Review by Colin Phipps

This is a medium sized WAD in the Shores of Hell style. The level has a good high-tech yet sinister feel (similar to the computer areas of Deimos Labs, original Doom E2M4). The author makes good use of light levels; these give the level a sinister, misty feel.

The early areas of the level are nicely done, with good details. However, there were some secrets that showed on the map. Later areas still had the sinister feel, but lacked the detail and variety of the earlier areas.

The fights are fairly good. The authors uses revenants a lot, and you have to be ready to fight them in a variety of circumstances. The author also makes good use of chaingunners, and a couple of excellent fights where chaingunners and revenants are combined.

There are quite a few traps, but these were low quality - come on, surely we left behind the-wall-opens-in-front-of-you-and-a-horde-of-troopers-come-out traps after a few months of Doom 1; a Doom 2 WAD with this kind of trap has no excuse. Also several traps showed on the map, reducing the surprise.

The main opposition are humans and revenants; while other types are used, I would greatly prefer more variety in the fights, perhaps some arachnotrons and mancubi (to fit the industrial/tech atmosphere). Then again the level is mainly a chaingun level, so perhaps this is intended; it certainly makes a good change to play a good chaingun level, instead of all these shotgun dominated levels.

Ammo is excellently judged early on, to force you to use the pistol on the weaker opposition to save ammo. Health was poorly judged however; only a real beginner could lose 50% health to a hordes-of-troopers trap (there was plenty of room to retreat), and a real beginner shouldn't be playing at UV.

New sounds are included, including the soft-shotgun noise (as I call it, where the shotgun is given a sound more like a puff than a bang).

The final fight finally gets some more varied monsters, in the form of some barons and hell knights. But you are given hundreds of cells, far too many, making it a poor finish.

Overall a mixed WAD; it is great to have an intelligent WAD that forces you to use the chaingun, but a pity that the author did not avoid some of the outdated traps and problems that spoil the level.