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WAD Review - John Romero's New Doom Level!
10 years ago
General
Yep, you read right: over 20 years after he last produced a Doom level (for Ultimate Doom's fourth episode), John Romero himself is back to offer a new mission for our intrepid space marines! You can read the Kotaku article about it, and/or check out my review of the level below!
Tech Gone Bad (click to download)
Click here for screenshots
INFO: 1 level; replaces E1M8. Requires DOOM.WAD and a limit-removing source port.
RATING: 4 out of 5
This map is designed as a replacement for E1M8 in the truest sense, i.e., "Pretend the original E1M8 never happened. This is the real one." And for the most part, it succeeds in this, feeling like a genuine evolution of the sprawling, trap-laden E1M7 rather than just a short boss showdown like the original E1M8 was. (And before you get too upset, there's still a boss fight, and it's better than the original.)
In fact, much like the first time I played E1M7, this new level overwhelmed me right from the beginning. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I died probably within the first minute of my first attempt, and several more unsuccessful tries resulted afterward. It gets smoother after you get your bearings and experiment with different routes, but at first, if the initial combat chaos doesn't take you down, wading through the thousands of gallons of green goop in this level probably will.
That's actually my biggest complaint about this map: there's lots of areas where you're forced to run across damaging floors for extended periods, hoping you'll find a radiation suit or two along the way. I've never been a fan of mandatory damage floor areas, as they seem detrimental to exploration and are frustratingly punishing if you make a wrong turn, which is highly likely in such expansive maps as this one that don't have immediately clear objectives.
That aside, what can I say? Romero hasn't lost a step in the intervening two decades, and this level captures all the things that made his levels (and Doom in general) great: area design that manages to feel both vast and tight at the same time; great use of 3D space that sees you revisiting areas from multiple directions and heights; lots of windows that tantalize you with views of areas you can't reach yet; tons of rewarding secrets (including a rather cute one that merely lets you see another secret area rather than actually giving you anything immediately); and a constant supply of carnage that keeps you on your toes but never feels particularly cheap. And though it's far from the most beautiful Doom level to ever exist, there's a lot of strong theming and texture variety that keeps every area looking fresh and distinct.
If you're a fan of the original Doom (and I assume you are if you're reading this) and especially its first episode, you can't go wrong with this one. So strap in, load up and let the man himself take you on another haunted tour of the eternally doomed Phobos Base. ;)
~
Tech Gone Bad (click to download)
Click here for screenshots
INFO: 1 level; replaces E1M8. Requires DOOM.WAD and a limit-removing source port.
RATING: 4 out of 5
This map is designed as a replacement for E1M8 in the truest sense, i.e., "Pretend the original E1M8 never happened. This is the real one." And for the most part, it succeeds in this, feeling like a genuine evolution of the sprawling, trap-laden E1M7 rather than just a short boss showdown like the original E1M8 was. (And before you get too upset, there's still a boss fight, and it's better than the original.)
In fact, much like the first time I played E1M7, this new level overwhelmed me right from the beginning. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I died probably within the first minute of my first attempt, and several more unsuccessful tries resulted afterward. It gets smoother after you get your bearings and experiment with different routes, but at first, if the initial combat chaos doesn't take you down, wading through the thousands of gallons of green goop in this level probably will.
That's actually my biggest complaint about this map: there's lots of areas where you're forced to run across damaging floors for extended periods, hoping you'll find a radiation suit or two along the way. I've never been a fan of mandatory damage floor areas, as they seem detrimental to exploration and are frustratingly punishing if you make a wrong turn, which is highly likely in such expansive maps as this one that don't have immediately clear objectives.
That aside, what can I say? Romero hasn't lost a step in the intervening two decades, and this level captures all the things that made his levels (and Doom in general) great: area design that manages to feel both vast and tight at the same time; great use of 3D space that sees you revisiting areas from multiple directions and heights; lots of windows that tantalize you with views of areas you can't reach yet; tons of rewarding secrets (including a rather cute one that merely lets you see another secret area rather than actually giving you anything immediately); and a constant supply of carnage that keeps you on your toes but never feels particularly cheap. And though it's far from the most beautiful Doom level to ever exist, there's a lot of strong theming and texture variety that keeps every area looking fresh and distinct.
If you're a fan of the original Doom (and I assume you are if you're reading this) and especially its first episode, you can't go wrong with this one. So strap in, load up and let the man himself take you on another haunted tour of the eternally doomed Phobos Base. ;)
~
Yeah.
Better than doom 3! lol
Just remember that this WAD replaces E1M8, so you'll either need to play all the way through Episode 1 to get to it, or use a level skip code.