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Underworld UB4 - Taking Care of Business by Bojrkraider Richard Lawther Titak Trix

AKlara 10 10 10 10
Annie 10 10 10 10
Bene 10 10 10 10
Blue43 10 10 10 10
CalrOsario 10 10 10 10
CC 9 10 10 10
DadRaider 2 3 5 5
dantheraider 10 10 10 10
DJ Full 10 10 10 10
dya1403 10 10 10 10
EssGee 8 10 10 10
eTux 9 10 10 10
Gerbil 9 9 10 9
Gerty 10 10 10 10
guss18 10 10 10 10
Ivan 10 10 10 10
Jack& 10 10 10 10
Jay 10 10 10 10
Jez 10 10 10 10
Jorge22 10 10 10 10
Jose 9 10 10 10
Juan Carlos 10 10 10 10
Juno Jim 10 10 10 10
Kristina 10 10 10 10
Leeth 9 10 10 10
Lizard Queen 10 10 10 10
manarch2 10 10 10 10
Mezcal 10 10 10 10
MichaelP 9 10 10 9
MigMarado 10 10 10 10
Mman 10 10 10 10
Monica 9 9 10 10
Moonliteshadow 10 10 10 10
Moonpooka 10 10 10 10
mugs 10 10 10 10
Nuri 10 10 10 10
OverRaider 10 10 10 10
Phil 9 10 10 8
QRS 10 10 10 10
Ravenwen 10 10 10 10
Roli 10 10 10 10
Ruben 10 10 10 10
Ryan 10 10 10 10
Samu 9 10 9 10
Sander 10 10 10 9
Scottie 10 10 10 10
Selene 10 10 10 10
Shandroid 10 10 10 10
TombRaiderFan 10 10 10 10
totizedger 8 10 10 10
Treeble 10 10 10 10
Vaughnage 10 10 10 10
Ward Dragon 9 10 10 10
Wolf7 10 10 10 10
Zhyttya 9 10 10 10
 
release date: 29-Jan-2007
# of downloads: 265

average rating: 9.78
review count: 55
 
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file size: 167.42 MB
file type: TR4
class: Fantasy/Surreal
 


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Reviewer's comments
"Truly a masterpiece and one everyone should check out. I've played this over the span of the last four days, trying to take notes now and then, but there's just so much in here that I'll definitely forget mentioning things I thought were amazing when I stumbled upon them, because there's just that many. There are so many novel ideas at play that really showcase the brilliance of the people behind it. Quite honestly I found this to be slightly less than player friendly and admittedly only made it to the end thanks to the thorough walkthrough available (as usual), but the one point I had deducted in gameplay because of the monkeyswinging over platforms or slopes you must get to but can't see, or the new jumpswitch which has been reduced to a thin frame which just so happens to be very easy to miss in these vast areas, or otherwise equally aggravating bits, I had to round it up back as an added bonus point because there's only so many points I can attribute to objects. So many unique and custom objects here and they're all tailored and tinkered to work so well with what the level is telling you; the attention to detail is absolutely amazing. And on top of that, it's coupled with lots of humorous takes (Lara's past enemies forever doomed in the Realm of the Lost had me laughing). The makeshift jeep was an interesting concept, but as you'd expect you have to drive through precarious narrow platforms and jumps; plus that secret at the bottom of that area was very specific, took me forever to finally understand how to get down there and it still felt like an illegal move. The oil refinery was also nothing short of impressive, and then you get to the stronghold and the demon encounters... funnily enough it was Orr who gave me the most trouble constantly spamming the one attack which causes instant death and there was nowhere enough time to active the jump switch and dodge, so ultimately I reloaded and earlier save and flare cancelled my way to the jumpswitch before she could fully charge the first death bolt. Definitely not what the authors had intended. Still, the entire levelset is impressive all around. 3h45min, 11 secrets. 01/24" - Treeble (07-Jan-2024)
"Excellence and perfection in a single game!! Better than this is very hard to imagine!! TR fans can't miss this one!! An Exceptional and Fantastic game. Great atmosphere. Every level brilliantly build with planty details and imagination. The Swamp and The Mausoleum levels are impressive and memorables. Asylum level is about something not from this world (in terms of imagination and creativity)!! All sercrets are well hidden and the story is very well told. Some parts of the game are difficult, (but well designed). Top mark in all categories. Beautiful work. A masterpiece no one should miss. Thanks Bojrkraider!! Thanks Richard!! Thanks Titak!! Thanks Trix!! Found 11 secrets (6 hours to get it to the end)!" - CalrOsario (28-Dec-2022)
"I had chosen this level because it is the best rated level on the site. But this level unfortunately bored and frustrated me. It is too long and creates a lot of confusion in the head for most of the level. I got lost all the time and wasted months to finish it, but it wasn't satisfying. The best level was definitely the stronghold: the gameplay of that level is still very boring but the aesthetics are very very beautiful. For the rest of the level, the only decent thing is the humor, for the rest we are not there." - DadRaider (19-Sep-2022)
"Continuing my quest to remember why I loved TRLE's so much, I decided to replay in sequence the entire UUB series. Final on the list is UUB4. What I liked about the level: 1) As with the entire UUB series, there was no lagging, no bugs, no crashing. Everything works perfectly on my lesser CPU Win10 PC. 2) Super fun jump sequence from flower to flower in the Swamp. No crazy setup, just run and jump! 3) I really enjoy gameplay involving a floor maze followed by reaching above the maze. Same maze but totally different perspective. 4) The disco made me laugh. 5) TIP: Not sure why this happens but every now and then I experience the CTRL bug (this time when trying to grab a jump switch in the Mausoleum). The fix is to reload from the main menu load screen. 6) TIP: The walkthrough suggests doing Secret#7 then redoing the "timed run" sequence for the puzzle. Much easier is to complete the puzzle first then take a running jump back to the ledge for the secret. 7) TIP: The walkthrough suggests sprinting for the timed run to the key in Factories. Much easier is via side + running jumps. 8) The intelligent plastic made me laugh too. What I didn't like or could be improved: 1) The push puzzle with water pipes locks pieces into place even if incorrect and consequently can't be moved requiring reload to a previous savegame. 2) Jump switches devilishly crafted to be almost invisible. 3) Not that anyone would do this but it is possible to get irreversibly stuck if Lara slides back down to the Asylum without the vehicle. 4) The laser trap room I found quite impossible without the walkthrough. There is literally no time to think or look for that matter. A place of respite to scope out the area would have been nice. Conclusion: WOW! I can't tell you how much I miss this kind of gameplay. I am so grateful we have these levels to play and so sad it is over. Thank you to the ground breaking builders for creating this one of a kind series for us to enjoy over and over again." - Lizard Queen (03-Apr-2022)
"I don't know what else to say, really! I'm sure this is the most fun and quirky vision of Tomb Raider hell I've been to. I miss all of the great puzzles and exploration I found here, and above all, the masterful, humorous, and incredibly entertaining storyline. The ending is delicious! Thank you to all involved, especially Dick! Great job, suitable for almost everyone, and a classic in its own right." - MigMarado (20-Jul-2021)
"This game is perfect.
I would like to just review it like this but it would really sound dreadful, so I will construct a whole review. This game is the best TRLE I have ever played, and while it will not outshine games that bring me some sort of nostalgia (Himalayan Mysteries) or are just surprised my expectations (Legacy of the Scion) or just amazed me with their being (Egypt and Beyond), it will for sure be remembered for being the most impressive, the most perfect game in the whole TRLE history, everything from story telling, to gameplay, to objects, to atmosphere and to lighting is just so amazing of this game that I really do not have any other word to say ... I am just left with my jaws dropped.
I do really recommend every TRLE enthusiast that has a lot of skills to play this game because it is the Sacred Grail of TRLE for sure. Wolfy Regards." - Wolf7 (04-Oct-2020)
"Excellence. Thank you so much for the team work, Richard, Bjorkraider, Titak and Trix (who sadly left trle for something else). I can't, for the life of me, even start to imagine why on earth I left this levelset unreviewed and there isn't much I can add now, as I see it's among the most reviewed trle games ever. I loved the design and the atmosphere, the humour, the somewhat complicated puzzles at times, even the most difficult parts as in the next-to-last level, the complicated ride on that squeaky vehicle or the colourful laser room with buttons at the factory, there really wasn't a dull moment. The cut scenes are great too. Luckily for me (it happens with films too), I could hardly remember any of it, so it was as if I were playing it for the first time. It's funny, it's adventurous, it's definitely eye candy and it keeps every Tomb Raider feature in perfect balance. Excellence." - Jorge22 (24-Mar-2020)
"This is the finale of the series, and it lives up to that; great and unique visuals plus more consistency (with a couple of exceptions), Object usage and events that would actually warrant an 11 out of 10 and constantly varied and interesting gameplay design. The only slightly low point in the visuals is the second half of the Asylum map because of some slightly bland and repetitive hub rooms and corridors, but even that level has some great moments and interesting gameplay despite the lower visual quality, and the best visuals in the set are some of the most distinctive in TRLE history.
