Level reviews

"From the start, I knew it's ghana be good. A nice attempt to trle-fy the Legend map, which gives more tasks than the original level did - and if you know French, you should go for secrets. I wish Zip and Alister were chatting between these lots of climbing and platforming, that's a missed chance for greatness. Also, did those lamps ever give anything but the kick? They should. Recommended." - DJ Full

"I was looking for a Ghana TRLE and yes I got a very simple level with this setting. The first big room with the waterfalls is promising but after that it goes downhill and that actually affects all points. It also develops more and more to a TR4/TR3 level. I found the music selection after entering the temple particularly unfortunate, no TRL sounds can be heard, too bad! In the first room with the barrels are in my opinion also too many enemies at once, then you find no flares in the entire level although it is often too dark inside. I know it's the author's first work but the texturing is sometimes very sloppy and mixed, other authors have definitely done much better in 2007. Playthrough was okay, playing time was just under an hour. This TRLE is a nice try and you can recognize some rooms from TR Legend, but I wouldn't play it again." - vandit

"Considering the era this came out in, you could only do so much to replicate a TR Legend-sized level within the limits of the editor. So I'll cut the builder some slack, as it isn't really their fault in this respect. Level design is relatively crude-looking by today's standards. But if you've played the original level, you can somewhat recognize a fair chunk of the areas, with some clever gameplay workarounds to better accommodate the lack of Lara's grapple or a complicated physics engine in places(including an original torch puzzle to replace the lack of a boss fight with Rutland, as in the original Legend level). The texturing at times can be messy however, being either stretched or noticeably out-of-place Egyptian-themed ones in a few rooms with the decently-handled lighting effects not faring much better, being a tad too dark at points for its own good. And while I understand the inclusion of object and music choices from AoD, they didn't really fit within the general environment as it left a noticeable impact on general atmospheric immersion for me. A small quibble by comparison, but I feel the need to mention this regardless. Overall though, a fun enough interpretation of Ghana. So if you're wanting to experience a level from the Crystal Dynamics games done right in the editor, give this one a go." - Ceamonks890

"This is a great remake of the TR Legend level and much more accomplished than Koldo's attempt. The setting is better, use of music fits well and there are some fun gameplay moments including some acrobatics and a torch puzzle. A shame it was a little too dark and some of the traps and the motorbike ride took too many attempts to succeed, but aside from that, it was a fun 40 minutes." - Ryan

"I can surely say that visually, this level resembles the TR7 Ghana level as much as it is possible using TRLE. It also goes for the gameplay, objects, enemies, although the level is not identical (it's simply impossible). There are many things Lara in TRLE cannot do although she has learned it in TR7. So the builder invented some really interesting ways to go around these problems, such as invisible ledges when there are no hanging moveable platforms etc. However, many things are really reliably remade and I was really astonished. The gameplay is fluent and resembles the TR7 Ghana gameplay, puzzles are sometimes similar, sometimes quite different, but imo, that is a good thing. The overall geometry and architecture is quite decent and impressive (especially outside), the level is decorated with balance, which cannot be said for the pick ups, though. I have not found even a single flare in the entire level, although the interior part of the level is extremely dark. That is also the weakest point of the level: lighting. I recommend this level to those who like to play remakes, since it is as similar as it gets using TRLE machinery." - Nina Croft

"I have not played this level in Tomb Raider legend, so for me everything was new and nothing to compare with. Right from the start I was impressed how beautiful this level was and it looked much better than expected after having had a quick look at the ratings and the rather dark looking screen shots. I found the game play very interesting and not too easy. There are a couple of areas that took me forever to get through, like a double rope swing through some time burners or the bike jump over a chasm that had to be done without much run up and to make things worse, it was dark and the headlights didn't work. (This is actually only for a secret and can be skipped). Besides those gripes I did like the game play a lot. There were some interesting ladder and jump sequences and a few traps to avoid. I did find all five secrets, but I was not able to return to the finish trigger with the bike as the builder intended, so I left it behind, jumped into the water and climbed back up through the whole level per foot which added about seven minutes of actual play time. There were plenty of gunmen to kill and also a couple of black panthers kept sneaking up on Lara silently. Boulder objects were used nicely and there was a pleasant but easy push block puzzle combined with use of the torch. Lots of fire and explosion effects! The level had a wonderful atmosphere and was a good combination of outdoor and indoor areas. The architecture was clever and the texturing/lighting was my favorite aspect of the level as it looked modern and beautiful. I have enjoyed this one a lot and can highly recommend it. Too bad the builder did not release another level after that. (55min, 5/5 secrets)" - Blue43

"I haven't played Legend so I have nothing to compare it with, so for me I had a good time to have yet another adventure with the lady Croft. There are a few minor things in this level, like a rope swing that for no apparent reason decided to put Lara on top of a plateau instead of grabbing a ladder, She was going that way anyway so no big loss here. And of course the game stopper, the torch. But I was glad that I do keep saved games at strategic points so that was not a big loss. Nice were the boulders and the way you had to figure out to disable the sentry gun in the beginning. The bike ride was for a secret and although the level was quite to dark for my taste, the latter was awful as the bike has no lights and you have to clear a big pit. Overall I thought that it was a nice adventure and there are some nice traps in it. Some made more sense than others." - Gerty

