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Level: The Dead Sea Scrolls back home search
Author(s): Trix
total rating:9.56 Gameplay &
Puzzles		 Enemies,
Objects &
Secrets		 Atmosphere,
Sound &
Cameras		 Lighting &
Textures
Andi Croft 10 10 10 10
Bex 10 10 10 10
CC 10 10 10 10
Cuqui 10 9 10 10
dnf productions 7 8 7 8
Dougsan 9 9 10 10
eRIC 9 9 10 10
eTux 10 10 10 10
G.Croft 10 10 10 10
Gerty 10 10 10 10
gfd 9 9 10 9
Glow 10 10 10 9
Jay 10 10 10 10
Jon Black 10 10 10 10
Jorge22 10 10 10 10
Jose 7 9 8 9
Josi 9 10 10 10
Kristina 8 9 9 10
LePerk 7 9 10 10
Loupar 9 10 10 10
MacRaider 9 9 10 9
Magnus 9 8 9 9
MichaelP 10 9 10 10
Miguel 10 9 10 10
Mman 8 10 10 9
Phil 8 9 9 10
QRS 10 10 10 10
RaiderGirl 10 10 10 10
Ravenwen 9 9 10 10
Relic Hunter 10 10 10 10
Ruben 10 10 10 10
Samu 10 9 10 10
Sash 10 10 10 10
Sethian 8 8 9 8
Torry 9 10 10 10
Tortoise3 10 10 10 10
TRDigger 10 8 9 10
Vinci 10 10 10 10
category averages
(38 reviews)		 9.32 9.45 9.74 9.74

Reviewer's comments

"Very good design in this multi-level adventure, but no so good gameplay which involves a lot of backtracking sometimes, so you can't go always where you want or you'll need to go back often; it notices more in the jungle level. There are good puzzles, but also very tricky tasks in the limits of Lara's habilities so you'll need to manoeuvre exactly in certain places. Sometimes I had to do a lot of sidejumps over the corners of moveable blocks to go on my way or to get the key to the extra level. The last levels were better, but not easy 'cause I needed to jump between levels a lot of times an it made even more complex. Architecture and ambience is fantastic; players will notice the sensation of living in a real world; I liked the well balanced enemies too. The bonus level was not so funny, 'cause it consists only to explore the Larson's mansion looking for a lot of artifacts. A very good adventure if you play it with the walkthrough in your hands." - Jose (01-Mar-2011)

"I played this pack when it first came out but felt like replaying it. Trix is now renowned as one of the best designers around and this pack definitely shows the fruits of that (as well as being the origin of Trix's interesting use of history) despite a couple of evident flaws. Here's my level by level comments: Down Mt. Ararat 1+2: Essentially one large level divided in two. You start off an area that turns out to be simpler than it initially appears, as most routes link to the same area, this leads on to an interesting secret; I'm usually not a fan of "do this wrong and you can never get it" secrets, but this one was unique enough that I liked it. Moving on, one interesting thing this does is a establish a subtle "language" to the player; there are tiles of a certain texture that pretty much always kill you or are a warning of danger, it works really well and avoids the trial and error of unmarked deathtraps. Progression involves keeping track of the whole level(s) as there are various times where you must avoid immediate distractions and backtrack to make progress, that didn't bother me much here as the area is actually relatively compact as long as you keep the main notable objects in mind. Overall a great introduction, there are also some interesting designs like the ruined interior areas and walls and the skylight lighting. Origins of Tigris and Euphrates: The base concept of this level is something I quite like; the platforming over dangerous water that levels like River Ganges and Madubu Gorge in Tomb Raider 3 used is very rarely done by custom level designers, so it's a breath of fresh air thematically when it is used. This is easily the biggest part of the pack, and unfortunately let down by a big flaw; the amount of backtracking. This was previewed in the previous levels and I didn't mind it there as-like I mentioned-the area was relatively compact anyway, but there's just way to many ladder climbs and monkey swings for it to make for a smooth experience here. To be fair though, if you know what you're doing you can minimise it down to just a couple of treks, but you probably won't. By extension, you can easily miss certain vital objects if you aren't careful and be forced to backtrack due to that. I'm sure a teleport or two (especially as one is already provided at the Ishtar Gate in a secret) could have improved the flow a lot and made for a much smoother experience overall. Outside of this issue there are some good puzzles in the offshoot areas from the main path (including a nice twist on the "Bull" switches) and the atmosphere is good enough to pull it through the biggest issue. The Great Ishtar Gate: You visit this part way through the previous level, but you only explore a small part there so I decided to rate it as a separate level. The theme here of dark blue brick and arches is very unique and memorable and unfortunately been used in very few subsequent packs. There's also a pretty big block-puzzle to solve on your first visit, that I found to have an interesting concept. The other puzzles are pretty simple and there's not too much to explore; the closest thing I can give to a flaw being that there isn't enough of this fresh theme. The end involves coming across a massive pyramid/ziggurat structure that makes good use of a fixed camera to epic effect, although killing you off if you wondered out of the camera area seemed a bit of a cheap shot when the remaining area could have easily been used to conceal a secret or something. Har-Meggido: Now you're inside-or, apparently, underneath- the building at the end of the last level. The basic structure is a standard "four element trials" puzzle, in this case it's made unique through sheer scale. The Earth trial has some interesting boulder runs and nice floor collapse sequence at one point. The Air trial has an interesting looking cave involving treacherous jumps across floating platforms (and some brutal harpy use). The Fire trial is a gauntlet of rope swings and other lava obstacles and the Ice trial is somewhat of a navigation puzzle ending in a great looking waterfall room. Finally there's a boss fight which works out well and builds up to a satisfactory ending. Overall an excellent finale, although I couldn't help hoping for more of a link with the exterior shown in the previous level and certain challenges seemed noticably longer than others (air in particular could have done with a little more to it), backtracking rears its head in the Earth challenge, although certain things make getting out quite different to getting in, the rest of the trials helpfully provide shortcuts however. Looting Time!!: A completely different style to the earlier levels, assuming you found the key to get here. As opposed to the more narrative style of before this is more of a challenge; "how much stuff can you find?" This level relies on secrets for progression at some points, which sort of works in the context that this is an optional bonus, it would have been nice if you could leave out the front door at any point though. A fun bonus overall. A very good pack despite the backtracking flaw that somewhat plagues the largest part of it, but the rest is definitely worth slogging through that issue; it's shame though as the level would have been so much better without it, and it's namely where my two gameplay points come off. I do wonder if there should have been a couple more Desert Eagle ammo pick- ups; shooting all objects I could I only had one shot left at the start of Har-Meggido so a player could easily get themselves stuck. Objects and enemies were used extremely well, and even worked towards subtly portraying some sort of story (with the SAS hunting down the artifacts too and meeting some setbacks), so it's pretty much flawless in that regard. The atmosphere, sound usage (including nice segues from creepy ambience to outdoors ambiences as you moved between areas) and cameras (the pyramid climb was already mentioned) usage was very good. The Lighting and Texturing was also very good, although the bonus level felt a bit weaker than the rest in lighting and let that side down slightly, I also wasn't so sure on the sudden shift to floating island textures in Har-Meggido, but that's more of a personal thing. I'd put the difficulty on the harder side of medium; for the most part it's not too demanding, but it's not exactly easy either. Origins and the bonus level were the only areas I used a walkthrough in." - Mman (24-Aug-2009)

