Introduction
Recreations of levels from other games are a common staple across modding, either a nostalgic one to one replica or an undercooked transition. On occasions some of them do stand out from the crowd, such as this little curiosity I came across while browsing DoomWadStation. Created by the same author who released Crimson Canyon, the first level from DUKE3D has been reimagined within the constraints of DOOM’s engine.
Review
Booting into the level I could already tell at a glance this project still wanted to be its own thing without being a thoughtless copy, while still appearing familiar, Graham interprets these scenes in other ways suitable for DOOM’s limitations on hand. Take for example the starting rooftop having all necessary components found in the original; a lonesome crate, central skylight and a vent shaft surrounded by explosive canisters. Beyond those surrounding fences however provides a sneak peek at a city you’re about to descend into, with additional ventilation equipment on surrounding rooftops. This reminded me how DUKE64 liked having distant scenery beyond where the skyline would usually begin. Graham’s HH manages to squeeze together all the original locations here working around a lack of sector-over-sector from BUILD through slight adjustments to layout while packing each area densely. Core locations are all there just looking more miniature than usual including most of the secret areas, where a little jumping is required to access them. Those who have DUKE3D’s level ingrained in memory will find a few surprises thrown around to prevent this one playing by the numbers, be it a new ambush spot or a different take on an area. You can even open up the front entrance from behind as alternative workaround for an explodable cracked wall no longer present here.
One core aspect about this version is that it doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not and keeping within the scopes of DOOM engine strengths, avoiding tricks such as imitating slopes or faking multiple floors just to emulate what BUILD is capable of. While more advanced engines have features to accomplish these tasks, as this remains vanilla with removed limits I commend that it somehow manages to fit everything within a confined layout. Places like the projector room and nearby curved staircase are still intact, just without overlapping rooms beneath which have instead been removed and their absence is not exactly being missed per se. Design remains on point even if too right angled comparatively to Blum’s work, I still sensed a HH flavour without question here. STALKER.mid playing as a background track probably helped evoke that though. High contrast lighting adds a ton of moodiness where darkness obscures enemy positioning during situations you’d rather it didn’t. Excluding a few uncommon inclusions, texture conversions were decent and takes them one step further with extra additions more suited to DOOM’s scaling like the little cupboards, sinks with faucets pasted on them and flat toilets placed against walls using midtextures.
Unlike the original HH however, combat is a much more crowded affair against hordes of Imps and all three hitscan humanoids. Being forced to shoot canisters blocking the vent wakes up your foes before dropping down to street level, it’s a mad dash to grab a weapon besides relying on your pistol. This isn’t without some risks with shotgunners lurking down a dark alley masking their total numbers as others seem to emerge from around the corner, dying by thousand cuts here is a legit concern just to gain entry via a backdoor. Take too much time and an ambushing wave creeps up from behind, it’s a heavy hitting encounter where large health supplies are frugal without secret hunting. Once indoors, congestion doesn’t let down. Constant walls of easy foes to mow down fill rooms as stragglers seem to pour out from other positions. I wouldn’t consider this experience to be hard by any stretch as the majority of enemy types are limited to fodder and encounters against Hellknights aren’t any more dangerous. It’s the build up of attrition over time that can be demoralising when a former human deals the killing blow. Picking easier difficulties does feel more on par with the original’s muted action, while anything above HMP can whittle you down little by little if cover isn’t being taken advantage of.
Conclusion
HH still feels like a DOOM experience even while wearing a facade of DUKE3D’s level, I simply had fun seeing how Graham approached their changes keeping intact core aspects making up the original level. I don’t often jump at recreations like these any more and yet found myself pleasantly surprised considering how competent the effort was here was despite having limitations. Part of those workarounds give this a unique flavour, not pretending to be BUILD and instead aims to create something as it might have existed in the DOOM engine from the start. A heavier focus on action also sets it apart so that going in expecting similar gameplay will find something else to engage with.