Plutonia 2 | PL2.WAD
Plutonia 2 Team
The Doom community is nothing if not deeply nostalgic. Almost from the start, wad makers were attempting to recapture some aspect of the base games. 1994 saw Return to Phobos, an attempt to recreate the feeling of the original game's first episode. A mere two years later, and Milo and Dario Casali's iconic The Plutonia Experiment managed to build itself on nostalgia for Doom and Doom II while simultaneously forging an entirely new aesthetic for itself -- an aesthetic that has since been revisited multiple times on its own. Alongside Plutonia Revisited, Plutonia 2 is one of the two major fan sequels to the original Plutonia, and it captures everything about the original and then some.
When asking whether you should play Plutonia 2 or Revisited, the answer (aside from "play both!") depends largely on whether you want a thematic sequel or a design one. Revisited does little to expand on the bones that the Casalis laid down, and for some, that's enough. Plutonia 2 was intended as a full sequel, with a story that actually has some slight consequences (namely, the UAC, in the wake of yet another Earth invasion, has been dismantled for good and its assets transferred to the Union Aerospace Armed Forces, a new security force intended to protect humanity from further demonic incursions, a bit like the EDF from Duke Nukem.) And as befitting a proper sequel, Plutonia 2 is basically Plutonia, but bigger, badder, meaner, and with what at the time was cutting edge design aesthetics. The end result is a sort of showcase of some of the biggest names in the community throughout the Aughts.
We've got Adolf "Gusta" Vojta, of Kama Sutra fame; Pavel "Pipicz" Tvrznik, who would later go on to create Bloodstain; Fredrik Johansson, whose Vrack trilogy made it into multiple Cacoward-related lists (if not earning a Cacoward outright;) Sam "Metabolist" Woodman, whose Hell Revealed II and Alien Vendetta credentials gave him the background needed to direct the project; Vincent "Peroxyd" Catalaá who collaborated with Woodman a few times but is mostly known for his Compet-n speedruns; Charly "Kira" Goulois, whose only credits are for Plutonia 2 but rank among the set's more memorable maps; Tango, a regular contributor to the 32in24 deathmatch series and the eventual creator of Paradise and its accompanying gameplay mod Supercharge; Thomas van der Velden a.k.a. Rabotik, the mad genius behind Revolution! and Harmony; the inestimable Kristian "Kristus" Käll, with a body of work too unique and extensive to namedrop individually; Pedro Arturo Gomez Blanco, another Hell Revealed II contributor who is now a Doomtuber under his PAGB666 moniker; Alexander S. better known as Eternal, a long-time Russian Doom community member and five-time Cacoward winner; Jakub "methodman" Razák, the other half of the Kama Sutra developer team; Jochen "Angus" Schneidau, another Compet-n speedrunner; Doom community pillar Erik Alm who gave the world Scythe; Joe Pallai, a regular in speedmapping projects and one of several Doomworld members who worked on obscure Game Boy Advance FPS Dark Arena; and lastly, Vick Bobkov, better known as Virgil the Doom Poet, who was active in the community for some time but largely faded from view in 2004; his appearance in Plutonia 2 and some musing about returning to mapping with the arrival of ZDoom 2.2.0 that never panned out has been the extent of his more recent activity.
On the support end of things, we've got music by Jimmy Paddock and Jamie Robertson, plus Julian Aubourg, Eric "Green Herring" Baker (who also contributed a bonus map,) Paul Corfiatis and Stuart "stewboy" Rynn. Rabotik provided most of the new textures, with additional art assets by Kokos and Miguel "myk" Folatelli.
It's quite a rogue's gallery, and of course the actual product lacks some of the strong, consistent theming of the original, but that's okay, as Plutonia 2 makes up for it with being just a solid set of levels -- albeit one that starts getting into Hell Revealed II territory towards the end. That may or may not be to your taste -- but nevertheless, it's just a fantastic wad.
(Disclosure: As I did with Plutonia, I played through Plutonia 2 with the associated weaponset from Final Doomer+. I'm not a big believer in "authorial intent," I'm here to have fun, and Final Doomer+ is a great way to experience Final Doom and its many sequels. I did, however, also use Shades of Doom, which is almost entirely reskins with little change in enemy behavior. I also used the HitPal palette mod, which I think made good use of the greens and blues of the early game for a more appropriately jungle vibe.)
