SneakyJack on 28/1/2009 at 05:55
Next up we have Burglary In Blackbrook by DarkAssassin
This is a seemingly wide open mission taking place in and around a giant hammer temple. The place is massive, and is filled to the brim with hammer propaganda, which is great. Everywhere you look you'll see hammer insignia, banners, floor tiles, windows - even a hammer shaped pool. The author went all out decking this place out in true hammer fashion - and it is a sight to behold. If you are a fan of the hammer faction like I am, this place will be a great fit in your fan mission collection.
The gameplay is completely solid - it is a ton of fun sneaking around the huge more or less open area of the building and avoiding the hilarious hammers (out of all the enemies, their fits of anger amuse me the most) while taking in the glorious decorations of the building itself.
The story here is also good, albeit somewhat thin - I'll leave that one up to you to discover. A few great scripted events further the story in very interesting ways once you get to the lower levels of the mission. As far as challenge - this mission is fairly easy, but can get quite hairy in some spots if you do not watch your step. Decent challenge depending on difficulty level.
Overall a great mission to play if you just need to have some fun while spending some time with one of the best factions in the game.
SneakyJack on 28/1/2009 at 06:05
Shadows Of Eidolon by MasterThief3
Make no mistake, this mission is frightening. You are thrown into an unknown area armed with nothing but your flare - you will wander around in the darkness alone (perhaps!) for quite a while. I wont ruin what happens in this fan mission, but lets just say I probably won't be playing it twice - being scared for more than a half hour straight once was enough for me.
The gameplay is.. frightening. If you enjoy scary fan missions, you need to play this one. You will be freaked out once or twice I'm sure. As far as difficulty, it varies based on how well you do with the feeling that something is going to jump out at you any second. Thats all I'll say. The mission's story is second to its atmosphere, but it is pretty good as well.
SneakyJack on 28/1/2009 at 06:25
Horns Of Canzo: A Long Way Up by Sterlino
Ahh, HoC - how I have such a love/hate relationship with thee.
Horns of Canzo is a mostly vertical mission that takes you more or less up the side of a mountain. You'll climb and climb, and climb some more - finally reaching your destination of the hotel at the top.
There are tons of things that Sterlino does very well with this mission. An in-mission shop that you can visit at any time, vertical thief gameplay, a mixture of all sorts of location types and enemies, and a pretty good story to boot.
I do, however, experience a few frustrating things when I replay this mission - and being one of my favorites.. it can be quite often. For example, in one area you are asked to scale the inside of a tower by ladders.. and seemingly through supernatural powers the guards will not only notice and hear you through solid stone walls but will sound the alarm midway through your ascent to the top of said tower - royally pissing off the guards at the top before you get there.. even if you are absolutely silent. I've had this happen to me every time I've tried it through many playthroughs - I still don't understand how it happens.
There are also some elemental jumping puzzles that will make you want to put your fist through your monitor in frustration - but you know what? The mission is just really damn fun, and those minor frustrations can be overlooked. Is the mission perfect? No. Will I be replaying it for the next few years? Indeed. The sum of all of its parts makes this mission truly one of the best that have been produced - regardless of a few bugs that may pop up. Sterlino pushes dromed to do some things that I had never seen before this mission - and his work pays off. The in game shop was a fantastic addition - though I would have liked to have seen much more loot scattered around to use as spending money during the mission. Again, minor complaints about a fantastic mission.
Horns Of Canzo 2 is one of my most anticipated missions for the future, so I'm hoping that Sterlino is able to finish it regardless of what needs to be cut for time. I'm sure I'm not the only one, as this one will always be a favorite of mine.
SneakyJack on 28/1/2009 at 06:35
Bloodmist Tower by Kfort
I don't really have alot to say about this one other than that it opened up to be a much more involved mission than I thought it would be, and that it was great fun getting through. There are alot of funny moments mixed in with frightening moments - and some very creative enemies involved.
