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Eternal Mysteries by JMN

DJ Full 9 10 9 9
eRIC 10 10 10 9
eTux 9 9 9 10
Gerty 8 9 10 10
izzynoodles 9 8 9 8
Jay 9 10 9 10
JohnC 8 9 8 8
Jose 9 9 9 10
Kristina 8 9 8 8
manarch2 8 9 9 8
MichaelP 8 9 10 9
Mman 8 9 9 9
Orbit Dream 9 9 10 10
Petaludas 10 10 10 10
Phil 9 9 10 8
Rad 9 8 8 9
Ravenwen 8 8 9 10
Raymond 9 10 9 10
Ruben 10 10 10 10
Ryan 9 9 10 9
Samu 9 9 9 8
Spike 8 9 10 10
Treeble 8 9 10 10
 
release date: 16-Dec-2006
# of downloads: 228

average rating: 9.10
review count: 23
 
review this level

file size: 155.00 MB
file type: TR4
class: Egypt
 


author profile(s):
email(s):
jmniemand@yahoo.com

Reviewer's comments
"I come out of this levelset with absolutely no clue whatsoever as to what was going on, but as about half the custom levels released hardly have any plotline attached to them I can dismiss that easily. The main level obviously takes place in Egypt and it's a very well crafted one too, I particularly loved the area with the pyramids but all levels in this set are built based around small rooms, but the use of textures and object placement is perfect. As you keep warping back and forth (with zero loading times to boot, thanks to the modified engine) different levels, you get bits of gameplay here and there in small bursts so things never really outstay their welcome. In a lot of ways, this reminded me of TR5, except this is actually good. There are many other minute changes, such as the more somber audio tracks, the pistols dish out a lot more damage than usual (this should be standard, in all honesty), and the sepia and black and white filters used in the flashback bits were very well done. The only thing that felt a bit bothersome was Larson itself, I understand he was a boss fight and at that time you do have a lot of healthpacks, but his weapons have also been buffed and for some reason against him your pistols go back to the standard rubber bullet mode and it takes a while to put him down. 80 minutes, 5 secrets. 07/23" - Treeble (30-Jul-2023)
"A fun and unique levelset with flashbacks to some of Lara's past adventures - an interesting concept which was a pleasant surprise and sends you off to various locations. (Following paragraph contains SPOILERS): Some of the blade traps are quite brutal (Chambers of the Past 3rd visit, I'm looking at you), plus the Larson fight was rough to get through - just a couple of parts in the game that had me raging. I also felt that the shootable barrier at KRT Oil Rig should have been more obvious - I was stuck there for quite some time. Overall I highly recommend this challenging TRLE. Took about 3 and a half hours to play" - izzynoodles (15-Nov-2022)
"2021 here fellow-coronaraiders..do u waste hours to find a challenging and good level to play?do u want to play something interesting and innovative?this trle is what u have to try!many short levels,past - present , different places , classic raiding , good secrets , good gameplay , fresh ideas , not your typical puzzles , thinking out of the box generally..4 tens, nothing less" - Petaludas (23-May-2021)
"This level set felt really clever, and I was truly enjoying it while playing through. The flashbacks that were thrown in the middle of the levels were really different, as I have never seen anyone doing this type of style. The atmosphere was spot on, except for some triangles that I have spotted while playing. The only thing that bugged me in this level set were the moveables, as I couldn't really tell if they were statics or if they can be moved. But overall, a very pleasant game with many puzzles and traps that keep you hooked. Definitely would recommend this!" - Rad (21-Jan-2021)
"I wasted about 20 minutes at the shatter railing because I shot other parts for no effect, but that was the only issue. The game is entirely clever and the only one I remember where premature level jumps improve story leading not damage it. This of course doesn't apply to the final jump though - Lara should have climbed that ladder no matter of what... I also considered a full mark for graphics but while I finally got perfect lighting, wrong triangles are simply everywhere, not giving a chance to overlook them, and it was a matter of just holding Alt to easily avoid them." - DJ Full (02-Mar-2017)
"The concept of this levelset is rather original: take Lara back to flashbacks of previous adventures. These are set in TR4 style Egypt, an Offshore Rig environment, snowy environments and a sunken ship. Be careful with your medipacks, there isn't a lot. I felt that the sounds added to the experience." - Ryan (24-May-2016)
