Best/Worst maps in The Plutonia Experiment

[T-Rex]

Most of Plutonia's maps are excellent made with the intent to give the veterans a formidable challenge with the compact level design and nasty monster placement, but it does have its share of stinkers, most notably Hunted. I know some people can take it, but it's very annoying with the doors opening randomly in the arch-vile and the key switches are opposite to their respected bars.

[Grain of Salt]

10 hours ago, Maser said:

 

Difficulty and annoyance are two separate things.  Plutonia is ungodly annoying!  I never had any issues with the Heavy Weapon Dudes until the one and only time I played all through Plutonia. 

 

9 hours ago, jazzmaster9 said:

 

So I'm not allowed to voice criticism on annoying design when i see it fit? Sure...

 

"Try harder. Get better. Stop making dumb excuses."

 

[NuMetalManiak]

Most elite: Abbatoire

Most noncey: Tombstone

 

let people like and hate what they want please

[mrthejoshmon]

Gud:

 

-Baron's Lair, I like that map a lot due to the hub like nature of it.

-Abottoire, I like this one because of the nice visual theme and the nice tight fights.

-The Death Domain, I like the big open warzone feel to this map, I like the traps and use of Arachnotrons (well in PSX at least).

 

Not Gud:

 

-Onslaught, not a big fan due to the often slow and sloggy nature of this one.

-Hunted, lol.

-Compound, yes please bore me to death.

-Bunker, late game filler me thinks, tedium and repetition commence.

-The Sewers, about as fun as most sewer levels TBH.

-Odyssey Of Noises, one of those "final but not really final" fights that just decided to hammer you with everything it can to try and look endgame, really kinda tedious actually.

-Go 2 It, remarkably underwhelming after all that hype, surprisingly easy too as half the problems literally deal with themselves with little to no effort on your part, out stays its welcome later on when it just throws unthreatening Cyberdemons at you to act as meat doors.

[Poncho]

Best: So many to count that I'll go straight to the Worst.

 

Worst: Maps 03, 04 and 25 would rank as my least favourites, and they're not even too bad. 03 has a couple of traps that are more annoying than engaging (the AV with just a hallway for "cover", for example), 04 is a tad boring (but not frustratingly so) and 25 is the only map that can be considered not that good. The beginning is bullshit, and while the map improves after that, it's certainly not my fav.

 

But yeah. Plutonia is just... so good.

[jazzmaster9]

3 hours ago, Grain of Salt said:

 

 

"Try harder. Get better. Stop making dumb excuses."

 

Try Hard much. What about Accept that your favorite game has legitimate flaws?

 

"Accept that People have Opinions. Grow Up. Stop making dumb excuses."

But I guess being a blind, rose tinted fanboy is easier.

Edited August 21, 2018 by jazzmaster9

[valkiriforce]

Kind of hard to narrow down favorites since Plutonia has so many good maps, but it's easy to say NME is probably one of the lesser maps for not really being that interesting either visually or encounter-wise, although that random lift full of monsters is kind of funny - not to mention multiplayer's arch-vile-laden exit. Never cared that much for Cyberden either although I don't feel it's a bad map. That arch-vile hidden behind a mid-texture is kind of annoying though.

 

If I had to try and narrow it down I will say I think the first two maps, Congo and Well of Souls, are both good entries into this Plutonia experience. Caged is a cool, frenetic experience of dashing back and forth while monsters teleport into your playing area. I really like the creative concept of Hunted, the music choice also makes it memorable for being sadistic. I love the exploratory nature of The Sewers and Odyssey of Noises. Honestly, there are so many good maps in The Plutonia Experiment it would just be easier for me to say it's a really good game and it's worth checking out if you haven't already.

[Spie812]

The maps I remember for being good (* is a favorite):

• Map04* - It's really the first time that you really feel what Plutonia is about, in my opinion. You're immediately thrown into the action and are constantly threatened on all sides.

• Map06 - A very simple and fun level. I like the area with the berserk, being one of those locations that feel like it could be a real place.

• Map12* - This is usually the map I think of when I think of Plutonia. It captures all of the things that I feel makes Plutonia what it is. Also, Blood Rush is an awesome midi if you play with the pack.

• Map14 - In my opinion one of the best looking maps. The texture choice is a bit samey but the architecture more than makes up for that.

• Map17* - This level is just great from the layout to the enemy placement to the awesome architecture.

• Map21* - One of those levels that you never really feel safe and it's a frantic fight from beginning to end.

• Map23 - A map that stands out due to its awesome looks and for being a bit different in general.

• Map27 - This map feels like the climax of Plutonia difficulty wise and It's another fun chaotic scramble to the finish.

• Map29 - One of the best city maps ever made.

• Map32* - For obvious reasons.

 

Maps I remember for being bad (not many):

• Map05 - Yay hitscan!

• Map24 - I just "love" that long line of chaingunners just out of range and the tiny path you have to fight up with the cyber harassing you from behind.

 

Forgettable maps (not bad, just not memorable):

• Map08 - Nothing to see here.

• Map18 - It's way easier than the maps around it and it just doesn't feel like Plutonia to me.

• Map25 - Amazingly forgettable. I replayed Plutonia a few weeks ago and I couldn't tell you what this looks like.

• Map26 - blah.

• Map28 - After the frenzy that's Antichrist, this map is just plain boring.

• Map30 - Icon of Sin.

• Map31 - Not terrible but just not interesting.

 

Any map I didn't mention is simply a map that's in the middle. All of them are good maps but not far enough on the good/bad scale to be worth bringing up. Although, It does raise the question of which are the true forgettable maps: the ones I specifically mention for being forgettable or the ones I didn't bring up at all. But I digress.

[Phobus]

If Plutonia falls down on anything, it's the gimmick maps. MAP11 is a gimmick that feels clever, is kind of iconic and is ultimately not fun. Likewise, MAP31 felt kind of revolutionary at the time and isn't a particularly fun play either. MAP28 is an oddity in that it uses more of a visual gimmick and doesn't quite work as a result either.

 

In contrast, MAP29 is great for it's memorability and the relative restraint of the monster placement. Obviously MAP32 stands out, but I think it worked well as a unique experience back then and now has been superseded by a lot of fan works since. The rest of the set is a tough blur in my memory. There's bits that stand out for various reasons, but I'd struggle to tell you what map they're in from memory. It's generally high quality and leans on the unforgiving side.

 

 

Obviously all Icon of Sin maps can fuck off, so MAP30 is no exception.

[seed]

On 8/21/2018 at 3:36 AM, Grain of Salt said:

I can't believe people are still complaining about plutonia's difficulty in 2018. It's been 22 years, guys.

 

Oh.

 

Some of us haven't played it (or TNT, for that matter) back in the day, for various reasons. When I first played Plutonia it was right after returning to Doom (with Ultimate Doom). Needless to say I couldn't enjoy it the first time around due to the noticeably higher difficulty (as it could be seen in the topic I made at the time), but I've certainly changed my views on it since.

 

Besides, some people might simply not enjoy Plutonia and that's fine, maybe it's not fun for them.