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One Room Challenge - Return to the Maria Doria by Tombraider95

afzalmiah 7 8 9 9
alan 5 6 8 8
Bene 8 7 9 9
Blue43 7 7 8 9
Casual Raider 6 8 9 10
Christian 8 7 8 8
Cory 7 7 8 7
Daffy 8 7 8 8
Diz 8 7 8 7
DJ Full 7 7 9 10
dmdibl 6 7 7 6
Ekrixi 5 5 8 9
eRIC 4 5 8 8
eTux 5 5 7 6
Gerty 6 6 8 7
Jay 7 7 8 7
JoeTheCrazyGamer 5 2 5 6
Jose 8 8 9 9
manarch2 4 5 7 6
Matie 8 8 9 9
MichaelP 6 5 8 7
misho98 7 8 8 9
Mman 5 8 8 9
Mytly 6 7 8 8
Orbit Dream 7 6 8 9
Phil 7 7 7 7
rufierto 8 8 9 10
Ryan 5 6 8 8
Scottie 8 8 8 7
SeniorBlitz 6 6 7 7
Shandroid 7 8 8 7
sonnyd83 6 7 7 8
TheStig 7 9 9 9
Torry 5 6 8 8
Treeble 6 8 8 8
Ward Dragon 8 8 9 9
 
release date: 10-Apr-2011
# of downloads: 118

average rating: 7.31
review count: 36
 
review this level

file size: 27.08 MB
file type: TR4
class: Ship
 


author profile(s):
email(s):
bsmy95@hotmail.co.uk

Reviewer's comments
"The atmosphere here was a dead ringer to the original Maria Doria levels, I quite enjoyed it. Wasn't a fan of how every room was essentially a pushblock puzzle bit though. There was a nice platforming sequence and a timed run towards the end, but otherwise for the short duration of the level it felt like too much of that time was spent dragging blocks around. 10 minutes. 11/22" - Treeble (13-Nov-2022)
"The first level from one of the best builders. For a first, it was well built already , i admired all the inverted textures and objects , which is not always the case for Maria Doria levels. Only two enemies. Appropriate atmosphere. The timed door is rather easy. Most of the 15 minutes spent here were about pushing blocks so can't rate too high, but of course level is recommanded." - eRIC (21-Feb-2022)
"This was a quite good simplistic level in a TR2 setting. Gameplay mostly consists of pushing blocks, which were a characteristic object used for puzzles in the original TR2, only that here they are simpler. I only found 2 thugs, one of which I had no time to kill because I had to get past that timed door. I found no use for the rope that was hanging from the ceiling, but I guess it was just placed there to add more atmosphere to the ship? The best has to be the TR2 textures and the good lighting. It ends too son after 15 minutes for me, but still I recommend it." - alan (17-Feb-2020)
"An extremely 'ok' level with a very short duration even for a ORC (barely five minutes), the enemies are very easy to deal with and the block puzzles aren't that enjoyable, but the presentation is quite nice, so it's pretty harmless." - SeniorBlitz (14-Oct-2018)
"This is a nostalgic little level that should inspire some welcome TR2 memories, but there's nothing that's otherwise impressive here. The gameplay is underwhelming and rather slow-paced, even for the short duration, due to the large amounts of block pushing you have to do to allow you to continue the level. Enemies are only two non-threatening thugs and I couldn't locate any secrets. The atmosphere and construction is up to par though, and there's nothing bad about the level as such, but it doesn't have enough variety." - Ryan (14-Jul-2018)
"Extremely short level of around five minutes with way too many push blocks for that amount of time. Without those it would have been a minute and a half. Other than that not much to do here and I wonder why the author bothered?" - Torry (03-Jul-2018)
"Quite a short level with not much to do. There were no secrets in the level, and only 2 enemys. Netherless it was quite an enjoyable 5 minutes." - JoeTheCrazyGamer (22-Feb-2016)
"This level really takes you back to the Maria Doria, with the textures and lighting, very well done. Gameplay was average, being mainly pushables, but the timed run at the end was a very nice touch. I would like to see a complete set of Maria Doria from you. Well done!!" - rufierto (09-May-2015)
"I really liked this short level as it looked amazing. Textures were detailed and well placed. The atmosphere was bringing nostalgic feeling from TR2. Gameplay isn't challenging though rather pleasant. Shame it isn't longer level but as One Room challange it's nice. I would recommended it for players seeking some less hazardous gameplay, short levels and nice looking customs." - Casual Raider (04-Aug-2014)
"This level is pretty good. The weakest point is the gameplay - there isn't much variety, only pushblock puzzles. They aren't bad, actually they are very smart, but some platforming would've been good too. I guess the fact that everything is in one room didn't allow it. Only 2 enemies, they could've been more because they were easy to kill. No secrets, at least I didn't find any. Atmosphere was very TR2-ish. Maybe the sound should've been kinda different. Lighting and textures were the highest point of this level - very good, nice rotated. Only the lights were kinda dark at some spots. Took me about 10 minutes. Not sure if everyone will ike it, but...recommended!" - misho98 (10-Jul-2012)
