Hey everyone! Continuing our nostalgic quest through old-but-gold maps, today were covering Synthesis of the Soul by Tahazzar! Not to be confused with its remake, Synthesize the Soul, which we'll touch upon later. Tazz describes it as the first map hes publicly released, and its an unbelievably strong start. Although it doesnt feature any fancy scripting or gimmicks, it already shows Tazzs trademark love for hard and enormous levels.
Here, youre tasked with wiping out the patrons of a club, with a long bar area at the top, and various seating areas on the way up. Of course, any self-respecting bar of this size must have four bartenders, at least. Three are just for show, but the fourth is so good at his job that he can pour drinks while upside down. Now thats talent.
Of course, where theres bartenders theres phylacteries, scattered all around, with some being closer to their owners and others not so much. As such, the level quickly turns into a fun little adventure, mainly consisting of fighting your way to the bottles with what little weaponry you have at your disposal. Unlock vents, shoot bartenders to tell where their bottles are, and scavenge for ammo youll need plenty for this job.
Now, if youre having trouble with this level, whether due to its difficulty or its performance issues, thats where Synthesize the Soul comes in. Its a remake of the level intended to address the problems of the original, with a reduced enemy count and map size, meaning its much less taxing on both your skills as a player and on your PC.
The original I personally find more enjoyable, but the remake is more focused and performs better. If you want a challenge, play the original version, while if you just want a more laidback taste of Tazzs distinct mapmaking style, go for the remake. Play it now!