MAP23: Ascending to the Stars (Hell Revealed)

MAP23: Ascending to the Stars, designed by Yonatan Donner, is the twenty-third map of Hell Revealed.

Description
According to the Hell Revealed info pack:


 * You enter some sort of a flying technological base with heavy resistance, especially around the red key. You will have to penetrate Blue Sector, a little-known radioactive area, in order to get one of the keys. Your mission is to destroy the main reactor of the base.


 * Size: large
 * Difficulty: very hard

Walkthrough
Be prepared for massive battles in every room-from the beginning where you start till the very end. Ammo is plentiful throughout this level, so don't worry about unloading your strongest weapons at the adversaries you'll face.

When you start, you'll be greeted with a massive horde of imps. Use the rocket launcher to blow them all away, or if you don't have that, use the shotgun nearby. Continue killing them until you reach the end, where you'll be forced to fight through some Hell Knights. Move forward after eliminating them.

Beware-when you pick up the Plasma gun-another horde of Revenants will teleport in and proceed to beat you to a pulp. Blast through them quickly, otherwise you'll fall victim to them or either the Arch-viles lurking in the adjacent pits. Try using the rocket launcher to eliminate them-you'll have to sooner or later anyways.

Pick up anything that you need, and move forward. There are more enemies waiting for you in this small room, but this time, you have a retreat route and cover at your disposal. Destroy them all, head to the right alcove and attempt to open the walls inside. There is a secret with some goodies in there. Next, head to the lift where you can pick up a rocket launcher if you don't already have one.

The Spiderdemon will take no hesitation to fill you with lead-so kill it. However, the Mancubi in the area can also assist in killing the spider through monster infighting. Kill them all with rockets.

The next door has a couple of Barons of Hell and Arch-viles hiding behind them-kill them. Head up the stairs, turn left and enter the door here.

You can avoid the fight here in general-rush to the other side of the room and pick up the key, careful not to fall down into the pit where there are tons of monsters-including a Cyberdemon that will have reinforcements once you kill it. Once you have the key, head back out, through the teleporter, out of this room, and into a room with the sign "Blue Sector" over it.

Enter the door, kill the Mancubi and Revenants, and activate the lift. Keep going and killing whatever is in your way until you reach another lift. Head up this lift, kill the Cyberdemon and Hell Knights, and snatch the key in here. Head through the door to the right of where the Cyberdemon once stood. You'll be attacked by Arch-viles if you didn't kill them earlier-do so now. Hit the switch, and jump back into the teleporter.

Back in the Red Key room, head to the right teleporter.

You will eventually reach the end area-but don't expect a break. The massive swarms of Arch-viles at the end area of the level can present a challenging exit-you won't get through without being hit at least once, and to make matters worse, there's a Cyberdemon at the other end! Fortunately, there's plenty of rocket pickups at your disposal. Use them well.

Secrets
Note: Since there are two Computer map-items in this level it´s impossible to reach 100% item-ratio.
 * 1) After the long corridor and after crossing the "bridge" you enter a rectangular room with a central pillar. In the eastern wall is a secret door revealing a Combat armor, shotgun ammo and a Backpack.
 * 2) In the blueish radiation-area you have to ascend a staircase to a room with a central pillar. Activate either of the flat sides of the pillar to lower a platform you can ride up on to collect two Bulk cells.
 * 3) In the very same room as secret #2 open the eastern wall (directly opposite of the niche with the teleporter) to open yet another niche with yet another teleporter. This will take you to the large area where the Spider Mastermind was - collect a Megasphere there.

Speedrunning
See:
 * Hell Revealed at Compet-N
 * Hell Revealed at the Doom Speed Demos Archive