Imperial Siege on Derra IV is a superb level. Its level design, dynamics and experience soar far above any other that we have ever encountered, or ever will in my opinion. But enough of this - lets get to the review!

The architecture of Imperial Siege can be embodied by two words: absolutely incredible. The level in a nutshell is a huge tower in the middle of a massive defensive ring, somewhat similar to a medieval castle. While inspired by the Dark Palace, this level is totally original and the time and skill required to create the whole thing are beyond my reckoning. First, there is a large ring of defense barracks connected by bridges, which house troops, shield generators, and TIE fighters. Atop the structures sit LNR batteries for combat with ships in space. To get into the fortress (which, by the way, is very nice!) you have to first get on top of these structures. Up to this point, there are a lot of neat architectural details, such as pillars, octagonal tunnels, ramps and bridges. As you find your way into the actual base, there are some very impressive puzzles and cogs, but more about them later. The indoor architecture can be described as superior. Everywhere you go, there are excellent details. For example, the corridors around the perimeter of the base have an undercut at the bottom that houses a line of lights. There are lots of pillars, elevators, stairs, intricate ramps, and crawlspaces that illustrate the prowess of the editor. To grasp the full extent of the level, you should play it yourself - the level is huge and cannot possible summed up in a few words. The texturing was also phenomenal. I didn't see any mistakes, and there was excellent variety. Another thing that impressed me was the excellent use of certain parts of textures to put along beams, doorways, and so on. The author went to great lengths to be sure that the architecture and texturing meshed perfectly. The whole level looked very nice, maintaining good variety, alignment and lack of gaudy textures.

The enemy placement of Imperial Siege was quite good. There were seldom more than a few men in each area, but they succeeded in giving you damage and keeping you on your toes. To give them the advantage, the enemies were sometimes placed on walkways around the top of the room, hiding around corners, in niches or were otherwise placed so that they could get the jump on you. With this good placement, fewer men were required to give you a challenge, and it made it really fun to sneak around the base, alert for stormies and commandos. The item placement was also excellent. I found enough health and shields to keep my strength up, and when they started to wear down there was an armored vest or revive to be found. I ran a little low on ammo while outside, but you do have your saber and there's plenty of weaponry inside the fortress. There didn't seem to be any floating powerups, and the weapon repertoire was varied. However, I was wishing for a few thermal detonators at one point, but I never found any. Even so, item placement was quite nice. The enhancements for this level were exceptional. For starters, you have all the extremely well-crafted custom 3dos like the LNR turrets and the shield generator, as well as new types of enemies that include technicians and TIE pilots. Inside, there was an area with a bit of electricity shooting into a puddle on the floor, blocking your path. To proceed past it, you must shut of the power to the conduit. In another hallway, the lights at the bottom of the wall were flickering, accompanied with an electric crackling sound. A few times, instead of blundering into groups of enemies, they came running around corners with blasters ready, led by fearless Imperial officers. To have cunning patrols of enemies hunt you down is much more interesting than to blast unsuspecting stormtroopers, don't you think? The mission objectives were new, innovative, and functional. Another interesting aspect of the level occurs in the command center. After you shut down the communications net, the control panels for the LNRs then read "Warning: Uplink lost" - a nice touch. In addition to an excellent, detailed command center, there is a small transit system under the tower. You can ride a troop transport, which reminded me of the "On a Rail" section of Half-Life. Unfortunately this ride is a bit short, and sometimes even when you stand in the transport the rails shock you through the floor. Other enhancements of the level are the cutscenes, which are very well done and entertaining. I say entertaining in the sense that they actually show stuff happening, not just two people standing with text popping up on the screen. Believe it or not there are even more enhancements, but I'll allow you to experience them yourselves.

The atmosphere was quite excellent for Imperial Siege. There is no doubt that it felt like an Imperial base, especially with the precise architecture of the Empire. The texturing also supported the setting of an Imperial installation, and the lighting was outstanding. Despite the lack of colored lighting in jedi Knight, the author did an excellent job of using shadows and dim areas to create an effective atmosphere. The gameplay of Imperial Siege was one of the highlights, for this level in no way was a shoot-em-up. I loved the use of puzzles, especially the "vacuum cleaner" and the elevator ones. They make it realistic in that you, being an invader, will not have access to every area you want to enter through normal means. If there is a door you cannot open, perhaps you should try looking for its wires to slash or something devious like that. Many times throughout the level you have to proceed in the opposite direction you may believe to correct. If you run into a dead end, try to explore the previous areas more closely. This level is all about finding alternate routes so that you can navigate your way through the fortress, and it is a magnificent level for gameplay. Leaving you with those words, go play Imperial Siege if you haven't already!

I can say without hesitation that this is the best level ever created to date. I give my greatest commendations to the author: this level is the best that I have ever played or had the honor to review. Imperial Siege on Derra IV surpasses even the LEC levels, so I have the utmost pleasure of giving it the score of 98%, which it most definitely deserves!