It's time to revisit the third year of the Cacowards! For an explanation of this series, please see the first entry.
Memento Mori & Memento Mori 2
1996 starts out with a bang! Each being a full set of levels for Doom II, Memento Mori and its sequel together constitute 64 different levels. That's a lot (it took me awhile to work my way through them, one level at a time), and I'm not going to comment on each one. Suffice to say that they're good; this is a project that combined the products of some of the most talented Doom level modders at the time (including The Innocent Crew, which worked on some of my favorite wads from '94 and '95), and is one of the most memorable fanmade wads from my first playthrough of the Cacowards many years ago.
What these wads might lack in consistency of style from level to level (despite the sequel's notable attempt at stringing together an overarching narrative in the readme file) - and let me tell you, the atmosphere and sense of place in some of these levels is truly spectacular - it more than makes up for in consistency of quality. Be warned that some of the later levels in these wadsets are huge, and do tend to run long, some taking me hours to complete. If you're sick of playing the same official Doom levels over and over again and want something fresh, definitely put Memento Mori (and Memento Mori 2) on your playlist.
Dystopia 3: Re-Birth of Anarchy
Apparently, this is a sequel to Dystopia 2 (which I assume is a sequel to Dystopia), though I don't recall if I ever played this wad's forebear(s). It features 11 maps for Doom II, complete with some cool new textures. It's a bit of an anticlimax after coming off of the high of Memento Mori, but really, these are some solid levels, with real creativity on display. Several of the levels begin in crashed vehicles (cars, rockets), and one takes place on an island, beginning and ending on a boat. I also enjoyed the mineshaft level. The third map experiments with a completely novel dynamic, turning part of the level into a race. My main complaint is combat-related - the author(s) seems to favor the use of the plasma gun - which is powerful, but in most cases is like using an anvil to hammer a nail. And for health you're thrown a lot of instant +100% soul spheres. It's too indiscriminate for my tastes; I actually enjoy the resource management part of playing this game. But it's a relatively minor quibble for an otherwise enjoyable wad.
All Hell Is Breaking Loose
This is a short, 5 map wad that touts itself as a "near total conversion". Apparently, I played an incomplete version, with graphics intact, but none of the game mechanics altered. Honestly, I didn't like it enough to try it again. Level-wise, the wad is serviceable. I liked the abandoned mine motif, and the final level which takes place in the city. But the graphical manipulations were distracting. Adjusting to new weapon graphics throws off your aim (also, what's the point of a double-bladed chainsaw?). Some of the monsters looked neat - red Demons engulfed in yellow flame, Barons floating around on green fire, two-headed Chaingunners riding Arachnotrons. It's hard to criticize the creativity and work that goes into a project like this - I'm sure making those graphics wasn't easy. But without a professional studio, there are always seams visible, which gives it a characteristically rough appearance. Along with the feeling that what you're playing is still Doom, it's just wearing an [at times ill-fitting] mask. As an exercise in modding, I don't doubt that this wad deserved a lot of attention in 1996, but beyond that? I dunno...
Army of Darkness
This is a total conversion for the first Doom, replacing episode 3. The theme is Army of Darkness. Not one of my favorite horror/comedies (I liked the first Evil Dead the best), but you can tell the authors are diehard fans, and put a lot of work into this wad, recreating much of the spirit (and locations) from the movie. This is kind of the bridge between Aliens TC (still being a horror property where running around killing demons is in character) and later pop culture TCs that are pure novelty (e.g., The Simpsons, Sailor Moon). That said, to describe this TC as a novelty would be to do it an injustice. It's quite well put together, and captures a fair bit of the atmosphere of the movie. The levels are well-designed; I only had a few clipping issues, including a pillar that rendered the boss Bad Ash helpless (both times he showed up), and a passage I just couldn't seem to figure out how to open in Arthur's Castle. I understand that a lot of the sprites are taken from other games similar to Doom that were released around the same time (namely, Heretic and Hexen), but not being familiar with those games, the different look of the enemies (which blend in really well with the medieval theme) goes a long way in giving this TC a cohesive atmosphere. I had a lot of fun playing it.
