Level reviews

"Just brilliant this level! I found the location and environment so refreshingly original and thoroughly enjoyable to explore but then the gameplay just blows me away as well! The level is set at night (at least I assume because the sky is pitch black) with a dark murky swamp, lots of foliage and lots of buildings and structures to explore. Enemies consisted of thugs, crows and rats, with the thugs making much more regular appearances but finishing off with some prehistoric monsters not far from the end. Gameplay has a great variety and a good balance of platforming, climbing and tricky jumps with avoiding boulder, spike and blade traps and then manoeuvring on a speedboat for driving up ramps or completing fun timed runs TR2 venice style! Other tasks included moving pushable blocks and a trigger tile puzzle before the inevitable end of the level which I knew was coming but didn't want to arrive as I was having such a great time." - John

"Nearly perfect level to my taste. I loved the atmosphere, which is unlike any official TR level, but still very consistent with the main games. As I understand, there is a bunch of levels set in swamp / night settings, and given the quality of the few ones that I already played, I think they could be made into a package for some kind of TR2 extension ! Actually I think I really like when there is a kind of monochrome touch in the choice of textures, it works very well in creating an atmosphere, and here the vegetation looks beautiful amongst these shades of grey.The music was surprising and I liked it a lot (I didn't know it was Rayman, it's nice to read other reviews), it gave a kind of fancy atmosphere that felt nice in this dark setting. I liked the fact that it happens at night with a black sky, it reminded me of the Lost Valley... The map is quite small with a very well-thought architecture which gives a lot of fun exploring every parts of every space, it's very non-linear and when you have to backtrack, things are never far away. There are a few bugs here and there causing Lara's sudden death but we are warned in the ReadMe file, so yes, it's good to save often, and when it happens, have a good laugh because this bug is very funny indeed :) I was surprised that the big guys were quite easy to shoot down, easier than the crows, in fact. But they wear tank tops and move slower than the birds, so that makes sense. The two little things that annoyed me were : - I found the end a little abrupt, maybe because of a bug causing the game to crash when I pressed ENTER during the statistics display ; also maybe because I didn't expect the level to end in this little blind room after the gorgeous hall with the t-rexes and the luxuriant swamp. - I'm playing with the keyboard (yes) and I'm used to the L/R + shift combination to do the sidesteps and it didn't work. Well thank you Feder for this very nice level !" - OrFractal

"I really had fun with this one. An hour long adventure that has a fairly obvious progression if you explore properly with a bit of platforming along the way, several thugs, rats and ravens to kill; and some very decent use of the boat. Not only to reach the next areas respectively, as the level opens up further, but also to reach certain pickups and - most importantly - for a nice timed run/boat ride that requires a little bit of preparation work. The T Rex battle was rather easy with the arsenal of weapons provided, as were all the traps and easily found 3 secrets, but that rather helped than hurt the overall entertainment factor here. Very enjoyable adventure indeed." - MichaelP

"I'm a bit biased as TR2 is my favourite and the music from Rayman 2 also is among my favourite, I was hence enjoying as soon as the start menu opened. I wish all the soundtrack would have been from R2, as the mix between Nathan McCree's music from both TR1-2 and Eric Chevalier's music from R2 was a bit inconsistent. The architecture of the level is well thought and the atmosphere of a swamp is nicely rendered, though.
There are several enemies in this level but it still doesn't feel like too much like a shooter. The few traps are always visible beforehand and that's appreciable. I was wondering how the boat would be used and I was not disappointed. The secrets were hidden just the way I like, not too hard to catch for an observant player but easy to miss. The level is somewhat linear but very well structured with a mix of traps, timed runs, fights and simple puzzle. I liked the simple pushable puzzle that rewards the player with the automatic pistols for example. Nothing out of the extraordinary but a wonderful experience worthy of TR2. The texture set is not from TR2, but is a very good choice and looks pretty good.
Among the little flaws I could catch, Lara missed the death animation when devoured by the T-rex. :-( Overall, it's a very solid level which will provide a good experience. Much recommended." - TimJ

"I like swamps and Khmer ruins, I wish the stage were longer. The puzzles are simple, but the exploration is fun. I just wish the enemies were more than bandits and crows. It's a swamp, so crocodiles, fish and snakes could have been there too. I wish more TR1/2/3 based custom games came, they're few and this is a good one." - Bruno-Oyaji

"Another level by Feder that is exciting atmospherically wise. The ambience is very effective and the set of textures is well chosen. The boat is put to good use but i still prefered when Lara was on foot. The level is well balanced between exploration , traps , enemies and a few puzzling moments where you have to think and observe a bit. Quite satisfying level not to be missed." - eRIC

