The Deimos Incident

An E2 replacement, consisting mostly of the author's previously released maps. Just like E2, the overarching theme here is a techbase being overrun by Hell. Thanks to the large amount of detail, the resulting distortion of reality comes across very strongly, with most rooms being a bizarre amalgamation of earthly techbase and infernal torture-chamber. What I didn't like were most of the outside areas, which look messy and ugly; the interiors are a lot more pleasant to look at.

The difficulty level is perfect. The challenge is just high enough to keep you from dying too many times, although you'll have tense moments of low health. The mapset's a very good choice for people like me who like playing without saves; it is hard enough to be fun from beginning to end and has no unfair traps (except for an unexpected crusher near the end of map05.) I've grown weary of most Doom 1 mapsets, since they struggle to keep the action interesting across an entire episode without Doom 2's extended enemy roster, but in Deimos Incident the enemies are used perfectly and the fights never get old.

Easily one of the best episode replacements I've ever seen, and one of the overlooked gems of 2017 (though, if you want to be exact, some maps were first released in 2016). Strongly recommended!

[Originally written Jan 2019 for The /newstuff Chronicles]

Played on UV, continuous, GL Boom-plus.

This is definitely more challenging than the episode which it replaces, with some well designed traps in tight spaces where Cacodemons in particular can be more threatening than usual. If you're a Caco fan, you should definitely play these maps, as there are serious numbers of them! 

The episode does tend to run out of steam after three or four levels though, as the maps all tend to look pretty much alike with little to differentiate them - I found it very easy to lose track of where I'd been, or even which level I was on, though maybe that's a penalty to be paid for playing the entire episode through in a single evening. 

Sort of recovers towards the end. Level seven is tough and quite memorable, and the finale with the Cyberdemon and associates shows some imagination.

Just a masterfully done E2-style episode.

Great design overall but for the end, I don't get why (which is a nitpick) it doesn't immediately go to the end episode 2 text but goes to the intermissions screen followed by the graphic seen after you pass the end text. Played with GZDoom 3.2.1.

Bland, jumbled architecture. About as fun to play as Lose/Lose.

mostly standard E2 mapset done modern style. nothing major sticks out but there's nothing here that is really bad with the exception of one hallway in E2M5 being horribly screwed up (a monster is also outside the map there). really unique E2M8 map too.

Incredibly good and imaginatively looking mapset, made using only stock Doom resources. Have you played "Warp House" by Ed Cripps? That's the closest comparison in its looks that I can come up with. There are no slopes though, so the mapset will not ruin the performance of your old PC.

The difficulty is a bit higher than The Shores of Hell episode that this wad replaces, with combat mostly happening in semi-tight halls and corridors with your usual traps and ambushes that are although expected in this kind of environments but are never frustrating.