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Chessboard by ve2lyr

CC 4 1 3 5
Ceamonks890 3 1 2 4
Dimpfelmoser 2 0 4 4
DJ Full 7 4 2 4
Drew 9 4 5 6
Gerty 5 1 3 3
Jose 2 1 6 6
Kristina 9 2 3 5
Lorena 2 2 5 2
Magnus 1 0 7 1
manarch2 3 0 3 3
MichaelP 5 2 4 3
RaiderGirl 4 2 4 3
Ryan 3 1 4 4
Sakusha 7 0 5 5
Sash 4 3 4 4
Tombaholic 3 1 5 5
Treeble 7 1 1 1
 
release date: 01-May-2002
# of downloads: 63

average rating: 3.39
review count: 18
 
review this level

file size: 12.59 MB
file type: TR4
class: Egypt
 


author profile(s):
email(s):
ve2ylr@aei.ca

Reviewer's comments
"Be warned - this is virtually impossible to complete without the walkthrough to hand, or if you're a chess aficionado But even then, I had an awful lot of trouble getting the correct moves to trigger, so I just played as far as I could then just left it at that. This is very much in this builder's tricky to rate style and it's not really my taste, sorry. There's no enemies, objects or secrets (unless you count the giant chessboard and Lara herself), and the setting is solid enough for the novel concept, but nothing to rave about. It's more of a curiosity piece than an exciting level." - Ryan (08-Feb-2018)
"Again another level from this author with a confusing gameplay. I you don't know the chess rules, of course, don't bother to download this level unless you want to waste a lot of time with trial and error jumps. Again no hints about the gameplay, at least the author could provide the link to the video attached by DJ (thanks) so that way the game takes sense. This time is a longer level and there is a pickup and some classic tasks, but only for chess fans." - Jose (17-Jan-2018)
"Pretty much as the title implies. We find ourselves on a massive Egyptian-themed chessboard, trying to solve this deadly puzzle in the hopes of retrieving a Hand of Sirius required to open the door above and properly end the level from there shortly afterwards. So, if you're someone like me who's never played chess in his life, this is practically impossible to complete without a walkthrough on hand. However, if you're a familiar aficionado in terms of an actual chess game, you may manage to salvage some rewarding intellectually-challenging gameplay out of this release. But for those who lack the time and patience required to complete such a feat, I would highly recommend approaching this one with caution. Still a rather intriguing original concept regardless though, even if it is somewhat badly-executed in some areas." - Ceamonks890 (26-Nov-2014)
"I once tried this level before but I quit it, and even this time I had a hard time getting through this level. The first part of it is absolutely innovative with a nice and little different way to play chess, but after the chess rooms are directly close to each other the level was so confusing I only wanted to finish it as nothing is clear anymore and even the walkthrough could not really help me further. Mainly it was about trial and error. It really would have been nicer to have pieces for both sides so that a clear aim would have been noticeable, thus this remains a nice idea which was badly executed and remains to be realised in a stunning way by anyone out there." - manarch2 (09-Mar-2012)
"What does it mean "There is no objects"? Of course they are here! And they are one of the most original objects I've ever seen - just because they are made completely diffrent way than 99 remaining percent of them. ve2lyr tells us an "object" is nothing purely technical, neither "a textured thing built in 3D modeler and placed in wad", nor "a thing working when we press Action", but rather "an interactive thing". So let's ask ourselves a question: Weren't that weirdly textured blocks, moving along with the game progress, marking danger zones, allowing you to escape from death, interactive? SUMMARY: Even if tiring and frustrating, this is another unique one by ve2lyr - the most underrated constructor on trle.net." - DJ Full (20-Nov-2010)
"Chess, well that I know but still I couldn't finish it. Thanks to my guest now I could. It took longer than we thought it would and falling through the floor when the moves is right does give you a fright the first time around LOL. 05-02-2006" - Gerty (06-Feb-2006)
"You'd need to have a reasonable knowledge of the game of chess to play this on your own. Nothing remotely TR goes on here. There's a chessboard in front of you and a fixed camera you are looking down at Lara and you're making her do the jumps and chess moves. I know how to use a chessboard in a very basic way so it was a case of trial and error for me. Trial and error meaning that if Lara makes a move onto the wrong square she gets burned to death. So you have to play it right each time. When Lara jumps to the right square she falls through it to the next move or in this case the next room. The blocks that represent the chess figures are weird so you have to use your imagination. If going the trial and error route you need to save a lot. Next lot of moves involves jumping to and standing on the right square this time to turn coloured lights on or you burn again. Then you move in the position of your 'opponent'. Sounds complicated? It is or at least I thought it was but it shouldn't be for anyone who knows chess I think. Very original concept though." - CC (10-Oct-2004)
"During the summer (ie whenever I have a lot of time during the evening) I would play chess with my father. However I have never learnt this move (l'espagnole). Even if it's very challenging intellectually it didn't really have any logic to me because I had to step on certain areas randomly. For the first time ever I had to use a walkthrough (even though I still had to go through this level by stepping on certain areas randomly). The textures are OK and the lighting is pretty interesting. I had to give a zero for objects because there are virtually none. I enjoyed this level which has quite a few abstract ideas." - Sakusha (30-Apr-2004)
"I have no idea how you're supposed to finish this level without the walkthrough but with it it's actually quite fun. Why? Well because it made me pack up my dusty old chessboard in order to better visualise the moves. And even though the pieces on the opposite side look like badly textured blocks (because they are badly textured blocks) it's still quite fun to see them move. With the walkthrough the level only lasts for around seven minutes. But it was at least a bit fun." - Magnus (29-Jan-2004)
