The DWIronman League dies to: Demonic Deviation

[NaZa]

March, 2023

> The yearly standings 

> The Ironman Discord Server

 

Standard Leaderboard

1. [1] SURVIVED (1:23:09): Bdubzzz - Good thing I did! That means I made you win, then. Transitive property ftw :^)
2. [1] SURVIVED (1:25:42): LadyMistDragon - Almost dies to MAP06 (but not to what you think!), but the Sky Falls with a comfortable margin.
3. [1] SURVIVED (1:30:01): Brainfreezzzzz - Talk about turnover from last month - brilliant run! Barely troubled, too. You Are The Mortar.
4. [1] SURVIVED (1:37:49): Maribo - Back to (The) Green (Room) for Maribo, slotting in almost perfectly between Brainfreezzzzz and myself. Nice.
5. [1] SURVIVED (1:43:53): joe-ilya - Days of Mayhem Past for Doomguy. Face never too bloody. Among the more comfortable runs I've watched. WB!
6. [2] SURVIVED (1:45:51): NaZa - No software issues this time, and this happens. Evidently, the only thing stopping my domination is... my computer.  :^)
7. [1] SURVIVED (2:23:34): Vince Vega - Skill issue + W = (illegal skill settings)
8. [1] SURVIVED (2:24:39): ginc - I guess nothing happened on the easy MAP10 :^) Confident otherwise, especially on MAP06! 
9. [1] SURVIVED (3:09:41): Roofi - Turns out entering every map with at least 170 HP is a good luck omen. Glad to see you back, Roofi! 
10. [1] MAP10: dt_ - Falls victim to automatic weapon switching. Never thought I'd write this.
11. [1] MAP09: Anima Zero - Discovers the red... berserk screen. And revenant missiles.
12. [1] MAP09: BoxY - Discovers the red keycard.
13. [1] MAP09: Beginner - Discovers what the Pain in Painframe stands for.
14. [1] MAP08: 4shockblast - Decided it wasn't worth it to take the lift. (DNF)
15. [1] MAP07: mhrz - Decided it wasn't worth it to board the train. (DNF)
16. [2] MAP06: Asbadagba - It all happened in a flash. Add a tic too late archvile death and you get BUSTED.
17. [1] MAP06: NoisyVelvet - Survived getting hit with a considerable amount of rockets, but not even that prevented Noisy from being BUSTED.
18. [1] MAP06: Andromeda - Doesn't get BUSTED, but plays the worst game of hide and seek seen in years and promptly gets DISCOVERED.
19. [1] MAP06: SilentD00mer - Forgot how to dodge, then watched a duel of their murderers. Hell knight gets the infinite last laughs.
20. [1] MAP06: SCF - I mean... they did infight, at least. And hey, the arachnotron died. Still... BUSTED at the Dam.
21. [1] MAP06: Horus - Horus wasn't the only one who got BUSTED here... a passerby cacodemon was another victim.
22. [1] MAP06: Austinado - Got BUSTED trying to escape. Glad you enjoyed it at least!
23. [1] MAP06: head_cannon - Couldn't Control the Cistern.
24. [1] MAP06: Crusader No Regret - I am now forever distraught about not seeing the obvious pun and therefore had you BUSTED.
25. [1] MAP05: AxeL - Nice jump. Hopefully it was intentional. 
26. [1] MAP05: SuyaSS - "Hey, the shellbox can wait - join our hugging session!" - the hell knight, probably.
27. [1] MAP03: Pseudonaut - Showered by an arachnotron, then washed legs in the mud. Keeping clean.
28. [1] MAP02: Doomy__Doom - Good at Doomy__Doom™.
29. [2] MAP02: cannonball - Always glad to see the author submit a run. Even took the effort to match the map of death with the category.
30. [1] MAP02: Pegleg - Nevermind that revenant; I prefer the blockmap-exploiting spectre preceding it. Really is a half-ghost, huh.
31. [1] MAP01: Suitepee - Man of his words. Didn't die to a cacodemon on MAP04. :^)

 

Prepared Leaderboard

1. ...

 

What is the Doomworld Ironman League?

 

The DWIronman League is a monthly competition in which participants aim to survive for as many levels as possible in the given map set, preferably in one sitting. Click the spoiler tag at the bottom of the post for a detailed list of rules. Players of all levels of ability are welcome. It could change the way you play Doom!

