| Reviewer's comments |
"I don't mean this is in a bad way, but this level is somewhat too colorful? I'm not sure what the intention was but it came across as a tad cartoony. Gameplay was fun and enjoyable though, with lots of side rooms connected to a few key areas housing a few pushblock puzzles and generally simple challenges. Still, good fun. There was one tight timed run which had me chuckling a couple of times as the block raised back into it's original position while I was still in the alcove. What a terrible end, eh? 50 minutes, 5 secrets. 11/21" - Treeble (28-Nov-2021) |
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| "Many puzzles to solve in this level. This is not the kind of level I prefer because too many big labyrinthine rooms for my personal taste. The atmosphere and the texturing are correct and I enjoyed the long underwater cave that is beautiful (watch out for sharks)." - Drakan (10-Nov-2018) |
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| "You can easily recognise this as one of
Debbie's levels from a mile away as it carries
her distinctive style throughout: beautifully
made custom textures and objects, a castle type
of environment (fairytale in this case), many
sequences involving pushable objects, large
areas to explore and lots of enemies which are
easily dispatched. That's not a bad thing as I
enjoy her later levels very much, and this is
no exception." - Ryan (13-Jul-2017) |
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| "Not very funny for me this level, but a bit tedious. Outside architecture is very irregular and difficult to advance or explore; underground there are excessive items to pick up and place and near the end in the sunken buildings with the sharks I missed a "star piece" to place in a niche and I went crazy to find it through very huge areas and a real labyrinth of corridors. There are some good puzzles though but some tricky tasks too. Textures are nice to see, but it didn't fit well in many places and sometimes create an "unreal" ambience for an abandoned ruins; better for a cartoon level. I liked the cameras, enemies, traps and sounds too, and the level was not bad for me, but not the kind of levels I like, 'cause after an hour or so I only was thinking about the finish trigger." - Jose (26-Mar-2012) |
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| "A level with the lush and highly original textures that are a hallmark of this author. A beautiful and enjoyable setting with some fun gameplay and puzzles. I loved the bit with the switches fires and moveable pieces. The underwater area at the end was great. Alas there were too many of the same type of game actions - getting the same artifact and placing it - and this makes the gameplay boring in spots which is a shame. We should be enormously grateful to this author for her work." - Duncan (28-Jun-2004) |
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| "First level I played by this author and I was really impressed by her use of textures and colours. Where most others use a plain blood red or Prussian blue she'd use a delicate pink pastel shades of green or blue respectively. This is done with a sense of real personal style. As far as the gameplay went I thought there were a few too many pharos knot and vraeus items to collect. One dog appeared suddenly out of thin air in front of me - I must have approached this point from another direction than the author expected. Skeletons vanished into thin air on the other hand in the room where there was 8 of them 2 per each vraeus apparently the program went beyond its capabilities here and could only display 5 or 6 of them at the same time. I didn't think the puzzles were too easy I even got impaled on spikes once - but I know I'm only an average player at best. I was grateful for the walkthrough as sometimes it seemed a bit too puzzle-orientated for my taste. Despite a few hurdles nice one altogether!" - Rüdiger (04-Nov-2003) |
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| "I don't know how Debbie fits so much into one level. There are lots of puzzles and traps pushable blocks timed events things to blow up doors to open fires to put out lots of objects to find and use many types of enemies at least five secrets to find plus many many different areas to explore and each with it's own look ranging from outdoor areas to underwater caves. It took me at least an hour to get through this and by the end I felt like I had done a little bit of everything including getting stuck a few times because I missed something. And of course Debbie has us spoiled with all the great custom textures she uses which I personally love. I highly recommend this for a great raiding experience." - RaiderGirl (10-Oct-2003) |
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| "A long and straightforward level that some players will enjoy this is not the case for me. The beginning outside area does not look real it seems to come out more from a fairytale than from a book of archeology the thin walls encircling this place seem to be made of cartoon you bump into one invisible block below one of the gates you can jump to a place in a corner where an illegal slope is waiting the pillars are an invitation to climb but you can't because of 'the top of the world'. I don't really mind those minor flaws but all the holes and blocks of this area make the exploration not funny at all. The horizon is beautiful though. Once underground there are many puzzles to solve movable blocks raising blocks shooting puzzles the best being the ones involving pushable objects with the hints on the ceiling well done. I like also the falling debris while swimming and the underwater cavern with the sunken buildings is not half bad. The texturing is good but the pastel colours do not help to create a gripping atmosphere. A strange thing happened in the rooms where you have to shoot all the vases to open a trapdoor: twice I tried with the explosive arrows and nothing happened it worked only with the pistols. And why placing all those artefacts? Knot after knot vraeus after vraeus I eventually wished this level to be shorter. It does not match with Sand Castle in my view." - eRIC (01-Sep-2003) |
