Reviewer's comments |
"While based on an older game engine than most custom levels that you'll come across now days, I have to say that the Mountainous Temple has proved to be one of the more enjoyable and complete adventures that I've had the privilege of playing so far this year. Tomb Raider III's engine might have it's limitations but it's refreshing to play something different especially when an author puts as much effort in as this. We'll start off with the environments which while wont win any awards for texturing are well crafted, have BIG scale (which I love!), and reward exploration. Lighting is pretty good too, though I'd liked to have seen a little more variation and shadows in the outdoor spaces (which looked a bit flat in places). One of the most challenging aspects is certainly the enemies. As well as Shiva's you'll have some nasty TRIII alien attackers to deal with. These made for tough time as they are fast, inflict significant damage and take require allot of hits to take down. Using my duck, roll and attack from high places approach however I still managed to finish with a reasonable medi-pack count & ammo in reserve. I know some people will find the spider-sequence at the end (using the same Willard spider-monster from Tomb Raider III) a bit of a nightmare, but the key is to be aware where he is at all times, and time your button pushes and pickups accordingly. The only way to succeed is to be calm, unflustered and if you think he's going to fire-off a that killer shot, do another circuit to build up a bit more space. It's also impressive that the author included custom audio in a TR3 level which I didn’t think was possible! All in all I netted 2 hours 30 minutes from the Mountainous temple. I think it's a great two parter, which is well balanced and definitely worthy of your consideration. Recommended, Stiggy :)" - TheStig (12-Jun-2012) |
"This would have been a perfect TR3 level if it weren't for the
utter exaggeration in the placing of extremely deadly mutants
(the Shivas are easily defeated even though I can't seem to
locate this level somewhere in India) that end up totally
deprecating one's relatively very few medipacks and the very
scarce most potent ammo. At the time one gets to fight Willard
the Spider in a manner rather similar to that in the original
TR3 it then becomes an almost impossible task. Hence, I dare
say I'm not certain every player managed to make it to the
very end - that is still having what it takes to defeat the
boss. Other than that, it may be the very best editor-made TR3
I've played thus far, difficult jumps/orientation included for
they were interesting. So, the only reason why I really feel I
must downrate it a bit is the huge lack of playability for the
reasons I expressed right at the start." - Jorge22 (26-Mar-2012) |
"Great levelset, I really liked it! The puzzles and tasks were good, but I think there where too much mutants, maybe more variety of enemies would've been good, but I like it anyway. Recommended for players which are not getting annoyed easily." - misho98 (26-Feb-2012) |
"Maybe this is the best debut level. It is rare for a newcomer to build such a good level. This level set is funny, interesting and pretty challenging. I think it is the hardest level I played. Lara starts on an icy mountain trying to find a kind of village protected by Tinos monsters. After a tough fight with thwo of them and by having just pistols and very few shotgun bullets (it is better to use just pistols,as you can climb on the wall and kill them or running around and not geeting any harm, then Lara finds the first temple, which is very beatiful and well textured. Just a look to the entrance is enough. In the temple there are three paths to choose, each of them tough enough. The rock path is full of falling fragments, earthquakes and barrels. I think the first room of this path wasn't so well textured, but the gameplay makes you to ignore it. The water path maybe was the hardest. An underwater labyrinth, blades and two fights with these hard to kill monsters. You have to fight with two in a small room and with other three in the next one. I am glad I didn't chose this room first, because I had many shotgun bullets and the MP5. The Mp5 is a bit hard to use while moving, but it makes great damage. Sarikman build the three monsters room so you can find a way to kill them without getting hit. Just run and stand in front of the mask and it will be easy. The fire path was the best. The lighting wasn't so successive in the previous rooms, but here is terrific. The second level is a lot better than the first one, but it is as tough it was. Lara has to find replicas of the artefacts of TR3. They are well hidden and protected. Jumps on slopes over the lava, blades, Shiva statues (I think they don't fit a lot, but they create a better gameplay). My best parts of the level was the room with the monsters in cages and sure the fight with the boss. I think it is more a puzzle than a fight. You have to make it fall and hurry to press the buttons, then make it fall again and trap it behind the cage. The adventure is very interesting, with excellent gameplay, nice cameras and perfect music. Sarikman always makes levels which need every skill of Lara Croft and choose the best audio for each part. The lighting isn't so succesful all the time, but I think this is not a real problem. Sarikman makes the best adventures for TR3. This debut and his last level set "Poseidon's Sanctum" really worth playing. Highly recomended." - DatoDavid (19-Jan-2012) |
