Sunlust
By Ribbiks and dannebubinga - 32 Maps
Format: Boom
[Download]
Started: April 4th 2025
Finished: April 7th 2025
Status: Completed
To quote what I posted in a discord the second I beat Map 30:
"I FUCKING WIN
SUNLUST IS OVER
10/10 NEVER PLAYING THIS SHIT AGAIN"
Sunlust is a massively incredible wad. 32 maps of (almost) immaculately designed Doom maps designed to inflict infinite pain and suffering upon whoever plays them. So many clever fights and evil map layouts. It is absolutely BRUTAL though. Easily the hardest wad I've ever played and to be honest I hope it stays that way. Sunlust was a brief glimpse into a world of doom I never thought I'd ever be capable of playing, and it's a testament to just how well implemented the difficulty settings are that HMP feels completely insurmountable but still somehow conquerable. This level of doom gameplay is absolutely not my thing, but this small slice of the excruciating infinite pain generator was an enlightening experience that I'm really happy I played all the way through. It's an ordeal, but if you're feeling up to it, definitely give Sunlust a try.
Actual review time (no more sappy bad writing)! The maps are tough as nails but really really well calibrated, with only a small handful of exceptions (the start of map 17, the last room of map 32) it never gets bullshit. There are a few points where I got lost and had to reference Decino's playthrough to figure out where to go, but these were rare and if you're even slightly smarter than me you'll probably be fine. While I agree the architecture is very good, Sunlust is very brown for most of its runtime and it does get a little repetitive near the end.
Rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Favorite Map - Map 16: "Lost Antiques"
Least Favorite Map - Map 17: "The Womb"