Icarus: Alien Vanguard
I was very excited to see that this megawad (a full Doom II complement) was developed by TeamTNT - a group of wadders that were so good, id Software made one of their projects the basis for an official release: Final Doom. As such, you can expect quality from these levels, which balance space ship (that's space ship, not space port) environments with Holodeck-like "simulation" levels for variety. The ship levels are inspired - with some interesting settings (e.g., Engineering, Sick Bay, Hydroponics) that at times remind you of Star Trek and Duke Nukem - and make great use of a limited range of textures (one could argue that the authors got lazy, but I think it effectively conveys a minimalist aesthetic). But some of the most memorable levels are the simulation (and planet-side) areas, including a labyrinthine asylum, a storm-battered chapel, and a truly brilliant recreation of a diner that's got to be one of the most creative Doom levels I've ever played. This wad features all-new music, and though there isn't much in the way of a written narrative, it does a remarkable job of creating story just through architecture and gameplay. Levels are meticulously designed and expertly lit, with the addition of features (such as computer panels and science experiments) that have little to no functional use but add so much life to the environments you'll explore. Every time I passed a window on the starship, I had to stop and marvel at the stars sailing past!
Polygon Base
I booted up this wad with no expectations (thanks to a conspicuous lack of any kind of readme file included in the folder). A quick check verified that it was a single level, so (after all these megawads I'd been playing), I thought, "great, I have half an hour to play through a nice, simple wad." Boy, was I wrong. This level is massive, even labyrinthine. Now, I can appreciate an epic Doom level, but I definitely wasn't prepared for it. I got to the point where I just wanted it to end already. Don't get me wrong, it's a perfectly good level, in the classic "moonbase" aesthetic. But I generally prefer a more linear layout (this section leads to that section, which leads to that section over there), instead of endlessly criss-crossing passages you could easily get lost in. Add to that a preponderance of switches, and you've no choice but to give up all hope of a thorough sweep of the level (even with the automap!).
99 Ways To Die
Unfortunately more of an empty boast than a clever concept to build a level around, 99 Ways To Die consists of three short castle-themed levels (that altogether took me less time to complete than Polygon Base did). They demonstrate basic competency with the level editor (which I maintain is an accomplishment of its own), but seem to lack any real spark of brilliance. Attention given to lighting (I mention this only because the readme file points it out) seems to focus mainly on gradating sectors and not how the lighting can be used to develop atmosphere. There's an interesting idea wherein keys are used not to progress through the level but to access bonus rooms (that offer both additional challenge and additional reward), but nothing in this wad is developed fully enough to warrant real praise. I've seen it all done better elsewhere.
The Trooper's Playground
Offering nine levels for Doom II, this wad is good, but not great. It's solidly constructed, but doesn't really stand out; I suspect that it dazzled more in its heyday, and simply hasn't aged as well as some other early wads we've covered. There are good traps in this levelset, it's mostly well-balanced, and the secrets are well placed - not glaringly obvious, but also not stupidly difficult to find if you're looking for them. The final level is anticlimactic, but I've come to expect that from Doom II, where the final boss is basically an infinitely spawning deathmatch chamber (which is chaotic, yeah, but doesn't make for much of a level). In other words, this wad goes down smooth. It's a good way to pass the time, but you probably won't remember it. Which I guess is better than being frequently frustrated by its flaws, right?
A Hidden Mountain Factory
Remember what I said about levels that frequently frustrate you with their flaws? This one's a great example. Doomworld raved about this "obscure" wad in 1996 (no doubt bringing it tons of attention), but I'm playing it now and I think it's massively overrated. The concept is clever, but its potential is squandered by gameplay that's critically flawed. For one, I like how the level starts in the mountains, but there are passages where you're squared off against "hitscan" enemies (who hit you instantaneously with bullets, instead of launching projectiles) in pitch black! I get wanting to be realistic and create atmosphere, but sections of complete darkness should be used sparingly, and to mount tension, not as widespread combat zones.
Even worse, what apparently passes for "difficulty" in this level is crowding narrow corridors with an unreasonable volume of monsters. You're taking lots of hits, and there's not a lot of health, or room to move around. So you're constantly getting respawned every five steps, rendering Doomworld's claim that you can finish this relatively small (but not short) level in 8 minutes a savage lie. That's not challenge, it's just punishment. It's not even fun. I want to be pushed to fight smarter, not harder. I've seen cooler levels; I've certainly played ones that were more fun. I think this wad has had its run.
JUDGMENT: Keeping in mind that for any wad to win a Cacoward, it must have distinguished itself in some way, I'm making the assumption that you don't have time to play them all, and that you value my opinion (otherwise, you wouldn't be reading my reviews), so here are my recommendations for which wads are most worthy of your time.
