Special note: I playtested this level shortly
before it was released. I commented on the gameplay
and gave the author ideas. That's it.
Besides his Mel Soaring series, Shaun Ross
has done a few independent levels, not continuing
the saga of Mel Soaring. His third SPQ level,
Egyptian Myth, is one such level. Released only
about 4 months after The Savage Sanguine, it's
again fairly recent. Between this level and
The Savage Sanguine, Kona released Ancient Rigby,
a medieval SPQ2 level. Too bad that the excellent
curves don't make an appearance here. The level
is set in an ancient Egyptian temple this time,
using textures from the second mission pack.
They are combined with normal Quake textures
and Egyptian Myth has an original, yet somehow
familiar feel.
The architecture and design are pretty similar
to Kona's earlier SPQ level. There are only
2 different levels though he has managed to
get in some minimal vertical fighting. Some
of the ledges could've been used better. Ogres
would have done well, bombarding you from above.
The level mixes indoor and outdoor, some of
the rooms have rocky ground, sometimes leading
to an upper level. Most of the vertical connection
is done by staircases however. The sights here
are nothing special, no spectacular designs
that will stay in your mind months after playing
it. Just good, steady visuals throughout. Personally
I would've preferred some texture variations:
Even though the theme is consistent, it might
get a little repetitive. Only the final area
has some little variation. The layout is mostly
linear, but you'll be backtracking a bit and
there are a few limited route choices. Usually
these provide a slightly different access to
the next room. I had no problems navigating
the level, my destination was clear at all times.
The gameplay is quite different though. While
The Savage Sanguine felt relatively easy, this
will make you sweat. The level has 119 monsters
on Normal and 122 on Hard. These are packed
into a level about the same size as The Savage
Sanguine and they are a good deal harder too.
The Snakeman is included here too, as deadly
as before. Then add hordes of Knights and Hellknights,
some Ogres and Scrags. And if that's not enough,
there are several Shamblers and Vores. To fight
all these, you're given an impressive arsenal.
Every weapon except the Grenade Launcher and
the Thunderbolt (lightning gun) are included.
Strangely, you'll get two Rocket Launchers,
one about halway through the level and another
one just before the ending. And to ease your
task, there are loads of ammo. Shells and nails
mostly with a few rockets here and there. Ammo
was never a problem. I enjoyed the special arenas
a lot, where more monsters kept teleporting
in after you had finished the initial ones.
These were very fun, just after you thought
you had survived, 2 more Shamblers teleport
in. Thanks to the good use of teleports, for
the most part combat is very constant. You'll
be given a few moments to breathe here and there.
Also, the tight corridors can be hazardous,
as you try to dodge grenades and Scrags. The
final combat was a bit lacking though. You fight
a special Hellknight with more attacks and health.
If other monsters had been used with this one,
the fight would've been more climactic. Nevertheless,
the combat is enjoyable and good, though a few
more monsters would have fitted in.
The lighting, on the other hand, is nothing
special. I found it a bit bland, there were
very few shadows. This could've been improved
a bit. There are two secrets, activated by buttons,
I found both. They are very helpful, but you
can complete the level without them, just be
more cautious. There weren't any apparent visual
flaws, but on Normal skill you can get 122/119
kills. Also, the difficulty settings seem to
change the level very little, some players might
have problems with this. Nitpicking, some of
the monsters were looking at odd directions
so I could sneak up on them.
To conclude this review, Egyptian Myth is definitely
an improvement over Kona's earlier SPQ levels.
And even though the visuals aren't too impressive,
the good combat more than makes up for that.
Another recommended level.
