You knew this was coming. How could I ever, ever end this column without taking a look at what Nicolás Monti has been up to lately? Some time in 2018 was the point where I started paying a lot less attention to Doom WAD releases. That was coincidentally around the same time Monti was taking a break from Doom. Even still, in the time since my review of Mano Laikas: A road to Gamzatti in 2017, our benevolent mapmaker has graced us with no less than ten new WADs. I’ve caught up on most of those and now I have
Tag: 2017 WADs
The Episode of Episodes!
To celebrate the 45th edition of this column, my plan was to take a look at some episode replacements I’ve always meant to play but never got around to. I’d heard good things about all of them (and in most cases, I’d enjoyed their creators’ other work), so I expected to play some pretty good maps… Instead, I played four of the most amazing episodes I’ve touched in years. I know I said just a few days ago that Mapgame was possibly my favorite ever Doom episode, but all four of these are in the running for that title now — and
Special Report: One-Map WADstravaganza!
By now you’ve probably noticed that I lean more toward bigger WADs and megaWADs to talk about in this column. As a result, I have a growing list of one-map WADs I’ve either enjoyed or been meaning to play that has just been getting longer and longer for years now… You know what the means! That’s right — it’s time for another special episode! Welcome to the One-Map WADstravaganza: eight single-level releases from the last five years or so. Let’s jump right to it, before I get wrapped up in some long, masturbatory introduction! Presented in alphabetical order: Big Woodchip
Counterattack
Mechadon is known mostly for his contributions to community projects and multi-author megaWADs — projects in which he consistently steals the show. He’s also made more than his fair share of one-off maps, DM mapsets, co-op sets… What we’ve never seen from him is a solo, singleplayer mapset. Until now, that is. And it was well worth the wait. Mechadon’s style cannot be mistaken: beautifully crafted architecture on a grand scale, meticulously detailed all the way from a tiny light fixture up to the vaulted archways of a nightmarish mega-cathedral large enough to fit every single denizen of Hell. His
l͜i̸lith.͞p̶k3̛
sͣ̔̆̂̽҉͏̖̭̝͍̥͔̗̙́͢oͮ͌̃̍̿̆̋͐̾̐̿̅̔͋͗͏̴̖̠̥͖͓̪͚̰ͅm̳̻͙̣̫̠ͭ̀ͣ̓ͥ͛ͥͩ̐̉̐̑̎̊̔́̕͜ȅ̸̡̪͎̮̗̃̔̂͊̔ͫ̽t̶̳͙̼͓̖͛̉ͤͤ͒̓̇̇ͥ́́͜͝h̶̵̛̪͙̣͉̻̺̰̘͈͇̦̲̯̐̓̄͐ͅȉ̸̠̹̮̙̱͔͚̞̜̫̄ͤ̍̉͜n̵̻̬̯̬̩͈̘̯̱͓̋̂ͮ͋͑̓ͦͥͮͫ͛̀͌̂͆͛̐ͤͯ͟͟ͅg̜̳̳͉̜̩̗͖̼̠̩̥̙͉͚͔̹͚̽ͭ͌́͐͛ͫͭ̍̑ͪ̇͌̈̊ͮ̌͘͜͢ ̵̡̞̤̣̞̻̗͈̱͓͙͕̲̘ͪ̾̓̄̀ͬ̓̇̉͂ͭ͘i̞̘̳̠̪͕͕̯̺͉͎̤͚̻̾ͦ̓̅̌̈́̀͡s̷̲̤̟͇̝̩̜͈̯̱̩͎̹̪̠̩̺̮̐̉ͤ̊̍͐͌ͤ̄̌ͬ͡͠ ̴̷̡͍̬̹̥̫̗͚̩̣͕͉̤̥̖̝͚̺͋ͮ́̔́͞w̴̴͈̫̣͕̯̻͙̯̻̖͍̬͔ͤ̆̓̐̂̉ͧ̽̌́͘ͅṙ̪̣̰̥̠͓̰̻̫̿̆͗́̑́̕ͅo̡̘̥̦͍͚̖͉͇̗͚̭̜͙͙͗̒̎̅̓͒͋̊ͭ̾ͥ̐͋ͪͥͭͤ̀͘͝n̷̵̺̲̭̖̥̦̓̽͋̆͗ͧ̐̓͡ͅg̛̯̬̣͈̖̥̲͖͉̞̹̻̫̠̩̓ͨ̿͋͗ͮͭ̑̈́̉̄̂́ͅ _̝̻̳͙̰̠̹̝͈͎̬̼̙͉̖͎̮ͣͣ̃ͧ̓̎̂̌͘͜͠͡ líli͏th̀.pk͘3͡ r̷eq̶u͝i̛r̕es ̴D̀OOM2.W̢AD a͏n̡d ̷ ̀ ̨ ZD̢o͝om̧ ͟2.8.1. I͏f̨ y̴ou’re not͞ ̸s̴ur̨e /̧/͝ ͟hów ̛.̶.͟.̛ …̕ ͘t̡h̨i̧s̴ ̵m͝ay̛ ̴help.͟ Fóŗ ̡more ̸W̨A͡Ḍ̟̠̹͉ ̯s̡̭̣͙̱,͜ ;̀;̨;̧;̨̀͞;̸͜͏͢;̶͟͞;̶͡;̷̴͠;̶̛;̴̡́͝͠;̀͏;̸̡;̡̢̢;̸̛;̧͘;̶̡͢;̴̕;͠҉̀͘;͢;̵̷;̢͢͠;̧́̕͢;̨҉̶͜;̀͟;̸̷̨;̶̢͟;̵̨̛͜҉;̀̕;̶̨̛͢;̡͢ ̶cli̸ck͢ th̸is.