Too Many Crates for Half-Life 2

***New***

Level name: Two many crates

Author: Kyle AKA The Awesome Possum

Release date: 2 January 2010

Size: 13 059 ko

Number of maps: 1

website: None anymore


download at palnetphillip.com: here

Story

none behind you are just in a warehouse full of crates and you only aim is to break them, but pay attention there are some particular crates that can open well hidden place, you aim is simple just try to destroy all of them (1000)

Review :

I need to admin that after a first rush i just didn' t directly understand that you need not only to break but only to think what to do end when to brake, so I really after 10min wanted to stop this one...

Design

Even if the main objective in this map is to brake crates the author didn't only focus on it but also create an enjoyable 'crates depot' where you will need to walk arround pushing button to activate some chain transport or conveyor belt or transport colored box that have different use it's certainly not a big map but the way you travel through really makes you like it a lot the author also well squale the entire map and pay attention to those unreachable area, the well organized building with travel on 3 floors and small detail like the truck

Gameplay

We all like to smash those crates to find something behind but when you have so much to brake could it be also fun...the answers was for me without no doubt, after a second more thinking try: YES.
You hav really to think in wich order you will make you work and also you will fast find some special colored crates that have a particulary behavior and use of them magic, exploding, burning,attaking...

there is also some voice help in some case (not always from perfect understanding) and the motivation when you reach a certain amount of braking crates  travel through elevator or stair also is a question of personnal aproach  and will certainly increase you gaming time.

In conclusion: Regrading this special mission a too highly detailed review will certainly spoil a lot of enjoyement so there is anything to detail more just make you best through thinking and braking to reach those 1000 broken crates.

Playtime: 2 hours

Rating: A B C D E (87%)

Lost Coast for Half-Life 2

al***NEW!!!***

Title: Lost Coast

Author: Valve


Release date: 27 October 2005

Size: ?
Number of maps: 1



website: official Info

download: to get it just go to you HL2 steam folder and download it


General Info:


“Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, a single-player level custom-created to showcase High-Dynamic Range lighting (HDR) in the Source engine, is available now to all owners of HL2. As a technology showcase, Half-Life 2: Lost Coast’s system requirements are very high. During installation, Steam will prompt you if your system does not meet the recommended configuration. We hope you enjoy it.”



Review :
I never took the time to play this one before for to major reason (A bad bandwith connection and regarding the approximate size I wasn't that motivated to get it and most of the people had a mixed feeling about it and especially because since it was coming from valve as a techdemo everybody was hoping for something really interesting
This one was especially design to show dynamic lighting and for sure directly at start you have a wide open marvelous view a little submerged by the sun right in your ice you recieve a brief mission from an older fisherman and so starts your experience...Design is impressive causing my configuration (4 years old) to sufer from a drop in fps not dramatic but a little frustrating the climbing enhance the total view and lead you to the top village where your mission awaits you in a beautiful church where all the lightning effect shows it's advantage through windows
Gameplay is really simple: eliminate the combine protecting force, destroy the bombing system and escape back to the old fisherman through the special design of location and especially through the climbing combat, it may be a little enjoyable but this won't really add a lot of playtime (that can be spend on a more tech exploring qwest) to this quite short and easy experience.
In conclusion: after all those year this one doesn't really feel out of date but also I won't consider that waiting so long to play it was a shame. It was a little fun, provide some really good looking views but really felt too short in gaming time to let a memorable feeling.


Playtime: 20min



Rating: A B C D E (75%)

Curse: Episode 1 for Half-Life 2

***NEW!!!***

Title: Curse : Episode 1


Author: Curse team

Release date: 28 may 2009

Size: 240 047 ko

Number of maps: 3



website: official website

download: at filefront



Author's Note:


Curse Episodes is a Half-Life 2 single player total conversion : a mix of physics based combat, puzzles and exploration. In the first episode you can explore an egyptian necropolis and kill mummies, monsters with a morning star. Curse Episodes is a Half-Life 2 single player total conversion : a mix of physics based combat, puzzles and exploration. In the first episode you can explore an egyptian necropolis and kill mummies, monsters with a morning star.

Review :

Whoaw, when I saw the screenshots of this total conversion I was really impressed by the high quality view and thaugh I would give it a try as soon as I could.

