A snowy map with a small final arena
that blends indoor/outdoor sections in a
layout that seems to expand as you progress.
The textures are ripped from DKT and Hexen
and are surprisingly crude compared to other
levels with the same graphics. Several areas
have a definite cartoon vibe but there are
also many instances where they work well.
Only the hexagon doors are out of place.
The garish new monster skins don't help.
The grim overcast sky does. Also of minor
note is the new nailgun sound. It's okay,
but would have been better with a new model
like the one from anevil.
Brushwork is sometimes crude (doors appearing
on the other sides of walls, still? =))
but always intricate and effective with
the requisite weird angles. Several impressive
areas have uneven floors which give the
map a touch of realism and also make combat
a little more interesting. The rock walls
were made with a strange angular technique
that is quite appealing, although they look
somewhat short. Except for a corridor or
two, there are no "box" areas,
and the most visual sections are the atria
where multiple levels intersect. There is
also one nice ruined section. There are
a few b0rked fulldark surfaces but the lighting
is great overall, with good sunlight outside
and torches inside.
The map is consistently heavy on ammo and
light on health (unless you're good at finding
secrets, which is easier in software mode)
but other than that, combat is varied with
an appropriate mix of strafing, sniping,
and other violent goodness. Reinforcements
have a demonic habit of appearing, usually
from behind hidden doors, just when you
think an area is secure. The gremlin makes
an appearance in huge numbers, but for some
reason never in a location where it can
be a huge threat. Other enemies are placed
with an appropriate attention to their strengths,
especially the new rocket ogres. Weapons
are positioned well with the rocket launcher
just before the final combat and no thunderbolt.
The final arena map has several good but
mildly frustrating ideas. It can be very
difficult to survive without taking the
right type of evasive action. However, the
way you trigger the final switch is cool
and there is a very useful secret before
the end which, strangely, doesn't trigger
any monster drop-ins. =)
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