Levels listed...
TR5 - 31
TR4 - 3141
TR3 - 177
TR2 - 133
TR1 - 61
72368 reviews (20.4/level)
3532 (99.7%) walkthroughs
445 Hall of Fame levels
1221 levels rated >= 8
|
|
|
 |
|
| |
|
release date: |
12-Apr-2009 |
|
# of downloads: |
139 |
|
|
average rating: |
9.01 |
|
review count: |
35 |
|
|
|
review this level |
|
|
file size: |
34.69 MB |
|
file type: |
TR4 |
|
class: |
Castle |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Reviewer's comments |
"This level is almost the definition of backtracking, which until a certain degree I enjoy,
and so I did at the beginning, but eventually you are bound to lose some hidden lever (there
were a LOT of hidden levers, and objects in general like the crosses and the crowbar that
were very hard to see). And when you make a mistake of that sort, you need to run through a
long and very hard way back. You lose a lot of time on that, and it quickly becomes
annoying. This is this level's worst point, the ambiance though is very nice, the dynamic
between the lower and upper parts of the level was interesting at the very least, or it
could've been with a less tiring way to navigate through them." - HaniHeger (12-Aug-2022) |
|
| "There's something rather unique about how this entire level spans over a same singular area. It's very tall and has several side passages, but the bulk of the gameplay happens as you work your way upwards to find the four pushable blocks you need to place all the way down on the ground floor. On that regard, I suspect this might be one of the most elabore pushblock puzzles ever — it does span pretty much the entirety of the level, after all, and a couple of blocks will be tumbling down a few different floors before reaching their final destination. I also appreciate how there's not a single enemy in sight, helped make the place all the more eerie. Great choice for background audio as well! 40 minutes. 06/22" - Treeble (03-Jul-2022) |
|
"The reason why I picked this game to play is that it is one of the few levels that is
castle themed. The theme alone intrigued me, and I downloaded the game to check it
out.
Honestly, I was completely hooked with this adventure. I will say it directly: This
level is not aimed at beginners: it is just like a very big maze, with many rooms
that are interconnected from various entrances and many "floors".
It requires a very high sense of orientation, very good reflexes(since there are many
very tight timed runs and difficult traps) and lots of patience. The moments in which
you will stop and think on the next move are very frequent.
If I have to summarize the gameplay, this level is just a giant puzzle, divided in
small steps, and every part is needed to proceed towards the end. It could resemble
an One Room Challenge, but it is not.
On the graphical standpoint, we should not this level uses a lot of grey
textures(being this a castle), but the lights really make it slightly more colourful.
The contrast with the blue of the environment and the yellow of the flames, plus the
rain, really makes this game very atmospheric.
The only thing that I really didn't like much was the ending: you slide towards
nothingness. I would have preferred something more iconic but it is a very minor
thing.
In short, this level is one of the most unique levels out there, and I would really
want to see more people building something similiar. Outstanding Job!
Recommended? Must-Play, especially to those who want a level that plays around a
single giant puzzle and if you like platforming. Not Recommended if you don't have
good sense of orientation or if you didn't master Lara's moveset yet.
Difficulty? Challenging.
Duration? 70-90 minutes." - TombExplorer (17-May-2021) |
|
| "It seems after playing all those one room levels I accidentally found a One Area Challenge. While things in this level aren't the most obvious, I like how the builder allowed me to learn what he actually wants, so even if I might have not spotted it instantly, I could correctly anticipate what it should be. That implies a bit too much of symmetry, but I guess it's a tradeoff. The decent aesthetics also help immersion, and I guess the minimal soundtrack also contributed to keep me focused so I could handle this one. Good thing." - DJ Full (17-May-2021) |
|
| "I don't remember having played this before, I wonder why... It's actually a one-room
challenge (one huge room), but still very much faultless and with loads of tasks to
accomplish. Basically, what you have to do is lower four underwater blocks, use four
underwater levers, swim and climb up and down, find and place four crosses, get four
blocks down to the lower level by the pool, place them, get four skulls and that's it.
