trle.net
Your host for all Tomb Raider Custom Levels ever released!

Levels listed...
TR5 - 31
TR4 - 3137
TR3 - 177
TR2 - 132
TR1 - 60

72240 reviews (20.4/level)
3530 (99.8%) walkthroughs
442 Hall of Fame levels
1217 levels rated >= 8

TR Fan Site

 


BtB2008 - Inti Is Watching You by TimJ

billie2001 9 9 10 9
DJ Full 9 9 10 9
dmdibl 8 9 9 10
eRIC 8 7 10 10
eTux 7 9 10 10
Eva 9 8 10 9
Gerty 5 7 8 8
Jay 8 8 10 10
jclark69 10 10 10 10
JesseG 7 8 10 9
Jorge22 7 7 8 9
Jose 4 8 9 7
Juno Jim 10 9 10 9
Kitkat 8 9 10 10
manarch2 8 7 9 9
MichaelP 8 8 10 9
Mman 7 9 10 10
Phil 9 8 8 6
Ravenwen 6 6 7 8
Ryan 8 9 9 8
Samu 9 9 8 9
Spike 7 9 10 10
Treeble 8 9 10 9
 
release date: 01-Jan-2008
# of downloads: 108

average rating: 8.61
review count: 23
 
review this level

file size: 54.50 MB
file type: TR4
class: South America
 


author profile(s):
email(s):
timj@jeanmonod.ch

Reviewer's comments
"This level has most of the things I appreciate in a game: beautifully crafted environments, exploration, platforming, some really good timed sequences and some very interesting puzzles. Unlike other reviewers, the lighting seemed fine to me and I used only a few flares. Texturing is made with much care and the atmosphere is top notch. Few enemies and rather well hidden secrets. At first there seems to be too many paths to follow, but then I never got stuck, well maybe a little at the very clever mirror room puzzle which almost outsmarted me. The only thing I didn't like was a pushblock that you had to go from one room to the other 3-4 times. One of my favourites from this contest and highly recommended." - billie2001 (21-Aug-2022)
"Well, that was a short and sweet raid. There are some very nicely built structures and natural areas here, enhanced by good use of cameras. The lighting is a little dark but otherwise pretty good. Lara spends her time here passing a timed challenge, solving a pushable puzzle, and getting past two pressure pad sequences before seeing some raptors that can be safely ignored. I normally dislike unmarked death tiles, but it at least makes some thematic sense here. I just wish there was more of an indication, maybe using skeletons as a warning. A nice adventure overall, just needs more meat to it. 38 minutes." - JesseG (15-Dec-2020)
"This actually ended up having a pretty short duration in comparison to other Btb levels. I still spent quite some time here, but it seemed to be over pretty soon. The outside sections look really beautiful, but the inside areas I found were too dark and I kept stumbling around too much for my liking (although it helped make a particular timed run more challenging). Aside from those nitpicks, the level was well made with a variety of tasks including a mirror room and a unique puzzle where you have to avoid being spotted by dangerous eyes." - Ryan (23-Feb-2017)
"It's a bit of a shame that there are too many possibilities to screw up the gameplay, as you can finish this level just by climbing over the mountains at the start, you're totally stuck when you use the lever in front of the hut and a cutscene is deeply missing at the start so that one has a clue where to start in this huge map, because the better stuff in this level is really excellent stuff. The platforming and timed runs in the cave sections are very dynamic and put your thinking cap on, the cage puzzle is enjoyable and the trap sequence is different (there's also a challenge in running past deactivated traps...) - and the final puzzle sections where the meaning of the title is revealed are certainly the best parts of this game (although it's possible to jump through the mirror in one point ;)). Aside of the things mentioned at the start, the only thing I wished for in this level is that it would be longer, as the ideas are really creative and I certainly could've gone on like this for a while. Objects are nicely used to enhance the experience, the four secrets are generally very well hidden - enemies don't play a very large role in this game. The map design is superb, the whole architecture is very professional and organic creating a very nice feeling of being there. There are only few problems with the end of the world being too easy to access in some occasions. Texturing, despite many non-squaric tiles, is very clean and I really can't see why this should be an especially dark level? The only negative thing about the lighting is that the outside areas are actually too bright and a bit flatly lit, while the visuals inside are superior to anything else in the whole competition. Really a standout release of the bunch. 20 minutes." - manarch2 (18-Mar-2016)
"Having attempted this one on TimJ's birthday and considered it a BtB I expected a short, relaxing raid but this appeared to be the most challenging Peruvian thing I've ever seen. Everything is hard here: the solar puzzle is simply brilliant, requires creative thinking and no trial and error can do here (unlike in case of e.g. multi-switch combination riddles); the secrets aren't just pickup holes but each one requires a separate subquest (and I like when nothing "just opens"; timed "runs" in fact involve running, climbing, jumping and swimming; eventually loads of lurking enemies require careful exploration. All mentioned are good hardness, but it also has two frustrating applications: primary one is the map layout - very confusing, without a chance to tell which path will appear of no return and require another circle; secondary and still optionally problem is that the whole mountain range is accessible so trying to find out which places are intended and which aren't is plainly not to do. Nonetheless the atmosphere is of very good quality - though the cave cries for smaller size, throwing out even a single bit of it could damage the impression which made me persist until the final solution, concluded with - yes! a solid ending. At last! SUMMARY: Very, very good. Can be annoying but should be rewarding. Recommended as high as the cavern is long." - DJ Full (01-May-2015)
