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Aspidetr Easter Time 2023 - The Cabin in the Wood by Greywolf

BlackWolfTR 9 9 9 8
DJ Full 4 9 10 9
Jay 8 9 9 8
JesseG 8 8 9 8
Jorge22 7 9 9 9
Nillc 9 9 8 8
Phil 8 8 8 8
Ryan 8 8 9 9
tuxraider 8 7 8 8
 
release date: 10-Apr-2023
# of downloads: 280

average rating: 8.31
review count: 9
 
review this level

file size: 90.70 MB
file type: TR4
class: Easter
 


author profile(s):
email(s):
greywolfdgl@libero.it

Reviewer's comments
"The last two reviews pretty much mirror my own impressions of this level, so I won't elaborate. With Young Lara you have no flares, and there are some dark tunnels where flares would have come in quite handy, but for the most part the environs are pleasing to the eye and lighting is such that navigation is never an issue. I found the putative puzzle clues to be a bit on the cryptic side, so I just referred to the video walks in describing the necessary moves in my written walk and didn't bother trying to document their rationale. The boulder animation was rather buggy and caused the concluding puzzle to drag out for even longer than it should have. And when the third and final level begins, you're given only a few seconds to (1) find a way out of the woods and (2) get it done before a fatal dose of unseen death rays brings the game to a screeching halt. In sum, this is a pleasant enough raid that's certainly fun to play, although it won't win any awards." - Phil (09-May-2023)
"Another quirky, puzzling and quite charming Easter release from this reliable builder. You can always count on a raid that requires you to use your brain from Greywolf and this is no exception. A couple of the puzzles do lean more into the realms of obscurity than I would have found ideal: namely the nine- lever puzzle which was a bit too clever for its own good, and the ending escape scene which seemed to rely on luck more than anything else. I would have preferred less crawling through dark tunnels as well; that did get a bit wearying rather fast. The enjoyable sections do make up for that though, I particularly enjoyed the search for the Easter eggs, the platform timed run and the basement block puzzle. Nicely done overall." - Ryan (08-May-2023)
"Short level, nice looking and with interesting and innovative (but sometimes tricky) gameplay.

GAMEPLAY: It's about exploring and getting access in the beginning. It gets more puzzle-heavy later. Sometimes tricky with tight timeruns or hard to figure out puzzles. There are many situations in which you can die suddenly. What I found really confusing is that a "save now!" message appeared in some places, but not in the really dangerous places. No weapons in the entire game. Some story-telling with cut sequences.

VISUALS: It looks really good and elaborate. For such a short level, there are many different places, like the forest, inside the hut, in caves. I could have used some flares in the darker areas.

I DISLIKED:

  • I couldn't (or didn't want to) figure out the tiles puzzles on my own. The puzzle with the 10 levers left me completely lost, even with the hint I collected. I bet most players will need the WT towards the end, even if it's not that complicated.
  • You need some (old) new moves, but only near the end, which I think will be bad for inexperienced players.
  • Somewhere in the forest fixed cameras are used to prevent you from looking at the untextured out of level areas, which I think isn't an ideal solution.

I LIKED:

  • Good visuals and story, well put together, everything feels interesting. Very creative.
  • Much variety both visually and in gameplay.
  • I liked the item hunting inside the hut most.

