As most everyone in the Doom community knows, the one deathmatch wad that set the all-time standard for astounding looks to date was the Parallel Team's Fragfest Initialized. The sheer amount of work put into it made FFi a labor of love that other authors would be hard pressed to match. It seems though that with Sacrifice DM 4, Derek MacDonald has matched if not surpassed this feat. So how is it that the author is able to achieve such a powerful visual effect? All I can say is that you need to see it for yourself to truly appreciate it. The map doesn't use any traditional flourishes you might find in real-world buildings. Instead, the architecture seems to give off an alien ambience, one that is strange yet captivating at the same time. Part of this may be due to the author's use of Nick Baker's "Nightmare" texture wad, which adds a great deal to the flavor of the map. The look fits that of a tech/base theme, and the layout matches this with the polygonal shapes of the various rooms. Yet despite all the detail, gameplay still manages to move along at a brisk frame rate.File name: Dmdsac04.wad Author: Derek "Afterglow" MacDonald Map Size: Medium Map Summary: A dark military-style base with top notch lighting and architecture. Very symmetrical unlike the other maps in the series and best with 2-4 players. (Excerpted from dmdsac04.txt)
Ah, the elusive BFG. You know you want it!
There's just no way to have a good map though if the gameplay isn't up to par. Thankfully, Sacrifice DM 4 serves up plenty of hectic and bloodthirsty deathmatch for the hardcore Doomer, and then some. Navigation is pretty good, and is helped along by the fact that it's symmetrical all around. The author thoughtfully added different colored lights to the hallways so as to help players differentiate which side of the map that they're on. Not only is this a good show of foresight from the author, but a textbook example of the kinds of little things people can add to enhance their map's playability. The level isn't totally free of trouble spots though, and suffers from some decorative clutter in various parts of the map. Backpedaling in the heat of battle will also get you killed, due to the twisty and narrow nature of several hallways.
A small example of some of the great visuals in this level.
Finding a weapon doesn't present much problem either, and are spread throughout the map to provide maximum coverage. I was disappointed when I couldn't find a single shotgun, since it would have really added some variety to the map. Apparently, the level seems to focus on power weapons, which I found out after stumbling upon an easily accessible plasma gun. While there's only one that can be found throughout the map, it just sits out at the end of a high ledge, requiring no real effort from players to grab it. Needless to say this weapon is a valuable asset in Sacrifice DM 4, and can be used to pin opponents in its narrow outer corridors. On the good side of things, the BFG is a little more difficult to obtain depending on the port you use to play the map. People using Boom/MBF/SMMU will have to do it the old fashioned way; hit a switch, then strafe run like mad to the BFG before a lift takes it away from your hot little hands. Those using a jump-enabled port like Legacy/ Zdoom however have life much easier. Simply make your way up to the higher ground around the sides, hop onto a crate below, and jump across to the BFG.
The exit corridor uses a neat faked slope effect.
In the end, Sacrifice DM 4 is a satisfying deathmatch experience that most everyone will enjoy. While it does suffer a little from so-so weapon placement and some disruptive navigation in the middle, these problems don't damper the overall quality of the level. If you're looking for a map that can deliver awesome visuals with good gameplay, then the bus definitely stops here.
Review by Razorback
The Doom DM Resource Recommends:Get Sacrifice DM4 from Afterglow's Site.3-5 Players If you're using a jump-enabled port, turn jumping off. LAN play; Doomserv suffers a little from the detail Try out all of the other Sacrifice DM maps, get some buddies for a LAN party, and frag all night!