Level reviews

"A very fine level set in South Pacific but quite different from TR3s original atmosphere. There is something peculiar to it with this yellow-greenish light that is interesting, though I also found it a little strange to look up and see a big blue sky but still have a kind of dusky atmosphere outdoors. The level is indeed rather dark but you have plenty of flares lying around and also a whole lot of ammo scattered all over the place. As for enemies they're mostly villagers and dinos - I didn't care when I was a kid but these days it feels a little problematic to me to be killing all these indigenous people who never asked for anything (at the end of the day I think all levels should be like Barkhang's Monastery and you should have the choice to either shoot'em all or leave everyone alone), but apart from that I enjoyed the level a lot, there's some good ideas, like the thematic secrets, and I'm particularly fond of the beginning and ending, it really makes sense to have Lara start at her base camp, and the TR musics chosen for opening and closing the game are absolutely perfect :)" - OrFractal

"It has been quite a while since I played a level by this builder and this is the first of his releases since his return to building after a long hiatus. True to his style it plays as a rather linear adventure with initially very basic gameplay (switch, corridor, door, switch, corridor, door,...) and a little further along it gets spiced up with encounters with natives more and more - if my count was right, almost 30 (!) of them in total, which frankly I thought was a bit too much. Also, they tend to poison you if you are not careful and I was not at the beginning and then quickly ran out of medipacks and had to actually go back to a previous save to be able to make it to the end alive. The secrets are a very nice addition here and it is always very satisfying to blow up enemies with the rocket launcher. The pyramid was an interesting architectural choice and the final room with the blade traps was surprisingly easy to navigate, as you can shimmy past most of them anyway. Good clean and rather undemanding fun. I look forward to catching up with all the other many releases by this builder from recent years." - MichaelP

"In terms of gameplay i think the first half of the level is quite weak and disappointing with mostly simple and basic platforming and exploring for switches or objects in caves and underwater areas, thankfully things do improve considerably when the level eventually introduces more traps, tribesmen and raptor enemies and ramps up the difficulty effort on exploration and platforming, as before this the only fun to be had was looking for the secrets. Layout, structure and environment have been done very well with lots of variety of different areas to explore and structures to navigate up and around. I have to say half the time i actually thought it felt more like a jungle level with the environment your exploring combined with a lot of the jungle textures and music from India in TR3. The highlights for me was the few traps we did get, the gold river secret area, some of the platforming later on and of course the ending trap sequence (although i think this could of been even better if this was on a timer) its only a shame it ended all too soon just when it was finally becoming more fun and enjoyable." - John

"(6) Gameplay & Puzzles: This is a very easy adventure that took me about 50 minutes. Unfortunately there are no real puzzles and the first 20% or so isn't engaging at all, with plenty of pulling levers and opening doors. The gameplay does step up once you reach larger areas with pyramid structures, as the exploration becomes more interesting here. The gameplay flow is disrupted in the midgame, in a large area with a gold river. This area doesn't have anything to do with the main progression, which I find very strange. There's a neat little platforming sequence near the end of the game involving blade traps; I just wish that more of these moments had been sprinkled in here and there across the adventure. Also, near the end of the game is a central pillar in an indoor area. You're supposed to pull a lever on this central pillar, and it activates a trapdoor above, and you're supposed to jump onto this trapdoor in order to access a corridor that's up high. However, this is not needed as you can just running-jump from the roof area into the corridor, completely bypassing the trapdoor. (8) Enemies, Objects & Secrets: The enemy engagements are well-executed for the most part, although there is an engagement in the early game with 2 melee natives, and there's a 2-click high ledge right there for Lara to stand on to avoid their attacks. Throughout the adventure, poison-dart shooting guys are certainly annoying, but it felt rewarding for me to take a group of them out without suffering any poison damage. Static object decor is attractive, especially the decor around the native living areas. Hunting for the rocket secrets was my most-enjoyed aspect of the game, as they required more thorough exploration from the player (as opposed to blazing from point A to B to C, pulling levers). (7) Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras: The atmosphere is attractive in man-made areas, but many of the rocky boundaries and cliffs are boxy looking. The music cues are well-utilized, as are camera hints, although I think there needed to be more in terms of immersion-building camerawork. (7) Lighting & Textures: This level looks polished and professional visually, although the omnipresent yellow lighting started straining my eyes after a while. There are no issues with visibility/darkness however, with plenty of flares. Texturing is mostly competent, and I didn't spot any misshapen textures, although wallpapering is quite common. Overall, while I wasn't keen on the gameplay of this level, it's interesting to see how the builder has grown. Nowadays the builder retains the same "no stress" style of gameplay, yet has improved by incorporating engaging exploration and puzzles. 6/8/7/7." - nerdfury

"I'm gonna speak again about a mistake which isn't big but, if it occurs all the time, it successfully distracts from the game. So it would be a full 8 if not for - yes, you guessed right - lighting. It's much more about contrast, not about colors, and you can play levels which teach you how to do it perfectly, so why did it have to be that yellow tint all the time. The rest is okay. A bit easy to miss big things, but I just reloaded to get them." - DJ Full

