Levels listed...
TR5 - 33
TR4 - 3187
TR3 - 182
TR2 - 139
TR1 - 67
73816 reviews (20.4/level)
3595 (99.6%) walkthroughs
456 Hall of Fame levels
1259 levels rated >= 8
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release date: |
13-Aug-2005 |
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# of downloads: |
264 |
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average rating: |
8.66 |
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review count: |
22 |
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review this level |
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file size: |
90.52 MB |
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file type: |
TR4 |
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class: |
Fantasy/Surreal |
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Reviewer's comments |
"This is definitely among the most unique levels I've played. Surely enough, at first impression it felt odd: massive and empty rooms, very colorful textures and even the use of photos as textures. The trees weren't quite convincing, but the cats at the window was a particularly nice touch as you see it from both ends. Gameplay isn't the most thrilling experience either as you get an ungodly amount of keys and levers to find here, sometimes you open a door just to find a lever immediately behind it, rinse and repeat. Where it shines though is the general dreamscapey feel, the great audio selection, and the whole 'through the looking glass' bit. The underground glass maze was also quite ingenious. Nothing particularly challenging but it's still a lenghty raid which took me nearly three days to see through to the end, but at least it was a humorous adventure instead of a frustrating one. 2h10min, 14 secrets. 03/23" - Treeble (05-Mar-2023) |
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"A humorous cutscene breaks you in nicely
to this just under three hour adventure
that manages to constantly entertain a
great deal without being overly difficult.
At least in her dreams (or nightmares, you
decide), Lara's still as agile as ever.
Good thing, too, as I'm sure her jumps
would have been severely compromised
otherwise. I did think that there was a
little too much reliance on timed runs,
but overall the variety in the gameplay is
impressive and it's all good fun. The
surroundings may seem rather plain at
first sight, but the way the textures are
used in conjunction with the atmosphere
and the room layout manages to make it
look really wonderful (it may be a dream,
but the rooms look almost realistic as a
result). I admired the neat little touches
scattered elsewhere too: the cats in the
windowsill in Staticon's house, the
brilliant use of the gyrosphere (at least
that's what it's listed in the credits
as), the submerged church, the organ
sequence and the bonus segment containing
the comic strips as a reward for finding
the secret coins. Great stuff." - Ryan (20-Mar-2019) |
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"This game can be summed up in one word: foreshadowing. You
always see something you will unlock hours later and your'e
amazed when separate pieces of one, giant puzzle eventually
come together. One of those levels which looks bad but feels
great to play, and while I always complain about weak endings,
this one here was more brilliant than several strong ones.
Highly recommended." - DJ Full (20-Oct-2018) |
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"This is another charming adventure by Kevin. The whole thing starts with a hilarious cutscene showcasing Lara being fat. Gameplay is fast paced and linear but at the same time very enjoyable and you won't have to think too much about where to go next. You get to visit Staticons House which serves as a hub level that you will come back to several times during your quest. I really liked the part with the Church organ and the part with the card enemies from Alice in Wonderland which scared me a bit. You also get to fight the Queen several times. There are many timed runs and they are often challenging without being too hard which is good. I didn't get all the secrets so i missed out on the bonus which im a bit sad about as i struggled so hard to find all of the secrets. I do recommend this adventure so be sure to check it out." - totizedger (04-Nov-2014) |
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"Theme-wise, this is a quite original level; and the gameplay is good and solid. You explore several environments including a house (but it's not your typical home level), as well as psychedelic and futuristic chambers. In the opening cutscene we see an unexpected version of Lara (in fact, I didn't even realize it was her), but in the game itself she is just how we know her. There are several puzzles to solve as you move on, and the various areas that you visit are nicely constructed. At the end you find what you were looking for (the car keys), and then Lara wakes from her dream, which is what you have been playing all along. I can't say it's the kind of level I would be playing everyday, but there were some quite memorable moments (like the one with Lara driving a huge sphere) and I did enjoy certain bits of it." - Ravenwen (25-Jun-2009) |
