Budoka

There really isn't a whole lot to say about this one. In fact, it's probably the least ambitious 32-map megawad you're ever going to find, to such a point that you can clear the whole thing in one day, possibly even one session. But what little Demonfear does, it does well and thoroughly. There isn't a single bad map in here, the action is constant and always well-calibrated. Architecture wise, absolutely nothing stands out of course, but it all looks surprisingly respectable for such an old release. As for the cherry on top, the inevitable Doom 2 map 30 remix that concludes the adventure(thank the Gods those days are over) is way, way better than a map of that sort has any right to be.

Mostly well-crafted, but all around forgettable content. From a total of 11 maps, there are like two or three standout fights and that's it. And all the maps look pretty much the same. Yeah, there just isn't much to say about this, even Adam Windsor's map is complete throwaway material somehow.

A masterpiece of mood and atmosphere, with level design that is both spectacular to behold and very structurally accomplished. Combat is generally lighter than puzzles and than the overall norm in PWADs, but isn't usually a complete walk in the park either.

A few really good maps supported by a bunch of alright ones. Visuals are mostly Plutonia-inspired, with the occasional veering into Shores of Hell type mish-mash architecture. Difficulty is about on par with DOOM2.wad I think. Overall, a rather pedestrian affair, although the standout maps are certainly worth the time.

The best thing to come out of 90s mapping by a long shot, in fact Memento Mori II is probably among the top 10 megawads ever even now, and certainly the only release from the pre-Alien Vendetta era about which I would dare to make such a claim.

 

The level design here is far tighter and far more professional than that of the first Memento Mori, the only potential exception to this rule being the somewhat strange "Base Exposure". You can trust that there are no baffling offerings in the vein of "Kinetics" or "Cesspool" to be found here. Superior level design aside, visual and thematic progression throughout the Megawad is also far better organized.

 

As a matter of fact, aside from the comparatively lower difficulty and pervasive presence of puzzle-like level progression, Memento Mori II often feels just as well-conceived and dynamic as a modern PWAD would, making it far, far ahead of its time is that sense.

 

It is quite unfortunate then, that among the three Megawads released by the Memento Mori crew, those being Memento Mori, Memento Mori II and Requiem, this second installment is by far the least frequently praised and certainly the least frequently played. As it turns out, it is by far the most challenging, but also, more importantly, the most consistently GOOD of the three.

 

IMPORTANT: DO NOT launch the file "AVMOVFIX.WAD" when playing Alien Vendetta. All it does is remove one of best portions of MAP20. That file was conceived as a fix for demo recording back in a day when processors where much less powerful, and despite being included in the download serves no purpose whatsoever in this day and age.

 

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An epic experience in the most genuine sense of the word, Alien Vendetta's long-standing reputation as the most legendary Megawad of all is entirely deserved, although it isn't quite my number one choice. Variety, quality, creativity and spectacle abound in just about every moment of this very lengthy, challenging adventure.

 

Indeed, it should be clear that even now, in 2018 as of me writing this review, Alien Vendetta still belongs to the realm of the fairly difficult by today's overall PWAD standards. However, this absolutely shouldn't stop any curious players from trying it out, because the content offered is absolutely, positively worth it. In fact, although Alien Vendetta as aged a little, it holds up much better than most of its contemporaries and many of the old classics so lauded by the community.

 

As a negative, I will say that I don't think I approve of that final boss map, which calls upon skills that are never necessary in the rest of the Megawad and generally not a priority of classic Doom gameplay, all the while demanding a very exacting display of said skills from the player. Also, if I really have to nitpick, then I will concede that a couple maps contain very clumsy moments ("Nukefall"...).

 

I will give away no more and let the rare few Doom 2 players who have not yet experienced this masterpiece discover it for themselves. Highly recommended.

Well-crafted atmospheric levels, as is par for the course for Eternal's better releases. Unfortunately, MAP02 suffers from the same main issue as MAP02 of Epic, which is to say an overabundance of empty space which the player has to constantly backtrack through while figuring out the map.

 

The map design here is not on par with Eternal's highest quality releases such as Frozen Time or Hell Ground, be it in terms of visual spectacle or player progression. Neither is the challenge, by which I mean that this is a fair bit easier than the two WADs mentioned above.

 

Still, although these two maps are definitely no Award-level material, they are satisfying overall and worth playing through at least once.

UV-Maxed in 7:43 (two tries from scratch). I'm not familiar with the work of Memfis, but this has a very late 90s/early 2000s feel to it, a far cry from Skillsaw's usual material. The level well-crafted all around, but lacking in challenge compared to Skillsaw's usually medium-hard fare, and a little too short for a stand-alone release.

