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LB Advent Calendar 2014 - Tibetan Winter Remake by Mr XY

Adriel 10 10 10 10
Christian 9 9 10 10
DJ Full 9 10 9 10
Drakan 10 10 10 10
Dutchy 10 10 9 10
Glouglouton 10 10 10 10
Gorty 10 10 10 10
Jay 10 10 10 10
JesseG 9 10 10 10
Jose 10 10 10 10
Josey 10 10 9 10
manarch2 9 9 10 10
Mman 9 10 10 10
Mytly 10 9 10 10
nerdfury 9 10 10 10
Obig 10 10 10 10
Phil 10 10 10 10
Potkanka 10 10 10 9
Rambo 9 8 9 10
requiemsoul 10 9 10 10
Ryan 10 10 10 10
TheStig 10 10 10 10
totizedger 9 9 10 10
young Lara Croft 9 9 10 10
 
release date: 07-Dec-2014
# of downloads: 171

average rating: 9.77
review count: 24
 
review this level

file size: 156.00 MB
file type: TR4
class: Oriental
 


author profile(s):
email(s):
mr_xy@live.de

Reviewer's comments
"Bugs/Functional Issues
  • Perhaps I unknowingly took a shortcut, but I carried a key from Part 1 into Part 2, which appeared blank in the inventory, and then reappeared in the inventory to be used in Part 3.
Liked
  • The majority of the gameplay in this levelset is puzzles. As I always say, I am a sucker for those, and there's quite a few in this adventure that are a rare find, the most unique being the puzzle where you must use switches to build math equations. And even for those that may struggle with solving puzzles, a hint is provided for each one, making this an approachable entry.
  • I have nothing but compliments in the visual department: objects, architecture, lighting, textures...they're all top notch.
  • I didn't collect enough to open any of the secret doors, but exploration is encouraged via many gold objects that seem to lead to further rewards if 10 of a kind are collected.
Time: 2 hours 56 minutes | Difficulty: Medium | Rating: 9.75/10" - JesseG (26-Dec-2023)
"A great renovation of the old track. Lots of new, great ideas and tasks in these three tracks. Maybe they shouldn't be, but the creator gives help for all of them, so you can't get stuck. The textures are wonderful too. We adventure through snowy mountains, cliffs, monasteries to get the little Buddha statue and then reach our helicopter. There are no enemies on any of the tracks. In total we can collect 14 secrets and 3*10 gold coins. These are separate tasks, yet they only add to the value and playability of the adventure. Beginners, too, are welcome to start. It was a great way to relax before Christmas. Hungaian walkthrough, and savegames, pictures: https://treditor.hu/trle/treditor/14/tibetan_winter_remake.htm" - Obig (15-Mar-2022)
"(9) Gameplay & Puzzles: This is a medium difficulty adventure (~3 hours) that is heavily focused on exploration and puzzles. Comprised of 3 levels, there's so much more gameplay here compared to the original "Tibetan Winter", and the puzzles here are significantly more interesting and robust (I would say that the only similarity to "Tibetan Winter" is some of the building architecture in level 1). There are so many little "quality of life" implementations that I really appreciated and added to the quality of the gameplay. For example, the builder's hint icon system. These hint icons allow the player to receive gentle nudges in the right direction if they happen to be stuck on one of the many puzzles, instead of the player reading a walkthrough and seeing spoilers. Another example of player-friendliness is providing the aqualung to the player in level 2 so they can do lots of underwater exploration without stress. I had a delightful time from start to finish, however there is something about the overall gameplay flow that I wanted to comment on further. Sometimes, during the midgame (i.e. level 2), I felt like there was a lull in the gameplay. As an example, there is a clever pushables puzzle in level 1 involving flower paintings. It's superb, but it's quite lengthy. In level 2 there's yet another lengthy pushables puzzle and I didn't think that was needed again. I think level 2 needed some more "action" sprinkled in-between the puzzles. I know there's no traps/combat due to it being an advent/peaceful level. However, there are other adrenaline-based tasks, such as timed runs, that could have helped the midgame be more exciting. Level 3 is a solid example of perfectly mixing up problem-solving and adrenaline-based tasks, due to the engaging use of the snowmobile. (10) Enemies, Objects & Secrets: Decorative objects are simply beautiful and no area feels lacking in objects. There are so many interesting implementations of interactive objects, such as the snowmobile in level 3, torch puzzles, elevators, helping a snow leopard poop properly (yes), shooting snowballs at things, etc. The secret system seemed a tad too complex for me, but it's not a big deal at all as it's completely optional. (10) Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras: The building architecture and overall atmosphere is just breathtaking and a treat for the eyes (and ears). The builder utilizes many lovely and memorable