Levels listed...
TR5 - 31
TR4 - 3141
TR3 - 177
TR2 - 133
TR1 - 61
72368 reviews (20.4/level)
3532 (99.7%) walkthroughs
445 Hall of Fame levels
1221 levels rated >= 8
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release date: |
01-Jan-2005 |
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# of downloads: |
89 |
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average rating: |
7.38 |
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review count: |
38 |
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review this level |
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file size: |
30.58 MB |
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file type: |
TR4 |
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class: |
Cave/Cat |
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| Reviewer's comments |
"Has many controversial design ideas but at least it's not that long. Recommended with a walkthrough." - DJ Full (28-Sep-2022) |
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| "Another run of the mill Catacomb entry in this series, which should be somewhat expected (then again, might I take this chance to state once again that Catacomb is probably my least favorite wad/tga set out of the box). This one in particular relied a little too much on irregular floors and ceilings and triangular crawlspaces and monkeyswings, which made traversal a bit more of a chore than it'd usually be, as you quest after 4 gemstones to eventually claim the Golden Star and leave. 40 minutes, 4 secrets. 08/21" - Treeble (22-Aug-2021) |
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| "Unfortunately an adventure that is rough going right from the start. The player is introduced to a tricky monkeyswing that takes a full two minutes to use, which I did only to find that a boulder blocked my path. Okay, got the boulder removed and swung the whole thing again, grabbed a few things and dropped down. Whoops, turns out I missed a lever so now I have to do the process again a third time. Unfortunately that isn't the only instance of painstaking backtracking caused by missing something. Another major issue is a high amount of poorly marked climbable surfaces. I was confused by the explosion switch which didn't seem to do anything, and wasn't a huge fan of the maze, nor the awkward jump to the low monkeyswing in the tunnel. I did enjoy the colorful little pushable block puzzle, and the hunt for the bones. The visuals are functional - a single texture will overpower certain areas, but there is a decent variety in the lighting. 53 minutes." - JesseG (29-Jul-2021) |
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| "Nice and pleasant level to go, with many skeletons. I got rid of it only with the laser with a bullet in the head. Of course the usual labyrinth (not my cup of tea) was there, many crawled passages to discover. The texturing was a bit bumpy, but the whole was well lit (very little use of flares)." - Drakan (28-Apr-2020) |
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| "I actually thought this level got better
as I progressed. The starting room is a
bit wildly thrown together, the textures
aren't as attractive as usual for the
Catacombs settings and there's an
extremely tedious monkeyswing to traverse.
But you can feel the builder really
getting the hang of things as the further
you get, the tidier and more clean the
rooms become and the gameplay becomes more
interesting and less reliant on long
crawls and climbs. The pillar puzzle was a
highlight, as was the huge blue room near
the end (admittedly a bit empty looking).
I was a bit irritated that I progressed
quite a bit without the Pharos Pillar and
had to retrace my steps quite a way back,
but overall I had an enjoyable if slightly
frustrating time here." - Ryan (06-Apr-2018) |
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| "This level starts out badly with a rather confusing first room, strange crawlspaces and an ultra-tedious monkeyswing, but gets gradually better along the way. The gameplay is rather vague. i.e. some puzzles were rather illogical for me, and isn't very exciting either, but there's a certain charm to the tasks that makes the level still rather enjoyable. What lets it down a bit is that there are too many un-/badly marked ladders in this game, which could have been easily avoided. Just as the gameplay design the architecture is also rather unique, or better said: unorthodox, which works quite well in-game, creating a nice desolate feeling in this place. Texturewise this level could need more care though, and the lighting is also rather uneven - there are some rather badly lit objects at the start, yet there are some nice usages of colour further into the level. The large pool area with the bluish lighting was one of the highlights, even if the textures seemed a bit wallpapered here. Spent 35 minutes here and found four secrets." - manarch2 (06-May-2014) |
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| "This level gives an utterly terrible first impression, with
one of the most obnoxiously long and pointless monkey swings
I've ever seen along with tons of other backtracking if you
explore elsewhere. Even worse, if you use the monkey swing
before pressing a switch the way is blocked (all I can say for
this playthrough is thank god the flare-wall bug works there).
