• evilexhumed.zip - White Room by Willem
• Download: evilexhumed.zip

This is a nicely designed medium-sized map, which pleasingly mixes several different Quake styles in a logical manner. The initial area is a base area, in a modified idbase theme, with a few unique details (the base is built on stone foundations, for example). There are some nice outdoor courtyards, and while the architecture is never amazing it is conistantly well-built, textured and lit. The next segment of the map is underground mine chambers with lava and a broken bridge, leading eventually to several suitably ominous runic skull-gates. With broken rock weaving in and out of the runic architecture, the sense of an ancient world rediscovered beneath the surface is well-created. I should also note plenty of functional little details, and good work with rocks, improve the design.

While the upper area (logically, of course) features base enemies, the lower area is populated mainly by ogres and vores. I liked this shift, it fit with the change of theme, something actually surprisingly rare in a single map in Quake, although the base-netherworld progression is common enough in episodes. The gameplay is a good challenge on hard, but as long as you are careful there is no chance of dying until you get to the last section. This is a library (another cool twist for a base map), which is again nicely designed and well executed, merging seamlessly with the theme. The finale is a dark sewer area, another change of style, where some shamblers prove dangerous.

Overall, a very oldschool map with a cool idea behind it, and enough tweaks and twists on classic settings to be consistently interesting.

Overall Score: 16.5/20