17th of July 2019

Duke Mansion | Single/Multi | Author: Duke64Nukem, ST1LL_WAnTeD and JMW | Download

The Review: Duke Mansion is a Community Build Project type of collaborative effort by JMW, Duke64Nukem and ST1LL_WAnTeD, released on Halloween 2018. The map features all the usual mansion elements from an art gallery to various torture chambers that you'd expect to find from any mansion. The map makes good use of lightning and thunder for atmosphere, and texturing is replete with creative ideas. The different styles of its authors blend in pretty well together, and the only area that stands out negatively is the foyer with its sloppy texturing and unfinished design. Puzzles revolve around buttons and doing some legwork to find out the now-open door. The east wing of the mansion features the map's most interesting feature, a chessboard puzzle. A hint is provided, but I took the hint too literally and therefore couldn't figure out the solution until checking out a third of it in Build. Rain, thunder and music are used to set a mood that fits the occasion, but the sole outdoor area seems to have forgotten the ambient sound for rain and could have made better use of lights and lighting for a less-bland overall effect. The monster count leans more toward action than horror, but Duke is always well stocked to face any challenge and the map remains fun to play throughout (well, aside from the chess puzzle).

Rating: 91