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Chambers of Dust by Tolle87

Cory 4 3 4 3
DJ Full 6 7 8 5
dmdibl 7 5 5 4
eRIC 6 4 4 2
Gerty 7 5 5 4
Jay 7 5 5 4
Jose 7 5 6 4
manarch2 6 5 5 5
MichaelP 8 5 6 4
Orbit Dream 7 4 4 3
Phil 7 7 6 6
Ryan 7 6 5 5
sonnyd83 6 5 6 5
TheStig 7 5 5 5
 
release date: 22-May-2012
# of downloads: 57

average rating: 5.29
review count: 14
 
review this level

file size: 30.06 MB
file type: TR4
class: Egypt
 


author profile(s):
email(s):
vtockic@hotmail.com

Reviewer's comments
"Doesn't look like a masterpiece and has some technical errors but often is surprisingly well lit and getting the puzzle stars actually feels rewarding. If it wasn't for the initial, nearly one-kilometer pushblock, I would recommend this level a bit more. Optional." - DJ Full (09-Dec-2023)
"A debut level that showcases quite a bit of genius on part of the builder, but also a few beginner mistakes. I found that the textures were purely functional rather than attractive and as a result, the rooms tend to look dull and unexciting - not really anything appealing. Lighting isn't too bad though. There's also a pushblock exercise and a maze area that outstayed their welcomes for me. Otherwise (and apart from a flawed flipmap room that could be partially slipped), the gameplay is really quite nifty and pacey throughout, with plenty of timed sequences and boulder traps (the latter being included in a neat puzzle near the end) that are often challenging to conquer, but not too difficult. Enemies aren't threatening, but secrets are generally placed well and require little side trips. It probably ranks on the lower side of the visual spectrum, but this level provides some neat gameplay that generally balances that out." - Ryan (29-Apr-2019)
"What you have here is a perfectly fine beginner level here from from Tolle87. Visually it's fairly plain (indeed you can see elements of the first tutorial room where you set off), with plenty of repeating textures. There's a few wafer thin walls here and there but thankfully nothing too serious. Lighting I think has been really well attempted for a first effort with all the rooms having either a deep warm orange glow, or a deep cool blue in the water. Different music tracks have been packaged (which is always a bonus!). I think what impressed me most was the puzzles. It's really refreshing to see a builder with a fresh take on things (I particularly liked the 3-lever spike/boulder puzzle towards the end). The maze was appropriately disorientating and the timed runs were tight, but not too challenging. All in all I netted 51 minutes from this level. Why it took me longer than most other reviewers (who reported closer to 30 minutes) I'm not sure, though I did spend a fair bit of time in the maze & the first block puzzle. Recommended and I look forward to seeing more from this author. Stiggy :)" - TheStig (01-Aug-2014)
"The first level by this builder , which although it shares some of the same flaws than other debut levels, differs from some by presenting a couple of original ideas. The first puzzle , it is the first and unique time where I see a movable block used that way, and the elaborated puzzle with levers and spiked balls at the end. I must admit that for the latter I referred to the walkthrough to get it right at first try as I can't stand to be spiked , not even once. By the way , reading the walkthrough I could appreciate the author 's good sense of humour. In between , a couple of flipmaps, some acrobatics , and a couple of timed doors a bit on the challenging side but with a few tries one can make those in time with style ; in the opposite case savegames are available for download in the walkthrough link. Other than this , there is also some fun with ranges of spiked balls and a labyrinth with mummies and small scorpions. Enemies are of the small type , some audios are rather well chosen. On the downside , the setting the decor the global atmosphere and the flybys that go through walls are poor. But let us look rather at what is good therein. A level that is not too long ( 35 minutes for I did not go for the big medipack at the beginning which would have been time consuming ) with nothing irritating and rather interesting to play." - eRIC (30-Sep-2012)
"This appears very much to be a beginner's level. Gameplay starts of badly, with a long pushable block puzzle, and doesn't really improve much from there. Other reviewers stated that the gameplay gets better through-out, but I didn't find this to be the case. It certainly develops a much better flow, but the only original puzzle in the level was the boulder-switch puzzle near the end. I think this puzzle would have been much better if the flyby was clearer as to what you had to do. Enemies were basically scorpions and mummies, and very few objects were used. Secrets were also quite easy to find. Flybys had a tendency to end up going through walls, and there was no great atmosphere created, due partially to the lack of lighting. It was obvious that this was a first-time builder (or one who hadn't had much experience with the editor) because textures were stretched, and there were wafer-thin walls between rooms. The builder does, however, show glimpses of talent towards the end of the level. I would personally not recommend this level, but if you want to play a 30 minute level, this would not be the worst option." - Cory (25-Jul-2012)
"This maiden voyage bears many of the earmarks of a beginner's effort. The environs are somewhat crude and unimaginative, and the gameplay is rather uninspired. Still, the level does have its moment, and I consider the forty-five or so minutes I spent here to have been time well spent. There's a fairly elaborate block puzzle near the beginning, albeit tedious (especially if you stick around to get the secret). The walkthrough has been provided by the builder, and what he considered a pixel-perfect jump really isn't that at all. A slide down a slope and a jump to a ledge is made simple if you slide down the slope backwards, grab and pull up to take a rolling back flip to the ledge. Near the end there's a rolling ball puzzle that I really didn't bother to try and figure out, because the walkthrough leads you right through it, and from your vantage point you're not able to see what happens anyway when you push and pull the various levers. On the whole, this one is probably slightly below average when stacked up against other custom levels, but you still get some nice challenges here if you're not too fussy about the textures." - Phil (22-Jun-2012)