Design is really from great quality in term of general layout and developpment (new monsters, textures, colors and features) the aim is to create a kind of egyptian experience more base on spirit effect and exploration in order to solve puzzle than real epic battles. You progression wil be catch by the wonderfull layout it's so impressive at the first look that you just stay in front of you screen and enjoy the instant. Attention has been put in everything great texturing impressive egyptian architecture, movable/breakable objects the color theme puzzles associted with 'colored theme' chambers and the mix between enemies and puzzles you will need to solve

Gameplay was perhaps a little be put in downward in my opinion simply because the objective is different from classic HL2, here like in an egyptian temple you will mix puzzle solving to access new locations and this agremented with some enemy fight base on a kind of spirit effect not that easy to use. then you will wonder what next to do do you really need to travel way back or is it just close to you actual progression you will more and more deliver access to new room but the complicated inteconnection (which seems totally justify by the egyptian theme) will make you catched attention decrease slowly. For the ambiance event if it comes with a perfectly suitable music theme, the real immersion missed something ( a toarch light progression, traps affecting you progression and some oppressing feeling). The project was perhaps a little to ambitious to integrate all those interesting stuffs without loosing a little of you attention for as long as the experience will take place.

In conclusion: visualy this modification is really tremendous with great reward through music and visual, sadly for me the easy way to get lost not knowing what to do next in addition with the lack of trill and fear created a downtrend attention while progressing...the main reason in my opinion was the fact that the team didn't focus on some choice but wanted to cover all new idea that came up and shine like THE stuff to add.

Playtime: 1 hours 30 min


Rating: A B C D E (87%)

Calamity for Half-Life 2

***NEW!!!***

Title: Calamity

Author: Bobby 'Spas12' Cardona

Release date: 28 may 2009

Size: 94 047 ko

Number of maps: 5



website: author's portfolio

download: palnetphillip's page



Author's Note:

Half-Life 2 calamity is an exciting new addon to the Half Life universe. Battle the violent combine regime, obliterate zombies and Xen creatures, and learn even more knowledge surrounding the rise of Earth's benefactors. Calamity is around 1-2 hours of solid gameplay filled with tense combat scenes and puzzling conundrums mixed within the deteriorating setting of one of Earths last thriving cities - City 17.

Review :

This time there is a consequent pack to be added to this Blog. The story behind seems to be from the classic half-life bottle, during the accident in black mesa you where teleported to city 17 you mains objective is to progress through the city and access the hiddenbase...for the rest I won't spoil the ending...Even if I didn't really understand what really happening at the end.

Design is really above average (not constently) but still for me average, the attention to detail the way different enviroment where mix, the general ambiance through custom music everything is here present to make this mod shine through your eyes, the only mixed feeling is that you always feel to be oriented in you progression there was never an alternative route it's straight forward (especially regarding the outdoor part) but it's not monotonous and you never want to stop until the end which is a gage of quality. The author gives you also some break through radiotransmission listening with custom voice, which even if not from perfect quality and perfectly fitable through it's content was well used to give the player a break.

Gameplay gave me more a mixed feeling even if it was well set together, some places of battle where quite challenging to be close to provide some frustration (especially the loading screen part,the sniper area and the descending jump part of the fortress) puzzle where negligable even if the hall with those red containers didn't directly shine to what was the task to do and certainly make me waste 15 minutes to figure it out, for the rest everything flow together to really keep the player perfectly busy, not always in the best way through those bad surpise like for example the exploding barrel in your face when you open the access corridor or those sily respawing fight that keeps you busy without any other choice than to survive...

In conclusion: In general, it was an enjoyable release that has certain repetitive flaws that could provide more frustration than enjoyment if you prefer to solve puzzle instead of shooting combines but thought it's light custom content, above average design and quite efficient playtime it's certainly a recommanded one... not highly but still recommanded one.



Playtime: 2 hours 30 min


Rating: A B C D E (89%)

Research & Destroy for Half-Life 2

***NEW!!!***

Title: Research & Destroy

Author: Clancy Powell

Release date: ?

Size: 3 958 ko (bsp file)

Number of maps: 1



website: here

download: author's page



Author's Note:

Re-Search and Destroy is a single player Half-Life 2 level that takes Gordon Freeman through a Combine research facility to cripple the Combine's teleportation research efforts. I focused on creating both interesting combat situations as well as narrative elements that would give the player a sense of purpose, a sense of place, and motivation to keep playing. This level was used as a test level to collect data for my thesis: Importance of Story in Single Player First Person Shooters.