"It's quite an interesting trlemake of the Ghana level in Tomb Raider Legend. There are a number of differences here, as you'd expect, and generally the platforming is a tad more tedious than it is in the original. Right in the beggining you have a somewhat buggy rope you need to swing to get to a climbable wall, I never managed to grab the wall though - Lara simply landed on the top of the structure. The use of a customized executable provides this level a number of visual effects, which was quite nice for a change. Also, be careful of soldiers grenades. All in all, not a bad level, perhaps it just relies too much on platforming. Good looks although it's ocasionally too dark. 35 minutes, 1 secret. 06/09" - Treeble

"Wow! I'm really impressed with this level! Nice lightling, textures, the gameplay could be better, but it was still really nice! The outfit was great, and it was really fun. The author could have made the water textures new. The AOD outfit really blended in with the enviorment, overall, very nice and very splended!" - Vaughnage

"I usually do not like remakes, but as I have no played Legend this seemed fresh to me and has nice looks, good audio and solid camera work. Quite heavy use of ropes and a few climbs that are a bit tedious (ie too long), but otherwise some nice jumping, a mirror room, use of a torch, a timed door and some tough battling with soldiers make up for a fun raid that takes about 45 minutes to complete, including five secrets." - MichaelP

"This could be a good level, but as many authors usually do, was ruined for the darkness. I'm sure that this builder have played TRL, but he didn't realized that the rooms of the original level are not so dark as the rooms in his own level. At least in the official game you can see where you are going and you can look and explore with normality. I can understand that builders want to make very dark levels, or even black levels, but I cannot understand that they don't provide to the players any flare. So the gameplay is bad 'cause you have to stop a lot of times to use the binoculars or explore a bit using the only three flares the author gave you and then reload and play again over the same places you explore before to reserve those three flares for the rest of the level. Textures were the best for me, architecture is good too and there are another good features and puzzles, but I couldn't enjoy the level." - Jose

"As one can imagine this level is a recreation of the TRL but don't expect it to be an absolute duplicate. The setting is very good with the new textures and the waterfalls around. The gameplay isn't much though but it is pleasant enough with a few spike and fire traps. The enemies here can actually kill Lara with their grenades so be careful not be blown up. There is some climbing to do, the builder overdid with the ladders, a timed run and five secrets to get. The nitro gave me much trouble but I got in the end only to give up later on trying to jump over the pit with the bike. It is so dark in most places and I couldn't see beyond that pit so even though I had the feeling that the right side of it was the"good" side to jump, I gave it up after a few tries. The result was to get four of the secrets even though I knew where the fifth one was. One of the good things in this level is that in the end you can go back and access everything, I guess that is because of the nitro in case you haven't got it, so if you missed a secret you can get it whenever you want. The level ends abruptly while Lara is trying to approach the sides of the last area. It's a nice first try." - Kristina

"Judging from the very sparse outdoor segments of this adventure, it would have been right at home in the South Pacific Contest (although it couldn't have held a candle to Blood Mountain). However, the indoor segments, which take up the vast majority of this level, are much too dark for my taste, and I finally bumped up the gamma on my monitor and played it from the beginning with what I consider suitable lighting. My overall sense is that there's a lot of climbing here. The enemies are fairly few and far between (a few panthers and ninjas are all I remember), so most of the gameplay consists in making your way up and down and inside and outside until you reach the quadbike near the end. Even though I had the nitro, I was unable to make that jump across the chasm at the end and finally enabled the flycheat so I could have the satisfaction of hitting the finish trigger. This is a pleasant enough raid, even though it won't win any prizes and I have no real incentive to play it a second time." - Phil

"Well, here's one remake I won't downrate just because it is a remake. The obvious reason being that it's a remake from TR Legend, which as any self-respecting Tomb Raider fan knows is made on a completely different engine, thus doesn't really offer a lot of material to copy to the TRLE and making the builder's job easier. That of course doesn't completely excuse the game from it's remake status, as generally all the ideas are there and you 'just' have to figure out how to translate that to the old engine, so it's a good thing that it isn't a completely faithful to the original. You'll still find the massive waterfall area, most of the tasks you have to do in and out of the temple, like the battle with the soldiers inside, traversing the stream as you enter the temple, or making your way up the waterfall areas closer to the end, but some effects will not be present due to obvious limitations, or possibly of a different vision of the author's. My main complaint though is that I found the level to be way too dark in the inside areas. It wouldn't be that much of an issue had the builder supplied the players with flares more generously. Other than that I found that the pistols made a strange sound, but that might just be my perception of it. I also never explored the hidden bike track near the end, but nonetheless enjoyed the 35 minutes spent here and found 2 secrets of the 5 present." - eTux