"There's a variety of settings here, from large outdoor levels to a cave temple. The level of detail is excellent and the cave temple especially is one of the best looking things I've seen in this Back to Basics, there's also some interesting geometry like the giant eyes at certain points. This starts off almost entirely non-linear, but once you get going there are only one or two divergences from the main path. Unfortunately a lot of the space feels empty and unused, and at the end I couldn't help feeling I had missed something (looking at the walkthrough I actually missed very little); a lot of the playtime feels caught in finding where the main path starts, and once you've done that it all goes by pretty fast. There are some cool ideas though, like using cover to avoid the gaze of the large eyes. This is another buggy level, with one switch leaving you completely stuck in a room later on unless you use bugs to get out, and there are others too (although I didn't come across them). The detail is there in this level, but it needed more work in the gameplay area." - Mman (12-Nov-2012)
"I spent ages walking around this level getting"the lay of the land" before I started raiding proper. There seemed to be so many different ways to go... But once I started I found out that everything did have a logical order. There is lots to do including a fun timed run over trapdoors to a jump switch and a good pushable puzzle but the most inventive bit of gameplay is Inti himself - if he 'sees' you, he will burn you! A simply brilliant idea. (Although accessing the mirror room before you active it can lead to a little confusion.) The only real gameplay problem is a switch that opens the door to a hut, if you use it you become stuck permanently inside and have to load a savegame - This is a bug the builder didn't know about until after release, it wasn't deliberate. There are not so many enemies in this level (until the very end) but the ones that are there are used to their best advantage. The lighting and textures are just great and help to create a really believeable atmosphere. And the valley and caves system is built very well, alot of detail has been put in to make it as life like as possible. Plus the finish trigger being exactly where Lara started her adventure ties up this level nicely. A great raid - Just make sure Inti doesn't see you!" - Kitkat (07-May-2008)
"This level is a must play despite a couple of mistakes in the tasks that must be done. Very different from many of the others in the BtB08 series, both in the setting and the gameplay. Firstly the looks are really beautiful, the work of a gifted craftsman, with the great snowy outdoor areas with mountains ranges that fit perfectly the horizon, and the dark caves that looks so natural. This is certainly one of the levels that look the most realistic and natural in the whole story of trle ! Secondly the gameplay : after visiting all the areas once or twice, you get to the conclusion that the map is not very disorienting. Actually there is only 4 or 5 places where something has to be done. I have never played the games"Myst" , but that must be a bit like this, with places to explore before you get the actions and their consequences done. I quite enjoyed the timed trapdoors and the fine pushable object puzzle. Eventually I was hooked and was sad when the level ended. Not many enemies through out the level and you can not even bother killing the raptors at the end. I liked how you hit the finish trigger just where you have started. I really hope the author will release the sequel !" - eRIC (01-Mar-2008)
"I've played custom levels since years now, and I have to say that I rarely have so great pleasure. This level is absolutely no linear and the player can even be a little bit 'lost' at the beginning. The gameplay can be thought as 'myst-like', and the atmosphere add to this feeling. The puzzles are interesting, it is necessary to search and have imagination. There are many places which seem to be useless, all the rooms are well designed, the textures and the lights are allways carefully 'worked' : all give a very realistic level. The secrets are often in direct view... but how to activate them ? One more time search and imagination are helpful. A very very nicel level which merits the top level rates (and which merits also the top level rank in my opinion)." - jclark69 (27-Feb-2008)