"First of all, I do have to say I'm perplexed to read about the prejudice some reviewers seem to have towards TR3 levels. They have the same capacity for greatness (or lack of) as do the TR4 levels we are more accustomed to, and I dare say that it is only since the era of engine-patching and next generation editor that they have come at a slight disadvantage. Although I am also surprised why The Mountainous Temple of all TR3 levels seems to be the one that stands out of the pack for these reviewers, one can indeed say a lot of good things about it. Despite being on the challenging side, this double-level adventure flows considerably well and the sections, where you will not be fighting off the toughest enemies from TR3 imaginable, seem to have a nice structure to them that always presents to you what the objective at hand is without trying to make it too obscure (maybe with the exception of one of the starting areas where you are given a relatively large area to explore and find the 2 keys that open the temple). You will usually be confronted with one problem at a time, but the author has made sure to get the most out of it and make you suffer as you evade boulders, falling debris, blade traps, master jumps over lava and fight off packs of enemies non-stop through the 1+ hour of net gaming. While I didn't always find it an easy task to get over the obstacles, I appreciated the builder giving me a fighting chance (though it did not necessarily feel that way when playing) with plenty of ammo pickups and at least some sort of forewarning of the dangers to come. The objections I do have are that the 3 elemental puzzles you encounter in the first level borrow a bit too much from their source of inspiration and where they don't, namely the fire puzzle, it wasn't necessarily clear what made some tiles safe to stand on or what would cause it to burst out in flames. It gets more coherent as you progress in the game, with the second level probably ending up to be the better of the two in this aspect. I enjoyed it more because, aside from the massacre element, it also had some neat puzzles in form of the movable block one to access higher ground, the shimmy/climb one near the end - and as frustrating as it seems at the moment - the Willard sequence is probably more a puzzle than a boss fight when all is said and done too. Most enemies fit the Tinnos inspired setting well, with the only notable exception being the Shiva statues, which might have more been added for their menacing appearance and toughness, rather than being a perfect fit for the setting. The weakest point of the whole adventure are the looks - while they also improve as you progress further into the game, the visual side of the experience overall felt a bit rough around the edges with somewhat patchwork texturing and unsophisticated lighting. The room geometry did not lack in visions of grandeur, but wasn't always as accomplished as it could be, and at least I felt was occasionally misleading me into thinking some elements of it had a gameplay function rather than an aesthetic one. Bottomline - it is a fairly challenging experience overall, but the author has done more things right than wrong with his/her debut and though maybe not the most visually pleasing level - it has plenty of adrenaline to offer for its action and puzzling sequences. Found 5 of the 11 secrets." - eTux (02-Oct-2011) |
"I love TR3 levels, especially when they are well constructed. It is the first good TR3 I played. The gameplay is good. You start on a mountaintop, you find a temple and you have to overcome many difficult situations. I like the block puzzle in the second level and the way you have to kill the last boss. Many enemies which are hard to kill, but there is always a way to beat them. The music themes where well fit and awesome themes from all TR games. The cameras are very helpful and nice placed. The lighting at some part is not so good. The author could place the lights better, but it isn't so noticeable. Texturing was really awesome. Just take a look at the entrance of the first temple and you will undestrand." - Ekrixi (14-Sep-2011) |
"Actually, this is the second TR3 levelset I played. I am really impressed. Excellent work. I believe that if more players reviewed it, its score would be higher. I enjoyed it a lot and I recomend it to everyone. It is a combination of great and hard challenges (hard traps and strong enemies) and of good puzzles. Every time you will manage to do something difficult, you will have a sence of satisfaction. Texturing is fantastic, so it overcomes some monotonous lightings. In addition, the author used the music and the cameras with the best way (especially the music), so it creates a good atmosphere.
The first level is on a mountain with snow. Lara has to find a kind of village and a temple guarded by Tinos monsters. At the begining, you have only pistols to help you, but I found it kind of funny to shoot them and avoid their fires. In the temple there are three paths to take. The fire path was my favourite. Fire traps, good lighting and a fight with two monsters in a small cage. The ground path was full of traps and the water had a labyrinth and at the of it you have to fight firstly with two mosters and finally with other three. It may seems very hard, but every time there is a way to kill them all easilly. So attacking face to face is not a solution here. For me this is a really good puzzle. The lighting could be more interesting in some places, but the atmosphere still is great.
