Your Top 5 Doom II maps

[TwinBeast]

Refueling base

The Gantlet

The Abandoned Mines

Suburbs

The Crusher

 

The Chasm might have been somewhere on the list, but don't really like the thin bridges later in the level.

[Doomkid]

4 hours ago, Maximum Matt said:

Where are the 'spawning vats' then? And what the hell IS a spawning vat?

like Avoozl said, those metal cylinder things look like they're meant to be big tanks full of.. who knows what, really, but I figured they were meant to be the vats. Really it just further proves the point the the map names in Doom were total afterthoughts.

[termrork]

the following list is highly dynamical (i.e. in the 90s my fav map was 13, then 28, 24, 8 until it finally became 27 where it is now for roughly 15 years, it is like a good wine, with time it becomes better and better, I am glad some of you mentioned it), but currently it is the following order:

27>>>>>>8>16>13>24>28>11>3>>>23>6>30>19>10>26>20>14>15>1>9>>>29>25>5>21>18>2>31>12>22>32>17>>7>>>>4

 

damn that map04, maybe because of too many NM30 attempts ended there painfully due to hitscanners :(

[Super Mighty G]

In no particular order:

08. Tricks and Traps

11. Circle of Death

14. The Inmost Dens

26. The Abandoned Mines

29. The Living End

 

Yeah 3 of them are Romero maps, big whoop wanna fight about it?

 

Edited July 19, 2019 by Super Mighty G

[Grazza]

They are pretty much all good, but if we're choosing five, then 9, 14, 19, 29 and er, I dunno, maybe 15 (though the need to IDMUS is off-putting).

[Blunted Player]

Ok, I will try to do this:

5. Underhalls

4. Gotcha!

3. Bloodfalls

2. The Chasm

1. The Spirit World

[nrofl]

5. Monster Condo

4. The Chasm

3. Refueling Base

2. The Citadel

1. The Pit

[eulo]

On 7/19/2019 at 11:01 PM, termrork said:

the following list is highly dynamical (i.e. in the 90s my fav map was 13, then 28, 24, 8 until it finally became 27 where it is now for roughly 15 years, it is like a good wine, with time it becomes better and better, I am glad some of you mentioned it), but currently it is the following order:

27>>>>>>8>16>13>24>28>11>3>>>23>6>30>19>10>26>20>14>15>1>9>>>29>25>5>21>18>2>31>12>22>32>17>>7>>>>4

 

damn that map04, maybe because of too many NM30 attempts ended there painfully due to hitscanners :(

 

Yeah, Monster Condo aged extremely well, even more so than Spirit World or Living End.

[HAK3180]

On 7/19/2019 at 5:13 PM, Grazza said:

I dunno, maybe 15 (though the need to IDMUS is off-putting).

 

It's better when it's D_RUNNI2.

[SchwTrdLeenW]

It's hard for me to boil this down to only five maps, because Doom II has a ton of memorable and creative moments and was a huge improvement over its predecessor in nearly every aspect, at least in my opinion. In no particular order:

 

MAP05: The Waste Tunnels. It's a tight and interconnected map with fast run and gun-action and a little hint of openness. I love it.

MAP14: The Inmost Dens. Mostly for the same reasons as MAP05.

MAP15: Industrial Zone. A big and nonlinear map with a harsh usage of hitscanners and some interesting secrets. I also like the woven-in hellish aspects like the giant rift that seperates two big parts of the map.

MAP16: Suburbs. The main reason i like this map is it's unmatched level of carnage for the time it was made. It almost feels like proto-slaughter to me, given the big teleporting enemy clusters, the focus on monster infighting, and the way you have to somewhat "earn" your weaponry.

MAP29: The Living End. I love fighting on tight ledges with little dodging space, and this map celebrates this type of combat. The atmosphere is also top notch, supplemented by oppressive architecture and the way the layout moves you through comfy niches in the walls of this giant cave, so you feel constantly on the verge of falling down.

 

Honorable mentions (because i would feel bad if i wouldn't include them):

MAP22: The Catacombs. Probably the hardest map in the game, short, tight and punchy.

MAP23: Barrels O' Fun. Bizarre and creative.

MAP08: Tricks And Traps. Bizarre and creative, too.

MAP27: Monster Condo. Mostly for its insanely memorable scenery and atmosphere.

MAP13: Downtown. Nonlinear and memorable.

[Arbys550]

#1 Abandoned Mines

#2 The Chasm

#3 The Spirit World

#4 Refueling Base

#5 Suburbs

[axdoomer]

MAP13: Downtown

MAP14: The inmost dens

MAP19: The citadel

MAP26: The abandoned mines

MAP28: The spirit world

[Solmyr]

Underhalls

The Inmost Dens

Suburbs

The Spirit World

The Courtyard.

