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Tempus Irae Volunteers: Theatre of Pain
Posted By: Mark LevinDate: 12/7/03 9:39 p.m.

This level is much heavier on the combat than most of TI's levels, since at this point in the plot the Pfhor have decided to trap and attack you instead of waiting for you to come to them as they explore Earth. It's as much of a gauntlet as the level with that name is, but it's much more enjoyable due to a lack of switch hunting and better architecture.

The opening of the level is a small chink in the armor. One must activate an oddly shaped platform in order to be able to dive into a pool of slime and be teleported(!) to the top of the waterfall. Then, engage in a neat bit of ledge jumping before finding a large hidden door. There must be a better way to get the player out of the initial outdoor area.

This level uses the relatively rare (in TI) "hub" design, in which the player unlocks several sections which are each accessible from a single central area. The hub has 5 doors, 4 of which are used in the normal passage through the level. Aside from this hub, the level is actually quite linear, with very few switches far from the doors they operate. The architecture is very nice, creating the intended atmosphere of a real building.

On your way, you will encounter a ginormous ambush in some sort of church, a courtyard with a Juggernaut in it, and the Great Pillar. Nardo has a habit of naming particular features of their maps that I haven't really seen anywhere else. In this case, I don't think the Pillar is really all that Great; the stained-glass windows are nice (and a much better use of tiled textures than the Sistine Chapel was), but there are plenty of other pillars in the game and the Pillar is hardly the largest freestanding column ever placed in a Marathon map.

The passageways eventually return you to the first area, but now you have a key that unlocks the exit teleporter. But before you do, go back to the Great Pillar and grenade-hop onto its base. This opens the last door in the hub and the way to the secret level Never Satisfied (tab the walls near the bottle to open the teleporter).

There's no terminal on this level. Of course, there's really nothing for you to do here besides survive, and the Pfhor see no further reason to communicate.

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Replies:

Tempus Irae Volunteers: Theatre of PainMark Levin 12/7/03 9:39 p.m.
     Re: Tempus Irae Volunteers: Theatre of PainSteve Levinson 12/8/03 6:33 a.m.
           Re: Tempus Irae Volunteers: Theatre of PainMark Levin 12/8/03 12:16 p.m.



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