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New PWADs Played, FYE 2023, part 2 -- Part 1, Part 3, Part 4

Recommendations welcome.

May

Plutonia Revisited CP 2 by various authors

Notes: RC2. Sequel to the counter-sequel to the original Plutonia 2, again community-sourced. Versus its predecessor, this mapset is more varied in both scale and scope. Though it does feature a number of broadly traditionalist Plutonia-style entries -- i.e. lean and totally action-immediate maps driven by roughneck traps and precise monster placement -- these are contrasted by a generous helping of high-concept or experimental maps wearing a Plutonic skin, and that still do a lot of snarling and gnashing of teeth, mind you, while yet moving in rhythms quite different from the source material (though perhaps not quite so far afield as the aforementioned PL2, granted). Skeptics of the original IWAD might thus discover a new appreciation for its general rough-and-tumble attitude here, as the broad palette of authors deliver an equally broad variety of settings and ideas that all sit more or less convincingly beneath the Plutonia umbrella. One of the most conistently on-point CPs of the past few years.

Relyctum by BeeWen

Notes: Full 32 map megaWAD by a member of the now long-defunct Clan [B0S]. Those expecting or hoping for an outing expressly in the Russian (sur)realist vein that made this group of authors famous in the community may find themselves taken aback, as on the surface this is a classically-styled megaWAD using only stock textures and elements that hearkens back to an earlier era of WADmaking. Beneath the surface, however, is a deeply idiosyncratic work with a strong sense of autership and of personal 'dungeoneering.' Huge, labyrinthine levels comprised of complex, interlocking layouts that gradually unfold like puzzleboxes, with a heavily tactile and kinetic slant (read: plenty of elaborate switch sequences, series of lifts, geometry-based traps, etc.). Understated yet rich and truly skillful use of lighting and stock textures that massages the traditional patchwork Doom II aesthetic into something meticulously layered while remaining somewhat ambiguous or theme-agnostic; playing through the game felt like nothing quite so much as traversing a vast, neverending limbonic cityscape that cuts across several different planes of existence, or so I thought. The versional status of this work is currently unclear, but is still unfinalized; no changes made to map names or intermission texts, some bugs and thing-balancing left to be done, etc. (continuous play strongly recommended for most players, incidentally). An unabashedly long and contemplative playthrough that will most appeal to fans of older modes of level design, best savored slowly, a map here and a map there, like fine spirit.

Hydrosphere by Bri

Notes: RC3. Six-map campaign set in a clean & shiny hydroelectric facility. Very appealing "summery" sort of atmosphere, bright blue skies, deep blue water and brilliant sunshine contrasting attractively with the mixed tech-and-mortar trappings of the facility and connecting dam. Levels are short and all presented in a straightforward linear-looping fashion, built primarily to be a focused, bloody joyride -- thick clots of zombies and other fodder mill about the halls, ripe to be devastated en masse via buckshot clusterkills or well-placed rockets. Excellent barrel placement and just a hint of spice/sass from deliberate placement of more powerful enemies in positions where they will briefly have the advantage before you inevitably blow them away. Quite an enjoyable romp, proof that a take on casual gameplay does not have to necessitate a 'lite' or reserved approach to feel and pacing.

Irkalla by various authors

Notes: 2nd beta. Modern retelling of the original Doom's third episode, Inferno. Seven of the eleven maps are by Stormwalker; similarly to his popular PWAD Flashback to Hell (which was itself a condensed re-imagining of Doom II's campaign), these maps for the most part hew closely to not only the spirit but also the actual form of the original id maps. Featuring all of the same core concepts framed in immediately recognizable base layouts and with many of the very same progression beats, the largest point of digression from the originals in these maps is in the realm of aesthetic, which is more coherently and consistently gritty, gloomy and gothic vs. Sandy's lurid, thematically patchwork and visually chaotic Hell maps. This highly nostalgic approach contrasts with the handful of guest maps, which generally read as looser re-imaginings as opposed to clear remakes; the new riff on the House of Pain is wild and really doubles down on the namesake, for example, and what initially seems a straightforward upscale of the Unholy Cathedral ends up going to some strange and unexpected places. This mixed approach serves the mapset well, preventing things from feeling too familiar, though I did find that the Limbo replacement moved so contrary to the unusual tonality and pacing of the original map that I rather missed the expected lategame diversion. A slice of carefully crafted nostalgia with a certain 'big budget' feel.

Pagodia by various authors

Notes: RC1. Next entry in the ongoing Squonker Team/Team Squonker series, this time featuring a futuristic pseudo-Japanese theme rendered in a very eye-soothing (if somewhat range-limited) color palette of soft purples and bright greens, with the odd easter egg centered on vintage anime references here and there (read: they must be old if *I* can name them). General arrangement, pacing and length closely follows the template established by Moonlit District and Mayan Reynolds from earlier in the year, proffering slick, clean, minimalist-modernist layouts housing encounters geared to encourage constant movement, a push further accented by inclusion of a speedier cacodemon and a version of the increasingly popular miniboss-type cyberdemon with reduced HP (which in this case can also be rezzed by arch-viles!). The sixth map was my favorite, featuring some fascinatingly layered geometry and a markedly action-dense layout.

Nensha by RonnieJamesDiner

Notes: RC2. Single map taking place in and around the derelict hulk of some kind of industrial apparatus of uncertain origin and function. Quite large in physical size but not long or complicated in terms of playtime (my playthrough was about 20 minutes, and I like to take my time), the map's arc is brilliantly conducted, opening with a scene framing yourself and a single cyberdemon amidst the rusting metal struts of the installation, the scale and apparent emptiness dwarfing both of you. From there, the path leads high and low, in and around the structure as parts of it are reactivated, conveying a striking and exciting sense of visual drama and depth of location to what is, at root, a simple linear progression. Action largely takes the shape of discrete wave-based battles lent flavor by the unusual shapes of the arenas (and dramatic vertical scale of the terrain during the in-between traversal encounters); though violent, thing balance and spacial economy both heavily favor the player throughout, so don't sweat it even if merest mention of the term "slaughter" makes your delicate gorge rise. Fine example of a shortform adventure map.

