trle.net
Level: The last Saga 4 back home search
Author(s): Tomo
total rating:9.56 Gameplay &
Puzzles		 Enemies,
Objects &
Secrets		 Atmosphere,
Sound &
Cameras		 Lighting &
Textures
Aims 10 10 10 10
bERT 8 9 9 9
Cornchild 10 10 10 10
eTux 10 10 10 10
G.Croft 9 10 10 10
Gerty 8 8 10 10
Gossart 10 10 10 10
Jay 10 10 10 10
Jon Black 8 9 9 10
Jorge22 9 10 10 9
Kristina 7 10 10 9
Loupar 10 10 10 10
MichaelP 8 8 10 10
Mman 8 9 9 9
Moonpooka 10 10 10 10
Navi 8 9 10 10
Phil 10 10 10 10
QRS 8 10 10 10
RaiderGirl 10 10 10 10
Relic Hunter 10 10 10 10
Samu 10 9 9 9
Sash 8 9 10 10
SilentViper 10 10 10 10
Treeble 10 10 10 10
TrueRaider 8 9 10 9
category averages
(25 reviews)		 9.08 9.56 9.84 9.76

Reviewer's comments

"This is pretty much a separate series to the last three packs, and is sort of a remake of the Submarine Chapter in Chronicles, with a somewhat similar flow to the overall progression (although with some major changes in the details). The whole pack takes place in a large undersea base, and sticks mostly to the VCI textures and items outside of a few areas (the Maria Dora textures were perhaps a bit ill-fitting). In terms of presentation it's one of the most ambitious packs I've seen, with multiple cutscenes (unfortunately there seems to be no English transcription of the dialogue, and even the walkthrough is just a general description of what is said), and new animations along with unorthodox item usage.
The first level suffers from the standard problem VCI levels tend to have of too many crawlspaces and similar flow- stoppers, but after that it balances out and the progression mostly works out fine and has quite a bit of variety despite the setting not changing much, including great use of a guide character. Overall the gameplay comes together well. The only other problem is the bugs and signs of rushed design and/or playtesting. I didn't encounter much, but I did have one where saving in the Cyborg fight room results in a save-game crash later (coincidentally a very similar bug is in the VCI level of Chronicles), although I luckily only lost about five minutes of play. The final level also seems to have some strange stuff, like pits you can fall in but can't get out. As long as you're careful with the Cyborg issue you should get through fine though, and it's definitely the best and most ambitious pack of this series." - Mman (07-Feb-2011)

"This set of levels is pretty old now but still very enjoyable. The stuff which was new and groundbreaking back in the day still doesn't disappoint. The steelworks was fantastic with the atmosphere and the health damaging heat rooms. The two major drawbacks were the monotony of some of the puzzles and the bugs. The chloroform puzzle is used no less than three times and I lost count of how many computer discs I'd used. But it wasn't a difficult level so therefore it didn't annoy me too much. The cutscenes though are what really made this game. Even now so many years later there are very few custom levels with cutscenes. Some of the animation and camera work was a little odd and jerky I thought, but since animating is very very difficult at the best of times, who cares. Thoroughly deserving of its Hall of Fame place." - TrueRaider (01-Nov-2008)

"At first I have to tell how impressed I am by the technical skills that have been needed for coming up with all this. This game has plenty of cutscenes including many custom animations and some gameplay elements I haven’t seen used in any other TR level. Good examples are the chloroform which you can use to get rid of bad guys and the ways you have to talk and interact with Pierre. The areas where you can’t breath due to harmful gas were also very impressive. What comes to the surroundings, they look good but at times a bit unimaginative because some areas are rather similar to the areas in final levels of TR5 and some areas are almost copies from the areas in those original levels. However, author did also use his own imagination for designing environment especially in later levels and I liked very much the horror kind of section in third level. All in all, this game is created with great care and it has an elaborated gameplay, so it’s not to be missed." - Samu (11-Mar-2008)

"First of all, this is as close as you can come to a real tr adventure released by core/eidos. Mostly due to the great storyline and cutscenes! Also for all the unusual features in the game. The last timed sequence; the hot spots that make Lara die if she stays too long etc. Objects and enemies are also fantastic. Especially as this adventure is rather old now. I really liked the zombies and the silent hill nurse with the wheelchair etc. Top stuff! The atmosphere, sound and cameras are perfect. Everything is really eerie and even if similar levels seldom scare me, these really did! This adventure would have got all tens from me if it were not for one thing...all the bugs. Yes, I really need to mention that here as it altered the gameplay a lot. There are tons of bugs and if you don't keep like 10 savegames all the time you risk being stuck and have to replay large parts etc. Hence my 8 for gameplay. I actually started and (almost) finished the first 2 levels 1 year ago but due to all the constant crashes elevators not working, floor that turns again so you can't proceed etc. All that made me bin this game back then. When I replayed it now though, I was extremely careful more than a player should be I think. Granted the bugs are mostly in the first two levels but some can be find later on too. BUT, even due to that, this game is fantastic and has probably been a milestone to builders trying to make something new etc. Way to go, Tomo. I can't wait for the final part!" - QRS (21-Jul-2007)

