UnknDoomer's corner of ultra silence - Short WAD Reviews / Longplays / Hints

86. Scourge of Viscerus (2004 / 2010).

Wad for Hexen presented by @MTrop. Consists of 1 hub and 7 levels. Was started in 2004 / 2005, after which it was abandoned for a long time despite the general readiness. Was eventually completed in 2010. Of the main points one can note the presence of a simple, but well-arranged plot, as well as the compactness of locations, combined with a high level of detail. In this regard, in the context of the previously considered wads as well, Hexen as a whole is characterized by one detail - a number of them often managed to surpass the original in many aspects, which suffered from extreme confusion in case of solving puzzles, and in the case of the add-on, Deathking of the Dark Citadel, often extra hardcore, due not so much to complexity as to the respawn of strong enemies.

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/sov_1-png.274896/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/sov_2-png.274906/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/sov_3-png.274905/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/sov_4-png.274908/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/sov_5-png.274907/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/sov_6-png.274903/

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.9.0, difficulty 4/5.

* Walpurgis 0.97.

* ~ 2 hours to complete.

 

 

Pros:

 

+ Location design.

+ Attention to detail.

+ Adequately built puzzles.

+ The final battle on the chessboard.

 

Main tasks and riddles.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/sov_swamp_key-png.274904/

 

In the process of playing I got stuck only once when I could not figure out where I can get the swamp key and apply the remaining gear (after installing it you can pick up the key nearby). The place to insert it is rather inconspicuous. Otherwise it is enough to think logically and look at the map. There should not be any particular difficulties.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

87. TENEBRUM (2020).

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_1-png.274929/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_2-png.274930/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_4-png.274975/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_5-png.274990/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_6-png.275003/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_7-png.275007/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_9-png.275167/

 

Wad for Heretic presented by @jaeden. Consists of 35 levels (2 secret). In terms of location capacity it starts from quite compact and grows somewhat as it moves, but, at the same time, a common characteristic detail remains throughout the entire wad - skirmishes in narrow corridors with relatively moderate (if we emphasize the placement of the wad somewhere in the middle between those where at the level of 100 -150 enemies and protracted battles with huge armadas), number of enemies.

 

 

The other 3 videos can be found here.

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.9.0, difficulty 4/5.

* The difficulty of the wad as a whole can be assessed as hardcore, although the first levels may give a different impression. Furthermore, of the wads that I have seen under Heretic, this one I would call the most difficult.

* It may take up to ~ 20 hours to complete.

* A lot of new types of enemies have been added, ~ 30 types, both unique and arrived from Hexen and the Realm 667 pack. Some of the old ones have been redone. So, for example, iron liches can now fly. Of the interesting ones, noted separately:

 

** black gargoyles. Stronger than normal red and fire from Hexen + they attack faster.

** flying cubes. Fires a burst of fiery projectiles.

** black (foggy) ghosts.

** lava golems.

** Snake-like creatures. The original of these received an alternative version with a pair of hooves.

** Medusa, similar in image to Medusa Gorgon. They can immobilize the hero, turning him into stone, and quickly remove all HP with their attacks.

** Fire monsters first appearing on M21. The sprite is based on the red boss from Corridor 7.

* Weapons have been partially reworked.

* Two new unique items were added. A bag that replenishes the stock of ammunition of a particular weapon by 50% and an amulet that absorbs 300 damage.

* Jumping, which is not typical for Heretic and most of the wads for, is allowed and will be required as you progress.

* New textures.

* 8 bosses.

* As opposed to 3 keys in the original, up to 8 keys may be required here. Of similar examples, only Faithless considered earlier, where 4 keys were used, is recalled.

* New gameplay mechanics:

 

Quote

Bottomless pits - It does exactly what you think it does
Blood pools - Slows the player and disables jumping. If you stay in blood for about 3 seconds, you instantly die.

 

* Combination with any gameplay modifications is not recommended for obvious reasons.

* There is nothing behind the red door on M21. It is also impossible to find the key to it, but you can enter the cheat code "SKEL" and make sure that if you have the key, the door cannot be opened and when you enter noclip that there is a void behind it.

* On the M22 you will have to fight with a modified malotaur. After a while he turns on a fire shield that reflects all attacks. To take it off it is necessary to send the malotaur to a wooden wall - there is a fountain behind it. He step into - he loose shield.

* Invisibility will come in handy to deal with the red orb on the M26.

* Red switches can be found on the M26. When they are pressed health is lost and nothing happens. Only the boss can switch them, which will be waiting at the end of the level, or rather one of his attacks - red, electric kind. For this reason the general algorithm is as follows:

 

1. At first it is recommended to press all the switches, but at times the boss can turn on invulnerability and change the type of attack.

2. In this case the yellow spheres that are around come in handy. Each, in turn, removes one orb that supports the boss's shield. You should use them with care, as their number is significantly limited and you will need to remove the shield several times. If there were not enough spheres and there is no suitable save nearby, then all that remains is to use the "gimmez" cheat, which gives all the items in the maximum amount. When moving to the next level all items will remain in a single quantity. Subsequently, I got rid of the "extra items" in next stages - a part disappears from the inventory automatically when moving to the next level, leaving one of each type. I wasted the rest at the end of M28 / beginning of M29 (forgot that in GzDoom you can assign a button to throw away unnecessary items).

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_10-png.275175/

 

* There is an easter egg on M27. Not far from the start you can see a narrow passage where the hero can enter in the form of a chicken. Nearby there are several enemies with shields. Using single shots from the fourth gun,you need to provoke one of those to raise the shield and at the same second use the egg - a ricochet will work, the hero will turn into a chicken. After passing through the passage it will be possible to enter the portal, where the Easter egg is waiting.

 

*M29. Battle with a modified malotaur. On the video 5:46:00. It is highly recommended not to waste the invulnerability that can be found on the field near the gate - it will come in handy in the final phase. However, despite the significant complexity, it is possible to deal with this malotaur without one. In this case it makes sense to have a supply of ammo for the first and fourth weapons. The battle will take place in 4 stages:

 

1 / 2. Regular fight. After receiving a certain amount of damage malotaur will move in the center of arena and will carry out two types of attacks, both are area type. It is better to stay away from explosive one. As for the blast waves you need to jump over it, exactly when it approaches the hero. Each wave passes three times. After three jumps you need to go into the fog to the sphere and destroy it. Then carry out another series of jumps, destroy the next sphere.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_12-png.275187/

 

3. Third phase. The Malotaur will attack more strongly and it will no longer be possible to run freely across the field. You need to keep your distance and attack from afar. A passing task is to ensure that when the latter is dispersed, the malotaur is at the gate and the hero is in the place shown in the screenshot. With such an arrangement hero will be completely invulnerable to any types of attacks and from where he himself can conduct an attack due to the first and fourth weapons mostly.

4. Another round with spheres and area damage.

5. The last fight. If in the second phase there could still be indirect chances for avoiding damage, then in the last they will not be. As a consequence it is necessary to carry out the same trick that was done in the second phase. At the same time it will be possible to finish off a malotaur with the first weapon.

 

* M32. At the level you can find at least three invulnerability items (I brought one more from the previous level also). Don't waste them. One will come in handy in a dark room where the black key is located, guarded by several dark creatures with wings. The second one is in the library. The third may be needed towards the end when fighting red creatures with wings, and the fourth in the final against a large number of enemies, from which there will be nowhere to hide.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_13-png.275215/

 

The moment before taking the yellow key was not captured on the video, but such winged opponents have one vulnerability - they cannot pass through relatively narrow openings. This can be exploited on this map by running away from a group of them to the nearest suitable place.

