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Welcome
to [Kona]s Booth
featuring 56 new reviews of classic
Quake, Quake2 and Half-Life maps
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Over
the course of the Qexpo I'll be uploading 56 new reviews of Quake, Quake2
and Half-Life to Ethereal
Hell.
This will make up a new section - Level of the Month. Every decent level
for Q1, Q2 and HL since September 1996 I have played and rated. Going
by these scores I have reviewed the top level and provided a working download
for the top three levels of every month. So if you think you may have
missed a classic, here's your chance!
The
fourth year is now up, 1999.
Another 12 new reviews from classics, but this time a real mix as Half-Life
is also starting to take off with a few good releases. The 1999 level
of the year is for Quake, Bestial Devastation by Damaul.
To view all the other reviewed levels from 1996 to 1999 (40 reviews already!)
click below:
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1
9
9
9
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A
fantastic and huge level from DaMaul, his second in the Q1SP field
after the well recieved Suicide Nation. One of my favourite styles
is used, industrial, something which is not often used in our native
Quake. Bestial Devastation features consistently superb architecture
even in places where it's not needed. Large structures and metal
trim outline an excellently looking level. The layout is great for
such a large level, often returning to areas at higher grounds.
The gameplay is good, with the mega-enforcer from Zerstorer appearing
here and also some razor-blade Ogre's. It's not too difficult due
to alot of health, and apart from a shortage at the start, there
is plenty of ammo. With over 100 enemies, Bestial Devastation is
alot of fun, and a classic Quake level. You need Zerstorer installed
to play this level. If you do not have it, download
Dml6prog.
Also
worth mentions are Premonition
Of Angron, The
Dark Undergrowth, Small
Pile of Gibs, COS
3 - The Final Objective,
Suicide
Nation
and Numb
Nimbus.
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1
9
9
8
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With
Quake2 being released for the new year, many fantastic Q2 maps
were coming out and naturally Quake got the bad end of the stick,
with very few staying with the classic game. So Q2 custom maps
dominated 1998, and even just in April there were a number of
absolute gems released (Angron Installation, Saturation Point,
What The End Is For and then Age of Panic). But version2 of The
Powersphere Quest was a masterpiece. Despite having played about
150 Q2 levels prior to this one, I was totally blown away and
had not seen anything like this before! The gameplay was fantastic,
with Cedar taking a new approach and filling the levels with the
toughest monsters. Tank Commanders and the mini's bosses were
your main enemies! Not only was the gameplay awesome, but level
design is as impressive and professional as they come, with large
solid architecture and and huge underground caverns. Commercial
quality design, although no new textures were used so it's not
totally revolutionary level design. The only problem is ammo -
there is very little of it. Being designed for coop play, it's
hard fantastic gameplay, but oddly very little ammo is provided.
Some may not like the tough monsters and being very careful with
ammo, but this is probably my personal favourite Quake2 level,
amazing considering it's a debut release!
Also
worth mentions are The
Widening Gyre, Age
Of Panic, The
Production Complex and On
Sacred Ground for Quake2, and Tale
of Abbot's Rune and Rubicon
for Quake.
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1
9
9
7
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There
are two sides to a map - gameplay and design. Though the Mexx levels
haven't been revolutionary on aesthetics, his gameplay is very well
balanced for a fantastic blastfest. Penumbra of Domination is five
levels of, arguably the best gameplay seen in any custom level.
It is obvious Marcus puts alot of work in, with many traps and ambushes,
and a constant onslaught of medium difficulty monsters. The pack
sticks to its medieval theme well, using ID textures, creative architecture
and large designs to give that nostalgic, old school feeling. A
fantastic pack of levels that will keep you entertained for quite
some time.
Also
worth mentions are The
Cassandra Calamity, Zerst?rer,
Prodigy
SE, Beyond
Belief and The
Secret Installation, which were all VERY close.
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1
9
9
6
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| Although
Village of Dread wasn't hugely popular back when it was released,
it is now considered a classic for it's unique historic township design.
Steve Rescoe's previous levels; Liquid Despair, Drakopf and Museum
were all good fun levels improving dramatically with each release,
but they lacked that special feeling and professional design. Fortunately
it was pulled off perfectly here! You start off in a forest, move
on into a very believable village/town before finding your way to
the fortress. The design and architecture, although fairly plain,
was sufficient enough to give the Village of Dread an awesome atmosphere
- something very unique. Gameplay was good, never a boring moment
and nicely balanced. Players of recent times may run through it pretty
quick, but that doesn't stop it from being a blast. |
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