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The Catacombs of Anubi by The Mark

Ceamonks890 9 9 9 9
DJ Full 7 8 8 8
Drakan 8 8 8 8
Gerty 7 9 8 8
Glouglouton 7 8 9 8
Jay 8 8 9 8
Jose 8 8 8 9
Josey 8 8 9 6
Larabiker301 8 9 9 7
manarch2 6 6 8 7
Nephilim 6 9 10 10
nerdfury 8 9 7 7
Nina Croft 8 8 7 7
Orbit Dream 8 8 8 7
Phil 7 8 8 7
Ryan 8 9 8 7
SlyRaider 9 9 10 8
TRTheoP 9 7 9 8
Xela 8 8 10 9
 
release date: 05-Feb-2015
# of downloads: 107

average rating: 8.07
review count: 19
 
review this level

file size: 190.00 MB
file type: TR4
class: Egypt
 


author profile(s):
email(s):
marcocastano93@gmail.com

Reviewer's comments
"(8) Gameplay & Puzzles: This is a medium difficulty adventure that mixes exploration, traps, platforming and combat in an enjoyable, but never particularly memorable manner. There are no innovative elements or real puzzles unfortunately. So much more could have been done with the hieroglyph room -- perhaps Lara could have found a clue for which hieroglyphs to step on in another area. It's one of those levels where you don't have to stop and think too much, but the progression flows well and the gameplay is never frustrating. (9) Enemies, Objects & Secrets: For a debut, this category was done extremely well. The gameplay itself is not that memorable, but some of the enemy engagements were thrilling, including the final boss. There aren't many medipacks available, adding an extra tense element. Static decor looked attractive, although some rooms looked empty. There was an enjoyable variety of traps, some of them which aren't seen often. (7) Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras: Aside from the nauseating, awful earthquake that lasted too long near the end of the game, this category was also very polished. The builder demonstrated high skill in creating an eerie underground ruins atmosphere, although most of the rooms weren't very memorable in terms of architecture. In other words, I think more could have been done to make rooms stand out from each other and stick in the player's mind. The background ambience and music cues were both excellent, and I particularly enjoyed the tense music used in the final moments. The brief ending FMV was a nice touch as well. Static camera hints were great, and I never felt lost. A few more flybys wouldn't have hurt. (7) Lighting & Textures: This is the epitome of a "washed out" HD Egyptian level; it just looks so gloomy and really could have used more pops of color for visual interest. Misshapen textures were pretty common, and while the level isn't excessively dark overall, there are some super dark corners and corridors where the flare bug (and the lack of binoculars) frustrated me. Furthermore there is only 1 flare pickup, which may be overlooked by the player. Overall, this was a solid debut, and I had a good time despite some frustrations with the earthquake and lighting issues. 8/9/7/7." - nerdfury (10-May-2021)
"The first few minutes may make you think you're in for an easy raid, but the challenge quotient increases dramatically after that. I particularly found a couple of the later trap sequences quite difficult to pass, although they are solvable after a few tries. The atmosphere of a dank and grimy tomb has been pretty well caught, with only the annoying irritation of the flare bug and the lack of binoculars letting that side of things down. Enemies are very well placed and are enjoyable to take down (I loved the one where you had to take down a panther and escape through a door before sandy barricades you in) and the secrets, while not particularly useful as such, are nonetheless fun to get. Apart from the excessive darkness, the only other negatives I had were the boss fight that was a bit overdone and the earthquake that went on for longer than it should. But overall, this is quite an enjoyable one." - Ryan (23-Apr-2018)
"The level interestingly combines textures, sounds, traps and enemies in order to succeed in adapting a feeling of being deep in an Egyptian tomb searching for a rare artifact. In the beginning I was really impressed by the objects and textures used and I liked how health packs and ammo were given similarly to TR games. However, as the level progressed, I witnessed that there were not many health packs which made the encounter with many enemies difficult. Especially the last boss (despite its AWESOME Legend throwback feeling) was annoying due to the fire wraiths and the lack of health. I would really love to at least solve a mini puzzle in the room in order for water to become available and get rid of these wraiths (like a lever in an easily reachable place). Further drawbacks include a bug with using flares in places where I really needed them,the difficulty of finding the last secret and the unstoppable huge earthquake in the end. But no matter the negatives, I would really like to point out the skill and creativity of the creator in decorating the rooms and designing some clever puzzles. Conclusion: The Egyptian atmosphere created from the very beginning can really intrigue someone to play this level, which can be generally described as an easy and interesting way of spending your evening. The usage of more health packs and water areas close to fire wraiths are highly recommended in a future level, which i would love to play." - TRTheoP (15-Apr-2018)
