Mount Kurek

Level Background

Episode I of the Second Clone War Series. You must infiltrate an Imperial facility and destroy the cloning center found inside...

Initial Comments

As a relative newcomer to DF add-on missions, my attention was drawn to this level by the fact that it was being discussed on a BBS the first time I logged on. Everything you hear about this level says it must be good, from the review pages to the number of tutorials that cite it as an example - it's definitely a case of do believe the hype.

By now, it's probably almost impossible to have heard about this level without knowing about the ending, but I can testify that it still gets the adrenaline flowing as you draw ever closer. I can only imagine how the first lucky gamers to download this level must have felt.

Level Design

The facility is well designed; with an Imperial garrison guarding a facility that is so top secret, none of them are allowed inside it. The architecture is never repetitive or boring, although there aren't any really spectacular moments. At least, not on any of the buildings while they're standing still... Most of the textures used are familiar from the original levels, but they are never overused and no two portions of the base look the same.

There are plenty of "new" and interesting textures used for detail throughout the level - one of my favorite examples is the forcefield puzzle near the start of the level, which neatly contrasts a red beam against the room's clean white walls. The mission never feels linear, due to clever placement of the locked doors and appropriate keys. Even though there is a set path through the level, the author makes the player look for the way out, rather than just stride through the next door.

Level Dynamics

This is one level that certainly justifies the use of the word "dynamics"! When the DF engine was designed, with its (at the time) powerful features for moving walls, floors and objects about in real time during the level, the project team had nice tidy elevators, sliding doors and conveyor belts in mind. They certainly weren't thinking about modeling what might happen when you set off highly explosive charges near the heart of a dormant volcano, and yet this is what the author achieves with the very same engine. That's why I believe it is one of the few levels that are actually better than the original Lucasarts levels.

What else is there to say?! Enemy and power-up placement is well-judged too - playing the level on hard, you're never overwhelmed and there are just enough power-ups to patch you up after each fight. But drop your guard for just a moment, or wade into a fight without due care, and you'll end up with a big dent in your health score.

Level Experience

You know you're on to something a bit special from the first seconds of this level. You arrive at the base during a thunderstorm, with flashes of lightning setting a mood appropriate for a facility that is such a source of evil.

Throughout the level, the little touches work hand-in-hand with the obvious big set-pieces to maintain the tension - from the speeder bikes that buzz past your head outside, to Sate Prestage's ominous arrival at the base, the attention to detail makes you forget that this is a Dark Forces level. For the duration of your stay on Mt. Kurek, you're fully absorbed into its own universe.

There are only two parts of the level that I could level any criticism towards. One is the standard-issue Imperial detention block containing Ree-Yees, interrogation droids and an Ewok - the only point in the level where you think "I've done this before" (and the author had already made a detention center level, "The Great Escape"!). The other aspect of the level that lacks credibility is the way you learn the code to get inside the facility- I can't imagine any base that would hide such a combination that way. Still, it's a change from hunting for colored keys.

But these complaints, and any others that anyone might have with the level, are mere detail (you don't actually have to go in the detention block at all) and they don't detract from the overall experience in any way.

Overall Response

It's difficult to say much about this level that hasn't been said already. Since its release, levels have come along that have exceeded it in terms of architecture, design, and probably even INF programming - but none feel quite so dramatic. The only real disappointment is seeing the list of planned sequels to the level, of which only one (to the best of my knowledge) has ever been released.

Score

Design Score: 90
Dynamics Score: 90
Experience Score: 100

Total Score: 92%