It looks easy when you put it that way, doesn't it? But it's a gigantic puzzle,
demanding much attention and orientation. When you add it all up, not knowing exactly
what you're doing, it may well take a while. The textures looked quite solid and the
atmosphere perfectly fitting. I rather enjoyed it." - Jorge22 (15-Nov-2020) |
|
| "Are u a truly raider??so what have u been waiting to dl this?Here u have an area,no need of weapons, no need of meds, no secrets to find, only puzzles so u can exit the tower-castle..And NO EXCUSE to be guided by the walkthrough..Unfortunately for me , i feel ashame cause i used the walk here cause i was to lazy to search more for the first cross and i was just circlejerking around..
Apart from this if u have played several tr levels, the task is easy to find,cant get confused so cant get some comments below..The only 'hard' things here are the 2 timed levers and that all.
Really enjoyed the atmosphere and everything.Great job QRS, really admire your work even im not fully committed to play levels of yours. egypt and beyond is the best for me , i have seen all live walkthrough but im too p*ssy to try it" - Petaludas (27-Apr-2020) |
|
| "One of the best level I have ever played,
QRS showed in this level the same
greatness that Egypt and Beyond is full
of. The gameplay and the aesthetics are
just incredible. I played few times
improving everytime my timing in clearing
it: 27 minutes was my latest.
A must play, recommended. Wolfy Regards." - Wolf7 (24-Jan-2019) |
|
| "A download size of only 35 mb offers such a great experience. Nowadays that package size ratio is
very rare to get as many level are just pumped up with unnecessary package stuff. It’s a mystery
for me why this level is still not in the hall of fame and instead after 8 years still wandering
around top custom levels. When I took a first look from the ground above at the beginning of the
game, I was stunned by the architecture and design of the level. Incredibly beautiful and
breathtaking. Really great work ! The atmosphere was just perfect, including the texturing. Maybe
the light could be just a touch more diverse, but I’m being just too picky. Also, maybe a few
more object would be nice. Actually the light fits really well into the whole premise of an
˝anxiety castle˝. I must admit the level is very original and innovative in its own way ! The
gameplay was very enjoyable, sometimes a bit hard to follow, but overall great and interesting.
It was very fun to explore the castle from bottom till the peak. I wish only that there was
something more at the ending. Lara slides just down into the fog with nothing more. Overall, a
timeless and masterful work from QRS. Highly recommended !" - Gorty (12-Nov-2017) |
|
| "This level takes place inside a huge central
tower, with rain pouring down inside, thunder
sounding and cages situated around the outside,
giving off that atmospheric "prison" feeling.
The main aim is to use four crowbar "levers",
manipulate four blocks down to the lowest
level, collect and use four crosses and use
four skulls to end the level. Backtracking is
imminent, but nothing too annoying or
frustrating. It took me 45 minutes, so there's
a huge amount of enjoyable gameplay here." - Ryan (12-Feb-2017) |
|
"I've played this level 3 times in these past seven years, and it's just as enjoyable the third time around. It's set almost entirely in a single tall multi-level castle room; though there are some smaller side-rooms and corridors, they serve mainly to link parts of the main room. The main goal is to reach the top of the castle to push down four blocks; getting to the top takes up the lion's share of the gameplay, which is a good mixture of platforming and puzzles. I like the timed-runs on the whole, but did get frustrated with having to do the first one twice in my first playthrough, simply because I had missed picking up the sword of Fithos (crowbar) which was just lying on a random spot on the floor. The switches can also be difficult to spot, as many are hidden behind vines - a cheap trick, IMO (even when playing the level for the third time, I kept missing some of the switches). The tasks become clearer upon reaching the upper levels, though not necessarily easier to do. It helps that everything is in fours. However, sometimes this can backfire because of the symmetry of the main room. For example, I had to constantly keep referring to the compass to check which of the four face levers I had already used. The lack of enemies is quite welcome - rather the castle itself feels like an enemy, a brooding presence intent on keeping Lara within its walls.
