Catching Up - Celestin's review thread (now playing: Plutonia 2)

[Celestin]

Something shorter this time, MTrop's Coffee Break, an 11-map episode of mostly smaller maps. Continuing with a theme of revisiting wads I haven't finished, I tried this one at one point and gave up at MAP05, so everything after that map is new for me.

 

MAP01: Storage

Spoiler

A short techbase map, aside from a handful of revenants by the end, it's populated entirely with imps, zombies and pinkies. The shotgun is located early on and most of the map consists of moving from room to room and holding fire. The TNT MAP01 midi fits here well, as Storage gives off the same vibe as System Control - a short opener, but packed with action. Also, "How I'd Do?" as an intermission midi is a nice touch.

 

MAP02: Reservoir

Spoiler

This water treatment plant isn't messing around. It cranks up the number of revenants while withholding proper guns. There's no SSG and the rocket launcher is only at the very end, so it's mostly a shotgun action. Unlike MAP01, Reservoir feels slow, but it ends on a high note with a red key fight. It hands you a rocket launcher, releases a horde of pinkies behind your back and denies you access to the key with hitscanners.

 

MAP03: Outpost

Spoiler

I was surprised with this synthesis of Plutonia and TNT. The map blends rocky exterior with hi-tech interiors, deadly traps and large number of hitscanners. The start is a bit slow, as you are forced to take out some tanky enemies with a shotgun, but it changes once you get outside and grab the SSG. The blue key courtyard is where the enemy numbers reach absurd amount, with a tower of hell knights roaming pinkies and hitscanners below. Once you eliminate them all and get the key, more monsters appear, mostly those with bigger health pool. I wish I had more rockets, as sadly this part boiled down to running around and attacking everyone from below. A minor blemish in an otherwise okay map.

 

MAP04: Toxic

Spoiler

 

Even more hitscanners in this slime facility. Out of three wings you have to visit, I enjoyed the red key one the most. It ends with a huge ambush that opens monster closets all around you, including spawning hitscanners near the place you entered in.

 

I admit, I botched the yellow key completely, as I missed the rocket launcher in the slime tunnels. This fight has several cacodemons, a pain elemental and an archvile, they quickly ate up my supply of shells. I resorted to punching the vile and only then went on to explore the toxic canals. By the time I reached the exit fight, I had a huge supplies of rockets and with a bit of dodging, the ambush here was quickly eliminated.

 

One more thing to add is the conveyor belt in the hub, transporting barrels around. It's a neat trick that discourage doorfighting. Overall, Toxic is a very good map and the best one yet.

 

 

MAP05: Control

Spoiler

This one made me drop Coffee Break the first time I've played it. Control is one giant hitscanner hell, with window snipers and rooms packed with zombies of all kind to an absurd degree. Also, there's the green armor trap that is a slog to play through without a super shotgun (which the map gives you rather late), but you want to to mitigate the inevitable damage. I'm just not a fan of this one, it's very slow and methodical. On a plus side, I haven't seen anything past this map, so I can't wait to see the rest of the wad.

 

MAP06: Checkpoint

Spoiler

 

If you didn't like the hitscanner-heavy nature of the previous map, well...

 

Checkpoint starts in an arena with a number of zombies, with more peeking out of windows. You don't have an armor, so prepare to be perforated by chaingunners. Once you deal with them, you have to visit two identical wings and press switches. That one feels repetitive, it could be used to stage two different fight, but instead the map uses the same monster combination twice. Pressing the first switch releases another batch of hitscanners, the second one unveils a mastermind. There's no plasma weapons in Checkpoint, so you have to slowly take her down with an SSG. Once she's dead, it's there's one more ambush to survive and the map is over.

 

Symmetry aside, I like how the map looks, with low-tech textures and those tricks with textures that create faux curved walls. It's just a shame Checkpoint is a rather weak level.

 

 

MAP07: Deadly

Spoiler

 

The title doesn't lie, this one can kill you quickly, starting in a room with chaingunners, imps and less health than I'd like. While there are pillars to hide behind, you'll need to watch out for attacks from every side. The map eases up once you eliminate everything here. Sure, the outside is stuffed with monsters to a ludicrous degree, but unless you start with the northern door, the enemies will be approaching from a single direction and can be slowly taken out.

 

Of course, what MAP07 would be without tags 666 and 667? The switch outside lowers a plasma rifle in the starting room, picking it up swarms the map with mancubi, once they are dead, arachnotrons take their place. Killing them creates a bridge to the exit, where an archvile serves as a final obstacle.

 

There's something funny about the excess of Deadly that I can't fully put my finger on. It feels a bit old-school, where the way to make a map harder was to bring in more enemies.

 

 

MAP08: Archives

Spoiler

 

This one looks interesting. I feel a strong Plutonia vibe thanks to tans, browns and greens, which is something that can win me over in an instant. One addition to familiar aesthetics are the red and black carpets that reminds me of Skillsaw's hell maps from Vanguard and Valiant. 

 

After the last three maps, Archvies turns the difficulty down. It's still full of traps and hitscanners, but also the level feature less open spaces where you can be sniped by a chaingunner from a kilometer away. Check every corner, be careful when picking up keys and you should be fine.

 

The finale of Archives is an exciting setpiece, which hands you a plasma rifle to clear an arena. The further you go, the more monsters get alerted, including a swarm of cacodemons that appear from behind. It's a worthy conclusion to the strongest map up to this point.

 

 

MAP09: Channel

Spoiler

 

Channel is cut from the same cloth as Archives - a Plutonia-inspired crawl through a tan complex. The start looks just like MAP08's ending, but this time, we're back to abusing hitscanners, making the start the hardest part of the map. I recommend saving the berserk to heal up later and run for the shotgun to gain a foothold. The next few fights have you killing revenants and pinkies with a shotgun, which is far from fun. The combat improves after you get an SSG, though the map still feel slow and confusing to navigate.

 

The ending in a titular canal features several pop-in ambushes - you might be tempted to use BFG, but save it for the final trap with archviles. They can easily undo your work, so it's better to eliminate them ASAP. In the end, it's a step down from the previous level, but far from the worst.

 

 

MAP10: Fort

Spoiler

 

Just as I thought MTrop has settled into a scheme of Plutonia-like military bases, Fort throws a couple of new ideas into the mix. Once again, the start is probably the toughest part of the level, as you need to deal with a courtyard of hitscanners and mid-tiers with a shotgun and chaingun. Once you obtain the super shotgun and enter the balcony overlooking the starting courtyard, the map turns into a steady clearing of one room after another.

 

The first surprise was a round room with a muddy floor and a ring of rocks on the surface. The mud uses some high-friction tricks, where it's very difficult to start moving, a major hazard when you have to fight archviles. The second was the room with a plasma rifle that is seemingly a dead end, however if you try to walk through a wall of fire, you are taken to hell to obtain a key. It's not a tough fight, but you can bet it took by by a complete surprise. Coffee Break generally avoided more advanced Boom tricks up to this point, so their inclusion this late in an episode was very effective.

 

 

MAP11: Stalker

Spoiler

 

The final map of Coffee Break is the biggest one in terms of monster size, but doesn't feel overly long. I thinks it's because most of the enemies are attacking in larger groups. Specifically, the square room with fences that you need to visit a couple of times, since it's a hub of sort. At first, you are trying to avoid rockets from a central cyberdemon, while fending off monsters that appear from behind the walls, only to teleport the cyber away and bring an archvile instead. I was lucky to find a secret invuln here and ran straight into the vile with a rocket launcher. The two remaining fights here are more conventional, though the maze-like layout, where you can't go certain ways but are still open to enemy fire, adds an additional layer to what would have been an excercise in circle-strafing.

 

You'll run into the cyberdemon two more times. First time, you have to run past him and press a switch without getting blown to pieces (no invuln this time), then at the end, where he's acting as a final boss of the episode. Since the room is stocked with cells, he poses no threat, I think the surrounding monsters are deadlier. Or at least more annoying, don't waste your BFG shots at those revenants on the cliffs, I've seen my projectiles disappearing when hitting the sky. The map ends with you entering a strange coffin and die. Stalker is great way to end a wad. It does a good job blending incidental combat with arena fights, so it never gets tiring.

 

 

Conclusions

This was an pleasant experience to be sure. The maps in Coffee Break are short, taking 15 to 20 minutes to complete, and provide a proper challenge to the player. Yes, the front-loaded nature of difficulty and heavy use of hitscanners in open spaces can get tiring, but usually once you survive the starting room, the average Coffee Break map turns into a string of Plutonia-like traps. Speaking of Plutonia, I enjoyed the aesthetic side of the later levels, very clearly taking inspirations from Casali's work.

 

I do wonder to what degree an incomplete nature of the wad impacts this. The released episode is only the first part of what was supposed to be a full megawad, so I can guess the later maps would have been tougher. What we do have is a solid set of 11 levels that manages to stay interesting throughout the whole length. In the end, I recommend checking this one out if you look for something quick to play, but at the same time, a wad that wouldn't let you run though it thoughtless.

 

TOP 3 maps:

MAP11: Stalker
MAP08: Archives
MAP04: Toxic

[RHhe82]

Coffee Break is one of those mapsets I've been meaning to replay. I played it quite early after getting back to doomin', and I clearly remember liking it, but that I also had to tone down difficulty to HMP halfway thru. I suspect I'd fare a little better now.

[Celestin]

One of the more interesting parts of the 25th anniversary of Doom's release was the list of 25 Missed Cacowards. It's full of cult classics, influential releases that were only recognised from the perspective of time and high-quality, but incomplete wads. So here's one wad from this list: psyren's Rylayeh, a Lovecraft-inspired episode where dark powers reside.

 

MAP01: The Dock

Spoiler

 

The first thing you see after starting the wad is a submarine that seemingly left you here, submerging and living you to fight the cosmic horrors. That's some nice example of sector work, adding to the overall atmosphere. 

 

After a few turns, you see a gate of a marble stronghold and an absurd horde of recoloured pinkies, now sporting sickly green. The only weapon here is a chainsaw, so taking them out is a slow and boring task. They are not the only changed enemies, imps now have dark skin and the map uses those zombies in green uniforms that behave just like SS troops - this is probably ma favourite Nazi replacement, he fits so well with the rest of Doom bestiary. The Dock is generally low on ammo, with combat based on the shotgun (berserk and a chaingun are obtainable rather late), so the gameplay is all over the place, jumping from taking out hordes of zombies and imps to slowly whittling down hell knights.

 

Even if the gameplay is a hit or miss, the visuals are definitely a strong side. I doubt you can implement non-Euclidean geometry with -cl2, but the map manages to feel alien with odd texture choices and generally tight design. While I don't love everything here, I think The Dock is an intriguing opener. 

 

 

MAP02: Aberratia

Spoiler

 

Psyren continues making maps that make me feel uncomfortable. Just take a look at the automap, this place is a mess of seemingly random shapes that weren't designed with man's senses in mind. The sharp edges, confusing layout and cramped rooms are hard to look at, triggering this odd feeling of wrongness. Less so is getting stuck on decorations, but considering when the wad was made, this might be an artefact of being tested in ZDoom exclusively.

 

It's weird to juxtapose this with gameplay, which throws whole hordes of imps and zombies at you with little restraint. Early fights feel like holding down your shotgun's trigger and waiting for stuff to die. I think the Aberratia is more effective with ambushes, making a good use of its jagged edges and numerous corners. I was running low on ammo by the end, even with a secret plasma rifle. I think that's because by that point, the map relies on imps with mid-tier support. Secrets helped somewhat, especially the aforementioned plasma that I unloaded into a pair of exit-guarding barons.

 

I have a bit of a conflicting views on this map, as I think the atmosphere and combat don't go hand in hand. Not that they are bad, more like the unnerving nature of this place calls for something other than a slaughter of basic monsters.

 

 

MAP03: Octagony

Spoiler

 

The locked exit is right by the start, so you'll need to make a detour, looking for the red key. This is where the worst part of the map comes: the elevator. It's an 8-way hub where the most of the map's runtime is (and I'm not afraid to use this word) wasted waiting for it to move. Worse yet, because this contraption consists of four independently moving wings, going from one place to another takes ages and slows the map to a crawl.

 

The lift aside, Octagony isn't bad, you can find a secret SSG in the very first room and you'll need it for the increased hell knight and cacodemon presence. This makes the fights themselves drag far less than in the two previous maps and I enjoyed places like the sudden maze with teleporting imps or the secret that allowed me to easily trigger monsters in a dark room to infight. Too bad there's too much dead time spent waiting, it's one thing that turn a brisk shootout into a complete slog.

 

 

MAP04: Irkallia

Spoiler

Named after the underworld in Sumerian myths, Irkallia takes the player deep into the bowels of R'lyeh. The map alternates between tight corridors that tend to criss-cross one another at different heights and massive chambers, where you have to walk around the perimeter while fighting cacodemons and monsters blocking your way. I like the latter, even though the first time I've entered one, there was way too many cacodemons for the amount of shells I've had. I was expecting the bottom to be poisonous, but no, there's just a pinky horde down there. It's a way to change the formula, as most of the time, you are killing monsters single-file and gets old very, very fast. 

 

MAP05: Old One's Tombs

Spoiler

 

Sadly, this one feels very similiar to the previous map. It's mostly a winding trek around a pit, with monsters blocking a narrow path. At least the map uses some hell knights here, trying to dodge projectiles with this little room to move can be a challenge and serves as a nice break from blasting through imps and zombies.

I like the places that makes MAP05 stand apart from MAP04, such as the catacombs or a more detailed architecture in places such as yellow key room, but otherwise it's an forgettable map.

 

 

MAP06: Quadragoth

Spoiler

 

A change of pace Rylayeh needed, Quadragoth is a series of arenas with some exciting fights. For once, you have a lot of room to move and the monster variety encourage infighting. The hub you are returning to after each section refills with more enemies, so you'll be constantly fighting something.

 

The standout moment is the final fight, where you teleport into a huge field filled with hitscanners. If you don't want to die, make a dash for a blursphere on the other end of the room, the rest should take care of themselves. Well, until an archvile shows up. The only thing I have to complain about is an unclear progression. It's hard to tell if the teleporters in the hub lead to places you've visited or not, so expect trying out every one just to see where you have to go next. Since the map already consists of disconneted locations, it could have been rearranged to make the teleporters closer to its destination, making it less confusing to navigate.

 

 

MAP07: Blood Yard

Spoiler

 

Don't try to rush through this one. Blood Yard is a very open level, where threat comes from every direction and you want to avoid triggering too many monsters at once. The layout here reminds me of the first two maps, with a lot of sharp angles and odd shapes, so it's easy to stumble into a corner you don't want to. 

This compliments the gameplay well, as Blood Yard is a clever twist on Dead Simple formula. Making the map larger and non-linear allows for a lot of freedom in hunting down the mancubi. Once dead, the map opens up and you have to do the same with arachnotrons. Neither is too hard if you keep your cool and the final encounter with the mastermind can be robbed of any remaining difficulty with a secret partial invisibility. 

 

Solid map and, like MAP06, a welcomed change after crawling through the underground.

 

 

MAP08: Keen Eyes

Spoiler

 

Back underground, luckily it's not another corridor crawl. Keen Eyes is essentially a pair of arenas, the first one has you going through portals to get armed, while hell knights and pinkies appear on a lava floor is kinda forgettable, but the second one is the high point. First you are going through the outer perimeter, eliminating zombies, mancubi and arachnotrons. To progress further, you need to destroy several eye-like medallions that replace Keens (they were present in earlier maps, but I'm not sure what they did - perhaps they opened secrets?). 

 

Oh, now I get the title. 

 

Anyway, the inner chamber has a wandering cyberdemon and a number of hell nobles, you can take them head-on, or find a switch that locks them in, in my case, the cyberdemon got stucked and died. The rest is a clean-up of remaining nobles and hitscanners that appear at one point outside. I like this one, it's a brisk, but energetic map that doesn't feel like a wasted time.

 

 

MAP09: Kthulhu

Spoiler

 

The majority of the map is a hitscan-heavy shootout in cramped corners that works fine, but leaves little impression. It's a gameplay style that Rylayeh used a lot, so it's natural it will blend with other maps. 

 

Then you reach the yellow door that holds the finale - an Icon of Sin where you fight the Great Old One themselves. I don't like this fight, as I'm not sure what's the way to tackle it. Pressing a series of switches activates a lift with the final boss, but hitting them is a huge pain. I tried using elevated spots, but there are columns placed in your rockets' path. Attacking from below didn't work either, as the hitbox is very short and the pedestal they stand on blocks your bullets. What did work was carefully targetting a column in the rear and using splash damage. I can't verify it that's the correct way, the only videos of this map I've found use freelook, targetting the wall above or floor next to Cthulhu. Perhaps it's another ZDoom artefact, just like a secret behind a gap that is you barely can cross and probably was intended to use jumping. It's not the most painful IoS map, but one of the most confusing ones.

 

 

MAP10: The Return

Spoiler

 

The Return is just excessive. It's the biggest map of Rylayeh with 350 or so monsters, most of whom are hitscanners and imps. Seeing whole corridors of basic monsters was funny at first, but actually playing this made me groan. It's just silly.

 

Surprisingly for a map with this many enemies that drop ammo, I had to rely on infighting and secret berserk pack a lot to conserve resources. There's very little cells (in secrets) and not enough rockets to deal with the mass of tanky demons that were placed in the central courtyard. I figured out you can lock the bars and have them infight, it felt tedious, but it saved a lot of shells and rockets.

