Maybe it's me, but the author seems to love to borrow his ideas off of preexisting themes. For example, "Leeza Haynes" had a lot of "Katrasshi Spaceport" in it. The first level of "Jake McHenry: Clone Menace" borrowed heavily from the first level of Dark Forces- plot-wise. Even in this level, you have to do the same exact thing that Katarn did in DF level six. This left me thinking, "does the author have any original themes in him?" Apparently so because right off the bat your objectives change as you are quickly discovered. This, of course, left me with good first impressions. To the author: a job well done. Oh, and just to let all of you know: I'm only reviewing the second and third levels. The first one was already reviewed.

Architecture, overall, left me with some good impressions. There are times (like in the fuel station) where the author demonstrates his ability at creating detailed and realistic scenes. The final scene of the level had good use of ledges, pillars, and circles. The cantina was also well done along with the rebel hangar bays. Rather then have a flat cubic hangar bay with maybe one or two rebel ships, the author used slopes, attached the ships onto cranes, neatly stacked cargo crates, and added other touch works of detail. Most of the level was like this. Unfortunately, like most other levels, there were some spots that were flat, cubic areas with little to no detail. The most obvious spot is where the red key is located. If it wasn't for the stone wall that's raised slightly, the entire room (and it's pretty big) would have been a flat rectangle. The opening scene was also too sparse for my liking. The river and broken bridge helped, but there just wasn't enough detail for the amount of space that the scene took up. Of course, these gripes aren't major. Overall, the architecture was well done. Texturing was equally as good. My only complaint is that, for a spaceport, there's too much "city" texture used. The fuel station was textured well and it was something that you would expect to see in a spaceport. Unfortunately, the author didn't use nearly enough metallic textures to capture that spaceport feel. Fortunately, no one texture dominated the level and most of the textures lined up- only one or two stitching errors.

I liked the actual placement of enemies, but there were far too few enemies total in the level. You only run into a dozen rebels. The rest of the enemies are Grans, Weequeys, Gammoreans, and other non-rebels. It was just a little too easy. Furthermore, the rebels were few and far between. You don't really face more then one at a time, so it's not that difficult. I was impressed with the actual placement though (like I said earlier). Most of the enemies were placed believably. They were always near walls, crates, doors, and other spots where you would expect them. A few were standing out in the open, but they were with civilians, so their position is somewhat justifiable. Fortunately, there weren't that many items (excluding the secret areas) in the level either. This, obviously, helps balance out the low number of enemies. If you do find the secret areas though, the level is tipped favorably in your hands. I was a little disappointed with the enhancements because there wasn't anything really spectacular. Then I realized that what was used, was used to good effect, plus it helped the overall experience. For example there was nothing really special about riding a transport anymore. However, it's necessary if you want to get to the next part of the level. Furthermore, there were lots of little things that enriched the entire level, and not just one part. The cut-scenes that the author used flowed with animation. It was more then just a simple text of dialogue. There was action, timing, and plot movement. If that's not enough for you, there's also a new weapon.

The plot itself starts out unoriginal. I kept thinking to myself, "been there, done that." However, as the cut-scene plays out, Jake is discovered and must now escape Ramses Hed. This allows for a whole new set of objectives, along with a (more original) premise. Overall, the levels were fun to play. The second level has some good use of lighting, especially the fuel station. Actually, it ended up being a little too much in the end, bringing back memories of the first level in "One Rebel's Sacrifice." Thankfully, the rest of the level isn't as intense. Unfortunately, there were a few things that brought the level down. For starters, the level at times doesn't feel like a spaceport. Instead it feels more like a city. Much of the cause for this is the textures that the author used. It's not nearly as fun to walk through a city when you know you're supposed to be in a spaceport. Also, this isn't any old spaceport, it's Ramses Hed. Those of us who played DF already know what it should look like. Another issue is the fact that parts of the level feels empty, and unfinished. The opening scene is one spot. It just feels like the author should have either reduced the size of the area or added more detail. Finally, I have some complaints with the fight against Mara Jade. The truth is, she's too easy to defeat. The reason: she doesn't fight back at first! That's right, you can get in several good hacks and she won't do a thing about it. Then, when she does decide to fight, you can force push her into the water. There's an invisible blockade (sector really) that prevents you from falling in, so you can just stand there and blast her. She can't do anything about it. As far as bugs go there weren't any. My computer never froze up or crashed while I played this. There were, however, a few incorrect stitches as well as a HOM on the bridge near the red key. These are minor issues though. Framerate was nice and high with my 3D card. I suggest playing it with one. It's not because of the slowdown, but because the level doesn't look as nice without the lighting.

There was nothing in this level that stood out above the rest. Then again, there was nothing that brings down the whole thing. Overall, it was a solid level. There were minor issues, but that shouldn't stop you from trying it once.