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Level: The Secret Floor back home search
Author(s): Lexx
total rating:7.30 Gameplay &
Puzzles		 Enemies,
Objects &
Secrets		 Atmosphere,
Sound &
Cameras		 Lighting &
Textures
bERT 7 6 8 8
Bex 7 6 7 7
Blue43 7 8 7 8
Dimpfelmoser 5 6 8 7
dya1403 7 7 7 7
eTux 7 8 8 8
Gerty 6 6 7 7
Kristina 7 8 6 7
Lizard Queen 8 8 8 8
MichaelP 6 8 8 7
Orbit Dream 7 8 9 9
RaiderGirl 7 8 8 7
Sash 7 7 8 7
Treeble 7 8 8 8
category averages
(14 reviews)		 6.79 7.29 7.64 7.50

Reviewer's comments

"This was a fun VCI style level with lots of cool technical effects and entertaining and for the most part, fairly fast paced game play. There were plenty of interesting laser traps and timed burners, interesting doors to open, access cards to find and hordes of guards to kill. It was pretty easy to find where to go next as it was mainly straightforward. Lara found plenty different weapons, ammo and Medipacks and in one room there was an excessive amount of office cupboards to open – I thought that it would never end after I picked up the same rifle for the third time. The atmosphere was on the “high tech” side with well-suited music in the style of Mission Impossible and the likes. The textures were classic TR5 VCI with a lot of neatly animated doors and other objects and very adequate lighting in most areas. It is one of the more entertaining and better levels of that genre out there and I would recommend playing it. (50 minutes)" - Blue43 (02-Mar-2011)

"Besides the Bond/ Die another day theme(wich I am not so fond of) and the laser room I didn't notice something out of the ordinary about this level. Soon after you pick up the Stone of Khepri and the Stone of Maat the level ends.Lara's outfit reminds me of the film Matrix, wich I think would make a great theme for a custom level." - dya1403 (20-Nov-2006)

"I must say, I so enjoy finding these little hidden gems... sitting quietly in the archives, waiting for someone to discover how much fun you can have with an older level. And that's exactly what happened to me. It's your typical VCI type level but what sets this apart are the nifty details. Like when the SAS guard, who I thought was safely trapped behind the door, suddenly falls from the ceiling (scared the heck out of me, lol). Or the cool animated oval glass doors, or the laser beam revolver with lasersight. Or the automatic Shotgun and the animated helicopter... ok, I'll stop. Bottom line is, I never got bored, even the second time through. A big ‘thank you’ to the author, I had a great time. June 5, 2005" - Lizard Queen (06-Jun-2005)

“Lara leaves to die another day. Well the start of the level shows a thing you've tired of seeing in these VCI levels but later on it improves so don't give up right at the beginning. There are many objects I never saw before also like the moving circular lasers you have to jump over laser walls and a couple other objects. Some of them were too buggy in my opinion like the ‘wardrobe’ - you can see through when you're inside it. Included in the package were two themes 007 Die Another Day and Mission Impossible. Lara is not Trinity at all but she proves she also can jump from roof to roof. Said all that I must say that I LOVED the laser effect in the guards guns and also in Lara's Desert Eagle!” – Treeble (14-Feb-2003)

“Well this is the most enjoyable 'technological' level I've played to date. It's a well made and generally fast-moving jaunt through a hi-tech building with several startling and enjoyable moments. The gameplay suffers though from having the momentum come to a dead halt on a regular basis; either because of rather unnecessary cupboard searching; or laser jumping (a neat touch but did it really need to be repeated?); or rather interminable air-vent crawling. Still the massive choice of weaponry and the smart use of music (*ahem* Copyright cleared?) made for a great finale which I gleefully played three times. Ultimately (and despite the lack of a definite mission; Lara comes out with nothing more than she went in with) it's a lot of great good fun.” – Orbit Dream (02-Jan-2003)

