A snowy map with a small final arena that
blends indoor/outdoor sections in a layout that
seems to expand as you progress. The textures
are ripped from DKT and Hexen and are surprisingly
crude compared to other levels with the same
graphics. Several areas have a definite cartoon
vibe but there are also many instances where
they work well. Only the hexagon doors are out
of place. The garish new monster skins don't
help. The grim overcast sky does. Also of minor
note is the new nailgun sound. It's okay, but
would have been better with a new model like
the one from anevil.
Brushwork is sometimes crude (doors appearing
on the other sides of walls, still? =)) but
always intricate and effective with the requisite
weird angles. Several impressive areas have
uneven floors which give the map a touch of
realism and also make combat a little more interesting.
The rock walls were made with a strange angular
technique that is quite appealing, although
they look somewhat short. Except for a corridor
or two, there are no "box" areas,
and the most visual sections are the atria where
multiple levels intersect. There is also one
nice ruined section. There are a few b0rked
fulldark surfaces but the lighting is great
overall, with good sunlight outside and torches
inside.
The map is consistently heavy on ammo and light
on health (unless you're good at finding secrets,
which is easier in software mode) but other
than that, combat is varied with an appropriate
mix of strafing, sniping, and other violent
goodness. Reinforcements have a demonic habit
of appearing, usually from behind hidden doors,
just when you think an area is secure. The gremlin
makes an appearance in huge numbers, but for
some reason never in a location where it can
be a huge threat. Other enemies are placed with
an appropriate attention to their strengths,
especially the new rocket ogres. Weapons are
positioned well with the rocket launcher just
before the final combat and no thunderbolt.
The final arena map has several good but mildly
frustrating ideas. It can be very difficult
to survive without taking the right type of
evasive action. However, the way you trigger
the final switch is cool and there is a very
useful secret before the end which, strangely,
doesn't trigger any monster drop-ins. =)