Level reviews

"I played this over the span of five days and I'm glad I did. These are beautiful and dense jungle levels, no doubt about it, but the thing is that they're massive. Without the walkthrough I'd probably not get anywhere, so thanks to Sutekh for the very detailed guide she's written. Atmosphere is top notch and there were quite a few occasions where I was struck with a weird sense of nostalgia, taking me back to the times I'd first discovered TR3 India back in 1998. Navigation can be a bit disorientating at times, because not only the levels are massive but there's a lot of going back and forth (and up and down) to be done here and then there's a whole lot of swimming too. Some of the Egyptian assets felt a bit off in here, but nothing to the effect of harming atmosphere or gameplay. Definitely get the secrets to access the bonus level, there were some very cool geometry nods to TR1 in there. 4h25min, 9 secrets. 12/22" - Treeble

"This is a worthy successor to the original and it carries on the same excellence in design that the first did. I won't go on about all the wow moments as there are many and they have all been covered before in earlier reviews. What I do want to mention is one or two negatives and not to blast the level but to encourage better design options. In level thee from memory you are tasked with lighting two skeleton skulls. How on earth is the player supposed to discern this? You would not attempt it in real life as bone does not burn so why would a player even consider this action? Please. keep things realistic as much as possible. One point off for that as without the walk through I would never had figured that out. Then the electric wraiths where only shallow pools are provided to extinguish them. This resulted in relying on dumb luck more than any skill and completely vexed me and a lot of other players I would imagine. Other than those points I really enjoyed the just over five in game hours I spent here, including the bonus level." - Torry

"I may have had some niggles with the first Jungle Ruins episode (while enjoying it greatly), but I found this second part to be a much more enjoyable affair. The textures are much more pleasing to the eye (I didn't mind the mixture of textures that much) and aside from a few dark spots, the lighting is well up to standard and atmosphere/audio usage is excellent. There's also less reliance on tedious backtracks this time around (although there is still a bit of retracing of steps to be done in this segment) and also no fatal stuck points that I could determine. You still get a great variety of gameplay here though; a bit of everything, ranging from torch and block puzzles, to timed runs, traps, jumping sequences and plenty of exploration. Do try and find all the Golden Skulls if you can to get into the bonus level, as this has some of the best gameplay on offer here. I thought that the tightrope sequences were a bit too long- winded and I didn't care so much for the dark corridor filled with raptors, but overall this is a highly recommended experience and it was well worth the 4 hours and 45 minutes it took me to reach the helicopter." - Ryan

"It's nice to play for a change a level where I'm sure the builders want to keep me immmersed, inspired and thinking instead of getting me trolled. Maybe except from the bonus level but that was, yes, a bonus level, so I dared to enter and I got what I wanted... Just play this, worth it." - DJ Full

"I had a more enjoyable time with this one than I had with the original, while the first two levels were styled similar to it's predecessor (which I complained about) things start to get better on the third, and I start to really enjoy on the forth to the bonus. I really liked exploring the village ruins, the ambiance made it a really relaxing experience, I also liked how different from some of the first ones pieces, this one could mix textures from different games really well and it certainly is a pleasant site. My main complains are with some of the gameplay, some puzzles (like the torch and the "Box on the wall") tend to be a bit overused, which made some parts seem really repetitive, also, this is not a major problem, but, no T-Rex at the end of the bonus level? xoD That area was really big and it really looked like the one in TR3. Overall I left this one on a good note, and I can't wait to play the sequel." - SeniorBlitz

"A great continuation from the first. Some tricky puzzles, tight timers, and very well hidden blocks makes this a wonderful challenge. Fantastic environments in-keeping with the jungle theme but doesn't mimic any other levelsets of the same class. It was a nice touch that the more difficult secret of each level would unlock a bonus level if you find them all. Took a little over 7 hours to play (including time taken to play bonus level)." - izzynoodles

