"Citadel/Sphinx Complex" analysis

Scottlee · 08-12-06, 12:24

"There are things in these vaults man wasn't meant to see", Jean tells Lara. Like what? A dusty old planet puzzle and a couple of ninjas? Come off it. The Citadel easily gets the vote for biggest letdown level of the game. I'm sorry guys, I know it's more or less Christmas but this part of the game was disappointing to say the least. It's Jean's fault. The way he talks about the level you'd think we were about to enter another Temple of Xian. Not so. Custom level designers have probably done better than this.

The tedium begins with a brief search for a lever that will provide access to the rest of the building. We also get to burn somebody's washing line down, surely proving that rock and roll in video games isn't dead yet. Actually, I tell a lie. We don't get confirmation of that statement until the dramatic ten mile 'shimmy' around the side of a thin shaft five minutes later. I was quite literally wetting my pants at the thought of somehow accidentally letting go of the X button and falling into the shark-less, danger-less, scary pool of water down at the bottom. I deliberately did fall in on one go just for the hell of it, only to discover a conveniently placed secret tunnel that takes you all the way back up to the top so you can try again. Ooooh the harsh world of Jean's vaults.

Von Croy meanwhile has developed a throat infection, spluttering out every word as if it isn't actually Set who has posessed him but Gollam. His latest attempt at sabotaging Lara's progress is to pit two old knights against her. These are not knights of the round table though, more like knights of the Camelot hospital wing. They look quite scary when they're lying down still enjoying the fruits of a five thousand year kip. But once they awaken and stagger onto their feet like a couple of extras from Dad's Army, it's all downhill. You'd have to be a poor player to let these two old codgers back you into a corner. The only way you can realistically die is if the phone goes off and you forget to press pause. Laughable. Judging too by the cries of "Errrrhaaawhah ahaaerrrrrhahaaa", I think they would rather Von Croy just release the spell and let them go back to sleep.

The planet puzzle makes a glorious comeback, you will be ecstatic to know, this time with a north/south/east/west theme. No theme though in the history of themes could elevate this tired old puzzle above its original rating of 'Lost Library filler'. Not even a naked glamour model theme, where each globe would carry a picture of a breast, and you'd have to drag it across to the correct name on the floor (Candy, Bella, Lusty), would make this puzzle engaging or fun. Thank god this is being written several years after the game's release and I can say with some assurance that this is the LAST time in the series we would ever have to drag a bunch of wretched globes around for half an hour getting backache.

Ending the level is an FMV showing Lara and Von Croy. In a nice reversal of their previous meeting outside the Tomb of Semerkhet, this time it is Lara who locks a door to end the confrontation. Just in time too, as four sweet little puppies were about to gather around Lara and give her a little nibble of the hand. "Barking mad" she remarks incredulously, before jumping out of a high-rise window. Not a bad piece of cinema but the playable portions of the level are extremely lacking. 5/10

We begin The Spinx Complex by observing a large area of desert stretching out in front of us, the beauty of the horizon deflated partially by the presence of some man-made steel walls (I have to call them walls because they're certainly not buildings). Some have in-built doors with the words "Do not enter" emblazoned on the front. As if that would put Lara off! You might as well shove Danny Devito in front of a door reading "Cakes inside : Don't come in!"

The weather now strangely resembles a gloomy overcast day in the middle of Yorkshire, but let's not focus on that. Our activities in and around this 'complex' range only from killing ninja's and jumping over holes in the ground. These holes were presumably made as part of an excavation dig, though no clear evidence of this now remains.

Anyway, towards the latter end of the level we enter a mysterious storage building and this is where the only variety comes in. Lara gets to move a couple of shelves and then combine a metal blade with a wooden handle to make a spade. Surely all those large holes weren't dug up using this though? It barely looks sturdy enough to uproot a couple of sunflowers. Or am I just woefully underestimating Lara's colossal strength? I certainly underestimated her intellect. Look at the following. It's the inscription on the tablet at the level end....