The gameplay is a bit more challenging in terms of platforming and traps, with some quite difficult agility tasks, but the distinctive puzzles remain a thing. In the first couple of levels in particular even the platforming has a very Lawther puzzle-esque offness to it, with no task quite feeling like it goes the way it "should" go (in a good way). There's some occasional forced damage and slightly unfair moments, but the issues aren't enough to balance out the constant interesting design and creativity. The story is also further integrated, and there are multiple events to further the story along with taking the humour aspects a step further. While the series should be experienced from the beginning for the whole journey, this is one of the definitive TRLE masterpieces and a must play for everyone." - Mman (29-Jun-2019)
"Wow. Richard and friends have created a masterpiece of level building. Puzzles are something I have never seen before. The way the cutscenes are done (very authentic Lara too). Nice spooky background sounds and the barren landscapes of the stronghold was excellent structured. Please don't miss it!" - Ryan (25-Feb-2016)
"Very creative and funny package of levels. i was very surprised. There are a mixture of easy and hart puzzles. The push-puzzle with the piggy devil in the last level was heavy and interminable. Sometimes i had to look in the walkthrough. I also was surprised and amused about the variations of the objekts design. It fits to the location, not exaggerated and a little bit with irony (the torture chamberers in Asylum, just what theee..... :D). The music and cameras didn't attracted attention negatively. The Atmosphere fits always to the locations. The lighting is ok. The textures are in some levels very monotonous and unkind, especially in the last one, maybe it is on purpose. Conclusion: High commendable." - Sander (25-Jan-2016)
"This...was...just...bloody AMAZING!!! As i write down this review, please take in consideration, that this was the first game that I've played from the series. Probably it wasn't the best idea to play UB4 without playing the other three games first, BUT since i'm choosing a TRLE at random to play i just didn't want to brake my "rules". I think it's not really mandatory to play the other ones first to understand the story in general, however if you played the previous games you would probably be fully aware of what this game would be like and familiar with his style of gameplay! Right? I say this because i thought that the first level had a level of difficulty too high for an "introduction" but since this is a continuation of the series i assume the player is already familiar with the difficulty. Well i wasn't, and i was a bit disappointed by it, but the rest of the game TOTALLY make it worth. It's just brilliant! Brilliant i don't even know what words i should pick to describe this incredible game. It was fun, creative, challenging, full of innovations and with a fantastic environment throughout the whole game. I truly wanted to give it a full 10, it totally deserves it, but the first level was not as fun as the others and there was a puzzle regarding a lot of lasers that made me feel a bit frustrated and i hate that feeling. I feel i've said enough for the reader to decide if you want to play this level or not, i shall not talk about specific things in the review, as it will totally spoil the magnificence experience that the player will have." - Zhyttya (27-Dec-2015)
"The best level I played so far! Can't deny that but I can't give it a full 10. It was the most fun and challenge (in an enjoyable way) I had playing Trle BUT the level order in the difficulty department spoiled it. The first level was the hardest mechanically and had the most absurd jumps of all game, almost making the game going from hard to easy so that's something to point about. If it didn't had the first level I would give it a 9.9 for sure. I can't think of anything I could do better in this game! The history was catchy, the ambient was spot on and the puzzles were really fun and enjoyable to solve! Every single area was a new surprise and you can really notice the dedication and attention to detail of every aspect, even on the custom stuff that was there just to create a bit more of atmosphere (and the amount of stuff like that is ridiculous!). TL,DR: Gameplay and puzzles are the best with awesome plataforming to help. Enemies objects and secrets are really well made, the custom skin's and the use of objects are brilliant. Atmosphere, sound and cameras are there to spice every aspect but they aren't to intrusive so really makes the player focus on the game. This is an obligatory game for any real fan of TRLE" - Leeth (27-Dec-2015)
"And now after finally or rather sadly finishing the last part of the great saga, I'm more impressed than else. When I played the three previous parts of the seires, i knew that this fourth and last part would be fantastic! And I think this was the longest custom level I've ever played, it took me about MONTHS untill I finished it!! But I still was sad and wanted more after finishing this part, because the underworld unfinished business series was so great, funny and entertaining, that I couldn't think about anything else! With it's length, this saga got me run over by the nostalgia train! It's been a long time since I played the first two parts and I really can't partially remember them anymore... Playing this custom level, I really enjoyed the creative puzzles again, puzzles that we couldn't find in any other custom level. The gameplay was another cool experience. The bossfights near the end were not that exciting, but still classic and creative. And what I really LOVED in these four custom levels was its own theme with the usage of medieval objects and things (for example the gates). And after beeing in all those stressful, dirty places, I was glad to walk that long, detailed, beautiful hallway slowly to the end. All in all, I think this was the best custom level I ever played (also without the three previous parts). I hope richard will make more custom levels like this^^" - Nuri (05-Dec-2015)
"An awesome adventure indeed. The only thing keeping me from rating the gameplay higher is these hard jumps i had to make and it took so long for me to actually make it across. Storyline is just superb and the game really captures your attention. Puzzles were very creative and i liked them alot. My favorite level was i believe Factories it was really well made and with very good gameplay. The thing is though that some parts got tedious as im a beginner and i had a very hard time making any progress, but when i did i was so happy. Textures were superb and atmosphere amazing. Only one thing to say "PLAY THIS ADVENTURE"" - totizedger (07-Sep-2013)
"What a fantastic custom game!!! I must mention that i don`t like surreal type of levels but it doesn`t matter because if something is superious then it`s a mustplay!!! Types of levels are just tastes of players and every type can be created well. I loved every second of this fantastic adventure. I haven`t played previous Underworld levels but i will soon without any doubt. This is the best surreal type of level i`ve ever played. The atmosphere was so amazing, new and very good ideas, clever puzzles, superious gameplay. Masterpiece and recommended for all TR players. Make sure you don`t miss this custom game. A big thank for the team builders. 10/10/10/10" - OverRaider (26-Dec-2012)
"After three wonderful and very entertaining parts, the Unfinished Business series ends with this levelset, this time as a collaboration of four of the best builders with many HoF levels each.
The Descent (10-10-10-9) After the long slide from the end of UUB3, Lara and Demon Smalls have to get down quite deep - while the demon obviously"cheats", Lara has to make the hard tour - climbing down out-and inside a mountain, with many traps, lava, boulders and small safe tiles. At the end Trix put a typical UUB scenery with the demons that break a bridge and Lara - clever as she is - changes the stream of the water to get over the gap. Wonderful idea with very good objects (bit hard to navigate through them) and good texturing. I also liked the raising and sinking platform lava room here - great variety here and much fun. The two secrets were a bit too easy to find I think but they at least require some more expert jumping.
The Swamp (9-10-10-10) Having survived the descent, Lara has to face some water lakes where, if you jump in, you quickly face death. So this level too was quite a hard platforming one as the first, many exact jumps and good observation of the rocks are necessary. Maybe not that inspiring tasks until of course the fake ID near the end, but with beautiful graphics and an astonishing Asylum building at the end. The usage of the guardian plants was superb and I loved the architecture of the whole area very very much. This level gets visited again after the main Asylum part, a short appearance where you can overlook the valleys from the top of the Asylum building. Great.
Realm of the Lost (9-10-10-9) A short visit to the Asylum level I will mention later on, thereon Lara gets to this level that immediately starts with a tricky slope jump - it's near impossible to not die the first time if you didn't study the walkthrough closely. And this will get you into the right mood of this trap-based level. After another (even harder) slope sequence four lava rooms have to be passed which can be very annoying for rather inexperienced raiders. The only secret here was I think the best hidden in the whole set. After some time you meet the rest of Team Anubis on a fire lake where some of the old Lara enemies burn - Sophia, Natla and Tony - which was another detail that made this level so strong. You get two very short times back here, but there was nothing really new then.
Asylum (10-10++-10-10) This level busts off all limits of the TRLE engine. Right from the very first and little visit, we can see dozens of torture chambers - cruel what is done with those poor humans - and technically I think this is the most impressing level I have ever played (the two + behind the second category is intended) Each player who has played some of the official levels and then gets shown this level can absolutely not think this has anything to do with Tomb Raider, but it has - in a undoubted outstanding way. Just play this level and then you know how skilfully worked out this is. The gameplay was mostly in the second part, where you had to"free" two demons with their balloons - tons of innovative tasks here like the wheel room, the room with the water pillars, but also rather classic platforming tasks and good sinking tile usage. The nightclub was both hilarious and breathtaking, and at the end you also get a bike ride (and a poor demon that has to hold the bike together). Resumingly, probably one of the three best single levels I have ever played, if not the best.