"In essence this is a remake of part of the Maria Doria. The textures used are essentially the same but are of next gen quality. My favourites are the beautiful stained glass ones under the water. I like the very classic design of the ship, and how the effect of it being shipwrecked means it has an unkempt look to it, furniture strewn all over, glass shards, masonry missing etc. The objects are lovingly done, including the pushables with handles, tables, pipe work. There's a fine mist floating about - just enough to give it that underwater feel. Tasks include, finding keys to open doors, avoiding glass shards, finding your way up to different parts of the ship including a rope swing, find a use a crowbar to open a door (you can tell which one as it's got a crack in it) , find and use a key, defeat some gunmen, a timed door, then finish. Well designed architecturally and texture wise but fairly average in terms of gameplay, and average soundscape. Net gameplay 12 minutes." - sonnyd83 (04-Jun-2012)
"A very slick and beautifully presented level here from Tomb Raider95. It captures the ambience from Tomb Raider II's original MariaDoria levels perfectly and will trigger a strong sense of nostalgia from anyone who has played the original. Puzzles are simple and straightforward, but bearing in mind the limitations of the original contest I thought this was great. Another level with real potential for a larger release. All in all I completed in 23 minutes. Recommended. Stiggy :)" - TheStig (16-Mar-2012)
"I hope you like pushing blocks because that's 90% of what you're doing here. To be fair, they're not too long when you know the solution, but the lack of variety in tasks really sticks out. The Maria Dora atmosphere is great with gloomy lighting and locations that are very reminiscent of TR2, but this entry is let down by the lack of varied tasks." - Mman (09-Dec-2011)
"A very nice, but short level. It is very funny to see places of TR2 again. The gameplay is simble and it is more about pulling and pushing objects. Not many enemies to face and no challenges. The level has great atmosphere and good lighting. The texturing is succesful. It could be a great level, if it was not so short. It took me less than 15 minutes." - Ekrixi (28-Nov-2011)
"With TR2-inspired levels always having a soft spot in my heart, this shipwreck level had very good fighting chances from the word go and mostly did not disappoint. I had a peculiar bug where the game would sometimes randomly crash when moving either of the metal crates in the first puzzle before the main room, but I managed to get through by saving diligently when I did not experience those. Though this did leave a bit of a bad aftertaste, the level is composed of much more than just that unfortunate and probably unintentional bug, so I let it pass. The settings and the feel of the TR2 shipwreck atmosphere are wonderfully conveyed to the extent where one wishes a more involved level could've been formed out of this. The present tasks are clever enough when you figure out how they should work, but I also fell for the trap of being more creative than the author intended and thus wondering why you can access the rope only one way when at least another one seems plausible. The monkey-swing texture was not an obvious and intuitive choice from the author and I only figured out that segment by accident. Using an enemy to distract you during the final timed run was a nice touch, but I cared more for being done with the mildly tight timed run than putting the guy out of his forced imprisonment within the shipwreck (speaking of which, how does Lara get out after getting the statuette?) so it did not work on me :P As said in other reviews for the competition levels - the scores reflect the brevity more than a distaste for these levels (which I don't have anyway), and I simply can't give it higher scores because it looks like it could've been a fun 45 to 60 minute game. However, if this ever becomes one, I'd like to give it a go." - eTux (18-Aug-2011)
"This was a short, 15 minute little adventure for a prize at the end. I liked the upside down Maria Doria, a personal favorite of mine. The place is expectedly dark, but some flares would have been nice, as three weren't enough. I am not fond of block pushing, and this level is all about the pushing. Finished much earlier than expected due to a major shortcut making a planned rope swing useless. Nice little timed run at the end. I enjoyed this little level just fine, though." - Shandroid (22-May-2011)