"I don't how I've managed to avoid playing the Last Saga series for all these years. It's been to my loss, however, as I recently discovered when I finally installed and played this final segment. What you get here is a remarkably polished game in the vein of Tomb Raider Chronicles. There's a sophisticated story line punctuated by a number of lengthy FMV segments, most but not all of which are triggered between levels. The only drawback was that I could hear no voices or other sound effects in the movie scenes, although I meticulously converted and transferred all of the many sound files that came with the level download. eTux has provided a walkthrough that's somewhat compass-point challenged and thus occasionally hard to follow, but it covers all the bases. This release is worthy of being called TR Chronicles Gold, and I wouldn't hesitate to pay for it and play it again. Therefore, it meets my criteria for a perfect score. Highest recommendations." - Phil (21-Mar-2007)

“Wow! What an incredible series of levels! Tomo certainly has a lot of talent building these levels and he also uses a few elements from different games in here. SUB Base - A brilliant cut scene starts the adventure where we see Lara landing on the base and taking out a few guards. Some interesting puzzles I found here were the vending machine and opening the washing machine to get the cloth piece. There were also moves from TRC included such as tightrope walking pole swinging and killing guards with chloroform. We also see Sophia in this level too. At the end there is another cut scene starting the next level. Security Compound - Lara fell through a hole and she was discovered by the boss of the base and was confiscated of her weaponry. I couldn't understand a word from the cut scenes since I can't speak German but I found them amusing. Lara then meets Pierre where they talk about things and they escape later. This was a great level since I love levels where no weapons are used. In here Lara must solve some puzzles with the help of Pierre in the first part that will allow her to get her guns back. In part two Pierre was taken away and Lara searches for the spear by herself. I liked the cyborg puzzle from TRC that was also used in here. The Steelworks - Again the level begins with a cut scene with a mad scientist. In this level Lara explores a steel factory complete with Resident Evil atmosphere. I liked the shrieking nurse in here and it freaked me out too. Most of the action takes place in rooms filled with gas. At the end of the level we see Sophia talking with Lara and she orders her to turn off the force field so she can get the spear. The spear then kills Sophia and the base starts to sink. The Deep - This was another good level that I liked. This one also begins with a cut scene where the guard that took Lara's guns tells the boss that a part of the base will self-destruct. This was another horror based level. The only enemies here are two zombies. We also see a glimpse of a creature wandering the base but we thankfully don't meet him. Red Alert - This is the first timed level ever built in TR history. Over here Lara has 7 minutes to escape before the base blows up. We also have indestructible robots chasing her too. There is a little fighting to do here and at the end we have two cut scenes that were brilliantly executed. These 5 levels were excellent and I enjoyed playing them all the way. Can't wait for Last Saga 5 to come out.” – Relic Hunter (18-Jun-2004)

