Levels come and levels go, but only a few maps really manage to make an impression on a deathmatcher's mind. David Gevert's Deathmatch 4 happens to be one such map. While I haven't played the other three maps in the series, the playability of this one alone may be enough to get me to download the rest and see how they play.File name: dgdm4.wad Author: David Gevert Map Size: Small Map Summary: "A small, tight deathmatch level...[which] focuses on gameplay rather than detail. Inspired by Andrei Romanov's Gothic DM levels." (Excerpted from dgdm4.txt)
When I first downloaded this map and cracked open the readme (I'm big on readme files...don't ask), I let out an involuntary groan as I read the following line: "Inspired by Andrei Romanov's Gothic DM levels." While I have nothing against the Gothic Dm series or Andrei Romanov's work, the famous megawad spawned a bunch of gothic-themed wannabe maps that were total crap. Thankfully, the author has given me back my faith in gothic-themed maps with this sweet little number despite the uninspired texture use.
Repeat after me:
The plasma gun is your friend...
The layout itself is admittedly pretty slick. Moving from one end of the map to the other presented no problem at all, and only people with terrible direction sense will ever get lost. While the author says that it's possible to get stuck on the sides of some walls, I didn't run into this problem at all. When the action got really intense, never once did I get stuck on any corners thanks to the great connectivity. There aren't any big areas to have super shotgun duels in, but that's not a problem due to the run and gun nature of the map. What's nice about this level though is the way the author evens out the pace by adding the sniper holes on the outside edges. People getting beaten in the middle of the map can get a chance to even the odds by picking where they fight their battles; these little sniper spots are one way to do this without being excessively cheesy. Anyone can flush out players trying to camp out in these areas with enough determination, skill, and the right combination of weaponry.
A shotgun sniper's heaven.
There isn't a whole lot to complain about when looking at the architecture for this map. Rounded corners and other little structural flourishes manage to stay simple and pleasing to the eye, where other maps seek to bury the player in excessive detail. As it turns out, this is one of the map's biggest virtues - this makes DGDM4 an ideal candidate for play over Doomserv. Weapon placement is decent, with hardware such as shotguns and chainguns populating most of the map. There's only one rocket launcher, which happens to be a good design choice. The only other power weapon in this map though is the plasma gun, which regrettably is pretty simple to obtain. It sits on top of a little platform, which requires the player to trigger so as to reach it. There's one good thing about having the plasma accessible in this manner; the player trying to grab the plasma leaves his back exposed, giving everyone and their grandma a chance to shoot at the unsuspecting victim with impunity.
Neat architecture adds ambience
to this area.
There's a lot to like about this map, but as usual there are those few tiny flaws that could have been fixed with a little extra effort from the author. While the texture alignment is well done, the texture choice is bland at best. Good luck trying to judge some distances when using the rocket launcher - due to all the textures in the map being the same, you might end up hitting yourself with splash damage more often than not. It's also easy to abuse the plasma in DGDM4, and is especially apparent in one-on-one duels. Plasma scrubiness is alleviated with multiple players however, as people trying to grab the damn thing will find themselves fighting off players swarming to take it at the same time.
In the end, DGDM4 is a fulfilling deathmatch experience for both newbies and hardcore players. The texture use and lighting won't win any awards, but the gameplay is fast and furious enough to keep you playing until the wee hours of the morning.
Review by Razorback
The Doom DM Resource Recommends:Get DGDM4 from David Gevert's homepage.2-4 players Any skill setting Play over Doomserv Matches against the Cajun bot as of Zdoom v1.18