More Memorable Maps

[baja blast rd.]

Just an exercise for fun. If you could put together a Memorable Maps "booster pack" of 20 maps since roughly late 2018 -- however you define the concept of memorability -- what would you pick. 20 is really tight if you've played a good amount of Doom from that period, at only six or so maps a year, so if you are overloaded with possibilities, share whatever nearly made the cut.

 

No real restrictions among the usual idtech1 games or even standalone games (the original feature wasn't restricted to just Doom maps), although a list that is just one wad might look silly.  

 

Try to briefly explain either your individual choices or the reasoning behind the picks as a whole. 

 

Here's an example of format, for standalone maps and maps in wads:

Long Road, No Turns - Benjogami, 2019 

Win (Noye MAP01) - Benjogami, 2019

[Maribo]

In all truth I've been slacking on releases from 2018 and later, but I did come up with a list of five that I feel pretty strongly about.

 

Revenge of Demon House (Wormwood, MAP02) - Ribbiks, 2019

I'm not sure if this is my favorite Ribbiks map or not, but it's the crown jewel of the aesthetic that the trilogy identifies with. That midi, the starting room, and the completely fucked final fight with the cyberdemons inside the translucent trees and the massive wall of archviles is something I think about a lot. It's the Halloween map, in my mind, and also one of the best gothic maps that I can think of.

 

House of Corrosion (Sunder, MAP31) - Insane Gazebo, 2019(?)

I think this was added in 2019? Maybe cheat-y to include this, but whatever. It's just unbelievable, the way it looks and the way the Mucus Flow midi fits in perfectly.... The buildings and the path at the beginning.... I can't get enough.

 

Amarite Accelerator (Fractured Worlds, MAP32) - Insane Gazebo, 2021

I saw Daerik run this for a GDQ Hotfix show and became enamored with it. I could put a really good chunk of Fractured Worlds on here, but the aesthetic in this one is sublime.

 

Mutabor - Tourniquet, 2020

I played both Miasma and Mutabor recently and Tourniquet's interconnected design is addictive. Mutabor is getting lost in high-rise nukeage city, I think that's the only apt way to put it.

 

The Mucus Empire - Nefelibeta, 2021

Another Mucus Flow tribute :^) Can you tell I like the color green yet?

But really, it's a much more direct tribute. The trek up to the palace is reminiscent of the beginning of the Mucus Flow, not exactly in Tyson style but in the tension and aesthetics. It becomes its own beast after you reach the palace, but that subway and the palace reveal is imprinted in my mind.

[MFG38]

Cryonology (Eviternity MAP15) - AtroNx, 2018

Not necessarily memorable in the most positive sense of the word, but Cryonology is definitely one of the more memorable Eviternity maps, if only thanks to the pain and suffering it caused. Namely with that wave of enemies at the "temple" thingamajig with the Roman numerals. At least the visuals were a lot less agonizing.

 

Walking Lava (Literalism MAP08) - RonnieJamesDiner, 2021

I'm admittedly biased here, but Ronnie knocked it out of the park with this map. Out of all the maps made for Literalism, Ronnie's entry is easily one of my personal favorites. The aesthetics are simply gorgeous, the combat is (mostly) fun, and the additional level of danger brought by the lava you occasionally have to walk on brings its own brand of fun to the gameplay. Great stuff.

 

The Gentle Dark (3x3 MAP25) - InfernalMonsoon, 2020

Again, I'll admit to being biased in this case, especially since Infernal and I are old friends. With that said, though, The Gentle Dark is honestly one of the most unique Doom maps I've ever seen, let alone played. A delicate interplay of light and dark, it provides a gameplay experience with a sense of tension that even horror games fail to give me at this point.

 

Diabolus Ex - Arvell, 2018

It's like Doom meets cyberpunk. 'Nuff said.

[Not Jabba]

I've often thought about how much harder it would be to declare the "most memorable maps" going forward from the 25th anniversary, especially if you tried to sum up the next 25 years in just a hundred maps again. A lot more stuff is getting released now than in the early days, and more people have the skills to make a large number of memorable maps in any given project or year or mapping career. There are very few "obvious" picks anymore, because it's hard to stand head and shoulders above your competitors when they're all eight feet tall. But it's still fun to think about.

For my own opinions, I've already done most of the leg work for this, made the tough cuts and kept track of which maps were my favorite each year. "Most memorable" is a bit different from "personal favorite" (and that was the case when creating the Top 100 Memorable Maps as well), but has some overlap, and generally I'd expect the picks to be drawn evenly from my top 10 for each year, with 6-7 maps per year. If memory serves, most award winners from 2018 were considered for the Top 100 (and five maps from that year were selected: two from Adventures of Square, one from GS2, one from Struggle, and one from Maskim Xul), but a few were too late to give fair consideration, and I specifically remember disregarding a Rekkr map that I felt was a strong contender because of the release date.

 

So, I think my twenty would be:

 

One from 2018:

Mistory (Rekkr E2M7)

 

Six from 2019:

Mechanical Embrace by Ribbiks (FCFF map 07)

Remnant by Aurelius

Transcendence by Xaser (Eviternity map 26)

Verdant Citadel by exl

Cryonology by AtroNx (Eviternity map 15)

Ending by Jaska (Lost Civilization map 20)

 

Seven from 2020:

Mutabor by tourniquet

Ar Luminae by Aurelius and Kaito

Sheer Poison by Scypek2 (Three Is a Crowd map 29)

Acheron's Needle by Xaser and Marcaek (Syringe map 06)

Bastion of Chaos by Bridgeburner

Felstoy Abbey by Razumen (Realms of Cronos)

Gehenna by bemused (Abandon map 13)

 

Seven from 2021:

A Kiss from Gaia (to Gently Cradle) by Emma Essex (Time Tripper map 07)

Infraworld: Coma Moonlight by Stormcatcher

Lullaby by danlex

Subway Sandwich by skillsaw (Heartland map 01)

Unhallowed by CyanoBlugron

Ventose by Roofi

Voile, the Magic Library by Tarnsman (TPH E1M9)

 

Don't count that too carefully.

