REKKR

REKKR
Title screen
Authors Revae et al.
Ports Vanilla Ultimate Doom, GZDoom
IWAD Ultimate Doom
Year 2018
Link Official site
Cacoward-2018.png This mod received one of the 2018 Cacowards on Doomworld!

REKKR is a four-episode total conversion, created by Matthew Little (Revae), with a full soundtrack created by Tom Jensen (HexenMapper), sound effects provided by TerminusEst13, additional textures by Chris Kassap (lupinx-Kassman), and additional mapping by Angry Saint, Brayden Hart (AD_79), Bzzrak Ktazzz, Chris Kassap, James Paddock (Jimmy), Jaws in Space, SuperCupcakeTactics, TerminusEst13, and Velcrosasquatch. The mod is distributed as both a PWAD for Ultimate Doom (or Freedoom; since all content is replaced, it does not matter which one) and a stand-alone IWAD version.

Announced in September 2016, the mod was first released on July 10, 2018 and received its last update (v1.16a) on August 20, 2019. On September 22, 2020, REKKR became the first TC to join the lineup of official add-ons for the 2019 re-release of Doom. On October 11, 2021, REKKR was released on Steam as REKKR: Sunken Land. This new version comes bundled with GZDoom, but is still playable with other ports if the user desires, and prominently features one canonical fourth episode to conclude the story, replacing the bonus maps from the original release. On December 22, 2021, REKKR was also made available on ZOOM Platform as REKKR: Sunken Land - Super Digital Deluxe Edition, bundled with its soundtrack in FLAC format. On January 1, 2023, a new add-on was added to the commercial version, VR-3KKR, featuring nine challenge maps in the E6 slots.[1]

REKKR received one of the 2018 Cacowards. In 2023, REKKR was included in Doomworld's Doot Eternal music feature for Doom's 30th anniversary.

Contents

StoryEdit

You're a rekkr, a viking warrior. Your kingdom is at war against a superior foe. As you return home after a failed expedition, your ship gets wrecked some distance from the shore. As you swim, you notice something is wrong: has the enemy come here while you were away? Except it doesn't look like it's occupied by a human army...

The rest is told as you go through the levels, and in the text screens at the end of the first three episodes. (The original fourth episode consists of bonus levels and is not part of the story.)

VersionsEdit

Standalone DOS versionEdit

On February 8, 2022 UDoom32 author OpenRift released a standalone version[2] of REKKR for DOS. It utilizes a custom executable called REKKR.EXE which unlike the official executable, embeds the DeHackEd patch, but it is also an executable hack where it includes REKKR's custom quit messages found in the LANGUAGE lump, edits all Doom-equivalent strings in the executable to say REKKR instead, and includes custom par times found in the MAPINFO lump.

The standalone version also includes:

  • SERSETUP.EXE: A hex-edited version of SERSETUP.EXE, designed to launch the aforementioned REKKR.EXE
  • IPXSETUP.EXE: Like SERSETUP.EXE, but for the IPX protocol.
  • DM.EXE: A version of DeathManager! version 1.1, edited to read and write from {DM.CFG respectively
  • SETUP.EXE: A hex-edited version of Chex Quest's setup program with names changed
  • DeHackEd: Comes with a custom INI file to specify the new executable and WAD names
  • NOVERT.COM: A tool that disables vertical mouse movement. The batch menu used by DOSBox is configured to run this automatically
  • DOSBox Staging v0.78.1: This is included for convenient play with a batch menu with shortcuts, akin to GOG's DOS game installations

REKKR: Sunken Land also has its own executable called REKKRSL.EXE, but due to the current state of the Sunken Land IWAD, it requires the Ultimate Doom IWAD to function and is thus not a standalone game.