June

Circadian Offset, part 1 by GBTS

Notes: GZDoom. This ambitious mapset by a new author is essentially a TC in the classical sense of the term, containing no unchanged assets or parameters from the base game, though many of the sprites for actors and props are familiar edits from Hexen and Heretic. The early game establishes an interesting dynamic of a gritty guns-n-ammo type player character, kitted out with a primarily ballistic arsenal that initially feels very powerful, against legions of arcane cultist types with a variety of projectile attacks and notably janky/erratic movements, staged out across long linear levels that remind one of games outside of and in some cases older than Doom. This makes a somewhat sudden (though not unwelcome) shift to arena-based slaughter in a more or less modern pattern in the third map; several of the earlier arenas have player-activated environmental traps which can be used to thin the hordes, while the later and larger ones go ham with piles of pickups and V-sphere equivalents, to mixed results. Level design is the set's main and notable weakness, as the extremely long and geometrically repetitive 'traditional' levels are monster-placed almost identically from start to finish (particularly sloggy in the more mazelike 4th map), and the changed game balance does not always play entirely convincingly in the more conventional slaughter arenas or versus some later enemies, ala the pair of dual boss-type encounters, where the enemies have so much HP even the powerful weapons feel like squirt-guns. Nevertheless, the feel of the core game balance has a lot of personality, and certainly warrants further exploration as the author gains more experience.

Doom Beneath a.k.a. What Lies Beneath by Esperpento

Notes: Beta 2. Full replacement of E4 for OG Doom, ostensibly inspired by the original E4M1 in that each of the nine maps contains only 9 blue potions and no stimpacks or medikits (though there are a handful of soulspheres to be had over the course of the game, mostly hidden in secrets). Thematically, the design heavily features bloodred brick, granite and lava (contrasting with the original's signature use of green marble, wood, and lava), with perhaps a touch of Sigil inspiration as well, for a mostly classic (though clean) look that reads as period-appropriate. The very specific and seemingly acerbic inspiration/gimmick behind it belies an episode that is smartly designed and (mostly) well-balanced, with a lot of quality traps and a wide variety of concepts that give each map a distinct character, including several clever framings of cyberdemons and even the spiderdemon as credible and interesting 'boss' encounters. Don't be deterred by the gimmick; played as the author recommends (i.e. with carryovers on skill 4 and/or on skill 3 for the first playthrough), the set is tense but approachable, and remains engaging in its more considered and deliberate style of play.

Unfortunate Relations by MissBeverly

Notes: 6-map compilation of what are presumably the author's first finished maps. Reads as a tale of two halves: the first 3 maps use stock textures only and have a very spartan, simplistic aesthetic no doubt familiar to any player given to playing the earliest efforts of others, though the level of geometric abstraction (as in the very first room of the very first map), number of mechanical interactions with and moving parts in the environment, and concept-driven scenarios (as in the second map, which is one long shaft descent with a lot of one-time/missable side paths which seemingly cannot all be reached in a single playthrough) are all far more prominent than one usually sees in first efforts, which often tend to be functional but largely anonymous strings of rooms and corridors. Maps 04 and 05 introduce some vintage-looking spacebase textures and are far less abstract in design, seeming to depict something like an underground bunker, garrison, or lab with more recognizable features, ala dorms, computer rooms, multifloor elevators, etc., before briefly spilling out topside nearby an oddly striking black MODWALL tower of sorts. Map 06 is a kind of nominally functional "boss" map with a few big monsters in a big two-level room painted in a vaguely Giger-esque carapace texture of some sort. Obviously very rough in more ways than one, these maps nevertheless have a distinct feel to them; my overall impression was of the rare specimen exhumed from the vaults of D!Zone, DemonGate, Maximum Doom, etc. which proved to be a playable and complete experience, and will doubtless most appeal to those interested in that particular sort of ephemera.

Technical Issues by Endless

Notes: v1.2. Linear crawl through an infested UAC outpost squatting in some sickly-looking badlands. Somewhat constrictive in construction and densely populated, the action scales quickly, though reads as more casual or user-friendly than many of the author's previous maps in this vein (see: Dark Forgotten, etc.) due to significantly greater quantities of ammo available; no need to "save the heavy weapons for an emergency", balance enables a free hand with the arm of your choice at more or less any given point, and the map proceeds quickly despite its monster density as a result. Other than the somewhat conventional visual theme, reads as an excerpt from one of the WADazine Master Collection episodes, with requisite shoutout to that community fixture hidden in one of the deeper secrets. Release thread includes a separate "player's guide" document of secrets and traps, a charming novelty.

Altars of Madness by myolden

Notes: RC1. 12-map episode in the modern "gauntlet" style. Concise and to the point, each level in the set is a compact smattering of abstractly menacing cubist geometry with a distinct texture scheme and a single dominant color, which is of course a very familiar approach for this particular sub-genre of mapping, though some of the author's reads on the emotional flavor of certain colors are interesting and serve to create some slightly unusual moods. BGM selections have a rather mellifluous bent, contributing to this impression as well (the mapset is by all appearances named for the iconic Florida death metal album, but there is no midi-metal to be found here). From start to finish, the game is comprised of fast and efficient setpiece fights with a very heavy slant towards CQC and the core principles of crowd management and efficient movement in more or less constrained spaces; though it is unswerving in this particular philosophy, thing balance tends toward the moderate, and less intuitive or high-concept encounters are kept to a minimum, making this a comparatively approachable entry in its field, and thus perhaps a suitable taster for someone new to the style while also offering enough tightly conducted combat to entertain a veteran of the same. Maps 04, 05, and 11 were my personal favorites.