 

In March 2023 the DWIronman League dies to Demonic Deviation (-complevel 2) by @cannonball! Yeah, I know, we played Hadron almost exactly a year ago, but when I played this set upon Ironman consideration, I couldn't help but wonder why I hadn't heard of it previously, 'coz it's good. In fact, what astonishes me is that there is presently ZERO demos of this WAD on DSDA. Zero! I believe this WAD deserves more. It's a fun cannonball experience ported to Doom II! Imagine, if you will, a cannonball episode with arch-viles and revenants! Betcha it's a good first impression. Seems like a solid and polished set spiritually similar to Hadron. Considering there was such a low survival count last month, going with this set is risky because last time we had a cannonball feature it only had 3 survivors, but I trust that having the SSG here should help you!

Also public laudits for @Suitepee. Turns out it is worth waiting 79 challenges to snatch a memorable first victory. Well done! Not only that, but if I updated the board (which I won't do for 12 more hours because last month's challenge is still going for 12 more hours), you'd be first!!! Of course, no pressure this month :^)

 

Essential Info

• Doom II (doom2.wad).
• Compatibility level 2, or "Doom (strict)" for ZDoom derivative ports.
• 11 maps.
• Time estimate (if survival): 90-150 minutes.

 

> Download Demonic Deviation

prboom-plus.exe -iwad doom2.wad -file ddev.wad -complevel 2 -skill 4 -record demo_name.lmp -warp

Rules:

Spoiler

 

• There are two competitions: Standard and Prepared:

  • To compete successfully in the Standard competition: your first play of the selected WAD(s) constitutes your one and only attempt for the month.

  • To compete successfully in the Prepared competition: your one and only attempt for the month is determined BY YOU immediately before play and may follow any prior number of active (playing the set) preparation that is strictly for practice/inspection purposes only. You cannot compete in the Standard competition after submitting a run to the Prepared competition. You may submit the first of your practice attempts to the Standard competition.

• UV only (excepting 1CC format), continuous recording. No pistol-starting each level.
• Demos (PrBoom+, GLBoom, Eternity or Chocolate), stream highlights and video recordings are the only accepted proofs. You must link to these runs in the thread. 
  • If you stream your run on Twitch, please highlight/save it so that it doesn't go missing in case someone's very late with the obituaries.
• No additional WADs may be loaded.
• No inspection of the WAD(s)'s content in an editor if you are submitting a Standard run, its category 3 included.
• No cheat codes and no features that result in behavior beyond what is possible in the intended source port (e.g. freelook, jumping and crouching in a boom set). This includes dynamic lights and brightmaps. If streaming or recording videos using an advanced source port with compatibility options, you must display these settings on-screen before your run. In ZDoom derivative ports, "Doom/Boom(strict)" will suffice.
• If you choose to stream/record your run for video rather than provide a demo and you die before completing a single level, either on the first map of a set OR because a single level was selected for the month, you must display the number of monsters killed/remaining in the level before you quit.
• You do not have to play the secret levels in order to register a complete run. However, a player who finishes the game having completed more secret levels than his/her competitors will rank higher than them.
• You cannot load a game having progressed past the save point.
• You cannot consult Doom Builder during your run to check for map details.
• If the recording of your official run is interrupted due to technical difficulties, you are not permitted a second attempt. Any surviving recording may be used to register a DNF result.
• Accidentally restarting a level before a death exit takes you to the tally screen will stop your run immediately. You will still be registered as entering the next map (i.e. the one which you never entered) using a calculation to figure out what the intermission time would have been.
• If you are competing in the Standard competition, you are required to affix one of three numbers to your run informing the League of your degree of familiarity with the map/set played. Note that your evaluation should only take into consideration the content covered in your run (e.g. if you remember only one part of a level in a set you haven't played before but never reach that level, you should list your run as a [1] instead of [2]):

 

1. This is a blind run. If I have played or watched any of the level/set being played before, I cannot remember any details that would offer a reasonable advantage over truly blind players. *
2. This is not a blind run. I have familiarity with the set - played the level/set before, or watched it being played, and can remember some details that would offer a reasonable advantage over blind players.
3. This is not a blind run. While I have not outright played it, I've watched the level/set being played via stream, demo or video after it was announced as this month's challenge.

 

* "Reasonable" in this instance asks you to consider whether the details in question are worth committing to memory. As in, you would thank the person who gave you this information with a straight face and not expect to be laughed at for being an utter berk.

