Level reviews

"The author has used the original TR4 demo as the starting point from this level (apparently, the buggy sounds too) and built from there. Not much to say really, it's a trimmed down version of the Lost Library combined with the all-new areas which seem trimmed down version of Hall of Demetrius and a quick escape. 25 minutes, 3 secrets. 07/26" - Treeble

"I chose this TRLE because of the beautiful screenshots and I was not disappointed. The library scenery was captured well, the puzzles are easy, the enemies are simple and the skeletons are easy to avoid. If you need a break from complicated jumps, time runs and hordes of enemies, this is the game for you. Playtime is around 30-40 minutes." - vandit

"I quite like the library theme and this was a super relaxing level to go through is everything is entirely obvious and very easy to accomplish. In other words, there is really no gameplay as such, as the next task is always right in front of you and you just keep going until you reach the end after about 30 minutes, but it looks pleasant and I did really have a good time here. The only little surprise comes near the very end, but I am not going to spoil it here - go see for yourself..." - MichaelP

"Eighth of the Create a Classic 2019 competition that I actually played, this level left me a bit mixed, but generally positive. Let's be more clear.
This was clearly inspired by the first versions of the Lost Library's TR4 beta. Does it work? Yes, totally.
It can be considered a cut / smaller version of the original, with some different areas and different setups. It felt really refreshing.
There are some flaws though, but maybe most of them are there because of the level's idea.
Firstly, the level is very short. It can be completed blind in a very short amount of time. I would have loved for the author to actually extend the actual level with some more rooms, puzzles, and all of that, just to make the level more interesting.
Secondly, despite it being refreshing, there are still so many moments where I experience deja-vus, making it look like there was an actual lack of new custom rooms that, as I said before, could have made everything more interesting.
The lighting is a bit flat at times, but textures really resemble those in the original level. With some variation due to geometry in some rooms, that was nice to see.

In short, this level is a really short adventure aimed at those who would have like to explore TR4's Lost Library's Beta Version, at least following the author's idea.

Recommended? Yes, especially if you want to try something similiar to TR4's Lost Library's Beta.

Difficulty? Easy.

Duration? Approx. 20-40 minutes." - TombExplorer

"(5) Gameplay & Puzzles: Exploration is the main factor here. Otherwise, there is some simple platforming, and a few easy to avoid traps. Unfortunately there were no timed runs, real puzzles, or any challenging/creative tasks. Actually, there was one puzzle, a mini, super brief pushblock sequence, but the builder doesn't let the player figure it out for themselves because the path is just drawn on the ground. The builder played it too "safe", instead of encouraging the player to think, and as a result I found the gameplay dull. A shame, as I do love the TR4 library location. (9) Enemies, Objects & Secrets: No complaints about the (light) combat, and the builder did a spectacular job with object decor. The secrets were very easy to find and more could have been done here, with all of the library nooks and crannies. (8) Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras: The atmosphere is generally good but I felt like the rooms just blended in with each other, without very memorable architecture. I would have liked more sound cues and at least one flyby sequence to draw the player in. The coastal ambient loop towards the end of the game was a nice touch. (9) Lighting & Textures: The builder is very capable with aesthetics and the library area was gorgeous. Ultimately, substance matters to me more than style, and that is why I only recommend this level if you want easy exploration, without caring about other gameplay aspects. 5/9/8/9." - nerdfury

"Another very good little level with a very good use of the library wads and textures. I really enjoyed the mix between some tr4 textures et tr5 textures. It give to the level a new look never see in a library level and someting fun and inspiring. The gameplay is easy and very well done with the various traps of the great library. I also enjoyed find the elements puzzles of the demo of tr4 like the owl items and big ruby. Great stuffs and I think I will use some of them in my own new levels maybe. A good entry of this create a classic 2019 and I hope play another level of DCW in a near future :-) !! Congratulations." - Bigfoot

"Relaxing level , maybe a bit too easy for some players , even for the secrets. User-friendly and coherent, it was quite pleasant to play , the builder has a lot of attentions to details , for example near the end you have two staircased corridors that lead to the same place above, they are the same except one has a light that is broken and the lighting is correspondingly less bright. Very well built in all categories, i like the use of sinks at the end. Special mentions go to the excellent lighting and texturing, it is obvious the builder buit these rooms with a lot of care and a great sense of harmony." - eRIC

"Ok. Really a level very easy to play and with a fast gameplay. All the rooms are well ornated and the texturization is quite good. No problems to advance through the level, no much backtracking, very few enemies (skeletons and bats) which can easily avoided, accessible secrets and no very tricky tasks. On the other hand, I expected some puzzles to force players think a bit and more musics and cameras/flybys to create a better atmosphere. Anyway an enjoyable level for most of the players all around the world. Good work, DCW123!" - Jose

