Level reviews

"After the release of this demo 16 years ago, I don't think the full game will ever see the light of the day, which is a shame really. It's a quite enjoyable "trap simulator" game. With engaging cutscenes and platforming. Be ready to be quick on your reactions and to save a lot. This demo it's a bit trial and error at some points. It's noticeable the lack of polish in some areas, but other than that, really fun short demo to play." - Zhyttya

"This is an underrated little gem that will test your playing skills to the max. Total playing time is 30 minutes or less, but that doesn't count all the time you'll spend dying and reloading, even if you refer to Moonpooka's walkthrough with its helpful tips. The builder displays a firm grasp of aesthetics, effective lighting and the game engine, including good use of the camera. The part that gave me the most trouble was running the gauntlet in the passage with the rising sand. You're limited to your pistols, but enemies are relatively few (scorpions and a quartet of Tinnos flies, but they come at you in bunches). It's basically a trapfest, but it's well crafted, good-looking and one of the better downloads I've encountered in the lower echelons. Recommended." - Phil

"Trap filled levels aren't really my cup of tea (although I do remember admiring Run Lara Run), so I probably didn't enjoy this as much as others. It does keep you on your toes though and some of the trap sequences are quite well thought out (the sloped blade trap, the boulder traps and the long dark drop into darkness) but for me it does miss an essential ingredient for me to rate higher. It could have done with a couple more brain teasers. I liked the overall glossy look of it all, though." - Ryan

"When I began to play and found the first secret just in front of me I thought: "this level will be a piece of cake"; but I was totally mistaken. There are a lot of spike traps (even unmarked), some spiked ball traps and rotating blade traps (cutting the solid walls); the remaining gameplay consists only about dangerous descending through some pits and a long dive. A couple of flybys and some musics, the best for me was the lighting, but the texturization is good too. Small enemies to shoot, the secrets were not difficult to find. I think the author should think about implement some puzzles and not a level based only about survive to many traps." - Jose

"Even though this is a demo, here you'll get a whole level worth share of spikes. Right from the beginning until very late in the level, I think you're only past them once you have the level map turned upside down. There are one or two boulder sequences that are fun (and the cameras led me to believe I was in an eternal loop). Despite being somewhat colorful, the level is generally dark and I ran out of flares rather quickly. The author has probably given up on this idea, but the traps were pretty devious as far as that is concerned. Shame the gameplay revolves mostly around getting past them. 20 minutes. 11/08" - Treeble

"Oh wow how fantastic Myst is such a cool game the way you get to travel round a wonderful open island with exciting puzzles to solve it would have to be without a doubt my second most favourite game after TR okay actually the Indiana games are probably second making Myst third alright if I have to be totally honest and really nobody likes a liar I'd have to say Indy probably sits atop my fav list with Lara coming a very close second and Myst comfortably coming up in third place wellll I do like a nice online crossword so maybe Mys.....Sash your rambling shut up! Oh yeah by the way did I happen to mention this is nothing like Myst! Crap!! Anyway the author of this 25 minute demo seems to have a fixation with spikes and blades and I for one hope that the authorities only allow him to own plastic cutlery because well you just never know *cough cough Jeffrey Dahmer cough cough*. Apart from the pointy sharp hurty things you've pretty much just got a couple of rooms with pits that you have to get to the bottom of and a couple of boulder chases and although everything looked nice and seemed to be set up well it just didn't grab me in that way that pulls you into a level probably because for me there was a high degree of reloading involved which I don't find fun." - Sash

"With the start I asked myself what in hell I was thinking to play this level as spikes were popping up left right and center. Afterwards I can say the first two rooms were the hardest as you need speed and agility to avoid the spikes AND you need to die a few times in order to see where in hell you need to go. Having said that the rest is easy compared... I loved the boulder run and I only died once so hooray for me. There is a very well done flip map after the use of a lever but things did quiet down very much so after flipping that. The room with all the knives does look impressive but actually isn't that hard to do. Look out for all the medipacks (and there aren't that many around) as you need to do a safety drop. Enemies scorpions a lonely mummy and four nasty stingy dragonflies. Still wonder where that other gate led through (in the room where you used that jump lever) as I never opened that. 06-06-2004" - Gerty

