Doom II: Hell on Earth (1994: MS-DOS) – Review (2024)

Before reading my review, here are my criteria concerning review scores. Ialso want to disclaim that I originally penned this review for Doom II: Hell on Earth (1994: MS-DOS) in 2021. Ireworked the original review, which contained numerous structural and grammatical errors. I will call this game Doom II throughout this review to make it more concise.

Ah, Doom II: Hell on Earth, the sequel to the original Doom (1993)! Romero, Carmack, and the rest of id Software developed Doom II when Doom was a vanguard of video game culture alongside the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive! To say that Doom II influenced video game culture is an understatement. Doom II is presumably the most modded video game of all time besides the 3D Elder Scrolls games. I want to disclose that I played Doom II using GZDoom. Let us see how good Doom II is!

Gameplay – 60 points

Controls:

Of course, the foremost component of Doom II to discuss is the controls. Of course, Doom II, regardless of whether you play on MS-DOS (or DOSBox) or Windows (via GZDoom like I played with), includes customized controls, so I will disclose the control scheme I used:

• W, A, S, and D are the movement and strafe keys (i.e., the D-pad on classic controllers)
• Left-click on the Mouse to use your current weapon.
• E is to open doors and access secrets hidden behind walls.
• Scrolling the Mouse Wheel allows you to proceed to the next or previous weapon.
• The Number 1 switchesto the Fist/Chainsaw.
• The Number 2 switches to the Pistol.
• The Number 3 switchesto the Shotgun or Super Shotgun.
• The Number 4 switchesto the Chaingun.
• The Number 5 switchesto the Rocket Launcher.
• The Number 6 switchesto the Plasma Riffle.
• The Number 7 switchesto the BFG9000.
• The Tab key allows you to access the map.
• F1 allows you access to the Help Menu.
• F2 Saves your current state.
• F3 Loads any of your save states.
• The Escape key pauses Doom II.

I will also picture the MS-DOS and DOSBox controls (see below). Doom II features phenomenal controls that can challenge most acclaimed video games regarding its control scheme. The controls are comfortable and feature zero input lag, which is unsurprising considering Doom II features Alfonso John Romero and John Carmack II in its staff.

My score for the Controls section is 12/12

Frame rate and Stability:

Doom II runs at 35 FPS when you play on DOSBox or the following operating systems:

• MS-DOS
• Windows 3.0
• Windows 3.1
• Windows 95
• Windows 98

The frame rate in Doom II locks at 35 FPS with zero slowdown. Modern computers can run Doom II via GZDoom at 60 FPS with zero slowdown. A locked frame rate is essential, and Doom II plays differently at both frame rates. When playing Doom II at 35 FPS, Doom II plays similarly to a horror game, which is fascinating. Of course, playing Doom II at 60 FPS is more conventional or desirable for fanciers of the first-person shooter genre. I hope your computer encounters no tribulations running a first-person shooter MS-DOS game from 1994.

System requirements? – ZDoom

My score for the Frame rate and Stability section is 12/12

Polish:

Doom II is another addition to the assemblage of excellently polished video games, which goes without saying. I want to remind newcomers that Monster infighting is an intended mechanic, not a glitch. Of course, there are limitations to the Doom Engine, known as the id Tech 1 Engine. The limitations are due to Doom II being an almost 30(!) year old video game programmed to function on MS-DOS. The immaculate programming of John Carmack is demonstrated once again in Doom II, and bugs existing outside of standard gameplay or utilized during speed runs will not discourage 95% of Doom players. Just be conscious that Doom II, like Doom (1993), does not incorporate the Z-axis (since Doom II is a 2D game).

Category: Exploitable bugs and glitches

Static limits

Monsters stuck in door tracks, walls, or hanging off lifts

My score for the Polish section is 12/12

Level, Game, and World Design:

Here is where Doom II commences its divergence from Doom (1993) and The Ultimate Doom (Thy Flesh Consumed) since Doom II features a radically dissimilar level design philosophy compared to the four episodes of the previous game. Doom II features three episodes, which are titled:

• The Space Station (11 levels)
• The City (9 levels)
• Hell (10 levels)

In addition to those 30 levels, Doom II contains two secret levels: MAP31: Wolfenstein and MAP32: Grosse. These two levels are identical to levels featured in the legendary Wolfenstein 3D, which I will author a review for in the future. Anyway, the initial level configuration and environments of Doom II are similar to the first and second episodes of Doom (1993), Knee Deep in the Dead and The Shores of Hell. These first eleven levels are my favorite in Doom II due to their fantastical environmental storytelling and lighting, especially in MAP02: Underhalls, MAP04: The Focus, MAP05: The Waste Tunnels, and MAP11: Circle of Death. MAP02: Underhalls is memorable for featuring the debut of the Super Shotgun, one of the most outstanding weapons in video game history!