The second level is in a temple where Lara finds the artifacts from TR3. Texturing and the architecture is fantastic. The lighting too. In the previous level you had just pistols,shotgun and MP5. Here you get uzis, grenades and rocket. It is funny to kill Shivas with these. Many good traps and a scary room with a lot of monsters in cages. Scary atmosphere at some points and at the end you have to fight with Willardspider. I believe that this is the most ineresting part of the level. Willard is immortal and the author, so you have to lock him away from you in order to avoid him. Awesome puzzle. It took me a while to figure how I'll beat him." - AdamR (03-Sep-2011) |
"Since a long time ago I didn't play a TR3 level with this quality. Excelent design with classic but no bored tasks, a lot of traps and gymnastics, well known puzzles and a lot of action. Very well choosen audio tracks from TR3 and another TR games, placed in appropriate places, good use of the cameras and flybies, not excessively hidden secrets, enough guns and ammo... Really a very good work woth to play. On the other hand, perhaps too many hard enemies in certain rooms and stretched textures in triangular surfaces, but definitively and adventure to enjoy with an ending which will give you very nice regards from TR3. Looking forward to (hopefully) a next work from this good builder. Congratulations!" - Jose (11-Aug-2011) |
"Nice level !!! I scored it lower, becuase so much more could have been done in a TR4 format. A few bugs let me "cheat" a bit - took the shaft down first, and loaded up with gun & ammo, then went for the three gates. Boss was very dificult !!! Almost ran out of medipacs..." - Juno Jim (02-Aug-2011) |
"I believe that if more players would review this two-part TR3 release, the average scores would rise. I've played two great TR3 levels recently, the other being Catacombs of the Serpent, and both are on a par with the originals. The level of difficulty in Mountainous Temple is even higher, and there are a number of sequences that required multiple tries for me to conquer. Particularly satisfying (once you do it) is the concluding joust with the giant spider man, and if you don't trap him as documented in manarch2's walkthrough, you're toast before you can get away from the area. The two levels will each take you a bit more than an hour to complete, and the raiding experience is fun and challenging throughout. High recommendations." - Phil (12-Jul-2011) |
"I was going to skip this level, but after looking at some of the other reviews I decided to play it and I must say, it was well worth it. This is a surprisingly nice TR3 level with good and sometimes challenging game play. There are a nice variety of things to do, which range from climbing over icy canyons with good jumping and shimmying sequences in the first and last part of the level to the tasks that have to be done inside the huge temple. Inside Lara faces lots of well-designed challenges to conquer. There are timed burners and firetraps, jump and sliding in lava rooms, underwater maces with blade traps and there is also lots and lots of combat. The majority of enemies encountered were mainly those big and hard to kill Tinnos mutants from TR3 that took forever to die and caused a lot of health damage to Lara unless she quickly made it up to a block or other spot where there claws could net reach her. In my opinion less would have been more here. Lara also encounters Tinnos wasps and has to combat multiple Shiva statues, which were fairly easy to beat because at this point in the game Lara has picked up several powerful weapons like the grenade launcher and a rocket launcher. None of those guns helped her to combat the boss character of the level and he therefore has to be outsmarted and outrun, which took me quite a few attempts to accomplish. The builder included useful camera hints throughout the level so it was almost always clear what to do next except for a few areas that turned out to be dead ends. The texturing and lighting was of typical TR3 quality and gave the level a solid TR3 feel, just as if it could have been part of the original game, with the exception of quite a lot of illegal slopes that caused some unnecessary getting stuck and having to reload a save game fun. Nevertheless, just as another reviewer mentioned, even if you normally don’t play TR3 levels – this one should not be missed!" - Blue43 (11-Jul-2011) |
"I have often said that I saw no point in builders using TR2 or 3 as TR4 is so much better. Well, what do I know? This really good TR3 level leaves an awful lot of TR4 levels in the shade. Indeed, after about 10 minutes of play I’d forgotten it was the much despised (by me) TR3 and just got on with enjoying myself. If you’re allergic to mutants or Tinos wasps then you’ll have a problem because they’re everywhere, and in bunches too! The gameplay is fairly straight-forward without being repetitive and there’s some interesting bouncing, sliding, ‘find the way’ areas, which I enjoyed. I usually find the use of textures in TR3 somewhat blocky and a bit crude, if it was in this level then I didn’t notice which shows how well the author used the programme. There’s a great Boss ending with an unusual twist and lots of secrets to find (I missed 2). Even if you don’t normally like TR3, give this one a go, because it’s fun and that’s the whole point of playing. I don’t think you’ll regret it." - Diz (09-Jul-2011) |