"Wonderful game ! A rather challenging raiding experience but definetely a must-play-classic by Trix ! Remember 6 years ago all the wonderful new tools like NGLE had not been invented yet and the builders were fighting hard to overcome the inconveniences of the old TRLE engine provided by Core. One of them who have done the most of it was Trix , a fantastic director of TRLE arts who also contibuted in Richard Lawthers UB 4 milestones. I have played this one last of all Trixies suberb issues just to find it in no way less perfectly constructed as in her other TRLE adventures. As this game has long found its deserved place in the Hall of Fame I can only recommend it one more time to every TRLE lover who has not seen it yet . If you don`t play this one , you will never know what you have missed !" - Ruben (12-Jun-2009)

"This is a very nice level set, and seems to be quite a bit ahead of its time when one thinks about when it was made. It is a very original idea to finally have Lara travel to a Middle-Eastern environment different from Egypt for once. Although, the title still makes absolutely no sense to me. I mean, the Dead Sea Scrolls are one thing… but these scrolls Lara finds in Turkey, and are demonic invocations and have nothing to do with the Dead Sea Scrolls. I am assuming this was just the author’s flight of fancy because it simply sounded so “kewl”… all that having been said: I will move on. Gameplay is enjoyable for the most part. The levels are focused and make sense to the player. I love the puzzles in the Roman Ararat temple and finding the Mithras crystals. The graffiti of “Larson was here” was also hilarious and gave us a great sense of story. My favorite level is “The Origins of Tigris and Euphrates.” Sometimes it was a bit nerve wracking jumping along the river banks, however it’s really nice to see some very-good looking Babylonian-style temples, since we don’t actually get that too often in the LE world. The last level however (Har-Meggido) wasn’t so good I thought. First off, it seemed to be a rather strange choice to have it so green (using the TR2 Floating Island textures) which took away from the previous middle-eastern feeling we had before. I am aware this was some kind of demonic underworld, however it still felt very out of place. Also, elemental levels based around finding or doing something with the four elements are really rather dull and so overtly common nowadays. Also, the Air challenge was truly terrible: Climbing half invisible platforms in a giant room textured with nothing but the same repetitive animating green alien texture from tr3 gold looked really bad. Then, once you have reached the top of the room and got your prize, you get to travel the entire way back again – not enjoyable. Also, when we reached the final chamber with Seth shooting bolts at us, there was an elemental block puzzle that also made very little sense… it was rather hard to distinguish which of the elemental blocks fit to which symbol/pressure-pad. Enemies were good – it was nice to see the giant green wasps from TR3 make their return. There weren’t any custom objects that I can recall, however some nice subtle alterations to standard objects: such as adding the lion head to doors to make them look more Babylonian, and texturing certain archways blue to fit in nicely with the Ishtar Gate. There was also a nice setup at the end of Har-Meggido (right before entering the Seth chamber) where all the cage doors slam down one by one and close around us, trapping us. Secrets were very well placed – I certainly didn’t find them all, and so I couldn’t access the bonus level, which means I will definitely replay this… provided I can get myself through Har-Meggido again =P The Atmosphere for the most part is really great in this game, and the music is also nicely selected. It does truly feel like one is “Climbing down Mt. Ararat” and the Babylonian temples also feel very authentic. One of my favorite atmospheric touches was with the corpses of SAS guys that Trix put in pools of water: She placed an orange fog bulb around them, giving their corpses a really moldy and decaying look in the water. Well done! That is a really great idea I would never have thought of! The game also has a nice series of fly-bys, and it is enjoyable to climb up the Ziggurat whilst seeing Lara from a distance with a fixed camera. Texturing is great in the first two levels. The Roman temple is beautiful and the Ishtar gate is absolutely outstanding! The texturing and also the lighting could have been a bit better in the last level of Har-Megiddo (that Air chamber comes to mind again), and the green textures just looked very odd and were such a sudden and extreme change to what we had encountered previously so I’m not sure if that worked so well. All together however this truly was a very enjoyable level set and really something special when one considers that it was the author’s first release. Well done!" - Sethian (09-Nov-2008)

"This is a wonderful TR game and I enjoyed it a lot. You will see many nice places during the game for example Eufrat, Tigris, Babylon and many other places. Puzzles are quite well planned and you have to think a lot to solve them. This game include also many nice enemies like bears, big bugs and many other enemies. Atmosphere, sound and cameras are made also very well and there's nothing to criticize about them. I like also lightning and textures and almost every things and I really recommend this for everyone." - Samu (14-Mar-2006)

"Amazingly this is a debut release, and despite a 6 level debut being a very ambitious project, all credit to Trix for mostly getting it right! The outdoor areas are very well done, although I sometimes felt they looked a little empty. The texturing is particularly good in the outdoor areas, and the Ishtar Gate is outstanding. What I wasn't so enamoured with was the gigantic lava room, which seemed very contrived (and the first section can be easily short-cut...) There is a lot of back-and-forthing (or should that be 'forth-and-backing' as you can't come back without having already gone forth ;) But I didn't mind that - for the most part it was a logical progression. The Ishtar Gate is an awesome sight to behold, and there are many other examples of eye candy in this game! The locations vary, from that lovely little depression at the start, through some ruins to a very nicely realised river, then on to the Ishtar Gate and beyond. The region around Turkey and Iraq has an enormous amount of history, and this game gives a hint of their legacy to the world. For example, the Ishtar Gate existed, was covered with blue-glazed tiles, and was the eighth gate to the city of Babylon. Unfortunately this region is also one of the most fought over in history, so much has been lost or removed (i.e. stolen...) But back to the game... The gameplay is nicely varied, and I liked the cages where you could see what you had to face before opening them, although they're not so difficult. There is a very sneaky jump- switch early on that had me stumped for a while! For the most part this game kept me engrossed over a period of 5 calendar days, and left a very good impression. But a note to those who downloaded it at its release but have yet to play it - I play on a Mac and as the original release of this game had MP3 samples, it took me a lot of experimenting with audio conversion formats to get the game to stop crashing in the first moments. Trix corrected this and released WAV samples, so be sure you have the samples in WAV format! (You can find more on this at my MacRaider site.) This is one of the levels you just have to play, so what are you waiting for!" - MacRaider (08-Nov-2005)

"If Luis Martins is the master of making hard and huge levels, Trix is the master of making beautiful levels with amazing atmosphere. These levels beat any of the original tombraider games in any aspect. The only thing that bothered me (a little) was the way you had to go to get the secret key. I had to use a walkthrough for that one *cough* All of the levels share the same fine feelings with great graphics, sound and gameplay. One of them though, namely the last one (not the bonus level) was even more amazing. Two of my favorite rooms ever made in a tombraider game (so far) One of them was a quest for a goodie in a freezing room with almost invisible tiles ala Rickard L. Simply stunning. Also add the blowing sound that is triggered when you enter the room... *brrr* The other room was a huge.. and I mean HUGE room with lava and fire as long as you can see.. that room was a masterpiece. All of a sudden you find yourself in the middle of that room.. with no way back. What a feeling! I have yet to play any other of Trix' levels, but for a first level this can't be beaten. To give it less than all tens would be a shame. 2005-04-30" - QRS (01-May-2005)