Although the thematic progression is inconsistent with aesthetic styles all over the place, among which quite a few abstract locations, most of these map are of high quality when considered as stand-alone works. However, a there is a handful of maps in here that are downright terrible (MAP25 is especially confounding in the absurdity of its design). Be aware that many of these are fairly long, some pretty hard (18, 24), and some a challenge for your brain (07,28). Good job overall.

I had a great time with this but it's far from every Doomer's cup of tea. Many puzzles, many mazes, and lightweight opposition save for a few bigger fights(and even those aren't too hard). MAP27-30 are DM maps but show up as short bonus maps in SP mode. They're a weak climax, but so are MAP25(complete torture) and 26(short and easy). Play this if you can enjoy a more slow-paced, brain-twisting adventure.If you want the brutal, tricky dogfights of recent pwads then you shouldn't bother.

the oldest full megawad I could find. Surprisingly enough, most of these maps are quite satisfying to play overall, and there are a lot of cool moments to be found throughout. I can't rate it too high though, because some puzzles are too obtuse (E1M6/E1M7), there are several points where you can gets tuck permanently, and some areas are very ugly. Best moment is the Cyber fight in E3M4.

Fluid combat with a lot of variety, as the challenges are very different from one map to the next (and include some Plutonia tricks, so be ready for that). Also full of smart puzzles. But more importantly,this is by far the most atmospheric wad there is, with a dark gothic mood which, while not terrifying, never errs on the cheesy side. Don't forget turn Gamma correction off in order to fully experience the lighting contrasts. This is ART.

Not as atmospheric as advertised, but I love the complex structures and attention to detail. The mood is IWAD like, reminds me of Evilution a bit. I don't think a wad has to copy the classic Doom mood to work, but I don't mind revisiting it either. Gameplay here is made of puzzles, maze navigation, and ammo starvation. Monster density is low, but the maps are gigantic. Though I think the ammo on UV is a little too tight, especially if one can't find all secrets or guess which order to tackle rooms in.

Pure eye candy as usual with the scythe series, although it doesn't reach the immersion level of Scythe 2. Of course, the gameplay is high quality, with one caveat: whereas the first two Scythes are known to be amongst the most grueling megawads out there (I'm ignoring super-slaughter collections like Sunder or Chillax as those target a niche audience),most of this one is two easy. Only the last 2 maps throw on brutal challenges out of nowhere (do consider that I had to utterly butcher MAP10 to clear it).

This is often compared to Vanguard, but it doesn't play quite the same way, as the opposition here is both more lightweight and much more devious. Regardless, it's very satisfying. The fights are great, the custom enemies work perfectly and put on some interesting pressure on the player, and Skillsaw nailed the arcade space shooter feeling to a T. Of course,expect one of his typical easy-ish slaughtermaps. One big downside: compared to most of his other solo work, this one's over too quickly.

Better than I expected. As good as you would think a very early Skillsaw project could be, in fact. Even though this is older, the semi-realistic visuals and heavy backtracking remind me of T.V.'s Revolution! Likewise, this was is a little too easy until you reach the last two maps. Technical issues show up progressively, including a missing pain sector (had to IDLCIP), and, worst of all, many enemies in the final map are stuck. Regardless, it's worth playing through at least once.

05/21/15. Vanguard rightfully earned its place as king of the archive. It's a mix of everything that single-player Pwads have to offer: Ordinary maps, a couple gimmick maps which actually work very well, a surprisingly enjoyable Berserk map, and, of course, slaughter maps. Gameplay-wise, every single map is top quality. There isn't a single turd among the lot. As a cherry on top, the architecture is drop dead gorgeous even now. Anyone who happens to own Doom 2 must play Vanguard.

Less polished than Skillsaw’s later work but still great. First map is a Plutonia-like arena, second is an epic-length journey with a couple slaughter moments, third is… a secret. A must play for those who like Alien Vendetta, Resurgence (though this is easier), Skillsaw’s other stuff, or all three. Works fine with PrBoom+ if you follow his advice above.

Picks up after the first two maps. Mostly easy, but T.V. always keeps things interesting. Unfortunately, MAP18:XS contains a very annoying puzzle, and maps 21-22 are letdowns general. Meanwhile, MAP04:Phobopolis somehow manages to turn a map based around exploration, puzzles and platforming into a great experience, and we have MAP28:Exodus, which is some sort of watered down slaughter map. The best word to describe this is "different".