Best/worst map in Doom II

[superchargecacodemons800]

In your opinion, which Doom II map is the best?

 

Also don't forget to include the map in Doom II that you think is the worst.

[Guest]

Best: Suburbs

 

Worst: The Catacombs

[Deleted_Account]

I find Map 21: Nirvana to be an all around solid map! It's really a level that sets the bar for future Doom games, it would be perfect if D_Runnin was it's music track.

[Cipher]

I legitimately find "Nirvana" pretty fun. The extremely abstract way it aligns itself with its title is also neat.

 

"The Suburbs" (best wide open level) and "The Spirit World" (a bunch of fun set pieces) are probably my favorite two, but I don't really love any of Doom II's levels, and it's pretty easily my least favorite iwad.

 

My least favorite is "Refueling Base," which I feel could be fun, but the enemy placement is too haphazard (I swear things trigger earlier than intended due to poor sound blocking) and the ammo is absurd for pistol-starting, or just being the tenth level and coming after "The Pit" in general. You either end up shortcutting to the end, which is lame, or going through the whole level, which is a slog.

[jerk-o]

Best, 24, worst D_RUNNIN

[Killer5]

Best: chasm

 

Worst: I guess there isnt a map I truly dread playing..

[GarrettChan]

24 minutes ago, Killer5 said:

Best: chasm

Hmm, it seems I can make this assumption based on how you like Precarious, and made your Walking in the Void ;P

 

Best: 8; Worst: probably 9.

[Yousuf Anik]

Best: 16

Worst: Nope, there aren't any for me :)

[Roofi]

Best : 12

 

Worst : 9 because of pain elementals and low ammo.

[rodster]

Best: Map 11 "'O' of Destruction", it looked really cool with the green surroundings and red Cacodemons flying around.

Worst: Map 09 "The Pit", because I couldn't beat it on UV difficulty as a child :D My brother did beat that map for me haha :)

[ShoDemo]

Best maps: 12,13,14,15,16 (Can't choose between the city levels. They are all awesome!)

 

Worst map: Barrels O Fun (Pain Elementals, need I say more? How about ugly design and a mediocre Mastermind fight?)

[Graf Zahl]

Best: MAP29 - easily and by a comfortable margin.

Worst: MAP09, MAP12, MAP16, MAP21, MAP30. I find them all repulsive to look at and their layout makes no sense aside from providing a backdrop for inane gameplay styles. But the other Sandy Petersen maps do not really come that far behind. There's very little quality to be found in his output for Doom 2 in general.

 

[pcorf]

Best: MAP04, MAP08, MAP11, MAP12, MAP14, MAP15, MAP16, MAP20, MAP23, MAP24, MAP28, MAP29

Worst: There is nothing really that bad in Doom 2. When it comes to design quality maybe MAP10 and MAP25.

[TootsyBowl]

Best (in order of my liking):

1. Map 10: Refueling Base

The (almost) last map in Doom 2 that tries to do a theme and does it quite well. While it does not feel that much like a refueling base, it gives a very Doom 1-ish techbase feeling, which is good. The monsters are frequent without being overwhelming, and the level is jam-packed with secrets. My favorite part is the "barracks" part, with plenty of chaingun fodder. The only downside is a rather awkward Cyberdemon fight, but that's only at the end of an absolute romp of a level.

 

2. Map 28: The Spirit World

The Hell map that showcases the Hell theme at it's best. Fire, brimstone, and walls of flesh, that's where it's at! Not too confusing (unlike a lot of Sandy's other maps), and throws a few unusual situations at you without being annoying. The foreboding music is just the cherry on the top of the torment cake. Shame that this wasn't the penultimate level: it would have fit perfectly. 

 

3. Map 01: Entryway

Surprised? I find this map to be an excellent mood-setter: the happy, upbeat D_RUNNIN putting you on your toes, putting you in just the right mood to kick ass, take names, and save Earth. It also introduces a host of new textures, giving the player some new eye candy.

 

Special Mention: Map 07: Dead Simple

Fun, fast-paced circlestrafing action, as well as the music setting the mood for encounters for two strange new hellbeasts. Shame they reused it again and again, like D_RUNNIN.

 

Worst (in order of my dislike):
1. Map 24: The Chasm

A gimmick map. 100% originality, 0% fun. A sense of theme was never Sandy's strong point, and he really killed it with this one. Techbase elements everywhere, lakes and waterfalls of nukage of all things, two COMPBLUE rooms that wouldn't look out of place in Doom 1's Episode 1. And all this shit is supposed to be in Hell? What? The gameplay isn't bad until it comes to the tightrope walking and platforming. It's not fun, it's just tedious! It's like Sandy just said "fuck it, I do what I want" and shat out a map in an afternoon.

 

2. Map 15: Industrial Zone

This one sticks in my mind since it stumped me on my first playthrough of Doom 2. Why is the yellow key hidden in such an out-of-the-way spot? (I couldn't get the monster closet to trigger for some reason.) What is with the one jump that you have to go across at a specific speed? What's with all the platforming? It's not the worst IMO, but the hatred of it sticks in my mind because of that one fucking key.

