Level reviews

"Pure nostalgia overload thanks to a TR1-style level running on a TR4 engine, which demonstrates just how much this engine can enhance older games. Every room presents a believable landscape thanks to fine geometry, appropriately placed textures and the mostly yellowish, sandy lighting. You search these vast caves and ruins, finding one artefact and key after another until you finally hold the Ankh in your hands and face a final battle with mummies as you head towards the exit. The only thing I consider a problem in this level is the sheer length of the backtracking, as the distances between the artefacts and the slots into which you place them are so long that almost all your playing time is spent running back and forth in what is already a massive level. It becomes all the more problematic if you’ve missed an artefact, as the gameplay then largely consists of running through the entire level several times until you eventually lose interest in making progress. Nevertheless, I’d be doing the level a disservice by reducing it to that, as it’s a brilliant and nostalgic experience that shouldn’t be missed." - Astraf

"What a shame the author decided to turn what could have been a marvelous 30-minute experience into a borefest that lasts thrice as long. The TR1 Egypt setting is neatly replicated, although you do get massive areas here where the fog comes into play and makes it all the more mysterious, and the use of TR1 sound effects and objects enhance that nostalgic feeling. Gameplay however while there are a couple of nice moments here and there you have to endure so much (so much) backtracking through these massive environments that at some point I started wondering if I really like Tomb Raider at all. On top of that, the author went just as overboard with pushblocks, I wasn't keeping track but there might have been well over two dozens of them. And on the flip side, perhaps because it's mimicking TR1, you don't get a single flare pickups, I actually ran out — it's not a dark level at all, but there are shadowy spots here and there. 95 minutes, 2 secrets. 12/24" - Treeble

"This builder has great potential but it will be a good builder when it will be understood that the players do not like going around in circles for hours to get a key or object that is in place at the other end of niveau.Il should also be better tested. It's a shame because there are some very good things in this level, a lot of enemies, but we have enough ammunition." - Drakan

"The author had countless chances to do small fixes and make this more player-friendly but despite of extra hassle required this game didn't lose its appeal and to me stands strong among the TR1-inspired levels - it's another one which could score high in Create a Classic Competition. Recommended but take a hint for that eye thingy or you are going to SUFFER mwahahah..." - DJ Full

"This is a difficult level for me to score fairly, as I had to balance out my personal feelings with the overall layout of the level. There's no doubt that a lot of forethought and planning went into constructing this level, and it isn't rather neat when you arrive at familiar locations from alternative directions. There's also a couple of nice gameplay touches involving pushable blocks and timed runs, as well as altering the topography of certain areas. But, the exhaustive backtracking sucked the enjoyment out of it a bit, and you're often required to make quite tedious trips past areas already explored in order to get where you need to be. If there were any shortcuts available, I only found one that very slightly cut my playing time down. But despite my ranting, this is a good choice if you want to experience TR1 in a sharper quality." - Ryan

"I really enjoyed this TRLE from the nostalgia derived from TR1 with the better graphics. Plenty of enemies Atlanteans, bats and black panthers with great vast areas and puzzles, 2 thumbs up here! Ck my YT channel for the full walkthrough with commentary, enjoy!!" - Killer Gameplayz

"Very good graphics, I liked a lot. Textures and rooms are nice. There are not enough flares already or to pickup on levels (none). Enemies OK, not too hard or easy. At the near game's end you have to run very long distances. That is a minus for this game. Some shortcuts could be good. TR1-style +++" - vienna

"First thing is that there are not enough flares as parts are really dark. Next there is a nice bug in the game, when encountering an enemy, save and then reload, and voila... the enemy is gone. The setting is nicely done but the backtracking (not once but over and over again) is the pits. Textures could use attention, lighting as well and the puzzles and timed runs are doable. Gameplay as I already stated suffered from the backtracking the same path over and over again, which is a pity. Creating shortcuts could help a lot. I did like how the whole area looked and finding a way to get from A to B was also fun." - Gerty

"Very great and atmospheric level! It has a lot of TR1 nostalgia, and the large rooms are looking great. I think gameplay's interesting too, maybe a bit too confused but fun." - Don007

"I have no idea how manarch managed to get through this in a mere 75 minutes. He clearly must have had a better orientation or sense of place than I had and found some shortcuts while I probably used every opportunity for yet another backtracking trip and then some, resulting in a net gaming time of just under 2 hours. And that is really the key issue with this game - it outstays its welcome! If this adventure were half as long it would come across much better for the players. The setting is really nicely done and works well, but after a while it all feels the same. Not only because many areas look very alike, but also because you will end up making repeat trips many times through places you visited before. Now - on the positive side - this is classic raiding with a few fairly easy timed runs, many push blocks, sneakily hidden cracks to shimmy along on, lots of jumping around on platforms and not too forget a myriad of enemies (mainly panthers and those Atlantean mummies, both of which you get about 2 dozen to kill or so. So again, this is a great level, if it were only a bit less of almost everything or if at least there would have been some better guidance and more shortcuts as you get sent back and forth around the map." - MichaelP

