Obviously, we could rehash the same old design paradigms:
"crampt", "gothic", "hyperconnected", "grounded"
But this map doesn't fit any of those conceptions.
It's open, bright and almost nauseatingly...strange. The strangeness is derived from a carefully controlled explosion of techno dreamscapes that is obviously more frightening than most of the hackneyed gothics we see out there.
The amount of polished metal textures, combined with rusted highlights and yellowed forms yields a great aesthetic that you simply won't find anywhere.
It's VERY original and that's why I give it such a good score. It shows ingenuity and a desire to break convention.
The brushwork, which is both voluminous and spectacularly detailed, should have been lauded by the reviewer but probably wasn't because the map didn't fall into the category I listed above. Additionally, the map is quite large.
A strange dreamscape is Ash's last map submission and, personally, I don't think it gets much better.
The only problems are a slight bit of sloppiness on some of the seams on texturing and one missing texture within the open atrium. Other than that, the weapon placement and connectivity are excellent.
Great job. If he can somehow find and add the missing texture, this map is a keeper, if only for it's new aesthetic and wild experimentation.
Mad.