| Reviewer's comments |
"Can we just all take a moment to admire how bloody epic this release looks for a year
like 2003? I mean I already played the full version of Himalayan Mysteries years ago so
I knew all of the stuff that I saw here. But I just can't help but to think how ahead of
the times this game must've been back then when it came out. The graphics look
absolutely stunning with huge, beautifully designed environments from start to end and
of course: being rich in detail. That makes for this comfortable "cool" atmosphere of
cold, snowy and icy caves and mountains, which is implemented pretty well. So level
design, atmosphere, objects and so on... all of it was flawless. The gameplay could've
been a little better I think, because I didn't feel like it was very varied here. It was
sure fun to search the big areas for keys or artifacts, dodge some traps and get rid of
enemies, but some more puzzling would've made for some change. The 5 secrets were easy
to find." - Nuri (07-Feb-2021) |
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| "A great start to the HM series of levels I
Lots of Dudes to shoot. 34/40" - JoeTheCrazyGamer (17-Apr-2020) |
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| "I played this game ten years ago (for the first time),
but I still clearly remember how amazed I was by it. As
soon as the game starts, you'll get addicted to it, so be
warned :) You will have hard time taking a break to
sleep, eat or work :) You'll miss it and you'll run back
home to load the last save and proceed. The story itself
is more dynamic and interesting than a Hollywood movie. A
plane crashes, Lara must quickly find the necessary gear,
supplies and warm clothes to survive the frozen mountain.
In the Prologue, you will feel the cold wind on your
skin, you will freeze in the water together with Lara,
and you'll have an impression that you must actually save
your own life :) But then we end up in a Himalayan
monastery, which is amazingly built and full of traps and
puzzles. But then, the final twist occurs, and we
suddenly discover an alien ship frozen inside the
mountain... Lara's goal is to repair the ship and help
the alien commander fly back to his world. That was not
something I expected when I was playing this game ten
years ago. And as immersed you were when Lara was
fighting the cold mountain, as immersed you'll be once
you get to the alien starship... In terms of atmosphere,
Titak masterfully manages to create three totally
different areas and to create a compelling and realistic
atmosphere for each of them. She also created many new
objects and puzzles, weapons and enemies, redesigned the
vehicle entirely, and really paid great attention to
details and vista. Gameplay is excellent and well
balanced, and the only reason the maximum score is not
given for Gameplay is because it gets hard too often... I
will remember the frozen water as long as I live! OVERALL
IMPRESSION: This is one of those epic games you will want
to play again... And again... And again... Highly
recommended!" - Nina Croft (28-Mar-2019) |
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| "I have fond memories of playing and
reviewing the full version of this game
some time ago, but I had a wonderful time
playing these two parts again. The
architecture, texturing and lighting is
nothing short of flawless (not that I'd
expect anything else from Titak) and the
gameplay manages to keep the interest up
and be challenging without being
frustrating or thoughtlessly stumping the
player, which is a hard balance to get
right. Enemies are well placed (copious
but not too overwhelming) and enough
powerful weaponry is provided, while the
secret placement has been very well worked
out. The full version might be more of an
advanced effort (and a Hall of Fame
entry), but I really enjoyed replaying
these sections nonetheless." - Ryan (11-Aug-2018) |
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| "I have rated this a 10 on all categories. It was one of the
first custom levels I played and Titak is, to my mind, a
genius builder. I have enjoyed all of Titak's levels
including the ones whereby other builders are involved. The
ambience is perfect and the gameplay is quite straightforward
although the timed run near the start is quite tricky as is
the swim in freezing waters. I made the mistake of saving
underwater just as Lara died so had to start from scratch.