Must Play: Memento Mori, Memento Mori 2, Icarus: Alien Vanguard
Time Killers: Dystopia 3, Army of Darkness, The Trooper's Playground
Skip: All Hell Is Breaking Loose, Polygon Base, 99 Ways To Die, A Hidden Mountain Factory
See you in 1997!
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Revisiting the Cacowards (1995)
It's time to revisit the second year of the Cacowards! For an explanation of this series, please see the first entry.
Fava Beans
This is, in my opinion, a thoroughly mediocre episode 1 replacement. The level design is competent, but lacks a spark of creativity. There is an overabundance of ammo. Vaguely familiar environments recall areas from the original levels, but it feels more like rehash than reinvention.
Infinity (Serenity 3)
This is episode 3 in the Serenity/Eternity trilogy. I think these level sets improved from one to the next, but I'm still having a lot of the same complaints I had from the first two. Not very intuitive level design. Overabundance of nukage barrels. Way too much ammo and not nearly enough health. Is there a bug with the secret sectors? Because normal rooms that are necessary passage to complete the level are triggering as secret areas. To end on a semi-positive note, there's a glimmer of a good idea in the final level, with enemies seemingly constrained by lighting sectors. Demons that are afraid of the light is a fantastic idea. But the execution here is minimal, and clunky in a way that makes it feel more like a glitch than a stylistic approach.
Boothill
This is a set of four Western-themed deathmatch levels for Doom II (although there is some repetition between the levels - the first one is the largest, but the third one has cool lighting effects to simulate night). As an exclusively single player, I might not be the best person to review these levels, but I can say that they are excellently crafted. Great manipulation of architecture to create the illusion of buildings with upper and lower floors (the Doom engine is limited in that you can't stack floors). There is a real sense of place in these levels, making them fun to explore even alone and without combat. I would have liked to have seen this design approach applied to a single player level.
Fistful of Doom
Two levels, billed as the "ultimate Western Wad" and "UK's answer to Boothill". The best part is that it's actually playable for a single player! The conversion details are very immersive - it really feels like you're in a Western. I don't like that the buildings don't show up on the map in the first level, but it looks like that was fixed for the second level, which has a stronger Mexican flavor. I love the nude paintings, the idea of raiding a bank in the first level, and how cool the church looks in the second level. I also love the idea of the rocket launcher being dynamite, and repurposing energy cell pickups (for a weapon that's not used in this wad) as bags of gold. Even though the gold is functionally useless, you're a bandit, you're collecting gold, it's fun! The creativity in a wad like this really fires the imagination - it makes me wish I'd completed my own total conversion all those years ago.
H2H-Xmas
This is our first full 32 level set for Doom II, and yet it never really feels like it drags. I remember playing this wad before; even partial conversions, as this is, tend to stand out in your mind, because they often look and sound so unique. This one is Christmas-themed - and by total coincidence, I ended up playing it (again) in December; it was even snowing outside the day I loaded up the first level!
Graphical replacements include Santa taking the place of Doomguy, ammo wrapped up like presents, and health pickups represented by things like cookies and eggnog and candy canes. There are even wintry textures, including falling snow, and Christmas trees scattered about the levels. Plus, popular Christmas songs have been rendered in glorious instrumental midi format to play in the background.
Level design is pretty creative - some of the more memorable locations include an airport terminal, a tree farm, and a hockey rink - and although this wad is a hodgepodge of levels by different designers, there are subsets with recognizable themes that have a sense of logical progression from one level to the next, which is something that I really appreciate. A number of levels (especially later on) seem to be optimized for deathmatch, but are still fun to play through on single player.
This wad really makes use of Doom II's larger roster of enemies, with heavy placement on Ultraviolent - and a notable focus on Revenants; you'll be adept at side-stepping their deadly homing rockets by the time you're through. At a point, the combat does get ridiculous. For consistency, I should complain about the overabundance of ammo and the literal swarms of enemies, but the reality is, there's a fair amount of health to keep you going, and it just turns into a giddy free-for-all. This kind of mindless melee, with little to no strategy involved, is not my favorite form of combat in Doom, but I can't deny that it has a certain entertainment value.
All in all, this is not the best levelset you'll ever play, but it's certainly a memorable one, and one that I think is a lot of fun. Although the novelty might be less effective if I were playing it any other time of the year.
