by Jimmy » Sat Feb 26, 2022 12:32 pm
Love this!
First off, awesome use of GZDoom features. Of particular note are the use of dynamic lights, Doom 64 gradients, the gentle spotlight sprites for the recessed ceiling lamps, and the new teleporter effects, especially the opening portal "cutscene", and the smooth use of models for things like crates and cacti that blend seamlessly into the overall aesthetic. The map itself oozes tension and atmosphere.
The gameplay is uninterrupted classic stuff with just a few custom monsters and perilous surprises to stir the pot and keep things interesting - fool as I was, I played on UV skill and died in many embarrassing ways throughout my playthrough because this map is not afraid to throw curveballs. The use of turret enemies was fairly brutal, the teleporting dark imps gave me a run for my money (would it be prudent to give them a proper visual/sound cue like a teleport fog when they do that?) and the two super-cybruisers at the end absolutely demolished me.
Finally the layout and flow of the map is actually very smooth for a complex progression spread across two large-scale maps. It's hard to get lost, or to fail to understand where you need to be next, as progression points are rarely more than a stone's throw from where you are at any time.
...I actually really want to remix Terabyte.mid now because of this map. I truly don't think a MIDI of mine from 2008 really does it justice, lol.
I did run into a couple of nasty little bugs:
- There are a few places in which the crate models are overlapping in strange ways and sometimes even causing z-fighting. I'll see if I can screenshot the problem areas for you.
- Gibbing the flying chaingunners does not remove their FLOATBOB flag, rather hilariously.
However, I think this is gonna be well worth another runthrough, perhaps on an easier skill, because it was just that entertaining throughout.
Awesome work as always, Cap!