 

There are favorites of mine that are definitely missing from there, especially Anagnorisis. Regardless of how much I love it, there are a lot of competitors for huge epic sandbox maps, and the two shorter Eviternity maps stand out as more distinctive.

 

In terms of sheer memorability, I would say (without much hesitation) that Ar Luminae is the #1 map released since the 25th anniversary, with Lullaby, Ending, Subway Sandwich, and Cryonology making up the rest of the top five.

[LadyMistDragon]

Anagorosis - Eviternity, ukiro 2019

 

A sort of epic-journey type of map, buttressed by cool-ass music, and a strong variety of environments which manage to complement eahc other

 

Sold Soul: E1M7: Fryukp 2021

 

Massive hellish fortress that'll make your computer lag like a stoned slug.

 

Reve Lucide - 180 Minutes Pour Vivre, Roofi, 2020

 

A remote and lonely sort of (demonic?) town, this place's danger level is nevertheless very high. Especially tricky for pistol-starters. Nevertheless, this is Roofi's strongest effort in the set if you don't count Map 32.

 

City at the Mouth of Ire  Sunder, Insane_Gazebo, 2019

 

Freakish and extremely stark techno-city, this is easily Insane_Gazebo's best work up to this point, even throwing in stuff like 32 and 15 into the mix, and with difficulty to match!

 

The Mucus Empire, Nefelibeta,  2021

 

The Mucus Flow, as you've never seen it before. The subway can only accentuate the surreal and dreamlike nature of the map that's among the hardest I've yet to play.

 

Bastion of Chaos, Bridgeburner56, 2020

 

guaranteed to murder any computer not state-of-the-art, this does epic architecture its finest job ever without going overboard into ribbiks/Insane_Gazebo territory. Never have demonic maps looked so good.

 

Bloody Hell, It's Cold Out There, 12 Days of Doomas, Dragonfly, 2020

 

Dragonfly delivers this epic wad opener, framed by quite possibly Jimmy's finest achievement, the thrilling and somewhat emotionally-complex "Icicles". The Arch-viles you see at the beginning are the strongest indication of what you're in for. Lots of BS, but this was sort of a trial by fire for linking me to modern Doom wads.

 

Map 05 of Fragor Portum, RivitheWarlock 2021

 

Definitely one of the best examples of managing to combine varying themes inside a futuristic environment this year. A purple Stardate-esque area, an open warehouse area, Mars!, and the most dangerous lab you've ever encountered. And the ending fight slays!

 

Last Ruin, Skulltiverse, Muusi 2021

 

Muuusi vastly improves on his previous maps (including some awesome stuff he did for March of the Speeddemons!) to deliver his most finely-tuned experience yet! Sadistic, yet with much craft applied so things never feel unfair.

 

Map 15, Skulltiverse (forgot the name) El Inferno, 2021

 

Utilizes the Wormhole gimmick in a manner that can only be described as brillant. The contrast between the two-time periods is as striking as anything I've played this year.

 

Elysium, Eviternity, Draognfly and Tristan Clark 2019

 

Epic environment, many natural islands and other things and you float around everywhere. What's not to love?

 

Fear in Your Memories, Ghost Player, 2021

 

Starts out in some dangerous liquid than transforms into something else. Lots of surreality and cool traps. Nice little Wolfenstein Minecraft area toward the end. The final reddened encounter is epic!

 

Heliopolis, Eviternity, Dragonfly,  2019

 

Forest in the clouds! Oh yeah. The music is probably the best part.

 

Arrival Map 07, Pavera 2021

 

A toss between this and Map 03, tbh, however, this conveys massive final area vibes excellently!

 

Ou Est Le Berger, 180 Minutes Pour Vivre, Franckfrag, 2020

 

Yet another fantastic use of Jimmy Paddock's Icicles, this is taking place in some remote mountain base, I think? When the canyons open up, they open up. Surprisingly easy though

 

Crynology, Evitenity, Amtrum_15 2019

 

Epic ice fortress. Awesome fight at a frozen gazebo. Well built. What's not to love?

 

Dehydration, Eviternity, Stormcatcher, 2019

 

What can be said? Possibly the very best original track (or bespoke as out continental friends like to say) written for Eviternity, paired with what seems like a flooded-water plant? No one fight stands out that much, but that's missing the point, I should think.

 

Map 17, 180 Minutes Pour Vivre, Oxyde & Wilou84, 2020

 

Cool end fight, but it's quite strong all round. Open areas at beginning, nasty enemy placement, the works

 

Ventose, Roofi, 2021

 

Epic exploration. Mysterious and lonely. Best use of vanilla textures, maybe equalling No Rest for the Living? You bet!! Prepare to get lost.

 

Void Hydroprocessing II, Skulltiverse, RiviTheWarlock, 2021

 

Well, this is quite memorable, whether you'd wish it or not. That last fight especially (when you pick the BFG up near those blue tek pillars) is massively overwhelming.

 

Lullaby, Danlex, 2021

 

I've said enough. It's dreamlike. The visuals pop. It all makes perfect sense somehow.

Edited November 30, 2021 by LadyMistDragon

[Doomkid]

I hope it’s ok if I just give some temporary fill-in answers before I finish and edit this post to develop it more. I haven’t played as many “not something I’m involved with” wads as I would ideally like to have, so it’s taking me a bit longer to recall good stuff from 2018-2020 which for some reason feels like eons ago..!

