Tomb Raider Custom Levels

[Blín D'ñero]

BUG: Lara merges with rock wall.
Because of the slope in the passage, she cannot make the turn normally.

Releasing the camera button exposes an extraordinary overview:

Later:
She stands up while she should not be able to.

And getting fire on the torch is linked to a timed run, but why would you bother because yes again: Lara can just pull fire right out of the closest dead wall-torch.

[Blín D'ñero]

And when the room with the 2 balls is flooded, and you go for the underwater lever, that fire still keeps burning on.
Luckily, underwater fire does not hurt Lara.

[Blín D'ñero]

However visually it looks very nice, there remains these sloppy oddities here and there, like in the next level Omegapolis Heirs:

Jumping onto this block

results in Lara disappearing in it.

It's a pushable, probably that's why. Probably some engine limitation, also it is seen in many other custom levels. Odd because even in TR1 Lara can stand on moveable blocks, so to me it remains a sloppy thing.
Fortunately, the game compensates more than enough with its overall quality!

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Veeery tricky jumps, sequences of jumps, remaining very playful, in Omegapolis Heirs. Not that they're too hard (in hindsight) but unexpected, beautifully composed. There is no obvious puzzle; things just don't seem right. I just made an almost impossible jump into an opening to a secret. I doubted if it was possible, but was determined to succeed (and yes i did). You get tricked in multiple layers, I'm enjoying it very much.

[Blín D'ñero]

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Omegapolis Heirs II is apparently just a first shot, then it ends. I managed to grab the grated ceiling by use of a bug with one of the triangle blocks, i wouldn't know how else.... And when i hit the lever, the whole game ended.
Oh wait! From the readme:

Level 5 : Omegapolis heirs II (bonus level)
If you had not found at least 3 golden stars , this level will end quickly at the first camera flyby. But if you had placed them and chosen the left way out in the previous level ,
you will be able to find Andreas and Alexandra’s mausoleum. You can also find Alexandra’s
favourite fan as a secret item.

I have 5 stars! I just forgot to place them. Returning to the game... to last part of Heirs I.....

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Yes, it is nice... you get deceived very smartly.
And so nicely built too. Man, this guy really knows his stuff! But so many stupid flaws in it as well.

[Blín D'ñero]

There are moments where a function simply does not work, unless you use a specific position, against all logic. It is common that for a crowbar to work you just approach the object to pry off wall or the door to crack open, and that is quite flexible: only standing in the neighbourhood is required.
Not here. This is a gamestopping flaw. It makes the game unecessarily hard because the deceived player starts searching and searching everywhere except where it should work, just because it fails to work.

It fails to work, and The Voice says "No".

To discover later, that it DOES work, when standing against the left side of the door, and Lara will open the solid door pushing it right through the solid lever. Now this is sloppy. At moments like this, i hate the whole tomb raider custom level production. Come on people. Please. Next time.

[Blín D'ñero]

And why do these monsters not burn when standing IN a raging fire, but do when you fill them with 5 pistolbullets!???

And why is Lara able to shimmy right through a wall torch and on top of that not burn?

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Ahh... it's over i guess. Yes: no mentioning in Readme of another bonus level, although i still have 2 stars, and an unused seal... Too bad.

I rate this game 7½ / 10

[Blín D'ñero]

Now to play some other ones by Eric Claire
Earlier first, so i'm starting with Eastern Sanctuary

Looks somewhat primitive compared to the previous. But it is soon clear that it makes no difference to the quality: it is equally surprising and solid. An earlier work of a master.

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I have no idea how i managed to get passed that spiked balls and fire blowers on four slopes trap but i finally did and it took me quite a while. This is a typical example of this guy' s preference for almost impossible challenges, where you think there is no way that can be done.

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Well made, but also with odd / weird, ok lets admit pretty bad puzzles. Like the one with the block you have to move over 3 tiles (with the electric lightning), to open the central gate... i just made use of the bug that you can make Lara jump through the moveable block if you're trapped by it, much quicker than finding out how to move it so as to not get trapped.

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Some objects are not solid.

[Blín D'ñero]

Haven't been playing these for a while now...

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Oh! The by me so loathed stairs that Lara's shoes sink into are in the original game by Core Design! I noticed them recently when replaying parts of Tomb Raider Chronicles . I didn't realize that, thought they were a product by the custom builders. So they're not; they're just a part of the buggy tomb raider 4 engine.

[Blín D'ñero]

I find it hard to accept that Lara cannot climb (or hop) ontop of that fountain. I mean why not, just make her able. She should be.
I was stuck in this area before i left it ( see forelast post). And now, still i have no idea how to get onto the second floor. Via that fountain would be logical and natural. Dammit primitive game!

[Blín D'ñero]

I restarted the game, now with a walkthrough to check step by step what i might have missed. And encountered 2 hideous elements.
1. The "Jump back to the double sloped ledge then line up for a long run and jump to the high sloped pillar to the West, (left of the alcove you entered here by)" is impossible unless some bug should be used to advantage, but i haven't found it,
2. The jump to catch the hang-lever on the brown pillar depends on the bug that when Lara cannot reach a lever, she is suddenly pushed upwards and magnetically attaches herself to it. Anyway, i can proceed now. Missing one golden rose but so what, knowing now this level isn't that great after all.
Also in a next section small sloped pillar jumping near impossible jumps so you keep trying dozens of times to find the only working exact right angle... making each step impossible until you have found out after numerous trial and errors. The preference of the author for the neurotic is remarkable. But a talent for making a good game: in this early creation, no.
I stop here, it's just a waste of time, no pleasure at all.
I rate Eastern Sanctuary 4 / 10