Episode 2, The City, is a recipient of my criticism for featuring an un-Doom-like design. While the overall design of MAP12-MAP20 is not atrocious, the levels featured in this episode can feel disjointed and tedious to play through. That is not to say there are no highlights since MAP14: The Inmost Dens, MAP16: Suburbs, and MAP17: Tenements are favorites of mine. These three levels amend most of my issues with MAP12: The Factory, MAP13: Downtown, MAP19: The Citadel, and MAP20: Gotcha! The principal reason I criticize these four levels, in particular, is because they feature monotonous architecture that confuses players and makes players feel they are running on a hamster wheel. The three levels I mentioned that remind me of Doom (1993) feature fantastic environmental storytelling and distinctive landmarks that indirectly hint to players where they need to head next.

Episode 3, Hell, features an amalgamation of Episodes 1 and 2 and wraps up Doom II pleasingly, with MAP23: Barrels o’ Fun being my favored level in Episode 3. The levels in Episode 3 utilize innumerable fascinating yet unorthodox contrivances. However, one omnipresent reality to the 32 levels in Doom II (minus MAP30: Icon of Sin, of course) is the imaginative and thoughtful arrangement of the clandestine secrets (i.e., Soul Spheres, Mega Spheres, and the BFG). The secrets in Doom II are legitimately some of the most brilliant I have seen.

I also cannot forget to mention Doom II features the debut of the following legendary demons:

• Chaingunner
• Hell Knight
• Revenant
• Mancubus
• Arachnotron
• Pain Elemental
• Arch-vile
• Wolfenstein SS
• Commander Keen (technically considered a monster)

My score for the Level, Game, and World Design is 11/12

Here are two of the most iconic moments in Doom II. The beginning of the game, and when you retrieve the Super Shotgun in Underhalls (Map 2).

Difficulty, Enemy AI, and Competitive Balance:

While not an elementary game, Doom II is what you make of it. Doom II incorporates five difficulty options, which are the following:

1. I’m too young to die (sk_baby)
2. Hey, not too rough (sk_easy)
3. Hurt me plenty (sk_medium)
4. Ultra-Violence (sk_hard)
5. Nightmare! (sk_nightmare)

Ultra-Violence is the hard mode for Doom II, though it is not as challenging as Castlevania or Mega Man on the Nintendo Entertainment System. However, Nightmare is a distinguishable beast! As I mentioned in my review of Doom and The Ultimate Doom (1993 and 1995: MS-DOS), there are several reasons why Nightmare in classic Doom stands as one of the most challenging video games to complete:

• Enemies infinitely respawn.
• Enemies move much faster than in Ultra-Violence and lower.
• Enemies deal more damage.

However, Doom II isvery balanced and gives a reprieve, even when the situation looks rough. Regardingthe artificial intelligence of the demons, they follow a primitive set of behaviors and patterns. Whileclassic Doom had state-of-the-artartificial intelligence in the 1990s, people replaying the game 30+ years later will think it is primitive due to how exploitable it is. Anexample of exploitable artificial intelligence in classic Doom is when you can trigger Monster infightingbyswinging The Doom Marine’s fist. Thisexploitation results in the demons fighting each other instead of you. However, even this goofiness is not a detriment to the overall gameplay and gives classic Doom a unique charm.

My score for the Difficulty, Enemy AI, and Competitive Balance is 12/12

The overall score for GAMEPLAY is 59/60

Story – 10 points

As expected, Doom II contains a rudimentary plot. However, the overall background and lore of Doom make the franchise more interesting than at first glance. After Doom (1993) and The Ultimate Doom, the Doom Marine defeats the Spider Mastermind, which unlocked a gateway between Earth and Hell, hence the full name, Doom II: Hell on Earth. The demons that plagued Mars also invaded Earth. The demons destroyed all primary metropolises and municipalities on Earth, and the human survivors awaited evacuation. Unfortunately for the human survivors, the demons surrounded the starport with a flaming barrier and annihilated every other soldier. Only the badass Doom Marine survives.

