| Reviewer's comments |
"This is a bit of a more clearer effort
than version one, but it's still rather
obscure as a whole. The solution to the
first puzzle to make the water turn red
didn't work as described in the
walkthrough, so I had to ignite Lara, pump
medipacks and then douse the flames. Then,
the switch to open the block in the
mountains also closes the temple doors, so
remember to pull it again or you may find
yourself stuck without knowing why (not
mentioned in the walkthrough). Finally, it
took me a few tries to master the floating
platform room until I jumped wildly around
and managed to grab the alcove with the
key. A rather odd experience overall, but
still not that enjoyable. I did like the
effective lighting and texturing effects,
but I never got to use the three secret
keys this time around. About half an hour
it took me." - Ryan (26-Jan-2019) |
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| "I remember having started this level a long time ago and not making progress, so this time around I decided I'd stick to the walkthrough to make it to the end. Even following the walkthrough, I was having difficulties noticing the first slope to reach the rooftop of the temple area lol. The burning rug 'puzzle' was also rather mind boggling and even with Monika's walkthrough it felt like pure trial and error. Everything else was pretty linear, even if triggers weren't always obvious (I believe that's the purpose of the colored keys?). I did like the timed jump sequence, with a ninja switching the raising platforms, but it would seem you can't get to the yellow key if you fall as he then decides to just stand in one place. As I stated elsewhere, my stats may have been compromised by my 'by the guide' approach. 25 minutes. 03/18" - Treeble (01-Apr-2018) |
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| "Again a game with several inexplicable tasks. It's a bit better than the previous version (not so huge areas to explore), but still many odd things here. In the room with four coloured seats, what's the hint to turn the water red? Burn Lara? In the room with three floating platforms, what's the trick so they don't stop in ground floor? (Still I don't know what I did to get the key). In the room with four holes at the top of the wide stairs, what switches to pull? At least I found a sense for the last three holes puzzle in the last room (can be solved by trial and error too). Difficult to play even reading the walkthrough." - Jose (10-Aug-2016) |
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| "I have to confess I didn't have a very good time here. The level managed to be bright, colorful and dark all at the same time. The puzzles were obscure, and the walkthrough didn't help much. In the room with the rising and falling platforms, if you didn't make it the first time the platforms would remain on the floor, forcing the player to reload and try again. I never did get the solution to making the water hole turn red as intended, so I walked across the textures (getting set aflame in the process) and that did the trick. And the slopes room had me going in circles, as I could never make the jump to get to the opposite slopes. You know what I did to solve that one. It was all over in about 35 minutes. Time to move on to the next one." - Phil (04-Nov-2015) |
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| "Dream Lake v2 is nearly identical to v1 except with better looking wrapping paper. More is done with the colors in this one, and the atmosphere really benefits from it. The opening area is also a lot more manageable, and I don't think I ever encountered the lake except from a distant view. All-in-all the visuals are less blocky and much more enjoyable to look at. The sound design is also much better in this one, featuring pieces that seem to fit the tone of the area Lara is in. A couple of the challenges have been reworked and show improvement from it, though it can take a little while to figure out what you're trying to do. I guess all of these minor tweaks mold the level into something more linear and less spacious. If you wanted that version of Dream Lake, then here you go! But if you didn't like the original, chances are version 2 won't do much to win you over." - Xela (03-Jul-2014) |
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| "Something must have gone wrong with the converting of the TOM files, as I saw Lara's buts floating around in the Title TR4. For the rest I had no clue what to do next and had to read the walkthrough as the meaning of the puzzles eluded me big time. There is however a nice floating platform jumping to do. I still wonder why there was ladder to get out in that area where you needed the jeep to go through the double doors there." - Gerty (23-Aug-2010) |
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| "It's just one of the best levels I have ever seen! No matter the textures lighting objects or gameplay. All of them are on high level. As a Chinese player who is in the same country with the author I really think that the level is marvelous! This level is quite different from the version 1.0. This level cancels the scenery of the great Dream Lake at first but puts it behind the temple. For some reason I'm enjoying in playing this pretty level. And I think it's just Lara's best time in China! I'll always stand by your side Feng Meng-qiu!" - Rainbow Liu (26-Mar-2004) |
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| "This was short but for me (to borrow Staticon's phrase) 'an eternal beginner' as tough as nails! I'm pretty unused to the gameplay severity of Japanese Levels (and I didn't play the original version of this) so although there were only four actual puzzles in this level they were not at all simple for me. In fact I quickly resorted to the walkthrough provided otherwise I'd have been playing it all night and my Wife would have been cursing the Level Builder and that nice Michael Prager for providing the level in the first place. Visually this is a gorgeous experience with a uniquely Oriental appearance. In terms of 'enjoyment' it totally depends on your gameplay preferences. Mine are not toward this sort of Level; but I'm glad they exist even though they usually make me feel stupid. Off now to a another Level for a spot of gratuitous and cathartic killing!" - Orbit Dream (06-Mar-2004) |
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| "Well this started off fun for me but petered out somewhat. I admit I could not get the yellow key but I did see the clue as to the lever 'puzzle'. I really liked some of the colorful textures but the lever rooms were blindingly bright. I did not play the first version of this. I would have liked to have seen a longer version of this - without those timed blocks! Not bad and worth a play if you like Asian-themed levels. I also liked the India music playing as you went exploring. Making the water turn red was an interesting puzzler." - Lady Lara (29-Dec-2003) |
