| Reviewer's comments |
"I played these two levels with the walkthrough because it got
really confusing for me after finding the huge cave. The game is all
about exploration, looking in every corner for any puzzle items.
The cave looks realistic, it almost gives the sensation of being
there. Yes, it's very dark, but the author placed a lot of flares so
they will last for all the game. I finished with 140 flares in my
inventory or so. You won't find any enemies 'till the room with the
6 keyholes. Some crocodiles in the water or other enemies would
have been fine. There are some well placed cameras and music
tracks. Secrets are well hidden. Level recommended only to expert
players who like exploring in huge places, getting stuck, etc. Not
my cup of tea. And there are other 7 levels left to play!" - alan (04-Dec-2017) |
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| "What a fantastic double level from the author. This one
is all about exploration (or should I say spelunking?).
So much so that it can be off putting to players who
dislike non-linear levels in which 'leaving no stone
unturned' is a must. Once you reach the cave area
suddenly many possible paths appear and the game becomes
confusing as hell, and this is not helped by the fact
that most of it is dark and the gems (tears) lie sneakily
on unassuming places. But I enjoyed looking around and
figuring out where I should next jump to, which areas I
have not yet been in, etc. and generally mastering the
area. And the experience is very realistic which is one
of my soft spots. Speaking of realism, I gotta give the
the action of elevating tower causing a flood in the area
a special mention - basic physics and neatly thought. I
recommend these levels but as I said, if you don't like
exploration focused levels it may not be for you." - Nomad (03-Nov-2017) |
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| "The first two levels in this series I actually
found to be a mixed bag. The Tower is quite
impressive and the exploration inside there is
fairly enjoyable, as were the search for six
gems (Escipion's Tears). The atmosphere was
also well caught, with some good music choices.
I did get tired of stumbling around in the
excessive darkness and having to accomplish a
tad too much jumping and shimmying for my
liking. A lot of flares are provided, but I
still found it a bit overbearing. I also
encountered a bug whereupon the first gem never
materialised due to me accidentally skipping
the flyby camera (but I guess that was my fault
partially). Nonetheless, I look forward to part
2 of the series now..." - Ryan (17-Apr-2017) |
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| "This is rather organic, and the sound usage is hilarious, but finding the planned way is 80% of runtime. The ornate handle I could get by simple pull-up on its ledge but the location behind has a reveal theme and a hint on the gem pickup - an entrance or exit? Now I think the reveal theme wasn't for the room but for the corridor, and the hint wasn't a foreshadow but a reminder just like the other one pointed at the handle - it makes sense if you know the way. The cave bottom to flood near the end is accessible near the beginning, to get permastuck. The crowbar cave ends with a closed door, also to get permastuck, so I restarted the game, ignored the cave... and lost the secrets previously obtained. Now I see I was meant to grab them BUT ignore the whole long passage between the twin torches, so why does it exist at all? On the mid-way I found a large shelf with pickups where a warning tune played after jumping through the gap, so I was surely going backwards. It's all clarified after flooding the cave, many places reveal their true purpose, so it's all very clever, very Borrut, only very, VERY confusing and every player mistake bears serious or fatal consequences. The counter showed an hour but the real time was over six to check all possible ways and tell the planned from unintended. Such an ambitious work must have all premature access issues cleared or it ends up this way. As a now supermaster builder, Josep no longer needs such advice but to players I can only say: BEWARE! Mind the shortcuts, use different slots, allow yourself to get immersed in this huge work but DON'T take the walkthru as it will spoil too much. Very troubling but very recommended." - DJ Full (24-Mar-2017) |
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"I'm pretty sure either this or Celtic Folly were the first sets I ever
played, so I've been wanting to revisit it for a while. The design
here has a nice scale and complexity, but a lot of the texturing is
lacking (with lots of misaligned rocks) and the lighting is overly
dark in the interior areas, to the point it negatively affects
gameplay. For such an old map it's pretty complex and I recall
finding it very difficult to navigate as a beginner, even now it's
pretty difficult as an exploration level, and you have to look
around carefully to find the needed items (the secrets also have
some interesting tasks associated with them). After a semi-linear
first half (that's simpler than it appears the cave is the main part
of this set, and finding six gems+another item takes up most of
the playtime, and it felt like the main cave could have done with
one or two more shortcuts to unlock as some of the
backtracking is excessive if you don't follow the "right" route.