"This short debut level begins somewhat inauspiciously with an interminable block push and a maze, two features that no level really needs. The good news is that it really perks up in terms of gameplay, with a room flooding/draining sequence, some boulder avoidance (one of which was nicely sneaky) a fun timed run and an enjoyable puzzle. The builder seems to have mastered the basics of the level editor quite well, the surroundings appearing fairly solid, if a touch plain, and there are definite signs of promise to be seen. I shall await his next level (and I hope there will be a next level) with interest. Good beginning." - Jay (05-Jun-2012)
"This may be better than my scores indicate, but for me this only justified itself at the end when there is a rolling ball and lever puzzle that showed the future potential for this author. The puzzle itself is fun to work out, but I looked at the walkthrough afterward and all that did was confuse me, so it's better to make the effort to run over and see what the levers are doing. The level starts badly with a tiresome box drag, but throughout it was the lighting that got on my nerves: too much dim red monochrome that not only made it hard to see, but that destroyed the sense of depth. Texturing isn't great and there are paper thin walls. The second half of the two-part timed run is irritating. Lara pulls the second lever, and then no matter what she does it is awkward. She comes out of a higher alcove and drops, so she is in the wrong position no matter how you play this, is forced to make a couple of ungraceful moves. I thought Lara would make it through the final timed gate, but it slammed shut in her face, then the gate immediately opens up again and lets her through, so apparently Lara gets rewarded just for making a good effort. I can agree with other reviewers that some of the play with slope jumps and rope swings was good, or the level map eventually turns out fine, or there are good ideas, so for someone learning the level editor this isn't bad." - dmdibl (03-Jun-2012)
"Here we have an author with potential. There are a bunch of good ideas and tasks are not bad at all, except the timed runs I consider too tight. Talking about another questions I think that this builder needs to take a crash curse of decoration (LOL!). At least, the paper walls and elongated textures could be avoided easily. Texturization is very monotonous I think made with the "texture floors-walls-ceilings" buttons often; architecture is quite simple, all rooms based about squares and rectangles; all rooms are too empty, without furniture or objects... What I think is that this author took a try with the level editor to see what players think about that work. Well, like I said, you could release good levels, better levels, but allways with more work on the environment. In TR all features are important. Cheer up!" - Jose (30-May-2012)
"Hats off for this builder who made a solid tutorial level and not falling into the trap of drowning himself into the new gadgets and whatever that the new engine offers. OK there is still a lot to learn (like we all had to do) but it will get better once you know the tricks of the trade. There is a lot you can improve upon but that is all cosmetic. The game play was in my opinion creative, there is potential here. The cosmetic part needs some concentration, as it looks rather bland and empty. And of course the maze, don't fall into that trap again as a maze is the easiest thing to make; they only prolong game play unnecessary." - Gerty (27-May-2012)
"This is a level of contrasts.The first half contains easy and somewhat ill thought-out gameplay (you don't need to flood a room to get the puzzle piece,for example;you can easily perform a straightforward jump);whereas the second half is really rather tough and ingeniously devised.The rooms are almost all devoid of decoration,yet enemies are plentiful.The quality of the texturing would not be out of place in a Cain level,and the whole enterprise has a very 'speed-textured' feel throughout;yet the final rolling- boulder puzzle is ingenious (I needed to resort to the Walkthrough to find the solution)and has clearly had a great deal of time and patience spent on its devising. If you take the rough with the smooth in good grace,you'll realise that a lively mind is behind all this and should be encouraged to continue.More patience with the texturing and lighting (and perhaps a few less over-long connecting corridors)and this builder will definitely be one to watch!" - Orbit Dream (23-May-2012)
"Now, here is an interesting debut level of just over 30 minutes in length. It is fairly linear - with the always welcome return-to-the-start-at-the-end-mechanism in place. In its linearity it offers a sequence of tasks that often manage to give a nice little twist to the otherwise well known actions the seasoned raider has been taking our Lara through. These little twist can be intriguing, like the boulder/lever puzzle near the end, but some are also a bit tedious and boring, especially the push exercise for the first secret (way too long) and the maze (thankfully with a simple clue though). There is an occasional thin wall that should have been avoided and as the author states in the readme, texturing and also lighting needs plenty of work and feels as if it was only added as an afterthought to build the rooms around clever tasks and then connect them with long and empty hallways. At a minimum the author should begin adding a sun in each room in the editor to give the lighting on Lara some 3rd dimension effect. So yes, the looks are anything but appealing, but the gameplay ended up being quite enjoyable to me and offers quite a challenge here or there, mainly of course with too fairly tight timed runs with jumps over pillars. So here we have a new builder with good and creative ideas who now needs to come up with the patience and practice to make his next work look better in terms of its environment" - MichaelP (22-May-2012)