 

* M33. The final does not shine with originality and at the time of the start of the second stage I gave up trying to deal with the boss. It is also characteristic that it is impossible to kill her with the command "kill monsters", which works perfectly in most other wads. At the same time, even if the "god" mode is on, the boss can crush the player. For this reason I abandoned the battle in its original form and used the combination "gimmez" + in "god" in the console to make the situation at least a little more interesting and complete the walkthrough.

 

Secret levels.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_secret_1-png.275039/

 

1. M19 -> M66. In the southeast of the map there is a switch that opens a large gilded door. It also opens the door to the north. After pressing the switch it does not seem possible to run to the north door, so you need an item that moves the hero to the start of the location, exactly not far from the north door. The total sequence is as follows: press the switch, teleport, go through the door. As for the most secret level. It doesn't stand out for anything remarkable, except that there is no map here, and the counter of enemies and secrets is disabled + the fact that the bulk of the enemies are represented by succubs, diluted ghosts and gorgons. If you have no desire to play without a map then in the console you can enter: "am_cheat 1". In order to simply leave the level and get to the M20, it will be enough to climb up by jumping to the outer wall, where the gilded gates are located, and then cut your way into the fog, ignoring the ghosts.

 

2. M66 -> M67. If you want to go to the M67 instead, everything is much more complicated. You will need to press 4 switches.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_secret_2-png.275044/

 

2.1. The first one can be found in the local small cemetery. Near one of the graves you can go underground twice. After pressing the switch you need to use a teleport - it is not possible to kill all the ghosts or other enemies that guard them.

2.2. Confusing library. The switch is in the center.

2.3. Behind the outer wall, which was discussed earlier. If you go to the right you can find the entrance to the cave - there is a switch in it.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_secret_4-png.275047/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_secret_5-png.275049/

 

2.4. In the corridor that leads to the gilded gate and the outer wall there is an inconspicuous door. You need to open it and, moving along the right side, find the entrance to the sewer - there will be a switch in it.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_secret_3-png.275045/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_secret_6-png.275050/

 

After pressing all four you need to find a ladder leading down. Pressing the 4 switch will light 4 torches - the door will open. Next you need to solve another non-trivial puzzle.

 

2.5. 4 pastures. Going to one in a row will lead to death, to three different ones it will move hero through one or another gray door, but you need to get through a certain one, while the total number of valid combinations here is 24. No hints are given - I managed to get to the solution purely experimental. The correct sequence is - back, left, right.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_secret_7-png.275058/

 

2.6. Once in a room with four succubs you need to pay attention to the wall opposite the entrance to the room on which chains hang and two torches are located on the sides. There is a teleport behind it. In order for the wall to move away after teleportation you need to stand still for 10 seconds.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_secret_8-png.275056/

 

2.7. After going to the teleport look to the left and shoot into the darkness from the bow - it turns out that there is one more pasture, the last one in the required sequence. Go into it.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_secret_9-png.275057/

 

2.8. Hero will be moved to a poisonous pit. As before, a teleport is useful, only in this case it will not move to the beginning of the level, as it would be with an incorrectly chosen sequence of passages, but to a secret exit.

 

Pros:

 

+ Design and structure of locations.

+ New items.

+ A number of successfully implemented new varieties of enemies.

+ Concept with vertical movement.

+ Battle with a modified malotaur on the M29.

+ M4 - "The Chapel of Secrets".

+ M6 - "Umbral Forest". A swampy forest with an interesting implementation of vertical movement between different parts of the level.

+ M9 - "Tunnels of Fire".

+ M10 - "The Molten Plains". Locations in the surroundings of which lava is used as a whole were successful. The level is also notable for a non-trivial, but original battle with a flying iron lich.

+ M11 - Cemetery Valley. + M13 - "Rotville II". Compact location, a kind of labyrinth with a lot of keys, 100 enemies and malotaur in the end.

+ M14 - "Sewers". One of the most unique and interesting sewer levels I've ever seen in Heretic in general.

+ M15 - "Deep Below".

+ M16 - "Lands of Winters". A snow-covered level that succeeded just as well as the lava levels, where for the first time it will be possible to collect and use 8 keys.

+ M17 - "Dead Bastion". It turns out not so dead - more than 300 enemies are waiting here.

+ M18 - "The Frostspire". A five-story fortress that, at first glance, may seem deceptively compact. Running around different floors back and forth, collecting 8 keys and fighting more than 400 enemies, will be a lot, especially considering that one of the floors can only be reached through a teleport, and a number of passages lead to a dead end.

+ M25 - "Twilight Gulch".

+ M28 - "Bloodwood".

 

Contras:

 

- Difficulty imbalance.

- Nondescript, protracted and extremely unbalanced ending. The final boss, which is an enlarged and slightly modified version of a red creature with wings, has a huge supply of HP. The area covered by the attacks leaves no room for maneuver in the later stages. Hero basically does not have enough ammo or items to normally resist the enemies.

- M20. The vertical movement system, on the one hand, has become a certain feature of the wad, but on the other hand, if it is used excessively, it is easy to get lost on the level - so from first view I did not find another passage leading to the green key. In the second video on ~ 7:01:00. In addition to this there is a section with bars on the M20, where, among other things, there was a place for several red creatures. There is nowhere to hide and from any angle the enemies might do one hit kill. This moment is shown at 6:47:00 (unsuccessful fragments were cut out).

- M30, M31, M32. The number of red and dark creatures with wings on these maps, and arranged so that hero has a high chance of dying from one hit, exceeds the number of those in the sum of a number of previous maps combined. In the case of the M31 / M32 a large number of platform elements and ghosts can also be added on top.

- Quantity does not always translate into quality. A number of new monsters, on the one hand, fell out of place, but on the other hand, although this is often due not to the author's concept, but to a certain (doubtful) selection from Realm 667, their design cannot be called successful. Let's go through these briefly:

 

 

- new bosses and their subspecies (on later maps they are reduced to the level of intermediate ones) in general failed, both in terms of design and gameplay - two varieties of those, in addition to ultimate attacks, sometimes killing a hero with one hit worse than a large group of malotaurs and belong to the category of "sponge enemies". The only successful exceptions are the modified iron lich and two versions of the modified malotaur.

- 2 variations of lost soul, somewhat reminiscent of the style of the combination of the version from Heretic, combined with Doom 3.

- succubs. Bad design, like it came from a cheap visual novel from the 16-bit era.

- small bats. The extremely unsuccessful experience of Daikatana and a number of other projects in this regard, although it had an impact, did not rule out the phenomenon as a whole.

- white ghosts, as if sketched in MS Paint, especially their clusters in large groups.

- another variation of bats, but this time with skulls on the muzzle, from which they shoot something like fiery lasers.

- big red creatures. The faded design is combined with a long-range ultimate attack, using in particular the previously mentioned lasers. This puts them in a rank above the malotaurs, with the only difference being that they have less HP. Can be met first time on M11.

- dark creatures with wings. They are rare, but can kill with one hit, which can only be ignored by hiding behind a wall or specific item.

- the second kind of gorgon, which in turn has two subspecies. As in the case of white ghosts reminiscent of the early MS Paint period on the one hand and on the other they seem to come from stylistically different drawn quests or RPGs of the late eighties / early nineties period, such as The Elder Scrolls: Arena.

