"Lost Valley" analysis

Scottlee · 01-10-02, 15:43

I don't recall having seen a dinosaur level in this series since TR3 (1998). Whenever there has been one though it's usually a totally fab and unexpected encounter of immense glass-of-water-shaking-on-dashboard proportions. The first one of this 96-98 trilogy, as it were, is no exception. In fact it almost makes you forget there's an entire level to talk about in addition to 'that' encounter.

A combination of factors ensure Lara's big battle in the valley is effective as well as memorable. First of all, the dinosaur is only making this one appearance in the whole game. If like the wolves and the bats he'd been made to pop up all through the game, who would remember this particular one on level 3? Not many. In fact on the re-runs, (of which when it comes to TR1 I'm currently on my 5th) you would probably sigh and think 'Oh no. Here in begins a million encounters with dinosaurs again'. But that's not how it is. You can enjoyably play this boss fight in the knowledge it is a one-off chore.

Another factor that plays in favour of the T-Rex meeting are the graphics. Notoriously undeveloped and shoddy throughout TR1, that fact helps rather than hinders here. I'm speaking mainly about the way the screen blackens out anything more than 50 yards away. With AOD-esque visuals you would be able to see those dinosaurs from half a mile away and the conflict would not be as sudden and as shocking. Even the dodgy 2D plants lying around are cool. Baby dinos can run through them and suprise you rather than have to run around the outside

Finally on the grahics side of things, I have to say that the 'roof' of the Valley is interesting. Have we come out into an open area of the level here, or do we see blackness because of the graphical limitations? I'd like to think it's an indoor area but with a cave roof too high to see. Remember, when we first go into the caves it was broad daylight outside. It takes 15 minutes to do that level, and 20 to do Vilcabamba, and I don't know any country in the world that can switch from afternoon to night-time that quickly. Make your own mind up.

Speaking of Vilcabamba, this level is similar in that it is made up of two sections sat side by side. One contains the actual valley, and the other a raging waterfall section bearing a rather neat puzzle to solve. This is the first of numerous occasions in the series where one must collect three keys to get past one particular dead end. I prefer having to get something believable like three cogs though than a 'Silver' key, a 'Metallic' key, and some other key, in order to open a door with three locks on it.

I like the part where you stumble across some skeletal remains with a shotgun next to them. There are other remains lying around the Valley, but none with a weapon. Curious. So the other adventurers who were unarmed went to face the dinosaurs, and the only one with a firearm stayed behind? Makes sense. I can only think the guy up beside the shotgun realised how his buddies were dying and decided he would rather face starvation. (Lord knows he would have had plenty of water!).

This is fairly simple level designing but done with quality. It is not the best level in TR1 by any means, but definitely one to brush the cobwebs over in future years and show the grandchildren just what life was like before "Tomb Raider 26 : Von Croy junior's empire strikes back" - 9/10

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -

Best part - The inclusion of a entire cave full of wolves that guard neither pickups or a way forward in the level. It's cool to occasionally know that not all ways lead to anything important.

Worst part - When the T-Rex (Archer is going to tell me it was a Spinnisaurus or something now), does the impossible and pokes his head through solid rock. The temple at the back of the valley is also a bit empty and feels like it has been rushed.

Secrets - 3/5 good ones. The one above the waterfall is clever, even if it does expose us to some poor waterfall imagery. Also deserving merit are the ones above the temple with cog#1, and the one you have to shimmy over to at the back of where the running water comes from. I don't care much for the secret hidden (if you can call it that)in the little alcove halfway up the valley, or indeed the one you come across directly above the exit passage to the Tomb of Qualopec. That room seems to be the natural way to go after getting the shotgun rather than somewhere cleverly tucked away out of easy reach.

Monsters - Dinosaurs when used like this are fab. The wolves are not badly placed either. Biggest hooray though goes to the temporary banishment of the bats. Three cheers! hip hip....

Time - About 27 minutes if you know your way around. This assumes you're going after maximum secrets

[ 16. October 2005, 20:41: Message edited by: Scottlee ]

Raider Ranger · 01-10-02, 18:30

Maybe the guy with the shotgun didn't fancy being eaten alive so he shot himself instead.

Archer · 01-10-02, 19:40

Scottlee, your analyses are the BEST - really spot-on! And I absolutely agree with you about the fun sudden-shock value of the Spinnisaurus encounter.

b1dc · 01-10-02, 20:47

Great work Scottlee!!!
Yeah, the first time i encountered the T-Tex it scared the hell out of me!

And the way the camera shakes makes it hard to escape.
Looking forward to the Tomb of Qualopec - one of my favourites!

Annacia · 01-10-02, 22:28

Speaking just for myself, I do NOT!!! miss the *!+*^! dinos(whatever their species) at all. Glad to see them go.

qwerasdfzxcv · 02-10-02, 15:46

Great review Scotlee.

I think the blackness above you in the Lost Valley is just the high roof of the cave. The whole Peru section is set in caves, so this is just one big one...

We didn't get the luxury of sky until the first level of TR2. We also got another T-rex, if you knew where to look.

I like the dinosaurs in the Crash Site level of TR3, and I think there's another T-rex inside one of those caves in that level. Cool.

Chrisraider.

Croft Security · 02-11-02, 06:54

You can't be too hard on TR 1's graphics, Scottlee. Remember it was an early PSX game, and in some ways TR 1's graphics are more gameplay-friendly than TR 2's or 3's were, due to the way objects were highly differentiated through brillaint color variation, and level layouts were made very clear, rather than being shrouded in darkness. I still find that TR 1's graphics have a kind of simple charm that is plenty for me.