 

Previous threads:

  Hide contents

2016

Spoiler

07 - Jenesis (winner: Demon of the Well)

08 - Crusades (winner: Ribbiks)

09 - Nilla Doom (winner: Demon of the Well)

10 - Khorus' Speedy Shit (winner: WH-Wilou84)

11 - Perdition's Gate (winner: WH-Wilou84)

12 - UAC Ultra (winner: PjSpartacus)

 

2017

Spoiler

01 - Jade Earth (winner: Demon of the Well)

02 - Legacy of Heroes (winner: Roofi)

03 - Back to Saturn X E1 (winner: dew)

04 - Mapgame (winner: ClonedPickle)

05 - Vae Victus 1 & 2 (winner: Demon of the Well)

06 - Disturbia (winner: Ancalagon)

07 - Insertion (winner: Veinen)

08 - Unholy Realms (winner: Demon of the Well)

09 - Osiris (winner: Demon of the Well)

10 - Endgame & Endpoint (winner: Veinen)

11 - Oscillation (winner: Ancalagon)

12 - Doom the Way id Did (winner: kmc)

 

2018

Spoiler

01 - Combat Shock 2 (winner: Killer5)

02 - Coffee Break E1 (winner: Eris)

03 - Warlock's Hearth (winner: Demon of the Well)

04 - 50 Monsters (winner: WH-Wilou84)

05 - Double Impact (winner: RjY)

06 - Rush (winner: WH-Wilou84)

07 - The Darkening E1 & E2 (winner: Veinen)

08 - The Plutonia Experiment (winner: Zero-Master)

09 - Community Chest 4 - MAP20: Interstellar Sickness and MAP21: Shaman's Device (winner: leodoom85)

10 - Doom 64 for Doom II (winner: Roofi)

11 - TNT: Renascence & TNT: Resistance (winner: an_mutt)

12 - Ultimate Doom the Way id Did (winner: an_mutt)

 

2019

Spoiler

01 - Hellfire: Dreams (winner: Beginner)

02 - THT: Threnody - MAP10: Fomalhaut (winner: Scotty)

03 - Stardate 20X6 (winner: WH-Wilou84)

04 - Base Ganymede: Complete (winner: Vince Vega)

05 - The DWIronman League died waiting for SIGIL (winner: John Romero)

06 - SIGIL (winner: leodoom85)

07 - Vanguard & Lunatic (winner: Bdubzzz - prep winner: Pegleg)

08 - 2017 Collection (winner: an_mutt - prep winner: Vince Vega)

09 - Revolution! (winner: NaZa - prep winner: Pegleg)

10 - Monster Hunter Part I & Part II (winner: Bdubzzz - prep winner: Pegleg)

11 - Abcess (winner: Demon of the Well - prep winner: Steve D?)

12 - Scythe (winner: Spectre01 - prep winner: Arbys550)

 

2020

Spoiler

01 - Hellscape (winner: Bdubzzz - prep winner: Archi)

02 - No Sleep for the Dead (winner: Ancalagon - prep winner: Anima Zero)

03 - Baker's Dozen (winner: Bdubzzz - prep winner: Pegleg)

04 - Occult Secrets of the Third Reich & Biotech is Godzilla (winner: joe-ilya - prep winner: Horus)

05 - Bloody Rust (winner: Bdubzzz - prep winner: dt_)

06 - Vrack 1, 2 and 3 (winner: ReaperAA - prep winner: Bashe)

07 - Running Late 2 (winner: Roofi - prep winner: Pegleg)

08 - Epic (winner: Bdubzzz - prep winner: Daerik)

09 - Hell Revealed (winner: Roofi - prep winner: Crusader No Regret)

10 - Dark Resolution 2008 (winner: Roofi - prep winner: Austinado)

11 - 2002: A Doom Odyssey: 10th Anniversary Edition Episode 3 (winner: Bdubzzz - prep winner: Pegleg)

12 - Eviternity (winner: Daerik - prep winner: Pegleg)

 

2021

Spoiler

01 - Sawdust (winner: Bdubzzz - prep winner: Daerik)

02 - Alien Vendetta (winner: Demonologist - prep winner: Anima Zero)

03 - Criticality & Miasma (winner: Daerik - prep winner: Crusader No Regret)

