First of all, I’m saddened you forgot to list me as a beta tester. >”“|. Now the review.
Gameplay in this level reminds me somewhat of EvilMike’s platform-hopping “SPACE LEVEL WITH ISLANDS.” Not only are the tilesets sort of both industrial-looking, but this level features lava towards the bottom and you must step accross stones to get to the other side. It is more easy than in EvilMike’s level, but this is the quickest way of getting accross and it is annoying to get seekered into it. This is, however, a good thing. It gives this level a nice dose of originality that it needs very much. The score would be a deal lower if it was not for this part of the level. There are a few other interesting points. It is the sort of level that obviously had a good deal of work put into understanding where players are going. While it does not make it very easy for the player to go through the level and the flow is not perfect, this is not necessarily a bad thing. “Perfect” flow would consist of the level making the user capture the flag themself. That wouldn’t make any sense. Rather, this level does a good job of balancing ability to move with the necessary obstructions to making the level interesting. You have to be careful on the lava, but otherwise the rest of the level is pretty fool-proof. It’s well done.
PROS: Well done. The lava, while not massively original, is still good.
CONS: There are not many routes between the flag bases. One extra one would be nice and add more dimension to the level, although it also might ruin it. That’s levelmaking for you.
RATING: 8.5
There is nothing absolutely great about the eyecandy in this level. In fact, I was tempted to give it 7.7 if it were not that the lava at the bottom provides a good distraction from the rest of the level. It may be that I have seen far too many “Seventh Lava Fall” levels, but nonetheless I am beginning to find the eyecandy in most levels using this tileset a bit tedious. While this level does use the tileset strongly and has no easily visible tile bugs (I thought a quick sweep would be sufficient in this case), the top of the level simply is not that interesting. It’s standard 7thLF fare, with industrial bricks. Supposedly, the entire thing is supposed to look like a factory, but I don’t buy that. It is better suited to be a postapocolyptic industrial area abandoned than a factory. I cannot imagine that anything could be made here. Which brings me to another point. Why is it that there is not much creativity with 7thLF levels? There are plenty of things, like boxes, that could be used to make a decent-looking factory. I once made a test level simply to show that this could easily be done, and if I could do it, anyone could. Think conveyer belts. It’s sort of fun to watch. Still, this level offers good eyecandy, especially considering the tileset.
PROS: The lava looks nice. The lack of any questionable tiles is also commendable.
CONS: The top part of this level is not reall ythat exciting.
RATING: 8.0
This level takes a fairly untraditional approach to distribution of powerups. All of the powerups in this level are in the wall and are only accessable using the electroblaster gun. Because of the fact that they take time to get, much of the game will usually revolve around the use of basic ammo. In CTF, this is not a bad idea, and this level is just big enough to pull it off. Had it been any smaller, it would be difficult to kill the opponent before they reached base. In this level, the lava provides a challenge of crossing and also forces the player to slow down and gives opportunity to kill an opponent. The placement of the basic ammo is also quite good. It is spread out in a fairly random manner, which does good for this level. There are no cheesy patterns that hurt the eyecandy.
PROS: Ammo, both basic form and powerup, is just sparce enough to make things interesting.
CONS: Some may consider it a bit too sparce, but I do not.
RATING: 8.0
Originality is one of those categories in my reviews which sort of spill over into other categories, which is why I have no specific section for it. Much of originality ends up in this category, “fun factor.” In this case, this level is not exactly original, per se. Rather, it melds elements of other previous levels while still changing them enough that it keeps it fresh and exciting. The lava is similar to that seen in “SPACE LEVEL WITH ISLANDS” by EvilMike. The base-in-a-sucker-tube has been done plenty of times. And, of course, having powerups in the wall is not a novel concept. However, Blackraptor manages to put these all together in a way that neither feels stale, nor feels stolen. The level is fun, although not so amazingly new that it is that fun. However, a CTF level like this does not necessarily need to be fun, just good, and that is definitely what this is.
PROS: Enjoyable to play.
CONS: Not groundbreaking or anything.
RATING: 8.2
This level is a good CTF level with a twist. While it is nothing extremely new or anything, it nonetheless is enjoyable to play and probably will see a nice bit of hosting. Despite the eyecandy on the top of the level not being fabulous, it still remains that this is a far above average level worth playing. It is not a classic, but is not meant to be. It is aiming to be a fun Capture the Flag level that has some original elements, and it hits this mark exceptionally. This level is definitely worth a download and several plays and would make a welcome addition in any idle Capture the Flag server’s pack.
PROS: A very good level. The lava is fun. Fairly original.
CONS: The eyecandy on the top of the level could have been a bit more interesting.
RATING: 8.2
DOWNLOAD RECOMMENDATION: Everyone will probably like this level, although CTF freaks will especially love it.
GAMEPLAY: A
Flow: A-
Layout: A
Creativity: A
Bugs: A
EYECANDY: A -
Tileset use: A -
Eyecandy Look: A -
Creativity: A -
Bugs: A
PLACEMENT: A -
Weapons: A
Carrots: B+
~ Traft
[This review has been edited by Trafton AT]
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