music soundtracks across the adventure, and the flybys and static camera hints are both excellent. A small detail that I really appreciated was that the builder would change the camera angle during certain puzzles, to help the player see the area better, however the player was not stuck in this different angle and they could break out of it if they wanted to (fixed camera angles are a pet peeve of mine). A very small detractor to the overall immersion is the fact that the builder occasionally uses Western visual or audio references, when we're in the East. It's a minor issue though and I still think this category deserves top marks. (10) Lighting & Textures: Both of these are just superb and the color palette had me drooling from start to finish. A subtle detail that I loved was the beautiful lighting emitted by lanterns and sparkling rocks on the cavern walls. Overall, despite me feeling like there were some gameplay lulls that could have been addressed by sprinkling in adrenaline/agility-based tasks, I still consider this to be an exceptionally high quality adventure, not to be missed by puzzle lovers. 9/10/10/10." - nerdfury (30-Sep-2021)
"I have only played the remake, so I can't compare with the original version - apart from the crystals throughout the levelset, which give us the view of the same location in the original version. And that's just one of the little things that make this levelset so charming. The story is simple and not really important, but the atmosphere is what pulled me in. Everything is very neat, pretty and colourful, and along with it being a peaceful game (we even help a sick animal once) it's an ideal Christmas experience that feels more like a fairytale rather than something resebling reality. Especially because of the puzzles, which are really creative and fun, but don't often make sense in the location, rather like someone building this whole place as a little Tibetan-themed amusement park. That's accentuated by the little floating "H"s that give you hint for solving the puzzle, if you so desire. The cameras are also used to help get a better look at the puzzle areas. An aqualung for the enormous water area means that we don't get stressed solving underwater puzzles and the gameplay stays peaceful. The only stressful moments might be the sometimes tricky jumps and that one timed run I had to repeat more times than I care to admit. The secret system is fun and near the end we can actually go back to the very beginning to search for missing golden items that would allow us to unlock the secrets - on the other hand, this side-route made me overlook the actual end of the level, making me think for a short time that there is no end trigger, especially as the goal of the game (the "relic" mentioned in the level description) might be forgotten in your inventory by the time you reach the end. Sometimes, the locations also felt a little too similar to one another, making it confusing, but eventually it wasn't overly difficult to orient myself. One last thing I need to highlight is the use of music that really enhances the overall atmosphere of the level, either peaceful or, at times, exciting. This level is very fun and polished and I can't recommend it enough, especially for winter months." - Potkanka (05-Dec-2020)
"This isn't just a remake of the original level, but also adds two whole other levels on top to make it a full set. The visuals are excellent, with varied geometry and object use and pretty much no issues of note. the object use also extends to things like including hint messages to help if you have issues with puzzles. As the description says, there's no combat (although there are some shootables) or traps, so the focus is put fully on exploration and puzzles; that does limit the range of things it can do, but it does a great job providing different tasks within that, with plenty of original ideas and use of newer TRLE features to create challenges. Even the original level has a completely different path and gameplay compared to the original, and adds a lot of new content. A great set and one of the better custom Tibet releases." - Mman (01-Feb-2020)
"After playing some newer released levels this one was like a cure for my eyes. This is how a ˝10˝ in light, texturing, atmosphere, camera and sound looks like. Beautifully design environment, texturing perfect without noticing any mistakes, smooth transition. So much care and effort put into the game. Just remarkable. No single corner of the game is left without proper care. The Caves looked magnificent, natural, not even close to something ˝boxy˝ I've seen in some recent levels. A very good use of fog effects. I didn't liked the inside parts as much as the outside area, but they still looked amazing, especially in some later parts of the game. The overall architecture are design of the buildings was amazing. Everything fits together perfectly. Flyby cutscenes were also very very good and cinematic. In every aspect of the game I see that the author is very experienced in level building. One of the best use of fixed cameras I've seen in a TRLE level. As I was playing more and more new breathtaking areas were shown to the player. Really impressive work. Something I'm going to compare all levels to. Recommended !" - Gorty (12-Feb-2017)
