Probably the longest-in-development-ever Q1SP has been released, and it is awesome. Rubicon was a base map with custom textures from the early days of Quake, but its sequel has much more than that. First of all, there are still the custom textures, but the set is massively expanded. It is probably the first created-for-Quake custom texture set in years. I don’t know how many textures were in the original Rubicon, but I’m guessing the texture set here is now 3x as big at least. There are also tons of neat touches, like waving flags with the Rubicon 2 logo (repeated on crates, walls, etc as well throughout the episode). There are custom exploding barrels, custom laser traps and other hazards like steaming pipes, and lots of other custom content like new sounds (all of which sound very oldschool and awesome) and even a Rubicon 2-specific help in the start menu. This is an episode that deserves to be played and replayed to savour all the cool little enhancements/touches. There are three new monsters as well, a pyromaniac enforcer who charges you with a flamethrower (awesome), a sort of R2D2 robot (pretty cool), and coolest of all a flying enforcer which makes for a very original flying enemy (awesome). In addition, grunts and enforcers are now slightly more dangerous (at least it seemed that way), so the map set is challenging but never ridiculous.

 

The start map introduces the episode’s style, many of the features here will be repeated later. One of the coolest things about the map set, is that the cumulative effect of not just the suite of custom features, but the repetition of architectural designs (giant x-beams for examples), is that a very distinct, coherent style of environment is created. I was actually reminded quite a bit, when I started playing this, of the first time I played IKSPQ5 The Secret Installation, in terms of a distinct base environment with a its own look. However, in terms of the amount of custom mod stuff, it is probably more comparable to something like Operation Urth Majik. The map set is not linear, in the start map you pick what maps you want to play in whatever order. I started with “Hydroexploitation Plant,” then played “A Thousand Years Into the Past,” and then finally “Subterranean Spookworks.”

 

Hydroexploitation Plant is the map that some of us remember seeing screenshots of a long time ago. The map begins with a tribute to Quake’s e1m1, but soon shifts settings into a complex network of underground tunnels, store rooms, and canyon areas. For me the setpiece highlight was the outdoor dam, sort of like some of the stuff early in Travail in a more compact way. The architecture of the dam is impeccably curved, which is interesting since not a lot of maps do this anymore, and yet the map doesn’t do it just to show off curviness but rather it does it where appropriate. The overall sense of this map is of well-proportioned, well-judged architecture. In terms of layout, while the map has a lot of twists and turns, the layout is so well-designed (I’d imagine this was all sketched out beforehand, or edited and redesigned quite a bit) that it is always clear where to go, you are almost by default always heading in the right direction despite the complexity of the setting. I thought this was the easiest of the three maps, but that doesn’t make it a pushover, you cannot run in too fast and it’s a good idea to use the shotgun to snipe enemies far away so they don’t snipe you.

 

A Thousand Years Into the Past is CZG’s map, with a slightly different take on the Rubicon 2 theme (different skybox, fog, somewhat different architectural style). Most of the map takes place in a massive underground facility, with platforms and bridges spanning yawning chasms, between large support structures and with plenty of pipes and crossbeams. It’s quite atmospheric, and has probably the largest amount of open space out of any of the maps. The gameplay is quite a bit tougher than the previous map – whereas I didn’t die there, I died several times here. The layout is similarly complicated, but the gameplay path is usually pretty clear. The map involves disabling laser traps, getting keys, and of course killing plenty of robots, enhanced enforcers and other base enemies. I’m not sure exactly what to compare it to, perhaps Subterranean Siege or The Lost Mines. Basically, with this map you will get an increased challenge, in an impressive/atmospheric environment.

 

Subterranean Spookworks is the last map I played. It centres around a central atrium/hub, with a curved tunnel encircling it and three major side areas guarded by laser traps of different colours. I think this might be my favourite map in the set. While the layout isn’t as complex as either of the other major maps, it is more obvious and logical, especially when you see the outdoor areas and realize that they are basically bunker-like entrances to the whole underground complex. I found this the hardest map, not because it had the most enemies in it, but just because it seemed health was scarce (even with exploration which can be helpful). There were some pretty nasty trap “labs” in this map, so you have to make sure your aim is good. I really liked the concrete theme of this map, and the lighting was especially good.

