[b]Hey everyone![/b] Happy New Year! You may have noticed our absence over the last couple of months – we took that break to recharge for new MotWs and deal with real life things. But enough about that! We decided to make the most of the New Year and organise something special just for the occasion – [url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1954166401]a New Year Themed Mapping Collab![/url] We figured it’d be a nice opportunity to bring the community together and celebrate this time of year, and even if we didn’t get all that many submissions, the [i]love and dedication[/i] of the creators can be felt in each one of the ones we’ll be reviewing today. [h2]Reincarnation of a Community[/h2] First up on our list is [url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1954829541]“Reincarnation of a Community”, by PDF_Survivor_482 and Classic_Cheese18![/url] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/11430809/883ea6cdc4fd5ab4d319bf9fe37477abd23e8ade.png[/img] We consider it to be the best entry of the bunch – it’s outstanding both in gameplay and level design, but the scripting and usage of triggers is what truly makes it. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/11430809/2a46766ca87645a37d557afae7d90a9ca979a3de.png[/img] [i]choose a question with a smaller reapo[/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/11430809/cc5ab49e34938eb6d2039d36bd5c928cef3b0bff.png[/img] [i]or get spooked. hard.[/i] Simply put, you are on a quest to [i]assassinate[/i] all the other mapmakers in the community to ensure [b]Cheese’s[/b] place as the best mapper of all time. You’ll be going through plenty of unique scenarios as you strive to elevate [b]Cheese[/b] via process of [i]elimination.[/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/11430809/41930f76f5fdd7bb8cdd32ecf2742c318488da9b.png[/img] The dialogue is witty and adds some nice flair to the map, and the creators were even nice enough to present the player with two different [b]routes[/b] towards completion – one for reapers who are [i]up for a challenge[/i] and one for reapers who are willing to [i]endure many deaths[/i] and [i]memorise[/i] every trick the levels have up their sleeves. It’s got a little something for everyone. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/11430809/d9d790279a34cba329f08c2c58c312721d724c79.png[/img] [h2]Newbolt[/h2] Next up is [url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1951138078]“Newbolt2020”[/url], the very first map that its author, [b]Tabu,[/b] has created. For a first map it’s very ambitious: [i]different routes, massive levels, impressive visual design, and a whole lot of cutscenes.[/i] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/11430809/7f03b7113c184777e3625f6d315cc704fb54087d.png[/img] When boiled down to the basic premise, the different “directions” that the map can take you in are essentially all arenas where you fight off waves of enemies, as well as the usual style of DEADBOLT level and whatever dialogue Tabu has come up with. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/11430809/45e39a48cbacc5fbf604d52012a211a007eb2c46.png[/img] Now, this one won’t be for everyone, especially due to various flaws that differ in severity depending on your chosen route – the waves usually consist of enemies being stacked upon one another, many portions can be something of a tedious grind, and some of the jokes are sure to fly over the heads of many, being influenced by Russian internet culture. Yet I just so happen to be exactly the kind of person willing to sit through something if it looks possible, and in a weird way it feels like it was worth it in the end. And even with said drawbacks, the visuals never fail to impress. I mean, just take a look at this: [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/11430809/cc4dcec5bbdd4ea3b52b3700d819a764f113e05d.gif[/img] So yeah, if being confined to small arenas and pushing your way through waves of enemies sounds like something you wouldn’t mind spending your time on, then this one’s for you. And if not, then hey, whatever Tabu comes up with next may be more your style. [h2]New Year's Wine[/h2] [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/11430809/66b7bf55ebd7a8ae2894b82f81018f4b7936fbee.png[/img] And last, our final entry is [url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1948202256]“New Year’s Wine” by LittleHorn![/url] This is a nice wind down from the crazier gameplay presented by the maps above. It’s a short linear story about our Reapo helping the Candles out by getting some wine for the New Year’s celebration. It’s pure, simple, charming, and heartwarming. And, of course, it’s got some cool fiddling with the trigger system if you look under the hood. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/11430809/527d5a1e8135f2d90662ce7c64e2d8bed7103e8a.png[/img] And there you have it. Three cool and kinda-New-Year-themed maps (they’ve all got snow in them, that’s good enough for me), with each offering something unique that delivers a great time. You can access the maps via [url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1954166401]this collection.[/url] Thanks to everyone involved for taking part in this small project. Here’s to 2020! [h1]Artworks[/h1] And before I forget, we've also got a couple of sweet artworks that cannot go unnoticed. The first one's by [url=https://twitter.com/Razakstan/status/1206644734514495488]@Razakstan [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/11430809/31e51132706c1d80d2a1850d38ccfc60528769d3.png[/img][/url] And here's a little something by Classic_Cheese18, one of the members of the collab. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/11430809/c88c6c20ca2ef13e3ffc90ad92c718ede8b69a30.png[/img]