Biodome - GrandmasterJ

 

    This is an early version of another map called Holodeck. I recommend skipping this and going straight to that map. But it does have a separate entry on the map database so here is a separate review.

SCMapDB page

Author: Shnuh

Date of release:2002

Maps in package:1

Map review of Biodome

(originally posted on SCMapDB)

by GrandmasterJ | March 4, 2023 | 2264 characters

    The screenshots of the map look fullbright, and indeed the map is fullbright. It also appears to be the beta of another map called Holodeck. That one has lighting and everything.

    The map is a stadium type of map, there is a combat zone with some raised walkways around and buttons up top that players can press to spawn NPCs. The buttons are labelled but can still be vague. Most of the enemy spawners had two buttons, one is green and that indicates friendly. There are some unlabelled buttons and one caused rockets to rain down on both myself and my teammate who was above pressing the buttons. Maybe with teamwork we could have crawled back up top and turned the damn things off but I was already writing this review.

    My one major complaint is the lack of weapons. Players start with nothing, no flashlight, no pistol, no medkit, but we do get a crowbar. To get anything else we need to press the supply buttons up top, which spawns little piles of weapons in the corners of the map, below the raised platforms. All we get is the pistol, mp5, and uzi. There is ammo on the raised platforms and plentiful HEV and health, but a severe lack of weapon variety.

    At one point my teammate pressed a button labelled 'shield' and this trapped me inside the arena. I pleaded with him to let me out and he refused.

    It's not a bad map despite how it may look. I had a lot of fun with it for the short time it lasted. Maybe if I got good with the buttons and could bring the players in the pit an interactive fight it would be fun for longer. But the lack of variety, and more importantly a shotgun, made the map get old fast. Plus, there is an updated version of the map (Holodeck) that looks better and plays slightly better, go play that one.

Pros:

  • Fun arena design
  • pretty solid arena concept executed fairly well
  • plentiful supplies in the arena

Cons:

  • looks bad and is fullbright
  • severe lack of weapon variety
  • buttons are vague
  • Honestly, I can't recommend it in good faith since there is a better, more updated version in Holodeck
Score: 4.5 / 10

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