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Jungle Ruins NG by GMac Raider X

DJ Full 6 9 8 7
dmdibl 9 10 10 9
eRIC 9 9 10 9
Gerty 9 9 9 10
hahc21 9 9 10 9
herothing 10 9 10 10
izzynoodles 8 7 8 10
Jack& 10 10 10 10
jawi 8 8 9 8
Jay 9 9 10 10
Jose 8 9 10 9
Juno Jim 10 10 10 10
Lorax 9 8 9 10
manarch2 8 8 8 8
MichaelP 8 8 9 9
misho98 9 10 10 10
Mman 8 9 9 8
Phil 10 10 9 10
Ruben 10 10 10 10
Ryan 9 9 10 10
TheStig 10 9 10 10
TombRaiderTim 9 9 10 10
Torry 9 9 9 10
 
release date: 28-Mar-2009
# of downloads: 239

average rating: 9.17
review count: 23
 
review this level

file size: 151.00 MB
file type: TR4
class: Jungle
 


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Reviewer's comments
"Gone HD but missing the point - a once vibrant environment got visually downgraded, the best example being a forest of trees now replaced with stone pillars. In fact a lot of organic matter was replaced with lifeless stone and often I found it impossible to see it as a jungle anymore... all right, the skull is called jungle skull, the gem is called jungle stone, and we got a few tigers but the essence of the jungle is simply not here. The runtime could be much shorter, with less filler, as while it has its moments, the pacing feels very stale. We collect items, open doors and avoid traps while shapes around keep shifting but character barely changes until, after the initial hook, it starts to feel liminal and tiring. Oh and it ends with a cliffhanger, so: who put those contraptions? who are the natives? who is the guide? why does he keep disappearing? what's with the lake? what are the creatures inside? where on earth even are we? - nothing of that is explained, like in a dream where you can only see fragments. More purpose, please." - DJ Full (16-Jul-2024)
"Jungle Ruins is an absolute classic TRLE I'd recommend to any Tomb Raider fan without hesitation. I've never played the original version, but I've seen videos and played most of the sequel and in my opinion the new textures are great and make a noticeable difference." - Lorax (25-Dec-2021)
"Having just played the original series from start to finish there is nothing really new here but it still holds the traditional charm but with better graphics. A traditional raid done well." - Torry (29-Mar-2020)
"Given that I just recently played the original version of the first Jungle Ruins episode, the majority of the areas and the gameplay within them did seem instantly familiar. However, I had an excellent time going through this game again, and I enjoyed it more than the original version. The addition of the next generation textures makes this a definite visual gaming feast, and I thought that the use of audio and majestic flybys were wonderfully done and the latter showed off the areas to great advantage. From what I can recall, nothing much of the gameplay has changed, but surprisingly I didn't mind that much in this case as I was enjoying myself so much. An absolute pleasure to play." - Ryan (07-Apr-2019)
"Most of the technical mistakes from the classic version are fixed here and especially the Discovery level benefits greatly from a much better overall structure and no annoying backtracking. Gameplaywise there are still slow parts and there could be more to do like puzzles or trickier platforming but it's a pleasant raid throughout. The texturing has been changed to the "standard GMac set" which lets the levels appear cleaner and the mistakes are significantly reduced, but the lighting is still rather bland at times and doesn't really come up to it. While the texturing is better, I found that the atmosphere suffers from the change of texture set because the evocative jungle feeling present in the classic set is somewhat lost and all levels have a pretty sameish, grey style that doesn't really match up to the original version. Things like better crafted ceilings in the large block puzzle area (still no ceiling would be better here) are giving this a more solid feeling. Enemies which didn't play a major role before are also surprisingly reduced here. It's all good stuff but a bit disappointing because there's certainly more potential here. Found the five secrets in 2:05 hours." - manarch2 (29-Sep-2016)
"I love jungle levels and this one had darker shades of colour compared to classic jungle levels, which made it quite unique, and also looks to be the biggest change from the original. I've not yet played the original but I defiantly intend on doing to see how they compare. Very enjoyable but not much of a challenge as there weren't many enemies and I was also disappointed by the lack of secrets. Puzzle aspects were well designed which made the gameplay itself entertaining. Would definitely recommend. Took around 5 and a half hours to play." - izzynoodles (17-Jul-2016)
"Even if I played the"old fashioned" Jungle Ruins, I hardly remembered a thing. So there I went for a new adventure. I have to admit that I liked it a lot, it looked great with the new textures and although not much is changed, there are some differences. Trust George and Todd to make a good looking level and playable as well." - Gerty (26-Aug-2012)