I honestly can't knock a point off anywhere. It is rare for
any reviewer to award a 10 point score in each category but
this level set is worthy. It is one that shows remarkable
talent and imagination. In fact if Core had released it or
any other TR franchise it wouldn't be looked upon as being
anything less than a very professional gaming experience." - High Priestess (10-Jun-2015) |
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| "This couple of snowy levels are very well builded. The feature I'm most surprised from this author is the imagination to create fantastic environments near to reality. If you add a good gameplay, a care with textures and objects, well balanced enemies, enough guns and ammo, well worked lights, etc. you'll get and adventure worth to play for any player. I still can't figure out how to open the double doors with the enemie behind near the end when I returned to the main room with the second mask." - Jose (05-Jun-2012) |
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| "Recently, I posted a HM1 pic in GTSS game. I realized I have no idea which level it is from, so I downloaded the game... and, of course, I couldn't help checking what it was looking like before it has become one of the best custom levels ever. I launched the game, found the cargo key, spotted a lot of shatters (too many), and was surprised the prologue ended so fast. I was aware there might be some secrets hidden, so I restarted the game, got off the plane once again and looked around, to spot a standable ice piece somewhere close by. There was one indeed - I jumped on it and got behind the plane, satisfied with my discovery. Soon, I hit the invisible wall, realizing the plane shelf wasn't a secret - but the end of graphics. I got on the top of the plane, and onto surrounding walls. "What the...?" - I assumed, comparing the final, bugless version to what I witnessed around me at the moment. I thought: "Is it the same Titak I know? Well, it's good and bad. Bad because there are many flaws, good because it means she is a human, not a perfect levelbuilding machine". There was no other way that to throw the author out of my mind. "Don't think about Titak, think about the level!" - I thought to myself and I continued to find things in the canyon. Well... almost. Five seconds later, I was on the other side - few minutes before the author intended it to happen. And, 20 seconds later, I landed at the bottom with 1% health loss. Just for fun, I checked if falling into the following pit is survivable as well. Here, I was surprised - it is not, so I was back on intended way. I restarted the whole game, and descended to the bottom of the canyon like I should. It seems this part of the game is identical with the full version - the only difference are wolves instead of snow leopards, anyway placed the same ingenious way, scaring players by running out of the cave. Also, the cave is so located one can't miss canned food hidden there - as this is a place a player wants to visit before the final drop. Also, familiar snowballs kept me alerted all the way through the canyon. Also, the next two above the "TNT Pit" behave just like in full version - if You don't move, they safely bypass You. Clever. I like Titak keeps good things and gets rid of the bad. Nice to see these boulders were already present in her early vision. And... You won't believe it... I lost half a health in the same wooden shaft I did it when playing the game for the first time. Following monkey swing was confusing - I fallen to the bottom in this place - also, just like I did in the full version. Next, I spotted lots of cracks underwater... It seems these days Titak weren't aware of what causes them. But on the other hand, I also spotted jeep tires covered in snow. Such a subtle modification, but what an appropriate one! Caring about details - this is something what shows a builder's talent, even if his/her level is sometimes a technical fail. SUMMARY: The best thing is if You don't know the author, You can't, You simply CAN'T assume it's one of the greatest builders of all time. Survivable pitfall on Your way to the 3rd secret. Confusing gameplay. AI failing during the TriggerTriggered flyby. You can get out of one hut through the fireplace. You can use another fireplace to get into the other hut. Comparing this level to the bugless final version makes me even more impressed how devoted to betatesting of full version Titak was, and how much she has improved since Part 1. The whole mountain range surrounding the "Trespassers will be shot" area is accessible, as well as the initial canyon ledges and the area beyond the last snowy part. I know such events are considered flaws, but can't help finding them great and loving them. Never mind - it's not what I want to say (even though I said it). The level has great atmosphere, well competing with original "Tibetan Foothills" from TR2. This is something what keeps You entertained, even if the level itself is sometimes really unfinished. As well as in case of full version, You are very unlikely to take a break. Maybe only when You enter the confusing maze in 2nd level. CONDENSED SUMMARY: What was I supposed to say? Ah, yes - recommended. Highly recommended, especially if You wanna see how it all looked like before it went hydroponic, plasma-heated and cosmic-ducky. TECHNICAL INFO: I am quite convinced one sound is missing in the download package, as the flyby camera showing "Trespassers will be shot" sign is completely silent." - DJ Full (01-May-2011) |