"If you normally avoid TR3 levels, please make an exception in this case - if you can get past the blocky TR3 textures, it’s actually rather good. In fact, I have to say I’ve seldom enjoyed a TR3 level as much – especially impressive given that this is a debut build. In the first part, Lara has to obtain three masks and each one involves a different set of challenges, ranging from battling massed attacks by those large, fierce mutant creatures (and occasional Tinnos wasps), swimming through underwater mazes guarded by blade traps and some major fire emitter avoidance. It’s all good fun and provided you employ good tactics with the enemies you should manage to get through with the medipacks and fire power provided throughout the level. There’s also some enjoyable climbing, high up in the mountains, which should assess not only your route finding abilities but also your vertigo threshold. In part two, there are more inventive and fun agility tests in search of the artefacts, plus Shivas (there are still those pesky mutants to deal with, but by this time you should have accumulated a serious arsenal and can even choose to blow them up if you wish). For me, the biggest challenge was dealing with the Willard spider – an incredibly well created blast from the past. It took me a long time to trap him in the cage, despite trying to get some tips from the builder’s online video. I’m afraid he made it look a lot easier than my somewhat clumsier attempts, but I got there in the end. I hope we see lots more levels from this talented builder." - Jay (26-Jun-2011) |
"The Mountainous Temple (8-7-8-7) A (for me) nearly
two hour long search, because I searched quite long for the
last secret. I found the general architecture of this level
quite good, and texturing had good parts too, just look at
the entrance of the temple, but I found lighting was at
parts a bit flat and monotonous. Gameplay was at first
finding a way through the mountains to find the temple,
which was mostly jumping over slopes. Not bad, but it got
boring after time. The secrets were well hidden here, after
half an hour the player enters the temple and has to find
and fight his way through three thematic passages, which I
found very good - the water part was very challenging, the
earth part was a bit annoying with too many enemies to find,
but you can often find safe parts where you can kill them,
but the fire part was well done again, with a little
earthquake and some tricky jumps. The fire part had the best
lighting in this level, not too dark but creepy and
thrilling, I found, and it also contained a small block
puzzle, even if that one easily can be skipped. The level
ends with a few jumps across a big cave and in the
mountains, the music was perfectly applied to dangerous or
hard parts of this level.
Escape with the Artifacts (9-9-8-8) was even more
fun than the first level. It all starts rather slow with
four rather not to miss secrets in the first five minutes,
but then it turns out to be a very hard level. Many traps
here that were perfectly worked out (slopes, boulder parts),
the enemies that were still quite a few could easily be
killed with the secret guns (much better than in first
level). The block puzzle including the last secret was well
done, you see your aim and you have to build a bridge for
the stone that is the one and only way to reach the alcove.
Jumping parts were good, texturing was, too and lighting
also got better now. I exspecially liked the boss fight with
a new Willard, a new way to get rid of him. After 40 minutes
Lara escapes the temple and the player gets a nice ending
slideshow.
This levelset, exspecially the second level, was for sure
one of the best TR3 adventures I have played. It was much
fun and done by a very competent builder who knows how to
create a good architecture and good gameplay and textures -
I have found only one wrongly rotated texture in the whole
set Well done." - manarch2 (25-Jun-2011) |
"Have to say I really enjoyed this. The start wasn’t much to go on (just snow and rock with not much clue as to where you should go) but it’s not long before you’re greeted by the temple. I enjoyed the difficulty, some easy and hard bits (the hard bits while changeling provide a sense of satisfaction when you beat them), also some of the enemies where quite tough but I enjoyed the challenge. Great use of music, it isn’t long between each piece and they fit in nicely. Puzzles where really good, they were similar to TR3 but different enough to feel fresh. The level re-uses a lot of ideas from Tomb Raider 3 and is reminiscent of it. Did encounter 2 bugs; an illegal slope you can’t escape, and a way to skip half of level one. So could use more testing in future. The atmosphere is great, a little scary and moody thanks to the sound and enemies. Overall it’s a really good attempt at a TR3 level and I would recommend playing it, especially to TR3 lovers." - Pistoltiger (23-Jun-2011) |
"It is always good when a level builder knows his craft.
Because only then there will be a win-win situation. We
player have the fun to be able to play a good level and the
level builder gets good reviews and is motivated not to
decrease in his efforts and to build the next good level.