04 - World Orifice (winner: Bdubzzz - prep winner: Killer5)

05 - Violence (winner: Bdubzzz - prep winner: ScrappyMcDoogerton)

06 - Firebox (winner: Bdubzzz - prep winner: 4shockblast)

07 - Scythe 2 (winner: Arbys550 - prep winner: an_mutt)

08 - Resurgence (winner: Beginner - prep winner: Suitepee)

09 - The Eye (winner: galileo31dos01 - prep winner: an_mutt)

10 - Glaive & Glaive 2 (winner: Veinen - prep winner: Tezur0)

11 - Sunlust (winner: Daerik - prep winner: nobody)

12 - H2H-XMas (winner: Daerik - prep winner: 4shockblast)

 

2022

Spoiler

01 - Realm of Shades (winner: mhrz - prep winner: Pegleg)

02 - Return to Hadron E1 (winner: NightTerror - prep winner: Maribo)

03 - Syringe (winner: Bdubzzz - prep winner: SCF)

04 - Jägermörder 1 and 2 (winner: Bdubzzz - prep winner: Maribo)

05 - The Rebirth (winner: NightTerror - prep winner: NaZa)

06 - Man on the Moon (winner: Master Medi - prep winner: ginc)

07 - Vigor (winner: akolai - prep winner: SCF)

08 - Somewhere in Time (winner: Archi - prep winner: NaZa)

09 - Sucker Punch 1 & 2 (winner: Bdubzzz - prep winner: Pegleg)

10 - Sharp Things (winner: Bdubzzz - prep winner: LadyMistDragon)
11 - Knee-Deep in the Dead + .deh (winner: NightTerror - prep winner: Lol 6)

12 - Christmas Cheer from the Chill Zone (winner: NightTerror - prep winner: NaZa)

 

2023

Spoiler

01 - Bury My Heart Knee Deep (winner: Bdubzzz - prep winner: Maribo)

02 - LAZAREVENANT - 13 map WIP demo (winner: Suitepee - prep winner: nobody)

 

Edited April 2, 2023 by NaZa : leaderboard update

[SCF]

Category 1

Died on Map 06

Kills: 72/89

 

DWIL_23-03_ddev_scf.zip

 

Spoiler

Ah, it's just one arachnotron and one archvile, I can cleverly get behind the archvile to make them infight.

 

*Wakes up an entire horde of enemies*

 

[Asbadagba]

cat 1 (i played it like 8 months ago but i don't remember anything)
dead on map06
dead at 27:03
69/89 kills
ironman_2023mar_asbadagba.zip

[NaZa]

MAP06 claiming lives two months in a row? Nice! 

 

... or not. I had my reservations about that particular setup I think? I had the map number in my head at least. Hope that I'm proven wrong and someone lives through it, otherwise this is not going to be that nice...

[Andromeda]

Category: 1

Dead on: MAP06

Kills: 44/89

Time: 39:47

 

Caught between a rock and a hard place.

 

im_andromeda_ddev.zip

[Brainfreezzzzz]

Category: 1

Survived in: 90:01

 

After dying on the second map last month I wanted to get a good run going this time and I am very happy with this!

 

dwironman_mar2023_brainfrezzzzz.zip

 

Watch it here

Edited March 2, 2023 by Brainfreezzzzz : video

[NaZa]

Category: 2

Result: Survived in 1:45:51

dwironman_mar23_naza.zip

 

I don't care about the time, I'm just happy I made it. Great turn of fortunes there from the last two months. For autenticity and challenging my bad luck face on, I stubbornly recorded this on my prB+ 2.5.1.4 with all overflow emulation on. Blow Hard or Blow Home :^)

 

If you care about highlights, I kill a barrel in front of me on M2 and I rocket myself twice in one second on barons of hell on M8 I think? Both times I somehow managed to keep my head cool even though it was midnight. I usually can't play at night.

 

Spoiler

When you figure out how to look for secrets, it's really easy to exit maps with loads of health, thus making some otherwise deadly setups or hot starts easier than anticipated. Still, doesn't mean it's fully easy, as the M06-M08 stretch can easily catch you off-guard. I find the finale to be among the easier maps, but that makes sense.

