Darman Macray

These levels are short, sweet, and pack a lot of punch. Complete with a humorous end-text-screen containing a healthy dose of silly shock-humor, this is a masterful triumph of Heretic map-making, and most certainly a must-play wad.

With its borrowed textures, monsters and music, Heretic never felt more like Hexen. There are times when the visuals are breath-taking, and a few times when they're a little rough around the edges. The foremost folly of the set is its progression, which can at times be scatter-brained. You'll spend 10-20 minutes looking for a switch, and then another 10-20 minutes looking for what the switch did. If you'd like hint, it's almost never what would make logistical sense. What the Megawad lacks in polish, however, it makes up for in passion. The levels are grand in size and scope, and the occasional flourishes of environmental story-telling are immersive and creative. My favorite map of the set was E3M3's impressive boat set-piece. Although it may have quite a few clunky bits, this is an epic and addictive ride from start to finish. If you're prepared to pace yourself through the longer treks of the set (such as the extended length of Episode 3), and the parts seemingly engineered to test your patience, this one is worth a go

A competent, if unremarkable Heretic map, with an intriguing infusion of Doom textures.

Spectacular visuals and engaging combat make this an absolute must play. There's a puzzle with a "Shoot the thing" answer that kind of comes out of left field and can be an easy place to get stuck if you're not on your toes, but that hardly stops the map from being a thrilling masterpiece.

E3M9's refrain of back-tracking to a church for keys is a little tedious, and there are a few moments where things can become a frustrating key/switch hunt as you figure out what to do next, but aside from that, this an intense and rewarding adventure with beautiful lighting and architecture.