“This is such a brilliant adventure and I simply cannot believe that this is Trix' debut. Here we have five levels plus a bonus. We first begin our adventure at Mt.Ararat. In these two levels we have to find three sun crystals and our first scroll. The level is mountainous and very beautiful filled with some good tasks here and there and a very fun timed platform run. We then later move on to the Origins of Tigris and Euphrates where we begin our quest for the next scroll as we start out in an underwater cavern. The level mainly takes place in temples caves and bases around a deadly river. This level is connected with The Great Ishtar Gate where we visit a blue rampart and accomplish some tasks to get the weapon code key which disables those pesky sentry guns in the previous level. There we search for the scepters of Belshazzar and Hammurabi. There were some clever timed runs here as well such as a torch on the wall would light for a limited amount of time and you had to pass many swinging blades to light a torch so you can continue. Then we go to the Ishtar Gate for one final visit to acquire the scepter of Kroisos. Then we later have to climb a large pyramid and place our three scepters to arrive in Har-Meggido. In here we visit four areas dedicated to the elementals of Wind Fire Earth and Ice to find four elemental serpents which will let us get the third and final scroll we need. My favorite room here was the earth room. There were a few nasty boulder runs here but nothing that I couldn't do really. I also liked a swim in the ice room where you had to swim to the other side of a room while avoiding a current that would pull you into spikes. The fire room was a little tricky and there we had another lovely timed sequence where blocks would rise from the lava and stay up for a very limited time. After getting our scrolls and placing them guess who comes to bother you? It's none other than big bad Seth who is angry as usual. In his room we had to complete a pushing puzzle and he would attack you while you do it! Luckily he was obsessed by getting into shape by running on that little platform he was on and he didn't notice me much. Then we get an Ankh and we then need to escape from the caves. We then move on to Looting Time which is the bonus level and can only be accessed by getting the bonus key from the first level which was hidden rather cleverly. Throughout the whole adventure our enemies were vultures bears Larson soldiers some bad fish bats dogs sharks scorpions and sentry guns. A brilliant adventure! Don't miss it! Download it now I dare you.” – Relic Hunter (11-Aug-2004)

“Just like in the recent ‘Aegean Legends’ Trix mingles reality fantasy and legend in a remarkable way. The result of this mixture is a vast level series that takes place in Asia Minor and Middle East and is characterized by high-class adventure and awesome graphics. You get the picture pretty early in the game - the switch puzzle at the start may not require much time to be figured out but isn't at all an easy task; also the seemingly endless caves and openings that lead to similar rooms around that area can be really confusing! Of course as you move on the game becomes more tricky and challenging and more beautiful! The blocks that need to be rearranged in The Great Ishtar Gate are an exceptional puzzle and the nightmarish but fascinating ascension and descent along some invisible platforms in Har-Meggido is a memorable experience! The graphics are excellent and imposing; the capturing atmosphere of the games owes them a lot. It's hard to choose a highlight but I'd say that the huge Origins of Tigris and Euphrates surely stands out with its backtrackings and deadly traps. And of course the surprise the extra level that's unlocked once you locate a key in the next level: a small interior adventure on its own with no human enemies but with puzzles and traps of any kind many secret rooms hidden doors and some really original findings!” – Ravenwen (11-Aug-2004)

“This has to be one of the very best 'first time efforts' ever! I swear to you that Trix is secretly Piega or Luis Martins in disguise ;) Be warned though these levels are much more difficult devious and involved than their first ones were. You'll need to do a lot of traveling and a lot of searching (in every single nook and cranny). Also you'll need almost every medkit and every last bullet along the way. Sure this makes things harder but it also makes them more exciting (I can't think of the number of levels that give you endless ammo and health then almost no reason to use them! OK this game was tough going at times but not as tough as certain others I could mention. Beginners beware all the same however. Now it must be noted that the end of the world bug appears quite a bit (kocking down the textures rating) as do a few illegal slopes. Couple these faults with the fact that it's quite easy to get to places you were never supposed to (and sometimes get stuck) and you have a level which despite a first time effort can not readily be afforded a perfect 10 in the gameplay department. The gameplay was still very good indeed though (apart from the endless trecks back and forth across the river). These maps are chock full of lovely cut scenes coupled with very good music. This really helps bring the game alive. Mind you during a certain scene involving at least 7 skeletons - the game is already alive quite enough! An excellent but tough series of maps then but one that all raiders (when they feel they are experienced enough) should try. It took me a fun-filled 6 hours to complete and I located 3 secrets.” – gfd (08-May-2004)

“Have no words............Wonderful Landscapes really good cameras and sounds a new ’date’ with Tr3 insects well thought through challenges and some impressing jumps (tough...) Location with history like the door of Ishtar – in relation with Euphat and Tigris Scepter of Hamurabi and Beltsazar ... and instead Harmagedon (this locations with elements brings someone to his limits – really a place for the justice day.) The whole story is around an interesting plan with Larson and has a lot of rolling balls fire teeth spikes enemies like soldiers guns mutant crocodiles and flying demis – and even it takes about more than 5 hours you will like it much. What is really important to say: it is her first level! (and you can compare it to Eidos-Work) I found a dead end near the Ishtar-Door – but I am sure no one will probe there...(and Lara found herself after climbing a pole in the nothing... testing it again solved the problem). And only one untextured place in whole game (an no bad fit textures) But these are only two insignificant errors and you will forget it with all that art you will see. I am really impressed and recommend this one as one of the top-custom-levels (and I’ve played more than 110 of them...) ...if you know that Trix is building now again and knows how to use Meta – hey people – what a joy is coming to us....” – Miguel (03-Apr-2004)

“If there’s one thing I’m going to remember these levels for it’s the backtracking. That or the blue textures used in one of the levels. The backtracking is probably the biggest fault of these levels. It was fun to get to the other end of the river the first time. The other three or four times it was just frustrating. Still it was quite interesting to get further in one of the directions when you had found something you needed. The levels are visually stunning at some parts. The level with the many blue textures was probably the best looking but there were also a lot of other impressive areas. It’s hard to believe that these are the first levels by the author. That said there are some beginners’ mistakes. You can reach the end of the world a lot of times. So many times that it’s a little annoying in fact. Another thing is the way the author realised that you could reach some areas you were not intended to get to. And the best way to solve that? Why with fires or spikes of course! That’s a little unfair though – it only happened a few times and it really doesn’t detract from the gameplay. But it’s still rather surprising when you make a jump to a platform and suddenly die because of spikes. There’s one other thing I didn’t like that much. While the outside-areas are filled with palms and grass the interiors of the temples are mostly empty. Some objects would have been nice but the texturing is so good that it’s barely noticeable. But I did miss a texture for the levers. They are a little hard to spot sometimes. The author really managed to make the temples look old by adding broken pillars and such. That’s just a small detail but it makes a big difference. And the way the human enemies were used… That was a really nice touch. It really felt like they were one step ahead of you. The levels ended after two hours and fifteen minutes and of course the bonus level lasted for fifteen minutes too. The bonus level isn’t as impressive as the other levels but it’s just there as a nice touch. Think ‘Nightmare in Vegas’ and you know what I’m talking about.” – Magnus (29-Jan-2004)

