While this game was extremely short, I thoroughly enjoyed my play of it. Some people had a problem with what they saw as a lack of skill in mapping, but to me the interior mapping is just fine. The areas where the character is escaping through some sort of drainage ditch/canal/sewer/aqueduct are understandably sparse. I'm assuming the main character isn't in City 17, perhaps a less densely-populated town, which would explain why there isn't TRASH and RANDOM SHIT everywhere. The sign of a great mapper is being able to make an interesting and realistic map using less, rather than more.
I liked how the game went from the claustrophobia of the underground brick tunnels to the agoraphobic wide-open spaces of the drainage area. The developer used snipers in a way I haven't seen in Half-Life or any other mod. The point wasn't to kill them as it usually is; but to sprint at full speed, performing serpentine evasive maneuvers to dodge the rounds. I loved it.
The tunnels were probably my favorite part. They radiated a sense of dread. Not with cheap scares or pitched-black areas, but with well-placed yellow lighting, only a handful of zombies, and the natural claustrophobia of an underground catacomb. It is honestly a spectacular achievement. With no hint of irony or exaggeration, I can earnestly say it reminded me of how I felt when I first played through Ravenholm.
I do, however, have two complaints; they're rather minor. In the beginning, when you're trapped in the warehouse and combine are trying to raid it, I felt like it was too easy. Not in the "I'm so pro" sort of way, in the way that I felt the combine were really taking it slow in attempting to capture me. I expected a HL2EP1/2 style "enemies barging in from all directions oh god I can't keep up" and what I got was a couple of easily dispatched soldiers, followed by a couple minutes of waiting, repeat three or four times. Not to mention the player is given an easily accessible health and armor recharging station not twenty feet away.
The other complaint I had was when you were trapped in the infirmary whilst an apparent battle is going on outside. What I expected was explosions, screams, gunfire, frantic commands over the prominently placed loudspeaker, nigh drowned out by the twisted din of combine trans-species machines. What I instead got was a couple of calm announcements and the sound of some loud neighbors banging around in the upstairs apartment. A sense of anxiety, as I assumed was meant, was not created.
Overall, though, I see a lot of promise in this game. I gave it a 10/10. I felt that they used the mantra of "less-is-more" in a delightful way, and episode 2 was extremely well designed. While the developer still has a long way to go before there's real community praise over his games, to the trained eye he definitely shows hints of great promise.
Moddb, as a community, needs to spend a little less time bashing those who, although not as experienced as thechineseroom or the Black Mesa team, still pour blood, sweat, and tears into their games. These people can get better, and what better way than with praise in their successes and advise in their faults? Isn't that the point? This pack-like mutilation that I see, especially in the HL2 modding community, does nothing but kill the interest of those lesser, but talented, artists. Especially the ones who make an entire mod themselves.
And with that being said; when, if ever, can we expect City Rebellion episode 3?