 

Summing up this point it can be noted that the HeXeReTiC Fantasy modification, which I briefly talked about at the start of this topic, suffers from similar problems, with all its advantages. By the way. A number of poorly chosen monsters that found a place here are also available in the mentioned modification.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ten_8-png.275080/

 

- Regularly repeated skirmishes with numerous enemies throughout the entire wad in narrow corridors that are quite similar in structure, which, on the one hand, may to a certain extent appeal to those who do not particularly like too large-scale locations, I can include myself in this category in particular, including the arena type, and exactly the opposite, with such frequent repetition, they can become boring, given the duration of the wad. One of the most striking examples in this regard are the M18 and especially the M66 & M67.

- A frankly dubious idea with "bottomless pits", in which you can die, including if noclip is on and you decide to test / check something.

- The first wad where I found forcedly disabled cheats and the absence of a map on a secret level, where it is easy to get lost. Without editing the file you will need to enter "sv_cheats true" in the console.

 

In the end it can be disappointingly stated that although the wad has a number of original ideas in it's arsenal, the concept as a whole, from the position of a wide range of players, was buried under off-scale complexity and a number of dubious design decisions.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

88. Hordes of Chaos X (2005).

 

https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/heretic/Ports/hocx

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hocx_1-png.275267/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hocx_2-png.275268/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hocx_3-png.275269/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hocx_4-png.275304/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hocx_5-png.275305/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hocx_6-png.275334/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hocx_7-png.275412/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hocx_8-png.275566/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hocx_9-png.275567/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hocx_secret-png.275568/

 

Wad for Heretic, consists of 5 episodes with 5 levels each (1 secret). It is a compilation of reworked levels, which, on the one hand, are previously released episodes, and on the other hand, levels that have not previously reached the release from the same author under the nickname @Vermil. The main feature of the wad was skirmishes with a large number of opponents in small spaces - at the time of 2005 it was not yet such a common concept, especially in the context of Heretic, although in the case of Doom, a certain vector for the development of slaughter maps had already been set.

 

 

The other 4 videos can be found here.

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.9.0, difficulty 4/5.

* It takes ~ 12-13 hours to complete.

 

Quote

These maps are meant to be a challenge on Skill 4. If you play on Skill 4 and die miserably, don't be surprised. And don't complain, either. Play it on Skill 3! :P

 

* Hardcore.

* Secrets, except for the secret level, doesn't exist here.

* Items carry over between levels, as does health status, while weapons and accumulated ammo do not. As a consequence, the proper use of consumables, mainly tome of power, plays a significant role.

* The presence of a large number of tomes of power with a shortage of HP and ammo allows you to combine them with gloves available on most levels. So, for example, you can defeat a malotaur without spending ammo and, for example, the E2M4, in principle, is not possible without a regular combination of these two elements.

* Whenever possible, it makes sense to keep items on M4 in reserve for use on M5. More than one piece, as usual in Heretic, cannot be transferred to the next level.

* In addition to regular enemies from Heretic, there was a place for a roster of those from Hexen and Doom. They fit in pretty well. Not all monsters were imported - in particular revenants or mancubuses cannot be found here, as well as, for example, wyverns. However, this moment, in turn, was made up in its own way in the sequel for Hexen.

 

* A little about the features of the episodes:

 

** The first two episodes end with a fight with D'Sparil.

** In the third one, malotaur and, twice, a boss from Hexen will act as bosses on three maps. The fourth map of the episode will go without them, and on the fifth, you will have to defend the obelisk from a large number of enemies for a limited amount of time.

** There is no exit on E4M2. It remains to enter "map e4m3" in the console. A briefly enlarged D'Sparil will be waiting on the M5. Unlike the regular version, he does not teleport, but it has an increased attack speed.

** The E4M4 ending will have to first get rid of the oversized Doom Baron, whose attacks kill with one hit. Then the battle awaits at the same time with 4 malotaurs and 2 bosses. The secret here lies in the fact that you can ignore everyone except the D'Sparil by running up to him and using the tome and the flame. Then also concentrate the fire on him. With his death the rest of the enemies will also die.

 

Secret level.

 

E5M2 -> E5M5. I missed the exit, so level wasn't recorded. However, against the background of most of the rest, it does not stand out with something special.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hocx_secret-png.275568/

 

During the passage of one of the corridors behind bars you can see a teleport, which is not possible to approach. If you go a little further and go onto the stairs, the platform will go down for a while - you need to quickly turn around, open the white door and go into the teleport.

 

Pros:

 

+ Balanced gameplay. The complexity, although high, is generally well combined with the items placed on the maps, the supply of which can sometimes even be excessive with a certain approach - so at the end of E4M3, which in general cannot be called a simple level, I've managed to keep the helmet for flight unused, four figurines of malotaurs and eight tomes of power. The only exception can be called E5M4, where on high difficulty there will be no access to the fourth weapon, which means that until the end of the level there will be no options but to bypass some of the some opponents.

+ Good design of most maps.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

89. Resurrection of Chaos (2005).

 

https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/hexen/p-r/roc

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/roc_1-png.275569/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/roc_2-png.275582/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/roc_3-png.275583/

 

Wad for Hexen. Consists of 1 hub and 7 levels. It is a sequel to the previously reviewed Hordes of Chaos X for Heretic and generally follows the same concept both in terms of content and gameplay, with the difference that due to the ability to carry more items in general, as well as drag them around the levels, the complexity, although it remains high, has become significantly lower. In case of the new things, new types of monsters can be noted - mancubuses and cyberdemons arrived from Doom, as well as an attempt to diversify the typical set of heroes weapons by adding one piece from Heretic for each class:

 

Quote

the ethereal crossbow for the cleric, the firemace for the fighter, and the dragon claw for the mage.

 

https://zdoom.org/wiki/Resurrection_of_Chaos

 

The level structure is generally linear, action-oriented, and has nothing special to mention. There were practically no places for puzzles typical for Hexen as a whole. Once a level is completed, it will be impossible to return to it. In terms of the sum of the facts at a qualitative level, wad is inferior to its predecessor, although it is interesting in its own way.

 

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.9.0, difficulty 4/5.

* It takes ~ 3-3.5 hours to complete.

* There are no secrets.

* It makes sense to save friendly malotaurs for boss fights.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

On 11/27/2022 at 4:02 PM, UnknDoomer said:

* Mages are waiting at the end of the second hub. It's impossible to kill them all. The task is to keep fighting until a portal appears behind them, leading to the third hub.

Oh man, the map glitched hard on you. You're supposed to kill the bishops and then only one Heresiarch appears. It works well on vanilla, but I didn't consider gameplay wads with random monster spawners.

@Gothic, I don't think @eharper256's Walpurgis has much matter here, but added this into the notes. Probably rather might be latest GzDoom glitch.

3 hours ago, UnknDoomer said:

@Gothic, I don't think @eharper256's Walpurgis has much matter here, but added this into the notes. Probably rather might be latest GzDoom glitch.

 

7 hours ago, Gothic said:

Oh man, the map glitched hard on you. You're supposed to kill the bishops and then only one Heresiarch appears. It works well on vanilla, but I didn't consider gameplay wads with random monster spawners.

Mmm, I looked into 4 weeks in SLADE, and it seems that there is indeed an ACS script on Hub 2 boss that is specifically looking for "Bishop":

x = monstercount(ThingCountName("Bishop",0));

Walpurgis does indeed replace them with "BishopWalp" or "Cardinal" (if the elite version spawns) so that may cause issues~ I specifically patch out vanilla Hexen doing similar things to this with ZScript solutions, but that protection doesn't extend to custom scripts.

 

It's generally better to count by other means than as ACS ThingCountName will break with any mod that replaces monsters in some way (also the case with Doom levels that use it or similar functions, though I specifically support Tag666 type replacements in Walpurgis as again, they are used by Vanilla Doom and Heretic). Counting by TID should also work fine as that is specifically passed on.

