otp: @Spud be sure to leave a glowing review to each and every one of the hw2 jam maps
Okay.
Spoilers and the usual blind skill 2 demos abound (recorded with QS's protocol 666 so probably won't work in Winquake), along with some truly terrible and rusty attempts at bunny hopping. The zips are small but some of the demos are pretty big; you can blame AD's inflated demo size for that.
Start map: I had the most awful feeling of deja vu until I loaded up last year's HWjam and realized that yes, the start map is largely the same. Whew. Getting psyched out before even playing any of the spooky maps.
Artistical (Oblivion): Knew something was up when the start map loaded with a blue sky instead of a purple one. No combat (maybe why the map is 'hidden' in the start map? I played through them in alphabetical order through the console), but a mind screw of a map. Wasn't sure where it was gonna go after the first-level-but-empty setup but seeing the huge slice through the map was a cool moment. Unfortunately the whole fumbling-in-the-dark thing gets old after about two segments.
Burnham (Where Evil is Exalted): A bit blocky. Almost felt like a 'rats' map at times due to the oversized furniture. Unfortunately, a fair amount of the British literature shout-outs were lost on me, because I'm a dumb burger who don't read no books. Sorry!
Captaincam: Dug the style of this map from the get-go. It made me think of old PS1-era action/platformer/dungeon crawlers, a feeling that only intensified once the buzzsaws showed up. I did manage to get totally stuck only to find there was a newer version available to download, so the demo is of a second playthrough. Maybe a bit too many armor backpacks around? I wound up over the normal cap for yellow armor multiple times even without the YA secret (and the half dozen other secrets I missed, as usual).
Chedap (Worship Condensate): Deliciously grimy and filthy and gorgeous. So grimy in fact that I had to change my gamma at a few points. Claustrophobic in the best way, cramped, gritty, but doesn't overstay its welcome due to the smaller size of the map. Despite the paths branching, there definitely seems to be a correct order to take them in unless one wishes to come face to face with a Spawn horde while underequipped.
Chris Holden (In the Walls of the Ziggurat): This map feels tighter than it actually is, largely due to the sheer height of the walls, which is a great bit of visual effect. I kept wanting to crank my field of view up. Texture work is a bit bland at times, but the runes and lava definitely call to mind Ziggurat Vertigo. The secret progression near the start was a nice bit of kit, and I wound up stumbling into the secret exit because I had no idea where to progress normally.
Comrade Beep (Candles of the Damned): Took just a minute to notice it was an E1M2 remix given the visuals were so Comrade Beep-y. The secrets all being 'special thanks' is a neat theme, along with the common method of actually finding them all (which I still managed to not do because I'm an idiot). Great fun and I'd say it was over too soon but really, expand too much and a map ends up less of a remix and more of a Sepulcher. Not the first time a map has driven me nearly insane from an ambient crying baby. Vore titties!
Greenwood (Misadventure Valley): Immediately reminded of an old Unreal assault map with the same theme- Galleon or something similar? Items and enemies backspawning while you trek through the ship is fun but there really could be a bit more health pickups. In a stunning display of incompetence, I managed to find the Dopefish but not a single actual secret, and missed the Shadow Axe for the majority of the map so I was on the run the entire time. So it probably would have been easier if I didn't suck. Also: hated electric eels in Underwater Jam, still hate them here.