Reviewer's comments |
"From the visual point of view, the level is solidly built including well-applied textures
and light effects and a very good atmosphere. Gameplay in the first half of the level
comprises almost entirely quests for numerous keys, which I found quite tedious. The second
half involves more variety, such using a torch, one switch puzzle and a tile puzzle, which
is quite easy to solve by trial and error. Despite the flaws, it is still a fairly nice
level if you just want to enjoy the atmosphere and don’t expect gameplay to be highly
engaging." - Samu (03-Aug-2024) |
|
"This sub-level has strange gameplay. Like the other reviews said (and I won't be the last to repeat it), there are many doors and many keys that will give you more keys. Most of the keys have the same names and are used only once. It all gets a very confusing back and forth around the central area. The key names don't make trying to follow the WT easier. One or two times I even seemed to have keys I wasn't supposed to have (or could pick them up twice). On the other hand, it makes the level a big puzzle, which might have its own merits." - tuxraider (28-Dec-2023) |
|
"There's a lot to like here. Some great atmosphere and sound, the overall design of the house
is really great and the attacks from the "hound" I found were really well done. The
excessive amount of keys can get pretty annoying though. I lost my progress and had to start
over because of the glitch where keys disappear if you pickup multiple of the same type,
which is probably more of a problem with the old editor than anything, but it's still not
fun. Overall pretty good level with a lot of great ideas." - Lorax (07-Aug-2022) |
|
"Not unlike the Jurassic Park levels, there's quite a few doors to open here, but in this case it's all about the keys (all of which are unhelpfully labeled "door key"). There's 12 keys total, which is a lot for such a small level, although players don't have to hunt all 12 down. Normally I would just say that all the key hunting is a bit too repetitive, but in this case the keys almost bricked my adventure. I had one more "key hole 8" to use (the one at the bottom of the stairs into the cellar), but I had already collected all three "key item 8"s in the level and was stuck. I must have collected two in a row without realizing it, since the game engine doesn't let the player hold more than one copy of a key. I had to modify the level file and remove the door to progress. There are a few nice puzzles for Lara to solve, as well as some target practice on electrical boxes and - of course - hounds. Thematically there's enough blood, creepy hounds, and moody lighting to help set up an unsettling atmosphere, but the environment could have taken things a step further, because a lot of it boils down to square wooden rooms. 46 minutes." - JesseG (10-Sep-2021) |
|
"This level is pretty funny as long as you love it to have a bunch of keyholes and a
bunch of keys and nothing seem to fit in the beginning. Just slowly you unlock more and
more.... and behind a keyhole you find a key and after you used that key you most likely
find a keyhole. For me it should be called "Hound of the Keyvilles" or so OwO would be
appropriate!" - Lilly Jericho (15-Nov-2020) |
|
"Very nice level from Lara at the movies series, quite spooky. Gameplay was very good but
I think there were TO MANY keys. Every key was named door key or load so I needed to
search the whole level to find right key hole. This is only minus in gameplay of this
level. There were some really cool puzzles here. All enemies in this level were mutant
wolfs. Athmosphere was very well and quite spooky, I even jumped on chair from fear when
mutant wolf jumpscared to me :D Every room was very nicely decorated with many objects.
Lighting and texturization were perfect. Overally, very good LEVEL which is quite spooky
(that's why I also played it in Halloween :P) I recommend it." - BlackWolfTR (31-Oct-2020) |
|
"This Creepy level was really cool at first, but the
gameplay was a bit repetitive involves a lot of searching
for keys and not a lot of fun puzzles. I thing I must
also Criticize is the fact each and ever key was called
door key, (so It means a lot of trying every keyhole that
looks right until you find the right one) However the
creepy atmosphere was a plus but the level did kind of drag
towards the end. 24/40" - JoeTheCrazyGamer (22-Jun-2020) |
|
"Returning to a more creepy scenario(with this film 'world' based off a 1950s adaptation of one of Sherlock Holmes' novelized adventures), Emoo's take feels like such a refreshing return to form for this massive group project in terms of chronology and overall quality, after how lacking the previous two levels were in their own unique ways(Treasure Island & 12 Monkeys).
With that said, Emoo brings this level to life brilliantly with easily discernible gameplay, appropriate object usage and a very solid atmosphere(which when combined with the stellar texturing, lighting & well-timed enemy jumpscares), continually leaves you on the edge of your seat(whilst seeking to uncover the mystery of how these demonic dogs came to be in this location to begin with).
