trle.net ::: Level Reviews

Level:	Mayan Guardian of Isis
Author(s):	Martin Penn

total rating:	8.35	Gameplay & Puzzles	Enemies, Objects & Secrets	Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras	Lighting & Textures
	CC	7	8	8	7
	Engelchen Lara	10	9	10	9
	EssGee	9	8	8	8
	Gerty	7	9	9	9
	Jay	9	8	9	9
	Jose	7	7	7	8
	Kristina	8	9	10	10
	MichaelP	9	8	9	8
	Nina Croft	9	7	7	8
	okuhtfesq	8	6	6	7
	Orbit Dream	10	9	8	10
	Phil	8	8	9	9
	RaiderGirl	8	8	9	8
	Sash	8	8	9	8
	Tortoise3	10	8	9	9
	category averages (15 reviews)	8.47	8.00	8.47	8.47

Reviewer's comments

"Another jungle-type level, but no square trees in this one. For the most part it's a mildly challenging and enjoyable level with pleasant surroundings, but there's a cave sequence with spike traps that you have to master while enduring a constant earthquake. Got a headache trying to get past that one. There are four secret gems that you have to find in order to complete the level. Monika, bless her long-absent heart, has provided a walkthrough that I found very helpful in getting those secrets. You spend most of the level with only your pistols, you find the shotgun just before you encounter a phalanx of skeletons, but unfortunately you have no way to blast them into oblivion. And just before the finish trigger, after you've done battle with a pair of demigods, the grenade gun shows up. Now what's the sense in that? Anyway, despite the relatively few shortcomings, this is a solidly entertaining raid that I was pleased to play." - Phil (21-Jul-2011)

"Strange level for me to like. The game crashed when I returned to the room with four switches and first secret; also crashed when finishing the game. In the room with many trapdoors the timed rooms are very tight and it's easy you get trapped in a hole and have to reload. I didn't like the very long swim after get one of the pink gems; even if you do the swim perfectly you'll need to use medipacks. The earthquake in the grey caves was excesively long and nasty. In the final room I didn't know what the stars were for. There are some good ideas but another times the game makes itself a bit tedious. Architecture is simple, but not bad; I've found few enemies and many times I could avoid them, taking them back and continue playing; only the shotgun near the end is a poor option. The best, lights and textures." - Jose (19-Jan-2011)

"This is a very decent and dynamic level, filled with spike, boulder and burner traps, very ingeniously designed and with very good gameflow. Lara needs to collect four snake gems to open the exit, as well as four blue gems and the key to open the secret area near the end. The game also has some good action moments, where you need to kill two golden birds and a few crocodiles, to outrun the nasty skeletons or to kill two demigods in the last area. The game will keep you busy as you're trying to disable some traps or to run through spikes, and even more during some very nice and not too hard timed runs which are great and very innovative. I particularly liked the floor trapdoors timed sequence, and even more the timed run involving a rope jump, which was a challenge for me, until I realized that you must not waste your time trying to time your run through the spiked hallway back to the trapdoor. The color burners puzzle was a nice touch, not too hard, but other puzzles are not so obvious. In the courtyard with golden birds and four levers the clues are not so obvious, because you don't know whether the safe levers are near the red statues or near the black ones. But this wasn't a gameplay killer, because you have two choices only. Also, you won't need to backtrack a lot, as you go through the temples, caves, pools and courtyards, and you will find enough supplies to pick up. However, there were a few downsides, to mention just some of them: in your boss fight at the end you have only the shotgun and very limited shells for it. It seems that the grenade launcher is the prize, since you get it if you find all four secret gems, at the very end, when you cannot use it any more (or the prize is the collection of four useless golden stars?). Some textures are badly applied and there are a lot of cracks, especially in water area. What I particularly disliked was the long swim back to the lake, where you must use at least one large medipack to get to the air alive. One tiny air pocket would have been so nice, or at least one extra medipack ahead, just to give you a hint that you'll have to use it along the swim. But other from this, I really enjoyed this level, even when it got hard in the big cave with spikes and burners, where you find a shotgun. But once you figure out what to do and where to go and how to get there, you can finish the level at ease. I hated those last three spikes at the exit from this cave, but I didn't mind them too much, and in general, nothing here is excessive. The difficulty of this level is middle to hard, and since it is very interesting and never boring and frustrating, I highly recommend it to all the beginners and skilled players who are tired of nasty timed runs, of thousands of switches per a level, or of pixel-precise run jumps. About an hour of gameplay, and the level will be interesting the second time when you play it, which proves that this level is great and adventurous from beginning to the end." - Nina Croft (05-May-2010)