Edited December 9, 2022 by eharper256

90. ENDQUEST (2015 / 2022).

Quite standard wad for Heretic, which became the will of circumstances long-term underconstruction. Consists of 10 levels (1 secret - E1M9 and 1 bonus - E2M1). It was originally started in 2015 by two authors, picked up additionally by @Egregor in 2018, after which it was abandoned for 2-3 years, until the latter returned. The final release took place recently. While creating the wad authors strictly adhered to the "vanilla" scheme, i.e. without the introduction of new monsters, any third-party textures, and further down the list, trying to build something memorable on this base. Most of the levels are fairly typical, in the context of Heretic, spacious fortresses / cities filled with a moderate number of enemies, between which the hero travels by boat.

 

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.9.0, difficulty 4/5.

* It takes ~ 4,5 hours to complete.

* There is support for Wayfarer's Tome modification available. I went through the wad with one.

* The design of the wad assumes the start of each new level from scratch, but this concept is not a prerequisite, i.e. is recommendatory. I preferred to carry the previously collected weapons with me.

 

Secret level.

 

M6 -> M9. You will need to perform 2-3 actions.

 

0. The third action will be required if you are at the end of the level, at the usual exit - you will need an item to move to the beginning of the map. Without it it will not be possible to return from this fragment back.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/end_secret_1-png.275624/

 

1. Get the green key in the west of the map. In short. On the lowest floor with a moving platform you need to press the switch, then go to the waterfall from the back.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/end_secret_2-png.275625/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/end_secret_3-png.275626/

 

2. Open the passage to the door in the east. To do this you need to place the hero on a red platform that resembles a large button.

 

Pros:

 

+ M6 - "Fire and Ice".

+ Small details.

+ Balance.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

91. Curse of D'Sparil (2008 / 2010). #379. Cacowards 2010.

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/cod_1-png.275719/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/cod_2-png.275720/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/cod_3-png.275887/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/cod_4-png.275888/

 

Quote

This should be the official 6th episode of Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders. This generally picks up (story-wise) where episode 5 has left off.

 

One of the old reviews.

 

Wad for Heretic, made by @kristus. Consists of 9 levels (1 secret). Known for relatively high difficulty due to the large number of enemies per square meter. The levels are distinguished by good urban-type architecture.

 

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.9.0, difficulty 4/5.

* It takes ~ 6 hours to complete.

* RXVOX 0.1.

 

Quote

RHVOX 0.1 - is an initial release for Renaissance Heretic VOXelpack

It contains voxels for: Barrel, Torch, Ethereal Crossbow, Y and G Keys, Gold Gem, Gold Geode, Gthereal Guiver, Tome of Power, Quartz flask, Mystic Urn, Crysyal Vial, and sme others. Also includes some lught definitions, new fire effects,and Blood effects,based on RDVOX 0.42 and improved to use with HERETIC actors.

 

Because RXVOX uses software rendering, while "Heretical Doom" is hardware oriented, it is impossible to combine them. In addition, CoD'S is quite complex without such a combination.

 

* In the finale 4 copies of D'Sparil await, which accordingly increases the damage from such and the number of magicians. At the same time damage is distributed evenly - there is no difference on which of the four to focus on.

 

Secret level.

 

M4 -> M9.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/cod_secret-png.275724/

 

1. You need to go into the teleport and pick up the green key.

2. Then apply a helmet for flying. Otherwise you will not get to the specified point.

3. Go to another teleport and, after clearing the arena, go to the secret exit.

 

Pros:

 

+ M5 - "The River of Ladon".

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

*. Curse of the lost gods (demon lord) (2017). Cacowards 2017 (Runners Up).

Wad for Hexen, which is the sequel to the previously reviewed Curse of D'Sparil. It was originally planned that the wad would consist of 8 maps, but in the end the author got used to the idea of the impossibility of further expansion and decided to release it "as is". Thus only 3 maps were included in the final release. A certain consequence of this choice was the fact that the wad, judging by just three mixed reviews and less than ten comments on the forum page, completely passed by any wide audience. As for the controversial reviews they are justified - wad has serious enough flaws.

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.9.0, difficulty 4/5.

* Walpurgis 0.97.

 

Pros:

 

+ Good level architecture.

 

Contras:

 

- On the first map, which is actually a large arena, 200+ enemies, including wyverns, are waiting, while only the first weapon is available for all classes, which in the case of the warrior turns the passage into a rather dubious event. The combination with modifications like Walpurgis + the presence of a large number of consumables somewhat smoothes this effect, but the fact remains.

- Wad, although linear in structure, embodies the main drawback of the original Hexen - intricate, somewhat illogical puzzles. To go to the second level you need to access the teleporter. A hint at the door, if you didn’t accidentally notice the frescoes with deities earlier, might not say anything. Next you will need to find 3 crystals, 2 of which can only be obtained by performing rather non-trivial jumps. After they have to be applied to the section that has yet to be found.

- Platform sections.

 

I did not continue the full passage beyond the first level in overall due to a fact I did not figure out how to get to the third crystal (after many attempts I could not jump long enough and there were no boots to accelerate around) as well as open the section for their use. Judging by the available reviews, and some noclipping, the shortcomings voiced were subsequently multiplied, while the final fragment speaks of the general dampness of the available release.

 

The final verdict - you can briefly get acquainted with the position of the analysis as a technical demo version, but it makes no sense to perceive it as a full-fledged wad.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

Thanks for posting a play-through video of Endquest, I appreciate it!

92. 10x10 (2021). Cacowards 2022.

Returning again to Doom and the subject of restrictions in particular, which has already been touched upon three times. This time four wads will be reviewed in sequence (3 for Doom and 1 for Heretic), each of which embodied another unique variety.

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/10x10_1-png.276016/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/10x10_2-png.276017/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/10x10_3-png.276056/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/10x10_4-png.276057/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/10x10_5-png.276059/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/10x10_6-png.276060/

 

Quote

The 10x10 Project is a modest set of ten BOOM-compatible maps made as mapping exercises in which I restricted myself to using ten stock textures and ten stock FLATs in each (with some universal textures such as switches, doors, DOORTRAK, lights, etc.).

 

Wad of 12 levels (1 secret) made by @lunchlunch, the main concept of which is based around the use of a limited number of textures - 10 pieces that match visually. In the context of style and complexity it is noticeable that the author was inspired by famous hardcore (more precisely one of the most hardcore in overall) wads, such as Sunder (wiki) (2009), Toilet of the Gods (wiki) (2016), or Stardate 20X6 (wiki; was reviewed before, but not translated / video not recorded) (2013). The secret map, in turn, is a variation on the well-known for its psychedelic atmosphere wad called Lilith (wiki) (2017).

 

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.9.0, UV difficulty.

* It takes ~ 5-6 hours to complete.

* Hardcore.

* M8, M9, M10. The passage of such maps is always built according to a similar principle, which can be divided into 2 components:

 

1. Find, if possible, a place where you can hide from enemies, albeit temporary. In the case of M8 there is a fragment on the map where the mancubuses are located in the cave. From where you can later get out for a megasphere and some ammo.

2. Run around in circles until most of the enemies kill each other.

3. In the case of M9 the strategy basically comes down to the second point, adjusted for the moment with the huge pack of skeletons take place, towards the end of the level. At first it makes sense to retreat to the entrance to the arena. From there you can attack and jump into the teleport, constantly repeating this combination.

