BtB 2006: Back to Basics 2006 (Asia)
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Hello everyone!!
Today I wanted to bring you a slightly different post about the TRLE author levels. A few days ago I finished the levels I had pending from Back to Basic 2006 and after completing its 23 levels I wanted to share with you why this competition is well known within the community.
To put a little context, this competition was officially established in 2005 (although the previous year there was an experiment called Lara at the Movies. Watch out, thin cinnamon stick!! I mean it, what a treat). The format is fascinating: all authors must create their levels using exclusively the same package of textures and objects. In 2006 the theme was Asia/Oriental, and it's incredible what they achieved with a construction package of only 18 MB. To see how level creation has evolved, the package of the last BtB of 2024 already weighs more than 2.3 GB!
Featured levels (the contest winners):
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The House of Kuan-Yin Lo (Isis): It was the undisputed winner (score of 9.30). It's a beautiful level, with a perfect balance between atmosphere and gameplay. If you want to try just one, let it be this one.
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The Killing Fields (Loch): It came in second, an "old school" design with very good atmosphere and a level of detail that is surprising for the era.
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Teahouse (MichaelP): This closed the podium and, although it's very good, I warn you: it's very challenging. I found it one of the most difficult to complete because of its complexity, but the satisfaction of finishing it is worth it. But it's a very hard level... seriously.
My impressions: What I like most about this BtB is the consistency. By using all the same resources, it seems like you're playing an official expansion of the classic games. It's true that there are levels with more modest scores, like Anya's (which is perhaps the weakest in the pack), but overall the community's effort is admirable.
Even levels like In Xanadu (Tony Tomb) or The Riddle of Master Lu (masha), which are outside the podium, offer a very good exploration experience that forces you to look at every corner and every nook of the scene.
If you like classic Tomb Raider and are in the mood for a good dose of oriental temples and puzzles, I recommend giving it a try.
Links of interest:
You can also find them individually in the search engine of Trle.net.
Best regards!!
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