Box Store - GrandmasterJ

 

    Let's buy some boxes over at the box store! The buying process actually works, players have to earn score and use that to buy boxes. Stealing is not allowed.

SCMapDB page

Author: w00tguy123

Date of release: 2016

Maps in package: 1

Map review of Box Store

(originally posted on SCMapDB)

by GrandmasterJ | April 29, 2023 | 2612 characters

    The Box Store featured in this map works just like a store, with boxes for sale and a whole system to buy them. We bought them all and the map ended. It's great.

    So it starts off with my teammate and I standing in front of the store with an invincible hostile scientist named "shoot me for more money". You don't have to tell me twice. The store sits on a square of land floating in the void. Strange nonsensical signs are plastered over the front of the store. My teammate informs me the music we hear is from Sonic 3, it's pretty good music.

    After boosting our scores from emptying our SAWs into the scientist's face (we also start with rpgs, grenades, and the usual pistol/medkit/crowbar) we head inside. The interior uses animated texture to look like light reflecting off water, it's a really good texture effect I've seen used effectively in other maps. Here the texture makes the store feel a bit off, but still interesting to look at nonetheless.

    There are all sorts of boxes on the shelves, they have different textures and even have names and prices that show up as monster info on the HUD. They are all pushables that players can pick up and place on a conveyor and actually buy them using score for money. Good luck stealing from the store, a gate will come down and the store will fill with live grenades, killing everybody and destroying everything. But then it all pops right back into existence.

    We looked for secrets, we found an underwater area and killed some ichthyosaurs but found nothing else, we also stacked boxes and got on top of the store, nothing there either.

    It was a really fun, short map. I thought it was great how it ended when we bought all the boxes, what else is there to do, end the map! I think there was a missed opportunity on some secrets. But overall the map functions as a store and even prevents theft very well and I think that is pretty impressive.

Pros:

  • the store actually functions as a store
  • the anti-theft device is spectacular and fun in its own right
  • I like how the map ends when all the boxes get bought up
  • the music helped me shop
  • monster info for the pushable boxes was funny and helpful
  • giving us the SAW and then tying score to shooting a scientist was genius

Cons:

  • Very one note map, there aren't even any good secrets around (I noclipped around looking)
  • zero replayability, buying cubes is only fun the once
Score: 8 / 10

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