"Chambers of the Past (8-8-9-8): The hub level for this series with a very interesting storyline. There are three parts of this level - the first part (2 min.) is the introduction, with a difficult jump series and then some levers to pull. I found the transition between this level and the first flashback very cool, with spikes coming nearer and when they hit Lara the screen changes. The second part (20 min.) was longer and had nice gameplay, with a dog puzzle set in a dark ambient room, a mirror puzzle (always one of my favourites). But afterwards the level got a little boring, with only finding the next key, interrupted by some shooting (enemies didn't need many shots to be killed) and a rather unobvious torch sequence. The climbing out of the pyramid looked nice but there could be more up to it. The third part (20 min.) was maybe the most visual stunning one, but mostly was only about a bit easy trap solving and wasn't really interesting, picking a bunch of key items. I found the swimming in the poison water a bit unfair and the crowbar was a bit too well hidden. There were some texture mistakes - some of the textures simply didn't fit together on the walls, and it was hard to spot the double door in the coffin room.
Flashbacks (6-10-10-9): KRT Oil Rig (5 min.) - very well crafted black and white setting, but gameplay is very boring. How on earth should we know that a balcony is shootable? How many levers do we have to pull? Why does the game gets interrupted so soon without entering the last door? I don't know. The only memorable thing were the TR 2 and 5 objects and the best hidden secret I have found for a long time. Temple Sewers (5 min.) - again very great setting, reminiscent of the TR 1 Greek levels, with a nice cage object to be lifted and the crocs also looked good. Gameplay again was rather dull, with the usual button searching, and a too well hidden key that I luckily found soon. Siberia (3 min.) - the snowy mountains again look fantastic, but this level is way too short and even if the icy water sequence gets easier than in TR 3's Antarctic, it has a logic fault in it - when Lara reaches the water's surface, she doesn't freeze anymore. Despite of that very short. Wreck of the Titanic (10 min.) - the longest flashback, but only because of a long shootout with Larson that costed every single uzi Ammo reserve I had, plus a lot of pistol shots. Lara looks cool in her diving suit from TR 5, and the ship does not stand behind it - everything looks highly professional. The two things that annoyed me here were the aforementioned shootout and a ladder that is marked but players who finished TR 2 wouldn't try climbing it. And why does the builder make the players to not get the artifacts at the end of the flashbacks, and instead lets the level end before?
Houses of Eternity (8-9-9-8) (20 min.) The start of this level was refreshing and great fun, climbing pyramids is simply great. The hunt for three of the four hands is also quite fun, especially the push exercises where you have to duck afterwards to not get burned. There were many custom objects and enemies like the snakes but the bat swarms did enerve me highly. The fourth quest for the last star simply was annoying, as I had no flares left hand had to navigate through a pitch black platform corridor - grr.
The end reminded me on the original TR 4 - so every single classic TR gets its place in this levelset, which I find really good. The multiple change of settings is memorable but somehow I think a little more could have been done with the single levels, as every flashback remains unfinshed, and some of the longer levels also could have been more puzzles, or a little more complex tasks. Still, this was something different, try it." - manarch2 (30-Oct-2011)
"Quite an original concept; along with the main Egypt adventure are various flashback mini-adventures. Each theme is pulled off convincingly, and the "bite-sized" levels are somewhat refreshing, although they don't really fit into an overall narrative like the story suggests (and the ending didn't seem to work, unless the blank screen is intended). Objects and enemies are used well and fit each theme, and each has a separate atmosphere (including a nice monochrome effect for the flashbacks). Lighting and textures also fit, however, there are a few flaws like occasional meshes with lighting that doesn't fit the rest of the room. Sounds fit each area and camera hints are used well.
