fileball.whpress.com
1996

September 1995

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Timeline

Hexidecimal

4 incredibly simplistic levels. About 4 polys each... (I may be exaggerating, but not much). Some texture smearing because of room size. Whatever.

Garden

An extremely well-done 8-level solo scenario. (Well, the count's a little suspect-there are a couple of levels that probably shouldn't be counted (they're added for story continuity, but except for weapons refreshment, they don't have much on 'em), and one net level that's simply the last level, redone for netplay-but the important part is that it's a full scenario.) The story revolves around the battle for a water supply plant... and has a non-standard ending. The chapter art is inspired. Highly recommended.

"The Goo, the Bad, and the Ugly"

A very nicely done solo level... the first of a series that will make up the first installment Marathon map ever released. Quite difficult, as are most of Tony's maps... but very satisfying. If you can't figure out what you need to do next, go back and check recently visited areas, looking for changes. Great term art (the best use of Bungie art to date, imo). As usual, dive into the melee; wield superior firepower; endure. (Just don't cheat-this one's too much fun...)

Cookin' With Pfhor 1.0.1

Wow, I'm not really sure what to say about this one. It's WAY too hard, so much so that in order to see all of it, I cheated. Maybe it's possible to get through it without cheating, but I don't think I've got that kind of time... OTOH, it's a really nicely designed level, with lots of new things every time you go through an area. There are a few misaligned textures, but nothing to yell about, and sounds are used well. Just when you think you're stuck, you come across that overlooked switch, or that hidden uplinK chip... and another door opens.

Platoon

A three level scenario, but you could count it as one... the first two levels seem kind of pointless. And since you can pick up an invincibility just before leaving level 2, and not have it wear off until you finish level 3, you might consider level 3 pointless as well...

Descent 1.3

A 7-level descent into Hell. Visually, this is a stunning map. From the opening sequence (VERY cool doors) through the final battle, I was surprised by some of the unique touches of this map. The update has cleaned up quite a few crashes, and added terms, secrets, and battles. Also, I was wrong- no cheating necessary to get off the first level. There are still a few minor bugs, but nothing major.

Lava Me Tender

Installment 2 in the Origin of Species series (The Goo, the Bad and the Ugly was installment 1). I'll keep this short-get this map. It's really, really hard, but really, really good. Amazing art, and amazing level design. Wow.

Wrath of the Sentinel

A large, rambling level with a lot of water tricks. An early juggernaut makes things a bit difficult, but this one's playable... a fun story goes along with the gameplay.

Foreign Legion 2.0

This map is the reason I got 3 maps tested this evening, instead of 20. Very pretty to look at, with a really well-thought-out story (well-written, even!), and great monster/ammo placement. This one'll keep you on your toes... The only faults I'd list are a few trapping polys (polys you can't get out of once you get in), and one set of bad doors (always keep an older saved game around-otherwise you'll do what I had to do, and start over). Definitely worth playing-this one's great.

Never Forever 1.0

It's the week for solo scenarios, I guess... Here's a four-level spinoff of the Bungie universe. Map design is quite good on all levels (there may be some problems for 040 players on level 3-too much stuff). The story progresses well for the first two levels, then seems to become a Bungie derivative (I felt like I was listening to a juvenile Durandal). It ends with a bang, though. (You are gonna get SO lost on level 2...)

Check out the digestible chunks page, for floppy-sized pieces...

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