LadyMistDragon

PSYKOPLEX22 (2022) by JS Graham @isthisnametaken (From Doom With Love) The above quote is taken from an extra text file included with it and um, yeahhhhh. This must have been released before I started seriously looking into things released on /idgames that seemingly have not been released on Doomworld(actually, it wasn't. I think the text file may have caused me to gloss over it though). It's basically akin to a map called Crux Funestus that Jeff released not too long back in it's arguably overly-grindy slaughter gameplay. The recently-released Elegant Agony this is not unfortunately. In any case, the two maps I was able to play (I adopted the Roofi philosophy for this one just in case it was like an undiscovered gem) are fairly average, if sprawling and healthily-detailed pieces of techbase goodness. What's not quite so good is that killing is an overwhelming part of the gameplay. If one is more into the exploration factor, buckle up because there are large groups of enemies around basically every corner! On the plus side, the secrets all tend to be pretty nice. Unfortunately, it's also quite easy to miss the powerful weapons here.....then there's that ridiculous hitscanner room that one only hopes can be approached from above. If not, there could be some trouble. The second map was a place where I had little issue with playing carelessly, but there was still 75% killed by the time I gave up the ghost. That series of elevators near the beginning was slightly annoying. Curious quasi-hanger homage as well Score 6.5/10 The maps are actually fairly well-done....but I just don't like maps that throw down tons of enemies unless there's progress and some atmosphere going on which these first maps don't have at least. Play with a pillowblaster mod for maximum enjoyment! Video here!

YEAHHHHHHHH!

As usual, this will be played on UV on the From Doom With Love sourceport. Pistol-starting is not very likely for these first several maps though. Map 01: The Operator That is such a good opening midi! Especially when compared with an overall quality not as good as the Revoulution! Midi Pack. And on another note, I don't think this map gets enough credit. Yes, it has the boxy feel of an early Doom map, but it's claustrophobic and thus a fair bit more dangerous than the usual first map. Even if the shotgun had been made available earlier, like say, right before the two Imps across the slime pit, there's still some truth to that, Moreover, there is a certain balance of minimalist detailing with an even simpler layout. It's really kind of nice how when returning from the red key, it's possible to take out many of the shotgunners near the exit despite them being some distance away, but it's up to the individual to decide if they think that's really worth it. The secret tagging is a little bit odd though, since it seems two paralell sectors somewhere were tagged secret. I guess the LAV is a little useless, but there are some darker areas so it could be worst. Also, zombies are headless for some reason. Moving on. Map 02: Outer Base The midi here is a strangely 90s deep synth with some staccato harmonic guitar weaving its way through the whole thing to create a certain sense of disturbing menace. We almost immediately exit into a courtyard with a chaingunner each in towers at the opposite end. Since we can't reach it right now, we take the plunge into the completely harmless moat...oh wait, there's a spectre at each end in some darkened tunnels. The one with the blue key door can't be bothered with right now, so we head toward the end with the sort of little rooms surrounded by former humans that die fairly quickly. The demons and spectres in the next room with some curious lighting are a thing, along with the trap which actually hides a bloodwall that opens the way to one of the chaingunner compartments. Then it's a journey to a couple of rooms to hit some switches near some consoles, kill the workers, then raise the bridge to the other end of the courtyard and pick the yellow key up. Past this door is a Super shotgun and a Cacodemon or two kind of off in the distance and some chaingunners that basically keep us getting too aggressive. The presence of the Cacodemons isn't all that challenging but it's still some nice stakes-raising! And the monster count is nice! Map 03: Paranoya The collection of guys in the closets at the beginning beg for the Super Shotgun. What's more, Vader seems tempted to troll the shit out of us with the weapon placement. Hey, let's place these weapons right next to who they're needed for! Sorry Georg, but I'm not playing your fucking game! :p) Although his skills as a composer are actually quite solid. He sort of falls into the same category as Mr. Freeze as someone who's stuff isn't necessarily arty but can lay down a basic groove. This midi here is constantly filled with tension, although I think the guitar here is a little hokey. No matter though, this is the largest map so far but it's also an easily navigable structure. Consoles can be found on many walls that tend to be CONCRETE variants essentially. We meet the first Arachnotron and only one of the map and their new plasma sound is utterly HIDEOUS! In a way, it's like a ridiculous parody of the original, with the main issue being that actually had solid audio mixing, whereas this just sounds like aggressive static. Yeah...... The secret room with the rocket boxes was missed essentially because a monster closet trap which also reveals a sort of checkstand/metal detector of sorts makes the telltale wall make far less unique. The chaingunner trap was nice, but we got luckier than usual. The Cacodemon trap, on the other hand, led to a frantic and prolonged search for a rocket launcher, which doesn't actually exist as it happens. Don't be too surprised if the shell count dips incredibly low at the end, especially since there are Imp packs on either side of the end room, along with another Cacodemon trio in the exit. Better stake-raiser than the last map though. Vader feels confident here.

uhhuhuhuhhyeahyeahyehayyeah

Hmmm, Civvie's looking rather fierce these days

Red House Painters - Funhouse

I get that a lot.

