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The Icy Towers by Richard Ba

DJ Full 9 10 9 8
Jay 9 9 9 9
Jorge22 9 10 9 8
Jose 7 9 8 8
Mahetus 9 10 10 8
manarch2 7 9 8 7
nerdfury 9 10 9 7
Phil 9 9 9 9
requiemsoul 7 8 8 7
Ryan 9 10 10 9
Sonia Schalch 10 10 10 9
Wolf7 9 10 10 9
 
release date: 26-Mar-2021
# of downloads: 256

average rating: 8.83
review count: 12
 
review this level

file size: 111.00 MB
file type: TR4
class: Cold/Snowy
 


author profile(s):
email(s):
richardtrle@gmail.com

Reviewer's comments
"Creative. I like how it changes environment as you progress. Also includes a substantial amount of customizations. The ending happened when it seemed the game is getting to the point, so I hope to see that conclusion one day. Recommended." - DJ Full (13-Apr-2023)
"This level has a lot of new and cool objects, also you can find some fresh ideas and nice textures. The gameplay is not very pleasant with many traps to avoid and several areas with icy waters where you can get freezed. It notices an effort to create a good atmosphere and the lighting is usually good. Not really hard tasks but sometimes you can get disoriented. Why place three demigods in such a small room? Near the end of the one of the four passages I had to diagonally run off the edge to reach the lower opening 'cause if I tried to jump with grab to land into the opening the game always crashed. Really a professional level not easy to play with new features but not very entertaining for me to play." - Jose (09-Sep-2021)
"A very long time after the builder's previous level the trilogy is continued and indeed the builder's skills have evolved over the time ;). The gameplay is quite fast paced mostly and full of different traps, timed runs and platforming; not so much in terms of puzzles except of e.g. a rather tedious four-lever puzzle. I liked some unorthodox ideas here, although variety is somewhat missing and sadly the crashes in the corridor with the pushable were rather nasty. There are some very nice new objects used here and enemies also look quite fancy, although the mostly "grouped" placement was a bit plain and the placements could be more effective. Atmosphere is rather interesting and definately the otherworldli-ness worked nicely here, but all in all the areas do still feel a bit blocky and hallwayish and the lighting is also a bit monotone, a lot more could be done here in my opinion. The texturing is okay, but also not outstanding. All in all an enjoyable, because 'different', 40 minute level with three not hard but interesting secrets to find. Looking forward to the third part... hopefully it doesn't take another 17 years to finish it." - manarch2 (30-Aug-2021)
"Another overrated level like almost all new releases. Too many new players and beta testers rating the levels? Some challenge is interesting like the maze or the trap section, but there are few puzles and The lighting and atmosphere are not ver colorful. The ending is very abrupt." - requiemsoul (23-Apr-2021)
"Great Level and the atmosphere is amazing! I loved it!" - Sonia Schalch (16-Apr-2021)
"This is a most interesting and atmospheric level, with some intriguing puzzles, notably the switch and door section in the red pool room – I got a bit tangled up with that one, but bumbled my way through eventually. Some of the traps actually look tougher than they are; the boulder and spike corridor towards the end of the game being a case in point – just get your head down, sprint and try not to bang into the walls and you'll be fine. I especially enjoyed the section involving separate quests off a hub room; that's a favourite scenario for me. I'd say this game probably has something for everybody and I heartily recommend it." - Jay (09-Apr-2021)
"That's a really good level with some interesting ideas. Gameplay is constructed well and polished in many aspects, it is also very enjoyable. The whole environment creates a really unique and kinda creepy atmosphere that works on advantage for this level. Secrets have good hidespots they are not that easy to find. Enemies are really interesting, atlantean mutants that are on Baddys slots. I don't remember if I see anything like that in any custom level. Overall enemies have nice customization. Usage of textures are good but I have a little complaint about that, there are some places that I don't really like how some of them are placed and particular areas look kinda monotone especially outside. Although I can understand that author probably wants to make it like this to fit them into the atmosphere of the level. Lighting is rather good but at individual areas it looks kinda flat and I think it should be better. Overall this level is very interesting and it is worth playing. Recommended." - Mahetus (06-Apr-2021)
"A welcome return from another builder from yesteryear and it's abundantly clear that his skills with the editor have greatly improved, as this is far and away his most accomplished effort, light years away from his previous tidbit level. Firstly, the object customisation is masterful and the brand new enemy/object creations and animations were a real sight to behold and really add an extra bit of spice to this adventure. Gameplay is nicely pitched at a moderate difficulty level and should be accessible to most raiders, although be cautious as a few of the trap sequence might trip you up. There's a nice balance between puzzle solving, traps and enemy confrontations. The atmosphere is nothing short of stunning too: eerie yet minimalistic with some deliciously unsettling audio files to back it up. Lighting was possibly a bit too dark in places (plenty of flares though) and the texturing outside was a bit uninspired, but the overall look is good. I did encounter quite a few crashes near the very end so I had to glitch my way round them using the flare glitch, but nothing too detracting. Excellent work overall." - Ryan (04-Apr-2021)