In terms of visual appeal and atmosphere, the level is nearly perfect: tall forbidding castle walls lit by flickering torches and topped by a gloomy sky. The architecture is marvellous, with each floor of the castle having a different layout. The vertical bars on the upper floors give the place a distinct prison-like air, which is perfect considering the fact that Lara is supposed to be imprisoned here by an 'evil force'. A bit more music would have been welcome.
Overall: An excellent level that shows just how well a talented builder can create an engrossing raid out of a minimalist setting. Highly recommended." - Mytly (25-Aug-2016) |
|
| "Wow - what a level! This is a great example of what can be done to create a fun game in a quite limited space. The spooky atmosphere is extremely well exectued the castle textures fit extremely well to the scenery. The lighting might be a little bit too uniform (i.e. constantly darkish) but this level is definately a masterpiece in terms of visuals. The gameplay this time doesn't stand behind it as this puzzle-based game managed to entertain from start to finish, with many different task to accomplish and a good mix between exploration, puzzles and action. I especially liked the complex block puzzle where you had to transport the boxes from the very top of the tower to the floor, which is actually the main task for the second half of this level. Maybe it is also centered too much around finding sneakily hidden switches, but I didn't have big problems to spot them and the walkthrough is really helpful in those cases. The biggest critisism of mine is that the game could have been spiced up with a few enemies or a quest for some secrets, thus the lower in the second category. Elseway, this level was a truly great experience and I warmly recommend trying it. Spent 40 minutes in here." - manarch2 (15-Jul-2012) |
|
| "This was a very nice level from QRS. This castle was very dark and it did remind me of his previous levels of egypt and beyond. Very nice lighting to make the castle feel gloomy and scary. Challenging traps around the castles and you have to collect some crosses. There is a lot of block lowering and puzzles to do. The music fitted to level pretty well with a few music from TR Anniversary. The gameplay was nice and it wasn't too challenging but still pretty challenging. Very fun level and if you liked his previous levels you will love this gem!" - afzalmiah (19-Apr-2011) |
|
| "All things come in fours in this castle. Four blocks to lower, four crosses to find, four spike-traps to deactivate, four blocks to get to their respective tiles and finally four skulls to exit this castle. Actually, I wouldn't really call this so much a castle - because the higher you get, the more apparent it becomes that this is actually a more tower-like setting. And a well done setting at that - the rain, the gloomy looks, the audio tracks, the colour scheme and the lighting all are used masterfully to create a moody environment for you to lose yourself into for the hour or so it will take you to get to the end of it. There are no enemies or secrets to hunt, but the level still lives up to the title in that you'll be anxious from square one. So much that I actually was not sure where to start when I first landed here, so I must admit I peeked into the walkthrough more than I would've cared for initially, but as you play on, your own mind starts syncing up with the author's and the level starts becoming more enjoyable, especially at the higher levels of the tower. Among the highlights here are pushing the boxes over the edges to get them to the bottom part, the fun rotating skulls, the nice challenging timed run and more. What I didn't care that much for were the crosses and switches that blended in with the environment. And not so much that they were there at all, but more so because they were featured so prominently here. I can understand adding a sneaky moment or two, but gameplay that tests the player's eyesight above his other skills is not really my cup of tea. I also experienced a weird bug where the level would exit to the title fly-by menu every time I tried to reload a saved game ingame, and I could only load a game from the savegame list there. But all of this didn't detract from my enjoyment too much, and if you're a fan of Anders' style you'll feel right at home here, and if you're not yet familiar with his levels - this one can actually serve as the perfect introduction - especially since his other epic's might be a handful if you're terrified from long time consuming series! Needless to say, you shouldn't miss out on them as well ;)" - eTux (16-Aug-2009) |
|
