Levels listed...
TR5 - 31
TR4 - 3141
TR3 - 177
TR2 - 133
TR1 - 61
72342 reviews (20.4/level)
3532 (99.7%) walkthroughs
445 Hall of Fame levels
1221 levels rated >= 8
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release date: |
01-Jan-2010 |
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# of downloads: |
99 |
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average rating: |
7.35 |
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review count: |
36 |
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review this level |
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file size: |
49.18 MB |
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file type: |
TR4 |
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class: |
Venice |
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| Reviewer's comments |
"Another lovely venice level which was interesting and fun to explore around due to the
variety of environments and gameplay in it, i managed to complete the level mostly
without a walkthrough so a real bonus there. It has lots of challenging platforming,
traps (such as spikes, boulders fire and toxic water) and timed runs which i enjoyed. in
terms of puzzles there is a good fire torch one along with the water skin and sand one
and some pushing objects onto raise platforms to push into place above as well. i must
admit i was gutted to find a vehicle on a ledge that i couldnt drive more than 2 metres
with but apart from that it was all very enjoyable with some swimming, enemies to kill,
bells to ring, windows to smash and the typical death defying leaps through them to
other buildings. all the classic things are here that you would find in a venice level
so it was exactly what i was looking and hoping for today" - John (20-Sep-2021) |
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| "(7) Gameplay & Puzzles: This is an easy-difficulty adventure, very straight-forward with the only puzzles being of the pushables type. The few traps are easy to avoid, and I wish there were more situations where one needs to really think about what to do next, whether that be how to solve a puzzle, or how to dodge a trap. In terms of the puzzles, I would have liked to have seen more variety aside from tedious pushables; the last library pushable sequence lasts too long (you know what needs to be done wayyyy before the pushing is done) however the sneaky theater pushable puzzle was very clever. (6) Enemies, Objects & Secrets: The enemy placement was fine but I would have liked to have seen a demigirl/wraith at some point. I think objects needed much more care; examples being nonsensical placement (an underwater switch attached to a crate, rubbish bins in the water, sporadic tombstones and chandelier placement, clothes hanging on top of toxic red sewer water, etc.) as well as an invisible block in front of a door. I felt like the 1st secret was way too obvious. (6) Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras: Sounds, music cues and cameras were great but I felt like the atmosphere was really lacking. Oftentimes the building exteriors looked like giant flat cardboard cutouts, as opposed to real buildings. I felt like there was an over-reliance of using crates to fill out rooms just so that interiors would not seem so empty and large. As with the object placement, this overuse of crates in unfitting environments really detracted from immersion. (8) Lighting & Textures: The texturing is of a high standard (aside from the repeated use of a ladder texture for non-climbable tiles), and the lighting is generally very pleasant on the eyes. There are a few overly dark, "shadowy blob" areas that don't quite fit the environment, but for the most part this category is done very well. Overall, the gameplay was OK; nothing frustrating, but too easy and straight-forward for my tastes. The atmosphere and object usage needed more care and the adventure was lacking in immersion for me. 7/6/6/8." - nerdfury (06-Mar-2021) |
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| "Yes, there are warehouses. Yes, you gonna see a lot of
crates. Yet the idea is executed so well they won't become
repetitive. I liked the library and graveyard puzzles.
Quite fun level, I enjoyed the puzzles and variety of the
buildings - the author is creative and tried not to make it
boring. Splendor and luxury mixes with dirty, abandoned
warehouses. Gameplay was going very smoothly and was not
hard. A bit too many medpacks. It took me an hour to
complete, which is not too long, but not too short at the
same time - just right. The texturing job is quite pretty.
