The DWmegawad Club plays: Rowdy Rudy's Revenge! & Rowdy Rudy II: POWERTRIP!

[Silhouette 03]

After completing Rowdy Rudy's Revenge, I was wondering, and looking forward to, what Doomkid had planned for the sequel. I've just finished the first map of Powertrip, the sequel in which our hero, Rudy, is bought back into the fight as a reluctant mercenary by a mysterious group of individuals, and I'm proud to say that Doomkid has delivered. So what are we waiting for *cocks Shotgun* Let's do this!

 

Map 01: Storming the bay, Expert, Pistol- Start

The first thing you'll notice as you begin the map is the upgrade to the rifle, and the awesome MIDI that plays as you begin your assault. The rifle has become a automatic powerhouse with a nice sprite to boot. You'll also be introduced to new enemies including an imp that has a face in his chest and fires plasma, and new sprites for the former human and chain-gunner. the shotgun has also received a significant upgrade in terms of rate of fire.

 

The map itself is about what I expected. The level design follows the same  formula as it's predecessor: short maps with a simple layout and progression with punchy and fast combat. I like it.

 

I have to say, playing this map and seeing all the improvements on the base formula really made my day a little bit better. So thank you, Doomkid. I can't wait to see what else you have in store for me to make terrible jokes about.

 

By the way, the cash you sent me to shill for your WADs hasn't made it's way into my account, just thought I'd let you know;)

 

Silhouette's stats:

Kills: 100%

Secrets: 100%

deaths: 0

Number of times I said" that is really cool, I wish I could do that": 15

90's meter^TM: 40%

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dmslr]

1 hour ago, Silhou3tte said:

*cocks Shotgun*

*cocks Super Shotgun

lmao

[Silhouette 03]

13 minutes ago, dmslr said:

*cocks Super Shotgun

lmao

Show off!

[xX_Lol6_Xx]

Ok, here we go

 

ROWDY RUDY II: POWERTRIP! Map01: Storming the bayside base by Doomkid (Hard difficulty)

Results: 100% kills, 77% items & 100% secrets

 

Good start, we get a pretty good rifle as the starting weapon and a backpack. A new monster, the psycho imp, debuts here. The secrets aren't that hard to find, which is nice. I like the new fists, and you get to use them if you find the second secret (it gives you a berserk). Good midi, gives the ilusion you're in the jungle. 10/10

 

I did a pacifist run of the map (skill 3), it's harder, especially the last section, there are way to many hitscanners. I guess I was lucky

 

YouTube video:

  

  

 

Demo: rudy201sk3p223.zip

[gaspe]

Time for Rowdy Rudy II now.

 

MAP01: Looks like this is going to be a lot different from the prequel. Getting back to the "normal" Doom textures and borrowing a lot from Plutonia for this opening that can remind of Hidden Compound by storming a base set in a rocky area. I don't know if it's an intentional callback but I liked it. Some of the dehacked changes stayed the same but we are also getting new things about those. I was thinking that starting with 200 bullets was overkill but the first part is well balanced about that, also your starting weapon is something really suitable for combats but it drains its ammo very quickly. I also liked the not so straightforward progression with the key that's almost like a secret.

[kalaeth]

It's a new day,it's a new WAD, and I feel good! 

(I've played RR2 more than once before, so I'll play it in Medium instead of easy)

 

MAP 01 : First step : find the SSG and the armor. Second step : kill imps. Both kinds. Thrid step ( to be performed during the second step ) : grab soulsphere. Fourth step : save and press the switch to get inside. Fifth step : realize I need the blue key and I haven't got it yet. Sixth step : find the blue key. Seventh step : bring the blue key back to the door and open it. Eight step : kill the enemies inside the first two rooms. Ninth step : enter the side room and clear it before going for the secrets or the exit. Tenth step : go for the secret. Eleventh step : realize that maybe going for the secret before was a better idea while killing the last enemies on the level. Twelfth step : enter the exit and press the switch.

 

And this is how you finish RR2 first level in 12 steps, 12 minutes (and 3 seconds) with 100% kills and secrets! But somehow missing 21% of items.

[LVENdead]

Alright, I've got some catching up to do.

 

MAP 10: Expert, pistol start, not saveless, 87% k, 0 s

 

I just have to get this disclaimer out of the way right now: my feelings about this map are entirely colored by emotion and I don't have a lot of nice things to say about it. I have a very positive impression about this WAD as a whole, but this map is a black mark in my opinion.

 

I just absolutely can't stand it and I got so fed up that I ended up saving just to beat it and get it over with. I think the hot start is fine, it started to get tedious after I did it for like the 20th time, but that's at least more a reflection of my own skill than its design. I hated the Plutonia-grade chaingunner stacking inside the castle, just vantage points everywhere and the only good strategy I had was very meticulous shotgun sniping. Any time I tried to just run and gun I got absolutely assblasted.

 

I somehow died during the platforming beyond the Red Skull door on my first run, which was going very well until then. Just ran right into the lava. I was mad at myself, but I was also mad that I had no way out of a mandatory platforming section and my run was scrubbed. The room beyond that, I mean it's a little bogus but it's not EGREGIOUSLY so. 

 

But the real meat of my frustration is the actual IoS fight. I find them obnoxious and antithetical to the Doom experience, and I dislike them more the more complicated they get. This one - so many switches, so many platforms, so many flying (and infinitely tall) enemies. Obstacles everywhere. I mean yeah, once you know where you're going it's not too hard to maneuver, but on a first run it's just completely nonsensical. Standing on the final platform ready to shoot my BFG into the eye....and the ball flies into the floor because my autoaim tracked a Pinky at the base of the platform. And then the second shot. And then about 5 of my rockets. And I was actually killed by a pyro caco, but to my delight a final rocket did make it's way into Romero's head and I still won even though I was dead.

 

Sorry, I had to get that off my chest. This map frustrated me to to no end and I apologize I chose to be so candid about it here. 

 

OKAY LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT AS A WHOLE

 

This is such a charming little WAD, and I have a massive amount of respect for Doomkid for the amount of work that must have gone into a passion project like this. Despite points where I may have criticized or flat out complained about things, I have an overall positive feeling about this project. I think Doomkid shows a knack for invoking the feel of classic Doom while allowing himself to effectively iterate on it, as seen in the revised monsters and weapon. It feels like it was intended to conspicuously play a bit differently than classic Doom - I found myself wall-peaking and "dissecting" combat encounters much more frequently than if I'd played some other Doom WADS. For instance, the Shotgunners have JUST enough health to commonly go from a 1 shot to a 2 shot kill, and that makes them substantially deadlier in almost any scenario, given the scant access to power weapons. The WAD as a whole just feels like it hits harder than classic Doom, and some levels were freaking tough even with most having fewer than 100 monsters. As a challenge, I actually appreciated getting a chance to practice saveless given that there was a low cost of starting over.