4. Then, when the number of skeletons is somewhat reduced, break into the passage where they came from. The entrance will go another teleport. Enter the teleport. Make a series of shots. Go back to the teleport. Repeat until there are almost no skeletons in the arena, not counting those that a that are located on high. By applying the first two points in particular you also can pass Stardate 20X6 and even, with some work around, No Chance (wiki) (2008). And I mean UV difficulty here, not lower one.

 

 

* On M31 and M11 you can listen to covers of famous songs, the first of which belongs to Lady Gaga - Alejandro.

 

Secret level.

 

M7 -> M31. I note right away that the battle with half of the ~ 1400 enemies, the destruction of which would be required in a normal attempt to go to the secret level, can be ignored, as well as the selection of two keys. There are three more slaughter maps to come, so I will consider an alternative, interesting solution that most players will most likely either not find or ignore. The sequence of actions is as follows:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/10x10_secret_1-png.276052/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/10x10_secret_2-png.276053/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/10x10_secret_3-png.276054/

 

1. Head to the northeast of the level with enough HP to both get there and make a rocket jump.

2. As you can see on the second screenshot the platform is located quite high. It is necessary to place a doomguy in front of one, and then shoot at under the feet. I recommend that you save beforehand, as it is unlikely that you will be able to pull off this trick on the first try.

3. There is a battle with a large number of enemies awaits after. After the start of the massacre it makes sense to ignore the enemies and head along the curb to the right. Having reached a certain fragment it will be possible to pick up a megasphere and ammo for the BFG. From there, breaking through to another megasphere, after which it will be relatively easy to complete the sweep of the sector.

4. Pressing a series of switches will line up the platforms to the exit to the secret level.

 

Pros:

 

+ Soundtrack.

+ Architecture and design of levels.

+ M4 - "Hey! This is Library".

+ M9 - "Abuse me, Darling".

 

Contras:

 

- Apparently there is a possible bug on the M5, due to which it will not possible to leave the level without noclip.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

93. Pocket Slaughter (2022). Cacowards 2022.

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ps_1-png.276067/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ps_2-png.276096/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ps_3-png.276097/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ps_4-png.276099/

 

Wad of 32 levels (2 secret) presented by @SCF. The emphasis was on two components - tough skirmishes with a small (relatively) number of enemies and a short duration due to the micro scale of the maps. Thanks to this most levels can be completed in 1-2 minutes and, sometimes, ever less. Quite another question is how many attempts will be required for a successful passage - most of the levels require a non-standard approach and in some cases do not imply, or rather do not oblige, in this case the complexity increases even more, to destroy all the monsters.

 

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.9.0, UV difficulty.

* ~ 3-4 hours to complete, if taking into account unsuccessful attempts.

* Hardcore.

* At all levels there is a forced start with a pistol take a place.

* Secrets, except for secret levels, not available here.

 

Secret levels.

 

M15 -> M31. It is enough to shoot at the switch next to the main exit, on the left side of it.

M31 -> M32. Similar design. The switch is on the right side here.

 

Pros:

 

+ General concept.

+ M2 - Shooting Gallery".

+ M18 - "Content Delivery Platform".

+ M22 - "Portal Palace". This is where the portal trick comes into play, similar to what I described in the case of the M9 in the 10x10 wade.

+ M25 - "Unboxing".

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

94. 20 Monsters Challenge (2016).

 

https://forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=54247

 

 

A wad of 42 levels (2 secret), the main idea of which was to limit the number of monsters - no more than 20 per level. The difficulty is floating and, despite the small number of monsters, can be quite high - a prime example in this regard is M12 - "The Warehouse", where the location of the machine gunners can remind to many the first experience of playing "The Plutonia Experiment".

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/mc_1-png.276104/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/mc_2-png.276105/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/mc_3-png.276108/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/mc_4-png.276127/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/mc_5-png.276170/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/mc_6-png.276173/

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.9.0, UV difficulty.

* It will take ~ 3 hours to complete the passage.

* At all levels there is a forced start with a pistol.

* There are unique ghostly opponents take a place on some levels.

* The plot of the wad is divided into several episodes.

* Wad uses a lot of features specific only to ZDoom-like ports.

* Fragment with cacodemons on M19 without jumping enabled is apparently impossible to pass. The same goes for the lava on M20 in particular and the M22 map in general.

 

 

Secret levels.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/mc_secret_1-png.276118/

 

M15 -> M41. You need to shoot at 4 inconspicuous panels, in the case of the first one after removing the cover. As a result of their destruction the portal will become unstable and the same exit from the level will lead to another place.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/mc_secret_2-png.276128/

 

M41 -> M42. There is a portrait in the hall behind the throne. If you make a certain number of shots at it the image will change to another one and a secret exit will appear at the very beginning of the level.

 

Pros:

 

+ Soundtrack.

+ The levels vary greatly stylistically and each one is unique in its own way.

+ Successfully implemented atmosphere of creepy surrealism on the latest maps.

+ M3 - "To Hell and Back".

+ M4 - "Underglow".

+ M10 - "Abandoned Depot".

+ M12 - "The Warehouse".

+ M14 - "Treacherous Library".

+ M42 - "Two Minutes To Midnight".

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

95. The 20 Heretics Challenge (2017).

 

https://forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=58679

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/20hc_1-png.276225/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/20hc_2-png.276226/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/20hc_3-png.276227/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/20hc_4-png.276228/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/20hc_5-png.276229/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/20hc_6-png.276230/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/20hc_7-png.276231/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/20hc_8-png.276232/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/20hc_9-png.276233/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/20hc_10-png.276234/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/20hc_11-png.276239/

 

Wad of 16 maps for Heretic, which is the ideological successor of "20 Monsters Challenge" for Doom II.

 

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.7.1, difficulty 4/5. Wad is not compatible with more recent versions of GzDoom. Rendering, taking into account the specifics, it is better be software.

* It takes ~ 2 hours to complete.

* At all levels there is a forced start with the first weapon.

* Transferring items between levels is disabled. However, those who wish can download an alternative version, which has not been particularly tested. It is also worth bearing in mind that the balance of levels is not designed for such an approach.

* Jump and crouch capabilities must be enabled.

* On the M15, after falling into the sewers, you need to pick up a flying helmet from one of the enemies and then head into the ventilation, destroying the red switches along the way. Go further in the same way, i.e. where the hero fell earlier is impossible.

 

Quote

It's a semi-official prop pack for the project and I went way the hell overboard on its contents. Pretty much everything backported from Hexen, as well as most things from Shadowcaster, some applicable props from Blood, Necrodome, MARS 3D and Quarantine 2, and some add-on props from Mor'ladim. Good lord. Everyone download this goddamned thing.

Uses the following texture packs from Realm667:

Heretic II
Hexen II
Medieval Textures
Shadowcaster Textures
Baker's Legacy

 

* Custom decorations and textures come in separate files.

 

Pros:

 

+ Soundtrack.

+ General concept.

+ Detailed levels, significant variability due to including many well-fitted custom textures.

+ M2 - "The Best Weapon".

+ M4 - "Preserved Catacombs".

+ M5 - "Trial of the Malotaur".

+ M6 - "Desecrated Shrines".

++ M14 - "The Wizard's Techbase". Perhaps this is what Heretic could have looked like if it had been based on an early version of the Quake I engine.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/m15_task-png.276238/

 

++ M15 - "Thievery at the Forsaken Manor". A three-story fortress, in the darkness of which you have to find 20 enemies, 3 keys and the heart of D'Sparil. Only in the presence of all three components it will be allowed to leave the level.

