Mordeth - FEB'97 version

Very cute vanilla wad! Very nice for 1997.

I can't treat 25 year old WAD too harshly but... 
While the level design is absolutely amazing for the period, my problem is with the gameplay. Not the difficulty per se or few unfair traps, that's quite standard thing these days, as much as several parts which deny you backtracking and few seemingly worse yet, preventing you from completing the level if you take a wrong direction at certain point. Also in map I think 4 or 5, 100% dark room with enemies and maybe 2 dozens of pillar makes you play blindly using just map which is extremely frustrating. Maybe there is some incompatibility with source port or sth like that, but still few glitches can not be blamed on that in my view. Didn't find will to play the last map despite loving the level design, which says something.

After 25 years, Mordeth E1 doesn't quite retain its "legendary" status. The texturing is monotonous, leading to the levels all looking the same and feeling frustrating to navigate. The opposition is 90% fodder with not many memorable setpiece battles and new weapons handed out quite rarely. Still, Mordeth E1 stands out among other late 90s releases for its impressively large, non-linear, and atmospheric maps. Each is filled with tons of complex secrets beyond the usual "press use on the misaligned texture" variety. There's also some really inventive use of 3D space for the time, including a few clever platforming bits. I highly recommend playing with the DeuSF version in a high-resolution port to better appreciate all the details.

When a few levels of DEMO PLACES are cool, and this is supposed to be a TC with everything being new, you know you have to come back. @Mordeth I pray you will one day finish off this project and your Eternity Engine projects to the best of your ability.

Still waiting, still dreaming. Legendary demo.

I actually used this files MORDETHfb97-dsf but its the same wad with lumps properly organized. 

Simply... WOW!!!

Love it from start!

I really like exploratory maps with clever puzzles and secrets and pretty good encounters.

The maps are neat, detailed, have a really good atmosphere and great architecture. The resources are used in a way that one can't ignore; its just really organic and nothing standouts as unfitting. Perfect texture work, indeed. (Don't know why, but while playing it, Suspended in Dusk by Espi comes to my mind... maybe some of the texture usage remind me of that amazing work).
The dehacked monsters are good and interesting alternatives.
I love the fog effect and how it dissapeard when you are near and then appeard again when you look at it from afar.

If this was the demo, and after seeing some juicy screenshots, i just can drool dreaming about this long awaited mapset finally being released.

Thanks MORDETH for this demo, its something really inspiring.
I doesn't care to wait another twenty years to finally play the complete version ;)
 

If you're looking for varied visuals, this isn't for you, but it's pretty great if you're in the mood for some exploration and key hunts. Some levels could use a better song than the stock iwad tunes. Minor touches, like new monsters or fog that moves around, are cool.