DooM Maps you used to hate, but now enjoy!

[LegendaryEevee]

     Let's be honest.  One thing we can always be sure of in life is that things change.  As someone who got his start in DooM at a LAN Party with 4 of my Friends in Princeton WV playing death match across 4 connected computers in "The Chasm".  A ton has changed.  Many levels I started off absolutely hating the first few times I played them, only now for those levels to be some of my favorites in their games or WADs.  Let us know some of the levels you could not stand the first few times you played it but came to end up being some of your favorites and why.  Here are mine across all main games.

 

Ultimate DooM Episode 1 = [E1M7 - Computer Station]

• I always thought this map was possessed as it seemed I would always get hit no matter where I went or what I did.  This made me paranoid to play this map until I learned of the many opening Monster Closets, and the upper section in the main computer room with the hit scanners up near the ceiling. 

• Once I learned how this map worked it quickly became my favorite of Knee Deep in the Dead.  Because you can use their same tactic against them taking out enemies way before you're ever supposed to meet them through the windows making this map extremely easy.

 

Ultimate DooM Episode 2 = [E2M2 - Containment Area]

• The crate maze always made me swear off this level before giving it a real chance. 

• When I started getting serious about hunting down all Secrets (Yes in my early days I never went for secrets just the exit) and saw how interconnected the level was and how many different ways there were to move around the map it quickly dethroned Halls of the Damned (a bit too linear) for my favorite map of the Shores of Hell!

 

Ultimate DooM Episode 3 = [E3M4 - House of Pain] 

• This level did exactly what it was supposed to do and as a young kid I hated it for it lol.  I was terrified of this level and always dreaded when it came up.  Not just all the bodies and grotesque imagary (hah compared to Vivisection, [Going Down] nowadays HAH).  The Cacodemon jump scares when traveling the side sections of the map and exit door.  As well as the trapped feeling the switch room gives you as you try and find the right combination you just felt harassed, trapped with no way out. 

• And as I grew up this is exactly what I've come to love it for!  It captures the essence of what DooM is better than anything else in classic DooM I feel it is my favorite map of Episode 3 because it makes you feel trapped and having to fight your way out.  

 

Ultimate DooM Episode 4 = [E4M2 - Perfect Hatred] 

• If this is not John Romero's magnum opus I don't know what is (Yes even considering you Sigil).  He got me to love a level as I grew and got better that I honestly would level skip anytime it came up growing up.  I didn't come around until the last few years on this one as I always felt this map WAY TOO BRUTAL.  Then I played Going Down.............................................................Long story short I think this comes down to a skill thing.  As a kid this level just feels unnecessarily cruel, the platforming, the pits, the close range Cyberdemon and Baron Fights.  It feels evil

• but with more skill and time in the game it is one of the best times I have with the Classic Game hands down!

 

DooM II = [Map08 - Tricks & Traps]

• Okay this goes back to my point with E2M2.  When I was younger I didn't care about secrets or 100% completion I just wanted to beat the game as fast as possible on the hardest difficulty possible.  So for me this map honestly felt POINTLESS.  1)  Get Invulnerability to grab the Key.  2)  With the Invulnerability still active go in the yellow door and get the Red Key.  3)  Exit.  Seriously this map was boring and pointless............

• Until I starting UV-Max runs and cared about getting all kills, and all secrets.  All of a sudden this map became.  1)  Cacodemon clouds following you.  2)  Pain Elemental Room of Death.  3)  Watch the teleporting room of Imps.  4)  Oh is that a Barron Following me.  5)  Oooo Look BFG, oh crap NO Demons!  This map is so much fun and honestly very hard to Pistol Start with 100% Kills and Secrets and is some of the most fun I've had with DooM II Hands down!

 

Final DooM TNT = [Map16 - Deepest Reaches] 

• The music would always freak me out in this map.  Pair that with extreme low visibility, poison pits, and paths that seem to wind everywhere under the stars and this truly made me paranoid to play it. 

• As I grew up I absolutly love this map for that reason (Crater will ALWAYS be my favorite TNT Map by 1,000 miles) but this has ever sence become the closest 2nd I can give it.  Perfect amount of explorating, hide and seek with the enemies, with engaging combat and creepy atmosphere what more could you ask for?

 

Final DooM Plutonia = [Map29 - Odyssey of Noises]

• Was this technically Backrooms before Backrooms?  Always made me feel uneasy with enemies that literally could be in any building on all sides of you (Similar to my E1M7 Paranoia of where are they coming from).  Couple that with the Random Cyberdemon in the middle I would usually waste my ammo on always saw me struggling to Save Slosh my way through this map.  Never looked forward to it. 

• Then when I grew up and saw Cyberdemons as opportunities and stopped wasting time and ammo on my end but focused on the real mission of KILL EVERYTHING THAT MOVES except you Cybie...we're cool right????  Even if we weren't cool having him help me clear out buildings and major fights especially Revenant Heard #5,942.  Made this map a ton of fun.  Dodge rockets, clear out buildings, find a way to the exit, if cybie survives put him down with minimal effort great way to send off Plutonia.

 

 

Edited June 3, 2024 by LegendaryEevee