Moonblood

Awesome megawad. Great gameplay and visuals. New monsters... super coherent. Cheers :)

This one started off as a pretty fun and simple set of maps and then really ramped up in terms of quality and fun. There were a lot of incredibly good levels here with some great music and genuinely surprising and challenging situations. I loved it. There were a few spots where I could swear that monsters just appeared without being teleported in (and no audio cue) which was frustrating. Still, the latter half of Moonblood was one great map after another. I was completely sold with the second secret map which blew me away.

Very well done and worth the time. Only a few shortcomings to deal with but overall a great time.

This is one of the first pwads i ever attempted, and the first one that i wanted to continue playing.  Actually, i chose this at first because of the name, and the trilogy it is a part of, having always been 'a lunatic'.

The first couple episodes have a very classic feel to them which the set never quite loses, even when branching off towards increasing complexity in layouts.  The first level is a fairly standard installation-type map with zombies and Imps - a very enjoyable opener, which doesn't give much inkling of what is to come, but with limited ammo, and not-so-simple secrets!  In map03, however, it becomes already clear that non-linearity and puzzles will likely be constant in this set. 

Of the first levels, my favourite is map04, the Courtyard, in which right at the beginning is quite a serious ambush and crossfire.  Visually it is built with standard-techbase textures, but architecturally it is very compelling, with a courtyard, and many interesting features and elements.  There was also a teasing supercharge on display in a secret, which somehow i understood too late how to get, having already pressed a switch that made it impossible (at least, unless my method is wrong.)  EDIT: i played the level again, and had totally the wrong idea on this one - no problem with that particular secret at all, i must have had on my first run, though.

On the other hand, my least favourite of the first levels is map06, Central Command, which is so complex in layout, with sections and height variations and small pathways, that i could never make any sense of it, nor could i remember where anything was, and automap wasn't much help!  Plus that, it contained some very difficult fights against challenging demons - which made for a very imposing combination on my first run.  Of course, the difficulty is not a complaint - i was at the time inexperienced - and the level isn't bad - only for me too complex to figure out in the heat of the taxing action, and it's quite possible i'd feel differently today.

Of the later levels, my favourite was also the most puzzling one, map20, Moonblood Gateway, the final map of the fourth episode.  In a wad full of fine architecture, this still stood out to me.  It also has my favourite section in the whole set - a small square complex of bloody walkways over a lavapit, just a beautiful infernal thing, and a prime example of Deadwing's aesthetic sensibility, which shows in many places in many forms throughout the levels.  There's a lot of little touches here and there, and whilst one criticism for this set has been lack of ornamentation, i don't find that to be accurate at all.

The puzzle in this level was such that i dismissed it as impossible at first, hoping to find a more possible solution for progression, spending quite a bit of time searching for another way forward, of course without discovering it. The puzzle - involving couple switches and timed raising platforms - turned out to be feasible, but very difficult if you're like me and not perfect in your controls.  i very much enjoy this kind of exploratory gameplay and puzzle-based progression.

i am tempted to write about more levels, and i wish i would've played this in DWMegawad Club to have the opportunity to go over them in detail, but suffice to say, non-linearity, puzzles, traps and ambushes, within superb architecture, complex layouts in aesthetically pleasing visuals, are the hallmarks of this wad, that really come together to give it a unique ambience, which is also remarkably consistent throughout.

And i haven't yet said a word about the prevalent combat style!  It is demanding throughout the levels, and is in general defined by mid-tier enemies in tight spaces, often in multiples and combinations, even on HMP, and usually in designed traps and ambushes, with hitscanners and lower tier enemies scattered around not to be trifled at.  But there's nothing dickish about anything, most often every encounter can be resolved in one or two attempts.  Though, in the last two episodes, the last third of the wad, you need to be friends with Revenants and Archviles or you're in trouble.

The soundtrack is also tailor-made for this set, and though my taste in music does not include anything slightly jazzy, as this soundtrack often is, it does its part to distinguish the wad from everything else. 

It says something that i played the first levels even six months ago, but only glancing at the videos to refresh myself for purposes of this review, was enough to bring me back there.  Back then, i had to stop because of the increase in difficulty by map08, and play a lot of things before feeling confident to return - which i always knew i would because i had enjoyed the designs.

One of my absolute favourite sets, and i look forward to the release of Deadwing's Ozonia, which apparently will be in the same vein, but with even more demanding gameplay, and even more intricate level design (judging by the released WIP levels.)

In my experience this is really quite unique in style, even if among stated inspirations are the likes of Plutonia and Scythe, it is only elements of those that are present, and nothing imitated.  i'm also happy there were no slaughtermaps involved, nor indeed even slaughter scenes.  i'll wrap this up by saying that i'm sad it's done.  Will replay for certain.