The darkness doesn't help as there's little in the way of useful
highlights so important routes and ledges are cloaked in
darkness at times.
Despite my issues there are various things that hint at the
author's blossoming skills, like the impressive scale of the main
areas and especially the massive change that happens across
both levels after using a certain item, which is done so
confidently it still impresses today. There are also various small
touches like how the central tower has a bottom which gives it a
presence even in the second map. This is quite flawed and dated
in some ways, but also interesting in others, and I know the
series goes up from here." - Mman (11-Feb-2016) |
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| "There are all sorts of issues I have with this absolutely
huge level;but,before going further,can I just point out
that this was built within a mere three months of the LE
being released - and the builder therefore displays
probably the greatest learning curve of any on the Level
Index.It's a technically superb level;crafted with
exceptional care,and designed with extraordinary
intelligence and creativity.The playing area
(particularly up to the game-changing earthquake) is so
well thought out that it feels geographically
convincing,to a degree rarely encountered in custom
levels.The textures are well placed,and the lighting is
evocative and moody (albeit low-key).It's the gameplay
that leaves me somewhat undecided,though.It's all about
exploration - but it's rarely clear where you should be
exploring at any particular given moment. It would
probably be perfectly likely that a hapless player could
spend several days within this adventure;jumping from
ledge to ledge;swimming down countless tunnels;jumping to
innumerable crevices - with never any feeling of
certainty that they're progressing the way the builder
intended.I did that rare thing:printed out the
Walkthrough,and followed it word for word.Even then,it
took me 100 minutes to get through;particularly with the
incessant,yet necessary,retracing of steps.There is
nothing particularly tricky to accomplish anywhere,but it
is undoubtedly a 'non-linear exploration level' par
excellence;of the type that many players will feel quite
overwhelmed and infuriated by." - Orbit Dream (24-Aug-2015) |
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| "I tried playing this series many years ago and could never get the level jumps to work on my computer, so had to give up very early on in the proceedings. Fourteen years and several computers later, I finally got to play this first tranche. Well, what to say? It's decidedly confusing and I had to dip into the excellent walkthrough on more than one occasion - I suggest you keep it handy. It's got bags of atmosphere, but you will spend a lot of time in quite dark cave areas so treasure every flare you find. Exploration is the theme, searching for six gems, enemies being nonexistent until a pack of skeletons right at the end. I shall be interested to see how the series progresses." - Jay (15-Jul-2015) |
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| "I echo Jose's sentiments. I've started this series (and the next three releases) several times over the years and have given up each time in disgust. This time I persevered, with the indispensable assistance of Dutchy's walkthrough, and somehow I made it to the end of parts 1 and 2 (although the looming prospect of once more trying to negotiate Devil's Bridge with those damnable fixed cameras is not at all appealing to me). If your idea of a fun game is groping around in pitch-black caves, climbing ladders and blocks, navigating crawl spaces and shimmying along ledges, all in a quest for a half dozen gems, you live in a different world than I do. To give the builder his due credit, the game map has undoubtedly been crafted with considerable care and forethought, but with absolutely no attention to eye appeal the presented tasks are things to be endured rather than enjoyed, and that's not why I've chosen to play Tomb Raider custom levels into my twilight years. Sorry." - Phil (02-Jun-2015) |
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| "Right from the start you'll notice the great care for detail as the builder has tried to recreate a real setting. While there are a few rather mediocrely and also monotonously applied textures and the game is fairly dark at times, I found the builder's work has paid off very well, resulting in a very authentic and atmospheric environment that many of the later levels in the series didn't quite manage that well. What is also rather good in this game is the placement of the secrets which requires quite a lot of extra time and attention. But that also leads to the main gripe I had in this level - without the secrets, the game wouldn't be half as interesting to follow and the main gameplay is rather eventless and not quite fun, with only a bit of good platforming and no real puzzles or other tasks to solve. There is also quite a bit of confusion in those dark caves and it's often hard to know where you might have to go next. At least there are enough cameras to guide you through and sometimes the exploration is quite nice with quite well planned level jumps; there are also a few surprises that enhance the experience here. In general, cameras and music seem to be a strength of this series, the builder has a knack on those and it gets better and better in the next levels. There are also very few enemies to add to the action momentum, but the lack of those is actually working okay here as the few are used well enough. Maybe it's also a bit too low on decorative objects but I guess it's been hard to find appropriate ones back at that time. Overall a decent, if only a little low concerning the tasks, 50 minute level (15 in Tower, 35 in Caves) with a quite special atmosphere; found all six secrets." - manarch2 (23-May-2015) |