 

I think this was a fantastic proof of concept, and a pretty good standalone WAD.

 

-

-

-

But it DOESN'T stand alone, because up next is Rowdy Rudy 2, and I am absolutely excited to jump back into it. I played it a few weeks ago (up to about map 10) on my cell phone with a bluetooth XB1 controller because I was kicked out of the office while my fiancee had late night international meetings for like a week straight. I was straining my eyes to focus on what the hell was going on, and I played it on Hard with saves, but I was having a blast. So yeah, I want to give it another go on expert, attempting saveless as long as I can, and on a screen I can actually see.

[Valhen]

MAP02 - "Initial Hurdles"

 

We carry on with the adventure. This map continues the nature and tech base theme, now with caves and gray tech bases. On the gameplay side, I like how at the start you go down the lift from the exit room of the last map. I also like how the map naturally ^{(no pun intended)} flows. You can circle around the map without having to backtrack. Aside from that, this map introduces the Flamethrower Guy, who shoots the same flame the Flame Caco does, and the Blood Demon, which is only a reskinned demon. Overall, this is a cool map.

Edited February 12, 2021 by Valhen

[Silhouette 03]

Map02: initial hurdles

Map 02 begins with a rendition of "Going down the fast way" by Lee jackson. By all laws that make up the universe, this immediately makes the map great.

 

We are introduced to a multitude of new enemy variants, namely the flamethrower marine, the return of the (reskinned) rocket launcher marine, the blood Demon and the return of the toxic cacodemon( you used to be so cute!). It is now that the conversion begins to show it's teeth. My deaths occurred due to the lack of health in the map as well as the multitude of hit-scanners( an over-abundance, one might say!).

 

I thought I'd take a moment as well to talk about the continuity of the conversion. Map exits look like the start of the next map. I always love smaller details like that, instead of just pressing a switch that brings up the intermission screen. Good stuff!

 

*How'd I do begins to play*

 

Silhouette's Stats:

God-Like yawn: 75%

Fast way, going down: YES

 

 

 

 

 

  

[kalaeth]

once more, we fight! 

MAP 02 : I step outside and am immediately greeted by a bunch of imps and assorted soldiers, so I waste all my shotgun shells clearing them before grabbing the box of shells and climbing up the steps, where more soldiers wait for me, including the annoying fire shooting dude. I grab the blue key and move to the blue door, SSG in had, ready to cause pain! A caco, toxic variety, 'ports into my back and deals me some pain that I repay in kind, then up, switch, remove the enemies that showed up on the opposite wall, switch again, door. A pair of lost souls decide to say hi before I platform up to the yellow key and then jump down into the water, to kill the lone chaingunner and grab some health. Go to the yellow door, open it, shoot. Shoot. Shoot! And then shoot again to kill the red pinkie. a Redie? Go grab the health pack, kill the fire dude behind the grid, go press a switch and realize it won't help me reach the red key, so.. Up the stairs, kill, press switch, open the secret, back to get the red key. Grabbing it unleashes a pack of RPG soldiers that I kill in a short order but not with some more damage to my already damaged self. Enter door, grab health, press switch, exit level! 

All in some short 6m59s, 100% kills, items and secrets! 

[MtPain27]

It's been a busy couple of days; time to catch up. I'll finish Rowdy Rudy's Revenge today and do the first three maps of its sequel tomorrow.

 

MAP 08: Creeping Descent

In retrospect I think this is my favorite level in the wad: it's neither too long nor too short, the fights are spirited, the visuals are a pleasant blend of early-Rudy toxicity and brimstone hell, and it features the wad's best integration of its DeHackEd monsters: the early levels treat them like novelties, and they tend to outshine the other monsters in later levels despite their low numbers. Creeping Descent starts off with a pretty scary sight: a cyberdemon flanked by two arch-viles, but you won't have to worry about them until later. Doomkid mostly lets you run and gun through the first six maps, but the rule of thumb for MAP07-10 is "only fools rush in." The room full of guts, lava, and caged hitscanners and imps is the best evidence I can submit to that point: if you allow the revenant that teleports in behind you to scare you up the stairs, you've got a good chance of being overwhelmed by a shitstorm of hell knights, fire cacos, revenants, and assorted zombified military personnel. Resist that pressure, pick your way through the room piecemeal, and you'll find everything can be dealt with safely and methodically. 

 

I don't know what rad suits ever did to Doomkid he mostly withholds them late in this wad; in this map particularly you're going to have to bite the bullet and run through poison probably more than once. Don't forget about the BFG that lowers after you take care of the arch-vile guard tower and the room behind the blue door: it helps with the double AV/cyber fight. I died a few times there, and that's only partially my fault: they teleport erratically into the main area from their starting point, and there's no telling who will show up first. Again, the BFG should sort them out. The last room is a blast, a slew of fodder, some arch-viles, a caged cyberdemon, and some hell royalty. In my last playthrough, the cyberdemon got stuck and the barons scratched him to death. Good stuff. 

 

MAP 09: Hell's Doorstep

The first room lets you know exactly what you're in for: it's a bunch of shotgunners and cultists and you get six rockets to deal with them. Hell's Doorstep is quite unforgiving by this wad's standard: the trooper count is almost excessive, it feels like E1M7 except in Hell. I think, excepting the final boss fight, this is the hardest that Rowdy Rudy gets: it trades arch-viles for flame and toxicacos, and somehow the effect is even more overwhelming. Don't be afraid to rocket stuff, but on the same token, don't expect a lot of ammo or supplies early on when you're pistol starting. 

 

I think Doomkid really hits the mark aesthetically, he creates a crunchy 90s-style Hell that feels vintage and fresh at the same time, this wad's texture pack really sells the old-fashioned look. The final fight with the two cyberdemons and court of barons kicked my ass. I must have given that six or seven attempts because I was too impatient to wait for the latter cyber to go Tricks and Traps on his friends. FIND THE BFG folks. With it, I can attest it's possible to be a hammerhead in this fight, but without it you'll either have to wake everything up and chip away at them from afar, or rely on infighting, or just be better at Doom than I am.

 

Gotta say, this one was draining, and I had less fun than I did with the other maps, but it has none of the "please let this be over" exhaustion I usually experience in a megawad's MAP29. 

 

MAP 10: Satan's Watchful Eye

A solid final level that I only played once due to time constraints: let me share two impressions. There's a room near the end with a pit of lava and some columns that you raise to get to another room with two flame cacos and an arch-vile: there's no cover in there, so you're basically forced to platform back and deal with them from afar. This fight scared the shit out of me but I survived it in one go somehow. I think it's one of the nastier fights in the wad and I just got lucky.

