Krenium

This is the most fun I have had with a mapset in a long time. It was the perfect challenge for me on HMP. Thanks to all the mappers!

The difference between decino and I is that I don't get paid to play hard maps saveless. Edit: and also that he is a much, much better player than me, of course!

MAP22 - System Corruption by Moustachio PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo This map is vaguely reminiscent of what MAP10 (Eldtritch Apparitions) might have been without the restrictions. It's interesting how this one progresses: it starts out tech-basey and angular. As you get closer and closer to the corruption, the base itself starts becoming more organically shaped, with all sorts of weird curvy bulges in the rooms leading up to the valley. Perhaps it's being... corrupted? Once again, I seem to have completely missed an early armor, only finding it after making my way around the base and finding the blue armor. The first half of the map is relatively sedate, but once you step foot into the valley of death, things are pleasantly hectic. You have a bit of freedom as to how to approach this section. Camping and rushing both seem viable, though camping will become less effective against distant targets. There is some fun platforming here and you'll need to manage radiation suits to get everything accomplished here, applying some welcome pressure. I thought the dark castle-like structure in the screenshot above was cool-looking. As were those flesh elevators. Ammunition was extremely plentiful here which made me wonder whether UV has significantly more monsters. I could have exclusively used plasma in this map, probably. Pretty fun map overall. Map ranking (favorite -> least) 6 11 19 12 4 2 21 17 3 15 18 22 14 13 8 10 16 20 9 7 5 1 31

MAP21 - Return to Sender by A2Rob PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo The heat is now definitely on. This is easily the hardest map of the wad so far, with brutal ambushes being unleashed constantly. And as more and more ambushes get unleashed, the map opens up considerably, making room for... you guessed it. Even larger ambushes! It's not generally my preferred style of play but I can appreciate what the author is going for and observe that they pulled it off well. Nothing in this map is given for free (except the keys?) Weapons will make you wonder if they were worth it. Even soul spheres will make you wonder. I don't remember actually dying but I think I had at least ten near death experiences. That one archvile in the hallway full of corpses might have been the most evil vile I've ever encountered, lol. I just couldn't seem to make my way past the mountain of meat to get to him. I exhausted my final rocket finally killing him, thank goodness. The map is absolutely beautiful. Walls have a weightiness to them and overhangs jut off at all sorts of angles. Speaking of angles, 90 degree angles are not a thing you will see that often here. The lighting is very well done (see the second screenshot). Texturing sticks to a nice-looking theme and is a bit on the reserved side, which is a preference of mine. A lot of contrast is done with lighting and architecture instead, lending some more to the 'weighty' feeling of the map. All things considered, it's a fantastic map that I only rank this way because of personal preference in gameplay, and not because of any defect. I can see this topping others' lists. Map ranking (favorite -> least) 6 11 19 12 4 2 21 17 3 15 18 14 13 8 10 16 20 9 7 5 1 31

MAP20 - Moonlit Escape by JadingTsunami PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo I found this one surprisingly charming. To me, this map feels like it was done by a 'consultant' so to speak compared to the rest of the wad, as the style is starkly different. I'm not gonna lie; I'm a real sucker for this doomcute stuff. Normally, I wouldn't think a map with a layout like this would be too entertaining but the thing is that JadingTsunami put some actual worthwhile stuff to see and do in every section. Highlights for me were the rec area (pictured above), the hall of burning barrels, and the lost soul crushers. I appreciate the freedom this map gives to choose your own path, and especially that you can leave the vile and company in the room with the megasphere if you don't yet have the firepower to take them on. The dissection room was kinda weird, as the way I approached it for the first time there was no indication of any way to activate the crushers yet, so I simply took it head on with the BFG. Luckily there are enough cells on the map to use it here and for the final battle. There are some nice details sprinkled about, such as the elevator, the broken teleporter, and the drooping door near the red key. I adore the idea of labeling parts of the automap with what they are intended to be! Only drawback is that you can tell what's coming up. The lost soul crushers were a ton of fun to use! I probably crushed a good 60% of them. I wonder how the mapper got them to congregate underneath? Final battle was kind of interesting, since you have to keep moving but you also need to break LOS with an archie, you have to plan a head a little with your route. I wouldn't want to try it without the BFG, though! Downsides of the map include somewhat forgettable encounters, not fitting in with the rest of the episode, weak secrets, and a plain layout. But in general I enjoyed myself here thanks to the positives. Map ranking (favorite -> least) 6 11 19 12 4 2 17 3 15 18 14 13 8 10 16 20 9 7 5 1 31

