FATAL
June 18th, 2007, 11:05 AM
CASTLE OF PHOBOS 5.0 (CPHOBOS 5.0.zip)
Reviewer: Vermil
Port used: Doomsday V1.8.6
Required Port: Doom2
Authors: David G. Shrock and Sean Fugate (?)
Number of maps: 10
VISUALS/AUDIO
This is an old wad from Dec 94 (says the read me), but I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of effort put into the majority of the levels.
First the visuals. Being a 94 wad its obviously not a work of art, but I was pleasantly surprised by some areas (by 94 standards and despite lots of texture misalignments, especially on Map1). Though most areas are very baron and texturing is mostly very dull after map5 (i.e. almost everything is Gray4 + 5). Lighting variation was almost non existent except for Map2 and occasionally on other maps).
There are new graphics for the Sergeant and Imp. But they are nothing special. Though being predominantly black coloured makes them a little harder to see in the couple of dark areas in the maps. There are also a couple of modified textures.
http://img447.imageshack.us/my.php?image=newfoe10bl.jpg
Similarly this wad comes with a few new sounds, which are as insignificant as the graphics. Though the replacement teleporter sound is much quieter than the original meaning you may not always here bad guys teleporting in.
The new level music wasnt particularly atmospheric or annoying. It was just there
Basically the new graphics and sounds really only seemed to be there just because its possible to change them.
GAMEPLAY:
I played this wad on Ultra Violence, which made for a game play style I didnt expect.
Playing it on a lower skill would probably make this wad play more like a standard wad.
I would divide this 10 level wad into 2 sections
Map1-8:
The first map generally didnt impress me that much since it was full of texture misalignments and had a couple of unmarked doors that you have to find. However it did set the game play style for the next 7 maps, which I found considerably better than Map1 in all areas (by 94 standards), namely the extremely tight ammo to creature ratio
Ammo balance was so tight there wasnt actually enough ammo to kill every bad guy on the map (I was running around with only a handful of bullets and a few shells fairly often. I didnt find a rocket launcher until Map5 or a Plasma Rifle until Map9), meaning I had to make every shot count or cause some infighting in larger fights. (Hint: dont bother trying to kill the pair of Cyber Demons and the Spider Demon you encounter on these maps )
I found this provided quite a challenge as most wads provide you with more than enough ammo. Health pick ups were also pretty rare.
*Though after looking at some of the maps in an editor, I see that I missed ALOT of secret areas that had a fair bit of ammo hidden away in them, which might alter this. There was also a Rocket Launcher and Plasma Rifle in secret areas on maps earlier than I found them.
Map9-10:
Sadly the last couple of levels take a turn for the worst. In Map9 your presented with every weapon, except the BFG (which doesnt appear in this wad to my knowledge), along with a load of ammo at the start.
Map9 does increase the bad guy count considerably over previous maps. But it is very easy to run straight through the first area without firing a shot. After which, your given another load of ammo and health. Sadly the second area is also easy to win without hardly firing a shot. Theres also an abundance of health in this second area.
Map10 was a big let down and a poor climax. Which wasnt helped by the fact that I carried over huge amounts of unused ammo from Map9.
OVERALL:
The way I played this episode (i.e. On Ultra Violence and missing near all of the secrets) proved quite enjoyable for me. But I believe the vast majority of Doomers wont find anything special here.
SCREENSHOTS:
Map01
http://img447.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map01a0ww.jpg
http://img447.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map01b0gr.jpg
http://img447.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map01c4eb.jpg
Map02
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map02a8qy.jpg
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map02b6gb.jpg
Map03
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map03a1cs.jpg
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map03b9sz.jpg
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map03c3it.jpg
Map04
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map04a9js.jpg
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map04b0eg.jpg
Map05
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map05a1ep.jpg
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map05b7ah.jpg
Map06
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map06a5td.jpg
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map06b0kx.jpg
Map07
http://img418.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map07a8ok.jpg
http://img418.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map07b8vh.jpg
Map08
http://img418.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map08a6xi.jpg
Map09
http://img418.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map09a2jn.jpg
http://img418.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map09b6ci.jpg
Map10
http://img418.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map10a3ta.jpg
http://img418.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map10b1cq.jpg
http://img418.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map10c6lq.jpg
Reviewer: Vermil
Port used: Doomsday V1.8.6
Required Port: Doom2
Authors: David G. Shrock and Sean Fugate (?)