"So this is the 14th of the BtB levels I play, still it amazes me how I haven't seen everything yet. I started this level and after wandering like a headless chicken for about 20 minutes I decided I'd start again, so before doing so I went and printed out the walkthrough so I could follow it. Part of me hates the open scenario that lets you visit pretty much every room of the level right from the beginning. Visiting the places in the right order doesn't necessarily take the fun out of the level, as some people might imagine, but it does kill the factor exploration, and well, I don't mind. Anyway, how many textures does it take to create a bunch of snow covered valleys? Despite well crafted, the scenery can get a little tiresome, fortunately the inside cave areas provide a great change and the blending works all too well. Gameplay relies mostly on exploration, I presume, a few tricky jumps on slope sequences, a few timed sequences and then there's the main puzzle of the level, which involves "hiding" from the eye. Collect the secret artifact and then leave by the same area you begin the level at. Not many enemies around, mostly wolves and bats, but a few raptors kick in towards the end. Don't get me wrong: it is a good level, maybe I just wasn't too patient to begin with. 35 minutes, 4 secrets. 02/08" - Treeble (25-Feb-2008)
"Not an easy one as this kept me exploring and then some before I finally made some progress. This level came to a grinding halt around almost every corner and even the walkthrough that came out was not a real help (for me anyway) but at least I could progress. Don't get me wrong the area is VAST and exploring it is mostly fun, trying to see everything there was to see, but that doesn't make a game playable. There are some nasty jumps in here and I am not sure why this builder made them like that. Also getting into the caves, it is way too dark and not enough flares to help you out. The builder might have a great plan in his/her head but for me it didn't pan out. There are still quite a lot of question marks left as to what some did or didn't. The mirror puzzle was totally lost on me and even with a picture that Dutchy made; I still have no clue. A pity though as parts are really built very well and if this were a level for sight seeing alone, it would score higher." - Gerty (15-Feb-2008)
"This one has an excellent design with a fantastic architecture and textures, good cameras and sounds and some interesting puzzles with timed runs not much difficult to do. However I didn't like the excessive darkness in the caves area, playing each second with a flare in hand or using the binoculars during a long period of time is not good for the gameplay. But the worst for me was that this was the very very most no-lineal level I've ever played; you can explore from the very beginning almost all the entire level looking for something to begin to play without find it, wasting a lot of time. A great work but a very bad gameplay." - Jose (14-Feb-2008)
"One of the first things you notice about this level is how pretty it looks. While the draw distance is sadly at default, the mountain ranges and dark caves are extremely atmospheric and textured excellently. There were one or two small oddly-coloured light bulbs, but apart from that it looked pretty much perfect. It's just a shame that the gameplay doesn't match up to the visual quality. While the tasks here are created well, the fact that I spent a lot of time running around clueless as to what to do dampened the experience a bit for me. There was also a pointless trapdoor-timed run, as the destination can be reached easily without it. There were some nice ideas though, such as using blocks to hide from Inti's 'eye', and jumping around the caves was fun, but the confusion still crept in every so often. While this level isn't the best out there, it's still fun and has a few original ideas to offer, as well as being particularly nice to look at." - Spike (10-Feb-2008)
"I had mixed feelings about this level and wasn't sure how exactly to rate it. To start with, it's based on a rather original idea; the problem is however that you get to realize and find that out only when you are about to complete the level, so until then you'll probably spend a lifetime wandering around and wondering what you have to do and moreover if there's still more to do and you have possibly missed something. Second, this level looks and feels as if it was not completely done. There are several places that you can reach up in the mountains just for tourism, but I am not sure if the builder's intention was this or it's due to lack of beta-testing. For instance, there is a big gate somewhere up that you get to open by using a key in another place. However I managed to get to the back of that gate long before I found the keyhole (I could do nothing there of course at that point, but still the gate was perfectly reachable). Jumping and running on the mountains was fun, which is another reason why I felt disappointed whenever I saw that they were hiding nothing more than the place for using the key for the gate. Several other places up there that looked promising were just for decoration and not really functional. In the official games, I've done this sort of exploration many times, on seemingly unreachable areas, just to see what exists there. It was enjoying doing it here too, but having no hints as to where to go and what to look for it became a bit repetitive and annoying after a while (not to mention the many sharp angles causing collision way too often). There are a couple of timed runs, but only the one is really serious, as the other can totally be skipped (there is a timed trapdoor that's supposed to help you reach a column, however getting to this column is absolutely manageable from the ground). The environments are huge, detailed and tasteful; however the actual action is disproportional with them, because only a limited section of them takes part in the adventure, the rest is just for eye