Review :

I will certainly continue to pop up those small Guildhall release, they can easily be criticize but I know (suppose) that most of the people that plays SP release just are looking for something new or forgotten even if it's not that great or prefect.

Design is lets say the 'less that it's needed', you start from an outdoor area then will need to enter a building to free one of you mate and clear all combine force. So the outdoor looks ok but seems a little clanky, and the indoor area is a collection of romm you need to visit from floor to floor with switch activation in a real middle classic way of design it's a expeirence intended to be short where the author tells he use 140 hours to create this map.

Gameplay is quite well oriented with some detailed info by on text message to tell you your mission (it's perhaps a little bit too detailed and I would certianly prefered some voice recording).
Combats are way to easy regarding the ammo and health you can find or recieve, the progression use enough back track to prevent from making this one to linear but still misses something more original that some simple console activation to make you progress. The good point is that trough the map all event that will happens seems really to obvious, expect the end...short but unwaited

In conclusion: Another short experience with classic design and gameplay nothing really perfect or estonishing, just perhaps an interesting ending.



Playtime: 10 min


Rating: A B C D E (67%)

No Freedom for Half-Life 2

***NEW!!!***

Title: City 17 : No Freedom

Author: Brandi Alotto

Release date: 19 June 2007

Size: 3 922 ko

Number of maps: 1



website: here

download: author's page



Story:

None mentionned but it's part of an invidual guildhall project ( cohort 5), made for their graduation terms.

Review :

Another short example of people who will be working in future gaming company are able to do .

Design has a good external feeling in a night city under combine's control. The outdoor architecture is quite enjoyable, more than indoor and organized in a quite squared area the main objective is divided in 3 parts: rnter the main building, search for a switch, get to the roof to escape. The indoor is build in a classic way according an everyday house that has been transform as a general head quatter of the combine force, it's just a succession of room with general layout that are well interconnected even to outdoor by windows, it has a maze feeling so that you will perhaps not directly find the next thing to do.

Gameplay is typical FPS progress and kill to escape, you will encounter lot's of combines respawn when you travel back, you will open all door to find what to do and access to the rooftop to escape there the challenging is well put together with combine reinforcement, trip mine drop (I think it's one of the first time a see this in a custom map) and a strider to need to be destroy to exit the level. the ambiance is perhaps the small thing that is missing in this release like a little bit more scripted progression.

In conclusion: In a standard design way, the author succeed in ceating a average experience hightlighted by the end combat.


Playtime: 20 min



Rating: A B C D E (71%)

Rosa-sewer for Half-Life 2

***NEW!!!***

Title: Assault on a Strider Base : Rosa-Sewer

Author: Jennifer Canada

Release date: 15 June 2005

Size: 3 931 ko

Number of maps: 1



website: here

download: author's page



Story:

None mentionned but it's part of the assault on a strider base guildhall project ( cohort 2), made for their graduation terms.

Review :

I really like those small guildhall mission they are most of the time short and not perfect but finally it produce a correct playtime enjoyment worth to be mentioned.

Design is good with well put together area and a same grey_dark theme that add a certain touch to this map (like if the experience that take place in this hypothetic future was set in a polluted...distroyed environement where people don't really have the will to live). The general theme is base upon concrete sewer and interconnection, some 'on text' messages will lead you through this maze not only focus on a self floor gameplay but with lot's of up and down progression and also adding some outdoor area.

Gameplay is quite easy with metrocops, combines, headscrabs...so classic enemies. Puzzles are limited but make you progression oriented in a non too linear way and will lets you be busy for a short thinking time. The ambiance is perhaps what lacks to this map not a lot of sounds, voice messages would add a better immersion into this unit, and some more challenging place would also have increase the interest of this map...but it's not really part of the main objective of this map which is to mention to teacher the knowledge of the hammer engine.

In conclusion: A short enjoyable experience that lacks some more combats and a background ambiance.




