Review: Panic 2

Atomic Pop certainly wanted to make a level pack that was different and stood out.
Mon, 06/18/2018 - 01:01 - by zYnthetic

Project information

Title
Panic 2
Author
Atomic Pop
Platform
Unreal
Scale
Small Campaign

Main review

The original review, based on the old review schema:

Panic 2, Hostile Takeover is a Total Conversion Single player episode for Unreal. Atomic Pop went all out on this. The only thing that retains the original Unreal game is, of course, the engine and the player models.

The episode features new guns, monsters, textures, sounds, and music. Yes, as you may be thinking, Panic 2 is a sequel. Atomic Pop made Panic (1) a Quake 2 TC. Do not "panic" though. It is not required for you to play Panic before Panic 2. Panic 2 is the kind of sequel that you can understand and enjoy without any prior knowledge of it's predecessor.

First of all, let me say that if you're looking for something completely differnt, this is for you. I was astounded the first time I played Panic 2 and saw how different it was compared to other Unreal single player levels. The textures are crisp and create a new atmoshere. Music, or whatever you call it, is definately different. Sounds are as alien as the new characters you find. The story in Panic 2 revolves around Aliens trying to take over Earth-based music. That doesn't float your boat considering you spent $20 for Tool tix (well not really, but you don't like it anyway).

Panic 2 is in a way, your classic fps by plot standards. The more levels you progress through, you fight harder enemines until you reach a boss at the end of the episode. Three new weapons are introduced as are seven new enemies and a boss character.

By design, Atomic Pop has enabled Panic 2 to retain a sense of humor throughout the episode. The levels themselves seem simplistic and out of proportion but with the new textures and almost comical enemies parading around, the design seems to fit, transforming the enviroment into a very alien atmoshere.

The bright colors and cartoonish style of Panic 2 may turn some people away from this pack but these elements are just a reminder to have fun while playing. Atomic Pop certainly wanted to make a level pack that was different and stood out.

Summary

Old Score: 8.5

Score
Build (0%)
  • Architecture
    Imagination, realism and detail of structures used in the design of the level.
    0
  • Texturing
    Use of textures in the level. Technically speaking, alignment and scaling. Choice of textures, and quality of any custom textures used.
    0
  • Lighting
    Lighting of the level: does it look cool? Use of light colour and other effects, and sourcing of lighting (no light out of nowhere).
    0
  • Sound
    Use of ambient sounds and event sounds to give the level atmosphere, and the quality of any custom sounds. Appropriate use of music and silence to complement the atmosphere.
    0
  • Technical Execution
    Technical soundness of the level, i.e. no visual glitches, no random deaths or other gameplay bugs, and a good framerate.
    0
Cast (0%)
  • Conceptual Grandness
    Scale, imagination, awe & originality of design and layout, physical foreshadowing of future areas.
    0
  • Story Construction
    Backing story & progression via translator, subplots, and script of voice acting where applicable. Logical choice of opposition.
    0
  • Story Implementation
    Progression of the written story via the events of the level, and performance of voice actors where applicable.
    0
  • Gameplay Awe
    Quality of scripted sequences, originality and staging of combats. Maps that force the player to "learn by dying" will be penalised.
    0
  • Gameplay Balance
    Balance of weapons and items to creatures, including difficulty settings. Most importantly, fun factor.
    0
Rating
Not present
Score
0%