Monday, June 1, 2009

A Digression; whilst I finish Hell Revealed 2...


Well, as some of you may know, I am working my way through the second wad I'm going to review: a very popular wad called "Hell Revealed 2".

The thing is, however, HR2 is very, VERY difficult. I mean, we get cyberdemons very quickly and they're usually in pairs or something. Don't even get me started on the Arch-Viles...

I sorta wanted to post something in the meantime, I decided to pool all my favorite DOOM levels together to make my Top 10 Favorite DOOM Levels list.

I hope you guys enjoy it and, hopefully, agree with me on many of them!

10. Entryway (DOOM 2 - Map 01)

You may be wondering why such a simple and easy level is in this list anyway. Well, any time I try out a new addon wad or I don't manage to get the wad to work for some reason, I end up on this level. It's sorta grown on me. I dunno why.

9. Grosse (DOOM 2 - Map 32)

Grosse is one of the two bonus levels in DOOM 2. It is a re-make of one of the Wolfenstein 3D levels. For some reason, similar to Entryway, this is a pretty good map for testing wads and spawning bots for quick little deathmatches and stuff. The very tall ceiling and the long corridor with pillars on either side are excellent for this.

8. Cyberden (Plutonia - Map 31)

One of the bonus levels in the Plutonia part of Final DOOM. Simple yet challenging where you fight 4 Cyberdemons one after the other quickly. Something is just appealing about having those 4 big buggers looking down at you just waiting, whilst trapped in a cage and you just know that you're the one who's gonna have to set them free.

7. Phobos Anomaly (DOOM - E1M8)

This level is the end of the first chapter of the original DOOM game. It is also the first time where the player encounters and almost boss-like fight. After going up an elevator, the player stands before two stone doors. They each open together to reveal a monster never seen before: a pair of Barons of Hell. After they are (hopefully) killed, the player climbs up a set of stairs, goes into a teleporter and is killed by a big horde of monsters. This leads to the start of the second chapter on the Shores of Hell.

6. The Tower of Babel (DOOM - E2M8)

The Tower of Babel is a particularly marking level since it is the first encounter with a real boss monster. At the end of the second chapter of DOOM the player has to face what was referred to as the "Anti-Christ" by my cousin; a Cyberdemon. I remember when I first played this level and I thought to myself "What the HELL is that thing?!" Simple level yet very memorable.

5. Dis (DOOM - E3M8)

The final level of the original DOOM. It is yet another boss fight. This time it's the other guy: the Spider Mastermind in charge of the entire monster invasion from Hell. Despite the Cyberdemon having more health, this level can be more of a challenge since you can dodge rockets but not the Mastermind's bullets. Plus, the level is in an open field and there are very few places to hide.

4. Gotcha! (DOOM 2 - Map 20)

As you've probably deduced, I like boss fights with enormous enemies and the feeling of defeating a boss fight when you are very outclassed. "Gotcha!" brings the whole idea of a boss fight with a Cyberdemon and a Spider Mastermind to a while new level. A Cyberdemon and a Spider Mastermind but not enough ammo to finish them both off...how does one go about surviving this one?

3. Tricks and Traps (DOOM 2 - Map 08)

Now we get to the top 3. What can I say about Tricks and Traps? Well, for one you never know what to expect. Sometimes you walk in a room and get swarmed by Pinkies. Another room and you are faced with many Barons of Hell and a Cyberdemon. The icing on the cake here is the (literal) race to the finish. Wonderful level. I would someday like to thank the people who made this level personally.

2. Hunted (Plutonia - Map 11)


You start off in a room with just a Super Shotgun near you. You look to the left and see a scary number of Arch-Viles. You panick until you realize that they can't see you. You press the button to allow you to leave the room. The Arch-Viles disappear. There is a choice. Left or right. It doesn't really matter. 
You're now being hunted by Arch-Viles in a labyrinth and you have to desperately get out fast before one of those buggers gets you and burns you to death! Superb!!

1. Go 2 It (Plutonia - Map 32)

The bonus level following Cyberden. It's stunning, it's scary it's hard, it's exciting! Go 2 It is officially the hardest level I ever beat. My cousin and I  spent a day on it when we tried to beat it on Ultra Violence solo. Hell, we did it! But it took each of us a LOT of game time on it! By then we knew exactly where and when each monster would come from. The music is from "The Tower of Babel" and that just pumps me up. What got my blood flowing even more on this level was to find out that a large section of it is what seems to be the "Entryway" after a few years of monster invasion! BLAM! Number 1 on my favorite levels list!!

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