"This level feels nice but incomplete.... gameplay and textures are nice but could have been great. The gameplay is a little on the simple side at times but there are some clever puzzles and nothing requires you to think too hard. Textures are badly applied in places, either stretched or unaligned. There are also many flat walls in caves and outdoor areas which look poor. Also, there is a constant earthquake at one point in the game, which was distracting, annoying, and made it quite hard to see or tell what's happening. Overall this is a nice relaxing level that is decent, but could have been great with some more fine-tuning." - okuhtfesq (21-Apr-2010)

"This is such a promising level, but it is let down with some lack of attention to detail. The strength of the level is that it contains a couple of the most testing timed puzzles ever encountered (the level is a must play for these alone) and these are set against the background of a convincing mayan temple. The overall lighting mood of the level was too bright for me - I like more brooding atmospheres (but that's only personal taste). My criticisms are as follows: The outdoor area that is portrayed in the load screen just doesn't structurally work for me - it would fall down in reality (yeah- I know we're dealing in fiction here but the rest looked so good)- if it had been done to look like it was collapsing it could have looked so much better. The use of Asian tigers and Egyptian demigods in a South American level just doesn't work for me. There is definitely a need for some custom enemies for these type of locations - a mountain lion or puma would be more appropriate. The harpies get stuck up in the sky. There are no lever sounds. Structurally and puzzle wise this is a very good level. The gameplay really tests your skills but I felt really frustrated because it was so close to being excellent but is let down by lack of attention to finishing touches and cohesiveness in the setting. Note: Discovered this unsubmitted review on an old CD written May 2003 so here it is now." - EssGee (10-May-2008)

�What a start a slide with a boulder in hot pursuit and with fires and more boulders to avoid you're immediately into top gear. Nicely designed temples caves and buildings all very India/South Seas with jungle and Easter Island heads. That timed trapdoor run took a lot of goes to get right. And the second timed run was greatly added to by the music. The earthquake in the cave was so annoying because it was almost impossible to see where you are going trying to avoid two boulders and spike ledges. However it was very satisfying blasting that annoying skeleton into the dark cave below - the only way to get rid of it. It was possible to end the level and not even use the four blue gems to get the grenade gun and the stars were no use at all so there are questions about the 'finished state' of the level. Actually it's a bit silly getting a grenade gun when you're just about to leave! And for such a lively level there didn't seem to be any point to it. I wonder if there's more to come later on!� � CC (01-Oct-2003)

�Stand out for me in this hour long level is that most of the puzzles are fairly original and well thought out. Top of this list is the trapdoor timed runs puzzle that was just ingenious in its simplicity there is also the other fairly tightly timed run/climb/swing/jump that ended with a mad dash through spikes the four lever puzzle which only needed two to be pulled and the boulder/fire trapped lever pull. This is also a nice looking level set around caves and temples that thankfully was partly spent outside in the sunshine. Of course no level is without its downside and this for me was the last 10 minutes as it seemed to lose steam just placing gems crow barring unnecessary stars killing a few demigods and collecting the fifth and final secret (grenade gun) that came all too late as there was then nothing else to kill.� � Sash (18-May-2003)

�I confess that I started this level when it first came out played as far as the timed trapdoor puzzle had a few attempts failed woefully and went away to play something else. I'm very glad that I finally returned to it however as it is a very satisfying level to play. There are some good puzzles some challenging moves (although the trapdoors are the hardest part) and the attractive Mayan jungle/temple setting to admire. Enemies are harpies demigods skeletons and crocodiles. Considering how many crocodiles Lara has shot in the course of her adventures she must have the most extensive set of matching luggage by now wouldn't you think? Collecting gems and stars is the order of the day and apart from the earthquake (which NO level needs) I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Definitely recommended.� � Jay (10-May-2003)

�Another lovely colourful and light level with plenty of good textures and atmosphere. They are an absolute joy to play and I WAS enjoying myself UNTIL I hit the 8 trapdoor timed run. Previously I had thumbed my nose at the various boulders and spikes dodged flame throwers with barely a singed bum and was feeling a bit complacent I must admit. Then........wham !!!. I spent 2 days trying to do this timed run without success and if it wasn�t for bERT who kindly did it for me I would have had to give up. The same thing happened on the next timed run involving a rope where Neffy helped me out. Having said that the enemies were easy to dispatch crocs harpies demigods but the skeletons were a nuisance as they could only be dodged not killed. However I would have liked to see a wraith or two somewhere. Also I must admit to not liking the earthquake room very much. By the time I had finished in there I had a bad headache. Definitely a must if you enjoy dicing with death.� � Tortoise3 (07-Apr-2003)

