Underrated WADs

Gonna stick this older post here since it's relevant.

https://www.doomworld.com/forum/post/2179374

Garrulismo, which I'll never understand how it's so forgotten between the "doom 2 design/difficulty" enthusiasts. The nazi soldier regularity may shoo some people but imo it adds flavor to the carnage, since the enemy type is a valid low HP hitscanner. That you can liquefy an army of them is good stuff. 

I think Oops All Techbases needs more love. It's great fun with really interesting designs and slick combat scenarios. Also, if you're a sucker for good techbase maps like me, you'll love it.

I discovered Alleys.wad just a week ago, and it is one of the very best from 1995. It has a Mordeth vibe to me (even if it was supposed to represent 1858 London (!) ), but with better gameplay, although no dehacked magic.

Perdition's Gate from the same year by Alex Mayberry, not to be confused with the commercial official WAD, is a bit uneven, but MAP05 has to be played at least once IMO by oldschool map afficionados.

More modern stuff, 2012, I always, always, mention Can't run from Evil, with MAP01 being probably the most engaging. Beautiful maps with tough gameplay.

Scientist 2, while it might have been popular on it's time i can't seem to find much about on the wiki

It has a sick soundtrack (not original but a banger nontheless) Mapping is impressive especially seeing it's vanilla compatible and has some unique dehacked weapons to come with it, some more crunchy sprite aside, and a neat boss fight at the end.

One more thing, according to the wiki it also was an inspiration for jenesis!

TimeOfDeath maps in general for slaughtermaps but not only.

Its style is not suitable for all audiences, but most of its maps are quite underestimated for my taste. Some maps are genius in terms of evolutionary layout and eccentric but fascinating progression. In terms of wads, I'm especially thinking about :

- Nina Dobrev 1 and 2
- Cassie Steele
- No Health maps that provide a good challenge
- The Room Below
- Peter Perv Private Place (PPPP.wad)

14 hours ago, P41R47 said:

-Interception, save for a little bug on map19, this megawad is a blast. Hope that now the sequel is getting release, someone fix it.

The bugfixed version of Interception is now live on idgames, I just haven't resurrected the Interception thread yet.

Also, pretty good list of underrated wads! I just started on Mars War and I'm enjoying it thus far!

As inconsistent as After Doom is in gameplay quality, i feel like it should get much, MUCH more attention than it currently has. It has some gorgeous areas, some really fun custom enemies, some of which got used in other wads such as Hurt (which reminds me of Afterdoom in many ways, too), OUTSTANDING ambience, many mechanics i'd love to see used in many more wads, and generally such a unique wad that i can't really compare to much else.

21 hours ago, Moustachio said:

 

The bugfixed version of Interception is now live on idgames, I just haven't resurrected the Interception thread yet.

 

Also, pretty good list of underrated wads! I just started on Mars War and I'm enjoying it thus far!

Thank you for this bugfix, pal!

This will surely give it more rating ;)

Oh Mars War is, for me the summary of the 90's. At first some horrible maps that had enganging gameplay, and then some really amazing maps with awesome ideas everywhere.

Until the final revealing that made me fall from my chair in laugh.

Really underrated experience.

Thanks @Xaser for uploading it to the archives and bringing it to light!

22 hours ago, MattFright said:

As inconsistent as After Doom is in gameplay quality, i feel like it should get much, MUCH more attention than it currently has. It has some gorgeous areas, some really fun custom enemies, some of which got used in other wads such as Hurt (which reminds me of Afterdoom in many ways, too), OUTSTANDING ambience, many mechanics i'd love to see used in many more wads, and generally such a unique wad that i can't really compare to much else.

 

Seconding this. I swear every type of these threads I ALWAYS give this a shoutout, it reminds me of Threshold Of Pain and it's so stunning to look at!

While I'm at it. Tower Of Lies, it's very obscure but it's so fun to play and it is a really nice looking map as well.

Final Fantasy Doom. People seemed to bash it on Idgames because it didn’t feel like Final Fantasy and you weren’t playing as Cloud.

