JMW-SP1 | Single/Multi | Author: JMW | Download
Note: If the map crashes (like it did for me) after you fall into a cave, either rename or remove wave1a.voc.
Description: A team of scientists is sent to investigate a recently discovered ancient temple. When contact is lost with the team, Duke is sent to take care of business.
Into It: Temple maps are rare to come by, not just these days but since the beginning of history (1996). Duke's rich selection of textures has always provided assets for this style though; after all, E1L5 was filled with templeish Native-American (or was it alien?) settlements. JMW-SP1 plunges into this style with a bit of a different take, using Duke's textures more innovatively rather than relying on already-established customs, while still maintaining that man-made element to its temple. That the author has designed mostly deathmatch/multiplayer maps in the past for other first-person shooters is not exactly a wonder considering the ample space the map provides, and its attention to general architecture rather than intricate details. The player is moved around from one room to another in a systematic manner that feels modern and elaborate, while steadily increasing the toughness of enemy forces. The map's puzzles are rather simplistic button quests but at least they won't have you wandering around the map aimlessly. I was also quite fond of the map's sense of progression; Duke's quest begins high up in the air but ends up in the bowels of the temple, deep underground.
Conclusion: You won't be exiting the temple with a sense of having experienced something you haven't experienced before, but while not groundbreaking in its execution, JMW-SP1 is a balanced - if slightly short at less than ten minutes - map with a somewhat refreshing take on a theme I have always found a bit dull.
Rating: 90