"Return to the Jungle Lake (6-8-9-8): A decent start to the series with a return to the setting of the previous part (for a short time though). There is much exploration to do yet indeed it's surprising there's actually not so much to do here and everything is achieved easily and quickly most of the time. The torch puzzle was quite nice as well as the double timed run but otherwise the tasks are all fairly uninspired and involve a lot of to and fro. The atmosphere of this level is nicely constructed with a strong natural feeling, texturing is quite good too, yet the lighting still tends to be a bit bland. The secret was very easy to find. 30 minutes.
Jungle Pools (7-8-8-8): The swim sections at the start and in the end of the level are fairly long and perhaps could've been reduced, thankfully the "middle" of it is better, with a very nice torch puzzle and three interlinked timed runs that are well thought out and one rather nice secret to be found as well (the other is hard to miss). What I didn't like was that the large pool area was largely copied from the previous level and the lighting also didn't much improve as well, yet it's still a rather nice, compact level that is rather fun to play on the whole. 25 minutes.
The Lost Temple (7-8-8-7): Lighting is like the typical late GMac levels - very grey and uninspired, with occasional strange coloured spots - really not very believable or eye-catching. The texturing also is a bit repetitive here and I found a (not that obvious) paper thin wall here too. The gameplay is okay here, if you can ignore a few lengthy and tedious tasks there is a lot of platforming (for a change), decent yet predictable use of the torch and a timed run (are there no other ideas than mixing those two elements in all levels?), on the whole it has rather nicely paced and enjoyable flow. Putting Egyptian objects in those levels like the Horus eye is not such a good idea here as well as those yetis that somewhat felt out of place, yet not as much and they are actually fairly well set into scene. Both secrets are rather nice. 30 minutes.
Village Ruins (6-8-9-9): A very beautiful level with great atmosphere, nicely designed and connected areas and professional usage of texturing and lighting. Also the gameplay has a few good things worth to be mentioned, like the nice exploration/platforming over the rocks, but on the whole I must say that the continuous backtracking across very long distances really killed much of the fun in this part. Most of the sequences at least need to be performed twice, but some even more often and that even if you are following the intended path - and long ladders, shimmying sections and the like do their best to bore even more. Especially in the village things are really not enjoyable anymore, when you have to return to the upper section a third or perhaps even fourth time. Why not providing much more helpful shortcuts? The secrets are actually well hidden, yet also with included backtracking for one of them ... enough said about this. 45 minutes.
Lost Caves (7-8-8-8): Gameplaywise this part is actually better than those before, including a bit of everything. There are some tedious parts (like some pushables and the swims through the UW tunnel) but overall this is clean fun and this time with more attention to traps (like the fire tightrope et al.), which are almost completely missing in the other levels (or don't pose a larger threat). I only had to take away a point because it's possible to use the torch for the secret, return to the previous level and then come back being completely stuck because the torch is gone and you can't open the exit door. The atmosphere is inspired from TR 1 here and it works well, though it still has a bit of the blandness the earlier levels suffer from, although one or two areas are fairly atmospheric. The secrets were clever although also combined with rather huge backtracks also through the previous level. Altogether 30 minutes.
The Temple of Water (8-8-9-9): Not an always enjoyable level, but it has its great moments like the timed run over the roofs,the collapsing tile sequence and globally spoken rather nicely placed enemies. There are less inspired moments too like the dark pseudo-maze (not a maze at all but confusing due to the darkness, even with a torch in hand), the long and pointless swims (also with yo-yo-backtracking) and a few unavoidable health losses. The atmosphere of this all is quite successful and the visuals are also quite strong as well. 35 minutes.
Summary: As in the prequel there are a couple of elements that really should've been cared for, and given the skill of the builders that show in parts of the game there are parts that are rather rushed. Still all levels, also like before, work well together as a unit, although this time there are small deviations (e.g. the natives are used as tinmen in one level yet "normally" in all others) which don't have such a large impact. One large problem of most levels is backtracking that seems to be a regular design element of the builders' and sometimes is used to an extent that makes the levels fairly tedious, added to the often missing variety. All in all another strong game yet I felt that it all could've been much better. Still recommended; found nine sometimes very easy, sometimes very complex and interesting secrets in 3:15 hours." - manarch2

