Well, this was an older level so I guess I shouldn't be too disappointed with the plot. There is a little more detail to it but basically it all boils down to what you see above you. I think it goes without saying to say: I'm not impressed. Substitute Jedi with Crix Madine and you have the plot for about 50% of all the third party levels for DF. Fortunately, this is the same author who is making "Temple of Yavin IV" which has a much better storyline. However, that's a different review.

This level debuted around a time when the average level consisted of 5 or 6 poorly textured boxes, either hundreds of rail detonating troops or one Gammorean, no objectives, and a storyline that seemed like an afterthought then the foundation for the level. Back then this level, along with Warzone, was considered to be one of the best. Well, 10 months later the times have changed. Fortunately, the author realized this and therefore released an updated version of this level. Now, instead of the entire level consisting of flat, boring, architecture, only parts of it are. The rest of it is mainly mediocre with some of the opening scenes bordering on tolerable. Seriously though, the opening cave scenes were well done architecturally. Lots of slopes showed that the author at least had a grasp of the 3D engine's capabilities. The walls are no longer completely vertical and had a much more natural feel. Towards the end, the author added some natural arches and a pit of some sort to give the level a much more realistic feel to it. Unfortunately, there's a big middle section that is the imperial base, which, although much better then the original version, still lacks in several spots. It's not so much the fact that almost every room was box-like (of course it didn't help though). It was the fact that the rooms were much bigger then they needed to be. The outside areas had moments where you looked out and all you saw was this huge expanse of nothingness. The same was true inside the base. The storage rooms were enormous, but there was so little detail that I became immediately bored within the first five seconds. As a direct result of these huge, boring rooms, texturing was repetitious. Actually, the entire base didn't have more then three texture variations, which made for some very dull playing.

Sometimes when authors tend to make large expanses of nothing, they decide to remedy the situation by flooding the area with enemies. The case is true in this level. The courtyard is nothing more then a flat rectangle but you might not notice it because of the two AT-ST's and the dozen or so stormtroopers parading across the grounds. There are other examples in the level that I could point out but I think you get the idea. Items at times were a bit excessive and at other times were pretty scarce. What the author needs to learn is how successfully balance items so that they're around after a particularly nasty fight but placed in small caches for the rest of the level. Ammo is also abundant due to the number of troops that populate the level. Also, the author gives you some of the bigger guns (like the rail detonator) early on, not a wise move. As far as enhancements go, there were a lot of basic features, but they were all well used and they helped add to parts of the level that would have been lacking without them.

The level, as a whole, unravels about here. For one thing the author never established a good story. It's too vague and general. Also, as stated earlier, it tends to follow the "Rescue Crix Madine" plotline too much. There's a lot of room for improvement and detail, but the author never takes that extra step. He hinders himself by not allowing his story to develop. Aside from the story there's a lot of realism issues that hurt the level. The author makes a key rookie mistake and mixes imperials with aliens. Although the two groups are never in the same vicinity, the fact is that this is an imperial base. The aliens shouldn't even be in the level at all. The entrance to the detention facility is just a little too farfetched. Maybe if it was an alternate entrance (like a backdoor) then I might understand, but as it is the detention area only has one way in and one way out. How come the elevator that you travel down in, in the beginning, doesn't have a call button at the bottom? How are you supposed to get back to your ship? Finally, the base has no semblance to it. Half of the base is devoted to storage. The rest of it consists of a hangar bay, a detention facility, and a control room. What about a barracks area for the soldiers or some conveyor belts so that all of that storage can be moved efficiently. I kept thinking that there might be places which would lead us to believe that the base was bigger then what we see in the level. Alas that wasn't the case. There wasn't any hint that there was more to the base then what we play through. As for any atmosphere or mood, this level has a distinct lack of it. Almost everything was one degree of light. The caves were almost as bright as the outdoor areas. Shading is virtually non-existent, which gives the level the appearance that it's much larger then it really is. This not necessarily a good thing for a level that already suffers from too much room and not enough detail. Fortunately, if you're computer meets the requirements for JK then you will have no trouble playing this level. Even without a graphics card much of the level was smooth (with the exception of the river at the end which might bring the framerate down a little). The author was kind enough to fix some of the minor bugs the plagued the first version, so you shouldn't have any trouble with HOMing or clipping. Plus there weren't any fatal crashes, which is always welcomed.

Like I said earlier, this is an older level. However, that doesn't mean anything in my opinion. The level mainly suffers from lack of detail and a good story. Hopefully, "Temple on Yavin IV" will fix these along with the other issues that plagued this level. If you want to try it out for yourself feel free, but I really wouldn't touch it unless you're absolutely curious or doing your own review page.