To conclude the review, what we have here is a very nicely made mod serving three very well-made base maps, with tons of extra features, a nice start map, a cool theme, some challenging combat, pleasing layouts, and a great expansion on a classic oldschool theme / texture set.

Score: 18/20

 

The second Remake Quake SP demo contains the latest version of the Remake Quake mod (now with its own engine), and the map e1m6rq, “The Doors of Delusion.” I’ll start with some thoughts on the mod. The Vomitus monster is great, and surprising when it’s used. The cut-scenes throughout are very helpful. The grappling hook takes a bit of getting used to, but it is really great once you get used to it. It, and some other elements, add a cool puzzle-solving element (thankfully NEVER overdone or frustrating; this is QUAKE) which meshes well with the surprisingly functional take on e1m6 that is the map, including the traps. Still not sure about the Ogre sounds, seems a bit cheesy, but the sounds for the Fiend and especially the Scrag, are first rate. The feel of the combat is very good; both the player and monsters die easier, which adds a sense of danger to a game in which the skilled player has been feeling invincible in maps without hundreds of monsters of late. This lets the mod get more mileage out of fewer monsters, a good choice. The dying easier aspect could have been overdone but thankfully wasn’t; this is QUAKE not a realistic shooter. So overall, there are a ton of little improvements that modify the game but all, in my view, move in the right direction of making it more challenging and interesting.

 

Now for the map: e1m6rq is a very impressive map. The basic layout of e1m6 remains, but with quite a few extra areas. What surprised me the most, was that whereas the original id Runic/Metal maps were quite abstract, this map seems very functional and yet retains its sense of mystery. Parts of it even slightly reminded me of Quake 2, yet it is absolutely in the weird realm of Quake 1 in terms of atmosphere. There are pipes, moveable objects, traps, boilers, movement units, so that the whole thing seems like a netherworld tech complex of some (still strange) sort. Visually, the map is beautiful: coloured lighting, broken tiles and gargoyles, fallen pipes, tons of little details to add to the atmosphere. The grappling hook is fun to use, the map progression is fun and interesting, the combat is good, and the ending is spectacular. My one reservation is that I found the “your way has been lit” section really frustrating, and I’d recommend changing it. Other than that though, this is a fascinating, beautiful, powerful map surrounded by a mod that serves it very well.

Score: 18/20

 

This map’s simple title is entirely appropriate: The Anomaly is the only Elder World base map I know of. Like id’s most experimental and troublesome episode, The Elder World, The Anomaly features numerous powerups, strange, confusing and creepy settings (like Tower of Despair), different styles of theme in the same map (consider The Pain Maze), lots of powerups, weird forces at work, cool secrets, and plenty of weaponry. The base here is dressed in a variety of id, hipnotic, ik, and nehahra textures, with the odd addition from hexen II (rocks/grass). There are a variety of settings: dark tech-hallways, open courtyards, subterranean rooms, winding interconnected stairwells and atriums, and rust/copper-themed sewer segments. It’s not entirely clear how the areas relate to each other, and the next place to go sometimes opens up in an unexpected place. The interwinding layout also means you’ll often be surprised to find yourself visiting a previous area from a new angle. The coolest part of the design/ layout is the “warped” sections – tilted or even inverted base rooms (you’ll have to see these yourself), including fighting and puzzles which can be tricky.

 

The gameplay is very Elder-world: Vores, Shamblers, Tarbabies, Fiends and so forth are present in force along with Ogres, Grunts and Enforcers. Early in the map there is a courtyard where base monsters bounce around while attacking you. id did this with Vores in episode 4, but Vores obviously have some weird link to elder magics that make no sense, whereas the whirlwind of grunts and enforcers in this map seems as confused as the human player they’re attacking even as they are tossed around. A humorour and unusual moment for sure – and make sure that that pesky autoaim is turned off! Probably the most fun in the map is the quad runs (of which there are several!) – one fragging zombies with quad lightning (that was my weapon of choice anyway) is particularly good.

This is indeed a unique map, with some great quad blastfests and peculiar/interesting designs. 2011 is off to a good start!

