Sapient6 has done two other Unreal Tournament maps:DOM-VertigoRidge and DM-AcidBurn. While I haven't had the oppourtunity to play VertigoRidge (and domination isn't really my thing), I reviewed AcidBurn on Nali City. Let me just say it was a quite unique map - and was very well made but had a few glitches. So let's see how Absolution stacks up.

Absolution looks to be set in an olden temple or other place that someone with too many crops that year built. It has a few strange-shaped holes in the roof that help to add to the atmosphere. One room has a very complex ramp system in it to get you to a few places, but also to get you some nice fragging. The walls on the ramp are too high to jump over, so you will probably get caught and killed on a ramp a few times. Not that this really detracts from gameplay, because you will also have your fair share of ramp fragging. In one of the rooms, there is a raised platform that - as far as I (or the bots) have seen, can only be accessed by a translocator. Once you get to the top, you can find ammo, body armor, and something else. Sapient6 included the acoustic dampener from original Unreal. Apparently, it's still alive and well in Unreal Tournament. The dampener completely silences your gun when you shoot it. While this doesn't help immensly against bots since they know no physics, online this could prove useful. This map has some replayability in it, but it is smothered by a few things. For one, this is a larger level with some places getting pretty detailed. It didn't stutter on my system, but on my friend's P2-266, it stuttered a bit in these places. Also, the ramps could be considered a nieusance by some because they are unescapable (is that even a word?) at most times. The bots play this level fairly decent. A few points are set up improperly so the bots camp with their heads right up against the wall... especially near the lift in the level (see screenie). Also, in the one room with the rocket launcher, they will walk in, grab one of the rocket packs, fall down into the room below, and THEN translocate back up into the room, but on the other side, and pick up the rocket launcher. Errr... am I missing something. Is that the newest strategy for first-person shooters? This map flows nicely. You are basically relegated to one route and you really can't deter much from it and expect to keep in stock of weapons and ammo. Items are placed - decently. The ammo is pretty close to the weapon - and there is also ammo scattered throughout the level as well, so you should always keep in stock. The keg 'o health is too easily accessable ... just up a lift and there you are! The damage amplifier is accessable through a teleport or by swimming backwards against a pretty stong current. The theme of this level is executed fairly well - you feel like you are in the olden temple or evil place throughout the whole level. The architecture of this level is good. If there was a way to keep the framerates up in all of the more detailed areas, it would be good, but that might not be totally possible without tearing apart the level completely. The textures, lighting, and sound are average. Nothing to comment about them - although I did like how the torches casted a kind of eerie glow.

This is a good level. Ranks right up there with AcidBurn. It could use some revamping ... but overall a well thought out effort by Sapient6.