What is that one Doom level that you love but everyone else hates.

[StarSpun5000]

I'd love to see some infamous and hated levels get some love from the few that enjoy them. For me personally, I absolutely love Hell Revealed 2's Map09 The Siege. I can see why everyone else hates it, but for me, this level is an absolute blast. I'm always smiling whenever I play this map due to its sheer absurdity. It also helps that this map has one of my favorite songs in the whole HR2 soundtrack. In short, for me this level is funny and enjoyable and I always have fun whenever I play it. Now let's see some of your examples and why you love them so much!

[esselfortium]

The Pit. I love the weird dream-logic progression of it with entire walls opening up and inexplicable structures building themselves in the middle of rooms.

[Syn]

I'm in love with Dead Zone, it's a nice abstract map to enjoy for me. TNT Midi pack helps add more atmosphere as well.

[Egg Boy]

6 minutes ago, SynDoom said:

I'm in love with Dead Zone, it's a nice abstract map to enjoy for me. TNT Midi pack helps add more atmosphere as well.

Always thought of dead zone as pretty well liked. I think it’s one of the better TNT maps.

Edited March 9, 2022 by Egg Boy

[SquidTim]

probably dead simple, idk if its hated but its pretty cool

Edited March 9, 2022 by SquidTim
I MISTYPED COOL

[Nine Inch Heels]

For the longest time, I thought I was one of the few people who liked "the chasm"... Over time I've come to understand that a lot more people enjoy that map for different reasons - and I can appreciate getting this "loner bubble" burst open when the "trade-off" is that I can enjoy something with somebody else, together...

[Dubbag]

I like Nirvana

Edited March 9, 2022 by Dubbag

[Skronkidonk]

Habitat, fight me

Actually Most of TNT in general.

[LexiMax]

I love The Citadel but it's a very divisive map and I can understand why some people don't like it.

 

EDIT: I was having this conversation a few months ago and decided to replay The Citadel to see if past me just had rose tinted glasses. In the process, I found parts of the map that I either never found before or forgot about.  That was enough to convince me.

Edited March 9, 2022 by AlexMax

[NuMetalManiak]

One from each IWAD

 

Doom: E4M3 Sever the Wicked: I searched and the level seems to be quite mixed, people like its frantic pace while others think it's a step down from Perfect Hatred. But I was the former.

Doom II: MAP19 The Citadel, nice puzzle aspects in general and you don't necessarily need every key (but you do gotta figure out how to get the red one and it's a bit non-intuitive. Plus the mini-citadel teleporter is cute.

 

TNT: MAP12 Crater, still love its odd visuals and fairly easy gameplay.

 

Plutonia: Hmm, MAP16 the Omen perhaps? I know it's a breather level which immediately gives you a BFG but coming off of the brutal MAP15 or the secret levels a breather is always welcome.

 

Also the HR2 level is actually the Siege II. ;)

[Stupid Bunny]

+1 for The Chasm. I’ve said why before many times but in short it’s vast and cavernous and weird and I like that

 

I also kinda like Unholy Cathedral and enjoy trying to speculate what ecclesiastical purpose each part of it serves

 

TNT MAP20, MAP21, MAP27, aka the massive Drake O maps that people say are overlong and boring but that I think are masterpieces of atmosphere and slow-burn exploration

 

Barrels o’ Fun isn’t exactly one of my favorites but I still like playing it and haven’t figured out why it draws the hate it does. I even enjoy the evil of putting a bunch of pain elementals in a barrel corridor. Some great traps and cool chain explosions to be had here

 

Special mention to Fortress of Mystery, a map I like so much I made a speedmap tribute to it. Yeah, it’s tiny and simple. So? I love the central gimmick, how weird and off color the whole experience is, even how there’s a completely pointless key anti-puzzle at the end. It’s Sandy farting around and telling a mini-story that’s fun to play and you don’t see that kind of freewheeling silliness in games much anymore.

 

Do people really hate Dead Zone? I love that map, I love all the different ways you can assault the central building and the feeling of it being surrounded the whole time. Plus there’s a lot of cool exploration to do in such a small building, it makes it feel larger than it is. It’s a cool map.

 

Still hate Nirvana and Baron’s Den though

Edited March 9, 2022 by Stupid Bunny

[Ludi]

Nirvana always felt like an overhated map, even if it's not one of my favorites. 

 

Bunker and Realm from Plutonia are pretty neat too, moreso the former.

[NinjaDelphox]

Any Icon of Sin map

[Zaxxon]

Many people don't like/hate easy maps, but for me the level of challenge is completely irrelevant if the architecture is good, because i like to explore cool looking maps, this is my main draw to this game, not the challenge. So to put it short, i love any beautiful easy map out there, while i don't mind difficult ones as long as they're reasonable.

