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Tomb Raider - The Crystal Skulls - Part 2 by Matie Tombraider95

Christian 8 9 10 9
DJ Full 9 10 10 9
Eelkemama 10 10 10 10
izzynoodles 10 9 9 10
Jay 9 9 10 10
John 7 9 9 9
Jose 9 9 10 10
Josey 8 10 8 9
manarch2 8 9 10 9
McRaider 8 9 10 10
MigMarado 9 9 9 10
Minox 9 8 8 9
Mman 8 10 10 10
Mytly 8 9 10 10
Obig 9 9 10 10
OverRaider 9 10 9 10
Phil 10 10 10 8
requiemsoul 8 9 10 10
Ryan 9 9 10 10
Sander 8 9 10 10
 
release date: 23-Feb-2014
# of downloads: 179

average rating: 9.28
review count: 20
 
review this level

file size: 137.00 MB
file type: TR4
class: Oriental
 


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Reviewer's comments
"Well it all started off so well with a cutscene of Lara diving into a gorgeous looking Nevada rock style cove with underwater caves and a lovely beach area to explore before we move onto underground areas and catacombs full of tricky tasks and traps. There is a good variety of different types of gameplay involving both light and tricky platforming and climbing, timed runs, boat rides, shooting tasks deadly traps and shock attacks with snakes and raptors etc. The negatives for me was despite the large quantities of fun and enjoyable gameplay and puzzles, there were frequent irritations and annoyances throughout with too many obscurely hidden tasks, paths or routes, too many levers and switches with no clue to what they triggered and where and finally because of a large hub area: a lot of annoying backtracking trying to find a new path. I mean it’s no problem if you use a walkthrough but having to constantly use it every 15 minutes because of a lack of what could of been subtle clues can be frustrating. The things I did like was of course the traps and timed runs, exploring some stunning looking lagoons and caverns, and the idea of the change of weather opening up a new area previously unaccessible was a cool aspect. Overall this level’s positives or good points definitely outweighs any negatives and with lovely looking areas to explore and both fun and varied tasks it’s certainly not to be missed! Just think about maybe having a walkthrough guide close at hand." - John (23-Jun-2023)
"The continuation of this adventure suffered less from lacking cameras and unguided gameplay than its predecessor. That is of course very good. Still, those issues were present, especially near the beginning, where they are most frustrating. Otherwise, the only faults were related to the atmosphere, which sometimes took away from the lush, rich colors that are related to a South Pacific level. The use of objects was also somewhat unrelated to the theme, at times, and repetitive. There were many, many good thing to focus on, like the flow in the gameplay, the gorgeous underground areas, the diversity in gameplay and the very good storyline, that gets tied up near the end (despite leaving margin for more in Venice, of all places). The difficulty was mostly moderate, with some harder parts providing some challenge. Thank you, Matie and TR95! Congratulations on the great levelset." - MigMarado (13-Apr-2021)
"It's been 84 years and I still remember the rain hole... why is it the bad things we always remember the most? Around that we have a grand scenery, it's rare when builders put so much effort into it, and I use the plural because all levels are on par and you cannot tell who built what (it was also a thing in Part 1). The structures and colors are perfect, there's rarely anything you see and think "wait, this doesn't match". Objects are used with care and there is very few of them, some rooms are just pure geometry which, though sometimes underdone, is still much better than random foliage overfill disturbing the view in other custom levels. Of new interactions, we get swingpoles, and I'm a kind of player who swings two of them and still thinks "hmm, maybe the second one wasn't needed". There's also a rotating flame effect everybody in that TRNG era jumped on, but in this level it's not wasted and actually feels needed. The rest of gameplay is impressively varied, however too uninterrupted and cries for mood breakers like that tribesman chilling at the campfire - that simple scene gives you information about his personality and civilization he belongs to, building the impression of discovery the entire raiding is about, and we can even feel compassion before we kill him and go back to action. We definitely need more of such moments between all the boulders, ropes, platforms and items - anything which feels different from tasking. Thankfully the game still has major highlights like voiceovers marking the turning points of the plot, and a particularly strong ending, a thing which, though essential, only gets included in 1 game out of 20, so it's very refreshing to see somebody has bothered. However I'm sure the following boat aftermath shouldn't exist or at least be that long, because it disperses the feeling of conclusion achieved and shoots it in the foot." - DJ Full (03-Jul-2019)
