Re: HeXen: Tower of Chaos Special Edition Version 1.9 J
Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2015 1:03 pm
Map08: P_StartScript: Unknown script 2. Probably a dragon activator.
Some use lines, particularly for puzzle activation, are actually walkover lines instead. Case examples include the seal activations, the flame mask, several gear wheel spots, and so on.
There's a horrible HOM serving as the exit following the seals.
I want to like this HeXen wad. I really do. Unfortunately, it's plagued by several un-HeXen-like elements such as switch hunts over massive, sprawling levels, and puzzles that aren't really puzzles at all, such as "zero indication of which of three switches doesn't activate a ceiling crusher". The switch hunts themselves might have been a little more interesting if they had taken advantage of the lore elements you seem to love ("The sound of bars echo in the distance as they slide into the floor", etcetera), and yet they show lazy cameras that sometimes indicate a little less about the door they opened than they should have. All in all, I would be pressed not to call this any more than a slog that sometimes becomes hella confusing as to how to proceed in because some puzzle items are hidden too cleverly in the darkness and some switches are fully obscured behind statues, easily missable until you stare at the automap a little more carefully. I'd take "ONE-THIRD OF THE PUZZLE HAS BEEN SOLVED ON THE SEVEN PORTALS" over this crap any day. All of that is to say nothing about how those massive, sprawling levels *do* serve as atmospheric, aesthetic HeXen-like environments, however, so don't let the fact that the gameplay sucks discourage you from a sequel. A little more to do and a little less frustration in doing it would top this wad off as a fair contender.
(I also haven't finished this yet - I've reached the Shadowlands - but I'm not sure if seeing a little more would really change my opinion thus far.)
Edit: I beat it. The clock gear shuffle was just as bad as the key hunt in the Drathi Marshes. I groaned really hard at the voice acting and the straight Castlevania rip, but what else did I expect?
Some use lines, particularly for puzzle activation, are actually walkover lines instead. Case examples include the seal activations, the flame mask, several gear wheel spots, and so on.
There's a horrible HOM serving as the exit following the seals.
I want to like this HeXen wad. I really do. Unfortunately, it's plagued by several un-HeXen-like elements such as switch hunts over massive, sprawling levels, and puzzles that aren't really puzzles at all, such as "zero indication of which of three switches doesn't activate a ceiling crusher". The switch hunts themselves might have been a little more interesting if they had taken advantage of the lore elements you seem to love ("The sound of bars echo in the distance as they slide into the floor", etcetera), and yet they show lazy cameras that sometimes indicate a little less about the door they opened than they should have. All in all, I would be pressed not to call this any more than a slog that sometimes becomes hella confusing as to how to proceed in because some puzzle items are hidden too cleverly in the darkness and some switches are fully obscured behind statues, easily missable until you stare at the automap a little more carefully. I'd take "ONE-THIRD OF THE PUZZLE HAS BEEN SOLVED ON THE SEVEN PORTALS" over this crap any day. All of that is to say nothing about how those massive, sprawling levels *do* serve as atmospheric, aesthetic HeXen-like environments, however, so don't let the fact that the gameplay sucks discourage you from a sequel. A little more to do and a little less frustration in doing it would top this wad off as a fair contender.
(I also haven't finished this yet - I've reached the Shadowlands - but I'm not sure if seeing a little more would really change my opinion thus far.)
Edit: I beat it. The clock gear shuffle was just as bad as the key hunt in the Drathi Marshes. I groaned really hard at the voice acting and the straight Castlevania rip, but what else did I expect?