Level reviews

"Nice puzzle organizing here, also coastal tiles just work even with simple room shaping. I got stuck because the rising trapdoor sound is missing so I missed one right next to me. I wish that underwater hole got explained but maybe it was just a sink outflow. You can give it a try, it's chill here." - DJ Full

"This is another old level that I can't believe I never played at the time. It's excellent fun, with some well devised traps/puzzles/timed runs etc. There is a lot of exploring in areas that can look very similar so a dip into the walkthrough may not be a bad idea from time to time. It's well built and, despite using the rather more sombre elements of the coastal theme, it manages to be nicely atmospheric. Enemies are mainly crocs and skeletons and you'll have to avoid the latter as best you can! Definitely worth playing." - Jay

"This level came to my attention in my desperate search for one that fits my kind of gameplay and I'm so glad I found it. What I liked about this level: 1) Intuitive flow and a clear sense of symmetry is the best way to describe it. I think this is the closest I've ever been to not consulting a walkthrough on a level. 2) The boulder trap for the crowbar! What great fun! Took me a few times (many) but when I finally got it, I didn't want it to end. I would love to see more of this kind of gameplay. 3) Very few enemies! 4) Using the torch thru pitch black (or blue in this case) areas for an upcoming task. It makes perfect sense why the builder made these areas so dark in the first place because you're not supposed to explore there yet! 5) The beautiful peach colouring for fire water... paler than the red hot lava colour you usually see. What I didn't like: 1) I found an invisible block in front of/behind a few closed doors. No biggie as it didn't impede gameplay but still, sheesh. 2) The texturing… plain and wallpaper-ish for the most part although very well done and pleasing near the end. 3) Definite lack of camera views for what the trigger pads do. 4) Boy-oh-boy, just when you think you've hit the finishing segment, another area with more traps pops up which were a fun challenge but seemed rather anti-climactic. Bottom line, if you really prefer a level that emphasizes gameplay over textured atmosphere, then you'll really enjoy this level." - Lizard Queen

"After spending about 20 minutes running around like a headless chicken, I gave in and started afresh following the walkthrough closely. As such, my final stats may have been compromised, but my experience certainly wasn't. While I felt the initial areas were too big for their own good, especially since what I managed to overlook was an underwater crawlspace, gameplay throughout is so varied and unique that you can look past that. My personal favorite might have been the quest for the crowbar, which involved activating timed trapdoors in synch with a rolling boulder -- don't think I've seen anyone come up with a similar contraption. Lots of challenge rooms as well, with different trap setups requiring quick thinking and reflexes (or just a series of quick F5/F6). All in all, despite having used Momster's walkthrough as a crutch, I leave this adventure satisfied. 50 minutes. 03/18" - Treeble

"What a fabulously entertaining little adventure this level was. After a rather easy start battling two crocodiles, the fun really begins once we enter the sewers area and then onwards to the indoor coastal areas. I loved this from start to finish. Ingenious boulder runs, spike traps, torch puzzles, outrunning skeletons, trigger tiles...I was kept absorbed throughout. Admittedly the areas aren't breathtaking, but they are still nicely made. 90 minutes of pure fun and definitely recommended." - Ryan

"Here we have a very complete level full of original tasks; many of them are very tricky, so be prepared to die and reload often. The first part in the sewers was the worst for me, 'cause the continuous backtracking and dead ends; the second part from the main room of the temple was better, returning always to the same place but never revisiting the places you've already played. There are not switches, but a lot of pad triggers, several timed runs and many, many traps: most are with boulders, another ones with spikes, fiery tiles... I missed a lot an explosive gun to deal with all those skeletons and also some more flares for the sewers area (too dark for my taste); even so, the level was worth to play and never boring." - Jose

"Here's another solid level from the early years with a download size that's smaller than just a few of the music files you normally get these days with the bloated releases. Along the way you're treated to an action-packed raid that took me about an hour and a half to complete. The surroundings are familiar, but the lighting is good and some of the puzzles are nothing short of ingenious. There's a timed run, for example, where you have to beat a boulder downhill, stepping on trigger tiles along the way to open trap doors and keep the boulder on its appointed path until it reaches its intended destination, raising the water level in a pool so you can continue. Most of the really tough traps involved boulders, come to think of it, with some spikes thrown in for good measure. I agree with the other reviewers that the sameness of the tunnels got a little boring after a while, but I was having so much fun that I scarcely noticed it. Much of the gameplay involves trigger tiles, some of which have cut scenes attached to them, but most of which don't. Cher has provided a good walkthrough to guide players past the rough spots. Recommended without reservation." - Phil