 

The final boss fight with Satan's fireblu eye is a nice blend of retro-style RNG reliance and more elegant modern solutions. You're required to perform a short obstacle course over damaging floors and around spawning monsters, lowering elevators, clearing the way, and catching them before they rise: seasoned pros should have no problems with this room, but I did pop a save or two midway through the sequence to save myself time. The last switch lowers the bars protecting the eye; all that's left to do is clear the area below so you don't blow yourself up, and pump rockets into the pupil. All in all, a very palatable Icon of Sin, which is not easy to pull off. 

 

Final Thoughts:

Rowdy Rudy is such a specific flavor of Doom: I've played my share of wads with DeHackEd elements and wads that stick to retro sensibilities, but this one does both somehow. The enemy types are ultra-modern, bucking the Doom II roster to such an extent that it starts reformatting your play style, but the maps themselves abide by an older school of design than I'm used to seeing implemented contemporarily. It looks like Doom, sounds like Doom 64, and plays like something in between with a little spike of Realm 667 in there. It's like what you'd expect to get if you could pluck an aspiring mapper from 1996 out of their time, drop them into ours, and let them go to town with a modern mapping toolkit. I'll also say that the short runtime of the wad works in its favor, the difficulty is calibrated precisely, none of the aesthetics wear out their welcome, the new monster introductions feel significant, and you can play through the whole thing in a day and still proverbially make it home for supper. I'll also submit that this was a rare instance of my finding something to like about the story in a Doom wad: Rowdy Rudy is Doomguy, but also his own hero. He makes the status bar his own, and distinguishes this set of levels narratively as well as stylistically: I like being able to root for the player character rather than feel glued to the Doomguy-is-the-player philosophy 100% of the time. I had a lot of fun with this wad and I'm curious to see how Doomkid & Co. will follow it up. See you guys tomorrow!

[DFF]

Moving on to Rowdy Rudy 2: POWERTRIP!, decided to try a harder challenge since i'm familiar with the majority of this mapset.

 

Map01: Storming the Bay
GZDoom | Kills: 100% | Secrets: 50% | Expert, Fast Monsters, Pistol Start

 

Before I start, I somewhat overlooked the Rowdy Rudy 2 story before, but it definitely helps set the mood of RRudy2 and worth the read, very nice touch DoomKid! As for the first map, it is a generous and memorable start, waking up in a cave campout with a free backpack, several clips, and a nice cliffside view of the ocean. Majority of the combat is projectile and hitscan based from the cliffs, introducing many familiar and slightly updated faces. The first Rudy was about a devilish cult trying to take over the world, whereas Rudy 2s design focuses on the less demonic and more alien. The main badguys are "genetic super soldiers" this time, along with the agreeably more alien monsters and some captured demons from the last game. The nightmare imps are replaced with plasma imps which help round out the unique bestiary a bit better, but the rest of the demons presented are generally the same.

The guns present are much more powerful than rudy 1, which helps combat the beefier bestiary. the Rifle is full auto and perfectly accurate which is great for sniping the monsters along the cliffs, and the shotgun is now automatic aswell, great for the second half of the map which involves lots of hitscanners in an indoor environment.

Overall, a really good intro to Rudy2 and one I had good fun with. At one point I knew how to access the larger secret but promptly forgot.

[DFF]

Map02: Initial Hurdles
GZDoom | Kills: 100% | Secrets: 100% | Expert, Fast Monsters, Pistol Start

 

I have been punished for my decisions, as Initial hurdles turned into a momentous roadblock. This map is another cliffside battle that is chock full of hitscan enemies, which with fast monsters on makes them equivalent to probably a Build engine baddie a la Blood Cultist or DN3D Enforcer. To top it all off i'm fairly certain this map has a combined 40 total health pickups, which meant I was dying, a lot. My death count was probably around 20 for just this map, but oh well. had a bad initial fight and accidentally saved with 1 hp.

Other than that, the map itself is very well designed, the flow feels natural and fun, and while difficult for my own reasons its not terribly difficult aside from health starvation. We also see the return of the rocketman, toxic caco, and the revenant, as well as newcomer being the flamethrower guy, a weaker and easier to fight alternative to the flame caco but still deadly if ignored.

 

Great map, but had a bad time due to my choice of challenge.

[Magnusblitz]

Finishing out the first WAD...

 

MAP07: Smells Like Sulfur

89% kills, 0/2 secrets

 

This another pretty linear map that hides it by having lots of windows and a layout that snakes around itself. Unfortunately (for me at least) it also has a lot of snipers or enemies on different levels/across pits/etc, which isn't really my style of combat. I suppose it's because the monsters feel like something to be cleared out safely from afar, usually sniping with the chaingun, before I can proceed, instead of just proceeding and dealing with the monsters head-on as I enter new each area.

 

Another thing I didn't like was the use of the blue key here combined with a point of no return - if you miss the blue key, you cannot return back to the rest of the level, which I always feel is a big misstep. Another weird bit was the lava pit on the east side... for some reason you can lift it up (even above the ground!) by repeatedly pressing the use key on the wall. Not sure why though (if you fall in you'll die from the lava long before you can get back out... maybe there's a radsuit on lower difficulties?)

 

MAP08: Creeping Descent

100% kills, 3/3 secrets

 

Things kick up in a big way here, as we now get lots of Arch-Viles, a couple cyberdemons, the BFG, etc. I found the combat here to be much more to my liking - much less snipers and much more direct involvement with the enemies. Wasn't a fan of the insta-pop enemies in the slime though, don't think the trap works great since the player will just reverse back outta the slime and the enemies then trickle out one at a time.

 

MAP09: Hell's Doorstep

100% kills, 3/6 secrets

 

First half of this one felt a lot like an IWAD level, in a good way. Lots of hitscanners which makes things dangerous. The latter half gets pretty cramped, especially the clusterfuck at the end with all the barons and cyberdemons, but amazingly wasn't super difficult, thanks to infighting and lots of cell ammo. The teleport traps can be punishing if you don't take advantage of your chances to clear things out from afar.

 

MAP10: Satan's Watchful Eye

 

I feel like this WAD had largely avoided using the spectre imps in darkness, which is nice, but that ends here. Some good tough fights, though the most annoying thing was that the columns leading up to the eastern room are just a little too far apart to consistently climb up them. Then it's off to the IoS fight, which thankfully wasn't too difficult or annoying as far as those things go (though, full disclosure, I had read about it here so I knew to expect it - without the Icon noises/graphics it might have taken me awhile to realize it otherwise!)