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| "It's amazing how Titak managed to create such a stunning Nepal setting so many years before the release of Legend. In this charming two-part adventure, we find Lara in the Himalayas, after her plane crashed (the incident that we see in the FMV at the beginning of TR1). Starting from that point, we go along with Lara in a short but quite enjoying journey in the icy mountains, where we have to shoot down wolves and guards, find keys and, if we are lucky, locate secret sculls (I managed to find 4 of them in total). The first part starts in the mountains, then we move on to an open area with huts where there is a lot of action, and at the end Lara sets an impressive explosion that causes an icy lake to melt, so that we can swim to the next section. The environments there are similar to the first part at the beginning, but in the second half we go underground so as to explore a temple hidden in the snow (the setting here is inspired by the TR2 Tibetan levels) and locate a couple of artifacts that open the exit gate. The areas are set up in a very effective way so that everything, although not at plain sight, is hinted discreetly and you can't easily miss things as you explore. Although this makes gameplay somehow too easy at points, yet it is much more convenient than having the player searching for ages to find where to go next. However there is a lot of jumping, monkey-swinging, shimmying to do, all that in a sequence several times, so the easiness of the exploration is balanced by this complexity of moves. Still, in the second part things are a tad tougher, as there are more traps to pass, more enemies to shoot, and the exploration is much more complicated. There is even a moveable block puzzle in a dark maze, and later on, a brilliant one where you have to set water on fire. In this section, some of the guards are your allies, although I accidentally shot down one of them, lol. All the texturing is more or less familiar, but it contributes effectively to creating an imposing atmosphere of mystery and suspence. Lara's funky outfit is an interesting addition to the whole. I know that Titia is working on a Part 2, so will be eagerly waiting to play this continuation." - Ravenwen (02-Feb-2007) |
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| "The game starts inside the crashed airplane and after you have got out of
the plane you will see very realistic and wonderful looking snowy
landscape. The environment is designed almost as well as possible and
it consists of many breathtaking snowy and icy outdoor areas and caves. I
liked very much frozen waterfalls, huts of bad guys and Lara's outfit was
pretty nice too. This all means that visually this level is created almost
perfectly but the gameplay could be a bit better. I was never even near to
get stuck because everything you have to do is quite simple. The only
thing that was quite hard for me to discover is that in the second level you
have to light the deadly water with a torch to open a door. It doesn't matter
are there hard puzzles or hard jumping tasks in the level but I like
challenges and thats why it's important for me that there are challenges in
the level. Despite I have criticized this level a little it's much better than
average levels and I really enjoyed it." - Samu (24-Aug-2006) |
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| "I've loved these two levels and I'm waiting for the next part of the game. The snowy settings are very realistic and even the sky is perfect. There are enough enemies (dogs and men), traps (snow balls) and secret places to explore all along the game. In the second level Lara has to complete a block puzzle and find some masks to open the doors that lead to the Denboche's Sanctuary. Very good game, beautiful and funny." - Loupar (13-Mar-2005) |
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| "Ian raved on so much about this one both during our London get-together with Val and in his review that I made it a point to play it to see what the fuss was all about. I'm partial to Arctic levels so I had a great time. The action is about evenly divided between navigating treacherous slopes in the great outdoors and slipping through knee-scraping crevices deep within the bowels of several different caves. The enemies are rather incidental consisting of scattered SAS that pose little threat to Lara. The real meat of this two-part adventure is solving the various puzzles and finding the five skulls that serve as secrets. There was an amusing twist near the end where I kept jumping up trying to light two torches only to learn that I was supposed instead to light two nearby pools containing flammable liquid. In the end I felt that this was certainly a level to be played and to be remembered but I suppose that Ian with his builder's eye saw some impressive details that simply failed to register on my uneducated brain. But that opening sequence where Lara fights her way out of a wrecked airplane to encounter the wide-open spaces around her is certainly a classic. Highly recommended." - Phil (24-Jan-2005) |
