Scariest moment of Doom

[Stygian]

The wall of scrolling faces in Deimos Lab used to freak me out.

I also have a strong dislike for Halls of the Damned to this day; running into a baron in the claustrophobic darkness fills me with dread.

[elic]

I actually love Halls of the Damned for that exact reason :)

[orbit_of_phobos]

I think the scariest was the last level on chapter 1 (Knee deep in the dead). Because when I played it for the first time when I was little, I almost shit my fucking pants when I saw the Barons Of Hell! Damn

[The_MártonJános]

printz said:

Yeah, modern moments do exist. I personally found KDiZD from the last parts of Z1M7 up to the end (including the super-secret level) quite disturbing.

I found it rather creepy that after pressing the switch which was originally intended to be the secret one, "Demons on the Prey" was suddenly muted to zero. The other part was Z1M8. When the screen and the night outside went red alongside fighting the Cacodemons off, that was so intentionally frightening.

hex11 said:

In the meantime the cybie arrived, had his fun with the barons, and hung up their corpses as decorations. ;)

I remembered playing E2M8 for the first time - I didn't even have the courage to press the switches, because I've thought that then the Barons would be resurrected!

For my initial fears of Doom:
- E1M7's last part. I've rather thought that level to hold a surprise monster for me (maybe Cacodemons), and this fear had made its way to 2002ADO to come true as two Barons.
- E2M1 - those huge, tall rooms and the satanic cross. I had never figured out why the hell it is there and what's its purpose besides hurting me whilst standing in it.
- E2M3's strobing light part. Funny fact, however, that playing first time the level, in ITYTD, I've already thought that the "showdown place" (the two-step stairs, high marble area with barrels) would include a tougher demon in a harder difficulty!
- E2M4 - no wonder why. Eeeeerie. Frustrating. So about seeing a demo that includes various Cacodemon issues and a Baron massacre.
- E2M6 - no wonder either. Those semi-technologic, semi-prehellistic dark mazes give me the creeps until these days, so does the "air vent" and everything behind it. Getting flattened by that friggin' light crusher for the first time was rather an unpleasant moment of mine.
- E2M7's secret area which is pitch dark despite being outside, combined with the first "non-madatory" ITYTD Baron feature in ep2 (the other was in E2M5, but near the PR secret).
- E3M1. Opens door on HMP, gets fucked up by cacodemon.
- E3M5. That level has always scared the living shit out of me.
- E3M7. Same for E3M5, those high places really treated me for something bad would be happening.
- E4M1 - NIN and also compulsory Barons of Hell.
- E4M2 - Cyberdemon WTF.
- E4M6 - That level holds tons of scariness for me. Even the outside parts.
- E4M7 - Strange and sometimes confusingly simple. Blue key area was rather a pain in this case, and taking a seemingly-underground place with slow crushers that have turned out to be not compulsory either - nah, that was about being fooled!

BTW, I was about 11 to play first with Registered and 15 with Ultimate Doom. It's amazing how an old game can still hold surprises for you!

[Megamur]

Cell said:

- E2M6 - no wonder either. Those semi-technologic, semi-prehellistic dark mazes give me the creeps until these days, so does the "air vent" and everything behind it. Getting flattened by that friggin' light crusher for the first time was rather an unpleasant moment of mine.

I adored that. Coupled with the fake exit door, E2M6 practically defines DOOM for me, in how the world just feels alive with the presence of the demons and they are ALWAYS watching and waiting to trick you. :)

[Arjak]

The only time I really remember being scared by Doom was when I played Doom II for the first time and reached MAP30. The Icon of Sin was unlike anything I had ever seen before; it startled the hell out of me (no pun intended) and it may have been the first time I experienced a feeling of total hopelessness while playing a game. I couldn't get it to die! It just kept shooting out more and more monsters, and I couldn't get the rockets to go into its brain.

Perhaps one of the scariest things in the world is knowing you're going to die, and not being able to do anything about it.

[Sheepmyshaver123]

Yes, I really scared about these when I played DOOM for a first time:

- Instant-death teleporter on TNT MAP30
- Icon of Sin, which leads to telefrag
- Cyberdemon enemies
- Crushing Celings

[fatal error]

After playing years of Doom 64, Doom 1 and 2 seemed quite tame to me when I started playing them.

[Koko Ricky]

Agreed. Doom 64 offered what I feel is the most disturbing and horrific Doom experience. Although the PSX version had slightly darker music, Doom 64's visuals, level design, atmosphere and sound/music is difficult to beat.

[Daiyu_Xiaoxiang]

Sheepmyshaver123 said:

Yes, I really scared about these when I played DOOM for a first time:

- Instant-death teleporter on TNT MAP30
- Icon of Sin, which leads to telefrag
- Cyberdemon enemies
- Crushing Celings

Just same as me, I always afraid of E2M8 Cyberdemon and that Icon of Sin at Doom 2 when I was a child.

[bloodfalls]

One of the first times that I played doom (I was 9 years old) I allmost got a heartattack when a demon attacked me in the back(the maze in e1m4 command controll)

[888mikem888]

The thing that terrifies me the most is when you enter an empty room with a key at one end, pick it up and the you hear 40 Revenant screams and 20 Baron of Hell roars behind you.

