Mapppp (id: Jimmy2) |
Posted on 12/21/08 @ 09:37 PM
Playability: 4.9
"A Brush with Death" is a three-part campaign made up of short, Fixed-Force scenarios. When it came to playability, everything functioned properly, and there were no game-breaking bugs, hence the relatively high score.
Some points were taken off for one reasons: In the second scenario, it was tough to find all the enemy units, particularly the Crew of Dementia's ship. Making it more noticeable would be an improvment.
Balance: 4.5
The scenarios, while being relatively simple, were suprisingly hard. It was tough to dodge and run from my enemies, but it was possible. The only problem was that some scenarios, such as #1, mainly required you to dodge, which was fairly easy. Others had too much mindless attacking, making them easy.
Creativity: 2.4
This campaign would earn a huge amount of points for its interesting story and plot, clever use of the editor, and general bizarre idea. However, it loses a lot of points because the campaign's gameplay was so generic. All three scenarios were standard FF fare, besides the second one, which involved rescuing some prisoners (that's original). Replace the cool story with a normal one and this would be one of the more generic, unoriginal games in the Granary.
Map Design: 4
Some of the map design was great. I'm thinking particularly of the very cool burnt-painting effect in #2 and the bizarre cycles of insanity and mayhem in #3, which were pulled off creatively and quite well.
However, what was going on with the trees? They looked really akward and strange, clumped together like that. The grass patches were also a bit overdone. It'd be nice to see some more terrain diversity, particularly in a "painting". I can see what the creator was doing with the trees and clumps, but it really didn't effectively convey the idea of a painting aesthetically.
Oh, and I almost forgot: the shores were great, and the brown rubble looked very neat.
Story/Instructions: 3.5
The storyline was interesting and actually quite well-thought out, but it was also very short. I would've liked more details to read, as the story never really sucked me in. A longer story would've done wonders for the mood of the story. Clever ending, it made me grin, in a grim way.
The actual game instructions were clear, although some were too clear. In #3, the hints and instructions practically made a sign pointing away from the cycle of insanity.
Additional Comments:
Download? It depends. This is by no means a masterpiece, but it has its merits in the bizarre idea and the cool effects, particularly in the 2nd and 3rd scenarios. If you have 15 minutes to burn, download it and have a go.
[Edited on 12/22/08 @ 10:32 AM]
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