Gameplay is quite varied, but occasionally a little flawed; most of it is quite challenging, with trapped tunnels and areas where you need to keep an eye out for things. It sometimes goes overboard, such as the sewer level having a key that is near-invisible even if you know where to look. I also had a bug with one pushblock puzzle where moving one block off a tile after I had moved it to the correct place seemed to make progress impossible until I loaded an earlier save. You also have to take unavoidable damage to make progress a few times, and resources are stretched a little despite that (although there's a healing area at one point that's a nice idea). There are some nice twists on some puzzles, like Binoculars being an important item at one point. Its ambitious concept is let down by a few flaws but it very much worth playing despite that." - Mman (10-May-2010)
"Two big NO NO in my book, first the patch, anybody please explain why it is there apart from limited ammo, flares and medipacks? Yeah right, forgot about the rain, like I was waiting for it, Lara starting this level in the rain. Second why take away the binoculars? Sorry Mac players this is a NO GO game for you and that is a real pity. But apart from all that griping this is truly a great level with flashbacks in monochrome. Lara is also wearing different suits and that is something you have to see. The whole game is very original and one of the rare levels I couldn't quit till I reached the end." - Gerty (12-Jan-2008)
"If there's a fault anywhere here it's that the builder doesn't quite know when to stop;the final level contains at least one too many 'search for the important set of keys' sequences,there are a couple of unfairly hidden pushable objects and the Boss fight in the previous level goes on for far too long. Aside from that,this is a positively magnificent set of levels built around a fascinating (and superbly realised) premise. The regular (and beautifully varied) flashback sequences are constantly startling and enjoyable,while the 'main plot' absorbs the player completely,within a spiced-up Egypt scenario. Gameplay is continuously inventive (I loved the 'health spiral'),imaginative,gratifying and occasionally hilarious;while the overall construction is never anything less than superb. Provided you have the Walkthrough fairly close to hand (so as to navigate around the occasional 'unfair bit') you will enjoy a quite superb few hours in this wonderful level set. I really can't reccommend this highly enough!" - Orbit Dream (27-Oct-2007)
"Well at a minimum you have to give the author a lot of credit for doing something fresh and new here. The concept of two basically Egyptian levels that are interluded with a set of short flashbacks is quite unique and to set these flashbacks in monochrome makes it an even more atmospheric experience. Chambers of the Past (8/8/9/8, 25+25 min., 1 secret): It all starts rather tame and uninspired but soon enough picks up speed and offers a mirror room, a bull and in the first part a Tomb of Seth type atmosphere and in the second a variety of uses of all possible sorts of blade trap spice things up. The Health Spiral is very cool and the loss of health while in poisoned water also quite original. KRT Oil Rig / Temple Sewers / Siberia / Titanic (8/9/10/9, 5-10 mins each, 2 secrets): Each of the short interludes has a great and unique look and feel to it, albeit little to do in terms of gameplay. But especially the swimming in the suit in the Titanic (to the unavoidable audio file as well) was great fun and the Siberia atmosphere quite intense. Houses of Eternity (8/9/10/9, 30 mins, 2 secrets): Starting in a nice outside area you get to hope around a few pyramids before going underground and making your way through a well organised sequence of rooms to collect four hands and two other artifacts to finally reach the Ankh of your desire and escape. All in all, a game not to be missed for its originality, even if the download is a bit large maybe for the just under two hours of game time you get out of this one." - MichaelP (23-Oct-2007)
"This was rather pleasurable and challenging game to my taste. The surroundings are variable and flashbacks of Lara's past were an interesting idea which I haven't seen to be used in any other custom level. Author has also utilized many features of Trep like rain, cold water from TR3, energy giving area and many other effects. This game includes many well designed tasks that demand both agility skills and puzzle solving skills. Environment looks also good but it's rather simple if comparing it to gameplay and techinical creation. All in all this game is constructed well and it's definitely worth playing." - Samu (07-Oct-2007)