"Another masterpiece from Feder, this guy is just so good at making this levels, the puzzles were so good, it was really enjoyable solving the puzzles, And secrets were good as well, just found two, I kinda knew were the last one were but I coudn't get it. There was some challenging jumps in the whole level, specially those time when you do all the hard work for the automatic pistols, it's just satisfaying. Epic music. The only i would say I didn't like was the lack of flares, because the level was too dark, specially underwater, it was kinda annoying to see just darkness, specially for someone like me who loves to hold flares while exploring, and there was a lot of unnecessary decoration, felt like it was a lot of grass, it was so distracting, and found some passport bugs lol, idk what's with that but I think it's the engine, I will give this level a Solid 8/10" - p1kaa

"Dripping with atmosphere and filled with exploration and action, this is a level on par with the best of the classics and would be right at home as a Gold-edition level. As others have said, there are strong Cape Fear vibes at the beginning, but the level takes place in southeast Asia rather than the bayou. I would have enjoyed slightly more variety in textures, since the green and gray made some areas difficult to remember, but the lighting and chirruping cricket sound effects made the atmosphere immersive. Gameplay was never too tricky which meant that the level progressed along at a fast clip from initial exploration to speedboat runs and a fun boss fight. Some jumps, including a run-jump-twist-angled jump-grab to get up onto a balcony were quite difficult to execute, but difficulty is medium for most parts of the level. I found two secrets (coins and bars) and am considering where I could have missed the third secret!" - Cbl

"Whoua!! Even built with the old engine of tr2 this level is marvelous. I loved every moments I spent through the game. Built with the khmer textures of btb2014, the author give another use of this textures pack than previous builders has never thinking. A big swamp. The temple inside is also very well built and I really liked the wood houses around the water. The various puzzles are great and there is even a boat for more fun. A lot of ennemies and also 2 t-rex in the end as boss. Everything is here to do a good adventure. Congratulation Feder again for this great level!!" - Bigfoot

"Whether it was intentional or not the level reminded me a lot of "Cape Fear" by The Vagrant (which I have yet to finish), however that is not to say that Feder plagiarized it, only stating that they have a similar theme and feel to it, well talking about the level, it was a very well put together ride, I really loved the atmosphere and how well the different textures meshed, some levels have the problem of using assets from different settings in way that makes the level feel inconsistent visually, and rather jarring in more extreme cases, however Feder knows how to use them in a complementary fashion, a trait this not exclusive to this release, level design was top-notch, rewarding exploration and giving some amount of player agency so it never felt like the experience was railroaded, combat was balanced and secrets well hidden, I just wish it was a little bit longer since I was having a lot of fun with it kek." - SeniorBlitz

"I found this hour long romp through the swamps of Tomb Raider 2 utterly delightful and only once did I have to refer to the walk through ( not to find my way but how to get out of the damn boat whilst it was moving). Game play was enchanting with just the right ammo and weapons to enemies ratio, however some water bound enemies would have added to the charm in my opinion. Nothing here was too taxing although the double Jurassic threat near the end was a challenge. Lighting and textures were perfect and set the mood just right. I found two secrets. Loved it. Thanks Feder." - Torry

"The comparisons other reviewers may have made to custom classic Cape Fear are valid, but don't be fooled, this is an incredible piece on its own. The atmosphere is damp and gripping, making your stay here quite enjoyable. There are a great number of customized objects (I particularly loved the "shatterable" wall), accompanied by a very fitting choice of audio tracks which also include some timeless tracks from TR1. Gameplay takes a while to get started but progresses nicely and smoothly after the first 15 or so minutes it takes you to make your first scout around the area. Unfortunately, I experienced quite a fair share of crashes on a specific area you get the boat to, but either I was lucky or that was just a problematic area on its own (the author does state random crashes in the readme, so there's that, too). Persevere through any crashes you might encounter, as the amosphere on its own makes it worth your while. 60 minutes, 2 secrets. 09/19" - Treeble

"The custom was very pleasure to attend to. The area was very intresting, and even though the size of the file alludes that it is something small, and short, To finish this custom took me almost two hours. Enemies was also good, but the only thing i can find a little bit frustrated is the birds which were bugging a lot. To sum up, I had a great fun and big thumbs for the author. Regards" - Damon

