use destruction for Quake4

***NEW!!!***

Level name:Use destruction

Author: Sebastian 'Tombery' Peters

Release date: 6 October 2008

Size: 79 966 ko

Number of maps: 6


website: here

download: At MODDB



Story:

A short one in german traduce with babelfhish...

An attack on the outguard Nexus is approaching. We may not leave the Stroggs too close at us ran and one may not give you the possibility to a counterstroke draw back, navy said the core. After to long negotiations the resolution was set to the attack into force and the employment is approaching. To survive the will and hope on a victory must be steadfast. Much luck.

Review :

The author is not on it's first attempt and release 2 good mods for Doom3 before, this time he create an entire experience with cutsenes challenge, impressive design so be prepared for a great experience...

Design starts directly with a marvellous intro scene, i like those small think witch ask for a lot of work but direct put the player into the experience. So you crashed onthe nexus base and will meet with some squad to progress and find out what's next. Everything is well handle according architecture it's a classic combats/activate button/ progress experience but well handle through the choice of textures and the general layout not only straight forward but also with alternatives routes. The author didn' negligate the use of vehicules, some small cutscenes and the travelling through the complex with a mix between outdoor and indoor. for me it's huge well crafted and not at any moment boring.
The gameplay flows with the rest and is a good mix between single and teamplay experience, the experience will increase in difficulty with progression and will also provide some side experience like jumping plateform, crushing doors and robot vehicle combat. The atmosphere is always holding you into the gameplay and will surprise you when you don't think of it, combats are taught but just what is needed not to be frustrated (note that the end combat experience may look unbeatable and frustrating if you don't now what to do...) weapons and health are perhaps sometime put without any logic but provide when it's needed.

In conclusion: Sebastian did some good work for Doom 3 and now even beter for Quake 4, his skill did increase and provide so a chalenging experience but for me just missed a strong storyline that could be a wire to this mission with voice acting and a real aim like saving somebody... But i won't be to exigeant regarding the work that was made cause the experience was impressive and provides finally something strong for this great game. Highly recommanded


Playtime: 2 hours 30

Rating: A B C D E (93%)

outwards for Half-Life

***NEW!!!***

Level name: Outwards

Author: Visa "Zandramas" Alanko

Date of release: 11 August 2001

Size: 8 616 ko

Number of maps: 8



website: here


download: At plantphillip.com

Note : this one is recommanded to be played in easy mod except if you are really a good player and don't be bothered buy surronding spawning of enemies. The author told that you may encounter a problem at the last stage when you need to fall down by a vent and loose lot's of health points if you are below 40pts and no HEV points I juggest you to use god mod or simple take the quicksave kindly provide by guilfarry from Planetphillip -> here below

Story :

You are a Gordon Freeman in a time after deciding to take the chance, which G-man offered to you. First he commanded you to carry unidentified materials for researching to Black Mesa Research Facility in New Mexico. You arrive to laboratory and there should be someone to receive you, but you see nobody and hear only blowing wind. Something makes you think there has happened an accident or something like that again.You decide to take a little look around....

Review :

This release seems to have passed trough the wire of lot's of HL sp fan so that it just came out recently at planetphillip. The impression during the playing of this episode was really a mixed feeling, the author created something interesting at start but didn't put enough effort in general layout with oversized places laking details, big place looking to boxy, too much use of copy/paste without any change (the office hallway before the tank attack) but this was mixed with some interesting design and detail and some correct interconnection

Design is intended to be not repetitive but even if the author wanted to make a good mix between outdoor and indoor, the lack of detail and weak architecture design let sometime the feeling of visiting places that look quite similar but with different texturing. The theme is the most visited in hl release (research complex), but doesn't succeed in adding value to the original game, and this even if some place are well crafted and that some events or puzzles seems sometimes intersting (tank attack, 'clark lift' puzzle, end scene,...) they are mostly lost in the mass of the gameplay and doesn't really succed in highlinthing this episode.
Gameplay is really the sad part of this episode all fight and combats are not that easy and quite unrealistic with sad trap that won't let you a chance at the first try, the progression seems mostly obvious and puzzle,even if they seems quite well handled, doesn't add any value to the frustrating fighting gameplay...ambiance and especially sound seems more to lack so that you never really get immersed in the experience.

In conlcusion: this one was lost somewhere on the internet and is really intended for HL fan who likes to play everything, it's really not a priority...because at the end it let more frustration feeling than good memories. But you can only at it's advantage not too difficult regarding gameplay, in easy mode it seems ok and finally it will take you a little bit more than a half hour to be completed if you don't know what to do for this period of time in an evening why not give it at try but don't forget all the weaknesess mentioned.