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| "This is far and away my favorite of Debbie Overstreet's levels to date so I'm going to revert to my LRIS (Level Review Inflation Syndrome) and give it 10s across the board. It has everything that I like in a TR level: Challenging puzzles jumps and enemies gorgeous scenery and above all enough light to see what's going on around you. Even the pushable puzzle pieces were pleasant to look at. There's an extended underwater sequence near the end that's reminiscent of some of the TRIII levels. Debbie's walkthrough was also very helpful especially where you had a little timed jump to an alcove to pick up an artifact before the block could rise to freeze Lara in place. More like this one please." - Phil (26-Aug-2003) |
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| "It would be a loss if Debbie gave up level building. Beneath the Ancient Temple is another thoroughly enjoyable level. At the beginning you explore niches and nooks of a wonderful textured temple with much greenery. It took me quite a long time to figure out how to go beneath the ancient temple. Lara faces boulders spikes flames and baddies like dogs skeletons sharks wraiths and a croc. She has to push levers and planets (pushable objects) and finds a blue gem knots vraeus the ankh a beetle and a golden crowbar. I was overwhelmed by the underwater ruins and think the textures are very nicely done in the whole level. I had a lot of fun playing this great level and can only say you have to try it." - Tinka (16-Aug-2003) |
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| "Ms Overstreet has done it again! After a very enjoyable and challenging 'Goosebumps' she offers for our playing pleasure 'Beneath the Ancient Temple'. I enjoyed this level a great deal. It isn't very challenging but it is long enough to become your friend and there is always something to do so Lara is kept quite busy. Don't be put off by comments about the puzzles not being very challenging. There are lots and lots of puzzles. Some of the puzzles are very easy and some are not as easy. The fun is in the number imho. I very strongly recommend 'Beneath the Ancient Temple' for Raiders of all ages and talent levels. Thank you yet again Ms Overstreet for a wonderful afternoon of fun." - Dougsan (11-Aug-2003) |
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| "Very enjoyable raid starting out in a bright temple ruins setting into which Lara keeps digging deeper and deeper along the 60 minutes spent here finding a multitude of pickups and puzzle pieces (almost 20 if I counted right) and in general being very busy all the time with levers pushable objects shooting vases avoiding a few boulders and progressing from one trapdoor opened to the next. The custom texturing and lighting is just as good as we've come to know from Debbie's recent levels (very colourful this time) and some of her trademarks are also featured: custom outfit golden crowbar and the beetle the 5 armor pieces and 5 secrets (some of which are required for progression). I also thought enemies were used quite well including wraiths skeletons sharks dogs and a very sneaky crocodile. It is not all that difficult despite a few sneakily hidden puzzle pieces but there are many helpful cameras so you won't be thinking for long about what to do next. Good fun and good looking level - what more can you ask for." - Michael (10-Aug-2003) |
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| "Another enjoyable level from Debbie one of my favourite builders. A few nasties involving rolling balls but surprise! I survived. The ambience was enjoyable and there was lots of exploring to do. Lots of things to pick-up levers to pull but at least she got away with some nice artifacts. The best part of the adventure was the flooded underwater city. Lots of fun trying not to drown or get eaten by sharks." - Sherry (09-Aug-2003) |
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| "I am so glad Debbie decided to carry on level building after all. Her latest adventure just shows what a great loss her talents would have been. As usual the level is distinctive and individual the textures nicely done and the gameplay eminently satisfying. The opening area by the temple ruins is full of nooks and crannies that take quite a lot of exploring and if you miss the first pushable block you could be wandering around for some time. There are boulders to avoid timed runs spikes flames puzzle pieces to push around and a beautiful underwater area to explore - all good raiding fare. At one point I had so many 'portal keys' in my inventory I was sure I was going to have spares at the end of the game but it all worked out. Enemies are dogs sneaky crocs skeletons and sharks. I always think Debbie is kind to players - she gives us skeletons but just in the nick of time she also gives us explosives and her sharks obligingly hang around to be shot once you get out of the water. This is raiding without tears and a walkthrough is provided as usual just in case you get stuck. Please don't even think about giving up level building Debbie. 06.08.2003" - Jay (07-Aug-2003) |
