f enemies wouldn't matter if the level design was poor, and thankfully the guys at Croteam know this. The levels, both indoor and outdoor, feature fantastic design and texture work. Hidden areas are not impossible to find, but they aren't easy to get to either. Weapon and ammo placement is spaced enough to warrant exploration but not so spread out as to be frustrating. Bottlenecks corner players, but not before they get loaded with ammo and armor. On top of everything, the game just looks great. It handles the environments with ease, and there's no noticeable draw-in on even the most expansive outdoor areas.The build we've got is still in Alpha stage and it shows, but nothing so far is game-ending. The ability to save anywhere comes in handy as it has crashed a few times, particularly after multiple saved-game reloads. We were also somehow able to jump through a wall at one point. Luckily, this is still in Alpha form and we've already received feedback from Alan Ladavac, the Lead Programmer, after reporting the bugs. In other words, they're readily taking feedback and suggestions. If that weren't enough, publisher God Games is releasing this title under its budget label, On Deck interactive, so it will most likely retail for $20.Set to release in March, Serious Sam is definitely on course to beat id Software's upcoming Doom 3 to the punch for retro style of play. It's a no-holds-barred FPS that doesn't try to incorporate a campy storyline. Some may not like this, as games like Half-Life have really pushed the bar up, but unlike that game, Serious Sam is a game where anyone can sit down, play for 30 minutes and then leave, knowing that there's nothing to remember but the good time had. As if it needs to be said, we're drooling to get the final copy of this game. ...