To conclude, a fun keyhunt-centric level that feels like it ends a little too soon." - Ceamonks890 (22-Jul-2017) |
|
"Spooky atmosphere in this one. The crickets
chirping and the TR4 background sounds worked
really well done. Gameplay mainly involves
searching for a lot of keys, so a good memory
is required to get through. The hound attacks
were effectively placed - always ready to jump
out. Nicely done overall." - Ryan (26-Sep-2016) |
|
"Heavy, specific atmosphere of a creepy evening envelops
you as you begin this bloody adventure. M Manson portrait
adds intriguing flavour. The author mixes"disturbing"
and"pretty" in an unique way. As the mist around you
thickens, the sounds of the thunder and dark paintings
make you feel uneasy (I would even say this level suits
into thriller/horror cinema). Blood dripping from the
ceiling, and many beautiful elements of decor serve as a
contrast. This is one of the very unique levels that are
a rare sight. The author pays attention to details, every
room (and even secrets) are full of them. I like the fact
that you can switch the light on and off and it actually
is important at some point. Good secrets (I wish there
were more of them). Your enemies are scary dogs. There
are a bit too many keys. I like collecting them and I
think they're quite fancy, but at some point it feels
forced. Welcome to the key simulator, Lara. Thankfully
level is not too long, cause a bit more of the keys and I
would get quite annoyed.
I like the fact that there's a mushroom on Lara's
backpack. I couldn't resist to taste the mushroom
goodness. Overall? Well, this is not an usual level. I
like weird stuff. This level manages to be odd, grotesque
and pretty at the same time. It has some very atmospheric
moments that I found charming. There's a weak voice
inside of me that kept saying:"I wish it was a bit
longer."" - Alien Autopsy (28-Jul-2016) |
|
"Damn... that's why it's dangerous to play master games - so many now feel the same... This is yet another storage level and possibly the least enjoyable of the batch. I lost my count of keyholes even before I found it. One key can be used in two holes so if you choose wrong you miss a secret, why to design this way, to imply repeat? At least three passages are unlocked for another closed door at the end so we keep going back for something more, very annoying. Multiple switches play with light but the real electricity puzzle is buggy so the walkthru was needed, I also don't understand the logic - so we turned the light on but the spark in the water went off? Not to mention another spark in the vents suggests to be switched off as well. Some other doors opened but I don't know what triggered them. SUMMARY: Result experience varies from guessing which hole is next to guessing how something happened. Oddly for a crime novel adaptation, I know who killed gameplay but I don't know the motive." - DJ Full (18-May-2016) |
|
"This level is in a unique place where you simply find the
many keys to advance. Kill some skeletal dogs are the only
enemies of the level. Correct level." - Drakan (09-Oct-2014) |
|
"This level has a good design, not a big effort with the architecture but a convincent environment according with the film. I think there were excessive keys here, there and everywhere, and looking for the correct keyholes was tedious sometimes. Also I missed another kind of enemies and not only the hound dogs and the invisible things in the basement (I think it could be retextured locusts). At least the scenaries were not very big 'cause many times you need to backtrack to the same places to do more tasks. Not the quality like another levels from this author but enjoyable anyway." - Jose (09-Oct-2012) |
|
"As many other reviewers have stated there are a lot of keys in this level and so I expected to be stuck many times not knowing where to place them. It wasn't that bad though and indeed I had to consult the walkthrough only once, thanks to the small size of the map that turned the tedious trial-and-error-search for the right keyhole into a matter of 1 or 2 minutes each. Apparently Lara's only task is to escape the Bakersvilles - I couldn't find out if there's any other motivation, as there was no storytelling at all, what is a real shame in my opinion. I was very surpised, when the game ended after less than 1 hour without there being a final fight, or any "solution" of the mystery. That said I couldn't really enjoy the game, even if the atmosphere was superb (blinking lights, horror-themed sounds, great realistic lighting), as it just didn't seem to be "complete"." - Soul (09-Apr-2012) |
|
"This level is set in some sort of Manor house. There's an
interesting mix of textures (from Scotland to Aldwych) that
create a style somewhat different to anything else I've seen
while still being coherent, however, it's also quite cramped
and cubic. It's biggest crime though is making the most
interesting parts the bits you can't get too; there are
creepy looking forests and underground caverns that can be
viewed from certain areas, and yet you never get to access
them and are stuck in substantially less interesting areas.
Object use is good, although making references to the movie
some Hellhounds and bloodstains seemed a big squandering of
potential (especially as you never get to solve any sort of
mystery at the end).