"What a great adventure this is and not only because I love jungle levels but also because the gameplay and atmosphere is in a classic style and that I love most. There are 5 impressive levels plus 1 bonus level if you can find all the 5 secret golden skulls and I can say it is absolutely worth it as the bonus level has the most challenging gameplay in this set. Well first levels are a bit easier but as you progress further the challenges become harder. There is lot of exploration, some nicely hidden pushblocks but always on the fair side, also platforming, jump sequences and timed runs always a fun here, excellently chosen enemies and objects and very nicely fitting sounds in background and lot of nice surprises. I don`t really have complains about this game only some minor really minor thing and that some textures could have been applied with more care but that`s just really very little thing which I don`t really mind as the design of the areas, lighting,how objects are placed and music creates all the fantastic aspects that the atmosphere is eyecandy and that the exploration is a pleasure. I think there is no need for me to write more about this adventure as others have said all so I can only say definitely don`t miss this masterpiece! 10/10/10/9" - OverRaider

"While an NG version is rumoured to be coming, it seems that'll be no time soon, and I wanted to replay the whole series. While the level of detail is good and each level has a convincing atmosphere there's a lack of coherence to the design as a whole; it takes textures from basically every "ruin" in the series, and it gets kind of odd to go to places with Scottish, Indian and South Pacific textures all in one (this does keep things varied though, and avoids the issue of too much grey that I had with Jungle Ruins NG, even if that pack is much more visually polished overall) Especially when the penultimate (non-secret) level switches things from an Indian Jungle to a Pacific one. The bonus level is also an odd switch, but it gets away with it by being a bonus, and it's kind of interesting to see a fledgling version of GMac's now trademark Imprisoned Spirits design style. The lighting is also overly white throughout (although this improves in the last couple of levels). It's cool to see fully-working living statue enemies that can block bullets too.
Gameplay involves a decent variety of tasks (in particular there's some interesting torch puzzles), and keeps things interesting, although there are one or two moments towards the end where the backtracking gets a bit much. There's also an odd difficulty spike at Village Ruins, where the ramp up in exploration and complexity doesn't feel smooth with the (relatively easy) design that came before. I actually quite liked the spike in complexity as it was pretty easy before that, but it kind of seemed to come out of nowhere (presumably another designer worked on that level). Occasionally large areas seemed a little empty, but that's the only other issue I had. It seems to have aged a little thematically, but it's an enjoyable set beyond that, and if the NG version does come out I won't mind revisiting it again." - Mman

