Every once in a while, a person gets a pleasant surprise from where he least expected it. I had never heard of Patrick Haslow before, and so I was expected, at the best, an average level. Fortunately, this level far exceeded my expectations. The story itself is unique and inspiring, leaving the player guessing as he is thrust into the level. What follows is a mostly-solid gaming experience.

Of the major details of a level, level design is probably the poorest, but only concerning a few trivialities. The architecture is excellent. The level looks, feels, and plays like something out of the Tatooine wastelands. The vertical stone columns and natural arches that the author created make for a realistic outdoor ambiance. Furthermore, indoor architecture is done excellently. The enemy base built along the walls of a canyon was an excellent touch, rather than the bulky building sticking out in the middle of nowhere. Texturing, however, is the weaker part of the level's design. The textures were varied and placed realistically, but the alignment in the outdoor areas was poor. This occurred mostly along walls that were curved, though not entirely.

Enemy placement was very well done and thought out. Sand People could be found in key locations, ready to chuck thermal detonators at the innocent wanderer. Gamorrean guards would stand watch over key locations in the enemy base. Henchmen would peregrinate locales. The presence of villains is nicely accommodated with excellent placement of power ups, if somewhat scarce. Most noticeable at the beginning of the level, the lack of power ups found me scrambling to corpses to raid them for weapons in the middle of a fight. It was difficult to notice the missing power ups, though, when there were so many enhancements to gawk at. The new cutscene is nicely done, although short, but does add an extra element to the level, as does the new Goobgun. The Goobgun replaces the fusion cannon, giving you new sounds and new creative experiences. The new villains and other 2D imagery also build up the atmosphere, and the 3D items add an extra "feel" to the architecture.

The atmosphere of the level is superbly and creatively done. The author took great amounts of care to recreate the canyons of Tatooine, and he did so successfully. While many authors have tried to recreate the feel of the desert planet, I believe that Dark Tides is the best example of it yet. The architecture is what would be expected in the wastelands, and the sounds that the author chose to include in these areas complement the visuals to create a unique experience. The critters that can be seen roaming the canyons also add an element of alertness, for when you are low on ammunition, it is not advisable to waste it on a harmless creature. Lighting is superbly done as well, and the author does a great job at making it feel dynamic. There were only a few bugs that I could find in this level, and while they do detract from the gameplay, the author was unable to really weed out these problems, for he constructed the level on a Macintosh. The Dark Forces engine is much more robust on the Macintosh, so, most likely, the level is bug-free on a Macintosh.

This level is an instant classic. The excellent use of architecture, villains, and 3D objects create an atmosphere not common to Dark Forces levels. The architecture is splendid, the enemy placement is superb, and the enhancements are great. Pull out your dusty Dark Forces CDs and play this one. It's a classic.