Playtime: 15 min



Rating: A B C D E (68%)

Tangent for Half-Life 2

***Previously reviewed on my french blog***

Level name: Tangent

Author: Nick 'Daedleback' Williams

Release date: 12 April 2006

Size: 6361 ko

Number of maps: 1


website: none active anymore


download: from Planetphillip

Author's note:
This level was created as coursework for my Games Engines & Physics module at Staffordshire University as part of my Computer Games Design degree. The brief was to create a level in the source engine (we had created a level in the Unreal engine in the first semester) based around Staffordshire University, Beaconside campus. The level is set several months before the events of Half-Life 2 and the player is briefed via Text messages received on their phone from various sources.”

Story

“From: Student Union - 26/03/09 20:15The combine have been oppressing the students at this university for several years now. The vast majority of students couldn’t be bothered to get out of bed to fight the overlords, but now they have reason. The oppressors have denied the sale of alcohol on the university premises. The time to fight has come. Fight your way to the Lounge and Legends bars and turn on all beer taps.”

Review :

This was another school project based on a preview UT2004 release from Nick. The story behind is quite simple, before all what we know about HL, students parts of a university already got a huge conflict against the administration that wanted to prohibit the consumption of alcohol, Rebellion will fight against the authority to free the whole university.

Design even if this map wasn't completed totally is well balance between outdoor and indoor with a good looking layout and design...The univestity theme was perhaps a little under visited and went a little bit more to a industrial theme which is not a problem at all and won't bother you since the experience is more than failry enjoyable.

Gameplay was well balance with a sort of new hud featuring transmision message (sms type) that wil orient your mission the rest is from the classic bottle and is a mix between fight against combine and puzzle solving to progress in a linear way. The mission end a little abruptly after the Antlion guard fight there is a simple switch to push and thats all.

In conclusion: back then there wasn't still a lot of stuff available for HL2 and this experience even if short was certainly a good enjoyable one, another good find from the snark pit. The author appologize for the little bugs than can be found and the abrupt ending but the main school objective was achieve and succeed so that the author lost interest and switched to new projects.

Playtime: 20 minutes

Rating: A B C D E (74%)

Rebellion for Half-Life 2

***NEW!!!***

Level name:Rebellion

Author: Raphaël Gilot

Release date: 4 January 2009

Size: 97 570 ko

Number of maps: 6


website: here

download: Planetphillip's page


Story:

In Rebellion, you play as Mandella, colonel in the Confederation, a powerful military force. At the beginning, you explore the mothership as you’re asked by admiral Spade to attend your briefing. You’ll discover that you’re part of the first attack wave sent to storm Tor29, a little colony lost in the Nephele system.

Accompanied by your best friend, major Threepwood, you’ll face an oddly weak resistance. Why does the Confederation unleash its wrath on a colony that is clearly of no match ? What hides behind this conflict driven by doubtful justifications ? These obscure reasons are not to please you and Threepwood.

Will you carry on following blindly an authority fouled by power and arrogance ? Or will you break your former links and embrace a cause that seems fairer to you, however desperate it may be?

Maybe these are favourable times for… Rebellion.

Review :

A new creator just came up at the starting of 2009 and to be honest it was really a good surprise.
With an experience which had something different from what we have seen before even if in my opinion like for forward motion the author, while creating is mod, took perhaps a direction of making a mod that becomes a little too compicated...

Design was pretty good with perhaps some detail flaws (marble floor if the first metallic section)
but also manage to bring you some impressive part like the storage hall (screenshot1) but it was for sure above average in term of quality and architecture.
Gameplay is special, cause for a first part you play as a combine chief and make mission in order to kill the rebellion whish was for me, an especially the part with the storage containing civilian, quite annoying; after things get back to the normal way of HL2 gaming.
In addition to this fact the author also took a mission more oriented on movie/comics interaction...to explain a little my point of view you will, during this episode, more follow conversation and read on text message than actually play...creating for me more frustration than real enjoyment by the fact that the action is too much oriented, on a static way. (not easy to translate my frensh opinion into english...sorry for that).
Appart from this and taking the other point of view, the storyline is strong in a kind of movie/comics view that add lot's of humour and 'living' to the different actors like in eveday's life.

