Friday, February 14, 2014

Review: Treasure Hunt


Details
Title: Treasure Hunt
Creator: Serpens
Release Date: 06/02/2014
Length: 10 Levels (1 level by ack, 1 secret level)
Level Format: Continuous
Story: New
Graphics: Original Wolf3D
Sound: Original Wolf3D
Special Features: None
Dos/SDL: Dos & SDL

Initial impressions: The first level immediately sets the tone: new ceiling colors that mix well with the walls, nicely decorated areas and right off the bat the mod seems quite action-packed. The first room makes it look as if BJ escaped from a cage, which is a nice little variation on the usual start: BJ in a prison.

Gameplay: This mod plays just like the original Wolf3d. It has a lot of action and because the areas in the levels are well connected, this flow is barely interrupted. There was enough ammo and health to keep you going, and there were no hidden keys that had to be found in order to finish the level.

Mapping: This is a mapset, and as such the enjoyment the player gets out of this mod depends on the quality of the maps. Luckily, the maps in this set are outstanding. Nice combination of new ceiling colors and the original walls, variation in the shape of rooms and overall a nice flow. Very little backtracking is required, as most areas are all well connected to each other. This ensures that the action keeps on going, and it keeps the frustration of not finding your path to a minimum.



Likes: The ceiling colors are used to great effect in this mod; most levels are aesthetically pleasing. Next to that, the levels have a nice flow to them. The flow is never interrupted, because unneccessary backtracking is kept to a minimum; everything is well connected. Thanks to the guard placement, it remains a surprise where the enemies are going to come from. This heightens the tension and can, at times, proof to be quite challenging, but overall this ensures that the mod is a lot of fun. It illustrates that Serpens level designs have improved: more variation in shapes, better guard placement and great use of the original textures makes this mod Serpens' best release so far.

Dislikes: Some of the traps were a bit too obvious; I could tell something was about to happen, and next to that I could predict how this would occur. However, this was balanced by the traps where something unexpected happened. It is not too big of a deal.
Level 8, while another great example why ack is one of the best mappers, broke the consistency in style a bit. It was too obviously a map done by someone else, and while it was a great map I personally would have preferred if this mod had been done by Serpens all the way. It's only a tiny nit-pick, however.

Ratings
Ron's Score: 8/10
Difficulty: Tougher than the original Wolf3D
Best Level: 4
Worst Level: 9
Wrap-up: Another great mod by Serpens, who has proven yet again that he is one of the best mappers in the Wolf3d community.

Where Can I get it?: You can get it right HERE

Disclaimer: All reviews are only my opinion when playing the mod and are not intended to discredit anyone or the hard work they have put into creating their mod.

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