 

I also have to be honest, I don't think I would've lived if I didn't know MAP06's trap, and even then with 200/200 I forgot what exactly happens and had a very nervous moment because of horrible dodging. Looking at the results being either a survival or an M6 death so far, it is kinda unfair you don't get to do anything after, but then again, I don't think it's ruthlessly unforgiving, so giving a minor warning should be fine:

AFTER you ascend the lift behind the blue key door, be aware there's a deadly trap further and ready a big gun. I can't say much further to prevent completely annulling it, so I think knowing there it is should be enough.

 

Hopefully. Having refreshed my knowledge I can safely say worse traps await further, but if you're able to triumph over this one, you should be able to improvise in those ones too. If you get there, you'll know what I mean. Good luck!

[Maribo]

Category: 1
Survived in: 97:49 (1:37:49)

dwiron_ddev_maribo.zip

Spoiler

I don't really think the Map06 trap is all that much, though I obviously didn't watch others' demos to see what kind of state they entered the map + fight in. Admittedly I played Map06 a bit cautious because I saw a couple of deaths that looked similar, but... I think I would have survived it without that knowledge, given that I decided to play this wad pretty cautious in general.

I max most of these maps, so if you're into the idea of seeing a run like that, you might be interested.

Great pick for Ironman, imo. And cannonball wads are just <3, as always.

[SuyaSSS]

Category 1

Died on MAP05

Kills: 54/95

Time: 40:25

ddevsuyass.zip

[Beginner]

Category 1 demo. Dead on map09.

[BoxY]

Cat 1, dead on map09 at 1:04:35 with 107/173.

 

Was playing kinda ok for a while then got tired and hungry towards the end. Good pick though, every Cannonball wad is fun as far as I'm concerned.

 

dwim-bx-ddev.zip

[SleepyVelvet]

DEAD: Map06

Arrival: 28:10

Death: 33:30

Kills:    65/89

Category: 1 (Blind)

Port: DSDA-Doom 0.25.0

 

Demo: noisy_ddev_ironman.zip

 

Cause of Death:

That rev rush at the end.  It wasn't the worst in the world but I didn't execute it well and failed to weave through a Caco x Revenant.  I can see this or the other Vile related traps doing people in.  Good map.

[NaZa]

Leaderboard updated. Inspiring performance by @Brainfreezzzzz; that's an encyclopedic definition of one month at a time and not letting last month stop you. Good stuff.

 

Thank you to @NoisyVelvet for organizing last month's challenge (and hitting a nice number of participants!). I've updated the yearly standings accordingly, which sees @Suitepee land in first after a great performance, though only just from @Bdubzzz, though the entirety of the top 6 are close to each other. It's too early in the year to call anyone out except the frontrunners, but I'd like to point @head_cannon's Top 5 result last month - their first, if I'm not mistaken - giving them 11 places on the board. Another jumper, besides @Maribo, who followed last month with another good result here, is @Pseudonaut, who jumps from 19th to 9th with a solid third place last month. We'll see what this month holds; if the opening 5 days are a sign, there will be a lot of BUSTING.

[LadyMistDragon]

Category 1

Survived in like, 1:23: or was it 1:25:?

 

I was filled with such dread when I saw cannonball made this in 2018. Thankfully, despite a few close shaves (I think specifically an Arch-vile toward the end of Map 03 or 04 was not someone I wanted to meet at the moment. I think I could've handled the BK trap in Map 06 a little bit better but there's plenty of room to move around.

Spoiler

It's just a matter of properly holding out the arch-viles which

...wasn't quite what happened? I can't believe I just ditzed on the red key in Map 10 though. I'd be in serious contention for the eventual time of bdubzzz otherwise.

lmd_irondemon.zip

Edited March 6, 2023 by LadyMistDragon

[Anima Zero]

Somehow DIDN'T die in map 8 to a nasty vile related setup....which then came to bite me in the rear at the start of map 9 where I got facerolled.  Fun mapset though!

DWIronman_DDev_AnimaZero.zip

[Horus]

Cat 1

Map 6

81/89 kills

Time of death: 49 mins

 

horus_ironman_2023_03.zip

[Roofi]

Survived in 3:09:41 , Category 1

 

Decided to go very steadily. :)

 

Cool wad

 

DEMO

[Crusader No Regret]

Type 1 blind.  Felled in map 6.  First word out of my mouth after dying was "damn."  Fitting given the setting of the map.

 

dsdadoom -cl2

dwiron_ddev_cnr.zip

[Suitepee]

https://youtu.be/-Mdw9z5h26g

 

Category 1 run, died on map 1 to a spectre with 60/62 monsters.