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"Wow, what can i say about this level? The gameplay is incredible, never a dull moment and when there starts to be then there is a really good bit of fast moving gameplay. This level is named 'Quest for the car keys' and you do look for and find the keys, you find a lot of keys and good names were given to them, for instance, spi key and wiss key. Texturing could have been better in places, especially the house, maybe some more care there would have brought higher marks, the only faults were in the house, this was where the marks were lost. The transporter idea was incredibly good and allowed you to jump back and forth between levels. The second part was generally much smaller than the first because you had already completed most of it though this didn't stop the gameplay being incredible. The enemies were placed very well through-out the level and the secrets were quite nicely placed. The atmosphere was great as was the sounds, atmospheric and creepy. The bonus level was only completable after finding 6 specific secrets out of fourteen but this payed off. An hilarious cartoon was shown. I liked the ending in which you drive away in the car and the credits were shown. Even though the baddies were deadly you didn't need medipacks and the queen of hearts is well worth playing the level for. Overall an incredible level and i highly recommend it for someone with a few hours at hand." - Cory (14-Jan-2008) |
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"This is an imaginative level, with many fanciful ideas. It is a bit uneven, though. There are boring parts where you go from one switch to another, and sections with rudimentary texturing and lighting, but there are other very inspired parts too. If you find the required secrets, you can enter a bonus level featuring cartoons by Deekman, who also contributed to other parts of the level. To get your reward, you have to find enough coins." - Bogey (01-Jul-2007) |
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"There's nothing static about Staticon. This fellow keeps improving every time he turns out a new level, and Lara's Dream 9 is no exception. I cut my Tomb Raidin' teeth on his early levels, because he was the only one in town who would spoon feed us with his very own walkthroughs. I really need to go back and replay those levels sometime, and see if I can navigate them on my own now that I've hopefully developed some raiding skills. However, I won't be able to find the time to do so if we keep being treated to imaginative releases such as this one. From a fairly dull and routine beginning the player is quickly taken to a colorful and lively dreamland world that's accessed slowly but surely through the use of nearly every key known to man. I somehow missed the Kink Key and the Frisk Key, but maybe Staticon is saving those for a racy sequel. Worthy of note are the silent card soldiers that sneak up on Lara and die rather energetically when shot. And there's this cool-ass (sorry, but I can't think of a better term to describe it) device dubbed a gyrosphere that Lara rides, tumbling head over heels, down an incline. For me this was the highlight of the game, and the ending credits attribute this unique vehicle (leastways, I've never come across it before) to Cornchild. I clocked in at a little less than four hours, but I've never been one to race through a level set, particularly when they're as enchanting as this one was. Savor it, because you won't see many quite like it. Highest recommendations." - Phil (02-Aug-2006) |
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"This gets only better and better. I have never seen such a complex level jumping adventure! All just for those darn car keys haha. Seriously though, this is a masterpiece. All the puzzles, different objects and superb gameplay add up to a real classic. The atmosphere is (for this kind of adventure) probably the best I have ever seen. The cameras and music are perfect. It is a tad harder than the previous adventures from Staticon but still not hard or frustrating in any sense. I love the use of the transparent textures and the flip maps that very often change the paths in the rooms. Also, the key to the correct combination of the sequence puzzle was cool! An 'eyelid' maybe? :) The only thing that I was confused by (from a builders perspective) was the constant use of boulders for opening doors etc. The shaking of the screen happened very often. Nothing that in any way will alter my ratings though :) This is one of the best adventures I have ever played. Sometimes it has a scary almost eerie feeling...and sometimes it feels like a fairytale. Btw, one of the highlights is the Alice in wonderland
cards and the queen as a demigod LOL! Top stuff, Kevin! All tens from me, and you really deserve every point! A sequel, please!" - QRS (15-Apr-2006) |
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"Having been a huge fan of staticon's levels for a long time, it did not surprise me that this one was spectacular. The idea of the game is that Lara has fallen asleep while driving, and she has to find her car keys. The base of the game is a house, to which she returns between the levels, where new doors are accessable once you've completed another level. Great fun walking around in the house, and the use of objects is fantastic! The puzzles are fun, some are very difficult, there is a flame trap that is tough, and there are some easier parts. The enemies are fantastic! The level has a dream like atmosphere that is maintained through out the level. There are some excellent designs in there, the wall paper texture in the different rooms is lovely, and the "bonus level" had a very nice surprise! I can highly recommend this level!" - Solange (29-Dec-2005) |