MAP19 - Asteroid Assault by DFF PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo (Disclaimer: I like hitscan more than just about any Doomer I've met. This may be coloring my perception of the map somewhat.) What an experience. This map has a vision and executes it expertly. What is that vision, you ask? Hitscan. Hitscan everywhere. For having a roster of only three monsters, this map is more entertaining than you'd perhaps think. Less focus on monster composition is made up with more focus elsewhere. More focus on the setting. More focus on details. (The tank, the satellite, etc.) More focus on environmental gimmicks (the conveyor belt). More focus on flow. (The map is pretty non-linear, and even secrets can change the direction you first enter an area.) Aside from the opening, there are never any ambushes that threaten to overwhelm you with sheer size. (I should point out here that I found the invuln before the library ambush.) Any ambushes or releasing of monsters is done in small amounts or in a way that increases pressure over time. This of course is the way to do it with hitscan. Any part of the map that releases hordes of hitscan allows you to retreat to cover. So generally, what will kill you here is your own impatience. The shotgun and chaingun are the stars of the show on this map, despite being offered a SSG, rocket launcher, and plasma gun. In fact, since the shotgun has a buffed reload time in this wad, I kept using it against chaingunners even after getting the SSG. The buffed shotgun may actually be a good amount of the reason why this map works as well as it does. I generally didn't bother with rockets until the huge horde of zombies in the outside area near the end of the map. The secrets were generally fun to find (of the ones I did). Especially the one that takes a while to finally dump you at the soul sphere near the entrance. Let's talk about that conveyor belt, though. That was really cool! It was funny to watch zombies flying by too quickly to shoot at times. And it made it difficult to kill zombies in the main area without getting shot, adding a bit of spice to a roster that definitely needs it. The way the conveyor snakes not just around the perimeter but through vents in the ceiling was fantastic. I really loved this use of boom features; it turned a good map into a great map for me. Map ranking (favorite -> least) 6 11 19 12 4 2 17 3 15 18 14 13 8 10 16 9 7 5 1 31

MAP18 - Golden Palace by Moustachio PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo This map has a pretty interesting hot start. If you spot the rocket launcher and go for it immediately like I did the first time, you'll wake up an archvile who will make your life very difficult. I got annihilated, and my second attempt I went down into the yellow liquid to find enough firepower to dispatch the imps and revenants without waking the arcvhile, so I could later take him on alone. This was probably the trickiest encounter in the entire map. There are several tricky encounters, but not the sort that spring stuff on you; the kind where there are snipers on ledges covering each other and monsters hidden at the trickiest of angles. This map is weird. The color scheme is weird. The architecture is weird. The enemy placement is weird. The progression is weird. That yellow liquid is weird. And yet, I enjoyed my time thoroughly here. I think my favorite place in the map is pictured in the screenshot above. It's a really curvy hallway overlooked by some ledges filled with snipers you will be able to reach later. It's just interesting to look at and traverse. This part of the map made me think I was playing Descent. If I had to offer any criticism about this map, it would be that resources are too plentiful. It would have been interesting to have more of an 'attrition' style of gameplay I think, even if just a bit. This map employs almost no ambushes at all, instead relying on tricky placement. I like to see this because it's harder to do well and we don't see it done this well very often. The map is generally linear but it does criss-cross back over itself a few times, generally opening some part of the room up to reveal more monsters. This is a nice way to spice things up as you re-tread old areas. Definitely one of the most unique maps we've seen in the wad, and with this Moustachio really shows the range of maps they can produce. I liked it quite a bit. Well done! Map ranking (favorite -> least) 6 11 12 4 2 17 3 15 18 14 13 8 10 16 9 7 5 1 31