 

My hubris in a: wanting an infight between a Rev and a Spectre so badly I cornered myself at the end of map 1, and b: not thinking to pull out the chaingun when realising I was cornered, happened. Guess I used all my "run good" in the previous two months, but to be honest I derped pretty hard here. Lesson learnt for the future, hopefully.

[NaZa]

Leaderboard updated after almost 20 days - apologies, but in my defense, there wasn't a lot to update it with :^) Glad to see @Roofi back and hit a green already, and also to see a run by joe-ilya submitted to the Discord, as joe last took part in April & May 2020 (while he was unbanned I believe?) and proved to be a fit challenger for Bdubzzz those two months. 

 

It is interesting to see February's lowest placed runner still camping near the summit of the leaderboard... and February's winner on the very bottom. Tale of two fortunes and a reminder that luck sometimes plays a part in Ironman... as well as resisting the urge to infight a revenant with a demon. :^)

[dt_]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ch0mrtaspkb7c03/dtdemdev.lmp?dl=1

 

Cat 1 death in map10, I think it was about 1:10

 

You just know sometimes that you've made a mistake, and this was definitely one of those times

[AxeL]

ddevironmanaxel.zip
Died on map 05 , Cat 1

Yes, another ironman with blunder :v

[Vince Vega]

Cat I, survived in 2:23:34.

 

Sounds great, right?

Right?

What could go wrong?

 

The last command line entry I had in the history was -playdemo from the previous run. So there was no -warp...

And no -skill.

 

- But your default skill is set to UV, right?

- :))))))

- Right? Please?

 

Doomguy:

Me:

 

Can I get at least, dunno, 30% from the points that I would've got on UV? I don't want to realize I wasted 2.5 hr of my life for literally nothing >_______<

I ran the WAD on UV after I finished the playthrough, seems like it's not THAT different from HMP...

Nice WAD BTW xD

 

dvvddfck.zip

[NaZa]

23 hours ago, Vince Vega said:

And no -skill.

I don't particularly believe that, because you survived it :^) Had to take some skill!

 

Sadly, I can't give you points on the standings for that, though I will put it up on the leaderboard with a (illegal skill settings) bracket next to it. I know, I know, inflexible system, but this is the first time that happened in quite a while. Glad you enjoyed it, though, if nothing else. This might give you motivation for next month. Definitely a sucky situation...

[Pegleg]

I don't like revenants, especially when they manage to avoid be stun-locked by me and my chaingun.

 

Category: 1

Dead on: Map 02

Kills: 23/94

Time: 8:29

Reached Map 02: 7:26

 

dwi_pegleg_ddev_cat1.zip

 

As usual, I didn't see much of the mapset, but what I did see was fun, fast-paced, and well put together. There was enough health and ammo that it never felt unfair, and the encounters were well staged. This was a good choice for the Ironman--very approachable, but still with teeth.

[Pseudonaut]

Category 1. Tried to go fast, died to a floor on map03.

ddevironman-pseudonaut.zip

[mhrz]

cat 1 dead on map07

amazing map

ddev_mhrz.zip

[SilentD00mer]

Category 1

Died on: Map06

Kills: 48/89

Time: 40:21

 

DWI_SiD00mer_ddev.zip

 

Lol

I can't believe that death. Well, one more victim of map06, right?

[ginc]

Category 1 (blind).

Survived in 2:24:39.

 

Spoiler

Really enjoyed this set, I like this style of combat where there's room to run around, but the monsters navigate the map easily and advance from multiple directions. I played cautiously and did some secret hunting, so my time might be a bit on the slow side but hey, I survived :)

IMO the author made the final 2 maps a bit on the easy side, as the BFG really trivializes it. Although, the ending text kinda hints that this was going to be part of a bigger WAD?

 

Video:

 

[head_cannon]

Ironman_ddev_HC.zip

Category 1

Dead on MAP06 with 27 kills.

Spoiler

I couldn't find a way out of that opening outdoor area.

 

These opening setups are really cool in how they require the player to pick a spot to proactively attack into to carve out some space, and all the directions they didn't pick will have crowds of unfought demons pushing into the player's new territory and besieging it. I really like the balance struck between "specifically taxing & choreographed" and "organic & freeform". I'll definitely be going back with saves to see the second half of the campaign.