 

And that's it for Rudy's first adventure. To be honest, I found the texture replacements to be pretty ugly and generally a downgrade across the board. The monster replacements are decent, but none of them really stood out to me, and some felt kinda pointless. I think their greatest strength is that they're all either trooper or caco-sized, which means being able to pack more monsters into small packages, which is definitely an earmark of this WAD - lots of action in a straight-forward, bite-sized package. So, on that front, it succeeds.

[Doom64hunter]

Time to catch up:

 

(UV, Chocolate Doom, Pistol Start, 100% kills, 100% secrets)

Rowdy Rudy II: Powertrip MAP01 - “Storming the Bayside Base” by Doomkid 

 

We start out at Rudy's campfire, having been hired by shady looking dudes to clean up their mutant mess. What immediately stands out are the new sounds that are used -- particularly the Predator's snarl and fireball impact sound that I can't quite pinpoint, both being very old recordings and both being quite bitcrushed. They are very reminiscient of older Doom mods from the 90s, however in a different way than Rudy's Revenge, going more in the direction of Army of Darkness or the Alien TC than old Multiplayer DM wads.

 

The name "Powertrip" is apt, as Rudy comes more prepared this time. You start each map with 150 bullets and a fully automatic rifle, as well as a fast hitting punching attack instead of a Bayonet. The shotgun no longer needs to display a reloading animation, and most importantly, weapon switching is instant. That last point greatly changes how one can approach combat, as you can quickly switch from shotgun to chaingun and back in the heat of battle to tackle different threats with very low reaction times.

 

The music used in the first map is a midified version of Covenant Dance from Halo: Combat Evolved, which fits the beachside caves setting. The first map goes quite easy on you -- you'll be flushed with resources, and there's both a soulsphere and blue armor present on the map. Enemy-wise, there are some returning ones like the imps and lost souls, but the spectre imp has been replaced with a dark plasma imp with a goofy mouth in its stomach. Like Rudy's Revenge, Powertrip puts a focus on human enemies, and so far the selection seems to be quite similar -- each has been given a new sprite, but behavior overall is quite the same. We have our basic rifle guys, shotgunners and chaingunners that don't drop their chaingun, as well as plasma marines. The only potentially difficult section is inside the base, where you come into an area where hitscanners are waiting all around to shoot you.

 

I also like some of the new pickup and decoration sprites. Particularly the invulnerability and the impaled marines appear to have been taken from the beta sprites Romero released a while ago.

 

----------------

 

(UV, Chocolate Doom, Pistol Start, 100% kills, 100% secrets)

Rowdy Rudy II: Powertrip MAP02 - “Initial Hurdles” by sluggard

 

The first map not made by Doomkid, and it sports the track "Going Down the Fast Way" from ROTT, however the level is quite short so we won't get to hear it for long. Sluggard's mapping style here is comparable to Doomkid's, and the detail of the maps is kept sparse to go along with the 90s feeling of the sound replacements.

 

One thing that sets it apart from the previous map is that sluggard provides you with very little ways to replenish your health -- making the initial area quite dangerous, as you may get sniper by hitscanners from around you and leave you at low HP for the rest of the map. Only towards the end do they have the mercy to give you a medkit, otherwise you'll be sustaining yourself on health bonuses only. So far in terms of ammo, Powertrip does not have as much resource starvation as Revenge, as you'll get plenty of shotgun shells to work with here.

 

We meet a new enemy: the flamethrower marine. Mechanically, he works the same as the Cacolantern from Rudy's Revenge, which may be an indication that it is absent from Powertrip. He has much less health than the Caco, making it more easy to take out -- but in turn I expect we'll be seeing much greater numbers of them.

We've also got some additional returning cast: the Toxicaco, Revenants and Rocket Marines. The former two seem to work the same as before, but the latter has gotten a downgrade, as their missiles are not guaranteed to home in on you anymore, making them much less dangerous.

 

------------------

 

(UV, Chocolate Doom, Pistol Start, 100% kills, 5/6 secrets)

Rowdy Rudy II: Powertrip MAP03 - “Further Infiltration” by DavidN

 

This map's style is quite a departure from Rudy's Revenge and the first two maps of Powertrip. The architecture and texturework is quite detailed, more reminiscient of more modern megawads than the classic Doom maps that Revenge was styled after. But the variation is welcome, and the music track from DKC3 fits the industrial look of the map.

 

Powertrip stops messing around much earlier than Revenge. While you are not exactly at a huge threat of dying due to high number of health and ammo pickups, in turn the level throws several high-tier monsters at you, including Toxicacos, Revenants, an Archvile and a Mini-Mastermind. If you find all of the map's secrets, you'll have a rocket launcher and plasma gun by the end of it too.

[Silhouette 03]

Map03: Further Infiltration

Good map, good midi. Need I continue?

 

A techbase map that introduces the chain-gun and rocket launcher. What's interesting about this map is that it is longer than the previous two. The layout is more run-and-gun based, which is fine, since you'll have access to the chain-gun, which rips apart enemies at rapid speeds. Higher tier enemies become much more frequent, with revenants and the introduction of the mini-mastermind, which is just adorable... for some reason.

 

I was worried that taking on revenants with only the shotgun would be difficult. I was sorely mistaken. The shotgun's increased rate of fire makes it much easier to stun-lock them in succession, essentially stopping them from attacking completely. Doomkid, you broke the revenant.... what hast thou done?

 

If an arachnotron is a miniature version of the spider-demon, what is the mini-mastermind? A spider-demon that got the short end of the stick?

 

Silhouette's stats:

Kills: 100%

Secrets: 33%

deaths: 0

Wondering why Doomkid won't let me pet the mastermind: YES

Number of head pats I'd give the mastermind before he turns me into mince-meat: 5

 

[LVENdead]

Rowdy Rudy II: Powertrip

 

I'm super excited to get into this one. As I did with the last WAD, I'll be playing on expert, pistol starting, and going saveless as long as I can. 

 

MAP 01: Expert, pistol start, saveless, 100%k/s

 

Powertrip is an aptly chosen subtitle, because this WAD is way different in feel than its prequel, and this is evident right off the bat. Powertrip immediately sets you up with a very useful weapon, plenty of ammo, some wide open spaces, and a lot of fodder to blast. You feel like a fucking monster in this WAD. One of the most fundamental changes the WAD makes is making weapon swapping almost instant, which alters Doom's cadence so substantially that it does more I think to give this sequel its distinct flavor than any of the weapon changes do.

 

With that, you'd think this would carry over the former's focus on tight resource management to encourage frequent weapon swapping, but that's not really the case here. Weapon swapping absolutely has its value in rationing your ammo, but it's not mandatory anymore, and instead gives you much more discretion over your situational use of the weapons.