"A little gem hidden in the depths of old games rated around 8, this games title is very misleading - there is a ravine, but only for a few seconds in the beginning. Everything else is happening inside, first in new and shiny sewers, later in some mysterious ancient structures. But why would that matter when the game is so good. Absolutely recommended for its gameplay. If you like rolling balls and challenging games (nowhere near "japanese" though) then you need to play this one. You not only get one creative new rollingball challenge here, not two, no, if you play right now you'll get plenty of rollingball fun. You have to be tolerant about Lara dying often, though, because you will again and again need several tries. But none of these challenges ever felt unfair to me, not even when I finally managed to get through the underwater spikes while being dragged by a current, only to (still underwater) encounter more rolling balls that of course on the first encounter killed my Lara. :D Everything is doable here with a few tries, but for one of the almost symmetric timed runs in the flipmap-bridge room Lara needs to move near perfect. This game really goes to show what can be done with the original coastal wad. Enemies are negligible in the first sewer part of the game, later some skeletons provided some action. Looks-wise - the textures are applied nicely, seamless, and there are no noticeable cracks, but the bigger rooms do show wallpaper effect and they are very square. Lighting - I understand that making some part of the level dark was a good way to make everyone carry their torch with them, but it needn't be that dark. Also often I got an impression of "blandness", or "greyness" - something is missing, I assume it is them suns. There are no secrets in this game, so I won't rate that part higher. Athmosphere in the beginning suffered a little bit from missing the ravine, but I soon was too busy with the game to care for athmosphere. Cameras were well used, e.g. when I faced this new idea of rolling ball puzzle, I still knew what I was supposed to do." - snork

"Well, the start was quite promising - a great view of an atmospheric ravine - I thought I'd be having great fun in this masterfully made outside setting. Wrong! The biggest let down for me in this level was that the whole level (well, save for the start) took place in some sewer-catacomb like setting underground, just when I thought raiding in fresh air would be great! The bad thing though isn't that the level is underground, but that the looks there are boring - solid, but uninspired. One of the last effects with the lights shining on the glass columns and creating a transparent bridge was quite nice-looking, but that was about all. Well, save for that, if you can live without eye-candy in some levels, be sure not to miss this one out, cause the level is Fun with capital F (well, ok, maybe this was inspired from Sash's review) and something that always strikes well with me - original. Great use of boulders and spikes thorough the level, especially the underwater sequences are downright evil! Especially memorable is the huge ramp with the boulder avalanche and the boulder rain in a dark room, also the final sequence with the spike platforms isn't easy. I wasn't so keen on the trial and error bits with the spikes, but they're very rare compared to the author's previous level. Besides the omnipresent combination of spikes and boulders you also get a torch puzzle (be prepared for some dark areas and don't drop your torch unless completely sure you won't be needing it anymore!) and a clever puzzle involving pads and timed runs. Timed runs - yes, there're plenty of them too, so maybe this is not such a great choice for those who're not good at them. I was not so keen on the abrupt ending when picking up the pillar, but overall this is a highly original and memorable level one should not miss! Another must play, I'd even say!" - eTux

"Here's an oldie. Well you won't get any graphic novelty with this game which was built simply using a coastal.tom file. Frankly no news on the settings front. But the game is very solidly built and perfectly conceived in the sense that it follows a logic not without emotion from the beginning to the end. And that it is certainly not boring. Not too easy not too hard it's a very nice custom in the early level editor tradition. Play it." - Jorge22

"Funny that some levels just drag you into the game and some don't. This one didn't and I had been starting this one on and off till this time and now it just clicked into place. Got stuck at the boulders in the beginning got stuck in the cleanest sewers ever seen (several times mind you). But do give it a go as it is amazing what one can do with just an ordinary coastal wad. Even the timed runs were fun not easy and I had to do them over and over again but the idea was a good one. Once you get into the rhythm you can make all of them at least I did just barely sometimes but I made it. What still amazes me is that once it suddenly works and sometimes after saving I try that part again and it doesn't work and I'm sitting behind my computer pondering if it was luck or what? There are quite some artifact to gather and some sneaky very deadly traps. Enemy wise there aren't that many crocs and skeletons and the later will pester you in a major way not having the crossbow or the grenade gun to blow them to smithereens. Although I did have fun I probably won't do this again as it is quite a difficult level I have to admit. 11-08-2003" - Gerty

