Last day on Stroggos for Quake2

***NEW!!!***

Level name:Last day on Stroggos

Author: Jan Harcarik and Michal Rendos

Release date: 9 June 1999

Size: 8 975 ko

Number of maps: 9


website: none

download: At Quake Industrial complex

Story:

None but the title says it as a resumé...

Review :

This nighth maps unit is the first release from this small two peoples team. It provide a perfect balance between gameplay, puzzle and architecture.

Architecture is a really good mix between wonderfull design areas and hallways that never look the same. the building of important or central place makes it always some oustanding plots to visit from normal floor to the different hight. the 'over' use of beam and lazer can sometimes provide some visual or techincal frustration but that really depends from the kind of player you are.

Gameplay and the way it is display through the whole unit makes really the power of this release. You will never get bored and will most of the time think what's you should do to progress, from the incubator at start with you only pulse gun to the end makron fight. Visual is omnipresent and enhance this whole episode .

In conclusion: Another interesting release that is worth for you to reinstall you Q2 version if you never play this one before.

Playtime: 2 Hours

Rating: A B C D E (90%)

Note: for the one interested in the statistic releated with the release here are the details:

enemies ____objectives____ secrets_

Perfunctory Control

map 1 : Stoggos in Trouble_________33/33______ 1/1________ 0/1

map 2 : Deep Impertinence ________26/27_______ 1/1________ 0/1

map 3 : Bitter Fortune____________28/28_______0/0________ 0/1

map 4 : Pefunctory Control__________9/9________0/0________ 0/0

map 5 : End Is Near______________66/66_______5/5________ 2/3

map 6 : Endless Possibility_________54/54_______3/3________ 1/1

map 7 : Naveless Power___________25/25_______2/2_________1/1

map 8 : Day that you Fear_________14/14_______2/2_________0/0

map 9 : End of All Songs___________2/2________1/1_________0/0

Additional screenshots

Minimicus for Half-Life

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

Level name: Minimicus

Author: Slayer A

Release date: 6 September 2003

Size: 3 229 ko

Number of maps: 4

website: here

download: At PlanetPhillip.com

Story:

The scientists at Black Mesa have invented a shrinking machine. They are shrinking Xen creatures in order to make them easier to control. Two shrunken Gonarchs have escaped and are breeding in the civilian community. The Marines have once again been called in to ‘contain’ the problem and eliminate any witnesses.

Review :

Minimicus is a quite recent release (september 2003) that came out for the first time in a HL sp release with an oversize world. Story is quite simple but original: Scientists have developed a new machine to shrink all Xen’s creatures. Unfortunately some mistakes where made so that some of them escaped. Mission is simple you need to destroy the shrinker in order to eliminate all traces of those experiments. But pay attention some grunts have also taken the portal! Design is correctly put together even if transition through rooms is not always made with a high cohesion. Challenge is omnipresent and alternates with some tricky puzzles, some ‘cutscenes’ and quite a good music. The ending is correctly taught and finished this pack in the way it should end.
In conclusion: An original starting idea that creates something unusual for the HL fans. Sadly the idea wasn’t pushed further and it was perhaps a little too fight oriented. Since it’s a short experience (half an hour) you should really test it.


Playtime: 30 Minutes

Rating: A B C D E (78%)

Between two Worlds for Half-Life

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

Level name: Beween two worlds

Author: Andreas “Widowmaker” Bauer

Release date: 10 August 1999

Size: 3 534 ko

Number of maps: 9

website: None

download: At PlanetPhillip.com

Story:

You don't know much at the beginning. You can't remember anything from your previous life or how you came into this cage of glass in which you have been living several weeks and in which these scientists have made cruel experiments with you. But what you know is: you want to get out and pay it all back to them.

Review :

Between two Worlds is an old and perhaps forgotten release of the previous century. But this is not an excuse to avoid this one if you forgot it in the past. Even if the storyline is a little bit strange and confusing, the starting idea is quite original. You’re the result of a human experiment that was lead by some unscrupulous scientist who wanted to make a new entity between human and Xen race. Through your special power Xen has decided to help you becoming the universe’s Master (with the help of G-man) by making you free. So eliminate all grunts and scientist and succeed to finish this mission so that …you will see. Design is like the storyline sometimes well thought of and polished with some good ideas, sometimes not. The whole unit is quite cohesive with some good ‘cutscenes’ , but what was really, in my opinion, the highlight of this unit was the fact that Andreas used a 2D maze at the end of this pack. Even if it’s a short maze, I never thought that it was possible to do such a thing in HL.



Playtime: 1 Hour

Rating: A B C D E (74%)

Note : thanks to TenFour and Planet Phillip for screens and infos .