Plutonia 2 follows much of the same structure as the original, with the first act being largely jungle before slowly transitioning into a demon nest on the shores of Hell. There's a few maps that buck this trend, however, such as MAP10: "Cosmodrome," which is a sprawling starbase adventure, and MAP25: "Black Ice," a brief interlude through a frozen-over hellscape (where's the Whitemare weapon set from Final Doomer+ when you need it?) But Plutonia mapping is nothing if not deeply self-referential, and so we get the obligatory Arch-Vile maze in MAP11: "Arch-Violence," a sprawling jungle temple complex with dozens of the bastards; a "Cyberden" sequel in MAP31: "Cybernation," and of course a "Go 2 It" followup in MAP32: "Go 4 It," which somehow manages to be even crazier than the original.
You should play Plutonia 2. There's no shame in playing it on a lower difficulty, especially as the heat starts turning up relatively early in the game and never really lets off. But if you're brave enough to tackle it on UV, rest assured that it's one tough mother of a mapset, uncompromising and yet exhilarating, a sprawling monstrosity that looks good and plays good, demonstrating an understanding of what makes Plutonia work while building on it. It can be uneven; I think I like "Arch-Violence" on paper more than in execution, and all three of Kira's contributions are rough around the edges at best, but at the same time, Gusta maps are usually a high point, with "Nuclear Horror" probably being one of my favorite maps for a wad ever. No megawad is without low points, but Plutonia 2 is consistently high quality enough that it makes up for its shortcomings. Give it a try.
MAP01: Comeback
Adolf Vojta (Gusta)
Gusta gets us started with an overgrown little jungle techbase. Overall it's less immediately taxing than "Congo" ever was, though the occasional revenant will apply some gentle pressure. Awesome music.
MAP02: Jungle Spirits
Gusta
A multi-sectioned ruin map with some cool watery areas. From a very Dario-esque opening ambush to the surprise moshpit when you finally get into the area behind the start, Gusta keeps the pressure on, introducing new trouble into areas you've already cleared as you progress. Now this is the Plutonia I remember.
MAP03: Skull Island/Emerald Eve
Gusta and Pavel Tvrznik (Pipicz)
Why two names? Who knows. Anyway this is a crumbling jungle fortress overtaken by (harmless) green sludge, which probably explains one name, and much of the island is gated by large skull switches, which probably explains the other. The ambush by the rocket launcher caught me off guard, but it was the (otherwise predictable) blue key ambush with its trickle of teleporting chaingunners that took me out.
MAP04: Filth
Fredrik Johansson
The Vrack legend gives us this appropriately filthy little jungle base. There's a lot of toxic brown sludge (eww) that makes traversing the map safely a little dicey, but mobility issues aside it's a pretty straightforward imp massacre. A couple surprise hell knights (and at least one baron) might catch you off guard but at this point you should be well-versed in dealing with the occasional revenant assault. I like the messy fight in the exit area.
MAP05: Flooded Chapel
Gusta
A cool-looking ruin level from Gusta, this one has a classically Plutonian starting ambush, but if you're quick you can get down the stairs and onto a ledge for relative safety, allowing you to get your footing. Most of the level involves finding the right switches and stepping in the right places to open up more of the map, but there are a couple of cool fights, from the sudden invasion of the courtyard when you grab the blue key to the ambush by the northern teleporter.
MAP06: Collider Complex
Sam Woodman (Metabolist) and Vincent Catalaá (Peroxyd)
Metabolist and Peroxyd give us a sprawling four-winged complex. While it's not technically a hot start, the opening can be a bit hectic unless you run for cover. Combat is heavy and intense, from the chaingunner ambush in the blue key sewers to the big fight for the yellow key -- and a surprise cyberdemon at one point! To make up for all this, Metabolist and Peroxyd have graciously given quite a large pile of ammo, especially rocket ammo, and if you've been diligent about finding the very generous secrets you'll get even more.
MAP07: Enemy Caught
Charly Goulois (Kira) and Peroxyd
Just because it's a little more expansive and hectic than your typical "Dead Simple" clone doesn't mean it's not still a "Dead Simple" clone. It's a hot start (obviously) but you have frustratingly little room to move and even less cover. Your best bet would be to first try and stir up some infighting before triggering one of the lifts on the outer wall and getting out -- the rest is more straightforward, though the skeleton closet trap past the blue door is a nasty one.
