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

3rd of February 2008

Rush Back v2.01 | Single | Author: Luciano Gallo | Download 310kb, Mirror, Mirror 2

Description: A new king is in town, Rush Back v2.01 is the most detailed Duke3D map as of today, beating such names as Bob Averill, Alejandro Glavic and so on. The level takes place in a power station that doesn't really remind you much of a power station, but maybe a potential sequel gets to fix that.

Design: You won't believe some of the stuff you are about to see. A considerable chunk of the level's architecture relies on spritework and it shows - you won't find a single flat 2d-sprite unless it's a poster or some other flat object. Key locks, computers and so on have been given a true 3d-look. There's also an elevator fully made of sprites. The downside of heavy detailing is that you find it difficult to move at times. A bit surprisingly the level doesn't break the old limits which explains not just the heavy amount of spritework but also why the level isn't much longer than, say, BobSp2. Outdoor areas look fantastic, with plenty of things to stare at with your mouth open. The level also has a neat looking train and a few vehicles.

Gameplay: As said, moving is a bit difficult at times, so it's advisable that you don't play the level if you're claustrophobic. A sense of depth is downgraded by a few cheap invisible barriers around the map. During my first playthrough I was constantly low on health. A map this confined should have more health available since the lack of space pretty much means that you're going to get hit quite often. The level had a few quite unfair explosions. However, the level is not that difficult. You have enough things to shoot with at your disposal the whole time and the level flows pretty well although I missed a few buttons at first and spent maybe a minute looking for them. The level may look smallish but it actually takes you more than ten minutes, making it an average size map.

Conclusion: A level so detailed that it makes your eyes bleed but suffers from a few setbacks in gameplay.

Rating: 95