MAP17 - Yellow Sea by DukeOfDoom PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo This map takes a sharp departure from the relative realism of the previous maps and dumps us in an abstract zone full of yellow liquid. The color scheme is unusual and fun to look at. Most of all, this map is *fun*. I think I may have had more fun here than any of the other maps, though I'd be hard-pressed to explain exactly why. I think it might be the mix of giant main infighting battle with ambushes that take place inside various buildings dotting the landscape and smaller zones reachable only by teleporters. I enjoyed the feeling of teleporting around to disparate areas yet having the feeling of connection as well, as evidenced by cacodemons who can float from one area to another. The map features some entertaining platforming and plenty of opportunity to punch out some demons with the amped up berserk. Only thing I don't really like about this map is some of the secrets fall flat, being largely 'press this obvious wall' sometimes in a symmetrical fashion. I also don't like how difficult the archvile ambush is without the BFG secret -- I tried engaging them with plasma 7-8 times before giving up and searching for the BFG, which makes the encounter pretty easy. The BFG secret also feels unrewarding. Map ranking (favorite -> least) 6 11 12 4 2 17 3 15 14 13 8 10 16 9 7 5 1 31

MAP16 - Planet Vertigo by Diego 'DJV' Villarroel PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo This map starts off with classic MAP01 'storming the base' vibes which never fails to put a smile on my face. In short order, I met several long-distance hitscanners who got in a lot of lucky hits. The map generally doesn't let up on long-range monsters and monsters will be streaming around corners for quite a while. I turned my back too long and paid the price. The map is fairly stingy with medikits and if you'd believe, it, I actually died once to attrition. I don't mind this attrition-style gameplay, as it's more or less a first for this wad. However, I do generally think the entire map is about 20% too big. It just seemed a bit large without enough going on to justify the size. Besides the encounters being a tad underwrought and the room/corridor/symmetry heaviness, this map has several high points: Disciplined texturing - the palette looks nice and gives the map a consistent feel. The automap looks great - no really, take a look at it. You can clearly see a 'main' path winding through the base and the natural rock walls look absolutely lovely on the map (and in-game too). The lighting - I took the screenshot above because I like the way the shadows were done. The cyberdemon encounter is a nice touch - I ran past him and was really confused how he was gone when I came back. Only to meet him again later where he was a big help! The BFG secret was fun to execute. I liked the map pretty well overall. A good choice to ease us back into the wad proper after the secret map. Map ranking (favorite -> least) 6 11 12 4 2 3 15 14 13 8 10 16 9 7 5 1 31

"Imps in space" "Doom 2 Reloaded" "FIREBLU dancing on a pile of lost souls" "Akeldama" "A super shotgun in a vat" "Interception" "Platforming over nukage" "Teleporter to hell"

All enemies are great, but the one I personally find the most annoying is spectres. They always make you 0.000001 seconds late for breaking LOS with an archvile blast.

Akeldama is my favorite megawad to come out since 2010. It's that good. Just every. single. map. is such a success. It's very rare that I like nearly every map in a megawad. I've probably run through it about 6 or 7 times now. I don't replay wads unless I really, really like them. So yeah. Nice work on that! It also plays real nice with just about every mod I've thrown at it, especially the progression-based ones. My personal favorite maps: Chillwell by dt_ (this is my second-favorite map of all time, actually!) Carnage Facility by valkiriforce (so weird but awesome and tons to explore) Hangar Facility by valkiriforce and Moustachio (love the setting and fights near the end) Blood Covenant by antares031 (just wow!) Duskbound by Breezeep (this map might be the most beautiful vanilla-textured map I've ever seen!) But honestly every map in this wad is among my favorites overall. Dunno how you all did it, but you did.

