Level reviews

"Another one of my favourites. I love “City” category for the most part, and this level is a great example of how to do it right. It is big, atmospheric and every part is unique. I especially like the Library and Market sections.Got a bit confused towards the end of the level and I don’t think I got all the secrets here, but still, this is one of the levels I keep on my hard drive and cherish the memories when me and my kids played it." - MaxDeaconVR

"Just under three hours of quality gameplay here. Initially I was intimidated by the vastness of the areas but there are a lot of landmarks which you soon become familiar with. There can be a lot of backtracking but eventually some connecting doors will open to aid your progress more quickly. I did require some help from a video walkthrough but amazingly, I found everything ran quite fluidly and I was able to progress smoothly without too many clues. The birds eye view of the rooftops was breath-taking but again, a little intimidating when I thought I would be performing most tasks from those lofty positions! I found the Cathedral and Church music very soothing and felt guilty for shooting everything in sight when I got stuck :D The end was really well done with Lara on the harp and the homeless guy on the lute with the birds 'dancing' (pecking in tune!) and some ice skaters. Then the scene pans out beautifully around the locations until we see Santa on the Cathedral roof. A very enjoyable evening spent playing this." - High Priestess

"I love me a good Christmas Level, and this is right up there with the best. A nice fun Crhistmassy experience that looks great, gameplay is fun and engaging and just chill vibes overall! Would recommend to players of all skill levels :)" - Feats

"Nice medium length level with somewhat diverse gameplay. It's a Christmas level, but not obnoxiously Christmas-themed. (You can play it in winter.) The town looks pretty and is very elaborate. The gameplay is mostly a long winded item hunt. Although the camera flight at the start gives a foretaste, I thought this level was more elaborate and and larger than I thought at first. Some of the custom elements are pretty nice (scissors and how to beat them). As is common in this type of level, you can easily get lost without knowing where to get next. This isn't made easier by the camera hints, which often show still unreachable parts of the level that come much later. I encountered one bug: you can get literally stuck in one of the alcoves near the skull key. (That happening made me miss the skull key...) Conclusion: I recommend this level very much." - tuxraider

"This level is a very chill and cozy christmas level, and for what it is, it's an AMAZING level.
I want to start with the positives:
It has good and funny cutscenes (it looks like a Christmas Movie afterall! Especially the ending!). They were well done.
The areas are amazing. They are big and EXTREMELY detailed. I really love it. The only issue with it is that sometimes things blend a bit too well(even the secrets, which at least it can be justified), and the level of detail causes lag in many places sadly.
The atmosphere is very fitting. It looks all so cozy and warm despite the snowy environment, it really makes you feel part of the story. It's great! Moreover, I love the nice touch of the different ambient and music when you get inside different buildings. I love that!
Gameplay-wise, the map is big, but I never got lost. The main reason is that every single area had some landmarks, making you remember exactly the whole map very easily. This was done perfectly.
Moreover, I loved the shortcuts added after finishing some sections. That really helps you not save/reload every 2 seconds like in most levels.
Difficulty-wise, it's not that hard. Sometimes you may get stuck here and there, but it's not too bad. The level was pretty simple for the most part.

Overall, this level is a very fitting Christmas level. It has the best vibes for a snowy Christmas, and it's totally meant to be played at least once!

Recommended? Must-Play. Totally recommended if you want to have a cozy Christmas with TRLE!

Difficulty? Easy.

Duration? Approx. 2h15m-3h

" - TombExplorer

" Your team effort is fantastic, as always. Enjoyable, smooth gameplay with a calm atmosphere, and just the right amount of interaction. Here's my review!

