Speed of Doom – Debriefing
After a year of anticipation, Speed of Doom was released a few months ago. I recently discovered it and decided to give it a try. The authors, Darkwave0000 and Josh Sealy did not have much of a resume – Darkwave0000 has made no previous maps and Josh Sealy only contributed a few maps to community projects – however, it has not dissapointed so far. After playing for 3 days, I have just arrived on level 10; so up to now, here are my level reviews.
[Please note – My reviews are made while playing on Hurt Me Plenty – however, pictures are taken afterwards on Ultra Violence – therefore, some pictures may not go with the text / reviews.]
Speed of Doom – MAP01 First Blood
MAP01 – First Blood is a short introduction map that takes inspiration from MAP01’s of famous megawads such as Plutonia 2 and Scythe. It is a bit of a warm-up map, with the toughest opposition being a handful of cacodemons and chaingunners. The level starts with a squad of 2 – 3 zombiemen in your face, which you can take out with a pistol or with the nearby berserk. They are accompanied by a handful of imps and more zombiemen. More imps, zombiemen, sergeants, and demons surround the area. You will face some chaingunners and cacodemons, then find the exit where a sergeant will attempt to stop you. The theme to this level would be grass / rock, as you emerge from a cave into a grassy area (hence the soundtrack is named Surface). It has mild challenge to it.
Architecture – 3/5 | Gameplay – 3/5 | Difficulty – 3/5 | Overall Delivery – 3/5
MAP01 - First Blood - Water Room
Speed of Doom – MAP02 Mysterious Cove
MAP02 – Mysterious Cove is a very fun map to play. The theme of the map, a dark setting with toxic in a dark brown cave area, really makes you feel like you are right there. The fun part of the map, a large factory-type building that you enter via elevator, is chock-full of monsters. With several arachnotrons on harder difficulties, as well as a handful of Hell knights, you are bound to be faced with a challenge. I admit, this level surprised me with it’s difficulty. After taking just a few steps, you are surrounded by demons and imps. After defeating and moving on, you are confronted with an arachnotron and an array of other monsters. You then must clear out the factory building for the red key, and use that to get out of the mysterious cove.
Architecture – 5/5 | Gameplay – 4/5 | Difficulty – 4/5 | Overall Delivery – 4/5
Inside the Building
Speed of Doom – MAP03 Constrained Base
MAP03 Constrained Base feels a bit like it could be placed easily in Claustrophobia 1024, but after looking it over in Doom Builder, it so happens that this map is larger than it seems. You start off with multiple imps in your face, in a cramped area. When they call this map Constrained Base, they really mean it. This map is cramped! The first two maps were full of open space to run away, and this constrats with that. Joshy remade this map from one of his old maps, and I’m glad he did – this map gives off great vibes. In fact, this map is my favorite in the first episode. I have to say, even though you are in such a confined area, you have area to evade the monster attacks. More difficult monsters start coming into play as well. This map also is a bit of a maze. You will enjoy it.
Architecture – 5/5 | Gameplay – 5/5 | Difficulty – 4/5 | Overall Delivery – 4/5
A Crammed Hallway of the Constrained Base
Speed of Doom – MAP04 Sedgemire
MAP04 Sedgemire is a very eery map, with the creepy music track Gluestar. After taking out the first monster, a Hell knight, you must face imps as well as a lone mancubus. You take the elevator down and are, from there, confronted with loads and loads of monsters. This level consists of many monsters, including a baron of Hell (however, it can be easily telefragged), many mancubi and a handful of arachnotrons. The architecture is great, putting you (just like the previous maps) into a sort of green area. This level is designed to look a bit like a sewer, and it really does. The main toxic stream is the highlight where a few battles are fought. I overall enjoyed this level.
