Soulcage 1.0

DOOM is one of the oldest FPSes in existence, and its engine is famously so robust that it can run on pretty much anything and also create pretty much anything.  From FPSes to RPGs to companions to a city living game, it has a ton of different mods and maps that can all do different things. But before all that, there were the humble WADs, just maps that had different characteristics based on which author made them. One of them is Soulcage.

To install Soulcage, you need to have GZDoom and move the WAD file into the GZDoom folder, which is pretty par for the course for DOOM maps.

There's no story in these games, other than the author saying that this is an ugly map. While that is true on a technical level, this map is very thematically unified. The map revolves around constriction, with a ton of cramped spaces you have to manuever through throughout the whole level. It goes against modern game design that tries to get the environment out of the way, but it's very fair here.

This map revolves heavily around teleporters that play hard in the level progression. It's actually broken into three isolated areas only linked together via telepads, and it makes navigation very challenging, and unlike the gameplay, it doesn't feel very fair. You need to constantly keep track of which keys you've found for which doors, which can get annoying.

All in all, Soulcage is a fantastic map and is a great look into the past.