Dance on the Water by El Inferno, guest map by KineticBeverage

Notes: RC2. 10 maps (a 6-map 'campaign' of sorts with two possible maps in the 5th slot, and 3 'bonus' maps) gliding ominously through the inky depths of the deep end of the PWAD pool. Stolidly niche and unrepentantly difficult and intractable from the offing, the mapset juxtaposes largescale slaughter with platforming, polerunning, ooze-swimming and other agility-based obstacles, as well as a smattering of other attention-intensive activities (puzzles, scavenger hunts, maze navigation, even a bit of pixel-bitching). Interestingly, while the larger part of the mapset has the unusual/atypical (for the genre) 'campaign' arrangement, each map reads as its own largely self-contained experience both aesthetically and conceptually, with a marked split between the combat-focused maps and the athletic-focused maps, though the author has 'buried the lead' somewhat in this regard by opening with the titular map, where the nature of the danger is oppressive combat on very limited footing. While mechanically intensive foremost, the set is also highly atmospheric, with a number of genre-atypical BGM selections and striking uses of the OTEX resource which range from lurid, colorful visual assault to quietly immersive dullness and drear. Though extremely challenging, the mapset thus also has an oddly contemplative or even poignant quality about it, which makes for an unusual and often disarming contrast.

DBP 47: Dreamcatcher Apparatus by various authors

Notes: Final version? Presumably intended as a 'premium' entry in the popular, long-running series, this outing is both quite a bit longer (20 maps) and noticeably more technically polished than the DBP norm. The core theme this time is really not so far removed from the classic Doom II baseline of infested starbases and fallen cities (and the story is likewise the classic "UAC done gone fucked up in Anotherworld" chestnut), though the asset pack in concert with an altered colormap heavily favor muted dreamy indigo and purple shades alongside the tan and metal for a suitably somnolent feel. Seeming to respond to the particularly pronounced public acclaim for Auger; Zenith, the mapping team has chosen to accent the characteristically casual tone of the series at large with a more pronounced peak of action at the conclusion and a couple of memorable gimmick maps to mix things up along the way as well, though overall this lands as a more conventional run/gun experience vs. DBP37 (or, arguably, some of the smaller DBPs between then and now as well). Existing fans of the series will doubtless be pleased as usual, and skeptics or those who otherwise typically prefer something a little more involved will find more than usual to sink their teeth into here, as well.

Vicarious by ZeMystic

Notes: idgames. Brief set of 3 short maps by a member of the Squonker team. Stylistically, these would be right at home in one of those projects, offering a quick fix of immediate no-frills action in cleanly textured surroundings. Though the whole set only takes 15 minutes or so to play (if that), the action scales effectively between the start of proceedings and the finale. Visual theme is a gothic castle setting with something of an autumnal look. Geometry is on the simpler side but the maps are pleasing to the eye owing to skillful texture selection; the altered colormap, lighting, and texturing of the third map in particular are subtle but striking, creating a credible "dark and stormy", heavily overcast feel.

Pocket Slaughter by SCF

Notes: RC2. Complete 32 map megaWAD of very small, stock-textured, challenge-oriented maps (not all are "slaughter" per se), even the longest of which can be completed in well under 5 minutes of playtime. While a number of the maps do present straightforward flash fights in set arenas revolving primarily around the core genre values of spatial control, precise fire and movement, and crowd management, quite a few of them are more conceptual or gimmick-oriented in design, requiring the player to adopt a variety of non-standard tactics in order to prevail. While the mapset is far less flashy in presentation than some other recent sets in the nascent "micro slaughter" genre which aims to make this general stratum of gameplay more approachable to a wider audience, its focused design and wide variety of scenarios are astutely observed and smartly presented, making it perhaps the best of the lot as a primer for someone who is interested in actively learning the core skills and strategies involved in playing (and appreciating) this type of map.

July

What Remains by various authors

Notes: idgames. Another Team Squonker joint, set in a derelict, lightly graffito'd seabase (read: a traditional techbase, surrounded on all sides by water). While the mapset is even shorter than the norm for this series (5 maps + an outro map), and the general theme is less exotic than that of some other recent entries in same, this is not one to be underestimated, with some fine map design on display. Each of the five maps feels quite distinct, sprawling and meandering just a bit more freely than the very efficient action-forward fare forming the backbone of earlier entries, though the modern, fast-moving tenor of the encounter design remains the order of the day, with an entertainingly brisk, staccato pace immediately presenting and maintained throughout. The third map reads as a bit of cooldown or interlude period (though it's not without traps of its own). One of the most smartly and cohesively composed of the Squonker projects thus far, with particularly strong maps in the opening and closing slots.

Declaring New Apocalypse by Kan3

Notes: GZDoom. Release version. 10+ map campaign plus level-select hub and bonus custom arena. Highly atmospheric in slant, this mapset chronicles the journey of another nameless soldier who escapes from Hell to wreak havoc on the eschatological itinerary of the Four Horsemen and their dark master. A base of mostly stock texture assets meets a bevy of new and returning enemies, dramatic dynamic lighting, pointed BGM selections, and clever scripting, presenting fresh and interesting twists on mostly very classic/traditional Doom settings. Each Horseman has a differently themed domain, and each level features a distinct progression scheme and is loaded with secrets, which ultimately reward completionist types with extra features in the "Reliquary" hub domain. Reminiscent of ZDoom adventures of an older mould, but built to a more modern standard, this release offers a refreshing blend of old and new.

Infection by exl

Notes: idgames. Seven-map campaign set in a top secret UAC research lab disguised as a water treatmeant plant, by the author of Verdant Citadel, Demons of Problematique, etc. This outing is initially very traditional in its techbase theme and thrust, but features a surprise twist I'll not spoil here, and an uncommonly beautiful presentation, with a gorgeous custom colormap and masterful texturing and lighting choices, married to split-path level design and generous helpings of immediate, early Romero-style combat vs. droves of zombies, imps, and other fodder. Indeed, the entire experience is subtly reminiscent of the classic adventure in the Phobos base in more ways than one, but maintains a distinct identity and never reads as a retread, or even a direct homage per se. Balances well for both continuous and pistol-start play, with SSG only appearing in the final maps; lategame is IMO a little too cell-heavy for opposition faced, but this should not dampen the experience for most players. Quality work from a veteran author.