Gather2 (a.k.a. The Final Gathering II)
I have mixed feelings about this 5 level set for Doom II. It starts out weak, with a level so short I was actually surprised when it ended. The design aesthetic is middling, with lots of bright sectors and dark sectors (that are prohibitively dark), and little complicated shading between. Rows of identical trees show off the limitations of the graphics.
The set improves as you go through the levels. I like the idea of the elevator in the second level, but the implementation is rudimentary, and I feel like it's been done better elsewhere. I appreciate the continuity between the second and third levels, although the lift takes entirely too long, and the strobe lights are annoying. The third level is big, but not especially complex.
The fourth level is where this wad really shines, as it is a sprawling, labyrinthine fortress. I still have mixed feelings about the design aesthetic, but it's a fun level to play, and it must have been a bear to put together. The fifth level is also big, if not as complex, and makes me wonder how some of these levels would work in deathmatch (even though I don't play deathmatch).
I'm not sure if this was a bug or a feature, but I encountered four "ghost" imps after unleashing an Archvile at the end of the last level. They were faded out like the spectres, but couldn't be hit by my weapons. They would sometimes (though not always) phase through walls. I eventually discovered that they could be killed by indirect splash damage from rockets exploding nearby (e.g., on walls).
Artifact
I feel like this wad is a good example of what happens when your ambition exceeds your talent (something I know a little about). It sounds great on paper - a wad with a little bit of story (I always appreciate a creative flourish), so big that it had to be split into three levels (I also love wads that harbor a spirit of adventure/exploration, instead of just creating disjointed arenas in which to slaughter demons). But the execution, in my opinion, is lacking, with somewhat amateurish design and questionable gameplay balance, that reads more as frustration than challenge (I say after smashing an army of imps one at a time into giblets with my bare hands at 6% health). The levels provide healing spaces with extra power-ups, but the vague threat of being punished for using them makes their very presence more cruel than forgiving.
This wad has also ruined me on strobe lighting. I've been more aware of its problematic nature living with somebody who is photosensitive, but even aside from that, I found their overuse here to be annoying. Coupled with that is the inclusion of extremely dark tunnels, with walk-through walls, sometimes over radioactive floors, such that you're navigating blind and being decimated even by low level enemies because you can't see for shit where the room even is, let alone what's in it. And then in the final level there are invisible floors which contribute to your disorientation, that seem tossed in just because "they're cool" and not because their presence makes any kind of logical or aesthetic sense. It got to a point in the climax where I'm being tossed around by unintuitive teleportation triggers in no readily apparent pattern, with arrows drawn only on the map screen that seem to be trying to tell me something but I'm not sure what it is...and I couldn't even finish it.
Nostromo's Run
Though only a single level for Doom II, it's a pretty big one. There doesn't appear to be any direct connection to Alien in spite of the title, but I still enjoyed it. There's an overabundance of ammo and health pickups, but I suspect that's a symptom of the level being designed with co-op play in mind (which is pretty uncommon in my experience, as opposed to deathmatch - not that I ever play this game with anyone else). If I don't have much else to say about it, that's because I don't have any serious complaints. As far as big, single levels go, I think this one was executed a lot better than Artifact.
Obituary
This is a half(ish) level set for Doom II (just enough to cover the secret level, which is accessed from MAP15). I was very excited when I found out that this wad was created by "The Innocent Crew", which did two of my favorite levelsets from 1994 - Slaughter Until Death, and The Evil Unleashed. Sure enough, the quality is just what you would expect, with a solid set of levels that are a lot of fun to play. They start out pretty compact - rather than "sprawling", they are packed tight with efficient use of space - but get bigger as you go along (including one level with the most tricked out exit section ever). I noticed some misaligned switch textures, but it didn't ruin functionality, and was the only problem I encountered.
Introduced in this wad are some light mods, including some tweaked weapons and enemies. For example, you get dual pistols, a kick instead of a punch, and updated graphics for the plasma weapons. Additionally, the imp has been given faster green fireballs, some troopers carry rocket launchers (unbalanced perhaps, but lots of fun), and the Nazi has been upgraded with erratic movements, partial stealth camo, and more powerful guns. Don't be intimidated by the complicated instructions to get the game running; you can use a patched wad (search "obticfix") to plug and play in GZDoom. It's totally worth it.