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| "I can't understand the very high ratings for the gameplay section in this couple of levels. I think a 4 is more than enough and even I'm being generous with this number. Often it's easy you leave something at your back, even with the helpful cameras; example: I missed the UW passage to the receptacle to place the first blue gem, so I was totally stucked running dozens of kilometers through the levels wasting my precious time for nothing. And the same whith another items you need, the author lets you advance and advance without the necessary items and the backtracking is terrible. Also I couldn't find puzzles to solve so the game is only based about searching for items in very huge areas to open doors, a lot of gymnastics in the big caves area with a lot of backtracking and no more. About the enemies, where are the enemies? Always is funny to find some bats, crocs, etc. here and there but I only found some skeletons (you can easily avoid them) near the end; so what all the pickups I collected were for? The best were the good atmosphere, the extraordinary architecture and the lighting, but even when there are lots of flares, many rooms are too dark and it's no very entertaining explore big areas always with flare in hand; also the textures don't fit well in the rocky walls, but even so the appearance is not bad. Better play the levels following the walkthrough, but even in this case you'll be forced to revisit the same places several times." - Jose (20-May-2015) |
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| "Of the many multi-level epics on the TRLE listing, this one has sat on my to-play list for quite a long while and only recently I decided that I'd see the LE progression path of Josep Borrut. He did build "A Witch Shall Be Born," which is one of my favorite customs today, so I felt that it'd be neat to enjoy his previous work which also has been well received. This one does start out a bit daunting as there is a huge, somewhat non-linear area to explore, but the helpful camera hints and music cues do a good job at guiding the player along and making sure that one doesn't get lost too easily. Speaking of the level's area, it's quite well and very cleverly constructed. The tower and its surrounding valleys, caverns, and lakes feel very organic and natural, though after a while, all the natural rock textures that permeate through much of the level became a bit monotone. The lighting is done quite well though and with good realism, so that's a plus. With the level's clever design, gameplay is a strong point with a solid focus on exploration that doesn't become too frustrating, and has some neat moments as you search for Escipion's Tears hiding throughout this double feature. Admittably, some of the gems were hidden very well and had me stumped for some time, so sharp eagle eyes would be useful to get by without any frustrations. There is also a severe lack of enemies, besides for some skeletons near the end. I'd think that some more combat throughout the level would have strengthened it by giving a little break to the constant thinking one must do, to remember where one's been and one hasn't been to finish the level. Overall though, getting through the start of this series is overall a pretty satisfying experience at the end, and is a great introduction to what follows so far." - Relic Hunter (13-Mar-2009) |
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| "This game appeals to player already in the beginning by offering
wonderful looking outdoor area which includes a lot of rocks and a tower
in center of the area. Areas of this game are mainly quite huge and there
are a lot of things to explore and it might take some time until you get
familiar with the environment. You spend most of your time searching few
items and jumping and climping in rocky caves and the outdoor area
which I already mentioned. I can recommend this game for everyone but if
you prefer play levels which are linear and where you don't have to explore
very much you might not like this game as much as some other levels." - Samu (03-Jul-2006) |
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| I did expect these levels to be hard, but not this hard! It took me almost 3 hours to complete due to the complex cave section and not finding the last two 'tears'. This is top stuff from Josep, especially for being a first level! The only bug I could find was that I ended this level with 15 secrets out of 6 ;) I guess the author forgot to set the secret trigger on 'one shot' as every time I passed a secret place after jumping back from the second level I got another secret registered! That is of course nothing that I care about as the rest of the game is really great. Great levels Josep! 2005-07-19 - QRS (20-Jul-2005) |
