It is one year after the destruction of the Arc Hammer. Kyle receives
word that the Imperial Academy where he was trained is mysteriously being
vacated. Without consulting the Rebel High Command and despite Jan's
warnings that it's an obvious setup, Kyle decides to investigate. When he
reaches the planet it quickly becomes apparent that it is a trap after
all; Kyle's new mission is to destroy the base and get out alive.
Review by: Geoffrey Elliott |
This is a challenging level.
I use that phrase with a purpose. Just as a group of rebels managed to penetrate the Death Star's defenses and whisk Princess Leia away to safety, so can Kyle accomplish his mission. The difficulty lies in finding everything. There is a specific sequence in which the goals must be accomplished. Usually that leads to a constrictive level where the player is merely whisked along a determined path to reach the end. But not so here. There are plenty of different areas to explore and get lost in as you try to find your way around. And just because you follow a certain path, doesn't mean you can figure out how to continue along that route. Puzzles are presented at every corner, and it's up to you to discover the secrets.
On the plus side, this level doesn't drop you off as soon as you have completed your goals. In many levels the author seems to feel that as soon as the last charge is placed, the rest of the story is just epilogue. Not so here. Even after you've set the sequencers, you still need to find your way back to the ship. There are several more puzzles that follow. This is one level that keeps you moving from beginning to end. |
Review by: Jeff Walters |
If you love challenging puzzles, then this is the level for you. The
author has sacrificed the level's storyline and the logical design of the
Academy in order to pack in as many puzzles as possible.
Most of the puzzles are well thought out and cleverly implemented, particularly where you have to open the large doors up a certain way to create a ramp so that the player can access another area. The thing that really lets this level down is that besides the layout of certain puzzles, the architectual design is not very detailed or logical. Indeed the texturing in some places leaves a lot to be desired, and there is a fair degree of repetition in room design. In fact some of the rooms are just four walls with nothing at all in them. It would also have been nice if more of the puzzles had a logical reason, as at times it just seems like puzzle after puzzle without any purpose or reason for the puzzles given. Definitely not a level to play over and over again, for once you're familiar with all the puzzles there's simply not many other reasons to play. |
Anyway, if you like lots of puzzles then please, look no further, but the
level has little else to offer a player and is one of those levels that as
you get further through, you just want to finish and be done with.
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Level(s) replaced: | ROBOTICS |
Difficulty Settings: | Yes |
New BMs: | Yes |
New FMEs: | No |
New WAXes: | No |
New 3DOs: | Yes |
New VOCs: | No |
New GMDs: | No |
New LFDs: | Yes |
Base: | New level from scratch |
Editor(s) used: | DFUSE for GOB, BMP2DF for LFD |
Known Bugs: | A few HOMS in big areas when you're moving fast and/or there are a lot of enemies around. Not critical. It depends mostly upon the system you're running it on. |
Download Imperial Academy (academy.zip, 167k) |