If you're puzzled about where the name of this dm level comes from, that's because it originally belongs to the punk band Pennywise. The author constructed this map as a tribute to the memory of bassist Jason Matthew Thirsk, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Putting tributes aside however, you'll find that this is a decent and smooth moving map. And yes, it's even gothic-themed! (Sorry for the sarcasm, I just had to say that though)File name: pw.wad Author: Ebola Map Size: Large Map Summary: A dm level where I didn't care what came next. Don't worry, it follows the themes well. (Excerpted from pw.txt)
A rocket launcher will take you a long way in this map.
As I just mentioned, the map has a distinct gothic flavor and the design philosophy shows. Many of the textures used in the level are of the green marble variety, but there is some wood and metal mixed in to keep things interesting. The architecture isn't bad either, and the author made especially frequent use of arched hallways near the middle parts of the map. Some of the details placed inside were mundane, the biggest example being a very unoriginal blood fountain sitting all by itself in a corner area. Others were really nice, like the battlements that surrounded a pool of blood; this pool in turn guards a plasma gun that sits just out of reach of the player's hands. While the lighting wasn't special, the map does take place mostly outdoors so this isn't so much of a problem. There is a little shading in one of the map's darker hallways, which makes the area moody without being extravagant. There isn't really much to say about the design, except that its large and airy passages make navigating very smooth.
Frag-fests in a gothic fort. What more could you ask for?
As for playability, this map gives out a pretty decent deathmatch experience. Since the layout is pretty large and open, players will find themselves doing a lot of run-and- gunning. As is the norm with these environments, the super shotgun reigns supreme. However, if there's a weapon in this level that will follow close it would most definitely be the rocket launcher. This baby will save you more times that you can count, especially at the hallway intersections near the center of the level. Both the plasma and the BFG are present in the level, but are fairly well controlled. Grabbing the BFG is only possible if you have a lucky respawn, since it sits high up inside some inaccessible battlements. Even if you do manage to luck out, the drop down will almost certainly get you killed considering that it's a pretty wide open position. With the plasma, having a port that allows jumping makes it very easy to take. Normally you would have to hunt down a cleverly hidden walk-through wall which hides a teleporter to the elusive weapon. Even then getting through the wall takes a little effort, which more often than not leaves you wide open to attack. With jumping on however, just hop onto the blood pool barrier, then leap up onto the plasma gun's platform. It's difficult to use the plasma well in this map so at least there's some consolation to this fact.
This wall hides a precious secret. Can you see it?
Regrettably, there are some flaws that make playing in this map sometimes annoying. Even worse, they're actually pretty trivial to fix, but were still left in the map despite their obviousness. Anyway, there is a set of stairs in an enclosed area that's a bit of a tight squeeze. Climbing up is no problem at all, but running down will get you stuck faster than a fly in molasses. Note that it's still possible to move down the stairs, but at a *very* slow rate. Might as well stand still outside with a big neon orange sign that has the words "shoot me" painted on it...sheesh. The other problem in this level is also related to movement, and should be a universal no-no to dm wad designers by now. A fairly tight hallway in the middle of the map sports some funky floor designs, and are surrounded by groups of torches. The floor designs aren't a problem at all, but - you guessed it - those damnable torches make maneuvering that area a chore. When you're back-pedaling like hell to get away from your super shotgun-wielding friends, there's nothing quite like running smack into a torch to stop your retreat. Oh yes, the blood boils with the memory. Sure the designs look cooler with the torches, but it wouldn't have been much harder to embed them against the wall or something. Ah well, you win some, you lose some. After taking in all these aspects together, it's safe to say that Pennywise is a decent but not quite outstanding map. Some extra effort from the author would have really made things better but the overall effect isn't bad. While it's an average play experience at best, there's still enough in this level to distinguish it from the rest of the pack.
Review by Razorback
The Doom DM Resource Recommends:Get Pennywise from Ebola's Unholy Software Page.3-5 Players If you're using a jump-enabled port, turn jumping off Lan play with lots of people! Use with Zdoom