Reviews - The_Phantom_Chicken

Incredible narration and level design with FUN gameplay. If you enjoyed Half-Life and have a copy of Doom 3, you owe it to yourself to play Phobos.

The levels in this show what the Source engine is capable of. There were moments were the scenes slowed down ever so slightly which I have yet to have happened before on this current system. The environments are varied and the combat is of the classic Half-Life 2 variety. That's a good quality to have in estimates. The level set is short enough to complete in one evening which is fine after having slogged it through a number of seemingly protracted mods before this. Mission Improbable is highly recommended.

I keep bouncing back from thinking that Minerva is brilliant to feeling that it is almost too limited in its variety and scope. In Minerva, a host launches you into an assault on a Combine island fortress. During the adventure, you will backtrack as new avenues open up amongst previously explored areas. It is really genious how the overlapping is developed and permits such a journey of length to be produced from an otherwise relatively small area. The host or commander will send messages via text to you from time to time. This contributes to creating a sense of uncertainty and greater purpose as you're never quite sure what she (or he?) is intending with your actions. It is a grand adventure but limited in its variety. The enemy selection feels consistent in its variety and grouping of enemies. It is logical but when it's all said and done, it leaves more to be desired. The architecture looks well done if repetitive. Minera is highly recommended.. just be aware that it achieves it greatness in part from its narrow focus.

This is my favorite Half-Life 2 mapset yet. It offers a cohesive, solid campaign that honors the light-puzzle-solving, exploration, and combat found in the original game. A new narrative is delivered periodically via flashbacks and newspaper clippings. The subtle, calculated pacing makes this feel as though Valve could have released it as a "lost episode." Kudos. It speaks wonders that I have search deeply to find flaws in the experience. There were a number of times where I felt exploring a deadend or dark corner should have yielded a material bonus yet did not. The seaside industrial setting with the battery egg-hunt felt as though an ambush or siege by enemies could have been well utilized there. Also, the gameplay is strangely silent for the first areas. Music, even subtle noise, would have helped out. When music is utilized it is done well but there are many portions that feel "empty" without more action or at least music present. These issues collectively are a minor detraction from an otherwise very worthwhile experience.

I loved this for its potential. The actual gameplay is lacking unfortunately. The mod is Lovecraft as rendered via Half-Life 2. It is deeply familiar experience to Half-Life 2 fans yet set within the setting of Innsmouth. It is about what you would expect from a fan mod including the limitations that sometimes arise with such projects.

The short story this mod is based upon is a favorite of mine. Having the game set in the fishing town of Innsmouth is enough to garner a few points for the score immediately. This mod features new textures, new models, and three new maps. The maps tend to be shorter which is okay given the somewhat bittersweet quality of this release. I did not notice any new sounds which is a problem as immersion is hampered. Lovecraftian fiends should not be uttering combine and HL2 zombie noises. Another problem is the maps themselves. There are clipping/boundary issues as well as design issues. The pacing is unsatisfactory in that it feels as though enemies were just dropped into places after the fact.

If you can accept this project as a Lovecraft fan-produced mod for Half-Life 2 and not a professional commercial game, there is a lot to admire and applaud here. I recommend it.. Just do not expect a modern Dark Corners of the Earth game or a "pure" Lovecraft journey.

Brilliant. This is how a mod should start. The environments are gorgeous and intriguing. It would be nice if the side areas contained more bonus whether in the form of easter eggs, usable items, or mythos building.. The story develops slowly yet often enough to keep you progressing. Unfortunately the story ends abruptly as this is an early alpha build and a preview of what's to come. There's a nice mix of puzzles, combat, and hairy survival moments where running away is the only option. These are well done and if the team can keep the momentum going the final release will have to be watched closely. As it stands today, Estranged reminds me of Resident Evil as imagined within Source and well done despite its brevity.

The atmosphere is superb. The arctic research station is devoid of any companions yet quickly you realize that you are not alone. The question is who or what is there with you? An interesting game mechanic is that of the fear of the unknown via darkness and the safety of knowledge via illumination. Often the darkness is where death resides and will result in a quick death for the player. It makes the tension powerful and there are moments when the lights flicker that you fear for life itself. This is the sign of a high quality horror/survival gaming experience and there are several within the Black Snow mod.

There are some rough edges to be found. Some items are of questionable value and importance, but I believe their inclusion to be for background story development and ambiance. The locked computers are a strong example of this. Why have these locked systems be usable items without any purpose being served when other computer stations are not usable? Also, the computer user interfaces and the x-ray display are not the easiest to use. For the computer systems it was not too bad but manipulating the x-rays is a pain that I still haven't mastered yet. While this may sound like problems abound, they do not. I'm just explaining a couple of rough points that could use some refinement in an otherwise worthwhile experience.

Give Black Snow a go. I probably spent about three hours on it due to trial-and-error and backtracking primarily. I'm sure it can be completed in an hour with a bit of luck.