"Very good level with Anniversary textures(I think). The first level was set in a big area and the good thing is that even if it's big - you can't get lost. Second level featured mostly traps and I think it was kinda unfair with that crocodile swimming in the corridors but you can kill it later. The third and fourth levels were good, they both featured some nice puzzles. I liked the fifth level the most - I love levels set in a big main area with different doors to open and collect stuff from them. The whole levelset took me 3 hours to complete - it's not very long and I like that. I still haven't played the original Jungle Ruins levels, but I'll do that in the feature. Recommended!" - misho98 (26-Mar-2012)
"I usually do not like to replay games and prefer the new releases of new ideas, but given it has been so many years since I had played the original Jungle Ruins, this did almost feel like a new adventure to me. Still - checking back my review for the original, I have little to add or change in terms of my review comments, but I will say that the looks in terms of the textures are indeed very good in comparison and what impressed me most were some of the truly amazing ambience and flyby audio choices. Great stuff! For some reason I ran into an occasional glitch where Lara's hair would extend across the screen and she herself be completely frozen (mainly in level 1 and 5), but with some patience and re-trying I was always able to eventually re-load my save ok. I did find myself increasing the occasional score versus my original ones here and there, but on average I still end up with "just" an 8.5, which maybe does not do this great adventure justice completely, but for me it simply has too many little annoyances to rate it higher:
Jungle - 8/8/10/10
Jungle Temple - 8/8/9/9
The Search - 9/8/9/9
Discovery - 8/8/9/9
Jungle Lake - 9/9/9/9." - MichaelP (28-Jul-2011)
"Even when it uses similar places and textures of the original 'Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation' (like the temple in where you must put the three lasers in the correct positions and the talisman, for example), Jungle Ruins NG brings a fully new adventure so interesting that it even could make you believe this is a very new game more than a custom level pack. Its true that several things (or elements) in the game isn't the perfect choice to represent what was the really story of this level, but it surpassed my expectations. This is yet, my favorite custom level." - hahc21 (16-Feb-2010)
"There isn’t much to say about this custom. It’s a remake, but the changes aren’t very big. Of course lighting and textures are better, but still texturing looks awful in some places (especially in GMac’s levels) and there are still lots of cracks. Some of the areas are rebuilt and they look very good (like in The Search, or Discovery), but some of the elements haven’t been changed. Some trees are still looking strange. Advantage of the game is that author added more cameras what is very handy. In The Search are two well remaked areas: the first one and this one with timed doors. There the changes are evident. Big room with puzzle in Discovery looks good too. But I don’t like the idea of stone trees. They don’t fit with the environment and they just look unnatural. Author cut off the last part of the gameplay in Jungle Lake and I think that is a good thought, because it makes more sense to the story of JR3. Finally, the title at the end says that it will be continued. I appreciate author’s effort to remake the whole game, because it’s a lot of work, but some things which should be changed, didn’t change. Playing it by the second time I was a little bit bored with the game, but it definitely looks better than the first version. Good work." - jawi (09-Jan-2010)
"I played the original JR ages ago so this was mostly like a new experience for me, although there were certainly parts I could recall.
Gameplay is mostly good, and it was challenging yet I didn't get stuck at all, however, level one's flow felt kind of off to me despite a very interesting structure (with you climbing around various levels of a river), although that may have partially been down to me taking the wrong route a couple of times. Level four also has too much block pushing; the central puzzle is fine in itself and quite original, but then there's another semi-complex block puzzle with multiple backtracks involving shimmying and crawling, and it also has a couple of "needle in a haystack" switch hunts. Beyond that, however, it all plays very well and has some original ideas, I also like the way the game warns you of spike trap tiles throughout. Camera hints were used well.
The theme and atmosphere is mostly very good, I thought the lighting was a bit lacking in some areas though, with a lot of it being whitish and flat (especially considering how good the lighting in GMac's other newer projects are).