| "Upon opening, this level reminded me immediately of a more complete TR Anniversary edition of The Cistern, before all the platforms collapsed. Even the lighting has a similar feel too it, and much like that level there is plenty of going up and down. Happily there is not a crocodile in sight here, nay, not even any other kind of enemy, for this one is purely about the puzzle. For an hours play there is plenty to get the player thinking, with some switches and items subtly placed so as not to be too obvious. Indeed, some things can be easily missed if the player tries to rush ahead with this level, so a slowing down and close inspection of the environment is sometimes required. In fact, the player better make sure that they spot the crowbar (in the form of a sword) early on, otherwise they'll be doing a lot more back and forth and up and down than would ordinarily occur with this level whilst making no progress at all. With little to do in the early stages, taking a swim in the beautiful, crystalline water here is an easy business, if not a little odd for the upward travelling rain below the surface. Yes, it's raining in the water, and skyward. Having retrieved the sword, the first objective then is to lower four blocks in the water below to gain access to four ceiling switches. Triggering all of them will raise a platform higher up allowing access to the uppermost sections of the single tower the whole level is contained within. Along the way there are a number of traps, each of which is well set up and causing just enough hindrance to the player without being nightmarish. Amidst the wonderful atmosphere of this tower spike traps and lava pits are the order of the day here with but one boulder sneakily placed where players might easily get Lara squashed by it. There are two timed runs, one of which is easy, the other a bit more demanding. When access to the upper floors is achieved, things look a lot more blander than below, but don't let that fool you. The layout is clever enough to still demand careful attention from the player, and though things may seem a good deal more open and plain looking it is very easy to miss some essential items at this part of the tower. Being the uppermost area, the feel here is suitably airy as four push blocks are located and pushed over the edges to the bottom of the tower. If the player has been attentive then returning to the bottom and placing these blocks on their respective squares will make retrieving the four skulls which appear a simple enough business. If not, then it will be a careful trip back up the tower to find the necessary switches. Skulls retrieved and placed, it's a jump through the now open double doors and a simple slide to the end of the level. Over all then, texturing and lighting is very nicely done in this level. The atmosphere is great, the arrangement of the puzzles very enjoyable and the use of space expertly made. There is one bug I had with the load system whereby entering the menu and selecting load (and the save to load from), simply loaded the load screen again. So all reloads had to be done twice. That said, it is really but a minor annoyance with what is a very good level." - Czar (01-Jul-2009) |
|
| "This is a good example that what is logic for the builder, isn't as logic for the player per se. Boy have I been running around and ended up not at the place I should or I used a lever way too early and loosing my bearings so that I had to write down notes to figure out what I already did and what I saw in the distance and how to get there. Then the double use of levers threw me off big time as well. But I got there in the end. I have to admit that it is feat on it own and hats off for the builder. It is quite an elaborate process to complete before you hit the finishing trigger though. Your main goal is to push down four blocks to the bottom of the room. My fear of heights kicked in and my graphic card went into overdrive, which made the timed runs even more difficult. The whole complex looked pretty darn good and in the end it all made sense." - Gerty (17-Jun-2009) |
|
| "A moody, brooding castle, with low light levels to make one feel anxious. The author's text file says the level was built in two weeks, and that is amazing. Everything is done within the confines of the main castle walls, but the series of tasks is intricately interrelated, blocks to push from the high battlements, trapdoors to raise, crosses to find, all at the right moment. At one point I was very grateful to Moonpooka's walk-through; when I finally consulted it, all of the tasks made more sense. Otherwise there is a good deal of back-and-forth, sometimes with an obscure objective. So top marks for the author's ingenuity and cleverness. But with the dismal lighting it was awfully hard to see some of those switches, even when Lara was near them, and that seems an unfair handicap for this type of intricate level. If you're up for some devilish puzzles (and the whole level is a puzzle), then take the challenge." - dmdibl (11-May-2009) |
|
