FATAL
June 18th, 2007, 11:47 AM
The Ultimate Doom Forever.
By Jetflock
Ult4ever.wad (3,2 mb)
ftp://ftp.sunet.se/pub/pc/games/idgames/levels/doom2/Ports/m-o/nobrakes.zip
Port: Doom Legacy v1.42 with OpenGl renderer. Single player (Coop and DM also supported) NOVEMBER 7, 2005
6 maps.
Reviewed by Danimetal. Review done using Doom Legacy v1.42 .
Score: 7.8
I had the luck to play this wad before it´s official release. Nothing special, the author just placed it somewhere and I grabbed it... And well, I was completely astonished: it was a long time since I didn´t see a wad using the Legacy features and it being actually a good play.
The Ultimate Doom Forever is a remake for "Doom Forever", by the same author, with cleaned up, detailed and re-worked levels to fit the today´s standards. That can only mean that the wad is sure to look good but, what about the playability?. Has it suffered?. It will always depend on your taste but, for me, The Ultimate Doom Forever plays as well as any legendary wad. It starts rather easy on the first map but soon things start to heat up and the action becomes completely hot and wild!. This feeling is, partly achieved by modifying the original monsters: your average imp is now faster and deadlier, demons are a foe to fear and the very same goes for Barons or Hell Knights. In addition to that, fights are usually held between you and lots of enemies but, to make things balanced, the author has also modified the weapons so they are also faster.
All these modifications come with new graphics too. You will instantly recognise your enemies since their sprites haven´t changed much (or changed at all) but the graphics for your weapons, between level pictures or even decorative sprites are new and skilfully done. Also, the wad comes with new textures (some of them used to very nice effects, like round doors) and flats, giving the sensation of a coherent and complete world. This, of course, could never be achieved without a correct mapping technique and here is where this wad shines. Lovers of big outdoor areas will have intense moments playing this wad (like in the beginning of the second or the last world... Starting a level and seeing an inmense abyss with 3d ridges above it will send a chill down your spine instantly) and will hold big battles running crazy through the place. Indoor areas, passages and halls are also a plus in design. I could talk for pages and pages about the different computer areas, pipes, acid pools, elevators and different places you will find but the most interesting part of it is to discover it yourself. In that sense and regarding gameplay, this wad became really addictive since I always wanted to see what´s next and, surely, so will you. This mapping is also a nice example of non-cramped detail. Some parts are bare, some others are detailed but, as a whole, they are complete and feel really nice to play.
Another aspect that shines here is its atmosphere. The music, odd at first, starts to merge with the mapping when you get to it and soon you start realising how inmersive this can be: it´s not like structures look like they should, it´s much more than that. The Ultimate Doom Forever gives you the chance to play in a different gaming universe that its, as said before, actually coherent inside itself. It´s not only about texturing and mapping but also about the use of coloured lighting or 3d floors, the layout of the levels, the music, the way in wich levels link and, in the end, the way in wich they play: you actually feel like advancing through some inmense complex but it also feels like a game.
Really, maybe it´s me, but it was an amazing experience... When killing a lot of monsters or solving regular puzzles (breaking walls, using switches and such) this wad is addictive and really worth. Value is added when it comes to the more imaginative moments (activating teleporters, climbing pipes or ladders, setting stuff to work...) that are a lot through the six levels (notice the earthquake effect) and also when you move through the layouts and they make sense and connect really good among themselves... Now that I notice and, in the top of it, this wad is easy to play. There is no meaningless wandering except in the last level and there´s no beating around the bush when engaging into battles... Of course, "easy to play" does not mean easy at all. Let me explain.
This wad has a lot of good stuff to it, but it´s far from perfect. For example, most battles are well balanced but some others suffer from cheapness. In the very same fashion, some rooms have an incredible feel to it but some others look dull and odd. And here´s the biggest complain: personal tastes. My taste does not coincide with the author´s when it comes to certain parts of the levels and so it could happen to you... Probably the usage of coronae is the most talked about lately on this wad. I personally liked them, but sometimes they just were out of control and place and could lead you to hellish framerates. In other cases it´s just the textures for some doors, the way in wich walls curve or any other thing but, you know, in the end, this wad is coherent and that counts for a final score. Gameplay wise you could also disagree with the point of view (kill, key, door, solve puzzle, kill...) and could also demand complex stuff (this plays so Doomish and somewhat you could expect it being much more complex or adventure oriented) but the wad is fun, and that also counts. In the end, this wad has bad things but it has also lots of good moments and over-the-top stuff. Both count and both say: "This wad deserves a 7.8". Such a high score, sure, but that´s they way I feel about it.