It's unfortunate as this awful design at the start sells short
the rest, which is quite fun and has some nice areas, like the
memorable blue room that makes up the second half of the
level. The texturing and lighting at the start is flat and
repetitive but it gets better later, the blue room has little
texture variety but it somehow works better than it should. A
very flawed entry, but one that shows some potential if the
gameplay pacing was looked at more." - Mman (26-Oct-2012) |
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| "This is a nice little btb level. The first impression was that it was an ordinary catacomb level but after playing a few minutes I was impressed by the gameplay and variety it has! I also like the map layout, especially the small hub and all the doors to the gems. The difficulty ramped up near the end and it got even worse as I forgot to shoot one of the bones earlier on :)
The puzzle with the pushables was very clever and had me thinking for a long time. I also got extremly scared two times in this level. Both due to explosions hehe. The last one that took care of the bugs was very cool. Overall a very good btb level that deserves a good rating. Way to go Tinka! 2005-10-08" - QRS (08-Oct-2005) |
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| "Operation Golden Star aka Cracks and Crawlspaces - but I don't want to start about the crawling again, I suppose the other reviewers told enough about that ;)
I usually don't freak out that much about stretched textures or cracks, but there were quite a lot of the latter in "Crac....umm - "Operation Golden Star". I don't mind cracks too much in general, but underwater they look rather out of place. The gameplay was pretty diverse, though the monkey swing in the entrance hall was a bit long and the ceiling was sloped so you needed to monkey swing sideways sometimes. The enemies weren't very dangerous and it seemed odd to me that they appeared in a room that had no other entrance than a tiny crawlspace (how the hell did the mummy get through that?). I guess I found all secrets, some of them were very well hidden. I think that in the end there were far too many audios used, it seemed sort of silly to me that every 5 seconds an audio started... anyway the lighting was ok, but I would have liked a bit more contrast, more dark spots and more brighter spots instead that everywhere the light is equally bright." - Horus (07-Oct-2005) |
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| "For some irrational reason, I was not looking forward to this level and, when I dropped into the mound room at the start, the feeling did not go away. Imagine my delight and pleasure, then, as I played on and discovered what a fun level this was. OK, its got beetles, which I normally hate, but they proved reasonably easy to dispose of, possibly a crawl-space or two too many but I can forgive this. It has a maze, pushing block puzzles, swimming and NO timed runs. The further into this catacomb I progressed, the more fun I had. Luckily, I have a bright monitor so the dark areas weren't too big a problem and I had plenty of flares. The texturing got better the deeper I ventured and the camera work was fine. It turned out to be less difficult than some earlier levels and suited my 'eternal beginner' style. Nice level Catherin." - Staticon (25-Sep-2005) |
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| Start with the underground cavern and the various crawl ways etc. There is a really tricky and long monkey swing to open up this section of the level, so beware. The object of the level is to find 4 gems, 3 Egyptian artefacts and of course the golden star. Enemies are encountered infrequently so keep your wits sharp. These are mummies, skeletons and wraiths. The game play is good, giving you enough hard parts to tax your skills without getting you fed up. The graphics make something special from the usual constructs, particularly in the blue room, which has variations on a theme. Lighting sets the mood with dark to light areas, and most shades in between, but you have flares if you need them. In all a level well worth playing. - Whistle (27-Jun-2005) |
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| "Those who played the levels one after another, won't be taken by surprise on this level. Our goal is to get the Golden Star, but before that, we have many things to do. We have to collect four Horseman's Gems, and some Pharos Pillars and Pharos Knots. It is important to pick up the lasersight from one of the vases at the beginning of the level, because combined with the revolver, we have to shoot five bones with it in order to complete the level. Aside from some difficult jumps, the level is not so hard, though we only have the Revolver against the skeleton, nothing else. It's not easy to firing aimed shots to their heads, so you better avoid them. I found four secrets, in each one besides some goodies, also a Token. You can find a Hungarian walkthrough (as we don't have English version), savegames and pictures here: http://www.treditor.hu/15/back_to_basics9_operation_golden_star.htm " - Obig (25-Mar-2005) |