Score: 16/20

 

I missed this demo, released in summer of 2009, because I was on a bike trip at the time. While the version of the RMQ mod on display here is antiquated now, I thought I’d review it anyway along with the new demo. The mod seems good; using hi-res textures for the map and for the items, the experience is very slick with Darkplaces. The feel of the weapons is better than the original by quite a bit; especially the nailgun is fun to use. Nevertheless, the mod still uses the old models, including the tree for example, and the old models as well. There is a new model for when monsters teleport in which looks cool. I am not sure whether the team plan to incorporate hi-res textures for all the models, this goal strikes me as too ambitious, and I don’t mind the mixture of hi-res and low-res art in any case. The new sounds are mostly good, I don’t like the axeman sound, but other than that mostly good. The use of friendly ranger soldiers is cool even though I ended up killing the few that survived the enemy by accidental friendly fire. The Q2 barrel is good, much better than the retarded Q1 barrel, but I think it needs to be recoloured (more brown rather than grey) to fit in with the Q1 base colour scheme. The monsters now dodge, which I found annoying in Nehahra, but they mostly die in one shot, so the difficulty is not unreasonable. Overall, the mod includes plenty of cool touches and general improvements, without straying too much from the original. As a note I think there was a general sound problem when I played. My system is not the greatest though.

 

Now to the map, e3m1rq. The map follows the layout of the original for the most part, but with several extra areas. The visual style is similar to the original, but smoother and more detailed in some places. There are some nice tech areas – the whole map seems more functional and convincingly technological than the original. There are plenty of cool touches which add to the sense of place. I wasn’t too keen on the lighting, as there is quite a bit of pure darkness. I know some people don’t like minlight, mostly because it can be used as a lazy substitution for real light, but I found the amount of pure black in this map distracting, since it sometimes made navigation problematic. id Software maps, especially in episodes 3 and 4, did have a fair amount of pure black (consider the Tower of Despair, for example), but they also had some dimmer diffuse lights so that it was possible to see what was where. That said this issue might just be due to my contrast settings. The use of rain adds a fair bit to the map, and I got the impression that the secret areas were more extensive than what I saw (which was already cool). My one complaint is that my favourite area in the original e3m1 – the hanging-platform-above-the-slime area, one of the coolest base spots in the original quake – seems to have gotten lost in this version – it’s either too dark, or too remade or reduced to be really recognizable. In conclusion, this is nice improvement on the original and the mod is good, but the map still feels a bit tentative, especially the lighting. Nevertheless it’s a fun preview of what should be the most important Q1SP project since Nehahra 10 years ago.

Score: 15/20

 

negke‘s new Q1SP sees the player exploring a large netherworldly complex full of inventive uses of oldschool metallic designs. While the textures used are all Runic/E3 textures, the style of architecture (slightly remniscent of the author’s earlier map Skinny Norris) creates a more functional, base-ish feel – this Runic complex gives the sense not of some long-abandoned mysterious temple, but of a place where unusual or alien forms of mechanical machinery are still in use. The layout/gameplay route is fairly linear, but the map creates a strong emphasis on exploration anyway for two reasons: first, things like the quad fiend battle – which the player can do whenever he wants – and second, the general style of the rooms. I’ll explain a bit further: the map is built of numerous scraps so that, while it presents a very coherent theme, it is never exactly obvious where the player will find himself next. The use of sections like lava pits crossed with vent beams and outdoor sections contributes to the sense that this is all some giant interconnected whole (the architectural style hinting at some kind of unnamed functional purpose for the complex also contributes), but the player never knows exactly where he is in the whole and so it seems like he is exploring on a less linear path than maps like Breakfast at Twilight (also built of scraps) where the general route and relation of the player’s position relative to the whole is clear enough that the emphasis is not on exploration but rather on ascension. All of this adds up to a very suggestive map in terms of its visual look, layout, and gameplay style.

 

The use of tricks and traps both adds to this sense and makes the gameplay interesting; while there are some challenging fights (such as the aforementioned fiend battle, and the trademark negke-style ending which combines fighting with puzzle-hacks) the emphasis is on exploration. The usual Runic enemies appear, along with grunts, enforcers, and dogs, which adds to the base sense of the level. Overall, another cool, interesting, and well-thought out map by negke.

Score: 16/20

 

 
 

Score: 18/20

 

“Elements” is a neat, interesting little map built up of simple, tidy rooms and hallways with several vertical levels, and themed around three elements. I was expecting four elements (water, air, earth, fire), but the first two are followed by lava which combines the last two. The architecture is fairly repetitive, squarish, and generally lacks decorations (except light-based ones like skylights and cross-light insets), and the texture selection is limited with only id textures and only a few of those at that. This makes it all the more impressive that the map comes across as consistently interesting and elegantly designed – every area has enough detail, and is well-designed enough to maintain visual interest. The different-yet similar designs of the three different elemental areas add nice variety branching on the same theme.