 

The first map is a nice introduction. I like how how we're going with this jungle mountain (I finally read the backstory text) setting that really contributes toward this clandestine feel to the whole setup. This map does a great job at convincingly setting up an infiltration mission, from the way you have to scale up the cliffs and drop into the base, to the "secret" location of the blue key card. It's very good environmental storytelling. I like that we've switched from the variant HD textures and gone with something that more resembles IWAD or CC4 textures. You get a fun (re)introduction to the altered monster roster, with the psycho imp being a neat standout. 

 

The map still fights back with some teeth, and hopes you're ready to put the beefier weapons to use. The hitscanners are going to continue being a problem in this WAD, and this map isn't afraid to let you know that. The standout moment for me is of course the berserk + invuln rampage you get at the end. I just wish I had more baddies to kill!

 

Great way to start this WAD off.

 

MAP 02: Expert, pistol start, saveless, 100%k/s

 

This map settles you back down a bit. It's an absolute famine of health, and there's hitscanners galore, so you better be ready. I love the use of verticality, which does a lot to mix up this otherwise fairly visually basic map. Our buddy the toxicaco returns, but you can quickly turn him into mince with the automatic shotgun. This thing is an absolute beast, and firmly plants itself in the regular rotation, even after you start to find the SSG in later maps. 

 

I found the the RL guy ambush a bit lame, mostly because the setup is just a square arena you circle strafe from a bunch of homing projectiles in. But at least it's over pretty quick. That might be one of the major strengths of this WAD getting start; everything is bite-sized enough that even things that aren't really as interesting don't stick around for long enough to turn them into dead weight on the experience.

 

A map that, while punishing of early mistakes, is not too tough overall. It's a perfect way to establish the pulse while taking you into Map 03.

 

Quick Edit: Goin' Down the Fast Way. Hell yeah. Get it.

 

MAP 03: Expert, pistol start, saveless, 100%k, 17% s (oof!)

 

I love this map. It's very easy to make a boring tech base, but this is absolutely not one of them. I'm a big fan of how the areas remain separated yet connected and open to one another that makes the space feel continuous rather existing as a sequence of hallways and rooms.

 

You get a lot of ammo and a lot of enemies to blast in this map, with some fun ambushes and nice introductions to deadlier monsters. You also get your first taste of the RL and the Chaingun. The RL feels pretty close to stock, but being able to switch to it quicker + its quicker rate of fire turns an already beefy weapon into an absolute prime cut. And of course, I love the upgraded Chaingun. Anything that makes me reminisce about the SCG from Valiant gets a thumbs up in my book. The introduction of the Archie is barely a noteworthy moment with how savagely you can destroy him with anything from the new arsenal. Rowdy Rudy's Revenge this WAD is not.

 

This is the first map in the WAD so far where I feel like the visual detailing really stands out. The previous two maps were perhaps more quaint and functional in their style, but this one goes to a lot of trouble to craft with some finer strokes, and it's definitely appreciate. Between the texturing and the actual geometry, this map is interesting to look at and explore. 

 

The interconnected areas give you some fun combat experiences and opportunities to put each weapon into good use. There are more wide open areas that either stretch out or look into each other where the RL and assault rifle shine, and then closer quarters with tight ambushes where the CG or SG are effectively brought to bare. Its certainly a map that understands the arsenal.

 

Absolutely solid map that does a lot to make a case for this WAD's setup as a whole. I really want to keep playing, and I just might. I could always use an excuse to play through the maps again to do my daily writeups...

Edited February 13, 2021 by LVENdead

[MtPain27]

Rowdy Rudy II, here we go! Expert mode, pistol starts, with saves, 100% kills. 

 

MAP 01: Storming the Bayside Base

There's so much to talk about here, mostly re: RR2's new gameplay tweaks. First of all: the rifle. I didn't think it could get better, but it did. I almost feel dirty using it, it's an automatic assault rifle with pinpoint accuracy, and at the start of every map you get 150 bullets for it. There's something indescribably satisfying about tap firing it and picking off enemies perched on seaside cliffs. The shotgun is similarly jacked, I think it actually shoots faster than Quake's shotgun and that's saying something. I thought my eyes were deceiving me when I picked it up because I didn't even see the weapon switch animation...because it's like a tenth of a second long. I swear to god, Rudy weapon swaps faster than the Doom Slayer from the new games, it's completely ridiculous and I love it. Finally, the berserk fists (as in plural, like S.T.R.A.I.N.), which you get to test drive with an invuln at the end, are a fucking knockout, pun intended. Each hit does extra damage AND you attack twice as fast. Power trip, indeed. 

 

Like the original, RR2 rolls out a few new monsters right away, you've got an excessive variety of re-skinned troopers, like in the last wad, and you get to see the psycho imp, who has two mouths (one poking out of his stomach) that belch plasma bolts at you. Gnarly. He replaces the arachnotron, and coupled with the plasma marines he's going to be a real pain in the ass. On second playthrough I got the flow of this map down pat and had a great time, especially roleplaying as Superman against the last dozen or so enemies. Little details, like Rudy's sleeping bag at the start (read the txt file story, it's a hoot) really make this map, which does an even better job submerging you in Rowdy Rudy World than the last go around. This is already shaping up to be a sequel that blows the original out of the water.

 

MAP 02: Initial Hurdles

The first non-Doomkid RR map is pretty harsh for being such a short sprint. Most of the enemies are troopers or hitscanners and can whittle your health away quickly; protect yourself, because you're not going to get a lot of first aid. I'm not sure "Goin' Down the Fast Way" is appropriate here, since the map is neither supercharged nor difficult enough to merit such a high octane track. The toxicaco returns, but even your regular shotgun is capable of swiss cheesing him in seconds; I think he'll be bumped down a tier from last game. There's also the flamethrower guy, who looks really in his heat-resistant suit, but so far hasn't touched me. Basically, watch your ammo, don't let yourself get lit up, and this map will take you five or six minutes tops. 

 

MAP 03: Further Infiltration

I really like this one. Further Infiltration gives you much more to sink your teeth into than the early RR1 maps did, and this one possesses a wealth of secrets that I only tracked down on second playthrough: continuous players, I highly recommend using this level to stock up. You can find chainguns, a rocket launcher, a plasma rifle, and a shitload of ammo for all your arms if you look carefully enough. The joy of shotgunning things reveals itself early in this map: the greater the fodder count, the more the automatic reloading shines. Again, comparisons to S.T.R.A.I.N. spring to mind: the sawed off shotgun in that wad, janky as it looks, is one of my favorite iterations of the weapon I've seen, so it's a good association.