Playtime: 50 min

Rating: A B C D E (58%)

Separation Anxiety for Doom3

***NEW!!!***

Level name: Separation Anxiety

Author: Thomas Hoeg

Date of release: 01 May 2008

Size: 5 137 ko

Number of maps: 1


website: here

download: here

Story:

While Bravo Team was moving through sector 3 of the Alpha Labs, an explosion rocked the facility sending debris and assorted pieces of machinery crashing to the ground. The chaos of the explosion and the subsequent wreckage left one of the Bravo Team marines (the player) separated fro the team and unable to rejoin them. In addition, the explosion damaged the marine’s equipment leaving him with only his sidearm and flashlight to fight off any potential threats. That marine must now traverse the dangerous maintenance passages under sector 3 in order to reach a maintenance lift that will allow him to rendezvous with the team in sector 4.

Review :
Another short but enjoyable release from a student at the Guidhall .
This map contains all what is needed to create 'atmosfear' you qwest will directly go wrong but on text message will help you out to progress and find more and more pda's and challenge

Design is perfectly fitting the theme ambiance, sounds traps are present in a well related environment in a linear but not repetitive progression from out to down to shaft and even more there are not a lot of area to visit but some small lateral path may add a value to it so don't esitte to visit every corner. don't forget to read email from pda no important data's have to been read but i think it's really an enjoyable part of Doom3 features.

Gameplay is progressive, it's a push and fight progression with surprise but no real puzzles the challenge increase with progression and i quite bad suprise awaits you there isn't a lot of things to discribe just download it and appreciate what has been done
In conclusion: I really thought that the best for Doom 3 was behind us this new fresh breath I a good reason to justify a Doom3 folder to sleep on you Hard Drive, if it’s not the case you should directly reinstall it…

In conclusion: like most of the production of guildhall students it's defenetly too short but perfectly makes the circle arround the question...giving a reply to (or shoud i say a use) from most of the features coming with Doom3 and this with enjoyment...so get it even if it's too short.


Playtime: 10 min


Rating: A B C D E (76%)

Enlightenment for Quake4

***NEW!!!***

Level name:Enlightenment

Author: Jane Chung

Release date: 1 may 2008

Size: 4 326 ko

Number of maps: 1


website: here

download: Author's page

Story:
Kane must find and rescue Lieutenant Reynolds of the Raven Squad, who has been captured by the Strogg. Reynolds is being held in the research wing of the Strogg Medical Facilities. This is a side mission, taking place when Kane enters the USS Hannibal (before the briefing to “Operation: Advantage”). Kane has not (yet) experienced Stroggification for himself and this mission will be the player’s first impressions of the Strogg’s treatment of P.O.W.’s.

Review :

Another Short but interesting release from a Student at the SMU Guildhall (people are dedicated to a year cursus classified on SMU as Cohord, the author is part of the last one).

Design is atmospheric and well put together for what is intended as kane to be you first mission. You will get down with an elevator activate switdches to progress and after get out by another elevator...the author use ambiance sound and ligthning perfectly in the middle of this short release to get you 'trapped' into this release. Original voice acting is also something that add the necessary filling to add to your ego by some encouragement when you succeed objectives.

Gameplay is well balance between puzzles and battles even if those seems a bit weak in challenge it offer some surprise...

In conclusion: this was a midd term work done in a small period but even if it's short it contains everything to make it really enjoyable its neat in scritping and design and well worth the download

Playtime: 15 minutes

Rating: A B C D E (77%)

Asda for Half-Life 2

***NEW!!!***

Level name:Asda

Author: Mike 'Dryn' Knowland

Date of release: 24 April 2007

Size: 92 104 ko

Number of maps: 2


website: none

download: here

Story:

Set in 2030, global warming and an upsurge in population growth have taken their toll on humanity. In a world of dwindling food resources an increasing amount of large corporations try to find ways to sustain profits. Numerous ASDA shopping centres across the UK have secretly begun to abduct citizens and carry out inhumane tests to try to find a means of creating a perfect food product using alternative resources to that which have suffered over the past 23 years. In an attempt to keep this illegal operation covert, the multi-billion dollar business Wal-Mart based in America (who own ASDA) developed its own military and special police force that are currently in operation at all major Wal-Mart stores.

