Where “Doom” feels streamlined and elegant, its sequel plays like a romhack in both the best and worst ways. Undoubtedly more creative than its predecessor, Doom 2 features levels which cement themselves firmly into the player’s memory, with the unfortunate caveat being that a handful of maps are either underwhelming or annoying.
“Citadel” left a positive impression on me when I first played, which felt like an assault on Hell’s forces on earth before plunging directly into their home turf, and “The Living End”, was an excellent final battle through Hell before facing off against the Icon of Sin. Conversely a map such as “Barrels of Fun” stuck out to me as pretty uninspired and at times frustrating, or “Downtown” which was needlessly sprawling and visually unappealing. On a more positive note, additions are for the most part incredible (with the exception of Heavy Weapons Dude/Chaingunner) and add a lot more excitement to the already riveting gameplay.
Doom 2 is great at keeping you on your toes, and forcing you to make quick decisions with your equipment. Occasionally levels drop you in a room with a vast legions of enemies, pushing the player into making split-second choices. You might want to use the BFG to clear out a large cluster of enemies, or whittle away at them with the chaingun. Even using the shotgun over the almost infinitely superior super shotgun has its benefits, prioritising ammo usage and speed over damage. Knowing how to use the weapons also counts, you can get closer to the enemies for greater accuracy and some times greater damage, at the cost of putting yourself in a more dangerous position. The slight variations in how you play and the rapid decision making is what keeps Doom 2 thrilling throughout its 7~ish hour length, even when you’re killing the same handful of enemies.
The strength of Doom 2 lies within its memorability and willingness to innovate on the Doom formula. Though it doesn’t reach the consistent quality of the first game, it certainly has higher highs and moments I will remember for years to come.
“Citadel” left a positive impression on me when I first played, which felt like an assault on Hell’s forces on earth before plunging directly into their home turf, and “The Living End”, was an excellent final battle through Hell before facing off against the Icon of Sin. Conversely a map such as “Barrels of Fun” stuck out to me as pretty uninspired and at times frustrating, or “Downtown” which was needlessly sprawling and visually unappealing. On a more positive note, additions are for the most part incredible (with the exception of Heavy Weapons Dude/Chaingunner) and add a lot more excitement to the already riveting gameplay.
Doom 2 is great at keeping you on your toes, and forcing you to make quick decisions with your equipment. Occasionally levels drop you in a room with a vast legions of enemies, pushing the player into making split-second choices. You might want to use the BFG to clear out a large cluster of enemies, or whittle away at them with the chaingun. Even using the shotgun over the almost infinitely superior super shotgun has its benefits, prioritising ammo usage and speed over damage. Knowing how to use the weapons also counts, you can get closer to the enemies for greater accuracy and some times greater damage, at the cost of putting yourself in a more dangerous position. The slight variations in how you play and the rapid decision making is what keeps Doom 2 thrilling throughout its 7~ish hour length, even when you’re killing the same handful of enemies.
The strength of Doom 2 lies within its memorability and willingness to innovate on the Doom formula. Though it doesn’t reach the consistent quality of the first game, it certainly has higher highs and moments I will remember for years to come.