Fiery Knoll Maps
Doom 1 Boss Rush But It's Terrible by andOlga
I mean, it's in the title? But look, it actually does show not just "a map that works" level skill, it actually heals you when you get teleported back to the hub, monsters dropping keys is not a thing vanilla Doom does...I would simply say it is a Doom 1 Boss Rush But It Shows Promise. 1.5 stars.
Berserk Madness by Bennington2024
An instructive counterpoint to Fist of the Doomed Star above; the berserk fist is slower, is actually a little difficult to get the rhythm of, and there's no secondary weapon to attack flying monsters with. The bumbling cacodemons add a RNG quality that make challenges like this rather unpleasant. While I loved the revenant tightrope, the fight on the ledge after it is equally unpleasant. And the final boss is...well, very pointless. I can tell there's some kind of joke there but it lingers much too long. It's a good first draft (and of course a good first map) but it just doesn't hold together. 2 stars.
The Lava is Floor by DoctorNuriel
Although I ended up liking this one a lot, it has the flaw of a lot of difficult Doom maps which is that you end up getting killed repeatedly until you get a clear sense of the one path that will allow you to succeed. I think the map could be made a lot better if it followed a more steaily increasing difficulty, like most Doom maps (certainly most Doom pistol start maps). The emphasis on the rocket launcher makes the awareness of space even more vital and the multiple returns to the cramped hub space with different collections of enemies really works. I do think there might be some benefit to scattering a bit more ammo (or making the plasma gun a bit more obvious). Overall it has great potential, which is odd to say for what's graphically a clearly highly polished production. 3.5 stars.
WH4TTH3H3LL by The Gaming Fox
It's clear that there's a lot of skill here, but I'm not sure the rugpulls ("and here's ANOTHER thing that doesn't do what it normally does in Doom!") add up to much. I felt like every time I started getting some momentum going I would run into something that made me stop, go back, and try it again with knowledge I couldn't improvise my way through. Ennh, this sounds more negative than I feel. It's a good, fun level with lots of really cool arenas. 3.5 stars.
Tempus Gyrantus Cranii by JL
A nice little level. We've had a lot of "punching levels" this year. This one, though small, shows how difficult it is to get it right. You really need to stage carefully and diligently when the player has no real control over his choice of firepower or the space in which to fight. 4 stars.
Vicious Unto Thee by Arsinikk
Not only is it too hard, the enemy deployment and layout, in many of these scenarios (especially the second to last) is just a slog. There's no good/fun way to discover your way through these hallways. The first arena and the last are pretty good though. 2 stars.
Thumper by drjayphd
A fascinating level, quite thoughtful in how it handles its layout and deployment of monsters and weapons. In the end you end up thinking your way through the last interactions and final return to the beginning of the map. I found it extremely mentally engaging to see the different types of monsters in different types of mini-levels. The fun factor for me was huge here. 5 stars.
Temple of the Void by State the Stone
A gorgeously done level that cuts just at the edge of being too complex a maze - with so many teleporters you're never quite sure if you're actually making progress or not. However, when the level started to re-open up back to the center, and then created a new, broader hub it really felt great. The last sequence, with a long series of lowering the floor of a particular cylinder, is really terrific. 5 stars.
Fort Blackrock Maps
Descend the Black Tower by Crab Heart
A really remarkable experience, from the realization of just how big the tower is, to the ending where you realize just how tall it is. This is one of the levels that really emphatically helps you see how ZDoom contributes to design options and possibilities. The cyber/cacodemon fight at the end is also something special - you can do as much or as little of it as you can manage. 5 stars.
Liquorice Zone by HeichDynamiteKaitorn
Similarly, the aesthetic in this one is great but it begins to grate just at about the time the level ends. The music (Jazz Jackrabbit!) is fantastic and upbeat. The level manages what very few Doom levels do - to combine cramped or awkward fighting spaces with a freedom to enter them from multiple directions and in multiple situations. And it's not so long that the aesthetic sameness really starts to get to me. 4.5 stars.
Usurp the Demon King! by Liizerd
A really unique layout - the first choice you make is irreversible and really affects your experience in the level. Then after you get a key you can move between the two "branches", and you do, more than once. The secrets are interesting too, though I'm not sure that what's in them is particularly helpful at the moment you find them. On top of everything else, there's an archvile fight that is an entirely new approach to the monster and its unique fighting style. Innovative and exciting, even if the ending is a bit limp. 5 stars.