"Considering points for this game I was confused. Although the game is quite nice I had moments where I was very unsatisfied from the gameplay. Many times I turned off the game, just because I was bored with it. The only thing that made me to say “whow!” was the architecture. This one was really well crafted with some nice touches. Any other things like lighting, texturing and objects are fine but I don’t find them very special. [b]Return to the Jungle Lake[/b]: The return to this location was quite pleasant because author made some nice modifications for example he reduced the amount of stretched textures and cracks. Gameplay is nice too. I was surprised when I met shivas attacking me and I immediately thought about Temple Ruins in TR3. So it’s good back to the roots. In spite of these changes this level still isn’t breath-taking in my opinion, but the difference between this level and the earlier levels of GMac is very evident. [b]Jungle Pools[/b]: Personally I don’t like this type of levels. It has huge areas with not too much of gameplay. When I play it, I have the feeling that the author wasted a lot of well designed space. When I arrived to the first big area I thought there will be a lot of things to do there. I was worried because I don’t like swimming underwater, but I was also interested in exploring this cave. I was very surprised and annoyed when it turned out that I only have to make a few things there and go ahead to another big area. And this kind of gameplay was through the rest of the level. I didn’t like the areas, even this on where were many trees. So I was happy when I finished it and I didn’t had to continue it. That’s a pity because those areas had an unused potential. [b]The Lost Temple[/b]: This level will stay in my mind as very good one. Atmosphere is mysterious what I like and the texturing is very nice too. Gameplay is also well made what can be seen for example in the big room with cages. If this room was a little bit darker I would be very scared of it. This moment will stay in my memory for a long time. You can be scared because you know what will happen if you take the shotgun. The only puzzle in this level is tiring and not satisfying. There are some well thought jumps also. These all elements make this level very enjoyable. [b]Village Ruins[/b]: This is my favourite level in this game. The architecture is brilliant and so is texturing. I was impressed by the size, atmosphere and beauty of this level. We move around very realistic built village which is set in the jungle. Raider X made a great job. I sometimes got lost in these big rooms. The gameplay consists of jumps and opening doors to get further what is enjoyable but unfortunately sometimes boring what is rewarded by the great atmosphere. To make it better I would add a little bit more flybys. [b]The Lost Caves[/b]: It’s quite interesting level. Here are difficult challenges like balancing on a rope or jumping over the lava. You can meet raptors here, which returned after TR3. The level is a little bit short but very unique, so you can enjoy it. It has a magnificent scene at the end. [b]Temple of Water[/b]: The last (bonus) level in this game but very specific one. Everything is set in a big temple with open top so you can see that there is night. First parts of gameplay aren’t nice at all. But when you go further and start to explore the dark corridors with torch you can even have a heart attack! It’s very mysterious place and I was very excited when I was playing it. When I arrived to the big area with the temple structure in the middle, I was sure this is the end of the level. I was wrong. I was only half way through it. Gameplay is really good. If this kind of it was in all of the GMac’s levels the game would be much more interesting. Another room with brilliant atmosphere was in the big area with the raptors. There was a great battle! Then I arrived to the cave complex I was a little bit annoyed that level is turning out to be longer and longer. But finally I managed to finish it. Again, Raider X and George Maciver gave us hours of fun in front of the screen. The environment looks better than in previous part of adventure, so the game is more enjoyable. Congratulations to the authors for this good game." - jawi

"I played this level as a prerequisite to joining the JR3 Dev Team, so I could get an insight to what George and Todd had been creating with their series. There are many hours of fine, and challenging raiding in this set, where you find yourself placed amongst rich atmospheric jungle/temple environments. What's great about these levels is the continuity that the builders have developed between their levels and it all flows really well. There is one nasty timed run combo, that has little room for error, but other that that, it's all good thinking man's raiding. The levels are beautifully textured with interesting and realistic feeling environments, and the accompanying soundtracks and flybys are always in just the right spot to add to the sense of being there. Enemies are never over-used and add nicely to the gameplay experience. Welcome to the Jungle - go play it." - EssGee

"Return to the Jungle Lake (7/8/9/8, 60 min., 1 secret): The helicopter drops you into a familiar setting (at least if you have played Jungle Ruins 1) and initially you simply run through rooms you know from the prequel. Like Jorge, I soon found this a bit boring, because there is surprisingly little to do in a rather vast setting. A bit of jumping, some levers, only the use of the torch offers a few highlights. Enemies are also few (fish, croc, tiger, natives, wraiths and the always funny shivas). Jungle Pools (7/8/9/8, 40 min., 2 secrets): You start this part swimming and exploring large bodies of water for underwater switches - quite tedious. Enemies are as before with a few sharks added and there is a rather fierce battle with two shivas in a small room. You move on into deeper jungle and there is a set of timed run which is pretty much the highlight of this part. Nice little block puzzle for a secret. The Lost Temple (7/8/9/8, 60 min., 2 secrets): Again large open spaces here as you explore a temple or more Castle type setting. Again a timed run and some use of the torch provides the gameplay highlights, on the downside there are a few longer (ie tedious) shimmy passages to deal with. Enemies are scorpions, natives, baboons, wraiths and there is a fun battle with a whole group of those grunting yetis. Village Ruins (8/8/10/8, 75 min., 2 secrets): The builder has changed and so does the setting. Suddenly much more dense and confined spaces to roam around in and darker too. This level is probably the most complex of the set, with some sneaky push blocks, sort of non-linear progression around the Village, good flybys and a few spots which are tricky to navigate. The exploration in, around and on top of the huts in the village was great fun and the secret you needed the torch for was well conceived. Enemies are only the inhabitants of the village and a few snakes. Lost Caves (9/9/9/9, 45 min., 2 secrets): This part has a really strong TR1 feel to it as you walk through the caves. Compys and raptors roam the place and you need to do long swims, tightrope walks including a burner (tough), smartly use a torch and push blocks around (a bit tedious). For one of the secrets you even get to return briefly to the previous level. It is possible to end the series here, but you better don't because there is a full bonus level you do not want to miss. The Temple of Water (9/9/10/10, 60 min.): I am glad I did find all the 5 skulls needed for the bonus level, because to me this is clearly the best of the series. Rather smooth progression in stunning surroundings with caves and a lot of water and that big temple in the middle of everything. You are out to collect a series of gems and there is a tight timed run, jumps over collapsible tiles, jumping around platforms in a high room, timed fire tile switches and more to accomplish. Also plenty of enemy action with yetis, buzzing wraiths, sea hags, raptors, natives and a panther and a nice final battle with a bunch of raptors while a wraith is buzzinf around you and you need to watch your step to not hit a deadly pool. All in all, I am almost with Jorge, this series stars out a bit dull, as if it were put together too quickly to produce a sequel to Jungle Ruins 1, but it is absolutely worth persisting as it keeps getting better and better towards the end." - MichaelP

"This adventure is something special. I don't know what it is really. Maybe the fact that it involves two of the most beautiful levels I have ever seen. Maybe it is the overall feeling. I don't know...To sum it up this is the best of the jungle ruins adventures. The search for the skulls..the trip to the final secret skull to access the bonus level.. The huge and simply amazing temple stage.. the complex layout of the village level...the very clever torch puzzle in the caves..Everything fits so perfect and are so well done that I almost cry at the thought of myself trying to build levels LOL! Seriously though, it is an inspiration to see this! I have absolutly nothing to complain about while playing this game. Everything is just perfect. Way to go guys! All tens from me." - QRS

"Another wonderful sequel to Jungle Ruins, I loved it. There could have been more secrets and more enemies. But all and all I love the teamwork they put into this." - dantheraider

Return to the jungle lake It was a pleasure to return here. Soon you reach new areas, a beautiful jungle area and temples. I was happy to fight the Shivas. Plenty of discovery and puzzles to solve. A great and pure India level. Jungle pools At first a lot of swimming in beautifully designed underwater caves before reaching the main area where plenty of tasks await the player. Particularly liked the timed doors for the torch and the timed run to light it. More shivas, tigers and natives and a fine movable block puzzle that took me a while before I got it right. The lost temple A very huge and very high temple with plenty of exploration, blocks puzzles, and fun jumps in the heights. Finding the secret golden skull was a most satisfying experience. The fight with 4 yetis is also memorable. Village ruins A greatly designed level that reminds a bit the Pacific Costal village in TR3, but in a more complex way. Oh yes it was complex! The difficulty is not in the tasks or jumps to perform but in some choices you have to make to find the right way. This daunting and dark level is beautiful and atmospheric. Lost caves A bit shorter than the previous levels in this series if you don't go for the secrets, not very difficult except for the walk on the tight rope challenge aggravated by fire burners. Except for this false good idea, the level is pleasant although a bit on the dark side. A new and threatening background atmosphere when exploring these TR1 caves with lots of greenery. Temple of water (bonus level) A great delight from start to finish. Tough enemies (raptors, wraiths , sea medusas , yetis) and a lot of fun in the tasks at hand. The highlights are a great timed door while jumping on the roofs of the temples, a great run over collapsible tiles, or a fun riddle with jumps to flip switches on high ledges to turn off fire burners. A pleasant detour by TR1 textured caves before returning in the Lost caves and finishing this great series of levels. Thank you George and Todd for this raid (just add more ammo next time). - eRIC

