Claustrophobia 1024

Playability notes: Worked with PrBoom+ at -complevel 9. I didn't find any secret exits, so expect to warp directly to 31, 32, and 33 if you want to play them. Pistol starts are recommended.

Claustrophobia 1024 takes after its predecessor, Congestion 1024, and shows over three years later that quality can improve given time. Enough issues in the mapset hold me from suggesting a thorough run of it, but there's more good than bad this time around. Many of the rough edges in deciding how to build combat in some confines are gone, and the final stretch really shows off what can be done when you want an exciting challenge in a small space (for better or for worse).

I've already explained this limitation in my Congestion 1024 review, so take quick peek there if you require an understanding of it. In brief, mappers have very little room to maneuver the player around, though decoration and monster placement is allowed beyond the player's reach if desired. Unlike the first megawad, however, the usage of this extra space is more deeply explored to the benefit of the gameplay, always a plus in my book.

Some of the maps contain the same problems seen back in 2005: incredibly cramped locations, trying to fit a "normal" map into a much smaller space, with the end result diminishing the thrill of encounters. In direct contrast, however, most map do a far better job by either embracing minimum maneuverability or replacing normalcy with eccentricity. There are quite a few gems here, though they only shine through entering the second half of the set.

What follows are some highlights:

• The first five maps deliver a solid opening, and MAP01 in particular helps to drive the point that this mapset is a marked improvement over the original.
• From there, MAP06-MAP12 are among the weakest in the set, with mediocre combat and layouts at best.
  • MAP07 is a good try at Dead Simple, but the arachnotron fight is completely redundant and wastes time between superior encounters.
  • MAP09 is easily the most uncomfortable in this group, forcing you to take cramped cover or hope that meatshields are in the way of lethal damage.
• MAP13 is truly excellent in giving steady pressure over the course of the map without relating it to a lack of space. MAP28, by the same author, is similar in this regard but tries a little too hard to keep the player on the straight and narrow, leading to a more elongated and tedious playthrough.
• MAP31 is amusing at best but far too stuffy to fit interesting fights into; MAP32 is MAP31 if you remove the amusing part and throw in a couple Cyberdemons as doors with health.
• MAP17 is a very odd case: in spite of being condensed corridor combat, most of the fights play pretty well! It's possible to get screwed with archvile rez, but I found it generally worthwhile to experience.
• MAP19 opens what I consider the strongest batch of the set, continuing all the way to MAP26 (with one stumble in MAP22 due to repetition).
• MAP29, while geometrically fascinating, tries too hard to emulate penultimate combat, and by the end you really just want to skip to the next map. Not that MAP30's a great Icon of Sin, either, but at least it's over quickly.
• MAP34 is meant to be a joke, but it's actually quite an interesting play (albeit terribly unbalanced).

It's easier to recommend which maps not to play: MAP06, MAP08-09, MAP11-12, MAP15-16, MAP18, MAP22, MAP27, MAP31-32. The rest are worth a look!