Saturday, March 21, 2015

Horrors of Hell

************NOTE: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS. IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED HORRORS OF HELL YET, PLEASE DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER.**********

Author: Ronboy (Mike Smith)
# of levels: 3
Rating: 8.3/10
Difficulty: Easy to Medium

My latest release, Horrors of Hell, is a three level addon for Rtcw SP, and my last release (at least on the Quake 3 Arena engine). I don't want to elaborate on this, since it will go off-topic.

If you are familiar with my earlier works (Hell Mappack and Hell Mappack Remake), you will notice a similarity in the map names, map design, and the themes. Horrors of Hell is intended to be a "reboot" for these two releases.

Indeed, it is a reboot, and a well done reboot, in my opinion. Despite the relatively shortness of the maps, the whole addon is almost free of any bugs, and there are some new effects that I've learned as a mapper, to implement them into my project.

An optional stealth mode for the first level, new traps, and more interesting level design are among some of the positive attributes that I can list for Horrors of Hell. Like my previous works, there is quite a bit of custom content available in Horrors of Hell.

Since having BJ be the hero is overdone, I decided to take a different approach, and use someone different. As a result, I came up with a (fictional) highly experienced Russian soldier named Pavlov. You will notice in the OSA briefing for the first level that Pavlov has been given the task of putting a stop to another of the SS Paranormal Division's diabolical projects.

Like my previous works Operation Deathshead and Project Uran, Horrors of Hell uses all 3 custom weapons that are currently available: the Russian PPSH, the German MP44, and the German K43 Rifle. Note that the PPSH was not in Operation Deathshead or Project Uran, so it is actually a new weapon that I've never included before in any of my works. The true challenge (according to other players who have played Horrors of Hell) is conserving ammunition. If you are struggling to finish Horrors of Hell due to low health/ammo, just remember to save the game often. When you don't save the game, dying and having to start the map all over again can become frustrating.

The first level contains no secret areas, but the second and third levels have some. If you want to find all secrets and treasure, be sure to take your time and explore. The secrets are pretty well hidden, but not as good as in some other recent releases such as Flying Saucers.

The ambiance starts out normal, but slowly becomes more creepy as you enter the depths of Hell. If you pay attention to the cutscenes and read all of the letters/clipboards, then you will get a good understanding of what is happening. I think that I may have failed somewhat with making Horrors of Hell as atmospheric as Devils Manor 2: Edge of Darkness, but I at least tried.

Out of all of the custom content used in Horrors of Hell, my favorite is definitely the soundtrack "The House of Leaves" by Kevin Macleod. It's very suiting, especially when you're wondering through the dimension of Hell.

In terms of difficulty, the first level has a medium difficulty, while the second and third levels have a mixture of easy and medium. The first level has an optional stealth mode, which will turn into a tough action mode if the alarm is triggered near the map's beginning. It is entirely possible to survive this action mode (without cheating). Just always remember to be careful of your surroundings, and save often. Rushing through the maps will highly increase your chances of dying, which is usually the case will most Rtcw SP releases. Be careful with the second and third levels, because there are some traps that will instantly kill you.

The enemies include:
~ Nazi Soldiers
~ Scientists
~ Mechanics
~ Venom Soldiers
~ Protosoldiers
~ Lopers
~ Zombies
~ Warrior Zombies
~ Femzombie (Zombie Marianna)
~ Flame Zombie
~ Olaric
~ Heinrich
~ Priestess

The enemy weapons include:
~ MP40
~ MP44
~ K43 Rifle
~ Scoped Mauser
~ MG42
~ Luger
~ Venom
~ Panzerfaust
~ Tesla

As you can see, there are a variety of weapons and enemies, which are very important to the quality of a release, in my opinion.

Overall, I think that Horrors of Hell is a short, but great addon for Rtcw SP. It's probably my best release, by far. There was room for improvement, but nothing is perfect. If you have tried Horrors of Hell, but haven't completed it yet, give it another try and finish it. I think that you will enjoy it.

That's about all that I want to say. Thanks for reading!

 Trailer for Horrors of Hell (thanks Titeuf-85!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPZjbd_l8k4

Confused on how to install Rtcw SP addons? Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzbOUVNa89E



Walkthrough by Vicpas: http://mikebwolf.wix.com/ronboyproductions#!More-New-Rtcw-SP-Videos-Uploaded/c12im/55d8ef010cf20831ee3b9d7c


Playthrough by General Red: http://goo.gl/zlj7Dp


My playthrough for Horrors of Hell: http://tinyurl.com/otk7fph


Yo$hik's playthrough in "extreme quality": https://goo.gl/qHiNrw



No comments:

Post a Comment