A classic horror mission that holds up remarkably well 20 years on. Garrett sets off to investigate an abandoned Hammerite factory in the mountains, and what he finds there was so compelling that Ion Storm hired this mission’s author to work on Deadly Shadows. Playing it even now, one can see why: it showcased what a true auteur could do with the Dark engine. Drenched in atmosphere, bookended with high-quality briefing (and debriefing) videos, featuring a custom anti-undead arsenal to play with, and a new bestiary to outwit. Most notably, each difficulty level not only changes your objectives, but your equipment and your starting location, encouraging replays and varying playstyles, from traditional cat burglar to holy warrior. It’s showing its age in the broad strokes, with a number of weird empty areas and dead ends, and it makes you wish the author would revisit it with the freedom of NewDark to flesh it out. As it stands, it’s still a great slab of spooky thievery – it doesn’t overstay its welcome, and throws in a load of surprises along the way.

Best bit: The overall atmosphere and customization. It really blew the doors of FM potential in 2001, and still works a treat today.
Worst bit: The occasional amateurish design bits, like pointless empty rooms, dead ends, janky geometry.
Surprise: The fate of poor little Timmy…

I see someone else came back to this classic FM after the new episode of the podcast lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ11ACugK8E

I'll be doing the same tomorrow!