"In this great solar eclipse all light shall starve and perish,
As phantoms of the astral abyss drain the cosmic life force... " - (Demoncy - Opening the Lunar Bloodgate)

Therefore, Moonblood has been finished, played through the Eternity Engine 4.00.00 Voluspa on UV difficulty. Interesting to see where the so-called overhaul of old levels led to, but we'll get to that in a moment.

So what's this about? Moonblood is a 32-level megawad consisting of gameplay focused maps with puzzles and nonlinear progression in mind, featuring new textures, music, menu background, status bar, intermission screens, and one boss enemy. It is divided in 6 episodes, and similar to Plutonia in terms of difficulty and enemy count, but much less generous with the ammunition, while being similar to the early levels of the original Scythe in terms of design and aesthetics. In fact, conservation turns out to pay off greatly in most maps, since, despite being pretty accessible, it's very easy to mismanage your resources and end up in awkward positions against few or mid-tier monsters. The enemies are generally placed in strategic positions, thus taking a moment to look around (or in the distance), or listen to the sounds in the environment can prevent some stupid deaths (or being sniped by a random hitscanner in the distance, be it through a window or out in the open). It takes place almost exclusively on techbases, with a more natural-looking or hellish map here and there.

As implied, the difficulty curve is traditional, starting easy and getting more difficult as you progress, with a (surprising) slight increase with each episode. Surprising because, on a surface level, all of them start rather easy, but don't let the guard down as there are a few surprises on the way, likely to keep the player focused and not fall into boredom. Indeed, if it looks easy, then it probably isn't, although after a while the traps do start becoming predictable (and irritating) as the formula doesn't change. After all is said and done, the journey ends with a battle against a re-imagined Mother Demon (Doom 64), firing Mancubus and Revenant fireballs, as well as rockets. A fitting conclusion, but the maps don't really anticipate the end since the difficulty doesn't get any noticeable ramp up, and neither does the enemy count nor the landscape changes dramatically.

What Moonblood appears to do very well is providing a nonlinear and generally puzzley element to its maps, and neither ever becomes an issue since the levels don't involve excessive backtracking or have cryptic progression, so you don't end up running from one side of the map to the other and still not find the way, or spam Spacebar on the walls or shoot them until some random door or switch triggers somewhere, a problem other wads/maps that offer both elements easily end up doing, becoming painfully confusing in the process, and losing all the fun they could offer otherwise. They're also not dragging on or have complexity for the sake of having it.

Perhaps the biggest problem of Moonblood lies in its roots. According to the description, it began as an overhaul of the author's older maps, and this is especially noticeable early in the game. The earlier levels have a dated look, not too dissimilar from those found in Doom 2, and yet, less impressive than them, giving the impression of belonging somewhere in the mid '90s, but aging relatively poorly. The gameplay is thankfully engaging and fun, so this does not become a very apparent problem that ruins the experience, and the more progress you make, the better the maps get. My favorite maps are those from Episode 5 and 6. In conclusion, Moonblood is a fun "little" megawad which manages to deliver a fun and interesting experience that doesn't last very long, but suffers from featuring revamped levels which don't end up standing out (or even look modern) despite the author's efforts. It could have been better if they were ditched in exchange for something entirely new. Do check out Exomoon after you're done with Moonblood as it lacks the shortcomings the original had, and brings both new and old things to the table (you'll have to discover them on your own, no spoilers).

Overcomplicated piece of garbage. Avoid it at all costs, unless you're a fan of puzzley pwad, all the gameplay revolves around it every map. As I don't like very confuse levels my rating is 1 (I'd volte 0 if I could).
 

- Played on zDoom

- UV Difficulty

The GOOD:

·         Plenty of ammo, health packs, and everything else you need to succeed

·         Not sure if this is a good thing to some players, but it’s very non-linear, which means Auto Map is going to be your best friend at times

·         Very subtle difficulty progression

·         Mostly medium-sized maps. But don't let that fool you: These maps take longer to complete than usual.

·         Not a slaughterfest

·         Lots of clever and not-so-clever secrets, in which most are rewarding

·         Episodic – and most MAPS begin where the last one ended

·         Plenty of puzzles

·         More traps than you are usually accustomed to. If something seems to good to be true, beware!

·         Fitting music

·         Very cool Final Boss

The BAD:

·         I think it was the lower teen Map that I finally found a Backpack. But in all honestly, you’re really not going to need it until then

·         A bit more ambushes in the later MAPS than I liked, especially with the multiple Arch Viles and Chaingunners.

