In honor of the 30th anniversary of the iconic first-person shooter Doom, co-creator John Romero has gifted fans with an exciting present: Sigil 2, also known as episode 6, as a free addition to the game's storied history. This release aligns with the tradition established by Romero in 2019, when he released the first Sigil expansion to coincide with the game's 25th anniversary.
Sigil 2 is an unofficial campaign designed for the original Doom engine and serves as a continuation of the story from the previous expansion. Romero has designed it to be a direct sequel to Sigil. The new campaign picks up the tale after the climactic battle with the Spidermastermind at the end of E4M8, presenting a fictional fifth episode altogether. Gamers now have access to nine new levels, which come in the same 'megawad' format utilized by both Doom and Doom 2. A megawad is a bundle of data files including levels and other components used to extend the game.
In truth, playing these new levels requires more than just downloading Sigil 2 - you'll need a copy of the original Doom game. However, Romero's website points players towards GZDoom, a modern update of the original Doom engine which facilitates an easier start-up for the megawad. Besides the single-player campaign, these new levels double as deathmatch maps for multiplayer fun.
In keeping with the spirit of Doom's intense soundtrack, Sigil 2 is accompanied by an original heavy metal score by artist THORR. The soundtrack echoes the original game's adrenaline-inducing music, setting an appropriate backdrop to the challenging new levels designed to test even the most skilled players. The reception to the difficulty level was aptly summed up by Romero's response to a fan's comment on the brutal nature of the episode: "Welcome to Hell."
The sentiment is shared by Duke Nukem's co-creator, George Broussard, who praised Sigil 2 for its engaging and challenging gameplay, likening it to the "Dark Souls of FPS games," had it been released in 1993. This high praise further solidifies the expansion's appeal to fans of the genre, promising a blend of nostalgic gameplay and contemporary challenge.
