Gauss Lab - Dunkelschwamm
Use the gauss gun to jump around the level, avoiding obstacles and toxic goo. This map is apparently an unfinished part of another map, but it feels fairly complete and self-contained as it is.
Author: Keen
Date of release: 2007
Maps in package: 1
Map review of Shopping Centre
(originally posted on SCMapDB)
by dunkelschwamm | April 3, 2023 | 3656 characters
Gausslab is a beta of a puzzle map seemingly abandoned by Keen. It features some very functional, and at times very lovely brushwork with some sickly green lighting (to be fair, much of the map is lit by green goo).
The conceit is simple: use a gauss gun to launch around solving platforming puzzles. To that end, it works! There's a lot of platforming bits I enjoy with many platforms above green goo which reward just about any way the player approaches as long as they can pull off any light-precision gauss jump. There were some timing bits that were really clever, like one which has players launching backwards into a door that opens every now and then, which has a door opposite it so timing can be lined up. Puzzles which require timing give the player plenty of time to view its cycles before attempting it, so almost nothing feels unfair. Lots of fun bits where you go from a crouched, cramped position across a gap to another crouched, cramped position using the gauss.
Much of this took us over green goo, which thankfully did more to cushion falls than quickly eat at health thanks to lots of HEV being generously distributed. Much less fun are the parts which require mandatory fall damage. There are medkits sprinkled in some of these bits to make up for it, but mostly I think players are expected to correct for fall damage with tiny corrective boosts with the gauss gun. I'm not crazy about the fall damage, and think it makes experimentation with the gauss gun a little less encouraged. Could call it a skill issue, I call it a grating gameplay issue.
The final real puzzle is a real teaser, but it also doesn't communicate super well what needs to be done. The player must launch themselves upward into a narrow chute and shoot a panel (or arc a shot, or successfully guide a rocket in) to open the next area. It's a bit clunky and it's not clear from outside what your goal should be when you gaussjump into the chute, so you spend at least one jump just looking around and figuring things out- maybe more if you miss it the first time. It's just a bit tedious.
The map is technically unfinished, but it has a funny ending.
There are some enemies from time to time, but they felt rather inconsequential. The map gives plenty of weaponry to deal with them, not the least of which is the gauss gun and frequent ammo for it. The combat is, for the most part, a bit of an afterthought.
As you go, checkpoints open up along the way. I feel like the first checkpoint is spaced out a bit longer than the other two, as often it feels is the case in maps like these, but they are appreciated and have a neat distinct look to them. I think activating them could have been a little more automatic, since missing the button seems easy to do.
Overall, if you're looking for an interesting puzzle platformer map, you can do far worse than Gausslab. Give it a go.
Pros:
- Great concept for a map- gauss jumping
- Addition of a barnacle was really smart
- Most of the puzzles are fun and satisfying to pull off
- Good supplies
- Good brushwork
- There started being checkpoints right as we started really worrying we would never find one
Cons:
- Combat is a little slapped on for the most part
- Some puzzles don't really convey all of the working parts to them until the player has taken some damage experimenting
- Fall damage should be turned off for a map like this
- A lot of progression hidden behind tiny slots in walls
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