Level reviews

"Moving on to my pending levels from 2018 raidlist, I looked around a bit and was happy to spot a level from this builder I had yet to play. They're usually simple but effective raids, and that's exactly what I got out of this one. There was one massive area which might have been a bit overwhelming but Phil's compact walkthrough took me straight to the spots I was meant to go. Nothing particularly taxing and the ending seems rather abrupt all things considered, but TR1 settings are always nice to come back to. 25 minutes. 09/26" - Treeble

"A great little TR1 Greece style level with both textures and music used from that game so perfect if your looking for that vibe and aesthetics. Gameplay for me is great, fun platforming and tricky jumps, a simple but clever pushable task, a fun timed run (on ground or with jumps) a refreshingly enjoyable torch task involving raising and lowering lift tiles and the exploration of large rooms with great layouts. Ok yes there is lots of levers and yes there is a lot of empty space with not many objects but for me these are only small irritations because there’s even transporting portals to avoid lots of backtracking through those large areas. Dangers and threats include swinging axes, boulders, some spikes and fire with just gorillas and lions in the enemy department. Overall we have another short and sweet level from opaque, well done." - John

"Bugs/Functional Issues

• The camera cues for lighting the sconces get stuck in place, I had to select the binoculars from the inventory to break out of it.

Neutral

• The gameplay is short and simple, but still brings a little bit of everything: gorillas to shoot, some blocks to push around, and a boulder or two to avoid. Not a bad choice for those looking to kill time with a short raid.

Liked

• The visuals are pretty good, there's a little "big and empty" feeling but it is offset by some nice architectural flair in places. Texturing and lighting do their job.

Time: 37 minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Rating: 6.75/10" - JesseG

"(7) Gameplay & Puzzles: Despite the level having very large rooms, this is a pretty linear, straight-forward adventure, with a main focus on exploration (there's a few traps/timed runs but they're easy). There's a tad too much lever-pulling and there's a dull pushblock "puzzle" towards the end of the game, where it's too obvious from the get-go what the player needs to do. Actually, "too obvious from the get-go" is a recurring theme within the level, and I didn't find it thrilling, nor did I need to stop and scratch my chin to think. Despite the lack of gameplay elements that I favor, I didn't have a bad time -- it felt like a TR1 Greece nostalgic sightseeing trip. (5) Enemies, Objects & Secrets: I felt like this category needed much more substance. First of all, it's not fun to be massacring lions who spawn below Lara and don't pose a threat to her. Also, the gorillas seemed to want to climb 4-click high blocks and would get stuck doing so (it was pretty funny). I don't mind if levels have few enemies; what matters to me is enemy placement, which I didn't think was good here. Also, no secrets. The positive aspect about this category was the builder's use of lovely, lush static plant objects. (8) Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras: Atmosphere, while good, was too overly rectangular, if that makes sense. I would have liked to have seen more organic geometry to add balance -- for example some cave-ins (e.g. TR1 Colosseum and Palace Midas). I also felt like some rooms were unnecessarily large given the tasks required within them. Sounds/music cues were fine, and the static camera hints are solid (unfortunately the cameras after lighting a torch, near the end of the game, were bugged). A flyby would have been good when entering the giant area with the golden teleporters. (9) Lighting & Textures: Both lighting and textures were very pleasant to look at, and the level is well-lit, which is always a plus for me. I would have liked to have seen more contrasting textures to balance out all of the orange-y/light brown textures. Overall, the gameplay wasn't a very good fit for me, but it's still a polished level and I recognize that it's a great fit for other kinds of players. Give it a go if you're a fan of TR1 Greece and want a short level, with easy exploration being the main focus. 7/5/8/9." - nerdfury

"Opaque's fifth level has a very nice concept: it uses TR1 Greece Textures and objects to create a very intriguing level that managed to keep me on the chair from beginning to end, leaving me wanting more. The level geometry and gameplay make us already think of Opaque: we can already say that the author has crafted is own building style that makes his levels recognizable, and that is not that bad. The characteristic of this level is certainly those huge rooms(that doesn't feel empty at all) that are filled with those huge columns that offer a great potential for platforming, the main gameplay element of the level. Texturing isn't bad at all, even though lighting is a bit flat at times. One big highlight that is worth mentioning is that the author, for the first time, decided to use some NG setups like the moving platforms or the teleporters that were very well welcomed. As in every level from this author that I have played, there is the fact that the level ends abruptly, hinting for a sequel. Overall, this level is certainly interesting and fun to play, especially if you like TR1-themed levels. Recommended? Yes. Difficulty? Easy-Medium. Duration? Approx. 45-55 minutes." - TombExplorer