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| I was so sure that I played this one, but apparently not as there is no review to be found anywhere. I have to say that I had a great time apart that in my computer it was so dark that even with all the flares Josep put in this game I had to add more. This is also a game where you better keep saves at strategic points as there is a lot of jumping and shimmying to do and some of them not necessary in the right direction. It didn't bother me at all to go from one level into the next and back again as Josep explained that in his readme file. I did however had a hard time to get one Gem, the last one in my case. I must have been everywhere and back a thousand times. I blame it on the darkness, cause every screen shot I saw were so much lighter that I had. Exploring is the key word here. Even after 4 years this is sure a level one should have a go at it. 14-06-2005 - Gerty (20-Jun-2005) |
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| "How do I rate this level? It is very beautiful to look at while being one of the most boring I ever played. I started this series of two levels three times before and quit because I just wasn't having any fun at all. With the publication of 8 and 9 and the need for some mental stimulation I pushed myself to get through 1 and 2 so I could go to the end 9. One and 2 are beautiful to look at but offered me no challenges except to stay awake. If you like jumping up walls and don't care that you never know just where it is that you're suppose to go next then you might like Tarragona: World Heritage 1/2." - Dougsan (01-Jan-2004) |
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| "These levels start as they mean to go on with cinematic flybys and a grand 'epic' feel to the whole thing. These levels look fantastic even the caves and the waterfalls look 'real'. This helps the play area feel realistic. Not only this but the levels play very well indeed and just ooze quality. I mean to say that you get a genuine sense of satisfaction to find all objects and complete these wonderful levels. There are down points though just like all levels. The first and most obvious is what I can only assume is a bug: if you don't have both halves of the portal guardian slotted into place then you won't be able to get back and use the gold star effectively leaving you stuck. If this is not the case (and I certainly looked hard in the game at threads about the levels and even the walkthrough) somebody let me know. Secondly (and I really am not sure about this one) is a monkey swing texture I have never come across before and one that I simply assumed was nothing important. That was probably my fault though? Thirdly the underwater journeys often prove fatal because they're so convoluted and there aren't many air-holes. This could prove a little frustrating. Lastly this level may not suit you if you like fighting because there are only 5 skeletons during the entire journey! That didn't bother me too much though: the levels didn't feel as though they really needed them. It took me 2 and a half hours to complete them and I found 5 secrets." - gfd (05-Dec-2003) |
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| "It's somewhat difficult to rate these (legendary I think) levels that I'm finally playing when you look at the dates of their releases and you're aware of all the fantastic progress that has been achieved by builders in the meantime... I believe this must have seemed fantastic at the time. It still does look good. There were some things I didn't like about these first two levels that come together in one pack though... Mainly (and I guess I should admit I'm not the greatest fan of caves levels) the amazing mazy confusion that comes with them. There are some huge caves where you have to get six 'Escipion Tears' so that you can finish the levels. Well big caves can be something very confusing per se. But here confusion is taken to an extreme... There are always several ways you can take from many spots most of them leading to no place special. So which route should you take to get the dreaded tears (I never knew roman emperors cried that much!)? Some of them are so well hidden almost as not to be found. I suppose I must thank the heavens and Monika for the walkthrough which from a certain part on helped me finish the game in a reasonable amount of time - or I'd still be looking for my way inside those enormous very dark caves. The walkthrough itself isn't always absolutely clear but let's face it it's hard to achieve total clearness in such a maze! As for the rest all the enemies you get is five skeletons (I'm not sure you even get bats) so it's all about exploring exploring and more exploring... I believe the game is still worth playing but it shows perfectly why I like lab levels and the such - at least I usually know where I am." - Jorge22 (22-Sep-2003) |
