Hedgerow siege for COD2

Level name : Hedgerow siege

Author : Soulwax

Date of release : 31 January 2007

Size : 5 243 ko

Number of maps : 1



Website : None

Download link: here 'you may perhaps need to register to download it!

Alternative download:



Other map reviewed from the author :

Angoville

Story:

None regarding to the environment of the map it's shound take place in the north of Belgium or the Netherlands and it's just a mission with as main objective destroying flags

Review:

This was the first release from the author for COD2 it's a basic one but enjoyable to play.

Design is made with a biginner touch, flat map with oriented progression through canalized progression with ton's of bushes all building or structure you will encounter a defenetly missing realism but you easily understand what the author wanted to make all in all it isn't that bad but a little not enough realistic

Gameplay is quite enjoyable even sometimes a little hard due to the fact that the automatic saving are place just before some thaught combats, it's a squad mission so you won't be alone, objective are well organized and it's straight forward, there isn't anything original but it wasn' t a boring mission

In conclusion: this first release according COD2 from soulwax is a typical beginner map but that also show the potential from the mapper design is a little to simple and wont let a memorable feeling but gameplay is enjoyable, if you never play this one before give it a try.


playtime : 30 minutes

Rating : A B C D E (56%)

Call of Duty Valor for CODUO

Level name : Call of Duty Valor

Author : Briant 'Gunrock' Robinson

Date of release : 5 July 2008

Size : 73 164 ko

Number of maps : 5



Website : here

Download link: here

Other map reviewed from the author :

Nightfire,SAS Manor,Trench86, Wayward,Argentan,CODUO Missions

Author's Note:

4 single player maps. Play as a 82nd paratrooper, and a british paratrooper.

Railgun: Fight your way through a nazi train yard to capture a railgun.

Ruins: In france deep in the woods the nazis set up a base in the old
french ruins go in hard and clear them out!

Farm: Hq reports that the germans are setting up a flak 88 gun
on a farm close to the main road the allies supply line uses.
Your squad has got a job to do.

Hill52: Hamburger hill your captain calls it. the germans got that
hill covered with mg42 bunker's land mines and a hard edge
german division to top it all off. And the brass want that hill!

Review:

This is I hope not the last release from Briant, It's an episode that is not as good as other episode previuously reviewed here but it's not far away. Maps aren't really linked together but provide different experiences always oriented in a squad progression, objectives are easy to understand but in all fights you have to remember that the respawn of enemies is associated with your progression, so if you stay to kill enemies they will never stop coming. The four missions are set in different environment with a correct design and an enjoyable scripting and last but not release regarding to previous release from Briant, this time it's challenging enough to give durability. the author took also some music, sound and models to add some special features to the pack, except some weapons sounds, it was perfectly fitting.

First map (Railgun):

for this one you will need to travel through a railway depot and destroy all flag cannons. Layout is correct but a little dispaointing in terms of realism most of building are empty or not enough constructed in term of indoor details and, it also doesn't shows any effect from bombing planes that seems to be always present during this mission, this depot never let me the feeling to be a startegic place to destoy and really looks unrealistic, for the rest the general layout is quite good and the scripting events are well manage to make you travel through this really huge openwided train station depot. Its huge intense and not that easy to pass through.

Second map(Ruins):

this time you need to investigate some ruins left in a forest were german troops found some coverage after their pull back. In this one sherman tanks will be you friend, progression is straight forward in a more realistic environment were german always have good place to hide and ambush you it's quite ckassic in design and architecture but really let a realistic feeling, for the scpiting it's as well handled as in the fist mission and respawn of enmies add a fighting value to this one making it thaught to progress in some places.

Third map(Farm):

After a brief but intense fight trying to protect a main road you will follow your team mate to get into a far away farm well protect by german troops, progression will make iot not that easy to reach the farm and try to take it after there will be a panzer counter attack to fight against with perfect placement of tank that really gonna hurt you... the general layout is enjoyable and all location seems enough detail to make them realistic, short mission briefing is present in this one and perfectly audible, it's ones more injoyable and add the talking dimension of a team... scipting change a little bit at the end with those 'moving' objective but one more it's enjoyable.