This level takes keyhunts to the point it almost seems an
intentional parody of the concept; near the end you can be
looking for a key for a door behind three other locked
doors. This also has the side effect of making the
walkthrough very confusing if you get stuck, although that's
not really anyone's fault. as well as being cramped the
layout is also very flat and basically amounts to a maze,
and a trip to the basement is the only time any height
variance seems notable. There are a few puzzles that are
decent, but the rest is heavily monotonous. Maybe the
cramped, claustrophobic atmosphere was intentional for a
horror atmosphere, but it suffers from Psycho pulling off
the same thing and managing to be both creepier and more fun
to play. This is another somewhat disappointing entry to
LATM; hopefully things pick back up in Theatre number 5." - Mman (23-Jan-2012) |
|
"There are ideas who quickly fall into oblivion. And there
are ideas who are not realizable, all the same what one
tries. And there are ideas from which one believes as a
player that they are impossible to be realise. Though I have
learnt in the meantime, that is nearly for everything
possible in the CL-Universe, but still today I am astonished
at the fact that there is really such a project. Now it is
not in such a way that LatM is absolutely unknown to me,
because I have played this level package already about 5
years ago. But at that time I have played it just for the
fun of it without bother myself about how much work must
be behind. Now, in the meantime, I can roughly imagine, how
big the amount of work must have been. This already starts
with letting look the different level in such a way that
they are more or less similar to the suitable movie. Above
all the black-and-white-movies might have been a big
challenge. And then still comes that somebody must co-
ordinate the whole project. And it needs a common
superstructure because to jump simply thus from movie to
movie would be dull. So much to my general thoughts about
this mammoth's project.
The Hound of the Baskervilles: What would be the world
without Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and without Sherlock Holmes?
Exactly, the world would have a few books and a few movies
less. THIS would be the world without Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
and without Sherlock Holmes. No more, no less. Moreover, Mr.
Doyle would without Jackie Chan and without Owen Wilson
still a small insignificant police officer of Her Majesty
the Queen of England . You don't believe me? Then take a
look to Shanghai Knights immediately! There is the whole
bitter truth to be seen.
But now back to the topic: Search a key which opens a door
to a room in which you find a key which a door opens to a
room in which you find a key which a door opens to a room,
in which you... How now? You think, I talk like a broken
vinyl record? Do you even know what a vinyl record is? No?
Then looks at Google or Wiki! Oh my goodness, must I explain
you now everything? *sigh *! Where was I? Oh yes, properly,
with the broken vinyl record. No, this is really the whole
story. And now guesses what I think about this level.
Exactly, not a sausage. I don't like this level. I'm
cheesed off with this level that I was glad when I was again
in the cinema. No question, the level looks good. And he
would have given a lot of pleasure with the right ideas. But
in this form it gives absolutely no pleasure." - Scottie (01-Jul-2011) |
|
"This was a rather manor type level with a sinister
atmopshere and some really heart-attack moments, like the
shocking attacking of the dogs. It was never too dark in
this level, and atmosphere was great, the custom textures
looked more than solid. I however have to mention the rather
standard gameplay which was very much just like searching
keys and pushing all buttons you can find. But I have to
mention the room with the double-action button, that was
really great as you had to find another way to push it and
not to be stuck. The final switch puzzle was a good idea but
I still don't know where's the hint - I had to use the
walkthrough here. The dogs were nicely built, the inside
rooms looked well. Two of the three secrets were also
interesting to find; you had to use a key you can use to get
on in the main gameplay path in some other doors, to get the
secret and the key you used back, to open the other door.