MAP08: Harmany
Tango
A pretty straightforward Plutonia base from Tango, of Supercharge fame. It starts off quietly enough for once, but once you go through the door it all kicks off. The central courtyard will be the site of at least two big fights, the second one being when you go to grab the red key. Not the biggest, toughest or most complex map, but the arch-vile surprise towards the end caught me off guard.
MAP09: Wormhole Zone
Gusta
Despite the name, this isn't a callback to the classic TNT level "Wormhole." Gusta drops us into a very hot start that may require a few attempts to find safety, especially with a caged archie with a good view over the northern end of the map; but gradually the level comes into focus as a nice-sized Plutonia techbase with some water features, mostly the cool stairs along the outer edge. Watch your step as nearly everything you do will trigger some sort of ambush, including an arch-vile punishment when you grab one of the soulspheres. I like the cacodemons that come out of the pillboxes that line the southern edge.
MAP10: Cosmodrome
Thomas van der Velden (Rabotik)
Rabotik gifts us with one of the best maps in the set yet, a sprawling starport adventure with lots to see and kill. From the cargo ship that actually raises up to let you into the loading conveyor belt to the obvious "Refueling Base" callbacks, this is like a marriage of the DoomCute-ish adventure maps of TNT with the sharp encounter design and classic Doom shout-outs of Plutonia. Great level.
MAP11: Arch-Violence
Gusta and Rabotik
Hey kids! Do you like arch-viles? Well, how about 84 of them? Gusta and Rabotik drop you into a sinister temple complex of blood; arch-viles lurk at every turn, and you will probably get sick of the teleporting arch-vile gimmick (seen in the original Plutonia's MAP28) trying to deal with the big room with four intersecting corridors. Apply all your archie-deleting skills, because you will need them. Unfortunately for you, there's no getting around it: you will not survive this level unscathed. Cool architecture.
MAP12: Imprisoned
Kristian Käll (Kristus), Rabotik, Metabolist and Pedro Arturo Gomez Blanco (PAGB666)
If you're playing continuous, then you start off in rough shape from the way "Arch-Violence" ended; fortunately, this map is pretty tightly designed, with most of your early opposition being easily-handled imps and zombies. By the time you're ready to make the journey to the yellow key you should be back in the green, and you'll need it for the big fight in the east wing, complete with cacos coming in through the windows. Compared to that, the walk to the UAAF building isn't so bad. Not much of a prison though.
MAP13: Hard Facility
Fredrik Johansson, Gusta and Metabolist
An appropriately-named little jungle base set above pools of baked blood. It's a lot of cramped corridors and small rooms packed wall to wall with bad guys, and teleport ambushes only compound it; some encounters are so packed that infighting is inevitable. There's an awful lot of hitscanners on this map, but it's the strategically placed mancubi that will give you the most trouble -- at least until the archie ambush at the very end.
MAP14: Charon Eclipse
Alexander S. (Eternal)
Don't expect any change back in the infamous Eternal's first contribution to Plutonia 2, a take on the bloody base theme of the original's "Genesis." It's surprisingly straightforward for what it is, mostly being a loosely connected string of encounters. Tougher parts are probably the yellow key ambush and the fight at the very end when a cybie shows up. Fun level.
MAP15: Where Hate Runs Red
Kira
Kira gives us a nasty flashback to some of Doom's most infamous levels. With an outright visual reference to "Perfect Hatred" from "Thy Flesh Consumed" (and another one to "Against Thee Wickedly") while maintaining the overall aesthetic of the original Plutonia's "Speed," "Where Hate Runs Red" wears its influences on its sleeve, making you feel every single one of those 68 or so enemies. From the crush of fliers in the central room, to the horde of revenants in the east, the cyberdemon puzzle in the west -- it's all a lot of tough encounters to really test your metal. And that's not even counting the required arch-vile jump to get into the secret area -- an idea I thought we left behind in TEETH.wad.
MAP31: Cybernation
Eternal
Remember "Cyberden?" "Cybernation" is pretty much exactly like it, but with an added twist: Whenever you release a cybie, you actually release two. There's also the annoying mechanic of having to first lower a door with a switch, then run over and open the inner door, which often exposes you to enemy fire. Other than that, it's as straightforward a "Cyberden" clone as you can get, up to and including the fake exit (which invites yet another cybie and even a spiderdemon. I actually didn't have to fight them because I ran for cover and infighting between them and the hordes of revenants and other bullshit took them both down within seconds of each other.)