Stafford ASDA has become one of the most active and dominant locations for the experiments to take place as a result of several secret agents working on ASDA’s behalf who successfully infiltrated and swayed the local police force into corruption.
After numerous abductions you fall victim to the hand of ASDA when you return home from work to find your wife and child missing. The police fail to satisfy your questions to find the truth, but the tides turn in your favour one night at a bar, when a sympathetic ASDA employee overhears your conversation with your friend. Feeling guilt under the weight of his immoral actions working for ASDA, he agrees to help you, supplying you with all the inside information you need to take revenge.
You make plans to infiltrate ASDA using the sewer entrance alongside the river bank using a keycard carefully concealed by your informant from the guards. Once inside you will then have to work your way up to the main floor; where you will need to locate a gas valve that has to be released in order for the main door leading to the experiment areas to become unstable and open. Your inside man has also agreed to hide a C4 explosive inside the main shopping area after you agree that it is too risky to try to get the explosives in safely and quietly through the river and sewer way. Once you acquire the explosives you must use it to destroy the core power and test silos at the far end of ASDA from where you entered, and then escape. The inside man has also informed you that he thinks there might be a teleporter located somewhere near the silos, which ASDA secret agents use to quickly get out into the Car Park area or to other ASDA stores, although it is likely to be unstable and inactive.
In preparation for your attack you set of several explosives at key road points at the surrounding area the night before, to encourage civilians away from ASDA.

Review :

It was a long time since i tried another release for HL2 but this week-end gives me a change to do this so I wan to planetphillip to download one of the last one...

The release start pretty well under steam with some intro video and interesting stuff that prepares you to the background map. And so it's start with a new weapon( too efficiant) and lot's of custom content from modified models to textures and even for sounds and custom music (hits from the ninety that i don't remember) , progression seams obvious even if for the first puzzle i had some chance to find the necessary object... after the progression is straight forward with small puzzle well balanced fight (a little too easy) in a 'real' supermarket the way to the outdoor is a bit special and will send you to the market parking place were fight will increase with the presence of a strider...

According design it's quite classic but well put together with the feeling of unfinished places creating some 'bad visual' if you reach them...use of custom models and new textures in the supermarket add something new but it doesn't really shine like the new models that have the only positive point of beeing personnaly created but don't really add any memorable feeling...

Gameplay is a mix beween puzzles and fights but both are a little weak in my opinion i'ts just fun and short but after thinking of the starting position I was really thinking that both design and gameplay would increase with progression whitch was not really the case...

In conclusion: another good find from phillip on grinder's places it's fun a little bit too short and misses in my opinion more cohesion like if the author put too much effort at start and after really rush to finish his release


Playtime: 30 min


Rating: A B C D E (74%)

preMistake for Half-Life

***NEW!!!***

Level name: preMistake

Author: Ashkandi

Date of release: 12 October 2008

Size: 93 292 ko

Number of maps: 11



website: none

download: At plantphillip.com

Note : there was a prebeta available from this one arround one year ago even if the content can be related with this release the senario and mapping expeirence is totally different, so feel free to check it here

Author's Note :This mod will let us into a horroristic world in the Andrew Parker asylum and we will live through (or not) in the view of a mental patient. The mod’s primal object is not the insane bloodbath. The real object is to escape from the huge building which holds a lot of secrets.

Review :

In this release like in the preview one, you will try to travel to the exit of a kind of psychiatric hospital. The ambiance take some inspiration from classic movie but also from recent game like F.E.A.R. it's really what we can call a Total Conversion with new hud, weapon enemies and texture

After a small brief intro that seems to explain who you are, you wake up in a room and start you qwest to the outdoor. It' s dark and gloomy and the music like the atmosphere is perfectly fitting the theme.

Progression is mostly streight forward but correctly agremented by puzzle simple jumping ones or more difficult like the first one that make you search for a key under a plate. Flashing picture featuring blood and dead bodes will certainly surprise you at some time...you will so enter places that can only be exit by solving the puzzle (whish somehow is interesting in limitating the qwest or puzzle in a not too huge place), on text message build the story with your progression and the enemies you will face will also be put in ballance with the increase of power you got to distroy them (from a mess to a shotgun).

To be honest the design is quite limited in originality but limited to a psychiatric hospital seems perfectly fitting. the custom counted from alcohol bottle to enemies passing by the genral texturing is for me above average.

The gameplay is pleasant and not too difficult including the increase in challenge from start to the end scene is well balanced puzzle add what's needed to increase the palytime but without any frsutration of not solving them

In conlcusion: regarding the first opus (beta) i was hopping for the same sort of gameplay that i enjoyed and was quite surprise to find it even more enjoyable...with a good atmosphere mistake add something new to what we are familiar to play for Half-Life it's enjoyable fun and not too long...let's hope there will be a sequel.

Playtime: 1 hour 30 min

Rating: A B C D E (84%)