Gameplay & Puzzles - 9
+ The doors opening to provide shortcuts to prevent backtracking was quite considerate.
+The advice about getting the artifact before exploring the church was wonderful. Thank you for this; I might have gotten stuck there.
+ The outcome in the barber shop? LOVED IT!! It was a quirky touch. And the guy just sat there while Lara was being attacked by a gigantic pair of barber scissors 🤣
• The bookstore code hint was easy-pickin's, and I figured it out immediately upon seeing the plaque. But I see that this is somewhere people could get stuck. (Not taking off a point for this.)
• The wooden scaffolding near the tower - I pushed it out the wrong way 🤣 and got stuck on what to do for a while. I also consulted Saki Croft's video walkthrough to help me; her gameplay was clear, and I pushed the scaffolding out the correct way in the end. I initially pushed it where the other piece of scaffolding was, where you find the second secret by the feeding birds on the roof. I think that's a me-problem, not a you-problem.
- I usually get lost and am terrible with directions in real-life, but I used the objects and landmarks to get me through (e.g. look to the right of the bicycle for the barber-shop entrance; go to the left entrance from the cupid statue in the quad). I would have liked some signs to help me navigate the streets.
- I was a bit confused as to what to do on the tower after I collected the pistol, but the walkthrough helped me out here and I managed to find the door to shoot on the tower.

Enemies, Objects & Secrets - 10
+ No enemies. Brilliant! (Also, I scare easily so this was just the right amount of 'round-the-corner anticipation.)
+ I loved the hiding-in-plain-sight secret! (I found 2 out of 4 secrets.)
+ The shark plushie 🤣 loved it.
+ I was stunned at the level of detail with the wall-plates, and the wooden benches with the lattice screens.

Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras - 10
+ Beautiful and accurate atmosphere. I appreciate the music changes when you enter and exit the cathedrals/religious spaces.
+ The voice-acting is clear and brilliant, as usual.
+ I demand a full version of EssGee's rock album, please. That sound clip reminded me of Mötley Crüe/Anthrax/Poison a bit.
+ I loved the detail of the characters. One of the characters showed us that Groove is in the heart.

Lighting & Textures - 10
+ An interesting thing I noticed was that when I play TRLE levels, I forget what I was supposed to do when I reload after a day or two. (What object was I supposed to collect? Where am I again?) But I didn't have that problem here. Each room had its own magic, so I instantly remembered what I had to do because of the uniqueness of each space, and this jogged my memory. It wasn't even a sudden jarring change with each room, because there was a consistent Moroccan-Spanish theme.
+ The city was warmly lit, and I felt like it was a 'community' city.
• Some parts of the crypt were really dark - but what did I expect from underground crypts? There were enough flares to carry me through.

Overall rating: (9+10+10+10)/4 = 9.75

I wasn't frustrated, and I was compelled to find out more when I reloaded the game the next day. I took some time over 2 days to play this level, and in total, my gameplay lasted 2 hours and 58 minutes (I was juuust shy of 3 hours). I loved this level, and was quite sad when it ended. Thank you for your effort! It's earned a rightfully-deserved spot in the Hall of Fame. " - MedievalMetal

"Good level almost two hours for me in the city of Sevilla with its many historical and religious influences, this is shown in the different places explored here in the textures objects and musics. This was interesting to see many new textures and beautiful objects and it was cool to see again some stuff from The Persia back to basics package. Gameplay is largely based on finding and using objects , that was not that simple as if you forget one you can run into circles until you are familiar with the different places. The best part was when Lara was on the roofs and balconies. I noticed a few textures not placed as they should , a pair of textures should be placed on a wall and not in a corner. Good city ambience, and lovely camera sequences. Not the most immersive Christmas level i've played but certainly recommanded for all the good work on display." - eRIC

"The gameplay elements that make up this level are simple indeed, almost just routine, but overall things can get mighty confusing as you try to navigate your way through this very complex and non-linear environment. All aspects of the visuals are sublime, and accompanied by surprisingly little lag. A class act." - Dick