“Excellent series of levels. I can hardly believe that's Trix' first level. Absolutely brilliant gameplay. Textures and lighting are perfect. The music is superb and the atmosphere fantastic and realistic. There are beautiful rooms clever puzzles lots of traps movable blocks tricky jumps collapsible tiles amazing flybys and "secrets nineteen to dozen" (specially in bonus level). The most difficult part for me was in Har Meggido. It was hard avoiding those big balls in the water and run in front of another one. I loved the transparent platforms in the icy room and the huge room full of skeletons. The mirror room in Looting Time is a nice touch. Great entertainment. Don't miss it. I'm waiting for the next...” – Cuqui (07-Nov-2003)

“This level is just great. A very good play the proceeds to a logical conclusion. I was stuck many times and tried not to use the walkthrough unless I couldn't solve the problem in an hour. The puzzles are ingenious. I did get bitten once by a bug that trapped me and had to re-do many steps to get out of it. I guess like any other TR game make sure you have many and varied saves. There are a few timed sequences that border on downright cruel! This really is a must play for any true fan.” – Jon Black (05-Oct-2003)

“What a wonderful first level to have built. It inspires me to try to build one myself? Excellent texturing and lighting with cinematic flybys. I didn’t have music with the flybys because the notes didn’t explain to convert the .mp3 sounds and it sounds like from the other reviews that I’m the one who missed out. Great natural atmosphere and sounds. There is plenty of territory and backtracking through these levels to explore. Six levels with a different atmosphere in each. One of the more memorable moments was in HAR-MEGGIDO when entering a huge ice cave with clever jumps onto ice sheets with some not even visible. There are quite a lot of different artifacts to be found. There is a variety of creative puzzles and gameplay which are excellent although the swinging blade puzzle with that timed run to light the torch well some how I just walked over to the wall lamp and lit the torch first time even though the flame went out. May be I was just lucky this time? Sometimes tough but the feeling is great once you accomplish a task that seemed so difficult. There is a timed run over lowering blocks set in lava which is one hard nut to crack let alone trying to perfect a rope swing into a small pool of water. One of my favorites is the heart-thumping boulder run with the boulder grinding at your heels. It’s a pity there is not any placed special findings in some of the outmost reaches in these large level environments which are not essential to the gameplay or pick-ups but for the explorers out there who venture out and enjoy the great landscapes created. Playing for 9:30 hours I found 23 secrets including 4 pieces of Armour 2 canopic jars a notebook an Ankh a gold plated skull 1 Emerald lizard a Scarab trinket a pyramid thing 2 creepy masks and a clockwork beetle and certain to have missed some. If there was anything not to my liking it was the lack of enemies in some of the large levels and of course a pet hate of mine camera angled views of Lara when the use of the view button is disabled (looses control of her sight of vision-why?). (I must thank ‘the Forum’ without it I flew past that well hidden lever that led to Larson’s key and the walkthrough helped find 3 secrets I rushed past). The bonus level is also well designed and enjoyable to play again just to find any secrets missed. I hope Trix keeps building a lot more levels in the future if this level is one to go by. Well done. 07/08/03.” – TRDigger (08-Aug-2003)

“This is a great looking level with many custom textures. The downside to this level is the gameplay. Sometimes turn you'll come to a spot where you don't have a clue what to do that's ok I expect that in a level but the answer is usually some well hidden crevise which the builder should have reserved for a secret. Then there are the timed runs I hate timed runs. A timed run is just the easy way of making a boring puzzle difficult. A good level but frustrating.” – LePerk (05-Aug-2003)

“It was a good game but the only thing that really bugged me was the back and forth level thing when I succeeded on a new level I had to think of going back to get an important piece that's the part I didn't like. On the other hand it had a great atmosphere good creative puzzles witch for me it was original and the enemies was good the idea of the animal cage just flipped me and the music was really good I recommend this game to anyone who likes to adventure from level to others but for those who don't have patience I don't recommend this.” – dnf productions (12-Jun-2003)

“There’s really nothing I can say about this that hasn’t already been put into words! These levels are just a masterpiece of authentic settings brilliant diverse gameplay loads of secrets nicely hidden and just enough enemies to keep you on your toes. Please download and play the nearly 5 hours of gaming this has to offer or you’ll be missing out on a real treat. To think this is the authors debut level amazing!” – Sash (10-Jun-2003)

“Many highlights in this game beautiful texturing (temples with the Roman textures of TR5 mountains or caves with the Tibetan textures of TR2 new beautiful blue textures for the inside of temples) great natural atmosphere and music a very clever puzzle with beige and blue movable blocks. What I did not like is the puzzle with the Weapon card I can't understand why having with card in hand can disable the automatic machine guns I was searching everywhere where I could use it. The quests for the Earth and the Ice artefacts in Armageddon are really exciting and the bonus level which recalls some levels of TR2 is fun.” – eRIC (04-May-2003)

“Yet another wonderful level. Very tough at times but then it's a great feeling to accomplish a task that seemed impossible. It can be confusing too it's sometimes hard to see where to go. I don't think anyone can play this level without help (isn't it great to have a forum for that?). After you get to the temple in the first level you find that you need some crystals to go on and finding them will take quite some time with timed runs traps tricky jumps and more 'nice' things. You switch between levels to get everything you also can find a Larson's key to play the bonus level. The river level looks great (well everything does actually) here you have to find the crowbar desert eagle lasersight and tablets to open the Ishtar gate then you have to find more tablets and scepters you have to go back to the river for that. Once you've climbed the tower and placed the scepters you drop down to the next level Har Megiddo. It's the most difficult but also my favorite part of this adventure. Now you have to find four serpents in four different rooms some things are so hard it drove me almost insane at times like running with a rolling boulder behind you and open a door before it kills you or the jumps in the ice room without seeing where to jump to (some platforms were very hard to see) and the timed run over the blocks in a lava lake I lost count of how many times I had to do this but it's such a great feeling when it was finally done. When you place the serpents you find the third scroll and you can put them in their place. All you have to do now is put four blocks in their places while some nasty creature is trying to kill you but once you're done you can pick up the Ankh and get out. Don't forget to convert the sound files I didn't and played the first level with no or wrong sounds because I've never had to convert sound before and there was nothing in the read me about it. Of course there is a note about it but I did not read it because it was meant for webmasters and level designers which I am not. And believe me it's much better with the right sounds.” – Josi (03-May-2003)

“Perfect in the enemies atmosphere and lighting categories but with some faults in the gameplay. Not really faults it's only that the scenery is very big there are too many ‘secret areas’ that are important to the development of the game. Some of them can be easily missed. I had to visit the walkthrough in the forum because I was stuck at every step and I had to backtrack in the Tigris and Euphrates level... before I discovered the ‘transporter’ secret. But all in all is a superb adventure and in the days of the war against Iraq is a nice way to put the attention to the treasures of Babylon.” – Loupar (01-May-2003)