Fourth map (Hill52):

here we are with the tanks trying to get rid of those nasty, well protected bunkers it's more simple in this last one progress, eliminate resistance and take the bunker and go forward to do. The same layout, like the scipt but doesn't add anything new to what we saw before and i would expect something much like a timed final battle where you need to hold the position... it's ok well handled but lets an unfinished tasted.











Fifth map (???):
I wont tell about this one but really found the idea original and everything was simple but so efficiant this is really the perfect example of what I, player, like to see...and really finish this one with a personal, highly enjoyable touch.

In conclusion: after a lot of successfull tests maps (that are all available here) Briant came with some bigger project though a four maps episode with more challenge, mixed gameplay experience and mixed environment, this all put together bring something enjoyable that also has some flaws but certainly make us play an enjoyable pack.

Playtime : 1 Hours 40

Rating : A B C D E (87%)

LeonCOD for COD

Level name : LeonCOD

Author : Leon Stephan Brinkman

Date of release : 16 August 2004

Size : 740 ko

Number of maps : 2


Website : none related

Download link: here

Other map reviewed from the author :

Leon COD2 for COD2, Leoncod2 for COD


Story:
Map one:

The German army is holding you in a holding cell under the ground in a large complex. You have to find a way to escape from there, when you succeed you will have to find yourself a weapon before you can go on, (because the axis soldiers first shoot and than ask questions later). When you have a weapon you have to find yourself a way up and try to get out of the complex into the open air.

Map two:

Out of the complex you will find yourself in a little village, this all belongs still to the complex and you’re still not free. From now on the war will just intensify, (Baltic.Forever who did make all the scripting for this mappack did say after playing the map the first time; "It looks like I’m getting the whole German army after me!) Now begins the really hard part, and some people will maybe even say that it can't be done. But it can be done; you can get out of there and walk into freedom. Be very careful, and watch carefully in every corner for healthpacks. That's all I can say.


Personal Notes:
I played this one colse to the day it came out and found it back then hard and to challenging sothat my frustration only kept in mind the diffuclty...I change a little bit my meaning this week-end when i play it back


Review:

This is the first one Leon release for Call of Duty series, so it was much more some twiking and learning that what he came with after for HL2.

Design starts classic...you need to escape from a jail find a weapon and progress to the outdoor to complete the first one after you will need to cross the village full and protected by germans. Design is classic but correctly put together in a realistic design from the storage room to the garage and all offices linked on the first floor, the way your progression is handled is clever simply by passing near area you will travel across after, it really let the filling to travel a huge complex well crafted and put together. the indoor is ok but lighting doesn't always look perfect and for the outdoor even if the design let a good put together feeling, the fact that it's nor open and only surronded by walls make it a little too boxy in my opinion.
Gameplay is correctly ballanced but challenging so you will need to progress like a sniper and need to save a lot if you don't want to loose you progression benefits. It's just a battle there are no real objectives except to kill all enemies, weapons and health are well placed sothat you will never run out of ammo it's simply ealised but also effciant in giving us some intertenment.

In conclusion: For a first major release and even if it has it flaws, leon succeed in creating a attractive but challenging gameplay in a basic but efficiant design location, it's not the best out here but will certianly add some gameplay enjoyment for the people who want to check this one.



Playtime : 25 minutes



Rating : A B C D E (62%)

Sandstorm for COD

Level name : Sandstorm

Author : Twelfth Hour Games

Date of release : 05 December 2005

Size : 283 115 ko

Number of maps : 3


Website : here


Download link: here

Background information:

A team of level designers and artists spent 4.5 months creating a squad-based, modern military first-person shooter that places the player in the center of the middle-eastern conflict. Developed on top of the award winning Call of Duty engine, Sandstorm spans three massive levels filled with visceral action and sequences inspired by real events. It delivers cinematic pacing and squad based game play in an approachable, pick-up-and-play first-person shooter design. As a United States Marine in charge of a supply convoy heading for the capitol city, you must do whatever it takes to ensure the troops get the supplies they need. Trying to stop you are insurgent forces armed with an array of lethal weaponry and a disregard for human life.

Installation Note:

simple extract the sandstorm files into you COD directory. After, under a sandstorm folder in you COD directory, you will find a Call of Duty and a game of the year folder containing 3 'launch link' copy them on you desktop (regarding the original version of COD you have) and open them choosing properties to modified the path to the folder you have extract them (hope it's clear)...and after just click on the link.

