Duke Nukem 3D v0.99 Beta: E1L5 Into the Abyss

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DN Stuff

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Published on February 11, 2025 2:52:28 AM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKgExNB6U90

Game:

Counter-Strike: Source (2004)

Duration: 0:00

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About this video:
This footage comes from the leaked prototype dated January 4, 1996, which is free to download. The leak was only a shareware version, so only the first episode and 6 of the weapons are included.
This video shows gameplay on "Headache" difficulty. There are 5 difficulty settings: Easy, Medium, Normal, Hard, and Headache. Enemies respawn on the last two difficulties, and cheats are allowed on all difficulties.
Cheats were used. This footage is just meant to showcase the prototype.
Key bindings can be changed, but the modern WASD control scheme doesn't seem to work correctly. (Sorry for the janky movement and random jumping!)

Notes on Into the Abyss:
At the very start of the video, you can see the Shrinker in action. This happened because the weapon used at the end of the previous level ran out of ammos, and the dnweapons and dnammo cheats were used. Because this prototype is the shareware version, the first-person weapon sprite for the Shrinker was not included in the art files, so it looks like Duke is just firing beams from his chest.
Later in the video (around 6:20), even the Shrinker runs out of ammo, so the game switches to the Flamethrower/Laser Gun. It is disputed which gun this is actually supposed to be. Richard "Terminx" Gobeille, who has privileged access to a cache of development files, has found a prototype build that uses the Flamethrower weapon sprite with this odd hitscan firing mechanic, but he now believes it was actually meant to be the "Laser Gun" mentioned in later shareware advertisements. Gobeille believes this because a CON file from a November 1995 prototype contains notes indicating the developers had already considered the Flamethrower scrapped by the time this new firing mechanic was introduced (it replaced an older Flamethrower that worked very differently).
There is a scrapped secret area in this version that can be seen around 3:30 in the video.
For some reason, the teleporter in the bonfire wasn't working in this clip, but it is still present in this version of the map.
The earthquake that is normally triggered in the Native American temple is not yet programmed in this version, so it is impossible to progress past the lava falls. The dnclip cheat was used to get past this part in the video.
The waterfall in the Native American temple is missing in this version.
The secret area with the dancing woman at the top of the lava falls is still present in this version, though it was missed in this clip. Even though the platform with the bloody handprint is missing, the tunnel can be accessed by pressing the "use" key on the rocks above the tunnel.
The climb across the rocks near the alien spaceship is low, close to the lava. In the final version, these rocks are towering spires, with the lava far below.
The final boss fight is wildly different, as you can see in the video. The plumes of fire that shoot up from the ground are taken from Rise of the Triad and do not appear in any map of the Atomic Edition, even though they are still in the game files. They were finally reintroduced on Prima Arena in the 20th Anniversary World Tour.
Killing the boss did not trigger the level ending, so the dnending cheat was used.
The cutscene at the end of the episode is unfinished.