"Gameplay&Puzzles: This is the critical point. It is a mixture of repetition, frustration and searching for hidden lever. The puzzles in the second level were the hardes of all levels, not even the boss figh was so hard. The timed swingpole and the moving boulder was very hard for me. so the degree of difficulty vary strong. Despite all of this citique, it was very fun to play. Enemies, objects&Secrets: The variety of enemies are ok, not too strong and not too easy. Generally there are lot of bats, it occours to me as enemy spam. Atmosphere,Sound&Cameras: Lovingly designed Level, with lot of effort. The sound is always suitable to the location and the event. Lighting&Textures: The lighting and textures are also great. The textures fits to the locations and were realistic. The illumination is how it should be. Thank you for your effort and sharing." - Sander (29-Jan-2016)
"A wonderful continuation from the first installment. A bit more challenging this time, I truly loved it - definitely in my top 5 favourites. The sounds were all nice and very natural. All of the environments were crated very well, it was also nice to see that one cave area looked completely different from the last cave. I wasn't a fan of that type of crossbow used but it was nice to have that kind of additional weapon - there aren't many TRLEs that use a crossbow unless they're Egyptian themed. The ending made you assume there will be a part 3 which I am truly excited for. Took around 2 and a half hours to play." - izzynoodles (24-Jan-2016)
"Part 2 of the series was excellent and while not as superior as part 1, it still provide 2 hours of Tomb raiding fun in the lovely island of Vanuatu. Well done guys, looking forward to the promised part 3!" - Ryan (14-Jan-2016)
"Vanuatu - Shore: This level takes place mostly on a spectacularly beautiful beach, and in some caves just off it. I particularly love the organic-looking rocks. Sometimes, though, the organic geometry makes it all too easy for Lara to slip off the rocks and into the water. The main aim of this level is to get four coins in order to open up the way to the Catacombs level: three are found in this level, and the fourth in the Caves level. Gameplay is mostly enjoyable, with quite a few tricky jumps and traps. There's a cute moment later in the level, in which the weather changes from sunny to rainy, and the rain fills up a hole in a ground, allowing Lara to swim through a crack in the rocks.
Vanuatu - Caves (first time): This part of this level is simply an extension of the first level, involving a short excursion for the fourth coin. The huge main cavern is beautiful, with some rather cool fire effects. The offshoot caves and tunnels are a little unnecessarily cramped.
Vanuatu - Catacombs: While this level is hardly bad looking by any means, it's not quite as pretty as the first level, given that it takes place entirely underground. Still, there are a few nice places, such as the cave with the wooden bridge, the room with waterfalls, and the boss fight room. My favourite part of this level is the boss fight, which is fun and adrenaline filled. It's also nice to see the Puna boss from TR3 again. There's a particularly annoying sequence in the middle of the level, where Lara has to swing on two ropes twice each, while being chased by a wraith. Note to builders: rope swinging is bad enough on its own without wraiths being added to the mix!
Vanuatu - Caves (second time): This part of this level is completely separate from the previous portion of the level. It serves mostly as an epilogue. Lara escapes from the Catacombs and reaches a breathtakingly beautiful lagoon. After some exposition that (hopefully!) sets up a sequel, Lara explores some caves, finds a motorboat, and navigates through some flooded caves and into the open sea.
Overall: I loved the first part of this series by this talented duo, and while Part 2 does not disappoint, I felt that Part 1 was slightly superior overall (though that may simply be because I prefer the Oriental setting of Part 1 over the South Pacific setting of Part 2). I hope the series will continue. Recommended." - Mytly (29-Nov-2015)
"This three-hour adventure is a visual feast that positively drips with ambiance. The effects made possible with the latest tools are used with stunning force by this builder team, but it's best navigated with Dutchy's typically flawless walkthrough because of its nonlinear qualities. There are many indoor areas that I felt were overly dark, hence my score in that category, but the outdoor sequence more than made up for thse. But I echo what earlier reviewers have already written, that this is a tour de force that should be savored by raiders of all skill levels." - Phil (03-Apr-2014)
"The textures in this level are beautiful. The lighting and perfect brightness except in catacombs where there is some a little dark corners but there is enough torches. The gameplay is good but sometimes difficult, especially at the ball where he need to hurry to jump into the passage in front. I did not find any clue to find where to dig with a shovel, and so I made randomly, luckily it was not very far (maybe I missed something). The last level is very easy, just a boat ride to the finish. Excellent and beautiful level." - Minox (14-Mar-2014)