Looking at screenshots of the first release of Jungle Ruins, despite the overall improvements I get the feeling something may have been lost a little atmospherically in the next-gen switchover; while some of the original themes (like Celtic textures) don't make much sense it gives a certain colour and variety that is lost in the grayish Anniversary textures used throughout this. However this is based on the screenshots and I'd need to replay the original release to see if that really is the case for me.
It's still a must play, and very likely an improvement on what was there originally despite any personal issues I might have with the thematic changes." - Mman (11-Nov-2009)
"Another great set of levels, coordinated by one of my favorite builders. He had some excellent contributions, which he credits. Lara looks excellent, and moves very well. I did have to check the walkthrough once, but generally, the gameplay was pretty straightforward, and a lot of good entertainment. The five switches were not too bad, or I was just lucky. At least I didn't have to resort to binary counting to get them... I like longer games like this, so I can really get into the gameplay, and the feel of the game as it progresses. Everything was as perfect as anyone could expect. It was easily in a class with some of the best of the "off the shelf" TR games. I keep returning to great custom games like this, because for me, they have just the right mix of scenery, puzzles, maneuvers, enemies, rewards and other challenges without so much intensity that I can actually feel relaxed after playing. Thank you George, Raider X and team - please do "Continue" !!!" - Juno Jim (24-May-2009)
"A set of five professional levels--dare one say classic levels--from this team using the Next Generation editor and textures. The first surprise is how much seems new and fresh. I've surely played these before, but at the beginning there were many places where this feels all new. Most players can treat this as a new release. Later on, as Lara dragged a skull block over a long bridge series, things seemed familiar. The ending lake is definitely a place that Lara has visited--in fact, I thought I had played this sequence more than once, though in a different context. I recalled the circuitous path around the lake, although I don't remember having to fight any sea hags before. All of the texturing and design are impeccable. Occasionally the game play is a little obscure as with the five switches in the style of Palace Midas. However, GMac has written his own concise walk-through, so one needn't go through any tedious switch flipping unless one wants to. I sometimes feel that Next Generation levels have drab texturing with too much uniformity, and that light levels are too low. I see some of that here, though whether this is due to NG or the author's choice isn't clear. Areas that should be sunlit seem to be enclosed, colors muted, and forested areas or interiors are truly dark. For me this takes away a lot of the pleasure of exploration, though others may like the atmosphere. But, as always, these are the high quality levels that we have come to expect from these authors. Highly recommended." - dmdibl (18-May-2009)
"Before I start out I should probably explain that I haven't played the original, though I believe I have played the second half of this adventure in it's non-next gen format a good while ago. This was one of those levels I just couldn't put down. The visual rewards for pushing on throughout are stunning, and just when you think you've got the measure of the level the authors drop in another jaw dropping room. Lara's moves haven't been tampered with here either. This is good honest classical tomb raider at its best; Stunning visuals and an emphasis on puzzle solving and exploration rather than combat. If I had to be critical of anything, there was one room where there was a mass of levers. No clues were given at all to which needed to be pulled to open which door, which seemed needless frustrating (think back to the palace Midas in Tomb Raider 1 for a good example of a subtle clue). What really makes this game shine is the level of polish (if you'll excuse the pun). Meticulous texture placement, gorgeous lighting, and a real organic feel to the level structure. I can't want to play Jungle Ruins PT2 next gen! :)" - TheStig (15-May-2009)
"Replaying the jungle ruins in NG is rather fun as it hosts new areas to explore, also on the good side the textures are next generation, giving the game a more realistic approach. The enemies were quite good, the secrets were good and challenging to find as well as fiding the puzzles to solve the many mysteries on the game. A great level set worth playing." - TombRaiderTim (03-May-2009)
"I played the original version shortly after its release, and although I understand several changes have been incorporated into this revision, it was all fresh and new to me when I played it the second time. This is undoubtedly attributable in part to my aging brain cells, but I can also imagine that the eye-popping enhancements made possible with NG technology played a major role. In any event, I had a grand time here for more than five net gaming hours, and my overall impression of JRNG was even more favorable than with the first version. I played it on my office computer during my spare time and found no issues whatever with lighting or anything else. George has provided a humorous and readable walkthrough that doesn't map out every move but gives the player all necessary information. There are five levels, each of about equal length, and to me there were no obvious signs indicating which level may have been built by whom. They were all exhilerating, and they combine to provide a near-perfect raid. Highly recommended." - Phil (21-Apr-2009)