MAP31 - Beamfleot by Moustachio PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo Not too much to say about this map. You're trapped in a glen with 2 cyberdemons (3 on UV!). You just have to kill all the commander keens to open the exit, but I elected to kill the bosses because it was manageable for me. (3 would not have been.) I still couldn't figure out the secret, though... It's not a bad map. It just can't really compare to any of the others we've seen so far on account of being so short and unorthodox. Lighting and texturing here is on point for conveying a secluded natural area on earth. Funny that the Keens are kept in little hellish enclosures, though. What am I to conclude from that? Map ranking (favorite -> least) 6 11 12 4 2 3 15 14 13 8 10 9 7 5 1 31

MAP15 - Volcanic Research by Moustachio PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo That was a cruel, cruel map. So many mean ambushes, lol. I think I died here 8 or 9 times, possibly more. However, something that makes this map stand out is that it's more like a series of dozens of mini-ambushes rather than a fewer bigger ones. This gives the map a certain flow that makes you more willing to keep trying after getting stomped. The giant, chaotic battle is reserved for the outdoor section if you can find it. The map looks quite nice. It goes for a darker aesthetic even though it's a tech base, giving it some creepy vibes, especially when juxtaposed with the glimpses of the volcano we can see from inside. It's a bit on the more abstract end of the spectrum as well which simply intensifies the creepiness. I appreciate how much the automap has been cleaned up, electing to show only major details while leaving out some lesser ones. Given how difficult it can be to navigate, I thought this helped me get from one place to another with less scrutinizing of the map. It makes me wonder if I've only just now noticed this about Moustachio's maps or if they didn't do this for all of them. It was great design to have a view of some major secret areas right before the exit. It definitely spurred me to search for the secret exit. This is probably the first map in the wad where I found the BFG before it's actually useful, so that was nice. (I think it was also possible in MAP08 but I never found it, heh.) The final gauntlet right before the secret exit was a nice excuse to break it out. Pretty fun map in a cool (hot) setting. I enjoyed it. Map ranking (favorite -> least) 6 11 12 4 2 3 15 14 13 8 10 9 7 5 1

MAP14 - Murder Mountain Mayhem by General Rainbow Bacon and DFF PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo I actually enjoyed the gameplay here for the most part. On HMP, which is notably lacking a cyberdemon, a lot of ambushes require skillful juggling of rocket launcher and plasma. Combat is close-quarters which allows ambushes to have an intimate and sometimes latent quality to them. One example is the ambush for the plasma rifle, with cacodemons surrounding you while some pinkies don't get alerted until you fire your weapon, adding perhaps another layer of ambush to the ambush. The map also allowed me to do some chainsawing which usually wins some gameplay points in my book. After picking up the blue skull key, I noticed another blue skull key that became inaccessible. Was it a secret I was too slow to get or were the map makers just messing with us I wonder? Lookswise, it was so-so. It wasn't ugly or anything, but it didn't particularly stand out. The most impressive area was probably the main outdoor zone at the start of the map (and which you come back to a couple times more over the course of the map). Decent use of verticality here as well, which is nice to see. There were some nice looking hallways, but occasionally they didn't really blend in to their surroundings. The spaceship was present here at the start of the map as well, lending a nice sense of progression with the previous two maps. However, it seems we are now leaving it behind! Two more things I enjoyed about this map: the semi-hot start (which I classify as being able to stay back and camp if you want, but you won't have enough ammo to do so indefinitely), and the fact that you can get lost here due to some not-immediately-obvious progression. Not everyone's cup of tea, but hey, every wad needs at least a couple! Map ranking (favorite -> least [note I reassessed my ranking and moved MAP03 a couple maps higher]) 6 11 12 4 2 3 14 13 8 10 9 7 5 1

