Coyote Creek By Cowboy, Raider X, EssGee, George Maciver, Terry Barrett, Titak, Bojrkraider Release Date:    August 2006 Size:                 138.97 Mb File Type:          TR4 No of Levels       11 Platform            PC and Mac

Report by Selene

Story

Ominous tales surround Coyote Creek. Once a thriving gold mining town in the Old Wild West, it now lies silent and derelict. Many have journeyed there in an attempt to uncover its sinister past, but none have returned. Never one to pass up an opportunity for such adventure, Lara Croft is determined to unearth Coyote Creek’s dark secrets once and for all.

Levels

Lara and the Chief - Raider X    (9 Secrets)
Ambushed - Raider X                (1 Secret)
Coyote Creek - Cowboy           (1 + 2 Secrets)
The Canyon - Cowboy and George Maciver  (No Secrets)
The Abandoned Mine - George Maciver         (1+1 Secret)
The Working Mine - EssGee               (2 Secrets)
Ancient Temple- Dhama and EssGee (3 Secrets)
The Hunt For El Dorado - Cowboy     (3 Secrets)
The Burial Chamber - George Maciver and Raider X (1 Secret)

Difficulty: Average
Net Gaming Time: 4-8 hours

Lara and the Chief

A game could not possibly start any better than this. The player will be sitting mesmerized from the moment Lara falls down into the cave until she walks through the doors to the train station. What I especially enjoyed about it is the way that you're introduced to the story surrounding Coyote Creek and the stolen gold. Unlike in many other levels this allows the player to fully feel that they're taking part in the adventure from beginning to end.

We find a trusty friend in the stout Indian Chief Dark Cloud as he guides Lara and us through caves and temple-like areas containing amazing architecture as well as flawless texturing. Everything from the dust on the ground to stone walkways and an underground lake makes this cave network seem so intriguingly realistic. The way the Chief works as your guide is ingenious and this game simply couldn't be without him.

In addition to fleshing out the background story for you, the Chief also helps Lara (and the player) mastering new moves such as the forwards somersault out of crawlspaces (thank you Team for re-introducing us to this move!!!). The secrets in this level are many (9) and they come in shape of ancient Golden Skulls. Those who have played the Angkor Wat training level from Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation might recognize this level as something similar.

The level does not only consist of the follow-the-leader concept, there are also some tasks to perform and these are brilliantly tied together. Lara And The Chief features a mellow start to the game and a very enjoyable one at that.

In many ways creating a story level is a tough task. This is what sets the atmosphere for the rest of the game. If poorly composed the player will most likely not have any interest in seeing what more there is to the game, save out of curiosity. Raider X has created an explosive start that only leaves you wanting more.

Ambushed

By the help of Chief Dark Cloud we now find that Lara has reached the train station.....only to find that the train has, in classic Wild West style, been ambushed by bandits. Here Raider X gets to show off his building skills once more.

This is a train level, where Lara must make her way back and forth across the rooftops and storage rooms of a train charging ahead at full speed. An extra thrill to the experience is that one of the bandits appears every now and then. He won't hurt Lara to begin with, but he does create a certain sense of paranoia: you get a feeling that your every move is being watched and you'll be looking over your shoulder more than once, certain that someone will be there waiting for the right moment to attack.

The high pace and constant feeling of vertigo, especially when navigating on the outside of the train, is a sharp contrast to the tranquil sensation of the previous level. It's a relatively short level, but action-packed and intense for as long as it lasts: just the way a train level should be.

It creates a fluent connection to the previous level and that was one thing which never ceased to amaze me throughout the entire adventure: how everything was tied together, without any sensation of lost plot.

Coyote Creek

So here she is: standing at the abandoned train station of the town that has given this adventure its name. My first experience of this desolate ghost town was that of the sounds: horses long dead galloping through the streets and coyotes howling at the full moon. Just the mere thought of it is nearly enough to send shivers down my spine. And things only got better.

The moment Lara walked out of the train station and we were treated to a fly-by of this deserted place my jaws dropped. I could hardly believe that what I saw was for real. Never in my life have I seen a ghost town in a game looking any more real than this. The level of detail is beyond words. Coyote Creek can actually be called charming in its own spooky way. It contains everything that a ghost town should: a jail, a theatre, a church with a belonging cemetery, stores and a saloon.

