It took a year but the sequel to "Dead Reckoning" is finally in. What surprised me most of all-at first-was how similar this level seemed to be to its predecessor in overall terms of quality. There was no gain, but at the same time there was no loss. Like "Dead Reckoning" this level is an above-average, solid piece of work. There's nothing outstanding but there's nothing lacking. However, as I took a closer look I noticed that, when broken down into individual sections, this level is in fact quite varied. That is to say, some aspects were improved upon greatly from the previous level while others slid. And on that note, let's take a look to see just what went with what.

Despite some individual scenes that lacked in detail, I felt that the architecture was an improvement over the first "Dead Reckoning." Detail abounds, just like before. I particularly like how the author tried to keep hallways from looking like elongated boxes by adding slopes, support struts for the walls, and pipes on the floors and ceilings to break-up what would have been otherwise-monotonous gameplay. Exterior architecture was also worked on and improved upon. Buildings now have definable features to them, and don't all appear be large, gray rectangles. Numerous slopes and ledges connect to walkways, air ducts, landing pads, and allow the player to peer over the edge to get a true 3 dimensional feel. I really liked the detail in the scene when viewing the ISO building for the first time. You should be able to see it in one of the screenshots. Texturing, unfortunately, could not equal the previous level. Sometimes they just plain clashed, but mostly I saw similar textures being repeated over and over again. This is especially true in the upper floors of the ISO building. It's the same drab pattern compounded across the entire area. It gets boring very quickly. Another area is in the main cargo lift. Repeating textures over large spaces can easily appear dull and uninteresting. Lighting and architecture can be a big factor here, turning something plain into something grand. Both scenes could also have been helped by more detail (remember those individual cases I mentioned before) or scaling down the size. A few spots had texture misalignments but you have to go and hunt for them to find them. It isn't distracting.

One of the main flaws in "Dead Reckoning" was the ease of the mission. Grans and Rodians just aren't tough to beat anymore. And when they're spaced out - well, let's just say it doesn't make for challenging play. Here, it is not the case. Imperials, while not difficult to kill either, are a step up in difficulty. Plus, the author wisely put them in patrols so you'd always be fighting them in groups rather then one on one. The spacing between fights isn't that far anymore either. Perhaps the best thing though, is the actual placement. Some are just standing around, but most are a bit out of the way. They could be behind a corner, just a little bit above or below you, hiding behind crates, etc. At the end, they ambush you from all directions, adding to the challenge. Item Placement was sparse, perhaps a little too sparse, but I noticed that you could find shields and health when you absolutely needed them. Veteran players might find a challenge with this level unless of course they find the secret areas. I entered the lower levels of the ISO building with no shields. However, just before completing my objective and cracking the main computer, what do I stumble across? An armor vest, which boosted my shields back up. Needless to say, this will not be a cakewalk like the last mission. Another bonus to this level: enhancements! More specifically, this level has cutscenes, something to move along the plot provide information to the player. They're well scripted to, which adds to the professionalism of the level. Unlike the previous level, this one won't end quite so abruptly. In addition, there are some brand new MAT's, 3DO's, KEY's, and some cool looking commandoes and officers sporting different skins.

Lighting had its ups and downs. There's some nice shading in the exterior scenes by the landing bay and when you first come across the ISO building. However, other areas, like the floors within the ISO building, are completely devoid of all shadows. Plus, much of the level is relatively one degree of light. Now I understand that imperials keep the areas under their control pristine and sterile. However, the lack of any shadow makes the atmosphere seem unnatural. Even places where you expect to see shading, like in a doorframe, were lacking. The key is consistency. I know the author can set the tone of a scene with proper lighting. I saw it in the few areas mentioned above. I saw it in much of "Dead Reckoning" too. The level did do a good job with the overall realism and semblance. Once again, the puzzles are much more interactive, and involve a little ingenuity and speed. Most of my complaints were minor. For instance, for some reason the imperials stuck a live AT-ST in the bottom of a pit with no way out. Then there's the fact that close to half of the rooms you walk through are dedicated to some form of cargo storage. But these are minor gripes like I said. Really, it was the inconsistent lighting that kept this level from becoming truly remarkable atmospherically. Mechanically, I didn't have too many problems with this level. There were texture misalignments, which seems to be the staple for all mechanical errors in single player levels these days. Hey, I'm not complaining. It could be a lot worse. The only real problem with this one was that it sometimes crashed while playing the cutscene after you crack the main computer. Usually, this occurred after loading it up from a saved game, and it didn't always happen. Still, it should be noted.

A level worthy of calling itself the sequel to "Dead Reckoning." Now all it needs is some work with the lighting and the texturing, and we'll have a true winner. Download at your convenience.