MAP13 - Habitat Ring by by Moustachio, stewboy, Pegleg, and DFF PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo Here we have another Frankenmap that ultimately isn't harmed by the number of authors because it's a space station (I think?) with different segments for different aspects of nature. It ultimately comes off feeling segmented like a space station would be. I appreciate the various details sprinkled around (like the one pictured above) that you can't really get to but can look at. This map has a few memorable sections, notably the drop-down section with cliffs (pictured below) and the underwater section. Normally I would think parts of this map were a bit strangely shaped and textured, but instead of coming off as amateurish, they evoked memories of games like Descent. For instance, the area around the red door. The underwater section is impressive and something I didn't know was possible to pull off so convincingly in Boom. The pinkies with their blue horns and claws I found almost cute. This section is tense because you aren't sure if you'll have enough rad suit to complete it. Definitely got my blood pumping. The snowy(?) section and the natural section near the exit were the two biggest loci of opposition, and I felt they both dragged a bit. The arachnotrons camping behind some obstacles up on a hill all but guarantee you'll need to clear out the rest of the cave before proceeding. All in all, I like this map. Its setting, details, and technical achievements make it memorable and a good time. Map ranking (favorite -> least) 6 11 12 4 2 13 8 3 10 9 7 5 1

I always enjoy watching your vids, not just to see upcoming features but also to pick up tips for playing the various classes and get introduced to semi-obscure wads. Can't believe I've never heard of that mapset before but it's so good.

MAP12 - Deep Space Mine by Moustachio PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo Ah, now this map is just the ticket. If MAP06 was the flashy dazzler and MAP11 was the epic adventure, this map is Doom umami: a palate cleanser. The sort of thing you'd want to have while curled up in front of a fireplace while it's snowing outside. I struggled with whether I liked this better than MAP04 or not, but in the end I decided I did. It mostly comes down to the setting, which I have a bit of a weak spot for. Mining bases are my thing. And at night with a starry sky? Possibly on an asteroid? Super cool. The spaceship at the end really cements it. I found the map a joy to explore, particularly the outside area. I like how it gets pretty remote until you reach a dead end -- or is it? If you activate this secret early on, like I did, god help you. The ensuing fight was quite a ride for me, possessing only lesser arms and somehow a mountain of monsters between me and the archie with plenty more corpses for him to resurrect. The aesthetics are spot on. Just lovely to look at. Not much to say here except Moustachio shows off just how competent they are at selling the setting. I like the way nukage was handled; you get a chance or two to mess up with the rad suits, but you're still pressured to 'figure it out' on a timetable. There's even a secret or two involved here (including the BFG) which was fun to discover. The encounters on this map, though not generally difficult, are my favorite kind: a large mass of imps supported by other monsters who trickle in from ambushes slowly and are allowed to roam widely. This map elicited the feeling of 'fronts:' you might have some dangerous baddies you're dealing with in front of you, but you can't ignore the slow trickle of imps streaming in behind you at the same time. In conclusion, this is just the thing to kick off a new episode. The slower pace and impressive setting combined to orient me to the wad's new direction. And I'm all on board. Map ranking (favorite -> least) 6 11 12 4 2 8 3 10 9 7 5 1

