===========================
THE DARKENING - UV DEMOPACK
===========================

All demos recorded by Chris "Ryback" Ratcliff.


Description
-----------

Nothing special, really. I only learnt about this WAD via
Andy Oliveira's cheated demopack on the DSDA. Now that I've
played it, I'd have to say it's among my favourites. Nice small
levels, original gameplay ideas, in the American McGee style.
This was just something to pass the time with, most demos are
first exits. Still it beats Andy's (very old) non-cheated pack
by quite a bit. Some of the cheated times are beatable too, but
we'll have to wait for COMPET-N to host the WAD before we see
any...

Now, the times
[template taken from Andy R. Oliveira's original demopack]


Level Name              Author                Time
--------------------------------------------------
MAP01 Scary             Jan Van der Veken     1:13
MAP02 Bloody Hell       Jan Van der Veken     2:47
MAP03 Entropia          John Bye              2:07
MAP04 Relentless        Travers Dunne         8:18
MAP05 Hand of Doom      Jan Van der Veken     6:02
MAP06 Mines of Death    Nick Baker            3:13
MAP07 Dead Simple 2     Nick Baker            4:47
MAP08 Discordia         John Bye              7:50 
MAP09 Military Complex  Jan Van der Veken     5:37
MAP10 Under Earth       Travers Dunne         5:02
MAP11 Stone Tyrant      Adam Windsor          2:49


MAP01 - Scary
-------------
Excellent first level. The monster placement is good: the chainsaw
is actually useful on this level. 

MAP02 - Bloody Hell
-------------------
Nice open air arena once you make it outside, but the start is
a little tough - first getting the SG, then the SSG.
From there you're on easy street.

MAP03 - Entropia
----------------
Kind of small level, reminiscent of Plutonia 03 for some reason...
Everything is well set up for rocket usage.

MAP04 - Relentless
------------------
This level reminded me a lot of Perdition's Gate... It's a lot more
linear, but the architecture is very similar. Unlike Andy, I didn't
have any ammo trouble, but about halfway through the level health
can get critical. Excellent Mastermind battle later on. Here it
took me a while to get the Barons and Cacos slugging it out, but
it really helps.

MAP05 - Hand of Doom
--------------------
Slimy sewer level. My aiming against the Barons was pretty bad, and
there's a few wrong turns here and there.

MAP06 - Mines of Death
----------------------
The underground sections might gave come from a Mark Klem level.
Some excellently judged lighting. The outside area is more Hell Revealed.
I forgot the blue key, but this didn't mean much time loss.

MAP07 - Dead Simple 2
---------------------
Nice to see an original map07 scenario. The mancubus/demon trap, though
is extremely vicious...

MAP08 - Discordia
-----------------
This level looks fantastic. Great original design. And it also makes
the player movement look good. The Archvile/Demon scene is a tremendously
difficult battle of attrition - if you don't take out the archies soon,
they'll overwhelm you. After that point, with the plasma and megasphere,
it's just one long blasterama...

MAP09 - Military Complex
------------------------
Nice and easy, and heaps of fun...

MAP10 - Under Earth
-------------------
I still don't know this map very well, so that's the reason for the
out strange behaviour near the end. How exactly did I manage to kill
that Archie?

MAP11 - Stone Tyrant
--------------------
Cybie got me, but I got him...


Chris "Ryback" Ratcliff
ryback@fcmail.com