“A long time ago I played SUB Base. I did knew it was going to be part of this game Tomo was doing but I really never expected the game to be THIS great. I mean ok one could easily say this is highly inspired by Tomb Raider Chronicles but come on - this is better. I guess I am once again lucky because I heard about loads of bugs I didn't come across any (just an invisible wall that was gone after a quick reload). This definitely is a must play - Tomo does once more perfectly his mission of pushing our Level Editor to the limits. The Security Compound (50 minutes): in one word - wow. If Tomo has amazed us previously with Sub-Base he one more time does it with merit. The first part you're unarmed and to tap it all you were thrown into a jail along with Pierre. This folk becomes your partner in crime as you two escape the prison and a never seen before interactivity unfolds. Eventually Pierre will be caught again - and Lara will get her weapons back. The second part begins and you will have a quick ride on a quadbike and a fight against a cyborg. The atmosphere in this level is awesome but the elements here were not so original (most parts were just like TRC). The Steelworks (30 minutes): oh my. This level definitely has the best atmosphere ever seen in a custom level. In some parts as the steel melts down the air becomes harder to breathe and Tomo ingeniously found a way to get Lara underwater but actually in dry areas. I am not quite sure how he did it but it looked excellent and as Lara's oxygen gauge was getting lower I found myself with trouble to breathe! Trust me - the atmosphere IS gripping here. Lots of little touches made this level look like anything else but Tomb Raider. In the end those workers added even more to the atmosphere and Sophia... well let's say she is immortal and she could be compared to Kenny from South Park. Doesn't matter if the next levels are good or not as I am writing these level reviews as I play the game but just this level made the whole thing worth for me. The Deep (30 minutes): you can see that the security robots really were freed to go after Lara but... they kill everything that's in their way! (and you see lots of bodies on the ground) Although this level is supposed to have the same effect as the previous I still think the atmosphere in the other was better. This is still far from bad though. Those beasts roaming around and you never get to see them and a lot more little touches in here just add to it. One thing I was surprised is that I had to light up the torch twice. But well that was just another novelty... After all this level was pretty simple and linear with at least two puzzles similar to the puzzles in Maria Doria from TR2. Red Alert (7 minutes): boy! I am still trying to calm down here. You've got 7 minutes before the whole base blows up (and if you don't succeed you are given a bad ending). And to tap it all those robots are on your trail. It was total adrenaline from the beginning to the end because you were running for your life and those robots WALKING after you (just like in all horror movies). Hearing their steps as I looked everywhere for what should I do next was really terrifying. First time I died I was just climbing down to the slide. The second time when I found out that it was the end I laughed - and even so I finished with 6:51. The ending was just amazing in my opinion. Top levelset. My only complain is... why why not in English?” – Treeble (23-May-2004)

“This is one of the best custom levels I have played. There isn't one thing wrong with it. I already love base levels and this is the best set of base levels I’ve played. The storyline is good the cut scenes are brilliant too! I had some problems with loading the first and second level if I died and had saved over the same slot more than once but I resolved it and I'm very glad too! I wish I could speak German because I would’ve enjoyed it even more I had a vague idea of what they were saying via the walkthrough and I understood a few lines (I study German in school). All I can say is that I recommend this for everyone! Looking forward to the last saga 5 if it’s anything like this one it'll be brilliant too! ;)” – Aims (22-Apr-2004)

“Very ambitious but at the same time very buggy. I found myself having to use the walkthrough not to solve the puzzles but to see if I was in an unsolvable situation due to a bug. Lots of bugs. Dressers don't open unless you are a step away from them. Doors don't open unless you pick up unrelated items. The grappling gun used with the laser site crashes to desktop. Tight rope walking is glichy...times you can walk the invisible tight rope. Saving the game in the wrong place traps you in the cyborg sequence with no way out. The cinematic sequences are nice and if the problems with this game get resolved it will ultimately be a very good play.” – Jon Black (04-Oct-2003)

“Another very ambitious attempt to create a perfect level series including cut scenes and new moves. Sub base (9/8/9/9): see review for when this was released. Security compound (5/7/5/10): Two base levels is a bit overdone in my opinion I would either have stuck with Sub base or Security compound. I stopped playing this level series at first because of the extremely annoying 'guide disappearing' bits. Even more extremely annoying was the 'throw the player to the desktop bit' five times in a row and then I gave up rushing off to the help-forum only to find out you had to do some things one after one without saving or yep...desktop time baby! It makes no difference to me whether you warn for these things to happen in your readme file. When you know this can happen you should leave it out of your level. We're very critical towards official levels being bad we should be too for custom levels. Special mention however for the cyborg bit which was brilliant though also part of the 'desktop' thing. The Steelworks (10/10/10/10): Absolute brilliant 'shivering' material creepy moody scary great settings (the bit where Lara can peep through a circular doorglass watching a crippled zombie walk around hitting air with his walking stick is Hollywood material). Gameplay wise the 'mixing fluids' bit for the battery was fantastic. Technically well done was how Tomo got the toxic air rooms to work adding even more to the eerie atmosphere. The Deep (9/9/10/10): Another great level bathed in a spooky atmosphere with a lot of dead people lying around (but are they dead really...) with another great spooky 'Hollywood' bit and I mean the creature tipping around but you can only see it from afar. Realistic gameplay moment that stands out here is the bit where you extinguish a fire on the ground floor from the first floor. Red Alert (9/10/9/10): If the adrenaline does not rush through your body when playing this one then I'm sorry to say you are probably dead. I'm not sure what happens when time runs out but you sure hurry up when you see that real time clock running. The way the yellow robots are used sure added to the excitement certainly when you don't find 'the button' at first. Beyond the levels themselves of course there were the cutscenes that mostly where nothing but brilliant so a job well done there too. All in all when this series would have been cut in a three or four level series and repetition excluded (4 pole walks and much air duct crawling is stretching it a bit too much) and things that don't work or are buggy left out this one would have gotten a perfect 10 from me too. As it is well it's all in my end marks.” – bERT (22-Sep-2003)

