Last Rites (MS-DOS)

I edited this picture together from a couple of screenshots to get rid of the text, because it's too awesome to be obscured. It's a shame there's no way this game is going to live up to this.

The level one briefing picture, also slightly de-texted. They're determined to really build up the inevitable let down aren't they?

Oh, it's a first person shooter. Those graphics are very familiar, but I suppose looking like Duke Nukem 3D isn't so bad. Actually that building has gaps above and below the block of windows, which is something Duke Nukem's Build engine can't do, so it's a little more advanced in that at least.

I followed this guy around for a couple of seconds before I realised he was following me. I've got a team with me!

Nice gun model there. Man, these streets go on forever, and they seem completely abandoned.

Oh shit, zombies! I think. They're kind of hard to make out in the distant darkness.

My team actually run straight in, and start killing them all before I do. They seem competent AND useful.

It's a shame I can't my guys apart from the enemies at a distance. Though fortunately there doesn't seem to be any friendly fire. In the interests of science I unloaded my pistol into one of my guys, and they weren't even scratched.

Though someone else has been shot it seems, because I'm down one guy. I guess I should stop wandering around randomly and see what the orange dot on my scanner is before I get my whole team wiped out by random zombie groups.

At the orange dot I found a tiny L shaped room in a building, protected by sentry guns.

But there's a switch in there (and a shotgun). Flicking the switch puts a new orange dot on the radar, so I head off to this new destination.

I decided to see if I could heal or revive my fallen comrade along the way, but he seems a bit too far gone.

Second objective, more sentry guns...

And another identical L shaped room, with another switch.

But I got killed by my the sentry turrets and had to start again from the beginning of the level. Because it didn't even occur to me that the game might let me save wherever I wanted. But hey, I got my full team back so it all worked out.

And you know, I didn't mind replaying it. It's nice to do a bit of brainless zombie shooting with my AI buddies sometimes. Duke Nukem 3D this ain't though.

Wow, I've finally found the edge of the level (I guess), marked by a blue forcefield. Weirdly there's a health kit and zombies out there that I can't reach.

A few switches later and the level is finished. I even beat the par time!

Whoa, the next level is set in a well lit mall?

Uh, I guess we're on the roof of the mall. I'm sure it's brighter inside.

Oh shit, the lift dropped me straight into an army of zombies. It wouldn't be so bad if I could see anything. I decide that the appropriate tactic is to run around screaming and firing blindly into the crowd.

Nasty. At least I can confirm that I am on the rooftops now.

Damn, these corridors are so dark that I have to constantly fire my gun just to see where I'm going. Knowing my luck there's probably a really obvious way to light these tunnels up, but I have no idea what it is.

Uh, fuck... sorry! Damn, it never occurred to me that firing my gun blindly down a hallway in the dark might be dangerous.

It would have been nice if the fire at least lit the place up, but nope.

Okay this is just ridiculous. Perhaps my screen isn't calibrated right, but this image is entirely black for me. If there's a light switch, or a power generator or something in here, I can't find it. I've got infinite pistol ammo, but not infinite patience, so I'm giving up here.


Next game.