MAP32: Go 4 It
Kira and Rabotik
Yikes. It's tradition to have a "Go 2 It" clone as the super secret level in a Plutonia wad, but this one's pretty uncompromising. Being, effectively, a mashup of E1M1 and DWANGO5's MAP01, it gets you started right away with mancubi in the E1M1 starting room and a bunch of bullshit outside including a spiderdemon and several cyberdemons. Pretty straightforward, though the clowncar teleporter out in the yard might have you tearing your hair out -- and if not that, then the multiple waves of arch-viles who undo your hard work. Once you've gotten the blue key you're in the home stretch, but don't relax yet -- aside from a ton of cybies, you'll also have to deal with Nazi ghosts coming at you from the blood fountain that you can only kill with splash damage (the grenade launcher from Final Doomer+'s Plutonia set helps.) Kill the cybie guarding the gate and that's your fat reward and ticket home... well, except for the fact that you've been dropped in a big arena with a big PLUTONIA 2 logo, and you have to dodge hordes of enemies to throw a bunch of switches and jump into the portal from which waves of spawn cubes emit. Crazy fucking level.
MAP16: Predatorium
Gusta
A pretty straightforward jungle base that weaves in on itself and makes you pay for every inch of ground. A hot start sets the tone, but it's otherwise easy to tackle in bite-size chunks. The absolute toughest fight is probably the red key ambush -- enemies come at you from all sides, including an arch-vile. Compared to that, the surprise cybie (and the revenants that show up when you try to get the yellow key he guards) ain't no big deal.
MAP17: Nuclear Horror/Mountain Doom
Gusta
Another map with two names; while "Nuclear Horror" is indicative of what to expect -- lots of (surprisingly harmless) nukage -- "Mountain Doom" at least should tell you how green it all is. Either way, this is a massive, sprawling labyrinth of a jungle base with a confusing layout and enemies around every corner. By this point you shouldn't have too much trouble with what's pretty typical Plutonia bullshit -- surprise moshpits, hordes of chaingunners, fire coming at you from long distances. The real stumbling block is it's confusing what the switches do -- it's not clear, for example, that a switched marked red actually opens the path to the red key, rather than requiring it. Otherwise, a real blast.
MAP18: Buckets of Blood
Gusta
An aptly-named hellbase set in a sea of (mostly non-toxic) blood, split somewhat symmetrically. You'll have pretty much the run of the place, with your primary goals being finding the red and blue keys on either side of the map to unlock the exit in the center. Gusta makes you earn almost every step, to the point that I was surprised when nothing happened when I got the yellow key. Fun level with a frantic finale.
MAP19: Hecknology
Metabolist, Jakub Razák and Peroxyd
It's not a Gusta map but it kinda feels like one, or maybe I'm just used to jungle bases at this point. The core of the map is a symmetrical pair of nukage vats bisected by two corridors, one leading north, the other only accessible once you open the blue door. The map forcibly gifts a blue armor on you -- a pet peeve -- but that's okay, there's a couple more you can save for later. Not the toughest map in the world for all the fact that it keeps replenishing itself with enemies, though that cybie surprise in the blue key room might cause you some trouble, especially since there's also a caged arch-vile.
MAP20: Lurking Fear
Jochen Schneidau (Angus) and Gusta
It's not quite hell, but you can see it from here. Angus and Gusta close out the second act with a large base amidst a sea of blood; they taunt us with a crew of revenants that repeatedly appear and disappear before finally coming back with a whole horde that repopulates the map. Every twist and turn is dangerous as your path folds in on itself like a knot, with clouds of fliers (including a very annoying squadron of pain elementals in the finale) repeatedly providing air cover to the hordes of hitscanners and imps and other bullshit. Revenants are here too of course, but they're only really dangerous in the area past the red door, where a squad of them ambush you in a dead end by a switch.
MAP21: Assassin
Pipicz
This one is a little unlike most Plutonia or even Plutonia 2 maps in that it manages to be a sprawling adventure despite its relatively small size, a somewhat bi-symmetrical hellzone superficially similar to "The Final Frontier" or "Anti-Christ" but with a little more solid ground to stand on. It's a hot start with all sorts of fire coming your way from the jump but once you've cleared the opening room Pipicz grants you the supplies to pick a door and start clearing. You'll have to clear both sides of the map to reach the Spiderdemon nest, and you want to go to the Spiderdemon nest because that's where the entrance to the blue key area is.