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"This game consists of 6 levels, but in fact there are 14 locations, because we visit most of the locations even more times. Seing the first two levels I thought that it will be an average level, but it was a nice surprise. :) It was a great adventure. We are adventuring at a riverbank, in the house of the author, in caves, in a temple, and in a base. We take some milk for the author, we even light the fire in his fireplace. :) The real adventure starts after these. If you managed to collect the Revolver and the Laser-sight, and at least the 4 Coins at the 4 secrets, than you can watch 4 pictures on the bonus-level. Anyway, there are 14 secrets throughout the game. We don't need medipacks, because the emphasis is not on action and fight. The enemies are gunmen, and, just imagine, cards or small people fastened to cards. Moreover the queen of hearts shoots us in demigod style. That's a great idea! :) The author managed to find the ballance, so that the challenges would be neith er too hard, nor too easy. So they won't disappoint anybody. The textures are great and various, and also the added sounds are very good. At the end, after finding the car-keys for the geep we can drive out of the level. I can only suggest all of you to play this fantastic adventure. You can find a Hungarian walkthrough (as we don't have English version), savegames and pictures here: http://treditor.hu/15/lara_s_dream9.htm" - Obig (26-Oct-2005) |
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"This has to be Stat's best level so far. Lara runs from one part to another
numerous times. I wasn't exactly overawed by the start in the Staticon's
House part, mainly because I don't like the boxy sky and the very bland,
empty and oddly put together environment. But then again, this is a dream
and no place for what we assume reality to be. At the start we see a
person driving a jeep. If I hadn't read that this is supposed to be Lara I
would have thought it was a different character altogether. Apparently Lara
is older and has put on a lot of weight. She is very masculine looking. She
pulls over on the road and falls asleep at the wheel, to dream of a
slimmer, blonder, version of herself. Well now, leaving aside Stat's ever
present sense of humour I'm going to suggest that the older Lara is part
of the dream too, and our girl, as we know her, is asleep and seeing both
these scenarios. Whatever interpretation is put on the level the aim is to
find the keys to the jeep. I loved all the dreamy elements like the Alice in
Wonderful character the Queen of Hearts and her Pack of Cards Army -
brilliant. Lara can definitely walk Through The Looking Glass, and there is
the tall hedge maze to find the 'elusive, lol' crowbar. Then there's the
humorous element of claiming the Mad Hatter's, em, hat. I loved the idea
of picking up the milk bottle at the front door of Staticon's House and
putting it in the fridge. It is through a number of gates in the garden that we
enter the other parts, namely The Orb Chambers, The Ring Machine,
Through the Looking Glass, The Block House and via a bedroom the
Bonus Level, visiting each a few times. And this is what causes a little
confusion, but not for long. I loved the care that has been taken with
textures (especially the animated ones), the lighting and design, and the
fixed and moveable objects. The atmosphere is excellent in a lot of
rooms. There are some unusual tasks to perform, or should I say, old
ones put in a new way, like the glass underwater maze, the mirror room to
spot the fire and spike tiles, three push button puzzle, rolling boulders on
slopes, new objects to push, sliding blocks, teleporters, and the usual
climbing, shimmying, monkeyswinging, and general shenanigans our girl
usually gets up to. I really liked the little timed runs, especially the one in
the room with switches and fires, and I thought the room with
disappearing ledges a great fun challenge. And we have the gyrosphere
that Lara can stand inside and roll down a slope. That was excellent. One
of my favourite rooms looks-wise was the domed, almost spherical room
with walkway. There are quite a few deviously hidden places, like the
space in the wall that can only be seen through the mirror, and the
one-way textures. The Bonus Level is short, but full of humour. This is a
surprisingly long level sprinkled with great humour as well as some
spooky touches (the painting). Can't wait to see what Stat will come up
with in future. He has definitely shown great improvement from one level
to the next in this Dream series. Excellent work." - CC (14-Oct-2005) |
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"This is a fun series with a nice and wacky storyline, brilliantly set in scene with a neat title flyby and a fabulous introduction cutscene.