01-10-02, 15:43	#1
Scottlee Relic Hunter Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Leeds, England Posts: 7,507	I don't recall having seen a dinosaur level in this series since TR3 (1998). Whenever there has been one though it's usually a totally fab and unexpected encounter of immense glass-of-water-shaking-on-dashboard proportions. The first one of this 96-98 trilogy, as it were, is no exception. In fact it almost makes you forget there's an entire level to talk about in addition to 'that' encounter. A combination of factors ensure Lara's big battle in the valley is effective as well as memorable. First of all, the dinosaur is only making this one appearance in the whole game. If like the wolves and the bats he'd been made to pop up all through the game, who would remember this particular one on level 3? Not many. In fact on the re-runs, (of which when it comes to TR1 I'm currently on my 5th) you would probably sigh and think 'Oh no. Here in begins a million encounters with dinosaurs again'. But that's not how it is. You can enjoyably play this boss fight in the knowledge it is a one-off chore. Another factor that plays in favour of the T-Rex meeting are the graphics. Notoriously undeveloped and shoddy throughout TR1, that fact helps rather than hinders here. I'm speaking mainly about the way the screen blackens out anything more than 50 yards away. With AOD-esque visuals you would be able to see those dinosaurs from half a mile away and the conflict would not be as sudden and as shocking. Even the dodgy 2D plants lying around are cool. Baby dinos can run through them and suprise you rather than have to run around the outside Finally on the grahics side of things, I have to say that the 'roof' of the Valley is interesting. Have we come out into an open area of the level here, or do we see blackness because of the graphical limitations? I'd like to think it's an indoor area but with a cave roof too high to see. Remember, when we first go into the caves it was broad daylight outside. It takes 15 minutes to do that level, and 20 to do Vilcabamba, and I don't know any country in the world that can switch from afternoon to night-time that quickly. Make your own mind up. Speaking of Vilcabamba, this level is similar in that it is made up of two sections sat side by side. One contains the actual valley, and the other a raging waterfall section bearing a rather neat puzzle to solve. This is the first of numerous occasions in the series where one must collect three keys to get past one particular dead end. I prefer having to get something believable like three cogs though than a 'Silver' key, a 'Metallic' key, and some other key, in order to open a door with three locks on it. I like the part where you stumble across some skeletal remains with a shotgun next to them. There are other remains lying around the Valley, but none with a weapon. Curious. So the other adventurers who were unarmed went to face the dinosaurs, and the only one with a firearm stayed behind? Makes sense. I can only think the guy up beside the shotgun realised how his buddies were dying and decided he would rather face starvation. (Lord knows he would have had plenty of water!). This is fairly simple level designing but done with quality. It is not the best level in TR1 by any means, but definitely one to brush the cobwebs over in future years and show the grandchildren just what life was like before "Tomb Raider 26 : Von Croy junior's empire strikes back" - 9/10 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - Best part - The inclusion of a entire cave full of wolves that guard neither pickups or a way forward in the level. It's cool to occasionally know that not all ways lead to anything important. Worst part - When the T-Rex (Archer is going to tell me it was a Spinnisaurus or something now), does the impossible and pokes his head through solid rock. The temple at the back of the valley is also a bit empty and feels like it has been rushed. Secrets - 3/5 good ones. The one above the waterfall is clever, even if it does expose us to some poor waterfall imagery. Also deserving merit are the ones above the temple with cog#1, and the one you have to shimmy over to at the back of where the running water comes from. I don't care much for the secret hidden (if you can call it that)in the little alcove halfway up the valley, or indeed the one you come across directly above the exit passage to the Tomb of Qualopec. That room seems to be the natural way to go after getting the shotgun rather than somewhere cleverly tucked away out of easy reach. Monsters - Dinosaurs when used like this are fab. The wolves are not badly placed either. Biggest hooray though goes to the temporary banishment of the bats. Three cheers! hip hip.... Time - About 27 minutes if you know your way around. This assumes you're going after maximum secrets [ 16. October 2005, 20:41: Message edited by: Scottlee ]

01-10-02, 18:30	#2
Raider Ranger Archaeologist Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Herts. England Posts: 1,379	Maybe the guy with the shotgun didn't fancy being eaten alive so he shot himself instead.

01-10-02, 19:40	#3
Archer Student Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Chicago, USA Posts: 166	Scottlee, your analyses are the BEST - really spot-on! And I absolutely agree with you about the fun sudden-shock value of the Spinnisaurus encounter.

01-10-02, 20:47	#4
b1dc Explorer Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: UK Posts: 529	Great work Scottlee!!! Yeah, the first time i encountered the T-Tex it scared the hell out of me! And the way the camera shakes makes it hard to escape. Looking forward to the Tomb of Qualopec - one of my favourites!

01-10-02, 22:28	#5
Annacia Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: SuperNatural BC Posts: 11,367	Speaking just for myself, I do NOT!!! miss the !+^! dinos(whatever their species) at all. Glad to see them go.

02-10-02, 15:46	#6
qwerasdfzxcv Historian Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Essex, UK Posts: 440	Great review Scotlee. I think the blackness above you in the Lost Valley is just the high roof of the cave. The whole Peru section is set in caves, so this is just one big one... We didn't get the luxury of sky until the first level of TR2. We also got another T-rex, if you knew where to look. I like the dinosaurs in the Crash Site level of TR3, and I think there's another T-rex inside one of those caves in that level. Cool. Chrisraider.

02-11-02, 06:54	#7
Croft Security Archaeologist Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Wherever nothing is happening Posts: 1,026	You can't be too hard on TR 1's graphics, Scottlee. Remember it was an early PSX game, and in some ways TR 1's graphics are more gameplay-friendly than TR 2's or 3's were, due to the way objects were highly differentiated through brillaint color variation, and level layouts were made very clear, rather than being shrouded in darkness. I still find that TR 1's graphics have a kind of simple charm that is plenty for me.