In Short:

You have to respect any quality 32-Level Megawad created by just one author. One can tell endless hours went into creating this and it certainly paid off.

Moonblood will exercise your mind as well as your trigger finger. And you’re going to be switching weapons often, as the virtual distance of the monsters (as well as the monsters themselves) varies from room to room – which I like as well. One word of advice - check every nook and cranny with caution.

This game was fun and it sure as hell lives up to the non-linearity description by the Author. Even the secret bonus levels were great. Nothing fancy, yet nothing bland. The latter levels are filled with the more “difficult” monsters – these latter levels are challenging, yes, but certainly not a slaughterfest.

An excellent balance of puzzle solving and dogfighting. Great quality WAD with definite replay value.

Recommended. Bravo!

4.5 out of 5 Stars.

Done with these settings:

- GLBoom+ 2.5.1.4. complevel 9.

- Hurt Me Plenty.

- Continuous combined with a pistol start mindset.

- Saves every 10 minutes or so.

A super solid mapset I had the pleasure to play. This one felt like a modern adaption to the old known Scythe, while bringing its own personal style: it is divided into episodes, difficulty progression is highly notable between them, but monster density remains on the low side. Visually remains on the classic side, starting with tech bases, always indoors, then slightly pushing the player into open spaces connected with caves and lava, and more fleshy/spooky environments nearly the end of the set. Personally, I really liked that purple sky in mid maps, an unusual color in the game. While the author kept it simple with texturing, there's a lot of work on atmosphere and connection between levels. More specifically, in most maps the starting place is the previous map's exit room. If not then you'll know where you'll going to be, again because of the theme's consistency, which I liked a lot. One thing to point out is the usage of darkness in at least one piece of every map, something that always gave a sense of insecurity, as monsters had an advantage I lacked, which was pretty cool and tense (map 25 last room is dark and brutal, one of the most memorable moments of the set imo).

The combat and layout are the most consistent and interesting sides of this wad. Monster count might not be too high, but the author worked it out in way that little can still be brutal. The first and second episode are very low-key, with some surprises to introduce the player into what's coming. Third and fourth are more trap-based and also introduces serious (but simple) platforming/chasms. Last two episodes are what Moonblood as been anticipating so far, all of the previous but in a much brutal and unforgiving way, also including hectic starts. On par with this difficulty progression, there's monster progression, this means that each monster is introduced in an old-school iwad way, only barons appear much later than I expected. In terms of layout progression, non-linearity is what rules, excellently done btw. The maps will give you the opportunity to choose your way to find resources and deal with monsters. Despite playing on continuous, I payed attention to the weapons placement: it's not your usual classic megawad, there's place and time for each weapon to be the star of the map, usually provided near the starting spot, so the player has an idea of how's the map going to turn out. This kind of pace was really appreciated, since I enjoy variety. A final boss is included to give a conclusion to the story (quite a nice story, if you want to understand the author's view it's here), always nice to see custom endings that don't have an IoS, always nice. 

Secret-wise, these are not just your typical misaligned texture, with usage of the automap and a good ear you can find them all, but they usually take an extra effort to find, more often related to audible clues. They don't give you much in general though, this is probably the only downside as sometimes I found single medikits and I didn't need them at all, but perhaps pistol starters might appreciate them more... My favourite maps are from the fifth and sixth episode, the secret maps too, since there were more open layouts and mixing of every monster/weapon. I think there was no map I disliked, well maybe map 26 which was quite good except for the many imps on ledges lol. 

Overall, I dig this gameplay, very exciting, recommendable for anyone looking for classic adapted to nowadays perspective, if that makes sense. Uh just try it, Scythe and Jenesis fans can't miss this, my rate is 9/10. 

Very solid maps. Not incredibly fond of the ambush-y stuff, especially towards the end when it started to get tiring. The map layouts were superb, and the music choices were fitting. Good effort.

I played this on UV difficulty and it was okay, if a bit repetitive, until the final episode (4 levels). At this point it became seriously frustrating with contrived ambushes at regular intervals involving revenants or archviles (3 or 4 at a time, even 6 on one occasion). "Expert placing" of enemies is all very well, but when done so perfectly and artificially, creating endless crossfire and triangulation situations, it just becomes tedious. In level 29 you are faced with three cyberdemons and a spider mastermind in a cramped inescapable arena, with inadequate ammunition and 30-40 revenants at the perimeter firing homing missiles. In the unlikely event that you survive this, there's an almost impossible 'timed lift'  gimmick to exit the arena. Might have been alright as a 12-15 level game without the stupidly difficult finale.