Staticon's House/Bonus Level (7/7/9/8, 20+5+5+10 min.): A cartoonish dreamworld it is with levers and keys and some great moments (like putting the milk in the fridge). Very solid camera work makes progression real easy. This also serves as a hub level through which you pass several times in order to reach the other levels. The Bonus level is great, not only because of Deekman's Custom Raiding Blues comic strip, but also the way it has been presented, so make sure you do collect those vital secrets along the way):
The Orb Chambers (7/8/8/7, 20+5 min., 4 secrets): This part has a nice mirror room, an interesting little underwater maze and a nice church. Enemies are a few guards.
The Ring Machine (8/8/8/8, 15+15+15 min., 4 secrets): Many glass windows and corridors are there to be found in this part and you need several keys to make it through and to eventually fully put this little machine into action (well designed). There are short timed runs, nice domed ceilings, alternating platforms, guards, wraiths, objects to push around and more. Good variety in this part - oh and those transporters that get you from level to level here are cool, too.
Through the Looking Glass (8/9/9/7, 30+5 min., 6 secrets): The part I liked the most. Another nice mirror room, block pushing puzzle, great new enemies, funky textures, a set of timed runs and a nice submerged church.
Block House (8/7/8/8, 15+1 min.): After the previous part I had hoped for this one to be an even more inspired highlight of the series and it does fall a bit short on that expectation. It is still solid fun with a few timed sequences, a nice use of the rolling cage, some platform jumping and a nice 3-button puzzle.
Overall, this is simply great fun to play, will put several smiles on your face along the way while not being without its challenges. Not to be missed." - MichaelP (13-Oct-2005) |
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"This is only the second of Staticon's levels that I've played and it was, for me, the more enjoyable of the two. (Although the sight of dear Lara in the opening sequence was a bit of a shock - but once she "fell asleep" she was back to her usual self and looking rather snazzy in her 'psychedelic' pants).
The puzzles (usually my weakest TR skill) didn't hold me up too much, except for a rather incidious timed sequence with switches and fire which had me tearing my hair out for a couple of days. I especially enjoyed the 'Through the Looking Glass' section - those card guards certainly gave me quite a shock, the Queen of Hearts was quite amazing and also we were treated to some of DEEKMAN's excellent artwork!
There are 14 secrets, 4 of which are gold coins which are certainly worth picking up as they enable a special bonus viewing of "Custom Raiding Blues"
Unlike some levels where I've sat at the 'puter and cursed the builder for making them so difficult, I found myself playing through 'The Quest for the Car Keys' with a smile on my face and I can heartily recommend it as a reasonably stress-free but highly enjoyable level." - suzieq51 (21-Sep-2005) |
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"There's a lot of coming and going between the various parts of this game, but the basic areas are:
Staticon's House: Speaking as someone who invariably manages to miss the crowbar, the 'subtle hint' as to its whereabouts really made me laugh. What can I say - Kevin I love you. The house is vast, empty and excruciatingly badly decorated - definitely not the dream of an interior designer. Having to put the milk bottle in the fridge was a lovely touch - possibly for the two handsome cats that were sitting on the windowsill.
The Orb Chambers: I liked the mirror room and found the glass maze decidedly disorientating. The weird sound file in this section gave a delightfully creepy feel to the whole proceedings and I really loved the sequence with the church organ.
The Ring Machine: There's a good timed lever/fire emitter sequence here that took a few goes to achieve.
Through the Looking Glass: Quite literally in fact - a mirror room with an entry into the glass, walking playing cards (almost an entire pack) and Red Queens, but sadly no Alice. I think this was my favourite section with its interesting textures and nice gameplay.
