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Wiping Away the Dirt and Glue. This is not a daVinci level. The name derives from the process used to restore Michaelangelo's paintings. The Sistine Chapel was also created by Michaelangelo. Even the terminal on this level is not from daVinci - it is the first such terminal in the scenario:
I, Bernardo Cirillo, was sent to this place by the Council of Ten. The Venetians wanted to acquire the manuscripts that Leonardo da Vinci had been hiding from them, manuscripts that they considered their rightful property, given their generous -- if secret -- patronage of the Florentine. If I could not acquire these peacefully, I was to torture and kill Leonardo, in order to obtain these manuscripts. I never questioned this mission.
I had heard the rumors about Leonardo, that he was close to death, that the Shadow of Death had been seen behind him, in the piazza, at high noon. Old wives' tales, I had thought.
The Shadow of Death has shown me things. What he will make of Italy...of Europe...of all Christendom...it is a devil. It...
God, help me!
What a cheery terminal! In any case, this level was the first one constructed and it was the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel that largely inspired the scenario. Now I've been to the real Sistine Chapel. The one in TI is very nice and quite inspiring, but it's no match for the real thing. Truth be told, with the exception of the Sistine Chapel, this level is not that inspiring - I'm not at all surprised that it was the first one done. Although there are some cool tricks, the level seems rather contrived. Taking lava baths is nothing new in Marathon, but it seems out of place here. The lava fountain is nice eye candy, but where does it fit in the scheme of things. The lava river is pretty cool - I'll grant the Nardo team that one, even though I know that real lava solidifies fairly quickly when exposed to air. The biggest problem I have with the level, however, is the cryptic nature by which it must be traversed. It's not a matter of flipping switches to expose new areas - one must traverse specific areas and attempt to open locked doors. Still, it's a lot of fun to play, highly challenging (and very difficult in spots) and visually stunning. That the Nardo team would spend so much time trying to reproduce the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is amazing - I've only they'd had AO with its high-res capabilities back then!
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