The only thing that lacks is the level design itself - some
rooms seemed a bit empty and big, some of them had weird
structure and it would require a bit of polishing imo. But
whining aside... I don't regret playing :)" - Alien Autopsy (28-Dec-2016) |
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| "Well, there ARE warehouses in Venice
according to this level. This is a more
relaxing entry in the series and makes a
change from some of the more challenging
entries. Everything seemed all right but
not spectacular. There were some
questionable object choices too. I saw a
garbage bin in a pool for some reason." - Ryan (17-Mar-2016) |
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| "Level rather short and very easy. Classic puzzles like
pushing poussables. The latter is also very long and
forbidding. The construction is essentially made of square
and many buildings had no roof, which made it even more
cubic. Very few cameras showing the action, there are many
of ladder textures .... without ladder LOL. I found a
misplaced door, you bump against the block invisible
collision. Correct level." - Drakan (09-Sep-2014) |
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| "This level merges extremely boxy and uninspired outside areas with (mostly) well-lit and atmospheric indoor areas. It the end though, everything felt rather disorganised and eclectic, both the gameplay and the looks. While I generally enjoyed the unorthodox gameplay ideas in this level (like the flooding puzzle, the graveyard and the "mirror" puzzle), everything felt rather tedious especially towards the end. Most of the rooms are rather underused in terms of gameplay, where you just rush through without doing anything relevant, like e.g. the theatre where all you do is finding a crawlspace and exit. The object usage is unusual as well, but not always to the level's advantage. You'll find lots of chandeliers on the floor, which is kind of funny, but I can't quite say the same about the random staircases in the middle of some rooms, underwater bins, a vespa you won't ever need to drive or doors going through the ceiling into other rooms. While the texture placement is rather clean most of the time - which in a way feels kind of weird combined with the flat architecture ;) - the choice of ladder textures serving as regular wall panels is rather questionable, and some texture combinations just don't make much sense at all, while other (mostly smaller) rooms have a rather nice look. In short, everything felt rather like a kind of experiment rather than a serious and realistic level. But the "concept" with all its oddities is rather well done, so you might enjoy this level for its quite peculiar charm - but for me it never quite worked. Found two secrets in 40 minutes." - manarch2 (18-Apr-2014) |
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| "Among the humbler offerings in BtB-Venice, this was actually a rather straightforward adventure. More often than not I thought the object placement was too random for my liking (and the one room with the secret I've found more than any other), but I was positively impressed with the felled chandeliers. At least one of the pushblock puzzles requires you to think outside the box, which I failed to do so I had to resort to a walkthrough, but otherwise there are no real stuck moments here provided you properly explore each room before moving onto the next. Towards the end I also noticed the lack of ambience audio, though it might have been just on my end. As a whole, a nice and solid adventure that shouldn't prove too taxing, although not really much of a looker. The level also ended just after picking the second half of the mask - quite unusual I thought. 50 minutes, 1 secret. 01/14" - Treeble (01-Mar-2014) |
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| "It's all constructed without fireworks: single stairs,
double bookcases, narrow channels and minimalistic theatre -
but all the way I had a feeling it would be just like that
in real life. Nothing is underdone, texturing is made with
care and lighting, even though without enough contrast,
makes as much sense as I would want - even the roof windows
throw shadows. All together sets a comfy scenery to solve
linear yet creative puzzles, of which unusual yet logical
hints deserve the greatest highlight. Plenty of occasional
enemies try to stop us on our way for the mask, but they're
placed so accurately everything is possible without taking a
medi. Two far too easy secrets are rather mediocre, but
finally there is Gerty's mark of fallen chandeliers put on
the level, definitely differing this attempt from any
Venetian game I've seen so far. SUMMARY: At first glance
nothing particularly beautiful or challenging, but it
becomes more and more fulfilling along with the progress.