 

Score: 16/20

 

Orl’s new map takes place in a vast series of caverns, canyons, and ruined medieval structures, into many of which are built broken wooden structures like bridges, ladders and platforms. From the start I could tell that this map was going to be excellent. Ruined architecture takes time to do in Quake, and the amount of work put into this level clearly shows. To list a few of the details which appear in this map, there are dislodged stones, fallen beams, broken arches, and bent and shattered doors (this was an especially nice and unique detail). In many cases, these details are used as part of the layout, so that the gameplay involves a lot of jumping and climbing. This is fairly unique and really satisfying, the only analogy I can think of is my own soe1m3, but there the consequences of falling from the climb spots was nothing serious. In contrast, this map makes heavy use of lava, so that there is a sense of real danger (remember crossing the broken mine tracks in hip1m3?).

 

There are some places where pieces of architecture drop off into the lava once you step on them, but what’s more dangerous is the (thankfully appropriately constrained) use of monsters while the player is in such situations. New mileage is made out of scrags especially, which are suddenly much more dangerous when they can block your jump and knock you into the lava, or shoot you at inopportune moments on some high tiny platform. A section with a moving trolley and a unique use of lava is also well done; overall the map consists of many distinct, well-designed segments, so that the gameplay is constantly interesting. New textures contribute to the look, including a fire texture which is used for doom-like effect in some places; the design is both a technical and visual achievement.

 

The centrepiece of the map is a huge medieval courtyard with water inside it and lava and caves attached to it; this section is full of walkways, arches, platforms, torches, beams, etc; it is a very nicely designed room, and as elsewhere in the map it incorporates very nice rockwork into it. The map is very interconnected, and does not skimp on connecting one area to another visually; given the amount of detail, the map can probably be compared to This Onion, in terms of medieval setpiece design incorporated with lava and caverns. Gameplay is nicely balanced – fiends and vores are especially dangerous around lava, but the grenade launcher is provided and you are even forced to over-rely on it in places, which is an interesting challenge. Health is plentiful for the most part – it’s about surviving section to section, though there are a couple especially dangerous areas, including the end. What we are talking about with this map, is a massive, detailed, well-conceived and well-executed Q1SP that takes an old theme (Red Stone medieval) and updates it in a very nice way. Welcome back to the elder world, this seems like the best map of the year so far to me.

Score: 19/20

 

negke’s new map is a medieval-textured map whose theme might be described as a cross between e1m5 and e1m6: that is, it has red and white stone medieval structures, yet bound together with metallic beams and decorated with metallic details and lava. As we are all accustomed to with negke’s maps, the use of id textures on an unusually angled architectural style creates a unique look. There is also detailed, functional architecture, yet this does not prevent the map from retaining a sense of elder world strangeness, just as in Skinny Norris and Lower Forecourt. As you walk from room to room in this map, every section has new and interesting details in terms of lighting, architecture, and texturing. To give one example of the detail and creativity here, one room featuring lava-falls spewing down from metallic troughs has a green grass texture on the vertical surfaces of the brown grass, giving the appearance of lava-lighting but using only standard id textures. Design-wise, it’s all about making new designs with old resources; and the ending of the map (where the reason for the title becomes apparent) follows this rule as well. There are also some traps reminiscent of e4m2, and a few tricks like incorporating monsters into the architecture. It is undeniably cool to see things like this in vanilla Quake.

 

The map features an in-map skill selector, and while Normal difficulty is pretty reasonable, you can adjust the difficulty all the way up to “Carnage” mode. The challenge is scalable. Monsters include all of the medieval normals plus grunts and enforcers, which makes sense given the techish/metallic twist to the medieval theme. There are a lot of secrets, of which I found hardly any, but this should prove satisfying for attentive players. negke’s maps cast the player as more cerebral than usual, investigating a world whose sense or rules become apparent slowly. Without a lot of firepower (use of the lower-level weapons is common), the player has to rely on observation while exploring a strange and threatening world – and the end result is very Quakey.

