Final Doom: TNT: Evilution: Secret Levels

Pharaoh: 3/5 I don't think I ever realized the "a" was before the "o" in Pharaoh before. Anyway, this hits most of the bonus level marks: piles of loot to carry you through the level and get you out the other side in as good (or better) shape than you started, a strong theme, and different enough from the main campaign to stand out. Aesthetics are mostly good, the red skybox is a nice choice (wtf is up with that Cyberdemon floating on top of some half doors?). The intermission music as the background is an unconventional, but effective, choice (or maybe it was written for this map first? Who knows!) On the other hand, it's still a TNT level, so you still get to do weird switch "puzzles", secrets that aren't secrets, the map is fairly disjointed (switches opening things halfway across the map for no apparent reason), a couple of bugs (one of which was level breaking in the original release)I'd have left out the initial dozenish hitscanners. All that ammo and a switch into the mysterious pyramid is a way creepier start than mowing down some pointless mooks.

Caribbean: 3/5 Marginally better gameplay than Pharaoh, but zero aesthetics. I was about ready to give this one a 4 after the ending Cyberdemon fight (which is mostly an infighting brawl) and I even liked the little Archvile trap. But the final "puzzle" (hit two switches and run fast) potholes the whole level. We're supposed to be in some kind of tropical vacation? But there's still hell sky (a nice cloudy blue sky would've gone a long way.) There is water. And lots of wood. So much wood. And then it's all surrounded by ivy walls for some reason. TNT time making textures to vaguely jazz up (read: uglify) tech base, but this level really could've benefited from some unique (or at least more creative use of original) stuff..Pharaoh got some custom textures and some Doomcute. Caribbean looks like an ugly Doom 2 level.

Let's make fun of the text screen:

Thanks doomwiki.org

Time for a vacation. Passable hook

You've burst the bowels of Hell and by golly you're read for a break. So we're back on Earth? Io? What?

You mutter to yourself, Maybe someone else can kick Hell's ass next time around. We're only halfway through the game, but sure.

Ahead lies a quiet town, with peaceful flowing water, quaint buildings, and presumably no hellspawn. I would not call this a town. It's like 3 buildings that're connected. Looks more like a mini resort. And again, the concept here is that we teleported to Egypt? and then got on a boat? (it looked more like a shed) to a Mediterranean resort town or something? I guess Doomguy is just nuts from going through Hell (at least) three times at this point.

As you step off the transport, you hear the stomp of a Cyberdemon's iron shoe. This line is pretty good.

I know we don't play Doom for the story, but this just feels so weird and out of place. I'd go with something more like:

Time for a vacation. This must be where all the rich demons come to chill on their day off. Crystal clear water, sandy beaches, palm trees. It's enough to make you forget you're halfway through the bowels of Hell (on a moon of Jupiter?) and kick back. But before you get to feel the sand between your toes you hear it: the stomp of a Cyberdemon's iron shoe.