Well, you obviously care about my opinion or else you wouldn't have clicked on the link. I decided that I didn't want to list the ten "best" WADs because such a task is pretty much impossible. There are lots and lots of absolutely wonderful WADs, but I feel that these ten give a good cross-section of everything Doom is capable of. You may not think that all the WADs I have chosen belong here, but I feel that these ten are essential must-plays for any real Doomer. I couldn't bring myself to pick a best one among these ten, so I'll just list them alphabetically.
- ALIENS-TC -- What list of must-have Doom WADs would be complete without ALIENS-TC? Created entirely by one man, ALIENS-TC thrust the player into Ripley's shoes complete with new levels, weapons and enemies. The atmosphere created in the levels was so perfect that players were more scared to turn a corner or descend a lift than Doom had ever made them. Although it's over five years old and looks that way, ALIENS-TC is still quite a fright as well as a a momentous achievement. Coupled with the fact that it was developed for an early version of the Doom engine that allowed even less linedefs onscreen than v1.9, it's downright amazing.
- Batman Doom -- If you want to play Doom, look somewhere else. Batman Doom bears about as little resemblance to the game it's built on top of as is possible. With 32 all-new levels, new textures, monsters, weapons, incredible special effects, a cohesive plot, and much more, Batman Doom could have been sold as a game in its own right a few years ago. The fact that it can be run using the original doom2.exe only attests to its makers' ingenuity.
- Doomsday of the UAC -- When looked at today, UAC_DEAD isn't all that much to write home about. It's full of the wide barren spaces which plague early Doom WADs, and the sparse monster count means long stretches of tedium. However, UAC_DEAD offered a sense of place not found in any PWADs before it, and it also broke barriers with its legendary "candle bridge" and Cyberdemon battle. It shows its age, but it's still a timeless classic.
- Eternal Doom -- One of the great things about the Doom engine is that it can be used to create absolutely enormous levels. Under the Quake or Unreal engine, areas may look more realistic, but no current 3D engine can create spaces nearly as massive as those found within Eternal Doom. Did you think that Doom 2's Map29 was a huge level? Go load up Map12 or Map30 of Eternal Doom and learn how large "huge" can be.
- Gothic DM II -- Gothic DM II still stands as the absolute pinnacle of level design in Doom levels, and amazingly enough, packs it all into running under the original doom2.exe. The levels are varied in their size, design and style, but all are intense deathmatch experiences worthy of any Doomer's hard drive space.
- Hell Revealed -- So, you think you're hot stuff? Just because you can blow through any of the levels in Doom or Doom 2 doesn't mean you're a true Doom god. After all, those maps were made all of six years ago, when circlestrafing had barely been conceived. For truly intense Doom action, Hell Revealed is second to none. Created by experienced Doom speedrunners, the maps in Hell Revealed are absolutely brimming with monsters while still remaining (barely) beatable. Beat this megawad on Ultra-Violence, and you can consider yourself a real master.
- Memento Mori II -- Memento Mori II was the second of TiC's community-driven megawads, created during Doom's peak of popularity. 32 levels, created by many different people, all following different themes and styles. The final product is still an absolute blast to play -- pure Dooming action, at its best.
- Requiem -- Released in summer 1997, Requiem still stands as one of the most complex and detailed megawads ever created. Although some bugs and glitches can be found throughout the levels (they were never thoroughly playtested), they are nevertheless some of the greatest single-player adventures ever made.
- S*T*R*A*I*N -- From start to finish, STRAIN was intended to be one of the most cohesive Doom WADs ever made, and it largely acheived its goal. All levels and enemies were extensively tested for fairness and playability. The plot was an integral part of the level progression. While some consider STRAIN to be rough around the edges in terms of some of its art and level design, the overall experience is immensely satisfying.
- Tei Tenga -- The new breed of source ports such as ZDoom have many wonderful and sadly underused features which, when used correctly, can transform a regular level into an extraordinary one. While the level design in Tei Tenga was pretty standard, the massive amounts of scripting used to create and propogate the story has not yet been equalled. Rocket salvos blow holes in the floor, turning off a power station freezes over a pool of water, and a psychotic computer toys with you before unleashing its armies to destroy you.
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