"This is sadly my least favourite TR 3 level of Peter. It does not start well with many long passages, mainly underwater, just to find a lever and return. There is little creativity in the gameplay overall, but later on it picks up slightly with a few smaller puzzles and tasks but progression is still very dull and uninspired. The late timed run with the platform is skippable as you can jump to the uppermost platform from the top of the central structure. Otherwise, I was glad when the level ended after 35 minutes, despite the visuals and enemies being halfway decent (though not on par with the previous level of the builder with too squaric architecture even in outside areas and some rooms being rather barren, despite mostly good texturing and lighting). I liked the lava river area but it was certainly underused just for a secret. Perhaps the builder could take a bit more tíme for his next level to produce a game that is not only playable but also more immersive and creative, as this felt more like a sightseeing trip at times with gameplay being somewhat secondary. Found 5 of 6 secrets." - manarch2

"Even when there are no special features here, it's a classic TR3 level very nice to play, with no complications or hard tasks and a lineal gameplay. The enemies are well balanced and, as usual from this author, there are generous pickups but few objects to ornate the rooms. The best was the good atmosphere, with well chosen and placed musics and correct use of camera hints. Ideal to all those TR3 nostalgics. Recommended. Good work, Peter." - Jose

"Although TR3 levels are a bit crude by today's Next Generation standards, it's really nice to see that the nostalgic spirit is still alive and StormChaser has clearly found his niche here as this is another nicely made and enjoyable offering. Although level progression is generally simple and linear and gameplay isn't groundbreaking, there is a definite action and entertainment factor packed in with plenty of traps, swimming and a plentiful amount of raptor and native enemies (more than enough supplies are scattered around, although I did find those ubiquitous blowdart natives a pain in the proverbial backside). The six secrets are enjoyable to scout out and collect and the architecture of the level is structured nicely, with the sloping stone pyramid structure being among the highlights. Definitely worth a look." - Ryan

"Whilst I find TR3 style raiding a bit cumbersome these days, I know there is a definite appetite amongst players for the genre so it's good that builders are still producing them. This is a classic South Pacific level with a good atmosphere, lots of unfriendly natives and some well balanced gameplay and I have to confess to feeling a nostalgia rush so perhaps I should play more TR3. Suitable for players of all abilities, apart from absolute newbies. Recommended." - Jay

"A relatively straightforward raid through some jungle ruins. Gameplay is mostly combat against spearmen and poison dart throwers, but also includes some exploration, as well as some traps and golden lava to avoid. There are some good architectual moments, particularly in the temple areas. The looks are good, although some walls and hills are a bit wallpapered, and some textures are misaligned. Overall, I would have liked to see more substance to this level but it is still a nice TR3 raid that I would recommend to players. 1 hour." - JesseG

"Solid Tomb Raider 3 level of around an hour duration. There is nothing overly spectacular here but as I said it is a solid level and quite enjoyable although those poison dart guys gave me the sh**s. Only time I had to pause was when trying to find the skull key in the river of lava area, otherwise the level flowed smoothly. Found the rocket launcher right at the start which you do not really need but I finished the level without the shotgun so I may play this again just to find the damn thing. Thanks StormChaser." - Torry

"It's been a while since I've tried a TR3 level so I thought I'd give Storm Chaser's latest a go, so here I am. What I liked about the level: 1) The nostalgic feel of playing TR3 again is lovely. That music just brought back such good memories, so thank you for that. 2) I liked the jumping required along the "pyramid like" sloped architecture. 3) Underwater tunnels are not too long or complicated. 4) I liked being able to climb up to the natural bridge to get across the yellow toxic waterfall pool to see what's up there. 5) I enjoyed navigating the quicksand swamp. 6) Being able to shoot the raptor from a safe distance is my kind of combat style, so thank you for putting in that option. What I didn't like: 1) It didn't occur to me that it was possible to go back through the skeleton spiked traps corridor after obtaining the secret, so I spent quite a while running around the yellow lava area looking for a way to proceed. 2) I found the predominant "yellowishness" of the level not exactly my favourite atmospheric colour. Pushing up the gamma helped a lot in that regard, but I'm not sure if that's what the builder had in mind for his level. 3) Given that the first time I played one of this builder's levels there was a spot where you are being shot in the back by a Guardian while crawling, I expected the same here and was not mistaken. The builder is hell bent on making the player use a medipack before finishing the level, so kudos to you if you make it thru without using one. Conclusion: A nice little raid suitable for beginner or average players." - Lizard Queen

"Very nice, south pacific styled level with good design. Gameplay was mostly straight forward but with nice tasks. I really liked the wonderful look of this level, some caves, tribes houses, ruins and greeny terrains. Athmosphere is the best point of this level, really wonderful. Also lighting and texturization was also cool,but sometimes a bit repetitive. I found 5/6 secrets, some was good hidden but somes was to easy hidden. Overally, very good TR3 level that is worth playing!" - BlackWolfTR