"n" reviews

author: Owen Marlowe. this level consists of an introductory outdoor area leading to a Strogg base set into the mountains. the introductory F1 is terse, but does the job. the architecture throughout this level is very strongly id-influenced, with many areas looking like they were taken straight from Quake2 and modified. the structures are pretty bare of ornamentation, which contributes to the smooth running speed, but some areas (especially the room with the grenade launcher) look downright bland. the flow is linear and the pacing is erratic; the difficulty levels of different sections vary widely, and the difficulty of the monsters and combat situations has no logical progression. this is a solid, well-built level, but for whatever reason, i couldn't get into it.

author: Ian '[SnAzBaZ]' Packer. this level opens with a good F1 (though the verbiage overlaps the graphic), no CD track, and no clear origin point. the architecture through this level is on the large end of the scale, for the most part; main play areas (rooms) are large and tall and easy to move around in, while connecting areas (hallways and the like) are smaller and very id-like in appearance. the flow is definitely linear, with some backtracking required, and the pacing is good; weapons and ammo are given out somewhat sparingly, yet you have enough to do what's required... and you get ammo "just in time" quite a lot, which is nice. monster drop items when killed, though not all drop appropriate items. the railgun is given in this level, along with two whole boxes of slugs, which makes the rest of the level (after you get it) very easy indeed. in fact, in the room where you get the railgun, there is a tank and three brains, and clearing this room is much easier than it has any right to be; since the tank won't shoot at you when he's behind the brains, and since the railgun goes through everything until it hits a wall, all you have to do is use the brains for "monster shields" and plug the tank through them. the endgame buildup is gradual but noticeable, and it's no surprise when you exit, though there is no formal exit per se. nitpicks: no messages on buttons (the one outside, when pressed, lowers the lasers, but it'd have been nice to be told) or doors that don't open right away; some HOM noted; misspellings in F1s and pop-ups; doors don't have tracks or slots; and the logic to "stealing info" isn't really explored enough. definitely a strong level, with plenty of potential, but it's just missing something...

author: Juha Koiste. this level, as the title would imply, has been done in a storage area theme, with lots of crates and conveyor belts around. the F1 is on the thin side, but the goals are clear and concise, and provide timely information. the architecture is on the small side; in fact, this is probably the most cramped level i've played thus far, but it works well with this theme. old storage areas are supposed to be crowded with boxes stacked every which way, and this level definitely has plenty of those. surprisingly, i got a rather nasty speed hit in the last courtyard, despite the small dimensions of this level. the flow is linear and the pacing is good, though the weapons and ammo placement seemed a bit arbitrary -- i expected to have to search a little more than i did for these items. the opportunity to tuck things in out-of-the-way corners and niches was not taken in this level; in addition, there weren't any secrets that i was aware of. i also was kind of disappointed that there weren't more opportunities to climb up and on top of boxes and stuff, because i kind of like that. :) nitpicks: it's possible to get permanently stuck in this level, some texture misalignments were noted, and the keyed doors were unmarked. nonetheless, this is a small, tight level that i had fun playing, and it comes recommended.

"p" reviews