At the Gates of Midian is a
multithemed two level pack which includes some
modified monsters and doom-influenced stuff.
Previously the author had released 'Castle Necrosis'
which looked very cool, but which I could not
run due to my incooperative GL drivers.
Midian's first map is a large,
rather linear map with large architecture and
simple designs. Texturing at first is a unique
take on the Runic style, including some green
trim and blood, from which it progresses through
a custom-textured canyon and back into classic
Runic territory. After this come some strange
areas that are best described as a mix between
Runic, Industrial, and Doom. After these areas
comes some true Doom territory - areas built
in Doom's wooden textures with horde combat
and heavy use of modified monsters. Something
that really stood out as Doomish was the use
of bars - most mappers would not make so many
bars (which in Doom would have been handled
as a mask) but here that has been done resulting
in a quite Doomish feel.
The problem is, these themes
don't really work together. What would have
been far better would have been a coeherent
mix of several of these themes - say a mix between
Runic and Doom Wood, with the custom canyon
textures for outdoor areas. This all-over-the-place
theme selection takes much from the map. However,
that isn't to say that it isn't an enjoyable
map - just not a particularly moody or polished
one. The combat is usually very enjoyable, not
very hard by current standards, but there are
a *lot* of monsters to mow down. This is great
through most of the map, especially in the last
Doom wooden areas.
The second map is a symmetrical
map with four platforms full of modified Shamblers.
I should say something about the modified monsters.
The modified Fiends trying to be Doom's Demons
doesn't work at all. They reminded me much more
of a larger, less mobile version of Scourge
of Armagon's gremlins than the Demons. If the
man wanted Demons, he should have used the Demons
from 'Your Path of Destruction.' As well as
these, there are a couple of modified Shamblers.
There a black ones which are decent, not too
out of place, but then there are 'Fire Shamblers'
which are just Shamblers with the lava texture
pasted onto their chests that shoot fireballs.
I hated these guys. Overall the new monsters
should have been better quality and had more
modifications, or better modifications, to their
skins and attacks.
Anyway, the last map is an
arena-like blast that's relatively low on supplies
compared to the first map. The feel is still
quite Doomish, with mobile bars and huge raising
platforms (we haven't seen huge sections of
rising floor since Doom), and huge horde combat.
However the combat does get a bit tedious with
all of the annoying fire shamblers - duck behind
a corner, shoot, duck again, shoot - run around
the map firing at everything, into another corner
- repeat.
Overall, At the Gates of Midian
succeeds in having mostly enjoyable horde combat
and doom-style areas, but it is brought down
by the simple designs and incoherent themes.
Still a worthy release, but could have been
done much better.