“The last saga 4 is and will be the best forever! No better levels than these.” – Gossart (22-Sep-2003)

“We've seen some pretty amazing things in user created levels lately but it would be hard to beat Tomo's latest masterpiece - The Last Saga 4. It's actually a complete game with cut scenes and two possible endings an ally to help Lara in one level and lots of cool effects like electrified water bugs in glass cases characters that interact with Lara sliding down staircases and walking across tightropes a battery and fuses to find and chloroform to use on guards plus great new enemies like the one in the wheelchair and the last level which is the first timed level ever. With lighting sound effects and scary enemies Tomo has created a game that is realistic yet really spooky - The Steelworks level was especially creepy with the dark corridors poisonous air scary noises odd shaped things swinging from the ceilings and those creatures that looked like patients from an insane asylum. With smart puzzles awesome effects and great looking areas to explore this level should not be missed!” – RaiderGirl (18-Sep-2003)

“I’m absolutely positive that Tomo could build a completely new game from scratch it’s just lucky for us that he got hooked on Lara. In these levels he has created moves enemies cut scenes and objects never seen before in the editor! Sometimes it can be a bit hard to get things going the way they should but make sure to read the readme file that comes with the download. Lara is inside a submarine and wants to take the ‘Spear of destiny’ away from Sophia Lee. Of course she meets challenges of all kinds before she finds it. What mostly sticks in my mind is the steelworks where the air is so warm and poisonous so that she has to hold her breath! The ending is also memorable since you have to get out of the sub within 7 minutes or Lara will blow up with it and - game over. There is a clock counting during those minutes and it keeps you really alert and moving! ;-) There’s a great storyline through out the levels and hold together by the cut scenes. Just sorry that those were in German and I didn’t understand a word but eTux has written a walkthrough and gives short summaries of what takes place thanks eTux. And thanks Tomo for a great set of levels!” – G.Croft (05-Sep-2003)

“The Last Saga 4 is the best way to show what’s the gameplay that all the tomb raider fans wanted. Along the game we are transported into different areas of the Secret Underwater Base (released before the complete game as a demo); searching the Spear of Destiny. The great work of Tomo making this game despite of the bugs and the imperfection of some of the cut scenes deserves the 10 in all the categories. The originality of the different types of levels (the poison-air levels and the final countdown with only 7 min to finish) the remake of well known scenarios of the Maria Doria wreck and the atmosphere of the Steelworks and the Deep (one of the spookiest I’ve ever played); all in this game is superb and one of the best features in LE world.” – Loupar (23-Aug-2003)

“Now here is a level that's crowded with cut scenes for a change - thus the size of the download I guess - unfortunately in German just like the titles! Strangely though there are some small parts in English such as ‘the base will self-destroy in 7 minutes!’ or the titles sub-base and red alert and so... Well I loved all of the game which I found undoubtedly innovative. The thing that bugs me was that it was full of -yes - bugs making it less pleasant to play at times. In the rocky horror ambiance of the steelworks for example every time Lara moved from one section to another the game sort of went into some creepy kind of slow motion - I wonder whether that was a special effect or just another bug... Were the hard to climb stairs also a part of the special effects? In the Deep as I wanted to get back to the newly opened elevator door Lara just wouldn't sink. Since I hadn't read the walkthrough I solved the case in the most peculiar way... I dried the place out again went down the hole and then there was a weird confusing succession of Lara passing through water and earth and walls and whatnot until she finally reached ‘solid ground’. Well I can understand that Tomo isn't any software developing corporation and all this must have taken him a lot of work! That's why I'm not really complaining... Just pointing out. This Last Saga 4 never really gets very confusing although I couldn't find out what a particular card was for at all couldn't get the secret in the door upstairs in the part with the two zombies and frankly haven't understood yet what I used the underwater lever in that same part for either... Never mind it's Tomb Raider you have to move along and push and pull and push and pull and eventually you'll make it. That's how it works. There are several moves from TR5 here which is something new and which I liked although I had a hard time with one of the poles. Personally even though very far apart from classic tomb raiding the Steelworks and parts of the Deep became classics for me in terms of ambiance. Very well done! I was a little tense about the last level Red Alert (I remember there's one of that kind that's much much worse in Max Payne) but it was fairly easy after all once I finally managed to find my way around. Even so I tried both endings the sad Game Over and the moonlit-brilliant The End. I'm only sorry I can't really give a quadruple ten but frankly there were too many glitches in the game. As I pointed out though Tomo isn't a corporation - that's why I'll always be in doubt...” – Jorge22 (21-Aug-2003)

