Outpost 21, by Scott Amspoker (scott@basis.com) A review by S.P. Harvey. Note: the author's text file is slightly abridged and reproduced at the end of this review. I've played many PWADS over the last several weeks/months, but this is the first level that's compelled me to jump into the ring as reviewer. Outpost 21 is a government built and funded station, upon which you, the happy-go-lucky Space Marine 9th Class have just landed. Unfortunately, you arrive to the sound of gunfire, not a brass band. You run, you dodge, searching the neighboring buildings for your unseen attackers. All you have to defend yourself is your regulation-issue sidearm. Ammo quickly runs low as you search for somewhere to cower and remember what they taught you in Strategic Assault Planning 101. And thus begins Scott Amspoker's brilliant level, Outpost 21 (OPOST21.ZIP). All your favorite ex-human pals are here, in force, along with some of the denizens of Hell which took over the station unbeknownst to the government. There's plenty of fighting to do, along with a bit of puzzle-solving and not a small amount of exploration. I've always felt that reviews should not contain any spoilers. After all, we read reviews to determine whether or not a file is worth our precious download time. The level begins with your standard E1-style buildings and open spaces, but then quickly begins to descend into diabolical areas reminiscent of E3. All in all, it's a very nice blending of Doom styles, from the techno-shootout computer labs, to the dimly lit wanderings of Hellish caverns. It's not an easy level (I played on UV). Death came easily several times before I even got inside the complex. Once inside, death came even easier. Ammo seems a little scarce in roughly the first half of the level. Imagine: pinned into a little corridor with two Spectres roaming cluelessly in the neighboring room. Health: 32%. Ammo: Bullets, none. Shells, 8. No chainsaw. No berzerk. No other weapons. Sheesh. There is a minor flaw in the level design, which I will not disclose here. Others may have no trouble finding it. I had to peek at the level using DEU. Even the full map powerup was no help. I'm going to mention this to the author and see what he thinks. All in all, get your hands on Outpost 21. It's easily id-quality work. Truth be told, there's not a whole lot in the area of technical innovations, but there's a place for the 'look what I can do' type of PWADs, and PWADs like Outpost 21: Direct, entertaining, challenging, and a very solid piece of work. Kudos to the author, and keep us informed on your next level. Note: The author's .txt file (which is below in abridged format) requests that you not overly-gamma-correct certain dark areas of the level. He is correct when says the overall darkness is not to simply ambush the player. The use of lighting techniques and choices is simply professional-level atmosphere at its finest. Ratings: Playability: Excellent Design: Excellent Texture Usage: Excellent Difficulty: Moderate. - Review by S.P. Harvey (sharvey@interaccess.com) Title : OPOST21.WAD Author : Scott Amspoker Email Address : scott@basis.com Play Information Episode and Level # : E2M1 Single Player : Yes Cooperative 2-4 Player : No Deathmatch 2-4 Player : No Difficulty Settings : Yes New Sounds : No New Graphics : No Demos Replaced : None Construction Base : New level from scratch Build Time : Too damn long Editor(s) used : DEU5BETA4, 5.0, 5.1 and BSP11X Known Bugs : none