Hidden Hands: Initiation is JackFarmer's first mission, introducing the protagonist thief who is trying to become a member of the secretive but prestigious thieves guild The Hidden Hands. His contact from the guild has traveled with him to Blackstone Island where he is to perform three jobs in one night to prove his mettle as a thief. It's going to be a long night! There are four or five major areas on Blackstone Island that are explorable and have gameplay elements. This is probably the map's main downfall, as it seems the author bit off a bit more than he could chew for a first map. Each area feels like it was made with not enough attention to detail, and not enough time spent on it's creation. Compounding this problem is that every location (minus the cabin) is very much over sized, to the point where walking between points of interest (even within areas like the mansion) becomes a chore, and the guards are so far away that they can't see you in full light in the open.
Aside from these criticisms however, the mission does handle itself well and the story does keep you engaged throughout. Some players will likely enjoy the humongous size of the mission as well, especially if they are willing to overlook the lack of detail.
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star 5 / 10
IMO the biggest problem here is with the oversized look, although it's something fairly common when you try to make an FM for the first time.
It also has what I call a "chaotic creativity" vibe. There's no doubt that author wants to make something unique and different. The energy is there, but technical aspects, visual consistency, or care for details seem like much lower priority.
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