I think people forgot that this was supposed to be based on the SNES FinalFantasy games. Yes it’s a bit cartoony and some of the sound effects are a bit silly, but you can’t fault the creator for at least trying to make it FF like. 
 

Ghostbusters Doom 2. Always thought this one never got the love it deserved. It was very unfinished, but it really was pretty well done for the time and this was made during a time when I don’t think Zdoom was even huge if I’m correct.

Threshold of Pain SE and its sequel are incredible.

Rebel sky by valkiriforce. Intriguing to see a max of this map

Sorry to necro an oldish thread, but an Ultimate Doom episode from last year that absolutely rocks and is underrated would be Infernovasion. Nice and atmospheric with great pacing and nice combat encounters. Needs more love because I need an episode 2.

6 minutes ago, whybmonotacrab said:

Sorry to necro an oldish thread, but an Ultimate Doom episode from last year that absolutely rocks and is underrated would be Infernovasion. Nice and atmospheric with great pacing and nice combat encounters. Needs more love because I need an episode 2.

Ultimate DOOM mapsets in general are sorta underrated IMO. Thanks for the suggestion anyway!

Dark7 + Mission Pack

I know it got a Cacoward back in the day but I never see anyone talk about these anymore. Yes, they have issues (underwhelming final boss fights, segments that are basically ripped from Quake II and an entire UT99 level) but it just works. It was the first WAD where I saw things I didn't previously know that Doom was capable of doing. Great music choices, great aesthetic and sound design, a ton of atmosphere, and its a true blast if you run it with the included Sin weapons mod - that chaingun just rips! Stone cold classic IMO. 

This wad was really fun, even works in crispy doom! (because of its age) It was really fun and I think it should be known more, had some good reviews.

https://www.doomworld.com/idgames/levels/doom2/a-c/aday2die
 

Are any of the maps mentioned already, classic-like? I'm looking for a more chill approach focusing in lesser monster count (ergo NOT slaughter) and more about placement and map construction. You know, stuff like 25 Years on Earth and Japanese Community Project?

Danne's E1

10 Levels, 10 Monsters

Infernovasion

Death in the Ass of the Universe...

Antarctica Excavation

Chief's WAD [chief.wad]

Slugfest

Vampire5 [frodo5]

The Journey

pugilist.wad, rocketeer.wad

Linear Doom

Baculus

Confinement Community Project

Phobos Revisited

Dying Camel's Demons Series

Running Late

Good Morning Phobos

At least I think these are fairly underrated / unknown!

Freedoom 2

Lets bump this cause I feel like it

Mayhem Mansion - Darsycho

So wonderfully weird as a whole. As a "reimagination" of Exploding Lips comes a ridiculously strange but curious set of six levels with cardboard swords, stompy feet, helicopters, lamp turrets--the whole nine. The gameplay encourages cycling through weapons via certain enemies being weaker to certain weapons/ammo types. Random mini side quests fill the strange atmosphere with personality and humor. Oh also, those six levels are massive. Level 1 took me an hour and a half alone, absolutely worth checking out if you want something very far away from doom.

AOD DooM 1 2 - AOD Team

Maybe im a sucker for the Evil Dead trilogy, but AOD doom still holds up as a fantastic TC in my opinion. For being a wad made in '97, the environments play accurately to the locations in the movie which makes it feel more organic of sorts. The gameplay is hectic and interesting (and for me quite difficult, but I play doom like fdr trying to walk so take that with a grain of salt). I havent seen many people talk about this wad recently, but to me it hold up incredibly well and is still a really fun time.

Don't want to make a new thread but I'm seriously surprised I've never heard anyone bring Oripathy up. Right shame as it's gameplay really hits the spot, and the maps are very entertaining, always felt that Origamyde could imitate mappers to a degree, one minute, emulating Mouldy, next minute, putting his own spin on Skillsaw. But it still manages to have a consistent feel.

Also can't wait for the sequel, Origamyde has even released a few maps that will be in the sequel ans they're brilliant!

MyHouse.wad is an underrated hidden gem.

The Deimos Subway is a pretty good level, even more so in 1994.