"This is very much the high-calibre game you would expect from this prolific builder. I try not to just carelessly hand out four tens willy-nilly, but this one truly deserves it. The surroundings are, in my eyes, perfectly constructed with wonderful texturing, lighting and attention to detail. Some people might spark up that bright, colourful settings aren't the essence of Tomb Raider, but I much prefer these to groping around in dark, dingy caverns. The gameplay is on a par with the settings too, with many ingeniously executed puzzles, timed runs and gymnastics that are all doable with practice, which is not an everyday occurrence in other levels. The secret system is quite unique with you having to collect various gold artefacts across the levels to access other secrets that require a bit of planning beforehand. Definitely a well deserved Hall of Fame entry." - Ryan (23-Jun-2016)
"It's so shiny, flashy, polished and beautiful that in certain points it hits my uncanny valley. You know, like these Japanese humanoid robots who can simulate human mimics so close to perfection that it gets scary. How much more I would like this scenery if it had darker shadows, more transitions, occasional dirt and buildings interacting with surrounding nature rather than just existing independently from it. But this is all easy to define and fix, while something else gave me a lot of trouble. Arabic numbers in Buddhist monastery. A shrine to worship a pushable crate. Rainbow jumps fitting Tibet as much as colored symbols belong to Atlantis. The game focuses on such tasks almost entirely, so I didn't even notice when I got the main artifact, and I was totally unprepared for the ending. It's all funny and entertaining, but it felt not right in so specific way that after several weeks of search for proper terms I gave up and read the reviews. And there I saw Moritz nail it with "playground", a single word to embrace all gameplay issues I had here, and I won't agree it's "not a very large gripe" - here in fact lies, pointed flat-out, the greatest problem of this author, overreaching his many worlds, from sunken catacombs to skyscraping Himalaya. It might be the very thing which separates him from absolute mastry of design. It's time to break this barrier and build something timeless - and here we possibly enjoy the silence before the storm: while still relatively close to the seashore, the game sails new waters already. I take my hat off to the flower pushable containing the essence of invention, and the torch puzzle utilizing the same passage multiple times in different purposes. SUMMARY: Even with this marvellous contribution, this author hasn't yet unleashed his true capabilities, but the day might be close, and Tibetan Winter Remake is a wise choice to play as we wait." - DJ Full (19-Jan-2016)
"Part 1: Lara explores a gorgeous Tibetan Monastery in a wintry setting throughout this game. The first level is set in multiple courtyards of the monastery and in what appears to be the main building of the same, as well as several outdoor areas and snowy caves. The icy blue of the outdoor areas contrasts beautifully with the warm red of the monastery walls, and the colourful decorations highlight them both.
The gameplay involves some enjoyable platforming as well as a number of great puzzles. Several puzzles are colour-based; one is also number-based; even the pushable puzzles are cool, including one jigsaw-type puzzle. The tasks involving getting the torch and lighting it are fun too. There are also lots of cute and unique ideas, including one very icky but funny method for getting a key from a leopard.
This level also features floating blue crystals in various spots (that look like savegame crystals from the PS version of TR1 and TR3), and interacting with them shows you an image of the corresponding spot in the older version of this level. There are also floating items shaped like an 'H', which provide hints (optional) throughout the game.
Part 2: Lara reaches yet another lovely courtyard in the monastery complex, and at first it seems as if this level will be in a similar setting as the previous one. But after a little bit of exploration around the courtyard, Lara goes underneath the ice of a frozen pool to discover a spectacular building under the water. First you have to drain the place, then get onto the upper walkways for a multi-stage pushable puzzle. Some of the tasks I loved were a puzzle where you have to rearrange a maze using multiple switches, as well as yet another colour-based puzzle in which you have to jump on certain coloured tiles in the correct order.
