The Last Fortress, 8.0 out of 10 based on 10 ratings

The Last Fortress was released more than 10 years after the release of Unreal, in a time when Unreal single player mapping seemed to be in a declining state. Indeed, very few jaw-dropping SP campaigns were released between 2005-2009. Then came UnrealSP’s 8th 6-week speedmapping contest in summer 2009 that produced such excellent works as VVV. AND, or course, Waffnuffly’s Last Fortress. The map was originally released on 2nd of August, 2009 and after a lot of bug-fixing and gameplay-balancing, a final version came out on 6th December, 2010.

Having battled through hell to reach this place, you are finally on the last leg of your journey. The enemy is omnipresent and unending, but you won’t let them stand in your way. One final task remains – one final step towards the start of a new revolution.
Basically that’s a fancy way of saying this map is set in a huge-ass outdoor fortress full of Skaarj. You’ll find out more as you play. What, you want me to spoil all the best parts here?

The above is what the readme says about the story, and I would not like to spoil the fun either for first-time players. Believe me, it is worth starting this map without prior knowledge and let it uncover its plot through a series of well-written translator messages.

Almost every aspect of this map has the “awe factor” to it, be it architecture, conceptual grandness (something this map especially excels at), sounds (your custom rocket launcher’s sound is especially pleasing) , story construction, gameplay balance or replay value. The difficulty is fairly high – the author himself recommends to start it on Easy or Medium difficulty the first time. Indeed, the enemies are numerous and well-placed and the level’s layout is treacherous. Skaarj Snipers, Troopers and Brutes firing non-standard, devastating missiles lurk everywhere, and, making it even more fun, they are placed slightly differently every time, adding a lot to the replay value.

Kevin “Waffnuffly” Letz, or by his more fancy name Lord Waffnuffly “War Bonnet” Letz no doubt created something Unreal players will remember for a long time. Downloading and playing The Last Fortress is an absolute must. Also, rest assured, the ending is so epic and satisfying that you will want to replay it from time to time.

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