Fernocity | Single | Author: Fernito | Download 1.4Mb, Mirror
Description: Big, nonlinear city map from Fernito who popped in a few weeks ago with his Area 69 map.
Design: This is a pretty damn big map (almost 700 kilobytes in size) that has been divided into five sections by a subway (a total of four trains operate there so there are little dead moments). There's quite a lot of variety with a red lights district, a bank, a slum etc. I was quite fond of the contrast between some of the areas. For example, the arcade/red lights district is isolated and dark while the streets surrounding the bank are far more open and better-off looking. There are also several locations where you get to see beyond the gameplay area, a factor that always provides a sense of depth, that you really are in a big city. Lighting is pretty standard and some areas seemed a bit too bright.
Gameplay: Fernocity is one of those maps that you just love to play. It's nonlinear so you get to choose the order in which you search for keys. The order you choose also affects on how much ammo you're going to get. If one area seems too challenging, choose another route and hope to find some ammo. There are no difficult puzzles but getting your hands on keys is not straightforward at all. As mentioned above, there's plenty of variety: one part of the map, such as one particular power station, feels different enough from the rest but is still clearly a part of the same map (i.e., there are no sudden jumps in theme, it just flows extremely well). The level took me around 30 minutes on my second try. The ending was a slight disappointment.
Conclusion: A fun thirty-minute ride. A must have for all city map lovers out there and even if you're not into nonlinear maps, this one's not too difficult and it's so easy to navigate that you should not run into trouble.
Rating: 95
