6 Comments

1. Stef

   10th November 2006 at 10:25 am

   A good release worth an interesting (but confusing) storyline. Design anf architecture are well done to impressive (even if it’s mostly in the same environment) Gameplay is well balenced between puzzle and fight (but sadly add to much “boss” confrontation in the end…2 helicopters, Garg, tank). It’s still an interesting release with minor flows for a little more than 1 hour gameplay

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2. Technic

   25th March 2012 at 10:47 pm

   

   This little mod is similar to the “Tokami Island” mod. Besides the mapping and story of course!
   What I mean exactly is the awesome mix of puzzles and well-balanced ation.
   The only flaws (or bug) I found was a buggy scientist in the BM complex who didn’t ran the waypoints properly, but after reloading and more or less influence of luck I think, it did work finally.
   Okay, once I noclipped because I was getting impatient hehe

   I won’t explain the story here now, read the readme for it! It’s yet another BM-style mod.

   Pro’s:
   -Excellent combat action, very well balanced – quite many weapons available (incl. Gauss, Magnum, crossbow, shotgun, satchels, tripmines, rocket launcher)
   -Some very good puzzles
   -Pretty nifty mapping, great layouts – also, outdoor areas (incl. Apaches!)
   -Good atmosphere supported by music tracks
   -A few cool scripts

   Con’s:
   -Short playtime
   -The buggy scientist mentioned above
   -Neglectable story
   -Tricky jumps required (duckjumps mostly, no longjumps) – not suitable for newbies
   -Weird beginning
   -Some mean enemy placement

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3. Ten Four Reviews

   8th August 2012 at 1:27 am

   First-time mapper Shaun Forsdyke brings us Virtual Reality: The Real World, a medium-sized level pack where you assume the role of, um, Shaun Forsdyke. Though luckily you get to play through a rather exciting slice of the author’s life, rather than something excruciating such as using Worldcraft.

   As you can see in the story provided, virtual reality is used as a backdrop for the mission on which you will be embarking. It’s an interesting attempt, but in general it seems that the author just used virtual reality as an excuse to combine a few different scenarios into one level pack. At least it’s a better effort than some at providing a good background for the player, though. And overall VR provides a good dose of classic HL entertainment, though it is a bit rough around the edges.

   VR starts off awfully slow. The author has recorded some decent new speech for a lot of the characters, but unfortunately the sounds are rather quiet and I had a great deal of difficulty understanding them over the ambient map sounds. You are given some background and instructions with this custom speech, but the events of the first map unfold terribly slowly. The architecture and lighting here are very basic as well – nothing is truly ugly, but nothing stands out as attractive.

   But thankfully first impressions can be overcome. Overall this pack is quite fun to play through. There are some interesting sequences, pretty good game flow after the first map, and there is a lot of good combat (though in my opinion there is a little too much health and armor available for medium skill; this one is better played on difficult). There are some areas with good design (and a section that pays homage to Goldeneye), but the design is rather inconsistent. The majority of the enemies you’ll face are grunts (and miscellaneous military vehicles). There are some aliens mixed in, and there is a pretty good final battle that would have been better if it were a lot tougher.

   The weaknesses? First, the general lack of a purpose in the pack. Yes, virtual reality combat training is the premise, but there are no developing events or plot that carry your interest or lead you through the maps. Also, there are very few ambient sounds or details, so the maps really fail to draw you in. A lot of the architecture is pretty blocky and basic; I couldn’t help but think how plain some of the areas looked, though the lighting may have had a lot to do with that too. More attention to little details would improve this pack a lot. There are a number of not-quite-seamless level transitions, and a couple places that the player could jump to that were unintended (though the latest release has corrected the latter).

   Overall, Virtual Reality: The Real World is a decent episode, especially coming from a first-time mapper. The maps are fun to play through, with solid combat, game flow, and some interesting design. The general lack of a plot is a strike against it, but this pack is worth the download.

   Notes
   This review is republished here by permission and was originally published Saturday, 14th September, 2002 by Unquenque.

   This review was originally posted on the Ten Four Website, which is now offline.  Permission has been granted to republish the full review and more details can be found on the About page.

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4. Petrick

   18th June 2014 at 5:29 pm

   

   Begins with little progolue, even includes voice acting, extra points for that. And that funny/weird voice acting continues from there.

   i didnt like mapping, that lab is just too empty. And quiet. I always like to listen if mapper has used any kind of sounds (not just talking NPC’s). And this first VR area has that Apache, but they didnt use any sounds with it? Argh. Maybe its just that choppers in VR aint making any sound.

   And final boss battle was too easy.

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5. ShawnHL

   13th February 2022 at 4:25 am

   

   played

   Installed:
   Manually

   Difficulty Played At:
   Medium

   Playtime:
   1 Hour, 2 Minutes

   Reply
6. ShiningBlack

   3rd January 2023 at 12:03 pm

   

   It was okay, just nothing remarkable. I liked that they had voice acting as well. But again I don’t think I’ll even remember the mod unless I play it again.

   Installed:
   Manually

   Difficulty Played At:
   Medium

   Playtime:
   2 Hours

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