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Level: The Temple of the Mayans back home search
Author(s): StormChaser
total rating:8.20 Gameplay &
Puzzles		 Enemies,
Objects &
Secrets		 Atmosphere,
Sound &
Cameras		 Lighting &
Textures
Blue43 7 8 7 8
CC 8 9 8 8
Cuqui 9 8 9 8
Dougsan 6 7 7 7
Engelchen Lara 9 9 10 8
eRIC 8 9 8 8
G.Croft 9 8 8 9
Gerty 9 9 7 8
Jose 8 8 7 8
Kristina 9 8 9 9
MichaelP 8 8 9 7
Momster 8 8 6 8
Obig 9 10 9 10
Orbit Dream 8 7 8 9
Phil 8 8 8 8
RaiderGirl 9 9 8 10
Ruediger 9 8 8 7
Sash 8 8 8 8
Spike 8 8 9 8
category averages
(19 reviews)		 8.26 8.26 8.05 8.21

Reviewer's comments

"Even though these older levels are entertaining and certainly worthy of being downloaded and played even now, I'm finding that their relative crudeness makes it much more enjoyable to be playing, for example, the current BtB Steampunk levels. It's amazing how much standards can change in just a few short years, but I guess it just goes to prove the adage that man's technology is advancing exponentially. Temple of the Mayans is another fine level that happens to be showing its age a bit. Although it's pegged as a South American level, it reminded me a lot more of one of Justin's Atlantis levels. There's plenty to do here, and it's not always very easy figuring out where to go next. Obig has provided an outline that omits what I feel is some essential detail, with the result that I wandered about quite a bit in some of the areas. The time on my game clock at the end was about 75 minutes, so you get a substantial amount of gameplay for your download. Recommended for nostalgia's sake." - Phil (01-Oct-2011)

"This is a pretty nice looking level with decent game play and interesting map layout. The game play is a bit on the tedious side and there is some backtracking involved. At certain points it got a little confusing since many areas look similar, but a quick check with the walkthrough helped me back on the way. The atmosphere could have been good but unfortunately was ruined by many missing sounds. The shotgun was silent, there were absolutely no sounds for anything water-related and those nasty buzzing giant TR4 beetles weren’t buzzing either (they were still nasty though!). Lara also encountered a T-Rex couple, a bunch of crocs, angry natives, black panthers and some flying reptiles. Action wise there was some neat rope swinging, burner avoidance and blade jumping. Some areas were a bit cramped but in general it was a pleasant level to play through. The texturing looked good considering it’s age, but the lighting was a hit and miss with lots of areas where it looked perfect and others where Lara looked completely flat. Definitely recommended if you are in the mood to play something from the earlier years. (1h 10min, 3 secrets found)" - Blue43 (27-Jun-2011)

"Entertaining this one. Lara must find five five guardian keys to retrieve a big magic crystal. She will ride through natural outside areas, caves and inside a dangerous temple, fighting with all kind of animals, panthers, giant bugs, scorpions... even with two TRex and natives. Classic tasks with variety of situations and objects: lava rooms, rolling balls, fire emitters, swinging balls, a maze... I've got a problem with the sounds (not with the musics) and in my game there were a lot of missed sounds. Enough guns, ammo and medipacks; correct lights and textures. If you like classic TR you'll enjoy this level." - Jose (07-Feb-2011)

"The first thing that I encountered during this level was the rumbling of thunder and an electric bolt striking down to the floor. A nice little touch that made for a good start. The outside area is relatively simple, but it gets more fun (and more difficult) once inside the temple itself. The aim of the level is to find the 'Crystal of Salvation', and in order to do so, 5 Guardian Keys must first be found to open the gates to the Crystal itself. The Guardian Keys are all placed well, beyond several traps such as flames and rotating blades. There are also some tribesmen and panthers to dispatch of, but a handy little rifle takes care of that relatively easily. The temple and it's surroundings were particularly pleasurable to look at, and had lots of atmosphere. This was basically, a great level." - Spike (05-Jul-2007)

"This one of those levels that unfortunately out-stayed it's welcome;which was a great shame as I thought the setting was most unusual and extremely striking. The Mayan atmosphere was well caught and there were many neat flourishes (the rolling boulders being one;the smoking volcano another) and far too many of those blasted wasps. The progression was quite fluid and not particularly exacting;it's just that there was too much of it.As a result it was with actual relief that I encountered the T-Rex's,as I knew that the adventure must at last be coming to an end. That being said,this is the sort of level that anyone and everyone can enjoy and I reccomend it heartily." - Orbit Dream (22-Mar-2006)

“I played only one other level by this author before and didn't like it (King Arthur's Castle) but ‘Temple of the Mayans’ was much more fun to me! The atmosphere is frightening and all the areas created perfectly for example the caves which are not those usual huge rooms but instead they have low ceilings and many stones to make you stumble. You'll need more than one hour for this as you carefully have to explore every corner. After all that concentration you get a wild ending sequence with shooting at dinosaurs with a big gun. That's real fun and a kind of reward for going all the way.” – Rüdiger (02-Nov-2003)