Looper Trooper by kos

Notes: ZDoom. Single map by a new author. A high-concept piece, the basic idea here is that your marine is caught in a timeloop, and repeatedly traverses and re-traverses the same short stretch of some dingey, anonymous warehouse sort of place as reality steadily unravels, more and more netherworld nastiness pours through, and the state of affairs just goes to shit in general. Gameplay has a marked survivalist slant, with ammo and other resources very scarce early on, and much the player's power arc predicated on his/her being willing to explore and thus face extra/unnecessary peril. Complicating this gameplay approach is that there are a large number of monsters implicitly not meant to be killed (most notably the hordes of specters lurking the many shadows, which are meant primarily as a diegetic element and environmental hazard, rather than as normal actors), so some intuition and good tactical judgement are in order. Technical execution of the idea is quite rough in some ways -- all of the many secrets are totally unflagged, and some of the sectors/line actions are very finicky about triggering in a neat and timely fashion, etc. -- but the concept itself is fascinating, and rendered/realized with obvious excitement and ingenuity. A memorable little outing in Doomy surrealism for those who can abide a touch of unconventional gameplay.

WELCOME BACK by Cheesebone

Notes: GZDoom. The author's second map for Doom, published 23 years after the first. A sprawling map with well over 1800 monsters present, this sophomore effort reads like nothing so much as a lost or disembodied "map32" from a megaWAD of the Hell Revealed / Alien Vendetta age, comprised of a handful of large, topographically dramatic areas blanketed in monsters and ammo of all sorts, which the player is left to systematically wipe out as they see fit. Visually the map is very clean and elegantly (stock) textured, with a subtle shapeliness which perhaps belies its modern make, despite feeling as though it's modeled on an older style and rhythm of gameplay. Lacking much in the way of pacing per se, the map begins in full swing and insists from the get-go on blanketing even interstitial corridors and the like in creatures which are of little real consequence to the overall experience, and whether this reads as needlessly/clumsily prolonging proceedings or is a welcome/nostalgic quirk of specific genre authenticity is up to user discretion (and there is of course no reason why it can't be a bit of both). The temple area, and its two-stage yard reveal, is the highlight here.

Ante Mortem Episode 1 by Snaxalotl

Notes: GZDoom. 5-map episode of what is to eventually be a larger game (as of the time I'm typing this, the first level of E2 has debuted as well). In development for 2 years, the first map is both primitively 2D in design and quirky in atmosphere (it's like some kind of demonic spaceship or the like, complete with strange forcefield-type doors); later maps show a much more developed idiom of rollicking, open combat through, around, and across the shattered remains of a military base nestled in some almost incongruently pleasant temperate hills. Action is the foremost focus, with mixed hordes of demonic troops constantly spawning in waves in the yards and outdoor spaces, or otherwise attacking on script in the more enclosed interiors. The heavy opposition is counterbalanced by core integration of the Supercharged gameplay mod, which, for those unfamiliar, drastically increases the power of the player's arsenal (among other changes); the result is concerted, horde-based, slaughter-lite / slaughter-adjacent action that reads as empowering or even breezy despite the numbers of monsters involved, making this another release in this broad vein which may be more accessible to skeptics or those otherwise unaccustomed to the style. For a player of moderate experience with the style, the warnings not to play on skill 4 are likely to land as a mite quaint, and the occasionally comedic scads of ammo/armor and obvious exploitability of several marquee fights show there is room for further refinement in the design, but the author's facility for relatively seamlessly melding arena-style combat with broadly representational map design, and flare for using dynamic lighting to create a look that is very colorful but also quite tonally dark, make for a worthwhile experience.

Liminal Waters by DoomRevolver

Notes: GZDoom. Single map set in an alabaster/cerulean water temple. The clean, fantasy-inclined OTEX texturing combines with the selection of a stock Doom music track for an unusual feel. While fairly expansive in size, the overall scheme of the level is simpler than that of the author's previous maps, the layout being comprised of a handful of large, two-tiered rooms which can be visited in more or less any order. Monsters are perched for harassment fire up above and come in swarms down below, but weapon balance skews heavily towards rockets and plasma, and the grid-like geometry is easy to weaponize, so you're well-equipped to deal with them without too much trouble. Feels like more of an experimental map for the author.

The Crater by DoomerCheems

Notes: GZDoom. Though the author refers to this as a "megaWAD", it is only 3 maps long, taking about an hour to play, if not less. It looks and feels like a holdout from the dawning era of ZDoom, presenting a linear, representationally-styled campaign complete with many fellow marine NPCs who give orders and mission details at various points, and with most map developments handled through scripts. The depth and degree of the scripting is the most notable aspect; some NPCs have quite a few lines (esp. poor Norman), environments undergo many shifts (esp. in the chaotic third map), and many combat encounters feature environmental defenses or weapon batteries which you can actively engage to aid you. Though rough in many respects, with some occasionally rather unclear progression and what many would argue are "mandatory" secrets to get you off of the ground in the first map, the mapset offers a very particular experience of a rare vintage rarely encountered these days, and will be of special interest to those who remember the early-mid 00s of ZDoom mapping with fondness.

Guillotine by Cutman

Notes: Single mid-sized map, takes around 20 minutes to play, or longer if you get beheaded a few times. The veteran author describes this as their very first "normal" Doom map; suffice to say, the depth of overall experience certainly shows. The level has a clean and classic look, with a desolate Hell-outpost theme of wood, rock, marble, and blood, contrasting large spaces with long sightlines with necked down, more claustrophobic burrows on the periphery. Action starts out brisk, with a slightly devious bent, and maintains this character throughout, featuring a number of memorable traps leveraged from untimely shifts in the environment and a recursive layout which reuses its major spaces effectively throughout. A very worthwhile outing, demonstrating just how clever even a purely traditional Doom experience can be.