After fighting the demonic spawn, the Doom Marine allowed the survivors to escape safely to space. While the Doom Marine prepares for death, he receives a radio message from a ship commander who reveals where the demonic invasion originates. The Doom Marine endeavors through the devastated metropolis only to glimpse the eventual merger of Hell and Earth.

Eventually, the Doom Marine returns to the underworld (via a portal) and confronts the Icon of Sin. After pumping three rockets into its brain, the Icon of Sin perishes in a scenic death, leaving Hell devastated, which gives humanity a reprieve and a chance to rebuild.

Overall, the overarching story for Doom II is rudimentary, but it gets to the point rather quickly and does not bore players, which always deserves praise. Doom II contains mystifying lore that players can read about in the Doom Bible.

The overall score for STORY is 7/10

Graphics – 10 points

While the overarching art style and graphics remain unchanged from Doom (1993) and The Ultimate Doom, Doom II has fantastic graphics. The sprites are iconic, the gore and animations are excellent, and the overarching palette is outstanding, except for some levels in Episode 2, The City. Doom II contains a timeless aesthetic, and Doom II mods (modifications also look fantastic. The skyboxes in Doom II are also gorgeous and project a foreboding presence. For reference, on the console side of gaming, Nintendo published Donkey Kong Country a month after Doom II hit store shelves.

The overall score for GRAPHICS is 10/10

Music – 10 points

Like Doom (1993), Doom II features a timeless soundtrack that impresses me more than most contemporary games. Of course, several compositions give an adrenaline rush, but Doom II contains eerie and ominous themes, with the latter making certain levels more unsettling. The soundtrack in Doom II is another favorite of mine due to the contrasting styles within its soundtrack complementing each other admirably.

The overall score for MUSIC is 10/10

Replay Value – 5 points

However, is Doom II fun? Of course, the answer is yes! If you are playing Doom II for the first time, you will love the game after five minutes. During my initial playthrough of Doom II several years ago, I realized what makes Doom II so beloved by retro computer gamers. The clandestine secrets, ingenious level design, modding scene, and multiplayer add to the mythos of Doom II. Finally, Doom II encourages speed-running!

The overall score for REPLAY VALUE is 5/5

Bonus Content – 5 points

As mentioned in my review of Doom (1993) and The Ultimate Doom, classic Doom games contain near-infinite Bonus Content due to easily accessible modding tools and downloadable mods that are easily playable on most computers. Doom II also includes the legendary Deathmatch, which is still fantastic three decades later! And speaking of mods, id Software released what can be considered unofficial mods for Doom II, TNT Evilution, and The Plutonia Experiment, which I will presumably review after this summer.

The overall score for BONUS CONTENT is 5/5

My overall Score for Doom II: Hell on Earth (1994: MS-DOS) – 96% or an A

Overall, Doom II: Hell on Earth is a marvelous sequel to my favorite video game, Doom (1993). Doom II takes everything renowned about its predecessor and amps it up to eleven, although particular-level designs periodically agitate me. Nevertheless, this is classic Doom in its glory! Doom II contains iconic (mostly) set pieces and demons that will always allow me to enjoy my time with classic Doom, modern gaming be damned.

Best time for Dead Simple (with no BFG)!

Links to keep in mind:

The Doom Wiki at DoomWiki.org – Doom, Heretic, Hexen, Strife, and more

Doom Wiki | Fandom

Doom II – The Doom Wiki at DoomWiki.org

Chocolate Doom – The Doom Wiki at DoomWiki.org

GZDoom – The Doom Wiki at DoomWiki.org

Steam Community :: Guide :: All console commands for GZDoom, ZDoom and LZDoom.

Forums – Doomworld

Doom II Windows, Mac, Linux, DOS, XBOX, PS1, GBA game – ModDB

DOSBox, an x86 emulator with DOS

Also, this post by Eli Manning is Hall of Fame worthy: