3rd of October 2026

G.D.M.F.S.O.B | Single/Multi | Author: Aymeric "MRCK" Nocus | Download

The Review: "We need an all-underwater map in Duke3D" said no one ever, but MRCK came up with one anyway. Now, this definitely isn't the first of its kind, but don't ask me to name any other exclusively underwater maps. Underwater combat mechanics aren't really terribly engaging in any game; underwater areas are often more like a hazard you'd want to avoid. Back in the day Toxic Dump (E1L4) did a wonderful job simulating the tension of being underwater with poor visibility, disoriented and being constantly aware of oxygen running out.
MRCK's map is extremely linear, which is of course a good thing considering it'd be tedious to backtrack long stretches underwater. The first section consists of wide hi-tech corridors, then there's a cavern, a sunken city block (my favorite bit design-wise) and then an arena for the finale. TROR is used throughout, but it's not terribly prominent. Overall the map isn't visually very ambitious; only the city block has relatively plenty of what you'd call details.
As for combat, in a weird turn the map doesn't seem to give you any of the traditional firearms. You'll mostly get to rely on the Expander and the Freezer. These are like the polar opposites, the former being wonderful underwater with its hitscan speed while the latter is just plain awful. For long stretches it's safe to simply swim past enemies as they (mostly Octabrains and Sentries) can't keep up with your speed and there's no fear of running into them again because there's no backtracking, making combat a choice. In general the map is very easy: Health is abundant, scuba gears are everywhere so there's no risk of running out of oxygen, and monsters are at a considerable disadvantage in pretty much every situation.
As a small highlight I must mention the choice of music, a remix of a classic Jazz Jackrabbit track.

Conclusion: Leave it up to MRCK to come up with another "concept map". Duke3D's underwater mechanics felt outdated pretty much several months after the game was released when Quake (in many other regards a vastly inferior game) came out, so the author is fighting a losing battle. G.D.M.F.S.O.B at least is linear and doesn't force (or even incentivize) you to engage with the enemy, so it could've been a lot worse. This one should be over in about 10 minutes (there isn't much exploration you can do).

Rating: 87