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Dark Castle |
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Title: Dark Castle
Dark Castle can best be described as a 3-level "Hexen from Hell". This is a very difficult set of levels, loaded with tricks and traps; one where saving your game after every enemy you kill is highly recommended. The first map starts your out at the gate to Dark Castle, and from there you work your way around the outskirts of the level, along the castle walls and eventually into the main courtyards and center tower. This level is on-par with the detail found in the 4th hub of the game Hexen, and looks even better with it's use of the gothic textures on a majority of the walls. The area outside of the castle was a rather bland start for these maps detail-wise, however you know you're in for a challenge when you face almost every monster in Doom2 before even entering the castle. After entering the main building in the castle, the first map ends and the second begins. The second map is gigantic; just as large as the largest Eternal Doom levels, although it does move along faster. This takes you deep below the grounds into lava pits, dungeons, libraries, great halls, everything you would expect to find in a castle, and then some. This is one of the most moody levels I have played in a very long time. Lots of monsters popping up all over the place keeps you on the tips of your toes from start to finish. The only complaint with monsters here is one point near the end (after you kill the cyberdemon in the dark marble-faces room) where you go up a lift and are faced with such a large horde of monsters that you will have to rely on chance to get by, which got annoying after 10 tries. The 3D bridges near the beginning have a slight "hole" where you can fall down to the first one, but this won't happen unless you try to do this purposely. The third map "A Portal To Hell" is a small 'finale' level; the first room is a small arena based at what looks to be the top level of a giant spire. The second arena takes you straight to hell itself so you can wipe out the enemy from their point of origin. The design of the spire arena is rather majestic, but the hell arena is a little lacking. Both are absolute chaos to fight through. The overall thing placement is great in Dark Castle. Ammo is never too abundant, yet a few missed shots are allowed. Health may be a problem if you are not one to save games often (this is a good thing). Difficulty settings are incorporated here, but each skill level will provide a more-than-adequate challenge for their regular users. A commonly-used trick is having enemies "buried" in the ground and then rising when necessary. I can see this frustrating a few people as they occasionally appear right in front of you (but not me, I think it worked out for the better). There is also new music featured in these levels, which was composed by Virgil himself. The pieces are very well done and fit the theme well, although I think the music for the second map was a little heavier than the mood of the map was. It's near impossible for me to believe these levels came from the same person who did After Doom, and in such a short time too. Anybody who needs a good challenge and some good creepy levels to roam around in will need this wad.
Reviewed by Lüt |
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