 

Anyway, Remnant by Aurelius was super fun. It was one of the first not-Eviternity wads to use OTEX and that helped it a lot, but the design was just huge and fun to explore in general. One of the few maps I liked so much that I’ve gone back and replayed it a few times.

 

Pinchy’s Speed of Skree, the Doomed in Space (2018) finale, is grossly overlooked due to being in Doomed in Space. It’s an epic finisher that really made a fun culmination of the DiS resource pack, it was awesome flying through space at warp speed while trying to take over this enormous insect-shaped ship.

 

(This is tougher than I thought, there’s so many wads that are memorable but where I have trouble remembering where one map ended and the other started.. REKKR, Refracted Reality, Auger Zenith - even in great wads the map divisions seriously become a blur if it’s been longer than a week ago!)

[Grain of Salt]

FCFF map04 and map05

Stabbed With A Sword

Mutabor

Noye map31

The Egg of Human Endeavors

 

Can't think of any other interesting maps tbh

 

[Vile]

I feel this could have just kept going but I'll stick with 20.

 

Ephemeral (1000 Lines 2 MAP32) - Aurelius, 2020
A vanilla puzzle map that gives you an exit button right at the start to let you know it's not to be taken lightly.  It's an unusual inclusion given the traditional style of gameplay in the rest of the wad but it certainly felt rewarding to go with it and it also taught me some things, as one of the very first tricks to get the map moving was something I didn't know about.

 

The Gripping Hand (Abandon MAP10) - Benjogami, 2020
A wad where a number of maps could have made the list, MAP10 stood out as being the most memorable for the meme appeal of the final act with the absurd number of lost souls appearing to light a literal fire under your ass for the platforming section.

 

Arcanum (Adventures of Square Secant Edition E2A10) - Jimmy and Xaser
All of Adventures of Square was memorable but I feel the second episode's boss map was suitably climactic and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes from there.  It's the kind of complete transformation that shows what makes Doom great even at its base.

 

Ultimus (Axolotl MAP09) - Xyzzy01, 2021
A clever wad inspired by the gimmicky maps of the frog and toad series and showcasing the newly accessible MBF21 features, Ultimus is the climax of that crazy experience.  I think talking about it further would spoil it and this wad is best experienced blind anyway.

 

Cosmogenesis (MAP05) - NoReason, 2021
Slaughter on an Okuplok scale and done better.  Technically, I didn't play map05 since I opted to play the individual pieces in the 01 thru 04 slots but regardless, it was quite a journey and the Okuplok experience helped put me in the right mindset to deal with these massive encounters.

 

Criticality (MAP01) - Scotty, 2020
An intricate and complex map with tricky combat set pieces, it takes quite a while to figure out as well but feels rewarding for having invested the time.

 

Luminescent Synapse (DBP37 Auger Zenith MAP17) - SuperCupcakeTactics, 2021
I loved the cyberpunk theme of this set and while an argument could be made for Altered States (MAP12 by 40oz) with its intentionally trippy experience, I think this map is a standout for the theme in general and makes it feel truly alive.

 

Entropy (MAP01) - Nirvana, 2019
I'd count the remastered Breathless as well, though that may be cheating.  A large map with a distinct orange/gold theme and tricky set piece combat that continues to thrill the demo crowd looking for a challenge.

 

Anagnorisis (Eviternity MAP32) - ukiro, 2019
A lot has been said already of this map and its enormity but it's truly remarkable that a map of this size has so many possible paths and each playthrough could be quite different as a result.

 

Elysium (Eviternity MAP29) - Eris Falling and Dragonfly, 2019
Not only an amazing build-up to the final stretch of the heavenly theme prior to the final boss but also features the astounding Godhood Suite by Jimmy as the mood setter.

 

The Event Horizon (MAP01) - Killer5, 2021
Playing this and watching people play this for hours felt like an event, as it encompasses everything about Killer5's unique brand of punishing map design.

 

Mechanical Embrace (FCFF MAP07) - Ribbiks, 2019
I wouldn't have seen the majority of this map if not for the folks watching me play who were helping me along.  It's difficult to put into words, but similar to Event Horizon, it seems to encompass much of the quirky map design the author is known for and that midi will change your life, for better or worse.

 

The Outermost (Fractured Worlds MAP06) - Nirvana, 2021
It was hard to pick just one from Nirvana's maps in this wad but I think the finale stands out the most, particularly when taking into account the secret area requiring the white key and the less said, the better for those who haven't experienced it.

 

Amarite Accelerator (Fractured Worlds MAP32) - Insane Gazebo, 2021
Another architectural masterpiece by I_G and it turned out to be a great showcase for GDQ of what's possible with modern Doom mapping.

 

The Beating Heart (Heartland MAP07) - skillsaw, 2021
One of the top releases of the year and showcasing the Eternity Engine's capabilities, it was difficult to pick this or map06 and while I think the latter served as the combat highlight and my favorite map, the final map was ultimately more memorable with the stark contrast in theme and the presentation of the final encounters.

 

Lullaby (MAP01) - Danlex, 2021
This map received heaps of praise this year and rightfully so; a visual stunner that serves as a perfect example of what I appreciate about GZDoom's capabilities, despite being a mostly DSDA-Doom player.

 

Moonlight (MAP01) - dobu gabu maru, 2019
A monsterless puzzle map utilizing cryptology.  While admittedly I have yet to go back and actually finish this map, it remains unlike anything I have ever seen in Doom.