Score: 17/20

Madfox’s new map takes place in a large, interconnected city/castle/cavern landscape. The sprawling layout connects all of these different areas in sometimes unexpected ways. There is a fair amount of water in the layout, one of the first main areas is a venice-style city street (stone walkways and a road of water) and numerous water tunnels connect other areas to this section. I liked this use of water, in some places you can use the water areas as an alternate route through the map, which is nice (and reminded me a bit of my old map The Autumn Citadel). Now to turn from the layout to the gameplay and architecture.

 

The architecture is great throughout, a mixture of detailed blocky town buildings, arches and pillars, which (along with the use of Hexen II textures) provides a Graeco-Roman feel. Later there is a more castle-like section. There are also some very Quakey darker indoor bits with stained glass, some caverns, and a very nice canyon bit which shows the best rockwork in the map (though there is some nice rockwork elsewhere as well). Generally, the look is very “busy,” yet despite the complexity of the architecture and the “mix ‘n match ancient/medieval” architecture, the map feels quite coherent as a place. This is probably due to the fact that the texture set is wisely chosen (and limited, so that all the areas appear related), and that even in the most “townish” areas rocks appear, while even in the most “rocky” areas town stuff appears. There is a light fog which adds to the atmosphere, and some nice new map objects are used to decorate the town parts of the level. The use of ruined temple architecture that you can climb on was nice; for me the design highlight was the gold key area, a sort of open cave with a temple in it, which came across as nicely designed, cool-looking, and unique. Finally I should mention the cool touches like the entrance (look backwards when you spawn in), and the secrets, which keep you exploring. There’s much worth noticing here, including plenty of Quakey detailed ceiling beams.

 

The gameplay is good throughout, though a bit more mileage might have been squeezed out of the layout (especially the initial town section). The new monsters are cool, the crossbow knight has always been decent, but it’s the totally new skeleton character (from Q3) that shines here. His two attacks are effective, you as a player have to adapt to these guys, so this is a new monster well-implemented, filling a new niche. His effects look cool as well. Other than that, it’s the usual mix of medieval monsters, though surprisingly no zombies. I played on normal since I haven’t played Quake in months, and I still died a couple times; my one complaint is that ammo is a bit short, adding in a better melee weapon or more ammo would fix this. Also sometimes the messages directing the player where to go are not entirely clear, so be careful to look around when you get a message saying a door opened. Monster infighting was a useful tactic for me, if you can get it going you can save yourself ammo and health.

The ending is very dramatic, there is a very imposing circle of arches, and a highly challenging confrontation in the pit below. All in all, this is a very nice map, it’s basically setpiece after setpiece which is awesome, with a unique style, variety in design, and new features. The ambition on display here, and the effort that went into making this, have to be admired. Enjoy.

Score: 17/20

 

This is a quite hilarious short, fast paced map. It is done in a medieval theme, with very simple, angular blocky architecture (fast build time!). However, each blocky room does have at least one wall decoration to reward the player for moving from room to room. The layout is similarly very simple, the original id maps have more multileveled areas and interconnection than this map. There are a couple decent looking areas later in the map, the only really interesting looking area is a small outdoor courtyard with zombies, which is also one of the more fun fights. Anyway, the emphasis here is on running basically full speed through these large areas, and blasting enemies (especially groups of hell knights) with the double shotgun and grenade launcher (the latter is especially satisfying, explosives tend to be held back a lot these days). This map, I’d say, brings absolutely nothing new to the table, at all – except one weird wall decoration consisting of gargoyle horns (nice to see that new runic decorations can still be made out of the same textures after so long!) – but, the map is still fun, just don’t expect anything on par with id’s originals or current standards.

Score: 12/20

 

distrans’ newest map, Grendel’s Keep, takes us back to the warped realm of Travail, one of the modern masterpieces of episode-length Q1SP. The dark runic/base style is a little similar to Travail’s start map, so the connection of this map to the original Travail as a prequel is believable. Nevertheless, the style is unique; it is not industrial (jjspq3, Glassman‘s old rorshach screenshots, etc) so much as a mostly seamless blend of Quake 2 base and Quake 1 Runic. Perhaps the best analogy is Zerstörer, but that still doesn’t capture the gothic/runic details (id-style sky beams casting crisscrossing shadows, buttresses capped with spikes, gargoyles) which exist alongside machinery, computer screens, and of course, crates. The machinery becomes more prominent as the level progresses, and the ending mixes in a whole lot of flesh and blood for, definitely the coolest part of the map.

