Reviewer's comments |
"Part 4 again follows the same format as in
previous levels. There are again many
levers to pull, no real impressive
moments, mundane tedium (as if there's any
other kind), unconvincing and unattractive
environments and too many guards to kill.
I'm generally fond of Venetian levels but
in all honesty I've seen much better
incarnations than what's presented here.
The dodgy horizon didn't lift my spirits
and the somewhat monotonous green
overlaying fog was overdone. There's a
couple of good gameplay ideas in the form
of a deadly floor room and a timed run,
but that really isn't enough to enliven
the padded out structure of the gameplay." - Ryan (16-Apr-2018) |
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"Ok, so I didn't find the bike near the end of the level. I didn't want
to dozy, otherwise everything in my inventory would be unlimited
and it would be useless to pick up items in the next level. So I did
the cheat of the compass: face north, and in the inventory with the
'load' icon, type the word HELP to skip to the next level ;) Now, as
to the level, Lara visits Venice. Again, there are guards. Some
textures are missing, in other rooms the lighting is greenish.
There are some fixed and unbreakable cameras that are annoying
and don't let see properly. There is a timed run and a lot of
swimming to do. I quite liked this level more than the previous
ones." - alan (24-Nov-2017) |
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"Do not take the bike from the third level with you (like I did) - the bike that is intended to be used in this level otherwise vanishes and you're stuck for good and have to DOZY over the huge gap! That's perhaps the most severe issue of this level, but apart of a few nicer timed runs again there's not much going on in this level at all. In the first area the greenish atmosphere has it's certain something, but since it is repeated in pretty much all rooms it just feels very monotonous and flat (even the large dock area feels just stretched to a maximum), also because the walls of this level are very small and the famous"two-square high corridors" are excessively used in here. Overall rather unexciting stuff and not really fun, yet thankfully short at just over 15 minutes." - manarch2 (09-Oct-2015) |
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"And so it continues. Part 4 seems pretty much on a par with part 3, plus the builder has discovered the use of fixed camera angles, regrettably. There are still lots of guards about, but there are at least one or two quite attractive Venice textures going on and, hurrah, it's still not dark. A couple of interesting ideas do help to relieve the tedium, but it's going to have to perk up considerably in the final parts to get the blood racing through my antique veins." - Jay (29-Jun-2015) |
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"In the same line than previous levels, only pull floor levers here and there to open doors (and a timed run) and shoot soldiers once in a while. Again strategies to make players get stucked; a phanthom wall, no cameras to show the far triggered doors (except in a couple of occassions) and not a clue in the room with poisonous gas to know the safe tiles. This time, after the timed run, I pull a floor lever and a flyby started, but also a soldier appeared back of Lara and started to shoot, so I had to survive presing the "0" and "9" keys till the flyby stopped. At least in the room with the phantom floor and the jumpswitch there was a clue to know the safe tiles this time. Still not a good level for me. We'll see the next one." - Jose (15-May-2015) |
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"After a brief upward turn, the series seems to be sliding backwards again. There are a few nice touches in this Venice setting, such as a room trapped with poisonous gas (with the exception of a safe area), a fairly easy timed run and a jumping exercise in a room with phantom flooring and a jump switch on the far side. But there are too many levers and fixed camera angles, and a brief motorbike ride near the end didn't make up for all the tedium leading up to it. Sorry, but I can't give this one my usual thumbs up." - Phil (02-Apr-2014) |
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"Every bet which Lara had to go after this adventure into the hospital. The water had such an injurious green colour which Lara dies rather of illness causes and not by the bullets of the soldiers. The level is actually quite well. A few cultivated exchanges of fire, a few easy riddles and the nice textures create a cosy atmosphere. Only unfortunately, the paper-thin walls interfere. And the lighting could also have been substantially better. And a few camera hints were still absent. Whom all that does not disturb, can play here about 45 minutes quite a nice level." - Scottie (12-Feb-2010) |