The latter was probably the most impressive building in the entire game with its bar, pints tipped over on the decrepit tables, the piano churning out lovely tunes from the past and a chandelier with flames still burning.

You will be visiting the ghastly town of Coyote Creek twice and it's also here you'll locate the entrance to the Fort. As an extra bonus you'll meet a few custom made enemies, serving to enhance an already unbeatable atmosphere.

Seeing is indeed believing and once you see this place you'll be wishing you'd never had to leave.

The Canyon

Right outside the spooky Coyote town you'll find the Canyon. It continues in the same fashion as the level before and here the main objective is to find a way to open the entrance to the mine. This level is another one of my favourites. The fly-by over the canyon at the very beginning of the level provides a perfect start and it also gives off a few hints as to what we need to do here.

It is perfectly constructed with its cliffs, abandoned wooden buildings nestled among the rocks, wooden rails going upwards along the mountainside and a lonely bonfire burning cheerily under a natural rock bridge. During the entrance fly-by you'll also get a sneak-peek at a bison resting on top of the railroad tracks. It's best to stay clear of it to begin with, but eventually you will be needing it in order to complete the tasks that need to be done here. As one can expect from such a level there is naturally quite a bit of rock climbing and jumping sequences involved, but this isn't the only thing on the schedule.

You will also be exploring the desolate buildings and mountain caves and there is even a neat torch puzzle to complete. Michael has contributed greatly to this game by creating not only the Canyon, but also the town of Coyote Creek AND its belonging Fort. These parts score greatly in my eyes due to the impeccable atmosphere and astonishing sense of detail.

The canyon is a pretty small area and there aren't that many tasks to be done so it's naturally a relatively short level. Its small size also prevents the required backtracking from getting too tedious and it functions perfectly as a connection between the previous level and the next one.

The Abandoned Mine

After clearing the entrance to the mine and leaving the canyon behind Lara now finds herself in a seemingly abandoned mine. I'm saying seemingly, because as we all know from previous TR games: nothing is ever what it seems and if you think that you'll be running around an entire level without anything threatening Lara's health think again.

The moment I set foot inside the mine the first thing that struck me was the eerie sound filling the air, with the shouts of the miner ghosts (or maybe the ghosts of Indians) echoing from the rafters and through the maze-like network of tunnels. Speaking of Indians: some remains are apparently not meant to rest so you'll be spending quite a large part of this level dodging that hatchet-wielding enemy, trying to avoid being scalped.

I was particularly impressed with the main area, which looks just the way I'd imagine an old mine to look like. Here you'll most definitely need the hunting spear you acquired earlier in order to pry open crates and doors and you'll be in awe over the stunning level of detail as you explore abandoned offices, murky pools and narrow tunnels.

Just like the town this is a level where you will be doing one part of the tasks the first time around and the rest after finishing the next level. One thing I have noticed with levels signed George is their incredible atmosphere and action-packed gameplay and also in this one you will be spoiled rotten on all accounts.

The Working Mine

It was with grand excitement that I watched Lara drop down to a different part of the mine. A part of the mine that turned out to be a lot more crowded. As a sharp contrast to the previous mine level you will soon be battling enemies of all kinds: Indian spectres that refuse to rest in peace, mine workers that appear to be oddly alive, giant rats and even a spirit wolf. This is the level which features more enemies than any of the others, but their presence is well balanced with less traps than you'll see in the other levels.

Here you'll see another aspect of the mine and I particularly enjoyed the mine cart ride and the area with the tracks going over the bridge. This level is longer than most of the others and only surpassed by Ancient Temple on that aspect. Among the tasks to be done you'll need to find some feathers and their belonging pots, a spanner for the mine cart, dynamite for some explosive business and various keys and bolts.

One thing that strikes me with these mine levels is how difficult they must be to make with all their rocky caves, huge areas and networks of corridors and hidden passages. I have nothing further to do but to take off my hat and salute George and Scott for having achieved this and even managed to craft these levels with such perfection and such an astonishing level of detail.