The Mausoleum (10-9-10-10) In a breathtaking building with very aesthetic architecture Lara has to do quite a bunch of jumping and climbing. Two very high rooms were cleverly constructed, maybe you have to use the floor lever to change the pillar location a bit too often. The jumps had to be done quite precisely and the way of getting the two gems are simply unique as well. One clever"double puzzle" (you have to do a puzzle to solve another) was to find too, with a short detour in Demon Small's workshop... The end was quite satifying with killing Verdilet, the horsemen always are a nice enemy - at last another point (not a let-down or a negative point), this level was a bit untypical for UUB except maybe the way of getting the first gem - the looks are somehow different and also the gaming was somehow different for me. Maybe not the most innovative part of this levelset, but I think if this wasn't a level by Richard I would've given a 10 for the first category too, so I'll be fair.
Factories (10-10-9-9) Yes, there was quite a bunch of to and fro at the levelstart - it could not match the simply perfect Asylum level - and that in a enourmous big area, but I found that with the help of the Beacon building guide in the download, this was quite fun even if you had to search long for the single parts. There were many hilarious moments like the intelligent plastic or the end. The machines inside and the refinery outside were wonderfully built, every task was very enjoyable. I also have to note the room with the blades consisting of balls, where you have to constantly avoid them and push buttons to deactivate them - it somehow reminded me much on a crazy online game called The World's Hardest Game (if you've played or play somewhen, you will think so too). To finally create the beacon, it took quite a time but it was another great task and what you get after using it, is - if not having played - unbelievable. However, just a little thing and this may be my own opinion, the atmosphere didn't fully convince me - the architecture of the outside area is maybe a bit too simple and the edges that lead into the dark somehow didn't suited for me totally with the factory buildings as the archictecture and atmosphere in the other two levels did - this of course only outside, the factory itself was brilliantly done. Three fairly easy secrets to find.
Dark Souls Stronghold (9-10-10-10) A bit hard to review this level for me, as even if this level was quite as long as many others with forty-five minutes duration, this really felt like the boss fight only. Before entering the castle you have to perform even harder jumps than before, but never frustrating (maybe once, if you are stuck near the start with the jump to the slope - just walk to the edge closest to the slope, hop back, jump up once and then run- jump there and it works much more easy), and then, you face the three Dark Souls one by one, all kills have to be done with quite interesting and entertaining methods. The readme states Belial to be the easiest, Madame Orr the hardest, but somehow I found this would fit better the other way round. While the latter is already described to be killed with a single (revolver) shot, I think jumping to the sinking tile, putting out the revolver, shooting and jumping back is never that hard as the steady escape from Belial's hammer hits and pushing a vase is quite difficult to do even if you can lure him wide away. The third one, Legion, is quite nice to kill - a resemblance to Demon Nursery from The Lizard King, and also some nice fights and having to be quick often. Now to the looks of the castle - breathtaking outside areas with the three towers and a bird over them (a bit unfairly hidden Stars maybe) and very good visuals throughout the whole level. Objects do their job more than good to make this castle non-squaric and really organic.
Lucifer was only running through a gorgeous hallway and entering the realm of the Devil, in which a funny pre- final cutscene takes place, and afterwards we get to see the conclusion of the grand work done by these four builders in by far the best final cutscene I have ever seen. The way the “Unfinished Business" gets to"Finished Business" is even more hilarious than the bridge deconstruction in the “Descent" level.
Summary: The masterpiece of the masterpieces. I think this is one of the best games ever produced and if Core Design would have released this UUB levelset, it would clearly have more benefit than with AOD (even if I personally liked this one too). Second time a four-ten is dedicated by me to a level. And this to a whole levelset, that means every level has to be top notch. And they certainly are - another example for this is that I played The Descent a week or so ago, stopped a little and then played all the other levels in only two days and 3:20 hours of net gameplay time, just couldn't stop playing." - manarch2 (15-Jul-2011)
"This fourth and last installment brings the Unfinished Business Saga to a grandiose end. After I had finished the previous game I was impressed that the builders were able to top it off with even more game play and incredible story line. I absolutely loved everything about the game play here with one exception: The Rolling Diamond Blade room was extremely frustrating and took forever to master. Other than that, there were lots and lots of challenging jump and run sequences, but all of them were manageable. The game play was a little less puzzle-based and more exploratory than the previous ones, which was just fine with me. I was blown away by the ideas and dark humor used to design many of these crazy rooms like the Demon Disco, the Asylum with the little torture demons or the factory areas where Lara had to spend a lot of time hunting for items and finally use the machinery to construct a single device. The enemies were rather cute and harmless at first, but the bosses in the end were quite tough and challenging. No need to say much about the atmosphere, textures and lighting as the only word I can describe this is"simply amazing". I am sad the series came to an end and I am glad that I played it whole from the first to the last game. (4h 10min, 11 secrets found)" - Blue43 (21-Apr-2011)
"One of the FOUR customs in my life I have replayed. Second was the previous part of UUB - Plain of Jars. This fact made UUB a series most played by me. I always admired Demon Smalls and his inventions, in 4th part of the game there are less of them, but the creature doesn't lose its smart character. "Factories" level contains one of the most complicated puzzles I've ever seen. It's great to see how Richard has bypassed TRLE inability to combine multiple pieces. Objects are as creative as always. Richard's sense of humour keeps the same wonderful style which all of us have been observing developing since his very first levels like "Astrodelica". Titak's plants grow well in Hell. They look a bit differently there - no sun shining means no photosynthesis. Maybe they use magma heat to produce adenosine triphosphate or... Whatever. Energy source for Titak's creations doesn't matter - it's probably the best usage of custom-made plants. Animations of Bojrk do the rest, and Trix's prologue is a great "keep balance" task, hanging the players' skills on the edge of the steepest precipice, when death lies at the bottom as long as you climb down, watching your every single step. So the result is when you reach the deadly swamps, you feel safer than up there on the cliff. And then it appears it is a terrible illusion - after few steps in the second level you get familiar with knowledge there is NO safe place in hell! SUMMARY: Another level hot as hell. Bravo for the whole producing team." - DJ Full (12-Aug-2010)
"After I have played UUB 1-3 and the Prequel The Lizard King, now the fourth part is in the row. And this part is the only one which I have completely played through already once. But UUB4 is so good that I must play this last part of the UUB series absolutely once again.
The Descent: Already the opening sequence looks really good. But Demon Smalls is plain nasty. Instead of helping Lara and giving her some advice how she comes surest down, he simply takes the abbreviation and jumps with a parachute down. With such friends one needs no enemies. But Lara is not to be nobody's fool and searches her own way down. And even a bridge destroyed by the small goblins does not detain Lara. A small negative point is the missing noise at the skull burners.
Swamp: After the exhausting first level one could allow to concern it in this level a little more quietly. And only the sight of the vegetation is unique. I have seen such a thing till present in no level.
Asylum, Realm of the Lost: Thus the level plays give fun. Many riddles, even more well built rooms, a very good sound and much black humor make the level plays to a real enjoyment.
The Great mausoleum: To this level only one word occurs to me: WOW!! Best I would make to myself a lot of pictures, print out this then and hang on the wall. Since the mausoleum looks plain and simple fantastic. Here Richard has excelled himself once more.
Factories: What does a woman not do everything to be able to use the lift down. I am accustomed thus some of Richards humor, but the fleeing intelligent plastic was still alive quite a while, because I lay laughing on the ground.
The Dark Souls Stronghold: Here I had for the first time a few frustration moments. It is not so amusing, for example if thus a dangerous monster shoots constantly at Lara, but Lara is able to shoot back only if she stands on a sinking tile which is, besides, in a lava field. These are in such a way moments where I think that this is well devised though, but must not necessarily be.