"Although no big fan of the original I liked this one a lot. Nice to roam through a sunken ship that is upside down. It was rather dark and no flares to speak off, but the binoculars were there. Overall the textures were nicely used and the timed run was pretty tight although if you get into the rhythm you can make it." - Gerty (05-May-2011)
"This brief jape provides a nostalgic look at the famed TR2 level, but I found nothing really memorable here. The player's brain is taxed very little, finding blocks to push to give access to keyholes so you can access the next area, and so on. It's all over within 20 minutes, and I ran out of flares fairly early in the dark setting. Nothing particularly bad to say about this brief raid, but nothing to really commend it either." - Phil (27-Apr-2011)
"I wanted to mark this, as I knew the power of such platforming for many years, so I was extremely happy when I found it. A set of thin shelves, placed and relating with each other in such way it keeps fast action together with some thinking and strenghtens the 3D impression of already beautiful pit. Standing on such thin ledges attached to surrounding walls is also cute for me, in an extraordinary, undescribable way - isn't it "playing around" in literal way? Using the same X and Y positions I've already visited, but checking a different "Z" what made me feel like in a completely different place, somewhere even metaphorically beyond the main hall - and I when it appeared these ledges are accessible, it also appeared I was waiting for it, even if I didn't realize it at the first moment - so, putting all together: finding out I can climb these shelves was like discovering a way to small heaven for me. Yeah, You might ask me: "If You love platforming so much, why there was no platforming in the hospital?" And the reason is I simply forgot to place it :P This reason, and some seven other reasons You guys somehow had, is what causes such platforming to lack in other ORC levels, even in "Bolivia" by AgentXP - in case of which, I seem to know the reason: it's because the rocks are so bright and massive they simply feel too safe. In case of Tombraider95's game, I would give 8 for gameplay, because it is in old good TR2 style and not so linear, and also because the overall fun factor is quite high - but I can't, and I feel obliged to explain why: there is a misleading clue which may cause a player to push a crate towards a rope in a purpose of jumping from the top of the box to grab the rope, and it can't be grabbed at all without a particular reason. Also, the whole platforming sequence I like so much can be bypassed by moving the same crate three blocks further than it is intended and jumping from it to grab and pull up on the key item platform. Also, enemies get 2 points only - because even if they look nice, killing one of them requires triggering a timed run for the second time. I wrote in my walkthru: "Kill him on Your way to the door", but now I find it completely impossible to follow my own instruction o.O. Keep it in mind when playing the game. SUMMARY: Relaxing if You find the intended way. Confusing if You are too creative. Anyway, recommended to all who have 15 spare minutes. No, I don't believe You don't have them - so just play it!" - DJ Full (18-Apr-2011)
"A short and solid TR2-style adventure;this fills 15 minutes very enjoyably,with a good variety of gameplay: pushable blocks;rope swings;baddies;a timed run.None of it is particularly challenging (although the texture hint for the crowbar-able door was a little elusive),but it definately leaves you wanting more.Lighting and texturing is very polished,and the atmosphere is all you could ask for in a Maria Doria level.A fine little adventure." - Orbit Dream (16-Apr-2011)
"Any decent version of the Maria Doria is OK by me. I believe it to be an under-used TR level that happens to be one of my favourites. I'm not a TR techie so I don't know what the builders done but there's a pleasant bluish cast to everything which really gives an underwater feel. Some block pushing, baddie killing (one in a very inconvenient place) and platform jumping together with a generously timed run sees this level completed. For fans of the Maria Doria this tasty morsel is a must." - Diz (15-Apr-2011)
"This is a short little nostalgia trip back to the underwater levels of TR2, as Lara returns to investigate the wreck of the Maria Doria. The concept works quite well within the constraints of the One Room Challenge. The builder has created what can best be described as a playable picture postcard: a level that evokes the look and feel of the original levels nicely. But sadly, gameplay is minimal, and most of it is highly repetitive, involving pushing several crates around, many times over. The only excitement comes from fighting a couple of baddies, and a timed run at the end. The upside-down interior of the ship is nicely created.
