"Xexis"

xexis.wad

Author(s):

Matt Tropiano

Year of release:

2006

Map(s):

01

Engine:

ZDoom

Date of review:

06/11/2007

Overall rating:

When I first played this on skill 3, like I always do, after I'd killed around 120 of the 580 monsters, the game got suddenly very hard and frustrating. I cheated and on the next occasion I was annoyed and quit the game and I was sure to give it zero points.
But it's a very goodlooking wad, so I decided to give it a second run on skill 2, though I had to replay the first quarter, but this time it was worth it.
It's a large map in hellish style with red bricks and stones and a lot of lava, plus it shows a great level of details and some nice surreal tricks, like floating "islands", which add to a dreamlike, hellish atmosphere.
Gameplay is tight, though on skill 2 it was quite ok, so you better play this on a lower skill level than you would normally do.
There are two new monsters, by the way, which aren't too innovative from their visual aspect (they're offsets from the Archvile and the Imp), but still very interesting and challenging.
It's a great map and you should definitely play this.