 

The Harlot's Garden (Sunder MAP32) - Insane Gazebo, 2019
I played Sunder for the first time starting from map01 over the past year and while a number of maps in new Sunder could have made the list, I'll single this one out.  I was in awe after making my way into the mansion finally, seeing the huge rooms, hallways and paintings.  I remember saying at the time that it felt like a vampire lived in this place and the descent into the final area felt appropriately climactic for such a place.

 

Technicolor Antichrist Box (MAP01) - Major Arlene, 2020
My first experience with the incredibly fun Supercharge mod and, like Lullaby, it's a visual marvel between the architecture and use of color, plus the anniversary edition released this year is a good example of the author's continued support and refinement for past works.

 

A Kiss from Gaia (Time Tripper C1M7) - Emma Essex, 2021
As with The Adventures of Square, the entire package of Time Tripper (visuals, music, style) was memorable but the semi-final round is probably the best representation and this is still just the demo circuit.  I'm definitely looking forward to more of this as well.

Edited December 2, 2021 by Vile

[DJVCardMaster]

Anagnorisis from Eviternity
Slipgate Ex Nihilo & Dr. Jones Abby's Malediction from Interception II
MAP15 from Skulltiverse
The Devil's Capital from Akeldama...

I did not play that much new wads though, but I could recover some memorable maps while playing with the DWMWC over the months.

[Xaser]

I may have to wait a while before I can make a proper post in this thread. My list is adorned with map titles such as "Miles Under the Skin", "The New Technology", and "The Dark Rift", which a handful of you may recognize as coming from certain unreleased projects. :P

 

Maybe someday we can all look back at this post and go "oh hey, I get it now". :P

[vdgg]

I really played very little of new stuff but MAP03 from 4 Seasons of Doom is something I couldn't stop playing for at least one week. From FCFF I would pick MAP06 thanks to the floating area with yellow key and arch-viles, and from Lost Civilization the amazing rooftop cyberdemon placement in MAP15 and the whole MAP09 for being just perfect.

[GarrettChan]

On 11/29/2021 at 9:32 PM, Maribo said:

The Mucus Empire - Nefelibeta, 2021

@Nefelibeta Have to quote the author :p

 

9 minutes ago, Xaser said:

"The New Technology"

Oh man, can't wait for this.

 

To me, the biggest one is "Back to Saturn X E2M26" because it kinda marks the beginning of my playtesting career, and playtesting for Xaser is never a wrong thing :P

 

Some other maps are:

 

Abandon Map10: Yeah, I stole this from Vile's list. It's funny that I was at the beginning of this map at the end of my play session, so I just somehow decided to IDDT and look at the automap and I saw all those green triangles. Stupidly, I thought those are clips... and I was really wondering why this map gives me so many bullets.

 

Moonlight Map01: Also stole this from Vile's list. As a puzzle solving and escape room enthusiastic, this map definitely fills my need in Doom.

 

Syringe Map06: Best textures all around. Have to check out those secret areas :P

 

Orange is True Love Map01: You gotta love that lovely BFG.

 

NoYe Map35: You never know the length of the map is 100% just about right before you jumped into the lava.

[galileo31dos01]

Been feeling reviewer-ish these days so I started writing nonstop and broke the "explain briefly" rule, but who doesn't like to read nice words about maps, right? I'm gonna be updating this post whenever I have some more to add. The focus has been on single maps atm.

 

 

Oculus Malus by The_SloVinator (2020)

 

Spoiler

If you've ever played SIGIL before, unlike me, this long and hazardous journey encapsulates a lot of the traits that Romero's latest expansion brought to popularity, in the mapper's own view. I may have not felt the same excitement through the 'sigilisms' others probably had, though as a fervent sucker for modern Shores of Hell/Inferno/Thy Flesh texturing schemes, not to mention that organic asymmetrical structuring I crave to learn someday for my own shit, I couldn't ask for more. The claustrophobia is intense, the tasks grow into more intricate puzzles, and the darkness is ever so concerning when you're running desperate over lava. Apparently I like FIREWALL more than I knew, as my favorite vistas include the huge near pitch-black cauldron with fiery cracks on the ground, the whole crushers system which is replete of red stripes, and even the starting point looks sick. I don't have a favorite fight though -- it's the confluence of different challenges that were done within the limited sources in original doom for me, and aside from key set pieces, every shorter setup conveys its own idea carrying what you learned from before, so in the end you've got a little bite of everything, including a finale possibly as climactic as they say SIGIL's is (you be the judge, I've considered the true "boss" encounter started with the plasma rifle assault at the power core, sort of the portal to hell, and mopping up the mother brain was its destruction). 

 

 

Viscous Realms by Horus (2021)

 

Spoiler

This one was very recent for me, yet I sense it'll stick in my head for a while, and I've already recommended it to other folks. It's an outstanding work of art, that apart from showcasing once again how versatile is OTEX on its own, it tells how well experienced the mapper is in crafting a memorable setting through the use of multiple liquid types within the same map (which isn't so common now that I think of it) and a wide variety of crowd-control combat scenarios, plus secrets that really incentivize searching for them because you get a hint of the reward in beforehand. It's also the mapper's most ambitious standalone release up to date, and if I'm not mistaken they don't have that many maps out there, so this is a big one all things considered. As a personal thing, I could feel that ambition through the map, so much it reminded me of my time mapping for Interception's sequel, although this is hard to explain though. Perhaps it's in way the natural landscapes felt very familiar in their shaping, or in the monster usage - caring about roles and space - but again I can't explain it. What I can say is that I'm certainly going to enjoy it on reply, whenever that happens, since despite the linear key-progression I didn't quite get a proper sense of the scale the first time, apart from spending a good hour on it, and there're quite a few interesting alternatives to herd those ambushes.