In conclusion: Raphaël defenetly manage the HL2 engine and was able to create something differents that wanted to immerse the player into a strong storyline with an everyday's life feeling. Sadly in my opinion those idea came with a lack of gameplay that can cause some frustration to player which was my case...I still think that a lot of gamers are going to like this fresh touch of gameplay



Playtime: 30 min


Rating: A B C D E (84%)

Forward Motion for Half-Life 2

***NEW!!!***

Level name: Forward Motion

Author: Justin 'SneakySpeckman' Carlton

Date of release: 26 May 2008

Size: 47 389 ko

Number of maps: 10


website: none

download: here

Author's Note:
This map pack is really just group of ideas. Any constructive criticism would be appreciated. Each map proceeds in order. Every map can be played individually, so you can load any map and start with weapons. These maps may have some bugs. You can consult the walkthrough if you get stuck. If you get stuck you can always just load the next map.

Review :

The short Note from the author explain directly that there was no real story just idea after idea through wich the author wanted to create something enjoyable.
Design was well put together in a simple but efficiant way increasing (but at start is was quite average) in quality and realism as you will travel through all the 10 maps. The feeeling was really great and archtiecture well manage, everything is present from the original game but never let a feeling of dejà vu. You will travel from outdoor to indoor with limited weapons using the hovercraft for quite a while with tips and tricks.
All in all and even if the author didn't pay a lot of attention to details, but this doesn't really bother, every new part with it's traps, effect surprise and even more will really want to play this one in a sinlge experience.

Gameplay is really the major interest from this map pack from fight to puzzle passing through it's 'wierd' storyline, you will never have a moment that's lack from interest, action is always present and will increase with you progression sadly reaching a kind of moment where the author was perhaps a little submerge by what he wanted to create and starts to make things a little to complicate in my opinion. hoperfully the readme contains a walkthrough that will certainly b you friend.
What was really put in evidence is that the author manage the engine to it's quite complicated features and with a better thaught storyline from starts to end, I'm pretty shure the author could really catch the full attention from the community.

In conclusion: Even if the readme doesn't come with a lots of information and that maps were simply linked together, letting the posibility to play them each separatly, without no story, background map or 'new features' if was defenetly a great enjoyable surpsise for me, that i highly recommed to everybody.


Playtime: 3 hours


Rating: A B C D E (86%)

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%)

So much for Freeman for Half-Life 2

***NEW!!!***

Level name: So much for Freeman

Author: Duncan 'Finger' Moore

Date of release: 31 May 2007

Size: 14 918 ko

Number of maps: 1


website: snarkpit profile

download: here

Author's Note:

This is my entry for the snarkpit ‘map from base’ singleplayer mapping challenge. Regardless of how the challenge pans out, I plan on developing this map further, and extending the gameplay beyond what I’ve built.

We’ll call this an ‘alternate history’ if you will; a spin off scenario that puts you, Gordon Freeman, captive of the brutal Combine - being marched off to a quick death. The end is near…. or is it?

Edit…. this map has been EXTENDED!! I’ve completed round 2 of the snarkpit mapping challenge by continuing with this singleplayer map. I decided to try and cram round 2 into the same bsp… the result is a fairly large map. Let me know if anyone has problems running it, as I may end up splitting it into 2 maps. Once again, I plan to continue developing this further.

Review :

This map was made already a year ago for a sp contest at snarkpit, the author isn't a beginner and you will directly notice it.

In this mission you end sadly captured by the combine forces and seem ready to be in a really bad position...the intro will lead you in a step you never taught about...so try to survive and escape

Design of this map is well done with a good intro and a simple but immersing design, the progression is well oriented in limited areas but the travelling and challenge encountered make it really enjoyable and organised. Everything look fresh in a classic design and is enjoyable with even some new textures touch like doors and the atmospheric skybox and some short voice acting

Gameplay is balanced to be challenging and add what is needed to slow down you progression traps and combine attack are waiting for you but no boss fight in this one. It's not also a simply forward and fight progression, you have to think a little and this help the enjoyment.

In conclusion: for a short contest map it's a high enjoyable one everything that is needed is here present except an ending that i hope will come out one day.



Playtime: 20 min


Rating: A B C D E (87%)

Agonised for Half-Life 2

***NEW!!!***

Level name: Agonised

Author: Macabre

Date of release: 08 June 2008

Size: 35 854 ko

Number of maps: 1


website: None

download: here

Story:

None, It's just a huge complex area that can be compared with a factory...No objective except to progress and kill everything...but there is no end.

Review :

So after two month of FPS unactivity (only focus on virtuel rally championship) I tried yesterday a quite recent release that was available at Planetphillip. Sadly i didn't choose the best...