"There's a tropical theme here, and, like the first part, the visual design is excellent, and there's even a weather change effect I'm not sure I've ever seen before. The new textures and objects also fit in well and make it feel original, and that's on top of various Next-gen effects and similar (the weather thing being one of them). The gameplay is enjoyable, but it also feels oddly obscure at times; I feel like I might have been in the wrong mood, but even then stuff like needing to find a tiny swimming hole in a place that has flooded with no hints seems a bit much. It's also quite low on puzzles beyond exploration tasks. It's mostly good though (although getting rid of a Wraith seemed a bit buggy, and it took a while for it to work), however, while I haven't played it in a while I remember part 1 having superior level structures and puzzles, and that seems to match with what others have said here. This is still a great set though." - Mman (11-Mar-2014)
"This is a very good game. I like the realistic atmosphere in all 3 levels. The gameplay and the puzzles are perfect. Sometimes my brain is burning. But that is what i like. The sound is very good. And the lighting and the textures help to make the realistic atmosphere. Only the long earthquake was not so good for my eyes. But that was not a big probleme." - Eelkemama (11-Mar-2014)
"I have not played the first part of this wonderful adventure, but now I will. This is a highly recommended and entertaining game, with only a few drawbacks, at least in my opinion: (1) too many cramped and slippery places; (2) lack of camera hints, specially when using underwater switches or levers; sometimes, even when camera hints are given, it is quite difficult to find the gate opened, because there are so many of them, in very similar environments; (3) the second part of the game is a little dark; (4)some actions (grabbing a specific rope, reaching a high ledge, ropejumping to an almost invisible ledge, among others) are unnecessarily difficult and irritating. But on the credit side, we find (1) that the timed sequences are not unduly difficult, (2) that the game is very beautiful, and (3) that it becomes increasingly interesting, as time goes by. Good job, and thanks a lot!" - Josey (05-Mar-2014)
"This excellent set of levels provided me with just over four hours (net) of quality raiding. Even the load screen is a work of art! This is just beautifully made altogether; the texturing of the water particularly impressed me and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the gorgeous island with its caves and underwater areas. The notion of raising water levels by way of tropical rainfall also appealed as something rather inventive. There's lots of exploring, timed elements, pole swinging, swimming etc., although not much in the way of puzzles. Enemies are bats, raptors and natives, effectively used and in moderation, although you can get your adrenalin rush from the boss fight towards the end, which I thought had just the right balance of challenge and drama without being horrendous. After all that, you get to relax with a short and most pleasant boat ride. At medium difficulty level I can heartily recommend this for just about all players." - Jay (03-Mar-2014)
"A great adventure. A lot of Swimming and diving to and fro leads to four coins, a lot of partially a bit demanding tasks haver to be performed to get them. Gameplay includes some searching primarily for underwater-levers; gameplay could have been created with some more ideas, especially in the 2nd part of the game, where it is more fluent as in the first beach-section. A great atmosphere has been created in this game as it could have been expected from these builders, that have already shown more creativity and variability in composing levels. Textures, lightning and atmosphere are nearly perfect. Very recommended at all." - Christian (01-Mar-2014)
"This second part is very good but with some details to consider, basically no puzzles as we saw in the first part of which would have done more interesting .. a large number of switches and traps, this makes it not boring but expected more of Matie and Tombraider95 .. more puzzles. The architecture, textures and lighting is very good, especially in the second phase of the game that I found great. Thanks to the work of both, we can enjoy this adventure and do not know if there will be a third level but will be a pleasure to play. Two thumbs up for both authors!" - McRaider (01-Mar-2014)
"Vanuatu - Shore / Vanuatu - Caves (1) (8-9-10-10): You quite know what to expect in this level when you have played the first part of the series, and it's the same kind of beauty that really draws you in - the coastal setting is perfectly executed and the atmosphere is just lovely. Each and every area is just stunning to look at and while the gameplay could maybe be a bit more diverse at times, the chilling setting is often more than enough to please you, with texturing and lighting often being impossible to fault in any way. I don't want to say that this is an otherwise boring game - there are still a lot of creative tasks, most of the "how to get to a certain place" kind, and a number of neat ideas along the way, such as the rain being an important part of the progression at one time, the boulder challenge, the timed run across the poles and many other things. The level is rather fluent and linear (even if it might not seem so at the start) and really enjoyable, although it could have been a bit more challenging at parts (even the secrets were rather hard to miss) and it could have had a few puzzles along the way. 30+10+5 minutes.
