Despite the name there's not really a massive amount of nukage in this level, the wavy green texture only cropping up surrounding a switch that opens a secret, under a walkway in a room toward the end of the level, and in a small pool around another secret, which disappears when you hit a switch.
What it does have, though, it two new weapons to be nabbed by eagle-eyed players; first, find a pretty well-telegraphed secret door (it's got a different texture than the surrounding wall) to open up a window and grab the chaingun from outside. Later in the level, shoot an unmarked section of wall in the dark computer maze to find the chainsaw. These weapons make a fun pair, both functioning as a wait to spit out a near-continuous stream of damage at far and close range, respectively.
And you'll want to nab both of them, because this level really lays the low-tier enemies on thick. The shotgun is a great general workhouse for small group of low-to-mid-tier enemies, but when you're dealing with 10 or so demons all crowding together in a room, there's really nothing for it but to whip out those spinning barrels and hold down the trigger.
Speaking of holding down the trigger, do that as you load into this level, because you'll spawn in facing directly toward some zombiemen who will immediately see you and pop aggro, especially if you're playing with -fast. It's a strong opening, and as you explore around the opening room you'll run into several more, strategically placed among the explosive barrels so as to keep you on your toes, keep you moving, keep the pace up.
Once you've cleared it out you've gotta detour into the east wing for a keycard, and some nice vertical play with zombiemen and imps on a big ol' staircase. (This is also where you can find the chaingun, and a soulsphere to deal with the hitscan from the horde of shotgunners guarding it.) Key in hand, it's time to pass through the red door and find one of the more famous secrets in Knee-Deep in the Dead; a big, dimly-lit maze set among computer equipment and sparsely populated with monsters. It's important to remember where this game stands in history; at the time, the level of fidelity and in particular the way the lighting gets dimmer as it fades into the distance created something that at the time could be really scary (and with the right touch, can still pull it off now.) This maze is a perfect example, where the player is left stumbling through the dark, not knowing if around the next corner is another demon set to rip their guts out.
Moving on, we've got some more staircases that turn as they rise, always great for making your zones feels less flat and static, and after ward is an elevator leading into a HUGE fight compared to everything seen thus far, with a ton of mobs on the ground floor in front of you and popshot imps hanging out in little alcoves up above.
That said, don't take that elevator. Instead, open another fake wall and get into one of their alcoves, so you can take everything else out from the high ground. This is the kind of thing that really gives a DOOM level a sense of space and presence, multiple vertical layers to play around with and a couple routes to loop back and forth between them, and it's something this level excels at. With the climax taken care of, all that's left is to throw the switch to open the hallway to the final room, where you can cool down with a couple more low-tier enemies, and a cheeky imp hanging out on the elevator to the exit switch, waiting to jump out at you.
Nuclear Plant is 100% classic DOOM mapping. It looks great, is full of memorable rooms and landmarks, and has enough complexity to really convey a sense of immersion without becoming overbearing. The only real mark against it is it's somewhat lacking in enemy variety, but overall it's still a joy to play. This one gets a 4.
What it does have, though, it two new weapons to be nabbed by eagle-eyed players; first, find a pretty well-telegraphed secret door (it's got a different texture than the surrounding wall) to open up a window and grab the chaingun from outside. Later in the level, shoot an unmarked section of wall in the dark computer maze to find the chainsaw. These weapons make a fun pair, both functioning as a wait to spit out a near-continuous stream of damage at far and close range, respectively.
And you'll want to nab both of them, because this level really lays the low-tier enemies on thick. The shotgun is a great general workhouse for small group of low-to-mid-tier enemies, but when you're dealing with 10 or so demons all crowding together in a room, there's really nothing for it but to whip out those spinning barrels and hold down the trigger.
Speaking of holding down the trigger, do that as you load into this level, because you'll spawn in facing directly toward some zombiemen who will immediately see you and pop aggro, especially if you're playing with -fast. It's a strong opening, and as you explore around the opening room you'll run into several more, strategically placed among the explosive barrels so as to keep you on your toes, keep you moving, keep the pace up.
Once you've cleared it out you've gotta detour into the east wing for a keycard, and some nice vertical play with zombiemen and imps on a big ol' staircase. (This is also where you can find the chaingun, and a soulsphere to deal with the hitscan from the horde of shotgunners guarding it.) Key in hand, it's time to pass through the red door and find one of the more famous secrets in Knee-Deep in the Dead; a big, dimly-lit maze set among computer equipment and sparsely populated with monsters. It's important to remember where this game stands in history; at the time, the level of fidelity and in particular the way the lighting gets dimmer as it fades into the distance created something that at the time could be really scary (and with the right touch, can still pull it off now.) This maze is a perfect example, where the player is left stumbling through the dark, not knowing if around the next corner is another demon set to rip their guts out.
Moving on, we've got some more staircases that turn as they rise, always great for making your zones feels less flat and static, and after ward is an elevator leading into a HUGE fight compared to everything seen thus far, with a ton of mobs on the ground floor in front of you and popshot imps hanging out in little alcoves up above.
That said, don't take that elevator. Instead, open another fake wall and get into one of their alcoves, so you can take everything else out from the high ground. This is the kind of thing that really gives a DOOM level a sense of space and presence, multiple vertical layers to play around with and a couple routes to loop back and forth between them, and it's something this level excels at. With the climax taken care of, all that's left is to throw the switch to open the hallway to the final room, where you can cool down with a couple more low-tier enemies, and a cheeky imp hanging out on the elevator to the exit switch, waiting to jump out at you.
Nuclear Plant is 100% classic DOOM mapping. It looks great, is full of memorable rooms and landmarks, and has enough complexity to really convey a sense of immersion without becoming overbearing. The only real mark against it is it's somewhat lacking in enemy variety, but overall it's still a joy to play. This one gets a 4.
Comments
Post a Comment