Overall: A pleasant level, and good for a dip into TR2 nostalgia, but otherwise not particularly remarkable." - Mytly (15-Apr-2011)
"What a pleasant taster this is. Maria Doria is one of my favourite TR2 levels and this recreates a small slice of it very nicely. There are a few blocks to push around, a couple of keys to find and two enemies to deal with, except one appeared in the middle of a timed run so I rushed past him shouting 'sorry, can't wait' and never saw him again. I also didn't find a use for the rope as it was easy to access the key platform from a pushable block, but I had a lovely little nostalgia trip, so if you too love Maria Doria, you should come on board." - Jay (14-Apr-2011)
"This One Room Challenge level uses the familiar and beautiful textures from the TR2 level, which I personally always like a lot. The game play was rather simple and consisted of pushing a few blocks, a rope swing, keys to find and a short timed run. Even the Bartoli baddies came by to greet Lara but were easily taken care off. I found the level had a wonderful atmosphere and I could not find any flaws with texturing and architecture. Even the lighting seemed to be done realistically for that environment. An enjoyable little level, not just for the nostalgic! (10 minutes, 0 secrets)" - Blue43 (14-Apr-2011)
"I like block puzzles in general, and I quite enjoyed the block puzzles used in this level. The platforming sequence was also quite fun, having to figure out a way up onto the platforms and then make my way around the room to get to the key. It was also quite clever to use platform objects in order to have a good jumping sequence despite the one room limit. The atmosphere was very well done and really felt like a hi-res version of the Maria Doria. I'd love to play a full level done in this style, whether it be a remake or an entirely new level." - Ward Dragon (14-Apr-2011)
"This is a short one room challenge where laera goes back to the maria doria to find the seraph again. The lighting and textures were really good. The enemies and onjects were placed correctly. In the end there is a pretty easy timed run but there will be an enemy there. Very fun and recommended." - afzalmiah (14-Apr-2011)
"Well, a short return to the wreck of Andrea Doria. Gameplay shows good ideas: The way up to the maintenace- key was fun, the timed run was not too challenging. The main pool-room is created very well, the blueish light makes a good atmosphere. Nice little work!" - Christian (13-Apr-2011)
"Note: I will not be reviewing this level with leniency due to the fact it only contained 1 or 2 rooms, as it deserves to be treated the same as any other level. When playing this level, I did not think much of it, however, now coming to review it, I realise that it was very well built, with some nice gameplay ideas and no bad texturing. Some good pushable puzzles to start, and when it starts to get boring, the gameplay changes, and you have to do some jumps to get a key (I took a shortcut) and then a nice timed run. Enemies were placed effectively, as they hinder Lara on the timed run, and the atmosphere created was very good. Texturing was average, but not bad, and the level itself was just challenging enough to be very enjoyable. This is a nice level to play if you are looking for a short, but fun and well made adventure. Recommended." - Cory (13-Apr-2011)
"So much to like here: a return to the Maria Doria in all its spooky watery atmosphere, the timed run that was doable without being frustrating and the mystery of the rope that I found of no use but I'm sure others had no problem finding a way to use it. I did swing to the first tile but found a way around that was much easier. I could have happily staid and played for hours, but of course,One Room means just that - one short stay, no matter how nostalgic or fun." - Bene (12-Apr-2011)
