But what struck me immediately is the dim lighting, which is just like the author's last level. In real life work areas are well lit to avoid accidents but here the author uses reasonable lighting in a crawlspace (bravo!), but dim lighting in rooms. A screenshot on the forum shows just how dark this level is, as one can barely make out details in the posted picture. When Lara starts she is near a truck, and beside this there is an empty circuit panel. Lara takes note of this and realizes which item she will be hunting. After reasonable game play there is a terrible jump across deadly water where the ceiling is too low. This jump took Lara an hour and the whole thing feels pointless, and creates negative feelings for the remaining game. Later, Lara gets to a tightly timed trapdoor sequence, which is actually well designed, but I was convinced it was going to be another exercise in aggravation. (Lara does have to climb up textures that aren't climbable anywhere else in the level). After Lara completes the timed run it doesn't seem bad. This could have been the high point of the level, if players weren't put off by that previous jump at the low ceiling. Last is a push-block puzzle that can be simply solved with one block, even though the setup indicates that the author intended three blocks to be used. If the author improved lighting, and revised that stupid jump with the low ceiling, then players would have a much more positive attitude at other places in the level." - dmdibl (22-Feb-2011)