Recommended." - DJ Full (23-Oct-2013) |
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| "First of all, this is my first review, so forgive me for a while , so that I may find my reviewers footing. Anyway, I loved the look of the level. I did need the walkthru, a couple of times. I had to backtrack to get the torch from the scales, and had thought that the torch should have been part of the triggering allowing her to progress so she did not have to go back and look for it if missed. I also wished that the cloths lines had no collision, I realize that was probably part of the btb2010 wad and not on the author, Just an observation on my part. The lighting and texturing were excellent I thought. To me what sticks out because I have played so few custom levels, was the difficulty for me in the problem/puzzle solving here. There could have been some flyby's and more camera use. The same with music. It seemed like you only triggered music when something was found, a bit more could have been used for ambience effect I thought. Very good raid though Gerty." - rufierto (08-Oct-2011) |
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| "If the level's title is your one pressing Venice-related question, you can be certain it will be answered here. At about an hours length the settings here cover just about everything the creators of the package advertised it could - street canals, sewers, libraries, gardens, courtyards, a theatre, a graveyard and of course the titular warehouses. The room geometry is simple and there's nothing earth shatteringly new about the looks, but the application of textures is clean and pleasant if you don't count the rare crack or two, the lighting well done consistently throughout the level. The idea of the warehouses containing 'spare parts' from the level's object set is well put in scene, though it doesn't have many implications for the gameplay. I had the pleasure to play the latter half of the level with the author sitting right next to me, so the game flowed smoothly, but I do feel there could've been an extra camera clue here or there to make some of the operating switches seem less obscure. There are number of neat ideas scattered throughout the hour or so you'll spend here - but one of my favourite moments was right at the start where you flood a sewer's chamber in a way I don't recall seeing before in TR (though the switch initiating it being placed on a wooden box seemed a bit odd). While the looks are fairly well done, all the areas here are grand in size, and it doesn't really make sense for them to be. It's a device to underscore the importance of certain rooms - or, indeed, to emphasize the scale of some areas, but when used all the time loses its effect and ends up creating empty-looking environments. But all in all, this is a rather enjoyable raid, that, while a bit pedestrian in comparison to some of the other entries should be good fun and stands well on its own." - eTux (30-Jan-2011) |
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| "“It’s a lucky level” I thought looking at the scores I had given. As a matter of fact I quite enjoyed it. Yes, there were many weird locations, most of them was too big without any concept of more complicated architecture, but it provided some sort of joy. Builder has a lot of potential, but she should practice a little bit more to avoid mistakes. There are cracks, but there aren’t any squished and/or stretched textures (what’s rare among builders). Nevertheless there are still other things that could improve the game. Bigger amount of objects is definitely needed. More advanced architecture would be appreciated. Gameplay is very straightforward, so author should include puzzles and riddles. Acrobatic task are fine, but they need improvement too. Gameplay is just too simple. What totally blows me away is lighting in the palace. I don’t know how she does it, I know I love it. A complete opposite of it is city part, which presents itself awfully. My general feeling in this level is the misunderstanding of the purpose of the level. You pass through corridors, even not knowing why are you here and for what you’ve been sent. The puzzle at the end is hopeless, what’s a pity. A strong brainstorm at the end could be a unique ending. Unfortunately this part is very easy: Push the harp from point A to B with two raising blocks on the way. Apart from gameplay storyline is surprisingly good, because it explains why Lara has to fight all bandits in town. Generally I don’t want to be harsh, because this level is a way better than Gerty’s previous one, but still it’s far from perfection. Summary: correct texturing (keep lighting), rebuild gameplay, make the architecture more complicated and don’t leave so much free space in your room. Please keep these in my mind and continue your promising builder career." - jawi (27-Jan-2011) |
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| "After playing so many venice themed levels over the last few months (indeed I havent gotten around to reviewing anything else yet), it's getting harder and harder for these to stand-out for me. I found the slightly yellow ambience in places to be a little off-putting. Texturing is merticulous however and everything is placed very well. Gameplay flows and is relatively linear.
That said, there is an excellent under water sequence at the start, and some of the areas are superbly lit. There isnt much here to challange the advanced raider, but it's well suited to someone who wants some uncomplicated but still involving raiding tine.