“I couldn't read the story that came with the download as it was written in German but apparently Lara has broken into this VCI styled office building to steal something and then must make her way out again. The beginning consists mainly of finding cards and disks and then opening doors but toward the end there are some really cool things to see including the great use of lasers and a fun laser trap the guards with the laser scopes the new blue laser field clear glass doors and it was cool where the men slide down the ropes near the end to attack Lara. The best part has to be the end though and has you jumping from rooftop to rooftop and sliding down the zip line to your awaiting helicopter. Great story and atmosphere behind this level and a lot of fun to play.” – RaiderGirl (28-Dec-2002)

“I don't know about the others but my jaw is still lying around in that level when I equipped the Desert Eagle + laser sight and saw the guys with their guns. The idea of the laser beam is yet so simple but also so brilliant and I have no idea why no-one has thought of that yet! The gameplay is simple you run around a lot of offices pull switches pick up items use them avoid lasers and go through a lot of crawlspaces and all that in 35 minutes. I liked the nice touches on the flares guns and the compass and the ending with the runaway on the very well crafted rooftops guided by Madonna's great James Bond theme ‘Die Another Day’ and the Mission Impossible theme was fantastic even if the game ended in the middle of the action.” – eTux (21-Dec-2002)

“This VCI-level is for 3/4 a rather ordinary and very linear one but then it happens Madonna's ‘Die another day’ kicks in and we get a very original and dramatic camera shot of the last part of Lara doing a shimmy and pulling up. The best I've seen since Mirai's camera shot from outside the window in his Tokyo level. Very good! The part that follows may not have any real gameplay but still remains true Bond/Mission Impossible stuff (accompanied by the theme tune from the latter one) with tower to tower jumping and the best hang glide I've had up to know. The helicopter bit is truly amazing with an almost perfect simulation of what you encounter when approaching a helicopter with the horizontal blades spinning. Great stuff! Everything would have been less dramatic without the two tunes I've mentioned of course but the last 1/4 part remains a must see in my opinion. Question remains however: if you can make your level end like this why is the first part so mediocre? Little mystery. Anyway glad to have played this one.” – bERT (21-Dec-2002)

“Playing Blue in the Blue on my Mac and I needed a respite I saw Matthias playing this one so started this on the PC. TRC is now the new fad? Not my favorite it’s too cold too technical looking for my taste. But a nice level nonetheless. Finding discs opening a lot of closets and also finding some awesome weapons you don’t really need apart from the desert eagle as there are SAS men aplenty to kill. Some movements of Lara were not really smoothly as I couldn’t get her to open some glass doors but after reloading she did. Some crawling and finding other discs will lead you to an up and running helicopter while listening to music. 08-12-2002” – Gerty (15-Dec-2002)

“I’m a little conflicted with this one. On the one hand the gameplay is pretty much the standard slightly overused VCI kind duct crawling guard shooting cupboard opening of which there were an amazing 25 and an elevator ride. On the other hand though you have some brilliant laser traps some new things such as glass push open doors and a raising set of doors fun skyscraper roof jumps ending with a dangerous zip line to an awaiting chopper and the fantastic inclusion of not only the ‘Mission Impossible’ theme tune but also Madonna’s wonderful Bond theme song ‘Die another Day’ which just pumped up the feel. So I would have to say that yes this is a really nice level because of the latter things I wrote but it still somehow left me feeling as though not a whole lot had been accomplished when I reached the end.” – Sash (13-Dec-2002)

“This was fun. A lot of killing though which I am not very fond of but I enjoyed it. I like it very much when the authors mess with the objects in the inventory and change colours guns and even bother to do a little something with the loading screen so that we don't always see the original one it has become boring by now. A lot of things is from TRC like the guards the music one mp3 was a nice song irrelevant to TR and animations. A couple of cards the VCI key some crawling fires lasers and a lot of shooting in between. I also liked the point which the guards were coming down with ropes but earlier in the game I hated the fact that when Lara was searching the closets guards were coming behind and as you can't turn and shoot unless she finishes a lot of health was lost. I barely made it but fortunately when you reach a certain room the medipacks are many and ammo too. At the start we have the bug with south-east rooms meaning although Lara is inside ducts turning around the walls disappear and you get to see the horizon. With some work it could have been better.” – Kristina (13-Dec-2002)