Solar Struggle by various authors

Notes: "Final" release. Complete 36-map replacement for The Ultimate Doom, authored by a wide variety of mappers from around the community, including many returning from similar setting-focused CPs ala Hellevator, Skulltiverse, etc. Despite the many different authors, Solar Struggle features a remarkably consistent and smoothly progressing sense of theme, style, and even narrative (in the customarily broad/vague Doom sense, mind you), chronicling the protagonist's escape from a prison facility on one of Jupiter's moons at the moment of a demonic outbreak clear through to his journey to the source of the corruption in the solar system. Heavily focusing on realistically appointed techbases and other manmade installations as a broad setting through all four episodes, the traditional theme of demonic influence is incorporated in many different ways to keep things fresh. Gameplay follows suit, featuring a wide variety of both conventional and high-concept approaches to pacing, combat, and map progression, getting an impressive amount of mileage out of the relatively limited bestiary of OG Doom. One of the year's top CPs thus far, essential in particular for devotees of the original Doom.

The Summer of Slaughter by various authors

Notes: RC2. Both a "Boom" version and a GZDoom version of this WAD exist; the compiler considers the GZDoom version the intended experience, and this is the one that I played. This is a compilation of 37 (with a 38th allegedly pending) polished speedmaps for the tenth Pineapple Under the Sea Speedmapping event, most in a slaughter or slaughter-adjacent vein, each ostensibly constructed in a 12-hour period and under some soft structural guidelines presumably intended to make the result more amenable to a pick-up-and-play approach. For the sake of this "deluxe" presentation of the event's produce, it is quite obvious that these guidelines were waived or totally ignored in certain cases. Slaughter is by reputation (and arguably by nature) a rather niche or even 'controversial' genre, and there has been a movement in recent years to "rehabilitate" this image via a growing number of streamlined sets that seek to deliver a functionally authentic slaughter experience while being much more accessible or appealing to genre skeptics and to 'normal' players (whatever that means); this is what I was expecting from this project. Frankly, my expectations were, in this case, quite misplaced. SOS juxtaposes slaughter regulars with mappers who do not typically work in the style, and the mapset cannot be readily pinned down to any one particular take on the genre. These 37 maps vary hugely in length, difficulty, and philosophy, ranging from unabashed BFG-spam dance parties to claustrophobic gauntlet-style outings to long topographical endurance treks to tributes to classic maps from the bloodstained annals of slaughter history, with too many other conceptual diversions to name; sometimes your adversary is a legion of thousands of demons, sometimes it's some tiny red cracks in the floor. The quality of fights and visuals from map to map are both all over the board, with some very 'high highs' and also some 'low lows', and despite an avowed effort to the contrary the sense of arrangement, pacing and general difficulty curve is quite (and quite understandably) chaotic. Nevertheless, any fan of the genre should be able to find something to enjoy here with a bit of browsing, and if you are new to the genre it handily demonstrates just how varied in style and tone the genre can be. Tip: make an effort to find the secret maps, they are surprising in more ways than one.

August

Industrial Jazz by Boxyt and Raeg

Notes: GZDoom. 4 maps by Boxyt, a newcomer to the scene, appropriately featuring what is described as a bespoke "industrial free jazz" soundtrack by Raeg (which, if I am quite honest, I was thankful sounded nothing like what I thought it would from the description). Uses stock textures atop chunky floorplans and a smash/grab, straight-ahead gameplay and construction style to an overall effect I found somehow reminiscent of Aeternum (by Skillsaw). While the soundtrack may be and is certainly presented as the WAD's 'conversation piece', the map author successfully communicates a certain flair and personal style through the use of stock elements used in flavorful ways, with pieces like the freestanding spiral stairway down to the blue keycard in m02 or the ominous marble bridge to the final cavern in m04 standing out as examples of the WAD's paradoxically nostalgic-yet-fresh aesthetic sensibility. Gameplay and overall map progression is perhaps less verve-y, but solidly balanced and certainly entertaining enough for a casual playthrough. A promising debut.

Actinia by various authors

Notes: RC2. Short 6-map set (4 main, 2 bonus) in the style of The Plutonia Experiment, by a group of 4 authors from /vr/'s Doom community. Style, pitch, and pacing are on-point and feel authentic to the source material for the most part, covering a smattering of tried and tested Plutonia tropes while looking the part in a simple/practical way. Map 01, probably my favorite of the set, has a nice hot start and good replayability since any of the three keys can be approached first; m03, also quite satisfying, is the mechanical climax, with a very terse thing balance and a welter of traps, some predictable, some not so much. The fourth map is in the Go 2 It vein and, apart from the sassy start, is quite tame and can be taken at a very leisurely pace; m02 is the designated breather map. Of the bonus maps, m32 is an oddball little concept map (esp. the silly arch-vile fuckbox) which is quite small but also rather bad-tempered, like a chihuahua or such. In this RC, m31 is broken and uncompletable in the intended port (due to ZDoomisms), but bypassing this unfolds a map with a dimension-hopping theme and some cute-yet-grim representational detailing (mainly in "our" world) that feels artistically more of a piece with one of Plutonia's "expanded universe" community-made sequels than the IWAD itself, a commendable effort for being someone's very first map.

Beware of Falling Angels by Albatross

Notes: Eternity. Release candidate. Another in the author's ongoing series of techdemo-type maps for the Eternity engine, this is a short single map (about 10 minutes of playtime) set in what appears to be a sort of floating terrarium split into two zones, one dedicated to what appears to be "Heaven", the other to "Hell", perhaps curated by some third, unknown power. Utilizes the OTEX asset set, a pair of classic Stewboy tracks, and Eternity features such as portals and reflective surfaces to beautiful effect, making this perhaps the most aesthetically attractive of all of the author's maps to date, with complex sightlines and some creative scenes (i.e. the strange greystone cemetery with glowing green orbs in "Hell") if also perhaps the most thematically conventional. Gameplay once again reads mainly as a formality, offering a dripfeed of mid-tier monsters encountered in ones or twos, though there are a couple of heavier traps and a pronounced climax involving a bevy of cyberdemons and a crushing ceiling. An able demonstration of the distinct aesthetic flair possible in an updated-yet-classic idtech engine.