Vanuatu - Catacombs / Vanuatu - Caves (2) (8-9-10-9): This one doesn't stand behind the first level in any regard - the setting is equally atmospheric and exploring the cave systems before finally entering the temple. While the setup of finding two items of the same kind to open the next door might be a bit repetitive I found the gameplay to be still fun, there are numerous fun jumping sequences and timed runs which keep you on your toes and overall killing the enemies is a bit tougher than before. There's also a pretty long wraith chase but if you concentrate on your goal it's half as bad as you might think. The settings are a bit darker than in the previous level, just as you might expect in caves, but it's never player-unfriendly to progress. And just when you think the level finishes you're treated to a nice twist in the storyline and there's still much to do afterwards, including a rather spectacular boss fight, which was also the visual highlight of the game, and a rather tough escape. The last level with the boat might feel as an anti-climax, but I found the relatively calm end to be quite nice. 45+10 minutes.
Summary: Just as I expected from those builders, this was another terrific release and also a fun raid. It could have been a bit more brain-teasing at parts and isn't quite as great as the (admittedly hard to beat) Crystal Skulls part, but overall it's pretty much a success which should be high on your to-play list, if you're not playing or downloading it right now. Found 6 secrets in 1:40 hours." - manarch2 (01-Mar-2014)
"I had the honor to be one of the betatesters of this marvellous adventure, so perhaps I may not be very objective... In my modest opinion, this set of levels are very well builded from professional persons who had made all what they could to offer an entertaining package to the players. The gameplay is really good, mixing the exploration with a lot of useful cameras to take you always in the right direction. The environment is quite good, with a lot of natural environments you'll enjoy. High resolution textures, well maintained lights, easy secrets, well balanced enemies... Definitively, highly recommended for everybody. Excellent work, friends!" - Jose (01-Mar-2014)
"So finally here we have a second part of The Crystal Skulls by Matie and Tombraider95. As I played the first part some time ago I knew what I can expect from the second part, I must say my expectations were big and I wasn`t dissapointed. In first part Lara is after that crystal skull in the monastery but in the end she finds out that there is nothing there but she get the true location of the precious artifact. So in the second part Lara travels to Vanuatu islands to the catacombs full of traps and mystic. But before you get inside the catacoms you must explore an breathtakingly looking place of coastal atmosphere. There are some interesting tasks to do, very enjoyable exploration of excellently builded areas, very detailed texturing and lighting creates an eyecandy atmosphere, objects are well chosen and well placed, secrets (I`ve found 5/6) are nicely and cleverly hidden and enemies are just few but always appearing at the right time. Now let me explain why I didn`t gave full 10. In terms of gameplay and puzzles in my opinion there could have been more puzzles, and in terms of atmosphere sound and cameras there are two things why I took down one point: first the textures are perfectly applied and that is why I gave 10 in that category but in my opinion there could have been diferent choise of textures of some "constructions" in some areas and that I rated as "atmosphere" aspect and second thing is not very well fitting background sound in some areas. But those are just absolutely minor things which shouldn`t even be in thinking and definitely download and play this amazing mini adventure but before that download the first part if you haven`t played already. The whole impression for me is that the first part is a little bit more impressive but that doesn`t mean that the second part is not impressive! Oh and I loved the surprise when Lara recieved the skull... curious? Download and play!!! If I understood right the ending scene of this second part then there will be part three and I can`t wait for it to play :) 9/10/9/10" - OverRaider (28-Feb-2014)
"You'll be join for a 4 level-based adventure, if you start this levelset. We are adventuring on a shore, then we go to the deeps. The tasks are not too easy, but not that hard in the same time. On the third level you have to use a Medipack (in my opinion), because of the wraths, and I don't think this adventure can be finished without any medipacks useage. At Lucifer our goal is easier, but he'll also shoot as while we're doing our way. Enemies mostly bats, but there are raptors (and small ones), tribals, snakes. But the game is not about the fight - it's more based on to find the right way... Find where to go next. These ways are were well-hidden sometimes, but this is the TR. :) There is everyting on the levels that you need. Timed run challenges, escaping from the wraths. There are also 6 secrets on the levelset, the last one is very well hidden. I can only suggest this adventure for everyone, don't miss it! You can find a Hungarian walkthrough, savegames and pictures here: http://treditor.hu/trle/treditor/14/the_crystal_skulls_part2.htm" - Obig (26-Feb-2014)
"Visually Fautless. A true Next Gen author level. Gameplay has ups and downs. Very good traps, interesting jumps but few puzzles, and too many levers and switches. In my opinion, Part 1 is a bit better than this one. Anyway, a amazing level. Well Done!. 2: 45 hours. 5 /6 secrets." - requiemsoul (24-Feb-2014)