| "It's simply amazing what a builder can do in only two weeks of building time. The castle itself looks nice, it appears to be lost and the atmosphere is kind of depressing. Very well done. Unfortunately the gameplay is not of the same level. I found it quite confusing and even tedious at times doing a lot of backtrackig with all that climbing and jumping e.g. just to end up by an open hatch that had to be closed (not knowing where the lever was) or ending up by the four cross holes with only 3 crosses in my backpack, not knowing which one I had missed and where to go for it. So I had to go many ways twice or even more times, even with the help of the walkthrough. Not to mention those hard to spot wall levers and items (like the sword) that can be overlooked easily. So I would rather tend to give this level a 7 in the gameplay section, but I raised it to 8 because of the rather fair difficulty level with not too hard timed runs and for sparing the player mean traps." - Jerry (03-May-2009) |
|
| "This entire level consists really of but one extended puzzle, but it never got tedious or boring for me, thanks to Val's wonderfully direct and concise walkthrough. Even with its assistance it took me over an hour to complete, and any tendency toward monotony was overcome by the fact that the required tasks take you first through the lower areas, complete with underwater exercises, then up to the higher reaches to arrange things so you can push blocks that topple off the edge and fall a long distance to the floor, and finally back down to complete the puzzle and escape. The ambience was quite dark and dreary, but I played on my office computer and had ample light to see what I was doing. There are no enemies here that I can recall, and they would have been an unwelcome distraction in any event, as your full attention to the tasks at hand is necessary. A very fulfilling raid in every respect. Highly recommended." - Phil (30-Apr-2009) |
|
| "Really a good architect this builder. All the adventure almost in a big inner courtyard castle created with some stacked rooms. I couldn't give a high score in the gameplay 'cause I don't like to look for hidden switches in a very huge area and I had to return to the same places several times and hurt my eyes trying to find something in the darkness, but the big puzzle which represents all the entire game is very clever. The timed run with the block to grab the jumpswitch was very hard too and it cost me a lot of tries. There are no enemies, no weapons... Where the action is? I liked cameras and textures, and the ambience too although as I said, the level is a bit dark." - Jose (23-Apr-2009) |
|
| "Castle of Anxiety is all about puzzle-solving, which is great, but as the readme states, it can be confusing. I was happy I did not attempt this level before the walkthrough was posted because I would have done things wrong. QRS makes the place wide open, so you might throw a switch in an unopportune time, which can mess you up. This is why I did not give the gameplay section a higher score, because I wondered why he couldn't have made some switches not available to pull until the right time. This wasn't terribly bad, but I wonder what it would have been like for me had I not had the walkie to refer to. I surmise I either would have had some backtracking to do or worse, made fatal errors. That problem aside, I did think the castle itself was very nicely designed. If you like puzzles, then check this one out." - Shandroid (21-Apr-2009) |
|
| "I must admit that this level is quite an achievement considering it's built in only two weeks. All the gameplay takes place in a single and huge vertical area where you need to find four skull objects to exit the castle. During your search you also have to complete a tough timed run, push some blocks in a right way to drop them onto the lowest floor from upper floors and explore a lot because this level is rather non-linear. Overall there's not much to complain about the gameplay but it can be slightly frustrating at times if you miss a switch or item which may force you to do a lot of backtracking and even explore the entire level only to find out what you have missed. I for example spent maybe almost half an hour searching a single jump switch which I missed earlier because it blended so well in the surroundings. Anyway this is just a minor complaint and didn't spoil the fun for me. What impressed me most was the environment which really looks good including harmoniously used textures, atmospheric lighting and well thought out room geometry. I also don't have much to complain about atmosphere which is quite eerie and spiced up well with appropriate audio tracks. All in all this was a fun level and I'm definitely looking forward to playing Anders' next level. Well done." - Samu (21-Apr-2009) |
|