Level Information:

Level 1 on a small trip through the mountain to help civilians your convoi is under enemy attack, objective is to stop them, make the village safe, eliminate reinforcement and also kill all enemies. Then you will go to the end roof in order to establish a communication with the headquarter.











Level 2 takes place in a city under siege from insurgents. The insurgents are using a palace as a base from which to launch attacks against American troops. Behind the palace, in the congested residential district, the insurgents are manufacturing explosives for use in car bomb attacks, and they are also holding an American soldier hostage. The player must work alone and together with her squad mates to clear out the palace, neutralize the bomb equipment, and rescue the hostage.

Level 3 starts in a town where the player and their squad has to locate a captured friendly and recover them. After that they have to meet up with their convoy and proceed to reinforce a division who is under heavy fire at an airport down the road. Upon arriving at the airport the player has to hold the airport until an air strike can help clear the area.

Review:

This one has a new totally fresh approach of modern warfare, people who are studying to become professional actors from the software industry have merge together to create an interesting experience in arround 4 month, the experience is quite short in playtime experience but in my opinion create something quite original that fits particularly well with nowedays information that come from country from the middle east.

Design is a mix of good and unfinished stuff and depend from the energy that was put in every project. In my opinion, the first part is the most finished one even if the game style and gameplay is more classic compare to the other levels that were perhaps a little too ambitous at start and didn't succeed in finishing perfectly their part (2 and 3) but it's still above average.The architecture in someplace look really wonderfull and except the last mission that take place during night (decreasing so the genral layout effect) it's really in someplace beautyfull the custom content is also well manage especially vehicules, texturing and models, for the weapons it's a little less achive...but most of the time through voice acting and on text message(objectives) you really get into it with a catchy feeling...Like I told before the project had a dealine after 4 months and so you will sometime encounter several annoying influence like the enemies talking german and using mp40, the old truck and other things i don't remember...

Gameplay is not what this work was intended for so it's honest well balance but perhaps not enough challenging in combat and too obvious in puzzles (but you could be lost here and there) so the experience will be quite short regarding the download size.

In conlcusion: this is a totally special release that i hope you were not aware of it's defenetly worth the download for the immersing filling it let regarding a war that is not enough known in our country...don't expect too much but i think you will defenetly like it even if let let at the end a filling that the project wasn't push far enough...but it wasn' t the aim

Playtime : 40 min



Rating : A B C D E (83%)

Toysoldiers for COD UO

Level name : Toysoldiers

Author : Briant 'Gunrock' Robinson

Date of release : 20 December 2007

Size : 16 116 ko

Number of maps : 1



Website : here

Download link: here (you may need to register to get this one)

Alternative link:



Other map reviewed from the author :

Nightfire, SAS Manor, Trench86, Wayward, Argentan, CODUO Missions, COD Assault, COD Valor


Author's Note:

1 single player map. your a toysoldier fighting the axis toysoldiers for complete. Domination for the bedrooms and hallways of a house. I wanted to do something diffrent with coduo this time.

Review:

This one like the author said is something different perhaps a simple nightdream... Nothing really realistic but it's fun, well scaled and quite original .
Design: the experience take place in Briant's House (not really sure) but it could be so, the environment provides a special exprerience from a bedroom to a bathroom that are full of up to date detail including music and environment objects. The scale is perfect and altenates a classic room design from place to place.
Gameplay like for all previous releases from gunrock is perfectly manage in a squad oriented progression. Progression is well oriented through objective and will make you travel from room to room even if all of them don't need to be visited. The ambiance is ok and add what's needed to the simple fight experience, the only regret comes from the lack of challenge and the fact that it's quite short for an experience.
In conlcusion: Another original example made by briant it's one more time too short but well worth the download.



Playtime : 10 minutes




Rating : A B C D E (69%)

This site will be soon update

Yes I know it's more than 6 months without update but there hasn't been a lot of new release this year...sadly

Also I have been a lot busy with the online rally championnship, if you interested just go to this place

In the meantime I have added some personal link (using the skydrive feature of hotmail) to map that haven't a link anymore or for which the link was not direct

so feel free to check out and find some forgotten one

I hope to update this page soon with several COD maps and would like also to add Medal of Honor releases

Any comment or questions are welkome !