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| "A great pair of levels from the talented Titia. The story here is an interpretation of what Lara did when she crashed in the Himalayas after coming back from a ski trip. The adventure starts off nicely in a large canyon area complete with a distance fog effect that gave this area a realistic feel. On the way Lara visits caves and then she visits a mercenary camp where she has to find a detonation key to blow up a part of the cave to get access to the second level. There we have to find a passage to get to a Barkhang style temple. There is a maze in this part and I'm not very fond of them but the tough jumping parts were nice. The areas here were also nicely constructed and it was a pleasure to wander through them. This was a very nice adventure that is a good rest from the tougher custom levels out there. You should definitely give this a try as it is now a demo to the full version of Himalayan Mysteries that Titia is working on currently." - Relic Hunter (11-Sep-2004) |
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| "The storyline is enthralling what happened in the interim between the plane crash that killed all but Lara when returning from a skiing holiday and her return to safety. The look is astounding the crashed plane perched upon an ice cliff (you can actually climb on top of the plane but this wasn't intended) the deep cavern below the plane the gorgeous cabin strewn encampment hidden nicely away from view and the icy caves and exterior of a snowy mountain. The game itself centres more on exploration with just a hint of puzzling but as the environment is so involving the slight lack of gameplay is easily overlooked you can also find 5 skull secrets that possibly could have been some of her flying companions though for Lara's sake this could be too grizzly a thought so I hope they were of some old civilisation maybe alien as if you look closely you may find a frozen extraterrestrial body or two. With a combined time of 85 minutes these two levels are a definite play for all I just hope you don't end the levels with one key as I did which I found in level one as this leaves me with doubts that I may have missed something and as I also couldn't open a wooden gate I found also in level one (without a lock) that doubt is embedded even further. Maybe part 2 will unlock the answers!" - Sash (23-Jul-2004) |
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| "A clever idea levels based on Lara's time in the Himalayas when her plane crashed before TR1 (read the intro in the front of TR1's manual). Very nice settings from the mountains themselves and the huts in a later section. You start off in the plane wreck and have to make your way through the mountains to a temple beneath the snow. The levels are quite short but the author explained it was due to wad problems so I'll let her off ;). There are quite a few enemies guards which have white outfits and masks and dogs. In the 2nd level there are more guards which look different they are your friends and take care of the bad ones! The levels aren't too difficult a few puzzles here and there and items to collect I would say about medium difficulty as the maze in the 2nd level was a little tricky. There is going to be two more levels to continue these and I really look forward to them. Good fun recommended!" - Aims (01-Jun-2004) |
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| "Great atmosphere great opening flyby of the plane crashed in the Himalayan mountains and young Lara has to get out and make it on foot. So these two levels are mainly exploring and finding a way to get home no doubt. She's dressed in a warm comfy looking outfit and just as well because you really shiver looking at the ice snow and hearing the freezing wind way up high on the mountains. When the first snowballs fall it looks natural not odd. I liked all the climbing around the snow caverns dodging more snowballs some of which were really tricky. I absolutely loved that outside area with the mountain huts. Unfortunately it was so huge distant textures disappeared into the background (the fog effect doesn't work so well with a mac). The labyrinthian caves with the moveable blocks almost drove me mad. I hadn't a clue what was going on in there until I 'finally' found the torch. Then I hadn't a clue what to do with the torch so I had to read about that. At another single hut the guards/gunmen start shooting each other. This was interesting to watch. I don't know if they were on Lara's side but they certainly weren't on each other's side lol. So what are we in for in future is there going to be a follow-on level? There are a lot of 'extra' areas which look brilliant and I did get to some of them but there was nothing there. Then again we are in the mountains and we are trying to find a way down! Some small problems with textures not being 'joined' to each other tightly and a flipmap of a fraction of a second after a switch. The flipmap where the TNT explodes a frozen pond into water was much better. Another question: Who is Denboche?" - CC (06-May-2004) |
