Bluecell Puzzle - Dunkelschwamm
This map is a beta and ends abruptly. It also doesn't really have a story. However, it does contain eye gouging amounts of blue and some fun gameplay.
Author: Keen
Date of release: 2007
Maps in package: 1
Map review of Bluecell Puzzle
(originally posted on SCMapDB)
Bluecell Puzzle is a Sven Co-op puzzle map seemingly abandoned by Keen. Much of navigation is based around using the barnacle, and the setting is wacky and neodadaist.
Worth mentioning that if you don't get the fixed bsp, this map is outright broken.
Bright, colorful, wacky corridors littered with crystals and corpses holding valuable weapons to pick up- that is what makes up most of Bluecell Puzzle. The environment has a lot of charm to it, even if it looks like MSPaint vomit with clipart crystals additive-moded into the scenery. That's one of the strengths of picking any Keen map- you'll always get interesting, striking visuals that leave a lasting impression.
It's incredible how little Keen lets that get in the way of readability. Paths to progression are clear and visible despite clashing information, enemies made nearly-invisible are still easily spotted, single-texture corridors have discernable ceilings and floors, and points of interest like barnacle-able textures are always signposted. It's like a finely crafted shitpost in many ways, and follows many important gameplay rules while breaking many aesthetic ones. I can appreciate that.
The puzzle element of the map is a bit lacking. I'd say it's really more actiony than puzzly. There's a really fun puzzle involving putting cubes into a crusher that I think worked out excellently. Aside from that, most of the map is barnacle platforming puzzles (with, mercifully, no fall damage), gunfights, avoiding environmental hazards, and spinning wheel switches to open doors.
The combat itself is pretty hard and fast, helped with a heavy dose of arsenal and HEV suit charge. Many of the monsters encountered are suffering "exposure" or something, which makes them pulse in and out of visibility. Sometimes the map takes into account some interesting ambushes, sometimes it just throws enemies into whatever big blocky rooms is primarily meant to serve a different purpose.
Overall, I think Bluecell Puzzle is a pretty fun map. If you like wacky maps, you might get a kick out of this.
Pros:
- Fun use of the barnacle
- Some fun enemy ambushes
- Interesting visual that I will never be able to wrap my head around. How in on the joke is he?
- Really fun cube-crushing puzzle
- Very sizeable map that's fun to run around in
- Good arsenal
Cons:
- The crushers in the late-game crawling segment were annoying
- Despite how fun the look is, it does get hard to look at after a bit
- Map is abandoned and ends abruptly
- Much of combat is pretty thoughtlessly thrown together
Score: 6.8 / 10
Comments
Post a Comment