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| "Starting in a huge enclosure with a tower Escipion's Tower and I could see a small lake beyond an earth bank with a door in it and a gridtype gate through which you see a temple (where you'll end up). When I first started this level I was trapped in this enclosure because I didn't realise at the time that I was experiencing the famous Lara's butt bug. Josep kindly explained how to rename catacomb files and I could then see my way. As soon as you crawl through that first hole and find yourself in the huge cave and in another level you realise just how big this adventure is going to be and you will have to go from one level to the other a good few times. These first two levels of the series are explorer's levels (no enemies 'til the end). Actually enemies would have taken away from it you are so caught up in the 'where am I now' that an attack would have ruined the effect. You have to find six 'tears' (blue gems) that are very well hidden (the music and camera shots are very helpful) also the crowbar the pharos knot the stand and head of Hathor and a star beautifully situated high up in the cave. Placing this star causes an earthquake which alters the already confusing cave. There are lovely waterfalls that fill the bottom of the cave. Things can get a little confusing and scary as you make you're way through gaps and accidentally fall into holes while you're trying to run to a block ahead so I would advise people to keep as many savegames as they can. One part particularly where you drop from a monkeyswing to a couple of sloped jumps and try to grab a shimmy wall. And that jump from a triangular ledge over to a ledge beside a rock ridge. If you grab at the wrong place Lara's sticks to the wall and will not move. I aimed just a fraction right of the V shape (you'll know what I mean when you see it) and then she should shimmy right and pull up. The textures in the cave look like they're all over the place but look gain and you'll see a shimmy crack or a crawlspace a ledge that blends well into the wall or even an entrance. A lot of thought and work has gone into this. I did these first two levels without a walkthrough but with help from the forum and especially from Josep and my gametime was 7:05 hours. I didn't know how to score objects/enemies/secrets I mean there were no enemies 'til the end there were no objects to push or admire but there was that searching to do. I played the whole series before so I know what's coming is an extraordinary experience I'm off to play again the next level." - CC (11-Aug-2003) |
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| "I don't have much to add the other reviews have said it all. I am not very fond of dark levels and these are indeed quite dark but with more than enough flares. We are wandering inside caves to search for a star a portal guardian and gems. The caves are nicely done all the crawlspaces cracks around make this a challenging level. I liked the way the player can climb back up from the waterfall and enter the first level and go back again. It really helped that this was the second time I played these levels because I remember how lost I was the first time around. The tower is great as well but through the levels you don't meet many enemies just some skeletons. The crossbow although a secret is easy to find so they are not going to be a problem. I would say all of Josep's levels are a must the whole series is a great adventure. Surely you will enjoy these levels." - Kristina (10-Jul-2003) |
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| "This level starts with a bit of climbing and diving and this gives you a very good impression of the whole level. First you will mainly explore the outdoor area and a bit of the caves where you will be looking for a couple of items. This first task seemed like a warm-up to me. The next and main part of the level will take place in the cave where you will be looking for 6 more blue crystals. And they are all hidden very well. You should have a close look at every corner every gap... or you might miss a crystal. What I found very helpful was the use of the music which tells you when you have found a new location and are on the right track. It is very dark in those caves. The only enemies you will find are a couple of skeletons." - Tombraidergirl (03-Feb-2003) |
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| "At first I just thought this was going to be one of those 'huge room wads' that are not very interesting but as I delved into the caves and started to work at finding all of the items I changed my mind really fast. The atmosphere is terrific in the caves and having to use flares all of the time just makes it cooler (I feel sorry for someone who runs out) but there is lots around. The one issue that I didn't expect and kept me hunting around for a long time was a monkey swing in which the texture was just a long straight crack running along the bottom of the tower and I thought I was really lucky to find it at all looking straight at it. Oh well maybe I'm just too used to factory tomb raider antics and I need to start looking around a little more. This level will make you! and I was jumping for joy as I finished it. Besides a lot of backtracking it was a masterpiece!" - JRaider66 (28-Jan-2003) |
