Beware of False Prophets (BOFP.WAD)

BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS

by "Memfis"

I'm not sure how Memfis feels about Paul Corfiatis's Doom II levels and I'm too lazy to ask him while I write this but based on what I've read regarding 2002: A Doom Odyssey I think it's safe to say that he's a fan of pcorf's episodic stuff. It wouldn't surprise me if he'd made a level inspired by 2002: ADO or, say, the trilogy of Thy Flesh Consumed tributes known as the Death Tormention series. In fact, that's a pretty good description of Beware of False Prophets, Memfis's first solo release of 2012 as well as an E4M1 replacement meant for play in limit-removing ports.

BOFP isn't the author's first Episode Four publication but Green Day has a slightly different tone between its overcast gray sky and healthy grass. This is Episode Four all the way with a classic mixture of wood, metal, marble, granite, and blood.  It's a nice, large level that's visually interconnected and even has a bit of world-building at the end hinting at a potential next level much like the previous Kurogane. I even thought it had a bit of a "Wormhole" thing going on for awhile and it would have been an interesting twist but Memfis was actually aiming for the similar architecture / sympathetic action route.

The author had already carved out a niche for levelsets where attrition did not work in the player's favor and Beware of False Prophets is no different. The difficulty is about what I expected, maybe a little harder because of the level length. Precise ammo consumption will pay off over time and give you more margin to shoot like a wildman while the health pickups are so precious that one medikit in particular gets its own little shrine. If you find yourself dead, well, you can use all your hard-won knowledge to make the next trip a little easier. You'll know where all the hitscanners are hiding, anyway, and they're the ones who chipped away most of my health.

I don't have a lot of specifics to praise as far as the combat goes because of its small-scale nature. All of the windows leave you open to imp attacks from afar so you've got to worry about that but only a couple of the pitched fights really stuck with me. One of them is quite early on when both health and ammo are a concern and the other is a teleport ambush toward the end but not at THE end. The ambushes aren't any more dynamic than the average Doom encounter but they will keep you from comfortably and carefully peeking your way to victory similar to how you'll have to be cognizant of fireballs if you hang out by any of the windows.

The most fun I had was in exploring Memfis's miniature world. There are a lot of nooks and crannies that don't offer much beyond a few shells but are still around for you to find. One of my favorite details is the sunken switch behind the northeastern wooden building in the western area and something like a flooded staircase, perhaps leading to a sunken basement. I also love the jaunt to the parallel structure that leads out to an overlook where you can look at the exit area. The granite No Man's Land, which makes up the westernmost wildland, is a great piece of environmental detail. I like how the rounded structure to the north stands out through the use of the Death Tormention II brick texture.

If you love Thy Flesh Consumed-styled maps then Beware of False Prophets is a must play. I prefer its muted combat and resource management to the walls of flesh and MacGuyver-style manipulation required to handle so many Episode 4 levels that take after Crusades's E4M1 / E4M2 on steroids encounter design. As much fun as it would be to see Memfis power through his apathy and produce an entire episode, I'll take what I can get.

INWARDLY THEY ARE RAVENING WOLVES