 

Not everything is bad, though, I was surprised when I opened the gate behind three sets of coloured bars, only to find myself in MAP01. Even the sub is here, and since my job in R'lyeh is done, I can finally leave this place.

 

 

Conclusions

The biggest strenght of Rylayeh is the level design. As I've said earlier, it does a good job creating a place that just feels wrong, successfully selling the idea it was not made for humans to see. It's hard to describe it with words, you just have to see the tight corners and oddly-shaped rooms to understand what I mean. This very thing is likely the reason for being included among 25 Missed Cacowards, as the design stands apart from the maps of its era.

 

As for gameplay, I don't think it works in the context of the wad. I expected a survival horror, rationing ammo and fights with lesser numbers of deadlier opponents. Instead, the maps are loaded with monsters, often of the weaker kind. Zombies and imps are the most common enemies and the maps throws them at you in absurd numbers. Don't get me wrong, it is entertaining, but not what I expected from a wad inspired by Lovecraft. Difficulty-wise, it's on the easier side, Rylayeh can be a bit stingy with ammo in places, but looking for secrets helps here. 

 

Still, I recommend giving this one a shot, especially if you're looking for something shorter and easier to breeze through or are a fan of more unusual takes on map design.

[Celestin]

Okay, this one needs no introduction - Alien Vendetta, one of the greatest and most influential megawads of all time. The first time I've played was fresh out of Doom 2, I reached MAP06 and felt since early maps gave me trouble, I wasn't good enough and gave up. AV patiently waited for its turn, but now I'm as ready as I'll ever be. This won't be a blind playthrough, as I've seen some footage from all maps.

 

Also, I'm using the community's midi pack, since (excluding one map) the original release relied on a selection of tracks taken from IWADs and other 1990s games.

MAP01-MAP07

MAP01: Sunset by Martin Aalen Hunsager

Spoiler

 

What a cosy map. There's just something soothing in this evening sky, casting orange light on a small nukage processing plant. The midi's choral voices add this mysterious underone, like there's something more to this.

 

Combat-wise, it's a short and mostly tight map with a couple of interesting secrets (using deep water tricks to hide a passage is something I don't think I've seen before). Even without them it's a short and simple level that the first-time player will complete in less than 5 minutes.

 

I am fully aware where AV is heading difficulty-wise, so I appreciate a gentle introduction, focused more on atmosphere building.

 

 

MAP02: Rusty Rage by Anders Johnsen

Spoiler

 

This one doesn't mess around. Rusty Rage is full of hitscanners and tight on health. It's easy to waste a lot of HP at the very start, where you are sandwiched between two groups of shotgunners. The archvile that appears after you grab the yellow key can be tough to take out and two teleporting revenants caught me by surprise, but aside from those, check every corner and don't be afraid to slow down.

 

In the visual department, it's a STARTAN base with tan rocks outside, a great fit for the new skybox. Solid map, more combat-focused and tense than the first one.

 

 

MAP03: Cargo Depot by Mattias Berggren and Kim André Malde

Spoiler

 

I love the visuals here, it's this low-tech combination of concrete panels and cinder blocks, city backdrop and general sense of place. I've praised this exact aesthetic a lot, it's no wonder it resonates with me. True to its name, Cargo Depot takes place in a warehouse, with a freight yard overlooking the docks and a railway siding with the exit. There's also a pair of switches that raise and lower a barrier in a wall, I thought initially it might be a secret of sort, but it seems it's only for show.

 

The map plays fine, mostly imps, zombies and pinkies that attack in large numbers and pose no threat if you have a super shotgun and a berserk pack (the latter for a spectre mass that appears after you grab the blue key. I'd say it's easier than MAP02, as it's less focused on traps and more on clearing corridors. Nevertheless, it's a good map elevated by how it looks.

 

 

MAP04: Seclusion by Mattias Berggren

Spoiler

 

The aesthetics of Seclusion were clearly inspired by Knee-deep in the Dead, with some more or less direct nods to E1 (the slime courtyard from Phobos Lab is probably the most obvious one). There's also the set of train tracks, connecting it with the previous level. 

 

The gameplay reminds me of early Doom, but with way more enemies - it's nearly 300 of them, mostly imps and zombies, stuffing the corridors completely. The early SSG can carry you through the bulk of the level, but try to locate a secret plasma rifle. It's a great help for the ending, a huge horde that blocks the way to the exit. The rocking midi is a great pairing for a map this full of action.

 

 

MAP05: Crimson Tide by Anders Johnsen

Spoiler

The influences of The Inmost Dens and Neurosphere are very clear here - tan bricks, lake of blood and rather compact design. While there's nothing wrong with Crimson Tide and Johnsen thinks very fondly of this map, there's little to grab me. A lot fights are cramped ambushes, the only exception was the ledge leading to the blue key, a narrow pathway with imps blocking your way and an archvile at the end (which I triggered early and killed with a shotgun from below; even when wasting this much ammo, the map is generous with resources). Like I've said, solid gameplay and good visuals, but nothing spectacular.

 

MAP06: Hillside Siege by Lee Szymanski and Anthony Soto

Spoiler

 

This is the first meaty map of AV, no wonder it's the place I gave up initially. The major theme of Hillside Siege is giving enemies the high ground (hence the name, I guess), from the opening area you are up against elevated mancubi, revenants that can attack you through windows and it gets harder later on. 

 

The most memorable point of the map is the courtyard with a mounted cyberdemon, ton of revenants and huge mobs of hell knights. Infighting can take out the bulk of mid-tiers, but for the cyber, you have to clear a crowded room (with an archvile mixed in) and spot a shootable switch behind a window. It gives you an invuln, a BFG and teleport you to the cyberdemon's platform. The rest of the map is far easier, as you can rely on rockets and BFG shots, just watch out for one more surprise archvile.

 

I'm glad another map that made me drop a wad has been completed. Hillside Siege is an exciting battle in an imposing military outpost and I feel a sense of accomplishment getting to the end.

 

 

MAP07: Showdown by Anders Johnsen

Spoiler

 

This one isn't good. Showdown is an obligatory Dead Simple clone that feels grindy. The start is a small arena with mancubi where the only noteworthy thing is how it is indeed an arena - there are stands for spectators around the place, so folks could witness how you are blowing up the monsters. Killing the mancubi opens the way out, where you run outside the place (some sort of stronghold, I guess?), hunting down the arachnotrons and pressing a pair of switches to open the exit.

 

Aside from how the map looks (the aforementioned arena and the outside section that reminds me of Caughtyard), Showdown feels very dated and a step down in quality.

 

 

Edited March 26 by Celestin
fixed typo (thx, Andromeda)

[RHhe82]

Excited for AV review series, as well -- I have zero nostalgia for it, as I first played just last year, and replayed earlier this year. Of all the early wads that have a reputation of being challenging, AV is the only one I've been able to make myself play, and even enjoy it mostly. This 'mostly' is naturally the part I'm interested see your views on :P

 

Time for that is later, though. Of these first seven maps, Showdown is the only I don't particularly care for. Luckily it's very short, so it qualifies as inoffensive filler material for me. I was surprised to see MtPain be put off by Hillside Siege, as it's one of my early favourites.

[Andromeda]

On 3/18/2024 at 10:22 PM, Celestin said:

MAP02: Rusty Range by Anders Johnsen

Little typo here (and in the review proper), level's called Rusty Rage.

Edited March 20 by Andromeda

[Celestin]

MAP08-MAP14

MAP08: Beast Island by Jan Endre Jansen and Anders Johnsen

Spoiler

 

Beast Island is slow-burning adventure map, starting in the ruins of sort and leading through caves, shores and cliffs to a castle. It's a pretty place, helped once again by the orange sky and more open spaces (though it's still linear when it comes to the progression).

 

The combat here plays a secondary role to the setting and exploration (there are a lot of secrets that take the difficulty down a lot), though the fight in the castle's inner yard with a cyberdemon while imps fire from the ramparts was surprisingly tough, especially with low health. It's followed by a nasty archvile ambush that's hard to handle blind. Clearing the castle by the end wasn't that difficult, but a return to a more corridor-based combat was a welcomed addition. 

 

 

MAP09: Castle Gardens by Kim André Malde

Spoiler

 

I'm split here, Castle Gardens has some nice details (the sailboat outside and a pile of rocks near the end are two prime examples), great lighting and generally a cosy atmosphere. On the other, it's linear and corridor-heavy, with a lot of fights just throwing hordes of basic monsters or having you fight mid-tiers one by one. The mass of chaingunners teleporting in the library was fine, even if you can easily find a secret blursphere and turn it into one big infight.

 

Malde claimed in the text file that this was the first map he made, so at that point he definitely had a potential, but lacked experience. I won't be too harsh, since it was a bit of a learning experience for him and his later maps were much better received.

Speaking of which...

 

 

MAP10: Toxic Touch by Kim André Malde

Spoiler

Doomworld's 56th most memorable map.

 

Sewer maps have a bad reputation, being seen as ugly and repetitive. So it's a massive achvievement Toxic Touch, one of the earliest maps Malde was working on, is this handsome. There's a lot, and I mean a lot of attention to the details, complex lighting and complex shapes to make each part distinct. Now, I could nitpick about inconsistent use of hurtfloors or not marking doors that required keys, but those are minor issues that don't detract from the overall experience. 

 

I wish the gameplay could match the visuals, as it's mostly crowds of imps and hitscanners with strategically placed archviles. It's functional, I like the part where you drop down a hole into a chamber with slime-filled tanks and accidentally trigger an archvile or a group of pinkies teleporting in a circular room. I just don't think it grabs me as much as the looks. Still, the atmosphere is the reason to play it, greatly helped by the midi (whether you are listening to Jackson's "Plasma" or msx2plus' "Guardian Angel Loses Their Will"), which makes it feel like there's something else, some additional layer to the map.

 

 

MAP11: Nemesis by Martin Aalen Hunsager

Spoiler

 

Nemesis had potential, it's set in an imposing marble castle, set with on the cliffs. It's an evocative sight, however the issues with the map overshadow it. The first thing you'll notice are the caves. A large chunk of Nemesis takes place in narrow underground passages or on rocks that you need to use as makeshift stairs, all the while fighting not only with monsters, but also Doom's janky physics. I was bouncing around the corners or failing to fit through tight tunnels and it was just aggravating.

 

Second, arguably bigger problem is the map's incomprehensible progression. Once you reach the castle, Nemesis turns into a blind stumble through the series of rooms until you reach keys. I guess you are supposed to find three skulls that unlock the exit in caves? They can be obtained in any order, in my case it started with the yellow one in the castle. Then I accidentally lowered a waterfall which turned out to not be a secret, but rather a mandatory cave with the blue key. I think you can also get it through a more conventional means if you find the red skull first - there's a number of unmarked bars around the map that can be lowered with keys and the red key part is directly linked with the blue one. With all three keys in hand, I had no idea where to go and only by chance I noticed an opened way in the early caves. What doesn't help with the progression is the sloppy usage of invisible walls, blocking you from exploring the map.

 

The combat is forgettable, a lot of long-distance snipers, useless archviles (especially once you find a BFG) and a pair of bosses thrown in just because. Nemesis is a pretty map, but a confusing and overly-long with little entertaining factor.

 

 

MAP12: Entropy by Brad 'Vorpal' Spencer and Adam 'Capellan' Windsor

Spoiler

 

This feels like separate maps stapled together and the text file confirms it - Capellan and Vorpal tried to remake Doom 2 maps based on their names more than a decade before Doom 2 in Name Only was conceived, with Entropy being made out of leftovers from that project. Part one is an unremarkable crawl through a techbase, taking out steady opposition. I had some ammo issues, as I missed an early rocket launcher and had to spend a lot of shells on tankier foes. Past the blue door, the map turns up the heat, as the teleporter leads to a chaotic fight that quickly fills with monsters. The yellow key trap, where chaingunner bunkers open around you would have been a ball-breaker if it wasn't for a secret that lets you clear them out preemptively. I have to say, picking up a key, seeing the gaps in walls opening in three sides only to see nothing did made me chuckle. One of said bunkers also contains a BFG which allowed me to coast to the end.

 

On the visual side, it's a rather standard-looking techbase, with the skybox changed to a starry sky. A bit of a step down after the first 11 maps, let's see how it progresses.

 

 

MAP13: Suicidal Tendencies by Brad 'Vorpal' Spencer

Spoiler

 

What a spectacle. Suicidal Tendencies is a techbase packed to capacity, starting with entire corridors filled with zombies or imps that wait for you to tear through them. It's the mindless fun that propels you forward towards arena fights, which are the main attraction here. The warehouse with a cyberdemon lets you unleash a horde of pinkies from a nearby room, in my case the cyber got stuck and got mauled to death. Same story with the masterminds, an imp mob paralysed one of them, the other was infighting barons and I helped them a bit. I like how this part looks, a bit of a grassy courtyard inside a facility of steel, conrete and slime.

 

The final fight for the yellow key starts with you stacking a pile of corpses next to a door, only to spawn a lot of archviles on top. Despite finding a secret blue key that unlocks supply caches around the map, I completely missed a BFG, so even with an invuln this was a tough fight. Rockets took out as many viles as I could (and a ghost hell knight, I must constantly remind myself to avoid doorfighting in -cl2), once they ran out, I just rushed the remaining ones with plasma.

 

That was quite an experience, a map full of entertaining action in a complex and well-detailed map. Easily one of the best so far.

 

 

MAP14: Overwhelming Odds by Brad 'Vorpal' Spencer

Spoiler

 

When a maps opens with you in the middle of a very cramped room, surrounded by monsters, you know it's going to be tough. Overwhelming Odds looks similiar to the two previous levels, but cranks up the difficulty considerably. The monster count isn't that much higher compared to Suicidal Tendencies, but their overall HP has vastly increased. Infighting is essential, because even though the map is generous with ammo, there's just too much to eliminate.

 

The exit is locked behind three barriers, so the goal is to search the map and get all keys. The northern part with the yellow key is uneventful, though it contains a BFG. It's easy to get and you need it for the southern section. The standout part there is the nukage pool with a pinky army. Since there was a door down there, I figured out there must be something for them to fight, turns out a pair of cyberdemons patiently waited there, who managed to kill all demons while I was dealing with a revenant ambush and an useless mastermind. Now, here's where I messed up. The cybers guard a switch that raises a bridge to the red key part, but also releases two flocks of cacodemons. I didn't expected this, so I killed both cyberdemons, saved and had to somehow deal with this with far less ammo that I needed. Yes, there are additional cells in cacos' closets, but good luck getting there in a place this cramped.

 

As for the two remaining keys, the blue one is a cramped teleport trap that locks you in with monsters, but it's not that bad, BFG works great to kill a surprising archvile and make room for you to run in circles. The yellow key route is more involved, with a room completely packed with monsters, but this time I took a guess there was a cyberdemon behind this large gate and was right. The rush of revenants that appear when you pick up the red key was the last tough fight of the map, hope you have enough cells to not get overwhelmed. There are also another two cyberdemons and some barons in the starting room, but you can cheese this with ease - just don't go down and fire from above.

 

Overwhelming Odds is the first map of AV I see as difficult and I think it's mostly on the routing side. If you know how the level works, you can save a lot of ammo with infighting and handle tougher fights with more resources. But the blind playthrough is not a kind experience. It reminds me of Hell Revealed a lot and Vorpal confirms this was a source of inspiration.

 

 

Edited March 26 by Celestin

[RHhe82]

This stretch of maps contain several of my favourites. Toxic Touch is great, but I especially enjoy Suicidal Tendencies. To a lesser extent Overwhelming Odds, too. I’m not quite sure why I find them so fun; maybe it’s that they contain excess without grind, wear and tear that would annoy me in some of the later maps.

 

On my first playthrough I disliked Nemesis, but on my second time around I found it okay. Not exactly a map I’ll ever be looking forward to play, but roughly knowing where to go and what to expect saves some of the frustration.

[Celestin]

MAP15-MAP18

MAP15: Bulls on Parade by Madani el Hariri, with edits by Yashar Garibzadeh, Anthony Soto & Anders Johnsen

Spoiler

 

After a grind of the last map, a straight-up action is welcomed. There's no need to ration ammo or go out of your way to provoke infighting, instead the map supplies a steady stream of monsters to eliminate without the excess of something like Suicidal Tendencies or Seclusion. The detailed visuals and a mix of incidental and setpiece fight makes it feel fresh, even two decades after the release.

 

The first memorable fight takes place early on, when you reach a room with a furnace in the middle and no way to progress. You need to get trapped inside and I think shoot a button outside. I'm not sure, as I was fighting the chaingunners that teleported in and at some point a switch next to me appeared, allowing me to exit. The slowly descending lift was fine, as you are fending off cacodemons that appear the deeper you go, but the standout fight is the finale, a large arena that takes itself out with infighting. I do have to complain about the cyberdemon that appear when you try to open the exit, he's a joke if you have ammo left. The secret map is reached through a teleporter, hidden next to the exit. It takes the player to a strange blue chamber that is completely unalike the rest of the map. 

 

Overall, Bulls on Parade is a great breather that I needed.