+ If in the previous wad at the last levels the emphasis was on the atmosphere of eerie surrealism, then here the emphasis was shifted to the horror component. M15 in this regard is the most prominent representative.

 

Contras:

 

- Credits map is not loaded in either GzDoom 4.7.1 or 3.7.0.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

96. A War On Christmas (2022).

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/awoc_1-png.276282/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/awoc_2-png.276283/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/awoc_3-png.276284/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/awoc_4-png.276285/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/awoc_5-png.276286/

 

Usually I bypass various purely thematic, i.e. not having an emphasis on something else / other interesting components, wads, the release of which most often turns out to be timed either to a certain time of the year, or the next Halloween, or Christmas. The reasons for this are prosaic - the bias is often unsuccessfully comic in nature + wads are made in haste so that the release is ripe for a certain date (which everyone will forget about tomorrow), which is why the overall quality sags noticeably. However, of course, such an approach, as a rule, does not imply that the wad may have some historical value and will be returned to in the future.

 

AWOC, presented by @Andrea Rovenski, consisting of 14 levels (1 secret, 2 occupied by credits) and released last Saturday, at first glance may seem like a typical release of this approach - made just a week and about a couple of weeks before the next Christmas. But the first impression can be misleading - in this particular case, the overall stylization, combined with the level structure, turned out to be quite successful.

 

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.10.0, UV difficulty.

* It will take ~ 1-1,5 hours to complete.

* In order not to get lost in search of keys on the M13 you can use the well-known algorithm for passing labyrinths - all the time move in one direction, i.e. for example along the left wall.

 

Secret level.

 

M12 -> M13. There is a switch behind one of the snow walls.

 

Pros:

 

+ Sound effects.

+ Successfully implemented snow & Christmas style.

+ Cacodemons, which are broken glass balls and imps throwing snowballs, are especially succeed here.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed.

97. Heretic Upstart Mapping Project (2017).

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hump_1-png.276330/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hump_2-png.276331/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hump_3-png.276333/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hump_4-png.276334/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hump_5-png.276392/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hump_6-png.276393/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hump_7-png.276394/

 

The main goal of this wad was to raise interest in creating maps for Heretic, including participants who had never made maps under it before. The result of this initiative was a wad of 17 maps, presented by @HexenMapper, created within a time limit of 1 month. There are no custom textures or new enemies, only the standard set is used. Levels, for the most part, are either compact or medium in scale. Difficulty varies greatly. Apart from the fact that the levels were combined into one assembly, there is nothing more in common between them.

 

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.10.0, difficulty 4/5.

* It takes ~ 4.5 hours to complete.

* E2M2 came from the previously reviewed Realms of Dr. Chaos (was not translated on english).

* Several fights with malotaurs and D'Sparil take a place in this wad.

* There is no music on E3M1.

 

Pros:

 

+ E1M5 - "Aedin's Castle".

+ E1M6 - "Bird Cage".

+ E2M6 - "Trial of the Malotaur". 15 enemies and all of them are malotaurs. However, is greatly simplified due to the fact that you can get rid of 5 by a telefrag, another 3 by press, and another 5 with a combination of tome of power and gloves. As a result only two will remain for a "direct" confrontation.

 

Contras:

 

- E2M3. The switch system at the end of the level looks broken. It is impossible to leave the level without noclip.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

98. heXen Upstart Mapping Project (2018).

https://forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=61668

 

Wad of 1 hub and 11 levels for Hexen, created according to the same concept as the previously reviewed HUMP. For the most parts of the wad the structure of the overall passage, puzzles and switches is generally linear and intuitive, go to one level, destroy enemies, find the key, portal, next level, and the complexity, both in general and in comparison with HUMP, is quite low.

 

The picture changes dramatically when reaching the tenth and eleventh maps. In the case of the first a rather complicated system of switches is based on the principle that if the door in the east is closed, then the door in the west opens, sometimes requiring a combination of two / three such switches in the correct sequence, otherwise it will simply not possible to pass through the next passage. As result it will require to think enough before you will grab the next key. A couple of traps with a large number of enemies will allow you to use numerous accumulated items, as well as the next map in the form of an arena.

 

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.10.0, difficulty 4/5.

* Walpurgis 0.97.

* It takes ~ 4 hours to complete.

* On M9 to pick up the blue crystal you will need to scatter first. Just jumping is not enough.

* At the very end of M10, if you attack wyverns that are in towers, crash might happen at the moment when they leave such one. Apparently the bug occurs when using the Walpurgis modification, but there is no reliable information on this. Another bug is also possible, due to which the script for raising platforms to the teleporter will not work, including if there are no enemies left around. In both cases the problem is solved by entering the cheat code "kill monsters" in the console.

 

Pros:

 

+ M9 - "Abandoned Observatory". The most remarkable level in terms of architecture and work with mechanisms.

99. Despair (2013 / 2014).

 

https://forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?t=37575

 

Short wad of 5 levels for Heretic, presented @ShadesMaster. In addition to many custom textures it contains several new types of enemies and items. Each level is made in its own style, which to a certain extent makes it similar to the wads for Hexen. Apparently it seems that the author planned to carry out a number of improvements, in particular to introduce a small plot, but over the past years these plans were never destined to take place.

 

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.10.0, difficulty 4/5.

* It takes ~ 1 hour to complete.

* Jump and crouch capabilities must be enabled.

* Items can be transferred between levels.

 

Pros:

+ Level detail.

+ Successfully selected new varieties of opponents.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

100. Shades of Darkness (2018).

 

https://forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?p=1048019#p1048019

 

Wad for Hexen, which is the sequel to Despair. Consists of five levels. According to the general specifics it follows the previously given formula. Like the previous wad it is formally completed, i.e. it cannot be called abandoned or paused in the context of development, although from the modest description and also due to the presence of an unfinished sixth level, it can be concluded that the original plan included a number of other components.

 

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.10.0, difficulty 4/5.

* Time to complete is about ~ 45 minutes.

* Items can be transferred between levels.

* The unfinished sixth map, if desired, can be accessed by typing "map map06" in the console.

 

Pros:

 

+ As it was before - good level architecture with high detail.

+ Original intermediate bosses.

+ Final.

101. Heretic Treasure Chest (2010).

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/htc_1-png.276512/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/htc_2-png.276513/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/htc_3-png.276522/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/htc_4-png.276531/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/htc_5-png.276576/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/htc_6-png.276624/

 

Wad for Heretic. Consists of 27 levels (3 secret), divided into 3 episodes. In the context of the structure it is a typical project of several authors, some of them which are quite well-known in community. They gathered together to create another creation under Heretic. The levels are different in complexity and design and generally do not have any common features - there are tombs, fortresses, compact and branched locations, as well as a couple of arena-type levels. The number of enemies varies from an average of 100+ to, on several levels, 400+.

 

 

Two other videos can be found here.

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.10.0, difficulty 4/7.

* Heretical Doom 1.5 + Monsters 0.4a.

* It takes ~ 8 hours to complete.

 

Secret levels.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/htc_secret_1-png.276514/

 

E1M6 -> E1M9. Upon reaching the main exit you need to turn around and go back to the place where the yellow key was originally placed. Bypass the point of its placement with the side of the assembly, so that teleportation will not cause problems. There will be an alternative exit nearby.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/htc_secret_2_1-png.276529/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/htc_secret_2_2-png.276530/

 

E2M4 -> E2M9. Right behind the main exit. The path is blocked by bars. In order for them to open, as far as I can tell, two conditions must be met. The first is to complete the level and apply all three keys. The second is to pick up the item in the secret marked on the screenshot, return to the starting point, click on the fresco with the skull - the path to the teleport will open. Until the level is completed, finding the secret in the mentioned place will not act as a trigger for the opening of the bars. The combination is rather strange, but whatever.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/htc_secret_3-png.276623/

 

M3M4 -> E3M9. You need to go to the teleporter at the end of the level on the other side, where the blue mark is located.