The game ended way too early when stepping into the wood,
after just 45 minutes of gameplay." - manarch2 (29-Jan-2011) |
|
"This is a spooky and atmospheric level where Lara's goal is simply to find a way out of the place, which is much easier said than done, as the area somewhat hard to figure out. The main reason for that is the sheer amount of doors, keys, switches and crawlspaces. The builder provided great camera hints, but I still had difficulties to find my way around because I couldn't remember where all those keys had to be used. I ended up looking for help in the walk through. The switch puzzles were really nice and the builder provided good hints. Other than being confusing the game play was rather easy as there are no tight runs or hard jumping sequences. I definitely loved the enemies - several undead, half rotten dogs that were placed well and jumped at you when you least expected it. The architecture was nice and there was lots of decoration. Many different wood panels, maps on the walls and more mad this one a pleasure to look at and gave it a unique atmosphere. A very memorable level!" - Blue43 (02-Dec-2010) |
|
"Only have to do is finding many keys. But some of them are hard to see. And be careful, because dogs might be in a corner. But if you have good weapon, you should easily take them out. There are lot's of blood in rooms. It means, that something real bad happened. Rooms were very nice decorated and posters were perfect too. Well, I don't like going forward and then go back and late the same again." - Andzia9 (21-Nov-2009) |
|
"This level was spooky, until it got frustrating! Then I just wanted the hounds to come out so I could blow off some steam! There were many keys to find and then match up with the right keyhole, it took the spooky factor right out of the equation. I loved the dark and spooky atmosphere, though, it was great, it's just that the gameplay made it less effective." - Shandroid (24-Oct-2008) |
|
"Although the atmosphere of this level was pretty imposing and the general idea seemed to be quite interesting, all this back and forth and hunting for keys and keyholes ended up a bit tiring and repetitive after a while, as there wasn't really much more else to do than that. There was a certain degree of mystery and creepiness to justify the theme and title of the level, but these elements were mainly highlighted by the environments and the lighting, and not by the adventure or the gameplay per se. I found it a bit weak compared to other levels of the project, to be honest." - Ravenwen (02-Sep-2007) |
|
"I originally played Lara at the Movies more than two years ago, and while there were levels I remembered more fondly than others, I couldn't remember this one at all. I had completely forgotten about its existence until I read about it prior to downloading the adventure a second time. Usually that's a bad sign, but this really isn't a bad level. The texturing is rather good (even if a lot of rooms look alike), and while lighting in general is a bit boring, the use of fluorescent lights is excellent (though the light switches confused me initially). The atmosphere is interesting, and I really liked the dogs. Unfortunately - and this is probably the reason I couldn't remember the level - the gameplay is very forgettable. To be fair, it's not horrible, and I quite enjoyed playing this thirty-minute level. The problem is that, most likely due to being set in some sort of base (?), the gameplay ends up being about nothing more than pushing buttons and finding keys - lots and lots of keys. There are a couple of places where the gameplay becomes more interesting, but those are exceptions rather than rule. Because of this, I came away from this level feeling underwhelmed, and I can't help but feel like the author could have done more with it." - Magnus (15-Oct-2006) |
|
"This level has great atmosphere but it lacks the gameplay. The gameplay is not bad really, but compared to the feeling you get due to the envoirement it doesn't really fit.
There are a few highlights though. The switch puzzle and the place where you die by invisble enemies?!?! Are they invisible locusts maybe? Great stuff though!
This is a scary level and even if I don't find much resemblence with Baskervilles, the blood and eerie music makes up for that. Overall a great level and I hope to see more levels from this author." - QRS (08-Dec-2005) |
|
"Well, this should be named 'Keys of the Bloody Barkers' or something like that. It bears no resemblance to the Sherlock Holmes story or film. It's a small, creepy level where Lara has to find about a 100 keys. The spooky setting should appeal to horror buffs." - Duncan (12-Jun-2005) |
|
"Oh, yet another door key! - That's what you're most likely to say quite a few times during the level... It starts in a little garden in the middle of some sort of manor, pretty nicely designed and your main objective is obviously to find a lot of keys that are all called Door Key. That might not sound too bad in the first place but it gets really tiring and confusing by the time. So wherever you are - look everywhere for all sorts of keys, small ones, big ones, whatever - and check out every key hole you might find in order to proceed. What might be mentioned here is that some secrets can only be found if you stick the correct key in the correct key hole at the correct time. Thus you get a secret and... yeah a key, you guessed it. As this gets slightly repetitive the author was so kind to hang up some Marilyn Manson pictures on the walls. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be scary or just to express the author's fondness for the band (or both) but I really liked them, the pictures of Manson himself and the ones he painted. Back to the subject... ah yep - after you finally made your way through the get-the-keys-part you encounter some nice puzzles with switches, a torch and (just a few) keys in the basement. I don't know why but for some reason she started bleeding and losing health in the basement all of a sudden. Did I mention all the dogs yet? They usually pop out of nowhere just when you don't need it, thus giving you regularly a good shock by jumping at you. What I really liked was all the blood - puddles of blood on the floor, dripping down from the ceiling, soaking through the wood of just splattered everywhere. They give you a good impression of what might happen to Lara in case you noticed one of those dogs too late. A nice addition was also the flickering light in some of the rooms that made the atmosphere even more scary. If the levels wasn't that much concentrated on keys it could have been a really great one." - Horus (16-Apr-2005) |
|
"First off, this is not one Hound but a whole pack of them you'll meet in this creepy level. They're ugly, they're scary, they're sneaky and they're quick. You'll probably jump with fright more than once, and become very cautious when exploring the darkest parts of the place. Exploration and research is of the essence here, and the level is much cleverly designed in that regard. As for the settings? Well, it's gruesome, to say the least. I don't know what happened (the link with the featured book and movie not being very obvious to me), but I sure was very happy only to be there in the aftermath. Truth be told, I loved the atmosphere. A real horror level, this one." - Sutekh (07-Feb-2005) |
|
"This level was pretty creepy with the textures lighting sounds etc. I liked the layout jumped out of my skin a couple of times (I love it when enemies just jump out of nowhere). The puzzles were satisfying and gameplay was good. Not a stellar level but definitely up to par." - Brigidsgirl (19-Jan-2005) |
|
"Basically a run round series of wooden buildings finding keys to doors and shooting the odd dog come hound. Other enemies are beetles and some kind of invisible flesh eater in the cellar area but goes after a while. The biggest puzzle is the cellar switch puzzle which gets you to the end sequence. The graphics generally are fine but the wooden walls do seem a little stretched and sound is standard. Apart from the dogs killed during the level I expected some kind of drooling doggie monster to appear. The usual story line being an investigation of deaths of some nobs (Baskervilles) by having the throat ripped out. In no way was this ever hinted at and all the moor scenes never materialised. I got the impression of some Canadian loggers abode. However this short level was reasonably enjoyable to play." - Whistle (09-Dec-2004) |
|
"It's an interesting level too but running here and there all the time in the little house frayed my nerves. We have to collect lots of Door Keys and each of them opens another door. We have to shoot the electric boxes on the walls for the getting on too. The enemies are only diabolic hounds which attack always from behind of course and bugs. We don't meet humanoid enemies on this level. There are no hard puzzles either but we should memorize the maps well because we'll need them later. We have to use the torches many times. We can't complain about the textures they suit the level. Collecting all the secrets is a separate challenge on this level. You can find a Hungarian walkthrough (as we don't have English version) savegames and pictures here: http://www.freeweb.hu/treditor/12/lara_at_the_movies.htm " - Obig (08-Dec-2004) |
|
"Tomb Raiding isn't always about solving puzzles. Sometimes it's about defeating an enemy. Sometimes it's about traversing obstacles and staying alive. And sometimes it's about finding things. In this case - keys. The hounds themselves were suitably horrid. They reminded me of the zombie dogs in Resident Evil. The atmosphere and feeling of dread in this ungodly outpost kept my hackles on end. The gruesome sound of Lara squishing her way through all the spilt blood hallways made me think something awful was about to happen. And I absolutely loved the paintings hanging around the place. I recommend playing it alone in the dark with headphones just before bed. And then eat some cheese and bananas before turning in." - Deekman (08-Dec-2004) |
|
"An enjoyable romp through a somewhat bloodied derelict office complex. There was a lot of going back over previously explored territory but as the whole level takes place in a relatively small area this did not affect the gameplay adversely. There is a positive bean feast of keys to be picked up in a nicely textured and lit environment. The atmosphere was pleasantly tense and I loved the hounds. I couldn't quite make up my mind what to think about this level at first but having now finished it; I am left with a good feeling. Nice level." - Staticon (27-Nov-2004) |
|
"Emoo is one of my personal favorite authors for his great series Recon Labs but in my not so humble opinion this one is not up to his own standards. I mean it gameplaywise - I don't really remember having ever seen so many keys to find in one single level and what's more - the map of the level is not really big. So gameplay can be basically explained by find key open door find another key. I thought it was rather smart hiding replacement for keys in secret rooms so if you don't open that door with that key you'll not going to get the secret again. The level is pretty eerie and I will admit I jumped out of my chair once when that hell hound got my back. The sounds are fine (I especially like the sound when the pistol fires like if the walls were really being damaged) but I can't say the same about the textures lol. I mean the level looks great lots of blood around enhance the atmosphere of fear here but WHAT are those Marilyn Manson posters good for? Gave me a good laugh though. Recommended. 50 minutes 3 secrets. 11/04" - Treeble (13-Nov-2004) |