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| "Boy it's good to be back. When I first saw the pictures from Titak for this level I always thought it was a great level but never could get to play because my soundcard went insane for almost 4 months and wouldn't work properly which would not allow me to play anything. Got a technician to fix it just for the TRLE sake and this one HAD to be the first level I'd play. It's simply awesome jaw dropping locations and very interesting stuff here. The first level played pretty straightforward but never boring. It certainly is due for the textures and feel of the level very well crafted. After a while you're inside the Denboche's caves and if you played Lost City Of Tinnos you will feel home. It even has a nasty maze. Got lost there several times and realized I was going in circles with that torch just then I peeked the walkthrough. I didn't think of trying to light the waters (although I DID throw the torch there to see if it would do any good). After that it was just a matter of time until I hit the finish trigger which unfortunately was very near. All in all a 2 hour adventure that's very entertaining. Recommended." - Treeble (11-Apr-2004) |
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| "I really liked this arctic adventure with Titak's solid and well known textures. It's a thrill from the beginning to the end fighting baddies and the usual dogs and always flowing very perfectly in the sense that one never really gets lost which is something unfortunately very usual in snow levels (I can think of a few which become very tough - or even a certain bonus level where I just couldn't find my way to every place - simply because of sheer disorientation). Well it's all about the customary TR tasks such as finding and using levers finding and using objects doing a little jump here a little jump there but believe me it is no bore at all. I therefore recommend it vividly to everyone who enjoys a snow raid. You won't be sorry..." - Jorge22 (17-Mar-2004) |
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| "Looking in the 'levels of the moment' list I discovered a fellow country designer I never met before. Besides that I got curious about the comment on the texturing. When I looked at some screenshots I wanted to see more. Let me tell you if you are looking for classic tomb raiding then you are in for a treat. Exploring in large areas and no frustrating map. I only got stuck in the maze. Not because of the maze itself but I am not used to light oil :O). The most impressive sceneries are in the first level. The start and the river with cottages. I insist you use the look button here and look at your crashed plane high up. Very dramatic. The reason for the extra graphic quality is the use of color for the distant fog. You must turn off the volumetric FX for this. I found 3 secrets. You don't get extra ammo within the secrets but they're woven in the map and they're really special areas to visit. Those are the kind of secrets I like! The downside for me was that the textures are repeating themselves over and over. But what do you expect with this kind of theme? The textures were not applied perfectly at times especially under water where you get these 'breaking corners'. Just a tip for the sequels that are coming :O). I could not take away points for that though cause the surroundings are absolutely beyond the core designers! Well done!" - Piega (02-Mar-2004) |
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| "This was a super level with some very well hidden secrets (although not a whole lot of work to get to them once you find them) great textures enemies that pop out and nearly scared me out of my skin and a pretty cool story. I must say that it wasn't what I expected. The author has said it is her interpretation of what happened to our hera in the two weeks she was crashed in the Himalayas before she became the explorer. I was expecting more of a survival and just trying to get out of the mountains theme as opposed to the one that is in place. All in all a great level that is pretty fun to play I spent a little over an hours playing the entire 'game' (the two small levels)." - Brigidsgirl (02-Mar-2004) |
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| "I am so impressed with the landscape it was in the true spirit of the original Tibetan foothills level but better in my opinion. Each and every texture was carefully selected and applied. I notice this above all else in custom levels and I can truly say Titak has outdone Core Designs own texture meisters. Well what can I say about the gameplay. I enjoyed the levels every step of the way and never got frustrated once. The puzzles were logical and fitted in with the surroundings. The enemies kept shooting at Lara...what is it they've all got against her? I mean; would you shoot at her? LOL. The most important thing to me in a custom level is originality and even though this had already been done before; it still felt pretty fresh... no I'm not talking about the north easterly breeze although I did wear and extra fleece whilst playing. :-) Overall an excellent addition to anyone's custom level collection. I want the next part and I want it now Titak so make haste!......pretty please?" - dhama (08-Feb-2004) |