The Thing You Can't Defeat by YourOpinionsAreWRONG

Notes: GZDoom. 7 maps, technically, though this PWAD is really more of a morbid novelty than a mapset per se. To describe it in any real detail would be to spoil the experience and rob it of its impact; suffice to say that it likely won't take you very long to experience in full, and, depending on your age, background, and online proclivities, might be variously interpreted as a simple digital reflection on the toll of time and fragility of memory, or alternatively, a sort of creepypasta. For what it's worth, I did feel that the timing and escalation of the assorted subversions on offer are effectively paced from a very subtle start to full-on collapse, though on the downside where things are ultimately heading is very obvious long before the end is reached, even in what is already a short experience.

Liquidium by gabirupee

Notes: Single map built to test a modified colormap (which is quite subtle in effect, incidentally, though no less attractive for it), framed in the modern gauntlet style and set in a kind of dark and dingy space-basement place lit up with a few nodes of brilliant blue and green energy conduits. Very short, but with a razor-thin thing balance and also quite claustrophobic and perilous, most of the five or so encounters present require a very specific strategy and clean execution to survive, though (perhaps ironically) these become easier and easier to read as the map goes on, and they grow in size (such as it is). A bitesize snack for genre fans.

400 Minutes of /vr/ (a.k.a. 6.66 Hours in Hell) by various authors

Notes: Final version. Latest entry in a series of speedmapped megaWADs from the /vr/ Doom community. Uses the seldom-seen rfHelltex asset pack for a distinct vintage aesthetic, as well as the new MBF21 mapping format to allow for customizations to the traditional template such as extra maps, secret exits and intermission texts in non-standard places, and so forth. The grimy, dirty, brown/red-scale look of the custom texture assets, the broad palette of authors, and the concepts-first / polish-second speedmapping execution on display lend the game a feeling of something from the dawn of the classical era, a sensibility which often seems to come to the fore in this particular subcommunity's output. As a natural result of the project's core restrictions, nearly all of the 37 or so maps are quite short, and the majority of them have a gritty, back-to-basics feel to the action which allows the various little gimmicks defining many maps to come to the fore without weighing too heavily on the average player, though in the final cluster of maps in particular there are a few far nastier nuggets to be found, suitable to entertain Doom-irradiated sickos such as myself.

Deezn Uts 1.0 (a.k.a. Prepare For Sauce) by Regular Warren

Notes: GZDoom; a Boom version exists, but the GZ version is described as the intended experience. Presumably this is so the author can enforce pistol-starts (which, interestingly, more authors, including many newer ones, are becoming more and more willing to do); no other scripting is in evidence. Four clean but very simple speedmaps, each with an interesting title and a different (stock) texture theme. The compact, chunky-sectored layouts are broken up mainly by height differences and a scant few locked doors, and host only two or three dozen monsters apiece, though these skew heavily towards mid-tier Doom II creatures, conveying action-forward minimalism. Presumably this is meant to be rather sassy (or saucy, if you like), though regular patrons of this sort of map should find nothing much to really sweat about, given free availability of heavy weapons and plenty of elbow room. Suitable for a quick no-frills blast.

Plague Tower Siege by sectrslayr

Notes: idgames. Single map set in a crumbling gothic spire of brick and mortar, towering over a burning landscape in what would appear to be the carbonized husk of a fallen city. Using stock textures, the author has crafted a stylishly rendered environment with a clever tiered layout taking advantage of hostile terrain, irregular footing, and a great deal of visual interconnectivity to enhance the sense of peril and wring quite a lot of action out a monster complement just over 100 strong (plus an inevitable few from arch-vile resurrections). The map presumably takes its name from the regular incursions of small clouds of gasbags which insidiously infiltrate the fortress through gaps in its damaged outer wall both great and small, but the interior action is engaging as well, a conventional buckshot/bullets start which escalates into larger and more pressing traps at about the halfway point. A quiet release from early in the cycle, but not to be overlooked, as it is a thoroughly satisfying single map with a compelling (and very Doom-y) setting.

Aquaduct by Dopaminecloud

Notes: Short set of two caverns/caves-themed maps for The Plutonia Experiment, plays well both singly (i.e. from pistol-start) or as a linked pair. A tastefully clean and damp, shady naturalistic look with an airy, open feel accents and somewhat tempers the traditionally roughneck Plutonia feel, though the author's monster compositions and usage of sneaky snipers from strange angles certainly feel authentic to the IWAD inspiration, as does the measured but not overly austere balance of ammo and support items. Ends in a big (but breezy) slaughter-lite encounter for a somewhat more modern-feeling cap to the experience. Unassuming but well-made pair of levels in a classic theme gradually gaining more popularity, about 20-25 minutes of satisfying play.

Of Magma and Meat by Doomax

Notes: GZDoom. Large single map framed as a loose remake or re-imagining of Doom II's penultimate map, "The Living End." Uses the ubiquitous OTEX resource for a vivid, largely open-air take on the original, which somehow comes off as almost aggressively colorful in spots colorful despite the shell of gray igneous rock making up the map's skeleton. Also includes some baked-in changes to game mechanics/balance for a slightly different feel (i.e. hell knights sling faster projectiles, fire rate and damage of bullet weapons are tweaked, standard shotgun shoots a tighter pattern making it stronger at mid distance, etc.). While the basic structure of the IWAD map is easily recognizable (both in terms of layout and general progression scheme), the author has successfully instilled this remake with its own personality, and it reads more readily as an original experience, as opposed to a hi-def remaster. New, modern action scenes are perhaps to be expected (the arch-vile shaft being the most memorable), but the experience is most defined by the unexpected -- a nice arboretum, a hollow tree trunk with Escheresque properties, and a cliffside pizza parlor to name a few. Not all of the route consistently manages this creative verve (the three-fork segment from the base map is very dry here for instance), but nevertheless, the map successfully stands on its own and is worth a visit, even if you are not normally interested in the 'tribute' sub-genre.