MAP11 - Slipgate Ex Nihilo by DFF (with edits by Moustachio) PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo Yowza, what a map! It starts strong, it stays strong, and it ends just as strongly. The forklift pictured above, for example, is a sweet detail right near the end of the map. For a map of this size and ambition, and by one author, it's incredibly impressive for a map not to have any obvious cut corners. For the record, it took me 45 minutes to beat on HMP without searching too hard for secrets. I devoted maybe 4 minutes or so and ended up finding maybe 4-5 of them. The map is mainly a sprawling tech base but it's nestled into some cliffs floating in a black void. The beginning of the map features some very pleasing natural terrain. One detail I like about this map is how (aside from a couple yellow doors) it employs colored force fields instead of key doors. The cool thing is you can see through them, so you can get a small idea of what to expect. This does a lot to give the map its own identity and split it up into memorable logical sections. The map is pseudo-linear. What I mean by that is that despite weaving and bobbing and winding and redoubling around all over the place, there is generally only one place to go at any given time. Later in the map, it opens up a bit more and you have some more choice, but early on it does a good job guiding the player. Which is good, because for a map this size, the alternative could be overwhelming. The pseudo-linearity is well-disguised so it shouldn't bug players who dislike linearity. (I personally love it, but I digress.) At the beginning of the map, we get a nice archvile jump scare, presumably giving us a preview of all the archies we'll be fighting. And fight them we will! There are multiple ambushes in this map that unleash multiple archviles at the same time and you'll need to be very good at hoarding health/armor or getting out of line of sight to stand a chance. For the most part, combat in this map flows smoothly, with a good pacing between incidental combat and ambushes. The map is fun to explore; even though the macro scale is the main draw of the map, DFF sprinkles around just enough cool details to keep your need for micro detail satisfied. I should also mention the way control rooms and other terminals were made in this map was incredibly aesthetically pleasing to me in a way that most maps aren't. The 'tech stuff' in this base isn't just haphazardly strewn around; placement of things makes logical sense. Hats off for that. I loved that room where the cacodemons were trapped in cages, slightly sunk below the floor. Besides the area looking cool as hell, the cacos were so annoying to kill! But in a good way, heh. The music track was a great choice, since it is rather inoffensive and exudes exploratory vibes. I didn't tire of it after nearly an hour. In conclusion, this map is a marvel. I'd love to read some backstory behind it. How is it possible for one of the most active contributors to the wad to make a map this big and impressive solo, while having time to contribute elsewhere? Map ranking (favorite -> least) 6 11 4 2 8 3 10 9 7 5 1

MAP10 - Eldritch Apparitions by Moustachio (with edits by DFF) PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo The opening view of this map leaves quite an impression. I love the teeth protruding around various orifices, including what seems to be the esophagus. The various streams of bile (with translucency!) and blood are some neat visual flair that really help cement the setting of being inside something's actual guts. The map can be divided into four broad sections: the opening area, which orients the player and is largely characterized by incidental combat with the odd mini-ambush; the tunnels (small intestine) on the way to the blue key; the caverns (large intestine) after unlocking the key door; and the final area (um, I'll leave it to your imagination where this might be). I enjoyed the sense of progression near the start, with the switchbacks up the side of the 'stomach.' Nice verticality in here, and the capstone fight up top after grabbing the rocket launcher was both fun and probably the most vicious fight of the map (I died here once). The other notable fight that takes place here is of course right before the exit. It's pretty nasty, but keep moving and using the resources available to you and the opposition will clear out enough for you to finish the job. I didn't find the BFG, yet I was able to handle this okay (but only just so in terms of ammunition). Thanks for balancing with us secret-challenged folk in mind! An oddity I experienced was the two barons at the very end were both very low on health and only took a rocket or two to die. I wonder if that was intentional using some Boom trickery or if they had actually managed some infighting from behind the bars. All in all, it's a solid map that manages to make the most of its limited texture palette, in large part due to some convincingly organic architecture. Very curious to see where we'll end up next... Map ranking (favorite -> least) 6 4 2 8 3 10 9 7 5 1