"Another very solid release from Ryan once again which uses TR1 Greece assets to convincing effect (with some clever use of teleporters and makeshift elevators within the final hub area being a notable highlight). And while it does end rather abruptly, I still had a fun time with this one. Recommended!" - Ceamonks890

"A nice level, fast paced , you hardly hesitate on what you have to do. A couple of big areas to raid, many jumps and a few traps , a good torch puzzle coupled with an ascending/descending platform and two other of these plaforms later. There is a timed task with jumps etc... fairly easy but enjoyable. Correct texturing and warm lighting. The architecture is the type that does not take long to build ; nevertheless a well built level , maybe too easy for saisoned raiders and the enemies (lions and gorillas) are not very vigourous." - eRIC

"I think this is my least favourite by this builder, probably because it's just too large - and when you go too big, room structure rectangles (which are a problem on their own but don't stand out so much in small locations) start to really show off. But despite of that it's another chill level you will probably pick when you have enough of sophisticated, ambitious projects and just want to PLAY something. What I would definitely do differently is I would release this level in the same pack with the second part, it would definitely feel more complete. If still released separately, then any kind of conclusion after this first chapter would help as well because in current form the final hitpoint is just missing which never feels good." - DJ Full

"A step in the wrong direction for the author that showed his great skills with forbitten jungle and the quest for the golden armour. The gameplay is explored based, there was a pretty interesting timed run, but then I discovered it was pretty easy ... The areas look very empty, despite texturing and that orangish fog give a pretty nice feeling. Quite short too, shame on that. Wolfy Regards." - Wolf7

"A nice raid, even if one had to pull a lot of levers. You go up and down and figure out how to disable spikes, fire and do two easy going timed runs. Nasty was indeed how to get out off the fixed camera shots. At my end I saved and reloaded and that did the trick. Exploring is a must as I did missed that lever that put out the fire, my bad. There are a few enemies so you have all the time in the world to roam around. Nice work with the elevator platforms." - Gerty

"A nice trip down memory lane and quite a calming experience, thanks to the mostly linear flow and the enemies that don't tend to pose much of a threat. The gameplay throughout is generally simple but not unpleasant, and the environments looked quite pleasing to the eye (not that I'm a builder, mind you, so the finer texturing details may have passed me by). A few too many switches to pull, but I quite liked the torch puzzle, the timed platforming sequences across the huge room and the rising platform part near the end. Not a masterpiece, but a pleasant enough experience nonetheless." - Ryan

"There are a few nice ideas in this classic TR1 Greece setting. I enjoyed the platforming timed runs (not very tight, but need to stay on course) and the nice twist on a 4 torch lighting exercise, but on the downside the old enemies behave rather weirdly (gorillas and lions) and the overall vastness of the rooms only briefly impresses and then you realize that they are also rather empty and that takes the atmospheric feeling away completely. Still fun to make your way through though and ends just short of 45 mins." - MichaelP

"This can be succinctly described as a 'find a way to get through a huge room,so that you can leave it and do the same sort of things in the next' Level. It's rather grandiose and elegant,but there's not much to cause the player to stop and think. I suspect that I inadvertently dodged a timed run at one point,by running/jumping around a fiery block which I should perhaps have extinguished instead;but most of the challenges are perfectly do-able on the first go,and no expert playing skills are required anywhere. The lighting was a little too bright;but the atmosphere (relying as it did on the TR1 nostalgia factor) kept my interest;while the almost completely nonthreatening enemies (one gorilla had an obsession with jumping pointlessly up and down on the spot) made the 45 minutes surprisingly relaxing,and (thanks to the torch puzzle,and the rising platform sequences) rather fast moving. It all ends terribly abruptly,but at least provides an indication that there's more to come in a subsequent release.Enjoyable for those who like easy-to- follow progression." - Orbit Dream

"For some reason I wrote a walkthrough for this level and then forgot to submit a review for it, so by this time the details are rather fuzzy in my mind. However, I recall that gameplay was fluid and not very taxing, and the overall ambiance reminded me of TR1. The game map is fairly compact, and once you reach an immense room you face a number of tasks while working your way up and down. There's an engaging exercise near the end where you use a series of rising and falling platforms in connection with a torch puzzle. Not memorable, perhaps, but certainly a fun raid and well lighted throughout." - Phil

"It's always a pleasure to play a level from this author. Again, there aren't fantastic puzzles or great features but the environments are good, remembering the old TR1 levels, the tasks are not difficult and the gameplay is entertaining if you like the exploration. Few enemies to shoot, only gorillas and lions, few pickups, no secrets, sometimes I've got problems to restore the cameras. The best was the architecture and texturization. Worth to play. Thank you, Ryan." - Jose