What should I still write? In principle, everything was already said, hence, I can be brief: A masterpiece in every way. And with it everything is said what must be said." - Scottie (24-Jun-2010)
"This level blew me away with its puzzles I have not had this much fun with a level in a really long time. the detail is amazing. and of course there are always little jokes to make you laugh. I found the asylum extremely funny, i dont know if that is wierd saying that but It made me smile. I also loved seeing some old friends in the lake. I also found the ending perfect. not dark at all. This is one of my ultime favorite levels YOU MUST PLAY!!!" - AKlara (28-Mar-2010)
"This is the best level what i played in my life! Super story, scary (and funny :D) enviroments, huge areas, great puzzles, awesome objects, great musics! :-) The gameplay: similar to the previous levels, but this is easier i think. There are a lot of hard trap (like the rollingball traps, flame traps, and some really hard jump)but sometimes there are very easy moments. Enemies are daemons, gods, not too hard. If you like laugh, you will here too! :-) There are some funny deamons, funny moment and funny puzzles! I laughed a lot on The Asylum level... horroristic objects and things, but the baby sound.. just LOL! :-D I think the last level is the hardest, lot of hard jumping, and boss. I cant say anithing, because its very complex level, everything is great just like the classic games. Masterpiece!!" - Roli (23-Jul-2009)
"Every once in a while you will find that very special custom level that really leaves a deep and everlasting mark, one that is said to be close to perfection. For me this final piece of the Underworld saga represents that level. To say that it is astounding is just an understatement, in fact there are no words that can truly express the magnitude and force that this level is bound to hit you with. Sadly it will also be the final part in which we get to follow the humorous banter between Lara and Demon Smalls, his quirky devices and very useful companions. Our team has reached the lower depths of Hell and our trusted heroine leads the way towards the destruction of the Dark Souls. Needless to say it is not bound to be an easy journey, but as one can expect from the likes of Richard, Titak, Trix and Bojrkraider it will be filled with visual candy around every corner, an astonishing sense of detail and an atmosphere so authentic that it feels as if you're the one walking alongside Lara through murky swamps, rocky caves, maze-like hallways, abandoned factories and gloomy castle halls. I was particularly impressed with the Asylum, the Mausoleum and the Factories as both of these were clearly puzzle-oriented(especially the latter) and contained features(enemies, puzzles, pickups and locations alike) that clearly rank as the most original and clever that I have seen. Richard's unique style really shines through in every aspect here and altogether this makes up a tremendous finale that you simply can not afford to miss out on." - Selene (21-Feb-2008)
"Seeing great work like this is truly inpiring. From the objects to the cutscenes everything was very well planned out and the story was great! I can't wait for more levels from these authors. Great work!" - dantheraider (06-Feb-2008)
"In many ways an excellent game, the sense of humor was amybe the best, a lot of work, great videos and construction of landscape and rooms, the objects and enemies were hard and beautifull. A complete game to be palayed with time and joy. Thanks a lot. Now the not too good points. there are many small rooms whitout lights, so Lara looks plane without shadows to give the 3D idea. At the last part, a terrible jump that I really hated, also i was close to unfinish the level thanks to this jump, I tried maybe 50 times to do the jump, it was really annoing, you dont need technic to do it, you need a lot of luck, I think this kind of jumps are not necessary for a good game. The last thing I didnt like very much was the end, after the last enemies, I was expecting for a great finish again Satan. Anyway the game is a 10 scored game and must be played by everybody." - Juan Carlos (19-Jan-2008)
"This was a very satisfying conclusion to the Underworld series. The story came to a great (and unexpected) close. The atmosphere was truly amazing. I particularly love the very beginning, working my way down the cliff. My only complaint with the game is a particular jump in the beginning of the Dark Souls' Stronghold because it took me forever to land on the exact right pixel to slide forward instead of bouncing off into oblivion. Aside from that one problem, this game is incredible. I really enjoyed all of the little touches, like seeing familiar enemies twisting in the lava, and having the head of the Horned Reaper from Dungeon Keeper 2 all over the place. I am really looking forward to more levels in this style, if not this series." - Ward Dragon (31-Dec-2007)
"This game is something really especial and I don't actually know how to describe it. I can just admire all the creativity, imagination and skills that have been needed for building it. All the objects are new and this game has also plenty of custom animations, cutscenes and gameplay including puzzles never seen before. Environment looks brilliant containing many unforgettable and imaginary areas like a huge swamp, factory area and asylum where are small deamons who are torturing some guys in different ways. Authors have also great sence of humor which they have utilized in many parts of the game. It is really hard to find any minus sides in this game but if I had to mention some minus side it would be a lack of final highlight. When I reached the last level I was expecting to see a final tough boss fight or something like that but there wasn't anything like that in game. All in all this game is something every raider have to play and experience by themselves. Make sure you don't miss playing this master piece." - Samu (21-Dec-2007)
"Wow! This game has outdone itself! It is very close to perfect, with minor flaws that can be easlity avoided. First of all, this game is absolutly georgous! The effects are really good, and the textures are really great, the scenery is oustanding, the everthing is outstanding! Laras new model has really nice textures, and the complex characters are deep, enduring, and very interesting. The puzzles are really hard, eepecially the first part of this amazing costum level. So the gameplay is a perfect 10, and no doubt about it. The enemies are intelligent, great looking, and very good to look at. The sounds and script fit the story line almost perfectly, and this is a very good game to play, i highly recomened it!" - Vaughnage (15-Dec-2007)
"I must admit, I played this game at least a year ago, and I noticed that all the reviews are this year - ??? Anyway, playing Ocean Moon reminded me of UB4 and Demon Smalls and Anubis. How clever !!! I remember the game took me through hours of entertainment, mostly fun, but some difficult, amazing and beautiful places. As usual, CC sums it up, so I needn't say any more - LOL. Edit in Feb 2016: UNBELIEVABLE !!! Of all the old games I decided to play, I picked this one. I'm back, looking for another great one, but am really surprised that so many others have found this excellent game at the same time !!!" - Juno Jim (09-Nov-2007)
"I played this one when Dutchy was over and I had a ball. Just had another go at it and I completely forgot the"floating Island" part Richard used. So it took a while to finish it, but I didn't mind at all. Like a couple of other levels (a bit more than a couple to be honest) all I can say: Eidos/Core and Crystal Dynamics eat your heart out. It isn't a walk in the park and I was glad Dutchy and I already had a go at it so I sort of knew what to do. What can I say, I love Richard sense of humour and there were plenty or WOW moments here. So thank to all the builders who made this possible, as this is for sure a level that I'll keep." - Gerty (20-Oct-2007)
"If you played the first parts of the series the expectations are certainly high on this set and right from the start it does not disappoint. One more time the levels are embedded into an intriguing storyline and right from the nice introduction cutscene you fully immerse yourself into the game and will have a hard time letting it go before you reach the end.
The Descent (9/10/10/9, 30 min, 2 secrets): Very clever, but not difficult moves required her to make your way all the way down. I really liked the use of trapdoors and you need to watch out for the deadly plants (spikes), boulders and burners along the way. Enemies are only the cute small red demons, some bats and a spider. The scene with the demons destroying the bridge was hilarious and the puzzle to redirect the water very nicely designed.
Swamp (9/10/10/9, 30 min, 1 secret): Very impressive and authentic environment here with as you make your way through the swamp to reach the building. Quite a few tricky jumps, especially across the spike plants in the water and I did search for that coin to get the fake ID for quite a while. Not new anymore but still always a treat to grow the beanstalk and climb it to the next level. Enemies are only a few wasps and bats and you return here briefly later to collect the registrars medaillon.
Realm of the Lost (9/9/10/9, 30 min, 1 secret): This one does not let you in easy. You get here after a brief tour of the Asylum and first need to master a tricky trap sequence with a spike slide and boulders, plus some climbing and jumping. The 'sinking platforms' provide for some nice gameplay as well and avoiding the bolts of those five demonic creatures took some thinking and precision. After touring more of the awesome caves, Lara meets up with Demon Smalls (great cutscene!) and makes her way back to the Asylum.
The Asylum (10/10/10/9, 10+40+10 min, 2 secrets): To quote Lara: "This place is sick". In a funny way of course. I spent quite a few minutes first exploring the areas, reading the signs and watching the variety of torture treatments - LOL. But then it is of course time to get to business, which means a search for eight items to open the entrace to reach the shape shifter, another one of Richard's hilarious vehicles. Reaching the eight items is great fun and wonderful task-oriented gameplay that takes a little bit of thinking and a set of decent acrobatics as well. The Disco scene is a quirky highlight as well and I just loved the ride in the shape shifter, which was tricky at times but never too hard to become frustrating.
The Great Mausoleum (10/9/10/9, 45 min, 1 secret): More fun gameplay here, especially in terms of acrobatics. Lara gets to make her way around two large high rooms, with climbs, jumps, monkey swings and more and along the way collects two gems, summons Demon Smalls for help with a push object and then colour pad puzzle and eventually awakens Verdilet, defeats him and collects his soul, which helps her open the barrier to the next level. Again - great action, great and fun storyline.
Factories (9/10/10/9, 50 min, 3 secrets): This part really deserves a 12 in the objects section. The oil refinery outside and all the machinery inside are just such a treat for the eyes and the whole complex task of putting the beacon together and how it unfolds is really quite ingenious and excuses for the tedium of running around headless quite a bit if you don't manage to find the necessary items right away. The intelligent plastic is particularly hilarious and the means of transportion to the next level is one of a kind indeed.
Dark Souls Stronghold (9/10/10/10, 50 min, 1 secret): And then for the great finale...and what a location for it...the Stronghold is truly breathtaking and the three battles for the four Lucifer Stars are diverse and interesting without being too hard to accomplish. Some of the jumps were surprisingly tricky though and could prove to be a game stopper for the less experienced players.