Block House: Oh there's one of those brilliant rolling ball type zip lines here. I just love those. There's also a rather novel three button puzzle and the Mad Hatter's hat seems to have migrated from the Looking Glass world.
Bonus Level: Return to the mansion to find the car keys and now you actually get to use the secret coins you (hopefully) have found on your travels to view some amusing cartoons before making your way back to the vehicle and driving off" - Jay (06-Sep-2005) |
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"Before I began to play this set of levels, I look in the web the score (9.1) and I think: 'this can be a good level'. But once I finished it I think: 'it's not that bad'. Yes, there are new features (ring machine, rolling zip-line,...), enemies and textures and gameplay is very good, the author don't let you continue if you don't have the items needed. But architecture is simple, there are wafer thin walls and most of the rooms rectangle or square, some interesting puzzles but most of them are very usual (pull too many switches, timed runs,...). There are only three kind of enemies, and very very few weapons and ammo, you have to defend yourself all the entire game almost with your pistols. So I think that punctuations are too much high for a level which isn't bad but neither not something from another world." - Jose (01-Sep-2005) |
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"Poor old lara. Broader, older, manly looking and in need of more than a nap. A nice diet will do and a trip to a plastic surgeon's office for a consult. Kevin's sense of humor is of course evident at your first look at Lara and soon there's an arrow pointing to your first pickup - a crowbar. Hard to miss
that this will be a funny, memorable raid. You'll soon be looking for keys with familiar names. Yes, Turr Key, Whis Key, Drin Key (among others) again put in an appearance and finding the way to them is, sometimes, no easy task. Staticon's House is the hub here with trasporters bringing you to the different areas. There is a lot of back and forth which may lead to being confused as there may be times when you'll not know that all has been done that needs to be done and it's time to get back to the House - a return trip will be coming up. Do take a really good look at textures. There is what I can only describe as ET wallpaper, fanciful Hearts and really great ceilings with psychedelic colors sometimes thrown in the mix - it is a dream, afterall.
Artwork by Deekman entitled 'No Escape', along with his Bonus level 'Custom Raiding Blues' strip, adds an unforgettable dimension rarely seen in a custom level and in the 'Mad Hatter'(?) room Kevin gives us Geoff Laurence's painting, 'We're All Mad Here'. As I said, unforgettable. And what would Alice in Wonderland be without the Queen of Hearts (created by Cornchild) and her quards? Yes, they're here and must be seen to be believed. Another very funny moment. At least until the Queen is intent on doing away with Lara. Off with HER head I say. Definitely recommended for all. Yes, lots of timed runs but all do-able and they just add to the enjoyment. There is that nasty timed fire segment but the less said about that, the better.lol Thanks, Kevin. You just keep getting better and better." - Bene (28-Aug-2005) |
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"Watching the opening fly by I was wondering what kind of steroids Lara was on, as she looked quite beefy on my screen. In retrospect there is a lever galore going on in this mini game. Although it is straight forward you travel back and fro from level to level. There are some beautiful made rooms but also some paperthin textures. You better have some pen and paper ready if you have a Teflon brain like me as I did get lost quite a bit. The good part was that I found all the secrets, the bad part is that I almost ditched the game a couple of times. What I didn't like were some of the timed runs, I said some, as jumping over that pit with the shifting walkways was terrible to do. I couldn't manage the levers and burners timed run, so I needed help with that one. That timed run puzzled me as I thought that Kevin doesn't like them himself. I do love Kevin's humor so I had some good laughs throughout this level. Specially when those cards came out of the woodwork and started to pester Lara. 'Off with her head' said the Queen of Hearts, and who doesn't know the story of Alice in Wonderland. 15-08-2005" - Gerty (25-Aug-2005) |