"Since the first frames and samples you know you're in "modern Egypt" - among Anniversary textures, Anniversary sounds, Anniversary pickups, Anniversary ambience, Anniversary enemies and a lot of TR4 fog, which in this particular case cooperate pretty fine. But while the game starts very promising with varying polished architecture and balanced puzzle tasks of which the mud pit is particularly surprising, errors accumulate as we progress - for instance what can be more frustrating than flare bug activating right in the moment when we finally find a pack of flares after an hour of praying for them? Later on some weird texturing holes appear, the fifth secret is likely impossible to grab without getting burnt or using multiple medikits, and the escape is unnecesarily hardened by shaking screen and difficult orientation. Fortunately the real trouble comes just in the very end, which is also well concluded by the final pickup, challenging boss fight and unexpected edit of two FMVs from the original game, so the finish is more than less satisfying. SUMMARY: Could be less buggy and contain something less ordinary, but if you don't bother checking every corner you should get over flare shortage and enjoy classic tombing of this one." - DJ Full (28-Jan-2016)
"Still loving Egyptian theme levels I have to say this one did look very good. He captured the atmosphere very well. There are a few gripes, as the flares were not working, as they should (just a sparkle and only some light when you throw them on the floor), a never-ending earthquake at the end (yuck). Then there are the nasty fire wraiths. They must have been popping pills as my Lara got on fire way too many times, so that was a bummer. Choice of textures were splendid but there are still that could use attention. Nice traps and it made raiding even a tad more difficult, but the wraith were a pain in the neck and the earthquake made me feel quite nauseated, so that was not good. A big NO NO is no binoculars. But please do keep on building as there is much potential here." - Gerty (14-Jan-2016)
"A very promising introductory level that captures the spirit of many critically-acclaimed hall of fame winners. This piece takes place in a TRA-style, Egyptian catacomb, with textures, traps, and enemies that aptly fit that mold. Lighting and atmosphere are by far the most impressive components of this level (though the flare bug rears its ugly head). Thus the scenery is enjoyable and compelling in all of the right ways. The layout of the piece and the puzzles in each room, while not necessarily complex or breathtaking, demonstrate a solid foundation for building even better levels in the future. Of the complaint raised by other reviewers regarding the final boss: I did not have this issue, and found the fire wraith manageable enough. In fact, dodging them while escaping to the exit was invigorating. However, I do agree that it may have been wise to include a pool in the boss room to offer the option of disposing of them. Still, a solid first impression in my book." - Xela (19-May-2015)
"Here we have a promising author. Very good debut with a surrounding atmosphere during all level, convincent architecture and entertaining gameplay. Many rooms are very dark; this is not important if you have enough flares, but with the flare bug this is really a problem for the exploration. The big boss was not very hard to kill for me 'cause I kept enough ammo in my backpack, but I think there were excessive fire wraiths. Also the very long earthquake is not very pleasant for the gameplay. Even so I can recommend this level, one of that levels which you don't need a walkthrough and with no very hard tasks. Looking forward for more releases from this talented builder." - Jose (02-Apr-2015)
"I was having a good time with this level until the earthquake that appeared near the end and didn't let up for the final five or ten minutes of the adventure. I thought that builders had learned by now that this is a definite gameplay no-no. Also, the flare bug kicked in near the end, making navigation through several pitch-black areas impossible without lighting a flare and throwing it away. (I refuse to use pistols in an effort to provide adequate light.) Other than these quite significant objections, I found this 50-minute level to be a pleasant Egyptian outing that shows that The Mark has considerable promise. I doubt that he will allow the noted deficiencies to appear in his next release. Nina Croft has provided a thorough walkthrough that documents six secrets (although I didn't bother to get #5)." - Phil (03-Mar-2015)
"A very good level! I loved the textures and the place. There are secrets, weapons, ennemies, an ending, etc. A completed level. However, I had a bug with the flares : they lighted on only when I threw them on the ground... and I find that the quakes at the ending is too powerfull! Otherwise, all the level is awesome! Congratulations!" - SlyRaider (27-Feb-2015)
"This level is a mix of some great "wow" moments and some terrible "no" mistakes. The builder obviously has a great talent, but he is also a beginner, and this level clearly indicates the both sides. Hopefully the builder will understand this review in a positive and constructive manner, and will correct these mistakes in his future releases. He obviously can create great and interesting puzzles, can combine the game elements (traps, enemies, puzzles, exploration) in a balanced manner, but in future releases he should definitely avoid the mistakes made here, if he wants to be a Hall-of-Famer one day. For example, so many fire wraiths chasing you during the boss fight and during the escape (which is tricky even without the wraiths) when you simply have no water anywhere nearby. It is not fair, especially when there are just few medipacks to collect up to that point. Also, the quick sand room with mummies on your back is buggy and Lara can get stuck if she attempts to jump while in the quick sand. The gameplay review would have been higher, maybe even a maximum if there were more health supplies or when the wraiths were not so mean. When it comes to overall geometry, it is rather