"Not quite sure how to review fairly this one. In fact all of Robert LaChapelle's levels focus more on eccentric gameplay and this is no exception. If my memory serves me when this level came out someone said that 'L'espagnole' (the name it shows in game) is a known move and it's the move you do here. I am not sure as this level was confusing as hell! If you want something challenging go ahead but watch out - you might get bored! Room after room when you reach the end you'll pick the hand of Sirius and then you'll be able to reach back the initial rooms where the level ends. It is an interesting level but get your thinking helmets (you'll need to do better than caps!) on!" - Treeble (25-Dec-2003)
"Knowing absolutely nothing about chess (I'm a checkers girl myself) I had a really hard time getting through this level. I think anyone that's into chess will really enjoy it though and the fall through floors and changing colors really added to the game. It's back to checkers for me though or maybe I'll just stick to Tomb Raider." - RaiderGirl (28-Jan-2003)
"Not knowing my ass from my elbow when it comes to playing chess and with the only Lopez I know being Jennifer I could not make head nor tails of this one and left it unplayed. This said I am giving it a rating that will not change its overall score as that is only fair." - Sash (12-Dec-2002)
"I play chess and I really like it; in fact I'm rather good at it on an amateurish level. However I was not able to make it through this on my own. The idea is quite original but it doesn't work in my view. The thing is that when I want to play chess I play chess with some friend which is so much more stimulating cause you have an opponent that you can communicate with and who shows some emotions while playing. Another advantage is that you don't die every time you make a wrong move but have the rest of the game left to make up for it. The abstract setting has it's charm and I liked the falling through the right square bit but after I launched my own counter attack (famed through folk songs and legends) and got fried again I was heartily fed up with this level and just wanted to get out of it as fast as possible. Yes it is original but that doesn't necessarily make the gameplay entertaining." - Dimpfelmoser (28-Nov-2002)
"Admittedly I have not finished this level despite (or because of?) playing the revised version. As some other people I got stuck at the tenth move and I sure tried to get it right so I have to assume it is a bug in the level. Overall a cool idea to 'copy' a well-known chess game and build that as a puzzle with the editor. Of course me not being into chess it loses a lot of its ingenuity and while I appreciate the complexity of setting this up the fun in playing for me was anyway limited and then totally spoiled by getting inadvertently stuck." - Michael (21-Jun-2002)
"If you're into novelty levels here's one with a very clever premise - Lara playing chess. The level is titled 'l'Espognole' after the famous Ruy Lopez opening favored by many champions (no I'm not a chess expert so I had to resort to the WWW for this info and the prescribed moves). Very confusing though is the fact that the author only gives pieces to one side making it impossible to remember the positions after a while (at least for me). Why not give Lara pieces as well? More confusing still is that in the middle of the game Lara (who is white) finds herself on the black side of the board. At this point I had to resort to trial and error to finish. Some more interesting textures or objects would have given the level a little more flair too. And novel though the idea may be it's ultimately like trying to shove the proverbial square peg into the round hole. If you're a chess enthusiast this level will hold some interest. If not you may want to look for fun elsewhere." - Tombaholic (21-Jun-2002)
"I have spent many days without playing a game and.... after all this time.... oh no! I decided to play this game! If I want to play chess I prefer chessmaster or a tableboard of chess! Even if you play chess you can't complete this game every tile burns you! And I don't have any chessbook to know all the variations of the española! A friend told me that this seems to be the 'Ruy López' not the española! I am not an expert in chess! So in gameplay is a very a bad game in textures they are long and short but not in correct size! There aren't lights in level Lara always looks plane! There are some cameras with a total view (this was good). But atmosphere is terrible and also sounds. Well I don't know how many times I will need to play another game!" - Lorena (21-Jun-2002)
"First lets make something clear. I gave a high mark at game play and puzzles because I don't see a category for originality and great ideas as this for the level in question. This isn't the usual Tomb Raider game or any of the varieties we are all so familiar with. Using the editor from the particular game the author chose to create a level based on chess. I think it's a great idea although the problems weren't absent on the contrary at some point I wasn't able to finish it. Again I won't blame the author because the problem was related to the mac and pc problem no 'communication' between the two. I do have to warn you though that if you have no idea about chess like me my knowledge regarding for that game is very limited you have to make a choice either start learning chess or jump around randomly and if lucky finish it sometime within a few days or hours it depends on your patience. As you can understand there are no enemies or objects except blocks which move like pawns. The textures are again limited and the same but the colourchange in every successful move inside some of the rooms gives a nicer atmosphere. If you love chess you will certainly enjoy this if not well give it a try just to take a look and even try it a little who knows you might learn something." - Kristina (21-Jun-2002)
"I played Robert's chessboard before his Labyrinth (which this is a part of). I think the concept is novel. Chess is definitely not a new game; it's been around for ages. But the idea of translating the game's moves into Lara's and extensively at that (you got to know the game and a particular well-known opening the Ruy Lopez) strikes me as something very new and creative. Castle Doomsday minimally used the idea too in one part. But this is a full-blown game at hand. It's a good thing I play chess that's why I find this level interesting. There was initially a bug in one room but with the author's persistence and I like the way he cares about his level too he has made it playable now up to the end. So if you like chess this game in a game is recommended." - Drew Pizza (21-Jun-2002)