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| "I took this level on holiday with me to play in the evenings on my new laptop. I never expected to finish it before coming home but finish it I did. And what an excellent level it turned out to be. From the initial breathtaking view after escaping the plane wreck to the final slide down the ramp presumably to part 2 I had great difficulty leaving this level for eating and socialising purposes. Lighting and texturing are excellent and I enjoyed the gameplay. The only bit that had me stumped for a while was what to do with the burning brand. Having said that I still managed to finish without the use of a walkthrough - an unusual thing me the eternal beginner to do. A must play level." - Staticon (06-Feb-2004) |
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| "A very beautiful Arctic level especially the first part. The second part has a dark maze which I don't like although it's not a difficult one. Some dogs and men running about to make your life more complicated but also some guys that help you. Your main goal is to find two mask-pieces to open the doors to the end. A good level and certainly worth playing." - Josi (06-Feb-2004) |
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| "This is another great looking level by Titak. Titak in my opinion is the best artist building levels. This is a snow adventure in a very realistic superbly make environment. The gameplay is straight forward logical and fairly simple. It is not the most technically brilliant level but there are no technical problems and that shows technical brilliance by the builder. The first mask is easy to find so you would think the second one would also just be laying around but you would be wrong. Half of the second level is finding that second mask. This is a great level for anyone to play if you like TR you will like this level." - LePerk (01-Feb-2004) |
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| "This 2 part level is on the shortish side but still has plenty of game play to keep you going. The tricks and puzzles are difficult enough to make you think but not impossible. The hardest jump sequences being in part two towards the end. Plenty of baddies early on in part 1 consisting of Guards dogs and sharks. Beware the traps which fit the scenes although based on rolling balls and spike pits they become snow balls and ice knives. The graphics are in keeping with the scenarios but the lighting was dark in places and few flares provided although you could cope if played in a darkened room. All in all well worth playing." - Whistle (29-Jan-2004) |
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| "Could this really be the same author that brought us the dull 'Weekly Business' levels? This level oozes so much TR2 flavor you might think it came off an Eidos disk. 21-year-old Lara has survived a plane crash in the Himalayas and sporting a terrific new custom outfit which is perfect for the surroundings sets off to explore the superbly rendered mountainscape. She soon discovers that she's not alone - an outpost of cabins surrounds an alpine lake shrouded in fog (a visually stunning effect). Fighting the bad guys Lara makes her way deeper into the depths of the mountains and into a more mystical setting hinted at in the author's story notes. Gameplay is solid with a mix of exploring jumping fighting traps and puzzles - none overly difficult. Most impressive though is the atmosphere - undoubtedly one of the best 'mountain' settings in a custom TR level. " - Tombaholic (26-Jan-2004) |
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| "Icy Waters: What a good idea for a level and how well done. The initial sight of the crashed aeroplane is wonderful and the snowy mountain scenery is so impressive and realistic I had to go and put a cardigan on. Be warned these mountains are full of avalanches and hungry wolves not to mention sinister looking men in ski masks. The area with the log cabins in the mist is just gorgeous and I spent a lot of time simply admiring the view. You will find the shotgun in this area plus some ammo and medipacks (the small ones delightfully re-textured as tins of soup). There are keys to collect and once you find the detonator key you are ready to activate the TNT to gain access to the next area. Denboche's Sanctuary: More stunning scenery to admire and dogs and guards to deal with. They really do gang up on you so you may be quite glad to find the uzi here. Find also an ancient mask and two Denboche masks. There are five secrets (silver skulls) to find along the way and presumably this thoroughly enjoyable level will be continuing with a part 2. I'm certainly keeping a savegame." - Jay (16-Jan-2004) |