| "It was a happy coincidence that when I started this rainy, atmospheric level, it had started to rain also, in Real Life, giving me Surround Sound in audio effects. I was hooked almost immediately with the textures and lighting - spooky ambiance but not stumbling - around dark and I thought the movable blocks texture perfect. It's complex without the confusion that usually accompanies an intricate level. There are two timed runs - the first of which is just plain fun to figure out the fastest route and the second one, the timed block to reach the JS was, for me, a potential game stopper. Lara kept banging her knees at the wall preventing her from jumping up at the last possible second so I was amused to see how many were able to complete this level in about an hour when it took me 2+ hours. This is a moody, fun level with the opportunity for many Swan Dives and we get to see those weird(ish) face - as - floor switches once again. Recommended for (almost) all and best, perhaps, if played on a rainy day. Well-done and a pleasure to play." - Bene (20-Apr-2009) |
|
| "This is not a series of several puzzles, it's one great puzzle consisting of multiple tasks - and they have to be done in a certain order. This level is not an easy one. The two timed runs are not so hard indeed and there are no tricky jumps to absolve. But its complexity made me several times run in circles. The way through this puzzle is sometimes a bit confusing when you are at the start of the game and still don't understand its logic. And out of review: There is logic in there. Atmosphere and sound are perfect, lightning and textures as well. My favourite released in 2009 up to now!" - Christian (17-Apr-2009) |
|
| "well..this is a good crafted game builded around a central hubb.... with some tuff time runs and brain cooking puzzles moustly at late stages....... iff u watch closely u can see that the builder is a ''old biker'' at level building and know all the stuff to make u swet untill u finish ....graphics is no comment -close to perfection ..... puzzles are very clever cameras is ok .....could be more locations through .. is only a huge castle level with multiple levels and u need to make ur work to the top and after u get back to the ground level to place finaly the 4 skulls and finish the game ... all in all good game indicated moustly at skilled riders .. cheers ....." - Jack& (17-Apr-2009) |
|
| "Well you can't say you weren't warned by the author - the level's title aptly forewarns you that you are about to experience some anxious moments. This was my first venture into a QRS built TR world, and it certainly left an impression on me. With this 'out of the blue' release, apparently built in only two weeks, I suppose I was expecting a nice light teaser (sort of a demo that you have when you're not having a demo) for the imminent release of QRS's big adventure E&B2. Silly me - what I got was a brain-fryer that reduced me to a blubbering heap, inwardly questioning whether I had any game playing skills at all. Castle of Anxiety is an architecturely sound map enhanced by perfect texturing and good looking objects. The layout is cleverly put together to ensure the player explores every nook and cranny of what is an open plan design. The atmospheric lighting although more than adequate did at times seem a bit on the dull side. This combined with levers and switches that have been designed to absolutely blend in with their background and thus make many of them
very hard to see, was what thwarted my progress for much of the first half of the level. Unfortunately one of my pet hates - wall levers without wall slots, just added to the mix. As a result, anxiety turned to frustration, and I began to get more and more disoriented and unobservant. I'm not sure if that was the desired effect that Anders intended to impart on the player, nonetheless that's how it was for me. By the author's choice, the level is intentionally non-linear and certainly makes the gameplay more challenging and potentially confusing. It's a matter of taste, but I'm just not sure I agree with punishing the player by having to re-do a somewhat tightish timed run, that they've just spent 20-30 attempts at perfecting, just because they've overlooked a floor lever that is essential for progress. I expect some players will waltz through this level, enjoying the breathing space of an enemy-free environment to study the lay of the land carefully. Some days, as a player, you just have a 'bad day at the office' - and I don't think I could have taken any more wrong turns and overlooked things if I tried during the front-end of this level. Thankfully (with the odd peek at the walkthrough), I was able to enjoy and appreciate the second half of the level mostly unassisted. The camera clues used were all helpful to aid progress. I was a little surprised at the end when you get a static cam of the exit gates open, as I was kind of expecting a nice sweeping flyby of the castle, to remind me of the challenge I had just conquered. Overall, you cannot help but admire the care and quality that Anders has put into the construction of the rooms and clever gameplay. Whether the style of non-linear gameplay that's on offer in this level appeals to you is a matter of taste. Despite the author's claim that it's a shortish level I'd highly recommend it when you're in a patient and observant puzzle-solving frame of mind. Bring on E&B2." - EssGee (16-Apr-2009) |
