Monday 17 September 2007

Argentan for CODUO

Level name : Argentan

Author : Briant 'Gunrock' Robinson

Date of release : 23 June 2005

Size : 5 451 ko

Number of maps : 1



Website : none

Download link: here


Other map reviewed from the author :

Nightfire, SAS Manor, Trench86, Wayward, Toysoldiers, COD_valor, COD Assault, CODUO Missions

Story:

You and whats left of your small platoon. Attempt to take back a village over ran by the germans.


Review:

Last release I played by Gunrock is for me the best one because it, this time, integrate some voice acting. It has also have to be mentioned that every map by Gunrock visit a different theme and alway with the same quality. The objective is to take back a village still held by german except the name everything really makes me think to the battle of the bulge.
Note that it seems to be a lot negative comments on COD file that critics the use of prefabs that doesn't for me runed the gameplay but should have been mentioned in the readme.

Design of this map is one time more well handled, the terrain isn't flat progression is streight forward with sneaking, taking a bunker and after the village. General view architecture and all stuff are perhaps not always build in a perfect realistic way but all locations have at least a good squaled and creativity.

Gameplay is well balance and enhance through you progression with your team by some well design ambushes and the use of enemies respawn add a little bit challenge to this map, in comparaison with previous reviewed releases from Briant. It's an enljoayble experience that integrate everything to make a great map sadly it's still too short in design and gameplay to be a top notch map.

In conlcusion: Last review map from Briant is for me the best one I have no experience in COD mapping and so i don' t consider critisizing the fact to find some IW prefabs. The is a good team speach an enjoyable layout a good gameplay sadly it's way too short but fun for a short time.



Playtime : 15 minutes



Rating : A B C D E (76%)

Friday 14 September 2007

East Yorks 2 COD2

Level name : East Yorkshire Campaign

Author : Steve 'Yorkshire Rifles' Acaster

Date of release : 30 june 2007

Size : 14 210 ko

Number of maps : 1



Website : here

Download link: here

Other map reviewed from the author :

Aachen,Beyond Rostov,East Yorkshire campain


Story:

After D-day and the advance or american and british troops through France, The Major objective was get back village and to trow away german. This time action take place in a small village called Touffreville situated 6 miles away from Caen

Review:
After the release of a lot of major and wonderfull campain for CODUO, Steve said he never will create anything else, so it was an excellent surprise to see a map for COD2 comming out from him. He did this just to learn a little bit more how to handle COD2 tools for it's own and finally decided to complete a short project to give to us.


Design is really great but this isn't a surpise looking to other releases by yorkshire rifle terrain is well generated; placement of traps, houses, roads all interconnected is also quite realistic, this in a distroyed city ambiance with some external elements like plane tanks and other stuffs.
But we could critic the originality, layout is great but doesn't provide anything special, it's quite close to original game features and i would have like to see a river or a train station something simply different.


Gameplay is intense with lot's of ambushes good enemies respawning and lots of suprising experience. Everything is well balance using good handled objectives, thaught combats in a more squadron play mission (without no doubt it would be impossible to finish it without them...)
You progression is oriented as in a maze a make the eye looking always enjoyable. Like previous releases of Steve you have to rush into the battle if you don't want to way for years while enemies are spawning. the save points are well placed and taking back enemies weapons is something needed. Last objective is to take and hold the church, classic but immersive since there is no saving possibility.



In conclusion: I didn't think Steve would ever release something for COD2, hopefully he did.
Even if he didn't put so much energy and history than previous releases, It's a challenging and really enjoyable experience, full of eye candy and trilling suprises, in some word a highly recommanded experience.




Playtime : 1 Hours 10



Rating : A B C D E (90%)




Saturday 8 September 2007

Nightfire for CODUO

Level name : Nighfire

Author : Briant 'Gunrock' Robinson

Date of release : 23 June 2005

Size : 2 934 ko

Number of maps : 1



Website : none

Download link: here

Other map reviewed from the author :

SAS Manor, Trench86, Wayward, Argentan, toysoldiers, cod_valor, CODUO Missions, COD Assault

Story:

our a American airborne soldier who's job is to clear out a little village in Normandy (France).


Review:

One other from Briant, different location, mixed objectives.

In this mission you will need to join the rest of you squad, enter the viaalge and kick out of german from the village. Design is one more time well put together, country yard, a small village, a path that will make you travel from house to house till the last occupied house the whole thing behing put together on an evening full of bomber plane under flag fire.
The whole map with minor ambushes, architecture design and general layout make it quite atmospheric even if it's short.


Gameplay is a little to easy but less that in SAS manor for example, objective are clear and (too) simple, progression is straight forward but arrange in a maze through bushes, walls and houses. When you reach the main road a big ambush awaits you it's the only place of challenge an will bother you for a couple of minutes last objective is to meet you squadron in the outskirt

In conclusion: the map is one more time well balance regardnig size it's a short one but it's well handled , architecture is good like the general experience, even if it's like other briant's mission too short...



P
laytime : 10 minutes



Rating : A B C D E (75%)

Friday 7 September 2007

SAS Manor for CODUO

Level name : SAS Manor

Author : Briant 'Gunrock' Robinson

Date of release : 11 April 2006

Size : 8 825 ko

Number of maps : 2



Website : none

Download link: here

Other map reviewed from the author :

Nightfire,Trench86,Wayward,Argentan,toysoldiers,cod_valor, COD Assault, CODUO Missions

Story:

You and your sas commando team are dropped in behind enemy lines.Raid the axis controlled manor, And kill the nazi major.