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| "Lara begins in a mountain area. After she solved the first mysteries she comes into a branched cave system which was gigantically designed and my Lara first did not get oriented well. She did not stop being astonished. With the time she had to find six crystals and an artifact in order to be able to leave the caves first times again. It was made not very easy. The mysteries were well thought out. Lara had a hard time also because of the darkness. But enough torches/flares were present and Lara returned again and again to each place of the levels. Which I found very good because I had surveyed the area first times very much. Opponents were not present except for a few skeletons. Which did not disturb me however. Secrets found Lara three. She had to do some for it was well hidden. Camera guidance and sound always were fitting. The organization of the level was unique. For me a successful work and I will throw myself immediately into the third part." - Navi (17-Dec-2002) |
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| "Though I enjoyed these two connected levels I must admit I breathed a sigh of relief when I slid down to the finish. I realize the author was going for a more realistic look by making the caves very dark but it made it very difficult when I couldn't see more than a few steps away and I needed to figure out what to do next. The underwater maze also caused me a great deal of grief and I was glad to get out of it. Some moves and jumps required were very difficult and required a lot of reloading but ultimately they were doable and every area is very well built and planned out. Quite an adventure for the explorer in all of us." - RaiderGirl (13-Nov-2002) |
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| "Really fine levels if you look to how old they are and surprisingly there are some things that you won't see in any other level too - the great flipmaps with the tower raising and so filling the caves with water. The location of the secrets is good and they are always well worth to find. The gameplay involves some challenging jumps a great search through the whole cave area for 6 Escipion's tears and an underwater maze like area. If there was something I didn't like in these 2 levels than the a bit chaotic texturing but otherwise they are very good." - eTux (23-Oct-2002) |
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| "I've played these levels in May. Now I've finished the whole game. I think that Tarragona is absolutely perfect. In these levels the caves are so real! I liked specially the challenging jumps. The third secret of Escipion's Tower is really difficult to get but so exciting! Great textures and the gameplay original and very interesting." - Cuqui (03-Oct-2002) |
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| "Time wise this took me just a bit over 2 hours but in reality it took weeks. Even with the walkthrough I always was short 1 tear and relied heavily on assistance from forum members and the author. That aside it was a most enjoyable experience and one I'm thankful I finally was able to complete. Definitely not of the linear nature the trip through the caves several times was daunting always a little different and always looking for another place to go and it was so easy to get lost or to lose your bearings. There are hundreds of chances for Lara to plummet to her death and a couple more to drown. If you like to figure things out and your brain needs more than a little work-out download it; but do yourself a favor and check out the walkthrough and maybe even keep it handy." - Momster (27-Sep-2002) |
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| "I really love this level(s) beautiful surroundings a lot of exploring to do and a few enemies. Not that you need many because there are a lot of ways to die in this level like long swims and very tricky jumps on very high places. I did use the walkthrough a few times if I had not I probably be a lot older and totally grey before all the 'tears' were found (and there are so many other levels waiting to be played) some are very well hidden. The only downside to this level is that it's so dark (yes I know it is supposed to be dark in caves) but there are plenty of flares and the binoculars are very handy. In the temple (where the skeletons are) the flarebug happened that was a bit annoying but hey who cares anyway? It's a great level. I'm going to play Josep's next level now!" - Josi (15-Sep-2002) |
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| "Tarragona Level 1 is maybe a Level which provokes different opinions because it is a bit dark and difficult to walk trough. But it is challenging to find the 6 gems and to go on jumping sliding walking stepping and grabbing. There are a lot of goodies - I found the lasersight but didn't find the revolver and crossbow too. The real gaming time was a bit under 2 hours but I had to use more than 6 hours in total to end it up. Looking forward to see the progress of Josep's - going to play the next part...." - Miguel (07-Sep-2002) |