 

 

MAP31: Killer Colours by Yashar Garibzadeh and Kristian Käll

Spoiler

 

The first secret map of Alien Vendetta presents you with an interesting gimmick: Killer Colours is divided into three parts, each using textures of a single colour. The start in blue halls gives you a plasma rifle to eliminate cacodemons and spectres. The next colour is green - full of hell knights, spectres and some arachnotrons. You are handed a BFG, but the main weapon is a super shotgun, so this part can get a bit slow. 

 

Blue and green sections were easy, but this changed with the final killer colour: red. This part throws revenants at you in bulk, starting with getting sandwiched by skeletons in a tight corridor. It is however nothing compared to the courtyard with a wandering cyberdemon, where the way forward releases two mobs of revenants, making this place nigh-impossible to move around. After a couple of tries, I managed to clear the way with a BFG and wait for cybie to kill them all, only to be finished off with an SSG. By contrast, the final fight was a breeze - a ton of archviles, cyberdemons and other monsters look daunting, but at the same time, you are given an invuln and a heap of cells. By the time god mode ran out, the only thing standing was a single cyberdemon. If you want to visit MAP32, go back to a spot you teleported to and turn around.

 

I really enjoyed this one, Killer Colours is clever with the execution of a central idea and despite its monochrome texture choice and mostly square layout, looks surprisingly good. I feel like the smaller details adds a lot to a map that would otherwise look basic.

 

 

MAP32: No Guts No Glory by Anders Johnsen

Spoiler

 

It's hard to talk about Alien Vendetta without mentioning Hell Revealed, especially when you have a map directly inspired by Resistance is Futile. No Guts No Glory's gameplay is best described as siege combat. What I mean by that is the map puts enemies in large group and in places where they have a limited range of movement. Their job is to block your path and hurl barrages of projectile at the player. A safer way to handle this is to go slow and methodical, eliminating the entrenched positions and pushing forward. More skilled players will grab the biggest gun they have and try to cut through their ranks to the other side, a process that is faster but more difficult.

 

No Guts No Glory is divided into two parts. The first one is much harder, you have four sentry towers of barons and archviles, canals filled with hell nobles, cyberdemons blocking critical bridges and a mass of other monsters taking space. Even getting out of the starting building is a challenge, you are likely to be targetted by archviles when going for ammo. However, if you managed to kill the cyberdemon in front of you, push through monsters and get the red and yellow keys, you can hide in the start and wait for the revenant hordes to thin themselves out - they are likely to be targetted by two cyberdemons that block bridges. If you survived this, congratulations, the hardest part is done. The rest is a clean-up and the second arena that can be handled safely if you don't rush it and eliminate the monsters at hand. 

 

I'm not a fan of this kind of gameplay. With my skills, maps like this tend to be slow and feature a lot of tedious clean-up work. Despite this, I enjoyed the compact nature of No Guts No Glory and its exciting start. Definitely an improvement over the Hell Revealed original.

 

 

MAP16: Mutual Destruction by Brad 'Vorpal' Spencer

Spoiler

 

Vorpal brings another techbase, this time it's way easier than Overwhelming Odds. This doesn't mean it won't caught you by surprise. There are places that will likely kill you if you don't know they are coming. The mass of revenants in the blue room is probably the hardest, I hope you have enought cells (there's a BFG behind the yellow key). This is followed by a room that gives you an invulnerability sphere and releases 6 cyberdemons, there's no strategy here beyond running around to find cells and trying to eliminate as many of the cybers as you can before the power-up runs out. 

 

One thing I'd cut would be the platforming part above lava, more specifically revenants and mancubi on the ledges. If you don't care about getting all kills, you can run past this place, otherwise it's a dangerous task to teleport directly to them. Also, there's this part early on where you have to enter a room through a vent but there's a good chance pinkies will block your path from below, necessitating you to run back and hope they move elsewhere. This one is also annoying. 

 

I think it's a solid map, nevertheless it's brought down by some minor issues.

 

 

MAP17: Nukefall by Anders Johnsen

Spoiler

 

Nukefall is a short map, but don't expect it to be easy. This one is very cramped, with the worst part being a cyberdemon right by the start. The BFG, the only thing in the map that can feasibly kill him, is right by his feet, there are bars that move constantly to screw you over, the place is barely big enough for both of you and you'll still need to return here through a winding and narrow staircase, as the cells are in the next arena. This has been the single most aggravating room in Alien Vendetta so far. 

 

Good news is, it's also the hardest part of the level. Sure, it's low on ammo and the hitscanner gallery by the red key will likely kill you at least once, but I'll take that over CQC with a cyberdemon. The two corridors of revenants are completely toothless, as you can fit rockets between the bars and the 10 archviles by the exit are fun to blast with the BFG.

 

I dig the visuals of Nukefall, especially the lighting and a this step-like formations that are supposed to be round passageways, but that cyberdemon soured my experiences. It's just a cheap difficulty hike in a level that isn't even that hard otherwise.

 

 

MAP18: Lake Poison by Anders Johnsen

Spoiler

 

The map starts in a sludge-filled tunnel, quickly leading to a slime base that reminds me of Plutonia somewhat. Lake Poison is a series of escalating fights connected by a lot of traps and ambushes. It's the kind of map that gives you a BFG relatively early on and is generous with cells. I strongly recommend using it as a primary weapon and only switch to rockets when necessary, as Johnsen loves surrounding you with chaingunners or throwing archviles at you.

 

Aside from a start where mancubi can turn the arena into a bullet hell, the first big fight is a sewer that quickly gets swarmed with imps. It's a fun excercise in crowd control, trying not to get overwhelmed and eliminating the horde with rockets and BFG blasts. Then comes the massive battle in an underground reservoir (the titular Lake Poison, I guess?). Imps chasing you on the ground, several mastermind turrets and two ledges of revenants, this all make an intimidating start. The last of those proved to be the biggest threat, as it's very easy to accumulate a huge ball of homing missiles chasing you. This beginning of this whole setpiece is hectic and exciting, however once the revenants are gone, it turns into a rather slow clean-up. The masterminds can be approached from behind or even made infight, there's a lot of corners to hide behind and, unlike in MAP32, the monster density is on the lower side. It's daunting at first, but quickly turns out to be more of a show than challenge. Also, that pit with hell knights that can't really hit you - what's a point? To bait UV-max runners? 

 

The ending has a lot of annoyning chaingunner snipers, some mancubi and the exit building that is packed with hitscanners like it's MAP13. Not the bad end to one of the best maps so far. It stumbles a bit with the main fight, but Lake Poison managed to keep me on edge for the most of its run and the low-tech nukage facilityis one I like a lot.

 

 

[Celestin]

MAP19-MAP24

MAP19: Alien Resurrection by Madani El Hariri

Spoiler

 

Alien Resurrection is set in sandstone ruins overflowing with slime. I was wandering how AV is going to connect the techbases of E2 with MAP20 and I think this one does the job. 

 

For the most part, the map plays well. It's on a cramper side, preferring mid-tier monsters and repopulating areas you've already cleared. I think the arachnotron corridor was one of the more creative parts of the map, where immobile spiders wait in cubbies for you to release them. The library fight was also fine, however I strongly recommend saving as much ammo for the end as you can for the ending. The horde lead by cyberdemon and two archviles will run you dry and there are two more cacodemons directly blocking the exit. You can cheese this by hiding behind a neck-height wall and letting the cybie do the job, but I still ended up killing two barons with berserk, luckily they were low on health. It's one map where you have to be efficient with ammo, but it uses archviles in an evil way, preforming the titular alien resurrection and wasting a ton of ammo. It's far from my favourite map, but I still think it looks fine and the temple is a fine break after techbases.

 

 

MAP20: Misri Halek by Kim André Malde

Spoiler

 

Doomworld's most memorable map.

 

I tend to feel insecure about presenting views that stand in contrast to the general consensus. After completing Misri Halek, I checked the DWmegawad club thread from 2016 and was surprised to see a number people sharing my sentiment. So here it goes: while it is a map of impressive scope and stunning visuals, Misri Halek is an utter chore to play. I embarrassingly missed the super shotgun completely, as the start is cramped as hell and tight on ammo. This exacerbated the issues with the map's combat, which features too much hell nobles and revenants in narrow corridors. Seriously. Two barrels would have likely sped up the killing, but it would have still been a slow crawl. Also, just like in MAP17, you need to fight cyberdemons in tiny rooms, which once again proved to be the hardest part of the map.

 

I know Misri Halek's strenght lies elsewhere. It blends several themes in an organic fashion - from the sandstone corridors of the pyramid, through fiery caves below and climbing a mountain in the middle of a lake of lava. The whole place looks amazing (especially when you consider it's a 2002 vanilla map), with ton of effort put into details and lighting. This and the midi (both the original and remixed version of "Fight the Logic If You Can") work together to create a map that feels atmospheric to move through, but it's not enough to make me overlook the grinding gameplay.

 

After playing the three out of four Malde's maps I can confidently say he was a great architect when it comes to mapping, I just wish he could create combat that would have compliment the maps' design, rather than works against it.

 

 

MAP21: One Flew Over The Caco's Nest by Pablo Dictter

Spoiler

 

I don't know if AV is the wad that invented a trope of dedicating the 21st map to berserk usage and low ammo allotment, personally I can't think of earlier mapsets that did this and many later releases followed suit. Anyways, Dictter did a good job with Caco's Nest. Visually, it reminds me of E2 aesthetic of human architecture corrupted by hell's influence. Vine-covered bricks, wood, gore and blood, you know this style. 

 

There is little room to move, which works to facilitate the map's melee-focused combat. You want to save shells for cacodemons and punch the rest, so dodging projectiles is a challenge. While I'm hardly a Tyson map fan, it was a pleasent surprise and I welcomed a compact size and short runtime.

 

 

MAP22: Rubicon by Brad 'Vorpal' Spencer

Spoiler

 

I don't have that much to talk about one, it's a very classic map in its design. Rubicon combines a variety of hellish themes, there's marble, red bricks and wood. Probably the best part is a libraby ambush, where demons teleport inside a circle of bookshelves. 

 

I don't think Rubicon does anything bad and it's not like I was having a bad time, but it feels forgettable, more than any other map in AV so far.

 

 

MAP23: Blood Sacrifice by Kim André Malde

Spoiler

 

Easily the map of Alien Vendetta I had least fun with, Blood Sacrifice was just painful to play. It's confusing to navigate, you'll be killing enemies, thinking you are making progress, only to hit a dead end, wasting precious ammo that you need for more immediate threats (like archviles or tanky monsters blocking the correct route). The biggest sin of Blood Sacrifice, though, is hiding the plasma rifle in an obscure secret. Early on, you will walk past a room with a square pool with an immobile archvile. Right in the next corridor, there's a shootable switch behind the green torch. You're welcomed, I hope you'll have more time than I did.

 

I didn't find the plasma rifle until after I killed everything, I had to ration ammo, avoid the trio of cyberdemons and other wastes of resources and punch whatever I could, all the while the map was feeding me with bulk cells I couldn't use. Look, I can take the blame for missing the SSG in Misri Halek, but the near-mandatory nature of thas secret almost broke me. However, when I was about to lose hope completely, I noticed a switch on the back of another switch. It opened a BFG cubby at the tail end of the map, so I could mop everything I left alive. 

 

This could have been a great map, Blood Sacrifice has the same positives as Malde's other levels - an intricate architecture and quality lighting, this time in a large and spacious castle that invokes Eternal Doom. It just needed one tiny change of putting the plasma rifle in the open (for example, near the second cyberdemon). I'm sure it wull be more entertaining if I play the wad again, but my first experience was negative.

 

 

MAP24: Clandestine Complex by Lee Szymanski and Anthony Soto

Spoiler

 

Clandestine Complex is a very late addition to Alien Vendetta - it appeared in the 2002 re-release, replacing Valley of Echoes (which its own author saw as ugly and unfun). It looks so out of place in the final episode, being a slime-filled concrete base that would fit right after the duo's Hillside Siege. This is pretty much my biggest complaint, as outside the placement, I enjoyed C.C. a lot. 

 

The early AV sense of place is back, as the complex is locked and you need to find a more clever way to enter in. More specifically, through sewer access, hidden in the side corner. This leads to a key hunt which can get a bit confusing at times (it took me a while before I relised you can climb a crate and jump through the window), but at the same time, you are constantly fighting something (mostly weaker monsters and revenants) and secrets helps with ammo shortages. It's a solid breather before AV's final stretch and considering its reputation, a much needed one.

 

 

Bonus content
MAP25: Valley of Echoes (from Alien Vendetta 2001) by Anders Johnsen

Spoiler

 

I was curious why this map in particular was removed from the second version of AV. Well, it starts with a complete abuse of chaingunners. Like seriously, they are everywhere and the gallery above the Chasm-like ledges is something I can't take seriously. The early parts in general seem IWADs-inspired, with The Abandoned Mines being the one it borrows the most from. There's a lot of metal walls, corridors over lava and climbing through narrow rocky paths. I hated this one at first, it assaults you with a constant stream of bullets wherever you go, but if you take things slowly and take advantage of infighting, it's not that bad.

 

The first objective is to find a set of three keys in a linear manner. It starts with the blue one, the chaingunners here can be taken out with a bit of patience and the archvile that blocks your escape is a perfect target for a newly acquired rocket launcher. Then comes the red key path, starting with a chaingunner spam that goes for too long, followed by the aforementioned MAP26 homage and large valley where you have to walk through a path while (what else) being under chaingun fire. I survived this thanks to a secret blursphere, otherwise I bet I'd have a bad time. Also, there is a mastermind in a side corner that can't harm you unless you go out of your way to kill it and it's replaced with another one if killed. I have no clue why this is a thing. The last part is the yellow key trap that locks you in a room and teleports monsters. This one is a rocket dump that I don't mind, helps relax a bit and prepare for the next hitscanner hell. I'm talking about yet another arena with chaingunners, but luckily it's the last one. Don't miss the BFG here, because the rest of the map switches gameplay from constant hitscanner attacks to large-scale battles. 

 

I think what follows is the reason for Valley of Echoes' replacement. The titular valley is huge, but also flat, basic in design and is plastered with a single texture, it just doesn't look good. I don't like the combat here, it's a mess of demon hordes that I couldn't get to infight, especially the row of mancubi that I had to pump rockets into for a while. The next part with the dam was better, but again suffered from the excessive size. Moving around the second half of the map took so damn long and the progression can get confusing. Also, there's an island with 10 cyberdemons, you'll be returning here for the finale after clearing a cave complex from chaingunners, so it might be better to leave them alive as an infighting help. I killed them outright, which wasn't a problem in a map that is rather generous with health and ammo. Nevertheless, the final fight was a fun one, much more concise than the previous battle that ends the map on a high note.

 

Valley of Echoes feels underdeveloped, like an early draft that was supposed to go through further revisions. I wish it was reworked, rather than scrapped completely, as with better visuals, less tedious gameplay in the second part and more streamlined progression, it would have been a solid level that would have fit right in with the rest of AV. I don't hate this one, but at the same time I fully understand why it was cut.

 

 

[RHhe82]

Leave it to a such cliffhanger there :-D

 

Even without nostalgia factor, I find Misri halek a marvellous map - although I can see your points. I guess I found the SSG on my first playthrough; my only real problems I can immediatly recall are the close-quarter cybers, a trope I really don’t like in any map I come across it.

 

Personally, a bigger problem related to Misri Halek is the fact it’s such a standout. When I entered MAP21 on my second playthrough, I felt tired knowing there were only two maps I was really looking forward to, and one map I was really not.

[Celestin]

MAP25-MAP30

MAP25: Demonic Hordes by Vincent 'Peroxyd' Catalaá and Sam 'Metabolist' Woodman

Spoiler

 

After a lenghty session that took me two hours, I can safely say Demonic Hordes knocked me on my knees. Sure, the start wasn't good - the cramped arena with two cyberdemons and teleporting reinforcements was too much of a mess to clear with rockets and plasma, so I escaped this place, into the grounds of a castle. From this point onward, Demonic Hordes opens up considerably, providing more opportunities to stage infighting or blast whole crowds with rockets. I understand the complaints about the map lenght (killing 1300 monsters take a while) and somewhat repetitive combat, however the authors hand you supplies in bulk, there is ample room to dodge or control crowds and the secrets aren't hard to find an will help you a lot. Probably the most important one is a hidden teleporter in the castle, it brings you to the BFG. It invaluable here, as the map throws a ton of cyberdemons at you, sometimes in groups, not to mention hordes of other monsters.

 

Demonic Hordes looks great, it's the same Eternal Doom vibe that Blood Sacrifice used and it works here well. I think the only part I disliked was the ending, where for some reason, you teleport into a lava cave. There aren't that many monsters, but their placement is more obnoxious than anything in the map. Archviles are running high on the edges of the map, monsters shell you from high ground and if you walk in the wrong spot, three cyberdemons join in. There's also one more cybie by the exit, just to screw the player. This whole section should have been removed, as it comes right after a slaughter in the courtyard. 

 

I think one reason I enjoyed this one so much is the new midi. It was originally scored by depressive "You Suck" from RoTT, but Lee Jackson came to the rescue, transforming it into a heroic track that was pushing me forward. I'm not usually a fan slaughter maps, but this is easily the high point of Alien Vendetta and the map I will always remember.

 

 

MAP26: Dark Dome by Anders Johnsen

Spoiler

 

Doomworld's 88th most memorable map.