Review:

This is another release from Gunrock that seems to be sleeping on his computer for some time and he, hopefully, decide to finally released it. this time there is only one date (also mentioned in the readme) that seems to be the good one.

After playing a russian mission (Trench 86) this time you act in a british scquadron, objective is this time to travel by the country yard, eliminate the resistance arround the manor. Afteryou get into the manor in order to kil the german officer, final objective is simply to escape.

Design is well put together country yard is really realistic, the manor is impressive and the path arround it well connected, the whole outdoor is well put together and really nice looking. Inside part is also well build and use of texture and squale make this manor (lot's of room with high walls, changing layout, good lighting,...) an imteresting place to visit. Use of sound and music is simple but well fitting the release (we just could have hope briant use the original voice acting and add some new himself to make it even better).

Gameplay is a little to easy, objective are clear and (too) simple, progression is straight forward and inside the manor the items placement make a original way to organize your progression. Difficulty, even if enemies are well place, just doesn't be present by the fact that the rest of you squad is pretty efficiant. I really would have got some enemies attack with waves of german, some MG-42 that have been placed in the country yard scripted just after some alarm sound when the german officer was killed...

In conclusion: the map is well balance especially according the slow down (none), architecture is good like the general experience, even if it's a little bit too easy, this is another enjoyable mission that is defenetly too short...



Playtime : 10 minutes




Rating : A B C D E (74%)

Wednesday 5 September 2007

Trench86 for CODUO

Level name : Trench 86

Author : Briant 'Gunrock' Robinson

Date of release : 1 October 2006

Size : 14 280 ko

Number of maps : 1



Website : none

Download link: here

Other map reviewed from the author :

Nightfire, SAS Manor, Wayward, Argentan, toysoldiers, cod_valor, CODUO Missions, COD Assault

Story:

You and your Russian comrades are stuck in Trench 86, and you must repulse all enemy attacks. Along with your comrades must hold it at all cost. After another brief mission awaits you...

Review:

This is another release from Gunrock that seems to be sleeping on his computer for some time and he, hopefully, decide to finally released it. I'm not sure about the date of release (like for all other of his release) the one mentioned here above is associated with the pk3 file but in the readme there is another date mentioned (23/06/05) if we take in account this one, this is the second release of Briant.

In this map you have two main objectives: first is to resist to a german attack second is to joint the rest of you squad to attack the bunker. Design is one more time quite good, but perhaps especially for the first part to close to one of the original game map it's also (for this part) well put together but in a quite simple mayout. In the other hand and in comparison with wayward this time the experience provide a good spawning of enemies with also a well scripted gamelpay. The second part follow in a perfect way the first part and make a enjoy with a massive realistic bunker that you will need to enter and 'clean' it's all well put together in a really enjoyable architecture and terrain modeling

Gameplay is this time well balance with a good mix between objective to be achive, the team experience well enhanced by some custom music provide and an immersing rush and fight experience. It's still a little to easy but make defenetly a step forward in overall experience in comparison with wayward sadly the mission is fastly completed and also like for the first one ended abruptly .

In conclusion: This is a huge step forward from Briant regarding the scripting coding of an enoyable mission featuring a above average layout. use of voice acting and not simply on text message would have also add a more realistic feeling like the addition of some more thaught combats after achiving the last objective intending the player to escape from the fortress. Critisism is always easy to do but this one defenetly is worth the download



Playtime : 15 minutes




Rating : A B C D E (72%)

Monday 3 September 2007

Wayward for CODUO

Level name : Wayward

Author : Briant 'Gunrock' Robinson

Date of release : 1 October 2006

Size : 1 766 ko

Number of maps : 1



Website : none

Download link: here

Other map reviewed from the author :

Nightfire, SAS Manor, Trench86, Argentan, toysoldiers, cod_valor, CODUO Missions, COD Assault

Story:

Your an oss agent who's task is to infiltrate a axis factory and kill a ss doctor before he escapes.

Review:

This is one of the map Gunrock worked a long times ago and decide to finally released it. I'm not sure about the date of release the one mentioned here above is associated with the pk3 file but in the readme there is another date mentioned (23/04/05) if we take in account this one, this is the first release of Briant.

In this map your main objective is to enter a german base to kill an important officer and after to escape. Design is quite good for a first map, it's perhaps a little boxy and static but general architecture and use of environment vehicles is well put together to create a interesting layout, the mix between indoor and outdoor and the use of a tram ride make it even realistic, sadly it misses certainly a good ambiance by not integrating some real action (ambush, conterattack,...) and by using more sounds of a certain german activity in the base. Also several part misses defenetly some attention and especially the sewer part.

Gameplay is stray forward and quite easy with a little bit more than 10 enemies to kill. Objective are too obvious and the lack of enemies make it a easy walk, the fact that enemies are not always well placed also dicrease the fun factor.

In conclusion: This seems to be the first release from Briant, the layout is correct but misses certainly a lot of things to make it more 'WW2' realistic. for the small download and the short 'not frustrating' time of gameplay it's well worth the download




Playtime : 15 minutes




Rating : A B C D E (58%)