|
"Oh dear another dark scary level. The hounds look really awful and scared me every time they attacked. I was very happy to see the end of it walking around in blood trying to find keys keys and more keys is not my idea of fun-raiding. The atmosphere is great though and I really like to know what was eating Lara in the basement (I hate invisible enemies in dark places lol). 29-9-2004" - Josi (03-Oct-2004) |
|
"Great atmosphere good camerawork. 'Love' the dripping blood and the sound of Lara's footsteps in it. Gameplaywise there's a lot of keys to find and the keyholes to go with them and a lot of light buttons...All set in a rather small area where you run back and forth all the time. Enemies are undead dogs which are easily put away with one shotgun shot." - G.Croft (09-Sep-2004) |
|
"I haven't seen the movie so I don't know if the settings are similar to the movie's. I found the gameplay a bit boring because all the time Lara's finding keys. The enemies are only dogs and only in one place red beetles. There's also an invisible enemy that decreases Lara's health. Atmosphere sound and cameras are very well done; specially the cameras because always shows the next step. Lighting and textures are appropriates and match perfectly with the scene: an abandoned house. Great wall pictures specially the Marilyn Manson portrait; the best picture for the bedroom...." - Loupar (08-Sep-2004) |
|
"I have to begin by saying that this is pretty run-of-the-mill Emoo; but on the other hand average Emoo is very good indeed. I was especially impressed by the cadaverous restructuring of the dogs for which the level gets its name. They come out of nowhere at various times from start to finish but not to the point where it becomes tiresome. There are a lot of locks and a lot of keys but things progress in a logical manner and the level of difficulty is no more than medium. Emoo provides ample clues in the maps and diagrams that he leaves lying around and the lighting precisely matches the mood of the level. Now that I'm beginning Cinema 5 I feel that I've come to the seventh inning stretch and that the best is yet to come. What a marvelous gaming experience that's been given to the TRLE community absolutely free. I urge each one who has enjoyed these levels to submit his or her generous contribution without delay if that hasn't already been done." - Phil (07-Sep-2004) |
|
"This level should really have been named Hounds of Baskerville because there is a whole kennel of those gruesome beasts. It is set inside a group of mainly wooden office buildings on the country side. Grisly puddles of blood are all-over the place. Whatever you find in this level you find in excess. In particular there are countless keys to collect and lots of button switches (occasionally with obscure effects). Note that a couple of the secrets are not accessible if you use the corresponding keys in the 'wrong' keyhole first. If you want a little jumping challenge you can try to get a goodie by a basin before filling it with water. The trick is to get back without falling into the empty basin but it is of course easier to wait for the water. I wasn't very happy with this game mainly due to the lacklustre gameplay. However the setting is rather good apart from the overuse of certain features. The use of light switches was a nice touch and the dogs are well placed and startled me every time." - Bogey (04-Sep-2004) |
|
"This map made me jump! This is largely due to the excellent placement of rather disgusting enemies. I mean that in a good way! This level has more keys than any other I have ever known but I don't think you need every single one of them. It has good fights and a couple of easy puzzles. When compared to the marathon of the previous level I found this one almost relaxing (apart from all the times I jumped out of my skin). Good short adventure then nothing too hard nice bit of action and hardly a hint of frustration (although there may be for those who don't examine each room very carefully because they'll miss objects and sneaky routes). This map took me just 1 hour but I still managed to snaffle a secret." - gfd (06-Aug-2004) |
|
"The levels design and layout was just superb. So was the textures ad enemies. But this level spoils it by placing too many keys and running around looking for something to do. I mean come on 10+ keys in one level is a bit much. He didn't even label the keys. That's the only disadvantage about this level and that's why the gameplay rating is so low. Like I say the design and texturing was just fantastic. Blood on the walls and lots of incredible pictures. I am a fan of Emoo's work. I've played all his levels and this seems to be the best design. But its gameplay is not very good. It is also quite spooky too." - TombRaiderFan (03-Aug-2004) |
|