"This level was very good, I had lots of fun playing it. The puzzles weren't too difficult, ranging from pulling levers to giving santa his christmas meal, but they were very creative for the most part. Seville looks phenomenal, with orange trees, vines and beautiful architecture. I especially loved the little underground mosque at the end. Secrets were based on spanish artefacts and very well hidden, sometimes in plain sight. The reference to ''The Barber of Seville'' was clever and funny. Textures were detailed and lighting, especially in the mosque, very effective. Summary: A well-rounded christmas adventure, maybe too easy at times, but definitely unique and memorable. Recommended." - Aries

"I originally wanted to play this before Christmas but didnt have time so I played it now on January. Despite of that- for me the atmosphere is cozy and festive, I enjoyed playing. I like levels with no enemies, just puzzles, jumps and doing good deeds for Santa :D I recommend this level. Have fun !" - Lioness_86

"Lara has a huge town to explore while she gets a band set up to perform some music. That includes a church, catacombs, houses (it seems Santa owns a vacation home here), town squares and various shops. I certainly have no complaints in the visual department, every area is highly immersive. As for gameplay, it is mostly a scavenger hunt which is par for the course in an advent calendar level, but there are some simple pushable block sequences and even combat against a new type of foe...sentient scissors? Well that's unexpected, and Lara's weapon of choice even more so! Camera cues are used consistently and effectively to give you an idea where to go next, so this should be an easygoing raid for most players (the only part that stumped me was the plush shark, as I didn't recognize DJ Full). Definitely a good choice to play if you want to get into the holiday spirit. 1 hour 39 minutes." - JesseG

"With an impressive architecture and texturization, the authors tried hard to give enough hints to the players with on-screen texts or many flybys and camera shots; good work in that sense. There is certain backtracking, but never annoying because it's really a pleasure to explore the marvellous environments you'll find here. The musics are very well chosen too and the secrets (I only found two) are reasonably hidden. Definitely a masterpiece you can't miss. Congratulations to the team!" - Jose

"I had a grand time during the first 90% of this charming level, enjoying the colorful and festive surroundings while making my way from shop to shop and savoring the fine details, down to the little birds scratching for food in the snow. Then it became dark and spooky, pretty much destroying the Christmas spirit that had been building up nicely to that point. I suspect that having too many cooks in the kitchen may have spoiled the broth a bit, as that section down in the crypt could and should have been left out. Moreover, I floundered about forever trying to find the finish trigger and finally consulted a video walk to refresh my recollection as to the location of that harp (which is easy to walk right past without noticing it). But then the final cut scene helped improve a mood that had become by that time rather gloomy. The gameplay is quite complex, so I was happy to have Dutchy's trusty walkthrough close by to guide me along. Lighting (except for that part in the crypt) is perfect throughout, and I never once thought about lighting a flare. And exploring a charming village--for the most part outdoors--during a light snowfall was a welcome change from the usual tunnels and ducts we encounter in custom levels. Highly recommended." - Phil

"This Christmas adventure is absolutely worth the wait and the LBAC ends on a really high note here. After Prague the next large city Lara visits and there is really a lot to do before you get to see the amazing final cutscene. The door puzzle and the barbershop were great fun, but sometimes the progression is a bit dull, like when all you do in a building is finding an item and exit again. The timed runs are overly generous and the exploration of the roofs is underdone in my opinion. Still the labourious exploration is satisfying and there are many nice scenes so it never gets boring. The object design and placement is amazing and the four secrets are well hidden, some are very sneaky. The atmosphere is great, sounds and cameras are perfect; there are some minor design issues like paperthin floors but none of which affects the impression seriously - and the 10 in the third category is deserved almost for the final cutscene alone. The texturing and lighting are very good as well, also with minor issues, I personally did not like the 2D textures on buildings so much that try to create a 3D look, but nevertheless I think they are very professionally made and placed. A very nice and festive raid I spent 50 minutes in - strongly recommended!" - manarch2

"What an unexpected belated Christmas present! I couldn't stop playing I was having such a good time. The city looks beautiful and Lara finds some interesting tasks to keep herself amused before joining the concert at the end of the day. I enjoyed the humour – in particular the visit to the barber's shop, which was delightfully quirky. Just a big thank you to all involved for making this one of the best, most enjoyable Advent Calendars for years." - Jay