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| "Well, with me never having found a crossbow or shotgun in this level, it certainly gave it a more military approach - as the only way to handle the pesky undead guardians of the tomb were headshots with the early on acquired revolver and lasersight. Once you get going it actually is pretty simple, but sometimes some sneakily hidden crawlspaces eluded me for quite a while. The long monkey swing and maze weren't my favourite errands in the level, but the funky movable block puzzle and huge blue room, to name a few things are quite interesting to do. The texturing could've been less chaotic, but overall Tinka's improvement from her debut is pretty blatant, so well done on that! I think that getting the desired golden star was a bit uninspired though, and could've been more pompous for such a prize, but that's minor. Fun level to play - especially if you're good at spotting crawlspaces, and working with the lasersight." - eTux (05-Mar-2005) |
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| "This Catacomb level offers a few challenging tasks, and this is welcome..and some of the enemies can be a threat, I really had a great time with some of the skeletons. Some originality shown in the puzzles, with flip maps involving explosions (one to get rid of beetles), a triple rope swing, a diagonal jump to reach a monkey swing, and a well made puzzle with pushing objects to raise 4 coloured raising blocks. The long monkey swing was also kinda fun and a puzzle of its own. Careful exploration is needed to not miss anything and to avoid backtracking. Lighting is ok, Lara appears in 3D everywhere I think, and Tinka shows here and there that she applies textures carefully, although more can be made in this category as many rooms have triangular textures not rotated, or compressed textures, but nothing too bad really. Good use of the audio tracks to disposition. An enjoyable one hour level." - eRIC (01-Mar-2005) |
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| "Interesting gloomy level in which you initially explore some caves for a pillar and four gems and then reach a little maze and a huge room with water falls. Keep your eyes open for sneakily hidden crawlspaces and not always immediately obvious monkey swings and climbable walls. I like the scene with the beetles, the room with the explosion and generally the way you work your way around the waterfall room area. This is actually the only level in the Back to Basics competition where you have to shoot 5 sets of bones. Solid fun, rather linear and last just over half an hour. Found 4 secrets." - Michael (01-Mar-2005) |
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| "Playing this level was an interesting experience, as you actually get to witness the Builders skill and confidence grow, as the game progresses. A slightly rough and ready first half (rather dimly lit rooms, stretched textures and an annoying maze), doesn't sufficiently prepare you for the second half inside a huge and impressive chamber. This is a spectacular and impressive place, with some good gameplay and well thought-out room geography, which opens out the level beautifully. This latter half is a fun challenge, and I recommend the level heartily as a result." - Orbit Dream (01-Mar-2005) |
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| "Early on, the texturing seemed kinda boring to me, but the deeper I got, the better the texturing got. I loved the big rooms once I got there. It seems like there were alternate routes to avoid being swarmed by beetles. There was a rope that turned out to be useless, and I was able to access upper areas by use of the corner bug instead of the rope." - Deekman (01-Mar-2005) |
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| "Here is a level where you really have to keep your eyes open. There are many hidden passages. I missed out on a switch and had to do some tedious backtracking, as there was no shortcut back. There are also some mazes, but they are not too bad, except that you have to do a lot of crawling. Some effects are a bit weird, like a mysteriously transforming wall, a secret which I ran into purely by accident, and a surplus rope. A very original pushable object puzzle also has a somewhat peculiar flavour. There are wraiths, but they are mostly for show, as there are bird statues nearby. There are also some other enemies which are somewhat irritating, but they can be dodged without that much difficulty." - Bogey (27-Feb-2005) |
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| "Finally some originality in crawlspaces and monkey swings in a level. Instead of the usual generic rectangular crawlspace you get here entrances more tightly and geometrically realistic that would be found in caves and ruinous places this also goes for the monkey swings with the very uneven flow so that you have to actually coordinate Lara to make it from one end to the other. Of course this in itself does not make for a level to run out and download but this also has some nicely ingenious moments such as the surprisingly obvious movable object puzzle that I for one over-thought making it much more of a puzzler than it had to be, there is also quite good placement of not only secrets, 4 tokens, but also necessary pick ups which made this an enjoyable explorer. When I finished, after 55 minutes, I did feel a slight sense that there was something missing but just don't ask me what it could be it was just a feeling, in the whole though this was an above average level that will make you think and keep you entertained." - Sash (18-Feb-2005) |