 

It's obvious what was the main inspiration here - Post Mortem from Hell Revealed. I think Dark Dome is more kind to the player, though. Unlike Donner, Johnsen hands you all the guns from the start and doesn't use hurtfloors at all. The map starts you in the sights of cyberdemons and several archviles, but it's surprisingly easy to run away, hide in a side wing of the map and start grinding down the defenders. Just like MAP32 (another HR-inspired level), Dark Dome is a siege map, but larger, far longer and featuring less up-close combat. It's mostly firing rockets at cages and balconies, clearing corridors with BFG or fighting cyberdemon. The map is generous with health and ammo, so a long, but safe playstyle is viable. Hell, I've left two invuln spheres for later and ended up not using them, so I guess a more aggressive approach would still work.

 

Siege combat is generally not my cup of tea, so I appreciate then the map does something different to break the monotony. The small room that was filled with imps was fun to blast through with a BFG, but the best single encounter was the blue key fight, a blue circle with cool step-light layout that teleports a horde for you to run around. 

 

Compared to Post Mortem, Dark Dome is more open, giving a lot of routing options and lacks the brutality of Hell Revealed's map. It just didn't feel as rewarding to make it to the end, however Dark Dome is still a great map and one of obvious standouts in Alien Vendetta.

 

 

MAP27: Stench of Evil by Anders Johnsen and Jan Endre Jansen

Spoiler

 

Third huge map in the row (not counting Valley of Echoes) and I think it's the weakest one. The opposition feels more spread out, there are groups of monsters that exist solely to stretch out the UV max runs (see two halves of the moat with mancubi and masterminds) and some fights feel tedious. Circle-strafing around a horde of barons? Seriously? Also, here's another cyberdemon in a room the size of a broom closet, it's as annoying as it was in previous levels.

 

I do think the map gets better by the end, as there are two setpieces that looks awesome, but are mostly for show - most monsters kill themselves through infighting. I'm referring to the bleachers of chaingunners and the diamond-shaped red tunnel. You barely have to pull a trigger before you're left with stragglers, but they do look pretty. Another cool sight (pun intended) are the icy caves you pass through early on. I'm less wowed by Thy Flesh Consumed homages, like the reinterpretation of Nine Inch Nails room, but that's because the map has strong visuals on its own. I didn't have that much fun here, it's a drawn-out experience that lack the spectacle of Demonic Hordes or Dark Dome.

 

 

MAP28: Whispering Shadows by Anders Johnsen

Spoiler

 

A considerably shorter map than the previous three, meaning it took me a bit over half an hour to complete. The scale here feels smaller, with bigger emphasis on small-scale traps and fights in confined space. To be fair, the incidental nature of Whispering Shadows makes few thing memorable. Well, maybe except that one secret that caused gibs to fly from behind the wall. 

 

It's not a bad map, but I struggle to recall anything beyond E4-like aesthetic. 

 

 

MAP29: Fire Walk With Me by Anders Johnsen

Spoiler

 

By the author's own admission, for the most part this is easier than the bulk of AV's final chapter. However, after punching some imps and dealing with a rocky arena in front of demonic castle, you have no way to go but down, following the lava river. What follows is one of the most iconic moments of Alien Vendetta - a crescent-shaped red cave, packed to capacity with revenants. After a couple of deaths, I decided to ignore this for the time being, pressing the switch that both opened the way forward and released mancubi, readied the BFG and killed four archviles that were blocking my escape. I think infighting eliminated enough of the revenants to make it easier to spam BFG. As for the rest, it's mostly on a smaller side and I didn't complain about the lack of ammo. Be on the lookout for archviles surprises and you should make it to the end.

 

Fire Walk With Me offers some of the best sights in the wad. Aside from the aforementioned revenant cave, there's also a brief visit inside the bowels of some sector monstrosity and a square with imps hanging from the gallows (this place also has a chaingunner pyramid that, just like in MAP27, mostly takes care of itself). Not a bad map, though perhaps it should have been placed earlier in the episode.

 

 

MAP30: Point Dreadful by Anders Johnsen

Spoiler

Point Dreadful is a carbon copy of Doom 2's Icon of Sin - you'll be running between a rising column and a switch on top of a terrace-like platforms. It takes a while, especially as the very first lift is on a short timer, just enough to be reached while strafe-running. Yes, the red textures definitely look better, but its derivative nature makes it completely redundant. A wad like Alien Vendetta deserves a better ending.

 

Conclusions

 

The longer I think about Alien Vendetta, the more I circle back to Not Jabba's essay on Doom mapping. More specifically, how AV was this union of adventure and combat when most megawads tend to favour one over another. I understand now why it is seen as this turning point in mapping, an end of the classic era, the dawn of the new age and the inspiration for many mappers to come. The design holds well even today, with very detailed geometry and lighting. The early maps are the best in this regard, the soft light and evening sky creates this cosy atmosphere I greatly enjoyed. The mid-wad techbase stretch was the lowest point visually, aside from a handful of maps, they don't feel that memorable. The hell chapter, on the other hand, is an obvious standout, giving off this oppressive vibe that fits the gameplay.

 

At the same time, Alien Vendetta's combat is among the best of its day. It's a varied set in that regard, building on the foundation created by Plutonia and Hell Revealed - traps, slaughter fights and large-scale siege combat are all here. Alien Vendetta is a challenging megawad, especially by the end, but compared to Hell Revealed, I find it easier. My theory is that it relies less on planning and more on moment-to-moment skills.

 

It was a great experience to finally stand up to the challenge and complete Alien Vendetta. I can confidently say this is my favourite classic megawad (sorry, Plutonia, you've been bested), one which can withstand comparison even with modern releases. This is a must-play for any Doom enthusiast.

 

PS. Outside of a couple of maps, I haven't talked about music (again), but I think the community did a good job with the midi pack. It definitely contributed positively to the playthrough, with MAP25 being the prime example.

 

TOP 5 maps:
MAP25: Demonic Hordes by Vincent 'Peroxyd' Catalaá and Sam 'Metabolist' Woodman
MAP13: Suicidal Tendencies by Brad 'Vorpal' Spencer
MAP18: Lake Poison by Anders Johnsen
MAP26: Dark Dome by Anders Johnsen
MAP10: Toxic Touch by Kim André Malde

[RHhe82]

I disagreed with you on Misri Halek, but actually my list of TOP 5 maps would be the same, only the order might vary. I would debate myself whether to pick Toxic Touch or Misri Halek, and if I still remembered CQ Cybers, would indeed choose Toxic Touch.

 

Unlike one reviewer I respect, but with whom I seem to have slightly differing tastes, I really like Demonic Hordes. Only blemish there is the ending area, which I always forget exists, and am bit let down when I reach it.

 

Dark Dome is the final great map (though it also has a CQ Cyber or two, geez) of the wad. Stench of Evil for me is a miserable chore, probably my least favourite map of the set, if we don’t count Point Dreadful. Although admittedly Stench of Evil wasn’t quite that taxing on second playthrough, suffered less from ammo starvation that time.

[Celestin]

Before moving on, I'd like to check out Alien Vendetta: Black Label, a two-map addon made by Vorpal and released in 2016. This includes a remake of Valley of Echoes and I'm especially curious how it plays compared to the original.

 

MAP01: Levenbrech

Spoiler

 

Levenbrech is a relatively open level, with textures set that looks like a combination of sandstone bricks and castle walls. While this is a nice nod to the original, more unconventional geometry is something new - sectors not conforming to the grid is something AV (and Vorpal's maps specifically) didn't do often.

Gameplay-wise, this feel more exploration-focused than an average AV map. The layout feels open, there's a number of hidden supply caches and for the most part, you'll be trying to locate switches or keys, facilitated by an intersecting and looping map design. The fights are on an easier side, mostly singular enemies or small groups scattered around. This definitely feels closer to AV's first chapter than the end game's brutality. That being said, Levenbrech continues the tradition of cramped cyberdemon fights - there's one by the exit and it's the single toughest encounter in the map.

 

Levenbrech was a fine map to play through, successfully channelling the more accessible side of Alien Vendetta and improving its already great visuals even further.

 

 

MAP02: Valley of Echoes

Spoiler

While definitely an improvement over the 2001 original, Black Label's Valley of Echoes nevertheless comes with its own problems. First the positives. Vorpal rejected the slaughter gameplay and chaingunner abuse of the original, instead opting for exploration and small-scale encounters (not unlike in Levenbrech). The map was made from scratch, though it borrows the aesthetics and there are some areas that were inspired by Johnsen's original: cross-shaped platform, Chasm-like maze (though you traverse this time from the ground level, rather than on the top of the walls) and the hidden archvile-filled cubby. Most of the map is original, much more detailed than the somewhat basic original. The combat once again reminds of MAP01, though the early scramble for guns was quite a surprise, most of the weapons are close by and ammo is rather generous - once you find a rocket launcher, you can start eliminating the starting obstacles and moving forward.

What I do mind is a confusing progression. I think you first need to press a switch that is placed at the end of the maze, then press another on the cross-shaped platform, which unlocks the yellow key. Then visit the valley, follow the river of lava and you are at the final fight. Now, when I was playing the map, it felt like stuff was just happening, all the while map was throwing new monsters at me. Part of the reason is because there's a lot of optional stuff to do and it's not clear where you need to go. The bloody pool with cyberdemon in the centre isn't a mandatory part of the map, but it holds a BFG that is much needed for the finale (there's another one in the archvile cave, but I think it's even harder to obtain, as it's reached through a nested secret). 

 

The final fight is a mess of pinkies, lost sould and mancubi in a dark cave on a damaging floor with a single radsuit to spare and no health besides a berserk pack. This one is considerably harder than the rest of the map and not in a good way. The BFG helps with making this place traversable, but I'm just not a fan of this fight as a time trial.  Issues aside, Valley of Echoes is a worthy remake of the original, it plays better without the tedious gameplay, though it would have been better with more clear progression.

 

 

Conclusions

Black Label is a nice send-off to Alien Vendetta, providing two more maps that would fit well into early parts of the megawad. Vorpal did a good job exploring the more atmospheric and less combat-intensive side of AV, with great visuals and solid action. Playing it after completing the original wad felt like an epilogue, ending Alien Vendetta on a higher note than Point Dreadful. I'd say give this one a shot if you can't get enough of AV or are looking for a something exploration-focused.

[ReaperAA]

Agree with Misri Halek. The atmosphere is fantastic (as with any of Kim Andre's maps), but the gameplay is slogish. I myself prefer Toxic Touch over Misri Halek.

[Celestin]

Another wad I've dropped early on was Moonblood by Deadwing. I think I stopped playing somewhere around MAP05, as I was tired of lack of resources. From what I've seen so far, it is indeed strict with how much health and ammo you get, but not as bad as I remembered. Also, I'd like to try Ozonia at some point, it's only fair to start with the first wad of the series.

 

Episode 1 (MAP01-MAP06)

 

MAP01: UAC Starport

Spoiler

A short techbase containing only imps and zombies. If you've found a secret berserk pack and shotgun early on, there's hardly a challenge here. I feel like the presentation is the star here, with energetic midi pushing you forward and the washed-out palette makes the wad immediately recognisible. Overall, a solid opener.

MAP02: Waste Central

Spoiler

 

MAP02 and quite a difficulty hike. Waste Central features mostly close quarters combat where half of the enemies are shotgunners. There isn't much health, and besides scattered armor bonuses, the only additional piece of protection is a green armor in a secret. I died here a couple of times, it's very easy to accumulate damage and even if you know the map, monsters tend to roam around and can surprise you in places you don't expect them. Don't expect to beat it the first time, familiarise yourself with the map and be very careful and you might succeed.

 

Surprisingly tough this early, but it was fun to make it to the end.

 

MAP03: Underground Facility

Spoiler

 

Probably the most entertaining map so far - unlike MAP02, Underground Facility gives you enough health and armor to survive against hitscanner assault. At least beyond the first room, as this place feels very open and surrounds you with shotgunners. With an armor, the map turns into a breezy run through tunnels with a couple of tricky secrets to help you on your way. As with the previous map, check behind every corner, watch out for traps and you should be fine. Probably my favourite one is the chaingun, which turns off the lights and releases monsters from behind a wall. A E1M3 reference, I guess?

 

I haven't talk about the visuals much, but so far, Moonblood uses clean design that reminds me of the Knee-Deep in the Dead. Another good map to play.

 

MAP04: The Courtyard

Spoiler

 

One of the quirks of Moonblood is the seamless progression between levels. MAP03 had a single shotgunner on the stairs in front of the exit switch, here he lies dead, with his gun for you to pick up. It's less than ideal weapon here, as The Courtyard throws cacodemons at you. It's a surprisingly tough enemy in a map that has no SSG, is rather right with ammo early on and the hidden rocket launcher with 4 rockets isn't enough to take them all out. I started running forward, which ultimately lead me to the blue key room. From this point onward, I had a chaingun and enough ammo to start fighting. The rest of the map wasn't very hard, though the lost sould in the dark basement slowed the map down a bit. 

 

I have to say, silver, concrete and water is a nice-looking combination here. The Courtyard is a map I didn't enjoy that much at first, but it ended up being a good level.

 

MAP05: Infrastructure Sector

Spoiler

 

The start is once again the toughest part, with tanky cacodemon, hitscanner chip damage and imps taking up space. Once this is done, it's more of chaingun and shotgun action. One thing to note is how the map starts giving you rockets. The courtyard with cacodemons is a perfect place to use it. Moonblood has so far been rather deliberate with its resource allotment, which can make its map tense, but as a side effect, they might get grindy.

 

One interesting moment was the slime tunnels, which were a corridor crawl at first, where you have to check out your corners for hitscanners, only to turn into an abush by the end. The finale was not bad, a small trap with imps and a hell knight but having to catch two switches and the door might be a bit too much. Once again, it's a solid map.

 

 

MAP06: Central Command

Spoiler

 

A high point action-wise so far, Central Command finally gives you a super shotgun and enough rockets to handle cacodemons and hell knights without feeling grindy. This is helpful with ambushes, such as the blue key trap with cacodemons and chaingunners or the yellow key basement, which teleports in a hell knight-lead assault. The map ends with the tankies fight yet, feturing three hell knight (one teleporting behind you) and two cacodemons on the sides. Probably the sole weak part is reprising the lost soul basement from The Courtyard, I wasn't a fan of it back then, now I see it as a filler.

 

Regarding visuals, it's still E1 territory, with silver walls and an interlocking layout, but the map ends with you finally going outside and the rocky textures do look nice. The first chapter of Moonblood started strong, with an energetic MAP01, only to turn into a slow crawl where shotgunners lurk behind every turn. I'm glad however it ended on a high note, Central Command is a fun shootout that makes me excited for the next episode.

 

 

[RHhe82]

Moonblood is a great wad (as is Ozonia, based on first 8 maps), but there were some issues I had with it. Both are skill issues on my part. Timed puzzles I struggled a little bit with, but the greater issue was that somehow, and I can’t figure out why, I was constantly starving for health. Fights aren’t that difficult, but somehow it wouldn’t take anything more than constant single revenant screech around every other corner, and I’d be out of health. I guess armor was scarce? I don’t know. So far Ozonia is the same, it’s harder than it looks, if that makes sense.

 

Also, my frustration is magnified by the chill and relaxed soundtrack :-D

[Celestin]

Episode 2 (MAP07-MAP11)

MAP07: Industrial Zone

Spoiler

 

Industrial Zone opens with a view of a desolated complex, with bodies laying in front of the entry. Down the stairs, you enter a room that quickly becomes too cramped when you are surrounded by four mancubi. Yes, this is MAP07, so of course the Dead Simple crew is here, though I don't think tags 666 and 667 are used at all.

 

The map tend to be on the smaller size, so mancubi and arachnotrons are a big thread here, as they are notorious for spamming projectiles. I hope you are confident with using rocket launcher at close range, since this is the weapon that gets the most ammo. The standout moment is the basement, dark and crawling with spectres. A pair of pain elementals will teleport here if you make a sound past a certain line, so I ended up luring the demons to a safe corner of the map and triggering the pain elementals once I was sure a spectre won't catch a rocket. It is followed by the yellow key fight in a slime pit, surrounding you with arachnotrons up-close.

 

I like the atmosphere of a dark, decrepit base, overrun by monsters and a tense combat it brings.

 

MAP08: Sewers

Spoiler

 

After picking up the shotgun from a corpse of a sergeant, I entered a mazey network of corridors that I guess were inspired by Underhalls. Spectres quickly began to chase me, so I started to run in a random direction, until I found a chaingun and shells. This was enough to clear the halls near the start, at that point I could get my hands on the SSG and turned the map in my favour. There are a lot of ambushes and monster closets, but I never complained about the lack of ammo or health. Hell, there's even a plasma rifle that I didn't use, since SSG and rockets were enough to handle the threats.

 

I enjoyed the manic opening, but once it's done, the map slows down considerably and the visuals are rather forgettable. Still, I can't deny it's a well made map, generally the whole wad so far is doing a good job with those small, exploratory maps.

 

MAP09: Delta Labs Research

Spoiler

 

I played the bulk of the map twice, as forgot to save at all, got to the blue key trap and died. Foreknowledge helped me manage ammo and figure out how to get the rocket launcher ASAP. Generally, you want to find the yellow key, which isn't needed to exit, but it opens rooms that let you resupply and obtain the launcher.

