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Jungle Ruins 5 - Revelation by GMac Raider X

Bene 10 10 10 10
DJ Full 8 9 9 9
Drakan 10 10 10 10
eRIC 9 9 10 10
izzynoodles 8 8 7 10
Jay 9 9 10 10
JesseG 8 10 9 9
Jorge22 10 10 10 10
Jose 8 9 10 10
Josey 8 9 9 9
Juno Jim 10 10 10 10
manarch2 8 9 9 8
McRaider 10 10 10 10
Mman 9 9 10 10
Phil 9 10 10 10
Rambo 8 9 9 9
Ryan 9 10 10 10
Sander 8 8 9 9
Torry 8 10 10 10
 
release date: 28-Aug-2015
# of downloads: 128

average rating: 9.33
review count: 19
 
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file size: 157.00 MB
file type: TR4
class: Jungle
 


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Reviewer's comments
"A nice round off to the series with 2 much longer levels this time instead of roughly 5 levels. The ending to the tale seemed a bit anti climactic, but the point was still made that it will be the final part of Jungle Ruins. I loved the bigger levels this time and the builders utilized the space perfectly with a good balance of exploration and puzzle solving. The 'maze puzzles' were very different but I thoroughly enjoyed the style. Unfortunately I gave 'Atmosphere, Sound, Camera' a lower score because I felt it was lacking at times. Took around 4 hours to play. I have really enjoyed all of the Jungle Ruins games and recommend taking a look at them." - izzynoodles (20-Sep-2022)
"The Final Saga of the Jungle Ruins completes an outstanding achievement and is one hell of a fine raid overall. Level One was a short gem hunt to open the exit door and really could have been dispensed with entirely. The second and third levels only faltered in the inordinate amount of back tracking involved. In some cases you were forced to traverse the same ground on five, six or seven occasions and is simply unnecessary. I did love all the platforming sequences in level three even if you had to clamber on top of the central pillar three times. The ending was a huge disappointment though. Finally you confront that dastardly Lizard Queen and she simply self destructs. This could have been an epic boss battle but it seems the builders just ran out of steam at that point. What a pity. This set was the shortest of the five coming in at just on two hours for me." - Torry (17-Mar-2020)
"This does a good job building on earlier Jungle Ruins sets visually; after the short first map that's a modified version of the end of JR4, the first main level is in a series of caves that's a nice follow up to the more traditional themes; not anything new to the series, but extremely well executed after being iterated on for so long. The final map is a fresh theme from what I recall, with a new set of very green ruins textures; as something in a bigger set it might get repetitive, but as a single level theme it's a great mix-up from the norm for the (maybe) finale of the series. There's also some very impressive scale (especially in the last map), along with lots of detailed object usage.
The first level feels a bit unnecessary gameplay wise (such that it would have probably worked better as something more akin to an interactive cutscene), but past that's there a lot of multilayered areas to uncover and exploration. There's some kind of random traps with hidden jump switches, but outside of that it's enjoyable to unravel with some great use of space. The final map is a bit more action based, with the highlight being a climb up a huge chamber with multiple agility obstacles, but there's also an interesting semi-top down maze puzzle (having to backtrack out felt unneeded though). In general having to redo a slope sequence to get back to the upper areas of the level felt like pointless backtracking, but I feel I might have missed something? After the general enjoyment of the rest the final cutscene is kind of a strange anti-climax, especially as this seems to be intended to be the ending of the whole series. Beyond the interesting theme shift of the level there's nothing new to the series here, but it's a very strong set with few issues." - Mman (06-Jul-2019)
"Return to the Hag's Lair (5-8-9-9): A short level at the start that isn't counted much in the final ratings. The setting is known from the previous JR installment, but this time you're working your way backwards through it and I must say that the gameplay was not overly thrilling, you basically collect and insert four gems through the simple way, find a secret perhaps and that's it. Still bearable for getting started. 5 minutes.
Elders Cave (8-9-10-9): Basically there are three large and interconnected areas to explore up and down here, I really think that this is well done in a way that it never gets overly confusing (with only one or two too sneakily hidden passages) nor too easy for the player. There are also many smaller (mainly pushable) puzzles, traps or jump sequences that create a nice variety. Good usage of objects here as well. The atmosphere is exceptionally well done as well as audio and camera work, perhaps the lighting is a tiny bit too flat and some objects, especially in the main cave, aren't lit perfectly - the orange fences don't work all too well together with the cave surroundings. Texturing is quite clean despite the un-blocky architecture. 40 minutes.