"Please don't let my ratings scare you as this is really a blast of a level. The reasons for the low scores in a lot of areas is that the environment is a little uninspired with the use of coastal textures the enemies are only a handful of crocs and late in the level some skeletons that you can get rid of fairly easily with the shotgun or revolver and scope and there are no secrets or wonderful objects to behold. Let's get to the reason though why everyone loves this level and that is simply that the gameplay is capital F little u little n....Fun! You get some great boulder traps to manoeuvre around and not are they only used as traps but also once as a great timed puzzle involving trapdoors which I really hope other creators take a look at there are also timed runs of all different kinds that are never too difficult but usually made you reload a couple of times two of these runs that involved a large movable bridge that is also something I don't think I've seen incorporated before in a level. I can't go into all the great things you get to do but for the hour it lasted I was fully entertained and it seems so was everyone else." - Sash

"It took me a long time to play this level and complete it. I got frustrated with the unique boulder run and gave up but finally decided to go back and master it. Luckily I'd saved my file. This isn't your typical boulder run oh no - you are not being chased by boulders but instead must outrun them. Gameplay is fantastic and as I'm a big fan of coastal levels I was quite pleased. Plenty of crocodiles and skeletons to keep Lara occupied but the crocs are not a major problem the skeletons though are a different story as they gang up on you. Very clever traps and puzzles in addition to the timed boulder run there's a particularly difficult swimming puzzle involving spikes a couple of torch puzzles and lots of tile triggers. Difficulty remains high right up to the end with a spike trap to get your hands on the pharoh's pillar." - Momster

"A level built from the mere basic Coastal WAD (not even the revised one) but it is full of great ideas some never seen yet in 2 years of TRLE history and therefore just a joy to play. The only reason for me not to rate the gameplay with a 10 is a beginning which is very maze-like and I got quite frustrated until I finally found that underwater crawlspace leading to the key in the vast sewer area. From then on progression is quite smooth and you need to find three stars a gem a torch the crowbar the portal guardian and two keys - each of those you have to work hard for. I really loved the three occasions where 'boulders rain on you' in different ways. The room where you need to direct a boulder to its correct hole is ingenious (although you are stuck for good if you get it wrong). The bridge that changes is smartly done and often timed runs are thrown in for good measure. In short - 90 minutes of excellent and fun raiding. Enemies are a few rather harmless crocodiles and a dozen or so rather pesky skeletons. One not to miss!" - Michael

"Enjoyably classic TR. If you enjoyed TR 1 2 3 and 4 then you have to love this game. As close to perfect as they come and a nice small file which was a quick download even with a 56.6 dial-up. There are enough timed runs to drive a sane player 'round the bend' and more logic puzzles to turn the grey matter pink than one could hope for (thank you forum for the old notes - I needed them to get me through to the end). The layout is clear and the player should have no trouble knowing which direction is correct. For me there is too much darkness. But this is truly a VERY trivial complaint. If you like classic TR you should love Shrine in the Ravine." - Dougsan

"I took a peek at the nice high reviews for 'Shrine in a Ravine' and had great expectations for this level as a result. So I downloaded it and upon booting it up I immediately thought 'Why has everyone rated this so highly? It looks so boring as it uses only the standard 'Coastal Ruins' wad'. Luckily for me though I trusted the words of my fellow reviewers enough to give it a chance and I soon realised that these high scores had in fact been given for a reason. This level is great! For a start as some people will know I love timed runs and you get some really good ones here. But the true achievement of the author is that he managed to transform some of my pet hates into enjoyable experiences. To give you a couple of examples: I HATE mazes and boulder-runs but I didn't mind them at all in this level because the gameplay flowed so well. In fact one particular boulder trap is unique as far as I know - there are several really original elements contained in this game. I can sum this level up in 5 words: Very clever and great fun. It's one I will definitely replay simply because it's so innovative and it comes highly recommended from me. Don't miss it." - Bex

