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Aesthetics:

The visual aspect of this level is beyond pleasing, nearing perfection. It is filled with religious connotations, dark, foreboding passageways and it brings back memories both great and spooky, of the time I used to spend playing Quake: the Demon King and Zerstorer. It's a mammoth and intricate level, sometimes too intricate for its own good. When it was released back in '99, Dark Citadel would have been quite hard on processors and accelerator cards both, but with the increased capacity of today's machines, there's really no excuse not to play it on poor framerate grounds anymore. The level is quite dynamic, with Lightning crashing down from the darkened sky on the exterior, and secret doors, lifts and traps all through the interiors. Sound is ever-present, with stormy and bleak sound effects adding to the mood. As to visual bugs, there are only a couple, a surface not flagged as invisible when it should be, (A window) and a negligibly misaligned texture or two. Astonishing, considering the huge size of the project. The lighting is, however, a little too dark for navigation in some places.

Gameplay:

Gameplay in the Dark Citadel is a strange, but compelling matter. Force Sight and the overhead map drops your framerate like a hot potato, so most of the time locating your adversaries is a large game of cat and mouse... which fits perfectly in with the atmosphere of the level. The macabre aspect of the graveyard, crypt and chapel locations is also beautifully used. There's nothing like quietly emerging from a coffin or open grave behind a spooked and unsuspecting opponent, and the secret areas and hidden chambers all over the map allow you to experience that thrill regularly. On the down side there are a couple of Super Shields to be had at very little risk, which in an advanced, Full Force game would be slightly annoying for the player who doesn't hog them as successfuly as his opponent. Speaking of Force Powers, the level provides well for both No Force and Full Force players, with both surges available, and boosts strewn around strategic locations. Likewise there are many guns and much ammo to be had in almost any location. A few surfaces have not been floor flagged where they should have been, but so few that they wouldn't affect gameplay ninety-five times out of a hundred. With the size of the level, quite a few players and probably team play would be neccesary to get the most out of the map.

Final Comments:

A classic, enjoyable, atmospheric level. Though I've made every effort to review Dark Citadel only on its own strengths, it's worth noting that since an editor like Tee made it, everyone should download it, period.

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