simple, but the builder still managed to give a sense of reality to this level. You can clearly see how the rooms are damaged by the sand, for example. Secrets are many and normally not hard to find (except for that nasty secret hidden on the slope when wraiths chase you). Objects are already seen and well selected, not overdone. Atmosphere is also pretty realistic, although I would have never chosen swords as spikes for Egyptian settings. Sounds are sometimes missing, camera tips are sufficient and also not overdone, and music tracks are also selected nicely. Lighting is generally good, although it could have been better in deep pits and dark areas. Textures have many cracks and this ruins the lighting as well, although the builder selected nice textures and applied them with care (not enough, though, cracks should be avoided by all means). Overall impression: the level is relatively easy to finish, except for that fire wraith chase, which is really nasty and mean. The builder combined some really nice puzzles with traps, enemies and exploration. The great puzzle with floor tiles or the jump sequence in the lava room, or timing the spikes near the end of the level, they are all highlights and excellent moments of the gameplay. I strongly recommend to the builder to pay more attention to texturing and lighting in the future and to provide a bit more medipacks and ammo if there is a boss fight accompanied with fire wraiths and no water in the vicinity. I honestly expect some great releases in the future from this builder, as he obviously has a talent that can ensure him the access to the Hall of Fame one day." - Nina Croft (18-Feb-2015)
"Another little level under a egyptien pyramid. This one is pretty well realized. Among the minor mistakes, too much fog and the earthquake at the end is very awful (like all the earthquake). Otherwise good textures, tasks quite easy. I especially like the sword and others cut object challenge." - Glouglouton (14-Feb-2015)
"This level is another good example where not enough care really destroys an otherwise very good impression of levels. There is really much to enjoy in this level, particularly the nice flow with a rapid linear progression, a lot of puzzles, jump sequences... but on the other side there are some odd bugs like in the 'elevator' room where the door sometimes doesn't open when climbing into the alcove, Lara hanging in midair when doing a jump in the quicksand, many illegal slopes and even a few shortcuts. There are some well placed enemies, like some of the skeletons and dogs, but then there are very annoying moments like in the quicksand where it's possible that you can't escape from it, the most brutal thing being the boss fight - not the boss himself is the problem but the half dozen of fire (!) wraiths that surround you - especially because you have to do a sliding sequence with a secret afterwards with them still in your neck; that proved to be almost impossible without catching fire (I lost all medipacks here); the earthquake you have to encounter to the end of the level really does the rest here. Concerning the looks, the builder is obviously very talented in creating a moody atmosphere and the overall texturing and lighting is rather effective, but then there are so many texturing mistakes, especially in the deep pits, unrealistic shadow and fog effects, the flare bug occurring in most parts of this level (especially with many dark passages it's annoying)... Please, please, get your level tested properly before releasing it in a beta or alpha version. You've obviously got a lot of talent but, like Edison said, "Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety nine percent perspiration." Maybe the proportion is a bit high but generally I agree. Found 5 of 6 secrets in 25 minutes." - manarch2 (13-Feb-2015)
"A very atmospheric game, with good sound and almost perfect camera hints, not to mention the building skills. If you want to feel that you really are in an egyptian pyramid, play this one. (I loved specially the final FMV, with Lara surviving the tomb, for a change.) There are very tough enemies, and also challenging situations where the mastering of difficulties is very gratifying. Nevertheless, the absence of binoculars, coupled with the faulting flares, really annoy one. So I would suggest that the author submits again this game exactly as it is, but with the following differences: (1) less mists, and more lights and colours; (2) flares in working order; (3) binoculars; (4) no earthquakes." - Josey (10-Feb-2015)
"It could have been excellent. But there are a lot of annoying things. I do not know if this level was tested but for example the doors close behind lara too fast and she can get stuck if it makes a jump back. Also in the room first monster with the elevator, if we jump in the corner without killing it, lara is blocked. There is the torch bug at the end and I do not know why some builders remove the binoculars, they would be very useful here. In the final fight with the boss, there are wraiths and after the flyby, lara is burn easily, it is very unpleasant. And personally I do not like the tremors of screen and the tremor lasts very long. Apart from these minor annoyances I had started that level with a certain pleasure, the puzzles were simple but the gameplay is full-bodied after half the game without being too difficult. There are large rooms with beautiful textures (slightly stretched or packed sometimes) and proper lighting." - Drakan (09-Feb-2015)