Part 3: At the beginning of this level, Lara finds a snowmobile, which she then uses for a variety of purposes. Using it as a weight for holding down pressure plates is a particularly great idea. It's an excellent example of the use of a vehicle in a custom level. A large portion of this level takes place underground, within snowy caverns and in buildings built into the sides of these caves. The looks are as great as ever, and there are several excellent puzzles, also as ever. One or two puzzles feel a little perfunctory, such as the multi-chains puzzle, which could have been made so that it required some thought rather than simply following instructions. But other puzzles, such as the multi-stage one with getting the pushable and snowmobile onto pressure plates, and the number one at the end are terrific.
Overall: The word 'remake' in this game's title is a bit misleading: only the first level is a remake, and that too, the only thing it has in common with the original version is the architecture of the level; the gameplay and textures/lighting are entirely new. The original level (which is also included in this download package) was very nice - perhaps not quite spectacular, but pretty and pleasant nonetheless. The 'remake', on the other hand, is spectacular, in nearly every possible way. The monastery offers a feast of visual delights. Even though the locations start looking a little samey by the end, they are so beautiful that it's never boring. The gameplay is wonderful throughout; I especially loved the focus on intelligent puzzles.
There are no enemies, since this is an Advent level (the leopard in the first level is friendly), and Lara has no weapons apart from an adorable snowball gun, which she uses to break windows and pots. The secret system is a bit convoluted: apart from regular secrets (golden roses), each level also has secret objects (gold coins, skulls and bars, respectively), and collecting them all in each level enables you to access the last secret for that level. The number of secrets and secret objects does get a bit overwhelming at times, and the search for them pulls focus from the main tasks.
Highly recommended." - Mytly (25-Sep-2015)
"No much to say after you saw my ratings. All is perfect in this game. Well; not all, of course; I got stucked in the hole under the wooden floor I burned with the torch in second level, and also in this level I got stucked when diving to the very top of the big UW cave and Lara's head touched the icy ceiling. In both cases Lara got trapped forever and I had to reload. I missed some enemies and traps too, of course. But definitively I've really enjoyed this adventure a lot; one of that games you can't stop playing until the very end. Thank you very much, Kevin, for all this hours of big fun. Highly recommended!" - Jose (16-Mar-2015)
"Very creative gameplay, a lot of searching in a stunning atmosphere. Not Christmas-like at all (Tibetian...) it is peaceful anyhow, a snowball-gun is only for breaking windows and shoot bells. Push-block, picture- and torch-puzzles are quite easy to solve but make fun on our way looking for some cog-wheels. A lot of hints are given by floating signs, some 'comparison crystals' showing screenshots of the original game are not that helpful at all. A stunning atmosphere in quite a lot of rooms causing that 'wow'-effect by wonderful architecture with every detail precisely worked out is the highlight of this great level." - Christian (24-Jan-2015)
"Very well done Mr XY, you have done a marvelous job on this one. The first level starts out nicely in the monastery which looks absolutely stunning and the music fits very well to the setting. There are many great moments throughout this adventure and there are a lot of inventive puzzles which are very easy to solve but nevertheless fun to do. The second level is a big highlight in this adventure with it's underground Cave which is at first filled with water then drained which was a really awesome feature, there are lots of fun tasks to do and the looks are just spot on. Now on to Level 3 which is much about using the snowmobile but in a creative way for example putting it on pressure plates to open a door, there is also a math puzzle which is very easy to solve but still very rewarding. If i have to say something negative then, maybe the puzzles could have been a bit more challenging and that the ending was a bit abrupt. These are just small things in such a big and epic adventure that it doesn't really matter too much. Highly recommended!!!" - totizedger (21-Jan-2015)
"One of my favorites maps of 2014. Gameplay is sueprb. The puzzles are unique and very rewarding. Ambience and textures are very good. Fluent gameplay and never frustrating. A real masterpiece. Very well done!" - requiemsoul (07-Jan-2015)
