Review: Illhaven Saga

The original review, based on the old review schema:

This is a unique set of six maps along with an entry level and an exit level. The basic plot of the story is that you have returned to your harbor village of Illhaven to find that it has been overrun not just by an invading force of Krall, but a legion of demonic creations (Skaarj) as well. You have to find a way to escape Illhaven now that you're here, and it causes you to undertake a very exciting adventure.

In the first map, you enter Illhaven by boat to find demons lurking in and around the village. You have to get back to your ship to tell your crewmates. Combat is rather even throughout the map, and it consists mostly of Krall in pairs, and Krall Elite and Skaarj by themselves. It's quite understandable since you get a Razorjack and a Rifle almost immediately, in addition to the Dispersion Pistol in the introduction map. The darkness of the map is done very effectively, but every piece of volumetric lighting, in this and all other maps in the pack, is done improperly, so that the fire seems to hover a foot above the torch that it's supposed to burn from [This is a version issue to do with Kew using the "torchflame" actor rather than his own volumetric brushes -Scrag]. The village itself is designed to provide a decent amount of exploration, and the underground catacombs are mostly straightforward so that the player always knows where to go next. In addition, the character's thoughts and nostalgic musings are documented extensively through translator messages in the entire pack, providing an excellent storyline to follow. What I really have to complain about is the overabundance of armor in this level, even though I know that Kew wanted the player to finish the level with plenty of armor in his inventory.

The second map is a very inventive idea for a single player adventure. Set in the village's oldtown area after being overrun by Krall, the player has to make his way across town to the Black Raven Inn. This map is characterized by a significant lack of items, health, and ammunition, making it necessary for the player to avoid combat whenever possible. Doing so is not hard, since some of the Krall won't attack you unless they are touched, shot, or otherwise triggered, but it still provides an extremely eerie feeling for the player. The majority of the map is highly nonlinear, so it is quite easy to get lost unless you see something you recognize, but exploring the map to find the few items and secrets it contains is very gratifying.

The third map is where much of the story is told and where a large portion of the action takes place. At the Black Raven Inn, the player discovers that some of the creatures are frozen in time, and other creatures are unable to see him at all. The player follows a trail of books through this section of town to find out exactly what happened to Illhaven to make these strange conditions present, and he eventually discovers that he must vanquish the demons himself if he is ever going to escape Illhaven. The exploration of the castle at the end is set up quite nicely by the ambushing Pupae hiding in various places, but the "final chapter," as it is called, was rather disappointing. It's too easy to hide behind things in the arena, or even leave the arena through the door that doesn't close as it's supposed to. Also, the music doesn't change to reflect the new mood in the level, which greatly disrupts gameplay in this area. Finally, the combat sequence with the demons went from hardest to easiest, which also detracted from the climactic effect of the level.

The fourth map could be considered both the best map and the worst map in the pack. It is unique and awestriking, but it has several technical flaws that make it very frustrating. It is about facing the mutant Queen, the sister of the one you already killed, and sending the last of the demons back to hell. First, I must say that the map's architecture provides a major supply of awe for the player, all while keeping the map quite playable in terms of framerate. In addition, the ambient sounds and the chosen music for the level give it a truly magical feeling. However, like the last map, this map's most obvious flaws are present within its major combat scene. For example, the idea of getting Titans to help you fight the Queen was clever, but it makes it possible to defeat the Queen without firing a single shot. Also, freeing the Titans doesn't work right, since trying to open one of the doors causes the other to open instead. Finally, many of the areas that become open to you don't stay open, so it is possible to lose your opportunity to leave the level if you spend too much time exploring.

The fifth map is just a short return to the outside of the castle and the Black Raven Inn after you manage to return from underground. There isn't anything really good or bad about it, except a battle with a large group of Krall Elite that can be minorly exciting. This map exists mainly so that the story's continuity is kept intact.

The final map has some interesting ideas used within it. After spending the night in the White Horse Tavern, you wake up the next morning to find that most of Illhaven has frozen over due to a snowstorm. Despite the nearly intolerable weather, you have to find a way to leave Illhaven. The first thing that you will notice is that even though you are able to see most of the outdoor areas, you are not able to access any of them except the one by which you leave. Also, the map doesn't have as much fighting as any of the others, since your main goal is to escape from the village, but there are a few small battles with Krall and Pupae that make it worthwhile. The only way to get to the end is through sheer exploration, which is set up quite well throughout the map. Even near the end, Kew still decides that the story could use a little more detail, which is uncovered in terms of a betrayal by one of the monks whose ghost still inhabits the priory you find. Near the end, where you leave the priory through the front doors, there is a slightly larger section of combat that you can indulge in, or you can just run past it to finish the maps. Note: you need to copy UTtech1.utx from Unreal Tournament's texture folder into Unreal's texture folder to play this map.

The exit map is just a little icing on the cake for those who felt that the last map didn't have enough of an ending. While it's only a little more interesting than the introduction map, it does provide a more satisfactory ending, and it leaves the player with a few last words about Illhaven.

Overall, Illhaven is a very worthy set of maps that is only marred by a few technical flaws. Its story is complete and continuous, and doesn't leave the player wondering about anything present in the maps. It sets itself apart from other single player adventures as being something more medieval in theme, and it presents the feeling of having more magic than technology quite effectively. There are locales with really cool architecture, and almost nothing looks or feels unrealistic unless it's meant to. I would advise anyone who wants to see something different out of Unreal single player to try out this set of maps, but I will reiterate that you need a texture package from Unreal Tournament to play all of it.