 

The Containment Area-like flashing lights are luckily not harmful, which is one less thing to worry about in the opening moments, where a shot triggers hitscanners in rooms all around you (a bluresphere works wonders here). The red key surprised me with a revenant ambush, on the second run I just used rockets to take them out quickly. Another effective trap happened by the plasma rifle, with two arachnotrons and a pain elemental in a small room, where I spent the bulk of the initial cells I got. 

 

Delta Labs Research is another map with a dark room, this one is even more involved. It can also be completely disarmed with a secret light amp visor, one more thing that the yellow key opens. I don't want to dance with pain elementals on a hurtfloor in pitch-black chamber. The last fight that killed me on my first run is also staged in darkness, where a revenant distracts you from two chaingunners appearing behind your back. That's nasty. I like this map a lot, it's effectively uses a small monster count to create some vicious traps that were fun to learn and overcome.

 

 

MAP10: Toxic Treatment Lab

Spoiler

I've concluded that Moonblood works best when it applies enought pressure on the player to prevent them from thinking and instead force to rely on instincts. That's the story of Toxic Treatment Lab for me, where not only you have to deal with constant traps, but also ever-present nukage. Running from one place to another, triggering ambushes (which rely on chaingunners and tanky monsters - you'll be fighting a lot of mancubi, arachnotrons and pain elementals), all the while making sure you pick up new radsuit as the old one is running out - this is one hectic map and a greatly enjoyable one. 

MAP11: Logistics

Spoiler

This one wasn't that special. Once again, a lot of corners to hide hitscanners around and only two fights to speak of. The yellow key surprised me with teleporting hell knights and the plasma rifle dropped a mancubi from behind a wall, but the rest can (and should) be dealt with by being patient. It lacks the push forward I enjoyed in MAP10. Even the final fight of the episode, a cramped room with 2 hell knights, mancubus, arachnotron and some shotgunners felt disappointing. More than earlier maps, Logistics felt confusing to navigate and therefore longer to complete

than it should have.

 

Quite an underwhelming map, to be honest, doubly so since this is the end of an episode. 

 

On 4/2/2024 at 10:55 AM, RHhe82 said:

the greater issue was that somehow, and I can’t figure out why, I was constantly starving for health

In my case, it's usually hitscanners that make me lose health. As I've said earlier, they are around every corner and with a quite open layout, monster can wander from other rooms and shoot you in the back. Probably MAP02 was the worst in that regard, it got better once I get used to it.

[LVENdead]

I played Moonblood a few years ago and I remember it being a pretty tight experience in terms of enemies and resources. Very attrition-heavy gameplay most of the way through. I actually completed about 20 maps saveless before I threw in the towel out of frustration, but it was still a mostly fun experience.

 

I will say that Ozonia ends up diverting from that a good amount, I think there's quite a bit more generosity in resources in many of the maps.

[Celestin]

Episode 3 (MAP12-MAP32)

 

MAP12: Mining Site

Spoiler

 

New chapter, new aesthetic. The more natural environment paired with bricks and vines are a nice change after techbases. True to the name, Mining Site is a series of caves and more run-down buildings, compared to steel and silver of the first 11 maps. 

 

One of the things that haven't changed is the gameplay. You have a hot start to handle that isn't afraid to throw mancubi and hell knights from the first moments, and several ways to proceed forward. I chose the out of the way teleporter first, where I could find a rocket launcher. You can also ride a lift with a super shotgun down into a cramped trap or run straight for the blue key and a plasma rifle. There's a lot of experimentation to do and it's the best part of the level. Be on the lookout for the traps and two key fights that like to give monsters a high ground while blocking you with others.

 

Mining Site is a strong start to episode 3, let's see if the rest will follow.

 

 

MAP13: The Village

Spoiler

 

A good way to describe the way The Village (and Moonblood in general) approaches the combat is to say that the cyberdemon that appear at some point is the least of your worries. If you don't want to fight him, just don't approach the invulnerability sphere, at least until you have a plasma rifle and a hefty stack of cells. The box he's sitting in does contain a supercharge and a ton of rockets, which is something you want here.

 

After entering the building near the start, The Village opens up, giving you several paths leading to a pair of keys. A lot of up-close hitscanners, mancubi and arachnotrons that can spam the place with projectiles, spectres that do a great job blocking your path and several pain elementals that clog the space are the main threats, the map is light on health and you can lose it quicky. That being said, I like the final area, a rocky arena where I lead a cyberdemon to, trying to outrun him and taking out the foes that set up an ambush behind every corner was a tense setpiece.

 

 

MAP14: Hellish Shrine

Spoiler

Pistol-starting wasn't a kind experience. This has to be the toughest opening in Moonblood yet, a tight maze of imps and shotgunners where you can lose the bulk of your health and there isn't that much opportunity to regain it. As for the rest, even though the map throws a lot of tougher monsters (mostly revenants and mancubi), it's one again hitscanners that are the scariest. There's one fight that's really nasty, when you drop down a hole and land in a small room with mancubi and chaingunners, but aside from this, Hellish Shrine is the Moonblood standard - open layout and incidental combat in favour of setpiece fights.

 

MAP15: Decaying Industries

Spoiler

 

I like this one a lot. Decaying Industries offers a very open layout, where there's always more than one way to go. The main objective is to reach a platform in the centre of the map, but there are two separate routes there, both involving some heavy opposition. I feel like this map does a great job pushing you forward with its limited resources, discouraging camping and instead running to the next room, hoping for more ammo and health so you can start making progress. All the while, you have to deal with the usual subjects - hitscanners, revenants and mancubi. 

 

Getting to MAP31 was a bit annoying, you have to get to the top of the column that I've mentioned earlier and jump to a nearby wall, where you can reach a teleporter to a hidden room. Here, you can raise a bridge to the secret exit. It's not the hardest jump, but took me a number of tries to land on a right spot.

Anyways, Decaying Industries is a hectic map, providing this push forward that I haven't felt since MAP10.

 

 

MAP31: Archives: Dobu Gabu's Exam

Spoiler

 

Okay, so I was confused about the title and checked the DWMC, hoping to get enlightened. It seems MAP31 was born out of a design excercise, where Dobu Gabu Maru provided the start, red key arena and the exit, tasking mappers with creating the rest of a layout. I think it explains why the red key part is so much more detailed than the rest of Moonblood.

 

Dobu Gabu's Exam is a map that generally left little impression, as without the context, it played a lot like other maps in the wad - it's the same attrition-style combat with one standout moment (the red key part with two-level ambush) and a debut of an archvile near the exit. The aesthetics looks like a cross between E2 and E3, meaning it's mostly a Doom 2-style techbase with added overgrown rock by the end. Knowing it's a salvaged map from another project (which seem to be true for both secret maps) does explain its oddities and I have to commend Deadwing for managing to impose his own style on a map someone else started, though I doubt I'll remember abouth this one.

 

 

MAP32: Archives: Iron Keep

Spoiler

 

I have to say, this one does look like a proper secret map - after techbases and mines, a large fortress in the middle of a lake of lava is something I didn't expect. It's also a sole map in the megawad that isn't scored by Deadwing's midi, instead borrowing a track from Unreal Tournament. It's pulsating style pairs well with the most action-heavy map yet, throwing a lot of monsters at you, while at the same time giving enough health and ammo for those willing to look for secrets.

 

The standout moment is when you pick up a yellow key, only to have the floor lower into a room with two cyberdemons. They teleport away, so you can fight them at the end of the map. It's a rare arena fight in Moonblood, which generally prefers an incidental combat. According to Deadwing, Iron Keep originated from his earlier wad called Eclipse and was repurposed for the use in Moonblood, which explains why it looks and feels different. It's the better of the secret levels by a wide margin.

 

 

[Celestin]

Episode 4 (MAP16-MAP20)

 

MAP16: Beta Labs Reception

Spoiler

 

The map hands you a plasma rifle from the very start, so it's a hint you should use it. Indeed, Beta Labs Reception isn't afraid to use revenants, barons and pain elementals, however once again, the main problem turns out to be the hitscanners. Even with a megaarmor, I was for the most of the map running below 50% health, checking behind every corner if there isn't a shotgunner or commando that could drop my health even lower.

 

After caves and mines, the wad returns to techbases, this time more overgrown than before. It's not a bad map, but I doubt I'll remember it.

 

 

MAP17: BFG Experiments

Spoiler

 

Deadwing raises the bar when it comes to difficulty right from the start. Yes, the map starts with an SSG and enough ammo to kill a pair of revenants and a baron (plus a chaingunner that might come in), but with a cross-shaped hall this narrow, it's very easy to catch a missile or get mauled to death. Then you approach a room with a BFG in the middle. Obvious trap is obvious, but revealing two archviles and a third one on a nearby balcony caught me off guard. You might be tempted to use a newly acquired BFG, but no. You'll need it for later. I spotted a different wall in one vile's monster closet, which lead to another part of the map. It wasn't better, as it's again a hitscanner assault, but here I could bait the archviles below the blue key ledge and kill them with a super shotgun. Embarrassingly, I completely missed a rocket launcher here, maybe it would have helped with revenants, but whatever.

 

So, why should you save that BFG? Well, there's this one room that spawns an archvile, hell nobles and revenants, since this place is rather cramped, I recommend no other weapon. This aside, I like the change in visuals, with plaster walls combined with tech textures, makes it feel like an older part of the facility.

 

 

MAP18: Hidden in the Dungeon

Spoiler

 

6 archvile might not seem like much, however because the map is small and they are featured often, it feels like a lot. Don't worry though, the BFG is available quite early and if you ration cells, you should have enough to swiftly kill any vile that appears. Another thing worth mentioning is the computer room switch puzzle. Don't waste your time trying to brute-force the solution, instead check for switches that activate multiple things at once. It should let you catch a lift with no problems.

 

The map concludes with draining a pool of lava, which is admittedly a cool sight. A short tunnel leads to a small fight with a mastermind, which should be no threat if you have enough cells left. 

 

 

MAP19: Obstructed Zone

Spoiler

 

Obstructed Zone is divided into two halves. The first one is a techbase that starts with a brutal fight against revenants and archvile in a small room. If you survive this, you are dealing with a techbase that expands your typical Moonblood experience with a handful of new tricks. There's another group of revenants and archvile that teleports behind your back and a small ambush by the red key. Once again, archvile are getting more screen time, the one by the BFG I cheesed completely after I figured out you can attack him without triggering two revenants in the same room.

 

While this isn't bad, I like the second half much more. You can finally get outside, the rocks and caves reminds me of Episode 3 a lot. The cyberdemon was surprising, but he got distracted by an imp, so I loaded two BFG balls into his ass, followed by an SSG blast and he was dead. The finale has to be my favourite fight of the wad so far - in imp-filled cave that surprises you with two more archviles. It's a rather cramped fight where rockets can clear crowds just as easy as killing the player. Moonblood doesn't use such setpieces often, so it's a welcomed change of pace.

 

 

MAP20: Moonblood Gateway

Spoiler

 

The starting room lets you choose one of two teleporters, either starting in a small room with an archvile behind your back or on a red platform. In the hindsight, I'd chose the former, as it's closer to the secret BFG. As it's standard at this point, Moonblood Gateway doesn't shy away from spicing fights with archviles and there's enough cells to take them out quickly if needed.

 

Once again, however, the map is mostly incidental, so few things stands out from the rest despite an overall quality. A bit of a letdown after the previous map, but a solid episode closure anyways. I can't wait to see what the next part will be.

 

 

[Celestin]

Episode 5 (MAP21-MAP26)

 

MAP21: The Abyss

Spoiler

Visually, The Abyss seem to be inspired more by Plutonia, which is something I always welcome. What I like here is how the map feature some more distinct setpieces. There's the cavern on the route to the blue key where you have to run past a cyberdemon or the yellow key room that surprised me with two archviles (less to the lift-catching puzzle that follows). I had a secret BFG at that point, which is obtained after spotting how activating one lift lowers another.

 

MAP22: Skeleton's Gardens

Spoiler

I was curious how many revenants are here and it seems they represent a third of all monsters. Skeleton's Gardens is a fairly open map, which I don't think is something Moonblood has done to this extend. The order of operation is rather simple, the blue key is in the open and it unlocks several doors, including one that lets you grab the red key, which in turn unlocks the exit. However, it's easy to collect a lot of unwanted attention early and groups of revenants can get too tanky with only a shotgun, so finding bigger guns is a must.

 

MAP23: The Archipelago

Spoiler

 

I expected more than 3 archviles with a name like this. The Archipelago confirms my earlier hypothesis about Moonblood's difficulty coming mostly from its hitscanner usage. There are barely any chaingunners in this map and shotgunners got a bit of a nerf thank's to the level's size. 

 

The map itself is set on a network of rocky islands, raising from a lake of lava. You'll be moving through cliffs, caves and a bit of ruins in a more linear fashion than usual, but I don't think it's a bad choice. It feels more focused and adds a much needed variety to Moonblood's level design. As I've hinted earlier, it's definitely a step down difficulty-wise, more focused on mid-tier demons. With an early plasma rifle, several super shotguns and steady supply of ammo, there aren't that many hard parts. The blue key ambush was interesting - the whole place is initially dark and the lights are turned on when you grab the key as if you're being caught. The ending was a bit underwhelming, with a BFG the mastermind is hardly a threat, but it's a minor issue in a map I otherwise enjoyed.

 

 

MAP24: Hanging Fortress

Spoiler

 

I like the opening 2 minutes of Hanging Fortress, it's a small room with a rocket launcher and several mancubi that throws more monsters (including an archvile) if you try to exit. The place is surrounded by more monsters, including all to familiar hitscanners hiding behing corners. This one also does a great job pushing you forward with the ammo placement, as you need to be aggressive, going deeper to eliminate monsters and get more ammo.

 

The rest is fine, a cyberdemon ambush killed me, but it's because I didn't notice a BFG. The ending with a gang of archviles and a mastermind is more of a spectacle with a free invuln, but I don't think it lives up to the hectic opening.

 

 

MAP25: Helltown

Spoiler

 

I guess even dropping out of Doom 2 In City Only I can't escape the urban theme.

 

There's one constant in Helltown - a cyberdemon that teleports between several turrets, having you in his sights for the majority of the map. The building can be used for cover, but don't expect them to be empty. I don't think the route is that hard, though it took ma a while before I figured out I could open this big gate that leads to the blue key. The archviles here were something I didn't expect, same with a horde of revenants by the exit - I don't think I've had an opportunity in Moonblood to just take out a BFG and blast through a crowd. Too bad you still have to kill the cyberdemon yourself if you want to have all the kills, but it's a minor complaint in a strong map otherwise.

 

 

MAP26: Coliseum

Spoiler

 

Well, this is an interesting one. You start in a trench that quickly transforms into an arena, surrounded by a combination of heavy-hitters and spectating imps, the latter being a real nuisance. Similiar nuisance is having to go several times through the red key area, as on top of holding the aforementioned key, the way out of the lava pit leads though this place. 

 

On the other hand, I enjoyed the brisk nature of Coliseum. I think it's partially because the map throws large groups of monsters (mostly revenants) at you and periodically adds archviles to keep you focused. The more setpiece-based combat is a departure from methodical crawl through a map, checking for enemies in the next room, but I welcome it. With three keys you can unlock the exit in the centre, take out a couple of lost souls in a weird fleshy dimension and return to a techbase that looks a lot like MAP20. Coliseum is a fine ending to Episode 5, where it feels like Moonblood finally found its footing.

 

 

[Celestin]

Episode 6 (MAP27-MAP30)

 

MAP27: Magma Refinery

Spoiler

 

I think I've read someone complaining about the archvile abuse in the later parts of Moonblood and now I know where it comes from. At several points you come across whole boxes of them, ready to teleport out and start reviving monsters you've killed earlier. It isn't that bad once you get the BFG, you can go there once you find the yellow key, though the first archvile trap you have to deal with head-on.

 

On the visual side, the rather plain-looking techbase setting is combined with red caves, lava and this cool-looking blue corridor. Definitely an interesting map, I feel like it manages to spice up the standard gameplay loop it relied on up to this point.

 

 

MAP28: Remains of Zeta Labs

Spoiler

 

First of all, I like the aesthetics of the map - this corrupted complex, where technology, red bricks and flesh exists side by side. The Shores of Hell seems like an obvious inspiration, though Deadwing continues to raise the stakes when it comes to gameplay.

 

The very first fight is an intense run through an arena, where four archviles are released into a pile of imp corpses. Yes, you are given a BFG and rocket launcher here, but the ammo isn't that plentiful (especially if you don't know about the extra cells near the start), so better make them count. The crusher that follows is a beginner's trap that will kill you once and never again, so this could have been cut and the map won't lose much. However the rest is very much to my liking, once again the map uses more mid-tier demons and pulls the hitscanner numbers back, while providing enough cells to feel comfortable. 

 

 

MAP29: Moonblood Ritual Site

Spoiler

 

Definitely the biggest and hardest map so far, with a couple of surprisingly tough battles between all those hitscanners. There's a mass of revenants that surprised me after I grabbed the blue key (which itself is a multi-direction attack on a damaging floor with only a single radsuit), this one killed me a fair number of times. Another difficult section were three cyberdemons that appear when you try to leave with the yellow key. Save some cells for the finale with a mastermind and the map is over. It took me half an hour, which has to be the longest runtime I've seen in Moonblood. 

 

It's a worthy penultimate map, a final test of the wad's combat style and I enjoyed the willingness to bring more monsters than before.

