[ Reviewed by: Jay ] - [ Date: Sunday, 19th December, 1999 ]

 

I sort of wish I had had another map to review for my debut, lest my new readers think I am too easy. This one was plain and simply fun. It isn't terribly big, a single level that I played in maybe 90 minutes, including note-taking and stopping and going back to try alternative approaches. On the other hand, the 120 enemies in skill 1 gives for plenty of fragging. Health was fairly scarce early on in the map, and enemy placement was such that taking hits was unavoidable for someone anywhere near my skill level, which made things exciting.

 

What did I like?


Enemy placement - multiple enemies in many places, enemies behind nearly every door. After a while, I approached each door knowing there was something on the other side that wanted to rip my face off. Once or twice, they succeeded...
The ammo came mostly from enemy dead, which I feel is more realistic than finding it just lying around.
The scenery was quite varied, without going overboard. Not being a graphics designer or map author, I can't comment on the virtuosity or skill behind the visuals, but they were pleasing to the untrained eye, and I never got tired of them.
I could never be sure an area was cleared. Enemies would sneak out from hiding and nearly wax my behind. What did I not like?


Nothing major. I did not get stuck or notice any serious visual flaws. However, everybody can find some few things to quibble about, and I am no exception, so... The Flying Boss was not much of a challenge. By the time it appeared, I had A) A railgun and 100 slugs, B) a hyperblaster and 300 cells, C) A rocket launcher and some number of rockets, D) a grenade launcher and bunches of grendades (and a partridge in a pear tree...) The hyperblaster was more than adequate. (Note: I'm REALLY reaching, here...) The map was maybe a little more linear than it strictly needed to be. In one interesting room with three doors, only one would open. One of the others was the other end of the path begun with the openable one. That was quite proper, given the design of the "loop", but an alternate layout, coupled with one-way doors, could have allowed either door to be used. (I did say I was reaching...)
The secrets were not that difficult to find. The items in the secrets were very helpful at the time, but not necessary to successful completion of the map.

 

There are those who feel that there is some kind of inherent conflict of interest between reviewers and testers. I do not happen to subscribe to this view, but it certainly will not hurt to say that I was a playtester for this map. The final version was better than the beta version, but in part that was because Kona ignored some of my advice. Anyway, it's out in the open, and this is likely not the last time I'll have occasion to say this...

 

I'm not going to pretend this map is any challenge to Castles of Stroggos 3 for SPQ2 Map of the Year, but I thought it was more than worth the time it takes to download. For those who like lots and lots of fragging, including plenty of scenarios with multiple enemies coming at you from different directions, this one's for you. It's going in my "Good" folder.