"Fun little TR2 inspired level! It flowed really well and it was fun to use the boat to explore. It´s just a couple of hours long and it wasn´t too difficult to know where to go next. Texturing is appropriate and I was happy that enemies took only several hits to die (ravens still take longest) as opposed to normal. I can only recommend!" - Raina Audron

"Since the last couple of TR2 custom levels, I feel like we're entering a new era of Tomb Raider 2 levels with new features and better quality. What I'm talking about is for example the animated inventory background, the health bar !!!FINALLY!!! having a proper size when playing with higher resolutions or an improved fog view with a farther distance.And this level even has some very detailed custom objects like grass, trees, stone that look very modern for TR2. We find ourselves in a nicely designed, atmospheric swamp, being welcomed by the enemies already and end up later on in some temple area, being welcomed by T-rexes. As I proceeded through the level, the rooms became less decorated and the given tasks and puzzles were not the best that I have experienced, but still good enough. Always enjoy playing the levels of Feder." - Nuri

"This is a combat-heavy raid set in a swamp. There's a speedboat, beasties, goons, timed runs with the boat and plenty of places to explore. The gameplay is classic old-school TR II and chock-a-bock full of switches, boxes, keys and hell raising. At first I thought I was somewhere in the Louisiana bayou and then I had a Cape Fear flashback (another great TR II level) but this level isn't at all like Cape Fear and I soon found myself having a blast in this gloomy atmosphere. The TR II engine is truly the little engine that could (considering its age!) and Feder probably pushed it to its very limits with this romp. Three well placed secrets gave me the extra firepower I needed to dispatch the terrible duo of bosses (that made me squeal like a 12 year old exploring the Great Wall of China all over again). Spent about an hour here and had a lot of fun doing so. I'd replay this one just for the joy of shooting my way through those annoying rig guards and smashing through stone walls with a speedboat." - Chel

"I am not a big fan of custom-made TR2 levels for emotional reasons, but I was curious and nostalgic, so I played The Swamp. And I didn't regret playing it at all. It is very well built and unexpectedly exciting and immersive. There are certain flaws or out-of-place creatures (sharks in a swamp?) but all in all, this is a nice way to spend 30-40 minutes of your life. When it comes to gameplay, expect a lot of platforming, a Venetian boat, merciless traps and timed runs. Can be pretty challenging for some players. At the end, you'll have to kill a nasty boss, so make sure to collect all the secrets before that happens, to be rewarded with the perfect weapon to deal with it. Textures are well selected and look awesome, they are different than TR2, but still remind of TR2, with all the geometry, gameplay similarities and of course, thanks to the TR2 engine used. But there are other TR2 levels out there that even use TR2 textures, which do not remind of the original TR2 as this one does. And since TR2 is one of my favorite old-school games, in my opinion, that's a good thing. Atmosphere is amazingly well built, really immersing, and at no point you'd want to abandon this game without finishing it. And once you've finished it, you'll want to play it again, because you'll want to see some hidden areas you accidentally skipped on the first run. It is also impressive to see how the builder pushed the TR2 engine to the limits, and even beyond the limits, and I am really looking forward to next Feder's TR2-based release. It is an absolute must-play, in particular for those who are nostalgic of TR2, who consider TR2 to be one of the best TR sequels ever. This will bring back some memories, definitely, and also introduce some new moments and new memories, The Swamp is definitely one of three best custom-made TR2-based levels out there of all times!" - Nina Croft

"I thought this was an excellent TR2 offer even though some parts, namely the ones closer to the start and maybe the first half, have felt a bit confusing. I loved the opening tune and the rest is history. Pretty much what you can do with the engine if you know how to, varied, entertaining. Found the three secrets, which must mean they weren't too hidden and clearly out of sight - that is rewarding. On the other hand, I didn't find any flare whatsoever. Really. Still, obviously recommended." - Jorge22

"I must admit that this game was a flawless TR2 one. A very straightforward gameplay, designed with tremendous and deadly traps, plus the cunning usage of a wide range and variety of enemies and baddies, great and prolific atmosphere and sounds and fixed cameras, in addition to the great job of lighting and the correct use of textures in their own proper places. Top recommended TR2 game. Thanks a lot!" - Mehrbod

