Boreality for Half-Life

***this review was previously available at Alejandro Mapping Center***


Level name: Boreality: Part one

Author: Erik 'Gibmaker' Hopkins

Date of release: 4 october2002

Size: 7 809 Ko

Number of maps: 10


website: here (dead)

download: at planetphillip

Story:

In a last-ditch attempt to escape Black Mesa with their lives, a militia of scientists, among them Gordon Freeman from Sector C, swarmed a small airstrip and hijacked the helicopters there, intending to fly them to the nearest major city and safety.
There were many casualties but the plan seemed to be successful - the survivors got the aircraft up and it did not appear that they were being pursued...things looked optimistic.
But then...there was strange interference in the air. Radio signals were garbled. The instruments were measuring high levels of atomic activity. Suddenly, a giant warp rift opened around them and the whole fleet disappeared into it...
Gordon Freeman came to drifting down on a parachute towards a dark field of snow. His suit was registering extreme cold but the shield was holding. He hit the ground awkwardly and threw the parachute off of himself.
There was a small cabin in front of him, buried under snow up to the second floor balcony. He crawled in through the balcony doors and... heard the unmistakable squeaking of headcrabs nearby.
There's snow everywhere, he thought. So this can't be Black Mesa. So why are there monsters here? Where am I? ...And how do I get back?

Review:

This map pack (10) was finished more than 6 years ago (only got released at the end of 2002).What is strange is that the author is really self-critical about is work (strange considering it’s good).
OK, It fell perhaps through a good storyline but it shows us a really good mix between set pieces, design and gameplay (especially because I have the feeling that Erik really prepared every section before attempting to put his idea into Worldcraft).

The action takes place in a forgotten town that was cut off the world by a huge snow storm (some new experiment of the G-man?) You are there to clean up the first house (which is a replica of Erik’s house) from the alien invasion. The snow area with its special ambience sometimes reminds me of the movie The Thing…a little frightening. You will find the classic alien enemies of Half-Life with a predilection for headcrab and alien slaves. They are always well placed and due to the fact that ammunition and health are limited you will need a lot of care to progress. According to the design, it is for me above average. You don’t encounter a lot of hallways that usually make you go from a section to another. There is always a good organisation of rooms with, here and there, some personal touch from the author that really fits the ambience.. Puzzles are not complicated but are there to remind us that half-life is really a great game thanks to them.
Is there anything that could turn this add-on down??… Perhaps: some areas are really confusing. Especially all the ‘lost passages’ in the sewer maze section. Also most of the indoor sections really need the flashlight There is also a lack of health and ammo , not a huge diversity in weapons…
But all this together really helps give us a good time of playing and add an other way of thinking to Gordon’s progression (think and look around before you attempt to do anything).

In conclusion, Boreality part one is a good surprise and due to its good overall quality really needs to be played through. This pack’s gonna make you remember how Half-life is a great game…
Hope part two will perhaps be digged out.

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Playtime: 3 hours 30

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Rating: A B C D E (82 %)

The City for Chaser

***NEW!!!***

Level name: The City

Author: Kastun (Acclan.de)

Date of release: 01 janvier 2006
Size: 2 873 ko

Number of maps: 1



website: here seems to be dead

download: here

Review:

For this mission you are send to a city where you will need to find a contact to end this mission.

Start of the map look promising a small intro cutscene make you enter into the city where you will be direct under fire, progression is not directly obvious but you don't have a lot of choice (intersting feature being that when you knock on a door a enemie point at the opposite upper window). you will progress to building by some tricky jump (I personnaly find it not easy to jump and crouch in this game) and then will progress by a sewer to the second and last part of the city where after some good fight you will met your contact by another short outro cutscene.

Design is correct but doesn't create the perfect city ambience: building look the same, you have directly the filling to be put in a squared place and detail thorugh the place you visit isn't really present. I take also in account that this map isn't huge two streets linked by a sewer and some small places to visit and that's all.

Gameplay is pretty basic too. Linear progression without any puzzles (except conisdering the way you need to progress), challenge is present by fight and small amount of medkits but hopefully doesn' t make it unbeatable to finish.

In conclusion: I don't have any idea if this was the first release from the author. the way he wanted to create a city map was already a big challenge (choice of texture,difficukty to create something realist) and in some way he succeed in some point at creating something different. But look to the overal realisation i still consider there should be a lot of work added to really create a good city map.

Playtime: 25 min

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Rating: A B C D E (59%)

Aftermath for Half-Life

***this review was previously available at Alejandro Mapping Center***

Level name: Aftemath

Author: Stuart Maine

Date of release: 23 August 2002

Size: 806 ko

Number of maps: 1



website: here seems to be dead

download: at planetphillip

Story:

Aftermath casts you as a survivor in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. As it starts you've stumbled on the seemingly deserted remains of an outpost of some sort. Do what you can to survive and move on.

