QUERY: Doom 2 Gotcha! level

I never managed to complete Doom 2 back in the ol' days. Luckily for the PSP port am able to play it while on the move (eg. commuting, etc).

I respect due to limitations of the 3D engine, one have to use their own imagination to see the transforming doom world (not the website).


Am confused with level 20: Gotcha! It's got the cyber-demon & mastermind dancing together on podiums. I thought we killed them at the end of episode 2 & 3 of Doom 1? Or are they not special unique monsters anymore? What are they doing there standing on podiums and can't get off... looking helpless?

Anyway, the end of level 20 is the first appearance of the literally drop-in portal exit. Where do we go? What is this world we are in? I thought we were on earth?

I love this thread with all my body, excluding my pee-pee.

Seriously though, I think you need to play Doom 1 a bit more thoroughly this time ;-)

andwan0 said:

What are they doing there standing on podiums and can't get off... looking helpless?

Feh, that's nothing compared to The Crusher. Or the teleport in Perfect Hatred.

andwan0 said:

What are they doing there standing on podiums and can't get off... looking helpless?

For when the first time you play the level you'll go "OH SHIT!!!!" and they'll slaughter you (unless you were smart enough to lure them into infighting).

andwan0 said:

Anyway, the end of level 20 is the first appearance of the literally drop-in portal exit. Where do we go? What is this world we are in? I thought we were on earth?

You are on earth. the next level is in Hell, so it would make sense to "drop" into the ground if you're going to hell, right?

Gez said:

Feh, that's nothing compared to The Crusher. Or the teleport in Perfect Hatred.

Or Tricks and Traps, where half the time the Cyber-Demon will be helplessly scratched to death by Barons.

andwan0 said:

What are they doing there standing on podiums and can't get off... looking helpless?

Indeed, that's an often encountered wad device: cyberdemons that stand in a small box immobile, treated like turrets. I'm no particular fan of it, I prefer cyberdemons to have their menacing speed used.

The sky-exit is another well-established Doom cliche, probably because it looks so clean yet eerie.

andwan0 said:

Am confused with level 20: Gotcha! It's got the cyber-demon & mastermind dancing together on podiums. I thought we killed them at the end of episode 2 & 3 of Doom 1? Or are they not special unique monsters anymore? What are they doing there standing on podiums and can't get off... looking helpless?

I never really viewed the 'doom universe' as having more then one of the two bosses, but rather that they are respawned countless times throughout the game to challenge you again. Both of the bosses also appear in Ultimate Doom's episode 4, although the spiderdemon only appears once as the episode's 'endboss' while the cyberdemon is present in almost every episode 4 level.

I don't really like the way the bosses are used in doom 2, but meh.

Gez said:

Feh, that's nothing compared to The Crusher. Or the teleport in Perfect Hatred.

only if you play on skill 4 or 5.
it's only an imp in the crusher for me

andwan0 said:

only if you play on skill 4 or 5.
it's only an imp in the crusher for me

I think you mean a hell knight instead.

andwan0 said:

only if you play on skill 4 or 5.

I think I've never played Doom 2 in another skill than Ultra-Violence. Shareware Doom, yeah. Registered Doom, Doom 2, and all other IWADs? No.

But an imp? Or an hell knight? As the downgrade from a spider mastermind? Could have put a couple of barons at least! Not something that's quicker to kill with a weapon than by bothering to activate the crusher.

I think the spider was placed to shock the newly arriving in UV player, to make him/her think "OMG, what a powerful skill level this is!"

Doom2's levels are constructed primarily to make interesting game situations and not to have much in the way of realism or logicality.

It must be said though that most of Doom2's Spider Demons and Cyber's are not placed in areas where you fight them in a straight battle. Usually the areas have some advantage toward the player.

For instance, you crush the Spider on Map06, the Cyber on Map08 get's near completely if not completely killed by the Barron's. The one on Map10 constantly run's over those teleport lines and spends most of time up in the cage. While on Map20, you make the Spider and Cyber face off.

It's not until Maps 28 and 29 that you get a generally straight fight. There is also of course the Cyber on Map32, but that's the super secret map.

Vermil said:

There is also of course the Cyber on Map32, but that's the super secret map.

Not to mention that there's an invulnerability nearby...

Vermil said:

The one on Map10 constantly run's over those teleport lines and spends most of time up in the cage.

Actually that cyberdemon was tense, because it was erratically teleporting in and out, wasting my cells and invulnerability. Invulnerability (both of them?) went off, the cyberdemon was still alive, and he could at any time warp in and shoot me terminally.

The other theoretically fair fight is against the spiderdemon in MAP23, but that monster is a lame one, even literally, so at most it poses shock with its sudden pigsqueal when you enter the imp alcove.