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| "I find it really difficult to rate this level. On the one hand the magnificent catacombs that hold the six gems are absolutely spectacular and I really liked the way you had to climb and explore from the bottom to the top. On the other hand as you spend so much time there you can't help but noticing that there isn't that much variation as far as the textures are concerned. Also as this is very non linear it can become frustrating at times when you don't know how to go on. There was one jump which I found rather tricky and after I died 10 times or so I thought I wasn't meant to jump there. See you never can tell for sure where you have to go. Of course that's part of the fun but as I said it can be daunting at times. Also if you succeed with one particularly tricky jump you can never be sure if that's the way to go. For instance the little cave where you find the first gem in has lot's of ledges shimmy spaces monkeyswings slopes and climbable walls so as to imply that there is a intricate way to reach an opening high above at the other side. As it is you can drop to the ground and reach that opening by a simple backflip/jump onto a slope. Well I got stuck twice and although the path I'd missed wasn't hidden or anything the caverns are just so big that it's very easy to get lost. There are no enemies apart from four skeletons at the end but as you have explosive arrows they don't really pose a threat. I liked the way the earthquake changed the area and how you sometimes came across places you'd already been to but somehow thought you were somewhere else. If that makes any sense. You have to go there and see for yourself as this is a very special adventure in a beautiful and unique setting." - Dimpfelmoser (21-Aug-2002) |
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| "Although these levels had no enemies (till the very end) the secrets alone were enough to give it a 7 as they were mostly well hidden and the difficulty because of the size and amount of ways to go had me checking the walkthrough from his site more than once the atmosphere in the large cave just hasn't left me and I can picture and still feel it perfectly now." - Sash (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "Definitely a set of outstanding levels with the perfectly arranged jumping between the two at various places and its minimum 90 minutes of net gaming time. As in Josep's other level heavy use is made of cameras and music mostly to advantage sometimes it appears a little overdone. The caves and caverns especially the big one are brilliantly designed and make you hold your breath when you step into them. You can get the impression that the level was built around the 6 very well placed secrets and the actual gameplay is only secondary. I especially loved the paths to number one and number 3. These are levels for more experienced raiders that enjoy exploring areas as you are brought back again and again to central rooms from different angles. I sometimes felt that walkways were a bit long and you had to run for a while before anything interesting was happening again. The way the scenery transforms after the big earthquake is also quite unique and then finding those 6 'Tears' becomes sort of an adventure of its own. I have to say that it took me a long time to get to number 5 maybe that one should be a little closer. Only at the very end you have to deal with a few skeletons (which are no threat if you found the secrets) and in general object pick-ups are quite abundant throughout the levels without much use for them except for the flares of course. Bottomline with a decent sense of orientation you are thoroughly going to enjoy these levels!" - Michael (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "Other reviewers said it all my words might become useless here! These two levels took me two long hours and the most impressive thing for me was the lack of objects. There were very few architectural objects since most of the level was built only with the editor itself. Pickups were mainly the gems hidden through the huge labyrinth this level may become! Well I have to say that this level is a must play for all the puzzle lovers!" - Treeble (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "I could actually finish this level after playing about 1/3 of it. But it's quite good and a lot of looking around and figuring out how to go on is needed as usual in Josep's levels. Good puzzles and good looking but not as good as his later levels." - G.Croft (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "If you like exploring you're probably going to like these levels since you're going to do a lot of exploring. If you like 'hide & seek' you're probably going to like these levels since you have to search the caves for 6 gems. If you just want a quick thrill you're probably not going to like these levels since they take several hours to complete and there's not many enemies (I only found five skeletons). But I think you should try these levels since they're fun and challenging." - Magnus (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "I could easily believe this was part of TR6! Some nice music atmosphere traps and challenging exploration. Natural environments that look "natural" - you can get completely lost in them. Not many enemies but I prefer exploration and puzzles - too much killing is boring lots of pick-ups/secrets to discover. A walkthrough is supplied and a good effort as English is not the designer's first language. It doesn't give too much away but will help on those really confounding puzzles. I have downloaded a lot of games and was simply very impressed with this level. It is one of the few that are outstanding for originality playability and professional design feel and best I've played so far. It is finely complex and absorbing. The textures are appropriate seeking the artifacts and pick-ups challenging. Right from the