I Can’t Believe People Still Call Doom 2 a Masterpiece

Now that I have mostly finished the original Doom, I am playing Doom II on the easy level.  With Doom, it is a good idea to play all the difficulty levels as you learn the game.

My problem with Doom II is that the levels feel uninspired compared to the original Doom. Many of the designs are boxy, relying heavily on right-angle walls, and they lack visual appeal. I found the early levels especially dull. The game could have benefited from more variety in both textures and gameplay.

The level design seems to focus on two main goals:

1. Pushing the graphics engine to its limits with larger maps, some featuring incredibly tall structures.

2. Increasing the overall difficulty.

I remember beating the game 30 years ago, but there's a reason I haven't gone back to it since. Back then it felt novel, but the experience doesn't hold up as well today.

Ultimate Doom (100%) Walkthrough (E4M6: Against Thee Wickedly)

I wanted to talk some about Doom.

On my computer I have copies of the old Doom and Doom II, but they no longer work.  I am playing both games using "Chocolate Doom" which is a Windows port of the original Doom.  I just copy the Wad files from the original games.

When I first played Doom, it had three episodes, but about the time I bought my first PC compatible id came out with a version with a 4th episode called "Thy Flesh Consumed."  This is a very interesting episode.  I remember playing it 30 years ago along with Doom II.

"Against Thee Wickedly" might be my favorite in the 4th episode if not the whole game.  It is extremely well thought out and complex, but once you know how to play it then it is easy to understand.  Everything you have to do follows a linear order.

Due to complexity, some of the levels would surprise me if they ran well on a 486-33 Mhz.  This is especially true for Doom II.

The Worst Levels From Doom 1

@john2001plus
37 minutes ago 
Fortress of Mystery can be quite fun.  I started the level with only 5% health and minimal amo, but was able run around enough to avoid getting hit.  This encouraged infighting and I was able to pick off the monsters one at a time.

The teleport puzzles in Unholy Cathedral are annoying, but once I got used to the level there was much to enjoy.

Gateway to Limbo is a bit frustrating, but it is different enough from other levels to make it a unique experience.

E2M6, Halls of the Damned, gets my vote for the worst level in Doom 1 because of having to fight a horde of monsters in a large dark maze where you can't see anything.  Much of the level doesn't seem to serve any purpose except to make you fight enemies.  It can be tricky to get all the secrets because one room will lock you out, or even crush you, if you don't do it correctly.

E4M1, Hell Beneath, deserves honorable mention because it might be the most difficult level to complete in Doom 1.  You have insufficient amo to fight all the monsters.  If you don't find the secret room with the rocket launcher then it is hopeless.  Monsters will teleport right next to you and kill you.   Even the difficulty "I'm too Young to Die" is hard to survive.   Using Chocolate Doom, there is a bug where you can get permanently trapped in the Red Key area.  Despite doing everything I am supposed to, I only get 50% of the secrets.  Also, there is a switch that seems to do nothing.

However, I think that Hell Beneath is fun.  There is a walkthrough on YouTube that shows a trick to kill the 4 or 5 Barons of Hell.  If you know what you are doing, then you can make it through the level, although maybe just barely.

John Coffey - The Doom Wiki at DoomWiki.org

https://doomwiki.org/wiki/John_Coffey

Enemy Health, Damage and More

My Doom Shrunk In The Wash!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5x0bpZDkQw

Holy Hell

This guy may be the best Doom player ever.

He is using some version of Doom that doesn't have limitations.