"Gameplay & Puzzles: The gameplay is very inventive with a lot of creative puzzles to solve here, the exploration is very much fun and there are some nice platforming parts too. Only thing that could be better is that the game could be at least a little bit challenging as the puzzles are quite easy to solve most of the time, and it's too obvious where to go next. Enemies, Objects & Secrets: No enemies are understandable but there could be more creativity with objects like that animal with obstruction. The many secrets are very nice to find even if not all are that hard, but some were. Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras: Very nice architecture, sound is quite nice and the cameras perfect. The atmosphere is very well done in any regard, I don't know what I've missed but it just didn't feel perfect to me. Lighting & Textures: But lighting and textures did, found one single texture mistake above an entrance in the first level but the rest is just faultless and just wonderful! Total: 9/10, very good level that really impressed me." - Rambo (29-Dec-2014)
"Of course a high rate for this level. Textures, lightings, gameplay are very goods. Only some objects could be more diversified (but they are beautiful). The second part is probably one of the best level I ever seen. Beyond a frozen water layer, you have to play with the level of water in a cavern and with many tasks to do around it." - Glouglouton (24-Dec-2014)
"What an entirely beautiful effort! Mr XY has yet again proved his skills in texturing and lighting are exceptional. The looks of the caves and the monastery are even more stunning than in the original game and luckily this wasn't even close to a true remake - I really had a great time here. It starts out most funny with the snow leopard that has to be cured and then moves on in a quite puzzle-based progression - you'll shamelessly get overwhealmed by the sheer amount of puzzles here and even if not all of those hints were needed (most are fairly easy to solve on their own), they were quite helpful on the occasion when a certain one turned out to be more complex. Sometimes everything feels a bit linear, but then there are areas which are quite huge and where careful exploration is quite needed. I especially have to mention the part of the second level which took place in a wonderful underground cave - there's really much to do and see here and I thought the tasks here were most excellent; ditto to the multiple use of the snowmobile in level 3. There really is not much negative to say about the gameplay except that it is sometimes almost too easy and could be even more brain-taxing at times, but maybe the storyline could've been carried on through the third level - the main artifact is found and except of getting outta here there are only vague goals and thus the finish came a bit surprising. Concerning the atmosphere, the only worth mentioning thing is that the setting feels a bit much built around the numerous puzzles which sometimes makes the setting feel more like a huge playground than a real monastery, but it's not a very large gripe - and sounds and cameras are close to utterly perfect in here and the architecture spreads professionalism all around. The choice and use of objects is great, enemies and traps aren't really missing in this level - and the secret quest is really a great addition to this level, which will keep you on your toes to find all secrets and coins in each level before you move on to the next. In the end, the only thing I can say is tohighly recommended this game as everything else has been already said. Found all 14 secrets in 2:05 hours." - manarch2 (22-Dec-2014)
"Impeccable quality, with thoughtfully crafted beautiful surroundings. I'd not played the original on which the early sections of this is based, so the 'look' crystals were a really nice touch to show how the author has updated and improved the level from it's earlier incarnation. The feel and atmosphere with the carefully metered mist & distance fog is pretty much perfect. One of the other things I really appreciated is the way that music was used opening up the spaces as you explored them and giving each of the key rooms their own character. The author also includes some original puzzles. I liked the idea of having to use the ski-mobile to active the pressure plates for instance and the various multi-lever puzzles included throughout. Its hard to pick out a favourite level but I'd say the second with the large chamber under the frozen pond was my favourite that you have to first swim through & then traverse after you've drained it solving various puzzles. All in all I netted just over 4 hours 20 mins from Tibetan Winter Remake, and I didn't find all the secrets or pick-ups either despite giving each area a good comb through! Absolutely 100% recommended. Instant hall of fame material, and a wonderful gift to the TRLE community Thanks MrXy & Merry Christmas, Stiggy :)" - TheStig (22-Dec-2014)
