The fourth level in the series, and probably the best one to date. That's not to say that it is perfect by any stretch; however, some of the bad habits that the author had gotten into during the first three levels were eliminated here, and other categories were improved upon further. Read on.

Arguably this is the best architecture of the series. The first two levels were plain, maybe having one or two commendable spots. The third one was detailed overall but the entire structure was very linear. That all ends now. Finally we have architecture that is dynamic, that conforms to the surroundings and still maintains a high level of detail. Starting with the spaceport, each landing pad was not simply a flat box. The author broke up the terrain a bit to show where earth meets metal. Inside the city, the streets curved a little rather than become one flat rectangle. Of course, there really is only one major street, but it was still nice regardless. Inside the control rooms, computers flickered with activeness, lamps, tables, chairs, and side terminals added to the detail, and in general were made to avoid the basic cube design. The city itself looked orderly, if a little sparse. Each location (be it a sports bar, dance club, or hotel) was varied and unique. Only the movie theatre seemed lacking and in need of more. Texturing was also well done. In addition to various patterns that are blended smoothly throughout the level, the author also added in several brand new ones to help create more of a city feel. Of the more common texture present, the author succeeded in blending them in, keeping the level varied without turning the whole thing into an eyesore. There are also probably the fewest stitching errors (though there are still a few) out of the four levels here, which is a big plus when you consider that this is the longest as well.

Surprisingly, the dynamics slipped a little. I was really surprised considering every other section of the level was built upon. However, the facts remain. Enemy placement just wasn't as good as it usually was. The number of enemies per fight was a tad light. This is supposed to be an invading force, but there are only a handful of troops out on the streets themselves. As for their actually placement, too many were situated where it was easy to kill them. Don't get me wrong, there are a couple areas (in one of the control room for instance) where the author does a good job keeping most of the imperials hidden. However, I was able to take out several simply because their backs were to me. It's not a big no-no, but it does make the level a little bit too easy. This hurts the item placement as well. I have no doubt the number and placement of shields was placed in proportion to the number of enemies. But since the enemy placement allowed for some easy fights, these items seemed too frequent, especially at the beginning. Rounding out, and elevating, the dynamics section are the enhancements. Again, the author still borrowed from other levels, but this time there's also a lot more original work, including new BM's, a new WAX, new music, and of course a briefing and a loading screen. All of these add to the overall atmosphere, especially the textures, which make the level feel that much more like a real city. An impressive job overall.

When I looked at "Dark Siege III" I said that it had the best lighting of the series. Now that I've played this I get to amend that statement because this level beats the other hands down. The variations are much more fluid, much more noticeable, and therefore much more realistic. The shading under the bridge in the city was one instance. The variations between the interior and exterior portions of the spaceport were another as well as the pulsing light by the door to the dance club. And for the first time, this level has something that the previous three did not: semblance. The city is setup, for the most part, like a city. Finally, the player is given the opportunity to explore a bit, to go off the beaten path and immerse himself. There are a lot of neat little vistas and vantage points if you take the time to seek them out. All of this adds to the atmosphere, and makes the experience that much more enjoyable. In fact, there were only a few instances that hurt the realism for me. At times parts of the city look as though they were built right into the side of a cliff face rather than the typical concrete structures. I guess it could work but it looks a little odd. Also, the tower you need to get to throw a switch that opens the main door to a nearby imperial control room seems to defy the rules of physics. The tower is cyclical all the way around and the size of the elevator inside. When you reach the top, however, there are rooms that branch out. But if you go outside and look up, you don't see anything. It kind of reminds me of "Perplexion." But these are minor. The big complaint, and only real complaint, I had with this level was at the end. The commander is a Phase III DT. I understand that it's the fourth level, and the author probably wanted to end it with a bang, but at least make an effort not to use power armor that was specifically designed for one person who's dead. Or at the very least, give a heads up in the plot. And even if you do justify it, do not then confine him to a small room that he can't get out of because the door's not big enough for him to fit through! It doesn't make for much of a challenge; more like shooting fish in a barrel, where the fish is huge and the gun's an assault cannon. Mechanically, the level was fairly clean. No crashes or lock-ups, no major glitches or even minor glitches. Only some stitching errors kept it from being perfect.

According to the text file, this is probably the author's last level. That's too bad. I got to watch an almost steady increase in quality throughout this series. This latest level is proof of that at least. It's the best of the four, and definitely worth taking a look at.