Combat Shock 2 is a 7-map WAD made by dannebubinga back in 2012. While danne, at this point, is probably more known for his Sunlust work, he was previously most known for this WAD. Around this time, danne was incredibly inspired by the likes of Gazebo, whose masterpiece inspired the likes of Phml and, of course, danne. In an interview with Nirvana, he said that Combat Shock 2 was mostly made as a way to continue improving as a mapper, and he definitely succeeded.
Combat Shock 2 PLAYLIST: • Combat Shock 2
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IWAD: Doom 2
Port: DSDA-doom 29.3
Compatibility: Boom (comp level 9)
Mapper(s): dannebubinga
MIDIs: Lunar Outpost (from Descent)
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Combat Shock 2: https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/lev...
DSDA-doom: https://github.com/kraflab/dsda-doom
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Talk about getting thrown into the fire huh?
Danne says fuck it and goes off the rails starting with Rapid Fire, a 30-minute string of three rooms filled to the brim with so much carnage that it makes the level feel twice as long without actually being so. Sporting a bouncy MIDI from Descent, Danne encourages bravery and aggression throughout the entire level, yet counterbalances that with a metric ton of enemies flooding in at any given time. That’s not to say this map is out of your control, far from it. I think what’s so special about Combat Shock 2 is that danne does ascend to the realm of the Insane_Gazebo’s and Phml’s, but his brand of that gameplay is almost more addictive than theirs.
The first room spells things out so clearly that you don’t have to think twice about what’s coming and how to deal with it. The entire map is an all-out war with the demons, and each room you enter increases the size of the armies being thrown at you. The opening fight being the “warm-up” fight is funny to me because you’re already knee-deep in corpses and shot up with adrenaline after it's done. The next room is the BFG room, which finally gets its first chance to show off its typical destructive capabilities. The most deadly part about this fight are the Viles that get thrown in on a cycle, so make sure to spin back around to their teleporter spot to catch them right as they come in.
The final room is the reason you should play this map, and maybe one of the reasons to play the WAD in general, outside of MAP05. For its time it’s one of the best fight reveals ever constructed, and a spectacle that’s absolutely worth witnessing blind. The giant pyramid of Revenants, the Cyberdemon generals leading their armies of Hell Knights and Pinkies, the massive hordes of enemies on the large pathway surrounding you, it’s a euphoric moment. The moment lasts just long enough until you realize you might get atomized if you stay in one spot.
This is also where I could see people having some issues with the map. I’ve seen in a few places from a few people that this map is a bit tedious and requires a lot of cleanup. While I do agree that this fight does have a fair amount of cleanup, I don’t know if it’s to the map’s detriment because some of that cleanup is still extremely deadly. Finishing off the Revenant pyramid while still having a ton of Imps, Revenants, and Hell Knights hurtle projectiles at you from the ledges above still requires some thought. I do agree, though, that the climb up the pathway towards the switch that allows you to scale the pyramid does drag on for a bit. I wish danne either redesigned this area or just made it shorter, because some of the parts are a bit annoying, if not just a tad boring. Oh well, it’s hard to make such a daunting and imposing fight like this not be tedious at times, so I don’t blame him for how things turned out.
What I will say is that Rapid Fire finally takes Combat Shock 2 and puts it on its rightful path. The first three maps clearly were excellent work, and really show off danne’s evolution as a level designer, but it felt like that grandiosity that permeated the original had been missing up to that point. I love that it comes back here, except danne has a lot more to say than just “Sunder but more.” He takes the lessons his old masters gave him and uses them to create original fight concepts that still wow and drop jaws even today. Even 13 years later this WAD still provides an essential and incredibly fun slaughter experience, and that’s extremely impressive.
Coming back to Rapid Fire one last time, there’s so much to love about this map. The combat is fast and loose, the titanic, industrial visuals radiate menace and power, and the upbeat music makes the level’s title a reality. One small issue shouldn’t distract from the fact that this map is just a blast to play.
#doom
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