 

 

MAP30: The Repentant Sinner

Spoiler

 

I was expecting an Icon of Sin in a classic-style wad like this, but after a couple of warm-up fights, Deadwing caps off Moonblood with a new final boss. Borrowing its sprite from Doom 64, Sinner has more health than a cyberdemon, flies around and fires mancubus fireballs, revenant missiles and cyberdemon rockets. If you make the one shot from a secret BFG count, circle-strafe around the arena and unload as many rockets as you have, she should die quickly.

 

Not a bad way to end a megawad. I feel like MAP29 was the climax difficulty-wise, so The Repentant Sinner is more of a wind-down, but it still managed to feel fresh encountering a new threat.

 

 

Conclusions

If I were to describe Moonblood with a single word, it would have been "consistent". Deadwing has a very clear preference when it comes to mapping, creating levels that are compact, non-linear and interconnected, with focus on small-scale combat and deliberate resource placement. He clearly mastered this approach, I can't think of a map in Moonblood that is bad in itself. However, the mostly incidental combat and a lack of recognisible landmarks in many means that few levels stand out. It does gets better in later parts, with Episode 5 being the most varied in terms of design and I just wish Deadwing was willing to get out of his comfort zone and experiment more. Then again, Moonblood spawned a pair of sequels that seem to get more recognition, so I guess it could be a bit of a learning excercise for the author.

 

In the end, it was a fun wad to play, the short average map lenght made it a perfect respite to another mapset I was playing this month. It has its quirks when it comes to combat that need getting used to, but once you learn how it plays, I feel the difficulty remains consistent until the later maps, which seem to use revenants and archviles a lot more. Still, if you've played Plutonia, you should be fine.

[Celestin]

When I started this thread, my aim was to play wads that were featured in the DWmegawad Club over its decade-long lifetime, especially with regards to the mapsets that I haven't played before - to catch up with the Club and the community. However, sometimes a new wad gets released that is so intriguing I just have to play it without looking at anyone else.

 

On 1st of April 2024, Danlex posted 0x0, the final boss of projects that focus on using a limited set of textures, featuring 6 maps made without using any textures or flats. The bizzaire premise and added screenshots were enough to flag this one as the next wad to play, I was curious to see how it even works.

 

I'm switching from Woof! to DSDA-Doom for this one, as it's not compatible with my usual port of choice.

 

MAP01: Zero by Zero

Spoiler

 

So, how do you make a map without textures? Well, every surface is black by default and you use things to set boundaries, replace key textures or add to the map's visuals. Candles, lamps and burning barrels mark edges of the map like hazard lights, pillars decorate walls, rows of coloured torches replace doors, disappearing when activated and a voodoo doll act as an exit. There's more unusual sights, like scrolling barrels that add more life to the black void. Once you get over the peculiar design language of 0x0, it works surprisingly well as a map.

 

I think this is the main goal of Zero by Zero - to show that yes, it's possible to make a map without textures. Therefore, the combat takes a backseat. After taking out the welcoming committee, you can find a super shotgun and a rocket launcher, which carry you through the end. The red and blue key can be picked in any order you want, both release a small ambush of mid-tier demons that isn't a huge deal and chaingunners that are slightly more threatening. With both keys, you can unlock the yellow one and a final wave of defenders, which you can dump your remaining rockets on. Five minutes in and the map is done.

 

The fact map like this is even playable, let alone fun and aesthetically pleasing is enough to recommend a whole set. Let's see what else Danlex has created.

 

 

MAP02: Visplane Underflow

Spoiler

 

MAP01 was an introduction to 0x0, Visplane Underflow expands upon it, bringing in new elements and raising the difficulty. I think the most notable addition are gibbed corpses. Their vibrant red sticks out against the black void, signalling danger - they are used to mark hurtfloors and crushers. 

 

I'd say the format of MAP02 is highly episodic. You first have the opening fight where turret arachnotrons and archvile push you into a staircase blocked by pinkies, revenants and chaingunners. If you managed to run to the top and jump for the SSG, you should be able to clear this place out. After some platforming over damaging corpses, you enter the blue key arena. Revenants overlook the place from the central pyramid and other monsters - archviles, pinkies, chaingunners and barons - wait with their backs turned. While you are given a plasma rifle and a megasphere, I'm not sure what the correct strategy is. I bumped into the barons to wake them up, trying to get them to fight with the pinkies and then fight the viles, using the pyramid as a cover. Maybe I'm overthinking this, who knows.

 

The return to the start spawns a new wave of monsters, which isn't that big of a threat when you have a plasma rifle. The ending, however, is my favourite part of the map. Essentially, you have several corridors where left and right sides are alternating crushers. Paradoxally, they are the safest parts here, as they are shielded from the view of archvile boxes. You have to dance, jumping stepping from one side to another, while fighting enemies. When you get to the end and pick up the red key, you have to do this again, with monsters repopulating the area. It's surprisingly easy to get into a groove of switching to the right spot, avoiding archviles and clearing the road ahead. Once you get through this, the viles get killed and you can exit.

 

Not a bad map, the combat puzzle elements were the ones I especially enjoyed.

 

 

MAP03: Home is Where the HOM is

Spoiler

 

Just when you think 0x0 will be a set of hyper-abstract voidscapes, MAP03 goes into a completely different direction. An atmospheric stroll through a forest path surrounded by trees (made by stacking different tree sprites on top of one another) ends with a cabin, complete with a fireplace. Doomcute was the last thing I expected from this wad, but here we are.

 

Too bad I didn't find the gameplay fun. Once you pick up the blue key from the cabin, a fourty or so monsters appear, including a cyberdemon. I've spent way too much time trying to get him to infight against revenants, using all the ammo I had to kill him only to learn there is a BFG with a single shot by the exit.

I wish Home is Where the HOM is featured a combat style I could get behind, because the idea behind the map and its visual side is jaw-dropping.

 

 

MAP04: Caco Girl Bath Water

Spoiler

 

The screenshots posted in the release thread spoiled this one a bit, but the river made of supercharges (complete with a waterfall) or a wavy sea are things that have to be seen in action. Also, are those health vials raining? How did you even do this?

 

The map is mostly a linear and narrow path, blocked by dense vegetation. The start has you either grind enemies with berserk and shotgun or trigger infighting, either option is less than ideal, however the map improves considerably. The archvile took my by surprise, the only viable way to deal with him was running forward, past a mancubus and getting a plasma rifle, all while avoiding revenants by the river.

 

Then comes the final fight, a descent down the stairs while monsters block your path and arachnotrons rain plasma. It's not the end once you get to the bottom, as picking up the yellow key spawns a mastermind and a flock of cacodemons. If the spiderdemon gets distracted, it's easy to unload plasma into her back and finishing off the rest. I feel like this is what I wanted MAP03 to be, where creative design and doomcute is backed up by an engaging combat.

 

 

MAP05: Hell of Mirrors

Spoiler

 

Okay, so I wasn't wowed by the start, there's this use of see-through floors that make the map disorientating and the fights left little impression. The blue key fight where you have to use a cyberdemon to attack a corridor of hell knights wasn't bad, but again, it isn't a fight we haven't seen before (I like the waterfalls of red rocks, though). The ending, on the other hand, is something else entirely.

 

The climax of Hell of Mirrors is a cross-shaped arena, where the longer arm is a corridor filled to capacity with all kinds of monsters. Pinkies, revenants, mancubi are all separated in distinct waves, with archviles placed in between. That's not all, lost souls approach from below, seen through a transparent floor I've mentioned earlier. The arena is surrounded by missing textures, creating a "hall of mirror" effect. Zipping lost souls, rockets and BFG balls, even moving past columns, it all creates and abstract, everchanging mess of colours that compliments one of the most exciting fights of the wad. You don't need a sky when an alternative is this mesmerising. 

 

Easily my favourite map of the set, with unique visuals (even in the context of 0x0) and great fight that provides a brisk dose of action without overstaying its welcome.

 

 

MAP06: Icon of sin(nπ), n ∈ Z

Spoiler

 

The map start in an empty arena with guns on the ground. After hopping from platform to platform while volcanos erupt with mancubus projectiles, arming yourself with a BFG and dispatching several monsters, you arrive at the main attraction. Indeed, Danlex managed to create a proper Icon of Sin fight without using textures. The 0x0 face made out of skull rocks spits a lot of demons, so push through pinkies and cyberdemons with a BFG, collect two keys and get ready to annihilate the gang of archviles that guard the rocket launcher and a sniping spot. It takes one rocket to end the job (Romero's head seem to be surrounded by barrels), but the mass of demons below is successful at catching them.

 

My standards for IoS fights aren't very high, but I like this one. It's a breezy map that makes some interesting usage of environmental hazards and is a great way to end a wad as strange as this.

 

 

MAP07: The End

Spoiler

Empty map with no gameplay.

 

Conclusions

I have a suspicion the development of 0x0 started as a parody of texture-restricted projects (people are making maps with only one texture, so why don't create a map with no textures at all?), but the end result transcended the realm of jokewads. Discarding one of the most basic elements of mapping sounds insane, but through some black magic this whole thing is surprisingly functional. As I've said earlier, Danlex goes wild with props to do everything, from marking the borders to adding a lot of much needed flair to the all-black maps. The creative aesthetics are the main draw of 0x0, with abstract voidscapes and environmental storytelling being present here. It's a wad where I was always eager to see what's next and never being disappointed. If I had to complain about something, it's the new status bar that is difficult to read. The green numbers barely stand out on the orange background and I get what it's going for, but I think there is a way to preserve the aesthetic while making it more readable.

 

The combat plays a secondary role here, mostly made of discrete encounters that feel like they were inspired by challenge wads, yet are considerably depowered. As with the visuals, it feels a bit like a parody of the genre and I think it works well with the part serious, part joking tone of 0x0. If anything, it makes the wad more approachable by anyone who got curious looking at the screenshots. I also greatly appreciate the lenght, six short maps are enough to showcase the variety of ideas before the wad's gimmick gets old. This is a very easy recommendation, especially if you are looking for an experimental wad to play in one afternoon. It's a set with one of the most creative levels I've played in a while and just writing about it doesn't give the wad justice. There are things here that you have to see with your own eyes.

Edited April 30 by Celestin

[Celestin]

"What if id made more maps back in 1993?" This is a question asked to the contributors to Doom the Way id Did, a community project started by Hellbent. With a goal of making IWAD-style maps, this seems like a good choice to relax with something easier. Just like with the Ultimate Doom, I'll be playing the original three episodes released in 2011, followed by 2019's Ultimate Doom the Way id Did, an E4 replacement.

 

Episode 1: Knee-Deep in the Dead

 

E1M1: Communications Bridge by esselfortium

Spoiler

 

I remember reading from a couple of places that E1M1 was especially difficult to create, as the project leadership wanted a map that hits the same notes as Hangar without being a direct copy or homage. Think about it as an alternative timeline, where The Beatles haven't split up and the very first Doom map players saw in 1993 was Communications Bridge. 

 

I've said about Hangar that it was supposed to be both a showcase of what Doom engine was capable of doing, as well as a subtle tutorial, teaching about the combat and other basic mechanics (hurtfloors, switches, secrets etc.). I do think Communications Bridge managed to accomplish both aims, though the map is definitely lenghtier and more complex than the original E1M1. Most of this comes from the optional content, chiefly the 7 secrets. Still, it's a good opening, with a very classic texture choices that nails the E1 techbases.

 

 

E1M2: Military Bunker by hobomaster22

Spoiler

I played the bulk of the map with a shotgun, as the chaingun was in a secret that I only found at the end. Doesn't matter, the cast of imps a zombies isn't threatening at all. There are some neat ideas here, like how you have to make a bridge over a pool of nukage to reach the exit or the secret yellow key that unlocks another secret area. This one is rather forgettable.

 

E1M3: Fuel Synthesis by esselfortium

Spoiler

 

The reason why I enjoy Knee-Deep in the Dead is its take on combat, a byproduct of being limited to only the weakest of monsters. Once you get the chaingun, you are let loose to run around the map and gun down groups of zombies and imps. Fuel Synthesis is the first map of DtWiD that delivers this kind of action. 

While the map itself is rather linear, there's a ton of secrets to find. The chaingun can be found rather early on and it's your best friend here, quickly taking care of basic monsters that populate the map. I have to say, the ambushes two imps and a pinky or several hitscanners seem hilarious to modern players, but fits the difficulty of the original episode.

 

Unlike Toxin Refinery, the secret exit in Fuel Synthesis was easy to find. Just look behind a corner in a nukage pool behind the blue door and a string of secrets should lead you to E1M9. Overall, esselfortium does a great job recreating the best aspects of Episode 1 - rewarding exploration and brisk gameplay.

 

 

E1M9: Excavation Site by stewboy

Spoiler

 

Nothing here feels like a secret map, though to be honest, Military Base was like this as well. I guess it has to do with following the KDitD philosophy, as it was Petersen, rather than Romero who introduced optional gimmick levels to Doom.

 

What we have here instead is a dark slime facility that feels a tad harder than the maps it follows. The hitscanners early took a lot of my health and while I didn't die, I was down to single-digit numbers at one point and had to play carefully. That is, until I found a chaingun and medikits, at that point I could relax somewhat. As with the previous map, there are a lot of secrets here, they are mostly marked with odd textures, but I was so caught up with the combat I only found them during clean-up.

 

Excavation Site is another solid map that would have managed to fit right in with the shareware episode.

 

 

E1M4: Treatment Plant by Hellbent

Spoiler

 

This one gives me a very strong sense of deja vu. Treatment Plant feels like a collage of sights that were definitely E1-inspired, but distinct enough to not feel like a rip-off. After giving it a bit of thought, I came to the conclusion Hellbent noticed a couple of recurring elements in Romero's maps and used them to create his. Stuff like flat outside sections, slime canals or nested secrets were featured in more than one map of Knee-Deep in the Dead and this whole thing captures the idea of an original map that was for some reason lost to time.

 

Once again, the combat involves finding a chaingun and going to town, though there's a secret rocket launcher and enough rockets to blow up a couple of pinkies to pieces - they feel much more prominent here. Treatment Plant keeps the ball rolling, a fun map with entertaining combat and exploration, two things that makes E1 so appealing to me.

 

 

E1M5: Engineering Bay by ellmo

Spoiler

 

Definitely on a shorter side, Engineering Bay has an interesting progression. While the yellow and red key need to be collected in this specific order, you are given two possible entry points, so there's this aspect of non-linearity. 

 

On the gameplay side, this is still the first episode, so you'll be fighting against the basic monsters with shotgun and chaingun (the rocket launcher is at the very end and contributes nothing in a pistol-starting run). I like the part where four columns reveal imps around you when you unlock the stairs on the way to the red key, almost as if winking at the player, showing how far the combat in Doom has evolved.

 

 

E1M6: Reactor Complex by hobomaster22

Spoiler

 

Much better than hobomaster's previous level. Reactor Complex is action all the way, setting up a lot of imps, zombies and pinkies for you to destroy. It's the kind of combat I've always enjoyed from Romero and it's great to see it replicated. As usual here, there's a ton of secrets, often nested in one another, so you won't have issues with supplies if you keep finding them.

 

There's one noteworthy fight by the exit, where you are up against one of the biggest hordes in the wad yet. I wish I saved the rockets for this one, it would have been the best use for them, but even dancing around with shotgun and chaingun was fun. Just don't fall into the nukage pits next to the exit.

 

 

E1M7: Logic Core by iori

Spoiler

 

Logic Core is the biggest map of Episode 1 and it feels like the conclusion to its themes. I enjoyed the part where you walk up to a switch and walls lower in front and behind you, this one took me by surprise. 

 

Look, I enjoyed this map, but I find it hard to talk about. The thing about Knee-Deep in the Dead - both in Doom and DtWiD - is how consistant its identity. I feel like it's not hard to distill and replicate the E1 essence, its texture usage, combat style, approach to secrets and specific room ideas. I do believe the DtWiD contributors managed to fit the style of the original episode, but the maps here don't stand out, blending together in a continuous blur of techbases and chaingun-based combat. I feel like I'll remember this more as a fun E1 replacement as a whole, rather than any specific map. 

 

Now, I'm actually interested how the rest of the wad goes, as E1M7 was the last map by Romero and Petersen's levels tend to be more varied, though not always for the right reasons.

 

 

E1M8: Transport Facility by ellmo

Spoiler

 

I think it's a greatly improved take on Phobos Anomaly. The dim lighting and empty corridors are a stark departure from the action of the rest of the episode and I guess are a harbinger of the things to come. On the combat side, it isn't as bad as the original E1M8. The bruiser triplets aren't as grindy to take out with a secret rocket launcher - it should be enought to take out two of them before switching to chaingun or shotgun. Just like in 1993, killing them opens the death exit outside.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if, like E1M1 this too was a challenging map to design, having to balance out keeping the original's style and bringing in new elements. To me, it's a worthy ending that manages to recreate the E1's finale without feeling too similiar and fixing some of the issues with that map.

 

 

[Celestin]

Episode 2: The Shores of Hell

 

E2M1: Receiving Station by Xaser

Spoiler

 

This is an interesting map. It feels tougher than Deimos Anomaly, as the space can be quite limited owing to small rooms and hurtfloors. The blue key room has a number of pinkies on a damaging blood, since you have nothing but a shotgun here, it's easy to get blocked here. The exit fight also has little room to move, in my case, more monsters were coming in from different areas of the map through a teleporter. Speaking of which, they are used prominently here, linking several parts of the map. I have to confess, it is a bit confusing to navigate through them, but at the same time, it's a short map, so trial and error isn't that painful.

