"k" reviews

author: James Grimwood. when i loaded this level, i got this:

Bad surface extents

and got booted to DOS. no idea what this means, or what causes it.

author: Chris Mayers. this level is architecturally unornamented, yet the lighting and flow are both superb. plenty of action here for those that like a lot of extended combat. some areas do exhibit some slowdown (notably the first big room with all the pillars and ramps) but it's not too bad. also, there are quite a few visible brush seams. the theme is carried out wonderfully; this is another level that feels like a real place. messages are relevant and placed in appropriate spots. the secrets can be hard to find at times (i found two of the three). a really really fun level.

author: Derek "Lombard" Barr. this level -- actually two levels, counting the skill-setting level -- comes as a .pak file, and has been done in the medieval/castle theme. the architecture has been done well, if a bit on the plain side, and is proportioned well. texturing is consistent with the theme, and everything is aligned nicely. the flow is good, but the pacing is a bit on the slow side; the areas are far too large for the amount of monsters they contain, and the placement and selection of the monsters makes it far too easy to beat them. there are a number of side rooms that contain nothing but a handful of monsters, with no other goal than to kill them. this level is a good start for this author; with a little more attention to cross-connectivity and thematic monster placement, this author's next level will be something to watch for.

author: Matt Sefton. this level is medieval in architecture, and theme, and it's been done well. the messages at the beginning do much to set the tone for the level while adding a little background for you. some areas run slowly due to their size and detail, most notably the first large courtyard and the endgame. some technical flaws show in this level as well; brush seams are visible throughout. flow and pacing are top-notch. the structures in this one tend toward the large size, but due to the detailing evident, they're not bland. two secrets in this level, one of which is marked in an out-of-the-way area and the other completely unmarked. you're given all the weapons except the lightning gun (and you'll need 'em) but the ammo load can be pretty light if you don't find the second secret, so be accurate. combat is frequent, but not constant, and the endgame is one long running brawl... bet you're glad he gave you the rocket launcher by now. all in all, a fun game, and worth the download.

"m" reviews