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| "First time around I was put off with that nasty monkey swing, specially because I had to do it twice. Next time around I knew what to do so I only needed to do it once. That also meant that I didn't needed to do that shimmy climb up to the main room again as that is utterly boring. For the rest it was a great level apart from the nasty skeletons that were hard to avoid sometimes and did cost me more medipack than I could find. The jump to the monkey climb near the water took a bit to get that right as I was standing not in the right place, doh. Still puzzled by (what seemed like) a door in the maze as I never opened it. You need to find the Laser Sight that is underneath a vase and the revolver appeared after the use of a flip map, although nicely done, it could have been a bit more hidden I thought. Secrets are tokens and I found 4, great idea. It took me about 2 hours to get through this level. 14-02-1005" - Gerty (11-Feb-2005) |
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| "Lara slides down but doesn't actually fall into this huge underground cave type room. So that means something - the start of a very long monkey swing, that's what. But before doing it there are some things to do down there on the ground. The only way to find out what is to run along all the walls and see what you come across. If you do the monkey swing first you'll get a nasty shock. Soon you'll reach a water room with closed door underwater and a short but awkward monkey swing, difficult to grab and difficult to hit the precise point at which Lara will grab a crawlspace. You can look upon this level as a pain or a challenge, I chose the latter. Early on there is a small object pushing exercise, but further into the level there is a unique, bigger and more colourful one that had me puzzled for a while. There's a nice water area with doors to open. Don't forget to shoot all the bones as well as picking up four gems in this area. Placing these four gems leads us into an enormous room where it's obvious that a pit needs to be flooded and you need to get up high onto ledges, but how? I looked at a differently textured wall for ages before it dawned on me to jump at it to climb up. The only problem you'll really have here are the beetles and unnecessarily releasing wraiths after shooting vases. These last rooms were a lot different looking to the other catacomb levels. I did like the look of all rooms though, texturing and lighting. Another good level in this challenge." - CC (04-Feb-2005) |
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| "I thought I wasn't going to like this game: 3 early slopes that were 'almost illegal' (Lara did the 'manic dance' bit but she could jump out of them), plus a monkey swing that seemed perversely difficult (easier at the 6th attempt), plus crawl spaces that you couldn't easily enter, plus broken ground in the early rooms that seemed unnecessarily awkward to travel across. Then there were the passages to swim into that were extremely similar, bar the colouring, plus a 2nd monkey swing that seemed rather obscure (not the monkey swing itself but the manner of reaching it). But once past these areas, the game, for me, improved significantly. The cold-hot-cold floor was a nice idea (actually quite early in the game as a nice contrast to the 'painful' bits), the maze was more interesting than one might have thought, despite being the same colour throughout and the main room that we reached made up for a lot that went before. This is a large, elegant room, with attractive paneling throughout (appreciated even more when we're at a higher level), and once you had worked out that you needed to brave a set of spikes to 'really begin' in this room, the challenges became the kind of thought-provoking TR-puzzles-in-an-attractive-setting that you look for in a game. (Well, this player does.) Yet again, some beetles (not Beatles!) were the worst thing to have to endure. But fortunately, being high-up, you could dispatch them to the lower reaches of the room if you hadn't already used a certain lever to 'blow them up', no less! I liked the fact that we had a camera on the first set of 5 bones we had to find, indicating that it was worthwhile to shoot them, and also on the last set, to show what our patient destruction had achieved. The earlier puzzle with the moveable pillars that had a 'multi-coloured' aspect was novel, too. And the spike trap that prevented the player who hadn't completed their 'mission' from finishing the game was another nice touch. I liked the last third of the game, and some other parts, and, wanting to be positive, as a player-only, who is aware to some extent of the hard work that goes into these games, I'm pleased that the low scores I'd prepared while in the earlier stageshave been able to be upgraded somewhat. Found four secrets with some help." - rjb (04-Feb-2005) |
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| "This is a nicely designed level where you start in a huge cavern to finish in a huge aqueduct. This builder is clearly a fan of realism and has angles everywhere to ensure that Lara's movements through tunnels monkey swings and crawl spaces was constantly hindered - yes it's true that tunnels etc. are never perfect rectangles but it's annoying to get stuck in an angle or go from walking to crawling every 5 seconds. The worst part was to reach the end of the mammoth long monkey swing in the beginning to be completely stuck even moving sideways didn't help - so it paid to save often while doing it. Enemies weren't too difficult to avoid with just enough skeletons to keep things interesting. There is a problem with the scarabs however if you miss collecting the last pharos knot as it is well hidden backtracking isn't possible as scarabs fall down on you each time the crawlspace is used and the lever to kill them can only be used once - so you have no choice but to load a previous savegame or put up with them literally chewing through your health until you can make your way to the ground below. The puzzles were straightforward and not too difficult to accomplish. Gameplay was a bit tedious in some areas: if you missed the laser sight you had to undergo a long ladder climb back to the large cavern; if you embarked on the monkey swing straight away (it's right in front of you who wouldn't?) and make it all the way to find you can't access the crawl space just yet; Then of course if you miss the pharos knot then you'd have to do the rope swing all over again - these can all be avoided by loading previous saves but disrupts gameplay intensely. However these little disruptions aside it's a straightforward level that was generally fun to do." - Jenni (26-Jan-2005) |
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| "The orders are crystal clear! Get in - grab the golden star - get out! A clear mission - I like that! Easy gameplay (as long as you don't run too fast when you see a skeleton...) except for one nasty jump to a monkey swing. A looong monkey swing and swimming to different areas will make you find four gems and then two knots to take you where to put the gems. Find the star (of course) and a pillar to get you out." - G.Croft (25-Jan-2005) |
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| "Not a bad level but not among my faves in the competition either. Too many crawlspaces rarely challenging enemies and one of my pet hates: a secret hidden behind a normally textured wall that actually is a door (shall Lara bang her head against every wall to find such things?). I was missing surprises a bit see for example the underwater doors where you pick up jewels in exactly the same way every time. But the atmosphere (more cave-like than most competitors) was okay and so was the difficulty level. And I loved the 4 pushables puzzle!" - Rüdiger (25-Jan-2005) |
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| "Operation Golden Star was carried out with military precision. After lying low in a large cave that didn't really capture my imagination I hauled ass up and down that steep hill several times just like at bunker training trying to get some door action in the pool below. Eventually business picked up with a colourful pushblock puzzle that was well conceived. Face to face combat with the enemy was low key. Finally arriving at the large grey temple with some prompting from raiders that had gone before me I swung crawled and stumbled my way to the finish - mission complete. There were some interesting moments in this level but overall it didn't really do it for me. There are some technical flaws and the author has applied some lazy texturing in the earthy rocky areas with many squashed textures apparent. Having placed the 4 gems if one bypasses the flyby the underwater door is not triggered and Lara is left stranded. I had no problem with the jump to the monkey swing in the water area but can see how some found it a bit tricky. There is an unexplained expanding block in the maze which seemed to serve no purpose other than to provide an alternative exit to the level. I did enjoy the explosion special effect. Architecture and texturing is in parts effective but a bit simplistic sounds and cams were in general suitable and helpful. I did not feel that lighting was effectively used to create a truly unique and inviting atmosphere. My favourite memory of this level is the block puzzle. So overall not a bad gaming experience but unspectacular in the visual department. More attention to detail in texturing room design and lighting could make this a more enjoyable raid. I took 1:23 to complete this one and finished with 3 secrets a token and a Golden Star in my backpack so I guess Operation Golden star was a success." - EssGee (25-Jan-2005) |
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| "A nice level to play looking for the Golden Star you will eventually find in a room after you had to open lots of doors and find 4 Gems 2 Knots. The Pillar will open the end door. The level looks great and the puzzles were not hard but nice 4 Tokens to find as secrets. One hole in a ceiling didn't open for me. Or was it the famous red herring again? Nice level for a bit of rest after High and Low with all the hard jumps..." - Dutchy (24-Jan-2005) |
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| "You start this lovely adventure by sliding into a cave type area where your mission starts in search of the 4 pharos knots a star and some gems. This is quite an easy level to complete but keep in mind that some things are well hidden and some exploring is required. In the first part of this adventure you need to collect your gems a pharos knot shooting some objects solving a pushable object puzzle and pulling some levers to help you to proceed further into the next area. During the next stage of your adventure will need to find your way around a maze releasing some ropes flooding an area and to find some other important items along your way to help you in completing this level. You're not dealing with too many enemies here but occasionally you will come across some mummies skeletons beetles and some wraiths which do not cause too much of a threat to you and can easily be avoided if your quick enough and know where to go. In general this level was a very well laid out objects were nicely placed textures and lighting was wonderfully done which gave you a great atmosphere during this adventure. This is a nice and fairly easy level to complete with some fun moments during game-play and I would recommend it." - Gill (23-Jan-2005) |