“To say today’s TRLE designers are pushing the envelope is akin to saying Wang made some improvements to the typewriter. Just when I thought the beauty and realism of TRLE games had surely peaked along comes Trix with ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’. The cold of the rushing water gave me goose bumps while making me thirsty. This is a virtual reality I could be comfortable living in even without Lara’s company. Bravo Trix for the beauty and realism you created. The puzzles that fill ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ run the gamut from easy to challenging with no head busters. The number of puzzles made up for the lack of head busters for me as did the number of all but impossible jumps. A big well done Trix. It took me hours and hours to complete this game and I never relaxed for a moment. When I wasn’t being challenged I was repeating segments as a result of your surprises which resulted in Lara’s demise. My favorite jump is to the slanted pillar in the river from the slanted bank. Second favorite jump is to the rope after the slanting rock. My favorite puzzle is the ice dome. The dome is rendered beautifully and the effort required to complete the challenge is more fun than should be legal. There are too many bugs for a quad 10 but I highly recommend this level. I enjoyed playing ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ as much as any TRLE game I have ever played. The bonus level was a real bore but a great take off on the standard mansion. The basement is a real gem. Well done!” – Dougsan (01-May-2003)

“I have mixed feelings about this ambitious set of levels. It's visually as stunning as anything yet produced with the level editor including Piega's Sanctuaries. There's much variety sprinkled throughout ranging from gorgeous wide-open spaces splashed with sun sparkles to tight-fitting crawls in the dark. For some reason however I never felt the sense of excitement and anticipation that I did when playing Sanctuaries. Without the walkthrough I wouldn't have had the ability or the inclination to progress very far and by the time I got to the Ganges level I grew so weary of falling into the water that I decompiled the script files to enable the fly cheat. This may seem to some a sorry way to enjoy a series that has received so many accolades but at least from that point I was able to move along with some consistency and that's the main reason I'm playing in the first place. These really are gorgeous levels and it's evident that a great deal of planning and creative energy have gone into them. Even though some of the moves seem to have been engineered merely for the sake of giving us something difficult to do the other side of the coin is that there's rarely a dull moment from start to finish. Some have complained about the bonus level but I actually enjoyed this as much as any other part of the game. There are secrets galore and a logical but fiendishly hidden linear pathway that leads you to the final flyby. As I think back on it maybe what I found lacking is the relative scarcity of enemies. Oh they're here to be sure but there are so many stretches where Lara is running around by herself trying to solve puzzles or make tricky jumps that I found myself getting lonely more than once. Maybe additional human guardians of those scrolls would have made things a little more exciting. It's amazing that a first flight could have been put together so well. Trix is obviously a level builder of considerable talent and I'm eagerly awaiting an encore.” – Phil (26-Apr-2003)

“I'm in awe! I'm only sorry one can't give more than 10 to this amazing set of levels. And I'm even more amazed to know these are Trix' first levels. This is a game of perfect beauty widely varied sceneries and as challenging as it can get (especially as far as several jump sequences are concerned; just use the old tactic: keep trying and you'll eventually make it). I can't really say which level I liked the most for I loved them all but I certainly can say this is the first time a bonus level at the end of the game is truly fun and well worth all the effort - do not miss Larson's key in the very first part! I encountered some minor bugs but nothing much... In the Origins..... as I was trying to make Lara crouch and then descend to a ladder on the wall (as I'd done the first time I'd been there) she would always end climbing back up from inside the rock. So I just had to jump back and grab. Another time in the room with two eyes on the walls that you have to crash I found out you have to shoot the wooden plaques in the right order or you'll just run out of desert eagle ammo and be unable to let the rock that will crash the eye free (or maybe you shouldn't move the block onto the other eye before you shoot the plaques...?). Still in the Origins..... when Lara has to grab a ladder on the wall proceed to the entrance of a cave and let go and grab from the right side I must have tried it a zillion times before it eventually worked - whereas when I got back there the second time it all worked great immediately. I also found it better to do certain things differently from the walkthrough which I wasn't following but which can be quite useful at times. For example jumping from the door in a curved line and keeping the jump button pressed so Lara will jump again and land safely ahead (that before the room with two eyes I mentioned previously) instead of using the monkey bar which I hadn't noticed anyway - and which doesn't lead you directly to the entrance! Another thing sometimes it can be misguiding to let you wonder around places where there's nothing to do really - such as in the room that you reach (in the Origins..... again) after crossing a gap with the help of a rope. You are able to reach the top of the walls - in fact spikes come up beside when you do which means that isn't something unpredicted - and from there simply walk to a small patio and wonder if there is or isn't anything to do on those walls and inside that patio. In fact what you must do is step on an almost invisible pad and hopefully notice what happens next... But enough of this. I really loved the ameliorated TR2/3 feel there is to the game (in several music parts as well)! And haven't I said it yet? the bonus level truly is a feast and secret finding party that will seriously amuse anyone who plays it. I'd also like to thank Trix for helping me in installing the game which didn't seem very simple at first since the zip you get contains so many different files... So when is the next game due? Certainly this isn't at all a game for beginners but it might well be the very best I've ever had the honor of playing. And I'd really love to see some more...” – Jorge22 (26-Apr-2003)

“What an AMAZING piece of work. I enjoyed it so much I just could not stop playing it. I cannot believe I have actually finished. Before Dead Sea Scrolls I did have a life and now I am going back to it. I loved the settings the music and the searching for the artefacts. The atmosphere was brilliant and some of the puzzles were hard. Notably the timed run on the blocks to get to a rope in the Lava Room and also trying to navigate around the Ice Platforms trying to find an invisible sloped block that I swear was not there in the first place. The enemies were few and far between but in no way did this detract from the enjoyment. The skeleton room was a joy and the demigod guarding the moveable blocks was sneaky. I wish I had some of this techno lingo as I could heap a lot more praise on this game. As it is I can only rate it as a player and it is one of my most favourite games to date. It has everything and more. Please don’t miss it it would be such a shame.” – Tortoise3 (19-Apr-2003)

“Very fantastic level!! I've been waiting for such a level. It's very TR!! I've not been tired at all before I've finished it. In the first 2 levels we search for 4 gold stones in the daytime. We can look there at very beautiful mountains lakes and temples. Its geometry of maps is admirable. The 3rd and 4th levels figure the ancient vestiges. The riverside adventure at dusk is very exciting. The 5th level is the last one. 4 areas are there: ice water earth and lava. Various actions and a little bit of thinking are required. Bonus level is well-designed as well. This level is the most amusing I've ever played. I'll play it again in the future.” – Vinci (13-Apr-2003)

