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Map Title: Palace of Chizra
Author: Kevin "Waffnuffly" Letz
From: Deja Vu 2: Gryphon Revisited
Filename: USP-09-Waffnuffly.unr
Music Files: UTemple.umx




Video Playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux2xhu7uIrU

Synopsis: Juan Brie makes it to a massive, royal palace dedicated to Chizra, the Nali water god.

Discuss!

My previous comments:

"One of the best maps in Deja Vu; a unique setting and visuals, lots of details, nice story integration and design that leads to non-standard gameplay. While I'm not normally a fan of "kill everything" objectives in Unreal it works well here and I don't think I've ever had a situation with this map where I've had to backtrack everywhere for stragglers."

Becomes ultra fun when you realize (or remember) the countless amount of Flak ammo you can find in it. In fact it's full of ammo everywhere. Unreal difficulty has a Giant Gasbag but afaik there was a Giant Manta too? I don't think there's a map that comes close as this when it comes to vegetation-filled courtyard for a rich royal palace middle-east style. The palace itself is ok nowadays but back in the day this good shit slowed down rigs.
The whole thing how the map works (the objectives) pretty much makes no sense - the messages explain what's the deal but the Skaarj really didn't have jet fighters ready to blast the place? Also did some humans manage to get through it?

I'm assuming the original concept of the level was going to be bigger than what we got, always felt like the last section was going to have more areas behind those locked doors, I guess the editor was starting to act like garbage and things got left as they were

Buff Skeleton wrote: 

just for him to see

Also tons of easter eggs in this one. One was a soundbite, two were hidden translator messages, another EE that wasn't finished / didn't work and the Mr Splooge one which could only be activated through console because it was bugged in coop. This level really had it all, definitely one of the top 3 big dogs of DV2.

Waffnuffly always made the most of his level space. This map is just another memorable example of that. There is a lot of stuff that just seems interesting and the player wants to explore and find things. This is good level design. It could have just been a building with a terrain space around it, but this is Waff so you have all kinds of little details that catch your attention. Then there is the combat, which is always fun when Waff as at the helm. That's a winning combination.

My comments from last time are pretty much in line with what everyone else said:

"The first long play of the pack (over an hour on my first playthrough). The side-plot involving Caruthers begins here - I remember liking that battle tank! Now that I know Waffnuffly's works better, I'm not surprised (I got around to playing Attacked! since then).
Amazing map, the setting is fleshed out really convincingly - and it feels unique (after all, we're not in the middle of a freakin' canyon for a change mind you I love canyons). Exploring the surroundings is awesome - yes, lots of plants, a good attempt at making a subtropical marsh, and the Palace of Chizra is a great place for a battle - lots of space, broad strokes for the architecture, impressive conceptual grandness. Tons of ennemies, too!
Solid in the story department as well.
After all that, the ending was a surprise - still some more challenge! Fits the spirit. Quite hard to get through!
Definitely one of the highlights of Déjà Vu 2.0."



Also, I want to go to the poetry reading