"This is a really nicely crafted game, nicely reminiscent of TR 1 and with a nice atmosphere, but in terms of gameplay an utter mess. I think the builder has released this level prematurely, because the gameplay, whilst having some particularly nice tasks (timed runs, longer platforming parts), is put together wildly and the tasks seem to be spread through this level without enough care for the player, who has to run around too much especially in the second half of the level, and pretty much guess what to do next (missing camera hints did the rest). The amount of pushable blocks in this level is hilarious, as pretty much every puzzle seems to be connected to those (or pulling dozens of levers), and it turned more into an ordeal rather than a fun game. I had a few problems with the enemies - some seem to be running against the walls all the time, and the mutants can be killed with saving and reloading! Else than that, I found some attacks to be quite effective. As said, I liked the atmosphere in this level with good architecture, nicely chosen sounds and some interesting cameras (I had a problem with some which only returned to Lara after a reload), as well as very good lighting. But not the first time recently, many rather ill-placed textures and unrealistic shadows destroyed the good feeling a bit, some textures were too much streched and especially those brick textures often were misplaced. The overall feeling of the rooms is still better than the sum of its parts, and the lighting is a very strong part mostly, that's why I don't downrate this category much. Resultingly, it's a very nostalgic raid throughout, and there are nice touches in the atmosphere as well as in several tasks, but I think the builder has to care a little more for the playability of the levels, especially in terms of preventing excessive backtracking and total confusion. Spent 75 minutes in here and found both secrets." - manarch2

"This constructor has great potential but it will be a good builder when it will be understood that the players do not like going around in circles for hours to get a key or object that is in place at the other end of niveau.Il should also be better tested. It's a shame because there are some very good things in this level, a lot of enemies, but we have enough ammunition." - Minox

"I certainly agree with the builder's readme that TR1 Egypt levels have a certain charm and it's lovely to experience that ambience coupled with up to date moves and graphics. I found the gameplay somewhat confusing in that I seemed initially to be galloping through huge areas, leaving a lot of closed doors in my wake and certainly the level could have done with far less backtracking. Enemies are mummified centaurs and panthers and can readily be taken out with pistols, although Uzi and shotgun are provided so you might as well have some fun with them. There's nothing too difficult to accomplish - even the timed runs are generous - so a level suitable for most players. If you like the genre, you could have a lot of fun with this one, but it could have been even more enjoyable with a few shortcuts to remove some of the to-ing and fro-ing." - Jay

"This is a difficult level for me to review. I played it for the purpose of writing a walkthrough, and I soon discovered that the gameplay has been mapped out in a meticulous fashion that obviously required a great deal of planning and forethought. The backtracking - which was obviously intentional - didn't become an issue for me until near the end, when I got weary of making the same long trek around the vast desert area for a third time. But the back breaker for me was the insanely tedious route required to reach the receptacle for the Scarab. By this time I was more than ready for it all to come to an end. It would have been a simple matter for the builder to place a wall switch next to the scarab to raise a block in the room where it was to be placed. Also, despite scads of uzi ammo lying around everywhere, I never did find the Uzis. I'll look again this evening before posting the walkthrough. In sum, I found this to be a great raid that clicks on most cylinders, but the excessive backtracking of which Jose complains is a legitimate criticism of the player-friendliness of the level. Recommended with that reservation." - Phil

"Yes! A very good architect. I've noticed a big effort to build a great level with a TR1 appearance but with the TR4 engine. A very good work, of course. Congratulations. The environment is quite good, and textures and lights are very well worked. Enemies are well balanced and there's enough ammo and medipacks. I only found one secret. I also liked the musics and the cameras were well implemented too. About my low score in the gameplay section, only said that a very good architect like this not necessary can be a good game designer; so PLEASE read CAREFULLY the antepenultimate paragraph of the official TRLE manual where everybody can read: "In the tutorial you learned how to set it up so the player..." Once you understand the very right importance from that paragraph, you will become one of the best builders of the moment. Please try it!" - Jose

"Having been one of the people who assisted in beta testing this level, I have to say that Jean has absolutely nailed all the real essentials needed in a good Tomb Raider release from the outset. Immersive atmosphere, gorgeous lighting, perfectly-timed music, well-placed textures, challenging(but not to the point of unfair) timeruns... It's just all been excellently well-designed with seemingly not one feature left undercooked or at worst, feeling out of place. The decision made to revert back to a more classic TR1 graphic style for this release upon starting up the game, honestly felt refreshing and helped to remind me of what makes this franchise so good to begin with, for many players. If you've played TR1 recently however(especially the Egypt levels), then this experience will feel overly familiar to you with expected enemies and traps abound, but that is by no means a bad thing. In retrospect, it only helps to strengthen the overall charm and quality of the experience, as I can imagine it must not be easy to replicate the quality of a game many players hold in such high regard, so Jean should be commended for all the hard work he's put in. In conclusion, a very polished and well-presented release that succeeds in what it sets out to do, ensuring to send many on a nostalgia trip. If you're wanting another Egypt level to play in the style of TR1, but have already completed TR1 many times over or even worse, not have the actual game in your collection, this is the next best thing." - Ceamonks890