 

I love the music (apparently it's from Donkey Kong Country 3 but I'm a video game peon and never played it) and the atmosphere seems a lot darker and more intense overall than RR1: maybe it's the lighting, or the slightly more modern level layout, I'm not sure. Side note, I found the berserk in this map, punched a revenant, and he died in one hit, so that's what I'm going to do to every revenant I can feasibly box from now on. I really can't overstate how fun it is to hand out knuckle sandwiches in this wad, the sound effects feedback, the gibbing, and the intense speed and damage of Rudy's blows are so entertaining. Once again, despite this being a triple review day for me, I have to restrain myself from playing ahead, because I want it to be a surprise, but I'm having a ball. For what it's worth, RR2 has been even more fun to replay than RR1 so far.

 

Oh, I almost forgot about the mini-masterminds! Cute, I guess? I like the decision to make them the only enemies that drop CGs. Also, sorry Doomkid, I love this chaingun, I really do, but nothing's ever going to beat Valiant's super chaingun. If anything ever does, I'll eat my shoe.

[Pirx]

well, late as usual, but this should improve in future.

 

played through all of rudy and a part of rudy2, just have been to lazy or tired to write a proper review, or whatever one can call my ramblings.
also playing through last month's plutonia, since i didn't get to finish it and haven't played it in quite some time.

 

gzdoom, pistol starts on uv (expert).

the new enemies are all made with the realm667 resources and fit the standard beasties well, without sticking out. many humanoid enemies with high damage output, something not surprising for a deathmatcher. maps have a 90s style, with simple clean shapes and texturing. music choices range from great to weird. 

 

 

 

MAP01 - “Hidden Compound”

 

start outside of a mountain bunker, showing off the (double) bayonet, as well as the rifle replacing the pistol, and doing about twice the damage per shot. very useful and fun to use! introducing the cultist as zombieman replacement, a helmeted shotgunner, and 2 variants of chaingunner. the imp also gets a faster, tougher, invisible cousin, who he infights with. these imps are rather hard to see, even as i'm playing in 1440p on a 240 hz monitor.

 

 

 

MAP02 - “Arbitrary Base”

 

what a name  ;)
maps start where you the previous one, a trait i like for continuity.
start is always bayonet only so one has to grab a rifle or shotgun from a zombie.
some troopers that fire plasma guns in short bursts, and a gray caco belching baron fireballs make their appearance. 
i love the rifle for accurately shooting back at the fucking chaingunners.
kind of happy, upbeat music, making it fun to rush through the map.

 

 

 

MAP03 - “The Slime Trail”

 

we get a double-bladed chainsaw and a chaingun to make out way through a slime canal and find some more baddies: a tougher, red chaingunner, a bazooka man and more plasma troopers in their green space suits. also revenants and toxic cacos. a few rockets would have been even more fun for dealing with the zombie mob in the cellar with the key. the door between the 2 red torches doesn't really stand out and left me wondering where to go next. funny contrast with the relaxed music.

 

 

 

MAP04 - “The Filter”

 

an underground (water filtering?) facility where you grab a shotgun from the first zombie here standing with his back turned to you, and fight imps and various former humans in a large hall with slime and water trails flowing down the walls. grab the first key, and then, on the way to the exit, you'll run into the first fire-throwing cacodemon, a tougher, orange beast, for which the newly acquired rocket launcher comes handy.

 

 

 

MAP05 - “Forgotten Installation”

 

first larger and tougher map, takes some work from pistol start because of the plasma troopers and toxicacos that are unpleasant to deal with using just a chainsaw, for lack of ammo, even a double bladed one. luckily there's plenty of plasma cells a bit later. your plasma is red now. a pool with more critters and some outside combat follows, where we meet the first hell nobles, the standard type and less threatening than the new cacos. at the exit room, plink at them with plasma & rifle from the entrance. not cool, but effective.

 

 

 

MAP06 - “Deadly Depression”

 

another bigger, badder map, and the duke3d music is just beautiful. you have to dodge those 2 fire cacos in the beginning until you have better weapons, but right as you walk into the circular outdoor area, you'll come under fire from all directions. the humble rifle shines at fighting those zombies above. after the ambush (cleared quickly with rockets), the door below was a pain in the ass: it falls shut again and again in your face, and you have to go up and press the switch every time, and 1-2 zombies will walk in before you're at the door. or you run outside right away and are shot at by a freshly spawned mob outside. the rest is much faster, as you get plenty of rockets and plasma to blast everything out of your way.

 

 

 

MAP07 - “Smells Like Sulfur”

 

apparently the beginning of the hellish part, and markedly more difficult. in the beginning, all kind of zombies will make your life miserable, while cacos chase you, so don't stay and fight them, run to the upper floor and get some weapons and ammo. the fucking souls were the worst imo as they blocked the elevator from going up, so i would often eat caco flames or run right into the assembled imps. things get better with an armor and an ssg, but there are still plenty of plasma dudes and chaingunners around, so you have to be quick at dispatching the more threatening enemies. the worst part was that teleporting out of the fight in the pit, obviously in a damaged state, you end up on lava with chaingunners in your back. get rig of them and then you get into a courtyard with red chaingunners everywhere. this map made me wish a played continuous just to blow them the fuck up instead of hunting ammo.

 

 

 

MAP08 - “Creeping Descent”

 

my favorite map so far. tough for sure, but offers fun fights instead of having one mown down by zombie rabble everywhere. throws big monsters at you, but also plenty of ammo and powerups. found a bfg, some wrote it's a secret, i found it in plain sight after killing an archvile. the best part comes after getting the soulsphere and the secret invulnerability, you run into clusters of mancs, revs and archviles and blow them up, also a few cows right after. the exit has a blur sphere placed in a way that is meant to make the fight more challenging. excellent.

 

 

 

MAP09 - “Hell’s Doorstep” 

 

udoom ep4 styled hellish map, a bit tough from pistol start because you're getting chased by cacos right away when you enter the imp courtyard, contrasting with the peaceful music. you get a plasma gun and a lot of cells and rockets soon though, which make things much easier. somehow i remember only the cow fight. the rest were on a smaller scale then those in map08. weird, think i have to revisit it.

 

 

 

MAP10 - “Satan’s Watchful Eye”

 

your icon fight, which made me laugh, in retrospect, because i kept running back and forth on that S-shaped rock wondering how the hell i get to the pillars and blow up that dumb eye watching me, totally missed the point where you can jump onto the outer edge, and staying on the S-rock wasn't nice whenever someone launched missiles at me, because you can't really dodge them there, so i jumped into the lava, wondering where to leave it, until the radsuit broke... quit once here and continued the next day with a fresher brain, then it's a nice map of course, even if rather hard, but great episode nevertheless...
 