pleasure. You get attacked by stray wolves every now and then, but for most of the level there's not really any danger enemy-wise. Only at the end you meet a pack of raptors but if you have the shotgun they shouldn't be a problem. Maybe I would have enjoyed this level more if it was tighter and if its action was more logical. I didn't mind the lack of hints, although at certain points they would be more than welcome (ie, in the case of the invisible crack leading to the crawlspace for the golden key). The mirror room at the end looks promising, but once you activate it, what you have to do is quite simple. You can even pass to the other side of the mirror, but there's nothing spectacular waiting for you there either. I appreciate the builder's effort for creating something original, but I feel that it somehow didn't work out the right way." - Ravenwen (09-Feb-2008)
"So... The textures are fine, the overall atmosphere is fine, both the caves and the snow environments are very well done. Still, why do I finish this adventure with the feeling that something is amiss? Is it because I finished the level leaving a couple of doors locked (and without a clue as to how to get inside) and I could have finished without even using the gold key if I hadn't gone back to search for it? I can't quite say why. But that's the way it is. Anyway, I did enjoy the timed run with the platforms and the interesting puzzle in the inti/columns room. And that's about it. Nice but not thrilling to be truly honest." - Jorge22 (05-Feb-2008)
"Lara is on a ride through the high mountains in the Andes. The rocks and snowy mountains look wonderful and just at the beginning Lara should climb up to some mountain crests ... so she will find a secret ;) After this it continues inside of the mountain, Lara explores a system of caves, which is very complex and widely ramified. These locations and the atmosphere deserve top admiration! Also, I liked the gameplay, ...the timed runs, jumps and puzzles are well made. Conclusion: an interesting level; I liked it ... but I missed the last secret :)" - Eva (28-Jan-2008)
"Too dark. Much, much too dark. So dark, in fact, that some areas of the level are virtually unplayable. I finally bumped up the gamma on my monitor to its maximum setting so I could see what I was doing, and it always irritates me no end when I have to do that. The best way to voice my displeasure is with my score in the lighting category, so that's what I've done. Too bad, because this level has a number of nice features. A timed run that gives you little trouble is simply a prelude to a much more elaborate timed sequence that takes you a little while just to figure out what's going on, much less conquer it within the allotted time. There's also a cage-pushing task that makes you cover a lot more territory than you'd expect at first glance. You get a generous four secrets during a quest that'll take you about an hour (although I suspect that a good amount of that time in my case was consumed stumbling around in the dark). The enemies are relatively few, none of the human variety that I can recall. Recommended, except for that blasted darkness." - Phil (27-Jan-2008)
"OK - This time I didn't read any other review beforehand. This was a very good game. I have to remember that they all had to be short, so the number of enemies & puzzles is limited also. What there were, were very good. That four switch puzzle had me, until I thought to use some math on it... I liked the realistic sound of walking on different surfaces. Interesting and challenging timed runs. Definately non-linear. I was all over the place, and still never found a couple things. The door beside the frozen blades, and what was that switch outside the hut for ??? And also, never got inside the grating behind the hut. I did find 3 secrets... I like the mirror puzzles, because you have to move opposite from what you see, but for this one, I didn't catch on that I needed to be behind, not on, the blocks. Since I was still looking for other things, I didn't realize that I'd come to the end, but by that time, I was getting tired of searching, so I let it go... Generally though, I liked the game a lot, but I did need some help from the Forum - thanks !!!" - Juno Jim (22-Jan-2008)
"A beautifully designed cave environment with some great exploration. I am guessing here, but the author may have run out of time at the contest deadline, so the game play has some quirks. Actually, I was so baffled the first time I played this that I quit in the mirror room (ironically, about two minutes before the end of the level) because a number of things seemed not to be working. I probably spent almost two hours exploring. The second time I played this I zipped through the cave and various tasks in less than 30 minutes, amazed at how easy this was once I knew what to expect. So you have a massive cave that can be one of the shortest levels in the contest--if you know where everything is. Basically this is just a matter of getting the skeleton key and activating the mirror room. This does involve a timed run that isn't so bad once you have it mapped out. I would recommend this level to everyone, it really is a visual delight to explore. But here are some hints on bugs or inexplicable features that tripped me up the first time I played--so stop reading if you want to play this level fresh. Too bad the level itself doesn't have any hints. The underwater lever activates a timed trapdoor that