Shanoa

With my previous "status update" i mentionned how i felt i had hit my "ceiling" as a doomer. I'd like to thank the folks who responded to it and those who have taken the time to read! Following one of said responses i decided to put on the big girl pants and jump straight into Sunlust with no background whatsoever on it beside the description i was provided with on the idgame archive. The following line was all i needed to dive-in: UV is designed primarily for ubermensch doom-gods. Oh good, that oughta be fun! Thus i introduce:

Lust for improvement - Part 1 of ? 

No. of deaths (so far): 6

Yeah not the best name but basically i'll use these handy little status updates to chronicle my journey through Sunlust, will i finish it? Will i abandon it? Do you even give a shit? Feel free to chime in and follow-me along this brutal journey. I will provide my opinion of each maps and how i managed to complete them. Of course, i will try to keep it short. I will be playing it on Ultra-Violence, with a continuous playthrough. Pistol-start would probably be recommended but i don't hate myself enough yet!

MAP01 - Chasing Suns 

Death: 1

On the get-go, while looking at the superb scenery around me, i know i'm in for a tough times. I can almost hear the starting area ushering to me "Once you get past that first door, there is no turning back". And sure thing, amongst the small group of former humans i can hear a Mancubus in the distance and to my right 2 chaingunners on ledges. The room also dares teasing me with a Soulsphere right up in my face, Sunlust really doesn't give a fuck. I used the fatty as a killing machine for these early imps then dispatched him with the shotguns, same for the chaingunners. Beside that, i haven't encountered any potent issues, some solid ambushes (one which killed me) but it was a good opening to what will be a violent megawad. Also, the Berserk pack was much needed, killed a few pinkies and hellknights with my fists.

MAP02 - Down Through

Deaths: 2

Ominous start, especially with how you hear things warping in. Arachnotron joins the fight and a few Arch-viles tries to ruin the day. The coveted Rocket Launcher and Plasma Autorifle shows up too! I will say i enjoy the usage of monsters corpses decorations as a mean for an Arch-Vile to resurrect during an ambush. My first death was in the room with an AV, a bunch of shotgunners, a mancubus, 2 chaingunners and a revenant. My 1st death was due to the surprise attack that followed the activation of the switch in that room. Gotta say, that Plasma ambush was mean, not only are you stuck behind bars for a few seconds but you're forced to witness an AV resurrecting two Revenants in a slightly cramped room. Thankfully i survived and left the room equipped better. The rest of the level went well and i ended with the coveted 200% health.

MAP03 - Forbidden Shrine

Deaths: 3

Huh 1-2-3, i'm seeing a pattern in those deaths here! This level, this level was something. I loved each encounters, especially the major ones with switches and keys. The level was carefully crafted so every single one of those fights had no easy-escape for firing safely at the horde of demons (i've a feeling this design will return throughout the whole thing). The blue key encounter was rather panic inducing due to being surrounded by a few imps, an hellknight, a rev and a chaingunners with the latter one being your utmost priority, using the RL is extremely unsafe here as well. Same goes for the army of imps that are connected to the blue switch, a convenient hellknight is guarding the damn switch so you better start dancing, also pain elemental. One of the last room, beyond the yellow door, was another example of "you step in you can't leave" except you're stuck with 4 resident fatsos and some floor hazard that eat 10% of your health. Sadly, i didn't manage to leave with 200%, despite the 2 Soulspheres, i got too careless with one of them and i simply didn't grab the 2nd one because of that room with 4 plasma autorifles. Funny enough, this was probably my favorite room due to how the floor is designed like a spiral which also hints you on how you should handle the room, by causing infighting while spiraling around.

But i sucked at it so i chickened out.

This conclude my first time with Sunlust, Map04 is looming over my head and i'm excited to see what's in store for me. Sooner or later i'll add +20 deaths with only a single map, you can bet on that! Thank you for reading and sorry for the length of the post!