Another Unit (Alternate version) Part 1 - GrandmasterJ

 

    Another Unit (alternate version) is a remake of the official map Another Unit. Some details have been lost to time, but the authors seem to be different and there is some confusion as to whether it is a remake or a sequel. Personally, it feels like a remake by a player who didn't like the original map.

SCMapDB page

Author: GAMESABA

Date of final release: 2006

Maps in package: 1

Map review of Another Unit (Alternate version) Part 1

(originally posted on SCMapDB)

by GrandmasterJ | April 3, 2022 | 3895 characters

    I try to judge each map on its own merits, but remakes, sequels, and the like somewhat demand a comparison. To say it outright, this map is better than the original. Where the original was one long corridor this map shortens the hallway and adds a non linear office complex area that players go through instead. It's almost a complete reimagining of the first map.

    Players spawn next to a burnt out plane and a few dead soldiers, this area in the original map had live soldiers and a working plane. The only weapons players have is the shotgun on the ground next to a corpse, they don't even get medkits. After a neat cinematic sequence a hole gets blown in a door and players can run inside to the famous hallway from the original. The major difference is that the hallway is much shorter and has fewer turrets, there are also some Barneys scattered around. At the far end of the hall there is a security office with Otis in it. A vortigaunt teleports in and abducts Otis so players can jump through the window and take the grenades. Throw a grenade into a security office with a small window on the opposite end of the hall to get access and turn off security, opening up the way to the next area.

    The next area is pretty much the same as in the original, go through a laser grid to alert robo grunts and throw up barricades. A big change is that now there is a room with HEV and health right before this part, so players can go in very prepared. At the end of this hall there is a door to a new area, in the original map the path was past the door into an outside area that was a corridor disguised as an alley.

    This new area was a big non-linear romp through security offices, regular offices, dorms, and all sorts of halls and rooms. It didn't feel like a maze until about halfway through completing it, as we opened up more and more areas we kept getting turned around. At one point my teammate remarked that the map is good until it suddenly isn't, then we found the place to go and it was the map end. So the map lasts exactly as long as it needs to.

    Overall the map looks pretty good. It's got the standard Black Mesa look which doesn't stand out but at least it's done well. The brushwork was nice, I liked the destroyed Osprey at spawn, for the most part different areas had unique looks to them, details were nice, the map looked pretty good. Combat had a lot of teleporting enemies in, but it wasn't in an annoying way. There were mostly vortigaunts that got one hit killed with our shotguns, and it wasn't so many that they kept reviving their allies. It felt a little like Doom at one point, with the monster closets.

    I don't have a fond memory of the first map, it was a bland hallway in typical Black Mesa style. This map keeps the interesting bits of the hallway experience, then ditches the hallway halfway through for a completely new exploration bit. I think it works really well. Thinking back on it, I don't think either of us died during that map, we were well supplied with HEV and ammo and the enemies were perfectly suited to be shotgunned down. It's a nice map, too bad there is no part two.

Pros:

• supplies were scarce in the beginning and became available when needed
• good looking map, looks interesting despite being generic Black Mesa
• the original was a big hallway and this one is not
• combat was decent and suited to the players' weapons

Cons:

• While the supplies worked pretty well with two people, any more and they would be very scarce
• the second half, while a welcome reprieve from the Hallway, was a bit maze like.
• the path of progression is not always apparent, causing us to become dissatisfied right before finishing

Score: 8 / 10