There is also the fact that this is the first work by
Sarikman. Just first works are another story. There a level
builder can make so much wrong that can it be a torture for
us player to play such an botched level. This is here,
however, luckily for everybody not the case. There is in the
first level, however, a situation where one can take an
abbreviation. In the space with the beam of light one can
jump in a corner down in the hole. Then Lara loses only a
little life energy. However, this means that one lets out
half of the first level. That's a shame, because the
inclined player thereby misses some well built rooms. One
can describe the opponents with few words: Big, strong,
tough and sociable. They are never alone on the move,
thereby one sometimes gets in difficult situations. But Lara
has several weapons in the luggage. There is also the fact
that there is plenty of ammunition and a considerable number
of Medipacks. This TR3 excursion into the Antarctic
including Spiderman Willow is a godsend for the nostalgics
among us. Here one can have about 2 hours a lot of fun. I'm
looking forward to the next level of Sarikman and am excited
about what he served us next." - Scottie (23-Jun-2011) |
"Sarikman - The Mountainous Temple (TR3) 9, 9, 8, 8
If you have enjoyed better recent TR3 levels, such as Catacombs of the Serpent, then this will be just what you are looking for. Here, also, are two levels which together take about two and a half hours to play. Good TR3 levels are rare, so this is a welcome addition. It does have some faults of a debut level in that the lighting is bland, and that the author has underestimated the difficulty (unless this was intended to be something of a challenge level set). In the original TR3, alien flipper monsters put in an appearance near the end, when Lara was prepared and had lots of ammo and weapons. Here, right near the beginning, Lara has to confront two of the creatures in a large open courtyard when her best strategy may be to do a lot of side flipping and jumping with pistols blazing. There are plenty of these creatures, but Lara can usually take advantage of the architecture to fend them off, often without health loss, so I assume this was deliberate on the part of the author (i.e., run from the things, and they may get caught up in an angled hallway, or be unable to reach Lara if she stands at the bottom of a large stair drop). The first level has a search for three masks among earth, fire, and water elements. On my first play, I managed to bypass those tasks entirely by having Lara drop into a burning light beam, so do approach the doors to the three elements and they will open automatically. The play in these three areas has tough spots, debris falling on Lara's head, or a tight underwater maze, though the tasks are probably no harder than the original TR3. There is good rock jumping which takes Lara to the second level. Here the idea is collect four artifacts and escape, and by now Lara has the rocket launder and a secret grenade gun to make quick work of Shivas. I enjoyed the second level most, as gameplay flowed quickly, with jumping sequences and a small push block puzzle. It was easy for Lara to outwit those alien creatures. Near the end Lara has to trap Willard the Giant Spider. In the original TR3, the boss fight had Lara shooting the spider with the Desert Eagle, and counting shots, but that weapon is missing here. In this version the idea is to trap the spider in a cage, and this is a good puzzle for experienced players. It may be difficult for a player who has never encountered the giant spider. Finally Lara gets the fourth and last artifact and exits. There are pleasing closing credits, though Lara in her bikini does get in the way of a scenic shot; it was nice to see Lara with her friend the penguin. The design in these levels is accomplished, there are good acrobatics, puzzles and camera shots, and the game play is well worked out, so anyone with the patience for combat sequences will really enjoy this." - dmdibl (22-Jun-2011) |
"This was actually my first tr3 level (and first level from an unofficial editor) I have played. First of all, I’m not really impressed with the game. The are many and big mistakes made in the construction of this level. This is supposed to be something like an Antarctica level, with snow and with a temple inside. I must say I didn’t liked how the author designed the cold mountains and the whole environment. It doesn’t look realistic; in fact, it was more like a creation of someone who has not much experience in building levels. I haven’t played any level of this author (as I can remember), so I don’t know if this level is an improvement or not. As I said already, the environment looked pretty bad. For me it was more like a beginner type level. Right at the beginning we can see how the illusion is destroyed of being in Antarctica. We can go ˝behind˝ the mountain and actually touch the horizon. Also, the room wasn’t high enough. When I tried to jump with Lara there was an invisible ceiling. Many parts of the first level looked like this. The author need much more practice in designing environment like this one (mountains, cliffs …). The lightning (and sometimes the texturing) was monotone. I can’t remember rooms with a little bit dynamic lightning? The gameplay was, more or less, easy. There are a few hard and tricky parts, but generally it was simple. The second level was a little bit different, more action! Few fights with the big creatures were kinda funny, especially with the big spider boss from tr3.. Haven’t seen him for a long time in a custom level. But a few times the battles with big creatures just get annoying…sorry…it’s not fun killing like 2-3 big tinos monsters. This game didn’t offer anything new or special. There are more things I disliked than the good ones, I liked. I guess the next level will be on a higher level than this one." - MpGrill (22-Jun-2011) |
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