Number of maps: 10
VISUALS/AUDIO
This is an old wad from Dec 94 (says the read me), but I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of effort put into the majority of the levels.
First the visuals. Being a 94 wad its obviously not a work of art, but I was pleasantly surprised by some areas (by 94 standards and despite lots of texture misalignments, especially on Map1). Though most areas are very baron and texturing is mostly very dull after map5 (i.e. almost everything is Gray4 + 5). Lighting variation was almost non existent except for Map2 and occasionally on other maps).
There are new graphics for the Sergeant and Imp. But they are nothing special. Though being predominantly black coloured makes them a little harder to see in the couple of dark areas in the maps. There are also a couple of modified textures.
http://img447.imageshack.us/my.php?image=newfoe10bl.jpg
Similarly this wad comes with a few new sounds, which are as insignificant as the graphics. Though the replacement teleporter sound is much quieter than the original meaning you may not always here bad guys teleporting in.
The new level music wasnt particularly atmospheric or annoying. It was just there
Basically the new graphics and sounds really only seemed to be there just because its possible to change them.
GAMEPLAY:
I played this wad on Ultra Violence, which made for a game play style I didnt expect.
Playing it on a lower skill would probably make this wad play more like a standard wad.
I would divide this 10 level wad into 2 sections
Map1-8:
The first map generally didnt impress me that much since it was full of texture misalignments and had a couple of unmarked doors that you have to find. However it did set the game play style for the next 7 maps, which I found considerably better than Map1 in all areas (by 94 standards), namely the extremely tight ammo to creature ratio
Ammo balance was so tight there wasnt actually enough ammo to kill every bad guy on the map (I was running around with only a handful of bullets and a few shells fairly often. I didnt find a rocket launcher until Map5 or a Plasma Rifle until Map9), meaning I had to make every shot count or cause some infighting in larger fights. (Hint: dont bother trying to kill the pair of Cyber Demons and the Spider Demon you encounter on these maps )
I found this provided quite a challenge as most wads provide you with more than enough ammo. Health pick ups were also pretty rare.
*Though after looking at some of the maps in an editor, I see that I missed ALOT of secret areas that had a fair bit of ammo hidden away in them, which might alter this. There was also a Rocket Launcher and Plasma Rifle in secret areas on maps earlier than I found them.
Map9-10:
Sadly the last couple of levels take a turn for the worst. In Map9 your presented with every weapon, except the BFG (which doesnt appear in this wad to my knowledge), along with a load of ammo at the start.
Map9 does increase the bad guy count considerably over previous maps. But it is very easy to run straight through the first area without firing a shot. After which, your given another load of ammo and health. Sadly the second area is also easy to win without hardly firing a shot. Theres also an abundance of health in this second area.
Map10 was a big let down and a poor climax. Which wasnt helped by the fact that I carried over huge amounts of unused ammo from Map9.
OVERALL:
The way I played this episode (i.e. On Ultra Violence and missing near all of the secrets) proved quite enjoyable for me. But I believe the vast majority of Doomers wont find anything special here.
SCREENSHOTS:
Map01
http://img447.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map01a0ww.jpg
http://img447.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map01b0gr.jpg
http://img447.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map01c4eb.jpg
Map02
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map02a8qy.jpg
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map02b6gb.jpg
Map03
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map03a1cs.jpg
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map03b9sz.jpg
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map03c3it.jpg
Map04
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map04a9js.jpg
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map04b0eg.jpg
Map05
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map05a1ep.jpg
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map05b7ah.jpg
Map06
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map06a5td.jpg
http://img356.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map06b0kx.jpg
Map07
http://img418.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map07a8ok.jpg
http://img418.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map07b8vh.jpg
Map08
http://img418.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map08a6xi.jpg
Map09
http://img418.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map09a2jn.jpg
http://img418.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map09b6ci.jpg
Map10
http://img418.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map10a3ta.jpg
http://img418.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map10b1cq.jpg
http://img418.imageshack.us/my.php?image=map10c6lq.jpg