MAP22: Locus Perditus
Erik Alm and Gusta
An uncompromising symmetrical map consisting of a pair of large fortresses. You can hang back and wait at the start area for a bit and let the free-roaming enemies come to you, but eventually the crush of cacodemons is going to be a bit much. Unfortunately there's no real safe place to go -- everywhere you run, monsters await. Once you clear out the western fortress area though, storming the eastern area is much easier -- at least here you won't get sandwiched between a pair of archies with almost no cover.
MAP23: Aztecorum
Joe Pallai
Joe Pallai drops us into one of the hottest starts in a wad full of hot starts; it may take a few tries to find a relatively safe place to tackle the rest of the map. Aesthetically it's a pretty straightforward Plutonia or even Doom II style map -- lots of brown stone and some grass -- but it's very much a Plutonia 2 map in that it feels a little like a parody of the Casali style (so many chaingun snipers!) while also mixing in some slaughtery elements. Once you get outside it gets easier, but don't get caught out by the double-locked door.
MAP24: Outpost of the Evil Dead
Erik Alm
Now this is more like it. Erik Alm gives us a very traditionalist Plutonia dark brickbase in the Scythe style, small but densely packed with mostly revenants and hitscanners, split between a north and south section. The north section is the more substantial one, especially the north-central courtyard with revvies and an archie on pillars while hitscanners and imps swarm from the sides. Multiple times Alm will send in a few Hell nobles to fill in for recently-murdered demons, especially on your way back from getting the blue key. He also will lock off the north section entirely once you've stepped onto the platform with the switch that raises the exit walkway. Mean!
MAP25: Black Ice
Gusta
Now here's something different. Hell freezes over in this Gusta-designed hell fortress with a predominantly icey aesthetic, but aesthetic aside it's a pretty basic Plutonia map. The majority of the action will be in the northeast, as you fight your way to push buttons that allow you to wind a path through the area. The other big fight is in the red key area, a massive pit full of fliers and other bullshit and overseen by cyberdemons and their mancubus entourage. The area beyond the red key door is pretty sedate in comparison. Awesome music.
MAP26: Plutopia
Rabotik
It says "Plutopia" but it feels more like a TNT level, a sprawling mostly linear adventure map through an urbanesque brickbase that is gradually being taken over by monstrous flesh. It's a very different map from what you would typically expect from Plutonia, with rather simplistic encounter designs for the most part and an emphasis on a sense of progression. But I really like that Dismal Oubliette-style encounter in the fleshy area where the floor raises to introduce imps into a small circular area. The exit area is also incredibly striking.
MAP27: Red Hot
Metabolist, Vick Bobkov (Virgil the Doom Poet) and Rabotik
A rather spooky hell level (enhanced by the music) that makes good use of light and shadow to create black silhouettes against red flames, giving the sense of some kind of dark, hellish furnace. It's a very flat map with little in the way of height variation, but that's okay as it's all twisted up like a bag full of snakes, enemies around every corner. Being able to oneshot a spiderdemon from behind with the BFG is amusing. I really like the demonic script on the floor, nice touch.
MAP28: The Bloodwall
Eternal
A large brickbase fortress in a blood-flooded cavern, this level has a bit of a Quake vibe to it. The toughest spot is probably the red door area, as it's a walkway with little cover as chaingunners, archies, and unkillable revenants throw stuff at you while enemies hiding along the wall make finding cover difficult. The fight for the red key makes you earn every step, with two cybies on UV followed by a third once you get the key. I like how a button beyond the red door lets you finally take away the guardian revenants' immortality.
MAP29: Ticket to Eternity
Gusta and Pipicz
I loaded the map up, saw that it had 507 monsters, and just closed the game for the night. "Ticket to Eternity" is a sprawling urban hellscape, part "Neurosphere" and part "Odyssey of Noises," a massive bloody adventure with hordes of enemies around every corner. It's a nasty piece of work that perhaps most defines Plutonia 2 and especially its late game. Lots of really cool visuals and encounters; I like the drop into a lower layer of hell after you unlock the three doors, which features some more Nazis for you to kill (at least they're not ghosts this time!) The Commander Keen puzzle to get into the dev room is also pretty cute.
MAP30: The Gatewatcher
Rabotik
Simple, straightforward: kill the Cybies guarding the switches, use the switches to raise some platforms, and poke the Gatewatcher in the eye. Easier said than done. Cool visuals. I really like the original take on the usual demon wall -- this one feels a little more 3D and it looks great.
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