[img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/32617970/065feffb9de77f2f56ff3c318631d8a20db06972.jpg[/img] Hello everyone, and welcome back to Featured Mod! It's time to take a small break from solving all those puzzles and delve into some SERIOUS business. Today, we're featuring one of the most ambitious Serious Sam campaigns out there: [b]"Serious Sam Reborn"[/b] for Serious Sam 4, made by "Nonamewtff" Embark on a thrilling new adventure as Sam Stone, which will take you through a vast array of environments, from eerie dark swamps and dense forests to searing lava caves, medieval dungeons, and forsaken towns. Your mission? To unearth the long-lost Sirian artifact and take down Mental once and for all. With a total of 10 levels to explore, this journey promises 5 to 6 hours of immersive gameplay. Hunt for treasures and blast your way through hordes of enemies with some returning classic guns, now updated and loaded with new animations, such as the double uzis and the double-barrel shotgun. Additionally, dive into the excitement of trying out brand-new exclusive weapons like the powerful nitrogen gun, the Spencer rifle, or the Winchester! With an arsenal comprising five new guns, three returning classics, two secret weapons, and yes, even a banana! Moreover, certain guns feature special alternative modes that utilize fire points collected during your adventures—these will blow your enemies' minds, quite literally speaking. The mod doesn't incorporate the tree skill and dual-wielding mechanics introduced in Serious Sam 4. Instead, it provides increased movement speed, dash ability, quick weapon switch ability, and the return of serious power-ups! And if that doesn't quench your thirst for action, venture into Serious Sam Reborn Survival! With three different levels, each playthrough offers a unique experience, thanks to the randomized weapon mechanic. Every time you begin, you're equipped with a different set of weapons, requiring strategic thinking to maximize your chances of survival and outlast the onslaught. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3028764632 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3028124628 [h1]BASEMENT CHATS WITH YASEN[/h1] [b]⚪Hey "Nonamewtff", welcome to the basement, and congratulations on the amazing campaign you've made! Could you please introduce yourself to the readers and also share with us when you started modding for Serious Sam and when you began working on this huge campaign?[/b] Hey, glad to be here. My name is Alex (yeah, I actually have a name), and I’ve been a huge Serious Sam fan since my childhood. I started modding just a couple of years ago (in April 2021, I guess?) right after the Editor came out. It all started pretty spontaneously; I just got an idea of a simple HUD redesign, and made a concept, but had absolutely no idea how to actually realize it, as I’d never touched the Editor before. So at that point, I decided to join the Discord server to ask if anyone could do it for me, but since no one was actually interested, I was like, "Fine, I’ll do it myself." That’s how I was forced to open the Editor for the first time. Back in the day, I couldn’t even imagine that it would all end up in two years of work. [b]⚪Wow! While playing the campaign, I could never have imagined it was made by someone who had only 2-3 years of experience with the editor. How difficult was it to learn the editor on your own, what were the biggest challenges, and what advice would you give to people who are just starting to use the editor?[/b] The Editor may look scary at first, and it really scared the heck out of me as well, but if you really want to create something, if you have an idea - you will find ways to learn. Either by asking someone who is more experienced or by learning it on your own - you will get a result. It may be hard at the beginning, but when you get along with the tools, it will become satisfying when you see your ideas come true. [b]⚪What is your favorite part of Serious Sam Reborn that you feel proudest of, and is there a fun or interesting story from the development process that you can perhaps share with us?[/b] Good question. I'm sure everyone will agree that the final level, especially the last arena where you have to fight sirens on the tiny platforms surrounded by lava, is the best part of Reborn, hehe. Okay, jokes aside, I think it’s not a secret that Reborn was highly inspired by SS2, NE, and Xbox. These are personally my favorites in the series, and I've always been a huge fan of that goofy art style of those games. I think it adds a ton of personality to the game and Sam as a character himself. It's quite unfortunate that it was abandoned in the recent titles. So, I decided to ‘fix’ this minor inconvenience, and the main goal of Reborn was to reimagine that old cartoony art style and see how it would fit into a modern Sam game. I feel like I pulled it off pretty well, so it’s safe to say that it is the main feature that I feel proudest of. [b]⚪You definitely managed to pull off the Serious Sam 2 and NE vibes in this campaign. I think this campaign creates a very interesting mix of Serious Sam 2 and Serious Sam 4. But... now that this campaign is behind you, are you working on something else? And if yes, can you please share some secret information about it with us?[/b] Unfortunately, no other Sam-related projects are planned in the near future. It feels like I've realized everything I wanted and should move on to something else. (But maybe you can expect some small maps, like the recent Frost Coast that I made in ~3 days just to chill in the Editor, who knows.) [b]⚪The community will undoubtedly be eager for more from you in the future. Wishing you all the best in your endeavors, and a big thanks for joining us in the basement! It was a pleasure having you here. Feel free to share anything you'd like with the community for the finale![/b] Huge thanks to everyone who played, shared feedback, made videos or had any interest in my work, I really appreciate all the attention Reborn got. The worst thing that could’ve happen to the mod - is a lack of interest, but as long as people talk about it - I consider it as a success. Thanks again, and stay serious!