Doom 64 TC Level 46: Radiant (original) (raw)

Well, Radiant is the Outcast secret level, and an extremely tough one at any skill level. To start off, you have to fight and kill a motherdemon with no power-ups and no health. Try to stay close to the center of the area, leading her down one of the four hallways while pelting her with rockets. There are lots of large energy cells and rockets around. A special key, BFG, and rocket launcher are in the center. Her long range attack is the easiest to avoid by dodging around the corners as she fires. Since the projectiles riccochet and come backwards after being fired, it seems more a matter of luck than skill to avoid them.

After the motherdemon explodes, the four corners of the area will lower, revealing 8 arachnotrons perched on top of them. The ends of the central cross-shaped canyon are the safest. You have to pay really close attention to avoid getting hit too much, as you will be taking fire from at least two different angles at the same time, and plasma projectiles are just too fast to dodge effectively.

The center of the cross is actually a lift that will rise every time you step onto it. This will take you up to the higher corners of the map once you clear a quadrant. The only health kits in the level are up there, and a few more boxes of ammo that you will probably need.

Once the arachnotron force is eliminated, the whole area opens up again, revealing even more enemies. This time, The defending force consists of four nightcrawlers, and no less than twelve mancubi! Just running madly back and forth, while launching rockets or unleashing BFG blasts will get most of the nightcrawlers fighting against the mancubi. Try to pick the ones who are fighting with each other as your main targets while doing your best to survive this onslaught.

When the last mancubus of this wave collapses, the battle is almost over, but probably you will be also! Now all you have to do is defeat a cyberdemon with whatever health and ammo you have left. Actually, this is where the design of this level really helps you out if you can get to one of the higher areas. As in "No Escape" and "Hardcore" from Absolution, the cyberdemon's rockets won't make it over the ledge most of the time, and he's not smart enough to back away and get a clear shot at you. Even if you have no more rockets or energy cells, you can just stand close and blast him in the face with a weaker weapon until he explodes.

It's not like there will be much of anything left over to pick up before exiting, so it doesn't matter much that you won't have that option. When the cyberdemon is destroyed, the level ends and you will be teleported to the "Portal" from wherever you happen to be standing. Whew!