Enigma
A nine level set for Doom II (and some of these levels are huge, taking me well over an hour to complete). The graphical style may be slightly rudimentary by today's standards, but the level design is very creative, with a good use of height (you'll be climbing the walls of tall buildings and descending into shadowy canyons), and a mastery of stair sectors. Levels tend to be non-linear, at times even tricky to figure out the path to the exit. The difficulty is more due to puzzles than combat, which is a change of pace for Doom. At its worst, there are passages and solutions the finding of which is downright unintuitive. I don't recall ever needing to consult a walkthrough for a Doom level before. Bottom line, this is not a perfect wad. It has flaws. But it also displays a real artistic vision. I was impressed with it. It is frequently fun, occasionally frustrating, but above all, worth playing.
Dwango5
It's hard to find a lot of background information about this wad, other than that it's a compilation of 24 random levels for Doom II, all designed by different authors specifically for deathmatch play. Oh, and that it was apparently super popular back in the day. I wouldn't know, as deathmatch was never my scene - I've always been more of a solitary player. The levels all display typical deathmatch characteristics - small levels with ample ammo, usually designed around a central arena but with intertwining passages and vantage points for sniping. Quality ranges from the downright boring to the pretty creative, with a couple original Doom II levels lightly modified for deathmatch play. But if you're a single player like me, you're not gonna find much to do here.
JUDGMENT: Keeping in mind that for any wad to win a Cacoward, it must have distinguished itself in some way, I'm making the assumption that you don't have time to play them all, and that you value my opinion (otherwise, you wouldn't be reading my reviews), so here are my recommendations for which wads are most worthy of your time.
Must Play: H2H-Xmas, Obituary, Enigma
Time Killers: Boothill/Fistful of Doom, The Final Gathering II, Nostromo's Run
Skip: Fava Beans, Infinity, Artifact, Dwango5
See you in 1996!
Fava Beans
This is, in my opinion, a thoroughly mediocre episode 1 replacement. The level design is competent, but lacks a spark of creativity. There is an overabundance of ammo. Vaguely familiar environments recall areas from the original levels, but it feels more like rehash than reinvention.
Infinity (Serenity 3)
This is episode 3 in the Serenity/Eternity trilogy. I think these level sets improved from one to the next, but I'm still having a lot of the same complaints I had from the first two. Not very intuitive level design. Overabundance of nukage barrels. Way too much ammo and not nearly enough health. Is there a bug with the secret sectors? Because normal rooms that are necessary passage to complete the level are triggering as secret areas. To end on a semi-positive note, there's a glimmer of a good idea in the final level, with enemies seemingly constrained by lighting sectors. Demons that are afraid of the light is a fantastic idea. But the execution here is minimal, and clunky in a way that makes it feel more like a glitch than a stylistic approach.
Boothill
This is a set of four Western-themed deathmatch levels for Doom II (although there is some repetition between the levels - the first one is the largest, but the third one has cool lighting effects to simulate night). As an exclusively single player, I might not be the best person to review these levels, but I can say that they are excellently crafted. Great manipulation of architecture to create the illusion of buildings with upper and lower floors (the Doom engine is limited in that you can't stack floors). There is a real sense of place in these levels, making them fun to explore even alone and without combat. I would have liked to have seen this design approach applied to a single player level.
Fistful of Doom
Two levels, billed as the "ultimate Western Wad" and "UK's answer to Boothill". The best part is that it's actually playable for a single player! The conversion details are very immersive - it really feels like you're in a Western. I don't like that the buildings don't show up on the map in the first level, but it looks like that was fixed for the second level, which has a stronger Mexican flavor. I love the nude paintings, the idea of raiding a bank in the first level, and how cool the church looks in the second level. I also love the idea of the rocket launcher being dynamite, and repurposing energy cell pickups (for a weapon that's not used in this wad) as bags of gold. Even though the gold is functionally useless, you're a bandit, you're collecting gold, it's fun! The creativity in a wad like this really fires the imagination - it makes me wish I'd completed my own total conversion all those years ago.
H2H-Xmas
This is our first full 32 level set for Doom II, and yet it never really feels like it drags. I remember playing this wad before; even partial conversions, as this is, tend to stand out in your mind, because they often look and sound so unique. This one is Christmas-themed - and by total coincidence, I ended up playing it (again) in December; it was even snowing outside the day I loaded up the first level!
Graphical replacements include Santa taking the place of Doomguy, ammo wrapped up like presents, and health pickups represented by things like cookies and eggnog and candy canes. There are even wintry textures, including falling snow, and Christmas trees scattered about the levels. Plus, popular Christmas songs have been rendered in glorious instrumental midi format to play in the background.