And then it all resolves itself in a cute little ending scene that you just have to see to believe it. How sad that the story seems to really end here and we can only hope for the start of a new one by Richard in the not too distant future. Fantastic game - Fantastic overall series!" - MichaelP (06-Aug-2007)
"I do not play custom levels very often. In fact, I've only played a few of them, but I've finished all the official Tomb Raider games numerous times and in spite of this fact, after playing Underworld UB4: Taking Care of Business, I strongly believe this level ranks among the best ever. I liked everything from ingenious and tricky puzzles to funny enemies and breath-taking enviroment. Perhaps the gameplay was sometimes a little bit difficult and frustrating, but this may be caused by the fact that so far I've played mostly official levels, which are considerably easier than the custom ones. Nevertheless, my verdict is truly simple: WELL DONE and keep up the good work!" - Gerbil (18-Apr-2007)
"I want to thank very much all the people who created this level. The atmosphere is just great, beautifully built, very nice puzzles, cameras and sound, really, really great level. Thanks to you guys I spent most enjoyable time in my life playing Tomb Raider. Sometimes it made me very angry cos I couldn't go through (even one time I was considering quitting ha?) but I must tell you that being persistent in trying all over again and again and again gives so much pleasure cos at the end you are achieving your goal and it makes you so happy and I think this is what this game is all about! Thanks one more time, and I will be waiting for another level created by you. I know that my review is somehow late but I took my time playing your level because it was really worth it." - Monica (08-Apr-2007)
"At last, after two weeks I finaly get finished this fabulous Richard's set of levels, I think the very best he have created. I can't imagine how many time he have taken to create all this huge number of incredible animations, very clever puzzles, great scenes, a lot of new cutscenes, a lot of new objects,... One of the very best set of levels I've played, it keeps the interest till the end, but not suitable for beginners. Many times I had to try the same task again and again, but no more than 20 or 25 times; this makes the gameplay more tedious. Excellent architecture, good puzzles, I couldn't get all secrets of course, a very convincing ambience, I think this final part of UB must be placed in the "Hall of fame" section. Very good work!" - Jose (25-Mar-2007)
"Here again we experience the very unique style, expertise, imagination and great humour of a very special custom level builder. This time he is joined by the great talents of Bojrkraider, Trix and Titak. Can a player ask for anything more? So it will be no surprise to find that this huge section of Richard's famous Underworld series will leave the player totally gobsmacked at the wonderfully rendered environments, objects, enemies, flybys, sounds, cameras, and gameplay. And just when you think things have been pretty tough for a while you stumble across a little treat to make you smile, if not burst out laughing. Take for example Smalls' dodgy cousin selling fake passes outside the Asylum. A wonderful series where we will move from level to level, sometimes many times, smoothly back and forth, to finally finish this Unfinished Business'. Mac players must use the mac patch or they will not be able to finish at all. A brief summary of what the player will discover.... The Descent: Lara and Smalls stumble and fall their way to the edge of a precipice. Poor Smalls has an undignified landing, but picks himself up and safely glides off this tremendously high cliff face, leaving Lara to make her own way down as best she can. And this descent is a most fascinating and challenging one. We meet the first batch of mischievous little red devils, bugs and other insects, very beautiful but extremely dangerous plants, marvellous objects, and lots of brilliant actions, jumps, climbs, swings, and sinking platforms over lava. All accompanied by great music and sounds, especially the many conversations we hear throughout this series. The Swamp: A dark spooky atmospheric place. Great route around the swamp via climbs, swimming to avoid sinks, monkeyswing through vines, and jumps over dangerous floating plants, to the outer gates and swamp garden of the Asylum. Exploring this magical place is easier said than done! We find and use a bud, then watch a plant growing like Jack's beanstalk. Lara can climb this plant up to the battlements, and is rewarded by amazing views and beautiful architecture. A few small tasks to perform here before entering... The Asylum: What a place? You can really sense the madness. The very suitable music and sounds add to this. Spent a long time just looking around at the shenanigans of the staff and patients. The signs are hilarious, considering the treatment the patients receive. So you can just imagine what is going on under a sign like 'Decapitation: free your head'! We are now hopping between levels, and come back to the asylum later for more fun and frolics. The lower regions of the Asylum are just as beautiful, if dark. Again, the details are stunning. I loved the old fashioned lamps in the labyrinthian corridors, and the disco where the staff chill out and let off steam, literally! This section is more puzzle based with a lot of rooms to work through. Love the waterpipes puzzle, runs across lava rooms, one with disappearing textures, another with those sinking platforms. But the mother of nightmare 'puzzles' is the swimming pool room where we must try to jump 'through' water columns. We find a shapeshifter key to operate an hilarious vehicle, and drive it along a pretty tough route. And later still we come back to catch a thief and return the loot to it's rightful owner. The Great Mausoleum: Another magnificent edifice. Those who like jumping sequences will love this part, as there are many interesting ones here, high above, in enormous rooms. The timed run to a trapdoor in one of these rooms is tough but brilliant. We find parts to make the 'flambeau', which burns a rope holding an ornate sword over a dead man's sarcophagus. We need to summon Smalls to help us solve a colourful, and funny, two part puzzle, sort out a row of floor levers that turn ladders on a wall, and tackle a black horseman to get his key. Realm of Lost Souls: Some tricky jumping to be done here. For example, sliding to avoid more dangerous plants, a seemingly impossible slope with boulders, terrific jumping/shimmying from column to column over lava and sinking platforms, and facing a gauntlet of poison shooting plants. The red devils are here too, causing more havoc. But Demon Smalls and Anubis have a cunning plan as they join Lara by the lake of boiling blood. When Lara returns Smalls has succeeded in removing the barrier into... Factories. Another brilliant place to explore. Smalls uses his computer expertise while Lara goes in search of components and bits to combine that will produce a Beacon. Tasks include making a diamond, chasing an 'intelligent plastic' (hilarious), a hair-raising run among 'diamond lasers', and an extremely tight timed run to get into and out of toxic water. The whole place is fascinating to look at, especially all those machines and what they do. The beacon summons an awesome looking spirit who will take Lara and Smalls to the ..... Dark Souls Stronghold. A huge castle floating in black nothingness. The gates are closed, so Lara must find another entrance. Once inside the main hall it's obvious we must find four items to open that contraption in the floor. Choose any direction, as you will be back here many times. From the jawdropping view and dizzy heights of the tallest towers to the many interior routes and rooms where we tackle the three main dark soles, Belial, Madam Orr and Legion, and take their keys, quick thinking is required as we are constantly harassed by more little devils and hammergods. Loved the idea of summoning help from Anubis to kill one of these. When we have all four keys, and open the floor, we hesitate to jump into the swirling mass below. But it's worth it... to find out who is behind all this, and sit back to watch the brilliant closing flybys. I miss it already. A wonderful raiding experience. This is an excellent opportunity to thank all our wonderful builders for all their efforts over the years, especially Richard for this amazing series." - CC (21-Mar-2007)
"I am very sad to hear that this will be the last of the UB games because I just love those small demons, they are hilarious. This one is a great piece of work, every level is well thought of with nice puzzles and new ideas. I liked the custom objects and the atmosphere of all the levels. My favourite are the ones that have many colours and/or greenery like The Asylum, The Swamp and others. The one I least liked was the Factories because of the many objects we have to find which I found a little bit too complex. There is no way you'll get bored with this one and finding the secrets is a nice little adventure although I missed the shotgun in Factories and had to ask Richard for that one but I am proud to say I found all the other secrets by myself. I won't describe everything you'll see in this game, it's better to play it and discover everything as you go and that's what I always do when it comes to such big games. I am sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did." - Kristina (19-Mar-2007)