 

 

The Killing Pits by Stupid Bunny (2021)

 

Spoiler

One of my all-time favorite sprawling nighttime maps is Sacrament map 13 - its post-apocalyptic mood has been incomparable for me since then, until this arrived to (unintentionally) give me throwbacks every now and then, which I appreciated so much. The mapper claimed to be inspired by the best of Inferno's aesthetics, with an atmosphere "emphatic to the death-and-pain part of Hell", which translates as soon as you start the game through the marble hallways and beyond, though I was not quite prepared for what was coming later... Once I cleared the fireblu caverns, it was time to go outside. Literally everything was imposing, and I'm not speaking only about the revenants and mancubi peppering me from a long distance, but my first proper panoramic view outdoors took my breath away: from the enormous scale, the oppressive darkness reigning over the mountains, to the ultra refined architecture surrounded by hot floor -- even the trek to the exit area is extremely grandiose, to the point I was feeling like I single-handedly ended hell for once and for all, really a must-be-seen (toggle IDDT and catch your breath). Conquering the titular killing pits required a more diligent strategic approach than what I'd usually prefer in my doom spare time, but as is common with these epic gargantuan adventures, it's worth the "suffering" until the last evil body explodes into pieces, then take a moment to sightsee everything from the highest point. Various other details that remain memorable include the aforementioned fireblu caves, the system of buildings in the core of the mountains, the lava pits glowing in the depths, and why not, finding GRAYTALL's red stripe used to simulate dry blood from a pile of corpses. If there's one thing I'm only hoping in a future is that the mapper finds a more suitable track than shawn's got the shitgun, but in the meantime idmus30 does justice.

 

Edited December 4, 2021 by galileo31dos01

[Horus]

Ephemeral by Aurelius (Map 32, 1000 Lines 2) 2020 

From vanilla to UDMF, Aurelius’s maps are full of innovation and ambition. This is a ridiculously inventive puzzle map, amazing that it’s possible using vanilla actions. I found it strangely addictive, I needed to find the solution to each puzzle, I recall playing it on an evening after work and staying up playing it significantly later than I would normally stay up on a weekday, because I was so engrossed!

Virulent Well by AD_79 (Map 16, 1000 Lines) 2019

I played this with the DWMC, and admittedly I came into it with my expectations managed - I knew what I was getting myself into, that is large sections of damaging floors without rad suits. I enjoyed the first time I played through it, but it was on replay that it became memorable. I found it very satisfying to beat single segment, with the unique nature of the map forcing quick thinking and fast combat.

 

I’ve recently started playing 1000 Lines 3 and interested to see what memorable maps lie in wait for me!

 

Viscera by Dragonfly (Map 22, Eviternity) 2019

I absolutely love atmospheric maps, and Kyle Dobson’s music combined with the tight, undulating cavernous terrain full of contrast nail that mood perfectly. I’m also a big fan of OTEX’s hell textures, particularly the purple goop that this map introduces to great effect. The combat is also great fun too, especially the rocket arena full of imps that you have to clear urgently before they overwhelm you. I could have written about a number of maps in Eviternity but this was the highlight for me.

 

Festering Cesspool by Soulless, 2021

One of the very few maps I played this year and also one of my favourites. I’ve played a number of Soulless’s maps from his early stuff, and it’s been satisfying watching him grow as a mapper over time. I gel well with this mapping style and this one shows off some of his best in both combat and visuals through a series of small-scale battles that are challenging but fair, keeping me immersed throughout. I’m generally less of a fan of OTEX’s base textures vs its hell textures, but they are used to great effect here, particularly the contrast with the orange base textures. And always fun to try and find all the secrets!

 

The Scar by Xaser (Map 28, MAYhem 2020), 2020

This is a very challenging map that does a fantastic job of re-using terrain through various height changes. The combat is finely-tuned, monster types complementing each other well to make for constantly engaging, exciting battles.

 

And thanks for the write-up @galileo31dos01, glad to hear that you enjoyed my map!

[robocaco]

Both Abysm games, Bastion of Chaos and Castlevania: Simon's Destiny.

[baja blast rd.]

2022 makes this exercise even easier (or harder). :P 

[Ravendesk]

I'm totally not ready to go all the way back to 2018, however, I want to mention a few maps from 2022 that are not just memorable, but unforgettable to me personally. I'll try to be relatively short.

 

1. Wormwood IV: The Final Chapter - Map 04 (I Still Can't Sleep) by Ribbiks

Wormwood series has treated (and tricked) us with some extremely creative gimmicks for four (five if you count Orange is True Love) years, and this year's entry also had quite a few tricks up its sleeve, however, I think the highlight of this wad is the lovecraftian horror map in the fourth slot. Can't really talk to much about it, as I don't want to spoil it for you, you need to experience it yourself. I'll just say that the midi for this map (eflast.mid by Ribbiks) is one of my favourite doom midis of all time now.

The title was not lying, I still can't sleep.

 

2. Thirty Monsters Challenge - Map 60 (The Belphegorian Trials) by antares031

I'm a big fun of racing maps, but this one I think takes it to another level. And it's not just racing, you also need to overcome "Concentration" and "Precision" trials first, which are also extremely creative and fun. I wholeheartedly recommend everyone to try it out.

 

3. Thirty Monsters Challenge - Map 59 (Aquatic Purgatory) by Nefelibeta

Mandatory avj, gimmicky setpieces, cool platforming section and forced death-slide exit. All wrapped in extremely cool visuals and accompanied by beautiful midi. Fell in love with this map immediately, it is my favourite map in 30mc and one of my favourite maps of 2022.