Halfway into this marvelous adventure I knew that the numbers for my review were a foregone conclusion. I would not hesitate to buy this off the shelf if it were the only way I could get it, and I'll definitely make plans to play it again at least once more in this lifetime. It was Arthur C. Clarke who, I believe, once said that the technology of a culture sufficiently advanced would be indistinguishable to us from magic. That's a fairly accurate description of my approach to custom levels. I know nothing of how the level editor works, so for this reason I tend to be impressed by even the most mundane releases. You can imagine my awe when confronted by the formidable lineup of Jungle Ruins 2. The tasks, the textures, the lighting, the architecture, the placement of enemies, all combine to give the gamer something of a Magic Kingdom experience. Unfortunately, my Sense of Wonder waned somewhat during the fourth and fifth levels, which I found a little too dark and a little too tediously complex for my taste. I could even sense the tiredness in stalwart Sutekh's prose as she struggled valiantly to complete the walkthrough for these levels. But perhaps it's unfair of me to damn this pair with faint praise, as they followed a very tough act. Overall, I can't recall a time in recent memory when I enjoyed myself more in a custom level adventure. These are without doubt destined for the Hall of Fame, an honor they richly deserve. - Phil

This is a long game that takes place in the same settings of the first part. This time Lara arrives to a village and explores very dark jungles and caves. She must find some artifacts like gems, golden skulls and a monkey idol. There are raptors, small dinos and snakes; and in the village and the temples there are wraiths, yetis and natives. The game is full of enemies and different objects to find; the authors use also a not usual switch: the stone wheel of TR3. I found all the secrets and played the bonus level; the game is funny but the only fault is the almost completely darkness in some areas. In fact there's an annoying flare effect in the darkest rooms. In spite of this, Jungle Ruins 2 is a very nice level and I recommend it to all raiders. - Loupar

This level just gets better and better the more you get into it. The textures are great and very realistic starting with the jungle being so thick that you cannot see daylight. I loved all of the puzzles. There were some sticky timers but not near impossible ones which I hate. The suspense was great with some big surprises that made me jump back on my chair. The scenery in the Temple of Water was spectacular and the textures on that climb up for the second lever was wow! Great Level. - Moonliteshadow

Lara wanna go to the jungle to help the natives, they are being crazed with the power of the sun disk, but when she arrives there she don't help them, she has to fight them!?! A set of 5+1 good levels which you can play. In first level you don't have to wait to the end to get the secret; once you use the first stone you can go for it and so dispose the uzis from the beginning. In first level I got bored going up and down in the four switches room to see what each switch could do, in spite of the grated ceiling. Don't waste flares! There are many dark areas and there were few sets. Don't waste ammo! I've found only two weapons and very little ammo to fight with so many enemies (bad). Puzzles are good, though some timed run was hard and I miss some camera shot. One of the golden skulls was very hard to find too, and without it you can't play the last level. Thanks George and Todd. - Jose

"I know, I know, this goes against the flow, but globally speaking this game bored me. It could be a state of mind though, so I'll try to keep that in mind. Namely, Village Ruins felt boring but the most boring thing about it all is that it's really too hard to figure out what to do, where to step next. Apart from that, I wasn't fascinated by the settings but there's one thing I noticed: very interesting textures at times. Of course, this is all very well done but could have used a little more... a little more... oh, what do I know? A little more something, that's for sure. A little different, that's obvious. And it's so well built nevertheless... Ah, come on, play it, don't rely too much on what I may say. I found the rythm of the game to be a little too slow, but that's only me. (June 17, 2005)" - Jorge22

"If you've been eagerly anticipating this sequel, you won't be disappointed. Lovely hot, steamy jungle settings, temples, caves, native villages, lots of huge areas to explore and plenty of swimming. There's good use made of torch puzzles and dual purpose switches (sneaky, sneaky) and enemies are natives, crocodiles, tigers, snakes, yetis, compys and raptors. Of particular note for me was the utterly fiendish tightrope walk between fire breathing statues. Don't miss out on the bonus level - it has some really good timed runs (one of which I found really tight) and super fun collapsing tile run, not to mention a colony of sea hags." - Jay