Stickney Installation by Snaxalotl

Notes: RC2. New iteration of the evergreen KDiTD tribute-episode tradition, by an author who has been quite prolific this year. Phobos fans will be immediately at home with the bullets-n-buckshot bonanza presented, and all of the other genre trimmings one expects are well-represented too, particularly a generous host of secrets which feel natural to the theme while having something of a subtly modern cast to their mechanisms. Texture schemes and geometry are basically textbook for the genre, but the author has imbued the setting with a personal stamp through some subtle/suggestive representational touches (i.e. the map settings seem to credibly adhere to their names, without ever really breaching "Doomcute" territory) and a strong sense of interplay between light and shadow, with a lot of boldly dark and gloomy areas, a sensibility/strong point evident in the author's work elsewhere as well. There are a lot of clear/obvious conceptual and architectural motifs straight from the original KDitD in evidence, which tend to read as very on-the-nose (and perhaps just slightly cloyingly 'cute') by dint of all appearing in the same mapslot as that being referenced, though the overall logic and flow of each map as a whole is generally different enough to avoid feeling entirely like a straight retread. E1M8 is a notable exception to this, with a more overtly sinister look than the original "Phobos Anomaly", and a quite novel setup for the traditional showdown with the twin Barons. Difficult to pass up if you love the original E1.

Meanwhile, as Hell Crept Up through the Sewers... by YMB

Notes: Debut map by a longtime community member, set in a toxic waste treatment facility with a lot of skeletons in its closet (literally and figuratively). Very compact, short-scale, UAC techbase using a broad palette of stock resources in focused, point-specific ways for a moderately detailed look that comes across as quite coherent despite the eclectic assortment of textures, particularly in the upper, uncorrupted levels. A very casual base-crawl experience shows an unexpected whiplash into nastier territory at about the halfway mark, where the smattering of imps and zombies lightly guarding the many small rooms gives way rather suddenly to tougher Doom II creatures bursting from walls and lying in ambush, including several arch-viles. This 0-to-60 pace in the context of such a short level is surprisingly uncommon, though not at all unwelcome.

Shallow World Episode 1 by Shawny

Notes: Final version. Eleven maps presented as a loose (and I do mean very loose) retelling of the first eleven maps of the original Doom II, with a slightly different narrative. More of a true re-imagining than a 'modern remake', these maps ooze a character all their own and feature entirely unique/original settings and layouts that have a deep but subtle resonance with the broad themes and certain memorable mechanics from the base game, to the point that I suspect many players would not immediately realize this intent if not overtly informed of it. Beautifully textured with stock resources, the maps present a very distinct sense of style -- these are some of the most posh or 'luxe' starbases you will see -- and an engrossing night-time atmosphere, emphasized by classy lighting and well-chosen BGM selections. Action is stolidly moderate in tone (i.e. accessible to most players), balances unusually smoothly for continuous play (with pistol-starts being ammo-tense but quite manageable), and is skillfully paced and periodically inflected by creative mechanical machinations that riff off and expand on classic map gimmicks from the base game, playfully teasing nostalgia/familiarity while presenting a fresh and original experience. A wide variety of clever secrets are the icing on the cake. Let's hope for another episode of this in future!

Emerald Ambush by Rook

Notes: Single map set in a small outpost or guardstation in a lush subtropical area, by the author of the Sucker Punch series. Lack of that series's visual color-coding concept aside, this map would fit very naturally in their midst, providing a short blast of action carefully tuned to be both high-energy and (mostly) low stress, an initial complement of zombified soldiers and fodder demons giving way to incursions by more powerful foes as each key is made accessible. Vertically dense and presenting all of the weapons other than the BFG, the map can be played in many different ways despite its small size -- for funsies, try activating all three key waves at once, and then fight your way out.

Bleeding Through by Zirbiss

Notes: GZDoom. Small, often claustrophobic techbase map by a first-time author, in a straightlaced Hell on Earth theme -- this place has surely seen better days. Working with stock assets in a realistic/representational style, the author manages the extremely tight spaces which define most of the runtime fairly well, using small numbers of light monsters springing from ambush and limited availability of healing/armor to maintain pace and tension using a mostly low-stakes set of actors and items. The sudden rapid escalation of player power for the final fight in the abstract bloody basement at the end reads as abrupt and a tad overblown in the context of such a short map, and the action/monster placement there is haphazard. Doesn't spoil the experience, but shows room for growth for an author who is already demonstrating a strong sense of scene-staging -- I particularly like the ominously dark and blasted cityscape (which actually makes up the majority of the map's actual geometry), with demons you'll never meet visible cavorting on distant rooftops.

Silence by Wilster_Wonkels

Notes: idgames. Full replacement of the original (i.e. pre-Thy Flesh Consumed) Doom. Includes a custom soundtrack by the author in a kind of period rock/metal/ambient mix vein that does feel like a credible analog to the original game's soundtrack in a tonal sense, if not a technical one. The package is curiously no-frills otherwise; no new graphics, map/episode names and post-episode text and splash screens are unchanged, etc. The author describes the mapset as being inspired by Doom the Way id Did and similar projects, though in actual fact I felt it was much more akin to something like Base Ganymede or the like, i.e. far more reflective of its author's personal/individual style than any believable emulation of any of the id mappers. The Phobos replacement is certainly the most credible in this regard (perhaps because Romero's opus is by far one of the most commonly emulated and widely understood of all styles), while the Deimos and Inferno replacements have little in the way of Sandy's vaguely playful, vaguely sadistic, vaguely daft spookhouse ambience, instead being congested and corruption-clogged labyrinths spattered with blood and buckshot (and impishly-placed crushing ceilings) that, if anything, reads most like a distorted and extra-violent version of Tom Hall's old maps. This is not to say the set is not entertaining, mind you; it certainly is, the author's sense of pacing and clever thing-balancing being the finest facets on display, with the many knife-edge scenarios which (from pistol-start) dominate the third and final episode shining in particular.