“Upfront I want to emphasize that the cut scenes are absolutely brilliant. Very well designed – high praise to Tomo for that. Now to the levels: Lara needs to find the infamous spear and it is not an easy task because Sophia is after it too although this turns out to be her destiny. Puzzles were not very difficult. Lara mainly has to find broken CDs and key cards. The levels were quite differently desgined. In one Lara does not have weapons but a prisoner helps her out. She meets him again at the end but he stays behind. There were some timed passages a batterie to find and a variety of well placed enemies. I liked how the dead SAS got up as mummies. I had not expected that. Sounds and sound effects were added nicely. So Lara was quite busy throughout. Graphics were very beautiful. (Unfortunately there are also a few annoying little bugs but I guess they could not be avoided?). I liked the last level best because it was timed. I need three attempts to find the right way. There are also enemies to deal with and one needs to be attacked slowly from behind. And then the end with a very nice cutscene as Lara watches her well deserved artifact. :). I did not find all secret roses guess I overlooked them while hunting the artifact.:) All in all I would recommend the level. Brilliantly designed by Tomo but maybe a matter of taste. Still worth it though.” - Navi (16-Aug-2003)

“What stands out in this mini game is the story line it is brilliant. Gameplay as such not that difficult and as usual I got stuck in the weirdest places. I played the first part Secret Underwater Base in June this year so I was glad to (finally) get hold on that savegame Tomo provided. In Security Compound you have to follow Pierre. There are some new things in this level like asking Pierre to help Lara. Again there is bar jumping (a move I'm not fond off). Finding different items like some disks and fuses also turning wheels and pushing buttons is part of the game. I was glad that Lara got her guns back and although there aren't that many enemies there is some shooting on objects that is needed. Glad that you only needed the quadbike for a bit and don't rush through as you might miss a secret. Get that grappling gun as you need that and be aware of a SAVE bug in the room with the Cyborg. Save before you do anything in that room and you can save again after the water is gone. The next level Steelwork is another story altogether It is gloomy and spooky and the running through poison air is something I haven't encountered in any other level yet. Finding a torch and of course opening doors and getting the Red and Blue liquid for the battery is a must. That creature roaming around didn't hinder Lara in my game at all as he walked into the sink and stayed there. The room with the steelworkers is great to see and using a disk is also a must. I shot Sophia but you don't need that as she will be alive again in the next cut scene. In the next level you get the Spear of Destiny. Roaming in the empty corridors and looking out of some windows made me freeze seeing a very dangerous creature running free. Gladly I can say that was the only time I saw him. You need to get two artifacts and some keys cards and a torch. The corridors are full of dead bodies. Some of them will come alive though yuck. As for the last level it is on a timer and it took me some tries to get it done in time as I am absolutely the best in loosing the way so you can imagine that it took some reloading on my part. That is the only thing I didn't like the timer that was ticking. All in all you'll get a lot of gameplay in this huge download and also the cut scenes are something else there are however some bugs in these levels apart from the ones Tomo describes in his readme file. But that has more to do with the limitation of the LE than Tomo was not paying attention in my opinion. But what really was a funny sight was seeing Lara having two faces in one of the cut scenes. 09-08-2003” – Gerty (15-Aug-2003)

“To start with in this level pretty much everything and more fit together so well! The texturing is extraordinary the puzzles ingenious not too hard and not too easy very well balanced in a way I have not encountered in any other level and then all the new things: cut scenes enemies like the sub robot nurse cyborg and objects like the quadbike and all the apparel in steel works. And I liked most the new features and moves such as tightrope walking and swinging across bars chloroform use on enemies etc. In terms of atmosphere it has everything: base level survival horror á la Resident Evil and Silent Hill ship wreck exploration and stealth action and more. The levels are well designed and there was only one serious bug with the third level crashing many times which has since been fixed via a patch. There is also a great storyline which let’s you play this level like an interactive movie.” – SilentViper (13-Aug-2003)

“Wow. Spectacular. If I sound less than articulate it's probably because I just finished Red Alert and I'm still having an adrenaline rush. Tomo has pushed the level editor to its limits and beyond. There are some really impressive cut scenes (albeit in German so I couldn't understand a word but an English version is promised soon. I shall just have to play it all again - no hardship I assure you). Those who have already played Secret Underwater Base will be aware of Lara's new moves i.e. tightrope walking pole swinging etc familiar from TR Chronicles. Now if Tomo can just get Lara to vault out of crawlspaces the way she does in TRC we shall all be eternally grateful. I don't intend to go into detail on each area - that has already been thoroughly covered in other reviews. I shall simply say do not miss this marvelous unique level. If you play nothing else this month play this. 13.08.2003” – Jay (13-Aug-2003)

