Underworldfan's Single Player Map Reviews

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## Reviews: 5th Sept. 05

SUMMARY
Game - QUAKE
Map - ant: Antediluvian
by - John Fitzgibbons [metlslime]
Download - ant.zip
Overall Verdict A very well executed metallic/wind-tunnels map.

FULL REVIEW:
This is a medium-to-large sized metal wind tunnels map, a very traditional and well executed theme that recalls custom (and indeed thanks to its quality of implementation ID) maps from 1996-1999. Gameplay is very well balanced and scales in difficulty very consistently as the map progresses, which more than anything makes this feel like a map that would not be out of place alongside ID maps in the original quake 1 game.
The layout is very consistent and consists of brown/green metallic tunnels, platforms, pipes and walkways which wind around each other, horizontally and vertically, in a highly interconnected space. Most of the metal walkways and rooms are relatively small, but the map never feels cramped, a sign of expert design and good scaling of the corridors and rooms. Water channels, pipes and pools are also frequent, and play a large part in progressing through the map; there is a fair amount of underwater combat. All the architecture is well built and very neat, there are lots of nice details on the ceilings and walls, lots of nice well scaled rooms and corridors. Lighting is also good. Some notable map details which i thought were especially good was the metallic platforms, lifts and an iron cage containing a Vore. Due to the consistency of the theme the map has a good sense of place, atmosphere and immersion.

As already mentioned gameplay difficulty is very well judged, starting off relatively simply but soon escalating nicely. Some of the underwater fighting section are a little frustrating due to a uniformity of texturing and plainness which can sometimes make it unclear where to go next, but this only possibly happens in 1 or 2 sections. For the most part gameplay is highly enjoyable and well implemented, especially monster placement and numbers of monsters in a certain room/area, which is excellent throughout the map and a model for aspiring/improving mappers. There are 119 monsters on hard. I felt that at some points there was *slightly* too much armor/health which may take the edge off the challenge of the gameplay at certain points. On the positive side, Shambler usage in this map was particularly good, often appearing at unexpected or difficult moments and providing a good test.
Aside from a few minor points, this is a very good map, guaranteed to provide enjoyable gameplay to both the new and experienced player alike.

Overall Score:17/20