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By Jetflock
Ult4ever.wad (3,2 mb)
ftp://ftp.sunet.se/pub/pc/games/idgames/levels/doom2/Ports/m-o/nobrakes.zip
Port: Doom Legacy v1.42 with OpenGl renderer. Single player (Coop and DM also supported) NOVEMBER 7, 2005
6 maps.
Reviewed by Danimetal. Review done using Doom Legacy v1.42 .
Score: 7.8
I had the luck to play this wad before it´s official release. Nothing special, the author just placed it somewhere and I grabbed it... And well, I was completely astonished: it was a long time since I didn´t see a wad using the Legacy features and it being actually a good play.
The Ultimate Doom Forever is a remake for "Doom Forever", by the same author, with cleaned up, detailed and re-worked levels to fit the today´s standards. That can only mean that the wad is sure to look good but, what about the playability?. Has it suffered?. It will always depend on your taste but, for me, The Ultimate Doom Forever plays as well as any legendary wad. It starts rather easy on the first map but soon things start to heat up and the action becomes completely hot and wild!. This feeling is, partly achieved by modifying the original monsters: your average imp is now faster and deadlier, demons are a foe to fear and the very same goes for Barons or Hell Knights. In addition to that, fights are usually held between you and lots of enemies but, to make things balanced, the author has also modified the weapons so they are also faster.
All these modifications come with new graphics too. You will instantly recognise your enemies since their sprites haven´t changed much (or changed at all) but the graphics for your weapons, between level pictures or even decorative sprites are new and skilfully done. Also, the wad comes with new textures (some of them used to very nice effects, like round doors) and flats, giving the sensation of a coherent and complete world. This, of course, could never be achieved without a correct mapping technique and here is where this wad shines. Lovers of big outdoor areas will have intense moments playing this wad (like in the beginning of the second or the last world... Starting a level and seeing an inmense abyss with 3d ridges above it will send a chill down your spine instantly) and will hold big battles running crazy through the place. Indoor areas, passages and halls are also a plus in design. I could talk for pages and pages about the different computer areas, pipes, acid pools, elevators and different places you will find but the most interesting part of it is to discover it yourself. In that sense and regarding gameplay, this wad became really addictive since I always wanted to see what´s next and, surely, so will you. This mapping is also a nice example of non-cramped detail. Some parts are bare, some others are detailed but, as a whole, they are complete and feel really nice to play.
Another aspect that shines here is its atmosphere. The music, odd at first, starts to merge with the mapping when you get to it and soon you start realising how inmersive this can be: it´s not like structures look like they should, it´s much more than that. The Ultimate Doom Forever gives you the chance to play in a different gaming universe that its, as said before, actually coherent inside itself. It´s not only about texturing and mapping but also about the use of coloured lighting or 3d floors, the layout of the levels, the music, the way in wich levels link and, in the end, the way in wich they play: you actually feel like advancing through some inmense complex but it also feels like a game.
Really, maybe it´s me, but it was an amazing experience... When killing a lot of monsters or solving regular puzzles (breaking walls, using switches and such) this wad is addictive and really worth. Value is added when it comes to the more imaginative moments (activating teleporters, climbing pipes or ladders, setting stuff to work...) that are a lot through the six levels (notice the earthquake effect) and also when you move through the layouts and they make sense and connect really good among themselves... Now that I notice and, in the top of it, this wad is easy to play. There is no meaningless wandering except in the last level and there´s no beating around the bush when engaging into battles... Of course, "easy to play" does not mean easy at all. Let me explain.
This wad has a lot of good stuff to it, but it´s far from perfect. For example, most battles are well balanced but some others suffer from cheapness. In the very same fashion, some rooms have an incredible feel to it but some others look dull and odd. And here´s the biggest complain: personal tastes. My taste does not coincide with the author´s when it comes to certain parts of the levels and so it could happen to you... Probably the usage of coronae is the most talked about lately on this wad. I personally liked them, but sometimes they just were out of control and place and could lead you to hellish framerates. In other cases it´s just the textures for some doors, the way in wich walls curve or any other thing but, you know, in the end, this wad is coherent and that counts for a final score. Gameplay wise you could also disagree with the point of view (kill, key, door, solve puzzle, kill...) and could also demand complex stuff (this plays so Doomish and somewhat you could expect it being much more complex or adventure oriented) but the wad is fun, and that also counts. In the end, this wad has bad things but it has also lots of good moments and over-the-top stuff. Both count and both say: "This wad deserves a 7.8". Such a high score, sure, but that´s they way I feel about it.
<a href=" http://img292.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tudf015yt.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/9789/tudf015yt.th.png " border="0" alt="Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us" /></a>
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