"We are not going to discover to this good builders and his classic style. Huge areas to explore a lot, natives, crocodiles, lava, big buildings with stone textures, rivers, lakes, cool musics... Don't worry about the gameplay, they don't let you advance a long way without the necessary items so you'll not need to visit the same places more than two times. As usual, the best is the great atmosphere, although the ambience is a bit dark. In the last level I couldn't find a hint to know the switches secuence (in Midas Palace level there was) and at the very end you'll find yourself in a very familiar lake. I'll wait for the next episode." - Jose (13-Apr-2009)
"The only word i have to say is magnificent. Keeping it brief, the level was stunning in graphics. It reminded me of a high definition very and more amazing version of coastal island from TR3. I was extremely amazed by this level. Keep up the good work. ;)" - herothing (05-Apr-2009)
"This is an updated version of the original Jungle Ruins so I was interested to play it to see if I could 'spot the difference', given that it's well over four years since I played the original and I can forget a level quite thoroughly in four days! The textures and objects have certainly been dusted off and revamped and the whole thing looks really splendid. The atmosphere is terrific and you can almost feel the steamy jungle heat. I think the gameplay remains more or less the same, with one or two instances where I felt it might have been altered, but that could just be the aforementioned dicky memory. Whether or not you have played the original version, you should download and play this right away because one thing that hasn't changed is the enjoyment factor." - Jay (05-Apr-2009)
"Never played the game when it was issued the first time and thinking it would be just another meaningless second cup of tea like many other TRLE revised stuff . How wrong was I ! I should have known better for George has never let us down so far as quality is concerned and this time he has come up with another fantastic adventure . This is just eye-candy all the way enriched by wonderful music and more than beautifully worked out new textures. It is just a stunningly good game , huge resorts to explore , not simply a game but an experience ! I enjoyed it so much and do recommend it to all TRLE lovers out there , all thumbs up !Thank You George & Raider X for giving us the pleasure to to play this marvel. Simply wonderful !" - Ruben (05-Apr-2009)
"A remake of the first Jungle Ruins opus by George and Todd, with high-Def textures this time, different audio files ; some of the objects are newer too. Enemies are not too many, but are often well used. In the gameplay I also notice some differences, In the level 'Discovery' there is now less backtracking and the spikes tiles are better indicated with specific textures on the ground rather than with a hint on the ceiling : these are good and welcome improvements. Not sure if there is also changes in the gameplay in the other levels, it could be so, although it was not flagrant to me. Now it is not easy to rate this set of levels, I like some of the new textures like the ones which are slightly bluish , on the other hand I missed warmer textures or those that were typically Indian. Beware that if your PC is old and not powerful enough you will surely experience slowdowns in some of the bigger areas and that will not make the jumping around more enjoyable. I finally decided to give the same rating than for the original game. Quite recommended for players who may have missed the release of the first version, and for the others who may have wished to replay the game , this time under a different 'package'." - eRIC (01-Apr-2009)
"well i have the big pleasure to review first this piece of art ... like i was espected from George Maciver this is simply one off the ''best games ever made ''is hard to describe in words such a great 5 level game .. here u get all wich u can expect from a top game - timed runs / alot off trapps / tricky jumps very smart puzzles and not at least a beautiful crafted game with magnific arhitecture/ brilliant graphics/ variated enemyes - natives / water monsters /crocks/ baracudas .. alot off swiming also .. the places are very nice and big ... with very tall structures perfect made wich i can see it only at George so far ... this one start with a multilevel jungle with waterfalls and is very big level i thing the biggest from 5 and continue untill u get the 2 piece off statue wich u combine and place it after that a great intro with a door open and 3 words wich i was wait to see ''TO BE CONTINUED'' I hope so too cos this is the best game at 2009 wich i played and a serious contender for 'The game of the Year'' and a sure next hall off fame-er THX ALOT GEORGE FOR THIS MASTERPIECE . and hope to play soon ur continuation off this magnific game .... only mark for this game could be only 1 - 10 in the row bravo ..." - Jack& (30-Mar-2009)