"Level created by some members of the Ak 2019 Team, set in the exotic Seville, a Spanish city with the almohade past. Once part of the ancient Caliphate of Cordoba that ruled the al-Andalus, now the capital of Andalusia. Walking around the city are detailed reconstructions of Arab monuments, where the Giralda stands, the ancient minaret turned into a bell tower. And Giralda itself will be one of Lara's destinations, along with the magnificent cathedral. Between hilarious puzzles inspired by the "Barber of Seville", up to the crypts of the cathedral, Lara will meet well-known figures in the world of TRLE and beyond, progressing to the final destination. Graphically we are facing a sensational level, despite the limited time available for its realization: the base of the Persian Back to Basics is always a joy for the eyes, and for those who worship the charm of the "Oriental Nights" will be satisfied. The gameplay is varied, with funny and grotesque (non-spoiler) heights of genius that will tear you big laughs. An ideal level for the Christmas period, which closes a sensational Advent Kalendar :D" - Talos

"What an awesome level this was! Creative and funny at times, the Barber Shop part which was hilarious ! This team effort was a success , I have only positive things to say about , great adventure!" - young Lara Croft

"Here's a wonderful way to top off this year's brilliant Advent Calendar offerings. The cityscape you explore here is absolutely gorgeous and the sense of realism is extremely palpable with the various classy buildings, archways, posters and inhabitants. The town takes a lot of exploring and there seems to be various ways to accomplish your tasks, as well as it apparently being possible to finish the level without exploring every inch of the level. I thought this was a rather dicey way of setting out a level, but everything seemed to work out for me and my enjoyment of the level wasn't spoiled. Just be careful not to get turned round too much. AgentXP's and DJ Full's voiceovers were absolutely brilliant and the final flyby is positively heartwarming and stunning. The whole level exudes Christmas cheer from start to finish. Very well done indeed." - Ryan

"Thanks, Team, for an amazingly beautiful, stupendous Christmas game. Besides being an eye candy, it has creative and fun novelties in gameplay, as the scissors' sequence, for example, quite well placed camera hints, lovely objects, immense variety of actions, breathtaking panoramas and rooms, and perfect atmosphere. As for the music, it is great, and the authors had the good taste of including, at the end, a part of the Concierto de Aranjuez, by Joaquin Rodrigo. Congratulations!" - Josey

"I really don't think it's a normal thing to snow in Seville! But this is Lara Croft in such a lovely team effort, so who cares? And, yes, I just checked and it seems it actually snowed there in 1954 and 2010. I loved the wonderful textures and sceneries as well as all the (sometimes confusing - because you can do at least one thing quite properly in an unintended manner) inspired puzzles and exploration. That barber shop scene was unequivocally DJ Full-inspired and quite a laugh. I found all four secrets and loved the musical finale. I thought of rating gameplay 9 throughout most of the adventure but, let's be fair and, furthermore, fair in rating it for the marvelous gift it is. It deserves a ten. It all deserves a ten. Thank you so much, team Christmas, for this grand, eye-candy gift." - Jorge22

"And the Advent Calendar 2019 comes to an ending with a bang! Just like Christmas in Prague, we are given another massive city to explore in and out in search for a number of different items with a few puzzles along the way. I couldn't help but laugh at the way jokenpo was interpreted here - with a nice nod to EssGee - , and so many other little details brought a smile to my face such as DJ Full's appearance (does that mean he lives in Lara's world now? How can I move in as well?), his desired toy shark, and the fascinating ending cutscene. The sheer size of the city had me running in circles more often than I care to admit, and I finished with an unused hook which may have been a pickup simply to break a rope, but I was so enthralled by the atmosphere I couldn't stop playing until I hit the finish trigger. Congratulations to everyone involved in still making the Advent Calendar happen nearly two decades later and thank you for the joyful adventures! 100 minutes, 2 secrets. 12/19" - Treeble