Phobus
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Posts: 2138
Registered: 10-06 |
I'm up to MAP05, doing a continuous play-through, in my testing and here's my observations:
MAP01: Something seems familiar here... In all seriousness, I think it may benefit from the chainsaw trap also springing if you get the red key beforehand, but as the map is at it's most violent without that already, I'd need to test the theory.
MAP02: I believe I've already voiced an opinion on this one - it's pretty good. Didn't find the secret or a few of the monsters, although I think I know where I missed them.
MAP03: Wildly, massively, unbelievably over-stocked, even though I missed 3 of the secrets! I like the way the red metal is used to look like the lava is heating it, but the map is so unbalanced (regardless of how much fire power I came in with from the previous two maps) that I'm finding it hard to look at anything else. The BFG is given away if the player is patient and explores everywhere.
MAP04: Trivialised by coming in practically fully-loaded from MAP03 - nice to see the change in switch location (and function) for the pillars to the exit but I still think silently warping demons that are easily viewed looks wrong and there's too many spectres behind the bars in the canal.
EDIT: Mid-way through MAP09 now on my continuous play
MAP05: Also really easy (although this map was never difficult to begin with) - on the plus side you don't really benefit much from having any of the power weapons bar the plasma rifle for the most part - SSG and chaingun will suffice
MAP06: Deja vu struck again - the tougher fights stand up fairly well to the heavy stocks from previous maps IMO. I even died at the plasma rifle part once :O
MAP07: Due to being a slaughter map (and one I was unfamiliar with) the additional stocks coming in didn't make too much of an impact on the game play - if anything making it more fun because you don't have to wait for the BFG if you've fully explored either MAP03 or MAP06. Fairly easy for a slaughter map, although that last part with the cybers and hell nobles takes a bit of wearing down and the chaingunner ambush at the end was pretty vindictive. Didn't find the two secrets or however many monsters they seem to house. The visuals I'd describe as "cavernous" for the most part, which seems like it should mean "bare" but mostly worked for me. The scrolling flesh/tech in the main red building for the ending was nice.
MAP08: Still not a big fan of the technicolour explosion this map is, but on the plus side I think it plays better coming in from the previous 7 maps as the main monster battle is now beatable but remains dangerous. It's mostly just a barely-opposed run.
MAP09: Hadn't seen this before, but it looks good! Seems a shame to have the progression linked to picking up the shotgun as I came in with a full stack of shells and only guessed it might trigger something after my progress seemed blocked. I like the interpretation of "metal hive" (particularly the visuals), although the constant instant-ambushes and trickery made progression through a small level feel like a slog. After getting owned just after the blue key door I opted to leave my saved game at the blue key and come back to it later.
Last edited by Phobus on 06-19-12 at 23:30
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06-08-12 09:58 