CODUO Missions for CODUO

Level name : COD UO Mission

Author : Briant 'Gunrock' Robinson

Date of release : 20 December 2007

Size : 4 536 ko

Number of maps : 2



Website : here

Download link: here (you may need to register to get this one)

Download link:



Other map reviewed from the author :

Nightfire, SAS Manor, Trench86, Wayward, Argentan, toysoldiers, COD Valor, COD Assault
Story:

2 single player map. Your an oss agent who's cover has been blown! You must fight your way through the city and make your way to tunnel 17!


Review:

I Just decide to get to modonline this we to see if there was no new map in their database and hopefully for us there was... to 'out of grave map from Briant that were release at the end of 2007.
Like other map from Briant it's not perfect but it's another fun to play through map with correct design and good scripting.
Design: the experience take place in Italy where you first aim is to travel through a typical street of Sicily where german are waiting for you...the design is soft and well balance sadly it looks a little to squary and flat second mission will start with the sewer access where the invironment is a succession of machine, pipes and hallways that look more realisitic than the first part even if lots of room are mission details to create a cool ambiance. I just eccounter some flashing effect while I was progressing as if the compiling process has caused some vertice bug... hopefully it doesn't affect to much the gameplay.
Gameplay like for all previous releases from gunrock is perfectly manage in a squad oriented progression. It's Linear and doesn't feature any puzzle objective but ambushes mostly in the sewer part awaits you to give you enough challenge, the only aim is to get out of tunnel 17. The ambiance is ok but misses more sounds and a use of reenforcement in several places would have create a more immersing experience.
In conlcusion: It seems that several map from Briant are still hanging here and there...Design is just a little above average and scrpipting is well handled sadly making a realisation not enough challenging (like all other release from the auhtor) just makes the experience too short... it's still enjoyable and recommended for a short playtime.



Playtime : 20 minutes

Rating : A B C D E (70%)

The Bunker(s) for COD

This time, and to start 2008, it's not a real review It's just a collection of maps that were the subject for a partial work exam at the SMU Gildhall All level work of the student who have participated will be listed below.

As a resume here is an abstract of M Pankratz site:

"Bunker is a Call of Duty level created in the level design class as one of our exams. Our parameters were: The player would travel upwards through 3-4 rooms (not including hallways) and then escape the bunker and exit into a field. We were not allowed to use a script file, so that ruled out most interaction and smart AI. We had one week to create the entire level and populate it."

It has to be mentioned that not all students make there maps available through the Net but they will at least be listed here for the one playable and that give a playable 'short' experience a small review will be add

Ian Childs

website : here

download : None


James L Kneuper

website : here

download : None


Mike Pankratz

website : here

review:

this one is certainly the hugest the team is for me not really linked to simply a bunker but is more massive and looks more like a Industrial base protected by a bunker. Design is for me classic with a correct layout but misses a better attention to detail. Gameplay is standard with no surpise (logic since it wasn't ask to be scripted) but produce a correct enjoyment for arround 15 minutes.

In conclusion: a non classic bunker with correct layout and enjoyable gameplay













download : here


Ben Jones

website : here

review :

Like the author explain this map was fastly build with for the time he spend a highly enjoyable layout through the color choice and the attention to detail. you will only visit a succession of 3 rooms nicely textured and fool of WW2 atmosphere. Gameplay is a simple seek and destroy progression enhance by the first room were you need to search for something...for arround 10 minutes of gameplay it's fairly enjoyable.

In conclusion: not the shortest but for sure the best in atmosphere according the realisation of a bunker.














download : here


David Vargo

website : here

review:

The documentation that came with this one is impressive regarding the 2d sheet of this bunker; regarding the design of it, it's way more classic and even if the layout is correct this tiny realisation won't take you more than 5 minutes to be completed the outdoor layout is quite enjoyable and can be considered as a reward when you end you really short mission.


In conclusion: a good mix bewteen design and gameplay but certainly to short (5 minutes) to be really appreciated, It's still worth the download












download : here

Happy new year to All

I wish a Happy new year to every body with lot's of gaming moment, a good health, and and what you really wish ;)