 

Pros:

 

+ E1M2 - "Random Tomb Map". Tomb, lost in the sands.

+ E1M6 - "Last Aquaduct".

+ E1M9 - "Omgekeerd". Level is well furnished in the style of surrealism.

+ E1M7 - "Necrosis".

+ E2M8 - "Hell's Maw".

+ E3M5 - "Mountain of Fire".

+ E3M7 - "Shrine of the Serpent".

 

Contras:

 

- E2M7 - "Sky Gateway". Quite irrationally a large concentration of enemies at the beginning of the level, timing for opening the grate towards the end is about 3 minutes, as well as the exit from the level, at the end of which, in my case, it seems like a bug happened - many gargoyles simply did not appear. See fragment for comparison.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

102. The Northern Dwarven Mines (1996).

 

The original reviewed here is attached to the post - https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/58_tndm-rar.276663/ Updated compilation, including this wad can be found here, latest version - here. Made by the author of the previously reviewed Master Levels for Heretic, which ranks the new compilation as "best of the worst".

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Old wad for Heretic. It was part of the compilation known as H!ZONE, which, in turn, can be called a typical phenomenon of the early and mid-nineties - a lot of randomly put together levels and wads, the quality of which, in most cases, turned out to be significantly below average, although sometimes there were some exceptions. It was saved for a wide range of players thanks to the efforts of the participants of the http://hexen-game.ru.

 

Consists of 12 levels - 9 occupy the slot of the third episode and three more are available when loading through the console, by entering the command "map e6m1". There are some custom textures, sprites of knights and iron liches have been replaced with new ones. The levels are compact, average number of enemies is less than 100 per level. The structure is simple with some emphasis on simple puzzles.

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/tndm_1-png.276728/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/tndm_2-png.276729/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/tndm_3-png.276735/

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.10.0, difficulty 4/5.

* It takes ~ 1,5 hours to complete.

* On E3M3 and E3M9 scripts, that are exist for opening doors that require a green key, are broken. If in the first case the section can be simply ignored, then in the second case you need to enter noclip twice to leave the level.

* There is no exists on E3M8 and E6M3.

 

 

Secret level.

 

E3M3 -> E3M9. There is a fire in the center of the location. You will need to perform a rocket jump, then press the activation button while standing on fire. At the same time, when leaving E3M9, the level E3M4 will be skipped - when leaving E3M3 it is possible to get either to one level or to another. Specifically E3M4 is just a branched, unremarkable cave.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

103. The Resurrection (2000).

 

One of the original pages is https://web.archive.org/web/20010424220159/http://www.raven-games.com/ice/resurect.shtml. The file is currently not available for download. A copy in particular has been preserved by http://hexen-game.ru. Download here.

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/tr_1-png.276798/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/tr_2-png.276799/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/tr_3-png.276800/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/tr_4-png.276801/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/tr_5-png.276803/

 

Wad for Heretic. It occupies the slot of the third episode, consists of 9 levels. The transition to the ninth level is carried out automatically upon completion of the fourth.

 

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.10.0, difficulty 4/5.

* It takes ~ 2-2.5 hours to complete the passage.

* At the levels there are a large number of iron liches and small taurs. * Significant emphasis was placed on interaction with teleports.

 

Pros:

 

+ Good design of the most levels.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

104. Gulag (1997).

 

https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/heretic/g-i/gulag

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/gulag_1-png.276846/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/gulag_2-png.276847/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/gulag_3-png.276848/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/gulag_4-png.276849/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/gulag_5-png.276850/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/gulag_6-png.276851/

Today completely forgotten, but rather unusual old wad for Heretic, once again proving that the original concept is often stay higher and can be more interesting than the scale, detail or a large number of enemies as typical elements of mapping combined, which average modern wads can boast of. Consists of 5 levels, occupies the slot of the first episode. There are some custom textures took a place.

 

The compilation lives up to its name - during the first three levels hero travels across small harsh, rocky islands with a minimum of grass and trees, where he will have to explore a network of branched and intricate caves, solving not simple puzzles, then action of the fourth level will take place on a ship and the fifth in a vast fortress, something in its surroundings reminiscent of a mixture of an ancient coliseum and a fortress in the spirit of the famous "Fort Boyard". Boats will act as travel thing between the islands. Minimalism and brown tones in the textures are dominate here.

 

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.10.0, difficulty 4/5.

* It takes ~ 2,5-3 hours to complete (including wandering back and forth).

* Secrets counter is disabled.

* On the M5 the end-of-level battle with 4 malotaurs can be avoided by combining the boost with a time bomb. It is enough to correctly place it behind the hero and then a kind of rocket jump will lead directly to the switch that lead to end of the level.

 

Pros:

 

+ Original concept.

+ M4 - "The Guard Tower". The action of the entire small level takes place in the holds and on the deck of the ship, which hero will able to capture at the end of M3.

++ M5 - "The Citadel".

 

Contras:

 

* The extreme intricacy of passing and pressing the switches on the M3, located on 5 floors, may not be to everyone's taste. However, the same can be said to a certain extent about the wad as a whole - if you don’t like complex puzzles and you are a supporter of pure action, then it’s better to pass by. Otherwise, this is one of the unique wads, especially given the year it was released.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

105. The Master's Domain (1997).

 

https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/heretic/m-o/mdomain1

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/tmd_1-png.276856/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/tmd_2-png.276889/

 

Wad for Heretic. Consists of 9 levels (1 secret), featuring quite good design, frescoes and overall balance. The maps are compact, the number of enemies and the difficulty can be count as moderate one. Wad occupies the slot of the first episode.

 

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.10.0, difficulty 4/5.

* It takes ~ 2,5 hours to complete.

 

Secret level.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/tmd_secret-png.276887/

 

M6 -> M9. At the end of the level there is a hidden passage on the left.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

106. The History of Fruit (2008).

Wad for Heretic with a simple plot. It consists of 9 levels (1 secret), among other things, it has a fairly large number of well placed custom textures. Occupies the slot of the first episode.

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/thof_1-png.276893/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/thof_2-png.276894/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/thof_3-png.276895/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/thof_4-png.276896/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/thof_5-png.276899/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/thof_6-png.276900/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/thof_7-png.276901/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/thof_8-png.276902/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/thof_9-png.276904/

 

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.10.0, difficulty 4/7.

* Heretical Doom 1.5 + Monsters 0.4a.

* It takes ~ 2 hours to complete.

 

Secret level.

 

M6 -> M9. Having reached the end of the level you need to use an item to move to the beginning of it and go to the teleport, which you could notice at the very start behind the grate, blocked at that time.

 

Pros:

 

+ M4 - Grape Plas.

+ M9 - "Mega Melon". It is notable for two things - the action of most of the level will require movement on the ice, with all the ensuing consequences, and at the end there will be a battle with a large number of cult magicians, led by a malotaur.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

107. Heretic Amplified (2011).

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ha_1-png.276954/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ha_2-png.276955/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ha_3-png.276958/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ha_4-png.276965/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ha_5-png.276971/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ha_6-png.276972/

 

Wad for Heretic. Consists of 9 levels (1 secret). The entire arsenal of weapons has been completely revised and replaced with a new one, which, outside of gameplay modifications in the context of Heretic, can be called an extremely rare occurrence. In addition several new types of items and enemies have been added. So, for example a time bomb no longer explodes after a while, but stops time. In the context of weapons the most unusual varieties include a kind of sting that shoots bones, as well as a dagger, the eighth weapon, that kills any enemy, such as a malotaur, just in one use. The selection in some places turned out to be somewhat ambiguous, which, however, does not at all beg both the concept as a whole and the outstandingly built levels individually. The soundtrack also came out quite tolerable.