Build quality and lighting are, as we would expect from distrans, basically impeccable. The map is gloomy, with lots of curving corners and a very smooth look overall. However, the layout is not as impressive as other recent Q1SP maps; this might be personal taste but it doesn’t seem as logically interconnected as it might be (I got lost once, but most players won’t need to worry about this). The gameplay mixes all kinds of enemies, culminating in the vores/shamblers ending, so if you play on this on hard, you will get a challenge as advertised. There are a few confrontations in particular that killed me more than once.

 

The coolest feature of the map for me, was the atmosphere and the hints of some mysterious power behind the place (in classic Quake fashion, explained only vaguely). The machinery, and especially the flesh sections, contributed to this sense very well. This does seem to be a bit of a step backward in terms of distrans’ other maps, but it is still a well-made map with a groundbreaking theme.

Score: 16/20

Everyone’s favourite Norse Horse, Hrimfaxi, has released a trio of new Q1SP maps, accompanied by their own start. The start map is generally in the style of “For Love of Evil,” but the entranceway to each of the other two maps is in the style of the map that it is an entrance to. The start map as a whole is spacious, dark, and well designed; nightmare isn’t too hard to find, good stuff.

Voidscape

 

Voidscape is a sort of asteroid-type map, taking place over a variety of chunky, spiky terrain, with a few wooden structures. There are some floating rocks, including a “train” type one which is a fun ride, while fighting scrags. Enemies elsewhere in the map include Ogres, Hell Knights, some very nasty Vores, and a Shambler battle at the end. The map is fairly small (it is after all a turtlemap), but gets mileage out of its size and does some interesting things in a surprisingly underused setting (the only map I can think of in a “natural terrain voidmap” setting is Oblivion).

Score: 13/20

Brownie

 

This is another turtlemap, but it is on a much larger scale than “Voidscape.” It uses the Day of the Lords/The Living End textures, a set which I am happy to see used more often as they are a unique, very Quakey set (dirty, monolithic, gothic, etc). The entrance to this map in the start is suitably epic, in true Hrimfaxi fashion, and the map itself doesn’t disappoint. It takes place in a series of buildings stacked on different vertical levels around a central courtyard; one square court with two towers overlooks the central hub from a great height for particularly dramatic effect. The map as a whole has a great deal of vertical height, though this height could have been exploited a little more with walkways and so forth – but the effect as a whole is certainly looming/ominous. Gameplay is more difficult than “Voidscape,” including some deadly fights with fiends. Elsewhere medieval enemies are a threat; and be careful around the lava, especially while under attack by ranged monsters. Overall this is a very nice map, if a bit hard in places.

Score: 16/20

For Love of Evil

 

This is the main map in this release, and it is epic in terms of architecture and gameplay. Playing on nightmare, I died several times. “For Love of Evil” is a gigantic indoor Runic level, consisting of massive hallways and rooms, usually squarish but detailed with lots of arches, windows, and buttresses. There are some modified textures alongside the repeated architecture motifs that give the map a very unique look. The use of slightly angled beams throughout is a nice touch; and the map has many skylights which are complex, asymmetrical, and well-designed. However, despite the general texture detail, there are some areas where the map design’s basic blockiness shows through – more beams/pillars/verticals could have brought these areas up to the general standard. Lighting overall is good, lots of long shadows from the sky and glowing lava below.

 

There are nine secrets contained in the map’s spacious layout, so this is the best map for secret hunters in quite a long time. The monster population is quite dense throughout – and the constant presence of lava is another threat. There are also several classic Runic-style traps, including crushing ceilings, and a particularly cool train section above lava, with spikes coming out of the walls. There are several “arena” sections where you confront many monsters at once from different angles, including a couple sections with some wicked action against Vores. After the high-level challenge of this map throughout (especially with Fiends and Vores), the e2m6-style ending was not as big of a challenge as I was expecting; the scale of this could have been larger and more monsters used. Nevertheless, the slight break relative to some of the crazier areas earlier was welcome; this is a massive level and it will take you a while to complete.