“This must be one of the best custom levels out there as far as objects and the addition of cut scenes are concerned. It is one hell of an experience to see Lara speak with characters and in one occasion helping her get an item. This game includes Tomo’s SUB level again but the rest are new and the last ‘Red Alert’ is like the original with the required changes but the same bugs are present. Also other bugs like the ‘load’ ones were awful and very frustrating you don’t know at which area it will occur so that you don’t save your game. In some rooms I encountered an invisible obstacle and Lara had to keep running at the entrance to eventually get inside the room. Don’t get me wrong the objects the enemies those nurses were creepy are wonderful but the game play isn’t much. Unfortunately the cut scenes take over the game and the puzzles are few. Basically Lara is doing everything in those scenes and the player is left with a couple of torch puzzles fuses and climbing. The weapons are retextured and look fantastic. At the level with Sophia I actually got to kill her I didn’t get close enough to the crane so the cut scene wasn’t triggered. Thinking that I have to fight her I killed her with a few rounds it felt good I can tell you that. Of course I was left in that room trapped after that to wonder where to go and what to do so don’t make the same mistake. The download size is really not for us with modems and even if the author was kind enough to split the files it still is hard to get something that big. I would say if you desperately want to see cut scenes in a custom level this is the level for you if you want to be able to have more control over Lara then it’s not the ideal level. Nevertheless I enjoyed it.” – Kristina (12-Aug-2003)

“Well these are some of the most fantastic levels I ever played that includes the official TR. I am now wondering how to put into words such a great experience and do it justice however here goes. SUB BASE. Make your way through some brilliant tight rope walks and encounter guards there are throughout the levels shootable taps to open doors which made a welcome change. You find Sophia she escapes of course but this is one quest to find her later on. I was amazed at the surroundings and the gameplay which was perfectly balanced throughout this level marvelous stuff. SECURITY COMPOUND. Lara finds a prisoner here to help her on her way had a few probs in the lifts but the whole level was fantastic there's the buggy to find and a huge level with wonderful things to do some sneaky parts and all of the highest quality fun. THE STEEL WORKS. Oh has to be my most fav of all the levels wow what an awesome atmosphere and dramatically creepy experience when Lara finds the labs with some pretty weird creatures lurking in it absolutely amazing level with sounds and background music that simply made the whole thing come to life. At the end you meet Sophia again who just happens to escape yet again from your clutches. THE DEEP. Another spectacular level which creeped me out as much as the other one dead bodies lying around and a beast whom you see lurking around through a window but I didn't encounter him but the fact I was waiting to any minute had me on tender hooks throughout the level some strange happenings on the way back to the opened door when I fell into parts of the level through places I couldn't see this was brilliantly done and when those dead souls come to life well what can I say except hope you have some clean underwear handy. RED ALERT. Fun great fun a timed race to get out before the whole thing blows up your running against the clock plus some nasty old robots but there's plenty of time once you know you're way and at the end you get to meet that prisoner again who I assume hands you a rose secret before you have to leave him I say assume because the dialog was in German so I can only guess what was going on here. These levels had a wonderful start scene and an even better ending scene I really can't say how brilliant these levels are so they are a must to play and even with a few bugs I didn't give a stuff about them because I enjoyed it so much. Highly recommended top marks all round!” – Moonpooka (12-Aug-2003)

“This is quite a hard level to review from my point of view. It is on the one hand just an enormous size to download even when cut up into smaller sized lots for anyone on the standard modem it is also not much of a puzzler apart from a handful which included a couple of torch ones some water raising and lowering puzzles and the whole of the last level ‘Red Alert’ which was timed and you had to make it in about 7 minutes complete with timer at top of screen to keep track or die. But on the other hand you have a level set on an oil rig/sub that atmospherically just gets better and spookier the further you infiltrate it also has all the new moves that Tomo placed into his ‘Secret Underwater Base’ level also included as the first level here which are just fantastic even a new one with Lara sliding down the banister of a demolished metal staircase before grabbing a horizontal bar for a quick spin and in the end for a level set in this kind of environment with most of the 3 hour gameplay being almost purely progression it surprisingly never got boring though I was a little sick of doing the tightrope move as it is so slow and repetitive move a few steps forward and then watch Lara start to lose balance take a few more steps forward watch her start to lose balance again etc. The kicker though in the end of this set of 6 levels is that you get so many cut scenes all the way throughout and really great ones that it really adds so much to the story of Lara collecting a ‘biblical spear’ and defeating Sophia on this journey. A few distractions in this level are the fact that the game crashed for me a couple of times with one of these being in the electrified cyborg room which was caused by a save bug so don’t save after entering the room until you eventually drain water from it also later on I couldn’t enter a water tunnel because of an invisible barrier and was fixed by saving at the water tunnel and then reloading I also read in the readme that you could not kill Sophia but funnily when I met her I shot one revolver round into her and she went down like the proverbial sack of manure only to pop up again in a cut scene moments later there are also quite a few golden rose secrets to find but my secret count stalled at 5 and would not add on the following roses I found so I had to keep a note to see if I found the amount each level had and finally there are a couple of ladders to climb in ‘Steelworks’ that seemed impossible to climb if you don’t make a certain move I’m not even sure I know what the move was but I eventually could climb them and as these ladders are in totally flooded areas but flooded areas you could walk in a thing I have never seen before ever if you took too long trying to work out how to climb them you would run out of breath and drown. Most of these things were only minor and they had workable solutions that help you easily bypass them although that ladder thing was bloody annoying so I didn’t concern myself too much in the end I had a really great time working my way through this enormous watery world and especially loved meeting the new spooky and shaky elephant man type of enemy just grotesque!” – Sash (09-Aug-2003)