“Great level very well done. The Temple is beautiful and the atmosphere quite perfect. It's an exciting adventure with good puzzles tricky jumps boulders and fire traps. Enemies: natives crocs panthers harpies and dinos are very well placed. I enjoyed this level and I recommend it to you.” – Cuqui (16-Oct-2003)

“We're in a South Pacific jungle! Similar to coastal village in the original game. So we've got natives in costume crocodiles huge bugs and black panthers. Lots of areas to explore native village mountains temples. A nice touch with the smoking volcano. You can get up and round the rocks but there's not much to pick up or do except to get an overall view of the area below. Inside the temples are different 'lava floor' type puzzles and one scary one with giant turning blades on top of pillars. Also some good boulder puzzles of the perpetual motion kind. The temple where you shoot the blue ball is beautiful and the straw/cane maze looks great. You need to get that crowbar at the beginning or you're wasting your time moving on because you need it a good few times to work floor switches. Some rock areas are identical and can get confusing. And of course wouldn't you know just because I don't like 'live' T-Rex's that's exactly what I got two of them just to balance things out! I almost jumped out of my existence after coming out of the cave. All in all a very good level with a great sense of place. Well done Stormchaser.” – CC (03-May-2003)

“Lara has the task here to find the precious artifact and it’s not easy. There are few challenging puzzles putting Lara’s skills to the test. The environment is beautiful especially the inside of the temple. Lots of lava occasionally tricky jumps and rolling spike barrels top avoid. Lara keeps meeting a few natives and flying beetles and beautiful black panthers. I found three secrets among them the shotgun which is very useful. Textures were well selected but sometimes to so well applied especially in the outside areas. Sound was good atmosphere was very good. Finally Lara needs to battle two T-Rex and flying dinos but she does not necessarily have to kill them ;-)) Highly recommended.” – Engelchen Lara (13-Mar-2003)

“A good level with a South Pacific atmosphere with natives crocodiles nasty flying insects black panthers and pre-historical animals at the end after 1:30 hours searching for the green big crystal of TR3 in various environments: coastal outside areas and a big temple with lava ropes fire burners and blades. The style of the author is recognizable with a lot of exploration in a not completely straightforward way to find many artefacts. The graphics are good and it is nice to raid in such places.” – eRIC (21-Feb-2003)

“I felt like I was lost in another world in this latest level of Peter's. With black panthers pterodactyls giant beetles and even huge dinosaurs roaming about plus huge pools of lava and the totally untouched landscape it truly reminded me of a lost civilization. The only inhabitants seem to be a few natives that have built a hut or two. Starting outside your first objective is to find the crowbar which you'll need a few times and make your way inside the temple. From then you have lots of exploring to do and some traps to avoid in your quest for a number of objects including the great artifact. It took me a couple of hours to get to that last area with the dinos but I loved every minute - Peter truly has artistic talent and I enjoy playing his beautiful levels.” – RaiderGirl (09-Feb-2003)

“This is a great level with many puzzles and traps. Lara in her shorts and hair up is searching for gems guardian keys a vraeus in a sort of jungle but not the classic jungle setting. Actually it's hard to describe it. Boulders fire traps and blades will be some of the obstacles with crocodiles flying beetles panthers and natives doing the best they can to give you even more trouble. Keep your eyes open as the keys are hidden everywhere look in dark corners and the cameras are placed in certain areas for a reason. There are also a couple of blue spheres to shoot and that requires the laser-sight and crossbow but not to worry they are not hard to find. Lara will also have to get a little wet and near the end to avoid two huge dinosaurs. I found all four secrets. Definitely a level worth playing and it seems like Peter is getting better and better.” – Kristina (07-Feb-2003)

“The very cute outfit and the start with thunder and lightning raise high expectations when you get started and in a way those are really met. For me this level had a great flow. I did not actually spend much more time with than the net gaming time of 1:20 hours because I always had a way to go next and hardly ever died and had to reload - very enjoyable. You start out in a bit of a tropical mountain setting which you will come back out to again and again while much of the gameplay revolves around a big lava room with burners and ropes and many doors. I found three secrets of which two (crowbar and crossbow) are required to move on in the game. There are three gems five guardian keys and a vraeus to be picked up along the way and of course the 'artifact' that you came here for. Many many enemies around (loads of wasps panthers and natives plus a few crocodiles scorpions and at the end TRex and pterodactyls. I did not have any sound issues with enemies but the boulders remained quiet for me. Speaking of which I thought the perpetual boulders are always nice and well used here. Remarkable also the use of 'look targets' to give the player a hint where to go next - well done. While the atmosphere created worked really well for me the texturing was sometimes a bit repetitive especially in a few of the larger and more square rooms. But all in all a fun raid and definitely one I would recommend.” – Michael (03-Feb-2003)

