Reign of Chaos - Córdoba by Nadine Lannte (Horus)

Level 1- Mystic Tree

After leaving the airport for the fourth time Lara has now reached the Iberian peninsula and made her way to the heart of the south: Córdoba. From around year 400 AD up until 12-1400 Spain was invaded by the Moors and this is particularly evident in Córdoba. The Moorish influence can be seen even to this day and now it can also be said that Nadine's Spanish levels are filled with it.

This first level is strongly dominated by high ceilings, Moorish ornaments and rounded archways decorated with Arabic mosaics.

Another thing which is highly noticeable is the dark atmosphere, which is so gloomy and sombre it's nearly on the verge of being heartbreaking. You can literally feel the pain of a city in ruins as you search for the blue Chaos Gem. In order to get Lara to her goal she needs to locate the Mystic Tree.

But the quest doesn't end there, far from it. Once she has found the tree (a hunt which is worthy of a level alone) she needs to find a way to open a door below the tree. There are very few enemies in this level, but they are very special indeed. Some of them will attack the mentioned tree instead of Lara, but she needs to kill the savages quickly: the more damage the tree takes, the more it will drain Lara's health bar.

This is a very long level that will take long to play, but I sat up all night more than once, determined to get Lara safely through it. When I finally succeeded I was completely exhausted, but at that point nothing could stop from going on with the show.

Level 2- Córdoba

Another stunning contribution from Nadine. Now that the fourth Chaos Gem is restored all is joy and harmony in Córdoba once more. Of course it doesn't end there, Lara must also find a way out of this place and reach the helicopter that will take her back to the airport again.

There's no time to be beating around the bush though and we start straight on with a tricky banana jump, a block puzzle which requires caution and patience and a tight timed run.

Speaking of timed runs: this level is a utopia for those who love challenges of that sort, I counted no less than six altogether in this level alone!!! To begin with I couldn't stand timed runs and groaned at every notion of a ticking clock, but after playing this adventure I can't get enough of them.

This level requires that you keep your head cool, it is no less than enormous. Only the main area, beautifully made up by dozens of cascades surrounded by white-chalked buildings and bridges, was so overwhelming and huge that my jaw dropped when I first saw it. It's the kind of level that feels like it will take you days to get from one end to the other.

This level is all about exploration and you will have Lara going everywhere thinkable and unthinkable, from the street up to the rooftops and back down again. No doubt a daunting task and maybe not quite a beginner's cup of tea, but one exquisite treat nonetheless.

With the sun shining, the tables with blue and white parasols, the benches and flower beds it feels like you're on a vacation in the Mediterranean area. Who needs to go abroad when you have something like this at home in your own living room?

Conclusion

Anyone who has played a level by Nadine will know for sure that this is going to be an enormous challenge. She is well known for her tight and difficult timed runs, trap gauntlets that can make even the most intrepid gamer turn pale and a whole array of puzzles and gameplay that will keep you awake until dawn. Of course you will also know that all the struggle is more than worth it, because as much as Nadine's levels are known for the high level of difficulty they are also known for breathtaking atmosphere and a graphical perfection that couldn't fail to impress even the most blasé raider. Seeing is believing they say and as hard as these two levels are, it's worth playing through the entire game only to see them.

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