Map04: Latent 3/4 Quarter

My favorite map out of the pack. This (ahem, among other things) shows that CZG has a really excellent grasp of what made Quake. It's my opinion that there's a real Lovecraft influence here. Although the theme is ostensibly based on E1M3 and E1M4 (like Ceremonial Circles was) and uses their textures, it is really set up as a sinister, slime-dripping city of monolithic, ancient stone blocks (as in the Call of Chthulhu). Fighting shamblers in this level was particularly appropriate given their origin. There's also a really awesome exploding/falling floor, as well as an evil finale (perhaps not as hard, but certainly more *evil* than that of the previous map. Scrags are used a lot, and the occasional well-placed Vore keeps things interesting. Knights and Hellknights are the mainstay of Quake's forces here, though like the previous map there are some good Ogre placements. The layout is the most vertical of any of the maps in the pack (though the next map has as many stories, they aren't as intertwined and interconnected as here). This is also probably the largest and most challenging level in the pack. What a sinister, swampy, dripping set of evil ruins this is.

Map05: Shotgun Experiment 2

Though this pack is kind of based on The Dimension of the Doomed, which goes base/castle/grotto/gloom keep/runic, where you'd expect to find a "Gloom Keep" map you're instead treated to this dark and twisted Elder World level. This could be seen as a "Gloom Keep" equivalent, but that depends on the argument that "Gloom Keep" is an elder world map (I personally don't think that). In any case, what this map does do is emulate the vague, foreboding evil (as well as lighting and textures) of maps like e4m2 and e4m3. It's underground, in a huge cavern where the bottom is made out of lava. Doom elements come into full play. Walls of fire behind "masks" of spikes, monsters in cages and secret closets full of monsters definitely tip one off to the Doom influence. There's an interesting and, keeping to the precedent set by previous maps in the pack, rather brutal finale involving a horde of teleporting monsters (you get to hear their "awake" noises before hand, heh, kind of intimidating) and Chthon himself with another collapsing floor.

Map06: Torture Department

Though every map in this pack outdoes the level it is based on in terms of overall build quality, I have to admit that the lighting here isn't as cool as that in E1M6: The Door to Chthon. However, that's a small issue given that this is another great, well-planned little delight. Gameplay gets brutal as you blast your way through tons of knights in a Runic setting, complete with a really *awesome* trap, and attention to detail in the fighting, gameplay and routes that's hardly seen. As you quest after two keys, you'll have to avoid lava, zombies, and at some points entire hordes of fiends. Though I wasn't as visually impressed by this map as I was by the two preceding it, it remains good-looking throughout and a fitting blast to end the pack.

Overall:

This is a tribute to the best aspects of Quake and Doom, and every map is of a quality rarely seen in Quake. Though they are all small or at most medium, you'll get a lot of playtime out of the pack as a whole, and even more if you're interested in hunting for the many cool secrets. Quake's bestiary is used in innovative and well-thought out ways, each level being its own challenge with the fourth being the most difficult. Various influences within Quake and Doom, and perhaps one influence *on* Quake are well represented here, with tons of cool touches and some good special effects. In short, it's hard not to be impressed by this pack. It's another masterpiece by one of the masters of Quake, and we should be grateful to him for creating it.