"Well the first impressions of this level after some 10 minutes or so are that the owner of this cottage manor whatever it is was a complete control-freak trying to lock every door of this house possible. Maybe he tried to hide the dark secret of the Hound of the Baskervilles? If that was the intention - well done indeed but for a while there don't know why judging from the gameplay I almost thought that this is an adaptation from 'The Others' where Lara in the role of Nicole Kidman's character has loads of keys (you won't believe how many keys one can put into a level till you've played this one!) and has to lock or unlock every door of the freaking house! It's confusing as hell initially and one wishes that besides the more than obvious naming - 'door key' some would actually say what they are for but unless you rush (or have to rush) through the level this really is half as bad as the area is rather compact so every key or keyhole is in your reach and you can approach this more systematically. The fun as hard as it is to believe doesn't end by the keys - there is a rather simple five switch puzzle and some simple fiery platforms also the 3 secrets of the levels are not to be missed as they're pretty cool areas of their own! The texturing and lighting was ok the light-buttons were a nice touch as were the blood stains with the dripping blood and the undead inner-organ-less hounds which surprise you time after time. Overall a very diverse gameplay from the rest of the gold levels what I suppose was the aim and it does fit in the game quite well from that aspect but as a single level more was expected indeed as the key hunt IMO is rather uneventful. That necessarily doesn't make this a bad level not at all but maybe there could've been more to it in that category. A fun raid nonetheless if you can take your time with it." - eTux (25-Jul-2004) |
|
"Hound of the Baskervilles. Nothing like it I'm afraid. This should have been titled 'Where's That Key?' All this level offers is a frustrating search for countless keys to open countless doors and yet you can end the level with two locks hymens intact. Puzzles except for the cellar doors where non existent and that particular one had a clue emblazoned on a wall so cryptic that the 'crossword puzzler' supreme would have been proud. There were also shootable fuse boxes one of which denied all attempts to smash it until I resorted to some explosive crossbow bolts. The hounds themselves were half dog half skeleton borrowed from another level but added little to the ambience of the level." - Torry (24-Jul-2004) |
|
"I don't know where this is set but it certainly isn't Dartmoor. You start off in a courtyard surrounded by wooden buildings some of which have the most fascinating artwork on the walls. Lots of buttons to push lots of doors to open lots of dogs to shoot and more keys to find than I have ever seen in one level some of them hidden in very strange places indeed. I did become quite confused running around trying to find them all but I thought the way all the areas eventually joined up was rather cleverly devised. Regrettably we never get to meet the giant hound but the atmosphere is good and although not my favourite of the TRLE Gold offerings it is still well worth playing." - Jay (21-Jul-2004) |
|
"This level you can only play after playing the 12 Monkeys by Thierry Stoorne. The story is spooky and this level is not a level for me to play in the dark. There are indeed the hounds that jump on you when you are turned around and I jumped quite a lot in my chair when they did that LOL. The main goal is finding keys and there are many to find. The lay out isn't that difficult but you need to remember where another lock is waiting for a key. Nice touch is the switches that turn on the lights as even it takes place at night it isn't so dark then. There is also a torch you have to find crates to pull/push. There is a map for the five switches in the cellar to find and even one for the pillar jumping. That I like. I found 3 secrets in this level. 30-06-2004" - Gerty (19-Jul-2004) |
|
"The Hound of Baskerville was actually the first film my parents went to watch when they started dating. Something I bet you didn't know or care about. Hard to imagine but back then it was considered as state-of-the-art spooky so I guess my father hoped that that it would frighten the hell out of my mother and she would cuddle up to him by way of seeking comfort. But the result was that my mother exited the movie theater thinking: 'What a twat' as she was more into the French Nouvelle Vague films at the time. But back to the level itself. Despite myself I quite liked this. I mean it starts as a key feast and there is a pitch dark mini maze that I found highly irritating but Emoo must have done something right cause no matter how often the dogs attacked it always scared the living daylights out of me (sadly enough there was no-one next to me to cuddle up to). Well yes it is a bit too dark and I think we could have done with less keys but once you get going it is strangely pleasing how the area opens up and although you have to do a lot of toing and froing there is a kind of inner logic to it and the ways are not that long. I liked the light switches the way the rooms interacted the strange force that ate away at Lara's health without providing a target and the hints you got for the puzzles. Unfortunately it was all over when I thought 'And now we're going to venture out into the swamp and meet the real beast.' Bottomline: Not that original as far as the gameplay is concerned but you simply have to go there for the most gripping atmosphere. And be careful not to slip in the blood puddles." - Dimpfelmoser (18-Jul-2004) |
|
