Master Levels black tower

[thebiomage]

Having never played the Master Levels before I went in with pretty low expectations, and have to say most of them have been mediocre at best or just downright bad. But the black tower caught me by surprise. It is thematically really well designed, the whole journey to the top and then backtracking all the way to the start.

The combat encounters were interesting and challenging (e.g. very good use of those 2 arch-viles). At times it almost felt like a semi slaughter map. For 1996 standards I think it's an amazing map, and a definite standout for the Master Levels.

[Mushy Snugglebites ¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

Same.

Playing these levels for the first time and most of them are, from a modern perspective, nothing special, with some being downright bad.

But the black tower was truly interesting, especially from a technical perspective. A lot of well done level transformation elements with cool visual touches here and there. The encounters were well done, as you said especially the archvile closet that surprised me a lot.

Maybe in parts a bit confusing when to backtrack,but overall fantastic design, especially for the time.

[D4NUK1]

One of the standouts for sure, and better with the ost made by the community, is on the top 3 of best maps on the Master Levels (And well, many of those maps are kinda bad, frick you Vicsector).

Even with origintal text history, where you was a Cyberdemon that was punished by being converted into a human, so you come with revenge to your old friends on the black tower.

[Salander]

And it gets way more better by knowing the lore behind it. You see, every level in this pack came with a text attached as a presentation, it either describe what you were getting to or by explaining their story.

"You were once the biggest and badest Cyber-Demon to rule Hell. Betrayed by yout council, "The Cabal", you find yourself victim to the utmost humilation: morphed into a human! Of course you're out for revenge on "The Cabal".

You're nearing the end of your journey. Chagrin, the ruler of the Black Tower, was the closest thing you had to a friend as a demon. "Oil runs thicker than blood" the two used to say. Well, now your buddy rules the hordes of Hell previously under your command and has left you for dead. The task is simple: ascend the Black Tower and slay Chagrin.
Then there is problem of getting back out...

[Ω Yukich]

^
MEH