When one of the most talented modders on the Hexen II mapping scene decides to offer his take on one of the most famous and beloved maps of Hexen, expect an exceptional must-play map… or a total failure!!!
Just kidding! WhirledTsar’s Shadow Wood certainly doesn’t fall into the latter sort at all. His lavish and inspired remix remarkably pays tribute to the original material, smartly turning what was a complex hub map into a well-thought standalone adventure not only involving fondly remembered vanilla mechanisms but also exclusive gameplay features designed by WhirledTsar, interestingly reworked elements and a hunt for puzzle pieces.
It’s also worth noting that this map is designed for the Shadows Of Chaos standalone mod, which is itself packed with new features, alt fires, new monsters, etc. originally by Bloodshot, but whose lastest versions are also WhirledTsar’s work.
WhirledTsar is not the only one deserving all the credit for this brilliant showcase: there’s another man behind him hiding in shadow (wood!) which is no one else than ShadesMaster, also a well-known name of the Hexen II community who signs the top quality brushwork of this map, initially built up for the Slayer’s Testaments Quake mod.
A Hexen 1 map as a base, a Quake mod featuring Doom monsters as a first version by an initial author, a remix as a true Hexen II experience by a subsequent author built on top of a mod by a third author… it’s really what one could call a “frankenmap”! Yet it works! It’s incredibly good and will enchant the old Hexen lovers and charm the new audience as well thanks to its own merits. Don’t miss it!
https://www.moddb.com/mods/shadows-of-chaos-whirled/addons/shadow-wood-reimagining
Mandatory pre-requisite: Shadows Of Chaos standalone mod (version 1.27 or higher, available for the vanilla game and Portal Of Praevus respectively)