Completed in an hour and 18 minutes." - TheStig (19-Jun-2010) |
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| "This Venice level was a little monotone for me. It makes as if stand the level from warehouses. But the author made nice outdoor areas. But usually you see crates, so the main gameplay stand from crates. We have to find two mask pieces, and if you pick up the 2nd one, the level will be end. It seems unfinished. There are no hard challanges, so I can suggest for everyone. I feel sorry about the theater, the author could made better theater. Enemies are baddies, dogs, bats, and rats. There are a lot of weapons and ammos where you can pick up, you don’t have to use any medipacks. So just try it. Not that dark level is it, and it wasn’t that bad adventure too. You can find a Hungarian walkthrough (as we don't have English version), savegames and pictures here: http://treditor.hu/trle/treditor/10/btb2010_15_no_warehouses_in_venice.htm" - Obig (01-Jun-2010) |
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| "This is a solid and dependable level,which would (I feel)have been much better received had it not been surrounded by (on the whole) far more challenging and visually spectacular contributions in this years BtoB. As it stands,it's an unusual but effective interpretation of Venice as a crumbling and semi-derelict place,bereft of overt romanticism.It's also a rather empty place,with comparatively few mafia heavies wandering around;therefore,gameplay is almost completely dependant upon finding ways to open doors to access the next semi-derelict area - and so on,until the end.The non-warehouse interiors are pleasently designed and quite atmospheric;while the puzzles are never very difficult,aside from a pushable object puzzle inside a Theatre(which doesn't have a terribly obvious solution)and a somewhat plodding 'push-the-harp-all-the-way-across-the-big-room' Finale.
Nevertheless,it all looks good;is well lit and absorbs 70 minutes or so of time very enjoyably. As a point of trivia - apparently the Title was MY idea;which is odd,as I don't understand the significance of it either!" - Orbit Dream (17-Mar-2010) |
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| "Comparatively straight-forward gameplay, not so difficult which is nice for a mediocre player like me, and more medipacks than I required. It begins quite easy, but more traps and puzzles follow later, one timed run in between which was fair. I was irritated that most of the climbing textures were not climbable. The library scene stretches the playing time a bit, you push around the harp for half a mile. Finally Lara collects the two pieces of the mask to fulfil her task. Music and cameras could have been used a bit more, but all in all, a solid quality level." - Ruediger (06-Mar-2010) |
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| "This time Lara must retrieve two pieces of a mask, but it'll not be very difficult. The level is quite long, with big rooms and huge outside areas to explore; a lot of storage rooms with many crates and plenty of enemies to shoot. Lineal gameplay, no difficult tasks and sometimes very interesting and logical, like the place where I had to move the mirror in the theater. I liked the worked lights too and the venetian environment. Very enjoyable." - Jose (01-Mar-2010) |
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| "This level did outstay its welcome a little bit. It starts with quite a bit of swimming and you do then explore plenty of warehouses indeed, but also other areas inside and outside along the way. Some of the camera hints were a little odd but helpful nonetheless. The whole atmosphere of run down rooms worked quite ok, but often the rooms did seem a little bare and empty. The theatre was nicely built, but then it was very frustrating that you could push that mirror table all over the stage to the other side, only to eventually find out that you did not need to do that. Some of the climbing textures were inconsistent - as in, sometimes you could climb on them and sometimes not, which is a pet peeve of mine, but luckily not an issue in this level as it was always clear where you needed to climb. Eventually you also get a quickly and nicely designed element puzzle and another somewhat too tedious push exercise in the library before you hit a very sudden end when you find your second mask piece. So, as said, it is all competently done and it flows well, but the level as a whole was a bit too long and felt too tedious to fully click with me. (75 mins, 1/2 secrets found)." - MichaelP (01-Mar-2010) |
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| ""No warehouses in Venice? Mwahaha! That's what you think!" ... Is how I'm imagining the author sounding like in my head. In theory, setting the level in the rundown parts of Venice sets the level apart from all the other Back to Basics levels. In practice, however, it just leads to an unattractive level. Textures are placed haphazardly and objects even more so (even switches are placed in the strangest of places - the first one is on a crate!). Rundown buildings have been handled pretty well in some of the other Back to Basics levels, but the tga and wad files don't seem to lend themselves to a rundown level. So the result is a drab-looking level that's not a lot of fun to look at. It doesn't help that there's no sense of reality at all - warehouses and empty buildings go on forever, but when you get out to the canals, you're just in this small closed-off area before taking another ten-minute trek through abandoned buildings. Gameplay is straightforward without anything particularly memorable or unique. The most surprising thing about this level is the ending, which comes suddenly after around forty minutes." - Magnus (28-Feb-2010) |
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"Presumably the title is a rhetorical question, since there certainly are warehouses in Venice, and we get to visit a few of them in this level. Fortunately, we visit a lot more than just warehouses: a theatre, a derelict opera house, a graveyard, a library, plenty of outdoor canal-side areas, underground tunnels and sewers. The only spot I had misgivings about is the slightly surreal underground area with lava, bookcases and clothes lines: a very strange combination!
This is a very straightforward, smooth-flowing level. There was never any spot in which I got stuck, and the game always moves forward steadily. The pushable block puzzles are simple, yet two of them are unique: instead of relying on TR-logic (i.e. push the block onto a marked tile), they rely on real-world logic, so you need to push a cross to the head of a grave in a cemetery, and a mirror-table in front of a chair in the backstage of the theatre - a very nice idea!
The atmosphere and sounds could have used a little more work - for example, the outdoor sounds persist even in the underwater tunnels, which is a little strange. The two secrets are not too hard to find - quite likely you'll stumble across the first one just by accident. Objects are sometimes well used: for example, a broken chandelier lying on the floor of a derelict opera house. But there are some questionable uses as well, like a chandelier stuffed into a narrow crack, Vespas in the sewers and even underwater (!), or the above-mentioned clothes-lines. The ladder textures are used randomly, which can be a bit confusing. Lighting is quite good in the indoor areas (except occasional random coloured spots), but a bit flat outdoors. Which is a pity, because lighting that matched the lovely colour of the sky would have helped the level's atmosphere immensely.
Overall: A nice, solid level that would probably make a good introduction to BtB10. It's a bit on the simple side, but otherwise it's a pleasant, relaxing raid." - Mytly (23-Feb-2010) |
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| "After playing so many Venice levels, I thought at the first sight of this level that it would be the same old, same old. It wasn't. The underwater rooms were some of the best in this whole series. I enjoyed seeing the little things like the wood planks on the jetties differently shaped from all the other levels. And the big things - the glass ceiling in the ruined theater was a memorable and moving sight and the sky above was beautiful. Gameplay flowed smoothly - it's a perfect level for any Raider a bit tired of endless timed runs that are just a bit too difficult and in need of a respite. I like the ending - no Boss- just Lara completing the job she set out to do. It made for a nice change. And of course, the Glock was found early and used well and that's a guarantee to make me a happy Raider. Recommended for all." - Bene (20-Feb-2010) |
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| "An hour long adventure in search of two broken pieces of the mask stolen by some robbers. This is a level that lends itself to some freelancing - in fact, perhaps a bit too much. What I mean is that if you run into a dead-end it is easy to end up backtracking far too much into the level. This is an example where constricting the player to a certain area (but not too much) is a good idea to not make the experience overwhelming. Also I'm not sure if I'm a fan of that one mirror puzzle - there were too many places where it could have been set in the room. Some objects were placed in strange places, such as a switch on the side of a wooden crate, which seems nonsensical. There were some good bits of gameplay to be had though, especially with certain traps, and the open structure did at least give the player a sense of freedom. While it will not match up with other entries, it should still be enjoyable for most raiders." - SSJ6Wolf (19-Feb-2010) |
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| "Nice work, solid building or so it seems to me, but not overly exciting. The settings all look good but I can't think of any that looks great, the sounds seem well applied, the puzzles are well done and the progression generally follows the same pace, which is neither fast nor slow. I'm not saying it's boring, mind you, I didn't get bored by this warehouse-packed Venice. What I didn't really understand was why, after the theatre, one can follow the correct route or a route that simply takes one back to a previous location for no apparent reason. Anyway, I could also say I wish every level were as good as this and I wouldn't be lying..." - Jorge22 (17-Feb-2010) |
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| "Maybe it's because I've played so many of these Venice levels over the past six weeks that this one seemed rather ordinary. But I think it would be fairer to say that the overall quality of the levels this year is so high that even one that doesn't particularly stand out from the others is nevertheless worthy of high scores. I daresay that if I had chosen to play Warehouses early on, I would have written a glowing review of it with no reservations whatsoever. I used Dutchy's walkthrough to keep myself moving forward, and even with its help I logged well over an hour in net gaming time. I can't think of a single memorable moment, but it's all good fun throughout, the tasks are not overly taxing (even the one timed run I can remember was easily attainable on the first try), and the lighting is quite good. I suppose the builder can take comfort in the fact that I can't think of anything negative to say about this level. Play it for a nice, relaxing raid. Recommended." - Phil (15-Feb-2010) |
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| "There are indeed a lot of warehouses in Venice for Lara to raid , and so she does . The rather abrupt ending did not please me so much. What`s the point in picking up a mask piece in the end only to land back on the savescreen ?
