Latest reviews

For Bonk Jam! in Mods
Just finished playing the bonk jam. I'm really bad at quake movement, but I found almost all the maps really fun. At skill 2 I managed to complete them all without using the quicksave too much, except for Pinchy's that took me twenty minutes quicksaving after pretty much every fight. Also Rabbit's maps where way too difficult for me. Favorite maps I would definitely say Nova Watch, The Purple Pirouette and Tonalitzomonitl.
Skill
Hard
For Deadline in Other
A great small map and a nice example of how you can make a 'quick' map (this would have taken me several years) interesting. The layout, the puzzles and the final fight were really engaging. Going through that last battle on Nightmare mode was no joke. Love it.
Skill
Nightmare
I'm not adding much to the many mixed reviews here - and there's several who've written longer and more detailed comments that I agree completely with.

There's, theoretically, lots to like here - the new weapons are pretty good (the railgun shoots through glass allowing for some nice integration with level design too), the design on most of the new enemies is great (I think the tridenty guys work best, the chaingunners feel slightly off), and there's tons of atmosphere about the levels, and not just from the cool rain effect in the second map. (I really like a lot about how much character and sense of place the entire episode has, in fact, it's really really strong.)

However.... yes, the later maps especially are far, far, far too long and labyrinthine. I managed to just about get through map 4 - although I got lost and turned around a lot, even with the tweaks that may have been added in the later released to reduce the need for backtracking (I'm assuming that's what those teleporters near some keys are...) - but it was really pushing my patience and engagement by the end. It took a lot of goes to manage the timed escape sequence because I just couldn't work out how to get to the second level in the first place for a long time, let alone navigating around it when being attacked - please tell me at least the time limit is longer on Easy?.
Part of this is, as others have noted, there's a strong dependance on "there's a split path for keys" in a lot of the design, which makes it harder to remember where you actually are this time, as you can see lots of motif repeated. Part is just that the levels are too big!

Admission: I didn't finish Map 5 - it's also huge, it has an even more confusing design principle yes, it's very cool that we have the parallel world maps, and I recognised that they're tonal opposites and you're probably supposed to find the tomb in the red world is not empty when you get all the gold keys but... ...but, I got to the point where I'd found 2 keys of the many I needed to, and just could not work out where else I was supposed to go, and just kept revisiting old places and getting turned around.
(It also does not help that there's a sudden increase in jumping-traversal in Map 5 - and yes, you do take damage when you fall off into the void and are teleported back - which I am not good at.)

So, I level skipped to Map 6, the Boss level which... well, again, it's lovely, the homage to START is really finely judged... but the actual boss fight is incredibly frustrating. I mean, I worked out what to do, but it was incredibly frustrating to even do the first phase (and eventually I needed to turn God on just to get past that...). The second and third phases I just kept God on for, I would not have completed otherwise.
Yes, on easy.

(In fact, the combat balance is fine on Easy - it gradually ticks up over the levels and was getting about right for me on Map 5 - except for the boss fight which is definitely too hard.)
Skill
Easy
Had a blast discovering all massive horde fights. It is fairly chilled experience minus couple extra fights you can get into and oh boy those are cool. Really great use of Sock Egypt textures. The whole city looks like a real place. Awesome brushwork everywhere. Took me a while to get to play this through, shame it took me such a long time because this is a great one.

Appreciated the secret hunt in various different ways too. Especially movement and jumping related ones.

If I got any issues to mention is that the sand is blinding me when firing weapons.
Skill
Hard
Very good, texturing and lighting is done well. I somehow managed to skip the nailgun and map was still doable despite that blunder hah. It drags a bit with the moving platform section. Good gameplay and nothing to complain with encounter setups, good stuff.
Skill
Hard
Fun little map without any big issues. Only problem is that it could've been a bit longer and have more progression in it.
Skill
Hard
I Quite enjoyed this one. The colored lighting and overall mood of it fits perfectly. Yes, it is yet again just a base map, but a really good base map. Not that challenging or crazy with encounters.
Skill
Hard
Some brushwork and texture work is really good, but then there are other places where it is dropping in quality and weird especially with inconsistent scale on rock geo. Lighting could use some improvements too. Gameplay is alright. Decent arena fights and challenge on hard difficulty.
Skill
Hard
Looks could be improved, but map plays ok. Surprisingly challenging at few moments as well. Lighting is probably the biggest issue everything being quite flat and overblown. Fun little brushwork decorations here and there.
Skill
Hard
Great level totally worth the download! You crammed a lot of interesting visuals into a short space, with very tense action!
The ending of it was pretty great too.
For Provocation in Mods
Awesome episode at a perfect length! Made me smile, kept me invested, and was overall straightforward. The new weapon, new monster, and the visual setpieces made it special.
Skill
Normal
Great first map! Liked some interesting texturing and brush work to create some combinations I've not seen before. Some cute gameplay gimmicks that work decently even if a bit rough with monster pathing (trying to jump out from the crates) and overall simple setups.
Skill
Hard
Fantastic improvement from the previously released map. Makkon textures are used in a good way and it really sells the idea of a space ship. Again a little bit claustrophobic and linear tunnel run, but has some cool open space arenas as well. The hangar area was my favorite and nice detailing on the ships too. Just wish that invisible ramp was a physical ramp you could see.
Skill
Hard
For Bunker in Vanilla
Decent first creation. Little bit on the messy side with textures. Encounter ideas are pretty neat here and there, but heavily flawed in other spots like dogs not able to go up ramps and stairs. Space for player movement is quite claustrophobic. Despite some rough edges its enjoyable and a functional map.
Skill
Hard
Pretty wild idea. Quite chaotic otherwise and the movement on small platforms is kinda tedious. Same with the wind tunnel jump pads. Refined, a map like this is could be amazing.
Skill
Hard
For Provocation in Mods
Cool mini episode! Intriguing start and neat layouts. I can see the maps aiming to be vanilla detail level and that is fine. New stuff was interesting and mechanics were used a little bit with the levels, but I wish there was a bit more to the setups.

Towards the end it feels a bit tired I think that is the best word I can use to describe it. Encounters and care to gameplay could've been lifted a bit more.

Also bonus points for doing some interesting environmental storytelling with the overall story and plot.
Skill
Hard
Interesting map structure.
Not enough dynamics.
The balance between enemies/ammo.
Difficulty level.
Thank you.
Skill
Nightmare
For Provocation in Mods
Its pretty good. The maps were fun to play, i didnt get lost. The weapon was a bit busted but fun. The enemy was fun to fight against.

I was truly impressed by the sheer fact you made a new weapon and a new enemy. Along side some other things like brain model, or the silly audio gimmick in moon level.
Skill
Hard