ContentEdit

WeaponsEdit

  • Fists
  • Axe (chainsaw slot)
  • Soul bow (pistol slot)
  • Steel-shot launcher (shotgun slot, tech column replacement)
  • Soul launcher (chaingun slot, dead imp replacement)
  • Runic staff (rocket launcher slot, acts like a grenade launcher)
  • Holy relic (plasma rifle slot)
  • Blessing of the Gods (BFG 9000 slot)

MonstersEdit

FodderEdit

Eyeball
Giant disembodied eyeballs. They attack by charging, but they can also resurrect slain monsters all day long. (Lost soul replacement)
Former human
Emaciated zombies wearing not much more than a loincloth and a spiky helmet. They drop soul ammo when killed, but their souls do not linger on this mortal plane for long. (Zombieman replacement)
Former human grotesque
Bloated carcasses where the face was replaced by an enormous maw, from which they belch fire. Drops soul ammo. (Wolfenstein SS replacement)
Health mimic
Masquerading as health potions, these small monsters wait in ambush for wounded people to come in range of their sharp, serrated teeth. (Commander Keen replacement)
Husk
Malformed gray humanoids, with spikes for harms and hooved feet. (Demon replacement)
Mean husk
Just like the husks, but with twice as many hit points. (Spectre replacement)
Imp
Big jawless floating heads, which carry orbs of fire below them, which they can shoot. When killed, they and their meaner counterparts both explode and deal splash damage. (Imp replacement)
Mean imps
Just like the imps, but much tougher with over twice as many hit points. (Revenant replacement)
Skeleturret
Turrets made out of bones and magically enchanted to shoot fireballs at you. They do not move but they shoot relentlessly. (Arch-vile replacement)
Flammenwerfer
(Big brain replacement)
Rune porter
(Spiderdemon replacement)

HeaviesEdit

Former duke
They had high office back when they were still human, now they rule over monsters. Throw rows of flaming skulls at you. (Mancubus replacement)
Sorrow
Large floating heads with two stubby arms. They shoot homing projectiles. (Cacodemon replacement)
Tree beast
They look just like dead trees, but they're actually weird mutant beasts which can spit green balefire snakes. (Baron of Hell replacement)
Skelly belly
Plus-sized skeletons, they summon giant eyeballs to throw at you with abandon. (Hell knight replacement)
Skelespider
Gigantic floating skull spiders with a giant eye in their abdomen, which they release upon death. Skelespiders will also shoot green bale fire snakes. (Hanging body with no gut replacement)
Skeletower
More robustly-built versions of the skeleturrets. (Chaingun replacement)

BossesEdit

Former king
This used to be your liege. Not anymore. (Chaingunner replacement)
Death raven
Lord of the Underworld, ruler of the damned. Your enemy. (Small blue torch replacement)
Gardien
(Cyberdemon replacement)

SpecialEdit

Eye spawner
One of the giant eyeballs, impaled on a spike. Summons eyeballs endlessly. Utterly indestructible. (Dead lost soul replacement)
Jackalopes
Harmless antlered bunnies, when killed they drop health essence which restores 10 points of health. (Shotgun guy replacement)
Mean jackalopes
They're fluffy pink jackalopes, but don't try to pet them: they're rabid and want to nibble you to death. They do not drop health essence, either. (Arachnotron replacement)
Doggo
Harmless friendly puppies, trapped in this monster-infested world. If you free them, they follow you around until you lead them to safety. In doing so, you can find useful items. (Evil eye symbol replacement)
Hitscan dummy
A special entity which is always placed outside of the map in a closet and constantly shoots once woken up. It is used for a vanilla workaround trick of a delayed doors opening. First, a player crosses a linedef which moves up the platform with a dummy. Then, as soon as it reaches the top, the dummy shoots the wall and a gun linedef action applies to the map environment, opening various doors.

DeHackEd is also used to create many other special effects, such as crashing ocean waves, leaves blown by the wind, crows taking flight when they see you, and so on.

External linksEdit

ReferencesEdit

  1. Revae (1 January 2023). "VR-3KKR." Steam. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  2. Doomworld forums thread