The Great Kidnapping
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Level Review
Basics
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Date Reviewed:
Ryan
67 / 100
November 28, 1998
Design:
Dynamics:
Experience:
60 / 100
80 / 100
40 / 100
First Impressions
Well, it looks like Sir Gerry has pumped out another single player level. More precisely a three-level episode (one level is only a Jedi battle area). For the most part, it was fairly well produced. Of course, it is not without its share of shortfalls. Without further delay, I bring you a review of The Great Kidnapping.
Design / Visuals
As in most recent JK and MotS single player add-on levels, the architecture and texturing of The Great Kidnapping are nothing exceptional. In most cases, what you see when the level first loads is a good indication of what is to come, and The Great Kidnapping is no exception. So what did I see? A giant box. To make matters worse, this giant exterior sector had the same rock texture plastered on every surface. Now, I'm not suggesting that you should mix and match a bunch of different rock textures, but think back to the JK levels that take place on the planet surface while you are searching for the Valley of the Jedi. Envision the twisting, detailed, rock formations, with overhangs, uneven ground and a mountainous skyline. None of that detail is present here, save for a small attempt at an outcropping in one corner. Making realistic outdoor architecture is one of the harder feats to accomplish in level editing, and so many authors simply accept a perfectly vertical wall with a completely horizontal top. I urge all editors to break this mold! Take that giant box and cleave it up into natural terrain (carefully of course - we don't want to hurt performance with haphazard cleaving). As I continued through the The Great Kidnapping, architecture was pretty much constant. At one point there was a small city, unfortunately the buildings were simply giant rectangles with very little detail. Most rooms and passageways were roughly square in shape, although I do give the author credit for incorporating some slating surfaces throughout the level. Happily, there were many interesting areas containing such things a bridges, beams, conveyers, and control rooms, all of which were a nice offset to the otherwise blocky architecture. Texturing was comparable to the architecture, with some areas having good variety, while other rooms were begging for more than one texture. Overall, the design of the level was promising. The author has a good handle on the basics, and with more attention to detail and craftsmanship, the level could be improved.
Dynamics / Interactivity
Contrary to the level's design, I felt that the dynamics of the level were well done. Both item and enemy placement were on target. For most of the level, enemies and gear were fairly spread out. Gameplay was slightly challenging, but nowhere near the frustration level that drives many to cheat because a mission is so ridiculous. Towards the end, there tends to be an increase in the number of Imperials, however power-ups increase proportionally so gameplay is not sacrificed. I was most pleased to see working objectives for all three of the levels, and there were even secret areas. What more could a person ask for! COGs, if simple, functioned well. I would have liked to see some more interactive COG usage in addition to the typical doors and elevators however. Regardless, level dynamics as a whole were nicely done.
Playing Experience / Atmosphere
You play this mission as Luke on a mission to find Ben, but your lightsaber is green. A problem? Yes, you could say that. Luke used the green lightsaber after he lost the blue saber at Cloud City after Ben had already made his sacrifice on the first Death Star. So how can Luke be trying to rescue Ben after he is already dead? Another inconsistency appears later. The Jedi who captured Ben and fights you in the last mission turns out to be none other than Yun, who happened to survive Sariss's attack in Jedi Knight. Don't forget that Ben is long gone by the time we enter the Jedi Knight era. How could have Yun captured a dead Jedi? (You've got me!) If you ignore this plot problem, the level experience is moderately good. The atmosphere could use some work, particularly in the detail and sound departments. I was surprised to find that the exterior canyons did not have any wind or other effects. Once the soundtrack stops playing, there is dead silence, something that takes away from a level's realism. Making up for the atmosphere was gameplay. I had a good time playing The Great Kidnapping and that's one of the most important things in a level. There was some backtracking to previous areas, which is substantially more interesting than a walk-along shoot'em-up level where the only things between you and the end are hundreds of enemies. There were various vents and tunnels to travel through, keeping gameplay original. In addition, there were no technical problems, so gameplay was smooth and uninterrupted.
Final Thoughts
This level had a few problems that took away from the overall feel of the mission. However, it also had many successful aspects as well. Most importantly, I had fun playing it. I suggest you play this level series, as it provides some good gaming and is worth the download.
Design:
Dynamics:
Experience:
60 / 100
80 / 100
40 / 100
Overall:
67