"One night. . . in dreaming. . . came to me. . . the spirit of the sphinx. In his passing, he spoke unto me words of great wisdom. 'Thutmosis, here is your true destiny: This land of Egypt is forever yours to rule. In return, protect me always from the sands of time. As you are, I must be free from head to toe. So that we both may see the divine beauty of creation.'

Eh? Ya what? Now why couldn't the author have just written this...

"Dig right in front of me for a while. You will unearth a passage that takes you to the next level".

Or better still....

"Dig right in front of me for a while. You will unearth a passage that takes you to the next level. Oh, if you haven't got the spade yet, you need the wooden handle from inside one of the crates, and the metal handle from the storage building around the corner. Combine to make spade. Cheers

P.S - Watch out for the ninja's!

6/10

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(My new assistant Tomb Raider Master has been busy in the library. Let's see what he's found concerning 'citadels'.)

TRM's Tomb Tidbits
""The Citadel was built in the 12th century by Saladin, as a defense against the marauding Crusaders from Europe. The stone used for the outer wall was "quarried" by cannibalizing the outer facing stones from the Great Pyramid. Between 1176 and 1183, Salah ad-Din, an Abbasid Ruler, fortified the area to protect it against attacks by the Crusaders, and since then, it has never been without a military garrison. Originally it served as both a fortress and a royal city. Today the Citadel is one of Egypt main attractions and is often the most popular non-pharaonic monuments."

(Very interesting! Thanks, TRM

)

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

Tomb Raider Master · 08-12-06, 13:12

Quote:

"There are things in these vaults man wasn't meant to see", Jean tells Lara. Like what? A dusty old planet puzzle and a couple of ninjas? Come off it. The Citadel easily gets the vote for biggest letdown level of the game.

Quote:

I was quite literally wetting my pants at the thought of somehow accidentally letting go of the X button and falling into the shark-less, danger-less, scary pool of water down at the bottom. I deliberately did fall in on one go just for the hell of it, only to discover a conveniently placed secret tunnel that takes you all the way back up to the top so you can try again. Ooooh the harsh world of Jean's vaults.

Quote:

You'd have to be a poor player to let these two old codgers back you into a corner. The only way you can realistically die is if the phone goes off and you forget to press pause. Laughable. Judging too by the cries of "Errrrhaaawhah ahaaerrrrrhahaaa", I think they would rather Von Croy just release the spell and let them go back to sleep.

LOL, indeed!

Quote:

Some have in-built doors with the words "Do not enter" emblazoned on the front. As if that would put Lara off! You might as well shove Danny Devito in front of a door reading "Cakes inside : Don't come in!"

Haha, right again!

Quote:

Surely all those large holes weren't dug up using this though? It barely looks sturdy enough to uproot a couple of sunflowers. Or am I just woefully underestimating Lara's colossal strength?

Oh dear, that's what I've been wondering about all the time...

Quote:

"Dig right in front of me for a while. You will unearth a passage that takes you to the next level. Oh, if you haven't got the spade yet, you need the wooden handle from inside one of the crates, and the metal handle from the storage building around the corner. Combine to make spade. Cheers

P.S - Watch out for the ninja's!

LMAO!

And one big LOL @ the pic!

Very interesting writing!

Anubis_AF · 08-12-06, 18:36

Hilarious! I love it

Mytly · 08-12-06, 18:51

Ah, Scottlee, your analyses never fail to cheer me up.

The Great Chi · 08-12-06, 19:42

Pitcture is brill

you really summed up these old knights singing.

I always thought these slow knights were very like the knights in the round table song; from the Holy grail, monty python film.

"...dragging a bunch of wretched globes around for half an hour getting backache. "

This section is what I call really interactive, because once you have finished pulling these globes around, you do feel the aches and pains yourself.

rmpwnz · 09-12-06, 14:38

Personally, I think the whole of TR4 is a letdown. :/ The way the levels move from one to the other is retarded, the puzzles aren't at all interesting, there is few traps which are not interesting whatsoever.

Although this game does live up to the "Tomb" aspect, they didn't pull it off very well.

