Hotel Carone

About a year ago Ion Storm hosted a fan mission contest to produce the most creative and inspirational fan missions in the Deus Ex community. When the results were in, Hotel Carone was given an "Honorable Mention" because it was submitted as an incomplete mission. Warren Spector said "This mission demonstrated technical excellence, originality and huge potential but was submitted unfinished and we didn't feel we could consider it for one of the overall awards. If it had been finished, it would have been a very strong contender for top honors...So call Hotel Carone the unfinished symphony and wonder what might have been..." That was a year ago.

Now the "unfinished symphony" has grown into a magnificent work of art with 6 maps (4 playable) featuring new textures, sounds, code, weapons, models, and even a new difficulty system. Everything feels wonderfully fined tuned. From the new security camera consoles to the new elevators - He left no stone unturned.

This mission places you right after The NSF Airfield mission and assumes that you have not killed Lebedev. The fact that this mission takes place as an alternate path within the original plot makes it easy for any one who has played Deus Ex to get involved right away with the storyline. The opening cinematic is is breathtaking - a helicopter dodges rockets and weaves across huge detailed landscapes.

The levels themselves have professional looking design. From the unique and detailed architecture to the realistic lighting, the level of professionalism held throughout the whole mission is remarkable. It is amazing that one person - almost singlehandedly - could create such a masterpiece.

In a community plagued by unfinished projects and abandoned works, it is refreshing to see a truly exceptional piece of work so close to completion, especially after nearly two years of development.

Hotel Carone is sure to impress almost everyone once it is released.