Doom 2

Posted 1996 – Doom 2 CoverDoom 2 is still very playable today. Even when stacked up against blasters like Unreal, Jedi Knight & Quake, Doom 2′s superb level design, awesome atmosphere and caning weaponry remain one of the highpoints of the genre.

Normally I tend to avoid sequels, but after playing the first Doom my appetite was only whetted. Perhaps because I missed out on Wolfenstein, I was utterly consumed by the game to the exclusion of all else.

One of the main criticisms of Doom would be its engine – no looking up & down, no rooms under rooms and not a polygonal monster in sight. For me all this does is keep the frame-rate up! Triggering a trap, hearing a door slide open and turning around to find six Imps, 2 Cacodemons and an Arch Vile charging down the corridor was enough to give even the hardiest marine nightmares! :)

Doom 2 for Windows has an excellent Windows 95 interface and runs in 640 x 480 making it seem a little less blocky. The interface also has room for extra levels – simply slot them into your Doom 2 directory and select them from the on-screen menu.

Update 7/6/04 – GLDoom, Doom 3D, Doom Legacy, NSquad and ZDoom are various Doom ports which you should grab at least one if you want to play Doom today.  Using graphics hardware acceleration, support for 32 player games, new weapons (including a sniper rifle and twin berettas) and including a look up/down, these variants allow you to have Doom flashbacks without the blocky aftertaste :)

Check out Doom World for the latest info.

Bonus! Free Doom 2 download Click on these files, unzip them into your Doom 2 directory and then select them from the menu. If running the DOS version then type Doom2 -file claw3.wad and that should get you going.

Title Description
Flameon -Deathmatch, but mainly single player

Map 01 – Doom 2

 Started life as a deathmatch level, but quickly evolved into a one player difficulty fest. Lots of surprises, lots of triggers, very few secrets (I hate ‘em). It is hard, but worth trying. I must admit that when play testing I like to enjoy myself, this is possibly why my levels take so long to develop (25+ Hours).
Claw 3 – A really big,HARD level.

Map 02 – Doom 2

 I really enjoy playtesting my levels which is why I make them so goddam hard! Don’t be afraid to switch it to Hurt Me at first. I had to to test it! I just couldn’t get far enough. One thing most designers seem to forget is the monster playability of their level. They spend so long creating the structures that the important bits like challenge and fun get forgotten. Not too many secrets but a lot of the level opens up after you’ve been through it so backtrack.
Run & Gun - A masterful multiplayer level.

Map 01 – Doom 2

 Deathmatch Only! Although this level contains no monsters, it more than makes up for itself as a multi-player deathmatch level. Easy to navigate, this level is designed to be a fast, furious deathmatch, with no doors to slow up cat-and-mouse games. It contains teleporters and plays well when everybody knows all the secrets. All weapons are included, except chainsaw.

Cacodemons or Tomato Monsters

 The Blurb

Doom II: Hell on Earth, the record-breaking sequel to Doom, has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. This time there’s a new scenario, more realistic 3-D graphics, spine-chilling new sound effects, a pulse – pounding musical score, nearly twice as many death-wielding demons, more levels and a powerful new weapon. The ever addictive and frighteningly realistic world of Doom is back. It’s bloodier. And it’s deadlier than ever.

Situation Analysis:

After days of fighting in space, you’ve returned to Earth only to find the situation is no better than it was on Mars. In fact, it’s worse. The hell-spawned hordes are everywhere. Billions are dead. The few remaining survivors have planned to travel into space and save what’s left of the human race. Unfortunately, the Earth’s only transport has been taken over by flesh-eating mutants. You have to go back into action. Otherwise, humanity is history.

The Flame Dude! One of the all-time best videogame enemies.