"Apparently this is all about finding keys and opening doors but it's nevertheless much more than that. I'm always amazed at how far our level editor artists have taken the early possibilities of the engine and started creating new effects and ambiances... In that sense we can't say Emoo's style is one of the cleanest around but we may certainly guarantee he's taken the editor to new heights. Just look at the illumination effects he's created namely to emphasize the blood that keeps dripping from the ceiling in a certain place. It's the first time I've seen that. In fact this is as tomb raider bloody as it gets and I also liked the different sound of Lara's feet when stepping on blood drenched floors. The zombie-hounds were also very well positioned and made me jump from my chair every time which is something that hasn't happened much lately but I still remember that crazy feeling from my early tomb raiding days. Unfortunately there was a door that remained locked (maybe a secret?) the one that Lara reached through a gate opened by shooting at a fuse box located on the outside. Now where the hell (and hell as in hellish ambiance is the most correct word for this level) could the key be why will it have to remain forever lost together with the secret of the Baskervilles? I swear I've searched thoroughly but the textures are a little confusing at times - in fact I could almost guarantee Emoo likes abstract art. Of course one could say the author should have used some potentialities such as searching the many drawers that kind of thing. But the ambiance and the new (at least to me) use of some effects completely make up for that. This is real horror tomb raiding and perfectly achieved in that sense. My congratulations to you Szymon!" - Jorge22 (15-Jul-2004) |
|
"This level is as much about finding the right keyholes (and in one case in the right order) as it is about finding the keys. The keys are not named except for color but are color coded with the locks and that does help. Blood drenched with Lara squishing through bloody floors and being attacked by the Hounds from Hell. I think I jumped every time one appeared. Flickering lights and a very dark attic-like maze add to the overall presence of a feeling of doom. The art on the walls is nearly perfect and there are a few maps to guide the player through a tricky 5 switch area and then a room with columns/jumps. Not a large area to explore and confusing especially at the beginning and near the end. Don't be surprised if you forget where the keyhole is for the basement door or even that it's the next move. Well done Emoo." - Bene (15-Jul-2004) |
|
"I believe this is the most confusing level of all the TRLE Gold ones; at least it was for me. Too many keys to find and too many key holes but what's worse is that the keys have the same names and most the same colours. It was quite tedious to run around finding keys the entire time with no 'real' puzzles. At some point and after entering the basement the gameplay seemed to pick up for only temporarily. The atmosphere and setting are great much greenery and a spooky house with most rooms having blood stains all over and the most impressive effect was the blood drop from the ceiling at one room. The hounds were very vicious and you could see their bones sticking out I wonder how come they didn't turn into cannibals out of starvation and eat each other. There are some moving blocks involved and five switches from which you need to choose and open certain gates. I can't say it was a bad level it's just wasn't my kind of fun level. I found three secrets and owe a well done to the author." - Kristina (09-Jul-2004) |
|
"It's a level with so many keys to find in three houses with many switches and rooms it could be easy if you find the keys in the right order. Pay attention to two fuses that you need to shoot. They are high on walls. Only a few dogs surprising Lara from behind. For this kind of level it's fine." - Yoav (09-Jul-2004) |
|
"There's one thing for sure it ain't The Hound of the Baskervilles all us Sherlock Holmes fans know. But leaving that aside there are a number of hounds to encounter these would definitely fit into a misty moorland setting they're the business. Beyond starvation even beyond saving they are rotting away with their ribs exposed and their guts gone. Gosh I'm getting carried away here. The level yes of course. Well this is a kind of warehouse/base/office type place not in the best of condition and on entering some rooms you get to wonder what on earth is going on here. Blood everywhere like some poor unfortunate has met a gruesome death. Basically it's opening doors finding keys triggering things to happen and shooting things mainly those dogs. There are some intriguing little set-ups like the attic space above one office that's like a dark maze underground places where beetles chase you and the best of all is the cellar with switches the order of which opens three different gates. Something was leeching Lara's health down there and I couldn't figure out what it was. I thought perhaps it was those piles of what looked like burned ashes but I really don't know. Running around when you see the health bar will stop this. There's a torch to use and crates to pull and almost impossible to see keys to find even though they are right in front of your nose. It's one of the shortest levels in this Gold Project but it's on the same level of excellence. In my humble opinion there were too many dogs. Sometimes it's better to keep people looking over their shoulders in a spooky place and that heightens tension. Having dogs jump at you at ever turn makes you more prepared and lessens the tension. On the other hand in the original story the 'hound' appeared to numerous generations of the Baskervilles. Very compact level and filled with things to do. Keep a sharp lookout in each area in case you've missed something." - CC (01-Jul-2004) |
|
"Positively spooky level with a variety of absolutely stunning touches in terms of lighting effects and some eerie textures throughout. Set in a nightly surrounding you get to explore a fairly compact area of rooms for a lot of keys and need to keep a good sense of orientation and remember as yet unused locks so you can get back to them later. The basement holds a very clever 5-switch-puzzle for you. The Hounds are placed to great effect and will give a fright more than once throughout the game. This can be finished in less than half an hour of net gaming when you know where to go but will take you quite a bit more time initially and it's time well spent - don't miss it!" - Michael (28-Jun-2004) |
|