“This is a perfect set of levels especially if you really enjoy base type levels. I enjoyed every moment. The cut scenes were amazing. There are so many great effects and puzzles that the only way you can see how cool it is to play it. You can even do stealth attacks like in TRC. These levels also come with two endings making it worth while to play through the series again just to see the second ending. These levels really show how much the TRLE engine can be pushed. I can't explain how amazing this is without giving away the effects and obstacles not to mention the great puzzles. I can only say you must play it.” – Cornchild (09-Aug-2003)

“Clearly Tomo is playing (or rather building) in a different league versus most of the other builders. The huge size of the download is very much due to quite an amount of fabulous cut scenes that help to progress the story along and make this set of levels a brilliant overall experience matching a commercially bought game. The multitude of novelties (new moves objects etc) clearly overlays the occasional slight lack of challenging and diverse gameplay. SUB Base (7/9/10/10 45 min. 2 secrets): This is a replay of the pre-released Secret Underwater Base so see my review for it there. Security Compound (9/8/10/9 70 min. 3 secrets + 2 extra roses): I found the use of prisoner Pierre as your ally most smartly executed. He shows Lara the way and helps you along through the base setting until he unfortunately gets captured but then Lara finds her guns again and can take revenge. Nice use of elevators chloroform and the crowbar here as well as lasers ducts wheels to turn shelves to search and things to shoot. Three disks two fuses and maybe a few too many buttons help your progression in this base setting. Rather few enemies around. Found 3 rose secrets and two more roses that did not register as secrets in the inventory. The quad bike you find is nice but clearly underused the grappling gun makes and appearance and also the TR5 Cyborg although that really felt like too much a plain copy of the game we know. The Steelworks (9/8/10/10 40 min.): Absolutely brilliant and very dense and believable atmosphere. From the exploding elevator into the 'thick' air with fire and lava (melted steel?) around you almost sense the heat. A small torch puzzle helps you find liquid for a battery and then use it the lab is very spooky with an enemy of a 'different kind' and when you reach the steel workers you really fell as if you are there (yet another great cut scene there). From there you need to use a diskette and then engage into a short fight with Sophia and actually kill her before she is suddenly re-born in another cut scene and runs away from you. Another few soldiers to fight and some cool weapons to collect and you enjoy yet another set of very long cut scenes with Sophia and the spear of destiny nicely carrying the storyline and you enter the next level. The Deep (7/8/10/9 30 min.): You start by picking up your quest item the spear of destiny and get a rather linear level here with more tightrope walking quite a bit of swimming some water draining and filling spooky dead bodies around the electric wires we know from TR5 a torch to trigger sprinklers and a few switches and two fuses and a key to place. Good cameras showing a monster that you do not get to actually fight though. Red Alert (not rated 5 min. 1 rose not registered as secret): A great finale of the series as you have 7 minutes (timer is running) to get out. Once you know what to do it is not a tight call but it still keeps the adrenalin up especially with the great sub monsters in pursuit the fires and lasers to avoid. The final cut scene tops it all off (and there is even a separate one if you fail to complete the mission). Bottomline it is not actually the most original and inventive series in terms of gameplay but the storyline grips you nonetheless and it will be hard to put this game down before you finish it - excellent and unprecedented work Tomo! Congratulations!” – Michael (07-Aug-2003)