"Beautiful architecture; brilliantly creative object work, animations and cutscenes; a unique atmosphere; witty yet disturbing, eccentric, imaginative, clever, challenging, - in UB4 Richard et al. have achieved all these things. As you make your way deep into the depths of hell, you cannot help but be impressed by the environments and map designs. From the barren wastelands of the Descent and the Swamp, the industrial atmosphere of the Factories, through to the imposing gothic structures of the The Asylum, the Mausoleum and the Dark Stronghold, this is a big adventure. Lara's character interaction with the pint-sized Demon Smalls develops the story well. There are many creative enemy mods or new skins and these are sometimes used in tandem with a puzzle - making for some interesting gameplay - my favourite being the many 'Legions'. There's no doubt that this is a serious TR raid but it's set against a wacky, at times surreal backdrop. You just have to witness the Asylum and the Diablo Nightclub to appreciate the weird but humorous touches. The tongue-in-cheek nature of many visuals lightens the feel of what most would consider the heaviest of all challenges - a battle with the devil himself. Speaking of challenges, UB4 is chock-full of clever new puzzles and traditional style TR challenges presented in innovative ways - complex slide-jump-spins, shifting tile puzzles, interesting pushblock puzzles.... the list goes on. Two points of gameplay were not ideal, there were at times paths or jumps that I felt were too obscure, and spent many reloads just wondering whether a jump was even possible. Then there were other complex jumps that I'm sure the expert players must have absolutely relished, but as a mere mortal player - I was humbled into submission by a few of these combinations, finding them near impossible to do. The precision required to do some moves in this game slightly tarnished the gaming experience for me, because I just couldn't perform some of the moves. I can wear the occasional hard move in a game, but for mine there were just too many '9.9 difficulty factor' moves to be performed. So be prepared to work hard through what is at times a very challenging raid, but it really is worth seeing this game through to the finish - there is so much good stuff in it and the final few scenes are absolute eye-candy. All in all it is a masterly work with a high level of difficulty. I'd stop short of saying it's the best level set I've ever played but by god, it's right up there in my all time top 10. So why are you still sitting here reading this? - go boot up the game - it's an absolute 'must-play'. Would I pay money to play this game? - abso-friggin'-lutely." - EssGee (15-Mar-2007)
"An absolutely amazing game. The"special effects" in this game are so clever. Although I didn't particularly enjoy the environment of the factory - especially outside, the skills that have gone into developing this level are brilliant. I think I enjoyed the descent most of all - I loved working out how to get around things and down. The asylum was like something out of your worst nightmares!!! There were a couple of times that I got really frustrated with jumps and those horrible lasers. I loved all of the levels really, and isn't Lara lucky to have friends who stick by her through all of those scary experiences. Loved the end." - Moonliteshadow (10-Mar-2007)
"I have just finished the bussiness and I keept thinking what to write about it,but the experience of playing it can not be expressed into words.It simply is the best level out there.A mixture of horror (The Stronghold)with good quality humor (Asylum)wich keept me glued to my laptop for the last days.Richard, your demons have entertained my whole family, and they aren,t such big Lara fans.We laught so hard of them!....All the small details were a subtile humoristic feature.I loved the disco the most and the deamon bathroom :)).The final cutscene was the cherry on top of the cake.The deamons declare the business FINISHED and Lara crusing with the deamons on a space ship and searching for a destination for her next holiday in a magazine.I noticed even a neard deamon, wearing glasses wich had joined the party as well.You have to promise that you will do a follow-up because your concept story it's just way too funny and entertaining. Congrats also to the other bulders who have helped you in this project." - dya1403 (07-Mar-2007)
"The only mistake I made was playing this before the other UB levels. I almost set this one aside to download & play the others, but after I started playing the WOW factor had me hooked. The atmosphere, puzzles, design and lets not forget the characters! There were parts of this game that had me LOL(the bathroom & disco just to name a couple). The design of the buildings & structures was very realistic. A great storyline which gave you a sense of purpose for being in the Underground. I thought the character interactions were fantastic, puzzles well designed(Exlposive Urine?)too funny. My hat is off to the builders involved in the project, absolutely ingenious. It was well worth playing just to see the ending, but must admit was sad to see it end, as well as reading this would be the end(Dick I hope you change your mind). I am downloading the other UB levels & plan to play them soon. In my opinion this is a must play for any TR fan with a high replay value." - guss18 (05-Mar-2007)
"I fired up this game with high expectations, the near-perfect reviews and the pleasant memories of the first three installments whetting my appetite to a fever pitch. I was still on a high after having recently completed Neon God, and for better or for worse Neon God would prove to be the standard against which I would judge UB4. Unfortunately, UB4 did not create a good first impression for me. The Descent is dark and forbidding, fraught with uneven terrain where the slightest misstep will have you hurtling into oblivion or falling into deadly lava. Not my idea of a fun gaming environment. The flycheat was enabled before I'd gotten ten minutes into the game. Strike one. I kept saying to myself that with a 9.98 rating to date, things must surely start getting better soon. But after the ordeal of The Descent was over, Swamp began in an equally dark and dismal setting. I finally got tired of stumbling into walls and bumped up the gamma on my monitor so I could see what was going on around me. And the irony of this is that the environs in Swamp are really quite imaginative and easy on the eyes. (It never ceases to amaze me when builders go to such pains to create lavish and elaborate settings, then make it so dark that the player can't enjoy them. Strike two.) When I arrived at the horrific Asylum and had a chance to look around, I resisted my initial impulse to just bin the whole thing and go on to something more pleasant. Luckily, this segment didn't last very long, and things started improving considerably in Realm of the Lost. Although it's too dark (gamma still turned 'way up so I can see) and there's too much lava, the gameplay is much more intuitive and therefore more enjoyable. The cut scenes here are also quite elaborate. When you make a return visit to The Asylum, a corner is turned. Up until now the gameplay has been almost exclusively trap-oriented. Now it becomes task-oriented, a refreshing change indeed. You need to visit eight areas to find and shoot a colored artifact in each one so you can continue. Here's where the legendary UB charm takes over, and I had a grand time navigating this section, including the raucous disco with a side trip through the men's room (it's amazing how much gas is packed into the innards of those tiny critters). It's still too dark, however, particularly during that harrowing buggy ride at the end (which was nevertheless very enjoyable). All of the just-described trends are continued in The Mausoleum, where the tasks and the traps are more challenging than before. The main mausoleum is a huge structure of uncommon architectural beauty, and the story-perpetuating cut scenes here almost outshine the gameplay. By the time I arrived at Factories, I'd given up on the darkness factor, and no level that's consistently and distractingly dark will ever get more than an 8 out of me in the lighting category, no matter how outstanding the rest of it may be. My first impression here was one of hugeness, followed soon thereafter with rolling eyeballs as I roamed about looking for randomly placed artifacts (thank heavens for the walkthrough). But the sophisticated technology of Factories made it one of my favorites despite the gamma-enhanced ambiance. The piece de resistance, however, was the concluding level, where Dark Souls' Stronghold offers three boss conflicts, a huge floating castle amidst a spinning galaxy and a host of special effects that stagger the imagination. In summary, I can only say that UB4 begins poorly but ends with a bang. I still believe that Neon God stands head and shoulders above it, but that's a fate shared by virtually every other release. Well worth the six hours plus that I spent here." - Phil (05-Mar-2007)
"Every once in a while a level comes along that surpasses what came before it and for me, this is one of those rarities - in a class by itself. The attention to detail, the architecture, the storyline, gameplay and laugh out loud silly humor come together to form an adventure like no other. Truly unique and deserving of it's accolades. For me, the best and finest of the Underworld UB series. Dick, Titak, Trix and Bojrkraider have combined their talents to bring us an unforgettable Raid that now ends the series. Speaking of endings, without giving it away, I will say it's a fitting, funny, and beautiful celebration; well done and beautifully rendered as is the rest of this work. Easy to play? No. At times difficult, but always with a pay-off of a challenge met - a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Not an easy thing for any builder to pull off. Here, that is done to perfection. Not to be missed and not to be rushed through. Take the time to really look and appreciate the seamless flow and perfect mesh of gameplay, story and environment. As I said, in a class by itself." - Bene (28-Feb-2007)
"I cannot say any more than others have said. This author is a true master of level building. Puzzles and gameplay range from deceptively easy to develishly tricky and always the atmosphere is perfectly fitting. All the while there are ingenious and often hilarious little details, even among the non-playable aspects. His attention to detail even extends to his choice of colaborators who are very worthy in themselves. One last comment is that I have always avoided giving 10s up until now - there is no other way to score this level set. What next?" - Jez (26-Feb-2007)
"Wow! This was just simply...fantastic! I've played the other UB adventures, and i personaly think this is the best. The thing that makes the UB series so unique is the it is 'something different'. If you play other levels you will no see the amazing cutscenes, the breathtaking animations and the sublime puzzles. I love the demon smalls. They are back and ready to cause more havoc! I don't know how built what levels, but all of them were brilliant. My best level was the dark souls stronghold. Most of the time i would just look up to the brilliantly built structure. How they build that is just beyond me. It looks so real! All i can say is, it's a fantastic series, and all good things comes to an end." - TombRaiderFan (24-Feb-2007)