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| "Icy Waters (8/8/9/10 40 min. 3 secrets): Starting inside a crashed plane up in snowy mountains you are soon presented with a breathtaking view of the scenery and it was great fun just to run around and explore the areas. Lara's outfit is remarkable with its attention to detail and I had to smile about the food can health pickups. The frozen lakes and the cottages look about as real as it gets too. Three keys to find and use and wolves guards and fish to kill along the way before a neatly designed explosion opens up the way to the next level. There is one gap you can drop into and stay alive without any route of escape and I got stuck a few times in diagonal tiles when swimming but nothing too bad. Watchout for the snowballs here they can be very dangerous. Denboche's Sanctuary (8/8/10/10 50 min. 2 secrets): This part is kind of more linear but still a bit more involved in terms of gameplay as the course you maneuvre through the mountains caves and inside areas is quite cleverly thought out and entertaining. More wolves and guards around here and more traps (snowballs spikes burners and steam). Near the end you also get a little torch puzzle and some movable blocks. I really liked how a lot of thought went into all 5 secrets (skulls) in both levels. Overall this is absolutely impressive to the eye has a nice little story and enjoyable if not overly challenging gameplay - and the best of it all - it will be continued. Quite a treat so don't miss it." - Michael (11-Jan-2004) |
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| "Two fabulous levels here. Set in Artic surroundings Lara arrives on a plane which crashes in the mountains look up at the perched plane from way down below it's brilliant. There are some beautiful snowy areas caves and ice mountains to explore. The little wooden lodges were so inviting and I didn't want to leave in a hurry it's just beautiful to see. Enemies were dogs and some mean looking guys in white balaclavas hindering your way to collect your much needed items. Not too many levers which was nice lots of keys and masks to find plus silver skull secrets there are no puzzles other than the block one but really I like that in some levels and these levels didn't need them anyway if you enjoy the explore seek and find type thing. Boulder traps broken glass traps a small block puzzle and some quick shooting made this a really nice adventure for me I really liked the lighting of the water pools to open a door. Music is always a must for me in any level and this had plenty of it making the total atmosphere perfect. Lara's outfit was one of the best I've seen yet. What more can I say? It's a must to play." - Moonpooka (08-Jan-2004) |
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| "This two-part level is another great work of Titak. The story takes place on snowy Tibetan areas. In the 1st part your objective is finding the Keys and exploring the icy cave for the getting on. On the 2nd level you have to collect 2 Coin Pieces. The enemies are armed men wolves and fishes. Lara is climbing ladders running from avalanches jumping over fires and pushing blocks. In the small labyrinth she must also find the Torch and light the small pools in front of the door. I love these levels. There are no nerve-wrecking puzzles but this is good adventure. You can find 5 Silver Skulls on the levels. These are the Secrets. Some of them were quite hard to find. :) The added sounds add much to the experience. The textures are also great they fit well to the levels. Find savegames pictures and walkthrough here: http://treditor.hu/english/himalayan_mysteries_part1_eng.htm " - Obig (06-Jan-2004) |
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| "What a great idea.....to go right back to the original premise of how Lara became the Tomb Raider after the airplane crash that changed her life. There is a lot to like in Titak's latest. Starting with a red capped Lara dressed for the snowy region she has to overcome. You'll find crushing snowballs enemies in white face masks(?) and those pesky dogs on a search through snowy caves and ledges for Masks to proceed and Skulls for secrets. Textures and lighting are brilliant and at times you may actually feel the chill of the low temps. Very realistic. Cabins on fog shrouded ridges are rendered beautifully. There's a labyrinth with moveable blocks and a lever (in the labyrinth) that took me awhile to find ........after all it is a labyrinth. There's some traps and a tricky jump - not only in the execution but in just knowing that's the direction to proceed. Which brings me to the only thing I didn't like - areas that seemed to promise much but led nowhere. Very well done and since this is Part 1 I am looking forward to more." - Bene (06-Jan-2004) |
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| "This Ice level my least favorite has some rather good jumps in it. Some red herrings are thrown in for good measure and that is the first part. The first level of this two part game was over very quickly in my mind maybe because it was rather fast paced in my opinion. The second level took me longer to finish and I thought this was more interesting. Also because it took you in search of the mask and there were some puzzles. Don't get me wrong as the look of both levels is quite stunning and there was definitively a WOW going on in this house when I saw the cabins through the fog. I liked the idea of this adventure but I was missing something. Can't put my finger on it and maybe I am not fair as I just played those 14 levels of Luis the transition is rather big I have to admit. The hunt for those five secrets was fun I always love to look for them. 20-12-2003" - Gerty (23-Dec-2003) |