First of all you just start in the middle of a building with a stair to progress, you will find several items but nothing to open or to do. Then you go to the outdoor where the framerate is very high causing problems to progress in an extremly huge environment (you should be aware of it regarding the map size) there is no objective just kill and progress you can take the car, you can travel arround go in some limited inside place but nothing else? there is some new textures content and even a 'secret place' the one marked with the hl sign with some new music content but this doesn't really make some highlights to this release even if honestly the general layout and especially all buildings are quite realistic and well done.

In conclusion: there was some potential in this one with a correct layout and architecture but the lack of objective and the limited fun from the gameplay let the player with more frustration than enjoyment...sadly.

Playtime: 20 min

Rating: A B C D E (58%)

The Cage for Half-Life 2

***NEW!!!***

Level name: The Cage

Author: Bill Adams

Date of release: 26 March 2007

Size: 2 711 ko

Number of maps: 1



website: here

download: here

Story:

None, it's a simple industrial plant that you need to travel through and it's designed with puzzle in mind.


Review :

This Power plant was created with puzzle in mind which doesn't mean that design or fight are forgotten in this release.

Design is quite interesting in a simple way. Use of texture is well done and the general design is not too squary... you progress in a not linear way in order to solve several puzzle (on text message) to make you progress further. Environment isn't repetitive from indoor to other including a sewer part.It's neat but not being excellent especially regarding the outskirt.

Gameplay is the interesting part of this map it's just a succession of small puzzles (jumping, activating,moving,...) that will canalized your progression some fight will take place but even if your not an experience player they will be easy to survive. The gameplay is in my opinion well balance and only lack some good music triggering a little bit more challenge according fights.

In conclusion : a not so old map that shines one more time from the guildhall community, it's puzzle oriented not perfectly designed but shurly enjoyable for a really small part of you gaming life

Playtime: 20 minutes

Rating: A B C D E (71%)

The Heist for Half-Life 2

***NEW!!!***

Level name: The Heist

Author: Josh Black

Date of release: 06 March 2007

Size: 3 605 ko

Number of maps: 1



website: here

download: here

Story:

Inspired by the Hero's Journey, The Heist puts the player in the shoes of a Resistance commando on a mission to steal a weapon prototype from the Combine. Gameplay features include sneaking past enemy guards and hurling boxcars at an enemy strider.


Review :

Here is was the author's tell us about the way he wanted to created this level : "I set The Heist in an urban environment at night to enhance the stealth aspects of the mission. I want the player to feel that he or she is actually sneaking through heavily patrolled streets and breaking into an enemy compound, and I do that by filling the environment with things he or she would expect in that situation - bright streetlights, sounds of patrolling helicopters, grimy backalleys, etc."

Design perfectly fits the objective of Josh, the ambiance is moody and not really exiting just after you was teleported and start you mission, you don't know what's next, but ontext message provide will guide you and make you, firstly, sneak arround and beware of an hypothetic attack.

The squale, the look at relaism, the ambiance is omnipresent . The way the author jungle with the ambiance from a quite start to a rush and push ending make this map a real well put together realisation and event if the author tell us in the readme that this was a beta that need some improve it's defenetly look professional. The only issue, but perhaps it's only accodring with my spec it was slowing a little to much...

Gameplay even if a little too challenging in the second part (the author tells that this was a major part to be modified for the last update) really handle in a particular way your 'player identity' through the whole unit mixing with a perfect surronding ambiance the sneaking part with the more fight through part, reaching it's paroxism through the helicopter escape and the 'boss fight' I didn't really manage to succeed and just decided to escape.

In conclusion: This is for me another more than interesting realisation that shows the number of talented people that got graduate from the guildhall. It's short, not perfect but certainly will let you a good enjoyable moment of gaming.

Playtime: 30 minutes

Rating: A B C D E (78%)

Mr Deathwish Part 2 for Half-life 2

***NEW!!!***

Level name: Mr Deathwish Part 2

Author: Aro Aarponen

Date of release: 07 March 2007

Size: 13 923 ko

Number of maps: 4



website: here

download: here

Story:

None describe by the author but like in Part 1 after waking up in you home you will need to go to a secret base near a cost to kill another mad scientist that makes experiments...

