BtB2008 - Etalocohcilihc
1,089 downloads

- Release date
- 01-Jan-2008
- File size
- 58 MB
- Class
- South America
- Engine
- TR4
- Difficulty
- medium
Review scores
Read the comments ↓| Reviewer | Gameplay & Puzzles | Enemies, Objects & Secrets | Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras | Lighting & Textures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| diamond ↓ | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| DJ Full ↓ | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| dmdibl ↓ | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| eRIC ↓ | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| EssGee ↓ | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| eTux ↓ | 9 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Eva ↓ | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Gerty ↓ | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| jawi ↓ | 10 | 9 | 10 | 8 |
| Jay ↓ | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| JesseG ↓ | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
| Jorge22 ↓ | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Jose ↓ | 10 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Kitkat ↓ | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| manarch2 ↓ | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| MichaelP ↓ | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| Mman ↓ | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Orbit Dream ↓ | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| Phil ↓ | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Ravenwen ↓ | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 |
| Raymond ↓ | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Relic Hunter ↓ | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Ruben ↓ | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Ryan ↓ | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
| Sethian ↓ | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| Treeble ↓ | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Category averages (26 reviews) | 8.88 | 8.85 | 9.35 | 9.62 |
GAMEPLAY SETTLEMENT
The level is constructed the unusual way: if You don't focus on Your goal, You can, almost in the very beginning, just break through the exit and leave. But if You are devoted to Your task, You will unfold everything, and the whole level might feel like the hugest secret You have ever found. So You might find everything or nothing. I say "might", for it's all caused by one stone You're not supposed to access, but anyway You can. What is possibly an epic fail in mind of Nadine, gave me that all-or-nothing experience I've been missing for a very long time, and I actually don't care it wasn't intended - as the effect is totally unexpected and leaving much to think of, including a focusing class. What WAS intended is the possibility to throw You into most of locations right at the start of the game, as puzzles are divided in two parts: non-linear and linear. The first one requires visiting 4 different environments for items, those tiny places: a cellar, a cave waterfall, and the larger- spaced: a pit, a valley; however even the mentioned valley is not too big at all, so, even though much widely spread than other parts of the puzzle, it feels local and comfy. Then we enter the palace for a heavy-swingpoled agility test, with flames and spikes, but it all depends on skills and preparation, not on luck, so if You do it good, You don't even get tired. Same goes for the following boss fight. There are few of those in custom levels which are not annoying, and this is one of them. Nadine follows that simple rule which accompanied the original TR boss fights, and which is now being ignored by many builders: "think instead of shooting". Of course I struggled through that series of traps (btw You can avoid all of them, there's no counting on luck again), got that Lead Key, got the revolver, got the ammo... and then FORGOT to kill the beast. Oh, well... Never mind.
PUZZLE SQUARE
After picking up the Pyrrah seals and Epans idol, I was ready to find a lot of overall reference everywhere (wasn't those boulders called "Rowling Stones"?). I got clearly surprised when I found the following mask named just a "Guardian's Mask". I really expected to see something like "Erode LB Mud" (however that combination would be more suitable to call a Swamp Key instead). Need for the reason to give a default name required further investigation - I launched wikipedia and scrolled through the list of characters from all 7 books. I reversed names of the most important and none of them sounds Incan at all (and Regnarg even sounds more Scandinavian). But nonetheless, the theme will sit in my mind for some time, and in the end even my txt file You're now reading ended up called "Weiver rof Enidan".
GRAPHICS DISTRICT
Before, I had no idea BTB Peru was 128x128. People say those textures are grainy, but this doesn't disturb me - I find them clean and clear. Unfortunately, Nadine has overdone the fogbulbs a bit in the first two areas, and the eyes got a bit tired when I tried to see something through. It's a pity, because there's no texture rotated wrong, none stretched nor squished, no single crack visible, and the fog masks such a really good work. I nonetheless played with the fog turned on, as that was the author's intention I didn't want to ruin.
OBJECTS QUARTER
Spikes, wraiths and dinosaurs. I am starting to think if someone has no idea what enemy to put in the wad, he/she includes a raptor. And everytime such raptor appears, it does it in a narrow corridor and wrooaaarrrhhhhing on Lara only to scare the hell out of a player, together with a terrifying action music sounding in the same moment. In this case, this action sample is fortunately missing, and thanks to that it was one of that few moments when I didn't panic and maintained all remaining points of the lifebar. Ergo, the first properly placed raptor I killed since I don't know when... and the little chicken-like dinos are more cute than deadly (I should have left them alive). The final wolf is the only failed enemy, effectively hidden by a disturbing static camera.
ATMOSPHERE SURROUNDINGS
There are more cams used, and those are helpful or immersive. Monkey-swinging gets new angles, and a hint is provided for a distant keyhole, as well as for opening doors here and there. There's no camera clue for the other keyhole (no problem as long as there are only two keyholes in the whole game) and none for the wraith annihilator (but we get another kind of hint so I figured it out). What supplies the cams and vision in general is of course sound. And frankly I can't imagine better sample to introduce Lara to Pyrrah's chamber. I stood for a moment, listened to it all and continued only after it ended. Thanks to BTB08 creators as well for including it in the package.
SUMMARY
In fact only several places, this microworld is... Anyway filled with miniquests it goes for a complete hour in stats. If You don't mind author's vision, turn the fog off. But regardless from what You choose, please do something: run the game, climb the first staircase and hop on a crate placed in the middle of the pool. Now think about that crate for a while, and imagine struggling through this pool without it. I'm still not sure what a "proper level" means to Nadine, but I certainly see a difference when a builder cares about players." - DJ Full