 

4. Jumpwad - Map 05 (It's Cold Up Here) by Ribbiks

I would honestly add every Jumpwad map in the list, Grain of Salt and Ribbiks did such an amazing job with this wad, but I went with just map 05 for the sake of brevity. This is the first map where you see snow in Jumpwad, that's a spectacular moment and it really burned into my mind. There are many other memorable moments in Jumpwad, especially in map 07, but this one is just a little special to me. :)

 

5. DIY - Map 06 (Not Very Cash Money) by Chookum

When you are a size of a dice, the casino tables you walk on are probably not qualified as doomcute, however this scale makes it so much more fun. This map is such a treat - the chips, the table, the roulette, flashing lights and just over a hundred monsters to spice it all up. Thank you Chookum, I now have a gambling addiction.

 

6. POOGERS - Map 04 (Fever Dream) by Scotty

I'm so sorry everyone, but this is my favourite Boom gimmick now.

When you play this map, make sure you use prboom/dsda-doom/woof, as this map does not work correctly in zdoom-based ports.

 

7. The Box of a Thousand Demons - Map 07 (A Python's Shed Skin) by Thelokk

I don't know exactly what it is, the colour palette, the combination of water and rock textures or the midi (well, I actually know, it's all of it obviously, that was just a cheesy figure of speech) but this map was a love at first sight. I think I never even cared to max it, I just loved walking around on these ledges and appreciating the view.

 

8. Pagodia - Map 03 (Triple Threat) by Bobby, Egg Boy and ZeMystic

Amazing interconnected layout that somehow fits deceptively huge height variations (actually quite small in reality, but that's what makes it even cooler) and very diverse visuals. Midi by stewboy was an excellent choice as well.

This map is a big inspiration for me, thank you Squonker team.

 

[Kinetic]

Spoiler

 

Watershed - Dance on the Water Map03 by Inferno

 

Honestly like half of the maps in Dance on the Water will stick in my mind forever, but Watershed is the main event of this wad, and I think it (and the set as a whole) is set to stand as one of the few maps that holds my eternal respect and gratefulness. I think it, as a map, is why I map, and it serves a standard of quality that I would hope to instill in a map one day. It's a defiant map, emblematic of what inferno creates as a mapper, uncompromising in his vision, aesthetics, and gameplay. The map, like most maps inferno creates, is painted with few textures, few colors, the map is even colored like goose poop basically. The map is colossal, and I think the setting and architecture are extremely unique. All the set pieces are memorable as hell, I think my favorite is the cyber caves, very claustrophobic and scary.

 

In my mind though, it sits most memorably for its difficulty, resources are scarce for every fight in the map, and obviously every fight is extremely dangerous too. Not worth pontificating on its difficulty or else it'll immediately become overrated in difficulty haha, but to me it's what I strive to end up UV-Maxing one day, I think it and Poogers Map24 stand as the next step in challenge maxing, and a max of either map would take the cake as most impressive IL uv-max table-fill ever done at the very least. To me it's a peak in the distance that maybe some people view from time to time, but it's uncharted in terms of scaling it, nobody has even tried to scale it and those who think about it do so rarely and push it off to an unknown later date.

 

So for me, it greatly inspires me as a mapper to make something that someone might hold in such high regard and esteem as I do for Watershed, and as a player, I aspire to take the map down eventually. I think I've been glancing at it ever since I playtested it, it stands tall and distant. So melodramatic.

 

================

 

Mechanical Embrace - Finely Crafted Fetish Film Map07 by Ribbiks

 

Already mentioned, but worth a 2nd mention. Very few maps to me feel cinematic, and this feels more cinematic than those other few (Event Horizon is the only one that's coming to mind atm). The wad as a whole feels cinematic of course, and Ribbiks made the maps live up to the wad's name extremely well, it's actually so impressive and deepens my reverence for him as a mapper. But Map07 is obviously the main event of the wad, it's the climax of the movie, while also being its own self-contained film to me. The map I think sort of is divided into clear Acts and some fights/secrets stand as more significant plot points (or something lol), and I have a somewhat vague made-up idea of the plot of the map and stuff, but anyone who has played it and thought about the map can agree it is cinematic as hell and really feels like you're playing out a film. Oh, and the midi is beyond memorable. Just a completely unique map and a "true" work of art. Again very deeply inspiring. 

 

Oh 20 wads, well there's 2 with semi-long posts about them, the other 18 will be short.

 

Event Horizon - Killer5

Somewhat cinematic, opening shot and beginning of midi is something I remember strongly. The sense of place and undergroundness is staggering, the map breathes with tension and that feeling of "waiting for it to happen" for much of the map until the main fight unfolds. I think the atmosphere and vibe of the map is something I want to recreate in a map one day, the midi is a truly inspiring pick, and I actually prefer how it feels over something like fcff 07's midi (just highlighting the esteem in which I hold the midi).

 

Fly - 1x1 Map21 by Inferno

A lot of things I said about Watershed hold true for this map, but this map is just so memorable for the choice it makes of forcing the player to Run from everything, I am secretly envious that Inferno was able to flesh out the concept into a map before I could since I've also had the idea to make a map where the player doesn't have nearly enough to deal with everything and has to run past stuff more than shooting things. Feels like you're scaling a huge structure with a tidal wave of enemies building towards you forcing you forwards and upwards constantly. The ending is just...it gave me the most thrilling blind-play moment I can remember, it is just a masterstroke of mapping, wholly unique, and god it's so genius and well-executed.

 

The Womb Etched Into Time - 1x1 Map32 by Xulgonoth

Honestly not my cup of tea when it comes to maps, but the map is extremely memorable and I feel like that's almost inarguable. Have an idea of how the scrolling flesh works, but don't know exactly without looking in UDB, but that distinctive visual characteristic is completely unique to this map as far as I'm aware of, not that I've played thousands of wads. One structure in the void is lit in a way that looks like a sparkling night building or something, loved that. Concept of other-world was awesome too.

