March 16, 2022
And why you should play Eviternity!
The one and only. The megawad that broke the internet and also Doomworld in one way or another. A legendary title that bears the mark of greatness. When you hear the name Eviternity, you know you’re hearing a legend come to life. Doom map-making is, on its own way and form, art; an expression of sincere virtue and passion. Well, if WADs are art, then Eviternity is the Starry Night of @Dragonfly.
Eviternity is, in all the sense of the word, a full 32 maps megawad created by the legendary @Dragonfly alongside the help of some starring legends like @Jimmy, @Afterglow, @an_mutt, @antares031, @AtroNx @StormCatcher.77, @Mechadon, @Xaser, @Eris, @skillsaw and @ukiro. Now that’s what a call a stellar cast full of fantastical mappers that deliver not only in their word but even more. While the majority of the maps were made by Dragonfly itself, there are a number of guest-made stellar maps that stand out for their incredible quality, as well as a few made in collaboration. From head to toe, just quality in every way. While community projects are quite common nowadays, and their overall quality is undoubtedly superior to what we used to find in the old days, Eviternity proved that one of the most natural and incredible ways to create 32 maps of absolute quality is through a team of passionate collaborators willing to give a small token of their power. Dragonfly led this project and created it brick by brick, in such a way that the final work stands as a monument to Doom, to the community and to the art of level design.
So, comes the question, why should you play this beast? Well, first, you’re weird if you haven’t already, but in case you haven’t here’s some good stuff that might give you a push:
It’s beautiful to look at
Eviternity is a full work on detail and level design, making a big emphasis on architecture and glorious ambience. Thanks to an expert attention to detail responsible for delivering scenarios as surreal as they are attractive, Eviternity has a superb quality in this regard that will provide us with eye-candy throughout the entire megawad. From the first map to the last, there is not a single moment where we say ”hey this map doesn’t look very good” or ”hey, this texture is misaligned”. Each chapter is unique, engaging and satisfying, possessing incredible qualities that show us how to create environments that are as atmospheric as they are fun.
Thanks to the fantastic use of varied chapters, we have a plethora of different flavors to try ranging from sweet joy to hellish nightmare. Starting with the first chapter that brings with it an excellent natural map design with gothic ambience and outdoor scenery. MAP01 encapsulates in an excellent way the kind of atmosphere that awaits us. Chapter 2 takes us to industrial settings with rusty colors and the smell of rot and smoke in the air. The maps are a mix between Tech-base with a clear industrialist influence in their rusty textures and brown colors, bringing with it a change in gameplay that reacts fantastically in synergy with the environment. Chapter 3 (one of my favorites) brings, in my opinion, the most ambient and stylized set of maps in the entire set. With a cold winter setting, ice and snow keep us company as we enter castles and hellish fortresses that stand out for their black rocks among the white background, as well as a few other extra surprises of monumental architecture. Chapter 4 brings with it a more traditional style but with a more advanced twist. Tech-base with neon colors and intense scenarios that are based on complex layouts that allow as much exploration as intense combat. MAP19: Dehydration, stands out for perfectly representing the style of this chapter, as well as for its extreme length. Chapter 5, the antepenultimate, is properly, a chapter set in the dark abstract corners of hell. Red is king (and purple) and violence is queen. A collection of 5 maps designed to punish you in this fantastic adventure. With one of the most brutal examples of gameplay as well as architecture in the entire megawad, chapter 5 leaves a long mark, but finally, we come to the last one. Chapter 6 is, without a doubt, Eviternity at its finest. Monumentalism, expressionism, brutalism and an obsession with color. Maps that perfectly combine a Greco-Roman architectural style with celestial landscapes that pay homage to paintings of the Elysium. The last chapter is among my favorites, and for good reason; it is practically perfect. MAP26 and MAP27 stand out for their incredibly atmospheric design, for offering unique gameplay and visuals; and of course, MAP29 is the cake. You have to play it. You have to taste it. Ah, and don’t forget the secret maps which are already special on their own, each one offering something that will probably stick with you long after finishing it.