"This is a nice little gem with a variety of different "looks" that gave me a little more than two hours of gaming enjoyment. You start with a short segment in the desert, then you move into a submarine setting before returning to the desert. You then have a fairly short stint in the sewers before finishing up in the desert. The next stop is a brief visit to Siberia, then you explore the hulk of the Titanic before completing your adventure in an outdoor Egyptian playground that leads you into the bowels of a pyramid. It got kind of dark there near the very end, but that's part of the ambiance so I can't fuss too much about it. The gameplay is challenging, but it never gets to the point where you're tearing out your hair. Harry Laudie has provided a typically competent walkthrough which I suspect most of us average players will need in order to make it all the way through this mini-adventure. Highly recommended." - Phil (12-Jul-2007)
"I doubt I will ever forget this level, as it is one of the most original, memorable levelsets that I can think of. The flashback sequences are fantastic, and the grey colour scheme is a very authentic way of suggesting 'the past'. When you are not playing these sequences, however, the game takes place in Egypt. While Egypt has been done a million times before, the setting in here is excellent. At the start it is raining, but as you progress through the levels the weather changes, ending in a bright, morning sky...another realistic effect which I loved. In terms of gameplay, it was quite simple yet very entertaining. There were a fair few traps to evade, and there some nice jumping sections, as well as a few enemies to kill. There are a few problems though, one of which being the boss fight near the end of the game. It is incredibly hard, and the lack of room to maneuver coupled with instant-kill grenades didn't help. There is also a pushable-statues puzzle in one of the earlier levels which seems to take forever, and later on, a dark room with invisible platforms where you have to constantly use your binoculars to see where you are going. Finally, having to dive into a toxic pool as the only way to progress was a bit annoying, (at least I couldn't find a way to remove the toxic effect on Lara) but thankfully the 'life-regenerator' nearby was a brilliant idea that helped a lot. Apart from a few things that should have been changed for the better, this is a fantastic game, with brilliant atmosphere and a few well-hidden secrets." - Spike (02-Jul-2007)
"What a good and original game ! It seemed to me I was playing some kind of TR Chronicles 2. Lara is in Egypt searching for the Chambers of the Past that give a person the ability to travel back in time. As she discovers more of these chambers , the player is immersed in short but sweet parallel adventures reminding some locations of her past. This game looks very professional with the occasional glitch, and uses a lot of innovations. What is outstanding here are the puzzles , there are many excellent puzzles, some seem not obvious but actually the solution is always near. Good graphics, good use of new pushable objects , excellent camera fly-bys, good atmosphere , many surprises and a bit of challenge, can you ask for more ? I really liked it , especially the Egyptian parts." - eRIC (30-Jun-2007)
"I found this level to be very enjoyable and the idea of Lara's flash backs unique. Lara will be going back in time (sort of) and visit plus replay of course, some areas like Egyptian pyramids, a Russian base, an underwater base wearing her matching suit for that kind of environment and other areas from past games. Don't think that this level is a remake because the gameplay is new and interesting. The way all these flash backs are connected is impressive, you don't feel out of place but like all the levels are one big solid game. If you are a nostalgic raider that would like to visit past TR games but don't have the time or don't want to play a huge and old game then this one is just the right level for you." - Kristina (19-Mar-2007)
"An atypical level with some new and interesting features like the loss of life with low temperatures in cold water or the diving suit in the Titanic level so you don't need to take air in water surfaces. Last level of this builder wasn't good for me, but this time it's not the same. Gameplay is quite good, with not impossible tasks, and enemies very unusual easy to kill with few shots, except the baddy in the Titanic level (he was very hard); enemies don't disappear so, sometimes can be difficult to find objects they could drop. I missed some more flares and the binoculars, I got the weapons very late too, and could only give them few use. There's some nasty fixed cameras, but atmosphere is good. Lights and textures were the best for me. Opposite I said to this author in my last review, those are the kind of levels I like." - Jose (12-Feb-2007)
