Here's a Google Sheet of all the reviews so far.
The Final Judgment by Amaruq Wulfe
This is a wonderfully detailed map with a brief leadup to an Icon of Sin fight - a little more tight than the one in the core game but very workable. One thing that I didn't quite understand was when and how the icon was vulnerable. Perhaps some kind of signal didn't work properly, or one might be added? All in all, a really impressive piece of work. 3.5 stars.
Beware the Ghosts by tomas7777
I'm not sure the new demons add much to the game given that our old pinky pals are still around. However, I loved the trap that released an archvile into the room, and the final confrontation on the swampy boardwalk. These little twists made up for a lot of awkward representational elements. 3.5 stars.
Look at my Cat by ChippiHeppu
As the kids say, "based". 5 stars.
Blood by Merrick18818
A pretty normal hub experience is enlivened by bold limitations on what guns are available and two absolute bangers of arena battles right in a row, including one of the best climactic fights in RAMP2024. Incredibly fun. 5 stars.
Templum Gyranis Cranii by JL
A simple, perhaps a bit too-simple scenario, a nice little challenging bite. Maybe a good Tyson practice map? Unfortunately there's not much to say here. 3 stars.
Just Another Tuesday in Hell by IMQ2006
Brutal, exciting, but never unfair. Each branch has its own identity, the hub world evolves and evolves, the more you play it the more possible strategies show themselves to the attentive player. It's a level you want to play again and again and every time you're about to get tired of it, there's something new. A masterpiece, arguably one of the best of the year. 5 stars.
rokumeiun by NiiroKitsune
A marvelous little puzzle box, one of two in this batch that combined combat and puzzles in a way that Doom just fits perfectly. Once I figured out what was going on and what to do it was fun running around trying to get it to happen. I think it was tilted just a little in favor of Barons of Hell, and I never found any weapons other than the shotguns, berserk pack and BFG, so a little attention to that might make this a masterpiece. It's hard enough just appearing right next to the monsters without also having limited weapons/ammo/health to deal with them. The ending climax was both predictable and made me laugh with delight. Great contribution. 4 stars.
Terra preta by IfGamesThenFun
Some buggy music and flat texturing are the only flaws with what turned out to be some of the most interesting use of the most powerful monsters in the game that I've ever experienced. You can't really fight any of the cyberdemons - instead, you maneuver them, get around them, get past them, get them infighting and run. It feels great; even the archvile attacks are great. The one part that doesn't completely work is the ending. You end up running all around this area with pillars dropping but when they're done you have no idea where to go next, certainly no idea to go back to the exit door you saw before. A little better signposting would be better here. Nevertheless it's a blast. 4 stars.
bosstrashgang by DoomBunny
I wanted to be charmed by it, and I like how the bosstrashgang looks, I just couldn't do it, or even get close. Oh well. 1.5 stars.
Who Needs Guns Anyway by s0ulman
Another excellent combat-puzzle set of scenarios, all of which test your knowledge and ability to manipulate Doom's AI and movement. The one exception are the lost souls; that's just a bit too RNG for me to be interested in (particularly given how long it takes to go back once you mess up.) Everything else works great, no need for the self-deprecation at the end. It's a puzzle level, not an art piece! 3.5 stars.
Blood Bathhouse by Spooplet
Nicely hectic - I think I might have missed a bunch of stuff because I let infighting do a lot of the work. It was a bit of a tradeoff I guess - less pressure but also a lot of it took longer than I think others would have taken. The final countdown, for example, didn't pressure me at all; I just stepped out for a minute. Still, the attention to detail and the excitement of that big round arena is fantastic. 4.5 stars.
Punchout by Leiche
I get the idea, and I love the arena, but it just doesn't quite work right without some changes to the cyberdemon's attacks or AI. Something more than just fashion! I couldn't really love this one no matter how much I tried. 1.5 stars.
Four Rooms (over and over) by DoomGappy
While it's unique looking, with nice little small bites of challenge, it does, from a gameplay perspective, kinda get old. Also, were the monsters in this juiced up? I got hit with one (1) snotball from a hell knight and lost like 70 percent of my health. Crazy. Anyhow, just a nice solid basic map. 3 stars.
What In The Name Of... by AmigaAngel
A real treat - a complex layout that nevertheless causes hectic, unpredictable fights to break out consistently as you race through and around each one. The one misstep, I think, is making the BFG so accessible. It makes a lot of the rooms feel trivial when the whole vibe of the map is hectic and weird. Other than that it's a speedmap masterpiece. 4 stars.
Box-Packing Facility by DrakonxX
Short but sweet, with multiple routes through each little arena and custom hazards as well. A real pleasure. 4 stars.
Testing Chambers by Cmdr Disco Cat
We've seen MYHOUSE use the Doom map form for oblique mystery and drama, but here the form is used for foreshadowing, hints and teases. It's fun as heck; I could see the technique developed into a full on comedic experience. Not to mention the map itself is highly polished - not so hard, since you know what's up, and you're well outfitted - but it's great nonetheless. Another Commander Disco Cat banger. 4.5 stars.
WOW! Another Techbase by Monsieur E
C'mon, you don't have to be self-deprecating that way. It's a very, very, very short map, but I wouldn't even call it a techbase, let alone "another" techbase. A little bit shallow but has a couple of nice challenges in it. 2 stars.
32 Steps to Heaven (etc.) by Nights108
I don't get it. DNF.
Boxes by Raith138
There's been a number of "repeating room type" maps this year; this is one of the better ones. An exceptional use of crushers gives a great environmental twist to the experience. The blue key room was just too hard for me; no clue how to successfully get through that one. Other than that it was a set of really solid challenges, highly polished. 4 stars.
WolfenDoom3d by ThaYoda
I was enjoying it for a bit but then I softlocked myself in the blue key room. No clue how to proceed. Too bad because it was fun so far! DNF.