"Catches the feeling of isolation from the classic games, but there are too much levers to pull in my opinion. I also got a bug near the end, where the camera just wouldn't stop pointing at the door that is supposed to be open after I light all the torches. Other than that it is a good level, I liked the puzzle with the torches and the moving block that you have to time perfectly so you can reach other parts of the area. Quite a quick raid so even though it has it's flaws it is definitely entertaining for the time that it takes!" - misho98

"A back to the roots level with a few interesting features, such as the teleporters in one room and a nicely-timed timed run and others not as much, namely pushing/pulling a grey block onto an omega tile. Generally speaking though, the level looks and feels good and there are no real downsides to it except for the fact that it isn't very original or thrilling. But the general architecture and design are good in their own league. More like an experiment, it seemed." - Jorge22

"I thought this 40 minute romp was quite well laid out and intuitive. Every time you thought this must be the end it continued into another little mini adventure until you finally get the exit door open. The cavernous rooms were well thought out and tasks easy to discern with some jumping and a timed run around the central large room being fairly generous. No back tracking involved here which is always a good thing but I found no secrets. Enemies were few and far between and this could have been increased. The biggest expectation here is to explore and you have generous amounts of room to do that in. An easy raid but an enjoyable one." - Torry

"Short and surprisingly sweet. I do so love those St Francis' Folly textures so the nostalgia factor did much to enhance my enjoyment of this level. It's not at all complex and I very much doubt it will generate a stuck thread any time soon, but sometimes it's rather good to play something undemanding. There's a lot of exploration to find levers and the occasional gorilla and lion to shoot along the way, but the builder also managed to include some timed elements and a nice little sequence with a torch and elevator tile. Suitable for players of all abilities and a pleasant experience. I liked it." - Jay

"Actually this was a step in the wrong direction in the evolution of this builder. It's a decently built level overall but the gameplay is still extremely basic (with the sole exception of some elevators that play a minor role - more could've been done with those!) and based on pulling a lot of levers. The "timed run" was so generous that I only noticed by chance that it's actually timed. Some puzzles which are included here are not very original either. The looks are not as good as before, the lighting is fairly repetitive, the texturing okay but the architecture is not exactly realistic, why should there be only single pillars in rooms which show no form of desolation? The few enemies are not a real threat and there are no secrets to find either, but at least a certain technical skill can be observed. I finished this game after 20 minutes and wondered what it was all about." - manarch2

"A short and nostalgic adventure which takes Lara back to Greece. I enjoyed it even if the gameplay was rather simple and unfortunately the enemies weren't any significant threat since they behaved quite strangely most of the time. I totally loved the architecture! It could have been more complex in terms of the gameplay considering the amount of vast rooms you'll be seeing in this level but I guess the author intended to create a more simplistic adventure with reference to the original TR1 Greece setting. Looking forward to the next adventure! Verdict: Recommended towards all players." - KingdomHearts

"I really liked this return to the sources of tr1, with a final a bit abrupt, I thought to continue further, I hope there will be a sequel. Some inconvenience when lighting the 4 torches with the camera that remained frozen, I escaped by throwing the torch and back to cling to the platform. The enemies (monkeys and lions were not very difficult to eliminate, I did not find any secrets (nothing read in the readme) ... I liked the big halls with the platforms. The whole is interesting and requires a continuation." - Drakan

"This level is what the story says, another temple for Lara to explore. However, I'm not sure if there is a purpose in here, as Lara runs into dark and level ends. What exactly did she find? I believe sequel should be made for some closure on this... The level featured 2 really big areas that had a lot of potential, but I don't think the builder achieved it. I constantly kept waiting for something big to happen, but I was disappointed. Enemies were only an annoyance and weren't needed at all. I was surprised there were no secrets as they could've been easily implemented in here to encourage more exploration. Atmospherically level is really nice, except it lacked more music to listen to while jumping around the big hall. The area could've been filled with more traps and less switches that are miles away from the door they should open. There were few minor issues, Lara's sounds had wrong pitch, moving platforms could've used some sound and fire tile needed another texture, same with teeth spikes tiles. Overall, it's small level packed with nice platforming but modest and simple gameplay. Looking forward to sequel if it ever happens!" - Raider99

"A short trip to Greece and I must say I have enjoyed it! There are however, few minor issues with this level. I felt that the main room was a bit too vast for its own good with not enough detail. When I have lit the torches, the camera got stuck showing the gate opening each time (saving and reloading helped). I think there is also some sort of an issue with the enemies as they were not really attacking me or kept standing around. Nice little to touch to include LaraÂ's old sfx from TR1 and textures were used well in the context of the level. I really liked its overall feel and atmosphere as it brought back my memories of TR1. I hope the creator will make a continuation!" - Raina Audron