This is a lengthy series that has been broken down into three snack-size levels for your enjoyment (although to be fair, the third one is of good length). These are also the first three levels that this author has ever done for DF. On a whole, the entire series is slightly above average; however, each level improved in quality as the author gained in editing experience. Therefore, the first level ends up not being very good, the second level is only slightly better, and the third one is the best of the group (and was pretty good in certain spots). I also enjoyed the story behind this series. True, it isn't very original (rescuing Bothans, stealing and decoding NAVA cards, placing tracking devices on ships, etc.) but it also has a lot of extra detail to it. The fact that the author uses an new planet for the third level, rather then rehashing established ones, is one example.

In some aspects, it's obvious to tell that this was a learning experience for the author. The architecture and overall design is one such aspect. Throughout the series, the design steadily grows in both detail and aesthetical appeal. Let's start from the bottom. To politely describe the architecture in the first level, only one word comes to mind: basic. That is to say almost every single room, be it interior or exterior, had a relatively basic design to it. The hangar bays were just tiny little rectangles with a couple TIE's and PGU's in them. There's practically no detail, and the rest of the tiny level isn't much better. In fact only two rooms offered anything as far as alcoves, pillars, beams, or ledges were concerned. Texturing was minimal too. Outside, the same textures repeated over and over again. Inside it was a little better, but the dominant use of one texture in a room didn't alleviate the problem. The large number of stitching errors didn't help either. However, this was the author's first hand at DF design. And this brings us to level 2: The Devastator. On a whole, there isn't much more improvement, but I could tell that more thought had been put into the design. For example, the individual barracks rooms were not mere cubes. There was a wall that separated the bed from the door, as well as a chest-high alcove, which provided a place for imperials to store their blasters and ammunition. It did get a little annoying when the same design was cut and pasted eight times throughout the level, but at least it was improvement. The docking bay control room was another example of a detailed room, and the bridge came really close to mimicking a true Star Destroyer bridge. Of course, as stated earlier, the overall design wasn't much of an improvement. A lot of the level consists of straight, boring hallways. There are also two very large recreational rooms that consist of nothing expect tables and chairs. The second recreational room doesn't even have tables. Also, the reactor room is rather vacant expect for a pillar in the center of the circular room. Remember, when in doubt, always look and see if something else can be added to a room: computer terminals, adjacent rooms, support struts, etc. Texturing wasn't much better overall, but there were individual spots where I saw the author improving. For starters, the number of alignment errors declined sharply. Also, the docking bay and the docking control rooms were much better as far as balancing textures were concerned. And level 2, Level 2 begot Level 3: Niomon Nav Base. Out of the three, I'd have to say that was the best architecturally speaking. This was also the author's third level, which meant I probably would have throttled him if there was an obvious regression. In this case however, I was very pleased at the giant leap forwards this level takes. Not only is it the longest of the three, but it is also the most detailed. The exterior shots were very nice, and the base itself was constructed in a pleasing manner. Rather than create a box and call it a control room, the author added terminals, alcoves, ledges, pillars, beams, and various other accessories so every room felt unique. For the first time, we get to see stairs, which was an added plus. I also liked the varying degrees in elevation in some rooms. Not every scene is one a flat plane. The author takes advantage of the DF engine for the first time. The smuggler ship at the end looked very good, and I took it as a very promising sign of things to come later on down the road. Texturing was also a heck of a lot better. Stitching and alignment errors were down to a minimum. Also, the author finally struck a good balance in his choice of textures. Except for the exterior scenes, (which can be excused) no one texture dominated an entire area. At the same time, there weren't so many textures that the level ended up looking shoddy or unprofessional.

Dickens sums up the enemy and item placement of the level nicely, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Rather then a steady progression through the three levels, the placement of enemies and items was, for the most part, hit and miss. The first level had a good placement of enemies overall (there was one scene in the detention room that was a bit ridiculous) but way too much ammunition. I found myself breezing through the small outpost. The second level was even worse. It had horrendous enemy placement, especially in the two recreation rooms. Both areas were packed with officers and stormtroopers. Item placement was also high, which made the entire level no better then a frag-fest... I hate frag-fests. The third level, though achieved a balance. Enemies were well placed, and the author took advantage of the varying elevations in some rooms so that imperials could get the drop on you if you're not careful. However, there were too many imperials with their backs turned to you (in all three levels). I hope the author avoids doing this in future levels or least limits the amount of imperials with their backs turned. Item placement was also toned down though I see absolutely no point in giving the player the assault cannon right at the end. Shields were also well regulated. The first two levels had too much of both, which added to the ease of the mission. The third level was much, much better. I found myself actually having to work and strategize towards the end, rather then walking up and shooting everything in sight without taking my surroundings into account first. Enhancements were few and far between but were used to good effect. I enjoyed the WAX's and 3DO's though none of them can be considered "new" anymore. The VOC files used were helpful. My favorite was the communication between the officers and the smuggler ship in the third level. It would have been nice if we could actually "watch" the ship land, but that's a minor complaint.

Lighting was pretty consistent the whole way through. The first level was dark since the level took place at night, the second level was sterile since it took place on a star destroyer and the third level was a monotone degree of light throughout. I would have to say that this is one aspect that the author stills needs work on. Shading was lacking, which didn't help the atmosphere at all. Speaking of the atmosphere, this characteristic of the series follows hand in hand with the design: meaning that the first level was pretty poor and the other two were improvements. One thing that discouraged me about the first level, and kept me from getting into it, was the fact that it was much too quick and had almost no semblance whatsoever. You go down one hallway, and it's a rec. room. You open up another and you're in the detention facility. You open up a third and you're in the control room. There doesn't seem to be much sense to it. Why does one door lead directly to a sewage pit (complete with dianogas) and then open up a secret wall in a bathroom that can only be reached through another secret door behind the detention hall? It makes no sense. The fact that the bothans are really Jan and Crix Madine doesn't help either. Lastly, the level is much too short to establish any kind of proper mood. Level 2 is a slight improvement, but not without it share of complaints. First, there were little things like the officer standing in a room with about a hundred PGU's, all the while staring at a blank wall. Another minor complaint was the TIE Defender sitting out in the middle of nothing. Is there a pilot in it? If so, why isn't it moving? If not, then how is anybody supposed to get to the fighter short of donning space gear and floating out to it? Those were just minor problems though. One major problem I had with level 2 is that it's possible to get stuck in the level. You can get stuck in the reactor room if you don't grab the Nava card first. That's a big mistake, especially when it could have been fixed easily. All the author had to do was make the vents lower so the player could jump back into them if necessary. Another problem I had realistically with this level is that, aside from the bridge and docking bay, it does not resemble a star destroyer very well. A star destroyer has dozens of decks and yet I only ascended about four or five to get from the reactor room to the bridge. Fortunately, the third level has almost no realism issues, and the semblance is dead on. The only problem I had was constantly running back and forth in one hallway. Also, I never understood why I had to hijack a smuggler ship when I could just as easily return to the Crow. It's not like it takes off or anything. However, these are minor complaints. Also, since the third level is actually long, it was the only one to establish a proper mood. One thing that all three levels had though was high framerates and low amounts of bugs. Aside from the stitching errors, this series is very clean mechanically.

Time to draw this lengthy review to an end. Bottom line: if you want try this series then I recommend you read the backgrounds to all three levels, but only play the third. It's the best one out of the pack. Also, since it's the author's most recent level, it puts me in high spirits for future works.