Thats my two cents.

rr_carroll · 09-12-06, 14:58

I found the Sliding Coffee Tables puzzle (as I call it) ever so much more entertaining the first time I played it, since my graphics card thoughtfully rendered all four tables in a uniform silvery sheen! I had to guess what compass direction was on each, for a mere 24 possibilities.

The Great Chi · 10-12-06, 15:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by rr_carroll

...I had to guess what compass direction was on each, for a mere 24 possibilities.

Usually you get the right solution after 23 attempts, its so frustrating

Titanium · 10-12-06, 15:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottlee

"Dig right in front of me for a while. You will unearth a passage that takes you to the next level. Oh, if you haven't got the spade yet, you need the wooden handle from inside one of the crates, and the metal handle from the storage building around the corner. Combine to make spade. Cheers

P.S - Watch out for the ninja's!

6/10

Great Analysis Scott!

08-12-06, 12:24	#1
Scottlee Relic Hunter Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Leeds, England Posts: 7,507	"Citadel/Sphinx Complex" analysis "There are things in these vaults man wasn't meant to see", Jean tells Lara. Like what? A dusty old planet puzzle and a couple of ninjas? Come off it. The Citadel easily gets the vote for biggest letdown level of the game. I'm sorry guys, I know it's more or less Christmas but this part of the game was disappointing to say the least. It's Jean's fault. The way he talks about the level you'd think we were about to enter another Temple of Xian. Not so. Custom level designers have probably done better than this. The tedium begins with a brief search for a lever that will provide access to the rest of the building. We also get to burn somebody's washing line down, surely proving that rock and roll in video games isn't dead yet. Actually, I tell a lie. We don't get confirmation of that statement until the dramatic ten mile 'shimmy' around the side of a thin shaft five minutes later. I was quite literally wetting my pants at the thought of somehow accidentally letting go of the X button and falling into the shark-less, danger-less, scary pool of water down at the bottom. I deliberately did fall in on one go just for the hell of it, only to discover a conveniently placed secret tunnel that takes you all the way back up to the top so you can try again. Ooooh the harsh world of Jean's vaults. Von Croy meanwhile has developed a throat infection, spluttering out every word as if it isn't actually Set who has posessed him but Gollam. His latest attempt at sabotaging Lara's progress is to pit two old knights against her. These are not knights of the round table though, more like knights of the Camelot hospital wing. They look quite scary when they're lying down still enjoying the fruits of a five thousand year kip. But once they awaken and stagger onto their feet like a couple of extras from Dad's Army, it's all downhill. You'd have to be a poor player to let these two old codgers back you into a corner. The only way you can realistically die is if the phone goes off and you forget to press pause. Laughable. Judging too by the cries of "Errrrhaaawhah ahaaerrrrrhahaaa", I think they would rather Von Croy just release the spell and let them go back to sleep. The planet puzzle makes a glorious comeback, you will be ecstatic to know, this time with a north/south/east/west theme. No theme though in the history of themes could elevate this tired old puzzle above its original rating of 'Lost Library filler'. Not even a naked glamour model theme, where each globe would carry a picture of a breast, and you'd have to drag it across to the correct name on the floor (Candy, Bella, Lusty), would make this puzzle engaging or fun. Thank god this is being written several years after the game's release and I can say with some assurance that this is the LAST time in the series we would ever have to drag a bunch of wretched globes around for half an hour getting backache. Ending the level is an FMV showing Lara and Von Croy. In a nice reversal of their previous meeting outside the Tomb of Semerkhet, this time it is Lara who locks a door to end the confrontation. Just in time too, as four sweet little puppies were about to gather around Lara and give her a little nibble of the hand. "Barking mad" she remarks incredulously, before jumping out of a high-rise window. Not a bad piece of cinema but the playable portions of the level are extremely lacking. 5/10 We begin The Spinx Complex by observing a large area of desert stretching out in front of us, the beauty of the horizon deflated partially by the presence of some man-made steel walls (I have to call them walls because they're certainly not buildings). Some have in-built doors with the words "Do not enter" emblazoned on the front. As if that would put Lara off! You might as well shove Danny Devito in front of a door reading "Cakes inside : Don't come in!" The weather now strangely resembles a gloomy overcast day in the middle of Yorkshire, but let's not focus on that. Our activities in and around this 'complex' range only from killing ninja's and jumping over holes in the ground. These holes were presumably made as part of an excavation dig, though no clear evidence of this now remains. Anyway, towards the latter end of the level we enter a mysterious storage building and this is where the only variety comes in. Lara gets to move a couple of shelves and then combine a metal blade with a wooden handle to make a spade. Surely all those large holes weren't dug up using this though? It barely looks sturdy enough to uproot a couple of sunflowers. Or am I just woefully underestimating Lara's colossal strength? I certainly underestimated her intellect. Look at the following. It's the inscription on the tablet at the level end.... "One night. . . in dreaming. . . came to me. . . the spirit of the sphinx. In his passing, he spoke unto me words of great wisdom. 'Thutmosis, here is your true destiny: This land of Egypt is forever yours to rule. In return, protect me always from the sands of time. As you are, I must be free from head to toe. So that we both may see the divine beauty of creation.' Eh? Ya what? Now why couldn't the author have just written this... "Dig right in front of me for a while. You will unearth a passage that takes you to the next level". Or better still.... "Dig right in front of me for a while. You will unearth a passage that takes you to the next level. Oh, if you haven't got the spade yet, you need the wooden handle from inside one of the crates, and the metal handle from the storage building around the corner. Combine to make spade. Cheers P.S - Watch out for the ninja's! 6/10 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- (My new assistant Tomb Raider Master has been busy in the library. Let's see what he's found concerning 'citadels'.) TRM's Tomb Tidbits ""The Citadel was built in the 12th century by Saladin, as a defense against the marauding Crusaders from Europe. The stone used for the outer wall was "quarried" by cannibalizing the outer facing stones from the Great Pyramid. Between 1176 and 1183, Salah ad-Din, an Abbasid Ruler, fortified the area to protect it against attacks by the Crusaders, and since then, it has never been without a military garrison. Originally it served as both a fortress and a royal city. Today the Citadel is one of Egypt main attractions and is often the most popular non-pharaonic monuments." (Very interesting! Thanks, TRM ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- __________________ For the first time ever I will understand my television Last edited by Scottlee; 08-12-06 at 12:26.

