Best NRFTL level?

[Nancsi]

Hello! I'm new to this forum, but some might know me from Duke4.net and its predecessors as I was a member there since 2002. When I was young I loved Knee-Deep in the Dead and played it until nose bleeding, it was so good. When the registered version came out I was disappointed as early as E2M1 since it looked like totally different to the cinematic design I got used to. Aside from a few maps (like E2M2), I'm not a big fan of episode 2 and 3. Doom II didn't change my mind, although it started relatively well, it got wrong imho around Map8, and I didn't bother finishing it, despite the final 5 maps turning into really good again. When Duke and Shadow Warrior came out, I completely forgot Doom, and fast forward to 2016, when I started replaying the game and realised there is much more to enjoy here I previously thought. I'm still no big fan of Petersen (although Map 27 and 28 were mind blowing), but I enjoy the game more than ever now!

 

OK, enough of BS, let's start the thread. I played No Rest for the Living first a week or so ago. Although I heard a lot of good things about it, I wasn't that keen to try it, not sure why, I heard good things about Plutonia Experiment too, but that was a massive turn off for me. But NRFTL is mind blowing! This 9 level episode is really the greatest thing ever happened to Doom (official levels) ever since KDITD. I enjoyed every bit and replayed many times. The atmosphere is easily comparable to KDITD.

 

So now my questions are:

1. Do you like NRFTL? Or what's your opinion?

2. What are your favourite level in the episode?

 

Mine are:

Earth Base (lovely retro style base with good combats, lots of secrets with additional difficulty)

Hell Mountain (the way you climb up this picturesque place and look back is special)

March of the Demons (excellent leveldesign and loved the challenge at the end)

 

The only level I don't like is the last one, but I'm not a fan of boss levels anyway. 

[Nevander]

Vivisection is my favorite, and it's a masterpiece.

[Isolation]

I really enjoyed both Map 5 and Map 6. But I find all maps to be really enjoyable and a nice challenge.

[riderr3]

Personally I like more Master Levels, cause NRFTL is not too memorable.

[Paul977]

1. Yes

2. March of the Demons

[HeyItsDuke]

1. Yes

I loved all of them. Except for that secret level. It was cool, but that stupid Archvile made playing it a nightmare.

[KillPixel]

1. Yes
2. They're all good but I tend to favor Vivisection

 

[bonnie]

1. It's definitely the best official Doom mapset, but that doesn't really mean much since it's so much newer than the rest.

2. I have no idea, I loved them all, except maybe the last level like you said, although I really like how they included a backpack in it, just to fuck with ya

[galileo31dos01]

8 hours ago, Nancsi said:

1. Do you like NRFTL? Or what's your opinion?

 

Yes, gorgeous episode, had a lot of fun exploring every nook of it. Plenty of secrets, consistent action, beautiful layout designs.

 

9 hours ago, Nancsi said:

2. What are your favourite level in the episode?

 

All of them.

[Urthar]

1. Yes it's one of my favorites.

2. The Pain Labs.

[Gaia74]

one of my favorites

 

i love all the maps!

 

is funny, short and great, and the most important, level old school

[cybdmn]

1. Yes

2. Inferno of Blood (The BFG secret is amazing)

[Master O]

Can NRFTL be purchased separately or do you have to purchase Doom 3 BFG edition to get it?  

[Nevander]

27 minutes ago, Master O said:

Can NRFTL be purchased separately or do you have to purchase Doom 3 BFG edition to get it?  

Legally, only through BFG Edition. However, there is a standalone WAD that was ripped from the Xbox Live Arcade version of Doom 2 (back when it was new) floating around. Obviously I can't post it... but it exists.

[Marlamir]

1. yes i do like it.

2. i will pick the 1st map, mostly because it's stuck in my head most

[Nancsi]

Vivisection seems to be the favourite of many, which I slightly disagree with. It has a great layout and design, but the locations are a bit too cramped to handle so many foes. Other levels use enemy hordes in much more open spaces, and I consider them less frustrating.

[Dragonsbrethren]

I absolutely love No Rest for the Living! While it often falls into the trap of being too visually noisy for my tastes (something I feel is nearly inevitable when using the stock Doom 2 textures with detailed geometry), it's a wonderful blend of modern design sensibilities and classic gameplay. It justifies the cost of the X360/PS3/BFG Edition alone. Hell, I bought it before I even owned a console to play it on.

 

I've never given much thought to a favorite level, though. The Earth Base is pretty great as an introduction to its style, and Vivisection is just brutal, which has already has gotten a lot of love in this thread. I also really like Canyon of the Dead.

Edited September 7, 2018 by Dragonsbrethren

[Nancsi]

With that said, I think I slightly prefer the maps by TheCastle (Earth Base, Canyon of the Dead, Hell Mountain, March of the Demons), not that Squibbons is much behind. They both deserve to be credited as top10 Doom mappers anyway.

 

Also to note that TheCastle created a continous mappack called "Redemption of the Slain". I'm not sure how this didn't get a cacoward or more attention, it was something jaw droppingly brilliant with vanilla textures, commercial quality. Maybe the BD preferred gameplay hurt it, although aside from the caco spam at the start (which built for bot support), the pack is playable and fun with double ammo feature on.

 

 

[Maser]

I have a special love-hate relationship with "Vivisection".  I don't have claustrophobia in real life, but I sure as hell feel like I do when I played that map.