"When I started this I didn't expect it to be so tough well it was. It has many timed runs with trapdoors closing fast doors also boulders chasing you and tiles with spikes you need to pass quickly I am sure Matthias will give it a ten only for that lol. Seriously now it's a very challenging level you need three stars and the portal guardian to find also there are two puzzles with the torch. The skeletons at some point will come five or six together and you won't have the space to blast them only the revolver and shotgun is available unless I missed a secret so just run like hell. It lasted one and a half hours and I liked it although I didn't appreciate the darkness in the first part. Mostly what we have here is traps and more traps I can't tell you how many times I died in that underwater tunnel with the spikes and current. It's complex so if you get frustrated easily try some yoga to relax first before you begin as you will need all the patience you can get. The level ends while Lara is picking up the pharao's pillar. In other words this is a winner try it." - Kristina

"This is a great level. The atmosphere is great and the textures too. There are many hard passages with rolling balls and active spikes. There is one place with the bridges Lara must run very very fast. She must run to pick up two pieces. And another place is a new puzzle. There are many traps and time-flaps in this room. A great puzzle. The light is very dark on some places. And enemies are only skeletons and crocodiles. I was playing 1:50 hours in this level and I had a lot of fun. I hope there are coming more levels from this builder." - Andi Croft

"This is completely different than any coastal level I've seen before and a lot of fun to play with some clever puzzles traps and some challenging tasks to complete. Starting outside a castle you have to make your way inside through an underwater maze and then there are a number of items to collect and use before picking up the final item the Pharaoh's Pillar. These items - Golden Stars gems a Portal Guardian - won't be handed to you though you have to work for them by dodging boulders spikes crocs skeletons and figuring out a number of tiles that open doors and are usually timed. Overall a fun but challenging game that kept me entertained for almost two hours." - RaiderGirl

"A perfect level using the original coastal wads not the revised ones. For almost two hours the player can expect many fine puzzles and some challenging tasks. The author has a lot of innovative ideas for the traps and the puzzles. Everything is well thought and there is very good moments. The author is a master for the traps many of them are little puzzles of their own none is hazardous. For example in the water room with the spiked pillars the solution of the safe pillars is written in plain sight underwater. I like this kind of logical puzzles with a code. Some tasks seem very hard to get through but you can succeed quickly if you observe carefully and move smoothly. The gameplay is always entertaining no lever to push but triggers tiles to stand on timed runs torches puzzles rooms to flood etc... Exploration and thinking is needed but it is not brain-teasing nor frustrating. The camera work is perfect serving very well the gameplay as for the architecture of the rooms. The background sounds are also perfect with the sounds of the catacomb wad used when Lara is exploring the sewers at the beginning and a warmer atmosphere in the brighter rooms at the end. Enemies are not a main factor the crocs are easy to kill but there is a thrilling moment when skeletons are chasing Lara. The difficulty is perfect this level is very good." - eRIC

"My expectations were not very high as I started this level. After all it's just the plain vanilla coastal WAD - no bells and whistles no custom this or that. Well here's a level to remind us all that sometimes less can be more. Play this level and you'll be treated to quite a few cleverly designed and original puzzles some challenging timed runs and a few fun traps thrown in for good measure. One puzzle involving a boulder and timed trapped doors was particularly fun. The author uses flip rooms to good effect on more than one occasion and cameras are employed skillfully too. The rooms are nicely modeled and are textured and lighted with great care. All that and even a dial-up user can download it in a flash. What more can you ask for?" - Tombaholic

"It starts not too promising with a little underwater maze but it builds and builds and after the final jump sequence over the spikes (if you have trouble with that start at the left jump running jump to the middle one jump to the far middle one and a jump and grab to the other side should get you across safely) I realized that I enjoyed this so much because it has exactly my kind of gameplay. Many timed runs and jumps a kind of non-linear gameplay that won't have you searching for long periods of time not many enemies (battling the skeletons with the shotgun is always fun; hey that rhymes) but the ones you get are placed well and some devious boulder traps that were quite challenging without being frustrating. However what made me give this game full marks in the gameplay category is the excellent run over all the timed trapdoors that I haven't seen before and since I must have played close to 700 levels I find it so admirable that people still come up with new stuff. All the puzzles you get here are quite good and you get such a great variety it never gets boring and the author manages to keep up the suspense from beginning to end. The coastal setting is a bit basic but it supports the plot nicely and the lighting is done really well. I particularly liked the sewer area near the start and the sunshine bridge that leads you to the final jump sequence. It's a great level; everything fits like the tasks and the setting go so well together you get cut scenes when you need them and I couldn't stop playing before I was through with it." - Dimpfelmoser