Architecture – 5/5 | Gameplay – 4/5 | Difficulty – 3/5 | Overall Delivery – 4/5
Near the Main Sewer
Speed of Doom – MAP05 Cliffside Siege
MAP05 Cliffside Siege is a very fun map inspired by Alien Vendetta MAP06 Hillside Siege. In this map, you are based on a O-shaped cliff, and in the center is a pool of toxic. In this map, you will meet your first boss monster – in the far distance of the map, a Spider Mastermind can snipe you from very far away. The smart way to beat it would be to use the Rocket Launcher or SSG and slaughter it from the next-door room. This map is full of difficult monsters – many cacodemons, quite a few revenants and pain elementals, as well as a baron and several Hell knights. Also, at the ending you are confronted by an arch-vile and a few imps. This map is very well designed, and the gameplay is very balanced.
Architecture – 5/5 | Gameplay – 5/5 | Difficulty – 5/5 | Overall Delivery – 5/5
Behind the Cacodemon be-ith the Spiderdemon
Speed of Doom – MAP06 Dreamscape
You are officially welcome to Speed of Doom. Now it gets serious. This level, with more monsters than Go 2 It, is the real beginning of Speed of Doom. With no less than 2 arch-viles, a cyberdemon, 6 barons of Hell and 10 revenants in just the last room, you are bound to face some heavy resistance. Is the Plasma Gun really worth it? You tell me – you have to take on a buttload of imps and several revenants. However, you can grab the BFG via a secret, but you have to face 4 barons and 25 knights for it to work out. This level is just the beginning of the challenge, however.
Architecture – 4/5 | Gameplay – 4/5 | Difficulty – 5/5 | Overall Delivery – 4/5
Near the BFG
Speed of Doom – MAP07 Simple Prison-Yard
An obvious combination of MAP07’s Dead Simple, Prison, and Caughtyard, this map is an extremely difficult level. Despite the fact that this map’s architecture lacks, it has great gameplay. I feel it lacked health, though. I finished the level with 2 HP. You start off with Prison – there are multiple Hell knights and chaingunners inside cages and nearby. Then, you enter the Caughtyard, accompanied by your pal Cyberdemon, as well as sniper revenants on higher ground. After pressing a few buttons, a barricade blocks off your exit and you are immediately confronted with a LOT of mancubi, and once you defeat them you take on many arachnotrons, similar to Dead Simple. Then you can exit.
Architecture – 2/5 | Gameplay – 4/5 | Difficulty – 5/5 | Overall Delivery – 3/5
Defeating the Cyberdemon
Speed of Doom – MAP08 Frenetic
At this point, the maps start getting fiercer. This map is home to many tough monsters, including many Hell knights, arch-viles, and more than 50 imps in one space. Once you take out all the tough monsters and you think it’s over, you press a teeny little button and out come something like 8 arachnotrons and a Spider Mastermind. As annoying and impossible as it seems, it is possible, even without taking damage. I must say, though, this map was a challenge. I came into this map with 2 HP, and came out with almost full. This map is less of a challenge than the last 2 maps, but still keeps the feel of SoD going. The architecture is pretty great, it is a large indoor storearea cramped with monsters and crates. I enjoyed it.
Architecture – 4/5 | Gameplay – 4/5 | Difficulty – 3/5 | Overall Delivery – 3/5
The Large Room of the Storehouse
Speed of Doom – MAP09 Depredation
To me, this map was a bit of a let-down in terms of gameplay. I felt like I lost interest in this level halfway through it. Seeing as a room consists of a stretchy hallway with 50 zombiemen, a few spectres and an arch-vile, I felt like this map lost the creative spark that the last few maps had. I must say, though, in terms of architecture this map was not half bad. I enjoyed the red floor, as well as the winding hallways and surprising traps. Overall, this map was good at best. I know that this was just an odd incident and the rest of the maps will be good, though.
Architecture – 4/5 | Gameplay – 2/5 | Difficulty – 3/5 | Overall Delivery – 3/5
The Stretchy Hallway
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