“This is a massive piece of work and thus will also require a bit more of your time to install everything correctly but then you get a nice custom title flyby and several hours of first class raiding so it's definitely worth it. Down Mt. Ararat 1/2 (9/9/10/10 75 min. 4 secrets): The overall architecture of this part is utterly breathtaking. Everything feels very real and authentic - the caves and crawlspaces the temples the bridges the animal cages the tent the lakes - and it invites for lots and lots of exploration until you find the right things in the right sequence. Four gems three keys and of course the Invocation Scroll are your key pick ups here. There are spike and boulder traps to watch out for many levers to pull (sometimes this gets a tad bit tedious) a fun timed trap door sequence raising and movable blocks and you get to fight bats bears condors Larson and a wraith. The flyby cameras are excellent with special menntion going to the music on some of those. Some of the fixed camera angles were maybe a bit annoying but nothing really bothering. The secrets are very well placed and little adventures of their own especially the ever so crucial Larson's Key. Origins of Tigris and Euphrates / The Great Ishtar Gate (10/9/10/10 90 min. 3 secrets): After a few breathtaking swims at the start to get to some underwater levers you will be awestruck by a fantastic flyby of the river around which you will be exploring in this part. The caves are brilliantly constructed and you will need to keep a careful open eye to spot the right path to follow which will involve pretty much all of Lara's moves including a few trickier jumps. Quite a quest is at hand for each of the crucial items: crowbar several tablets the weapon code key to disarm the sentry guns the desert eagle and lasersight three scepters to open the trapdoor to the next level at the end and of course another Invocation Scroll. You nicely are thrown back and forth between the levels and get to make your way around the river at least twice. Watch out for a few movable blocks that blend well into the walls enjoy the swinging blades room with its timed torch puzzle the awesome looking blue Ishtar gate structure and the clever movable blocks puzzle in there several great flybys accompanied by well selected music and very nicely placed secrets. Har-Meggido (10/10/10/10 60 min. 2 secrets): After almost 900 levels played and reviewed this part gets my first ever perfect score. In my book there is simply nothing that can be done any better here. The idea has been used many times – four passages each with an element theme and a reward at the end (a serpent) to open the door to the final Invocation Scroll. But the way it is done here is just perfect. There is simply too much going on to list here: boulder chases in and out of water draining a swamp tricky jumps on transparent platforms melting ice and climbing icebergs rope swinging around lava rooms and many more. And once you are done with all this you get a nice little movable block puzzle while angry Seth throws his wrath at you – what a great finale! Eventually you pick up the Ankh and make your exit with the prospect of a beautiful blue sky. Looting Time! (8/9/8/9 45 min. 14 secrets): Well ok – I am known for not particularly enjoying home levels an by and large this is one. Admittedly though it is very well done and finding the 14 secrets keeps you busy and entertained for a while and there is quite a bit of diversity in getting them (movable furniture fuse boxes to shoot buttons keys a mirror room a shark tank a terrarium etc etc. but the highlight and the key reason to find the Larson’s Key early in the game is the room near the end and the final flyby which smartly rounds up the story. When all is said and done this is an adventure that is just as good as it can get. So I suggest your read this review page to the end and then start playing immediately.” – Michael (07-Apr-2003)

“What can I say but that for a first effort at level editing this is a masterpiece. Admittedly it is quite difficult in many areas. Not only the physical side such as timed runs etc but also the mental as to working out where to go next and you need a keen memory here to enable you to get along. There is much back tracking involved as you find another key or object to open another area to explore and these sojourns generally involve morphing into another level so it can become quite confusing. I feel a few more camera flybys would have been helpful here but believe me this is my only criticism of what I believe to be the best 6 hours I have spent raiding in over 480 levels. I particularly liked the secrets here where you were indeed rewarded for your efforts. There was one where you were magically transported back to the beginning of the level (ala Doom) which saved you a long and tedious backtrack and whilst initially disconcerting it really did help in negotiating that rather tricky section of river frontage. It helped if you thought things out too. Like when you finally get the desert eagle. Why now? You had the telescopic sight for a while already so therefore there must be something to shoot. Just think things through. The few pushable block puzzles were nice but there was one section where you could avoid the pushable block in a wall by simply clambering up the cliff face and jumping over the wall. Mind you it did not impede your progress or assist you as you were meant to go that way in any event. The textures and atmosphere of the whole thing was absolutely marvelous. You really felt as if you were there and this is the sign of someone who pays a lot of attention to detail. Not many of the "great" authors manage that only a few and Trix you are right up there with them. Well done lass. I liked the idea that Lara actually escaped with something too. Mostly you go you raid you get out and for what? Here at least you had a purpose (please take note you authors). The bonus level was a lot of fun too and not just an add-on to pad the game out. All in all an exceptional raid.” – Torry (07-Apr-2003)

“This is one of the best level I ever played. In all six levels is a different atmosphere. There are perfect textures and the lighting is not too dark. In these six levels I found all enemies from TombRaider (no dinosaurs no mummys). I had to find a lot of different artefacts. I had to solve some block-puzzles and some fire-puzzles. The fifth level is the hardest. There are some timed actions. I found some dark catacombs some swimming areas and in the last level the bonus section (Thank you Trix for the savegame) I was in Lara’s house a different house. I did not use a health-pack but in the last the fifth level I used all I had (Seth). This was a long exciting trip to find the three sea scrolls. For the first work a perfect adventure. I hope this author is building a lot of levels in the future. I was playing 6:30 hours and I found 10 secrets. This is a game you MUST play.” – Andi Croft (07-Apr-2003)

“Trix' first level unbelievable. Well made beautiful rooms in temples and outdoor areas with excellent texturing and lighting. This is an explorer's level and if backtracking through levels doesn't bother you then you will love this. Lots of areas are hard to find so you have to look hard. If you are like me and you like trying to get where you're 'not supposed to go' Trix has obliged us nosy parkers with plenty of extra areas to explore. For example in Ararat where the cages and bears are further in there's a waterfall. It's possible to get up and over the rocks around this area over the waterfall and 'arch' of rocks and finally you can get on top of the cages. There's nothing to find there but it satisfied my wanderlust. And I'm not talking about the DOZY cheat here. No wonder it takes me so long to finish levels. Wouldn't it be great if authors hint hint would place a special artifact or the like in these places not necessarily related to gameplay or pick-ups then we could say as well as Lara AHA! In Ararat I had great difficulty getting into that opening to get Larson's key from the newly raised block. And with the moveable blocks inside I had to do the jump through textures cheat to get the key. Perhaps there is a legal way of doing this I don't know. Great care has been taken with flybys. The fixed cameras are excellent too for example the one where Lara climbs the ziggurat. In ORIGINS OF TIGRIS is a beautiful cave with fast flowing river that brings you out to gorge type areas. The swinging blade puzzle is another beautiful room with that timed run to light the torch. From here you go to The GREAT ISHTAR GATE. WOW is all I can say. I liked the block puzzle inside the gate and the nearby room with fast sliding blocks and the hidden garden behind one sliding block. Out around the river/gorge again and you have to jump around a waterfall or you get thrown in the river by the force of the water - very realistic. In HAR-MEGGIDO there is a huge ice room with tricky jumps to ice squares all around and up. I liked this room. Shades of Meganebashi - shudders at the thought. The earthquake and rolling ball puzzles here were scary and very good. Nice little touch after the earthquake of the dinosaur skeletons in the rocks. On to rooms with frozen water and a climb up an iceheap cool. That timed run in the lava room and the rope swings were challenging and fun. The rush out after the Invocation Scroll - phew! And the boss level is clever and one of the best exits I've seen. Now you can raid Larson's humble abode aka the Bonus Level. I can't wait to see what Trix produces in the future. This level had me diving into books to look up these historical sites. A short version of what I found: 50 miles (80km) south of Baghdad was the ancient capital of the Babylonian Empire. The city is reputedly the site of the Tower of Babel the ruins of which are claimed to be those of a ziggurat within the city walls. Babylon contained temples and palaces including the palace of Nebuchadnezzar II and the Hanging Gardens one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World. The Ishtar Gate is the only structure that has survived to the present day. Mount Ararat is where Noah's Ark is said to have rested after The Flood. The Persians called the land around Ararat 'the cradle of the human race'.” – CC (07-Apr-2003)

