Doom II: Hell on Earth

Da Vinci might have been a genius, but he didn't think of giving the Mona Lisa a double shotgun to fight archviles in the sequel.

I really prefer Doom 1 over Doom 2 for a couple of reason. Here's a simple explanation for Doom 2:

Pros:

-Super Shotgun
-Most new enemy types are fun
-The final boss is pretty cool

Cons:

-Some of the levels are very bad and in general I prefer the level design in Doom 1
-Archviles and chaingunners can go to hell

To me the game is almost just an expansion pack that doesn't significantly improve over the first game. It's still a great game though.

While I do enjoy this game and it has a special place in my heart, I have to admit that it gets rather repetitive the more you play though it given how little variety there is with the levels as you progress through the game.

Honestly this feels more like an expansion pack than a sequel as there isn’t a lot of new assets (let alone equipment or enemies) in the game to differentiate this from its predecessor. That's not to say this makes it a bad game, just one that lacks the innovation that Id software is renowned for. If you take this as an expansion pack of the original doom, then it's a game that's well worth your time. Take it as a sequel however and you may feel a bit disappointed in it.

Actually not as good level design wise compared to Doom 1, but it wins back those lost points by the addition of the Super Shotgun alone. The closest thing to match the feeling of an orgasm ever created.

As a sequel to one of the most legendary games ever made, Doom II is a bit disappointing. It's more of an expansion than a new game, and the additions here consist of 30 new levels, a handful of new enemies, and one new weapon. The new enemies are good additions, and the additional weapon is iconic (hello double barrelled shotgun), but the new levels are an extremely mixed bag. This game was rushed out and it shows. Some of the levels are good, but compared to the original Doom there's a lot less visual variety and the sprawling maps can feel like quite a slog, leading to a game that I can't quite recommend on its own merits.

However, when thought of as a platform rather than a singular game, Doom II is as legendary as the original. There's a huge mod community even 30 years later, and the sheer timeless strength of the core mechanics (mostly carried over from Doom 1, let it be said) mean that developers are still wringing cutting edge ideas out of it, generally without adding or changing enemies or weapons. The mechanics are just that solid.

My recommendation is that you play Doom II until you get bored, then grab the Final Doom expansion and play through Plutonia Experiment, which is much more solid set of levels than those contained in the original release. Then, if you still want more, head to internet and download some of the many incredibly well-designed user maps.

I'm reminded of the infamous old Facebook motto - "move fast and break things". With Doom II id Software had set out to overdrive everything about Doom, and trampled over anything measured or nuanced about the original game in the process. This move has served them well in driving word-of-mouth hype, cementing the franchise's legacy and satisfying fans that had grown bored of the original after playing through it countless times, but has also resulted in a game that I had little fun playing.

The lack of an episodic structure means Doom II constantly maintains exhausting forward momentum, culminating in it throwing boss-tier monsters at you just for kicks. The new super shotgun and heavily increased availability of the rocket launcher, plasma rifle and BFG dictate the addition of powerful damage sponge enemies that are an eternal chore to deal with, and the levels trip over themselves to trap you in monster closets or throw annoying gimmicks at you. That's not to say there aren't any clever ideas here - in fact there are plenty - but I'd say that they work more in theory and less in practice.

While Doom exuded confidence on its own, Doom II goes out of its way to announce its presence and assert dominance. Such behavior usually betrays insecurities about one's standing, and I think id sensed that their time in the spotlight wouldn't last forever. Is it better to burn out than to fade away? Maybe not always, especially with how big of a statement Quake would turn out to be.