"This thirty-minute level had many ups and downs but bottomline I really thought this was a quite entertaining raid. What you get here is a settomb style level with some smaller classic mistakes like overly streched and missing textures, a pretty blocky appearance and several thin walls, but all is pretty much forgivable as some of the action really makes up for it. The quality of this game actually raises steadily with the start being rather ordinary and not so great with a fairly tedious block pushing (especially when going for the secret), a pretty long maze that luckily had a kind of Ariadne thread to get through it, but game slowly but steadily picks up from a double timed run, a few jumps that take more than one attempt and the "boulder ramp"; the undoubted highlight of the level was the rather clever boulder puzzle - more like this please! On the way you can find three secrets with the one being only tedious rather then an achievement and the other two are nearly on your way. As Michael already said - you, builder, definately have potential and as an advice beside working on the rather crude appearance of the rooms rather stick on more individual tasks like the fun puzzle at the end and less on odd gameplay prolongers - there are so many levels out there so they don't really add anything to the player's experience." - manarch2 (22-May-2012)
"This debut level begins in an Egyptian style setting with a nicely lit room with a few pillars. These pillars could be proper objects rather than just blocks, I think there's a great deal of emptiness here so more objects would be nice, and perhaps a custom Lara as well, we've seen TR4 Lara for many years so she needs a change. Texturing is ok, but there should not be textures stretched, i.e. if a wall is higher than 4 clicks, then it needs to be split up, and perhaps more variety in textures so a few bricks and then some plasterwork, etc. The3 first part of game play is a very long pushable block puzzle - I'd have it much shorter and a little more variety e.g. several blocks and having to push all in a certain pattern, or maybe doors in the way so you have to find a way of opening a door to proceed with push. The lighting is too dark in the passages. The next one, the lever with spikes, this is confusing as you don't know if the spikes will come up before you pull the lever, also the spikes should be aligned with the textures so they appear to come out of holes. I do like how you need to use the pushable block to stop you landing on spikes when you jump away from the lever - that's good game play. Never have pushables going past switches or doors, it doesn't look right. Next you collect a cartouche, after a few jumps and flooding room with water, advise here is to have flooding sound, and make lever harder to access, although having to unflood the room to leave is good game play. Next lies a very large maze, with scorpions and zombies within. The texturing and lighting does not change throughout, it needs to have a variety of textures, also there's a paper thin wall at the start, finally in that area I'd suggest a large enemy somewhere within - e.g. minotaur. I didn't realise there were symbols on the ceiling, perhaps the ceiling could have a flyby as it is quite high up, or she could find a map on a piece of paper somewhere?? After this you have to collect a couple of stars to open a door. Texturing in the room below the maze is a mix of good and very bad and so is the lighting, but the stair room after isn't so good. then one after this with stars/door is good, that's the issue with this game, some bits are great, other's aren't, it's best to get rid of the bad bits and release what you're left with. Anyway, for one star, you must contend with a horde of zombies, levers and a short swim, again the textures are stretched and there's a thin walls underwater, then a rolling ball with a spiky death if you follow your instincts and run, rather than wait for the door to open - again good game play but perhaps there should be something to indicate not to run the spike way, and it was a little too tough? place a cartouche and avoid more boulders, then 2 timed runs, second of which is much harder and I couldn't complete in time so used savegame, note if you save here and reload, you get a strange camera angle and this makes it incredibly hard to do 2 timed runs. There's a nice flyby in the timed run room though. After, we have a slope with many rolling balls where you must be perfectly timed or get squashed! Collect the star and place it. For the other star, a few jumps, a lot of shimmying, is required, for some reason the screen seems to flash in this area, collect the star and back to the area with the door and place it. I notice how the second star area has significantly less game play than the one before. After the door opens, the next room has in my opinion the best texturing in the game. Following this, we have a slope with spikes and lava to challenge you and a rope at the bottom. I think the jump to the second slope is too dark. The final puzzle with 3 levers is the best puzzle here but I couldn't work out what to do without walkthrough - it could be clearer, and secondly, it's not fun having Lara die if she gets the wrong combination every time. There are nice original TR sounds when you enter certain rooms. I think debut levels with inevitable bugs should not include really difficult parts - it's not fair on the player. Overall, this is a reasonable attempt at a TR level but much work needs doing such as brighter and better lighting, more texture variety, many more objects, less bugs, more clues for puzzles, more difficult enemies, for difficult bits, there should be a way of avoiding what's making it difficult - that's the puzzle element. I couldn't complete this if it wasn't for a savegame and walkthrough. 40 minutes net game play." - sonnyd83 (22-May-2012)