 

 

[Valhen]

Skipped yesterday to work a bit on my wad, going to post a quick review about both Map 3 and 4.

 

MAP03 - "Further Infiltration"

 

A more complex and detailed map compared to the previous ones. It had a Plutonia look to it, especially with some of the bricks and rock textures. I though the flow of the level was pretty cool, the way you get the keycards and then quickly get back to the doors was nice. The combat was engaging too. Also, this map introduces the Mini Masterminds, which are smaller Spider Masterminds with less health. Overall, a good map.

 

MAP04 - "The Hydrocore"

Another Plutonia style map. This one wasn't as detailed as the last map, but I still though it looked nice. I also liked how it was all kind of interconnected. In this level I got the super shotgun, which is now a pump action shotgun which acts like the beta Doom 2 super shotgun, and a rocket launcher, which shoots faster now (at least, according to the text file, didn't really notice it in gameplay). Overall, another nice map.

Edited February 14, 2021 by Valhen

[Silhouette 03]

Map04:  The Hydrocore

Jungle, welcome to, etc.

 

Inspired by plutonia, yet not nearly as difficult, is how would describe this map to my captive audience( welcome back, @Pirx !). I was a bit confused when I played this map due to the length and layout of the map. It was then( through @Valhen's conclusions regarding the layout) that I discovered that the map was interconnected, with each area feeding, in some way, to the other. The SSG is also introduced and is now pump-action, because Doomkid really enjoys breaking enemies with upgrades to the classic arsenal.

 

I'm convinced that the Plutonia inspiration will play out in the preceding maps. My blood pressure is ready to rise to medically impossible heights...

 

Silhouette's stats:

Kills: 98%

Secrets: 100%

Deaths: 1( stupid infinitely tall actors)

Wondering what a hydrosphere is: YES

Wondering in what way Doomkid will break vanilla monsters next: YES

 

 

 

 

 

[Doom64hunter]

(UV, Chocolate Doom, Pistol Start, 100% kills, 100% secrets)

Rowdy Rudy II: Powertrip MAP04 - “The Hydrocore” by Voltcom

 

Another departure in style from the previous levels, as previously mentioned, this map feels a lot like a Plutonia level plunged into darkness. It is a non-linearly structured base overgrown with vines, and the music track makes it feel like it was abandoned a long time ago. As with previous levels, there is a large number of hitscanners, and the low visibility gives them an advantage as you will have trouble making them out at a distance.

 

We also return to the theme of resource starvation. While you are given a Chaingun, SSG and a Rocket Launcher, there isn't a lot of ammo to use for them. Health is at a premium, and you are given no armor at all (I believe?), making the enemies all the more dangerous. Be wary of soldiers sniping you from ledges and through windows, and enemies appearing out of closets once you hit a switch. I ended up dying 4 times in this map, in particular once to a flamethrower guy that managed to sneak up on me silently, and once to a rocket marine. Tension is high until you get the light-amp visor,  which does take away from the challenge of the teleporting enemies towards the end.

 

The Cacolantern is reintroduced here -- I almost thought it would be absent due to the flamethrower marines, but it seems that both Cacos have made the transition. They are not too much of a threat compared to the marines waiting around every corner however. The SSG is also present, which now reloads faster and makes a weaker firing sound. I didn't make too much use of it, perhaps even because it sounded a bit weaker, but also because of the great utility of the autoshotgun and how I had to conserve shells towards the end.

[gaspe]

MAP02: I must say that I liked the classic look of brown ASHWALL caves and GRAY* textures even if the places are big and not so much detailed. The first area has a good use of verticality combined with lots of hiscanners that can be quite deadly and at the RK trap I thought it was a nice idea to put those teleports for the monsters to get out of from the water so you can't simply skip them.

 

MAP03: The first 2 maps were simple but this is something else both with the layout that gets more complex and gives you more to explore and the visuals are very well detailed here (and the brown bricks from Memento Mori used as the main texture gives a very cool look to this techbase). The gameplay doesn't rely so much on traping the player giving you a more frontal combat that is more varied with a little of non-linearity and interplay of monsters shooting from ledges of windows. Revs, avs, and a shrinked spiderdemon that now is a normal enemy makes it first appearance but you'll find a CG and a secret Rl to help you to deal with them.

 

MAP04: A somehow weird level with a dark mood and some surreal hints (like some dead bodies behind the vents, and why is there grass at the exit area?). I thought it was pretty disorienting at first due to the low lighting and the irregular shapes coupled with the varied texturing. And that was fitting very well with the open layout that isn't safe to wander around to search for the first weapons and the ammo when you start the map. I guess that the flame caco is supposed to be surprise but by poking at the small windows you can kill it safely from behind the door but the idea is very nice.

[kalaeth]

ok, let's infiltrate further! 

 

MAP 03 : I've fallen into a base, zombiemen and imps roam the corridors, and I found a secret green armor, this before even stepping outside. I then go to a window from where I'll have to jump down into the courtyard, kill a zombieman and a chaingunner, grab a secret berserker and punch a pinkie, shotgun a shotgunner and go up the stairs, down the stairs, outside again, inside again, up the stairs, down the stairs, chaingun! Up the stairs, down the stairs, open the door. Chaingun a imp, grab another chaingun and back into the second courtyard. Up the stairs, into the sludge room, out of the sludge room, press a switch kill a pinkie, go grab a rocket launcher, head back to the blue key, kill a single pinkie, back to the blue door. Fall into the underground river, find the secret : Blue armor and a plasma gun, oh yeah, proceed. Up the lift, up the stairs, grab the red key, down, blue door, blue door, switch, cross, switch, red door! SSG, SSG, switch, SSG, up the steps, the exit is here. But first! Secret soulsphere, fall into the sludge, press switch, teleport, and I'm still 2 secrets short.. hum.. Found a secret switch, but what did it do? Well, I have no idea, so off to the exit, find another secret with a small cache of ammo and done.

100% K/S, 95% items, 14m16s of level and now, a break for lunch.

 

MAP 04 : Another base, a secret-not-so-secret rocket launcher, a quick tour around the open spaces and oh look, a coke machine! Now, enter a door.. Nop. it locked. So, press a switch, press another, enter doors, shoot people, find lightamp, press another switch, another switch, ah, red key is down! Grab it, shoot at everyone, secret found, open red door, grab soulsphere, open another red door, kill kill kill, exit. 

 8m50 seconds, 100% K/S/I. This map felt shorter than the one before.