"My word, I would need ten pages to give a full impression of these levels, they are truly a masterpiece IMO, and it would be impossible to describe everything with the credit it deserves, so I'll keep it brief. Take a trip back to the Jungle Temple and visit the beautiful jungle areas laced with tigers, natives, crocs and Shivas. Find gems, stars, keys, hands and the eye piece to proceed through these wonderful and exciting levels. Further into the levels, sharks, deadly fish, wraiths and yetis arrive, so you need to get used to some fierce fighting. Timed runs block puzzles and the use of the torch, will make you get your thinking cap on. We then enter the stunning village levels, with natives, and snake enemies. Find keys and gems and make your way further into the wonders of these levels, and you'll be rewarded with raptors in abundance. It was also nice to see the use of the tight rope. You will have to collect all secret skulls throughout the levels to be rewarded with the bonus level, but believe me it's worth it. What a fantastic ending to a perfect set of levels. Great game play throughout, plus beautiful rooms and nice audios make this a perfect scenario for any Raider, so please don't miss this one!" - Moonpooka

"What can I say - I had a ball. Except of course jumping high up onto ledges and trees to get to a lever and of course the tight rope as I hate that move. There is a lot to do and a lot to gather and this is for sure a level for exploring a lot. I love to explore and I love the jungle so I am a happy camper. A lot of detail went into it so it is a pleasure to play it. I was glad that we had some raptors, they still scare the living daylights out of me. As always there is a lot of jumping to do, some not so easy and don't forget timed runs. My time on the clock was over 18 hours and still.... it was over too soon. 10-05-2005" - Gerty

"The George Maciver / Todd Shurtz double created a fantastic adventure for us, again. We have to fight through 5 levels, and if we pick up all the 5 Secret Skulls, then we get a bonus-level too. If we don't pick them up, we can still complete the levels, but we'll miss the best part. This is the hardest of all. The textures are beautiful and various. We are adventuring in India, in the Jungle, and exploring in temples. The added music selection also raises the feeling of the game effectively. I can't wait for the next episode. :) Return to the Jungle Lake: The author-double made a fantastic job also this time. The night has fallen. We arrive to India, into the jungle, to a temple by a helicopter. On this level we are adventuring at the shores of lakes, behind waterfalls, in caves, at the top of trees, and in abandoned temples. Savages, fast predator fishes, crocodiles, tigers, and two Shivas disturb us, but of them, we have to dispossess at least two keys. We also have to find the two Jungle Gems, and after using the first one, after the earthquake, don't forget to look after the Secret Skull if you want to visit the bonus-level at the end. There's each of them on every level. We have to use the torch to light statues, and at the end of the level, with the help of the pillars moved by switches, the burners. This way we can get the crowbar, and then the Jungle Star too. This level has a fantastic feeling. Up to the adventure! :) Jungle Pools: We are adventuring in the jungle on this level too. The enemies are the same, there's also a timed run here, and the torch has an important role. There are two secrets on this level, one of them is the 2nd Secret Skull behind the door opened by two levers. We also have to find keys, and a Jungle Gem too. There's some block-pushing, we get some weapons - the Uzi even more times. :) The enemies are savages, Shivas, tigers and crocodiles. The Lost Temple: We are adventuring in a multi-level temple on this level. The enemies: scorpions, savages, a fire-wraith, and what I liked much: yetis. These are invulnerable while hitting their chests. :) We have to find stars, keys, and the two Eye Pieces in order to move on to the next level. Meanwhile we're pushing blocks to get to the switches behind them, and we have to light some burners with the torch. The torch we need at several places. There are two secrets on the level, one of them contains the 3rd Secret Skull. I liked the textures and the puzzles. :) Village Ruins: This level was the hardest so far. Not really because of the puzzles; rather finding the way to them took most of my time. The pullable skeletons were a fantastic idea. I realized only after picking up the Stone, that the ones in the water can be pulled either, getting the torch this way. Moreover I only noticed this by using a flare. Without this, I wouldn't find the Secret Skull. On this level we are searching for the way among rocks, on trees, in caves, and in a savage village. Savages and snakes try to obstruct us. The level has a fantastic feeling, and I liked the surroundings of the huts. Lost Caves: Well, this is a great level too. We have to fight small dinos, raptors, savages and snakes in order to complete this level. By using the Gold Key we have the chance to finish the level, but this we won't get the bonus-level. There's a tight-rope walking on the level, 'flavoured' with two burners. The torch has a major role here. Before lighting in we have to throw it through crawlspaces twice, and we have to walk through the level many times until finally use it at the burners, opening the doors. We also have to go back to the previous level twice, first for the Secret Skull, and then for the bonus-level. Wandering in caves and temples was a fantastic adventure; also because of the great textures and feeling. The Temple of Water (Bonus Level): This level is a worthy ending for this game. Well, here we have to gather all of our skills. Unfortunately I also had to use medipacks. The enemies are savages, wraiths, yetis, black panthers, raptors, and the worst water witches, who are fast and can claw us. We'll I lost to of my medipacks when meeting them. On this level there are no secrets anymore. But there are many puzzles. We have to go over breaktiles, pushing blocks over burners, and tight-rope walking too. In rocky caves and temples we are searching for a way out. The main task is to gather the three Snake Stones, but meanwhile we have to find some other keys too. There's also a high fall that takes half of our energy. But it was a great adventure, and noone should skip it. :) You can find a Hungarian walkthrough (as we don't have an English version), savegames and pictures here: http://treditor.hu/15/jungle_ruins2.htm " - Obig

