Lahara Hotel

Initial Comments

This level has a rare and unusual talent... one that seems to be lost in many levels. It starts out good, continues to stay good, and ends good. In fact Lahara Hotel is regarded as one of the best levels ever. And when you are one of the best levels ever and I review you, one of two things happens.

1. You get a “WOW!” in nearly every section (Sometimes to the point that some sections have only WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW written in them), or...
2. You get nit-picked because you can stand up to the pressure and still come out a winner.

This will be a number two review because, as stated, Lahara Hotel will stand up to whatever verbal abuse I can throw at it and STILL come out on top of many levels. This level has it ALL! Cutscenes, music, and a full color, photograph-enhanced briefing. We will explore these things in greater detail in the Dynamics section. So, enough with the Initial Comments... let’s move on to the review!

Level Design

Lahara hotel is laid out on five levels:

• 4: Landing pads and conference room
• 3: Hotel Rooms
• 2: miscellaneous rooms
• 1: Lobby and Street
• B: Parking Garage

Let’s take a level-by-level look, shall we?

LEVEL 4

This is where Kyle starts his search for the diplomats. It’s laid out fairly well, with a convention center and some rooms. The view of the city is just spectacular. We never get to see much of the city skyline in the Nar Shaddaa level, but here you have an unobstructed view. There is also a lounge area, which is a nice addition. It even has a good bathroom, with a toilet made of real sectors, instead of a strange FME that follows you wherever you go (no pun intended).

I think it’s time for a little griping, however. First, why are the balconies dirty? Take a closer look, and you’ll see that they’re covered in a thick, green slime. Also, there was no door from the balconies to the rooms. Somebody could fly up in a ship, jump into your room from the balcony, steal all your stuff, and then leave. I bet insurance companies have totally refused to cover this hotel. Another thing, why is there a lounge on the TOP level of the building? Just a minor thing, but I think it would go better near the lobby. But that’s just my opinion.

LEVEL 3

Level 3 just had a lot of hotel rooms, so there’s not much to go into here. My only question, why are there so few rooms? This big hotel can accommodate, maybe, 6 people at most. Oh well. The rooms that were there were masterpieces, especially with the best TV sets I’ve ever seen in Dark Forces. And believe me, many people have tried... and failed. There was also a pool on this level... pretty nice. Thank the lord the author had the sense not to put Dianogas in the pool!

LEVEL 2

What can I say? A forcefield, some rooms, and not much else. Whilst this level is functional, it's not ornamental, so there’s not much point in continuing on here.

LEVEL 1 & BASEMENT

Level one is an outstanding lobby. It has a small little café, and a revolving door gives access to the street. The street is just a maze, which could have been added to, but it’s still nice. An elevator gives way to a nice parking lot, and you can get out through a garage door to the street. Why doesn’t the street connect to the streets outside, though? The only way to get a car down here is to drive it through the lobby, down the elevator, and then into a parking space. Not usually a good idea. Level 1 also has a nice little reception desk, but some computer terminals could have made it better.

OTHER DESIGN

One other thing really stands out here. I dare any one of you to go and find a square door jam. You won’t. They’re all slanted, and they look really nice. Also, the maintenance shafts add a lot to the level. You can even turn the power off in the whole hotel if you want, and that adds some fun to the level as well. More on that in the Experience section.

Level Dynamics

This level features some great realism in its design, but what about the dynamics? Enemy placement and pickups are all in good places. I only found one example of bad placement of enemies. Enemy with a weapon that bounces off magnetically sealed walls should not be placed on the other side of a forcefield. All Kyle has to do is sit and watch as they fry themselves with their own blasters.

The cutscene is completely new, showing the Crow flying toward a beautiful planet. That’s about all there is to it. The briefing is great for the level... short and sweet, just like it would be since Kyle is in a hurry. I just wonder why Jan doesn’t say anything about rescuing her twin sister. Maybe they hate each other.

Level Experience

The level felt real, something not all levels can accomplish. I especially liked the fire extinguishers. Here’s a point to ponder: why is a fire extinguisher highly flammable? Wouldn’t it just put itself out? Another unsolved mystery.

The only thing that could have added to this level would be some people. Just a few employees or guests locked up in their rooms or something. I got the feeling I was alone in the hotel most of the time. It jut seems that if a hotel were locked down, there’d be people LOCKED inside. Oh well.

Score

Design Score: 9
Dynamics Score: 9
Experience Score: 10

Total Score: 93%