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Level: Mercenary Depot back home search
Author(s): Trocinth
total rating:7.08 Gameplay &
Puzzles		 Enemies,
Objects &
Secrets		 Atmosphere,
Sound &
Cameras		 Lighting &
Textures
Andi Croft 6 6 9 9
CC 7 5 7 5
davep83 7 6 6 7
Dimpfelmoser 7 6 7 7
Freeman Porter 7 6 7 7
G.Croft 6 8 7 8
Gerty 8 6 7 8
Jbc21 7 9 8 9
Kristina 8 7 8 8
MichaelP 7 5 7 7
Mrs rjb 8 6 7 8
Orbit Dream 7 5 8 7
Phil 8 8 8 8
RaiderGirl 7 7 8 8
Sash 7 6 7 8
Torry 8 7 8 8
Treeble 6 7 7 7
Whistle 7 6 6 5
category averages
(18 reviews)		 7.11 6.44 7.33 7.44

Reviewer's comments

"This adventure takes us into the heart of a warehouse full of crates, and a couple of leopards, of all things. The camera angle is well used at the beginning. This place has certainly seen better days, very grey and dull texture wise. The textures do change throughout the game, some rooms look nothing like a depot whilst some do. The main task to begin with is finding your way to a bike to get up a slope, then finding a nitrous oxide for the bike to get across a gap, avoiding leopards, bats, SAS and machine guns whilst doing so. There appears to be a bug with the door next to the jump switch as you can walk straight through it but not back. I also find the machine guns unavoidable - there’s no way of not losing health. Then we find a way to open a door to allow the bike up another slope, leading to another area where Lara has to climb up and down a few times and pull a few levers creating a floating bridge, I don’t find this room appealing in gameplay or texturing, and the long slope near the end has a flame at the bottom which you may not necessarily touch so could be stuck forever. Lighting is sometimes very good such as the last room, but others it’s very dull. Standard sound but texture sounds aren’t really used such as on metal floors etc. There is no finish trigger but only a sign signifying the end. Net gameplay 20 minutes." - davep83 (05-Aug-2012)

"This is a neat little level that I had much fun playing in preparation for writing the walkthrough. It's fairly straightforward and not too difficult, although it has a few challenging touches along the way. The use of the motorbike was quite creative, requiring you to dismount and perform necessary tasks along the way. Enemies are standard fare: SAS, dogs and bats. There are two sentry guns that wound you grievously before you're in a position to exact revenge by blowing them away. Near the end is a deep room requiring you to erect an ice bridge before you can make your escape. A great half hour or so for beginning and seasoned raiders alike. Don't remember finding any secrets. Recommended." - Phil (22-Aug-2005)

“An interesting level to play (after a fairly slow start whilst searching for the crowbar.) The motor bike was used in two fairly innovative jumps and wasn't used just as a quick form of travel. Although the action all takes place in a warehouse it does not have any crates that move! Despite that the game provided good entertainment and some pleasant surprises such as the ice bridge found near the end of the game. The end is obviously signaled even though not triggered. I feel that it's well worth having a try with this game.” – Mrs rjb (11-Dec-2004)

”I really liked this level from a good old fashioned tomb raiding fun point of view. We're in a warehouse/base type setting that is very well laid out but the textures are a little hard on the eye, they just didn't come through as convincing, to me anyway, it may also have had something to do with the lighting. I liked getting the bike early and bringing it along with you, you have to stop and do different things along the way, and you can use it near the end to run over guards. The ice bridge was a clever trick but it seemed out of place here. Nevermind, the whole level was great fun and well worth the tiny download.” – CC (29-Apr-2003)

”It's only 30 minutes long, or thereabouts, so it'll never achieve classic status; but nevertheless, this level really is a pleasure. The design is rather clever; there's plenty of movement; some ingenious little puzzles; and the whole adventure (while not being too easy) moves along at a really decent pace. Definitely one for the 'levels that ought to be better known' category.” – Orbit Dream (01-Feb-2003)

“Having a cup of coffee and a nice break from the kitchen this is probably the only level I play this Xmas and I must say I was glad that I chose this one. What a great level might even start to like base levels. At the start find that crowbar as you need it. Then there is that bike ride but you need to stop in between as there is the Nitrous Oxide Feeder to find or else how can you make that jump. Finding the lasersight and revolver are nicely done and now you can disable those sentry guns. The timed door was a piece of cake and very considerate of the author to give a little hint that it was indeed a timed run. There is no end trigger but you’ll know that you reached it. Have a go at it. 24-12-2002” – Gerty (29-Dec-2002)

“This is a small but fine level a mini-download of 0 4 MB! Gives good and fluent gameplay for about 30-40 minutes. First you have to find the motorbike and free it there are some SAS-Guards in your way. Then you can drive up the slope now awaiting 2 sentry guns you have to find the way to eliminate them very well made and not too difficult. After getting the nitro for the motorbike it’s possible now to make the big jump to get into the last game part. One lever triggers an invisible bridge good idea. This level demonstrates that older levels still can be good also for beginners playable.” – Freeman Porter (13-Sep-2002)