�This is in a way a fast pace level, but do take your time to look around as some rooms are very worth while. You need to find 4 Guardian Gems (red) 4 Stars (you don't need) and 4 Blue Gems and a key so you can place your Blue gems after using the key. Finding the crowbar is also a must. Martin made some nice traps, some easy and some hard ones. The timed trapdoor puzzle, I couldn't make, so I got a helping hand through my TR buddy. The other timed run was hard but after a couple of tries I could make that one on my own. There aren't that may enemies in this level and I for one, didn't miss them. There are some harpies, crocs, skeletons and 2 demigods. The atmosphere was great, as it kept me on my toes. There are more puzzles, none of them too difficult, for which I am grateful. The music that was added only enhanced the atmosphere. The earthquake made me sick, like it always does, but this one kept going on as long as you weren't finished in that room, and as there are some tricky jumps to make it took me a while. Lara left with 4 stars in her backpack. 01-04-04� � Gerty (03-Apr-2003)

�This well designed and very attractive Mayan level was really one long obstacle course with the many boulder fire and spike traps; the very long underwater swim; the earthquake room with the skeletons and spikes; the switch puzzles that reward you with instant death if you pick the wrong one first; the nasty enemies; and most of all the timed trapdoor puzzle that made me actually give up on the whole level at one time but I tried again the next day and thankfully made it. There are four red gems you need to collect to finish the level and there is something to do for each one. I only found three of the four gem secrets but I didn't see anything to do with them or the golden stars so I didn't worry about it too much.� � RaiderGirl (31-Mar-2003)

�How privileged I am to live in the English countryside in the spring. It's a quite beautiful season. The warmth of a cloudless sky; the daffodils in bloom; the sound of new-born lambs. I really ought to be outside and enjoying the bounteous nature. Instead I'm in my Utility Room playing Mayan Temple of Isis and I made by far the better choice because this is one of those levels that draws you in from the very beginning and never lets you go until the end of level trigger. It's superb no other way to describe it. The brilliant challenges; the ingenious puzzles; the wonderful construction; THE most brilliant timed-run! The only slight drawbacks (and they ARE only slight) are the size of the outside areas (which are just a little too large and thereby cause the vanishing horizon) the seemingly endless earthquake and the unexplained pick-ups (or occasionally un-pick-up-ables) which were a little puzzling. But never mind all that. Enjoy the gameplay; it's fun fast-moving and extremely clever and it even incorporates the TR1 music. Play it. That's an order!� � Orbit Dream (31-Mar-2003)

�A wonderful Scottish-India atmosphere. Lighting and textures aref just right and if the puzzles were more it would have been an excellent level. Lara is out to find four red gems and five blue ones but the second are only for a secret weapon which I didn't get I only found two blue gems. Skeletons crocodiles bats a harpy I think and quite a few timed runs. The trapdoor timed run was the more difficult although the one with the spikes was a little hard too. Underwater long tunnels to get back outside and demigods at the end. Really beautiful play it.� � Kristina (31-Mar-2003)

�Puhhhhhhhhhhh � my Lara made it and found all the secrets and there is a small surprise waiting for her :)) I have to say that my Lara was really challengned here. The timed trap doors alone and a special sound so be alert. The puzzles are great as you need thinking patience and endurance. Lara finds 4 Guardian Gems 4 Golden stars and 4 blue gems for the secret. Textures were well chosen and lighting is good. I also liked the architecture of the temple and especially the small caves. You really need to watch out as traps are all over the place. Enemies are harpies crocodiles demigods and skeletons. Sound was suitably added and especially the atmosphere is great as you always need to keep your eyes open. Lara takes the 4 Golden stars with her I guess there will be a sequel?. A level just for my taste - recommended. :-)� � Engelchen Lara (23-Mar-2003)

�What an enjoyable hour of raiding! Martin's style of level building is great because he manages to keep you busy but never frustrated. You start with a slide and a boulder chasing you then there more boulders spikes and burners to avoid a four-lever-puzzle a neat timed trapdoors puzzle a burning reach-in switches puzzle with colour hints a rather complex timed run involving spikes and a rope swing a rather breathtaking swim and more. You need to find four red Guardian gems to open the exit. Not sure if I was meant to do anything with the four stars I got in the room where you place the gems. Maybe they help to get one of the secrets. I got only three out of the five which reward you with a blue gem each. Enemies are few but well placed to be a pain (crocodiles harpies skeletons and demigods). The outside area with the waterfalls and the caves were nicely done music was well added and the only annoyance for me was the earthquake room. Great fun - go and play it!� � Michael (22-Mar-2003)