[Unitron]

It's hard to pick only five favorites, but it'd probably look like this for me:

 

1. The Factory

2. Industrial Zone

3. Suburbs

4. Barrels O' Fun

5. The Gantlet

 

Entryway is close to being in there too, it's so iconic and a perfect first level.

 

[Arcturus]

In no particular order...

 

Circle of Death/O of Destruction - I love this layout with the various excursions from the central circle that lead to different areas. There's just something satisfying about it, especially with the secret teleports leading to the enticing higher platforms. Also the Arch Vile is well introduced and given the perfect amount of spotlight.

 

Inmost Dens - A great addition to the city maps, the buildings and paths intercut with the waterways and bridges make it feel probably the most like a real place Doom 2 ever gets (which, lets be frank, isn't saying too much!) And it does it without being excessive with the size and non-linearity, which while I generally like the city maps, is an issue with some of them. This map is really tightly designed in comparison. Don't know whats with the weird intricate design with the holes in the exit area but it looks quite cool.

 

Abandoned Mines - Another Romero map woo. Really great secrets in this map. You can see all sorts of stuff from the main crossroads area, and if I recall most of it is only accessible by the secrets. It feels like there could be miles of twisty caverns out there, despite it actually being a fairly small map.

 

The Spirit World - The best depiction of Hell in Doom 2 I think. The first main area with the molten cutaways in the wall looks great, and then from there it gets so garish and bizarre. The giant twin Spiderdemon room is a great holy shit moment. The map really nails the eldritch feeling you get a bit from E3 of Doom 1 - of a place just beyond your understanding, that feels like it just shouldn't exist. Loses some points for some bullshit fake walls and a hidden shoot switch, but I've played the game so many times they're not really a problem for me anymore.

 

The Living End - Yeah I guess I really like Romero's maps? I think he just has a knack for intricate places that loop back on themselves, and I really like that sort of thing. I like the sense of place this map has - the central tower is a great focal point and the way it's presented front and center when on the slow starting elevator makes finally getting there all the more satisfying. It's fun being able to see the platforms of other areas of the level in the distance - it gives you a nice sense of progression.

 

Bonus takes of varying hotness: The Chasm is fine. Nirvana is bad. Kinda surprised so many people said The Pit but you do you! Great music on that map though. Oh and Doom 2 has better music than Doom 1. 

[DarkScythe13]

The Spirit World

As a kid this level left me a little unnerved. I think it might have mainly been the music. The level is easily the best "hell" level in Doom II (in my opinion) and IMO perhaps the most 'hellish' feeling level in the game. The rooms and atmosphere are just great, though as a kid I found the need to 'shoot the symbols' to get to the exit to be confusing. I think a little more could have been done to telegraph this. Otherwise its a fantastic level all round.

 

Industrial Zone

My favourite of the 'city' levels. I appreciated the 'zombie' population and the structures (for the most part) were pretty interesting. A lot of Doom levels have distinct and unique features that set them apart from one another. The parts that stand out to me most are damaging floor divide separating the to halves of the level, as well as the wooden (non-secret) exit building. Its also one of the few Doom II levels I recall, to actually use the dead marine corpse.

 

The Chasm

I always really liked the whole ledge thing; both visually and the idea itself (as a younger kid I used to use cheat codes so there wasn't really an inherent frustration). I also like a lot of the side rooms like the one reached by running down the red 'pillars'/ledges also. Overall I thought it was a pretty appealing level visually, though in a way I feel it didn't really fit with the hell theme, regarding its placement in the level order.

 

Monster Condo

I kind of liked all the various little 'interactive' secrets and areas of the opening area. Its kind of cool how it also did TNT's Wormhole gimmick in the green marble area before Final Doom was a thing. The music stands out as being pretty unique to me and had this kind of mysterious feel to it as you explore. The final corpse room was also rather memorable.

 

Tenements

While I dont care or the Red Key room too much, I like the rest of it. I particularly always liked the 'cave' parts in the Blue Key room and the 'maze' near the exit room. As a kid I was kind of interestedin expanding upon the idea of the various tunnels featured in the map

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2019 by DarkScythe13

[Deadwing]

Monster Condo

Tenements

The Inmost Dens

'O' of Destruction

The Spirit World

[Nine Inch Heels]

1 chasm

 

2 nirvana

 

3 barrels o' fun

 

4 spirit world

 

5 gotcha!

[RightField]

1. Circle Of Death

2. Industrial Zone

3. Monster Condo

4. The Waste Tunnels

5. The Crusher

[Michael Jensen]

5. The Pit

4. Abandoned Mines

3. The Chasm

2. Downtown

1. Monster Condo

 

Honourable Mentions: Industrial Zone, The Living End, The Citadel, The Spirit World, Underhalls