 

Receiving Station is definitely a visual highlight of the set so far. It's more distinct than anything in E1, the secret room with columns being the best example. I like the varied textures, combining red, vines and tech, creating this corrupted look that E2 is known for. In the end, it's a worthy episode opener that makes me excited to see the rest.

 

 

E2M2: Filtration Compound by esselfortium and Xaser

Spoiler

 

Yeah, this is definitely more Petersen than Romero - a rambling dungeon with traps, secret passages and some tricks up its sleeve. Cacodemons, while making a debut in E2M1, are more common here, most of them you'll have to kill with basic guns. Only near the end of the map you can choose between a plasma rifle and rocket launcher, it's a neat idea, though I wish I could get more use from my weapon of choice.

 

There's one silly part and that is a secret with a crusher inside. This one nearly killed me, it's an awful trap that discourages exploration. On the visual side, it uses more STARTAN than your average Shores of Hell map, it looks a bit bland and clashes with quite intricate layout. 

 

 

E2M3: Rec Facility by Captain Toenail

Spoiler

The name checks out, this is a very entertaining romp through a corrupte base. Like E1, it's mostly imps, zombies and pinkies, occasionally reinforced by cacodemons and barons. The rocket launcher can be obtained relatively early, provided you are not afraid of running into the centre of monster-occupied room, and secrets near the blue key provide invuln and plasma. I think putting an action-heavy map after Filtration Compound's dungeon crawl was a wise choice.

 

E2M4: Mental Ward by ellmo

Spoiler

 

Mental Ward definitely goes for the ambiance. The place is underlit and empty, doors open on their own and there's a lot of spectres here. I was expecting E2 to be more varied and so far I'm not disappointed.

 

I'm not fully onboard with the map, though. I hope you've found a rocket launcher or plasma rifle earlier than I did, otherwise tankier monsters or a flood of lost souls can be a chore. The secrets are also a mixed bag. To get the plasma rifle, you not only need to catch a lift before it raises and find a shootable switch, but also strafe-jump through a window and check for a secret behind other secret. It's a bit excessive if you ask me. Nevertheless, the map does fit a more experimental nature of Peterson's levels and will likely be more fun on a second playthrough.

 

 

E2M5: Deimos Command by Use3D

Spoiler

 

I've played a couple maps by Use3D before and I get more or less what I expected. A large and tedious map with some questionable design choices. The rocket launcher and plasma rifle are placed late in the map (the latter has you kill a baron in a cramped room to get), so Deimos Command is mostly a shotgun grind, as it's the one kind of ammo that is in abundance. It drags on for 15 minutes, made worse by the fact I had to replay the whole map.

 

See, to unlock the E2M9 exit, you need to find three secret rooms scattered around the map. Two are straightforward, but one gets locked out if you turn left instead of right. Some might say it increases the map's replayability, but to me it's just a bad design. Suffice to say, it's not a map I wanted to repeat.

 

 

E2M9: Nebulous Origins by iori

Spoiler

 

Maybe I had some misconceptions about how this project works, but I expected E2 to follow Fortress of Mystery's example and put a more creative map in secret slot. Instead, Nebulous Origins is long and mazey, definitely tougher than previous levels. I'm rather conflicted about this one, half of it is a shotgun-heavy slog, but then I found a plasma gun and the map gives you a lot of cells. It's useful for the storage room fight, which is one of the biggest battles of the wad yet.

 

I have to say, it's a messy map, with visuals that switches from cool ceiling designs to textures so misaligned even I noticed them (and I'm hardly the most pedantic individual when it comes to it). The layout is labirinthine and confusing, I've spent a while hitting dead ends and trying to move around. I know Sandy's maps were also like this, so congrats for emulating his style, I guess, but it's hardly my favourite one of the set.

 

 

E2M6: Foundry by Alfonzo

Spoiler

 

Oh, look, a Doom map where the title matches the level. There's a number of crushers and pools of lava, so if you use your imagination a bit, this does look like a steelworks somewhat.

 

The thing about Foundry is how non-linear it is. My first run ended in death, as I found a secret with three barons in a small, dark room. I didn't have anything besides the shotgun and didn't notice an invuln in the back. I tried again, choose a different route and had more than enough ammo to be comfortable. When I approached the barons, I had an light-amp and rockets, so this part was a breeze. There's also this one part that is a flood of hitscanners that were fun to mow down.

 

I feel like the opinion about this map will greatly depend on which way you went - it can be either an entertaining map, or ammo famine. I had a fun playthrough, though I won't look down on those who weren't this lucky.

 

 

E2M7: Ore Processing by Megalyth

Spoiler

 

This one took me more than it should, as I couldn't find the blue key and spent a while just running in circles, accumulating hurtfloor damage (there are plenty of those and no radsuits at all). 

 

I like the variety of sights here, there are short cave sections that I think is a mine of sort, a server room and an overgrown nukage hub. Ore Processing does use more cacodemons and barons, but I felt there was enough rockets and cells to deal with them. In the end, it wasn't a bad map, just I wish it was a bit easier to navigate.

 

 

E2M8: Vault by Marcaek and esselfortium

Spoiler

 

I'll give Vault this: the gradual unveiling of the chapter's boss is much more cinematic than Tower of Babel. The fight itself, though, isn't that different. Two things you need to look out for are the lost souls that does a great job catching rockets an a central pedestal, which can teleport the cyberdemon to the edge. Aside from this, just shoot it until it dies. Continuous players will appreciate a free bulk cell pack, but even with rockets, it's not a hard map.

 

As with the previous episode ending, Vault had to find a balance between keeping the original spirit intact and making its own thing and I think the end result isn't that bad.

 

 

[Celestin]

Episode 3: Inferno

 

E3M1: Abyssal Stronghold by ellmo

Spoiler

 

I know the DtWiD's guidelines discouraged direct homages and most maps weren't designed with a specific slot in mind, but come on, the start very clearly invokes Hell Keep. So much so, I started punching spectres with no berserk pack, just to save on ammo. Truth be told, it wasn't needed, as ellmo is more generous with shells than Petersen was. There are no other guns besides a rocket launcher in the secret at the end (which I think is another E3M1 reference), so get used to the sound of shotgun firing. 

 

This is definitely better than the original, though I'm not sure if it is too much based on the 1993 map. You can think about it as an alternative version of Hell Keep that for whatever reason was scrapped and replaced with a worse map.

 

 

E3M2: City of Corpses by Walter Confalonieri and ellmo

Spoiler

 

The large outdoor part is something that I haven't seen in E3 - Slough of Despair and Mt. Erebus are a definite inspiration, but City of Corpses feels more open, with several buildings and tunnels carved in red rock to explore. The side effect is how empty the map feels. I know it's meant to be a 1993-inspired map, but I think it would play much better if it had an enemy density comparable to E1. Seeing like 3 shotgunners in place this big is just sad.

 

Once again, the player is limited to basic weapons, the rocket launcher is in a late-map secret and I found the plasma after killing the last monster. I don't think it's a bad map, just needed more monsters to fill it.

 

 

E3M3: Malebolge by Icytux

Spoiler

 

Definite highlight of the wad so far. The lack of ammo at the start pushes you deeper into the map, straight into a river of damaging blood and towards the monsters outside. If you survive this, the map gets much easier. There's a ton of secrets to find, providing a steady supply of ammo and health. Just like in the original Doom, a BFG is here, watch out for a sound of lowering lift behind the red door. It demolishes tanky monsters, but even without it, there's a ton of rockets to play with.

 

It's funny how this one turned around, Malebolge started hostile, but it rewards exploration. By the end, I was in control, eliminating anything the map threw at me.

 

 

E3M4: Torture Chambers by Captain Toenail and Hellbent

Spoiler

 

This one is definitely harder than what came before. Despite finding the majority of secrets in Torture Chambers, I left with only 4 shells.

 

It seems the most direct inspiration was Limbo, as seen by the everpresent hurtfloors and a short tunnel section. I do think it's more action-heavy, with the climax being a fight in a lava-filled room with two barons, cacodemons and lost souls. The crusher baiting the player with a shotgun, that was rude, though it's the start, so I'll forgive that. Solid map overall.

 

 

E3M5: Chapel of Scorn by pcorf (with edits by Alfonzo and esselfortium)

Spoiler

Pistol-starting this map was not a nice experience, if you don't know where to look, you'll be playing the bulk of the map with only a shotgun. The chaingun is at the end, the rest - in secrets. The Slough of Despair-inspired outdoor part had me running with the pump action, taking potshots at cacodemons and triggering more monsters, it was a fun and memorable section. The arrow-shaped rock on the automap puzzled me for a while, it shows you the way for the BFG, but you can only reach it close to the end. Even more so than in Malebolge, finding it negates the difficulty, but you have to work for this kind of luxury. Another map that I enjoyed in this chapter.

 

E3M6: Depths by Phobus

Spoiler

 

I died here more than in any other map so far, the main culprit is the start - if you don't start running, explosive barrels will blow you to pieces. A Doom 2 homage is not something I expected, but it's pretty much one setpiece and after you jump down, Depths turn into a fun, non-linear dungeon. 

 

Probably the only thing I dislike was the crusher hallway before the blue key, but that's because I didn't know about a nearby radsuit. This aside, it's an entertaining map, quite generous with ammo, so barons aren't an issue. I'm not sure how I unlocked the secret exit, I was just following the computer area map, finding every secret I could and suddenly the way was open.

 

 

E3M9: Lake of Fire by Christopher Lutz

Spoiler

 

It's hard to look at Lake of Fire without comparing it to Mt. Erebus - it's a similiar kind of hellish village standing in the middle of a lava lake. It has one of the hardest starts in the wad, where leaving the shed you spawn in triggers a lot of monsters around the place. My advice is to get the rocket launcher and kill a shotgunner ASAP, at least this will allow you to defend somewhat.

 

Lake of Fire is a map where it's easy to run out of ammo if you aren't careful. If you didn't find a plasma rifle, you'll be down to punching and rationing bullets for cacodemons and barons. It isn't deeply hidden, yet it can feel frustrating to have little ammo besides 180 cells you can't use. With a plasma rifle, it was a smooth sailing to the end. Not a bad map, but again, aside from its difficulty, there's little that feel like a secret stage.

 

 

E3M7: Inner Sanctum by ellmo

Spoiler

The penultimate map is set in a dark cavern, where an island is surrounded by blood. I'm torn here, as the map opens up with a lot of shotgun action in a rather open place. I personally don't find killing this many cacodemons with basic guns entertaining. Again, the big guns are at the end and hidden in secrets, so it's likely to be a slow and grindy map, probably the weakest one in the episode.

 

E3M8: Core by ProcessingControl

Spoiler

The thread of improved boss fights continues. Core is a pentagram with an elevated pedestal in the centre, which holds the mastermind. You are encouraged to stay here, as the outside parts (which holds spare health and ammo) are under large crushers. The barons here try to block your path and distract from the boss, but once they are dead (which might require a couple of trips to the crusher), you can focus on the spiderdemon, repositioning as the walls blocking her shift. This is a fine fight, much more engaging than Dis, and a solid end to the wad.

 

Conclusions

 

Doom the Way id Did is a megawad created around a simple premise: making maps in the style of the original 1993 Doom. I think the contributors succeeded here, the wad is full of old-school levels that replicate Romero and Petersen's works. The other side of the coin is, I had trouble talking about the bulk of them. I'm not that big of a fan of Doom 1's design, I greatly prefer the high-concept nature of the sequel's level. It's one aspect that the DtWiD contributors brought from the original, mostly incidental combat and sprawling layout. I especially missed the creative secret stages - I can forgive E1M9 not feeling distinct, that was true for Doom as well, but Shores of Hell and Inferno's secret maps could have been swapped with onther maps from the episode and nobody would notice. Not everything is bad, the wad has much better boss stages, which were among the weakest maps of the original. I also like the abundance of secrets, often one nested in another. 

 

While this is not a project for me, I appreciate the effort that went into keeping with the original's style. Definitely there's an audience for such wad, as there are 6 more episodes compiled out of outtakes. I can't say playing DtWiD was a wasted time, as the maps were brisk and easy (definitely keeping with the original in that regard). I hope others will connect with it more than I did.

[Celestin]

The obvious next step after completing the three episodes of id-style map would be to play the fourth one in the form of Ultimate Doom the Way id Did, a project lead by Alfonzo. Thy Flesh Consumed is the most uneven chapter of Doom, but the info file mentions UDtWiD is a more consistent wad, so I'm curious to see how it works. 

 

E4M1: Into The Grave by Pavera

Spoiler

So, Thy Flesh Consumed was an episode where id tried to push the, frankly, dated combat of Doom 1 to its limit. I expected a difficulty hike and the shotgunner spam of Into The Grave didn't surprise me. It was a welcomed bit of pushback after 3 easy episodes, though there's health to recover (unlike in Hell Beneath) and reaching the blue key was ultimately not that hard.
 
With the key in my hands and one monster left, I opened a door by the exit and saw a ton of rockets. This is where I connected the dots and understood what the final enemy was. The lowering wall confirmed my suspicion - a cyberdemon. Have fun fighting him on a narror, winding walkway with lava underneath. It's definitely a tense fight that captures the shock value of the original E4M1.

 

E4M2: Vile Affections by RottKing

Spoiler

 

RottKing co-authored Double Impact, a Knee-Deep in the Dead replacement that considerably increased the number of hitscanners while limiting available health. The same approach was repeated with his UDtWiD submission, relying on shotgunners, imps and pinkies, with cacodemons used sparringly. The only difference compared to DI is the size, as Vile Affections is a compact map that doesn't overstay its welcome. 

 

There's not much health to recover in this hiscanner hell (at least outside of secrets, which gives you a berserk pack and a supercharge), but it's still much more generous than Hell Beneath. If you commit to a slow and careful playthough, you should be fine, though that one part near the end that squeezes you between imps and a pair of cacodemons was nasty. Secret exit wasn't that hard, just look for the hidden supercharge and check the basement. Thanks to the brisk nature, I find it more appealing than Double Impact's levels.

 

 

E4M9: Terror by Use3D

Spoiler

Clearly this is a take on Fear, an ugly map with decent action. The STARTAN-heavy texturing is still present, though it's combined with red bricks to make it less boring. Same with the combat. The shotgun and berserk pack are given at the start and are you workhorse weapons here - the former eliminating imps and shogunners, the latter taking out pinkies. The linear layout (though it does open up later, allowing the player to revisit earlier parts) pushes you forward at high speed, with the only significant obstacle being the barons by the end. There's a secret BFG opened by pressing on a random wall and rocket launcher guarded by one of the barons, I didn't find them and had to shotgun heaps of 1000 HP. Minor issue in a map I otherwise enjoyed.

 

E4M3: Earth, Blood and Fire by purist

Spoiler

 

Earth, Blood and Fire is a compact fortress of stone, with a pool of lava in the middle. As per usual here, there's a lot of shotgunners to watch out for and not much health to recover. The progression revolves around moving from one place to another using teleporters. Some will also telefrag barons overlooking the aforementioned lava pond, so don't waste ammo fighting them. You'll be needing it for the finale, where another baron appears by the exit, with a pair of cacodemons as support. 

 

Now, I do have to mention the chainsaw secret, where you have to execute a precise strafe jump from a raising lift. Considering a nigh-useless reward, this feels like purist is trolling UV-Max runners. Just don't bother with this one secret and enjoy a simple, yet entertaining map.

 

 

E4M4: Unclean Spirits by Marcaek

Spoiler

 

Definitely the biggest and hardest map of UDtWiD yet, Unclean Spirits is a hub drenched in lava and overflowing with monsters. It's very easy to die here from hitscan and imp fireballs and it isn't getting any better. Now, there's a ton of optional content here and I think the non-mandatory fights are the strongest aspects of the map. Like the rocket launcher fight that opens closets with spectres and cacodemon or the mastermind fight, where you try to move through an exposed walkway, avoiding her machine gun and pushing though attacking monsters.

 

The exit is surprisingly quick to reach if you know what to do and are good at dodging monsters, but I had fun unraveling the map's secrets. It's a difficulty hike, even in the context of the already harder Episode 4, but a rewarding map to pull off.

 

 

E4M5: Doctrines of Devils by Gifty

Spoiler

 

This one is mean for the first-time players, as there are some fights that will kill you easily, but at the same time, critical resources that helps tremendously. To begin with, a considerable part of the map is a hurtfloor, so you'll be losing health even trying to move through the level. The yellow key is an interesting idea, as you have a series of pillars that you have to jump between, the forced blursphere would be an added challenge, but you can clear this place from above. The BFG fight begs you to use your newly-obtained superweapon, but try to save cells for later. Same with the secret invuln, the best way to use it is right by the exit, where you are locked in a tiny, dark room with barons and spectres. Cells and/or invulnerability make this a non-issue, but without them, it can quickly reach bullshit territory.

 

The info file mentiones Sandy Petersen as inspiration (who didn't even make a map for E4), Doctrines of Devils reminds me of Romero's contribution to Thy Flesh Consumed more - being a bastard to play blind, but getting considerably easier with a proper strategy.

