Map name: Beach Assault
Map author: Phat Al & Joemeister
Map filename: beachassault.zip
Reviewed by: The Rookie, eM|CRuD, Spyder, SK, Somberfire, HaaKonSeN-[ViL], Mr.Had3s, VioLEncE
Review
Architecture Rating: 6 /10
Architecture Comments:
This map makes moving around difficult, it's stocked with drops, dividers and water, it's fairly small i would recommend for games of 4-6 big games would cause alot of lag and not much moving space.
Looks Rating: 6 /10
Looks Comments:
A dark map, alot of the map is hard to see, the ship is a nice look though, and the lighting is a nice touch to the map when it's there, altho alot of the map is hidden in darkness, a map you should defiantly whip out the irvision.
Gameplay Rating: 10 /10
Gameplay Comments:
woooohoooooo the first night my friends and i tried this one it was a blast, flying around in the helicopter is very fun, we battled for it all night, the helicopter is defiantly a great touch, u can use alot of objects around the map and those nasty sharks can give you a hurting in little time, watch your step that sign warns of land mines which will send you flying high.
Ambiance Rating: 8 /10
Ambiance Comments:
a noisey map with the creaking of the ships doors makes you turn away in pain, at one part it can all be quiet, then the noises kick in the blasting of guns, the musin in the copter , the opening of doors, and the sounds of the explosions.
Other Comments:
on the side without the ship look around for the machine gun, go up close and hit your opendoor key to fire a stream, if you hit an enemy he will take big damage off this baby, and to you snipers sitting in the upper windows, a gun could pick you off from the ship and a nice expolision helps too.
Conclusion:
all in all this map is a fun one, more for play around games not for serious team competitions, it's good if your looking for some excitment and the fun of flying a helicopter.
Overall Rating: 8
Reviewed By:
Review
Architecture Rating: 8/10
Architecture Comments:
Very good but you should be able to shoot the helicopter down
Looks Rating: 6/10
Looks Comments:
I think you used the smae texture a bit too much
Gameplay Rating: 7/10
Gameplay Comments:
Well i love how you can use the machine gunes and the little cave at the top of the map rules
Ambiance Rating: 9/10
Ambiance Comments:
Incredibly exilerated by all the backround sounds and the the missles hitting the windows are cool
Other Comments:
Conclusion:
Its a very good map overall
Overall Rating: 7
Reviewed By: Mr.Had3s
Review
Architecture Rating: 8/10
Architecture Comments:
Beachassault is one of the most original maps I have seen in a long time. The layout is great because it almost always ensures a stylish and flashy battle. Take a ride on the helicopter and take out a "Death from above" attack, which never fails to satisfy. The setup is basicly a fort on a beach, with a boat in the water. You either attack or defend the beach. A sweet trench system with lots of bunkers makes up the other side of the fort. A fort with climable walls into widows looks over the water where a platoon boat sits with a helicopter on top that will lift you into the base. These elements interact perfectly to give the player a flow to follow, making for a better game.
Looks Rating: 8/10
Looks Comments:
It is easy to see how much work went into this map. For someone with a good system, the effects on this map are great. Explosions rock the map, giving it a good wartime feel. The flashy textures are mostly custom, and they are used well. The architecture combined with these phat textures makes an impressive map. Just take a look at ANY part of the map and you will be impressed. On the flip side, somone with a slower system will have a hard time running this map, because of all the effects going down.
Gameplay Rating: 9/10
Gameplay Comments:
Never before have I played a map that affected the gameplay as much as this. The feeling is exilerating as you fly over the enemy in the helicopter pumping ammo into them. Also, a dual gets crazy quick as all of the sudden you have mines laying around that will send you flying halfway arcoss the map, into shark infested waters! Yes sharks that will bite you, three turrets that shoot and shooting someone out of the heli really kicks the llama's ass. :) If you don't like this map, I will be really suprised. Hell I had fun playing it by myself!
Ambiance Rating: 8/10
Ambiance Comments:
This map has constant sounds. Shelling, machine gun fire echo across the map all of the time. Although, some players with slower computers will find themselves a bit lagged by all this action, the effect is immense on gameplay. First of all, you have a perfect scene, with everything needed for a good war. Now with all these sounds, it gets hard to detect an attcack, because footsteps aren't as obvious. You feel like a soldier, and running across the beach an into the enemy is a feeling one won't forget. At times, you can even get a little scared. This map is definately creepy at times. Always a treat to play.
