This is the third installment of the RotE series. If you want a little history, you can check out the reviews of the previous two levels at this site. Now, for this level. The plot is a nice continuation of the series. I didn't find any glaring errors between the previous level and this one. My one gripe is that the author should have chosen a planet that we're not all too familiar with. This way, he can expand and be creative without worry that a reviewer, like myself, might call him on something. Still, if you can pull it off, then I guess there's no harm in it.

I was a bit disappointed with the architecture and overall design of the level. Don't get me wrong, for a regular JK level, this one is above-average. However, we have seen from previous levels what this author is capable of, and this level just didn't measure up. Thankfully the author didn't have the player crash in Beggar's Canyon. Otherwise, I'd have to compare this level's architecture with the architecture from Kaminari's "Beggar's Canyon." Like I said though, for a typical JK level, the architecture and detail are above average. There's some good use with slopes, outcroppings, even arches and overhangs. However, most of the time a typical scene looked like this: perfectly vertical walls that sloped at 45 degrees towards the bottom. Sometimes, there would even be any slopes, and the whole area would look like an elongated rectangle. The outcroppings and overhangs worked well, but there should have been more. At the very least, the walls should have been broken up a bit so they didn't look so smooth. The vapor farms were a little interesting - especially the Baron's house- but you couldn't go inside any of them. I don't expect to be able too look in every circular home, but one or two would have been nice. It would have made the town seem that much more real. Texturing was average. To be fair, there's not much the author could do to spice up the textures, make them look nice. This is after all Tatooine, land of sand. Pretty much one color the whole way through. Like the DF level "Jundland," you will be sick of the color brown after playing this. The good thing is that, when the author had the opportunity to vary the textures, like the Baron's house, he took it.

First the good news: you don't have to fight a lot of Imperials. The bad news: you get to fight Tusken raiders instead, and they're a bit worse. I don't understand it really. I mean, how could a bunch of nomads with Gaffi sticks evolve into Mandalorian Rifle wielding menaces with the ability to survive multiple blaster hits? They don't even wear armor! Anyway, since the Tusken raiders got a lot tougher, the author wisely kept fights with them sparse enough to give the player a fighting chance, yet numerous enough that the player won't find himself breezing through it. Actual placement was pretty good too. Imperials were placed where you would expect them to be: near the transport and the forcefield. Since Tuskens are wandering nomads, the author could put them anywhere (except near the Imperials) and it would be ok. Item placement was also pretty good. Shields and health packs were placed appropriately, giving the player just enough when needed. Ammo was also placed well, although there were a few too many power cells (for the Mandalorian Rifle) for my liking, and not enough energy units for my blaster. Although there are several areas where the author failed to meet his standards, one area where he didn't fail was with the enhancements. Throughout the entire series, the degree of enhancements is easily evident, with new features all across the board. This level alone has several new features. The most obvious are the tons of new COG's and cutscenes, but the most fun are the new weapons. I'm sure you know about the Assault Cannon (from previous reviews), but I find the Mandalorian Rifle much more fun. Not only is it pretty strong, it also has a fast firing rate.

Some authors who set the setting on Tatooine frequently skimp on the lighting, hiding behind the fact that the entire planet is generally bright. However, even naturally bright planets have areas that have shade. This author seems to understand this. Wide open areas were bright, as they should have been. Also, shading was used appropriately around outcroppings and arches. This, of course, adds to the overall realism and atmosphere of the level. Unfortunately, there's more to a levels atmosphere then it's lighting. True enough, the level starts to fall apart with multiple realism and semblance issues. For starters the canyon is way too linear. There aren't many areas to explore, and it's a big circle when you look at the map. Then there are the realism issues. Why did the Imperials setup a forcefield near the town? Those are just minor ones. The major ones revolve around the in-game plot. Although I have no problem with bargaining a speeder from a rich baron for his son, I do have a problem with the dialogue that occurs when Katarn finds the boy. Supposedly, he's running away because he doesn't want to work. Essentially, he's lazy. However, the worst part is that Katarn says that he'd teach him the ways of the Jedi if he would return home. The ways of the Jedi?! Come on, what's up with that? The boy isn't a Jedi! My only hope is that Katarn said this so the boy would go home, and he (Katarn) could get a speeder from the Baron. I will severely disappointed if the boy does turn out to have Jedi powers. Fortunately, the gameplay wasn't nearly as bad. There weren't any framerate issues as the level ran very smooth on a P200, even with the 3D accelerator turned off. Bugs and glitches were virtually nil. I found two stitching errors- that's all. Overall, it's a very clean level.

It has it's moments and it's still better then the average JK level. However, when compared to author's previous works, this falls short. If you're looking for a good level, you might want to try some of the authors other works. Still, it might be fun to try once.