DBP 49: Mausoleum Nefarium by various authors

Notes: Version unstated/unknown, but this is the most recent update as of the time I'm typing this. Mostly clean, but some significant bugs remain, mostly pertaining to secrets -- ZDoomisms, the possibility of softlocks in m10, etc. This 49th entry in the long-running, popular series is back on brand/back on form after the much-lambasted DBP 48, which almost everyone seems to want to forget. The theme this time is a baroque, hypergothic marble crypt, which makes me think of nothing so much as world realized from cover art from this or that late 90s black metal album, likely published by Napalm Records or similar. The theme is not as exotic/kooky as some often hope for from this series, but as ever, the asset pack is artfully assembled and curated. The singlemindedly milquetoast gameplay of the series is something I've often criticized in past, but in all fairness, this is not so in much of this outing, with a solid middle stretch of the game being surprisingly bloody and action-dense, and thus, legitimately fun. Proceedings do fall off markedly in this regard before the end, beginning with the oddly empty/barren-feeling m08; I personally tend to feel it's backwards for an episode to get cold feet and slam on the brakes when it ought to be racing towards an exciting finish, but most of these later levels do at least continue to look quite nice (esp. m09), and will likely be enjoyable enough for many people regardless.

Sawshank Lament by Brad_tilf

Notes: One map of about 15 minutes in length, seems to require ZDoom for proper display/function, but presumably intended as totally 'vanilla' in spirit. This is that rarest of creatures, a chainsaw map (which, if one wants to be pedantic, means it's also a Tyson map). The setting is fairly striking, a kind of crumbling, incredibly decrepit prison or bastille of dusty mortar and decaying plaster, full of the angry spirits of perished prisoners who, it seems, cannot escape their sentences, even in death. Lots of cages, lots of gloom, lots of surprisingly dismal atmosphere. The gameplay is, at least by the standards of most folks who might have developed a real taste for Tyson maps (to say nothing of the distinguished palate of the elusive Chainsaw Map Enjoyer), quite tame, pitting you mostly against a steady trickle of imps, demons, lost souls, and other creatures quite susceptible to being pureed by the Busy Beaver, funneled into you gas-guzzling deathstick by the highly claustrophobic environs, which often only allows passage for 1-2 bodies at a time. There are some tricksier moments, typically in the form of cheeky traps, to add more thrills and bloodspills, however. Ultimately, the atmosphere and sense of setting is probably the map's best and most refined attribute, as opposed to its somewhat lax handling of its niche gameplay conceit, but the notion of an outing where the chainsaw is the primary weapon is nevertheless vanishingly rare enough of an experience that I would encourage most players to live a little and try it out regardless. 

Curiosity and the Cat by Ravendesk

Notes: RC2. Single map, stock textures, by a first-time author. The map swims the slaughter/challenge stream, as soon enough becomes apparent, but is oddly and charmingly difficult to 'call' at first without knowing this. The opening shot and moments somehow psychologically suggest something more traditional (I suspect the texture scheme has a lot to do with it?); this soon gives way to what seems to be a strict, slow-crawling austerity/resource-rationing map, which in turn quickly gives way to shit royally hitting the fan, back in that initially folksy-looking opening room. This first big fight, and the vile-swarm in this same room which sends the map off, are both well-done and tactically interesting as a result of the aforementioned tightly controlled and tactically-placed trickle of resources (this astute sense of thing balance being generally the map's strongest/most flavorful mechanical attribute). The mid-level action in the western annex is in a 'zoned' style (i.e. you break into a space already firmly controlled by pre-placed monsters positioned more for defense rather than to swarm you) and does not read quite as well as in practice the moat-dominated design of the room hampers both you and the monsters about equally and reduces the sense of liveliness, but the encounter is not terribly long all things considered and so this does not bring proceedings down much. Somewhat unassuming in presentation and perhaps a mite scrappy in style, this is nevertheless a smartly balanced and entertaining short-but-authentic slaughtermap that avoids the pitfall of confusing brevity with dilution, and it's always good to welcome a new author to this bloodstained fold.

The Box of a Thousand Demons by thelokk

Notes: RC2. Full omnibus-style megaWAD by a prolific, newer author (29 'normal' maps, 1 outro, 2 secret, one of which is itself a silent/interpretive art piece). Uses the ubiquitous OTEX resource, a lush, cold-tone custom colormap (highly reminiscent of those in both Eviternity and newer builds of Sunder, though I'm not convinced it's identical to either), and some very dead-on BGM selections from a wide variety of sources to paint a succession of abstract or surrealistic Doom-worlds, arranged in a number of loose thematic clusters, the one unifying characteristic being a distinctly languid, pensive atmosphere that persists even amidst bursts of violence. The mapset will, I suspect, read to many as a single-mindedly challenge-oriented experience, and spends time exploring or experimenting with a broad range of concepts, tropes, and general gameplay styles from the deeper/darker end of the Doom pool -- austerity, platforming, occasional puzzles, claustrophobic choreography, slaughter of varying scales and severities, good old-fashioned Plutonium exposure, etc. -- but I daresay such a reading would somewhat miss the forest for the trees in this case. The actual execution of many aspects of the production (esp. the expressly mechanical) varies in degree of fidelity, sophistication and fine-tuning, but the distinct sense of mood is watertight throughout, and in practice the WAD is usually quite measured, giving the whole experience more of a reflective tone than one of oppression and struggle. The mapset as a whole clearly indicates a variety of influences (some more obvious than others), but by the final third of the game the author's sensibilities for visual art and mechanical design seem to fully find each other, and a distinct voice that stands apart from these influences clearly emerges. For genre regulars, the mapset offers a relatively laidback outing that stands out for its distinct mood, and for intrepid or open-minded outsiders, is perhaps approachable enough as a first foray into a deeper realm of dreams and nightmares not soon forgotten.