MAP09 - Belly of the Beast by Moustachio, stewboy, Pegleg, NuclearPotato, and DFF PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo Belly of the Beast vaguely reminds me of The Citadel in parts, though it establishes its own identity overall. There is quite a bit of cramped combat here which is novel for this wad; I personally enjoy it because it allows encounters to be more dangerous with lower monster counts. All the same, this map was a bit of a breather compared to preceding maps. Most encounters are rather straightforward outside of a few set pieces. Speaking of set pieces, those revenants guarding the blue key, though! Whoever built this did so perfectly to maximize how irritating it is, as you must walk forward to expose yourself to get close enough for auto-aim to kick in. For me, it's one of those "so annoying that it's actually impressive" type things. Something I enjoy about this map is how often it shuts doors behind you, sometimes permanently, but without making you feel locked in to an arena. It lends a sense of dynamism to an otherwise simple layout. Aesthetically, I like the exterior areas quite a bit, with void being used where one might otherwise expect grass. The cubic abstract architecture going on out here is a sight to behold. Some interior sections I found less impressive and at times, ugly. (An area near the start has some windows built into uncomfortably thin walls. Another section featured a staircase that causes you to hit your head when you descend.) Others looked pretty nice, like the dimly lit hallway. Also, kudos for tasteful FIREBLU in some of the detailing. The ending was a treat — a depiction of the 'beast' from the title emerging from the void. I wonder if the map makers took hints from MAP06 because this is reminiscent of some of the 'beasts' we saw in that map. When you get close, the beast opens its mouth in an impressive display. I sincerely hope we get to explore the beast's innards in more detail in the next map, though to be fair we did go through a teleporter in here. Map ranking (favorite -> least) 6 4 2 8 3 9 7 5 1

MAP08 - Bermuda by Moustachio and Pegleg PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo With Bermuda, I would say Astral Castle no longer leads the pack in difficulty. I think it may be no coincidence that Moustachio had a hand in both maps. This map will test your skills no matter how grizzled you are at Doom. I was beaten and battered by almost every encounter, though supplies were generous enough to keep me limping along. I died about six or seven times, regardless. The aesthetics of the map are wonderful. The view pictured above is one of my favorite scenes from the wad so far. I wonder if the map got its name from the first room you enter, which is triangular. There are two gameplay details I really like about this map. First, there is a blursphere that you really want to take near the entrance to the dark cavern. The map does a good job signaling that you probably want to take it before you get to it. Second, the teleporter that takes you near the exit once you've progressed far enough is a spectacular addition. I can't tell you how handy that was for me. By the way, there are arachnotrons mixed in with the cavern full of hitscanners, but you still probably want to take the blursphere anyway. Terrifying, and just a little bit evil. I like it. Naturally, I didn't find either of the secrets until I had cleared the map. Both would have been highly impactful. So much so that I am considering playing the map again soon just to see how much they would help. The BFG would've been really nice to have for the final battle. Anyway, nice work on the map. I enjoyed it! Map ranking (favorite -> least) 6 4 2 8 3 7 5 1

MAP07 - The Everlaster by joe-ilya (with edits by DFF) PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo Here we have another map that isn't about ammo management. It's all about how you use it. I enjoyed my time here. 'The gimmick' was so amusing I shall long for more maps with mancubus-powered progression. I must admit I felt like a bit of a monster myself killing this poor guy over and over however. The Everlaster (excellent name btw) features a few buildings that serve purposes, but for the most part, the scenery is of the abstract sort, lending the map a pleasant strangeness to it. It is laser focused on being a progressively growing arena, yet it still looks excellent every step of the way. I especially thought the map looked cool after the penultimate walls lowered to reveal the ring of lava. A few of the waves feature sections with entire platoons of hitscanners hiding behinds buildings, encouraging you to turn around and get out of there as quickly as possible. This may well be the most threatening aspect of the roster. For the most part, as long as you can survive long enough, the monsters will tear each other to shreds. The final wave features a huge amount of arachnotrons, quite reminiscent of Dead Simple. The difference here is that you'll need to manage rad suits if you want to do some effective herding. I appreciate the heavy firepower available here. I'm not usually one who does well at arena-style gameplay, but the ample ordinance and somewhat relaxed monster count (on HMP at least) combined to make it not only surmountable, but fun for me. It almost felt laid back in a way, at least as far as these things go. It's good, simple, clean fun, and a nice change of pace compared to the intricate layouts of the previous several maps. Map ranking (favorite -> least) 6 4 2 3 7 5 1

