Shaw's Nightmare

DOSGames.com Review:  Rating: 2.5
Without a doubt, the strangest game using Ken Silverman's Build Engine that I've ever seen. Started when the author was 11 years old, this project looks nothing like the typical dark and gritty 3D FPS games we've come to expect. With graphics that look like they were drawn in MS Paint, and music that sounds "sparse" at best, this is likely unlike anything you've played before. The storyline is too long to recount here, but it's described on the game's official website. The game is technically impressive (certain features seem to be added to the Build Engine) and clearly a lot of work has gone into it. This version is the latest, the "Fotom Pack" which includes five full missions, each with multiple levels. At the same time, it can be difficult to play, at least in DOSBox, since it can sometimes move slowly, and the visuals and sound effects can be exceedingly distracting. Is it art? Or a game? Or both? Or neither? Definitely a labor of love that's worth seeing! (More discussion of the game is available on the DoomWorld forums.) NOTE: I found that to run this in DOSBox I had to increase the memory size (ex, run "MEMSIZE 32").