"Please,
if you think you can do what we all have
failed, at least try to save our minds.
They're all trapped in dreamland, come
find them there..."
The title
is very fitting because once you start
this map pack you won't go to sleep 'till
you finish it. Featuring 3 levels and a
start map, Insomnia shows why CZG is
known for quality works.
Your
introduction to Insomnia begins with the
start map. Fans of Zerstorer will recognize
some of the textures used. Once you move
a little farther along you come in sight
of a large complex where you can choose
which difficulty setting you would like
to play on. The complex is an awesome
sight and really gives the player insight
to what lies ahead. From there you travel
along a small path that leads you to a
portal to begin your mission, see
screenshot 1.
Core
Decomposed :
The first map will drag you completely
into the world of Insomnia. Simply
speaking, it's amazing. The architecture
provides sights that this reviewer has
only seen in deathmatch levels.The cliff
embeded base holds long curving hallways,
extremely large open areas, and the most
outstanding use of traps. These features
alone would have made this map an
automatic classic by itself.
Your
weapon choice here is limited. In fact
the only weapon you recieve is the
nailgun, of course you come with the axe
and the shotgun. There is plenty of ammo
available just as long as you don't take
advantage of the great long distance
shots. There are plenty of these shots to
take but it will chew through your ammo.
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Subgud
:
After finishing one of the neatest levels
you'll ever play in Quake1, Subgud loads
up. This map doesn't feature as many of
the traps and tricks as the last, but
here the action kicks into overdrive.
There are still those vast areas, almost
to vast. In some sections be prepared for
a drop in frame rate. The architecture is
still completely sound with plenty of
areas for great fighting. Although the
real eye candy award would belong to Core
Decomposed, Subgud holds plenty to
see.
Here the
base seems to be more inside of a
mountain. Naturally, there are darker
textures here giving the map new
atmosphere. There are plenty to shoot and
plenty to run from. Luckily, you pick up
some fresh gear here. Make sure you
figure out how to get the rocket launcher.
You will see it but it's one of the
secrets on the map. You will not find the
rocket launcher anywhere else and
although the map can be finished without
it, the few seconds it takes to find it
are worth it.
As you
push through this maze of a map, make
sure you watch how the terrain slightly
changes bringing forth the next map. This
is one of the highest regards to detail I
have seen.
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Push
Underground :
This level holds the key to
successful mapping. Once again you
encounter large open areas and some great
architectual eye candy. If you did not
recieve the rocket launcher from Subgud,
don't worry. It is quickly available here
and believe me, you're gonna need it.
The action
steps up here bringing in more Shamblers,
Vores, and tons of Fiends. To be honest,
I got tired of finding a Fiend around
every corner, plus, they are never alone.
There are also a couple of difficult
traps so watch out. The level intertwines
nicely, you can almost go wherever you
want and still be led along the correct
path. Another great map that could have
done fine on its own.
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Overall
:
It is difficult which to say was more
exciting, the gameplay or the design and
architecture. You will see things here
that you would think the Quake engine
couldn't handle. I played most of this
pack using MHQuake. Core Decomposed
played perfect but I noticed some drag in
the Subgud. Unfortunatley, Push
Underground was practically un-playable.
I had to switch to standard GLQuake to complete the
pack. Honestly though, when you consider
the size of Insomnia, these problems are
expected.
Insomnia
is an example of pure quality and a must
have for any Quake fan. Each map gives
you the feeling of openness and offers
the feeling of exploration that isn't
common in Quake. Weapon and item
placement is great and each map balances
out nicely.
Level
Created by Christian Grawert (CZG)
Please
visit the authors site :
The Grey Void
Other
files by the author :
Memento Mori
Review by Joe
[ Did you
like or hate this map? Let us know. ]
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