"Since I was writing a walkthrough while playing this one, I took probably twice as long as other players to get through, but you should expect to be entertained for at least an hour. The level is laid out in mathematically precise fashion, and I liked the idea of forcing the player on extended excursions to obtain the three optional secrets. There was also a neat four-part door that opened one part at a time, something I'd not seen before in a custom level. I did find legal ways to avoid traps in two areas, both of which are documented in the walkthrough, and I'm surprised that this was not discovered and dealt with during testing. Also, near the end when you raise a block by using a reach-in switch, my game would consistently crash when I tried to pull up through the ceiling hole facing E. When you get about halfway through the level you come to a hub room, and that's where things really start to get interesting. I followed Doggett's video and didn't test to see if the hub segments can be played in any desired order, but when you finish one segment a receptacle stand appears at the entrance to block any attempt to re-explore that segment. When all four segments have been completed, you feed the receptacles to end the game. Very nicely done." - Phil (03-Apr-2021)
"This is a really interesting level, with loads of tasks to do and much exploration, in a universe where some of the architecture and the objects stand out. Unfortunately, I found some places in which Lara would end up trapped inside the snow, plus there was a room (or series of nearby rooms) where I got a lot of crashes, namely when trying to jump ahead (but not only) - luckily, I ended up coping. I also found the lighting to be a little flat in some places, but nothing special. Still, the mix of exploration, original puzzles, enemies and traps was quite ingenious and satisfying, as was the general atmosphere (good sounds used). The ending was, in my view, a bit abrupt, but I can understand if it's a passage to a sequel. To sum it up, quite original and recommended." - Jorge22 (31-Mar-2021)
"(9) Gameplay & Puzzles: I had the pleasure of beta-testing this level and was eager to see any changes at final release. This is a robust single-level adventure (1+ hour) with plenty of varied and engaging tasks, in a totally unique and interesting setting. I had a great time from start to finish, aside from the maze, which drove me absolutely bonkers and I think there should have been some kind of clue as to how to conquer it. There's some backtracking during your exploration to find a number of animal "eyes", but it's not excessive. The platforming and traps are of medium difficulty, however overall I would say this adventure is medium-to-challenging difficulty, as the exploration can be challenging at times. You will need to be very attentive, keeping your eyes open for possible paths or interactive objects during your exploration, which brings me to the next category -- (10) Enemies, Objects & Secrets: There are so many unique enemy and decor objects and it was such a delight to experience them. The builder included a variety of traps too, with my favorite being the supercharged gauntlet hallway in the Felis challenge. HINT: since so many of these objects are unique, you will need to keep your eyes peeled regarding possible interactive and shootable objects. A small detail, but it was a bit weird that there was a solid looking pile of rocks/rubble near the 3 demigods but you can fall through them to your death. Another small issue was that I think the ending was a bit anticlimactic without a final fight -- that said, I still think this category deserves top marks. (9) Atmosphere, Sound & Cameras: The atmosphere is eerie and fascinating throughout. I felt that the outdoor area with the bridge was too cubic/boxy, however all other areas had visually interesting architecture. I really enjoyed the subtle, spooky background music, creating a sense of uneasiness without being overpowering. Another small atmospheric detail that I really appreciated was the occasional unseen presence of Natla. For example, you start in an empty area, and then return later to that area and there's a Natla box that wasn't there before. So you're thinking, "Dang, what's that crazy lady up to?" I would have liked a few more objective cameras overall -- as an example, I would have liked to have seen a flyby showing the player's objective in the Snake challenge -- 4 shootable hearts in 4 different areas. (7) Lighting & Textures: The world is well-lit for the most part, and for the few dark areas, there are plenty of flares. The longer-lasting ones, to my delight. I think the texturing is of a high quality indoors, however the wallpapering along the outdoor cave walls could have used improvement. I felt like the interior lighting could have used more refinement as well, as it didn't look very realistic at times, with flat lighting and no apparent light source. I would have liked to have seen more interior light sources overall, such as torches on the walls, or other objects that could feasibly emit light. Overall, I really enjoyed my exploration here; it's an adventure that feels very "fresh" and I would highly recommend it to people who want to experience an eerie adventure without the darkness typically associated with eerie levels. 9/10/9/7." - nerdfury (28-Mar-2021)
"Another author who came back from the past to give us some new levels, freaking 17 years later his last entry! And he appears that in the time he learnt a lot and has to offer a lot to the editor, I will point out every single good point and flow as I review.
The gameplay got much more interesting the more you proceed inside of the level, proposing itself at first as something easy and normally paced, but soon taking a whole different route into becoming something unique. I did give a 9 because of the wonderful ideas the game shows!
Objects in this game ... oh moly I have not seen so much good customisation over objects since a long time, with entirely new doors, objects and puzzle holes, truly uninque and well deserving of a 10, nowadays only authors as Richard's namesake, Richard Lawther and Marcos, to cite a few, create and use their object in their games, a vibe that is incredible because shows the creativity of the author moving beyond where you would expect it to get.
The Atmosphere from the start was extremely nice, got even more interesting when you move into the bowels of the temple, that almost appears to be alive and maybe it is indeed alive ... who knows, the use of custom objects only enhanced the extraordinary look of everything in the game, managing to be creepy but majestetic at the same time!
I was satisfied enough with the lighting. The texturing might seem a bit dull in the start but gets a lot better the more you move yourself into the game! The temple being the pinnacle of the game's design. A well deserved 9.
An author comes back in the past managing to create an amazing adventure which I would recommend for sure! The uniqueness of the objects used will likely struck in you moments after having finished the level! Wolfy Regards :3" - Wolf7 (27-Mar-2021)