Underworldfan's Single Player Map Reviews

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## Reviews: 4th September 2008: Review 1 [Reviewed by Tronyn]

SUMMARY
Game: QUAKE
Map - Ne_lend: "The Living End"
by: Necros
Downloads - ne_lend_doom.zip

FULL REVIEW:
note: Both these maps require Quoth2 installed to run properly.
Necros' latest is a brooding, dark dungeon that is similar to one of Doom2's best maps, The Living End. Like that map, it is a large underground cavern with staircases winding around a giant, deep pit of lava, with high-level enemies on ledges sniping at the player. The textures (previously used by Glassman) are a dark and dingy set, full of grimy gothic designs, that suit Quake perfectly. The architecture is great - curving rockwork, detailed building fronts, complex multileveled rooms, and lots of detailed metal fences throughout. The layout winds its way around the whole lava pit, returning back to the start point, and then to the island in the center.

The gameplay is fairly tough throughout - good use of Quoth monsters, lots of fights in close quarters and dangerous ledges over lava. There are six secrets, and lots different places to go throughout the map - the layout is very interesting and complex, good sense of place and progression. Also, the map's horizontally focused layout makes the map reminiscent of Doom as well, and the lighting is great - excellent spotlighting throughout. Basically, anyone who likes Q1SP owes it to themselves to play this map; it's one of the most entertaining maps in recent years, and it's consistently dark and dramatic.

Overall Score: 18/20
This map enters the Q1SP Hall of Fame 2 at position 10 in Q1SP single Maps.

## Reviews: 4th September 2008: Review 2 [Reviewed by Tronyn]

SUMMARY
Game - QUAKE
Map - Ne_doom: "Elder World Waystation"
by - Necros
Downloads - ne_lend_doom.zip

FULL REVIEW
This map, Elder World Waystation, follows directly from The Living End, in a reversal of Quake's usual base-medieval progression. What we have here is one of the most, perhaps the most, unique uses of the IkBase texture set in Quake. Instead of the usual "multileveled indoor rooms connected by curving hallways" type of base that is common, this map is basically one continuous stream of strange setpieces, floating in some strange part of space with a brilliant blue skybox.

The architecture is highly uncharacteristic of base also - it's almost like Necros' epic evil Runic style, but with base textures. There are pipes (and moving machinery which is great), but the feel is very strange and unusual for a base map - much weirder scifi/evil, very appropriate in Quake. Construction, lighting and texturing are also all good, and the layout is a logical progression through several vertical levels. Gameplay is very different from the previous map - there are far fewer monsters, but they are generally stronger and you are given far less supplies, making the map actually more challenging in general. Watch out for those gaunts!

Overall Score: 17/20