The locations are also interesting, as is the story. The mad scientist angle is always amusing to me, and here it plays very well. Highly recommended!
SneakyJack on 28/1/2009 at 06:47
Bane 1: Keep Of Deceit by TheImmortalThief
This mission really surprised me with how much gameplay goodness it packed into some relatively small areas. Lots of sneaking and a few bits of thieves highway rooftop jumping to be had - and overall this mission is alot of fun.
The architecture and texture work are very good, and the mission itself as a whole is great to look at, you will have no shortage of eye candy while finishing this one.
The difficulty can vary - I know more than a few times I alerted guards due to me being horrible with noisy floors. On the easy setting it was just right for me, I'm no ghoster unless I'm really trying to challenge myself.
A great mission with a good story that expands a bit as you go along.
SneakyJack on 28/1/2009 at 06:50
I posted this one in the announcement thread today, but might as well repost it here for archival purposes:
The Book of Prophecy - Part 2: The hidden City by Schattengilde
This mission was challenging in all the right ways and never frustrating. Very well done on the difficulty balanced with fun!
When I read the part about an underground city I figured it would be small, but wow was I wrong! Also, the story and readable are very well done, and I found myself reading everything I could get my hands on to further the story for myself. A few shocking scenes along with some great story twists and turns. Very well done, and could be a contender for best mission of 2009!
intruder on 28/1/2009 at 09:33
Great job SneakyJack!
You picked very good screenshots from FM's that are even better :thumb:
d'Spair on 28/1/2009 at 20:21
Some of the pics are really jawdropping
SneakyJack on 29/1/2009 at 02:21
I know this thread is now probably pummeling anyone not on a broadband connection and I apologize, but really.. if you are still on dialup you deserve it, haha. Its 2009!
Next I decided to re-tackle the Night In Rocksbourg series.
Night In Rocksbourg 1: New Beginning by DrK
This mission would begin one of the finest fan mission series available today. The architecture, gameplay, texturing (gritty, dark and fantastic), and ambient sounds are all amazing stuff. DrK has excellent attention for detail and it shows.
Difficulty is probably around mid level - you will be challenged a bit, but with the first mission there is no frustration, and you'll have alot of fun. One thing that did bother me was the way one key was hidden - you'd never know it was there until you search for a hint on the forum or you click around on every floor to find it. Also - the architecture.. though great looking - can get a bit confusing and have you going 'round in circles looking for the one spot you may have missed.
There is a scare or two in this mission as well - so if you are faint at heart this series is definitely not for you. It only gets scarier as we go on.
SneakyJack on 29/1/2009 at 02:32
Night In Rocksbourg 2: Discovery By DrK
This mission looks and feels alot like the first mission in the series, and obviously continues where the first mission left off. The plague is even more widespread now and causing more panic and unrest with the people.
This mission offers an odd sense of both challenge and safety that I really enjoy - there is one main area of the city streets that you can travel and not be hassled by the patrolling guards or city folks - and it adds a ton of immersion to the mission by giving it a bit more realism as to how folks would really act toward an unknown person. A few guards even notice you and say something non confrontational, which is fun as well.
One thing I wanted to mention as well is the improvement in voice acting. The first missions voice acting was pretty rough - and this mission was a bit better. It was odd to have a custom recorded line said right before a recycled guard line by the same guard during a scripted conversation, though. The third mission in the series blows the first two away with its voice acting, so don't fret!
The gameplay here is even more fun than the first mission due to the previously mentioned safe/danger zone structure giving you that feeling of safety when you are within the metal gates - but fear when you step outside them of turning the whole city against you. That may very well happen if you are caught, so watch your step and shadows.
This mission gets even more spooky than the first, and sets the stage for the third mission well - and we all know how that one ended up. I still have to change my pants a time or two while trying to make it through that horror fest.
The second mission is more fun, more expansive and basically improved upon everything in the first - just the way a sequel should.
