Catacombs Pack

A neat little series, and definitely interesting to check out as a curiosity, being one of the earliest FPS games. However, despite its historical status and marvelous 3D EGA visuals, I can't say I'd recommend it for anyone other than the extremely nostalgic or the most hardcore retro FPS fans, as the game hasn't really stood the test of time. Predating Wolfenstein 3D, the game was certainly novel in its own era, but with its repetitive game mechanics, it doesn't quite hold up against its successors in the genre.

What can I say about this game? When compared to other first person shooters, it's very basic and yet tremendously fun. You don't have to worry about too much. Just solve the mazes, blast monsters with unlimited fire bolts, and have a good time. Perhaps it's the nostalgia talking in that my first ever experience with a FPS was Catacombs Abyss. Even so, it's a great simple romp through dungeons and such with a delightful nostalgic feel.

The Catacombs series never did seem to reach the same heights of popularity as Wolfenstein-3D but remain an important stepping stone in the FPS genre. So the question is - are they still worthwhile to play? In my opinion, most definitely yes. Catacombs 3D is the first 3D shooter of the series. It stands unique from the other 3D games in the pack by having a few neat little puzzles that require you to discern the hidden meaning in the scrolls that you pick up along the way. Catacombs Abyss was my first FPS shooter, so I'll always have a fond memory associated with it. It amps up everything that made Catacombs-3D great with more enemies and more level variety. Armageddon ramps up the enemy variety even more, and there's a few tricky enemies to deal with. Notable are the tiny little bunny-rabbits that you encounter in one level. They look innocent enough, until you let your guard down... The main downside to Armageddon is its over-reliance on walls that explode when you shoot them. Apocalypse has even more enemy and level variety and also makes use of a neat little 'hub' system for the first half of the game's levels. It adds a tricky new feature as well - walls that aren't walls at all, that you're allowed to walk through. This can be a bit of a backtracking pain. I replayed all four of the FPS titles in this pack after GOG re-released it, and can honestly say I had a great trip down memory lane doing so.

... Catacombs was not my first FPS, but I still remember t, because of one simple thing: it was fun! I liked the fantastic enemies and all the setting. Before this one I played some Gauntlet games and I thought of Catacombs as a 3D version of Gauntlet... well in some kind of way. To be honest: I was shocked when seeing the screenshots, this game looked so much better in my memories, but isn't that the case with every game you loved? You got to excuse me now, I'll have to kick some demon's backside ... ;)