Doom 2: Realm of Chaos 2 - Map 33: Los Números del Diablo (UV Max)

Realm of Chaos 2 is a large 40-map megawad made in part by the mapping group The Macintosh Team. As the number in the title reveals, Realm of Chaos 2 (or RoC 2, as I might call it) is a sequel to The Macintosh Team’s own Realm of Chaos from 1996.

Cutting this short again lol, had way too many thoughts on this map.

Realm of Chaos 2 PLAYLIST:    • Realm of Chaos 2  
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IWAD: Doom 2
Port: DSDA-doom 29.3
Compatibility: Boom (comp level 9)
Mapper(s): dobu gabu maru
MIDIs: Lippeth - Don't Count On It
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Realm of Chaos 2 (RC3ex): https://www.doomworld.com/forum/topic...

DSDA-doom: https://github.com/kraflab/dsda-doom

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The next two maps are entirely designed by the man himself, dobu gabu maru. Like in other projects such as UDINO, he may have not been the project lead, but my goodness are his fingerprints all over this WAD. Some of the eccentricities, design choices, and aesthetic styles can certainly be attributed to his wacky but brilliant mind. I say all of this because, whenever you get the rare solo dobu map in a project like this, you know you’re in for something crazy. The fact that there are two of them back to back is a bit of a warning that you’re about to go on a wild ride.

The first half of this mind-bending odyssey is the infernal, iron-clad fortress that calls itself Los Numeros del Diablo. It’s sort of like a choose your own adventure style of map, allowing for a wealth of different routes, choices, and strategies. As with a lot of other dobu maps, exiting as a non-max player can be relatively simple, all you need is the yellow key and you can be on your way out. Actually maxing the map though? That’s a different story. Like dobu’s E4M8 in UDINO, maxing this map is a true ordeal, and requires an immense amount of effort.

The best way to start this map, for me at least, is also the hardest part of the map. I like grabbing the rocket launcher first because it probably has one of the more manageable traps to survive right away, but for other reasons too. There are tons of different areas in the map that require a certain numbered switch to access. Three of those are right at the beginning, and each one determines which weapon you’ll most likely have the most ammo for. So, having more rockets for me is preferable.

Anyway, another stroke of brilliant design is the risk-reward part of acquiring resources in the central area, arguably the hardest part of the beginning sequence. The more switches you hit, the more resources you get across the map, but also the more Archviles you spawn. This is where the difficulty comes from because you have to make sure the Cyberdemon hits the Viles while you also have to deal with the other enemies that come pouring out of the various areas that become unlocked for you. The bottom line is that this is another brilliantly-designed map that leaves everything up to the player.

Once you unlock all areas it’s time to explore this dungeon of lava and metal. Evil seeps out of the very walls and rises like steam from the lava you have to grit your teeth through. Every part of the map is designed as if its sole architect was Satan’s right-hand man, injecting brutal traps and sinister setups into every room with little empathy for the player’s cries for mercy. That isn’t to say that dobu doesn’t care about the player. Hell, it’s the complete opposite actually. Dobu is one to brutalize you and make you curse his existence, sure, but damn is he an excellent gameplay designer. There are tons of different pathways, routes to different areas, and ways to tackle many of the map’s hardest areas. So much so to where it’s kind of on you if you don’t find a good way to complete the map in full. Though, to be fair, it’s completely understandable to crumble under this map’s cruelty for the first few deaths.

Something else that rings true is that dobu is also an excellent puzzle designer, and he always seems to include some kind of puzzle in all of his maps. This map is no different, and of course it grants access to the secret exit, but luckily it isn’t that hard. The key to solving it is right before you head into the puzzle, with the lineup of blue, red, and green torches. The order is important here, because you have cross teleport lines that face each color of torch to progress. Then, one you reach the green torch and walk towards it, you reverse the order and cross those teleport lines. So you basically go from blue, red, green, to green, red, blue, and then keep repeating that. It’s an easy enough puzzle for me to not hate its existence in the map.

I don’t know if I can truly do any dobu map justice through words, though I certainly try. His maps are the kind of levels you just need to experience yourself. This map and his secret map are no different.

#doom