"Now come on all you rewievers ! Too much of a mystery for you ? Such a fantastic set of levels should not stand alone any longer although I can well understand some players have been turned away by its difficulty , i.e. trying to catch the key in the poisoned pit , with having just one MP ready !Its not that wicked after all however before you get to this point you should definetely have guarded your MPs well ,otherwise you will have a very big problem ! So safe games often and try to avoid getting hurt , you can save a lot of your lifetime if you manage to do the circling shears right ,it may take some time and various attempts , but that`s the way to do it ! This game is stunningly good and worth to play ! I do recommend it for all TRLE Players who are looking out for a real challenge all other soft cruisers or newbies would probably be taken beyond their limits cause things ain`t so easy in this fantastic but hard adventure ! Thank YOU JMN" - Ruben (11-Feb-2007)
"This level could be a tribute (and a rather tasteful one!) to the classic Tomb Raiders to date. Based on a mystery-solving storyline, according to which Lara is trying to find who murdered Winston, the builder has included several references to memorable levels of the old games. The main part of the adventure - which also represents what happens 'now' - takes place in a beautiful and colourful Egypt that reminds a lot of the TR4 Egypt; even the puzzles are similar, and to such a degree that for experienced players some of them will be very easy to solve. As Lara moves on, we are transported, via flashbacks, to the past, where she finds clues or hints related to her quest. These sections are less colourful, almost black and white, looking like psychedelic dream sequences, and they involve an oil rig (reference to TR2's Offshore Rig), a roman sewer system (reminiscent of The Cistern from TR1), a frozen Russian forest (reference to The Base levels from TR5) and a sunken ship (which brings nice memories from my personal favourite from TR2, Wreck of the Maria Doria). All these are masterly interlaced, resulting in a rich adventure where the alteration of settings and moods doesn't let you feel bored for one second. In my opinion, this level is a must for all devoted TR fans, even if only for its referneces to the classics. The gameplay is flowing and smooth, there are no surprises; the puzzles are easy in general, as well as the traps and trials - with the exception of one of the Egypt sections later on, where there are some pretty challenging situations to face. There is a variety of enemies waiting for you, but (what a disappointment!) they all go down far too fast, even the mighty demigods. Only the boss in the sunken ship provides a tough fight and requires some skill and strategy. A serious drawback was the lack of medipacks and flares. Challenge is one thing, but torture is another. It's really cruel having to dive in a pool of toxic water that kills Lara within seconds when you have only one medipack left and no others to find anywhere around, and thus witness Lara's death dozens of times before you manage to make it in the end. And it's even more cruel to have to go around a pitch dark room where you have to locate and jump on invisible platforms, when you have no flares left. The binoculars are helpful, but not enough. I know I probably should have used less flares up to that point, but when there is such a dark room to deal with, a pickup with flares close to it would have come more than handy. In short, be careful with how you use your medis and flares so that you won't have to worry about them, and you will be able to enjoy this beautiful adventure even more." - Ravenwen (29-Jan-2007)
"I didn't expect it to be raining in the desert, but it was. Luckily I wasn't in it long enough to get too much wet sand in my boots before I was transported into a completely different environment. This is a highly innovative level that takes place mainly in an Egyptian setting, but involves Lara having flashback memories of previous raids, thus providing a lovely variety. The gameplay is excellent and well rounded, with good puzzles, fights and agility tests. There aren't a lot of pickups and you will definitely need to conserve your health as sometimes it's impossible to avoid loosing quite a lot of life. There are plenty of blade traps, which with care can be negotiated with almost no loss of life, but jumping into a pool of toxic water to retrieve a guardian key cost me a life and a half and fighting one of the toughest baddies I've ever come across cost me four small medis so I didn't have much to spare in that respect. It did make it interesting though. My only real criticism of this highly entertaining level would be having no binoculars (at least for most of the game), which coupled with a distinct lack of flares meant having to flare round and reload repeatedly. That always makes me grumpy. However, I enjoyed myself so much that I'm prepared to overlook it, just this once, lol." - Jay (15-Jan-2007)