Revelation (8-8-9-8): Gameplaywise even a tiny bit better than the previous level, despite being more linear I think that there are some excellent pushable puzzles (mainly in the 2D maze) and extensive jump sequences that are quite cleverly put together. Only the long backtracks respectively re-climbs of the large building (that long, but terribly easy slope part has to be done three times) and the rather tedious pushable puzzle on top of the second cave let it down somewhat. The atmosphere is still successful, with a very mystic touch to the whole thing, but the monotonous greenish lighting was a bit too much and the architecture is not as detailed as it was in the previous level. The finale was also a slight disappointment. 40 minutes.
Summary: And so the large Jungle Ruins series ends with an undeniably solid game that bears many both positive and negative trademarks of previous offerings. It's maybe a slight step downwards in terms of lighting, but the rest is just as enjoyable as the previous game. Found all three secrets in 1:25 hours." - manarch2 (20-Nov-2017)
"A wonderful climax to a wonderful series, and this was close to being another four tenner, but I had to downgrade slightly because of the lengthy backtracking required, particularly in the Revelation level. That aside, this was a wonderful raid through sumptuously crafted jungle settings, performing a variety of enjoyable tasks (the block pushing mazes weren't too tedious) to ultimately defeat the Lizard Queen, with the help of a guide. Bravo, George and Todd." - Ryan (09-Aug-2017)
"A game that must not be missed, for the scenery , the settings , the objects , and the lovely and fitting new audios that play along the 3 levels of this adventure. The first one is rather short and introduces things well , and plays well , basically finding 4 gems in a big cave. I quite liked the fact that the secret allows the player to not deal with the fire burners challenge, although i did it nonetheless to not miss any fun and anyway the challenge was a friendly one. The second one is quite different in a more intricate system of caves with some water and many greenery , ferns and the like, many things have to be done with quite a variety of tasks. One ladder has to be climbed a few times but aside from that it was a very immersive experience and i did not mind some backtracking or redoings in such a beautiful and atmospheric setting. The third one is again different , with temples that look like South or Central American, what the player has to do is rather intuitive despite not many cameras to help , i only wished a more variety of ennemies and not to do 3 times the series of slopes. The ending was also a bit disappointing , i expected to kill a few raptors before leaving :) . On the other hand, the setting is quite impressive , texturing and architecture are top notch again , and the very tall cleverly made room and to raid at different levels near the end was a lot of fun." - eRIC (03-May-2017)
"Gameplay/Puzzles: I like the first map, it is not so big and clear. The second one was the oppisite, very big, complicated, lot of switches, keys and backtraking. It was very difficult to orientate oneself. If you have found a key, it takes ages until you find the righ lock, becouse of the big map, it was a little frustrating. The last level was ok, i didn't liked the push puzzel, it takes ot much time. Enemies, O&S: I expected in the last level a boss enemy. At all the enemies are ok. Not to heavy and not to easy. A, S&C: I like the Athmosphere at the first and second level, in the last one it decreases strong. The sound was sometimes mistimed/improper, in the last level missing. Lighting & Textures: The first and second level was ok, but the last one was monotonous, to much green, but i like the vegetation. Conclusion: Fun, playable and advisable custom maps, with some grade of frustration." - Sander (24-Jan-2016)
"Great work Dutchy, EssGee, Kai, RaiderX, Teme9, Titak And of course GMac !!! (& Gerty)... I had a great time with this one - no timed runs - I like that... Great puzzles, those sloped jumps are always a challenge, and having to do them how many times ??? Nice linear game - didn't get too lost - do another !!! PLEASE !!!" - Juno Jim (28-Nov-2015)
"Another extraordinary work from this authors. The same style as in another creations, a fantastic atmosphere and excellent architecture and texturization. I only miss another extra weapon and not only the shotgun. Also, I didn't enjoy so much the second level 'cause the continuos backtracking finding often dead ends and forced to revisit the same places several times, but this is another adventure you can't miss. Thank you very much to all members of the team." - Jose (09-Nov-2015)
"This was quite a pleasant raid. First off I want to say the soundtrack was well chosen and easily one of my favorite parts of this adventure. I also enjoyed the elaborate pushblock puzzles and action sequences. The environments were well decorated - I particularly liked the lighting in Revelation. I did have a few quirks with this adventure, such as a bug where spikes raised themselves in Revelation when the walkthrough said they should be dormant - I managed to get the pushable crate over them by consuming many medpacks (or should I say medplants?) so it wasn't a show-stopper. The fixed camera in the large maze becomes a bit eye-straining when Lara is far away, and could have worked better split into several fixed cameras. Elder's Cave, while I did still enjoy it, has common symptoms of a level that is too big: an armada of sporadically placed keyholes that are difficult to sort in one's mind each time a key is found; camera shots of doors and trapdoors that somehow manage to stay vague enough to have one searching the level over to find them; a dozen lit and unlit sconces at various heights that suddenly become important to keep track of when a torch is discovered; and a convoluted layout that wraps around itself and makes backtracking difficult. The use of the torch in that level was nice though and I enjoyed figuring out how to get it to where it needed to go. The waterwheels, waterfalls, statues and other objects used were quite lovely and blended together well with the levels, giving them character. Overall, Jungle Ruins remains a high quality series and I thank the authors for all of their effort. Time: 3 hours 2 minutes." - SSJ6Wolf (17-Oct-2015)