"Finally, an easy and relatively stress-free CaC level, in stark contrast to the level previously played and reviewed, Tomb of Thoth. Truth be told, there's a place for both types of levels, and I would certainly recommend this one to a beginning raider. It's competently put together and flows nicely to its conclusion, although that hammerhead shark near the end seemed jarringly out of place. Even the three secrets are easily found, and Mulf has given us a succinct walkthrough that takes the player through the rounds in no-nonsense fashion. A pleasant diversion from the more frenetic levels I've played lately." - Phil

"After all the overly complex Create a Classic levels I come across this one that is overly simplified. Seems that no one can please me eh? OK the line of travel was relatively linear following the doors from the central library, the secrets were way too easy to find, you actually stumble upon them on your way and the enemies were only those little scorpions and a few skeletons and oh, let's not forget the Hammerhead shark that leaps out of the water to munch on Lara on the ledge she stands on. ??? Much of this I remember from the Last Rev and it almost plays out much the same with only maybe a third of the adventure being new territory to cover. If you are going to CREATE something, please don't copy most of it from something we have all seen before. The level was way too dark in places but sufficient flares are provided and the textures were pretty much the same throughout the level." - Torry

"My journey through the CaC levels ends with this level and after some quite lengthy and involved games it was a decent way to finish the competition with this quite short level. I really wished it was a little more exciting to be honest, as the gameplay is all about exploring the libraries and little about puzzles, platforming or timed tasks, even the traps are easily bypassed and thus everything is extremely easy. The negative highlight was the area where you had to open up some passages leading to two opposite balconies and pull a rope each to open the door to the next room - that was fairly dull. Secrets are also not very well hidden, being rather hard to miss actually, but the enemies and objects are agreeably used. The texturing and lighting category is actually the best because, while not exactly inventive in this regard, the builder knows how to use them to create believable areas, and errors are reduced to a minimum as well. However, there's a certain monotony in the visuals which also affects the atmosphere as there is not a sense of wonder when you enter a new area and everything looks similar to before. A few doors have no sounds when they open, but in general the audio is decently used; there are few cameras though. The game ends after only 15 minutes but I have the feeling that aside of the visuals a bit more originality would've helped to make a more outstanding game." - manarch2

"This is another homage that verges on a semi-remake (since it's simpler than the original I guess it's more like a demake?) with the Lost Library being the subject here. I haven't played the actual level in a while but many of the individual parts are quite familar, with the main hall being the obvious one. It's simpler and less detailed than the original, but it still does a good job detailing most the rooms and having decent geometry. It keeps the thematic aspect of contrasting the plush library areas with the dungeons and primative machines beneath it, and even adds a little with some rocky cave sections. The corner bannisters of the blue railings being purple was a little odd though. The gameplay is pretty straightforward, with some familiar moments and the new parts being quite simple. It keeps a nice pace though and moments like activating the machinery and seeing changes adds to the theme, but then it ends? It's a pretty short map and there are multiple unopened doors (I found all the secrets so it can't be linked to that); I'm not sure if it was unfinished or if it's intentionally evoking the frustration of those unopened doors in the original, but it feels quite abrupt either way. A fun enough entry for a different take on the Lost Library but goes by a bit fast and is too familiar to be truly memorable." - Mman

"A stroll down a memory lane which is like 70% old and 30% new but it doesn't matter so much since I proceeded fast through familiar parts and slow through fresh additions. What is great about this level is it allows you, if you never did, to play the beta and see how many great things were not used in TR4. It's also more condesed than the release version, you feel like the rooms communicate with each other, forming a structure cozier and better managed than the one we eventually got in 1999. There's just one major grief - while having this beautiful reference project, the autor never continued its lighting technique so you can definitely feel when the old part transits to the new one, lit poorer and mismatching. Then we go to the caves, which still share the same added technique but in their case it actually turns out better - they're much more organic than dcw's man-made structures, so all I would need next time is a bit of equalizing. Recommended." - DJ Full

"A re-imagination of the library levels from The Last Revelation. There isn't as much substance to this submission; there are some switches to pull, some enemies to shoot, and a few traps to dodge. The level is a bit heavy on skeletons, thankfully you start with a loaded shotgun so you can take care of them all. I enjoyed finding the pickups in every nook and cranny. The textures are applied quite well, but the lighting is a bit on the dark side. 32 minutes." - JesseG

