Custom levels for Quake, Quake2, Quake3 and Half-Life by Shaun [Kona] Ross

Shaun [Kona] Ross' Nightmare Orchards was actually designed for Quake but converted to Quake2 so that it could be finished. As a result, this is a very Quake themed level and the 'theme' is what it seems Kona has mastered. A fun map, chock-full of enough baddies to keep even the most veteran FPS fan contented. Borrowing heavily on textures from Rune, Hexen II & Daikatana, Shaun has created a map that plays like the best of the original Quake levels, but has only a few short-comings in Quake 2.

For example, when coming out of one of the main areas I scaled the cliffs to find a better sniping-spot and I noticed an area where another part of the levels bleeds through the chosen skybox (see screenshot ->). Aside from simple statistics, the Q2 F1 help panel offers no updates or goals which I feel would have only accentuated this level. Sounds seem rather low, I tested the map without the soundtrack CD and it was almost silent in some places taking from the realism that does, in fact exist in this map.

Aside from those minor points, Nightmare Orchards is a great level and one that should be played by all Quake 2 fans. The tweaked textures offer a new twist on the old Strogg mythos and items were well-placed throughout the level resulting in quick 'up and down, twist and turn' type gameplay. r_speeds gave me no problem and the level plays very smooth with great flow and one secret area for all you treasure hunters who absolutely have to explore every nook and cranny of a game map.

So, here's Baal-Peor's score of 8 of 10 with points only being knocked off for the above-mentioned issues. A great map, recommended for all! Comparable to Quake original levels. (2.53 mb)

[ Reviewed by: Jay ] - [ Date: Friday, 19th April, 2002 ]

"Oh, Goodie! O Frabjous Day!" The Resident SPQ2 Fiend claps his furry, grimy paws together in glee, drool oozing down his recessive jaw, making unattractive patterns in the fur of his protruding belly, before dripping to the floor of his pit... "Another new map from Kona!" This does not happen often, and when it does, it is normally a cause for rejoicing.

And this time is no exception. Kona has produced another masterpiece for us. Let The Fiend give away the ending: this one is Superb, unquestionably.

Oh, yes, Disclosure: - Both The Fiend and The MetsFan playtested this map. As usual, Kona's map was pretty much done, and The Fiend's comments were in the nature of polishing the gilded lily, not anything more. Nonetheless, you Beloved Visitors deserve to know this little fact as you read this and decide whether or not you want to give this a shot. Although if you do not, you will definitely be missing something...

Let's start where The Fiend normally does, with the visuals and the environment. The visuals are impressive as only Kona can do it. The motif is castle, with a theme similar to what you would find in Classic Quake, but with Kona's own distinctive touch - which will not surprise you if you read the TXT file and see the origin of the map. The Fiend did not see any visual flaws, and the whole is very consistent: brooding, dim without resorting to dark, foreboding, grim, grimy ... just the sort of place where The Fiend would feel right at home, as long as there are plenty of nooks and crannies where he can scurry off and hide from danger. Lots of slime and nastiness pooling around. Lots of stuff to see, and you will get to see it a lot. Pick any place in the map, and you will likely get to see it from two, three, four, or more vantage points and elevations. When you go outside, as you will with regularity, the typical Kona sky lends an air of familiarity to the entire ambiance (a pretty fancy word for The Fiend, no?). Progression is linear, but this does not matter at all, because the path through the castle winds around, in and out, up and down, inside and outside, doubling back on itself, so you will always be seeing something new. Fascinating in a grimly beautiful sort of way.

Not that you will be spending a lot of time on gazing about as you stroll through the castle, not if you want to stay alive, that is. Kona packs about 135 enemies (Medium Skill) into a single level, which means you will have your hands full. No high-tech teleporters here, just excellent placement of a wide variety of enemies, mostly the smaller ones up through Tank Commander, but with a couple of Bosses. Watch out, a Boss can appear where you might least expect it to try to toast your behind. Kona puts on a great show at the end, but does not necessarily save the appearance of all the Bosses for the finale. Surprise is the name of the game, another hallmark of a Kona level, along with maybe brutality at the end.

Anything not to like? Well, enemies have this nasty habit of coming at you from behind, from supposedly cleared areas, while you are trying to preserve your skin against the nasties in front of you, without any warning. (Yes, The Fiend is reaching here.) Oh, and the one secret? It is not just nasty, it is ... darned near impossible for someone as uncoordinated and clutzy as The Fiend, a tease to frustrate.

When all is said and done, The Fiend rates a map by how much fun it is to play, and how it dazzles, with eye candy as well as adrenaline from the combat. This map is indeed Superb. From this standpoint, it may be Kona's best so far - with more hopefully to come, many more. Not only Superb, but even deserving of a medal - a Gold one. You must give this one a try, and then hurry to tell Kona how much you liked it.