The good folks at Valve ERC have given torn a huge ol' lube job! Included are T and CT overheads, wallpapers, two reviews, and finally an interview with Crinity and Madcross. Here's a blurb from the first review:
Visually, the map is amazing. Textures, architecture, lighting, you can’t beat it. When CS_Italy got into Counter-Strike, people were impressed, and with good reason. It seemed crisp, new and different. De_Torn will give you the same feeling times a thousand. I can’t honestly see anything looking better than this in the Half-Life engine. It’s not that there’s one thing that sticks out in your mind as looking great, it’s that the architecture and textures paint a setting which is a pleasure to play in. The only thing wrong with the visuals, was one misaligned texture on a small piece of wall. Unfortunately, since that’s the only mistake I found, it doesn’t leave much for me to talk about.Read the rest!
Ambience is where most maps fall down, trying to use light and sound in a way that creates a mood and gives an impression of where you are is no easy task, but it has been done here to a point. For a lot of the time you're outside, meaning that the only light is from the sun. This can be a problem in some maps, as it’s not very interesting when everything is lit the same way. Fortunately however there are places in De_Torn where you venture indoors, and the rooms are lit with torches sitting on walls. These create shadows which make things look more real.