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"The continuation of Lara's Dream is a very good game with a lot of crazy ideas. I think this is Kevin's best work and the Queen of Hearts was a nice touch but she's hostile so be prepare for a fight. There is some back and forth between levels and in the mean time you visit the house a few times to use some of the keys you get. That always confuses me and I am not very fond of that kind of gameplay, unless it is clear that we will get back to a level and finish it later. In this game you visit levels more than once which makes things difficult. The card enemies were hilarious and they walked funny but it was fun shooting them. There are many areas to visit, timed platforms to negotiate and underwater tasks to complete. The textures were colourful but in some areas they had flaws, the outside area with the jeep and maze wasn't well made. If you find four coins you will be able to read Deekman's nice comic in the bonus level. I missed quite a few of the secrets so in the end I only had nine, strange considering that some of them weren't all that hidden. This is a game that shouldn't be missed." - Kristina (25-Aug-2005) |
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"Is there just no limit to how far one's imagination can run? Thank God, the answer is no! Kevin has come up with a wonderful dream sequence that I found truly fanciful! Lara's quest for her car keys takes her on some wild adventures that include finding keys with hysterical names like the Turr key, the Whis key, Drin key etc. And while she's at it, she needs to keep her eye out for four coins that will give her access to the bonus round and Deekman's clever cartoon. Bravo to Kevin's collaboration with Cornchild who created the fantastic card soldiers and Queen of Hearts! I thought the gameplay was fun and challenging and I was always eager to find out where my collection of goodies would lead me next. Alice in Wonderland would have enjoyed this romp (I must say I hoped for an appearance from the lovely white rabbit, Kevin) and I know you will too! Well done!" - Mugs (16-Aug-2005) |
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"He just keeps getting better and better! If there's anyone who can make a 'dream' level, it's Staticon; and this is one par excellence. If I have a (tiny) criticism with the scenery of this set of levels, it's that it's just too dreamlike and blatant. The surreal rooms at the start (somewhat similar to the opening of Lara's Dream 8), the House interiors and some of the rooms inside the various destinations are so surreal that they almost become a cliche. Where the scenery is at its best is when the 'Staticon effect' takes centre stage and the rooms display a breathtaking sense of heightened realism: the inside of the Church; the partly submerged Cathedral (reminiscent of the earlier 'Cathedral of the Fallen' and 'Doom Temples'); the astonishing giant Oval Chamber with the neon lights. These are all places which take the physically feasible and cleverly warp the boundaries of architectural possibility. It's when the construction crosses over into the downright zany (the forest wallpaper at the start, e.g.) that the effect is lessened. As far as Gameplay is concerned, the only challenging sequences were those of my own inadvertent making; mostly tricky curved jumps to avoid flames, which I'm sure the Author didn't intend to be performed. Otherwise, this is all standard stuff and fast-moving as a consequence. Incredibly rapid progression can be made on the various 'key quests', and most of the adventure seems to be one massive headlong rush, with only the occasional mirror puzzle to challenge the mind. The Gameplay is generally of the 'push lever, door nearby opens' variety, intermingled with the occasional neat timed run. But this, of course, all adds to the momentum and creates a sense of pace rarely encountered. To add spice to the mix there are the occasional enemy confrontations, best of all being the encounter with the diabolical Queen of Hearts and her henchmen which had me in tears of (intended) laughter. The ending is rather well devised, including a Bonus level (of which, I only saw two of the screens; so a replay is in the offing!) and overall this is another slice of hugely enjoyable Staticon fun. Despite its physical size, you'll be through this in (comparatively) no time (2 1/2 hours for me). Nonetheless, I personally hope that Lara will have woken up before the start of Staticon's next adventure. You can have a little too much of a good thing, in my opinion!" - Orbit Dream (15-Aug-2005) |
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"A very funny and entertaining game! The game is quite long, sometimes difficult but not frustrating, only a timed lever-fire area really made me sweat. Puzzles are well built and all the game play is rational and smooth. Enemies are very original, I loved the queen and the soldiers. I didn't find all the secrets, so they must be hidden quite well! Atmosphere and music are very nice and fit the game.Cameras are very well placed and lighing and textures are good.I would have loved a different house: the interiors are almost empty, you need some furniture, Staticon! A better start and a better ending would create a perfect geme. I loved the comics at the end! well done, more, more!" - Glow (15-Aug-2005) |
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