|
| "The goal here is to get four moveable blocks from the top of the impressive tower structure down to the ground and place them on four tiles. A simple premise. So, piece of cake, right? Wrong. Unless you are a very methodical, logical and 'tidy' raider, you could find yourself running round in circles and disappearing up your own backpack. It's a super level and beautifully made and, provided you keep careful note of exactly where you've been and what you've done, you shouldn't experience too much difficulty. There was only one part I had real trouble with and had to get my husband to perform his manly duties, by which of course I mean he did a timed run/swim for me (why, whatever did you think I meant?) There is another timed run later on, but that's much more forgiving, which is just as well because you need to do it twice. Good fun." - Jay (16-Apr-2009) |
|
| "Good, honest simple Tomb Raider at it's best. Superb use of textures and lighting to create a great atmosphere. Pleanty to do, pleanty to leave you scratching your head, and very satisfying to play
Definitely one of my favourites so far this year!" - TheStig (16-Apr-2009) |
|
| "I'm amazed Anders had any energy left after the huge task of building the new Egypt and Beyond adventures, but having done so, and while waiting for us to finish testing it, he simply couldn't stay away from the LE. So, he came up with this little beauty. The story goes, that Lara has found herself trapped inside a castle by an evil force; that being the testing of E&B2, and until that evil force is over-come, Lara is unable to tell the story of her continuing adventures in E&B. So we have to get Lara out of there, and this is not an easy task. The objective is to collect 4 stone crosses, drop four movable blocks to ground and de-activate four spike traps so that Lara can collect the four skulls required to escape from the castle. This isn't such a hard level by way of nasty jumps etc, but this is a level designed to make you open your eyes, and use your exploration skills. There's a couple of timed runs (I'm good at them so I can't say they are difficult) but some might find the first one a tad tight. There's also not a particular order in which you have to accomplish the tasks, so you can get a bit confused at times. Confusion though is the whole idea, hence the title of this level. The level is set in one room only, and consists of four floors. You will make your way from ground level to the battlements, and then down again to exit the level. The textures are beautiful and so too is the atmosphere. Game play for me was fun, and if you don't over-look too many of the essential pickups you don't have to do too much back-tracking, and even if you do find yourself having to back-track, it's not like you have a long way to go to find what you missed. So, keep your eyes peeled and explore every area, after all, that's what Lara does best. All in all, this is a fabulous level which has been beautifully put together, and I hope every one enjoys it as much as I did." - Moonpooka (15-Apr-2009) |
|
| "A very well set up level in my opinion, it was indeed somewhat confusing as the author stated, but not so much that I was stuck and needed the forum. The Crosses were a bit hard to find as they were scattered on several levels of the building. I loved the atmosphere, dark on the sides and way below and foggy and raining up around the top. Textures were well chosen for the occasion. Nice custom objects like the vines, I loved those... At some points you were tempted to use levers you could better leave alone for the time being, but never unrecoverable. A nice pick of puzzle objects used, coming in pairs of 4 each time. No enemies, but that can be nice too every now and then. Camera work was sufficient enough to give you clues for the puzzles and what caused what. 1 hour 23 on my clock." - Dutchy (15-Apr-2009) |
|
| "Dices the beginning of the level we take height eyes, it is big, original and splendidly arranged. The challenge is to resolve a big pulse, piece by piece, by rising in the heights to meet itself finally below and finish. This game asks for the rigour to miss nothing and avoid leaving everywhere. Two delayed passages can raise problem to the not virtuoso of the keyboard but altogether, He is not so difficult as that. This level is very fascinating and we do not want to abandon. I look forward to the next challenges of the author." - Daffy (15-Apr-2009) |
|
| "I quite liked the start of this level, its very spooky. I like the way that when the first room was entered, you implemented the music. The rain also contributed and it didnt exactly give me a warm feeling to the level.
I think the best part of this level is the lighting and textures since they were all perfect, the shadows werent too dark and the textures blended it to the lighting.