Oh god, I remember that one and personally, that's kind of an anti-recommendation. I suppose at least one can find their way around but the maps feel so big and there's lots of monsters for some reason (I'm not against that tactic if it has purpose behind it, but the bloating was hard to take There's this other one that came out recently (/idgames release pending)

hmm....that's wishful thinking. It's not to the same level of blatant exploitiveness as Metal Gear and Castlevania pachinko machines, but the basic idea of 'easy money' in both is similar.

Honestly, that would be really cute.

Hmph!

Rory Gallagher - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

EVIL.WAD - So maybe the name's a bit shit. However, anyone who's up for a map that's both concise, secret-rich and packed with visual storytelling should really check this out. It can be divided into two distinct sections. The first is an underground mine, leading to a nasty tomb at the end which will prove much easier to handle if a nearby secret is found beforehand. The second is a moderately-detailed outdoor area, containing lots of brown rock a la Fragport but spiced up with different areas scattered throughout. Combat is probably a little besides the point in most locations, but trust me, there are some fights that can be seriously nasty! The Mastermind fight is probably a little bit awkward, due to the raising/lowering pillars and the fact that you've got to drop down into the funnel at the center and pick the blue key up for the surface to raise up. In the meantime, she'll probably tear you to shreds for a bit. Elsewhere however, flares can be spotted in certain remote locations, some very interesting sprites are used (a Doomguy skeleton in one case) and even a couple of odd Easter eggs that are some private in-joke of the author. If you find a certain hidden switch, the author's signature in fireblue will even be raised near the end. The sloppy placement and overly large area at the end are undoubtedly further proof of this. As an exploration map that's not too long, it gets close to being very good! Another note: the midi of Alice in Chains' "Junkhead" feels like an excellent choice for a map that in many ways feels like an outtake from a Fragport sequel! Good stuff. Another E1M1 remake - Don't be deceived by the name, this is a very extensive reimagining. Even though it's possible to reach the exit in roughly the same time as the original, there's so much more going on! An underground cave with the strongest baddies, some other additional facilities and an incredibly absorbing environment overall, it's very easy to lose time here. Cognition Engine - This has already been mentioned, but with very good reason. The internal narrative is intriguing, the secret areas are fascinating in how they flesh out said narrative and best yet, the way tech melds seamlessly into a flesh aesthetic while utilizing a non-vanilla aesthetic gives it the sort of qualities that leave it in strong Cacoward contention! dead.wire - I already wrote about this for the spoopy club of spoopiness but needless to say, the static background and transparent enemies make for a highly unsettling atmosphere. It's kind of like a more normalized Cruelty Squad blended with something adjacent to Quake and it's really, really good! Vinyl Choloride Volcano - Made by a contributor to /vr/ projects, the design shows about as much inspiration and sense of place as anything from those projects! The minor Hangar homage was kind of cool. But also, there's something incredibly charming about blending some incredibly nice bases inside a Plutonia-styled layout to create a secret-rich environment that always left me eager to explore more! Might also just be a sucker for docks as it happens. I'm not sure. I just know I loved it. Dead End Dust-Up One might compare this to a less-detailed Never Turn Your Back on the City. In either case, this is a very nice city environment. Crack houses and basketball courts can be spotted and what's more, the combat is up-to-snuff easily! There isn't lots that can be called difficult but monster placement is deliberate enough to keep most people engaged! And that's a nice midi it's got too! UAC Bioweapons Facility - There's technically a map after this one in the wad as it stands now but this one stands out due to its general expansiveness and secret-rich environment. The trucks outside are really cool and layout shows serious thought given to it. There's lots of details and also surprisingly strong use of custom monsters. I'd go so far as to say it's better than something like Waterlab the Cacoward winner from 2017! It was just more intriguing, if more confusing than that map. Orcus Base - This is one of those rather inconsistent maps that has some seriously cool moments, the teleportation activation room the barracks with the Polybius machine that kills you, then the trip to Hell, then finally, return to the base and exit into a beautiful night sky after a big battle....well, calling these moments few and far between might be a stretch but things are drawn-out enough that one's patience might be tried.... Toxicity - It's strange. LVENDead did not make a huge impact on me with a GZDoom map he did some time back but with this and that hell-themed map he released a month or two back, he's quickly rocketing into the ranks of mappers I always look forward too, whether I've got time for them or not. This multi-layered extravaganza shows there's still plenty of juice that can be squeezed out of that ol' slime lime. Fairly open-ended, fairly easy to navigate and dangerous without getting frustrating (mostly) it's very fun trying to figure out where to go and how to handle everything. The lift raising us to the end is actually pretty nice!

Was something like the first map originally planned for Doom 64? Because that's really cool if it was! It's sort of easy to see why the other maps were cut admittedly (repetitive theming from their likely place in the game, an overcooked Tower of Babel redux being a little out of place in Doom 64, and so forth) but they all seem like they could be as entertaining as much of Doom 64!