Hello everyone, to one of the more irregular digests on this gaming platform.
For your long wait to be paid off, we decided to bring something big - “Controlled Freak” by the ever-so familiar SockPuppet. Once again he delivers a map with fantastic visuals, absurd storytelling, amazing innovations and difficulty cranked up to the max.
The level is a direct continuation of “One Trick Puppet”, and as such, begins with you deciding what kind of events went down in that previous level. This opens up three routes in total, each unique from one another by the difficulty and design, and we’re gonna look at each one.
ROUTE ONE: TARGET DEAD, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
The main juice is contained in the very first stage, with you having to wipe out the building just to kill your target, for the only weapon that can kill him is unlocked by collecting all keycards. If you ask me, the Scythe might be your best pal on this one.
This route is particularly notable for how Puppet uses the editor to create interesting gameplay (and story) elements. In this particular route, there’s an immortal bartender who dies only after collecting all the keycards, as well as spawning "the only weapon that can kill him". Cool stuff, right?
There's also a very cool cutscene which I’m not gonna spoil. Here’s a tip though.
It also has one of the better designed levels, with the rooms being just the right size, gorgeously decorated and having fair enemy placement.
We also get to witness cool stuff that's disabled (not cut) in the main game, such as a sewered lich arm, which is a really cool (and somewhat overpowered) weapon and a flare which… doesn’t really do anything aside from emiting light.
ROUTE TWO: TARGET DEAD, CHALLENGE NOT ACCEPTED
If you ask me, this one is the hardest of them all: there are huge constructions filled to the brim with all sorts of undead on almost every corner, with you having not much weaponry & ammunition to use (unless, of course, you grab a pair of D+T out of your car).
To our advantage, however, is a large ventilation system, allowing us to effectively flank our enemies and take their guns. Use caution, kill the lights and conserve cool guns for the big guys.
There’s also a flashbang on the third stage that, if used correctly, will give you a room full of dead bodies and shotguns in roughly ten seconds.
ROUTE THREE: TARGET ESCAPED
This one starts off rather bland - the first stage is rather linear and doesn’t feature any stunning design choices or unique visuals, and the level merely serves as one to tell a story rather than to entertain with gameplay. There are some vents and one trap but that’s about it.
The second stage, however, gets the level back on its feet. This stage is really where the meat of this route is. Multiple entrances, challenging but fair enemies, and an interesting design. A classic deadbolt level. There’s a lot of different ways to tackle this level, so see what best works for you! You’ll contend with backup on your way out, so don’t waste all of your ammo.
After this, the player talks to God in a pretty well made replica of the original safehouse and heads into the docks, where the story is ended on a cliffhanger. Boy, I wonder which route is the canon one?
Overall, I would say that I enjoyed myself playing this level, all three routes had something special and entertaining to them, and I would suggest you play them too. Might get you hooked into the story as well, who knows?