Featuring Screenshots From:
- Paradise Lost by RyokoTK
- Official Unofficialmaps by W'rkncacnter
- Imperium by Windbreaker
- Infra Apogee by Windbreaker
Note: Minor spoilers for a Doom map in the footnotes.
The recent, explosive popularity of a certain Doom map1 has got me thinking about the modern era's fascination with liminal spaces, and their usage in games. More specifically, it reminded me of how the Marathon community has been dutifully pumping out experiences like this for nearly 3 decades.
While I've never had a chance to properly play a Marathon netmap2, I've always been fascinated by the aesthetic many of them carry. I'm not sure what it is about Marathon and its engine that lends itself so well to liminal and brutalist forms. Perhaps it's the way the wonky physics, combined with the "5D spaces" portal rendering tech, lead to oddly proportioned maps? The abstract "almost kinda sorta looks like a real thing" texture sets and "scifi meets cosmic horror" setting certainly don't hurt, either!
I'm likely to do a follow up on singleplayer Marathon scenarios someday, but that's a whole other kettle of fish.
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While I've played MyHouse.wad, my experience with it was mixed, leading me to rate it a solid B+. Fantastic usage of portals married with a constantly transforming experience definitely make it worth a few playthroughs to see everything whatever the case!
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I don't touch multiplayer FPS games without bots or survival modes these days due to anxiety. Mac exclusivity also didn't help, but if such a mod exists for Aleph One, let me know!