Review:

This is a small set piece made by Stuart Maine (Other release Assassin Mark 2).

On his site Stuart says : ‘I’ve tried to do two things: Firstl, to see just how much detail you can get into a level before running out of brushes. Second, I wanted to try create a spooky horror atmosphere, without using any new texture, sound, model,…’ In regards with what he told us, he did succeed. In my opinion this is the first time that a stand alone map really catches my attention, with a particular ambience like in Neil Manke’s They Hunger Add-on. You travel trough an abandoned chemical base (on a dark covered evening with thunder lights), where you encountered the ‘living dead’ (zombies and headcrabs), the weapon possibility is also limited (which is good), finally the puzzles to get through are quite simple but not always evident.

In conclusion : A short experience that create an unique atmosphere only by using original texture and feature.

Playtime: 20 minutes

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Rating: A B C D E (80 %)

Genetic for DOOM3

***NEW!!!***

Level name: Genetic

Author: Robert 'BJA' Hodri

Date of release: 28 june 2005

Size: 55 425 ko

Number of maps: 2



website: author's page

download: here

Story:

We write the year 2022. The UAC is the world's most powerful corporation in bio chemical researches. They were making experiments with a new kind of virus...but something went wrong. You're special agent M. Brandon and you'll have find out what happened in the UAC Building.

Review :

This two mappack is fully playable but enteded to be part of of Modification that was saddly canceled. The author decided to finish and release is work (thanks to him for it!). Like the story tells you you are send to a 'high tech' ressearch facility to investigate about what happens.

Directly at start the design will blow you eyes, top design and attention to details, perfect use of textures include custom ones the whole put together with a quite gloomy atmosphere where the missing sounds make it more trilling when you hear some footsteps...

Progression is mostly streight forward and linear(not taking in account key hunting). You will, through your progression, noticed that it couldn't have been possible to make a huge building full of details without some of them being repetitive. Attention from Robert has also be put to make a mixing of lighted, outdoor, indoor and darker place to create a not to repetitive environment that could have lead the player to a kind of boredom. Scripting and interactivity is also present but really in a tiny way (no PDA, short cutscenes, short on screen objective, nearly no activating process) but this doesn't alter the gameplay.

According Enemies/Monsters they are only human (Z-Sec class and Zombies class) and give us for one time a break from the quite repetitive mission out of earth full of those 'unpossible' monsters. Their placement is always good without any unbelievable respawn.

Weapons and ammo are well place without offering the entire set of DOOM3. For the medic it's the same they are delivered on the right places. For both of them perhaps a too huge ammount is put throughout the whole levels creating a quite easy mission to handle (didn't died ones)

In conclusion: This mission was quite an interesting suprise for me. Since i'm working in a research lab, hopefully only on minerals, this make me think in some way to a more realistic approch on mapping (especially for DOOM3). Finally, exept the fact that environment could look repetitive (especially office) and that challenge could have been a little bit more present (only by decreasing ammo and medkits) this first doom3 release from Robert was a recommended experience you should try.

Playtime: 50 minutes

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Rating: A B C D E (81%)

Affliction for Half-Life

***this review was previously available at Alejandro Mapping Center***


Level name: Affliction

Author: Tony Hiltunen

Date of release: 10 January 2002

Size: 6 120 ko

Number of maps: 10



website: here seems to be down

download: at planetphillip

Review:

Affliction is certainly one of the best example of designed perfection. The storyline is quite simple (perhaps too simple): you are sent to a research base where you encounter some aliens and grunts combat, your only aim is to solve some easy puzzles in order to escape from the plant.
This piece of work is somehow upgraded by 3 new weapons (well designed!), this is normally seen only in huge realisation, and it gives a special touch to this small map pack (only 7Mb download).
Is there any thing wrong to tell? Perhaps, if you’re looking for very challenging combats, lots of cut scenes, special ambience,… then you’re gonna be disappointed. This is only depending on what you like… for me, personally, I rather prefer a well designed set pieces that lacks on challenges and durability in time (only 2 hours to complete) than a stand alone map where there is some kind of killing feast without designed area.

In conclusion : This is a mini mod you shouldn't miss, absolutly worth the download


Playtime: 2 hours

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Rating: A B C D E (86 %)

Military complex for Chaser

***NEW!!!***

Level name: Military Complex

Author: Duke? from doommap.cz

Date of release: 28 october 2004

Size: 2 990 ko

Number of maps: 1



website: here
download: at planetphillip


Review:

Note: I don' t really know if there is a background story. I was not able to have a sufficiant translation according this prequel to an entire new episode (still ?) under construction.

This first attempt from the author at mapping for chaser (looking at the fact that there are not a lot of other releases or active people who could help) Is quite correct in a general way even if it could look poor to average release for other more covered games.

Mission objective is the mostly use in sp mapping: make your way trough and find the exit.

