Crossroads of Drakan by Zeoc

 

Review machine: AMD K6-2/450, 196Meg RAM, Voodoo2 SLI @ 1024,768 Download (UK) (Russia)
Brief description:

Huge ground only level ideal for sword practice. Has some modified enemies that do not appear in the game.

Main review

Crossroads is an ideal level for hand to hand combat practice, there is no plot to the level but there again it doesn’t need one. You start out with minimal weapons but you gain plenty more as you progress through the ruined landscape. Graphically it was average with samey textures; the mountainside textures were in perfect lines all the way along, but the rest of the level makes up for this. The lighting seemed a bit too bright and uneven but it didn’t interfere with the atmosphere. This kept the frame rate acceptable and it was easy to engage in combat without going into jerko – vision 9000. That said, enemy placement was good with them being placed in strategic locations. There were also enough heath potions to get you through to the end. The only thing I didn’t like was the dragon – it was almost impossible to kill with melee weapons, I admit that I had to cheat for this bit although it was partly my fault, I wasted all my arrows on wartoks. The level’s atmosphere was great, it really felt like you were exploring a hundreds of years old Ancient City and you were always wondering what was around the next corner. The level gave me the impression that the dark union is guarding something powerful in the ruins somewhere and it kept you going just to find out what it is. I won’t tell you what happens at the end, you will have to play it and find out. Also I did not find any serious bugs in the level which is always a bonus.

I would recommend downloading this level especially if you need practice on melee combat and you get an atmospheric adventure with plenty of exploring to do as well.

Rating; Architecture / landscape: 7  Texturing: 5  Item / enemy placement: 6.5  

Atmosphere: 9  Coolness / new ideas / enhancements: 7  bugs: none

Total: 69%