 

Gateway to Shangri-la - Xulgonoth

Fireblu everything, very memorable, especially because decino played it on his channel lol. Phased lighting is great, looks like it was somewhat annoying and maybe contrived to build in some cases. Midtex helixes are simply amazing.

 

Flower Child - Finely Crafted Fetish Film Map04 by Ribbiks

This map made me smile uncontrollably in blind play. Barrel gimmick is awesome and unique, really well done, nice fun puzzles. The music is so good to, ZZZV is a legend.

 

Akolai's Map from 1x1 by Akolai

I forgot the name of the map, but I don't think it has a name anyways? The static-y music and the password puzzle near the start of the map really stand out to me, and also I thought the puzzles were really neat and fun (albeit frustrating cuz i'm dumb) to figure out. End sequence is really cool lighting too. Maybe I'm biased towards by 1x1 since I haven't played a ton of stuff, but also 1x1 as a wad concept kind of breeds memorable maps from talented mappers, so yeah.

 

Stabbed, With A Sword - Wormwood EU Map04 by Ribbiks

This already got a mention, so I'll just mention the shotgun secret, the light tunnel, the subterra remix midi, and the minecraft sword graphic are all things I vividly remember when I think about the map.

 

City At the Mouth of Ire - Sunder Map19 by Insane Gazebo

Any other map make a city this well on this scale? Probably not, but the verticality of the map is crazy, super cool idea of map progression: (you fight your way through various buildings, usually going from bottom floor to top floor, before the final fight unleashes tons of demons in the streets). I'm obviously biased towards this map since I did grind it, but really it's one of new sunder's best maps and has a ton of fun fights. Time to mention the other 2 sunder maps.

 

House of Corrosion - Sunder Map31 by Insane Gazebo

The green cube idea is so striking in its concept and vision and execution, just the opening shots of the map almost make the map make this list on their own. Mucus flow midi though elevates the map, I'm generally a proponent of not reusing "all-time" midis from "all-time" maps, but this map was actually the first time I heard Mucus Flow, and I associate the midi with this map originally, and I still think it fits extremely well. Aesthetics of this map with green glowing everything is also memorable as hell.

 

Babylon's Chimera - Sunder Map15 by Insane Gazebo

I think this partly has to make it for being a ton of people's reintroduction to sunder, and IG's return after being in hiding for almost a decade. But the map is incredible, its "vaguely Middle Eastern" theming is already sort of unique in Doom, and to pair it with such staggering macroarchitecture and verticality is nuts. Shoutouts to that weird secret exit skip. Love how the progression of the map is descending down the structures.

 

On Electric Winds - Fractured Worlds Map03 by Nirvana

First and foremost, that midi is absolutely godtier, skipped very little in my playlist. It is truly a peak midi. But the rest of the map is great too, the caves are beautiful, the opening shot and opening skirmish with the low-health cyber gives me strong prehistoric caveman vs. dinosaur vibes, and I think the melding of artificially made structures with natural cave architecture is done beautifully. Final fight is memorable teleport concept, and I really remember that little light sequence representing an enemy "loading" into the room in that cyan keycard fight.

 

Ar Luminae - Aurelius and Kaito

This was an adventure blind, and the map is so long and full of secrets and content you want to unlock, I had a ton of fun exploring, discovering, and fighting through monsters with the custom weapons and stuff (Supercharge-ish?). The shrunken cyber secret was awesome, and the end fight absolutely tore me to shreds, and my computer as well, it was running at like 10 fps even when I lowered game resolution lol.

 

Caves and Embers - Dance on the Water Map06 by Inferno

I remember getting lost in these caves for hours in my blind playtest of this map. The map is like 1 texture haha, but once you run through the caves enough the architecture is familiarized and you begin to recognize where you are and where things go and where you've been. The midi of the map is the special sauce that makes it memorable, can't give enough love to the feeling of running around through the caves with the midi playing.

 

Hurts You Plenty - Flotsam Map01 by Benjogami

I remember right before I got into pwads, that I saw a UV-Max for this map on youtube, and the quality of the map and the midi struck me. After having played the map, the opening is like no other map, the midi is really unique and inseparable from the map, and you are always feeling hunted or under siege in this map.

 

Singularity & Souls Left Behind - Flotsam Map05 and Map06 by Killer5

These 2 maps are a pair in my head, for being Killer5's contributions to flotsam and they occur back-to-back in the set, and have DNA that is traceable to only earlier Zzul. I think both midis in these maps mesh really well with their respective maps; I specifically associate the Descent midi with images of this map, and Map06's midi while I find it borderline unbearable to listen to for 90% of the song, is obviously iconic. The beginning sequence in Map05 is super unique and iconic to me with the forced avj, movement in the void with flipping architecture, and the square 8x8 array of HKs followed by a row of 5 PEs. Love the platforming, cybers teleporting in sequence in the invuln fight, and the final fight is a chef's kiss in every way. Every single thing about each of these maps and Killer5's maps in general (particularly his earlier works) are just pure concentrations of hardcore gameplay, and I mean hardcore in the edgiest way. Just no-nonsense unadulterated violence and asking the player to play razor sharp or they will be killed. Map06 for my money is the best pure bfg-spam map in all of the game's history, it encourages so much aggression and the gameplay is so explosive. The vile horde at the end is quintessential Zzul, and the map just hits on all levels, it's a map that is ballin'. Oh, and Map06 adds to the lineage of legendary red rock maps.