Level design is pretty creative - some of the more memorable locations include an airport terminal, a tree farm, and a hockey rink - and although this wad is a hodgepodge of levels by different designers, there are subsets with recognizable themes that have a sense of logical progression from one level to the next, which is something that I really appreciate. A number of levels (especially later on) seem to be optimized for deathmatch, but are still fun to play through on single player.
This wad really makes use of Doom II's larger roster of enemies, with heavy placement on Ultraviolent - and a notable focus on Revenants; you'll be adept at side-stepping their deadly homing rockets by the time you're through. At a point, the combat does get ridiculous. For consistency, I should complain about the overabundance of ammo and the literal swarms of enemies, but the reality is, there's a fair amount of health to keep you going, and it just turns into a giddy free-for-all. This kind of mindless melee, with little to no strategy involved, is not my favorite form of combat in Doom, but I can't deny that it has a certain entertainment value.
All in all, this is not the best levelset you'll ever play, but it's certainly a memorable one, and one that I think is a lot of fun. Although the novelty might be less effective if I were playing it any other time of the year.
Gather2 (a.k.a. The Final Gathering II)
I have mixed feelings about this 5 level set for Doom II. It starts out weak, with a level so short I was actually surprised when it ended. The design aesthetic is middling, with lots of bright sectors and dark sectors (that are prohibitively dark), and little complicated shading between. Rows of identical trees show off the limitations of the graphics.
The set improves as you go through the levels. I like the idea of the elevator in the second level, but the implementation is rudimentary, and I feel like it's been done better elsewhere. I appreciate the continuity between the second and third levels, although the lift takes entirely too long, and the strobe lights are annoying. The third level is big, but not especially complex.
The fourth level is where this wad really shines, as it is a sprawling, labyrinthine fortress. I still have mixed feelings about the design aesthetic, but it's a fun level to play, and it must have been a bear to put together. The fifth level is also big, if not as complex, and makes me wonder how some of these levels would work in deathmatch (even though I don't play deathmatch).
I'm not sure if this was a bug or a feature, but I encountered four "ghost" imps after unleashing an Archvile at the end of the last level. They were faded out like the spectres, but couldn't be hit by my weapons. They would sometimes (though not always) phase through walls. I eventually discovered that they could be killed by indirect splash damage from rockets exploding nearby (e.g., on walls).
Artifact
I feel like this wad is a good example of what happens when your ambition exceeds your talent (something I know a little about). It sounds great on paper - a wad with a little bit of story (I always appreciate a creative flourish), so big that it had to be split into three levels (I also love wads that harbor a spirit of adventure/exploration, instead of just creating disjointed arenas in which to slaughter demons). But the execution, in my opinion, is lacking, with somewhat amateurish design and questionable gameplay balance, that reads more as frustration than challenge (I say after smashing an army of imps one at a time into giblets with my bare hands at 6% health). The levels provide healing spaces with extra power-ups, but the vague threat of being punished for using them makes their very presence more cruel than forgiving.
This wad has also ruined me on strobe lighting. I've been more aware of its problematic nature living with somebody who is photosensitive, but even aside from that, I found their overuse here to be annoying. Coupled with that is the inclusion of extremely dark tunnels, with walk-through walls, sometimes over radioactive floors, such that you're navigating blind and being decimated even by low level enemies because you can't see for shit where the room even is, let alone what's in it. And then in the final level there are invisible floors which contribute to your disorientation, that seem tossed in just because "they're cool" and not because their presence makes any kind of logical or aesthetic sense. It got to a point in the climax where I'm being tossed around by unintuitive teleportation triggers in no readily apparent pattern, with arrows drawn only on the map screen that seem to be trying to tell me something but I'm not sure what it is...and I couldn't even finish it.
Nostromo's Run
Though only a single level for Doom II, it's a pretty big one. There doesn't appear to be any direct connection to Alien in spite of the title, but I still enjoyed it. There's an overabundance of ammo and health pickups, but I suspect that's a symptom of the level being designed with co-op play in mind (which is pretty uncommon in my experience, as opposed to deathmatch - not that I ever play this game with anyone else). If I don't have much else to say about it, that's because I don't have any serious complaints. As far as big, single levels go, I think this one was executed a lot better than Artifact.