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"This is one of those levels that was just not able to grab me. I was never convinced by the setting; far from feeling that I was in the Venetian Docks it seemed instead as though I were roaming huge rectangular watery areas with Venetian textures pasted on. The gameplay (with the exception of a rather smart 'deadly invisible floor' room was completely straightforward and occasionally silly (the stuffed Rat pointing at the swim-through wall). The bike ride was anticlimactic and the whole level had a 'speed-built' feel; wafer thin walls stretched and missing textures and the dreaded 'end of the world' problem. However it entertained me reasonably enough for an hour which taking into account the truly tiny download means that (at the very least) you'll get considerable value for money." - Orbit Dream (07-Feb-2004) |
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"From a ship we came to the docks. A lot better I might add with more things to do although there are still too many levers. SAS guards the occasional frozen rats and this time we visit sewers and get to ride a bike. I just hate walkthrough walls and one of them was underwater with no indication of it being as such only the frozen mouse pointing at it and a weird texture which everyone can pass by as stretched and nothing else. A lot of swimming is involved with the secrets not being that hard this time I found them all. The setting interesting but I still don't understand why the green water around. Maybe it's the author's favourite colour who knows. One raising block made me swear for some time until I had a look at the forum and find the solution. Not very pleasant but better that the previous ones." - Kristina (04-Jul-2003) |
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"Finally now we're talking. As the name says we're in docklands a sprawling expanse of gettys wharfs warehouses and what seems like a canal that flows out to the 'sea'? Gameplay is pretty easy but involves running and swimming over vast areas. And this level IS huge so much so that yet again we get the background disappearing at a certain distance and can be a bit confusing after each action because you're not sure how many more miles you have to cover to do the next task. Greatly influenced by the original Venice level and we see a building interior with Opera House textures and Bartoli posters. There's a two-tier sewer setup nice touch of the running rat watch the swimming one and a timed run out in the docks area. The oddest looking thing is the water is green 'everywhere'. And finally when you rev up the bike a great leap across to the end." - CC (06-Jun-2003) |
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"Hmm... although this has the best texture set so far the textures simply don't look good overall. The author could have fixed the light green issue (in TR2 light green was transparent while ingame in TR4 pink is transparent). The whole scenery is just too greenish for my liking and lighting was almost non-existent. Gameplay also well in case you're wondering about the frozen rat underwater try to swim THROUGH the wall to find your way again. This was not exciting overall and there were many design flaws (some water areas near the end where there was no water) untextured tiles and wafer thin walls. It took me a lot of time to figure out that the golden tile would raise that block but at least the climbable walls work. 35 minutes." - Treeble (05-Apr-2003) |
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"I could not play level two and three to the end. There were some bugs. They forced me to the task. I must jump to level 4. I play this as a new level. In this game there were many soldiers. This game was harder than the first one. I must find some levers. I found health-packs enough. The atmosphere was good and the textures were better than in the first level. I absolve some swim-areas and I look a long time to open the door under water. I was playing one hour and I had fun to play it. But it is not for hardcore-raider." - Andi Croft (16-Feb-2003) |
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"This is change of scenery I liked this much more than the first levels. Main goal is getting the feeder for the bike. To find this will lead you through a sewer with: eeeeeew dead (or motionless) rats. Levers to pull and looking which door you opened. There were some helpful flybys and like in his earlier levels look out for a tile trigger that will raise a block a room further down. Rather a lot of SAS men will try to stop you but having the revolver will help. 07-09-2002" - Gerty (13-Oct-2002) |
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"The fourth part has it in itself. Reminded me of TR2. The riddles are also somewhat more difficult. Lara must find the nitro for the motorcycle. Textures were processed usually well sometimes a few missing. Lara must run and swim much. A timed sequence needs to be mastered but not too hard. What I first did not understand were these pretty little rats. They showed however sometimes Lara the way. The atmosphere was tense for Lara did not know where she would be lead as the camera was not always helpful. The sound was good. The colour effects were good at many places. The opponents were SAS again and many of them. But Lara's well-being was always taken care of. I found two Secrets. All in all better than the first three parts." - Navi (08-Sep-2002) |