“I can't help but feel that we've been spoilt lately with some excellent levels. This is certainly one of them and a remarkable offering it is from a first time level builder. If you like your gameplay linear and not too challenging this is not the game for you but that would be your loss. I was on and off the forum so often with this one I was quite dizzy and there were times I could have cried with frustration but I couldn't stop playing! Tricky Trix has come up with an intriguing set of levels full of clever misdirection and downright sneakiness. Some of the manoeuvres will test you to the full extent of your proficiency badge as well. Probably not one for the new raider but highly recommended to anyone with experience patience and plenty of hair to tear out. If this is Trix' first level whatever will she give us next? I can't wait. Oh and I defy anyone to find Larson's key without ending up a gibbering wreck. Don't leave Ararat without it though - you will certainly NOT want to miss the bonus level. More please Trix. In the meantime I'm off to play something simple; I need a rest.” – Jay (02-Apr-2003)

“WOW! What a masterpiece! Here is the female Piega he has been on top for so long but here is his equal. Great gaming all the way puzzles traps exploring. Not many enemies but they are not necessary in this adventure. Great architecture and great sound! What else can one say when giving a perfect score! Make sure you get Larson’s key from the first level so that you can access his house (bonus level) and his ‘Lara Croft’ room filled with clippings from her custom level adventures at the end. :-)” – G.Croft (31-Mar-2003)

“I've now played over 880 levels and this one just went straight to my top five! I could fill a whole page with everything I liked about it but let me just say that there wasn't anything I didn't like. Each of the levels by itself would probably get perfect 10's and all of them combined made a series that I'll never forget and will probably play again very soon. I wished it would never end and the hours I spent on it were too short. The puzzles are just right - clever enough to keep you thinking but not so hard that they become irritating. Plus there's a wide variety of them and they're new ones we haven't seen before for the most part and they're combined realistically with the environment instead of the rooms being built around the puzzles. Even the boulder and spike traps are brilliantly done and not overused. There is just the right amount of enemies and they are placed realistically through the levels so you can spend your time exploring every square inch of these marvelous areas and believe me you'll need to. I found 21 secrets including four pieces of armour 2 canopic jars a notebook an ankh a gold plated skull 2 Emerald lizards a Scarab trinket a pyramid thing 3 creepy masks and a clockwork beetle (phew!) and all secrets were hidden well making finding them a game of its own. There's also a number of keys gems scrolls serpents keys etc to collect along the way. I also have to mention how beautiful and well built the levels are; Trix is an artist when it comes to building and texturing using the original Rome textures plus quite a number of custom textures. Everything is built very well and totally realistic looking. One great room that comes to mind is found while searching for one of the serpents keys. It features a huge water room with water cascading down from one level to the next before reaching the bottom. There are a number of beautiful large rooms such as these that make you feel as if you're really exploring an ancient Roman site. Ok this is getting to be too long now so I'll finish quickly by saying that the flybys and camera work including the custom title flyby the lighting and the sound are all perfect as well (great custom music!). It's been a while since I gushed about something like this so just go play it and see it for yourself.” – RaiderGirl (31-Mar-2003)

“I am glad this ended. The setting is very attractive waterfalls with currents caves rocks and mostly outside areas. The puzzles are nice too but somewhere along the line they get boring though. Many moving blocks timed runs and crocodiles harpies scorpions and SAS guards are a few of the enemies. The items you need to collect are scattered so far apart from their hole or receptacle that I was about the quit this game many times. I disliked running from one area all the way back to the start and covering a ten minutes ground only to get a scepter scroll or something else only to have to go back there again and repeat that in the whole game. Everything is hidden from the weapon to use with laser-sight to every single item needed the hidden places are enough to make you dizzy and get lost. There are places you can't access yet but do we know that no we have to guess and most of the time is guessing and get lucky. Frustration was everywhere and I had no fun with this too many keys one for a bonus level that wasn't worth the trouble after all as it is only a house with a mask and goodies inside. Open some doors and exit with a scene showing Larson getting into the house. The animal cages were nice with the bears and condors. It started getting a little better in the areas with the serpents you visit ice water fire and wind that consist of mud places lava and icebergs. All in all a good level but the backtracking is very annoying and not worth the trouble in my opinion. I found nine secrets and I wouldn't play this again even if someone paid me.” - Kristina (31-Mar-2003)