Why bother picking up roses as otherwise useless secrets ?
Nice TRLE work here but nothing to get excited about." - Ruben (14-Feb-2010) |
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| "Easy going level, difficulty not too hard, so playable for all. Enemies placed at strategic places.
Missed some more audios here and there, that could have brought the atmosphere up.
Lighting was generally ok, some of the objects were placed wrong, for instance those cloth racks in the Theatre. But nothing too striking. Texturing, well I couldn't find any mistakes here and it looked very good." - Dutchy (13-Feb-2010) |
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| "Starting off in a 'canal' in Venice, there are some sneaky underwater 'crawlspaces' to get you started. I was surprised when I found a bike that was not neccessary at all, and the bad object placement was consistent through-out the level. For example, a bike and some bins underwater, and other objects that didn't fit in. Gameplay was simple and never difficult, however, I feel that maybe enemies were used to pad it out a bit much, and one of the pushable block puzzles was slightly unfair towards the player. Sounds and cameras were not used much, so the atmosphere was not built up as much as was possible, however, the texturing and lighting were both pleasant. All in all, an enjoyable raid, that could have been organised a bit better. 1 hour 2 secrets." - Cory (07-Feb-2010) |
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| "In this level both, structure and puzzles, are kept very simple. The gameplay is linear and it is always clear what to do. Lara explores many large rooms and dives through channels looking for switches which give access to new areas. There are three pushing puzzles, the last one with the harp in the library is quite well. Sound was fine, might have to be more varied. Many opponents were present, but noticed neither positive nor negative. However, I missed the bad guys in the end, who had originally stolen the mask. In general, the end is a little strange. The level ends abruptly with the finding of the second half of the mask. Overall not bad, but nothing special." - repley (05-Feb-2010) |
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| "Too lang and too boring is this level. A lot of big warehouses with the wooden boxes and switches, a lot of big outside rooms with uninspired textures and lighting.
It is not a must-have level" - masha (04-Feb-2010) |
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| "Again this level is about finding the Carnival Mask. The surroundings with the water areas and the buildings are partly designed in a bit of a strange way, as you run through many warehouse rooms with dull texturing and many wooden boxes. And also the rest of the architecture is designed rather sparsely. Gameplay is linear and fairly simplistic. The ending came a bit surprising and sudden, which is a pity, as there could have been options for a better looking finale. Still, it has been fun to solve the puzzles!" - Eva (31-Jan-2010) |
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| "I thought this a very good game, with plenty of light and little confounding issues. There was a certain lack of clues, and many objects that seemed to have a function but hadn't. Despite that, the game has a singular quality: Lara has so many ways at her disposal, that it is difficult for her to choose which to follow first, and perhaps she will end the game with a feeling that she left something undone... and the player will have the pleasure to replay the game. Good job!" - Josey (28-Jan-2010) |
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| "This level gets to work answering the question its title
poses fast. Warehouse themes can get dull, but I didn't mind
it so much here as the warehouse areas all had quite
different designs and gameplay. While it seems more of a
personal thing for me something about the overall texture
usage, design and scale captured a certain grittier side of
Venice that I found quite appealing. On the note of textures
however, there's some odd use of ladder textures that I
didn't find too convincing. There are also some issues like
enemies walking underwater, and some of the object usages
seemed kind of odd (although it occasionally worked and gave
certain areas a unique style). The gameplay is decent
although little stands out, there is one block puzzle that
should have limited the area the pushable could be moved in,
as the puzzle required some lateral thinking that wasn't
that hard to work out, but when there was a large floor area
it could be moved on (when it only needed to be moved a
little) the logic is easy to miss. Another good level that
can't quite stand up to the best of the contest." - Mman (28-Jan-2010) |