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| "There's most of what you get in the first but like the others this was visually a little more appealing though I for one missed the massive lake and what a weird thing to take from a level named 'The Dream Lake' well it is there if you look out the window of the temple and the windows of the underground temple but it's just not the same. You get fairly much the same gameplay that eventually lead you to the four secret keys though I never used them as I couldn't find the locks blindness I guess but unlike the first this actually has a very hard timed quadruple jumps to raising and lowering yin/yang symbols that are activated by one of the two black ninjas you find here. As there is presumably a follow up level or levels I have kept a savegame so I suppose I can go back and look for those locks but for now this has been a nice 25 minutes of fun and colour." - Sash (18-Aug-2003) |
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| "What a colourful level this is - beautiful flowers oriental textures charmingly re-textured medipacks. In fact colours are the name of the game here - red green yellow and blue. You need to find keys in each colour plus a white key to enter the ice palace. Interesting but not overly challenging gameplay and there is apparently a sequel planned so keep a save game (I've got mine). I have not played the first version of this level so cannot say how much this differs but if you fancy something just a little unusual that is peaceful and thought provoking rather than frantic and enemy laden then you may well enjoy this one. 04.07.2003" - Jay (07-Jul-2003) |
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| "Did you ever build a car as a kid and having finished it want to rebuild to make it look different but be pretty much the same thing? I think this is what the designer did with Dream Lake V2. It is pretty much Dream Lake tweaked here and there to look different while accomplishing the same thing -- introducing the yet developed adventure to which it is a prelude. Dream Lake V2 is pretty but odd. The flowers appear to come out of an old atomic bug movie ('Them' comes to mind -- you know the type things are exposed to atomic radiation and grow to super size). I did enjoy the Ying/Yang references and got to hate the ninja who played on said spinning tile while I wrestled with the moving columns (good puzzle which had me going for an hour). Don't know why binoculars were a pick-up since Lara has her own but ... All in all cute second attempt at a small level that is not very entertaining." - Dougsan (17-Mar-2003) |
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| "I usually hate to play a second version as typically you get about the same level again but while this is not as much of a change as Tomo's Temple of Time it still is significantly different (and in fact improved) so worth a look. There are a few custom objects (nice flowers and 'medipacks') and custom textures (rotating Yin Yangs) as well as transparent columns and diamonds in the Ice Palace. As in the first version there are four coloured secret keys to collect (but some in different places) to get to the one secret (a transparent ice rose) a jeep to drive a ninja to outrun at the start (although not needed) and that's about it. Oh - and for Dimpf: the hint for the four lever puzzle can be seen with the binoculars when you look across into the four holes in the mountain from the back of the room where you find the ice palace key." - Michael (18-Nov-2002) |
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| "Some of the rooms and puzzles have been changed from the first version but everything is still beautiful with the great use of lights and colors a green colored stream in the middle of a lovely field covered in bright flowers a gorgeous temple nearby cool spinning yin/yang tiles transparent doors and even the health packs are very pretty. There are still four colored secret keys to collect here though I don't know that you need them unless you just want to collect the secret which is apparently a rose. I never could get the yellow key - I'm assuming you have to kill the ninja before he gets to the marked tile but just using pistols he always got there before I killed him. I thought that key was much easier in the first version of the level. If you've played the first version you'll get through this pretty quickly - it took me around 15 minutes - and the first thing you need to do is search the beginning area for a jump switch. When I finished there was still on set of double doors still closed and I never got to the area in the opening flyby so I'm now wondering if I missed something by not getting that yellow key." - RaiderGirl (15-Nov-2002) |
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| "Now as this is basically the same as the first Version You can't rate the gameplay too high can you?! I found the run across the burning tiles with subsequent plunge into the water a bit strange; especially as I still don't know why it would open the door sometimes and at other times not (you see I needed several tries). Also as far as I can tell there was no logic to the four lever pushing puzzle or the slide puzzle at the end. Highpoint for me was the hop over the raising platforms (which I can't remember being in the earlier version) but apart from that there is nothing much of interest here gameplaywise. The ice palace is an ambitious try at something different but somehow it didn't work out I thought. There are almost no enemies and the secrets don't make much sense do they? Well maybe it will all fall into place in the sequel." - Dimpfelmoser (08-Nov-2002) |
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| "As I played the first version also I have a little comparison to make. I felt that gameplay and enemies were pretty close to equal in both versions but that version 2 surpassed the first as far as atmosphere textures and lighting. One thing I didn't miss in this version was the huge badly textured lake that Lara swam around in until she was wrinkled like a prune looking for something to do. Not a lot more to say other than the 2 are very similar as far as gameplay except for the addition of the raising tiles puzzle which I could not do after a full day of trying. Thanks to Kristina for helping me out." - Momster (19-Oct-2002) |
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| "A colourful level with simple gameplay. Starting from outside and with a few closed doors in an environment we are used to from the Asian builders you go into an underground room with coloured chairs another one that you need the jeep to access and as you might have guessed by now all the level has colours red green yellow blue. Those are the colours for the four secret keys as well another key the ice palace one is useful to access at least two rooms although you do get it a second time. What puzzled me was the room with the yellow key apparently the solution has to do with the ninja that is inside but there are also three flying tiles that help you get across and reach the block with the key the way I did it was quickly jump on them before they stop raising so I am not sure I solved that one the right way. I liked the flowers outside custom ones in the same colours mentioned above. After placing the secret keys and getting an icy rose the level ends but as the author warns in his notes the level will have a sequel so I guess it wasn't that bad to start with. This is the second version of a previous similar level but as I understand they are differences as well as similarities so I would say give it a try." - Kristina (05-Oct-2002) |
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