“This had the makings of a really good level but there are two problems with it. One problem is that it's yet another typical VCI adventure and much as I quite like these you can have too much of a good thing. Another problem is that it is so short - just a 30 minute adventure if that. Such a shame especially given that it's rather a big download. Mind you the music does kind of justify the size: The 'Die Another Day' and 'Mission Impossible' tunes really made me smile and they appear in just the right places. But to get back to the look and feel of the level: At first I thought 'oh dear' because strange things were happening with the textures at the start - the horizon seemed to appear at random occasionally but you soon get by that. There's also a closed grate you can climb into but can't climb back out of (however maybe it's only me who would even bother trying to climb into a closed grate!) Another annoyance was the sheer amount of cupboard-opening that there is to be done towards the end. But moaning aside for the most part this is a pleasant romp through the familiar VCI office environment and there are a couple of really good bits. As you'd expect there are several ducts through which to crawl and quite a few SAS guards to dispose of. Lara resplendent in her 'Matrix' outfit has some great weapons and I particularly liked the lasersight with its red beam. The high point for me was the room with lasers that you have to jump across pretty challenging and good fun. In fact the word 'fun' sums up this level nicely right up until the cool ending with the zipline and the helicopter. If 'The Secret Floor' had been about 3 times as long I would have been much happier as it seemed to end just as I was really getting into it.” – Bex (10-Dec-2002)

“Well we have done it too many times I guess - a TR5 style outfit and a VCI building to infiltrate for Lara with lots of air duct crawling an elevator shooting out grates and picking up three discs two cards and a VCI Key for progression. A dozen or so soldiers along the way and about the same amount pretty much at once for the final battle which is really well done with appropriate music accompanying your escape over the rooftops with the help of a ZIP line to your waiting helicopter. So this 40 minutes adventure does have its moments and a few rather cool touches like the ‘Dresdner Felsenkeller’ beer on the shelves the compass the four laser barriers moving in on you lots of cool weaponry the blue 'TV test screen' barrier and of course the soundtrack near the end. Very tedious though the opening of no less than 16 cupboards in one room - a hint: you should be able to do without the stuff you get from those so save the time.” – Michael (08-Dec-2002)

“You non-Teutonian folks out there probably don't know it but despite all the money we pump over the ecomomy in former East Germany (well as a matter of fact it's still East Germany) is not really prospering. Unemployment is high and there is a brain drain towards the West. Therefore I think it's a really good thing that they drink Dresdener Kellerskrone at Van Croy's secret lab. That's the spirit. You know with the flood and everything Dresden needs every single cent it can get. If you played ‘Re-enter VCI labs’ from Christoph you know what to expect. In fact if you have played any base level you also know what to expect. At the start I couldn't really figure out what the point of this exercise was as everything seemed only a variation of the VCI labs mission. However there is a rather original use of lasers; not only in the traps but also in the red laser sights the guards use. Looks quite impressive and I haven't seen it before. The downside of this level are the many crawls and the utterly pointless opening and closing of wardrobes which seems to go on forever and rewards you with four fancy shotguns. There is a blue snow effect which I found awesome and the final hop over the rooftops was great. Nevertheless there is only so much you can do in a lab. I reckon I should mention the showdown where the special task force slides down the ropes to the well known theme of ‘Mission Impossible’. Speaking of Mission Impossible check out the Bossa Nova recordings Lalo Schiffrin did in the mid sixties (some with Quincy Jones); all excellent stuff.” – Dimpfelmoser (08-Dec-2002)
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