Cyber Castle by Skela
A fantastic use of cyberdemons as hazards rather than as direct foes, in two separate towers even! The one part that I just got stuck on was when the game wanted me to run past two of them. Yes, that's a cool moment, but I just couldn't figure out that was my next move. I was wandering all over the map trying to figure out what that last button did. I think this is in part due to the monochromatic aesthetic. I would suggest finding some more places in the level where you can put some other colors as elements to draw attention. Other than that it's a fantastic, tough but very fair experience. 4.5 stars.
Trenchmace Dungeon by Xirtlem
A creditable stab at a total conversion that only fails because the bosses have way too many hit points and so become real bummers to try to get through. Fighting the cyberdemon in that red lighting forever is a drag. 2 stars.
Trespassers by MonkeyShock
A little on the generous side with health and ammo but a fun set of challenges based around a theme that really works - the deeper you go, the more alien things get. I would even encourage you to go further if you wanted to try this theme again and just really start fucking with the player as you delve "too deep". Those damn nazis are always digging too deep! 3.5 stars.
Sanguin Monastery by Raijindo
An excellent little map, a good rollout and a good escalation of difficulty across its length. Really enjoyed it. 4 stars.
Silence in the Library by Palindrome
A lot of "gimmick maps" are, by their nature, extremely linear. Some can even be called puzzle maps. I started playing this map and thought that's what it was. But about halfway through I realized that the map had a lot more freedom than I thought. I really recommend looking around this map because it's a lot more non-linear than you think, even when you're playing it the way you're "supposed to". This unique combination of freedom and challenge make this a must-play. 5 stars.
Rooftop Garden Maps
Mound with no sound by aq
A very creditable Silent Hill reference map. There's more than one place where I got unnerved. Really nice job, especially on the audio. It could be expanded into something special. 3 stars.
Homecoming by BenderWaffles
It's a little on the easy side but you do get the concept that you're absolutely crashing into this place that the demons have occupied for a while. It's that feeling that keeps it moving. (The only exception to this is the teleporting-in monsters. I think they should instead be already placed, to fit the theme.) 4.5 stars.
train trouble by big smoke
The train looks great, the scenery looks great, the challenges are solid (including the use of the arch-vile) and the music is perfect. I played it and immediately played it again. "The perfect RAMP map". 5 stars.
URBAN TANK WAR by Amiga Angel and CBM
While there isn't anyone who doesn't love URBAN TANK WAR, there are performance issues when you look at the buildings in the wrong direction, when your tank gets blown up and you have to momentarily fight on your feet, you can't change weapons except by picking up new ones, and after you've circled the map once it's impossible to identify an objective. I don't even know if the keys I picked up did anything?! I eventually just stumbled on the exit - cute, but how is this the objective of URBAN TANK WAR?! Some conceptual passes might be valuable for this type of total conversion. 1.5 stars.
Anti-Static III - Revenge of the Moving by NiGHTS108
I've mentioned before my dislike of slaughter maps but as I've played through two years of RAMP maps I've come to understand them a little bit better. Critical elements of slaughter maps include a mixture of monsters to cause infighting, a layout large enough to challenge but with enough cover that archviles can't hit you from across the map easily. As such, this map is a master class both in design and in teaching the player how to play a slaughter map. The several escalating challenges leading to the main hub really get you in the mood and get you to understand the idea of cutting your own path through a swathe of monsters. And once you understand how the level works you can see multiple methods for handling it - the "birthday cakes" of revenants in particular are interesting. Do you leave some of them alive to help with later infighting or do you take them all out before the first button press? It's still too hard for an oldhead like me but it's an actual glimpse even for me of what the fun of these maps are. 4 stars.
C1T13 by The Gaming Fox
This RAMP there were a lot of attempts of the Doom II promise of cityscapes inhabited by monsters, but this one actually delivered with lots of nooks and crannies and a final showdown deep beneath the city that was exciting and fun. You feel the variety of environments as you move through them. A few awkward teleports could be sorted out, of course, but overall it was a blast. 4 stars.
How's the compilation going David by Obsidian
A compact map with a lot of challenges going for it. Because of the way I moved through it I found the archvile was almost my best friend. A major flaw is in the section with the iron cages containing the hitscanners; the cages were too opaque for me to even see that they were there or if I hit them. There might have been a texture problem - when I opened up the console there was a string of error messages. Anyway that was the main struggle I had with the map. 3.5 stars.