“Challenging quests charming environment beautiful music - all in all an unforgettable experience is what I can think of when I have to describe this adventure. Once I thought Lara has been everywhere - all around the world even to such locations as outer space and center of the world with starting this level I realised she hadn't been even near Mesopotamia where this adventure takes place. If this starts a new level designer generation who create such masterpieces with their first works as a player I'd be happy as a pig in mud but as a level designer myself I guess I had to retire lol. Down Mount Ararat 1 & 2 - these levels start the magical adventure somewhere in the mountains near the origins of Tigris and Euphrates. At first I couldn't figure out what everyone found so great but after the first fly-by with the beautiful music of ancient times and the ruins in middle of a lake I knew I'm going to love this. Sometimes you can hear classical music during the flybys and it fits in well. The way you get the crystals is sneaky if a little hard to find. There's also a trapdoor timed run inspired from the Last Crusade but not as difficult as in that level. The textures and lighting 10 is a bit undeserved in all levels as without really trying I could find an end of the world bug in almost all levels. But since I loved the looks of the level a lot I thought that I shouldn't be so prissy this time. Origins of Tigris and Euphrates - don't know why but the start somehow reminded me of the beginning of Aftermath 2 (by Sheevah) anyway you have to be very quick and find a current that will take you into the right direction so you could find an alcove with air faster. There's a lot of running around in both directions - in the direction of Euphrates current and also against it. The river area reminded me a lot of the River Ganges in TR3 only the river seemed shorter here but was made very well anyway. Some ways seemed impossible or "not right" cause every detail blends so well with the surroundings. Like the way to the crowbar AND back from it I was really confused there but it was well done. And speaking about blending together with the environment - look carefully for movable blocks they didn't cause me as much trouble as the crowbar but still can be easily missed. The Weapon code key has returned in these levels and I personally wondered why no level designer to date has used it (or maybe I yet haven't played an older level where it was used). The revisit to get up the wicked but still beautiful waterfall and eventually get to a camp also was no waste of time. A very lush and enjoyable level despite the backtracking you have to do. The Great Ishtar Gate - a beautiful Mesopotamian gate which really proves that the game takes place in Turkey or Iraq (where the Mesopotamian culture was) some pushable block puzzles here and the 2nd scroll also the way to the last level (presuming that the bonus level doesn't count as one that everyone can play) also very beautiful music here as in all the levels. Har-Meggido - a classical setting for the puzzles - the 4 elements which can be used again and again and you still don't know what to expect since every level designer understands something else from these elements. The easiest puzzle for me was the air one. The jumps on the platforms were not difficult but fun anyway. The other elements were equally difficult for me maybe the rolling ball and switch puzzle at the start of earth puzzle was a bit more difficult than the rest and getting out of that pit required some thought for me too but it was not too hard anyway. The water/ice puzzle was not difficult either but very fun. I liked climbing up that iceberg and then climbing into something I can only call a huge icicle. The fire puzzles were not too difficult either but at this point I'd like to mention the secrets of this campaign. I only found 3 in all levels without counting the bonus one. That's not much but they all were significant in some way - the first two allowed me to access the bonus level later on (after finding the Larson's key) and the 3rd one is the one I found in here the fire room. I don't know if what I did counts as a legal move or not but I found the secret before the fiery platform timed run (when I tried to grab the ledge Lara fell into the safe part of lava what obviously led to the secret) and from there I could get to the platform with the rope without using the fire platform timed run. And I guess I somehow screwed up in the end because when escaping with the ankh Seth could also escape before the door closed oops lolol. After that the last fly-by and Lara's mission is completed. Looting Time! - this is the bonus level if you don't have Larson’s key you have no other choice than to leave. I had so I went inside and explored his mansion. A lot of interesting things to do here too like swinging the rope to a timber that's holding the ceiling of the house and destroying fuse boxes. I found all artifacts but the armor hand I guess I'll have to return for it someday ;) I liked Larson's hidden office where there were articles of Lara describing her other custom level adventures like Atlantis the Hidden Garden The Last Crusade Cave of Pandora and Recon Labs ;) The last fly-by - great as any other in this small campaign too I guess Larson was surprised when he arrived home again he he...” – eTux (31-Mar-2003)

“Finally a great level to play the one I was waiting for weeks and weeks! It's massive it took me 5 hours to finish it and I had some help from friends around the world! The puzzles are fantastic nothing obvious you always have to use your brain...some are really difficult to work out! The game is really exciting; dangers and enemies are a lot. Secrets are well hidden and I couldn't find one I had to ask a friend to know where it was! You must go back to the levels a lot to collect all the objects you need to proceed. Jumps and moves are terrific among the most difficult I remember! The atmosphere sound and cameras are just perfect water and light are so natural! I just found it difficult to climb some textures my Lara refused to climb a ladder and I had to re-load and there is a small bug in the invisible-glass platforms room but nothing important just don't save in this room and you're safe. Well done please make some more levels we're waiting!” - Glow (31-Mar-2003)

“What can I say this mini game is for sure in my top 5. Although it took me a bit to install nevertheless all was worth it. Gameplay was great although at times very frustrating as there are some difficult jumps to make throughout the levels. But afterwards everything made sense. The music well... superb in my opinion. There are not that many enemies and I really didn't miss them at all. The detail that went into this game unbelievable you have to see that. Traveling in search of a lot of artifacts like gems (Mithias Sun Crystals) Cartouche (very nice re-textured ones) a Weapon Card key a bronze and golden key and don’t forget Larson’s key in level 1. You even need to find 2 more Larson’s key in the bonus level. There are a lot of puzzles and all of them not too hard apart from getting Larson’s key. Look for push blocks and when you enter the room with the smashing blocks I found out the hard way only save after the blocks stop as there is an entrance and my blocks stopped every time the wrong way when I saved in between. Nice traps and red herrings thrown in for good measure. There is a hard rolling ball puzzle with levers but I made that the third time around there are also collapsible tiles that one I found really hard. Needing 4 serpents 3 keys and 3 scrolls you get to see a fire water wind and earth room. I left the game with 2 Creepy Masks Scarab Trinket Gold plated Skull a breast part 2 leg parts and 1 arm part (missed one) a box with coffee (Canopic jar) Pyramid thing (Guardian Key) and an old Clockwork Beetle and the Ankh. This one needs a replay on a later date as I missed a secret or two. I had a ball playing this and when ever there will be a next one from this author I’ll be there to download it in a hurry 23-03-2003” – Gerty (23-Mar-2003)

“A perfect score and it's well-deserved. Of all the custom levels I've played only twice have I finished a level and gone right back and replayed it because I enjoyed it so much. The first was Piega's 'Sanctuaries' and the second one is 'Dead Sea Scrolls' which I have just finished and which I intend to restart as soon as I have written this review. Wow. What amazes me is that this fantastic set of levels is the author's debut. Unbelievable. There fare several levels to explore some of which you will visit more than once and each level demonstrates the author's gift for custom music (this gift is matched only by one other author - Miguel - in my opinion) as well as the author's tremendous eye for detail. It's difficult to describe what the whole thing looks like because the environments change so much throughout the duration of the game. All I can tell you is that some areas are jaw-droppingly beautiful. You start in a bright outdoor area and as you progress you tackle a deadly river not unlike TR3's 'River Ganges' as well as a whole plethora of other brilliant and magical places. The author is not called 'trix' for nothing it seems as the tricks and traps come thick and fast. There are several timed runs including one over timed trapdoors (which isn't as hard as it looks) and one over blocks on lava (which is even harder than it looks let me tell you that this one is NOT easy even for someone like me who really loves timed runs). There are spike traps aplenty and there's one particular ice-slide you'll never forget. Some spike traps are absolutely ingenious in particular one in a water tunnel where you have to battle the current to avoid being skewered. There's a heart-stopping twist on the usual boulder-run as at one point you have to stop and pull switches with a boulder right on your heels and there are enough nasty jump sequences to satisfy even the most expert of raiders. Swinging blades are used to great effect here too and even the one long moveable block puzzle is logical and not boring to complete. Puzzles and gameplay are utterly brilliant often the object you need will be in plain sight but getting to it is always harder than you think. Camera work is superb; 'Dead Sea Scrolls' contains some of the best flybys I have ever seen and the one where you are shown an army of skeletons whilst listening to Holst's 'Mars - the God of War' from the Planet Suite is quite frankly a classic - the combination of a great flyby and perfect music is so effective here that it's almost like being in a cinema. A special mention also has to go to the end flyby which actually brought me out in goosebumps. Even fixed camera shots which I usually hate in-game are used well here. There are far too many good points to mention in one review and in fact I had so much fun I can't even remember any bad points offhand except a couple of times having to reload because of illegal slopes getting trapped behind a moveable block and Lara swimming inside a wall (lol). So I can only urge you to download this one today and play it immediately. As for me I'm off to play it again. Trix has definitely earned herself a fan as far as I'm concerned and I would not be at all surprised if this tremendous set of levels gains her many many more.” – Bex (23-Mar-2003)
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