The detail is lacking in places, and I think that despite the huge number of secrets, the giant, dark layout could have gained a little more mileage. There were several areas that I would have liked to revisit from a third angle, and it would have been nice to see a little more clearly how all of these areas relate to each other. In all, this is a great Runic map with its own style and a lot of lava, traps, and challenging combat.

Score: 16/20

Overall Pack Score: 16/20

 

Negke continues his tradition of a detailed, abstract architectural style coupled with innovative gameplay ideas. The reslt of this combination is a very cerebral, unique style of map. “Lower Forecourt” contains two gameplay modes: a more conventional single-player gameplay, and a DMSP-style gameplay. I chose the former, as I thought I would already be in for a challenge without worrying about respawning monsters. As it turns out, I was right – though the monsters are not really excessive (even the end only involves a few though it is certainly very challenging), but their attacks cause more problems than that number of monsters normally would, because of the tight spaces, intricately wound stairs and platforms (ie, they could come from a number of different directions and surprise you), and the fact that you’re often not sure exactly where to go. This is a unique style of gameplay; navigation could be easier, but the close-quarters fights against knights and ogres, going up and down staircases, was interesting – especially never knowing who would be ambushing who. Scrags and vores were also well used.

 

The architecture is great – another great and unique use of id1 textures – no
gargoyles, windows or normal decorations, but instead a wide variety of
different brick and metal structures, many fragmented and broken. The lighting
generally comes from glass lights, including some cool floating lamp posts. The part where this map strikes absolute genius is its incorporation of monsters into its architecture. This is, as a major map feature, unprecedented, and it’s freaking great. Spoiler warning, but I’m sure that just about everyone has played this map by now. On with the review: You teleport into the map with nothing but your starting supplies (ie, shotgun and 25 shells) and immediately see two giant shamblers with their arms upraised to crush you, and nowhere to retreat to but a deadly black void. I thought I was dead, but the Shamblers didn’t move – they were, Atlas-like, holding a giant building (if not the whole world) on their shoulders, and couldn’t move! This looked cool and gave a really weird sense of atmosphere. Each of the map’s towers has a wiggling Shub-Niggurath on the bottom of it, and there are spike-balls (as in end.bsp) which glow and move around whenever you “activate” a tower (generally by dueling with monsters inside that tower using traps; this is a great idea but two of the three were frustrating, especially the tarbaby fight). There are zombies staked to the walls in places, and faces tacked to the walls (a custom texture based on an id original), a detail that has never seemed more appropriate than in this map. Overall this is a creepy, beautiful, weird map. The tight architecture and vast void creates a sense of agrophobia and claustrophobia simultaneously. Never, I think, has a Quake map succeeded in creating a sense of “who the hell built this place, and why” better than this map.

 

The gameplay is also good; I just wish the signposting was a little clearer, and the traps you must use to kill monsters a little less difficult. Perhaps having a different monster other than a Shambler hold up the second tower would make it easier to tell the areas apart, as some areas appear quite similar (the shambler design appears twice and can be confusing). Arrows or even slightly different colour schemes for each area would probably help this quite a bit. Anyway, the gameplay requires a bit more patience and thinking than the average map, but this is a great map – unique in many ways, and brilliantly executed.

Score: 18/20

 

Necros has really hit his stride – he’s currently in the middle of one of the most impressive strings of Q1SP map releases ever. This map, a vertically-focused map kind of like recent releases by Neg!ke and Than, is a good example of this as well of the new vertical layout focus. The layout is kind of like the aforementioned Neg!ke map, an intricate up-down/side to side progression including ramps, ladders and elevators. It almost feels like a 3d version of some old arcade game. The theme is initially green/moldy stone with lots of metal detailing, and later moves to less moldy brown stone. Lighting is appropriate throughout.

 

A few custom textures add to the visuals, but mostly visual interest is created by the detailed, varied architecture – lots of little brushes here and there adding to the style. Necros clearly gained experience doing this kind of style (less textures, high brush detail) back with r_speeds be damned! and it shows here.

 

The centrepiece of the map is the coolest elevator in Quake, and Qouth touches/moving parts/etc are well used throughout. The cramped quarters are occupied by low/mid level quoth enemies, providing a challenge but nothing overwhelming (this is good). It was nice to see Centroid Scorpions make an appearance. After the more cerebral exploration style of the map, it was cool and amusing to have a more traditional fire-and-brimstone ending full of slime, explosions and gibs. All in all a great map.

Score: 17.5/20