 

3. Map 20: Gotcha!

The cyberdemon vs spiderdemon infight battle is fun to watch. That's pretty much the map's only redeeming factor. The rest of the map devolves into leaping over the giant sea of blood and crawling through dark tunnels and caverns. It's just unimaginative and boring. And this is supposed to be the climatic lead up to the Hell Portal that's holding the planet hostage? The Hell Portal doesn't even try to impress. It's a giant hole. That's it. This map completely fails to be fun or climatic.

 

Special Mention: Map 11: Circle of Death

I hate this map's design. A giant O with nukage everywhere? Is this the best you could come up with, Romero? The gameplay is bland at best, and boring at worst. The only interesting part is the area where you are introduced to the Archvile.

 

[SWDude]

Best : Map 8 (Tricks and Traps) especially that Baron/cybie room... (I remember when I was a kid carefully opening the doors so that I don't open that room because it scared the hell out of me)

Worst: Nothing that I hate in d2

[Yousuf Anik]

6 minutes ago, SWDude said:

especially that Baron/cybie room... (I remember when I was a kid carefully opening the doors so that I don't open that room because it scared the hell out of me)

Oh man the exact same thing happened to me too, that room scared me the most in whole doom2 in skill 1, when I played doom2 the first time :D and when I killed that cyber finally....can't explain the feelings of that moment ;D

[jdagenet]

Worst map: every map

[Da Werecat]

Best: maybe Circle of Whatever. I'm not a fan of those green textures, but they don't spoil the map for me. The layout is original, and there are some picturesque set pieces.

 

I'm also partial to Industial Zone. Good colors and lighting, and I especially like the feel of that part where you "demolish" a building. It's cozy. But not cozy enough to forgive the existence of Running From Evil, a track too amazing to not clash with any level it's being used in.

 

Worst: I dunno, Refueling Base? It's a Tom Hall map, and one that doesn't have the benefit of cute semi-realism. I think Hall didn't have enough time to put any of it into the map before he left, and Petersen clearly wasn't interested to begin with. A lot of it is shapeless and bland, although the fuel tanks in the middle look interesting.

 

The zombie alcove halls are fun to clear with invincibility, but pretty boring otherwise.

 

Edited September 4, 2017 by Da Werecat

[leodoom85]

What about the Courtyard (map18)?
I found that map very interesting (adding a cybie instead of a mancubus in the middle of that big area could be better).

[_bruce_]

Best: Map26 "The Abandoned Mines"(that was a tough choice though... Map04 "The Focus" & Map17 "Tenements" are also really good)

A map which visuals always struck me as extremely impressive and it just feels awesome to play. If somebody asked me to choose a map for a presentation of DoomII, this map would be it.

 

Worst: Map24 "The Chasm"

The only map I kinda dislike, although I used to play it on and off. The map's direction seems a little bit too random for my liking and feels too terse and accidental. Having said that, the part where the lights go out is awesome... even creepy during first playthrough. I also like the part whith the tech rooms and the labyrinth where one gets the "blue"? key. Overall a map a second person/mapper, maybe McGee, should have brushed up a bit.

 

Btw, Map18 rocks.

 

@TootsyBowl: pretty interesting observations, although I beg to differ on the verdict for Map11.

 

Edited September 4, 2017 by _bruce_ : Adding a comment directed at a poster

[MTF Sergeant]

Worst: MAP32 when you are not able to find any secrets.

 

Best: MAP01 just because.....

 

DU DUN.. DU DUN.. DU DUN.. DU DUN..DUN DUN!!!

[Da Werecat]

Ah yeah, I forgot about the secret levels. I understand it's an easter egg, but it a low-effort one. The sizes are all over the place - the level geometry is way oversized, and the SS soldiers are too small. They're also missing some of the necessary rotations. Could've been better.

[Erick]

Best: I like most of the maps, though the maps I like the most are MAP08, MAP10, MAP20, and MAP29.

 

Worst: MAP22 and MAP30, I really dislike MAP22's design and gameplay so much that I rush the map to get it over with. MAP30 is pretty obvious, the boss isn't all that great and there isn't much to the level as it is.

[Endless]

Best: Umm... I like Doom II overrall. MAP01 is probably my fav, just because of the DooT.

 

Worst: Map 30, even if is the final boss, its quite easy and the level is really simple, but I love the Icon of Sin design tho. 

[SaladStream]

I really enjoy downtown every time. And also the living end. Don't like gotcha for the simple reason of lowering into a room of hitscanners. Dirty trick

[leodoom85]

I'm surprised that no one here mentioned The Citadel (map 19)....maybe it's easily forgettable after playing The Courtyard and remembering that Gotcha is coming next. The Citadel is a map with mixed feelings in my end. You know that the way of getting the keys are non-linear and it's fun but some routes are tedious to do, especially if you want to do it a 100% gameplay...

[GarrettChan]

1 minute ago, leodoom85 said:

The Citadel

I actually like this map despite the complexity. Of course, the reason of this can be I like castles, and the not-so-linear gameplay of the map.

[Spie812]

I like The Spirit World and The Living End a lot, and also The Abandoned Mines and Catacombs. It's hard for me to pick a sure winner here.

 

I don't like Nirvana or Monster Condo, which most people seem to like (Monster Condo, i mean.)

[Job]

Best: The Focus or The Waste Tunnels. 

 

Worst: Barrels o' Fun

[Decay]

Best: Tricks and Traps, The Factory, Industrial Zone, Spirit World

 

Worst: The rest