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"The best so far of the 6 part Return for the Amulet saga. At least there's some light in this one as you roam the dock area of the quaint city although the water looks like lime green jello. Some good puzzles in this level in particular a timed raising block which is pretty far away from the trigger. Plenty of swimming to do on your quest and lots of guards shooting at you. Had a little trouble sloshing in the sewers who would of thought there would be a swim-thru wall I should have known though as the author is fond of walk-thru walls." - Momster (25-Aug-2002) |
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"Gameplaywise this is by far the weakest level of the amulet series (though I haven't finished part five yet) as you don't do much except running from lever to jumpswitch to open the countless door. There is one good timed run and a final jump with the motorcycle but that's about it. In between you kill the SAS guards that give you some trouble due to fixed camera angles and pick up all the items. I'm not a big fan of swimthrough walls and dropthrough floors and no I didn't get the rat hint. TheVenician atmosphere with the bright green water was rather good although in some parts the water was missing as were some textures. And I won't even mention the thin walls." - Dimpfelmoser (24-Aug-2002) |
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"Wonderfully set in the watery world of Venice this level being the fourth in the series was just as good if not better than it's predecessors. The creator used texturing beautifully and very practically as one of the early switches seemed to blend into the wall so well that it took me at least 15 minutes of running around to finally find it also so called solid walls and floors were used perfectly as were the positioning of secrets and enemies. Each level in this series is built using 150+ rooms and this one is no exception giving it a great length of interesting and just plain fun gameplay." - Sash (21-Jun-2002) |
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"Quite a location change here in this series and thankfully so. The starting flyby is a little rough and it took me some time to dare the jump into the green water (no it's not toxic). Texturing is quite funky in parts there is the seemingly inevitable maze in the sewers the outside docks are nicely done and the timed raising block took me a few attempts. After 50 minutes I found the feeder and the bike and jumped into the next level. Again a few thin walls a swim through block (nice hint with the rat though) but otherwise a solid and rather enjoyable level." - Michael (21-Jun-2002) |
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"This was a much better level than the proceeding three chapters and I quite enjoyed running around the green slime rat infested sewers. Only real glitch was at the end the water didn't act as water as Lara could walk under water without holding her breath. A minor point but annoying none the less. The maze of tunnels switches and doors can get quite confusing at times and there was a underwater block you could swim through that caused me no end of grief. I mean c'mon how did it keep the water out if you could swim through it? Also a timed block that raised and lowered had me going for a while but all in all a fun level to play." - Torry (21-Jun-2002) |
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"Some very devious puzzles and traps make this the best level yet in this series. On several occasions I was really stumped as to the next move. Secrets are well hidden as with the first three levels. The downside for me was the neon green water which literally glares with high wattage intensity the series of box-like rooms thin walls and broken textures. If you can ignore these you may enjoy this challenging level." - Tombaholic (21-Jun-2002) |
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"Part four of Lara's search for the amulet reminds me of the wonderful Venice levels from Tomb Raider 2. Leaving the ship from level three you'll start out standing on the pier and work your way deeper into the city after a quick visit through the city's sewer system. You won't exactly get a warm welcome either as the denizens of this lovely city try to take you out every chance they get. As in the earlier levels you'll find some clever puzzles whose solutions are usually the last thing you would expect but seem obvious once you work them out. Don't forget to enjoy the lovely city while you're there and take in all the sights - the water has quite an interesting (and toxic) look and the rooms are decorated beautifully. You won't have time for the tour however as it's on to level five and the next leg of your race to procure the amulet." - RaiderGirl (21-Jun-2002) |
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