Spookiest Map on Episode 1 ( may contain spoilers )

[Lost_Soul]

Hey guys,

 

In your honest opinion, which level in the first episode of the original DOOM did you find most disturbing in regard to the atmosphere and design or layout of the map? What about the level design made it so unsettling to you and why? Speaking for myself personally, I would definitely have to pick Phobos Lab out of these. Phobos Anomaly and Central Processing both tie at a close second. I will give an honorable mention to the dark tech maze inside the Nuclear Plant; even without the hell textures it looks foreboding with its strobing lights and builds a lot of tension.

 

Why is Phobos Lab my number one? First reason is that the music is the first track in the game to sound like it came directly from a horror movie. The next reason is simply due to the way that the console ports gave the textures of the level a makeover resembling a medieval castle with chilly walls of stone and creepy looking wooden doors. The last area of the stage before reaching the exit also features strobing lights just like the tech maze area in E1M2, and induces a sense of dread and not wanting to be there - not all versions had the light amplification goggles to pick up in there either. The absence of any big nasties did not make E1M5 any less unnerving.

 

It would not surprise me if Phobos Anomaly was the pick of most other people for the obvious reasons. Even still, I feel that the map's psychological impact was somewhat undercut by how obvious that the monster placement was. I remember being scared to encounter any Barons just from reading what the manual had to say about them, describing them as "the worst thing to walk on two legs since the T. Rex." They must be pretty formidable to be given that type of description I thought. My first time playing, I remember feeling sure that there would be a Baron right around the corner in Phobos Lab in one of those dark alcoves...to my surprise, no Barons! Now on to Central Processing...just listen to that loud scary music! If that doesn't foreshadow a battle with a Baron of Hell then I don't know what does! Still no Barons...music sure had me on edge anticipating them to show up at any moment. The devs were trolling when they picked those tracks for levels populated with low tier monsters. Entering the Computer Station...maybe...maybe this is it?? I wasn't really sure what to expect the first time playing this map. Again no Barons! Were these heavies hiding from Doomguy or what?! Finally I enter Phobos Anomaly...the music is kinda creepy but it sounds rather subdued compared to the tracks that played on some of the maps before it. Upon taking the lift which leads to the infamous star-shaped arena with the two doors, I already knew instinctively what was about to happen...a couple of big nasties were gonna pop out. I already had the bazooka drawn before approaching the doors and then taking cover to put some distance between us. The devs were not even trying to be subtle with the introduction. After soundly dispatching the "Bruiser Brothers" on my first playthrough I was actually a little bit disappointed. I was kinda expecting a bit more out of them. I mean, the fact that they can take five direct hits with the bazooka is quite impressive in itself but their projectile attacks were nothing special. I later learned to respect the Barons more in claustrophobic spaces where the player can be cornered.

 

The Military Base would be scary enough if one didn't compare it to maps from Episodes 2 and 3. I did not discover this secret level during my first few playthroughs, as such it did not leave as big of an impression on me. It's an okay level.

 

Certain maps which are exclusive to particular versions of the game will be omitted here.

 

 

[RHhe82]

I answered Toxin Refinery. Probably Phobos Lab or Computer Station are probably creepier, but I first played Doom in early 1994, I was eleven, and the room with lights going out and the first ever monster closet opening really struck me back then.

[Maximum Matt]

Yep, my pick would also be E1M5, for the reasons OP mentioned, as well as that dank-ass hallway just before the final room, the useage of the yellow candle holder thingies (I dunno, just creepy decoration IMO), the monster closets that open up BEHIND you (quite devious) and the whole opening visual of having a nukage floor that you CANNOT avoid, you must run across it, showing from the get-go how the stakes have risen.  Oh, and the teleporter secret area, which canonically shows the "demonization" of the facilities earlier than the Anomaly.  Yep, definitely the creepiest one.  

 

[Yugiboy85]

E1m6. Be it for the little maze section. Something about that section made it feel pretty unsettling. Like walking through a series of liminal spaces. 

 

 

[Tristan]

Once again I think having played PSX Doom first allows me to give a less obvious answer. Obviously the competition is tough because pretty much every level in the game can be considered spooky, but I have to hand it to E1M4 (or rather, Level 4 in this case) for the maze behind blue door. I think this still I grabbed from zdenda's playthrough speaks for itself...

 

If I had to choose from the original PC version though, none of them feel very spooky by comparison, but it'd be E1M5 solely for its music.

[Manny84]

I always thought the dark maze in E1M2 was really spooky. Even in the year 2023 it's still atmospheric as heck with the flickering lights.

[TheNoob_Gamer]

Hangar has a certain atmosphere to it if we are talking from lore perspective. Imagine you are Doomguy on your first day of work. Then everyone is dead, guts laying around and now the undead roams the halls. You are trapped in the workplace with no way out. I imagine it it wasn't for the map music, a person playing it in the 90s could easily be spooked out by the demonic factor alone.

[Manny84]

10 minutes ago, TheNoob_Gamer said:

Hangar has a certain atmosphere to it if we are talking from lore perspective. Imagine you are Doomguy on your first day of work. Then everyone is dead, guts laying around and now the undead roams the halls. You are trapped in the workplace with no way out. I imagine it it wasn't for the map music, a person playing it in the 90s could easily be spooked out by the demonic factor alone.

The PS1 port of the game with its much more sinister music is exactly this.