It’s fun as hell
Eviternity is not only eye-candy, is also quite the delicious plate, and a full one. With a well-established curve based on its chapter system, each map brings with it a distinct sense of progress thanks to its excellent attention to enemy positioning, varied encounters and synergy between demons and level design. Fortunately, this adventure is quite acceptable for new players due to its excellent balance of different skill-levels, but on the other hand it also offers a considerable challenge even for veteran players who wish to jump into this gem in Ultra-Violence. Offering traditional evolutionary combat styles ranging from close encounter fights in corridors to typical monster closets, Eviternity also offers some of the best combat ever in a wide variety of maps, such as its final boss in MAP30, the massive adventure in MAP32, the violent final encounter in MAP25 or the iconic horde in MAP15. But of course, I can’t leave behind the three new additions that Eviternity brings. The 5 new enemies: The Nightmare Demon, a version of Pinky on steroids. Former Captain, a projectile version of the Heavy, something like a mini Spiderdemon. The Astral Cacodemon, a fascinating fella with complex moves and a dangerous close-range attack. The Annihilator, a son of a bitch that fuses the one-hit-kill of the Cyberdemon with the toughness of the Baron (a little tougher) and a machine gun to ruin our day. And of course, the final boss, the unique Archangelus, a complex boss that brings with it a variety of new mechanics and attacks that make for a fascinating battle.
All these fantastic features bring with them a beautiful plethora of possibilities thanks to the introduction of new enemy mechanics. While some have more traditional attacks, others will make you re-learn what you know and make wise decisions every time you encounter them, pushing you to strategize and always keeping you on the edge of your seat thanks to violent combat bliss.
It’s an immersive experience
A unique quality that this megawad has is the ability to immerse yourself in an adventure where you will explore a whole new world, or rather, many worlds as innovative as exquisite. From green lands to castles frozen in time, as well as punishing hells and corrupted skies. Eviternity has it all and has plenty of it, with a fantastic quality that gives it the virtue of being able to create a perfect synergy between the atmosphere of the level and the design of this. The architecture, the perfect use of textures, the special effects and the great soundtrack make this megawad one that has absolute identity and gives us precious moments of escapism into a completely wonderful and brutal world.
It’s a welcoming challenge for all kinds of players
One beautiful thing about this little megawad is the fantastic fact that it is balanced to welcome all types of players; from newbies looking for a touristy game to those masochistic veterans who want to rip out their fingernails. Eviternity can be an incredibly challenging adventure at certain points in Ultra-Violence, featuring assaulting maps that feature a high level of violence and carnage, as well as level design that squeezes you dry. On the other hand, if you lower the difficulty, even in HNTR, this adventure still maintains an excellent balance between gameplay and charisma. Offering a great variety of encounters that adapt to your skills, depending on the type of skill-level you have chosen. One way or another, Eviternity gives you a hand, or a kick. Whatever you like!
Eviternity has a little something for everyone (as cliché as that sounds), as well as a wide variety of combat, it has a wide variety of difficulty scales that are made to satisfy a wide range of players from start to finish. Among them, as a passionate gamer, I can say that I am completely satisfied, yes sir.
It has replay value
Many WADs are often iconic, such as CPs, but unfortunately some fail to find a balance between their first walkthrough with a second. Many times, it is due to a bad selection of WADs, putting the most tired ones first and the worst ones last. Other times it is simply because the WAD is too complicated, difficult or long. Something understandable that can happen even in modern days. On the other hand, I consider that Eviternity manages to find a perfect balance thanks to its excellent diversification of levels and order. The simple fact that every 5 levels are divided into a chapter means that we can choose our favorite chapter and play it as we like. If not, then we are fortunate that the maps are perfectly balanced to offer as many short adventures as we want, or as many huge beasts as we want. From the famous MAP01 that introduces us to a beautiful layout, to the gigantic MAP32 that introduces us to a titan of a map. Whatever we like, we replay it and it’s still fantastic.
The soundtrack is among the best
And I’m not joking. The soundtrack alone is worth a try just for how fantastica it is. It got everything you need in a Doom MIDI. Songs that are catchy, songs that are violent and force you into natural berserk, songs that are fun and fast, and some absolutely killer ambient tracks that remind me of Donkey Kong OST. The soundtrack alone, made by a variety of authors, among the all mighty @Jimmy, @Alfonzo and @Eris. Legends that make legendary tracks that will push your experience into greater extents when you play this modern classic.
Conclusion
Eviternity is one of the first megawads that I finished completely, and it is also, without a doubt, an example that encapsulates everything good and beautiful that Doom can offer us in the 21st century. Breathing in the fresh air of this modern map making movement is like breathing in new life, and I’m glad to have been a part of it from the perspective of a healthy/unhealthy gamer. Dragonfly and team created something wonderful. Something metrically massive and astronomically beautiful. Eviternity is an eternally fantastic voyage that gives Doom a new coat of wonderfulness, and in my honest opinion, it is perfect.
It has everything you need, anything you’ll need and is just downright magnificent. Go on, dear doomer, and play the fuck out of it! You won’t regret launching yourself into the world of the eternally corrupted, filthy, sinful and violent. Into the world of Eviternity.
You can read this full feature on Issue #11: https://wadazine.com/portofolio/