08-12-06, 18:36	#3
Anubis_AF Tomb Raider Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Nєρнιlιm's £αιr Posts: 17,240	Hilarious! I love it __________________ "Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf?" --- "I am, George... I am".

08-12-06, 18:51	#4
Mytly Moderator Join Date: May 2006 Location: In the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy Posts: 8,521	Ah, Scottlee, your analyses never fail to cheer me up. __________________ Sometimes the best answer is a more interesting question.

08-12-06, 19:42	#5
The Great Chi The Inscrutable One Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Beyond the Floating Islands Posts: 3,929	Pitcture is brill you really summed up these old knights singing. I always thought these slow knights were very like the knights in the round table song; from the Holy grail, monty python film. "...dragging a bunch of wretched globes around for half an hour getting backache. " This section is what I call really interactive, because once you have finished pulling these globes around, you do feel the aches and pains yourself. __________________ Humble words from the Great Chi Last edited by The Great Chi; 10-12-06 at 15:51.

09-12-06, 14:38	#6
rmpwnz Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 282	Personally, I think the whole of TR4 is a letdown. :/ The way the levels move from one to the other is retarded, the puzzles aren't at all interesting, there is few traps which are not interesting whatsoever. Although this game does live up to the "Tomb" aspect, they didn't pull it off very well. Thats my two cents.

09-12-06, 14:58	#7
rr_carroll Bug Scientist Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: California Posts: 5,253	I found the Sliding Coffee Tables puzzle (as I call it) ever so much more entertaining the first time I played it, since my graphics card thoughtfully rendered all four tables in a uniform silvery sheen! I had to guess what compass direction was on each, for a mere 24 possibilities.