"One word immediately comes to mind when describing this adventure: professionalism. Playing this, you can't but feel the care for details that's been put in, be it for the perfect gameplay, the lighting, the settings and down to the secrets which are indeed very cleverly designed. Of course, professionalism isn't enough. To reach brilliance, a game also needs intelligence, inventivity, a real plot, atmosphere and be challenging enough to keep you on your toe while avoiding frustration: this one has them all as well. A feast of enjoyment and great raiding from beginning to end. Then again, what would you expect when two of the best authors among the custom level builders community join talents? The first opus, Jungle Ruins, was an excellent game. This one's a gem that must not be missed. So stop reading and go play it!" - Sutekh

"The must awaited second part of the jungle series is finally here. A very good collaboration between Todd and George, once again which gave us a fun game. The player will explore different parts of the jungle and a lost temple, wander through the village with the natives and climb huts but also search for secret skulls to play the bonus level. I found them all and had the pleasure of visiting the 'Temple of Water'. The ones that liked the Pacific level from the official game will love this one as well. I found this to be an easy game though and I only got confused once because of a shortcut I found in the level 'Village Ruins'. I finished the entire adventure without ever using the Village Key therefore I skipped half the Village level and never visited the areas with the huts. It turned out that I got the red gem too early in the game and of course I went back afterwards and played that part too. You'll meet friendly and unfriendly monkeys, solve puzzles using a torch and use many keys. I was trying to complete the game without using a single medipack and I succeeded, but those sea hags made it very difficult for me, they are so damn fast. I don't know if we'll have the pleasure of playing a third part but I sure hope so because we don't get levels with themes like this one very often and it seems like this adventure has still a lot to offer before it comes to a closure." - Kristina

"I have played four games in the last few months and I have only one piece of advice for the builders of these games (including this one): turn professional! This game has everything a raider could possibly want: thought-provoking gameplay and challenges that will test your raiding skills, gorgeous venues (no one makes a jungle more beautiful or dangerous than Todd and George) with treacherous landscapes that defy scaling (although old mugs certainly thought she could), and always a unique use of objects and enemies. Jungle Ruins II returns us to Jungle Lake - our monkey has been awaiting our return on that island for months - and those nasty carp are hungrier than ever. You'll be shaking this place up a bit before you reach the Lost Temple and the Village Ruins that lie beyond it. Remember not to leave without your golden skulls. You will love the challenge of maneuvering around the Lost Temple, doing battle with enemies who always manage to scare me to death...especially that new snake. And, the Village Ruins....total absorption in locating that torch, finding those keys, and finally the gem. The Lost Caves gives our lovely Lara the chance to show off her speed, strength and balance as she walks tightropes, does timed runs and opens secret doorways. The Temple of Water is the bonus level and you must play it. Lara must find three ruby gems and her speed will be tested in more ways than one! You'll love it. This is a perfect game. Thank you George and Todd!" - Mugs