"I was surprised to learn part 4 of the Underworld: Unfinished Business series would be the last, but since all good things must come to an end sometime, this was as fitting point as any to end the series, and the level set certainly doesn't disappoint you (beyond the knowledge, that this most likely will be your last adventure with demon Smalls and the rest of the hilarious demon crew) as it follows the same pattern previous adventures have set with most imaginative worlds, clever gameplay and countless hilarious moments - which mostly seem to be concentrated in the Asylum here (all the funny treatments, the Demon disco and so on). The environments vary from the dizzying heights of the Descent and the Dark Soul Stronghold, the absolutely atmospheric and visually impressive Swamp & Mausoleum, to the technically marvelous Factories. The gameplay is great as always - this time involving more extraordinary jumps and moves than I've ever counted before (but maybe I was just a bit out of shape as far as gaming goes), plus the very interesting solution to the whole factories concept, where you must use Demon Small's notes provided with the download, to avoid this becoming probably THE most confusing level out there (mind you, it still wasn't crystal clear with the notes too, which is fine, but because of that wasn't my favourite gameplay element from all the ones offered here) among other things you've probably read about in the rest of the glowing reviews for the level. Maybe the novelty of the whole concept has worn off for me a bit, so I couldn't give it a perfect score, like so many others have before me, but I have to say I liked it all the same despite that and I don't think I can mention or put into words what a great level this in any way the others haven't done so far, so I won't bother - just recommend you to play this - you most definitely won't regret it!" - eTux (18-Feb-2007)
"“In thy faint slumber I by thee have watch'd and heard thee murmur tales of iron wars..." We have now shared one of the select few Tomb Raiding tales that will forever rank highest in our memories of Lara as we recall our journey with her to this underworld iron war to defeat the Dark Souls. The creative artistry of the entire UUB series is so powerful that it has transformed our"Core" relationship with Lara, so that"Taking Care of Business" culminates in finding ourselves dancing joyfully on a languidly floating zeppelin positively convinced we ourselves are full-fledged members of Team Anubis. And so we have become, thanks to Lawther's gifted genius. We already miss Demon Smalls as if one of the most congenial acquaintances in our lives has gone away from us. UUB4 is an interactive journey of magical realism through Dante's Inferno that is absolutely flawless in every dimension. From the awesome and unique creative design, to the ingenious raiding skills where each move forward is precision crafted perfection (each one in itself a small microcosm of Zen beauty...remember the water torture room), to the intellectual challenges, and then the sudden shock of hilarity beyond reason, the author has given us one of the most enjoyable experiences ever created in this medium. I don't think that it's just by chance that Titak's Swamp happens to be the most ethereally beautiful level, (I never wanted to leave that world), nor that Trix's vertigo Descent one of the most challenging and well designed openings possible on our journey (I died a hundred times), nor that Borjkraider's perfectly designed cut scenes (how cool was that fireball releasing the Sword of Damocles) and animations were included as co-partners in this adventure. (And thanks a lot Titak for those gardeners, especially the Medallion thief!) The seamless transition throughout the game of all their unique creative wonders enhanced the entire work beyond mortal imagination. When you think about going to Hell, you probably couldn't devise a more frightening depiction than traversing through realms of the Lost, the horrors of the Asylums, and the soullessness of Factories. And yet we find ourselves standing dumbfounded in Lucifer's portrait gallery, mesmerized by the Moonlight Sonata, listening to Lara's footsteps echoing hauntingly across the shimmering floor. Look closely at those portraits. Look very closely. The hairs on the back of your neck will stand up! How congenial are our companions really? Who have we really been looking for? Some people might think this is a just a game. And thank goodness, Demon DJ Shorts will rock them right along with just that thought! As for me...."I can't get enough!" Thanks for the ride Virgil." - Mezcal (11-Feb-2007)
"It's impossible to find flaws in such a brilliant masterpiece that overflows with wit, humour, challenge, creativity and talent. Undoubtedly the product of a genial mind, this last installment of the Underworld series writes a new, bright page in the custom level history (and imho, in the gaming world in general). Richard Lawther has invented and created a whole new universe, ingenious, futuristic and humorous, which manages to make you feel part of it as soon as you step in. This universe conisists of unique and original elements never seen before in any TR game, but implemented in such a way that they create a rich, solid environment for Lara to live her extraordinary adventures in. In there, he has integrated classic tomb-raiding in the most inventive way, giving it a totally new and fresh look and feel. The Descent (Trix): this introductory level has brilliant design, challenging gameplay with several memorable and unexpected twists. Swamp (Titia): a vast, atmospheric ambience, where the settings are used in an inventive way. The environment is almost interactive. Several times you have to explore the setting very well so as to spot the next to-go section. A beautifully lit castle with some lovely (yet lethal) plantation awaits close to the exit. The Asylum (Dick): ingenious concept, impeccable design. Entertainment park feel (accentuated by the sounds) and a humorously creepy atmosphere. Several brain & technique-challenging puzzles to solve, so as to proceed. There are numerous rooms to explore, crossing corridors that lead to more rooms leading to more crossing corridors, and a disco that you won't easily forget :D Realm of the Lost (Dick): this psychedelic-looking level is the one that comes closest to classic tomb raiding from the whole game (speaking always in terms of the Underworld spirit of course, where nothing is conventional anyway). The Great Mausoleum (Dick): imposing, haunted atmosphere. There's a lot of climbing/jumping/sliding/monkey swinging to do here. The puzzles are easy to figure out, but become rather tricky when it comes to realising them. Factories (Dick): or, how to construct a beacon. This huge level is mainly a big experiment, where you have to find and combine several items and mix them in machines so as to finally construct a beacon and summon Geryon (which will lead you to the next level). This experiment got me a bit confused at first, but as soon as I got it, it was so enjoying putting together the pieces of this fantastic puzzle. Dark Souls Stronghold (Dick): amazingly spooky atmosphere. The main setting is a dark, creepy castle. Three particularly challenging boss fights wait for you here, as you move closer to the heart of Deep Hell, where you will meet... Lucifer (Dick): beautiful design and a most uncoventional finale, ending humorously this equally unconventional, high-spirited adventure, leaving you feeling a bit sad that it's all over. Congratulations to Richard & Friends (Trix, Titia, Bojrkraider) for this magnificent masterpiece. This is a real gift to every true raider out there. Thank you ;)" - Ravenwen (10-Feb-2007)
"This is the first Underworld Unfinished Business I have played and honestly, I am kicking myself for not playing the first three. Ok, to be honest I tried to play two and three, but due to their difficulty levels, I gave up before ever giving them a proper chance. Well, I am more confident in my skills now, and I felt like I could do this one. Believe me, even with improved skills, these gorgeous, expansive levels were very difficult, but extremely satisfying. Rarely, do I feel like levels succeed at developing a good storyline, but to also develop characters that I can care about and their interactions with each other is truly almost non-existent. Dick and friends have created a masterpiece of beautiful, lush surroundings, intense, inventive gameplay and terrific story and characters enriched by game-enhancing cutscenes. I was just knocked out in every level. I felt like I was playing a professionally derived game, and that is rare and so fun. The puzzles can be downright hard and lets not go into the difficulty of some of the jumping sequences. Even though some areas are very difficult, after solving the puzzles or getting through challenging areas, I felt so rewarded. Every level was inspired and had much to offer, but I have to say that my favorite levels were The Great Mausoleum (which was stunning) and The Dark Souls Stronghold which had some incredibly tough bosses and an awesome castle. I can't say I hated the Asylum though, that was hilarious and so ingenious. All in all, I am so happy I stuck this one out, as it was such an incredible experience I'll never soon forget!" - Shandroid (09-Feb-2007)
"A fabulous creation by Richard and his accomplices, Titak, Trix and Bojrkraider. Demon Smalls is back with Lara, and this time they make it into lower hell where the three dark souls, Legion, Belial and Madam Orr are intending to knock Lucifer off of his throne. They must be stopped, but first Lara and DS need to open the barrier that separates them from the depths of hell. The Descent: The pair descend into the canyon and need to find their way to the swamp. You'll be climbing around the walls of the canyon, and entering the cave system within. Enemies are moths, red demons and a large spider. Expect lots of fire, lava, spike traps, falling stalactites, and a very nice raising and lowering block room. This is a beautiful level with some very funny moments with the red demons. The Swamp: This is a tricky level where Lara has to make her way around and through the deadly swamp lake to get to the Asylum. The lake has a deadly under current, so falling in is not a great idea, and you need to keep Lara safe and dry by using the rocks and time delayed spike traps to pass through this grim place. Enemies are large hornets and bats, and later on some deadly plants (take a good look at the bats, they have little skull faces) Lots of jumping and shimmying to do until you eventually reach the Asylum; and then your jaw will drop as you finally enter the Asylum grounds because the building itself it just fabulous. There are a few bits to do here like collect a coin, seedling and ID card, and then you can enter the Asylum itself. Asylum: You will briefly visit this place, and then come back to it later, but over all you need to find the chief registrars gold medallion and bring it back to him. The asylum itself is one mental place, of course it has to be but who on earth could conjure up such a place? Only Richard I guess LOL. It's brilliantly done, and you really do get a sense of madness within these walls, with its little torture chambers off the head music and even a carousel for the inmates to ride around on. The asylum is also a huge place, and there are many things to do here, but the biggest objective is to open the way to the asylum roof by finding