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| "I was actually rather annoyed at this level initially for (despite having made an announcement almost a year ago that 'Beneath' would be my final level) I had in fact been quietly developing a 'comeback' idea provisionally entitled 'Lara Croft: The Adventure begins' which would have found our heroine at the start of the level in the Himalayas and standing beside the wreck of the Aircraft in which she had been traveling (according to the back-story contained in the TR1 Manual). She would via many different types of jumping boulder and puzzle challenges finally have reached civilization at adventures end. I thought it was a pretty neat idea myself and was all set to commence building after Christmas. In the meantime I decided to download Titak's latest offering and lo and behold she had come up with this very same idea! 'Bother!' I said to myself (or a word of a similar nature anyway) -'there goes that idea. Nevermind I wonder how well Titak has handled it?' 2 days later and I am speechless. Awestruck. Amazed. Enchanted. Euphoric. Can one person really create all of this on their own? It's incredible! The layout in both levels is quite superb and brilliantly thought through. The gameplay fabulous. The texturing quite beautiful. The atmosphere so potent you can practically eat it. The story is gripping. The ideas are brilliant. The adventure flows smoothly and seamlessly from the Himalayan tundra to mountain huts clustered around a frozen lake; to a rocky climb up a mountain to a cave within which lies a subterranean Tibetan temple; and it all progresses at a perfectly balanced and logical pace throwing in the occasional inspired visual idea (the detonating of the ice; the hints at alien intervention; the 'just out of reach' secrets) while never allowing the flow of the gameplay to falter. The only vaguely disappointing element is the somewhat abrupt ending which however tantalises us with more to come! This is an enthralling yarn and is the most enjoyable Custom Level I have played to date and even in many respects superior to some of Core Design's efforts. Titak is a genius." - Orbit Dream (22-Dec-2003) |
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| "Lara has to discover three masks and fight hostile men with dogs to reach the end. In her quest through the icy mountains she will also meet friendly soldiers and harmless fish. The cabins were nicely placed with the fog effect creating a nice atmosphere. Also you need three keys to collect one of which is a detonator key that will create an explosion making ice into water. I liked the underground areas with the fire blocks and even the maze which wasn't very easy but with the help of the torch I managed to get through. The flares were enough which is another think I liked because of the many darkish areas. The ending was rater sudden and common with Lara sliding down but I guess it can be justified since this is the first part. I found five silver skulls and enjoyed the jumps to get one of them in the second level; very cleverly hidden. The initial flyby wasn't a good one in the sense that a wall disappeared and a fire flashed before my eyes for a second. I believe there was another area with disappearing rooms but nothing too serious. It's a nice level to pass the time." - Kristina (22-Dec-2003) |
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| "A nice-looking mountain/arctic double level from Titak with a great new outfit and the idea of food cans replacing small medipacks. Gameplay-wise this doesn't offer too much lots of jumping around and using keys in 'Icy waters' and the first minutes of 'Denboche's Sanctuary' only at the end of the 2nd level you get some movable block bits a torch puzzle and some fiery-platform jumping nothing overly puzzling so if that's not your strength in TR you might enjoy this. The environments are complex very well done as to be expected from Titak but it seemed to me like something is missing. More colours maybe? The fog and complexity of the environments are great but it seemed a bit bleak to me but maybe that's just me. Found all 5 secrets and since I'm bad at finding them I guess many other players won't have much problems with them too. Overall - yet another good level from Titak but maybe not my favourite of hers." - eTux (22-Dec-2003) |
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| "For me there is a balance a game strikes between being challenging and keeping interest and a flow to the game. This one works on all levels. It's not so easy but it doesn't stop the player every twenty paces. The high mountain setting and ruins are very well done the enemies are appropriate to the setting (and a fair number of them) and the secrets are not giveaways. A very entertaining romp and I look forward to the next part. Congratulations to Titak! -" - Duncan (22-Dec-2003) |
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