Assassinate Darth Vader

Initial Comments

You see that little "download" button at the bottom of the page? Press it, NOW! Assassinate Darth Vader is one of the greatest levels of all time. The details will astound you. The effects will amaze you. The story will send you on an adrenaline high as you crawl through a Super Star Destroyer, searching for Darth Vader, a monster lurking in his dungeon of death and misery. Few have tangled with the infamous lord of the Sith and lived to tell about it. Will you be added to the list of those who have died at his hand?

Level Design

Let’s start this review of praise off right. The design here is excellent. This really looks like a Star Destroyer. Many people have attempted one of these great Imperial Ships in the past, but none comes as close as Assassinate Darth Vader. The ship is laid out logically. Crew quarters are arranged by rank. Armories are located near sensitive areas so troops can access them quickly.

Jereth Kok did something nobody had ever done; he created a real star destroyer. Unlike others, his was believable. Why? Because Jereth included a lot of décor in his level. There are many sections that don’t have to be there. This is not excessive, however. Instead of a simple, linear path through the level, Jereth made you sit there for a bit, wondering, "Do I need this control room? It doesn’t have any switches or anything, but in most levels I’ve played, everything is important."

This is not the case in this masterpiece. There are control rooms that are there simply because they need to be there. There are air ducts just because there need to be air ducts. In fact, if you think of something the Star Destroyer needs, it’s there, because Jereth thought about it and put things that needed to be there in.

The bridge is excellent. In the areas surrounding it, you’ll find Darth Vader’s holographic communication system and a bunch of important-looking rooms. Now comes the downside. If I had to pick two complaints, these are what they’d be. Number one, it’s too dark. Sure, an Imperial Star Destroyer should seem dark and foreboding, but there were many places where I was tempted to turn on my headlight. Number two is that there are too many hallways that are about a mile long and as wide a Bantha. They could be used as emergency warehouses. Other than that, this is a perfect level so far as design goes.

Level Dynamics

The dynamics here are astounding. In spite of the fact that you are intruding, things are still going on. TIEs are flying patrols, docking, refueling, and leaving again. Another thing: have you ever walked into a room in a level and had all the troops and officers in the room looking at you, like they were lying in wait, just hoping for some fresh Rebel meat to walk through the door? You won’t find that here. Officers are working on their controls and stormtroopers are guarding things, as it should be. Grans are being taken to the prison level. A ‘droid is even treating a man in a bacta tank. This just makes things believable.

Now comes the downside. (**NOTE** This is not a downside if you kinda suck at Dark Forces.**) This level is too easy. There are too many shields for your own good. You’d have to work hard to run out. You shouldn’t have an ammo problem, however. Jereth gives you plenty to shoot at. You won’t wonder where the crew of this ship went. Believe you me, you’ll find them.

And now, finally, we come to the point where the level gets its name… the assassination of one Darth Vader. You enter his private chamber, and see his latest victim on the floor, Then he comes after you, lightsaber and all. Vader looks fantastic. He’s maybe a bit too short and he looks like he’s been squished a little bit, but the effect is really believable, especially with a lightsaber and breathing sounds in the background.

Level Experience

The experience here is great. You’ll love it. A great addition, if you can spare the disk space and the time online, are the cutscenes. These were expertly assembled and added onto the level later. They really set the story up well. There is also a cutscene after the level that tells of the aftermath of the assassination attempt.

There isn’t much to say about experience on the actual level, except that it feels real. You’ll not be thinking about the places where the illusion was shattered, because there just plain aren’t any. Get into this level, and you’ll feel like you stepped right into The Empire Strikes Back. It feels just like a star destroyer, just like it should. Download this level and have yourself a great time!

Score

Design Score: 8
Dynamics Score: 9
Experience Score: 10

Total Score: 80%