Colonna portante del genere, insieme al suo predecessore.
Più che un sequel, DOOM II è una versione migliorata e meglio confezionata del primo DOOM, che è una sorta di raccolta di livelli pubblicati online su vari forum dell'epoca.

Dal prequel cambia poco. I nemici sono pressoché gli stessi, con qualche aggiunta basata su modelli preesistenti, e il gameplay rimane immutato: per avanzare nel gioco devi utilizzare ogni arma a disposizione per massacrare tutto ciò che si muove, nella speranza di trovare una chiave (o teschio) colorata per sbloccare la fantomatica porta che conduce alla fine del livello.
In DII le mappe da affrontare saranno 30, più due segrete di bonus, e la sensazione di appagamento nell'uccidere i demoni infernali rimane immutata rispetto al predecessore. Come sempre, inoltre, i movimenti del doomguy sono molto veloci e fluidi, questo a beneficio di un gameplay dinamico e libero nei movimenti.

L'unico, grosso, problema che ho riscontrato risiede nel modo in cui bisogna trovare la strada per avanzare. Non sempre, infatti, basterà uccidere tutti i nemici per vincere, ma occorrerà, come detto in precedenza, trovare le tre chiavi colorate che, spesso e volentieri, sono nascoste in luoghi apparentemente inaccessibili, se non tramite percorsi del tutto casuali, privi di ogni qualsivoglia indizio visivo; questo ha più volte interrotto il flusso di gameplay, rendendo certe sezioni di gioco molto noiose e frustranti.
Ho trovato anche il boss finale molto confusionario, poco in linea con lo standard qualitativo dei precedenti livelli.

Comunque sia, se siete amanti degli sparatutto - ma tutto tutto -, non potete lasciarvi scappare questa perla.

Doom II is a first-person shooter developed by id Software and released in 1994. It is the second game in the Doom series. The game has been released on a lot of platforms, but my favorite port is MS-Dos, the one for PC. It offers a more vivid gameplay in terms of colors and graphics. Because compared to other ports, a variety of color palettes were used in the gameplay. Then it was supported with the additional package Master Levels for Doom II. The additional package offers you 21 new levels and the sections are designed really well, but they didn't go further in terms of weapon variety, they have the same weapons, and they did a bad job in the music part.

Doom II takes players to Earth after an infernal invasion that began in the colonies of Mars. The player controls a soldier known as Doomguy and takes on missions to save Earth and humanity by fighting hordes of hell.

One of the revolutionary features of Doom 2 is its "non-linear" level structure, which is an innovation in the game's level design and towards the end of the game. In the original Doom, the player had to complete each level consecutively. However, in Doom 2, some levels have alternative exits and the player can explore these exits and take a different path. For example, at "Dead Simple" Level 7, the player can continue the game using the normal exit or jump to a higher level using an alternative exit. This non-linear level structure makes the game progression more flexible and allows players to explore and experience different experiences. gives the opportunity.

In the moddability part, which is my favorite feature, they kept it alive with the WAD file by staying true to the first game. In this way, the players can create their own levels by changing the original content of the game, add new enemies and weapons, make story modifications or completely change the game mechanics.

The game offers fast-paced gameplay just like the original Doom. The player battles hellish creatures filled with a variety of weapons and power-ups as they explore a series of complex levels. The game features new weapons and enemies, as well as familiar ones from the original game. Armed with a variety of weapons, players explore various levels as they try to take down the enemies. You need to move quickly and aim accurately to advance through maze-like levels filled with enemies. The gameplay of Doom 2 is an example that sets the standards for many contemporary games with an FPS angle. The game also features new weapons and enemies compared to the original Doom. New weapons include iconic weapons such as the Super Shotgun and the Double Barrel Shotgun, while the enemies include formidable and memorable enemies such as Cyberdemon, Hell Knights and Arch-vile. The game offers a tasteful challenge, although it will sometimes piss you off with its difficulty. It manages not to get bored with the chapters that are long. It has various enemies that are wonderfully designed. The gameplay is even more diversified with each enemy's own special weapons and attack style. The graphics of Doom 2 were quite impressive by the standards of the period. Sprite-based graphics, created using a 2.5-dimensional engine, reinforce the atmosphere and tension of the game. It really reflects the unique chaoitic hell atmosphere. You almost experience an adrenaline rush in this atmosphere with the music. The menacing sound effects of the enemies and the explosions of the guns bring the player into the action more. Heavy metal music composed by Bobby Prince adds energy and excitement to the game.

