/vr/ - Retro Games

Oblivion - http://www.doomworld.com/idgames/?id=18013

this is from the most recent /newstuff chronicles where it did not receive a favourable review. thus two of the problems mentioned did not bother me so much: i knew this map would make me spend a long time searching with little action, and i knew to avoid the water at all costs. i agree, though, that it would be better with more streamlined gameplay and if there were ways out of the water, which is essentially an inescapable death pit. (however, one of the buildings has a ledge running round the side that looks like it might lead to a secret area. don't jump onto it, it's just another damage sector).

what bothered me were the bugs. it is clear this map was only properly tested in zdoom, the author claims prboom testing but even notes a door unopenable from one side in "proboom" (his rather cute misreading of prboom). there were others, most noticably, a switch to open a secret (bottom left picture) requires freelook to aim at it, and blocking obstacles that don't take infinite actor height into account. in the latter case, both the usual ceiling hangers, and also, a couple of the sniper platforms with caches of health potions have no way down from them except to run off the side, but the way back to safety is partially blocked by a torch that with proper 3d thing clipping you'd be able to jump over.

gameplay as the /newstuff review notes is long periods of running around searching for the next key/switch followed by dealing with a flood of teleporting monsters. it also notes the lack of resources, especially health, which i agree was detrimental, having spent a majority of the 80 minutes game time running around with <30% health and having to be very cautious of incoming fire.

summary: with detailed architecture and an open spacious design, this map should have been good, but some gameplay choices rendered it annoying instead.