 

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.10.0, difficulty 4/5.

* It takes ~ 3,5 hours to complete.

* The ability to jump must be enabled.

* The blue key on M2 cannot be picked up and, apparently, it does not carry any functional load.

* Attempting to use the sixth weapon may cause crashes and, apparently, it generally cannot be used when combined with the latest version of GzDoom.

* In order to reduce the fight with D'Sparil at the end of M8 to a few seconds, it makes sense to keep about 10 charges of the dagger in reserve.

 

Secret level.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/ha_secret-png.276956/

 

M3 -> M9. First you need to get a red key hidden in an inconspicuous section, then use it to open the door hidden behind an imaginary wall.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

108. HYMN: A Heretic Community Project (2013).

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hymn_1-png.277032/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hymn_2-png.277040/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hymn_3-png.277041/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hymn_4-png.277065/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hymn_5-png.277071/

 

Wad for Heretic, consists of 9 levels (1 secret). Was compiled by several authors. Occupies the slot of the first episode. There are some custom textures took a place, mostly taken from Hexen.

 

 

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.10.0, difficulty 4/7.

* Heretical Doom 1.5 + Monsters 0.4a.

* It takes ~ 3 hours to complete.

* The melody on M8 was taken from the credits of Warcraft III.

 

Secret level.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hymn_secret_1-png.277038/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/hymn_secret_2-png.277039/

 

M6 -> M9. You need to get the blue key. Rocket jump will help solve this issue.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer

Hey, thanks for playing through HYMN! If you enjoyed that I recommend The Realm of Parthoris, another Heretic Community project that I led from 2015:

https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/heretic/Ports/rop_2015

@Egregor, already played and reviewed it before, in 2021, but back in the day no longplay record was done, as well as it was not translated on english.

 

Original text can be found here - https://www.old-games.ru/forum/threads/doom-heretic-hexen-wads-mods.93420/page-3#post-1770214

109. Shadowcaster (2002 / 2003).

 

https://www.moddb.com/addons/shadowcaster

 

Screenshots:

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/shadow_1-png.277138/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/shadow_2-png.277141/

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/shadow_3-png.277151/

 

Wad for Heretic, consists of 9 levels (1 secret). Occupies the slot of the fifth episode. Custom textures, a red key instead of yellow, a certain variability in the theme of the levels can be found here. The first three flow in caves, the next three in spaces lost in the mountains - a village, location that can be called something like a kind of underground water attraction, a fortress. The last two are the dungeons, from where, eventually, it will be possible to get out into the open world. The main gameplay is built around solving a large number of puzzles, often difficult, as a rule, one way or another connected, on the one hand, with the elements of nature, and on the other hand, with competent management of consumables, including the need to turn the hero into a chicken (shoot an egg at the "doll" - hero is transformed) and the occasional use of rocket jump ability due to the phoenix rod. There is also a plot exist:

 

Quote

Story: Another time, another world.

You are Banedon, one of a sentient race of heretical elves known as the Sidhe. Renowned throughout the kingdom of Durenor for feats of bravery and heroism, you always get called up for quests of bravery and danger. So, you are now standing in the grand palace of King Rimoah, where he tells you of grave danger that threatens these shores.

He tells you about the dark mage Tetrahagael, known as the Shadowcaster because his presence casts a shadow over the island where he resides. That shadow could soon be cast over the whole kingdom, because the King's mages of Durenor have discovered that he is summoning evil monsters through some kind of portal to another world, and is preparing an invasion force made up of these monsters!

No time to lose, then. Your quest is to journey to the island of Fagranc, where the Shadowcaster resides, destroy him and the portal. Not an easy task, even by your standards, but you do have some help. The King's mages have prepared a boat imbued with a spell that will allow you to sneak onto the island without being detected by the dark magic (but not when you disembark). And also there are many magical weapons and artefacts on the island that possess the power to destroy him and his evil summonings.

The next day, you grab your staff and elvenwand, and set sail for the island. As you approach, you can feel the presence of evil all around the place, it seems that the whole island could be infested with monsters. You notice a small village, located on the far side of the island, away from the tower where the dark mage resides.

You head towards the village, hoping it is unoccupied but ready just in case...

 

 

Settings and features:

 

* GzDoom 4.10.0, difficulty 4/5.

* It takes ~ 5 hours to complete.

* Some sound effects have been changed.

* Due to the active use of "voodoo dolls" combining wad with any modifications is not recommended.

* You need to deal with a large number of switches, the path to which is blocked by certain elements - fire and lava or, as in the case of M5, water, ice and explosive pods, which will need to be rearranged several times in order to pass this or that fragments.

* Difficulty can be assessed as moderately high - iron liches are found constantly and in large quantities, malotaurs are rarer, but there are also more than enough of them. With the latter I recommend dealing with them by using tome of power in combination with gloves.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/shadow_hint-png.277145/

 

* It is possible to get stuck in the sewers in the south of M7 if you do not have an item with you to teleport to the beginning of the level - all exits are blocked. Apparently a complex combination scheme was potentially assumed here for the transformation of hero into a chicken, followed by either a jump over a cliff in the form of such, or the rocket jump must be carried out simultaneously after the shot, i.e. ahead of the flying projectiles. I didn't figure out the whole thing, instead it is much easier to move the "doll" in the indicated place that you can see on the map, and then quickly run to the section opposite for the item and only then go to the sewers.

 

Secret level.

 

M3 -> M9. Getting to the exit will not be easy.

 

https://www.old-games.ru/forum/attachments/shadow_secret-png.277080/

 

0. It is necessary to move the "doll" to a small platform.

A. Next. You need to press a series of 10 switches. I recommend first find the level map in the west.

B. With the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th there should be no difficulties, at the 2nd you need to shoot. Switch 4 is briefly accessed by entering the lava nearby.

C. To access the 6th and 10th you will need to go to one of the two teleporters from a certain side, and in the case of the 7th use a flying helmet, which can be picked up in the same place where the 3rd switch was - access to it opens when moving the "doll" to the platform.

D. 8th and 9th will also require a helmet.

 

After activating all 10, a corridor will become available, where you could press the 1st switch. You will need enough health to run through the lava to an alternate exit, or suitable items.

 

Pros:

 

+ Unique gameplay in its own way.

+ Small details, level variability - each subsequent one is not similar to the previous one and has some of its own characteristics. A phenomenon that is often not to say that it is often encountered.

+ Interesting puzzles.

+ M3 - "The Volcano".

+ M9 - "Steel Works".

++ M5 - "Water Paradise".

+ M6 - "Shadow Castle".

++ M7 - "The Great Hall". Combines most of the mechanics needed to solve puzzles and find secrets in "vanilla" Heretic.

 

Contras:

 

- Dealing with the wind on the M4 in a place where you need to pick up a pair of helmets is not easy. It would make sense to make the platform not so thin.

- The timing of opening doors and backyards in the case of a puzzle with four switches on the M7 is set in such a way that this moment seems close to impassable - it counts in fractions of a second. The problem can be compensated by the fact that with a full supply of HP it is possible to ignore this puzzle and jump directly to the switch by using rocket jump ability.

Edited June 8, 2023 by UnknDoomer