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| "Does somebody need tomatoes? With this level I had immediately at the beginning not one tomato on the eyes, but rather a whole truck load. I had found only the revolver and that was about it. And then happened the usual one. I have asked in the forum and shortly after I have found the solution. But there I cannot pin the blame to the level builder, this was quite my own foolishness. Afterwards it has still given absolutely fun. Indeed, the internal connection was absent for my taste. The rooms looked quite good, but they did not fit. Thereby no right history could hardly develop. Moreover, the equipment was very often a little bit scanty. I have well liked the library and the canals. A little bit annoying were the many rats and bats. Now and again one could see a mistake with the textures. All together a well-arranged level with a few weaknesses with the Gameplay." - Scottie (27-Jan-2010) |
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| "Don't be fooled by the title; there are plenty of warehouses here to explore, but that doesn't really mean anything significant. This is a gentler level of the competition, so while it doesn't have any outstanding qualities to it, what you'll fine here is well-built and conceived in all. The tasks and puzzles are pretty simple and stress free, yet quite entertaining even without significant challenges. I could guess the author doesn't have much experience building city levels as the architecture starts out in rather boxy and rectangular canals and streets, but as the level progresses there is improvement in that area, particularly when going through the ruined houses and the underground areas. Visually this is a fine looking level, well-lit and textured, but the outdoor lighting seemed too bright for the sky chosen. The level carries a gentle, peaceful feel to it for the most part and the atmosphere complements that, offering a few breaks with a little combat here and there. The canal with lava was kind of odd though, but not because of the setting, but the silly use of the clotheslines that blocked progress. They seemed kind of out of place in that area, but sillier is that Lara can't pass under a pair of dangling socks. Even so, a fine level this is without any obvious shortcomings, perfect for beginner players." - Relic Hunter (23-Jan-2010) |
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| "Interestingly, the rats in this part of Venice seem to travel in packs of three. I'm not sure of the significance of the title of this level, but I certainly saw enough packing cases to last a lifetime. Perhaps because they were cluttering up people's houses and the theatre rather than custom built repositories? Anyway, this is one of the gentler entries in the competition if you're feeling like a bit of a break. It's quite straightforward and pretty much linear and even I didn't get confused playing it. Bit of a holiday really." - Jay (14-Jan-2010) |
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| "I felt that this level went on too long for what it offers. I was happy to play it at the start. This level won't win any prizes, but at the beginning it is a relief from more trying adventures. Despite the title, Lara is going to explore lots of warehouses, and do a lot of swimming in cisterns. The architecture is plain, with boxy rooms (what one expects of a warehouse), and straight canals. Lara quickly acquires the Glock 17, which is good. She searches crevices and crawlspaces for underwater levers, dodges swinging crates, and soon gets the first half of the carnival mask, which she has been asked to retrieve. This leads one to erroneous believe that the second half of the mask will be found shortly. Some settings and architecture are more developed than others. Enemies can be disposed of with Glock or shotgun before they inflict much harm. The puzzles are not difficult: Lara pushes a mirror table in front of a chair. On one sidewalk, Lara can't walk underneath a clothesline. It is twice her height, but dangling socks won't let her pass. Lara got by another clothesline by hugging the wall. The three element puzzle is given to players, assuming they remember to light the torch. Lara pushes a harp down a row of bookcases, a wall painting opens, she jumps on a table which has the second piece of the carnival mask, and the level ends. The author did not introduce sufficient challenges as the level progressed, and sometimes ideas were recycled. The beginning was fresh, but then play fell into a kind of routine. Not bad, but needs something." - dmdibl (07-Jan-2010) |
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| "You can bet there is many warehouses in Venice, anyway in this level which is solidly made , even if here everything is rather simple, be it the architecture or the tasks at hand. Globally it is rather straightforward , and what has to be done is rather clear , even if in a few places some observation is needed, and also thinking for example for solving the three movable objects puzzles which are rather intuitive as there is a clue in each case. The few traps are not hard, and so is the timed door. I could admire a gunman and a rat walking underwater :] There is a change of atmosphere in the undergrounds at the end where we find the torch , and the puzzle with the raising blocks and the harp in the library was good. Solid work. [ 1 h 18 ]" - eRIC (07-Jan-2010) |
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