**EDIT**

Actually, you know whats scary? The Ghoul's Forrest 3. I lost several night's of sleep.

[Sigvatr]

The first time you see and hear the Icon of Sin.

Actually, just hearing the music when you start the level.

[finnw]

My first encounter with the spider demon. This was the PSX version with its dark environment and eerie music. The PC equivalent (E3M8) never had the same effect on me.

I also found the first encounter with arachnotrons quite scary (because you are immediately surrounded by 12 of them and they will kill you very quickly (even if you just got the megasphere) until you learn how to fight them.

These days, since I usually play with -fast, the scariest thing is hordes of demons/spectres. The -fast option really changes the balance of some levels like E1M8, where the spectres can surround & kill you in a couple of seconds. It's a great relief when the last one goes down and you have "only" the 2 barons left to kill (They are a pushover by comparison.)

Groups of chaingunners (with -fast) are just as challenging, but I don't find them so scary though I'm not sure why.

[jdagenet]

Doom 64 map 18: Spawned fear.

turn right outside of the spawn room and then take a left (not down the stairs) and drop down into that little tunnle area and then right when I turned my screen to the left, there was a LostSoul right in my face, lowering my health quick! That still gets me to this day.

[Marnetmar]

The music on the PSX version of E2M1 was fucking terrifying.

[yellowmadness54]

Marnetmar said:

The music on the PSX version of E2M1 was fucking terrifying.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS_6h4HvfmA

yeah....

[Marnetmar]

yellowmadness54 said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS_6h4HvfmA

yeah....

Wait huh? The version I have has a woman sighing in the background.

[elic]

yellowmadness54 said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS_6h4HvfmA

Sounds like some guy moaning into a mic. I don't see how anyone can play through E2M1 with that shit playing.

It's real funny playing it and the original E2M1 together.

[jdagenet]

yellowmadness54 said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS_6h4HvfmA

yeah....

Yeah that soundtrack is kinda scary.

[yellowmadness54]

Marnetmar said:

Wait huh? The version I have has a woman sighing in the background.

OH MAN! I know what you are talking about! I was going to say that one was scarier but didn't remember the name, but I know which one it is you are talking about. It scared the living shit out of me on DOOM64, I mean I had to turn my TV down back then. Scary shit. Ill find it.

[Marnetmar]

Processingcontrol said:

Sounds like some guy moaning into a mic. I don't see how anyone can play through E2M1 with that shit playing.

It's real funny playing it and the original E2M1 together.

That's not the same version I heard on PSX doom. The version I heard was seriously fucking terrifying. It actually sped up my heartbeat a little.

[jdagenet]

Marnetmar said:

That's not the same version I heard on PSX doom. The version I heard was seriously fucking terrifying. It actually sped up my heartbeat a little.

Oh are you talking about Breakdown?

[Mr. T]

Hectic said:

The bloody ouch face. I was 15/16 at the time.

Me too! I was like WTF IS THAT FACE!

E1M8 has to count. WHERE DID MY GOD MODE GO? OH NO!

Also Map10. Hi, I'm a Cyberdemon and I just teleported right in front of you. That was probably the one of two traps in any of Doom that genuinely freaked me out.

The other one, was of course the fake exit in E2M6 ;-)

[DoomUK]

Doomhuntress said:

Nothing at all. I played it and completed the shareware version when I has 4-5 or so years old. At first my parents didn't want me to play it, but I kept doing it until they let it go.
Did I mention I never got scared at all ever? No game have really had that impact on me.

This.

But is it that strange or nonsensical that I enjoy the horror themes in Doom and other horror games without finding them scary?

Marnetmar said:

The music on the PSX version of E2M1 was fucking terrifying.

Spooky, eerie, and the finest music to play Doom to, I wholeheartedly agree. But terrifying? C'mon.

[Marnetmar]

As I said, the version on mine is different than what yellowmadness linked.

[DoomUK]

Marnetmar said:

As I said, the version on mine is different than what yellowmadness linked.

Any way you could share it with us? It would be educational for everyone to know how your version of PSX Doom has a different score for a particular level than everyone else's.

(Hope that doesn't read sarcastic. I'm genuinely interested)

[Nasesrtyhcfhk]

I read that in a sarcastic voice.

[I'myourtarget]

I'm pretty sure a few things might have startled me a little the first time I played, but the only thing I can really remember is on the maze in E1M3, I thought the Pinky's idling sound was the floors creaking or something similar. Having played Doom 3 first (I know, I'm so ashamed...) it really kinda creeped me out until I figured out what it was.

Also, about the PSX E2M1 music, I think i've heard that used in a fanmade Doom 3 map. Though it didn't sound quite as creepy as listening to it on Youtube when it isn't making any other noises.

[yellowmadness54]

I'myourtarget said:

I'm pretty sure a few things might have startled me a little the first time I played, but the only thing I can really remember is on the maze in E1M3, I thought the Pinky's idling sound was the floors creaking or something similar.

The demon scared the living hell out of me when I first ran into it in that maze. For years me and a friend of mine called it "the beast" and the spectres "visibeasts"

The first time I saw a radiation suit it scared me as well, it looked like some tall creepy figure.