“A very nice 2 hour level by Peter although marred somewhat by missing sound files. Even the later download supplied for sound files did not work. A lot of gameplay demonstrated in this level with plenty of things to figure out rather than puzzles and plenty of enemies natives crocs giant wasps panthers and of course the dinosaurs. You must find some blue gems 5 guardian keys and a vraeus and there’s some to and fro-ing later in the level. The door that opened after placing the vraeus had me going didn’t spot the shimmy crack. A bit on the dark side but flares are handy some jumping rope swinging boulder traps and fire blowers all made for an exciting adventure.” – Momster (01-Feb-2003)

“Okay this level wins the award for the filthiest camera shot of Lara in a custom level you’ll know it when you see it but if for any reason you miss it (and mainly for Torry’s benefit) check her out right after a slide and just before the T-Rex’s. Alright back to the level at hand. This really was such an enjoyable level that had that wonderful jungle feel in the outdoor areas without really being jungle like and some non-stop trap excitement inside the temple as you go in search of 5 guardian keys. There are also 3 secrets to be found in this 75 minute level but secret may not be the right word for them I think ‘essentials’ may be a more worthy term as you can not progress without 2 of them and the other is for lack of a better word a godsend that will help send to god those pesky enemies that seemed to pop up at the most inopportune times. All in all this is some good clean fun but just a warning at one stage you need to find a gem after killing a native and the first time round it didn’t appear for me so I reloaded and killed him again and there it was so if first you don’t succeed kill kill kill again!” – Sash (31-Jan-2003)

“Temple of the Mayans - where to begin? Presumably it takes place on an island since there is lava most everywhere - both molten and hardened (black mountains of it) but there is no view of an ocean or any large body or water. The Mayans if memory serves lived inland anyway. Ok I’ll agree that they lived among very active volcanoes. Interesting to me is that the volcanoes gave birth to a series of mounds of lava that are all the same all over the place. Each time Lara emerges from the underground she is faced with a pile of lava that is precisely the same as the pile of lava she saw the last time she emerged from the underground. Very odd. Also odd is how dark Lara finds it both topside and underground. I guess the sun never makes it to this part of the world. The enemies Lara meets along her tedious journey include panthers that die with four or five bullet shots and tribal warriors that require I believe 12 direct bullet shots to the chest. I liked the take off on the jeweled horsemen but thought there should have been more fight in the panthers. The game did not include any difficult puzzles but some were fun. The straw box maze was easy but the wasps made it interesting and added the needed challenge. The three rolling balls area was very busy with lots to do. The five rolling balls area had me wondering because I thought there would be a lot to do in such a big area -- the same with the two early lava rooms. Once again there appeared to be a well drawn and designed level hidden in the darkness. Why do you guys do this to your work? Sorry for the low marks. There is an interesting story but too much copying of lava rocks too much darkness too few challenging puzzles and too little direction. This is one of the few levels I’ve played where I was lost most of the time and got to the end by hit or miss.” – Dougsan (27-Jan-2003)

“Wow this latest level from Peter is a really good one. He has improved a lot in the gameplay department I must say! Start off in underground caves to find your way to the Mayans temple which is full of tricks and traps. Put your hands on the artifact - The Crystal of Salvation - and get out again. The enemies are natives and a lot of wild animals. I didn’t find the shotgun so I had a tough time especially with those giant beetles. Almost 2 hours of fun raiding.” – G.Croft (24-Jan-2003)

“The download I had had indeed no sound not on my PC and not on my Mac as I got the message converting the WAD: ‘Can’t find the TR3 sound file’ but nevertheless I had a great time. Starting outdoors you work your way into the ancient buildings. The main goal is finding 5 Guardians keys and 3 blue gems and 1 Vraeus. I liked the way Lara kept looking at a certain spot instead of a camera shot. The dark blue stones made the place rather dark but you’ll find enough flares as you really have to look everywhere. Finding secrets like the crowbar is a must and later on as there is some practice shooting required you’ll find the necessary crossbow as well. This is not such a puzzle level more exploring and in the end the level opens up and you’ll find many shortcuts. Enemies there are some crocs black panthers bees natives and in the end harpies and (I jumped in my chair as its head just appeared when Lara came out of a hole in the rocks) 2 dinos. Those beasts I couldn’t kill but the beauty of it Ted provided an escape route over the rocks. There are some nice traps like rolling boulders and some blowers. Jumping or rope swinging over the lava lake was fun. There is one door that opens up there after placing the Vraeus that opened up the wrong way (in my opinion). The details in this level are done nicely like a little fire that kept the native warm and Lara had to shoot the poor bloke. It is a bit back and forward travel in this level but it gets easier with more doors you open. A shame that the sound didn’t work. 18-01-2003” – Gerty (22-Jan-2003)

“I liked this level very much. Varied textures the puzzles aren't easy also the enemies are ingenious. The flying dinosaurs at the end and the T-rex are really great. I have even had to use some medipack. Strange though that it wasn't the finding of the 5 Guardian Keys which caused me a problem I couldn't find the crossbow for long; it's needed for the second swinging sphere. So I can only congratulate the maker.” – Obig (22-Jan-2003)
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