"This level is really good and pretty much the perfect introduction to TRLE for newer players finding this site that may have played TR2 in the past. Why? Because the gameplay does not deviate too much from what is possible in the vanilla game but uses it well, it uses environmental objects to obfuscate hidden areas and it has unique textures. And while you could say that about so far most if not all of Feder's levels, this one goes very far out to make sure these unique textures fit into the whole level. This is a Jungle / Swamp level. Everything is green and sprawling, it has fern sprites, boxes, vines hanging from marble stone textures, even the enemies are recolored to fit with this aesthetic. And it has custom music. Yes you heard right, this level has unique music and it also fits this level perfectly. It's stuff like this that make Feder one of my favorite creators on here, everything looks super cohesive and fitting and I loved it.
The whole theme reminded me of TheVagrant's Cape Fear that was also interesting, but had a lot of empty space in it's level as well as a massive detour just to get a secret. And this level flows a lot better, especially in it's enemy selection. (Sharks just don't fit a swamp). The pickup to enemy / travel time ratios are a bit more skewed this time. With there being generally less pickups overall but also less enemies. The main difficulty of this level is the platforming, puzzles that focus on navigating an area (including using the boat to reach higher up platforms) and timed runs. This level definitely focuses more on platforming than on defeating enemies, and that is okay I guess. In that, this level awards players with the Automatics in an odd area that I only found on my second playthrough. The level could have easily done without those Automatics, they did not get much use. Finding all secrets (and one of them is really nicely hidden) awards the Uzi that can be gotten somewhere else in the level as well, but it comes with a lot of ammunition. That ammunition really helps though, because this level has a boss encounter. A very cool boss encounter, and I don't want to give everything away, but the Uzis really came in handy.
All in all a very tight, fun level that I would recommend to everyone. Especially because this database just doesn't have enough Tomb Raider 1-3 levels, those engines are criminally underrated, and levels like this one show off why that is. I've played this level twice so far, and I will likely play it another time during a stream. Wholey recommended!" - The Snarky Lesbian

"I had one gate switch broken so I played a lot of things out of order but then I replayed the dev-intended way and, what almost never happens, it was equally enjoyable in both scenarios. It's hard to believe TR2 engine allows this kind of intricate craftsmanship, I guess in this case it was pushed to the very limits. As for a single-level adventure it's almost perfect however I would still make it longer and include some more color, for instance brown/yellow, to balance the dominant green/grey." - DJ Full

"It's gratifying to see how much can still be squeezed out of the TR2 engine,and this level visually impresses and fairly oozes atmosphere.The gameplay is built around exploration,and in working out how to leave one area and gain access to the next - a task made perhaps a little harder than it should,due to the dark ambience;but everything is fairly laid out,and the puzzles themselves are very straightforward. Enemies are incorporated extremely well;the textures are placed with great care;and the map has been ingeniously designed.Even the music serves its purpose,with the swamp blues/zydeco influences helping to create a sense of place,even if the location feels more asian than deep-south.It's overall a good,immersive old- school experience." - Orbit Dream

"Not so much a fan of the TR2 engine (read controls) but the game itself is rather nice to go through. It is a small level but that suited me perfectly. I had a very funny glitch that at one small place when I jumped on it Lara jumped sky-high and came down with rather a lot of health loss. Oh well, can't win them all. Got all secrets because when one explores you do see every nook and cranny. Didn't expect to see a T-Rex family so that was a "jump in chair" moment. Nice one." - Gerty

"It's always great to see how the builder uses the TR 2 engine to its maximum and manages to add a lot of unique touches to it. This particular entry has a very nice humid atmosphere which is working well throughout the level. Texturing is very competently applied and the lighting is almost perfect as well. I only noticed one slope where you could see savebook textures behind it as it blinked in and out of existance. I also think that the end of the world might've been avoided some more and perhaps one or two standout areas might have helped to set this game on par with Cape Fear which obviously was a source of inspiration. The enemies are decently used, maybe even too few for all the ammo provided and three different weapons, but some like the guy on the central island in one of the swamp areas was really effectively placed. The gameplay is quite fluent and enjoyable, but a bit too short-winded overall. The usage of the boat is clever, though a non-neglegible part seems to be optional due to intended or non-intended shortcuts which all should've been avoided. At the start, when you swim below the door to the above mentioned guy, you can't open the doors for the boat anymore and therefore miss a part of the gameplay and secret, but you are still able to finish this level (using a harder corner-to-corner jump). Also, you can use a very simple jump to bypass the whole timed run with the boat (and more), which is agreeably one of the best parts of the game - at first Ithought this was the intended route, and finished this level in no time... When these two things (at least the second) are ironed out, however, I will raise my score in the first category, because the good parts of the game are worth of more. Still a rather short level having taken me slightly more than 25 minutes, with three nice, but not very hard secrets to be found." - manarch2