“Tomo has done it - he made me give away yet another perfect score with ‘The Last Saga 4’ and even if I still am wondering if the gameplay should get such a high rating, I gave it extra points for the game being so much fun to play and there you have my rating! The search for the legendary Spear of Destiny, which as rumors say, was owned by many fierce leaders, including Hitler, who just like any other of the leaders died mysteriously when he lost it at the end of the WW2. To keep the start of my review shorter all I can say is - if you don't mind the surroundings being more base/tech (some of them reminded me of the inside section of the TR2 shipwreck) alike and can cope with a huge download then start downloading this right away - if you're not convinced - maybe the rest of my review will make you change your mind. SUB Base - basically this is the same ‘Secret Underwater Base’ level that was pre-released before, and I don't think I can yet add anything else I already didn't by the time I reviewed that level. So if you're interested more on this level, read my review for ‘Secret Underwater base’. Security Compound - either the previous level ends with a cut scene or this level starts with it. No matter how, I have to say that through the game the voice actors did a very good job and even if the texts could've been more original I have no complaints. The level starts with Lara and the prisoner Pierre. The guards have taken Lara all her weapons away and she either has to use stealth attacks with the crowbar and chloroform or run for her life, as Pierre isn't very helpful against her enemies. What surprised me most here was that you could talk in game with Pierre! Well, ok there were no great conversations about the meaning of life and so on - just a sentence where Lara politely asks Pierre to do her some favour. Overall the first part isn't very exciting - but I was never bored and the way the course was constructed was rather ingenious. At the second half you get your weapons back and Pierre is arrested - you can also go and take revenge of all the baddies that spoiled your fun when Lara had no weapons. Later you get a short quad bike course and also a cyborg sequence like in TRC. The bug in that room didn't bother me much as the author was helpful and provided a savegame, but I didn't like that it was almost identical to the TRC sequence, I prefer originality - but I explained why I didn't downrate the gameplay before. The Steelworks - now this proved to be an utterly brilliant level. The few puzzles that are here have some nice twists, the surroundings with the very hard to breathe air are fantastic and the overall atmosphere unique, haven't experienced anything like this before. There aren't many enemies here - just one spooky dead metal man, 2 workers in the main area and a bunch of guards. There is also a duel with Sophia, which I believe was supposed to end with the cut scene, while I got it after I had shot Sophia dead - doesn't affect the gameplay much, though. At the end of the level you get another cut scene, where the Spear of Destiny's power plays a bad trick on Sophia, while Lara can pick it up normally, without any tricks for some reason as the next level starts… The Deep - The Spear's bad trick wasn't a lethal hit to Sophia alone - the whole base is shaking and trembling (not much, but you can feel it) and it feels like it isn't leading to any good. You don't have to hurry (yet) - so you can explore this spooky - TR2 shipwreck alike environment. You only realise what a disaster the Spear has began only as you move on in the level - dead bodies everywhere, debris falling on your head and so on. You again get some copied parts from other games - like the deadly electric water + turning off the power bit and the many underwater metal chambers from TR2. I wish there was more originality here and I believe there could've been more done here too, but the draining flooding bit was nice too and the bait in the water with blood surrounding it was interesting too - the level also had some nice camerawork - like the camera that shows a beast moving around the base, while Lara's in the ocean - very spooky - but fortunately you don't meet that beast - you do get a surprise from the dead soldiers though... Once done you only have a few minutes left to escape this, but that leads us to the next level... Red Alert - the name of the level already gives you the feeling that you can't expect anything nice and pleasant here – in fact you only have 7 minutes before the self-destruction of the base, making this the first 'timed level' out there! To make matters worse you have some indestructible robots on your trail, and if you're lucky enough you can lock them away and so make the run for your life less stressful. The great achievement in this level for me was that it got my heart pumping and hands shaking like some of the original games did before. My hands were still shaking when I took a break from this to have lunch. If you're so edgy it might be very frustrating to pass the moving lasers and you might feel like wasting your time in the crawlspaces, so this might become a very frustrating experience - but I found the given time sufficient to get through here and I even had minute or 2 left before the self destruction - so no matter how difficult it could be - stay cool, lol. In this level, I also found it very hilarious that the scientists kept working and some guards even slept, like if nothing is going to happen to them after just a few minutes in this level - but I found the crawlspace bits to be superfluous for such an action packed level, but I believe they were put in there just for the effect I mentioned before - heart pumping, hands shaking - asking yourself ‘Will Lara make it?’. Well done! When done you get a last cut scene, where, just like in the ‘Sinking Submarine’ of TRC Lara leaves a companion behind to escape - and the next thing you see id that the base explodes and Lara sits on the shore adoring the Spear of Destiny she finally got. Highly recommended - not only for the cut scenes, new objects and enemies - also for the great atmosphere and entertaining gameplay and high fun factor.” – eTux (07-Aug-2003)
Tag Cloud from Reviews:
back home search