Kona's latest SPQ offering is packed full of
monsters in a ingeniously interconnected layout.
Kona is not a new author, having released several
SP levels for Quake and Quake2. He definitely
has some experience and that shows.
Not exactly a new theme here, just mixing some
old ones. A mix of blue and light brown. It's
a medieval castle, with a few small outdoor
sections. The walls look a bit bland at times
and most of the rooms have a "basic"
design. It does look fairly good, but not excellent.
The layout, though, is very excellent. Rumors
say that this level was originally started as
a large Q3 deathmatch level, but then converted
to SPQ. As a result, the layout is planned very
well, with lots of connections and a good amount
of backtracking. The level does feel quite non-linear,
though there aren't that many side areas to
explore. There are two secrets, have to admit
that I didn't find either. The theme and construction
here remind me of Kona's earlier level Egyptian
Myth, not a bad thing though.
While the looks were nothing special, the gameplay
is. 122 monsters in Normal skill makes sure
you'll be really fighting here. Just what Quake
is all about. There are a bunch of new monsters
too. Snakemen are familiar from Kona's earlier
levels, Axemen are as annoying as ever with
their ridiculous speed. Centroids from the mission
packs are used too. Hellknights have been upgraded
with few variations of old attacks. From Mexx
comes a new Hellknight boss. And that's not
all. Ogres now shoot nails instead of grenades
(no vertical bombardment unfortunately). They
also can jump and they do jump a lot. Charging
in a frenzy, jumping up to a ledge to meet you,
jumping around corners. With the Ogres, Snakemen
and Centroids, the level is full of monsters
who use nails (mental note : ouch). Strangely
the monster placement felt a little sparse at
times. Monster usually attack in packs, later
on even Shamblers team up on you. Knowing Kona,
you won't be getting too much health, but with
plenty of ammo and caution you'll be fine. Doesn't
mean it's easy though, you might want to consider
using a lower skill level than usual.
Technically, it's a clean level. I might consider
the Axemen as a bug though, as they really are
so annoying. Anyway, it's a solid level with
good, tough gameplay. A good addition to your
collection.