" - tuxraider (28-Apr-2023)
"Bugs/Functional Issues
  • In the first encounter with the witch, I would randomly get the "Game Over" message even though Lara was walking around perfectly fine. I just had to keep reloading until I could get her to safety.
Disliked
  • A majority of the underwater switches were missing camera cues. I don't think I ever found out what those did, perhaps it was for a secret?
  • In regards to the area with the three puzzle dice, I don't see why a player would ever expect a random crack in the wall to appear when a specific die has a specific orientation. What makes this particularly nasty is that this orientation is different from the solution of the puzzle, so players will finish solving it and then wonder why they are still stuck.
  • This is a minor complaint, but solving a puzzle by pushing a rolling ball one tile at a time takes more time than it should.
Neutral
  • Lighting is hit and miss. Some areas have flat lighting but others are well done.
Liked
  • The level starts off as an easter egg hunt. There are no enemies to worry about, so this should prove to be a good choice for players seeking that laid back advent vibe.
  • There are quite a few fun puzzles to solve here. Players will see the standard fare of blocks to push, but characters will give her other kinds of riddles that she will need to figure out to progress.
  • Overall the environment is well decorated.
Time: 1 hour 28 minutes | Difficulty: Medium | Rating: 8.25/10" - JesseG (26-Apr-2023)
"I mostly enjoyed this quirky Easter level, with its inventive puzzles and the interesting idea of having Lara captured by Baba Yaga, although I did have to dip into a walkthrough from time to time as some of the underground areas confused me (easily done, I’ll admit). I very much liked the beautiful open air environments and would have preferred to have spent more time there rather than crawling around dark passages. Overall though, I’d say this is definitely worth playing." - Jay (24-Apr-2023)
"Challenging, I say. But how is it challenging? This level is strongly based on very confusing puzzles, at least to me, excluding things like a nice timed run across platforms that stand above the water for a short while, and ok, I admit I had to check the walkthrough because maybe I'm just not smart enough to solve most of them, or maybe I'm just not good enough a player to check every nook and crannie at every possible time. And then, what about that start of the third level, in which you always get game over unless you're actually aware you have to immediately roll, jump and run to a small entrance in the woods? So yes, I liked it, but I thought it was a few steps above cryptic. As for the rest of it, atmosphere, settings, sounds (even though there was a rolling boulder that didn't make a sound), it was all good, and in the Season's spirit." - Jorge22 (19-Apr-2023)
"It begins in a splendid way, like old good Easter levels... Then it ticks absolutely every box possible to tick in order to annoy a player. It's like if the author took my previous reviews and applied exactly the opposite to whatever I advised. Wouldn't recommend this level even to my sworn enemies, if there are any." - DJ Full (15-Apr-2023)
"In the past years Greywolf provided us with stunning Easter and Christmas levels; this year she comes back with a brand-new adventure for our Lara: a simple and fun hunt for Easter Eggs results in a rendez vous with a wicked witch of Russian folklore, who will take our hero into a dramatic adventure midway from a fairy tale, a dream... and a nightmare! Despite the spooky premises, the three (short) levels are enjoyable and relaxing: the gameplay is based on platforming, exploration and puzzles; the latter are eccentic, because they are riddles and require clues and mind-working. There are some moments in which Lara can die or be hurt. The world created by Greywolf is beautiful and peaceful, even the spooky hut of the witch; playing the levels, you'll meet talking animals, wizards and other magical creatures. There are some bugs, most of them are listed by the author in the readme but there are others; none of them compromises the game. An average skill is required in order to complete the levelset, which will provide you with a fun, relaxing hour of playing." - Nillc (12-Apr-2023)
"It's great to see another easter-themed level. This one consists of three separate levels. We explore meadows, forests, caves, and even the hut of Baba Yaga. There is a nice variety. Gameplay is varied too. I love the sheer number of clever puzzles the author prepared for us. There are a lot of creative ideas that I've never seen before in any custom level. For some players, there might be too much pushing of blocks, but it doesn't really bother me as the puzzles were, as I said, interesting. I wish there had been some more gameplay outside; I loved the forest, and it's a pity we don't spend there more time. Forests are a very rare theme in the TRLE world, so I always get excited when I see one. Design-wise, it's pretty good. Exterior areas are beautiful and charming, with lots of trees, plants, and animals - very easterly atmosphere. The lighting is warm, and the textures are well placed. The interiors are a bit poorer in contrast to the exterior, but not bad. They felt a bit empty (mainly in the caves and underground). I would place some more statics, improve the lighting a bit, or even add some transitions. Overall the idea for the game is creative (especially the part in Baba Yaga's hut). It's great to see another level with a forest in TRLE world. It's a great level for an easter raid, with enjoyable gameplay and a charming environment. Recommended!" - BlackWolfTR (10-Apr-2023)