Neptune Labs - GrandmasterJ

 

    Neptune Labs is a map set in space orbiting Neptune, not under the ocean as the blue tint may imply. The map is unfinished and abandoned but has been updated to end properly and give the full walkthrough map experience, even if it is somewhat short.

SCMapDB page

Author: Keen

Date of final release: 2007

Maps in package: 1

Map review of Neptune Labs

(originally posted on SCMapDB)

by GrandmasterJ | April 15, 2022 | 4445 characters

    According to the notes in the map description this map is unfinished. It definitely feels unfinished, there are so many minor details that have been overlooked it feels like a really well done amateur map. There are so many Black Mesa themed maps that having a map set in space in orbit over Neptune is novel and the custom textures, level design, story bits delivered every now and then really helped sell the setting.

    We started out in a small craft heading towards the space station. At first, due to the double meaning of Neptune, we thought the map was set underwater. A quick look at the motd clears that up. Jumping out the windows doesn't really help sell either the underwater or outer space theme. Two of the spawn space ship's windows are open to the world allowing players to jump right out to their deaths. Later, we got the spawn ship to start moving towards the space station and dock, we were amazed that the whole ship was moving, there were doors on the ship! Then we looked outside and behind the ship, there was a door, hanging in space, the ship moved and it stayed. This is the general feel of the map, impressive things that are completely unpolished and unfinished.

    The interior of the space station has some sections that feel right, like the hall from the docking port with the chairs lined up on one wall. The holographic scientists were a bit off, especially since one was stuck a table the entire time. Some rooms are strange, like the next room with puts players on a short catwalk over a pit, as players enter a headcrab spawns over the pit and plummets to the bottom. The interior spaces are all 'blue' themed (which helped lead me to mistake it for being underwater) which can get fairly samey. There are some rooms with cartoonish looked cables in there, I don't mind my walls looking like they are right out of Wolfenstein 3D but alongside regular Half-Life textures it makes the aesthetic inconsistent. Despite the somewhat bland texturing there is some amazing detail with sprites and brushwork. At one point my teammate had to point out a brushwork teabag in a mug, personally I liked how he made the card readers. There were a lot of illusionary hanging cables and other litter along with steam vents and brushwork antennae outside windows. Overall, I am happy this map is set in an exotic location and I thought the environment worked more often than not.

    The actual gameplay is pretty short and there are some unfinished areas. At one point I was jumping down a chute and landing in a room full of human grunts. After clearing the room the area beyond was locked off. I beat the map without ever revisiting this area and one second visit with noclip I can see that there is nothing in this area, I didn't have to ever visit it. Eventually we get to a glowing red gonome, at this point I had five satchel charges and it got stuck on a corner. Five satchel charges later and the map ends the moment the gonome dies. The ending is abrupt, but the map is unfinished and according to the map description we have Garompa to thank for that.

    Supplies are scattered around the map, there is one hallway in particular that has raised squares and each one had some good stuff like HEV, satchel charges, underbarrel grenades (and an M16 due to how the game handles underbarrel grenades), ammo, and eventually an mp5. I had 100% armor for most of the map and it was very nice but I could have used more shotgun ammo.

    It was short but sweet. It was definitely unpolished from the start with the missing windows and leaving the door behind. The texture work could have been better and the detail work had to carry the map. The combat was overall decent but I wish I had more shotgun ammo, the HEV was very nice though. The map is clearly unfinished, is short and ends abruptly, some rooms are totally superfluous and lead nowhere, but I had a pretty good time overall.

Pros:

• The environment is very fun and nicely detailed
• the combat is decent and players are well supplied
• spawning in a space ship and then docking was incredibly fun
• the story messages were nice

Cons:

• Overall unpolished
• while the environment is nice it also can look bland
• map is unfinished, areas lead nowhere

Score:     6 / 10