"To me this three-part release embodies everything that has kept me addicted to Tomb Raider for nearly 15 years. It has beautiful surroundings with superb lighting (such that not a single flare was needed during the four hours or more that I spent here), inspired gameplay that's sufficiently challenging but never unfair to the player, and side tours for objects and secrets that only enhance the playing experience. I especially enjoyed Lara's response to the snow leopard's plaintive plea: "Hey, I'm your friend, not your enema!" To find fault with any aspect of this game (okay, okay, I did find the rope swings and the low ceilings a bit annoying) would defeat my purpose of encouraging other builders to give us levels conceived and executed on a similar high plane, so I'm awarding 10s across the board. Some of the puzzles exceeded the capacity of my brain to figure out, so I'm glad I had Dutchy's typically thorough walkthrough to lead me by the hand and free me up to enjoy the colorful scenery along the way. Playing this release is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit. Highest recommendations." - Phil (19-Dec-2014)
"The remake of one of the first levels I played for level editor. Somehow nostalgic and with lot of enhances. I loved the original but this remake is a very good reinvention of the original level. With very good new objects more realistic textures, ilumination and lots of add-ons. This time the tibetan winter is with a masterpiece quality. Recommend it!" - Adriel (17-Dec-2014)
"I like very much Oriental environments, and also Xmas games - so this level is certainly perfect for me. (Some people would say that it is not a typical Christmas level, but it certainly has at least a Christmas tree complete with gifts, in the cabin where Lara found the tiger's medicine.) And oh, it is also so beautiful, varied and smart. There are three kinds of puzzles: the how-will-I-arrive-there ones, the where-will-I-go ones, and the orthodox ones - and they are all very good and creative. Frankly, what a remake! Even the first game's main flaw (the continuous music) was corrected here, and a whole series of interesting things were introduced. It could be said that this is a brand new game. I loved the H hints, the diary, the comparison crystals, the part of the snow tiger, the detail of the aqualung for swimming underwater without the need of seeking air holes... in fact, I enjoyed everything very much, specially the views and the gameplay creativity. I missed only a few more camera hints to indicate what happens after using some switches or levers, but this is a minor point. Thank you very much, and Merry Christmas!" - Josey (14-Dec-2014)
"OK, I've seen it all now - Lara giving a laxative to a constipated snow leopard!! I think the builder is quite correct in that this remake has entirely different gameplay as I would NEVER have forgotten that bit. Brilliantly silly. This new version is split into three parts and the gameplay is absolutely wonderful - inventive puzzles, well hidden secrets, fascinating exploration in some outstandingly beautiful settings, all elements combine to make such an exciting raid that I promise you won't notice the lack of enemies. Despite said lack, Lara does have a weapon that fires snowballs and is great fun. Marvellous use is made of the snowmobile too. It may not be a Christmas level as such (although there is a Christmas tree at one point), but the atmosphere and beautiful, peaceful, snowy landscapes make it a must play for this time of year. Superb." - Jay (13-Dec-2014)
"Textures were particularly striking, the atmosphere calm and the gameplay pretty entertaining! Those are the qualities of Mr XY's Tibetan Winter. I didn't play the classic version but seeing the comparison shots I have to admit the levels were stunning! The snow leopard part was pretty funny, so that's a plus. Secrets were hard to get I didn't manage to aquire all of them but I don't mind that because I loved the puzzles." - young Lara Croft (10-Dec-2014)
"An adventure into 3 parts made for everyone. It is unfortunate that in part 1 we can reach the end of monde. It is beautifully textured and lighted. There are beautiful puzzles but easy to solve, the author also provides information on each of them. In each section, you will find ten items to access to a secret. Beautiful!" - Drakan (09-Dec-2014)
"What a nice set of levels, really an advent atmosphere eventhough there were no christmas trees.I loved the gameplay with some new things in there. Going for the 4th secret of part 2 is better done at the end of Part 3 as that turns out to be a hell of a detour with complicated jumps. Getting it at the end of part 3 is ever so easy. Fluent gameplay and a nice secret quest with the Coins/Skulls/Bars addition. Was fun to ride the snowbike again. For me perfect levels as always Mr XY." - Dutchy (08-Dec-2014)