Don Sielke's Dark Forces Levels (DON-DF42)

Initial Comments

Well, this should be an interesting review, shouldn't it? It's goanna be a bit different than a normal review, since this level is not one level but rather a pack of four. In fact, that's the place where this level scores its first points. It's always nice to see a level pack. They're just easy to work with. Even when all the levels don't come out all at the same time, they should be packed up at the end. You don't have to keep the files separate or worry about playing them in the wrong order by accident. In addition to that, all the levels have briefings and cutscenes, something I'll explore in greater detail in the level dynamics section.

Level Design:

Level 1 - Very nice. A good rendition of the Death Star. It includes a prison block, an engine room, mess hall, and a whole lot of other areas. It looks real, and gives a good feeling of moving about a huge space station.

Level 2 - Also nice. You have to rescue the Crow and get away. The author has created some pretty big areas without the House Of Mirrors effect. The level is small, but seems larger with just the right ammount of backtracking: enough to make it seem like there's a reason for this base to be here, but not enough to make you feel like you're bouncing around like a drunken pinball.

Level 3 - Land on Tatooine, kill Boba Fett, and rescue a data tape. The design is acurate for a desert canyon, and makes the level feel good.

Level 4 - Land on Tatooine and rescue C-3PO. The design is acurate for a desert canyon, and makes the level feel good.

Level Dynamics

Level 1 - Well........... interesting. It's great to look around the deathstar, but the whole level is a disguised Elevator Fest. Up, down, up, walk down a hall, down, up, down..... it gets old after a while. And all this for what? Why, to get the Death Star plans, of course! Ugh.

Level 2 - Better than the first, you can explore a landing bay and the air control section. It's a lot of fun.

Level 3 - Blasting smugglers, stormtroopers, and Kell dragons it kind of fun. The Boba Fett encounter wasn't bad, but maybe the author could have done something more... original.

Level 4 - It's very obvious that the author decided to recycle level 3. It almost exactly the same, but with a C-3PO at the end to rescue instead of Boba Fett.

Level Experience

Level 1 - Great. I loved the Death Star experience.

Level 2 - This was the best one. I liked feeling in control, getting to play with the hangar doors and stuff.

Level 3 - This was good too. I liked the Kell Dragon showdown a lot.

Level 4 - The only downer in the level pack, since I'd seen everything before.

Score

Design Score: 8.8
Dynamics Score: 8
Experience Score: 7.5
Total Points: 81