Never thought some madlad would actually do it, but they've actually made new maps for Anomaly. I haven't played it in ages, and I have no intention to return, but I did check out the maps and decided to give my two cents about them. This is more of a heads-up of what to expect, not really a recommendation per se, because why would you not get them? Anyway, a word of warning first. I will criticize them for the parts that in my opinion were not great, and I will praise them where it is due. I know people are excited for them, but nonetheless, I think we should all look at what works and what doesn't if the mapmaking community grows. This is in no way bashing the mappers, it's a miracle the maps were made in the first place, it's simply an objective review of the map. Some screenshots of the map: https://imgur.com/a/Zpzmv37.

I'll start with the weaker one, Grimwood. Forest maps from what I hear are hardest to make for Stalker, because the engine hates trees like a Brazilian oligarch. However, as evident by Darkscape, Red Forest and a smattering of fan made maps like Forest Thicket and Forbidden Forest, it can be done. Grimwood continues this tradition, and it does have a lot going for it. There are points of interest scattered around the woods, ranging from small atmospheric ones like a little church or Monolith camp to bigger, more signposted ones like the anomaly fields and some sort of large animal farm in the corner of map. However, the quality of the tree and bush models can be bit jarring, as they're not uniform and can vary wildly in texture quality. There are also jagged edges on hills and small changes in elevation, which is a bit jarring as well. The amount of skulls on sticks is also bit over the top, feels like there had been a massacre of epic proportions in the woods.

Still, it is an interesting concept, just needs more work to add to it. Compared to Promzone however, there was far more going on, I was attacked by multiple groups of enemies during my stay and large, dangerous mutants like pseudogiants and controllers weren't out of the ordinary. The lack of vision in the woods does make fighting humans annoying, as AI fires through foliage while it is nothing. Still, that is an issue with the mod, not the maps themselves.

Promzone is clearly a product that took a lot of time and effort, and while it has its shortcomings, it also has an amazing feel to it. A factory, small military base with a massive radar dish, and both a gas station and train station are what meets the eye first, but exploring the map, you learn that there is a lot of areas underground as well. The factory is a mishmash of various buildings from the vanilla games, but they have been upgraded by a lot of small detail ranging from big hammer and sickles on the roofs to many, many furniture items inside. There's so much to discover here, and exploring all the hidden routes to the underground or to various out of the way areas is very rewarding. There's even a segment where you can climb into the vent to get into an otherwise unaccessible room. It is among the best Stalker maps I have seen made by fans, and I've seen plenty. But nonetheless, I must be a sourpuss and mention some of my grievances.

A. Lack of A-Life. There were some mutants at the factory, and bandits occupied a few locations, but other than them, I saw a few zombified and loner squads and that was it. I went for long periods of time, ten minutes for example, when it seemed like nothing else lived in the area. Now, of course not every minute needs to be pulse pounding action, but when such a big area has so little going on, it becomes noticeable. It is compounded by the next problem too...

B. Lack of anything to do. There is a shitload of places to explore, but in them is nothing. There are no random items like in other Anomaly maps, there are a couple crates and metal boxes to break but a fraction of what you can see in even the smallest of maps like Meadow or even Darkscape. There are areas set up for traders, like actual proper posts made for them, but no one is there. The place feels like it was just inhabited, yet everyone vanished five minutes before you dropped by. There are some stashes, which is neat, but they alone aren't enough to keep exploring.

C. Some of the map is quite jarring to look at. The radar dish, for example, is such a cool landmark, but since it is just a copy and paste of the Volkhov complex with a big ass radar stuck on top, it can diminish some of the majesty of the place. The radar tower also feels pretty ramshackle, with various objects from different maps stitched together to make the thing, and to an experienced eye you just going "oh, that's from Skadovsk". Same happens all over the map, but it's most noticeable there, and you keep getting a deja vu all the time as the locations are so close to their vanilla counterparts.

Overall though, Promzone is amazingly well-made map. Grimwood is good, too, but plays second fiddle to the first map made in the bundle. Both however need a lot of work in the future to make them feel like an integral part of the mod, or otherwise they may very much suffer the fate of Meadow or Darkscape, maps people just skip because nothing happens. Nonetheless, enjoy the maps, they're very welcome addition since they confirm that Anomaly modding doesn't have to be as surface level as it has so far been.