You are travelling in a military complex (sort of) with in some place embushes. Progression is mostly linear in a quite repetitive environment. The design make it more look like an unfinished subway with multiple blocked way by gravels or locked door. Architecture is quite repetitive and only indoor, it doesn't look always true. Gameplay is mostly streight forward with some small puzzles (start and progression over a gravel heap in the low foor) combats are well spread but under challenging with the rifle+scope (only weapon given). Ending appears after the second screen when you open the door.

In conclusion : Correct release for a first one but misses certainly a mix between architecture, unlinear travel and better balanced gameplay. Still fun to give it a try


Playtime: 20 min

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Rating: A B C D E (65%)

Operation Stutze for RTCW

***this review was previously available at Alejandro Mapping Center***


Level name: Operation Stutze

Author: Nicklas 'SWEfighter' Ornros

Date of release: 16 january 2003

Size: 1 264 ko

Number of maps: 1



website: NO

download: here

Review:

Operation Stutze is the first release from the author and came out nearlly 4 years ago. It is a single ‘small’ map release, which is relatively short but interesting.
This time Sergeant Blazkowicz has to enter into a German military base in order to find some important documents for this he will need to eliminate an entire Panzer division but shuuut…it’s a top secret mission.
The action takes place in a huge storage hall containing a garage, quarters, storage room. Design is well done and provides some interesting details but perhaps in a too dark ambience. The way of progressing is quite obvious except perhaps for finding the exit.

In conclusion: this map is a good attempt from the author at entering the really restricted community of RTCW mappers, with some additional outdoor areas allowing combat. This map could have been really great… hope there is more to come from the author.

Tips: to find the exit, just look for a vent…


Playtime: 45 min
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Rating: A B C D E (76%)

Choice for Half-Life

***this review was previously available at Alejandro Mapping Center***

Level name: Choice

Author: Paul 'Flashdevil' Plath

Date of release: 3 july 2002

Size: 3 950 ko

Number of maps: 1



website: here seems to be dead

download: here

The story:

You start as a worker on a fuel line, fixing some pipes, working on some kinks, you know...that type of stuff. The next thing you know, a rival company has hired a small 'faction' of troops to come in and collect the data from the mainframe(s). Your objective is to stop them using whatever means necessary! Even if it means destroying the mainframe! You can't let this data leak!

Review:

Choices is a map release four years ago for a contest . It’s a quite short experience (15 minutes ) but fairly enjoyable trough a good mix between new textures (include 2 new weapons) and small well thought puzzles. Gameplay is straight forward and a little too easy less than 10 grunts and one turret but follow in a good way the starting subject (read the txt include) the choice of texture is perfectly fitting and created a real good atmosphere.

In conclusion : Through the fact this release was done for a contest (and so limited in time) the author produce a solid self packed release that is worth the download for a short enjoyment



Playtime: 15 min

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Rating: A B C D E (73%)

Clonewar2044 for RTCW

***this review was previously available at Alejandro Mapping Center***


Level name: Clonewar 2044

Author: Flipmode

Date of release: 28 march 2003

Size: 4 231 ko

Number of maps: 1




website: here


download: here


Review:

Clonewar 2044 is one of the best units out there for RTCW. It provides a perfect scenario that enhances this unit: German have made a portal (like in Timegate mod) that permits them to travel to the future (2044) where the clone technology is part of everyday life. If they succeed German will never be defeated and will become the master of the earth. Your mission is simple : destroy the cloning base and after return back home. To make this realization, Flipmode has used some Q3A texture (I’ll point the atmospheric bloody red sky) and some made by himself. Gameplay is excellent and provides lot of action in a linear way (good placement of ammo and health). Design is nearly perfect but misses, for me, some detailed areas. Except this small critic, everything fits perfectly well and gives to this unit a perfect cohesion.
Note: after this release, flipmode started a new sp map, but sadly for us (great for him) he got a job like a 3d designer. Project is still under construction but a little delayed.

In conclusion: An important surviving mission to save the earth, you will be happy to play this one.

Playtime: 1 hour 30

Rating: A B C D E (83%)

Hello

This is my second blog and its also focussed on SP map for FPS related to a collection of review I made during 3 year for Alejandro Mapping Center.

The aim of this blog will be to provide a short review from a map or mod non professionally released with screenshots, info an others.

Game Covered will be HL, RTCW, HL2 and DOOM3 and will be normally linked to planetphillip (www.planetphillip.com) according his Syndicated reviews.

I hope you will enjoy you tour and will interact with this blog especially if you're regarding to some maps and mods. Also if you would like to see a review for another game (Duke Nukem, Shadow Warrior, Redneck Rampage, Q1, Q2,...) don't hesitate to post a message

Actually my other blog has the same covering but in Frensh: http://fps-stock.blogspot.com/

Just hope to have more comment than on my frensh blog...