Doom II supports multiplayer deathmatch games over local network or modem. Players can compete with each other online or with other players on the same network. This mod is an important feature that increases the popularity of Doom II and ensures long-term playability. Moreover, when the mod community and multiplayer feature come together, a completely different experience can emerge.

More DOOM, More good. I like doom 1's levels much more but the new enemies and addition of the super shotgun really boost this game to be a bit above doom 1. I really liked all the new additions to the demon roster, yes including the archvile. Level design is really fuckin weird, falling off in the later half (fuck you The Chasm and barrels o' fun) and I really think the Icon of Sin could have been so much more. Still though, solid game all around and I will indulge in community maps in the near future, which are likely no doubt better than the base game maps.

icon of sin more like icon of shit

i think i mustve not been in the mood for doom 1 because this one felt a lot more fun. weaving in and out and taking shots with the ssg was really satisfying. the game's a lot of fun, but also the level design is confusing. i was usually running around the map trying to find where to go after everything died. there should really be a certain texture that tells you you can shoot a wall and something happens/texture that brings an elevator down. when youre in a toxic pit its like a mad dash humping every wall piece. some levels also have too many enemies. this game is also guilty of the too many weapons problem i find in nearly every single arena/boomer/whatever shooter(only circumvented by eternal and ultrakill as of 6/14/23) . i only really used ssg and rockets, sometimes plasma and only chaingun if i was out of ammo. everything else i rarely touched, even bfg. tbh i barely remember anything from doom 1 so i dont feel right judging which is better.

DOOM I and DOOM II defined the FPS genre!
Thanks to them later we got shooters like Duke Nukem, Blood, Shadow Warrior, Quake and RTCW. RTCW was the first game I ever played but DOOM II is the game that left an impact on me.

Playing this in 2018 brought me a lot of nostalgia for the times when old-school shooters were simple, smooth, fast, sometimes over the top and always challenging. Times when people were not that sensitive and easily offended. The market was still not flooded with overpriced uncompleted generic looking games.

The gaming demographics were very small, especially in post-communist countries and not many people had PCs. I was one of the lucky kids to have a PC just because my father and his friends saw the potential of computer tech development at the beginning of the '90s. Those were wild years in the ex-communist bloc - the transition from communism to the free market, years of violence, drugs, uncertainty and everybody looking for a way to survive. Getting a PC and video games was far harder and involved having connections with people from Western countries. Except for working with PCs, something rare for that time, my father and his friends have spent hours and hours after work playing DOOM II multiplayer. He didn't believe me that you can still run old shooters on a modern PC until I started the GZDoom port. I brought him 20 years back and additionally showed him Brutal DOOM. Well, you can say he was quite happy.

I wish I liked this as much as most people seem to, but I can't help but feel that the simple perfection of the original Doom works a lot better than the awkwardness of the new level design and combat in Doom II. There aren't any points in the original game where I wish I was able to jump, or look around vertically, or have access to any of the now standard FPS features that would be introduced in Quake. Doom II often feels let down by lacking these elements, and its sprawling level design with larger vertical expanses reminds me a little too much of Quake to enjoy it on the same terms I do the original. Still, there's a lot to love in Doom II and I'd bet when someone says "doom" a good chunk of the things that come to your mind originate in this game. The super shotgun, the icon of sin, tons of classic enemy designs like the Revenants or the Mancubi, etc. Doom II isn't a bad game by any means, just one that unfortunately makes me wish I was playing Quake instead.

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.