"For a demo-level it is well done. The start is unusual but it is easy to get into the room before the sand closes the entrance to the room. Traps are deep holes spikes and spike balls. There are three secrets to find. Beautiful rooms with fountains plants and water pools I like them. The lighting is well done and the cameras too. Lara should look for jump switches (one of them is a trap) and avoid rotating blades. Some blades don't rotate so Lara is safe even when she runs against them. Interesting demo version I think the final level will be a good one." - Avmaster

"Nice sneaky beginning to this closely followed by a timed run with lots of spikes then a few more spikes just for good measure. In fact spikes and knives really are the name of the game - they seem to be just about everywhere. Scorpions are in abundance also. It's not a long level and it does end rather abruptly but I suppose that's acceptable behaviour in a demo. Certainly I shall be looking out for the finished version it should be worth playing." - Jay

"This is a level that would really deserve to be finished and turned into the great adventure it could be. It starts with a great sequence of spike traps raising sand and you reach a rather stunning fountain room and master a boulder run with a difference but goes downhill from there. There are three fairly easy (and useless) secrets to find a whole scorpions nest to eliminate (fortunately of the smaller kind) a rather wild flyby when basically the whole map flips upside down and you make your way back the way you came until a leap of faith ending the level after less than 30 minutes. Huge potential here - if only the author had the patience to complete the work he had set himself out for." - Michael

"'My goodness!' I thought at first 'it's Run Lara Run all over again!'. Regretfully a little over 30 minutes net gaming time later and I had to change my mind. This level begins brilliantly with a thrilling series of gauntlets and raises your expectations to a great degree. However three or four rooms later and the whole thing just grinds to a halt; big empty room follows big empty room long dark passage follows long dark passage (all completely pointless) until the level ends at an arbitrary point. The rotating-blade chamber had me stumped for a while until I realised that there was no actual puzzle involved in getting down (and the 'leap of faith' near the end was a nice idea); but this level (indeed 'demo' is the perfect cop-out title to give it) ultimately disappoints all the more because of the false expectations raised at the start. It looks lovely though." - Orbit Dream

"Being it a demo this is bound to get a low rating because of lack of gameplay. That doesn't mean it doesn't look promising though and in my opinion it will turn out to be a very interesting level. The author's intentions are obvious from the start and those are to make Lara's life difficult. Rooms that look like the 'Tomb of Seth' as far as the traps are concerned which include spikes coming up or down dart the adrenalin in high levels. The rest of the level is quite simple though with horizontal blades and jumps from high levels. Three easy to find secrets weren't much of a challenge. I am looking forward to play the complete level." - Kristina

"A nice level with some tough moments right from the start you'll be stumped as to how to proceed or maybe it was just my dumbness it was quite sneaky but brilliant at the same time. The level is laced with traps such as boulder runs spikes turning blades and suffocating sand pits the most wonderful timed run here is through the sand hallway where you have to make it into a door on the other side; you might think you are stuck but in fact it's quite deceiving and you're not. I must stress here though that it is easy to get stuck down a hole so save in other slots. Also the use of the rope is not a good idea; it will only get you stuck and I wondered why it was even placed here. I also felt I got a bug because in one room there are a host of turning blades and alcove blades which never activated making it all a tad too easy after the previous escapades. There are three secrets consisting of inventory items the binoculars compass and pistols all are easy to find. The rooms are nice enough but nothing too spectacular the lighting was fine and flares can be picked up for the darker areas. Only a few enemies to deal with scorpions and a swarm of tinnos wasps so not too much gun slinging going on. All in all the level was really a trap adventure rather than a mixed bundle there are no items to collect and use and only one lever so if you like traps no puzzles few enemies and little excitement then this is a level for you. The traps are fun so it's worth a look." - Moonpooka