"Pleasant level, there is not to ask too many questions because everything is going well. There are few enemies besides the skeletons and many bats and a formidable shark at the end. The texturing and lighting are ok with a nice underwater cave at the end." - Drakan

"This is very much classic library and looks very good. The gameplay is pretty easy and straightforward and, inevitably, involves opening a lot of doors. Enemies are easily dealt with and the traps aren't hard either, so this should certainly be a level for all players, which is a good thing. I think most of us occasionally appreciate an easy ride after some of the more challenging levels that come along and at not much more than half an hour this is just right for a relaxing break." - Jay

"A brief but fun little loving tribute to TR4's Lost Library level that demonstrates how far DCW123 has come as a builder for the better. And while the gameplay is arguably a little too simple, its still a noticeable improvement from his debut 2014 release in other areas (with excellent use of lighting, texturing and general TR4 assets throughout to create an authentic atmosphere). Overall, I heartily recommend this to anyone looking for a quick, quality raid." - Ceamonks890

"Based on the Lost Library Beta (of which part of the gameplay takes over), this small level differs toward the ending from the original. As as lover of TRIV (especially the levels of the Library and Cairo), I could not but start this series of levels from this. Simple, maybe too much, but ideal for spending an evening replaying the old Tomb Raider games. Gameplay not varied, maybe you could insert more enemies and puzzles, but every now and then we need quiet levels. If you love Lost Library levelset, you may like :)" - Talos

"A very cool and solid little level. The main atmosphere was very close to TR4 and it felt very coherent after all. The lighting was good and also the room design was always good on the eye. There were some mostly small cave areas, which were the highlight design-wise. Very natural looking caves and smooth atmosphere. Unfortunately there was not a lot of gameplay in the whole level. The gameplay was simple and linear, which is not a bad thing in general, I just thought that the author could have done a little bit more. Speaking of which, another highlight was the water flooding room, which is dry at the beginning and after powering up the engines there is water in it. This whole idea could have been so much bigger, cause it was very cool and had a lot of potential. Nevertheless it was a fun and short adventure. It took me about half an hour and I found all three secrets." - MarlenaCrystal

"It's a shame when you get a nice looking level where the gameplay isn't on par with the visuals. The gameplay is quite straightforward, unchallenging, but functional. This level could serve as a nice tutorial level to new players, but for more experienced ones, it doesn't offer anything too exciting really. It had so many medipacks lying around for which I'm unsure why? There are some enemies, scorpions, bats, skeletons and a wraith that was added in the worst place possible (near the pool) which stripped players of some challenge even more, skeletons as well, many of them spawned near pits, so.. making them totally useless... Same with moving blades combined with ladders, Lara's climbing movement on ladder is much faster than polerope which also removed the challenge here. The level as whole lacked more platforming and action. Secrets were way too easy to find, you can't really call them "secrets", you can either find them by accident, or you're lead to them without even knowing, secrets are about exploration that can be combined with some challenge so players can feel rewarded after obtaining them. Visually level is nice, I noticed some beta-textures that weren't replaced, one of the door sounds was too quiet, there was the "double breath" sound issue with Lara and her sprint animation looks like it's missing few frames. This level has low level of immersion because it lacks music, a lot, the game comes with many tracks, yet only a few of them are used which unnecessarily increase size of the package. These are some minor issues, aside from that level looks quite nice and is faithful to TR4 Library. It's pretty casual and I would recommend it to some players that want to get into TR this way, but for more experienced ones this level probably won't be satisfying enough." - Raider99

"If you compare this reiteration with the original TR4 Lost Library section, the builder has done a pretty decent job of sticking close to the original format, but I couldn't help feeling slightly shortchanged by the gameplay on offer. The atmosphere is convincing, the textures are pleasingly used and the level had a sort of mystical, eerie golden glow that I quite liked, but the gameplay won't have you pausing for thought for too long. This is no bad thing, but I found that everything got predictable after a while. Enemies are mostly non-threatening, as the skeletons often blunder wildly about near the death pits until Lara takes them out (although the hammerhead shark near the end was a bit of an unexpected surprise. A pleasant and charming enough 40 minute level then, but not a demanding one by any means." - Ryan