Edited February 14, 2021 by kalaeth

[MtPain27]

MAP 04: The Hydrocore

 

Things get even darker in the Hydrocore, a thinly populated but rather mean little map. The music and low lighting are a bit un-Rudy-like, at least in that I don't really feel in charge at all times. You'll want to take care of your ammo in this map, it's about as stingy as MAP 02, and the red key trap is really nasty, lots of chaingunners and plasma troopers. Make sure you're well stocked enough to handle them and take cover when you swipe the key. I was disappointed by the coke machine's lack of functionality but later maps make up for that. The flame room at the end is, again, kind of dickish but easily avoided. I ended up playing the first ten maps of RR2 yesterday despite what I said, and of those ten I think I liked this one the least.

[DFF]

Map03: Further Infiltration - by DavidN
GZDoom | Kills: 100% | Secrets: 66% | Expert, Fast Monsters, Pistol Start

 

As many before have noted, the level of detail is starting to increase in RRudy2, a welcome change that i feel really helps give the maps a lot more life. The simplistic design of RRudy1 helped showcase the bestiary and weapons in a very effective way, but RRudy2 now gives the player much prettier installations to blast and tear through.

Map03 is one of my personal favorites from this set. It has good design, a cool aesthetic, lots of good flow with multiple accessible paths. good use of height variation, good combat, and an amazing introduction to RRudy2s berserk rampage. If you find the berserk secret, this map allows the player to just beat the hell out of everything in their path, as the map is nicely designed for open movement, but still tight enough corridors and hideaways to approach monsters without getting too damaged, even with fast monsters. The double fists is something I've funily enough grown rather custom to, as a lot of mapping time was spent on RRudy2 as well as Interception 2 which also had a double fist system. At first I always considered the berserk to be a very strong powerup that needed to be awarded to the player in the same regards as say a megasphere; sparringly and usually in a harder secret or fight. But overtime i've come to see that the berserk pack with 2x punching speed is a lot of fun. Is it possibly overpowered? maybe, but it sure is a lot of fun and sometimes I find map developers like to starve the players from fun things like that since they make fights more trivial, like invulnerabilities. A side tangent, and it still is in a secret but an easier to find one. This map does a good job of creating a fun avenue for berserk rampaging without it being too easy to use or hard to obtain.

Overall, great designed map thats a lot of fun to play in. Also the added moving sky textures in some maps that Doomkid added to Zdoom+ ports is a small but very nice touch.

Map04: The Hydrocore - by Voltcom
GZDoom | Kills: 100% | Secrets: 100% | Expert, Fast Monsters, Pistol Start

 

A very interesting and moody map, a sort of derelict water facility that has grown dark and dilapidated from a lack of use. The combat is fairly well done and the map has good flow, with lots of connecting loops to traverse the map. The design is nice and the texture use often feels a bit doom1-ish, whether that be taken as good or bad, the textures feel like some were used rather experimentally like the mechanical pillars and large grated floors. The added wall computers, vents, and missing bricks are nice touches that add to the air of disarray. My main concerns with the map is that progression is a bit confusing as its mostly a switch hunt around the map, and all 3 of the secrets don't really feel like secrets since they all are kinda in the open and the player stumbles upon them naturally. Also the exit feels a tad out of place, maybe a bit more thrown together, but Still a good and fun map.

[xX_Lol6_Xx]

Sorry for not posting, I had a very bad week. But here we are

 

ROWDY RUDY II: POWERTRIP MAP02: Initial hurdles  by sluggard (HARD DIFFICULTY)

RESULTS: 100% OF EVERYTHING.

 

It may look intimidating because of all the bad guys at the beginning, but they are low tier monsters, so you can take care of them easily. I like the idea of the map, like it's the start of a hidden base in a cave. I got to chainsaw a revenant and a demon. Good to see that some monsters are still here. Good map and good midi. 10/10

 

Map03: Further infiltration by Davidn (HARD DIFFICULTY)

Results: 100% kills, 97% items & 83% secrets.

 

We're getting closer to the hard zone, this map is a little more difficult than the others. I have no idea of how to grab the ammo secret (next to the demons). Can be hard if you go way faster than you should. We get big weapons here! Nice to see that BD's rocket launcher is still here. Cool map 9/10. I only had one issue with this map. The super duper fun Blockmap bug decided to visit me. Isn't that nice?

Map04: The hydrocore by voltcom (HARD DIFFICULTY)

RESULTS: 100% OF EVERYTHING

 

Welcome to the jungle, nice map, we get the pump SSG, I like the new animation. Not too hard, the map is generous with the health, so you shouldn't have any problems, I almost missed two kills because of two demons. Good to see our buddy fire cacodemon here. I almost died when fliped the switch to get the red key, luckily I saved the berserk and the supercharge, though I'm out of armor for the next map. Not too hard, good map. The midi can get a little repetitive. But it's nice. 9/10

[Spectre01]

Due to a combination of DW being a bit slow and log-in issues, among other things, I've got some catching up to do. Let's get back into it!

 

MAP08 - “Creeping Descent”

 

Now this is my kind of map. Viles, Cyberdemons, and a BFG; what's not to like? Another tough start until I managed to gather up my equipment again. Nice change in visuals, too, as the nukebase aesthetic is not a theme I'm too keen on. The more Hellish parts, like the upstairs past the yellow door, look really cool with the "HD" textures. In general, I really dig the texture replacements. Gameplay is solid and engaging, especially whenever Viles are involved. Although, the Cyberdemon by the exit comically splatters his fellow demons against those bars. Fun stuff.

[Spectre01]

MAP09 - “Hell’s Doorstep”

 

Interesting midi choice. I feel like there is a bit too much shotgunning of high-HP enemies in the first half. It's probably not as bad if you have foreknowledge and make a mad dash for the secrets, but it's not very enjoyable from a casual perspective. The 2nd half is more interesting than the initial stretch and the final area is pretty cool with the BFG.

[kalaeth]

let's go, once more into the thick of it.

MAP 05 : I'm on one side, the exit must be on the other, sludge stands between us. First step is to clear the enemies shooting at me by shooting at them, enter the door and kill some more. Up the lift, don't hesitate, shoot, be swift, grab the yellow key, open the door and kill some nazi, run back to the pillars lowered to jump into the soulsphere offered. Armed and ready go back, cross the bridge up the stairs, pick the berserker pack and fall down to the door, kill at will and grab the key, there's a secret here but it won't be for me, not just right now. Up the stairs, enter the door and kill kill kill some more, I'd wish to do but I end up dead in the floor. 

 Back to the berseker pack and the yellow door, I kill kill kill and then kill some more until I reach the blue door, this time it won't be me lying dead on the floor : a paint the floor and walls in blood red, grab the key and leave laughing to the megasphere, run to the exit, there's no one else here! 

100% K/S/I, 1 death, 7m10seconds.