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| "Seems like one of the reviews mentioned an overabundance of crawlspaces. I began to get that feeling too after a while but it never got to the point where I felt like screaming. This is one of those competent middle-of-the-road entries in the BTB competition. This one took a little bit longer to complete than the others about 70 minutes but there was plenty to do along the way and I had an enjoyable time. There were four secrets scattered about where you picked up coins you never got an opportunity to use. The golden star for which the level gets its name is obtained near the very end and all it does is deactivate a spike trap that would otherwise keep you from ascending the final ramp to end the level. Fun gaming as has been true of all the BtB levels so far (16 and counting)." - Phil (20-Jan-2005) |
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| "A good level with a gameplay well thought but some things are not so good like: Geometry is quite deficient and although there aren't visual defects it looks too much 'squared'. Textures seems to be applicated hurry and running in any way. The situation of the crowbar thrown in the middle of the room between another objects is an ugly detail having account that is an essential item to finish the level. The necessary items to continue playing must be always in well defined localizations like over a pedestal at the end of a passage ... and no in any place (if it was for a secret it would be another thing). Now the puzzles are very good to continue advancing you don't have to go back so much cameras are very well and there are situations which makes you think like a real explorer." - Jose (18-Jan-2005) |
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| "While the starting room gives a false impression of a dark confusing level 'Operation Golden Star' is in fact quite bright and straightforward. And very colorful at that not an easy thing when it comes to Catacombs. Gameplay is easy - maybe a bit too much to the seasoned players - although you might get stuck here and there not knowing what to do next. In this case look for a crawling space either high or low and you'll find your way. A couple of very nice details - apart from the aforementioned colors like the unique way you get rid of beetles (you gonna love it I know I did). The main criticism I have to make about it is its unevenness especially regarding atmosphere. Some places are awesome - like the huge blue room or the red little room (which by the way comes with a nasty surprise) others are rather dull. It makes up for diversity but just spoiled the enjoyment for me. A little bit that is. And some cameras should have been only shown once not each and every time you cross a certain place to the point of becoming quite disruptive. Otherwise a nice level I'll probably play again if only for the colors and the beetles demise." - Sutekh (18-Jan-2005) |
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| "It starts so plain that made me think this might be a bit boring but never judge a book by its cover and in this case don't judge from the beginning because you don't know what surprises await you. I found out that the whole level was actually hiding behind the walls of the big brown textured area at the start and it was a good one. There are small cracks in the wall that will take you to areas different every time to explore. It's not difficult there is a short maze a few items to find like pillars a knot gems the desired item the star of course and the spike ball trick at the start was a nice touch. There was a block in the maze that I never found how to lower I'd like to know what was behind it. The wraiths and beetles were annoying mostly because of the crawlspaces that you have to use so it's hard not to lose much health before you can get rid of them. A nice little adventure and don't forget to shoot the bones. I found two secrets that were tokens. It would have been nice if there was a secret area we could access if we found all the secrets." - Kristina (17-Jan-2005) |
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| "I could almost guarantee this was built by someone yet not very experienced. We're dealing with fairly simple textures and a linear sequence of events here. There isn't much beauty but everything is correct even though the colors sometimes seem to be thrown somewhat by accident. Lara must find several artifacts and shoot some bones throughout the game so she can proceed and finally find the golden star. Then she'll be able to get back to the surface using an elevator as in several other games in this competition. I found two secret tokens. Some skeletons mummies beetles and ice wraiths make your life a little harder but they're easily disposable. Still there were two times when I found myself stuck both of which times when I forgot to look up. Thus my advice: if you're stuck look up. All in all it's a nice game and I enjoyed it. (January 16 2005)" - Jorge22 (16-Jan-2005) |
