Doom 2: Realm of Chaos 2 - Map 24: Oneironaut (UV Max)

Описание: Realm of Chaos 2 is a large 40-map megawad made in part by the mapping group The Macintosh Team. As the number in the title reveals, Realm of Chaos 2 (or RoC 2, as I might call it) is a sequel to The Macintosh Team’s own Realm of Chaos from 1996. Surprisingly, two of the mapping team’s OG members, Rob Berkowitz and Steve Duff, brought together an absolutely star-studded cast of mappers and musicians to make the sequel. That cast of mappers and musicians should be enough for anyone to dive in and see what RoC 2 offers.

(Cutting this short because I had too many thoughts on the map)

I hope you all enjoy the play-through!

Realm of Chaos 2 PLAYLIST:    • Realm of Chaos 2  
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IWAD: Doom 2
Port: DSDA-doom 29.3
Compatibility: Boom (comp level 9)
Mapper(s): Cammy & antares031
MIDIs: AD_79 - The Thing That Drifted Ashore
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Realm of Chaos 2 (RC3ex): https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic...

DSDA-doom: https://github.com/kraflab/dsda-doom

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This episode has already been fantastic and fierce, but Oneironaut is the most fantastic and fierce of them all, and it’s the masterpiece I’ve been so patiently waiting for. A lot of maps so far have given hints of masterpiece material, but nothing before this map quite nailed it like Cammy and Antares did. Truth be told, I already had a feeling this map would be special when I saw that Antares had a hand in it, because it seems like every guest map he works on is made of pure gold. This map is no different, but it’s also thanks to Cammy. Their passion, creativity, and combat expertise combine for one of the most powerful and badass maps in this WAD.

I also have to give massive credit to AD_79, whose track provides an instant layer of atmosphere and intensity as you head to the manor. Then when you head into the manor proper AD kicks it up several notches with that menacing, hard-rocking sound and those stupidly aggressive drums. It reminds me of some of his tracks from Eviternity 2, especially the MAP29 MIDI. This track in particular just provides that hungry energy that you need to tackle the map. Some of my favorite moments are when the relentless drums and guitars stop for brief moments of serenity and beauty, and then we slowly build back up to super high levels of intensity. It’s just a brilliant track that fits like a glove in this map.

Another one of Oneironaut’s strongest aspects is its visuals. Whether it’s the thematic elements or just the pure aesthetics of the map, Cammy and Antares knock it out of the park visually. I knew this map would be a visual masterclass once I gazed upon the manor in its full glory once I finally stepped out of the icy caves. The spectacle, the detail, the beautiful gold and blue carpet rolling into the manor, it sets the scene perfectly.

Diving deeper into the manor shows that a lot of care was put into the worldbuilding and crafting of realistic environments. The manor is filled with rooms meant for research and scientific experiments. The first big “Research” room is like some place where research is conducted on different types of liquids, and it seems like the icy-blue liquid has a bit more importance than the others because it’s mentioned several times after that room. The next big research area is a really cool one, the room with the yellow key door in it. It’s fun to go to each enemy and read about them, especially since some of them feel tied to the world this manor inhabits and are not just random enemies.

Gameplay-wise, this map has some of my favorite action. It combines that spicy incidental gameplay most of RoC 2 has had with elements of slaughter-like action that are strung together to create a true gauntlet. The further you go into the manor, the more challenging fights you'll come across, with each one being unique and fun. The first big fight is in the liquid research room, and it’s defined by the Mastermind, the Chaingunners guarding the entrance to her, and the numerous Revenants sprinting around. The next big one is in a larger portion of the icy caves for the yellow key. This one can get pretty nasty, with how many Chaingunners and Revenants there are, but you can generally stand your ground and dump rockets into the horde and survive. The final fight is also worth mentioning, the mini-war set on a towering techbase surrounded by that dreamflow liquid. You can either tackle this fight head on at breakneck pace or methodically reclaim space from the enemies as you slowly tackle each portion. I chose the latter purely because of the amount of time it takes to get to this fight, but grabbing the secret invulnerability earlier and using the BFG to wreak havoc is also a valid choice. Either way, this fight is incredibly fun and a satisfying way to end the map off.

#doom