MAP06 - What Could Go Wrong? by Big Ol Billy PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo I don't know if I can do justice to this map in writing. It was more than a map — it was an experience. The kind of experience I didn't want to end, so I wandered around exploring for an additional forty minutes after revealing the exit. And wouldn't you know it, but I uncovered multiple secrets and many more wonders besides. I was stunned when I activated some computer panels near the teleporter that leads to the red skull key, only to reveal some dioramas of upcoming destinations. Such a magnificent detail, and yet Big Ol Billy didn't even bother to put it out in the open or make a secret out of it. I love that kind of confidence and the willingness to sprinkle these artifacts around solely for the sake of the experience. What Could Go Wrong? employs a dual worlds motif, with a dark world and a light world hopelessly entwined with each other through a series of portals (with a hell of a cool effect, I might add). It's a great idea taken to the next level by flawless execution. As soon as I realized what was going on, I got so excited to compare equivalent locations in each world together. If there's one emotion this map exemplifies to perfection, it would be anticipation. Anticipation for the next experience, the next artifact, the next relation between heaven and hell. And anticipation for opening the red skull key doors. I love the way this was done. By the time you get the skull key, you can just about leave the map if you want. But do you really want to do that? I sure didn't. Instead, I was super curious about the red skull key doors. Opening them felt less like opening some doors and more like plumbing the depths of a secret network. The effect that happens when you first reveal these teleporters is just about the coolest thing I have ever seen in Doom. My brain could barely process what it was seeing. I haven't even touched on the gameplay yet because the map does non-gameplay so well. It's got everything: a hot start, methodical incidental combat, a tense foreshadowed battle with cacodemons locked away in tubes, clever puzzles, platforming, and a neat boss battle. Not to mention plenty of fun encounters besides. This is the first map of the wad where ammunition is given generously, which is a nice change of pace. The map simply doesn't need to make the player conserve. It's got plenty of other ways to be engaging. My first exposure to Big Ol Billy's work was the secret map in NOVA 3, which also blew me away. I've since come across more of his work in some Doomer Board Projects and after this, all I can say is that I think I will be seeking out the rest of his work! Map ranking (favorite -> least) 6 4 2 3 5 1

MAP05 - Astral Castle by Moustachio PrBoom+ / Hurt Me Plenty / Pistol start / Saves / Demo Remember back in my first writeup when I pondered whether mappers would make harder pistol starts because of the buffed weapons? Yeah. This map right here. It's got enough of that pistol start energy for the entire wad. You start out in a building completely surrounded on all sides by all sorts of nastiness, including distant hit scanners. Every inch of ground you claim will be hard-fought, as ambushes will plague your every step. My meager Doom skills were barely enough to complete the map with ~6 deaths in half an hour on HMP. The nice thing about this map is that it offers a lot of freedom in how you approach it. Maybe too much freedom for a first-time playthrough. On subsequent playthroughs, you may remember the location of some integral items as well as have a better idea of what strategies might work. For instance, I came to the conclusion eventually that playing it safe is your best bet at first, but then it's best to make a hail mary for one of the surrounding buildings and try to gain a foothold there about the time you defeat the first or second ambush. The layout of the map is quite intricate, being a series of fortifications on floating landmasses connected in interesting ways. And although the map's aesthetics are perhaps a bit frenetic (for my tastes), there's no denying that they are crafted by a professional. You certainly won't find them lacking. Ammo starvation vexed me but only in the first half because I wasn't bold enough to stake an early claim on one of the edges. It would have been even less of an issue had I found the berserk near the red key early on. Most of the archies were very well-placed. Kudos for that. The music was a good chunk of the reason why I didn't mind dying so much. Great selection. In summary, I found Astral Castle to be punishing in a way that forces you to strategize. That's the good kind of punishing. And everything else about it is good enough to keep you coming back long enough to succeed. I commend Moustachio for crafting such a unique experience. Map ranking (favorite -> least) 4 2 3 5 1