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| "The quest for the star starts in a large underground cavern that takes only a few minutes to reconnoiter (George would like that term no?). With a lone mummy staggering around enemies down here are no problem. Prepare for a very long monkey swing with some interesting twists that bog the progress down a bit. Once you're on your way up and into the other rooms interest picks up along with your fun. I thought the author of this game devised some good hiding places for secrets and such. Further into the game I was disappointed when a crawl space never materialized in one spot of the maze. It looked like it should open but no matter how many times I thought I might have triggered it it didn't. All in all a most enjoyable raid! For this one Tinka my bet is on you." - Mugs (16-Jan-2005) |
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| "If you're in the midst of BtB levels and you've temporarily timed out on timed runs difficult jumps and areas where you are almost guaranteed to get lost this level is for you. This is an oasis of classic tomb raiding in a compact cavern setting with lots of crawl spaces some of which Lara has a difficult time getting into. The resolution of the moving statue puzzle was one I don't think I have seen before - all the while keeping an eye on those two skeletons just waiting to jump up and give Lara a hard time. The problems I had with the monkey swing can I think be attributed to the level editor itself and not the fault of the builder. I had difficulty getting Lara to grab a ledge directly below the MS. Something that has never been hard to do. This is a search for four gems and some pharos pillars leading to the Golden Star. The last pillar is one of two places you may get stuck. It's in a sneaky spot in an otherwise empty room. The other is in a (again) sneaky crawl space set higher than where I was looking. This author one of my favorites seems to builds levels to please himself and not necessarily to impress other builders. In doing so he manages to give the raider an atmosphere where there's exploring to be done and fun things to do and see without a whole lot of stress. Right before the end there's a shortcut back to the maze that I used to get that last third secret. I knew where it was just not sure at what point it became available. Short and very sweet. Recommended for all raiders. If the author is not who I think it is I will be very much surprised. All part of this guessing game - even being wrong can be fun." - Bene (13-Jan-2005) |
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| "And the award for the most boring monkey swing with assorted tedious crawls and a rather long climb goes to - pause for dramatic effect- 'Operation Golden Star'. A pity really that this level was so user-unfriendly cause it had some nice twists and I liked the final room that had a distinctive non-catacomb feel to it. But the author wasn't quite satisfied when he put a crawl at every turn of the adventure no he had to design them so cunningly that you got stuck in them all the time. Likewise the monkey swing would give you some trouble as in some places it was just a little too steep. Well and if that wasn't enough to irritate you you eventually got a proper maze to finish you off. Has been ages since I came across one of those. I can only assume that the author is not a regular at the forum otherwise he would have known how much everyone hates the maze and crawlspaces. In between there are some levers to push crawlspaces to squeeze through a really great pushing object puzzle various crawlspaces bones to shoot ropes to swing from and I found 3 secrets all hidden after some -yep you guessed it - crawlspaces. I liked the use of textures in that each area had a completely different feel to it and still it all came together. What I didn't like apart from the crawlspaces was the fact that it was easy to overlook the Pharao's Pillar and that there weren't any jumps but then that goes by definition as it is pretty tricky to jump when you are on your knees." - Dimpfelmoser (10-Jan-2005) |
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| "A 'Back to Basics' level using the catacomb wad so I won't go into detail about enemies and objects - you know the score. There are a lot of little nooks and crannies here so be prepared to fossick about on your hands and knees a bit. I managed to miss a ladder in one room and only noticed it when I found the revolver and went back to shoot the head off a skeleton. See it really does pay to be vindictive. There's a very well constructed moveable piece puzzle and I found two secrets." - Jay (10-Jan-2005) |
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| "What a great mixture of fun filled rooms in this level. Beginning in a cave type room with sneaky hidden crawl spaces you'll get your first glimpse of an enemy mummy as you attempt to protect yourself from a nasty boulder run through another carefully and well placed crawl space. Next there's a small object move room which will take you up to get a much needed item here enemies will arrive to add to the excitement. Moving on you'll slide down to get the gems you so desperately need to take with you. You will arrive in a pool and under water you'll enter beautifully coloured rooms and also have to do some shooting in order to proceed through the next door skeletons are waiting for you so hurry up and get out of there. You will eventually come to a large room with other places to reach to get the pillar knot and star here you will have a rope jump to make meet a beetle attack and avoid wraiths. When you have your star you can leave the level contented you had another great Raiding experience in this wonderful challenge. Interesting and fun nicely textured rooms plenty of excitement and searching and certainly never dull; this is a must to play." - Moonpooka (05-Jan-2005) |
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