TWHL Tower

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TWHL Tower
Developer(s)	Andy "Urby" Morris 2MuchVideoGames Dr.Orange JeffMOD NineTNine Malle Tetsu0 Jessie TJB The Mighty Atom Strider
Release date(s)	January 7, 2016
Genre(s)	First-person shooter, action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player
Platform(s)	Windows
Input	Keyboard and mouse
Engine	GoldSrc

 

TWHL Tower is a single-player Half-Life modification consisting of thirteen linked together maps created by members of The Whole Half-Life community.

Overview

The modification takes place in a tower housing several science teams, alien lifeforms, and private military corporations. It begins with the player finding themselves in the building's lobby. They are greeted by a staff member, who requested urgent support from the TWHL headquarters over an hour before their arrival, and is apparently discontent by the fact that only one person was sent to resolve the situation. He explains that the residents of the tower are running rampant and fighting for control, and promises to send a signal to the headquarters to open an emergency evacuation portal for the player if they are able to reach the roof, making sure that any other survivors in the building head up after them. He points out that the weapons and armor upgrades found on one floor cannot be taken to the next one due to the security system force fields; the player's health also returns to the normal level of 100 points on each level.

At the end of his monologue, the staff member opens a door to the remaining part of the ground floor; the player has to find a crate there to access the tower's staircase. The following areas are then visited:

• The Recreational Floor, created by 2MuchVideoGames, revolving around picking up keys scattered around the titular enjoyment center, which houses enormous, deafening speakers, among other equipment. When the last key is acquired, aliens begin to overrun the floor.
• The Lab Complex, created by Dr.Orange. A wounded scientist greets the player and instructs them to reach the security office, noting that most of the doors on the floor are on a lockdown; various aliens then start appearing in the complex, hindering the player's progress.
• The Rebellatrix Media level, created by JeffMOD, taking place in an apparently graphic design studio and office complex. While searching for a key card, the player comes across a hidden room, in which a terrorist has seemingly been torturing a person and recording the event.
• The Crystalline Energy Facility, created by Urby. While combating grunts and aliens, and avoiding electric sparks and laser beams, the player has to activate a high-energy laser equipment, which creates a hole in the wall, leading to the exit.
• The Status Reporting and Administration level, created by NineTNine. The player is required do submit their status report to the administrator while constantly being reminded to do so by science workers.
• The Riddler's Complex, created by Malle. This puzzle-oriented floor requires the player to find and push several buttons while avoiding death, and step on certain floor tiles in order to exit.
• The Bernier & Co. level, created by Tetsu0. The player's task is to find three batteries to open the exit.
• The Time Labs, created by Jessie, the hallways of which change as the player walks in circles, requiring them to transport a crate to a specific area so that a Tau Cannon can be acquired, which in turn allows to jump over the exit.
• The Aerodynamics, created by TJB, taking place in an office complex.
• The Upper Management level, created by The Mighty Atom, set in yet another office, requiring the player to find four keycards while combating aliens and Zombies.
• The Chairman level, created by Strider, set in a Japanese-themed, high security apartment, and emphasizing stealth. The player has to make their way through the floor, being careful not to be spotted by a camera or trip a laser beam, utilizing a hacking device to open the entrance and exit doors, and disabling the security system by accessing powerboxes using found keys, one of which is necessary to leave the floor. The level features an Easter egg related to the movie The Room.
• The Rooftop Finale, created by Urby. It requires the player to obtain an RPG Launcher seen near the entrance to the level, while being shot at by a helicopter, and fighting human and alien enemies. The chain link doors of the cache in which the weapon is hidden have to be destroyed by explosives; the detonator can be accessed by progressing through the level. A few seconds after acquiring the RPG, an exit portal appears in the middle of the level. Taking out the helicopter is optional, and only one rocket is needed to destroy it.

Development

The modification had been in development since February 7, 2015, when it was presented on The Whole Half-Life forums by Andy "Urby" Morris. It revolved around the idea of each mapper having a set amount of space to work with, within which they could create anything they wanted; the story, gameplay and overall design were completely unrestricted. After a few months, the final maps were sent to Urby, who linked them together, and added a beginning and an end map. After nearly a whole year of playtesting and level tweaking, the modification was released.

Reception

Phillip Marlowe of Run Think Shoot Live stated that he has "no hesitation in recommending [...] this mod".

External links

• TWHL Tower on Run Think Shoot Live