All Apologies (ALAPOLGY.WAD)

DS-61-3
ALAPOLGY	FROMDREM	LAB
BOOM	WASTEME	SINFERNO

All Apologies is one of six very short PWADs uploaded to the archives by Malcolm Sailor as part of DS-61-2.ZIP. He later updated most of the contained items and re-released them in July of 1996 as DS-61-3. Both packages were named after Darth Vader's wingmen during the climactic Battle of Yavin. I probably don't need to tell you that it's a Star Wars thing, but there you go. ALAPOLGY differs from the rest of its brood; it actually contains two levels, occupying the MAP01 and MAP02 slots, but it's otherwise in keeping with the traits evidenced in Malcolm's most original subsequent creation, TEKRKBRN.

The author describes them as having very different feels and that's true. The first is almost entirely pistol and chainsaw up until the end versus mostly Doom trash monsters while the second offers hardcore super shotgun combat against much meatier foes. The latter also has an even smaller, tighter layout with a tricks and traps sensibility in the successive monster closets and probably frustrating switch-fu required to reveal (but not activate!) the exit button. I had more fun playing it because the focus on the SSG makes for really punchy gameplay but the first has a sort of desperate, survival-style charm.

They're otherwise completely unrelated in spite of appearing as part of the same PWAD. It's a fast play and should satisfy anyone looking for small, fairly basic endeavors. Provided you can stomach that final exit trap.

ALL APOLOGIES

by Malcolm Sailor

MAP01

You start out in a cave and it turns out it's part of some really basic installation. Almost all of the fighting is done using the pistol and chainsaw in spite of a handful of shells. You get a rocket launcher near the end but it's used to kill a Hell knight, splash a revenant on the other side of a room, and slay the Baron miniboss. I like the progression from the bloodfalls that house monsters to raising an elevator in order to reach the upper tier.

MAP02

This one is REALLY short but it's also loaded with meat. You can either carry over the rocket launcher to handle the sole arch-vile or start from scratch. It's not tough to prevent the resurrections with the only weapon afforded, a combat shotgun. The upper tier is a funhouse scenario where bigger monsters appearing at the opening of each alcove. The second area looks simple enough since Sailor gives you an invul sphere but it's actually a save or die puzzle once the monsters are dead. The wrong switches raise the outer floor and the correct one lowers the inner ring. You still have to run into the center for the donut to fall around you and reveal the exit button... or just use the linedef and skip the switch-fu because nothing is actually stopping you!

WHAT ELSE SHOULD I BE
ALL APOLOGIES