The plot seems simple enough, but then you have to remember that nothing is what it seems. Furthermore, this is only the second leg of a five part series so we can certainly expect more to come. You know, I would think that it'd be hard to climb any higher after hitting sky, but Patrick Haslow and Matt Hallaroon manage to do it. This dynamic duo is back and their second level can easily be called a worthy sequel of "The Dark Tide," and that's no mean feat when you consider the brilliance of the first level.

Ok, where do I even begin? I mean, when a level of this quality comes along, where's a good place to even start describing the exceptional detail that exists throughout the level? Well... maybe that in itself is a good start. But seriously, this level sets the design pace right from the opening scene and never deters from it. Exterior shots contain broken terrain, walls that look naturally forming, archways, caves, cliffs, etc. Nothing is perfectly straight or flat (well, within the limits of the engine). The exterior parts of the actual garrison are some of my favorite scenes, and I even have a screenshot to back that opinion up. Inside the base are much of the same high amounts of detail. Although things are expectedly more uniform in structure that is not to say they are boring or predictable. Pillars and beams, walkways and terminals, everything concerning the design looks good from the Dewback cages to the wide expanses regardless of whether you're staring at the terrain or an aquarium. Texturing gets equal high marks, starting with the first scene and the absolutely stunning sky texture of a sunset on Tatooine. The desert sands blend together well without any glaring oversights. However, it's the base that catches my attention. There's a wonderful amount of variety that all forms together to create an impressive and realistic looking building. Exterior portions are sand scorched and weather beaten while the detention center and the high-security areas look pristine and shiny. Bonus points for keeping the level devoid of misalignments and stitching errors as well.

My first thought when the level began was how the authors made a classic rookie mistake by giving the player too much ammo to start the level. Oh how wrong I was. You need every shot because this level is tough, (even on the easiest difficulty) especially at the beginning stages. You have to be on constant guard for imperials patrols, mines, and other unsavory types. When I finally entered the base my power cells were depleted and I had about five shots left in my blaster. This mission is by no means a cake-walk although it does get surprisingly easier once you enter the base. The initial troopers are well placed, and the random generators keep the player on his/her feet. Other than one corridor on the hard difficulty the numbers were appropriate for each scene. Items were equally well balanced in terms of location throughout the level and amount. Plus, if your hunt around, you can find some rather nifty stuff neatly tucked away. And this brings me to the closing part of the level's dynamics: its enhancements. Where to begin... ok, I should probably just come up front and say that there are no words I can type, nothing I can say, no amount of detail I can put into this little segment that will do this level justice. The sheer amount of new features is staggering and the work that must have gone into doing it even more so. If for no other reason, you should play this level just to see all the extra attention it got. And not all of the enhancements are flashy or "cool looking" (though many are). Some are simple but effective additions like the gorgeous Tatooine sky texture, the sunset effect that occurs throughout the level, or the ambient sounds that add to the realism. Then you have the aquarium (something every DF fan needs to see if he/she hasn't done so already), complex INF codework, new enemies, and cutscenes that rival even the best ones in JK and MotS. And I know that even all of that accounts for maybe half of the new features in this level.

Without a doubt this level succeeds in pulling the player in and creating a believable atmosphere. At no point did I find myself thinking "why is this here" or "that can't happen." The only thing I could find (and I'm not sure if it's even fixable given the engine's limits) is that the moment you hit the water in the aquarium you start to lose health. I would have thought that Katarn could hold his breath for a little longer than that. Regardless, that's being really picky. The lighting is also of exceptional quality. Exterior scenes do a good job of shading where it's needed (yet another reason why I absolutely adore the exterior shot of the garrison). The variations by the Dewback cages are also of high quality, and the sunset effect, though subtle, is noticeable and heightens the overall effect. The plot too adds to this level. Left alone to the textcrawl, the mission does boil down to just another rescue mission. However, getting to that objective will require a bit of thinking on the part of the player. Plus, nothing is as it seems and the twist at the end was a great way to cap it all off and provide a segue way into the eventual third part of this five part saga. And as if this level couldn't get any better, there are no bugs or lock-ups or glitches of any kind. Despite all the advanced work, this level still runs smoothly and without any errors. Although this level does hit the high end of the spectrum for DF, most computers nowadays should be able to run it without any lag problems either.

It gives me great pleasure to know that, in my last review for this website, I get a DF level that stands with the best of the best and even raises the bar in a few areas. Editors and gamers alike will benefit from playing this level. Download it today and have fun.