 

Entropy - Nirvana

Wholly unique aesthetic, beautiful map. Love the golden helixes by the finale that are visible throughout the map, oven-fight is awesome concept, love the cog-looking ceiling design in the secret cave fight, and the sound fight is great too. I especially love the little sector art of the sound symbol. I think the map is greater than the sum of its parts, and the midi is a favorite among many players, it's pretty excellent sounding.

 

Dubzzz Without Restrictions - Poogers Map31 by Dubzzz

I'm very biased towards adding this since I ran it and I'm running out of maps to list, but honestly pretty memorable mainly for just being extremely hard and also visually distinctive (dean of doom reference + colorful map with exceedingly basic architecture). However, I do think the concept of invisible walls you need to shoot to activate fights is novel, the first secret fight is insane to play and a great concept, the 2nd room needs such strict routing to survive it, and the 2nd secret's 3rd fight is one of my favorite revenant fights ever.

 

 

This list is subject to recency bias and biased by my own limited # of modern maps I've played.

[Li'l devil]

Sunset - Map 01 from Alien Vendetta

This map is for sure the most memorable map I've played, all because of that stupid green torch. You have to press some random green torch just so you can finish the level. This is not for a secret, this is mandatory. Who thought this was a good idea? Why should I search a walkthrough online to beat map 01 of a megawad, something that's supposed to be easy? This is just insane. It's thanks to this green torch that I got stuck on this stupid map for hours trying to find the exit. This map ruined my gaming experience, ruined my enjoyment of Doom, ruined my faith in fan-made levels, and ruined my life and my personality. I could not enjoy Doom anymore after I had played it. This is the worst map on Planet Earth. To hell with this map!

[Kwisior]

Either MAP24, 25, 26 or 32 from Doom 2 in Spain Only

Map02 from Magnolia

Ar Luminae

Lullaby

Map03 from Dance on the Water

Something from Poogers

Map05 from Syringe

[apichatpong]

I tried to avoid already mentionned maps (with 3 or 4 exceptions)

 

Memorable openings :

 

Tangerine nightmare 01 - Sombre venue (Datacore/FranckFRAG) : you instantly get that you enter a realm
Lost civilization 01 - Mountain pass (Jaska) : you (more or less) instantly get that this wad will be « different » kind of exploration
Flesharmonic 01&02&03 : Embryon (Roofi) - They move below (Alephany) - Blood masses (Duskolos) : already wrote in the wad’s thread how much I love this « in 3 times » opening.
Warrior 01 - I will hunt (Ilya Pashchenko) : you instantly get oldschool and twisted, naïve vibes. Opening of a really singular moderately modern wad
Eviternity II 01 - Elysium (Tristan Clarke) : far from having finished this quite good wad, mostly because I always spend way to much time losing myself in this melancholic jewel of opening
What lies beneath 1&2 : Mansion halls of madness (Muumi) - Deluge (LordEntr0py) - 2 very different atmospheric maps with joyful gameplay opening to a great wad
Uroboros 01: A familiar place (Ravendesk) : A quite intense but fair opening for a great experimental wad ! You want to come back to this « familiar place » (and you will, but with what consequences ?)
Jack builds a tech base 01 : Brick by brick (Benchy and Xulgonoth) : this map I was able to beat (ahahah), contrary to the other one from this wad listed below (map I’ll NEVER be able to beat), incredibly powerful sinister, dreamy and ironic opening.

Memorable « descent or climbing to the core » :

Fractured worlds 05 - the starlit core in meltdown (Nirvana)
Devilution 13 : Nostalgia drive (Xaser/Alter)

 

Memorable adventurous maps :

Tangerine nightmare 07 : Goetia (Roofi)
Ventôse (Roofi)
Flesharmonic 05 : Dying bastion (Duskolos)
Jack builds a techbase 03 : Jack builds a techbase (Benchy, Xulgonoth) (just a word to clarify : this one is WAY over my skills but watching others playing it is like watching a (nicely) sadistic adventure movie)

Memorable saddest/numbing/atmospheric :

Flesharmonic 09 : Eucharistic Miracle (Datacore)
Tangerine nightmare 06 : The forgotten land (JC Dorne)
Zeppelin armada 16 : Living library (40oz)
Morbid autumn 04 : Norwich lane (Sonny666)

 

Memorable « in the clouds » :

Zeppelin armada 08 & 09 : New st. Icarus (lunch lunch) & Bad balloons (kvsari)

 

Memorable experimental :

Embryo 14 : Because all that you are is that what your are not (signaturereverie)
Flesharmonic 14 : Hypothetical Gates (Nixx)

 

Memorable monuments  :

Fractured Worlds 06 : the outermost (Nirvana)
10x10 10 : lunchlunchlunchlunch (lunchlunch)
Magnolia 03 : Soria Maria (Ribbiks)

 

Memorable « intrinsic flat tori » :

Mutabor (Tourniquet)

 

Memorable narration and fun :

Overboard 03 : Depth charge (Mouldy)

 

Edited March 8 by apichatpong

[Logamuffin]

In no particular order:

 

Lost Civilization 05 : Mountain Village (one of my favorite maps visually and both the gameplay and secret hunting are great)

Overboard 02 : Skeleton Coast (mouldy never misses)

Overboard 05 : Archi-Pelago (see above)

MyHouse I feel it had to be included

Machete 30 : Seriously Doomed (one of the best map 30s I've played and the ending is hilarious)

Eviternity 26 : Transcendence

Eviternity II 01 : Elysium

Auger; Zenith 12 : Altered States (LC's Nightmare and Going Down's Insanity on steroids)

Struggle: Antaresian Legacy 11 : The Indomitable Mastermind

Rowdy Rudy II 1 : Storming The Bayside Base