A level taking place in a mine can quickly become dry and tedious as the rooms often tend to look the same and there's only so much that can be done around there. However, George and Scott have succeeded in creating a mining firework that will stick with you for a long, long time ahead.

Ancient Temple

So far you have the story, the train ambush, the spooky and desolate ghost town, a canyon which will make the Grand Canyon pale in comparison and thrilling mine cart rides through more or less abandoned mines. Now you have reached the point where it's time to delve deep into Indian legends and find out more about their Midas touch. I'll say no more on that account and rather leave it to the raiders to explore it further.

My first impression of this level was that it seemed awfully complex to begin with. However, once you get past a certain part near the beginning you start seeing the layout more clearly and realise that things aren't all that difficult in the long run. The goal here is to find some machine parts and for this to be done Lara must make her way past devious traps and a few bothersome enemies. There are also quite a few timed runs to deal with and all in all that is just how a temple should be.

It is called a temple, but in reality it appears to be more catacomb-like. There are Indian ornaments on the stone walls and pillars and I especially love the animal hides that are hung up to dry on wooden racks.

It starts off a little bit slowly with a lot of running through corridors and tunnels, but about halfway into the level you'll find that the pace picks up drastically. The final part is actually the hardest in the game and features a giant Totem Pole, a flock of bothersome bats and a trial under fire with a lot of swimming and rock jumping. Pure fun all the way and with a dash of classic raiding on top of it.

The Hunt For El Dorado

After another quick stop in Coyote Creek and a ghostly fight Lara finally enters the town Fort. El Dorado (Spanish word meaning "the gilded one") itself was a mythical city in South America said to be made out of nothing but pure gold and it is not just the gold Lara must hunt down here.

Thinking back on it now I have to say that this was one of my favourite levels of this game. The Fort buildings are absolutely as skilfully made as those of the town and the atmosphere never ceases to amaze me. With its dark and sinister atmosphere and with chirping of crickets and howling of wolves sounding through the air, this is one to keep you looking over your shoulder.

Another level of the kind short and sweet, but it is most certainly challenging, though never overly difficult. You'll only encounter a few enemies, but you'll no doubt have your hands full with those that are and the final showdown with an undead gold digger is a great way of ending the level.

The Burial Chamber

A perfect adventure is approaching the end. Lara is back in the Burial Chambers seen in the first level and she is once more reunited with Chief Dark Cloud.

After a game sporting a continuous spooky atmosphere and walking around with the spine chilling knowledge that an enemy might pop up around any corner or that Lara could possibly wander straight into a trap gauntlet at any given time, it felt like a sigh of relief to return to more tranquil grounds and finally have some company again.

In this level there are no traps and no enemies and it felt incredible to just sit back and enjoy the final part of the game with a heart steadily slowing down after the constant adrenaline rush kicking in from the beginning of level 2. There is only one major task: following the Chief around and locate four key parts of sorts, neatly shaped as pots that have feathers sticking out of them. After collecting all four the players would finally gain entrance to the inner part of the Burial Chambers and a perfectly rounded conclusion to the game.

Conclusion

What can one say about a game like Coyote Creek? It is stunning, skilfully crafted and most of all: unique. In previous team works we have seen our Lara entering famous movie classics and globe-trotting to find and defeat her arch-enemy Natla, but who would ever have thought that we'd get to see her in a full-fledged Wild West adventure? Every part of this game speaks of the immense work and time that has gone down in making this project reality. The voice casting is incredible and together with all the custom animations it contributes in making this game an unforgettable adventure. You'll even get to see custom made weapons fitting perfectly in, such as a Winchester rifle instead of the ordinary shotgun and a Colt has replaced the revolver.

With Coyote Creek the Team has not only made a game bound for the Hall Of Fame; they've also made history. Here you'll absolutely find something for every taste and even more so: it's for everyone to enjoy, beginners and expert raiders alike. It's not so easy that it becomes boring, but provides an average challenge wrapped in delightful eye candy and a solid and mesmerizing background story.

Not an afternoon raid, but once you've started you'll be glad it isn't: this is without doubt an experience from which you will not be able to tear yourself loose until it's over. Every part of the game is worth playing for, even the amazing credits at the end. For your own sake, just try it out, you won't regret it for a moment, but you'll be missing out on something spectacular if you don't.

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