There werent many enemies and i dont think there were any secrets, unless you count the flares in the water
Overall 8.5/10" - herothing (14-Apr-2009) |
|
| "Having begged my way in as a betatester for QR quite some time ago, I have had the rare opportunity to play his levels before they actually reach the public - which for QR has meant years. So, I was beside myself when he decided to break form and release this level on it's own merits. Finally, players are able to enjoy and appreciate the talent that this builder possesses. And in the words of Al Jolson, "You ain't seen nothin yet.". While QR's games can be categorized as "not for everyone", you cannot help but admire the skill that he applies to building. Each texture is meticulously applied. Each light has it's own nuance. Each enemy is perfectly chosen for the venue. Each camera is carefully placed and has purpose. Each puzzle is just that - a puzzle and not some random stab at providng a variety of gameplay. And - oh my, does this guy know gameplay ?! For me, one of the senior members of this club, QR's games always present enormous challenges, but I would never be able to forgive myself if I gave up at first failure and missed out on his adventures. Thank you QR and please keep them coming !!" - Mugs (14-Apr-2009) |
|
| "The story takes place in a half-ruined castle. It consists of a huge tower with several floors. The objective is to collect four Skulls. In order to get these skulls, Lara has to push four blocks from the top to the bottom of the structure. Lara also has to find four JS, otherwise she will be spiked if she tries to collect the skulls. On top of that, four crosses must also be found. A sword serves as a crowbar which is to be used on the ground faces. There are also timed runs.. And, and, and. As you can see, there is plenty to do. There are no enemies though.
The amazing thing is that QRS built this level in 2 (Yes, TWO!) Weeks! You read correctly! In just two weeks, he has something cojured up, that others can't accomplish in two years. And the whole thing just looks phenomenal. The structure of the level consists of the outer walls and a central tower. Between the outer and inner walls of the tower there are walkways and ledges. It is hard to describe, so you have to see it yourself. On the external walls there are also black guardians whose eyes are red.
The question is: If this levels serves as a foretaste of his new upcoming adventure "Egypt and Beyond II" what can we expect when the full level set is released?
Conclusion: Blame yourself if you don't play this one.
Thanks to QRS for translation (with an online-translator and a little bit cosmetic by himself :-D )" - Scottie (14-Apr-2009) |
|
| "A very good level ! High hopes for Egypt and Beyond 2 from the same author. As this little big adventure is concerned I have a mixed feeling : Can You make it more complicated in a single location than this ? Running around for hours up and down looking for hidden jumpswitches and moveable blocks may be a pleasure to one player but a nuisance to another. The ever-present sound of upcoming spiketraps finally caused me to switch off the volume. I just could not hear it any more ! There are no enemies to fight here , some other players may complain but being a strong supporter of Richard Lawthers "Use Your Brain Instead Of Your Guns" gameplay I didn`t mind at all. The lighting and textures are all very well done , cameras also. A tight time run towards a dissappearing block to reach one essential jumpswitch will take some players to their limits , as I have read in the forums. As all other TRLE Lovers I am looking very much forward to "The Big One" announced . It is very much recommeneded to play this litte marvel by QRS to test your abilities in TRLE raiding in advance ." - Ruben (14-Apr-2009) |
|
| "We should all be very grateful to all the people who talked Anders into releasing this piece as a single level now. It plays as such a nice diversion for the just under an hour it lasts - well, that is - IF you manage to find all the necessary things along the way. And these things typically come in fours and some of the switches blend very well into the walls, so may be running around like a headless chicken for quite some time. Still, when you do find the necessary things, this is a wonderfully crafted 'single big puzzle in a single high room area' level with the main objective to drop down four blocks from the top to the bottom to eventually open the exit door. An occasional spike trap, a boulder, a bit of swimming, one timed run...it's all here... and we can now wait with baited breath for the release of the big E&B2 adventure... this one here certainly served as a really nice teaser!" - MichaelP (14-Apr-2009) |
|
|
|