"A fun TR2 based level here from Feder, and for me another slice of retro fun! Texturing is of the usual TR2 standard but everything is well laid out and lit for the most part though you do feel close to the edge of the game-world in a few places. That said the architecture is believable and I like the updated TR2 objects used. Game-play flows nicely and whilst there's quite a few enemies scattered throughout the level they don't take too many bullets to dispatch (I comfortably played 90% of this just with pistols). It's really nice to make use of the boat mechanic again and it's used here quite effectively particularly for one of the timed sections towards the end. I did get lost a few times (namely totally missing how to escape with the boat after some doors shut behind me), but overall I think this had a great flow. All in all I netted just under an hour and a quarter from The Swap. Another glorious example of nostalgic early engine raiding. Recommended! Stiggy :)" - TheStig

"A great level to have an entertaining moment, I have enjoyed until the end, the gameplay is fluid in a very well recreated environment.. The textures fit perfectly and the lighting helps the atmosphere. There are no bigger puzzles to solve, which I would have liked to see, but the player enjoys the game. Good work Feder!" - McRaider

"This level seems to take quite a bit of inspiration from Cape Fear, a TR2 effort from years ago. I've never been able to get too far in that one due to repetitive crash issues (so I might try again by modifying the scripts slightly when I get round to it), but didn't have much trouble with this one as I only encountered one minor crash. That aside, this is a bite-sized portion of good TR2 entertainment. The surroundings are very well created and the gameplay manages to be sufficiently entertaining while not presenting anything too complicated. I particularly liked the way the boat was used for a timed run. Enemies are undoubtedly copious, but not unfairly so, and the secrets are sneakily hidden. I enjoyed it." - Ryan

"Again another small jewel from this builder. This time the level is based about exploration and gymnastics, but there are also several situations with the boat to make you think. The enemies are well balanced and the secrets are not hard to find, but don't waste medipacks 'cause there are no much pickups and the game will turn harder if you don't discover the extra weapons. I missed some puzzles to solve, some more cameras and musics and more flares to light the dark areas, but anyway the level is solid and entertaining enough to keep the interest from the beginning to the end. Well done, Feder!" - Jose

"Lara visits Jurassic Park and takes home a gem as a souvenir. Gameplay is a good balance of exploration, traps, and combat. A few more puzzles would have been the cherry on top and help add to the length of this relatively short level. Objects are used well decoratively and pickups are placed in all sorts of nooks for you to find. There may have been too many objects though, as I struggled with some black polygons stretching across the screen and the game crashed once, but maybe that was a symptom of something else. I would recommend adding a couple more medpaks as I ran out toward the end, having never found any of the additional weapons. Cameras are used very well to highlight the enemies and areas, and the architecture was enjoyable to explore alongside the more natural areas. Lighting is nice and dynamic, considering that this TR engine doesn't support colored lights. Texturing is applied well and nicely varied. 31 minutes." - JesseG

"This is the BTB Khmer Empire style mixed with Swamp textures along the lines of Cape Fear. It's well executed and looks good, quite a few of the interiors are pretty small and simple, but what larger ones there are are impressive. The Swamp atmosphere is well done, and it holds up to Cape Fear and other classics it's obviously inspired by quite well.
The gameplay isn't especially challenging, although there are quite a few enemies; beyond that it's mostly exploration that isn't especially intensive, although there some nice traps. There's also a good surprise boss fight near the end that provides a climatic moment. I had a bug with one gate for the Motorboat closing and the switch to open it not working again, but taking the boat there was apparently optional anyway so I didn't get stuck. I also took an easy jump that was actually a shortcut and got me to the boss encounter early, so I'm not sure how that one was overlooked since it hasn't been an issue in earlier Feder maps. A good level, although not a marked improvement on earlier releases like Feder's other new releases have been." - Mman

"Maybe I am too nice with this review :) But every good-looking level for TR1-3 will melt my heart :) This level is pretty amazing. It took me nearly 50 minutes to finish it and yet I found only 2 secrets :) Coins and Gold Bars I love this level and I love levels from this author. :) The concept of this level is great, Ancient swamp with temples. Few traps ( I would like to see more traps ) Texturing was great, Lighting to ( well:) what do you want to light in TR2 engine ) Overall, amazing short adventure" - Sabatu

"Having been the beta tester of the level and having fixed one or another bug, I recognize in detail the complexity of the game. Excellent adventure, nothing to detract from. Good atmosphere, well placed enemies, a little of traps here and there, and a very well done outcome. The maximum advantage taken to an engine like the TR2 that never stops surprising despite its limitations. How will the adventure continue?" - DaroRaider