"Gameplay & Puzzles - I enjoyed the structures of the puzzles here. I was glad to know that I didn't have to do much back traveling because I forgot to grab the Gemstone in the beginning. This level reminded me of the Lost Library from TR4 and I enjoyed the familiarity throughout with its puzzles and gameplay. I did honestly feel a bit lost through my progression. I think that was attributed to the lack of a storyline. Enemies, Objects & Secrets - Enemies were okay. I did feel a little underwhelmed with so many unused shotgun ammo. Skeletons were used okay and the few scorpions. Maybe a few needed Ninjas? I think people hate the stock Ninjas lol but this would be have good here. Objects were also decent but I thought the dark vase shatter should have been used more in the beginning to trick me into thinking the bigger black vase wasn't moveable or to hide it better. Secrets were not placed well. I ran into most of them and simply climbing a ladder to find a secret is not enough. Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras - I like the atmosphere in the under parts especially. And I enjoyed the geometry overall. And I thought the placement of rooms and textures were good here. Sounds are good but there is a lack of music. Cameras were okay, the door sound kind of helped me know a door was opened. Lighting & Textures - Lighting and texturing was okay. I didn't find much of a problem expect a few incorrect textures. Things aren't too dark either so the lack of flares wasn't a problem for me here. But for some reason I wished the lighting was more effective above ground. This was a nice raid that brought back fun memories of one of my most memorable TR4 levels. With an established storyline and maybe more time? to work on the level. I think your next level will be great." - StudBuddha

"Excellent little level with amazing textures and lightning. It's a beautiful callback to the Great Library and DCW123 really managed to capture the classic TR4 vibe. Gameplay is quite linear though, mostly consisting of finding levers and opening doors. The level plays smooth, though some additional difficulty like timed runs or deadly traps would really compliment this level. Blasting skeletons into pits is always fun. My main issue is how incredible short this level is and I truly hope DCW123 will expend this level in the future to add another hour or two to it! Definitely worth half the hour it takes to finish, but leaves you with yearning for more." - Baslakor

"A return to what feels like the beta version of TR4's Lost Library, with some modified colors and objects and a significantly improved version of the classic outfit. The gameplay is linear, combining familiar aspects of the end of the Alexandria levels with only a few modifications in layout and some simplification of the gameplay. In terms of evoking the classic TR feel, it's spot on, but unfortunately there isn't a lot to really do beyond running between largely empty rooms and dispatching a few skeletons into spike pits. Puzzles mostly focused on finding the right lever to pull, and I found that progressing through the level offered little in terms of environmental variety or mental challenge. I think where it succeeded best was evoking the classics, but perhaps it would have been improved with some gameplay additions that riffed on, rather than repeated, the familiar setting. The spinning mechanical wheels always seemed like an interesting part of the library, but their purpose doesn't seem clear here, and it would have been fun to explore something new. Water textures varied, with some appearing to lack animation, but other than that the textures, object choices, and lighting were fine if a bit repetitive and monotone. Enemies (scorpions, skeletons, bats, and a shark a little too ready to come out of the water) were not difficult but showed up at annoying places, making combat feel more like a chore than like excitement. The level's success is also its weakness: by purposefully staying too close to the classic source material, the level was a bit robbed of its potentials for originality. The areas that used Tomb Editor's new diagonal walls were perhaps the most interesting, and suggested what the author could do if attempting to use classic assets but build something entirely new. 45 minutes to complete (I missed the doorway to the gem room and had to run around retracing my steps), found 2/3 secrets." - Cbl

"In terms of appearance,this 40 minute level is really rather effective.It successfully conveys an impression of an elegant yet sinister environment,where all sorts of potential nastiness could be lurking around every explorable corner...except that it isn't. Sure,you get a bunch of skeletons lurking in dark corners;but as they all feel the necessity to hang around in the immediate environs of deep pits (and as Lara already has the Shotgun in her Inventory,without the need for the player having to locate it somewhere) it's no challenge to defeat them.The same goes for the fire wraiths,which are triggered mere yards from the nearby pool.The gameplay itself is nothing that will require many players to reach for the Walkthrough either - although it has a pleasant fluency about it. Most of the traps are easy to negotiate;and the secret areas positively invite you to locate them.I found the most entertaining element to be the Hammerhead Shark (solitary unlikely denizen of a small underground lake) nibbling at Lara while she stood on dry land.It many ways this level resembled not so much the TR4 original,but Batotel's 'The Dome' - and where that was 'basically green',this is basically bronze. It's an appealing colour,and the level is an appealing piece of construction - but there's really not much more to it than that." - Orbit Dream

"I was part of the betatesting team of this level and just as I told the author himself, I was very glad to see everything that could have been wrong was fixed! The level offers a short raid of about half an hour with some simplistic but effective gameplay, in fact what this game concentrates onto is the atmosphere and texturing that, just like the competition says, had to delivered nostalgia, so let's be frank I don't like TR4, but I can't lie that this level made me feel like the old times (5 years ago) in which I would play Tomb Raider together with my father. You like tr4? Well good for you, this level will feel like a totally legit tr4 game! Give it a try! Wolfy Regards." - Wolf7