start it is atmospheric - the music is well-placed and noticeably adds to effects and traps as does the lighting --- I found myself chuckling at being caught out here and there. A lot of the time I can't even finish levels because the environments are unconvincing and trigger-happy or enemies proliferate and there is no thought out gameplay to satisfy the penchant to explore. I think this guy has really worked hard on this level - he explains possible problems with darkness in some areas installation/play - because the level is so large and complex it exceeded room limits and had to be divided into 2 levels which you pop in and out of. Personally I prefer gameplay without meeting something to kill around every corner which can get boring and linear. I can't wait to get stuck into his next level." - FridgeRaider (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "These are beautifull levels that are very well textured and lit. The gameplay is solid with every move from Lara's repertoire required to get through. Camera work is excellent giving you every clue you need (and you will need EVERY clue!). It's by pure luck that I found the sixth Tear/Horsemams Gem.....The game can be a little fragmented because of the "2 level" structure but is no real problem. What is severely lacking though is enemies..... there are none whatsoever until the end of the game which makes these levels more a test of agility but then some of us prefer our Tomb-raiding to be of the more exploratory nature. Overall good levels that are well worth playing (more than once). Note to the author: OCB setting of 2 on push switches!" - Inchdix (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "Valid reconstruction of gigantic cavern by Josep. Don't use the fly cheat... you would ruin it all! But also use it... you will not resolve a lot... the author has known to place the elements and the objects that are necessary to you in order to end the great level in such way from spremervi in order the meningi well! Is a large level for Tombraideres and climbers. The lights and the atmosphere within the cove are from anthology. 270 obtained rooms thanks to a special works; you put the brightness of your screen to the maximum. Tried the just walls to climb. 3 secrets in every level. These 2 overlapping levels have 7 points where it can be returned behind and crossing the level ." - Roberto (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "The start in the Tarragona series is very demanding. A fascinating atmosphere with an enormous cave which it is a matter to explore. Lara searches for 6 stones and must implement in addition outstanding jumps and search every corner exactly. Beautiful textures and real caves lighting conditions guarantee for a unique atmosphere. To reach secrets alone this level is almost already worth playing. There was only a few skeletons at the end of the level this is why I have used only one shot. In this level the cameras showed every door to reach them then is another subject. A really great level." - Xxenofex (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "I must say that these levels have been two of the most enjoyable and beautiful I've played. The gameplay is overall a continuous search of objects; some of them very well placed and hidden. I don't remember the way I got all of them. I finally got only 4 secrets although I think that I went everywhere. The absence of enemies is not a problem for me because I like too the exploration levels. The atmosphere of the game is perfect and the sound too (the music when Lara is near a pit is perfect); the use of the cameras when Lara finds an object gives a clue about the next place to go: the question is How? The Escipion's caves are one of the best caves I've ever seen in a custom level. The textures are almost perfect and thankfully the climbable walls are always different from the rest. As Josep says in the readme.txt that comes in the .zip these caves can be very dark but for me is simply what I expect in a cave: is very realistic. I've detected only few bugs but they are because of the LE engine so I think these two levels are very well done." - Loupar (21-Jun-2002) |
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| "A nice and natural environment a new title a good camera work but never overused a non straightforward way with some free exploration many secrets to be found to describe some of the characteristics of this double level. Not many puzzles to solve in Tarragona but a lot of exploration to do and sometimes I was wondering what will be my next move: shall I make a jump here or backflip and shimmy there? The most difficult is to find the 6 blue gems in the second half of the game. In my first try I did not play the level with the walkthrough and could find only 5: so I had a look to the walkthrough and could not deduce from it which one I missed. So confused I began the level again and followed the indications of the walkthrough in this non-straightforward adventure. Josep has proven with this work that enemies are not always necessary to create a very pleasant level with a good atmosphere. We are lucky to play such levels for free and small download. I don't care much about the World heritage but I can say: Viva Catalunya!" - Kersaho (21-Jun-2002) |
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