Dissolution is a science fiction, single-player mod for Half-Life 2 that mixes adventure and action game-play. Set in the year 2089, in a universe dominated by a mega corporate entity, Xterrier, the player awakes in a hidden lab to the voice of the mysterious Wilson. Guided by Wilson, the player must make their way through the ravaged Xterrier 581c colony, making use of any and all resources they can get their hands on in order to survive, all the while attempting to piece together the events leading to the colony's collapse and their own identity.
The story was shallow. The station had no windows and was a repetitive labyrinth of sterile, monotonous metal hallways devoid of any remarkable qualities. The characters were vacuous and 1 dimensional. The enemies were unexplained, uninspired, repetitive, and unbalanced. While some voice acting was average (with the exception of ALL minor characters, who sounded like they had speech impediments), the script was bland and predictable and offered no nuances from a bare-bones bio shock/system shock clone. Also (and this is not a spoiler) the mod just ends abruptly with no exposition or resolution.
As this criticism is intended to be constructive, I will include suggestions.
Level Design: Vary the lighting a little (Sconces, lanterns, flicker effects). Add windows. Add multiple levels, such as balconies, or observation windows to upper levels. Add more objects to the floor, to imply that humans inhabit the area. Everything felt like it was adjacent to everything else.
Script Writing: Try to make the characters less stereotypical.(Stereotypes include: The troubled visionary, the obsessive, perfectionist scientist, the political martyr, the narcissistic, delusional celebrity).
Pacing/Atmosphere: Enemies should be more intimidating. The citizens were not because the fact that they are demented is never depicted in the mod, or used as a plot device. Bio shock and system shock uses ominous graffiti, remnants of horrific, disturbing atrocities, and classic psychotic babbling to make the enemies horrifying.
Gameplay Balance: Source uses vector cones to simulate bullet spread. Widen those of the NPCs to the point at which they don't aim like hackers in Counter Strike.
PS: I think it is hilarious that the med-kits in this game are hard liquor. Your character would have lethal alcohol poisoning after consuming that many vending machines worth of the stuff, not to mention that he would be unconscious and completely incapable of combat after a few bottles.