Review :

After playing one year ago the first release of Aro called Part 1 (info available from www.planetphillip.com) and since I like it a lot a really was waiting for part 2 and to be honest I was a little disapointed.

Design, Like In his first release is really from above avearge quality. Attention to detail, without overusing them, is really well done to make something enjoyable from outdoor to cave featuring,this time, some well made voice acting. It sadly looks defenetly to short especially in comparaison with the First release.

Also the fact to reuse the first part (House of Mister Deathwish) could have use a more suitable transition like for example a teleport or a secret sewer with both or even a small cutscene showing Mr Deathwish going for his journey and not simply put you without any message on the secret coast.

Gameplay is not as much complicated as the first but also provide puzzle that not always seems obvious but this time I had more chance to find an easy way to pass through. It was one time morewell thaught and honestly enjoyable. Regarding fights and combats there are easy to pass thorugh or simply (in some part) could be avoided... Last part is more a typical combine reinforcement gameplay enjoyable but not more. It is important to note that in the srarting lighting tower is you go up by foot and not using the lift you 'friend' could not open you the path to the next level...

In conclusion: This is for me another really enjoyable release from Aro but I was defenitly looking for something more accomplished and polished regarding his first release. I just hope there will be a part3 and that this time the expirience will be less linear and longer (like in the part 1)


Playtime: 30 minutes

Rating: A B C D E (74%)

Reclamation for Half-life 2

***NEW!!!***

Level name: Reclamation

Author: Mike Pankratz

Date of release: 13 July 2006

Size: 5 268 ko

Number of maps: 1



website: here

download: here

Story:
there is no story behind but it could be easily put together : Dog as just been capture by the combine forces and seems to be hold in a manufactury. The way is to find him back and to save him.

Review :

One time more passing through The Guildhall at SMU made me find another interesting short but sweet release This time you will travel trough an industrial complex in a fight and puzzle mix to find and deliver Dog.

Design is well put together in a slithly above average architecture and design. The action is mostly indoor. The layout is made, in my opinion, in a little repetitive texturing but it fits well to the industrial theme.

Progression is obvious in a linear way but mostly oriented as a maze through lot's of upper floor. ambush especially manhacks (this gave me a new idea of gaming using the gravity gun to catch them and trow them on combine...quite efficiant) that will give you a lot of challenge increasing till the final central command where you will need to battle against combine to save Dog. The whole progression is well mixed with some puzzle (pillars gettting down, this one was certainly influenced by some Duke Nukem experience) and console activating button. Everything seems obvious but makes it really enjoyable.

In conclusion: Another good dig out of grave release from The Guildhall at SMU . The author who did other intesting stuff especially for Call of Duty comes this time with well action packed mission that really diserve you attention. Get it as soon as possible and you will be happy with it

Playtime: 20 minutes

Rating: A B C D E (77%)

Cave for Half-Life 2

***NEW!!!***

Level name: Cave

Author: Thomas "Stadric Gonzalez" Kelley

Date of release: 24 november 2006

Size: 9 262 ko

Number of maps: 1



website: http://www.halfwit-2.com/aild/

download: http://www.halfwit-2.com/aild/uploads/files/update/cave.zip

Review :

This is the second release from the author (check is site for the other one that isn't bad too). This one can be, I think, considered as a totally playable and enjoyable DEMO map. In this one (like the title explain it without any doubt) you will pass most of the time in a...cave. The design starts slowly in a simple squared room were you will take you HEV suit that is in charge (you can cut the power) and after you will try to get out when you hear an explosion in the toilet room. There is a hole in the ground that will lead you to the cave quite well build with a high atmosphere full of Quake and RTCW spirit. Design is average to above average (more through the effect use by the author that are cool but i won't spoil them). The atmosphere especially in the cave is enhanced by sounds. Combats are not really present (but will be perhaps more part of the upcoming entire release). Progression and puzzles are easy and you are more in place to enjoy them than getting nervous not beating them. Ending is a little wierd and abrupt but certianly manage to make us seen more from the author.

In conclusion: Even if the release is short in playtime (but certainly not in construction time) and can suffer from the absence of real gameplay or lack of fluidity to the theme visited (dificult to mix a medieval cave with futuristic train ride), it's worth to play it through and appreciate the neat effect that the author add to is map.

Playtime: 10 minutes

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Rating: A B C D E (69%)