Obituary
This is a half(ish) level set for Doom II (just enough to cover the secret level, which is accessed from MAP15). I was very excited when I found out that this wad was created by "The Innocent Crew", which did two of my favorite levelsets from 1994 - Slaughter Until Death, and The Evil Unleashed. Sure enough, the quality is just what you would expect, with a solid set of levels that are a lot of fun to play. They start out pretty compact - rather than "sprawling", they are packed tight with efficient use of space - but get bigger as you go along (including one level with the most tricked out exit section ever). I noticed some misaligned switch textures, but it didn't ruin functionality, and was the only problem I encountered.
Introduced in this wad are some light mods, including some tweaked weapons and enemies. For example, you get dual pistols, a kick instead of a punch, and updated graphics for the plasma weapons. Additionally, the imp has been given faster green fireballs, some troopers carry rocket launchers (unbalanced perhaps, but lots of fun), and the Nazi has been upgraded with erratic movements, partial stealth camo, and more powerful guns. Don't be intimidated by the complicated instructions to get the game running; you can use a patched wad (search "obticfix") to plug and play in GZDoom. It's totally worth it.
Enigma
A nine level set for Doom II (and some of these levels are huge, taking me well over an hour to complete). The graphical style may be slightly rudimentary by today's standards, but the level design is very creative, with a good use of height (you'll be climbing the walls of tall buildings and descending into shadowy canyons), and a mastery of stair sectors. Levels tend to be non-linear, at times even tricky to figure out the path to the exit. The difficulty is more due to puzzles than combat, which is a change of pace for Doom. At its worst, there are passages and solutions the finding of which is downright unintuitive. I don't recall ever needing to consult a walkthrough for a Doom level before. Bottom line, this is not a perfect wad. It has flaws. But it also displays a real artistic vision. I was impressed with it. It is frequently fun, occasionally frustrating, but above all, worth playing.
Dwango5
It's hard to find a lot of background information about this wad, other than that it's a compilation of 24 random levels for Doom II, all designed by different authors specifically for deathmatch play. Oh, and that it was apparently super popular back in the day. I wouldn't know, as deathmatch was never my scene - I've always been more of a solitary player. The levels all display typical deathmatch characteristics - small levels with ample ammo, usually designed around a central arena but with intertwining passages and vantage points for sniping. Quality ranges from the downright boring to the pretty creative, with a couple original Doom II levels lightly modified for deathmatch play. But if you're a single player like me, you're not gonna find much to do here.
JUDGMENT: Keeping in mind that for any wad to win a Cacoward, it must have distinguished itself in some way, I'm making the assumption that you don't have time to play them all, and that you value my opinion (otherwise, you wouldn't be reading my reviews), so here are my recommendations for which wads are most worthy of your time.
Must Play: H2H-Xmas, Obituary, Enigma
Time Killers: Boothill/Fistful of Doom, The Final Gathering II, Nostromo's Run
Skip: Fava Beans, Infinity, Artifact, Dwango5
See you in 1996!
Friday, February 18, 2022
Welcome to the Endgame
As predicted, my productivity (working on Dragonfaith) waned over the summer, after leaving COVID lockdown (before Delta and then Omicron started making waves). But then, around the time of New Year's, in the dead of winter, progress picked back up, as it tends to do. I've completed mapping a major dungeon, the last two towns, and a couple of outposts since my last update. Do you know what that means? It's on to the endgame dungeons! I don't want to overstate my progress - there is still a lot of work to do outside of the mapping department (particularly with combat), and the world map is still a hurdle in my path - but I have a game that's almost completely mapped out!
Granted, the final dungeon is going to be a behemoth. There are multiple stages, that the player will be able to tackle progressively (because I want it to feel monolithic, while still being manageable). As always, I don't want to spoil too much, but the initial stage involves three floors, the intermediate section will be a tower with several [smaller] floors, and then the final section leading to the climax will be a sprawling labyrinth ("labyrinth" may be an exaggeration, in case you were getting worried; I just wanted it to sound dramatic). I'm quite excited to finally get started on it after all these years.
Granted, the final dungeon is going to be a behemoth. There are multiple stages, that the player will be able to tackle progressively (because I want it to feel monolithic, while still being manageable). As always, I don't want to spoil too much, but the initial stage involves three floors, the intermediate section will be a tower with several [smaller] floors, and then the final section leading to the climax will be a sprawling labyrinth ("labyrinth" may be an exaggeration, in case you were getting worried; I just wanted it to sound dramatic). I'm quite excited to finally get started on it after all these years.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)