doesn't have any apparent use. Scramble for it if you want, but it won't do you any good. The door to the skeleton key is underneath the wall skeleton, naturally, and to the left of it there is a door that I never did open, so it isn't necessary. You don't need a cogwheel to activate the cogwheel mechanism. When you come to the hut outside there is a door and a switch to one side. Don't use this switch. Walk out from one corner of the hut to find a rock that Lara can scale, and from there she can jump to the roof of the hut and drop inside. If Lara used the outside hut switch she will be forever trapped in the hut. You can't use the mirror room until it is active. If it is active there will be patterned red tiles on the floor, also a blue spark at the back. In the mirror room, look in the reflection and see a number of blocks. Don't jump to the blocks, which is what I did. You want to hide from Inti. Inti's watching eye is at the back of the room (this was graciously explained on the forum). Hope this makes it easier to enjoy this wonderful level." - dmdibl (17-Jan-2008)
"I was surprised right at the beginning how good this level is visually. This game has plenty of large and detailed outdoor areas and caves to explore and it tests also a lot your memory because this level is very non linear and you have to explore a lot. Author hasn't neglected gameplay either and I liked especially the idea how you have to avoid the big eye from seeing you. All in all playing this level was an unique experience for me and I recommend it very highly for every raider." - Samu (16-Jan-2008)
"This is a huge level; it just seems to go on and on and on. It also makes quite a pleasant change to be high up in the Andes, with snow on the ground. It's just as well really that this is a very beautiful level because you'll be doing a great deal of exploration and I defy you not to get lost on frequent occasions. I got turned around so often in the caves I was practically dizzy and my secret count was woeful (no, I'm not saying). There are some very clever puzzles and I really liked the idea of 'hiding' from Inti. So, occasionally a bit frustrating, but overall very enjoyable. And thus, I bid farewell to the B2B levels for another year." - Jay (15-Jan-2008)
"Imply a literary reference in your level's title and you've got me intrigued. And while the title shows no obvious connection to "1984" and merely comes down to 2 rather obscure puzzles, there are a handful of reasons why you should still play it all the same (not that I was expecting that a lack of connection between the level and Orwell's novel would turn anyone down from playing this in the first place). The main reason being that the expansive area here is truly flawlessly done and as such a masterpiece of TR architecture and a showcase of how wonderfully authentic a cave setting can be set up. The play time surprisingly isn't all that long taking me a little above 30 minutes to get to the end of it but even during that seemingly brief (seemingly - because you'll probably spend a lot of time exploring the huge area and just as much time finally finding what you actually have to do) time frame you are treated with a couple of timed runs, a pushable block puzzle, some neat trap moments and a mirror puzzle. But, as already mentioned earlier on - this is where it gets a bit too complicated for its own good. Not minding all the stuck issues you potentially could encounter, the necessity to activate hints in the mirror room (but also being able to get to the room before you do so) and figuring out the kind of obscure logic behind it might just be too much to handle for the regular player, thus definitely not the best and most well thought through moment of the game. All that said - the level is worth a play for its gorgeous looks, and isn't actually all that difficult to figure out, yet has a number of issues that kind of spoil the overall experience. Found only 1 secret." - eTux (08-Jan-2008)
"Third time's a charm I guess... this is amazingly a pretty short BtB entry which clocked in at 40 minutes for me (with only one secret found though). However, I probably spent two or more hours first running around in the (admittedly very authentic) environment of snowy mountains and dark caves, wondering how to get going. And because I was searching for a starting point I ended up in all the wrong places, including at the 'end of world' a few times, in the mirror room too early, in the mechanism room without having the necessary key etc. Given that the environment is not so small, a little more guidance would have not gone amiss. Another issues is the stuck situation when you pull a lever outside a hut, which then means you cannot get out anymore from the inside and need to reload a save. The trapdoor timed by the underwater lever is actually not needed as you can jump to the block without it. Now, all these gripes aside, once you get into the rhythm in this level it is actually great entertainment...the timed run in the cave to the jump switch needs some practice but is not particularly tight once you have figured it out, the push block puzzle is nicely done, the stopped blades a fun idea, the flybys work really well in unfolding the storyline once you manage to do things in the right sequence and so the only real mystery for me remains why that ladder is suddenly climbable at the end when it wasn't at the start? But I am sure Inti will know..." - MichaelP (06-Jan-2008)