If Doom 2 was released as a PWAD

Looking back on it, Bloodfalls is a pretty bad example of level design in my opinion, and even compared to Doom 1 some of the levels appear to be highly truncated in length. Doom 2 came out so quickly that in the time I remember being surprised that it wasn't an expansion pack which was becoming the norm for literally every game around then. Bloodfalls and the rest of Doom 2 was "more fun" simply because of the new textures and enemies

There's no point to argue the validity of the two games against one another, Doom 1 has an essential balance in the enemies and the sequel seems almost to have disrupted it, like an Archvile jump required progression lol, and the SSG is more like a quality of life improvement as opposed to a gameplay oriented one. None of the new monsters were that tough and a mancubus is just a fat cacodemon who walks around like a jerk screaming at you, and that's why we'll always love him

9/10

10 hours ago, Maisth said:

.... to me it feels like an unneccesary sequel to an already overrated game...

Most people in the gaming industry would vociferously disagree with you on your "overrated game" opinion. DooM has been variously described as "ground-breaking" "influential", "ahead of its time", "worthy successor" (to Wolfenstein 3D, which, itself garnered high praise), etc.

As for DooM 2 being an "unneccesary sequel", that could very well be said for every single 32-map megawad. Technically, none of them was "necessary". And yet, here we are, 20+ years later creating and gobbling up "unnecessary" sequels.

I'm not arguing your right to your own opinion. I'm just countering it with the opinions of many in the wider public.

[Apologies for side-tracking the thread, which was intended to discuss DooM 2 as a hypothetical pwad.]

hard to tell, it would be one of the most popular pwad ever for sure. if you look how other maps look back then and now hell on earth got released it vould be popular, no matter the worst level design is still be top notch pwad. but if hell on earth got released these days? is will be forgoten probably quickly to be honest. But back to 1994, guys which made sprites, music and textures will be hired from other commpany and doom probably will be less popular and modyfied.

srry for english

It would have been a legendary add-on for +'ing new monsters and gun alone, though people would surely have complained that the additions to the bestiary weren't done in the same style as the original. People would still be scratching their heads as to how they managed to get all that new monster behavior by just using DeHacked.

I can imagine it being one of the most influential unofficial expansions to a game, and if released in 1994, it would most definitely leave a mark in gaming history if you ask me, seeing that Doom 2 added so much from Doom 1 that Doom 2 feels like a different game at times due to the new enemies and the Super Shotgun. While Doom modding may take an impact if Doom 1 (or Ultimate Doom if that ever came to be) was the only official IWAD to make levels for, I can imagine the possibility of Doom 2 assets or other similar variants taking place in custom levels and mods to have the gameplay anywhere close to what we have today. There are also other concerns such as how or if Freedoom will ever come to be or if a Final Doom of some kind would have ever happened, but I can imagine Doom 2 getting noticed by id with some form of blessing, who knows really.

I remember seeing this thread a year or two back, interestingly enough! 

I personally like Doom 2 for nostalgia reasons. Even though the maps are flawed, you don't quite get the same exact atmosphere from any fanmade WAD.

If Doom 2 was just fanmade, it probably wouldn't have become so ubiquitous, since not many people actually like it like I do - but you have to admit, similarities to the original Doom would definitely get pointed out.

That's a hard question. I don't like Doom 2 to much to be honest. The level design is to maze like, the levels are way to brown, and nothing really interesting is added. Id probably just brush Doom 2 off if it was a Doom 1 PWAD.