Doom 2: Arrival - Map 6: The Ledge (UV Max)

Arrival is a 10-map limit-removing episode replacement made entirely by Walker Wright, or Pavera. It was released back in 2021 and also won a Cacoward that same year. Later on, it became an official add-on for not just the Doom Classic Unity Port, but also the new Doom + Doom II Port. Along with that, the WAD’s soundtrack also won a music award in the 2021 Cacowards. It’s safe to say that this is a WAD bursting at the seams with quality in every way possible.

There are a couple of other major things to note about Arrival. Pavera states that Arrival was designed with Doom 2’s stock resources in mind, with help from the gorgeous set of skies from Mek’s “Box o’ Skies.” However, the more important aspect is the music. Arrival’s OST was composed entirely by Brayden Hart, or AD_79. It is absolutely essential to the atmosphere of each environment and the overall experience of the WAD. If you aren’t particularly interested in playing the WAD itself, then I beg you, please go and listen to the OST. It’s simply that good.

Anyway, I haven’t played Arrival in quite a while, and coming back to it made me realize that I really needed to do a playthrough of it. So, I hope you all enjoy!

ARRIVAL PLAYLIST:    • Arrival  
====================
IWAD: Doom 2
Port: DSDA-doom 29.3
Compatibility: Vanilla (comp level 2)
Mapper(s): Pavera
MIDI: AD_79 - Dream Dweller
====================

Arrival: https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/lev...

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

====================
The Ledge is a great episode ender for Arrival. It wraps up this aesthetic theme nicely and continues to ramp up the stakes in terms of gameplay and atmosphere. I would’ve gone on to say that this was my “least favorite” level so far, but the more I wrote about this map, the more I ended up appreciating it.

The overall vibe of the areas you visit in this level is a more evil one than what we’ve seen so far, like the entire space is hostile towards you. What helps with this is the verticality and the damaging liquids. The verticality and constant teleporting around make the space feel more unpredictable and mean, while the damaging liquids just pile on more of that sinister feeling. I do like, though, that Pavera actually rewards your curiosity, through some neat goodies and very welcome invulnerability.

I think where the level shines the most, unsurprisingly, is how the combat and music go hand in hand. This is where I think Pavera doubles down on the shift towards nastier gameplay through more Archvile ambushes and carefully crafted encounters that challenge the player on different levels. All the while, you’ve got that slow and eerie yet aggressive and deliberately evil track in the background, providing that sinister energy that the map thrives on. This is none more evident than in the finale, which feels like one last punch in the gut after enduring the rest of the map. It isn’t that hard or anything, but it does feel like a deliberately evil and punishing move that mirrors the shift in tone that Map 5 started.

Overall, I ended up convincing myself to like this map more than I initially thought I would. It’s a bit different from everything we’ve seen so far, but it gets the job done exceptionally well.

#doom