"Not much to add eTux`s review. This is truly a very enjoyable level, which uses some more of the possibilities of the patched exe, like poisonous or icy watr, diving without loosing breath, harming grenades. Lara visits Egypt again and suffers several sudden flash to previous adventures in so called dream chambers until she finally gets to the pyramids and gets a long awaited artifact there. It's all well crafted. So atmosphere and gameplay is quite diverse and entertaining. It's never very difficult (Ok, the boss fight is quite hard!), but you should be very cautious with your medipacks and flares. Altogether highly recommended! Should be much more played and reviewed!" - Raymond (12-Jan-2007)
"It will truly always be an eternal mystery to me why close to a month after its release this level still stands in the wishlist with only 1 (!) review. Could the relatively big download size be at fault? The custom exe that renders it unplayable for Mac players? Or are these just generally hard times for level builders? Or just for those who don't have an established "fan base"? I do not know, and it truly is baffling to me why a level of such high quality has been neglected so far by the reviewing community. I could understand the Mac players who unfortunately cannot play the level due to the high customization of it, but what's the excuse for the rest? More so because the modifications to the executable file here actually add to the gameplay as well, and not just to change the colour of health and oxygen bars as the first wave of these so called 'patched levels' showed. The main course throughout the adventure takes place in Egypt, where you're faced with a multitude of innovations - both as novel never seen before puzzle ideas or some long forgotten ones (namely - the 2 spirits eliminating each other, hadn't seen that in a while). One of the most interesting additions for me was the healing spiral which I found to be wonderfully inspired. But if Egypt is the thing that scares the players away, then fear not, as you visit fragments of apparent past adventures of Lara in the form of flash-backs. These flashbacks are monochrome - thus set the mood right as you explore an offshore rig, temple ala the Greko-Roman levels of TR1, snowy Siberian forests (very welcome with the snow-less winter we have this season) and the Titanic - what you can play in the diving suit from the Chronicles game and fight someone from Lara's past (and it's a pretty tough fight at that too!). Besides the mentioned boss fight, all enemies are surprisingly easy and thus I can't say I missed any of the extra guns as you don't get your hands on them till the end of the game (well, maybe you can get some in the secrets - the only 1 of the 5 I found was already in the last level). The settings are always pleasing to the eye, I didn't find them to be too dark at any point, and they could sustain my interest till the very end. True, maybe the story as such is a bit disjointed (or maybe I just had to play the first level of the author to fully get it, as this is the sequel to that level) and I'm not sure what were the questions to which we got the answers to by the end of it, but I have to say I enjoyed it nonetheless from the start in the rainy desert to the end whilst getting out of the pyramid. Highly recommended (for those able to play it anyway)!" - eTux (10-Jan-2007)
"I enjoyed this level quite a bit, enough to finish it, which is rare with me due to laziness and lack of gaming time. I believe it may have been more enjoyable had I played the author's earlier level and had a better idea of plot (spoiler--------------------I thought Lara died in the first level? No?) The one boss battle was very frustrating until you beat it, then you had a nice feeling of satisfaction. The puzzles were interesting and not so hard nor so easy to frustrate on either account. The flashback idea was well executed. In the pyramid area I seem to have lost some of the flow of the level, but I think that must be due to not playing it all at once and coming back to it later. Visually, the level was very nice and colorful, good lights and good terrain design. All in all, worth your time." - JohnC (30-Dec-2006)