Other Comments:
Also, playing this map in AQ:E is really a treat. Especially with the scenarios that are coming out for it. It triples gamplay.
Conclusion:
Bottom line, this map is very interactive, and you should enjoy playing it. Players with slower computers may have a harder time, although it is still possible to play it smoothly most of the time.
Overall Rating: 8
Reviewed By: HaaKonSeN-[ViL]
Review
Architecture Rating: 3/10
Architecture Comments:
Simple layout, took me about 20 seconds to figure out the entire map. There is one way through the map which consists of a three main sections. The sections are the water with the boat, which is decent. There then is the base, simple area that overlooks the water, this was probably built in about 5 minutes. Lastly there was the uninspired back portion of the map with trenches, sadly there was nothing fun about this area.
Looks Rating: 2/10
Looks Comments:
With all the bland textures and ugly flashing coloured lights this map was offensive to me. The only reason why I give it any points at all are the sharks! They were well done, I even spent a few minutes checking them out. Lastly OH MY GOD does it look ugly when you can walk up to the edge of a map and touch the sky brush. Its like you are battling on an island floating 500 meters up in the air. Learn to use walls
Gameplay Rating: /10
Gameplay Comments:
I didnt even bother to play this map with the very limited layout it looked like there would be one or two methods of attacking or defending. This would tire me quickly. A couple hallways and doors to not add enough variety to make it fun. While the "tricks" of the maps may make it look good the mines most likley would strip away the fun factor
Ambiance Rating: 7/10
Ambiance Comments:
Well I have to score this map a few points due to efford in this area. It did have the right effects to make it sound like a beach assault. However each time I looked to the left, right or behind me while moving towards the beach, I was again flying 500 meters up in the air on this magical floating beach..
Other Comments:
Looks like the author spent a lot of time thinking about this and making neat tricks to bad he forgot about the fun factor.
Conclusion:
Laggy, ugly, and limited replay value. Server ops do your players a favor and dont put this on your system. There are much better maps out there, that you shouldnt have to use such a butcher job of map design. However Im a stickler for map quality, I would rate most of the id software maps as 7-8s. This map looks like it was made by an amateur.
Overall Rating: 3
Reviewed By: Somberfire
Review
Architecture Rating: 9/10
Architecture Comments:
Helicopter = SWEET(Add doors to it, and make it bigger so 5 people can sit in it), Sharks = SWEET, Boat = Too Small (but front door = SWEET), Lighting = Don't use too many colored lights, Water = Too Deep, Doors = Wicked, Whole Map = Rocking, Sweet for teamplay, I never played it for DM, CTB might be fun in this map! Someone should try it! Oh and I can't forget about all the damn loud sounds... Mines are nice but not enuf damage given, I like the trap door it should make you fall down harder, and it shouldn't have a rope for u to climb up with...
Looks Rating: 9/10
Looks Comments:
LOVE it all...Except the lights. Keep on making more maps, please..
Gameplay Rating: 8/10
Gameplay Comments:
So much fun I need a new pair of pants, I just lost mine.. 8 is better than 7.
Ambiance Rating: 9/10
Ambiance Comments:
Gotta Love having the pressure stuck on you, it's FUN, and nothing can beat it... (well many things can, but let's just pretend ya can't) 9 for SURE
Other Comments:
Man the Helicopter Goes way too fast, and it's really shaky, and easy to fall off of (obviously I stay on the heli during just about the whole round!). But I must Say that when the Helicopter goes back to it's base, Fuck man, I've never seen a helicopter fly backwards, now that is one weird thing, you should fix that, MAKE a new version of the map, take away everything except the boat, and the sharks (I LOVE the sharks) well they are so life-like, which makes the map Really fun to play! The Water is way too deep, and the mines are sweet, it's just another faster way to get into the boat, u just step on one, BOOM, u go flying into the water beside the boat. TOO MANY SOUNDS!!!!!!!! BUT one sweet ass map... Ya Gotta Love it.
Conclusion:
hmmm, looks like I said everything in the "Other" Woops, Never saw this box, a well... 2 sentences is close enuf to: 3-5 sentences
Overall Rating: 10
Reviewed By: SK
Review
Architecture Rating: 9/10
Architecture Comments:
To start off this is my first reveiw so gimme a break. I love this Normandy/Apocolypse Now feel this map has. Very simple but effective layout. I like the fact that you can control the machine guns. The mines are a pain in the butt, but they are in realife to. I like it.
Looks Rating: 8/10
Looks Comments:
Textures needed more diversity. Good use of the textures here but still a little plain.