Edit: Tried level 29 again five months later (pistol start, UV) and this time found it quite manageable, Cyberdemons, Spider Mastermind and Revenants included, finishing with 97% kills and a fair bit of ammo remaining. Clearly the issue was that I needed to improve my gameplay, and there was nothing wrong with the design of the map. Level 30 is tough as well - the boss will kill you with a single direct hit, but at least it doesn't take an inordinately long time or tons of ammo to defeat it.

Original rating was probably unfair, 3.75 out of 5 stars is closer to the mark.

This is how a wad with smaller maps should be done. Smaller? Sure. But With purpose. Each one has it’s own personality while sticking to a recognizable style alongside great visuals, fun challenges and thoughtful presentation. Then, later not being afraid to go a little bigger with maps and concepts.

Original music is a lot of fun, can be out of place on some of the darker levels as they repeat themselves after the mid way point but are still amusing none the less.

Gameplay is a mixed bag of really good stuff. Most of it is through the use of hiding enemies which is expertly done like no other I've seen. It keeps you on your toes while knowing when to turn the difficulty up with some harder encounters from time to time. That can be hit or miss depending on what style you prefer as a player but have no doubts, it is well done regardless.

The maps themselves are beautiful, but in a simple understated manner. There are a few stand outs that are very memorable but overall I felt like the main goal with this wads maps was to just "be good" and good they are.

Check out the DWmegawad Club play thread for an in depth look. 

Played this through DW Megawad Club!
Overall verdict, pros and cons:
+Non linear layouts
+Proper monster placement
+New music
+Good final boss idea
-Lack of "scenic" locations
-Some levels lacks of medikits
-Not many of Boom features used

So I rate this megawad 3.8/5

Although there's nothing new to be found here, the good old fashioned meat and potatoes doom gameplay is done well and with mostly stock textures, but with the added difficulty and surprise towards the end.
The music tracks are very pleasant and also adds to the fun. Recommended.

i had a fuckin blast shooting my way through this one.

some texture choices are a little confusing, but that didnt change anything for me...im nominating for a caco. its not mind blowing...its just EXACTLY what i want from a map pack.

download it, you wont regret it.

hows that for a review?

more or less another standard Doom 2 megawad, with mostly standard gameplay. the things you must watch out for are how some of the encounters are laid out. things can get quite sneaky, like when a monster opens up a closet on its own to attack you. not a whole lot of this megawad is memorable to be honest, as most levels took between 3 to 6 minutes to play and most got down quickly. but it's fine. you can get mixed up with some puzzles, be sure which lift does what when playing. and definitely mow those chaingunners down because they will make your life a mess here.

Is amazing with project brutality + PSX Doom Music Mod .... Thanks.

Gameplay consists of getting ambushed by Revenants flanked by Archviles and Pain Elementals while chaingunners chip away at you through windows and on ledges. 

Really damn solid.  It was hard on UV but very engaging, and the maps are tightly balanced for pistol start.  Stay alert and vigilant as you navigate the map, or you will neglect one of many shot-gunners waiting to ambush you around corners, pillars, and nooks and crannies.  This, while juggling mid-tier threats at the same time.  There's also some iwad style puzzles thrown in there too, which i'm a big fan of.

Moonblood doesn't focus on awe-striking atmosphere like some modern maps, but goes for the more classic but clean visual style.

In the third episode of Moonblood, I found myself switching from UV to HMP because there is a difficulty ramp-up as you reach the final stretch of maps.  There was actual variability in Moonblood's difficulty settings, and didn't seem half-assed for when I switched to HMP.  I have not gone back out of my way to observe the difficulty variability on earlier levels, though.  Additionally, for players looking for a relaxing stroll, I haven't seen HNTR at all to see if Moonblood will accommodate that type play-style.

very good mapset.

Deadwing knows my rating already and I did a playthrough of the entire megawad on YT. So, yeah. Recommended in every way. The game has a Doom 1-esque feel than a proper Doom 2 megawad. It has the right amount of monsters, medium-sized maps, difficulty is on point, great music and an unexpected final boss.

The maps here are quite long, or rather I should say that they take longer to beat than expected when you notice that the monster count never goes above 150 (I think). Despite the low monster count, the maps can be challenging to beat. It's not the quantity that matters here but how it's used (she never said that, though). Layouts feel very organic, but not in a chaotic way that would spell "hey bro, let's make some interconnected layoutz out of random geometry". The maps are very coherent and good looking and they play very, very well and despite some unobvious triggers you rarely feel lost. A great WAD.

Loved it from the beginning to the end. This one's earned itself a nice little spot in my favorites folder.

Incredibly, amazingly, furiously, unbelievably boring.

Cool megawad with a strong atmosphere of Final Doom, moderate difficulty and thoughtful arrangement of enemies.