"Quite an interesting and enjoyable level. The inside parts are quite dark and there are no flares to find so you should boast your screen gamma if you play by day. I don't know if it is a remake as I've not played TRLegend , it seems a few rooms will give you remisniscence of known areas according to the walkthrough. This is not a diffcult level by any means and I enjoyed the new animations and the flybys that show the falling of stones beaking platforms and staircases so that you can go on you way. I also enjoyed the run on collapsible bridges and the fluent progression. The panthers are not worth enemies but the big room with the mercenaries and explosions was a good moment. The looks of the level are quite good , (you almost reach the end of the world when you are at the top of it though). I don't understand why the author has not found a way to make the last puzzle with raising blocks resettable, or he could also have made the 2_clicks_height block 4 clicks and the players could have managed to to jump on the last rising block with the torch even if they'd have forgotten to place the torch on it. Aside for that , a very recommanded level fun to play. Good work !" - eRIC

"I haven't played Tomb Raider Legend so I'll comment this level only for what it is and no more. And it is really a good first level for Trent Kurtis! We see during all the level that he knows how to use the level editor because there is a lot of good details. I really liked the rocks which modify the environment when they fall or much more funny are the spotlights Lara can kick! LOL ! The barrels that explode when we shoot them are fun too. The difficulty is medium and there are some original traps like fire we have to avoid when jumping from a rope. Texturing was rather good but in the corridor with the big propeller and the trapped dark tiles (by the way I didn't really like those because they weren't enough obvious in my opinion) it was a bit less good. These egyptian textures should have been replaced by better ones. There was some little bugs and the biggest and more annoying one was that we can raise a block without having put the torch on it and we are forced to reload. Next time use an heavyantitrigger to lower the block, Trent Kurtis ! ;-) The atmosphere was good. Some rooms were a bit too dark. The secrets weren't really easy to find. I'll recommend it to everyone who want to have a good raiding moment without frustration. :-)" - TimJ

"For a first level trying to re-create the Ghana level from TRL is ambitious and I am happy to say that this is the best Ghana 'remake' I have played to date. I say 'remake' but it isn't a straightforward copy; there is lots in this level that doesn't appear in the original {and a couple of original features that have been omitted due to Level Editor limitations, I should imagine.} Once you get into the temple from the lovely outside area there is a spike trapped hall leading to a squad of mercenaries to shoot and sentry guns to avoid or blow-up, pretty much like the original. Things differ after this: lots of jumping, pushing/pulling and swinging. I particularly enjoyed the jumping sections. The texturing throughout is very good, although one or two texture choices seemed 'out of place' to me; personal preference only, they are applied well. And the lighting is just right - not too bright outside; not too dark inside. This is a great debut. I'm looking forward to the follow-up." - Kitkat

"It's always a bit difficult to rate remakes, for obvious reasons. Certainly, this is a technically very competent and faithful recreation of the Legend level and shows a good knowledge of the level editor. Debut level it may be, but it definitely bears no hallmarks of the amateurish beginner. If you've played Legend, you may want to see what a good job the builder has made of it and, if you haven't, now is your chance to get a taster. I would very much like to see another level from this builder (not a remake) because if he can come up with his own gameplay to match his level building abilities we could be in for a real treat." - Jay

"Not having played the TR:Legend level,I can't say how much of this is directly 'inspired' by the original and how much is new.Whatever the case,it plays very well indeed;nowhere too hard,but containing many places where you need to stop and ponder awhile. The location is interesting,vivid and well assembled (although you almost reach the 'end of the world' on occasion),and the fluidity of the gameplay quickly pulls you in and keeps you enjoyably absorbed. There are many smart touches here: rolling boulders in conjunction with flipped rooms;raising push block puzzles;pressure pads;fun acrobatics. Enemies are well placed (there is one extremely vigorous battle amid explosions),and progression is linear but never predictable. You even come full-circle at the end,thereby creating a fully rounded sense of place. If you have the tenacity,there is even a very charming secret to be had. For an apparently debut level,this is a fine piece of work indeed,and will keep you happily entertained for an hour or so. Much reccommended." - Orbit Dream

"As it was made using a different engine, I was at least satisfied from the start that this level couldn't actually be a one-on-one remake. I was even more satisfied when it turned out to be rather good. The tasks on offer here are relatively simple, with some decent jumping sections, rope swings and a torch puzzle near the end of the level (some of which were new additions that were not found in the original TRL Ghana). A particular highlight was the shootout with the mercenaries in a large room close to the start of the level. While it contained the basic combat elements, it was made far more exciting with the inclusion of a large number of explosive barrels and a collapsing ceiling. Sadly the ladder section afterwards was slightly boring, but the gameplay picked up again soon enough. Texturing was good, although one or two of the textures seemed to be extremely low-resolution, and looked totally out of place. The atmosphere was also quite nice, with a wonderful waterfall section at the start, and suitably dark and gloomy surroundings inside the temple area itself. After playing this great debut level, I am looking forward to more from the author." - Spike