The license applies to MSDN text/images and to my levels

31st of August 2003

Freedom | Single/DM | Author: Kevin Cools | Download 110kt

Description: Probably Kef's last Duke3D level - But honestly you should never take these things seriously. There's always more than enough room for a 'comeback'. "Freedom" is not just our most important value but also a level which is located on an island in the middle of nowhere (okay okay no more cliches). Reload your gun and kick ass or Kef will come through your door with his skateboard.

Design: Don't we all know that Kef can do some nasty details and shadows? Yeah we do so the top quality of the design doesn't come as a surprise. Shadows are so well done that you stop noticing them. Light sources are there and there's even some neat colored lighting (blue). Every outdoor area looks brilliant. If we had a "top-5 outdoor areas of Duke3D levels" then this one would have big chances to take the lead.

Textures: According to Kef - it takes some time for him to pick the right textures. Texture set is so Kef from top to bottom. Take a look at the restaurant area - Textures are well mixed with numerous sprites. My favorite would have to be the outdoor area with beautiful landscapes - Grass, rock and sky textures are in perfect balance.

Gameplay: This is not the smallest level and there are quite a lot of keys & buttons to find. I got lost a couple of times - especially after my first outdoor visit. Monster/ammo balance is good but the only guns you will use seems to be shotgun & chaingun. During my second playthrough I noticed in the end that I was missing a rocket launcher so I had to jump over Battlelord. Some indoor areas also feel a bit tight but that's not a critical issue. One elevator started acting bizarre at one point but that was only during my first playthrough and it went away when I used Load Game.

Innovations: Kef uses sector-over-sectors well but other than that there aren't any outstanding new ideas.

Conclusion: What you think? It's well designed, gameplay is good and it has some damn nice outdoor areas.

Rating: 95