 

 

E4M6: Molten Gods by Tarnsman

Spoiler

 

Get ready for another tight death trap where for the most of the time, you'll be walking through lava or in the sights of a cyberdemon. Meanwhile, you'll be fighting a a small, but tactically-placed cast of monsters - shotgunners and imps slowly whittle down your health, while barons and cacodemons drain your ammo and block the path forward. If you want to win, you have to search the lava tunnels for secrets, they greatly improve your chances. Clearly, Romero's maps were the inspiration, especially Against Thee Wickedly. 

 

There's one tense moment where you need to fight three barons in a tiny room with a plasma rifle, but surprisingly, the toughest obstacle was a cramped BFG basement with barons, spectres and shotgunners. The weapon 7 is very useful against the exit-blocking cyberdemon, unlike in the original E4M6, there's no invuln on UV, but I managed to three-shot him just to be safe. A handful of monsters block the actual exit, but you should have enough rockets for them.

 

Solid map overall, somewhat forgiving where you know what to do, but expect some trial and error.

 

 

E4M7: Hand of the Heathen by Alfonzo

Spoiler

 

After effortlessly clearing the starting area, you are thrown into yet another lava tunnels, where you can find the rocket launcher to find against a squeeze of cacodemons and barons. Not that hard if you don't panic or run out of rad suit. Surviving the next room with imps and hitscanners followed by cacodemons and lost souls will give you a blue key, where the map turns up the heat considerably.

 

Trying to pick up the yellow key releases a cyberdemon and I doubt you have the means to kill him. However, if you manage to grab the yellow key and return to the lava canal, you can spot an indented wall that require the yellow key. Here's how you can obtain the BFG, which together with an invuln lets you take out the cyberdemon effortlessly. I can definitely see some parallels with And Hell Followed, though here killing the cyber is hardly a freebie. With the remaining white screen, it killed everything by the exit and the map was over. Cyberdemon aside (which feels a bit like a combat puzzle), this is a brisk map that I enjoyed.

 

 

E4M8: An End to Darkness by Xaser

Spoiler

 

This is the map that I will remember from the entirety of DtWiD - an ode to John Anderson, full of elements inspired by his works. For starters, the room you begin the map in is a recreation of the only known screenshot from Waters of Lethe, an unfinished/unreleased finale to the Inferno series. There's this distinct lighting patterns that his maps used a lot and the general texture choices feel taken straight out of And Hell Followed.

 

An End to Darkness sticks out of the episode, being a long, exploration-heavy map with numerous secrets, a bit of puzzle-solving and challenging fights. There's this dark room that pushes you to run through barely-lit ledges, I was underequipped for this part and could only escape. I didn't like the cyberdemon on the bridge, even with a secret BFG (obtained from one of those rooms with columns, locked behind the red door) he's awkward to take out. 

 

The ending should have been a show-stopper, starting with a masterminds catfight and ending with a mass of barons, spectres and three cyberdemons, but I botched it completely. In the hindsight, I should have found a hole to hide and let cyberdemons do their job, instead I rushed them with BFG and had to shotgun a ton of barons. That one is on me. Still, this is a masterclass in mapping, but I can't get this feeling it missed the point of project. Even considering a more relaxed approach compared to the original DtWiD, it feels much grander, complex and modern than anything id made in 1995, stealing the spotlight from other contributors.

 

 

Conclusions

 

While I wasn't too wild about the original three episodes of Romero and Petersen emulation, I have to say, I greatly enjoyed my time with Ultimate Doom the Way id Did. It's partially because the original levels are more distinct, partially because Alfonzo's guidlines were more liberal regarding how close the maps should stick to the inspirations. While some maps feel nothing like something that would have fit into Thy Flesh Consumed (E4M4 and E4M8 specifically), it was a better experience overall. It lacks the uneven quality of the original, with every map being a solid and challenging one.

 

Difficulty of the episode is one thing that can get contentious. It is considerably harder than E4, lacking the breather levels of the original and pushing the harder maps above likes of Hell Beneath or Against Thee Wickedly. Still, I wouldn't call it a challenge wad, if you can deal with something like Plutonia.

 

This was definitely the best part of the DtWiD, with creative takes on the originals and much-welcomed challenge. Check it out if you find the first three episodes lacking.

[Celestin]

Inspired by MtPain27's "Not Quite Sunlust" video, I'm checking out Crumpets, a 9-maps episode by Ribbiks and released in 2014. It was said to be one of the most accessible of his, so I expect a healthy challenge with his easily recognisible atmosphere.

 

MAP01: Earl Grey

Spoiler

An introductory map with no combat - shoot a switch and interact with a cup of tea to exit. The place does look pretty, though.

 

MAP02: Flutter

Spoiler

Keep in mind, "accessible" doesn't mean "easy". Flutter, a tiny island ruins under a starry sky, offers two main fights that has one thing in common - lack of space to move. The rocket launcher spawns three barons in a tiny room, I was very lucky to have one hit by a mancubus camping in a cave outside. The other one is the yellow key cave, where you are ambushed by a pain elemental, two revenants and a horde of imps. Truly a suffocating fight, hope you make a good use of the plasma rifle with 40 cells. It's a brisk map I enjoyed and one that kicks of the wad proper.

 

MAP03: Tiramisu

Spoiler

It's only 37 monsters, but each one feels like it has a specific role to play - archviles deny entry unless you are properly armed, turrets are placed in strategic spots, imps take up space (especially in the fight by the berserk pack) and there's a lot of tanky meat that is best made infight, as the map is tight on ammo. I managed to have a mancubus kill two hell knights, at the same time I wasted shells on revenants and an arachnotron that can be telefragged. It takes a master designer to create map this vicious with this little enemies.

 

MAP04: Bocuma

Spoiler

 

I think the first fight of the map is the hardest, with minimal amount of space and a combo of various monsters - you really have to hope they get distracted by one another so you can start taking out weaker demons to make some room to move. The next important fight is the red key one, where you have to juggle three archviles while avoiding projectile-tossers. That's not all though, save something for a trio of pain elementals and a gang of archviles and ou can finally exit.

 

Now, there's a secret BFG here, in the hindsight it's not that hard to get (jump into a barely-visible steps on a wall) and three shots would make at least one of the encounters significantly easier. I missed it completely but still managed to make it through the end. Bocuma keeps the ball rolling, it's another compact combat puzzle that is fun to play through.

 

 

MAP05: Mint Chocolate

Spoiler

 

This one is also very small, with only 40 monsters on UV that are divided into a couple of individual fights. An archvile + cyberdemon duo was the easiest one, even if running past the cyber to grab a BFG is a risky move. You are only given 3 shots, so try saving one for the ending. The optional SSG trap killed me more than the rest of the map combined, cross your fingers for the mancubi to infight with revenants and barons.

 

The ending, triggered by pressing a red switch, is a brutal fight with cacodemons, hell nobles and three pain elementals. I had a single BFG shot left, saved for emergencies like this, and managed to kill two pain elementals, making the place much less crowded than it could have been. The rest was a matter of not getting blocked and gradually eliminating the monsters with SSG. 

 

 

MAP06: Masquerade

Spoiler

 

The hardest part of Masquerade comes early - after escaping from a hot start including barons, you drop into a tiny basement with plasma rifle, archvile and pairs of hell knights and imps with their backs turned. I didn't find a solid tactic to beat this besides spraying the vile with plasma, crossing your fingers you don't get zapped or mauled to death. If you beat this, you have one more ambush, where archvile appears from one side and revenant from another. Once again, I rushed the vile with plasma, exposing myself to the revenant behind me. With this place cleared, you have a safe space of sort to catch a breath and plan your next move. 

 

The lifts here allows you to reach the two parts of the map, each holding one of the keys that are needed to exit. The yellow one is easier, you just have to run past some mancubi that might or might not be alive, as it's easy for the monsters to start fighting one another. Don't miss a chance to arm yourself, as you can get a rocket launcher and SSG here. The red key path is definitely a longer and more involved part, with a wall of hell knights, another hell knight trap and finally, a small arena where you need to deal with two archviles (one on an elevated balcony) and imps that block your movement. 

 

With the both keys you should clear the map if you haven't already, as the final obstacle is a pair of cyberdemons. The BFG is here, but the place is so cramped it's easy to eat a rocket. Masquerade is a considerable increase in challenge through the usual mean - lack of space to move. I don't know if that's a skill issue, but there are fights here that feel luck-dependant, fortunately they tend to be placed early on.

 

 

MAP07: Frog and Toad

Spoiler

 

Let's put it this way. Knowing what order to handle the map lowers the difficulty from "bullshit" to "hard". After calming down the hot start and eliminating the nearby mid-tiers, I went for the yellow key. It was a mistake, with a super shotgun and a handful of rockets dealing with 5 archviles (3 snipers and two roaming ones, who will gladly revive anything you've killed) was a suicide. What you should do instead is killing a baron on a pillar and using a nearby lift to get there. There are two wings here and completing each will give you a BFG. One route is a combat puzzle, where you have to coax a mancubus into killing stuff for you, another is a pair of cramped fights that are probably much easier with a BFG in hand, the room with chaingunners and hell nobles is especially notorious. 

 

Completing this after numerous tries gave me enough ammo and health to rush the yellow key guardians, so I could finally exit the map. Unlike the previous levels, Frog and Toad relies heavily on foreknowledge and I'm sure the subsequent playthroughs are more enjoyable, but it's a brutal map when going in blind.

 

 

MAP08: Shamu

Spoiler

 

While still a difficult map, Shamu feels easier than the previous one. I think it's because the route you are expected to take is much clearer, so there's less chance to stumble into a fight underequipped. 

 

Shamu starts with giving you barely enough cells to kill an archvile, two pain elementals and a mob of revenants. From here on, you can take one of two routes. Either jump into a muddy pit and confront a group of monsters, two archviles and a cyberdemon in one of the most spacious places in the wad or fight against imps, cacodemons and pain elementals in another cave. I chose the former and was delighted to find that you can telefrag the cyberdemon, as ammo in Crumpets doesn't grow on trees and I would need it for later. Like a cramped fight with two archvile turrets. Or a finale, a vile-backed group that appear in the pit when you try to exit. To make it harder, two more viles takes the cyberdemon's spot and chaingunner snipers appear, because why not.

 

Tough map, but feels very rewarding. I think it's also a strong point visually, with much larger scale, moody lighting and round or irregular geometry.

 

 

MAP09: Crackerjack

Spoiler

 

The biggest map in terms of scale, Crackerjack is a lake of mud under a watchful eye of several masterminds. You can telefrag them later, though it's a somewhat convoluted process - you need to take specific, non-descript side of a teleport pad to eliminate two of them. For the majority of the playtime, they will pose a significant threat, sniping from afar and making the central part of the map that connects the main three areas more difficult. Also, there are invincible chaingunner turrets, you can kill them later after archviles that revive them teleports out.

 

The standout part of the yellow key route is when you jump into the invisible pillar with the key and a ton of revenants and chaingunners. It's a deadly fight that can leave you with little health in a map that is full of hitscanners. The red key was a completely insane shooting gallery with chaingunners and archviles, but it gives you two supercharges, so it could have been worse. Like the finale - three cyberdemons and a ton of pain elementals that quickly start filling the place with lost souls. I was out of cells, so my main weapon was a rocket launcher. Numerous death later I managed to kill all pain elementals, open the exit (using 4 switches - good old anti-cheesing design) and finally obtain enough cells to kill the cyberdemons. 

 

Crackerjack is a tense map, even more with the added hitscanners, and it feels like a worthy conclusion, the final test of the wad's combat style of small-scale traps and cramped encounters.

 

 

MAP10: Thanks for Playing!

Spoiler

You're welcome. No exit or combat here.

 

Conclusions

The info file gives a bit of background to Crumpets - during the development of Sunlust, Ribbiks made MAP04 to experiment with textures and from there, the rest of maps were created inbetween working for other wads. What I'm trying to say, it was somewhat of a low-key project for the author, but also for the players. It's definitely a Ribbiks wad, as seen by the prevalence of fights in tight spaces, infighting and deliberate placement of resources. Since the wad's inception is closely linked with Sunlust, there are some visual similiarities - caves, marble ruins and brown mud are the main aesthetic choice, combined with moody lighting and an interesting MIDI choices (either dreamy tracks or pieces from JRPG soundtracks). This is probably my single complaint about Crumpets, as the maps, while pretty on their own, do all look similiar.

 

Despite the warning that HMP is a recommended difficulty, I played Crumpets on UV. It was tough, but manageable, with the sole exception being MAP07. It's a good choice for a more casual player who wants to check out the works of Ribbiks, as I assume lower difficulties are more accessible. More experienced players should enjoy the brisk nature of the individual levels and challenge they pose. It was a fun episode to play through that I felt tested my skills without feeling excessive.

[Celestin]

Returning to the theme of finishing wads I've dropped earlier, I'll be playing Jenesis next, a 2011 megawad by James "Jimmy" Paddock. To be honest, I've tried this one out more times than any other wad, but every single time I stopped playing it quite early, as I was distracted with something else (I know I've reached MAP09 at least once, as it has a rather distinct MIDI, but I'm not certain how much further I've got). That is one of the reasons I've started this thread, to focus myself on one wad a time and make sure I see it to the end.

 

MAP01-MAP07

MAP01: Treatment Plant

Spoiler

Jenesis doesn't waste time with the opening. Right behind the door of a starting room is a small techbase, populated mostly by imps and pinkies. You can find a berserk pack nearby (loo for a switch behind a box) to have some fun and not worry about the ammo. One thing I do have to complain about are the revenants, mainly the four snipers near the exit. Besides a secret rocket launcher with 6 shots, there are no heavy guns in Treatment Plant, so killing them slows the map down. This aside, it's a good starting point, with fun melee combat, fast pace and rocking midi.

 

MAP02: The Canal

Spoiler

This one has a strong The Inmost Dens vibes. The Canal has one hell of a tough start, as hitscanners fire from afar, imps block tight halls and revenants are bullet sponges with only a shotgun and chaingun. Berserk didn't help me this time and when I grabbed the yellow key and saw a pair of mancubi, I just ran away. Good news is, you get a super shotgun after this, so eliminating revenants, hell knights and barons gets bearable.

 

The map looks great, besides the MAP14 aesthetics there's this nice pattern by the exit and view of the cliffs outside, which make the place feel larger than it is. In the DWMC club thread from 2012, Jimmy said this was one of the very first single-player maps he created, inintially intended for a ZDoom megawad that never took off. It's yet another proof that you shouldn't discard stuff, as they might fit better somewhere else.

 

 

MAP03: The Oasis Facility

Spoiler

I feel like this could have been MAP01, as it's more generous with resources and relies on weaker monsters, though in large numbers, there are whole rooms packed with hitscanners. Just like with Treatment Plant, an overall quick pace of the map is slowed down by introduction of bigger demons. There's this one cool fight where you pick up a rocket launcher and get surrounded by hell nobles, it's a good idea for a trap (I have nothing against using rockets up-close), though there's not enough ammo to take them out and you'll have to resort to using an SSG. There are also revenants snipers that doesn't feel threatening, but take a while to eliminate. Still, a solid map with some fun moments.

 

MAP04: The Garden Terminal II

Spoiler

I called the original Garden Terminal "unimpressive", but in the hindsight, it's one of the most memorable maps from Hell Revealed's first episode, at least when speaking about its design. Jimmy's version, while retaining some characteristic structures from the original (fountains, revenant cages, chaingunner sheds) is much larger and involved. As a proper Hell Revealed tribute, the fights can get grindy, there's not much ammo for a secret rocket launcher, so expect a lot of SSG on hell noble action (though mercifully most of them are hell knights). 

 

Like in the original, finding all the keys in the Garden lets you visit the Terminal, a short techbase with hitscanners, hell nobles and some revenants. I'm not wild about this map, it's better than its inspiration for sure, but the combat didn't feel that engaging.

 

 

MAP05: Submerged Refinery

Spoiler

Okay, so this is a map I really like. There's this Plutonia aesthetic that I've always been a fan of, with a small facility of cinderblocks and overflowing with slime. It's also the first map that uses more than a handful of rockets, so the fights doesn't drag as much (though I've wasted many in the radsuit courtyard, trying to eliminate revenants on the walls). The pacing is much better than in the previous levels, owing to the map's compact layout and the cast of mostly weaker monsters.

 

MAP06: Waystation

Spoiler

With an opening shot that invokes Onslaught you know it's going to be rough. Waystation isn't big, but a lot of time is spent on picking out revenants patrolling outer walls or trying to take out faraway snipers. The worst part are the revenants across a 3d bridge, you don't have rockets yet and trying to rush them with an SSG exposes you to monsters below, so the best idea is slowly taking them out with a chaingun. Fun. Also, try killing some of the chaingunners before jumping down into an elevator shaft right after, there's good chance you'll get insta-killed otherwise.

 

Waystation feels like it could use a bit of rework, but I'm glad "Pistons" went on to get a much better use in other maps.

 

 

MAP07: Dead Center

Spoiler

I won't sugarcoat it, this one isn't good. Dead Center starts with killing 15 mancubi in a large, flat field around a single building. This is followed by a wave of revenants that I had to kill with a super shotgun as I've spent rockets on the fat guys, arachnotrons appearing around and finally, cacodemons and pain elementals. I am aware Jenesis is strongly inspired by classic megawads where Dead Simple homages (arena maps making use of tags 666 and 667) were pretty much expected, but Dead Center feels grindy and basic.

 

Edited May 13 by Celestin