Gameplay Rating: 10/10
Gameplay Comments:
I played this with a bunch of marines and guys from the Army so we loved the fact that this map was very military like. Helo landings and raids done from the helos were hell on both sides. We loved it. A lot of fun.
Ambiance Rating: 10/10
Ambiance Comments:
A simulation of a night time beachassault is a perfect environment. Darkness, flashes of light, explosions, jets scream past, THE MUSIC, all perfect.
Other Comments:
Love that helicopter!
Conclusion:
I love this map. The closer to military athuenticity we get the better.
Overall Rating: 10
Reviewed By: Spyder
Review
Architecture Rating: /10 (Error in Review Form)
Architecture Comments:
Hey all!! The Rookie here with another AQ2 map review of the long awaited and much hyped Beachassault and quite frankly I have one question, why does everyone like this map?
The maps layout is fairly simple. One side is a fort with manned guns, land mines and secret passages while the other is basically a giant boat featuring the now classic helicopter and sharks in the water. While a little deceiving this map is basically the classic TF "2fort" map in an ingenious disguise. Personally, I hate the "2fort" style for AQ2, especially for AQ2 TP. Since there's no real goal for defending your base then what's the point?
Looks Rating: 6/10
Looks Comments:
Lots of cool lighting effects in this map but texture wise it's kind of dry. These textures or similar ones have been seen before and probably with better usuage. The walls, ground, cliffs, boat, all a static grey, which is bland and boring.
Gameplay Rating: 4/10
Gameplay Comments:
Ugh!!! While oftend herald for it's "TP playability" Beachassault is one of the most boring TP experiences I've ever had. After the initial thrill of the cool effects you realise that none of them truly aid in TP and most pf them actually get you killed. DM is a different story, where it's a lot more fun but the openess of the map over all kills it. I always stress about the issue of cover in AQ2 maps but this map truly disregards it. There is cover, but ti's way too sparse, it needs a lot more. Add in the fact that you need to have a Pentium 500000 with 200 voodoo2's sli to get 20 FPS and you got one unfun experience.
Ambiance Rating: 10/10
Ambiance Comments:
This map is dark and loud, something I would suspect from this map who's theme is definitely "war." From hiding in the trenches to coming out of the boat the map truly feels very war like, it's almost like watching "Apocalypse Now" or "Saving Private Ryan."
Other Comments:
Conclusion:
Overall this map tried to do too much and ended up with nothing at all. There is a lot of originality in this map, but mappers really need to learn to work with, not against, Quake 2's limitations. Overall this map is laggy, slow and uninspired design wise which leaves a bad taste in your mouth like an big special effects with no plot. I myself will take gameplay over flash and effects anyday.
Overall Rating: 6
Reviewed By: The Rookie
Review
Architecture Rating: /10 (Error in Review Form)
Architecture Comments:
Boring, but effective. Underground tunnel, plenty of bunkers, an attack ship, trenches, the works. A very nice... uhh.... well it IS a beachassault!
Looks Rating: 9/10
Looks Comments:
Well, it can't look too good cuz it's mostly just darkness :P
It's supposed to be dark though, so I'll give it a 9. It does look great though.
Gameplay Rating: 9/10
Gameplay Comments:
Nothin' beats a helicopter ride, especially with the cool music you get during your flight :)
The only thing that bugs me is the stupid mines. Desert had mines, but they were really easy to see, and you could avoid them at least. Beachassault mines are like REAL mines; therefore, you don't see them till you are toast (extra crispy like)... actually, they mostly just toss ya and you die from the fall. But enough of that, this maps fun
Ambiance Rating: 10/10
Ambiance Comments:
Woo hoo! Get down get down! Move in low boys, don't need ya getting yer sorry butt capped! Might as well put yourself on the frontlines for real, cuz this has an awesome feel to it.
Other Comments:
CREEEEEAAAAAKKKKK!!!! STUPID SHIP DOORS!! ACK! Some of the sounds are way to loud (unless my volume is screwy, but the M4 doesn't hurt my ears the way them doors do). The loud engine, the squeaky doors, and that cool helicopter music I mentioned are all pretty loud. The front door is loud too, but it's huge, I think it should be.
Conclusion:
Short and sweet. Rounds are over fairly quickly so my bloody corpse doesn't have to rot for very long. There are all kinds of things to keep you on your toes, and it's just downright smooth.
Overall Rating: 10
Reviewed By: eM|CRuD