"Starts with a nice atmospheric scene in the Maria Doria, with Lara once again moving boxes around, as in the original ship levels. Then play becomes confusing. Things are so dark there is difficult looking about. (Extra flares aren't even helpful.) Lara uses binoculars to spot a high key, but the hanging rope to reach the key doesn't function. Lara pushed a box in order to make an easy jump to the rope, but no matter how she jumped, she was unable to grab the rope. Finally Lara pushed the box to the other side of the room, and did a running jump to grab a crack, and shimmied to the key. There are ledges around the room, so it appears the author intended players to use the rope, and make a circuit of the room. There are two identical doors, but only one is a crowbar door. The concluding timed run is good, but if Lara pauses inside the door she is trapped by an invisible rising block, and has to do the run over again. The texturing, and the hidden crowbar are all good, and I enjoy returns to TR2, but I just wanted more light." - dmdibl (12-Apr-2011)
"I really liked the atmosphere in this level, it captures the Maria Doria-feel very well. It wasn't light, but it wasn't dark either, it was just right. The main room, upside-down, is well designed, the stage makes a nice contrast to the blue sorroundings. Even though there were many pushables, the functionality of them was different, the builder introduces about 4-5 ways of how to use them in just one level, in one room! The lighting and texturing are good too, and the final timed run was a nice challege." - Matie (12-Apr-2011)
"One really can say this level captures the spirit of good old TR 2 and still is pretty unique. The starting push puzzles reminded a lot on the TR 2 ship levels, as well as the big upside down room that nearly took 4/5 of the whole level to solve. The pushings here were a bit long and I tried for ages to get up to that rope - without success. A brilliant atmopshere here and I liked it very much. The timed run at the end was good, not too tight, not too easy. 15 minutes of nostalgia." - manarch2 (12-Apr-2011)
"A well reconstructs reminded that really the original game, unfortunately the lighting was a little weak and needed binoculars to see. I have not had any problems with the rope. The final race did not ask too many problems either (3 trials but I'm not very good). In short, a short game with simple gameplay, nicely decorated but a little dark. Good job anyway." - Daffy (12-Apr-2011)
"Personally I think we have way too few ship levels out there, so this one was a very welcome little addition. Due to the constraints of the contest, this is of course a short level, which only took me as much as 20 minutes, because I insisted for a while in trying to grab that rope from the left side instead of jumping up to the ledge and simply grabbing it from there. This main room was well done with a few jumps (even though they are not really required if you jump to the key directly). Apart from that you get a few blocks to push and a timed run to the end, which can freeze you in the closed door, as there was obviously no room allowed to seperate the areas and place the door between them (but given that restriction maybe a timed run of that sort was not such a smart choice). Only two slow enemies thrown in for good measure and no secrets I could find. This brief adventure inspires a little bit of very welcome nostalgia, but not much more than that." - MichaelP (12-Apr-2011)
"Sure one of my favourite levels from this contest. Not difficult gameplay with some easy pushables puzzles, the game is complicated a bit in the final area but not much if you explore carefully. Nice environment with nice regards, good atmosphere and enough fun to be a one-room level. Very good work." - Jose (12-Apr-2011)
"Does mean "One Room Challenge" really that the level builder must limit himself on one room? And if so, can there generally something originate reasonable from it? Anyhow I have my doubts, because I always have "Lara in the box" in my mind. Well, we will see what the level builders have made with this regulation.
This was a nice time trip back to Tomb Raider 2. However, it would have been good if the level builder had placed one or two Flare packages, so that one could have seen more. Though it was not so dark which one could see nothing at all, but also not so brightly which one could see everything. The rooms were well built, the time run was no problem and it was easy to defeat both opponents. All in all, a level which has properly given fun." - Scottie (11-Apr-2011)