 |
|
|
|
 (Size: 550k. Alternative downloads: Wishes / Wishes) 
 Hey, I wish for a solid metal level with plenty of details, a great exploratory design and loads of monsters to beat up....well, would you believe it, I got my wish =). Not sure exactly why this is a well of wishes, but it's a jolly good level, with one particularly pleasing aspect - the non-linearity and huge amount of possible exploration. The author originally based this level off a deathmatch map, and this shows in the design, and further shows how some aspects of deathmatch level design can work for single player - in this case the layout and interconnectivity. Essentially, the map consists of a central "arena", with various rooms and corridors lain out around it in a multi-level "dohnut". So you get plonked in the arena, and how you proceed from there is pretty much up to you...well, of course you need to get a couple of keys to exit, but aside from that there is a lot of side exploration to do - you perhaps need to visit 1/2 the map to complete it. And you know what, this is great, it's really fun being able to wander around at random, with a real sense of exploration, and *chose* to visit areas rather than being forced to. In my view, this is the finest quality of the map, and something that is lacking in most SP maps. The architecture is good solid metal architecture, with less lava than usual, and some slime instead. It's also less gothic, and has some nice futuristic details with the lights and such like (which gives it a heavy feel), as well as some blue designs. Two things I didn't like were the Quake logo in the main arena, which was a bit cheesy, and the spawn spots left over from deathmatch - it was careless to leave those in as they serve no purpose in SP. Other than that, the architecture is good and varied, though never really spectacular. As well as the exploration inherent in the level, the secrets are excellent too, and take you all over the map. Gameplay is solid and reliable - whichever route you take there are plenty of monsters that need a good seeing to, and you are not penalised for taking the "wrong" route by unfair combats. However, since there is room to retreat, it's advisable not to retreat into unexplored areas =). There's nothing exceptional about the gameplay, but it is definitely fun, and well balanced monsters and weapons wise. There's a few surprises and some challenging sections, though the ending was a bit too easy, with the tougher monsters somewhat poorly used. Another gameplay niggle is the odd 666/nail shooter trap, which doesn't make much sense in this level - the author says that it's there to affect Reaper bots in deathmatch, as it doesn't benefit the SP game at all, it should have been removed. Other than that, the level is good as far as normal aspects goes, and great for exploration. (Did an Easy speedrun in 0:43, also found on the Demos page.) - - - - - -  |