“Mercenary Depot doesn't have any hard puzzles tricky jumps or spectacular effects but I still had a lot of fun exploring the many areas destroying the machine guns riding the bike and making a few fun jumps along the way. I often found I had a few choices which path to take next but whichever way you pick there's always a way back to where you started so you can't get stuck by choosing the wrong path. Considering the setting I expected a lot of soldiers and was pleasantly surprised to find only a few and most of those you can just run over with the bike which is always fun. Near the end there is an invisible bridge which is a nice effect and also a very tricky slide/jump/grab puzzle that took me a few tries. Overall a good solid entertaining 30 minute level.” – RaiderGirl (24-Jul-2002)

“This level is built on the new city wad and actually was very very good in my opinion at least. There were some tricky tunnels to explore mounted mini guns to avoid and a nice bike ride complete with jumps to keep you happy. Textures were good and surprise surprise the lighting was good as well.” – Torry (15-Jul-2002)

“This is a really well done city level set inside a many-leveled warehouse-like building. The progression through the game is plotted out very nicely as you ride a motorbike for short distances only to get off to accomplish some side adventure allowing the bike to further advance. Although there was not that many pick-ups to be found in this level the ones that you do find are crucial and perfectly placed as was the positioning of the guards. There is also a great use of an invisible platform and sneaky hidden monkey bar near the end that had me reloading more often than I would like to remember.” – Sash (21-Jun-2002)

“A warehouse setting and a very fluent 30 minutes adventure that is quite entertaining. Took me a while to find the crowbar and then the bike. Later you take out a sentry gun to get to the nitro feeder and progress through many trap doors make the big jump with the bike and the ‘ice bridge’ was a cool effect. Tricky slide and jump to monkey bars near the end. I found the textures a little too much of a mix and lighting was also not too impressive but anyway a good fun level with nice use of the bike.” – Michael (21-Jun-2002)

”This was a 30 minutes level that was set in some depots, as the name suggests. I was expecting more enemies to kill, as there were only few SAS and dogs. Gameplay is straightforward; a tricky part was finding the oxide for the motorbike, which was not so hard though. Texturization was very good, mainly on the crates, but the lighting was really simple. Oh, and be sure to not slide down the ramps holding your guns!” – Treeble (21-Jun-2002)

“Short but full of action and thrill! This would be my overall appreciation of this level! Textures and lights are so nice! I really freaked out when those two strange-looking dogs at the beginning attacked me! The plot is quite great although not always obvious but I liked the part when you have to gather weapons and nitro can without being drilled out by the machine guns!” – Jbc21 (21-Jun-2002)

“You enter some kind of a warehouse and have to find your way through running and climbing and motorcycling. The dogs and the guards made me jump high a few times but I didn’t use any medipacs in this short rather easy level took me about 30 minutes to finish.” – G.Croft (21-Jun-2002)

“Not a bad little level some nice touches having to think out your route and not just follow the path blindly. Nice use of an ice bridge and switches. Some of the wall structures a little thin being transparent at time and the door from the timed run could be sneaked under when it had shut. All in all a good level for the beginner / intermediate player.” – Whistle (21-Jun-2002)

“An enjoyable level with a nice flow. Everything is in the right place you can’t get stuck in it. One timed run wasn’t hard at all but rather interesting. The textures are quite nice in a light blue colour and in some of them you can detect a little snow. It is a depot with crates around and the bike along with the canister give you the extra speed you need to proceed. Levers are the key to the next area while SAS guards are trying to give you a hard time as well as a couple of sentry guns the revolver is what you need at that point. I liked the shiny water - a nice effect and the transparent walkway to finally reach the last lever which will help to end the level. There is no finishing trigger but only because the author chose to ‘write’ the end on a wall in the last room. I am sure it can give you a pleasant half an hour.” – Kristina (21-Jun-2002)

“This is a short but a great city-level. The camera is very good you can see all doors going open. The textures were nice and the enemies are only soldiers. I was riding a motor-bike before I must find the petrol for it. I was playing 35 minutes for this easy but for my eyes this was a colorfully adventure.” – Andi Croft (21-Jun-2002)

“37 minutes of good clean fun including a smashing ride on a motorbike a couple of sentry guns an easy timed run a handful of mercenaries a few reservoir dogs too many levers some climbs swims and a nice jump from the slope at the end. Most importantly no crawls which is very uncommon for this kind of level but very much appreciated. The bike is put to good use but you have to leave it every once in a while to open the gates that stop your progress. The setting is solid though not too spectacular the gameplay is fast and the secrets really hard to find or non existent. I liked it well enough. Extra points for making it impossible to miss the crowbar.” – Dimpfelmoser (21-Jun-2002)
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