"Gameplay & Puzzles: The gameplay is rather good in this gamewith quite a few tasks in every level and a bit of challenge too, but it's not totally creative and neither very difficult. The puzzles are nice but a bit repetitive. Enemies, Objects & Secrets: There's very good use of these three elements, secrets only a bit easy. The enemies are nicely used and objects are well decorating the rooms. Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras: The atmosphere is not perfect (too much the same here and there) but quite good overall, sounds are excellent though and cameras are fine. Lighting & Textures: Almost flawless texturing with a bit of the same textures but not everywhere, the lighting is only a little bit too flat but manages to impress. Total: 8,75/10, a accomplished adventure, need to play the others now too to understand the whole story." - Rambo (01-Oct-2015)
"Always a pleasure to have another game in this excellent series. This one's a three parter and comprises quite different areas, style-wise. Initially, we get to revisit the dramatic scenery of Hag's Lair to search for serpent stones in a fairly short but fun, exploration based section. The second part involves a huge cavern area, some unfriendly natives, some nifty torch work and a great deal of backtracking (possibly not quite as much if you play in a less confused, more logical manner than I do). The third section is an effective and exotic (and perhaps slightly eye watering) confection of acid greens with splashes of blood red, inhabited by some club wielding thugs who take some bumping off and regrettably seem to like going around in pairs. Some fun platforming and an inventive push puzzle are the stand out bits here and the raptor keys are a nice new object. Something for everyone here, I would say, and a difficulty level that would make it accessible to most players." - Jay (22-Sep-2015)
"From Genesis to Revelation. If this is indeed GMac's swan song, he's going out with a bang. The concluding segment in this three-part release ranks with his best stuff, both in terms of gameplay (ingenious platforming sequences and pushblock puzzles) and scenery. I spent a little more than three and a half net gaming hours with this fifth installment in a memorable series and thoroughly enjoyed myself. The concluding raptor head placements and the destruction of the lizard queen were nice touches, and it's definitely worth your while to stick around for the closing credits. The individual segments are not identified by name of builder, but there's little doubt who was responsible for Elders Cave. The lighting is so player-friendly here that I stopped for long stretches at a time just to enjoy looking around and taking in the surroundings. The gameplay is mind-stretching as well, making me glad that I had access to Dutchy's well-crafted walkthrough. Someday I'll go back and replay the rest of this epic series, because it's a milestone in the history of custom levels. Highest recommendations." - Phil (22-Sep-2015)
"The first level of this very recommended game is OK. The third would be perfect, if we didn't have to perform for three times a particular sequence of jumps in order to catch a monkey swing very difficult to grab. But at least I loved the maze puzzle. As to the second level, I found it very confusing and full of backtracks, and needed to consult the walkthrough many times to go on. Finally, in the game as a whole, I missed more camera hints and ammunition, as enemies were quite tough and I had some difficulties in identifying the result of some actions. Nevertheless, we certainly have here a fair ending for a remarkable series. Cheers!" - Josey (18-Sep-2015)
"A remarkable ending to a remarkable series. The first in the ending trilogy is a return to Hag's lair: rather short in running time if played in right sequence - if not, then a re-play of jumps is necessary and this is where a quick look at a walkthrough before starting comes in handy but still, not a long time is needed to re-do and, as usual, easier and quicker the second time around. Second part is Elder's Cave: at first glance it is confusing but once oriented, it is easy to see there is something to do everywhere. Third is Revelation with intricate jumps/monkey swing, rolling boulders that brought to mind the best of what Raiding, Lara and Indiana Jones really are: great adventures. Not to forget the music: It was eerie and beautiful - a perfect match for atmosphere, never annoying (as some sounds can become). The ending is a well-done homage to all who helped create the series and I add my voice to thank those who participated in bringing us this particular adventure. Bravo" - Bene (06-Sep-2015)
"I have finished this great Pack of levels in more than four hours, Elders Caves has cost me more in terms of time but I must admit that it is a super map... Revelation was a pleasure to play it and the atmosphere in general very good. (my kind of level). I read that this would be the last adventure of GMac, which is a shame for those who like their levels including me... It has been a great set of 3 levels and my congratulations to its authors!" - McRaider (04-Sep-2015)
