Anna1234Ihrs

Like Doom 2 but better...kinda. Don't get me wrong, this wad is amazing. I recommend you play it just to see how awesome it looks. Thats one of the best things this wad does. The way the levels are constructed, they all feel like a real place that would reasonably exist (aside from the two secret levels, but that's what makes them special). This adhesion to reasonability does come with it's fair share of problems however. Some of the secrets are just way too obtuse. I get that they are secrets, but secrets are placed in the level with the sole purpose of being found. Sadly, some of the secrets, I could not open for the life of me. I knew exactly where they were, but no matter what I did, I could not access them. I find this mainly to be a problem with the entrance to the first secret level. I played through this wad several times on various difficulties and not once have I found the intended path to the secret level. I'd always resort to noclipping out of frustration. There's also an issue with some levels when you pistol start them. Most levels have a shotgun sitting somewhere within the first minute of a map, but there are some levels where you are put up against unfair odds before you can reach that shotgun. A good example of this is the level that holds the entrance to the first secret level, where you are pitted against two hell knights in an enclosed space that has a lot of different geometry you can easily get stuck on with just your pistol and three ammo pick ups. I get that this is far from an impossible challenge, but 1: its not a fun challenge and 2: I was playing on Hurt me Plenty. I can understand putting me up against two hell knights with just a pistol if it was UV, but in Hurt me Plenty, 1 would be a much more fitting challenge. You could say that the map just wasn't designed for pistol starts, but you can find a shotgun in the very next room from the hell knights. Maybe I just need to get good, but for a mid game map on the average difficulty setting, I have a hard time justifying it. However, these complaints are nothing but nitpicks when you look at the whole picture. Every level is amazing and some of the level ideas are incredible. My top 3 levels have to be Map09, 18, and 32. Map 09 is catharsis incarnate. Watching the demons flood into the crusher room and slowly turn into bloody pulp was awesome. My only complaint is that the hit scanners can still take potshots at you through the viewing window. Map 18 is a really cool concept and is pulled off really well, although the effect is somewhat lost if you don't pistol start. Also, punching really should be allowed but thats more a problem with Doom itself and not the wad. Map 32 is a secret hunter's dream/nightmare. This one will take several attempts to 100%, but its a rush when you finally find out how to proceed. Even if you aren't interested in the rest of the wad, I would still recommend giving this level a go just to see how far you can get.