 

I love to hate Downtown from Doom 2 and Central Processing from TNT Evilution. Those two are my most hated maps ever! I don't mind Habitat, because i can beat it in seconds, so there is no pain there... you know, it might be bad, but at least it gives you the option to skip it almost entirely - it's a self-aware map, and that's a plus. :D

[Biodegradable]

I've seen a fair amount of criticisms levied at MAP04: The Focus. Personally though, it's one of my favourite Doom 2 maps. It has a fast-paced, run n' gun quality to it that makes it a lot of fun for people like me who never get tired of mowing down hordes of low-tier demons with the chaingun.

[maxmanium]

Barrels o' Fun for sure. It's definitely gimmicky but I absolutely love the weird abstract layout of the level. D_AMPIE is also quite fitting, it always felt to me as if the music itself was mocking you.

[Nikku4211]

The Sky May Be.

It's just so creative.

[ReaperAA]

21 minutes ago, Biodegradable said:

I've seen a fair amount of criticisms levied at MAP04: The Focus. Personally though, it's one of my favourite Doom 2 maps. It has a fast-paced, run n' gun quality to it that makes it a lot of fun for people like me who never get tired of mowing down hordes of low-tier demons with the chaingun.

 

People hate Focus !!? WTH !! That map is nice and fast paced action. Plus, I liked the use of the switch to turn on lights in the otherwise dark section.

 

In case of Evilution, I have seen people criticize Map12: Crater. Don't understood why people hate that map (other than the map being a bit too light when it comes to opposition). I like the atmosphere and 

 

In case of Plutonia, I have seen people criticize Map15: The Twilight. Okay, I can see a first timer being annoyed by the resurrecting chaingunner turrets and the teleporting enemies, but once you know the secrets, it becomes a really fun map.

[xX_Lol6_Xx]

Doom 1: Limbo

Doom 2: Downtown

Master levels: All of them but Mephisto and TEETH

TNT: Map 20

Plutonia: Sewers (maybe the only plutonia map I actually like)

[galileo31dos01]

I don't find much love towards TNT's huge map 20 around here or elsewhere (okay now that I read others I do, good thing). It's one of the "warms my heart" maps to this day. Plutonia's map 23 with its wacky unchanged music too.

[Astronomical]

Fortress of mystery was always fun to me, the scramble to get an infight going is fun. 

2 hours ago, Sr_Ludicolo said:

Nirvana always felt like an overhated map, even if it's not one of my favorites. 

 

Bunker and Realm from Plutonia are pretty neat too, moreso the former. 

I second this.

[Doomkid]

I rarely see praise for Barrels O’ Fun, other than in this thread of course. Such a memorable map and perfectly suited MIDI. Tricks and Traps is one of the best as well!

[PasokonDeacon]

E4M5: They Will Repent is either overlooked or somewhat disliked/hated, but I almost always have a good time with it (and I imagine a few others do too). It's the sleeper map of UDoom TFC if you ask me. A good layout by Chasar and some solid things work by Willits makes it one of their best efforts. It's a bit short for an adventure-y map, but the relative non-linearity compensates for that with plenty of platforming and damage floor crawling. And I have a morbid love for that unmarked BFG secret and the strict platforming it demands, even if it's basically just for continuous players.

[NaZa]

Limbo and They Will Repent

[Roofi]

A lot of people hate it but I actually like Doom' E2M9. It's always a pleasure to watch barons and caco infighting.

[ChestedArmor]

The one I made myself

[Cammy]

9 minutes ago, Roofi said:

A lot of people hate it but I actually like Doom' E2M9. It's always a pleasure to watch barons and caco infighting.

 

Right? I wouldn't say I love Fortress of Mystery in the way this thread is asking of me, but it's a fun bit of early combat experimentation which is short enough not to overstay its welcome, and if you still really can't stand it, you can just skip it. It's a secret map, after all. I definitely wouldn't call it Doom 1's worst map as I've seen many people say - surely that title would have to go to something which is unfun, required to beat the game, and goes on for way too long, like Unholy Cathedral or Limbo.

[pcorf]

MAP08: Tricks And Traps

[erzboesewicht]

Doom: Count me among the fans of Limbo - I love just that element most people hate, the teleporter puzzles - and Unholy Cathedral - imo one of the most truly "hellish" maps of Doom. In E4, I like E4M3 a bit which isn't liked often due to the nice crossfire, and also E4M5 and E4M9 with the "layered" design.

Doom 2: The Chasm, The Citadel, for their creativity and nonstandard design.

Plutonia: Onslaught, for its combat puzzles, and Bunker, for the cool layout.

TNT: Central Processing, love the monstruosity of it, and Steel Works, which I also hear seldomly praised, due to the cool visuals in the "factory".

PWADs: Several maps of Doom 2 in Name only, like The Crusher (which has its fans, to be fair), and The Chasm, one of the best "naturalistic" maps.

[CoolerDoomeR]

1 hour ago, Doomkid said:

I rarely see praise for Barrels O’ Fun, other than in this thread of course. Such a memorable map and perfectly suited MIDI. Tricks and Traps is one of the best as well!

Yes, Tricks and Traps was really great in original doom 2.