"Four deserved tens, maybe not "perfect tens", but tens nonetheless and it's a fact I've been rating gameplay with nines in a few absolutely astonishing adventures - the reason is no matter how puzzling some parts of this grand adventure may be, a line has been drawn and the game can be considered playable even if one has the patience never to resort to the forums or the walkthrough when available; there is enough balance here, which I find important for any player as a game, even if it's the most astounding thing ever, lacks playability if the average or even the seasoned player isn't up to finishing the level without help. Having said all that, this game consists of three rather different and still homogeneous parts. In playability terms, the first can be considered an introduction, shorter and much easier, with the second comes the hardest part with much back and fro and a rather puzzling scenario and, finally, with the third, a certain balance is achieved and playability reaches its peak. I enjoyed the entire second part despite the fact that I sometimes found it rather hard to orient myself and needed forum help. I loved the third and final part (even if I found it a bit more classic) and most especially the wonderful maze part deserves a bravo from me - refreshing. I quite liked the general design even though I found it on the classic side and the music and sounds seemed to fit in perfectly. All in all, to me, a really nice surprise." - Jorge22 (04-Sep-2015)
"Magnificent adventure in 3 levels very well lit and textured. After a return to hag's lair, where we have to find 4 diamonds, we enter the second level, which is very complex, with a lot of research to move forward. Level very well designed , where you have to be patient before finding the 2 wheels which will lower the bridge to move to the third level. The latter has a very large map, and among others, I liked the puzzle of poussables in the big room with the top view (here called me something lol). I loved also the very high room where you must find the 4th raptor key. Congratulations." - Drakan (01-Sep-2015)
"The last installment of the Jungle Ruins series marks a conclusion of the whole project like a dot in a Latin sentence. I think it might have been placed too quickly - transitions between environments and flawless storytelling I admired in the fourth part are not that great here. Each level differs from another in architecture, style and colors: Return to the Hag's Lair is a surreal, floating island of magical gemstones surrounded with red fog and a lake of coca-cola; Elders Cave is totally earthly, naturally overgrown with juicy bushes and traces of native civilization like a water flow puzzle; eventual Revelation is again an outworld setting oversaturated with mossy green, so it not only stands in opposition with the preceding cave but also with the prologue. Now one does not simply make such a set of risky connections feel like one game, and I guess if it wasn't up to a legendary team having a summaric two-decade building experience, such a risky set of connections would result in total disintegration. Here it still manages to blend into an immersive adventure, though it takes some noticeable extra glue - all the music is made by a single author. This is good approach but the soundtracks feel too similar - whenever a piece was triggered, I couldn't tell if it's for exploration or mystery, danger or suspense. This is with exception from cutscenes which are still as theatrical as the authors got us used to, and are what eventually and primarily manages to hold the adventure together. Inbetween and focusing on the second level, the puzzle path isn't thought as well as before - sometimes it requires travelling long distances between opposite sides of a level, also we need to climb the same ladder multiple times. But the pleasant layout, furnishing and stacking of cavern sections makes additional running much less tedious - and I think if I ran through these passages just once, I would miss lots of things I should have seen. So the mileage is too great but not to unbearable extent - the biggest problem is at least three shortcuts which allow to explore more than half of the cavern totally out of order. While the hint for intended door is missing in the same moment, it's easy to take a wrong route. So I played that level twice for sake of experiment, and I realized the unintended order is much more interesting than the planned one - I guess I accidentally discovered some potential this game could utilize if more time was invested in polishing it. Still there are many local touches which kept me alert and curious, like the waterfall extinguisher, the raising cage or a totally fresh animation of cogs. The torch run along the pathway carved in rock and supported by wooden bridges hanging around the cave was impressive, hunting for various new items fitting the theme was strongly rewarding and again I was surprised with places revealing an alternate purpose a long time after the first one was discovered - the crawlspace in the second level and the pushblock in the third. About that very final segment: I don't think this place should have been made that overwhelmingly green - I was desperately looking for some pattern alteration all the time. But on the other hand the path was much clearer and confusion was none, though the problem of repetitive climb reoccured in the central temple (one raised block would fix it) and I would significantly reduce the platforming and pushables, both definitely too extended as for an epilogue level. In this last bit all the various major puzzles of snake gems, crystals and skulls unexpectedly appear as minor pickups, all of equal importance, making space for the final starring customization of the raptor key. This is a good example of how an artifact can switch its role without changing looks. In the end all points towards an ultimate solution, though it was so random I'm almost sure it's not really like the game was supposed to end - so the initial question remains if it really did. SUMMARY: Some things are perfect, some other feel like a draft. At a mossy shore, a lava-sailing flagship reaches its harbor. The drawbridge raises to let her in and the anchor falls to the bottom, killing all the piranhas on the way. The ship is brought to full stop, but never to ruin. Is she a ghost from now on? I hope not. Highly recommended." - DJ Full (31-Aug-2015)