Icy Hot | Single/DM | Author: Lanna - Girl_Online - Deones | Download 87Kt
Description: One of the first SST TC usermaps which has been 'lost' ever since the SST TC site lost its map archive. Luckily Moloch still had a copy and now it's finally here. 'Icy Hot' comes from the female author of 'Docking Doom'.
Design: The main base and the environment surrounding it follows strictly the typical SST TC theme with a small amount of spritework (compared to today's levels which are filled with spritework), good attention to details and excellent texturing. The outdoor ridges & mountains look impressive. Lighting is mostly very good with noticeable shadows & light sources (except for the bug caves - for understandable reasons).
Textures: Just like the TC itself 'Icy Hot' too manages to mix Duke's original textures with the new SST TC textures giving it a strong SST TC feel while not taking it too far from the original game. Trimwork is excellent with a bunch of Bobsp-influences. The texturing on the snowy mountains is well scaled.
Gameplay: This level is mission-oriented but only if you read the txt before playing the level. There are no viewscreens, mission briefings or anything once you're in the map which is kinda odd since the main base in the beginning offers a great chance for mission instructions. However your job is basically this: Gear up, block the invasion when you reach the wall, find a key from the caves and say hello to the man in a watchtower - then run to the exit (literally). While you're given a perfect chance to kill the bugs it's still recommended to run once you get the key from the caves - the same with the watchtower part. My suggestion is that you shoot every bug you encounter before the yellow key. The gameplay offers a fair amount of variety between walking, running & shooting. It's fun and at times - challenging.
Innovations: -
Conclusion: One of the best SST TC usermaps. Well designed & fun level. Download SST TC here.
Rating: 93