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| "The first thing most impressive thing and thing you will take with you when you leave this level is how vivid and beautiful the whole thing looks with the great use of colour and home grown Overstreet textures all throughout. Sure there are some nice little puzzles involving mostly movable objects and the help in their placements with some of Debbie's own textures wonderfully done may I say and you get a timed move here and there one that needs quite good precision and timing but I have to say the hardest thing was actually finding at least one or two levers especially in the large underwater cave near the end. Like usual the 5 secrets here are very easy to find and sometimes they are right in the path of progression the shotgun at the start being one of these you also find most of the essential puzzle pieces practically right where you need to use them or in almost plain sight and there are a lot of these to find 10 vraeus and 4 knots being the majority but I was so engrossed in the whole feel of the level that this point didn't bother me too much. I actually left the game after an hour with one knot still in my backpack as I could collect the crossbow by doing a run with a twist to the lowering timed block and then doing a running jump to the block the crossbow was on and then from here pulling the jump lever this was supposed to be achieved using a knot but even if unintentional it's always fun to find a way the author didn't intend. Anyway if you like Debbie's levels and even if you don't this one is different enough to make it stand out from her others but not too different that you won't recognise her trademark style." - Sash (05-Aug-2003) |
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| "You start in the what looks like the ruins of an ancient temple and find a way to get hold of that burning Vraeus. The levels is quite straightforward with a lot of levers and almost as much Vraeus to find. Finding also Knots Pillars and a blue Gem and 2 Canopic Jars. In the beginning you get your hand on that shotgun as you'll need that. Later comes the revolver crossbow and the sight. All in all there are some nice puzzles and traps in this game. Enemies are some dogs skeletons a croc wraiths and some sharks. I liked this level a lot the way it looked and even if there were a bit too many levers to pull her idea was great. 27-07-2003" - Gerty (05-Aug-2003) |
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| "One of Debbie's good levels she is getting better and better. This time it's not a castle but a temple with much greenery. Watch out for the moving blocks as they are used often. Searching for several vraeus we don't see many enemies a few crocodiles and skeletons in a fairly easy level although I got stuck once because I wasn't very observant. Along the way we will raise quite a few blocks and move objects to their right place while we need to turn off spikes and fires as well. It would have been nice to change the marks in the ceiling that the objects had to be pushed; it's the same mark in the entire level. The underwater temple was nice and I was hoping to have more puzzles down there unfortunately it didn't last for long. I hope this won't be the last level from Debbie but it will only mean that a series of levels although not linked ended. I am saying that because we were picking up pieces of the armor on some of the previous levels so I guess now you've got all of them so a story ends or maybe not. I liked the textures colourful and bright but there were some missing in a few areas. I really enjoyed this level and I am sure you will too the author has done a good job and the improvement is quite visible. I found five secrets and got through in an hour." - Kristina (05-Aug-2003) |
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| "I was very much impressed by Debbie's new level. Lovely graphics and the warm coloursthat were used are great. Debbie gave a lot of attention to this and fully succeeded. The level itself is not that hard suitable for every player and flows very well as you solve a few puzzles. Very many artifacts to pick up: two vases a blue gem many vraeus some knots the ankh and a beetle. Lara also has to push planets and quite a bit of that ;). Near the end there is a huge underwater temple to master. Very well designed. Various enemies: wraiths skeletons sharks dogs - not too many and well placed. Sound and camera were ok. I found 5 secrets which were easy to find and enough pickups to keep Lara healthy :). I recommend it to everybody - nice and relaxed raid. ;)" - Navi (05-Aug-2003) |
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| "Extremely enjoyable level as ever set in pure Debbie Overstreet style textures. I won't give my hand for it but I'm nearly sure I could spot an Overstreet level just by looking at the textures of any level. Basically you go on a quest for some artefact stuff like the Ankh sign the complete armour set and even a retextured beetle. You start above ground dig deep and get back in time for tea. On your way you have beautiful pots to shove around (not tediously long just little nice puzzles) sneaky hidden underwater pull-levers to find and there's one great puzzle archeologists will not be happy about where you have to shoot some pots. And finally she gets her reward for finding all those previous crowbars: namely a golden crowbar! The release the shark sequences in the last main underwater area was fun though again that was very-sneaky-hidden-time. There's one thing that I believe Debbie has now made her trademark that's the WRONGLY secret chime sounding thing. Again in this level it sounds (in the very beginning) in a situation you HAVE to go through to progress. The real secrets were on the easy side. To sum it all up though: a must-play level but even when that's not enough I think I saw the most original way of putting a sneaky crocodile into a level here. Almost invisible to the eye because of the greenish ankle deep water: looked like crocodile soup with parsley or chervil." - bERT (05-Aug-2003) |
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