I'm a sucker for runic/metal maps, so I was expecting to like this pack. Suffice to say I wasn't disappointed!

Just as in the previous sm56, the maps by CZG, Scampie and RPG form a mini-episode (this time though, RPG's doesn't loop back into CZG's). And boy did I love it! CZG's is very dark and atmospheric, reminiscent of Door to Chthon (probably my favorite id1 map) in this regard, and gameplay is as solid as expected from the man. The other two are just as good, though not quite as moody.

Distrans' entry is kind of a strange beast. Obviously inspired by another one of my favorites, namely Wind Tunnels with its copper textures and big yellow lights, only ultra boxy. Definitively not a looker but what it lacks in visuals it makes up for in quantity of gameplay. Impressive what he managed to cram in 100 minutes of mapping! Quite brutal and ends with a big, exhilarating horde fight.

A shame that Hrimfaxi lacked time to properly finish his map! He nailed the e3 aesthetics with just the right dose of unusual shapes, and I dig how the map gradually opens up and loops back on itself. I would have loved to see his original plans for this one completed in a standalone release. One minor nitpick is that he used a normal lava texture for the lava falls instead of an animated one.

Leviathan's is about the quality of his sm56 map. Not quite as ugly (because metal) but fullbright and uses the same principle of not enough ammo alleviated by 3 quads. I had to finish the last shambler with the axe. Meh.

Moz's is clearly unfinished. There are two pillars that need a SK and a GK, which I guess are supposed to trigger a bridge over the lava pool before the exit, but there are no keys in the map. Luckily you don't need that bridge, as you can jump from the sides with just a little split-second dip into the lava. Shouldn't be a problem if you have enough red armor left, which itself shouldn't be a problem either... Gameplay-wise, what is there is just a couple of RA-protected, quad-powered horde fights. No sense of challenge whatsoever, hence no real fun. Note that it exits to CZG's map, so you can play this one before the "Holy Trinity" if you want, but the arsenal you get here will make the latter very easy.

PuLSaR's is nice if a bit simplistic: basically a series of small arena fights. I recommend playing the expanded standalone version instead, much better with improved visuals and more varied architecture & gameplay.

Xenon's is significantly better than his sm56 entry. Not great but enjoyable enough. Architecture is mostly fine, just has some light fixtures sticking out of the walls that can hinder the player's movements and one bit of z-fighting planes. Lighting is a bit too bright, would benefit from a moodier atmosphere. Note the incongruous presence of a rocky outdoors section, an oddity in a metal map. Gameplay is nothing special but OK.

Overall a better pack than sm56. Now I need to download and play 55 & 58!