"This is one exhilarating adventure! Once you get past the 'easing the player into the level' first 10 minutes,it becomes a full-on adrenaline rush of a story.The technical side of things was perfectly adept,excepting a somewhat incipient darkness (not helped by a lack of binoculars or the unwelcome appearance of the flare bug - the latter,an indication that this is a debut level);but the atmosphere manages to do its job extremely well (always,you venture into the next area with a sense of trepidation);sound and cameras do a lot to create tension;and the use of objects is appropriate yet not overdone. It's the gameplay,though,which is the biggest selling point.It's mostly linear,but full of action and movement;with an excellent use of traps;a decent puzzle- floor sequence;good use of raising blocks and ropes;and a corker of a Finale,which really gets the pulse racing! The final FMV rounds off the storyline in fine style;and overall this is a thoroughly enjoyable 45 minute adventure." - Orbit Dream (08-Feb-2015)
"Be warned, some of the traps and challenges in this excellent debut level are not for the faint hearted. It's a smashing, fast paced raid, with plenty of variety, some very effectively used enemies (some of which you may choose to run away from) and the aforementioned traps that inevitably take a toll on Lara's health. In fact I only just made it through with one small medipack to spare, but then out of six secrets I managed to find NONE. Sigh. In mitigation I would mention that it is quite a dark level at times and the dreaded flare bug crops up, but OK I freely admit I'm not the most observant of players. The atmosphere is terrific, with the dusty tombs and passages feeling quite realistic and it certainly is an entertaining game. This is definitely a builder to watch out for in future." - Jay (08-Feb-2015)
"Well well! I have to say this was an amazing debut! I haven't seen a debut this good in a while. For starters, it has that authentic 'Tomb Raider' feel to it. That being said, there're a few discrepancies here and there. Gameplay was amazingly diverse, starting from roaming around finding switches to fast pace actions such as dodging traps. But then, some of the traps weren't too fun to dodge. Especially that spike trap at the end (where you have to jump the gap and time the spikes). This was the first level that I had managed to deplete my entire vitality to 1% (can't even see the health in the bar). So kudos to the gameplay but just don't make it harder than it really needs to be. Objects spice up the Egyptian level as well as the enemies placed all around. The mummies and skeleton warriors are more of a nuisance than in other customs sets due the circumstances Lara is placed in at various places in the level which is spot on. Otherwise, I wouldn't have even payed two cents to them. The dogs and deadly atlantean creatures were the two horrid offenders for making my poor Lara lose a bunch of health but they were done excellently. Atmosphere was spot on but the darkness...the level was fine up until I had to increase my brightness just to see the corners of the level. At some times, the darkness was hiding secrets and artifacts. If you think shrouding your level in darkness is a swell idea, then I wouldn't mind a few more flares and some binoculars, plus, I really wanted to see your amazing architecture. Now, texturing and lighting could definitely use some more work. Some areas didn't have lighting towards the end. Some areas were monotonous in color and again, some areas, mixed with fog, was shrouded in complete darkness. Textures throughout the level were either compressed, stretched, or wallpapered otherwise. Some didn't fit with the rest of the scheme of the room. But, the textures were pretty high-definition so that was definitely a nice touch. Overall, this was a nice debut and if this is what the author has to offer, I'm certain that if he/she fixes these problems, his/her levels will be shooting for the highs. Recommended!" - Larabiker301 (07-Feb-2015)
"A very well-designed debut raid through a TR Anniversary-styled Egyptian tomb(which combined with the great utilization of textures, lighting, objects/enemies and music), help to create an immersive atmosphere that manages to make the tomb you're raiding feel believably abandoned and long lost to the mists of time, effectively drawing the player into the overall experience with ease. And while there are a few issues present here that could have been just as easily addressed before release(such as the fly cheat being left active and quite abusable or the nasty flare lighting bug starting to occur a good way into the level to name a few), they thankfully don't ruin the experience as badly here for a change. So in conclusion, if you're up for the challenge, give it a go as you most assuredly won't regret it. And I personally look forward to seeing what Marco will come up with next for the TRLE community in the foreseeable future." - Ceamonks890 (06-Feb-2015)
"This is one of the most atmospheric level I have ever played. Some places are reasonably dark and some are just extremely dark, thick fogs everywhere, high res textures, natural looking sands on the ground, this place is what I call a tomb inside a Pyramid. Every room really looks amazing, with strong objects added in them. Choice of musics are clever. Enemies are well put so it really makes them scary, while usually in other levels I don't really give a damn about skeletons and mummies, I really adore how scary they are here. There may be a few things to fix like how the flares not working and only work after being thrown or dropped to ground, that impossible spikes jump near the end of the level (I made it through by using a few tricks instead of how (I think) it's meant to be done), and Lara's chipmunk-ish gasping voice when she comes out of the water. Well overall for The Mark, this is a good mark as a start. (See what I did there? heh heh okay)" - Nephilim (06-Feb-2015)