UAC Ultra is hands down the epic Doom murder fest of 2010. Period. 40oz and Super Jamie are an amazing duo when put together. Definitely a traditional Doom II wad, UAC Ultra is an 11.5 map set that features lots of fast paced action combined with simple visuals. Just my kind of Doom wad, and a great way to enjoy a new, but classic, Doom experience for all.

UAC Ultra manages to stay interesting for over ten maps by being incredibly clever. The traps are devious, the level designs are brilliant, the pacing is fantastic, and the new boss is possibly the best boss of any kind I've faced in a Doom wad. Health is pretty tight in this wad, and UAC Ultra doesn't forgive player mistakes, especially on UV. However, ammo is plentiful and you acquire new weapons quickly, so the slaughter is always fresh. The map features new textures and new music, though sometimes the levels can tend to look a little too Quake inspired, with lots of dark colors and low lighting, which you don't really notice as much because you're too busy mowing down demons.

-Hobbs

Unloved - BlueEagle

With the advancement of source ports nowadays it's easier to create wads that go for the creepy/scary feel, but this 5-map wad does it better than most. Based on the premise that you wake up alone in your house with only your sanity, the scene is set just by looking out of the window and poking around the seemingly empty place...add to this the premise, and you begin to get the theme. Leave this map and you get pitched into a shadowy world of creepy basements and dingy rooms that have an atmosphere to match. Inevitably there's more going on, as you discover hellish structures and fleshy caves crawling with monsters...everywhere has evidence of the theme of going insane.

It has the right amount of detail, dynamic lights and GL fog to match the setting, but still with plenty of action too.  New monsters (often gothic/fantasy-based to match) add variety, and the boss fight in the hellish chapel is one to remember...my only complaint would be the fact that it feels like a confusing switch hunt sometimes.

It all looks great, it's dripping with atmosphere, it has plenty of carnage, and it's fairly tough at times too. A fine accomplishment in a style that is still tricky to pull off.

-Ultimate Doomer

Valhalla - Ed

I'll admit, I have a weakness for rusty, metallic, industrial themed maps. The theme tends to lend itself to a dark, atmospheric ambiance that I enjoy considerably. I call it a "weakness" because this sort of theme can sometimes be devoid of colors and/or an over abundance of those horrid Quake brown tones. Of course a lot of the color tones and texture palette choices are completely up to the mapper, no matter what theme said mapper is working within. But there comes a point where architecture and general room presentation completely overshadow any faults it might have within other visual aspects.

Actually, I'm not even sure why I'm bringing this up. There's no way this map can be said to lack visual prowess, at least in my eyes. Ed must have some sort of ethereal architectural mind to come up with the sort of mind-blowing spaces that have been so lovingly crafted in Valhalla. As soon as the map starts, you're instantly inundated in a world that almost looks like it could not physically exist within the Doom engine. There's clever use of mid textures to fool the player's mind into thinking it's more 3D than it really is, abstract yet thick and foreboding constructs which make you feel insignificant, and some of the best use of contrasted lighting levels I've seen in a long while. All of this is then slathered in a delicious coating of dark, industrial textures and detailing that breathe the entire map to life. And the music...oh my, the music. Ed did an amazing job with the music; it fits the map like a glove. The overall visual product feels like it came right out of Doom 64 or Quake.

The gameplay in Valhalla is also very solid with few minor nitpicks here and there. Overall the layout would be pretty confusing if it weren't for the careful way Ed laid out the flow with the way the monsters are placed and spawned as you progress. In essence you are lead to your next destination by the very hellspawn you're there to obliterate. I found myself lost only a couple of times, but I was always able to get back on track relatively quickly because of the careful monster planning. I'm happy to say that this map isn't insanely difficult either. It's excellently balanced, even on UV, which should appeal to a larger playing audience. The only things that had me dismayed about this map's release was its relatively short play time, and that Ed was planning on retiring from Doom mapping. The former I can live with, but I sincerely hope that Ed will continue to create amazing content such as Valhalla in the future. It would be a shame to see such talent cease.

-Mechadon

2010 Cacowards

Page 1

• No Rest for the Living
• Arcadia
• Curse of D'sparil

Page 2

• UAC Ultra
• Unloved
• Valhalla

Page 3

• Speed of Doom
• Drip Feed
• Epic 2
• Stronghold

Other Awards

• Best Multiplayer
• Worst Wad
• Mordeth Award
• Mockaward
• Mapper of the Year

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I'm Still Bored!

Build a small twisted dark computer lab map.
Kill a few Mancubi which guard power generator,
kill three Arch-Viles,
destroy some big computer and
kill two Spectres

Post your maps in the Cacowards thread. Deadline is Jan 1, 2010.

Winning submission