Redemption of the Slain

Redemption of the Slain is a single-level PK3 for Doom II using the GZDoom source port that came out in March 2017. It was designed by Russell Meakim (TheCastle), and the par time is 40:00.

Essentials
The map is divided into five sections, and an additional secret area.

1. Silent Outpost: A late addition for the level, which weren't included in the first beta release. It's notably different in style as it's more a techbase, than the rest of the level, which takes place a demon infested castle and it's hellish surroundings. The section has four secret areas, a secret yellow key, and two modern style lockdown fights. The first lockdown fight is designed for Brutal Doom as it has two bots to help you in a cacodemon swarm. This part of the level is quite difficult without Brutal Doom, and ammo shortage (especially in Hurt Me Plenty skill) can cause problems.

2. The Netherworld: Starts in a small techbase, then it continues to the hellish outdoors with various platforms rising with monsters in them. The section has three secret areas which all need either GZDoom compatible crouching or platform jumping.

3. Doom Castle: The biggest, and most traditional part of the level, which is quite similar to The Castle's Hell Mountain (No Rest for the Living Map 04), but with more elaborate design and dynamic light effects. It has 10 secrets, which includes a much needed backpack and a BFG, which can be collected by finding multiple secrets. It has two major lockdown fights, in the first you have to use 6 switches to cause earthquakes, and call the gradually more challenging monster waves.

4. Outpost Alpha: An area with various killed monsters around. This area is filled with arch-viles and barons of Hell, and has a puzzle section with 3D floors and arrows that can give you clues what to do next. They also help you to find the secret level. The area's only secret is the pathway to the secret level which needs GZDoom specific swimming ability.

5. Ghostly Passage (secret section): It's a notably different surrounding than the rest of the level as it's much darker, maze type, and almost exclusively uses the spectres, but in large numbers. The section ends with a welcome message from author, which is his traditional "The Castle Was Here" sign. It also has the first megasphere of the level.

6. Ancient Abyss: The final area in a hellish bridge. The area is filled with almost "slaughterwad" number of monsters that are hard to dodge, and it's the most challenging part of the game. Curiosity of its use of cacodemons that don't attack you from the bridge, but from the towers in both the left and right side. There are automatic projectiles that can handle the cacodemons while you're busy with the other bad guys around. The level ends with a cyberdemon, and an author specific imp before you leave the level.

Other points of interest
Many areas of the level are built in the shape of number 8. This means the player always goes forward, never really backtracks, but can visit various areas from the different angle. The author's other maps (particularly Map01 and Map04 of No Rest for the Living) are designed with the same philosophy. In the area with the yellow skull, formally backtracking is needed, unless you find the secret passage where you can reach various areas with monsters and a BFG as the high reward in the end.

Jumping and crouching are allowed for this level, but other than one vent area, they are only needed for finding secrets.

The map use 6 keys in total: 3 keycards in the first section (Silent Outpost) and 3 skill in the Doom Castle section.

Secrets

 * 1) In the room with the chaingun, open the south wall to find health bonuses and medikits. (sector 3444)
 * 2) In the southernmost room, climb up a level and go through the slimefall to find a soul sphere. (sector 4083)
 * 3) After you get the red keycard, backtrack to the room south from where you got it, then climb the stack of crates on the north wall. Use the switch you find there, then leave back to the red key area and go on the metal platform to the southwest that has just lowered. Take it up to reach this secret. (sector 4130)
 * 4) From Secret #3, climb up and cross the bridge to the north side, then head northwest to pick up the yellow keycard. (sector 11)
 * 5) When you enter the Netherworld area, go to the southeast part of the first big room and crouch to get in the ventilation shaft. At the south end of the vents, press on the recessed wall to pick up a berserk pack. (sector 2253)
 * 6) At the start of the Doom Castle area, climb the crates to the left, then jump to the ledge to the left of those crates. Crouch at the cave entrance and enter it to find health and armor bonuses. (sector 40)
 * 7) As you cross the rocks towards the castle, jump to the northeast and enter a pool with health bonuses. (sector 4186)
 * 8) In the main library of the castle, head to the left side and climb the steps up. Notice the opening to the south, but ignore it for now and head east on the bookshelf to spot a switch deep at the south end. Use it, then go back to the opening, run south all the way, and then east and south into a door before it closes to find a backpack and health bonuses. (sector 1487)
 * 9) Jump southeast of the yellow skull key onto the red rocks, then head southeast to an area with a green armor and health bonuses. (sector 294)
 * 10) From Secret #9, head northwest, staying on the rocks, and up the rocks to the north. Use the skull switch here, then get back to the yellow skull key platform and head north and left, into the closet. (sector 2539)
 * 11) Follow the path past Secret #10, onto more rocks and around, up to a marble bridge. Cross it to the east, use the door, then press the skull switch. Return to the library, take the steps at the west side, then jump to the north to get a BFG9000. (sector 2350)
 * 12) In the main library of the castle, find a skull switch at the southeast side and use it, then quickly run to the west side where a lift has lowered. Ride it up and head south to collect a soul sphere. (sector 2358)
 * 13) Head left from the puzzle battle section and take the door to the south. Jump out of the second window on the west side and head up the rocks to find a megaarmor and rockets. (sector 897)
 * 14) Head back inside and climb the steps to the super shotgun. Go to the north side of the northwest column and use the skull switch to find health and armor bonuses. (sector 3187)
 * 15) Grab the blue skull key and the doors to the north will open. Head that way, but stop before the drop-off and look for a skull switch in the middle. Press it, then run south to the soul sphere pillar as it lowers. (sector 332)
 * 16) Open the blue skull door and descend two sets of steps. Open the middle bookshelf on the south wall to find armor bonuses, health bonuses, two boxes of rockets, an energy cell pack, and a box of ammo. (sector 1263)
 * 17) At the east side of the castle, head north to the large ledge, then get to the right side of the ledge to start climbing it. Head to the left side to get to the top where you can get a megaarmor. (sector 1382)
 * 18) In the Outpost Alpha section, enter the long hall and enter the southeast room. Open the bookshelf there and press the switch. Unlock the northeast room, then enter and open the bookshelf for another skull switch. This will open up the secret path in the middle of the hall, which leads to the Ghostly Passage section. (sector 2583)

Current records
The records for the map at the Doomed Speed Demos Archive are:

Things
This level contains the following numbers of things per skill level:

Technical information
The map uses various scripted sequences with music changes, lockdown fights, and other GZDoom specific features like earthquakes, swimming, jumping and crouching. It also has visually appealing dynamic light sources and ambient occlusion.

The map however doesn't use new textures or coding, monster and weapon types are the same, which gives a somewhat vanilla experience with modern gameplay philosophy.

The map is designed with Brutal Doom in mind, which means there are less ammo than normal, particularly apparent in the first lockdown fight with the cacodemons and later with the arachnotrons. After collecting the red key (and the hidden yellow key), the ammo shortage becomes less problematic though. The level still had various bots, which appear as invisibility spheres in normal gameplay.

Trivia
One of the secret areas has an Easter egg referring to BZPlasma, a long time Doom streamer, who made some videos during the map's beta phases. The secret offers you a second Plasma Gun if you collect the other items there in quick succession. With this secret, the Plasma Gun is the only weapon in the level which can be collected twice (not counting shotguns and chainguns dropped from former humans).