eight objects to shoot throughout the asylum. You'll visit a large water room with some pretty difficult water tunnels to negotiate, and other rooms include lava, sinking tiles, a small maze, a pipe puzzle the hilarious Diablo disco, and much more. Once you have opened the way, you will go on to use the shape-shifter key on the buggy, and take a ride to the roof of the asylum. The Realm of The Lost: You will pass through this level between the asylum, and you will also return here more than once. The level leads Lara to the Phlegyas 'Lake of Boiling Blood' where she is to meet DS and Anubis. You'll be tackling all sorts of dangers down here in the deep dark caves, and lava rooms are in abundance. Enemies are those naughty red demons who are still setting traps for Lara, and some bolt firing plants. Traps are a spike slope, boulder run, and sinking tiles. Lara gets to meet her pals, but nothing is ever that simple and passing the barrier is still impossible, and so Lara must soldier on. Mausoleum: Visit the mausoleum and gather gems from dead folk. Who else could do it better than Lara? It's not that simple though and this level is quite a tough one. Lara needs the soul of Verdilet, and to get it she must pass through various gruelling rooms. Again there are lots of fiery traps, a lava area with a ladder puzzle, a pillar/slope room, timed run and a whole lot of other things to do; (trying to keep this short is not easy.) Enemies are Verdilet who you will meet at the end, and then Lara and DS can pass through the barrier. Factories: In order to get to the final destination, Lara needs to construct a beacon to summon up Geryon who will transport her and DS to the Stronghold. In this level you will be searching the factory and its surrounding area for the parts to construct the beacon. There are a huge amount of items to find so I won't list them all, but each part must then be placed into various machines in the factory and a beacon will eventually be made. There are no enemies in this level, but there is a wicked diamond blade room to tackle, and there's a lot of exploring to do. Quite fabulous! And this is maybe my favourite of all the levels. Dark Souls' Stronghold: SO Geryon has transported Lara and DS to the fabulous stronghold, and what a vision that is!!!! It's a beautiful castle floating in the abyss, but what lies inside is another matter. Here is where the dark souls, Belial, Madam Orr and Legion reside, and you're going to be defeating them to grab their much needed Lucifer stars. All three enemies are lethal and will take quite a lot of time to defeat so it's not an easy ride within these walls. You will eventually get four Lucifer stars though, and then you can pass on to Lucifer's pad, but you will have to play this yourself to find out what happens next. Top marks of course. Please don't miss out on this one." - Moonpooka (08-Feb-2007)
"How brilliant has this whole series been.If Crystal Dynamics would play them and see how wonderful Tomb Raider can be without messing with the control system, how happy would I be?I too will miss Demon Smalls and the Anubis team.I will have to replay to attempt to discover more of the secrets though.Thanks again to you all.Anything for us to look forward to?" - Annie (07-Feb-2007)
"what i can say more about this custom level ...brilliant........ even iff not finished it yet but i simply cannot doo anything just play and play and play ......is 100x better than any original Tomb Raider game ......i include Legend too ..i dunno iff someone can doo better level like this one .......cos is outstanding ..very large places , killer jumps , very smart puzzles , brilliant sound and graphics ..........and what i like it the moust - not frustrating even iff is not for rookie riders ....but i recommand it to all TR fans.... i cannot wait for the next one from this great builders bravo ..." - Jack& (06-Feb-2007)
"Master-piece. Funny, great, unussual, perfect, extra ordinary about 8-9hours of beauty mood playing. Huge and massive levels with great graphics elements and puzzles for solving with a lot of cobination. Factory is my favorite level and ofchourse all others are great. Highly recomennded for playing! 10+ :)" - Ivan (05-Feb-2007)
"After playing Bojkraiders latest experiment level, I thought I had seen it all. This is an equally amazing adventure (although very different!)which has all the elements for a classic! Not only in the custom level world but due to all the cutscenes, humour and story, it would fit in the shelfs in every well sorted gamestore as a game you can buy!! Although this is a product of a team of great builders, it surpasses anything that core has ever released. The gameplay is perfect. What can you say about the puzzles by the puzzle master himself? Amazing...How do you come up with these things? Same goes for the objects and enemies! Top class custom objects from all the team members. Titaks's plants really freaked me out! (I still suffer a trauma from the "Day of the triffids" movies haha)I found the secrets really hard to find. I only got 5 of them :( The atmosphere is out of this world (Well, it is hell after all!)and the whole levelset makes you feel like you are Dante on his famous journey. The textures and lighting..fantastic and so atmospheric. Highlights: When the demons destroys the bridge in the first level LOL! The "legion" part in the last level. The intelligent plastic's escape haha. Oh and the end was fantastic! There is so much to say about this adventure that I could write a book. All the cutscenes, the voice acting, the shapeshifter...all the comments by demon small LOL! Titak, Trix, Borjkraider and Dick. A fantastic levelset that will reach the hall of fame in no time! All tens from me!" - QRS (04-Feb-2007)
"First, my recommendation: a must play. Second, my thanks to all those who contributed to this masterpiece. This is not just any game. This is an experience. This is jaw-dropping "how did they do that ?". Dick's worlds and their inhabitants are like none other and he doesn't disappoint with this installment. The opening Descent level is flawless in it's ability to test the players sense of puzzling through Lara's "next move". Gameplay at it's best, in my book - well done, Trix ! The Factory level was amazing. So many gadgets to ponder. I couldn't collect the goodies fast enough to see what each machine would do. You will marvel at the sights that await you in the Asylum too. What those little beasties are doing to their guests is quite - shall we say - shocking ! The final level, Dark Souls' Stronghold, lays down the gauntlet of enemies. My advice: pick up as much ammo as you can and save often. Last, but not least, the collection of characters: Demon Smalls, Anubis, the other little guys, the lethal flowers, Intelligent Plastic (I wish you could have seen Lara trying to catch my IP....yeah, yeah - alright !), the fabulous car (reminiscent of air brakes), disco dancing, "fluffing" ....hysterical....and perfect ! This is a game you do not want to finish. I said in another forum that this game deserves more than 10's. It is outstanding." - Mugs (04-Feb-2007)
"What a Game this was ! Having played all recently released Top TRLE games I thought it almost impossible to top those masterpieces until Richard turned up with UB4 ! A stunningly good game which left me breathless ! Team Anubis have done a brilliant job in a Richard Lawther Masterpiece which is worth an Oscar !!! A most wonderful game full of fun and surprises ,highly recommended to all TRLE Fans ! Dick has put things into the right order again , no more 10 from me for anything else until someone turns up with a greater power than Richard The Magician !" - Ruben (03-Feb-2007)
"The Descent: And what a long way down it is too - vertigo sufferers will have to play this in small doses I think. It's fabulous fun trying to find the right way down - frequently far from obvious and there are some tricky jumps to achieve/dilemmas to solve. Swamp: The swamp is spooky (and deadly) and there are some really weird looking plants about. You need to make your way through the it, which includes doing a fun run over some murderous aquatic plants that shoot spikes out if you're too slow, until you reach a magnificent castle (and meet a demon spiv - that made me laugh). The Asylum: Quirky, funny, somewhat manic - pure Richard Lawther. Your first visit to this section is brief, but fear not you will be back. Realm of the Lost: I found the sliding sequence past the killer cacti really hard to accomplish and that rather set the tone for the entire section. I found it challenging, but I struggled through somehow and felt a nice sense of smug achievement when I finished. There are some really well thought out agility tests and it can take a while to figure out just how to achieve some of the moves (well, it took me a while at any rate). The Asylum (2): This visit is to the south wing and it's HUGE. There are lots more challenging feats to accomplish and I must just especially mention the water chute/slide room. It really is one of the most brilliantly devised agility tests I've ever seen. It's certainly fair to say that this part of the Asylum will seriously mess with your head until you figure out what's going on. For a while there, I thought I was going to become an inmate. There's a fabulous fantasy vehicle to ride at the end of this section, which takes you to a very brief return to the swamp to find a medallion before making your way to the next part of this amazing adventure. The Great Mausoleum: The central area of the mausoleum is very grand and imposing. There's plenty of fun sliding jumps in this section - I always enjoy those. Good puzzles and some great cut scenes. Factories: This is a really delightfully eerie industrial style setting, with appropriate sound files and some truly fascinating machinery, plus some challenging manoeuvres. There's a tightish timed run (and don't whinge about it because it's had a whole second added on to it since the beta version) and an initially rather difficult laser room, but don't be put off the laser room - after the first hard part, the rest of it is a lot more straightforward and great fun. This was my absolute favourite section and that's really saying something in a game of this quality. The Dark Souls' Stronghold: Whoops, vertigo time again, but not for long. The fortress is impressive and forbidding and, for those of you who may have been wanting more in the way of enemies to fight, just beware what you wish for. You get to meet Belial, Legion and Madam Orr and my favourite was Legion (most inventive) but let's just say I was glad of all the revolver ammo I'd picked up along the way. Lucifer: Just a short ending section with a most marvellous cut scene to bring this brilliant and immensely enjoyable series to a final close. Oh how I shall miss Demon Smalls." - Jay (30-Jan-2007)