This is amazing Balgorg, how the hell are there only several reviews of this? Quake community seems to be as popular as ever and I nearly completely missed this release. Some players might complain it's a bit confusing sometimes where to go, and yes it is, but that's open world sometimes. Not sure how you would solve that except put some more notes or signposts up. It's probably a small complaint though because most open world games are like this. How much huge amount of backtracking and replaying is there in Souls games, or RPG's where you constantly need the wiki to read where to go.
One thing I really like is from about the fifth level on you've got all the weapons and most levels replenish your shells and nails back to full each time, which you really need. It means you don't have to scour for ammo at the end of every level to prepare for the next, and can play most of it spamming the triple-sg and sng. Even rockets and cells, I could have used a lot more of those actually. Although it would nice if it was consistent, some of the later levels seem to forget to replenish ammo, but I never really ran out at all.
Somebody mentioned some of the later levels not being so good, but I think overall most of what is here I would keep in it. Perhaps Maze get rid of all the maze sections, if this was just made up of the few great set pieces and just a few corridors in between, with some bigger fights in outdoors, it would be much better. Also a few of the village/outdoor maps got quite repetitive, I think it must have been around Clovelly/Crossroad/Country then back at Mayflower. Too many wide open flat areas where you don't really know where to go. If Clovelly was your first map then yeah maybe that's the one I was less impressed with. The stealth level not my thing, I ran through it pretty quick haha, and that level where you have 600 floating skulls coming out of the hole; way too frustrating with no ammo. Looked great, but combat not.
Another thing to work on the flow; sometimes feels like you pass a door, 10 minutes later you find a key for said door in some random place then have to wander around trying remember where that door was. On several levels I knew I'd just gotten the key to something but would have to just noclip to the void to see where the heck I'd ended up and how to get back. Prison and Tavistock probably the worst. A couple of levels I seemed to get stuck completely, Tavistock on 3b doesn't seem to be fixed. Can't find that silver key anywhere, and some other random key from the crypt seems to do nothing. I had to noclip twice through doors in this level. But I didn't upgrade to v3c until after this level. The blimp didn't seem to open the ladder, one of the boat rides just seemed to stop. Lots of little bugs or places where it's not that clear where to go, or a key pickup that isn't clear where you'd use it. Then again, but most players should fine wandering around for a while it's just that I'm an impatient player. Maybe a few of the outdoor sections like the snow one was a bit bland, and there was one level maybe Mountain, where the mountains were far too close to the player.
Funny enough I didn't turn v-sync on until that gondola ride! Up till then if it bugged I just noclipped to where I was supposed to go. It's not really a big deal, until the gondola ride.
For me it was my mod, I feel like the first 2-3 levels weren't the best openers, and going back to the city again at the end of the game it looked so much better being all destroyed. These two levels should have opened up the game. Although I might be the minority in disliking city levels, and it is cool when you return there later. Feels like you've come so far, 20 hours probably, before finally coming home.
Another thing that would be very cool is doing a time-travel type intro where it switches between the city/start and rubble so you get to experience both. Ever play the game Singularity? Not sure how you'd do it though, since most of rubble flows well on its own.
Another way I would consider making a start map like Quake, maybe after the city hidden underground or in the Industry nazi lair, because this is kind of four episodes - ending with Lava, Tavistock/Shub, Qstation, Skycastle all feel like the boss maps of each episode and all about 6-9 levels. Although I hate to start over with no weapons but you can quickly replenish ammo over the next level anyway. But it would give it a more Quake-like level hub and structure, you know you've just completed a boss map and can take it easier. Also feel more like Quake's structure. It just feels a little weird when you suddenly have some massive boss map like Lava, then your on some easier Island.
Plus it may need a harder boss battle. Skycastle was far too easy just circle-strafing. Switch to a few normal Shamblers or Vores so you have to look away from the shubs, and that'll make it deadly. Or throw in some of those shielded Enforcers - I hate those! I just rocketed the shubs, left everything else alone, then ran to the finish thinking there's still two more levels so I better save some ammo. Turns out they were ammo-reset levels and not that hard. In fact the hardest part was probably the floating skull level.
I'd even think about swapping out the order a little bit. I wonder if Prison would be better coming after Lava. You return to the surface having been captured and that leads to the other outdoorsy levels so it fits the theme of episode 2.
That then makes the first episode more base/military based, there's no medieval appearing for a single level since it's kind of out of place. But you'd then have to improve the first 2 levels a little bit which for me weren't so good. Chop the entire corridor section of Industry out, reduce the time spent on start/city wandering around.
If you're putting out a future release with MORE maps, I don't think it needs more. It's huge as it is. It would be better to improve what's there now because maybe some players are put off by the length already?
Anyway I wouldn't expect big changes like that it's just what I'd personally think about doing but it's fine as it is and you'd probably want a rest from this thing.
