Urban Terror Review: Abbey by Tub

Abbey by Tristan “Tub” Barrett
| Tristian “Tub” Barrett | Score: 4.0 | By Oswald |

Urban Terror everywhere, even in Abbey. This small monastery always remained in peace. But Silicon Ice Development’s Level Designer Tub makes this town the unlikely center of some of the most intense action in online covert operations to one of the most unlikely of places. A beautifully playing map and with some of the best bot-play in our lineup, Abbey is great for online and your single player gaming enjoyment.

Texturing [3.5]
Not meant to be looked upon in a negative light, some of the texturing has been criticized as being “cartoonish.” While many of the textures mesh well, the orange roof tiles do seem a bit bright and out of place. All the building textures are quite similar in appearance, a mix of browns, tans and yellows, to create a “holy” atmosphere. The interior details are very catchy, with detailed motifs, that line the walls and floors. Similar in nature is the intricate detail on the exterior walls of the abbey. Fortunately the texturing does complement the level well, even the bright roof tiles.

Ambiance: [4.0]
The tone of the level is set by the loud pipe organ that emanates from the abbey as gamers negotiate the level, especially near the courtyard. At times, when the action takes place neat the abbey courtyard the level of the organ music can be a bit overbearing and repetitive. Nonetheless, the music is a well placed feature in Abbey. As you move further away from the abbey, the organ music fades and the serenity of chirping birds can be heard. There are some great lighting effects inside many of the hallways and rooms. The flickering of flames fill many of the areas with a warm, inviting and comfortable glow. If the overall level of brightness was decreased, the atmosphere would be heighten, increasing the ambiance through the entire level.

Creative Spark: [4.0]
Overall, Abbey is a very well designed level, from the spawn points to the layout. Tub seems to have captured the same sort of spirit he did in Village and raise the bar, in terms of his abilities and the quality of this Urban Terror level. What makes Abbey so successful, is the layout, while not limiting gamers to one specific route, the map flows from side to side very well. Unlike previous Urban Terror levels, Abbey adheres to the horizontal plane, and rarely takes advantage of the an extreme change in elevation. Even those areas, such as the balconies and open windows can be accessed by using the ledge climbing feature.

Construction: [4.0]
One of the more complex and well designed layout for an Urban Terror level can be seen in Abbey. Each team has a well defined starting area, which cause teams to battle for control and dominance near the center portion of the level, near the fountain. The layout allows for multiple routes to be taken when crossing the level. Combine this point with many long, narrow hallways and open windows to negotiate and this level plays very well, usually giving a game a second and third option. There seems to be a few visibility problems when looking towards the belfries that rise from the abbey, as they disappear from view when standing in a few select points on the level.

Playability: [5.0]
Abbey has excellent flow and overall playability that can be attributed to the design and layout. Many of the routes across the level have choke points that cause teams to face off in a heavy exchange of fire. As mentioned before, there are many long, unobstructed hallways and areas that cater to sniper fire. Off the beaten path of Abbey, gamers can climb up a few of the rooftops and through windows or onto balconies. Bushes, gardens and shrubbery lines many of the buildings, that offer some camouflage, making it difficult to sense gamers who are perched in those areas.

6th Sense: [4.0]
Abbey was development team favorite, as it was one of the first levels completed for Beta 2. There were many hours spent playing Capture & Hold or Deathmatch on this level. This is one of those levels that does work well with all the game modes for Urban Terror Beta 2. While the map is loaded with many twists and turns, along with multiple options for a gamer in a “less than holy” situation, there is potential to increase the playability. Gamers love to go vertical for some reason. While the roof tops are not accessible, minimal access to the abbey would have added a bit of dimension to this level. Can you say sniping bastards? There was also talk to replace the statue that rests in the fountain, with a statue of David by Michelangelo [model courtesy of Meaty], look for it in a future release!

Final Score: [4.0]
[Oswald] Abbey has truly grown on me, since the first time I played it. Unlike many of the other levels, Abbey plays unlike another other Urban Terror level we have seen. A very enjoyable level, which plays as it was designed. Straight forward. Much of the action is very fast paced and does not allow gamers to take that “wait and see” approach. You do that, you won’t be alive when the round ends.