Some Weird design decisions.

[Engraved]

Doom 2's level design is not as good as the first which is a fine because of the higher enemy variety and super shotgun which makes up for it but some of the level design is very cryptic at times to the point where its undeniably bad. An example would finding the exit in the level "spirit world". You have to shoot a random symbol on the wall to progress the game which is pretty much just straight up poor level design. The only other time where the game communicates this mechanic is the beginning of courtyard where you have to shoot the symbol on the wall to open the door, of course this is fine, but there's no other part of the game where you need to shoot the same symbol to progress the game (not including secrets for obvious reasons). The symbol you need to shoot is not communicated that it is shootable or even has any significance in the first place and is seen as just another decoration in the level.

Another one that is cryptic is "the citadel". Again when actually trying to leave the level to the exit, it pretty much has the same problem as the spirit worlds exit. You have to interact with something that's pretty much random, in this case it is the wall. Now usually one of the ways that a door is communicated in the game is its between two silver panel looking thingys, but in this case its on the right of the silver looking thingys which doesn't make sense logically it seems very out of place, my first instinct was to interact with that wall, but didn't open, so why would I bother interacting with random walls other than for secrets? The wall again just like the spirit world, doesn't looks significant or has any visual cues that its interactable, it just looks like a normal wall.

Now these type of situations in the game are extremely rare in the game and in fact I was able to make it through 95% without looking on youtube. I only ever had to look up a walkthrough like 3 times. Also usually these levels can be confusing at times but can easily be solved with a little exploring, but not these moments. It may seem ridiculous to complain about something that doesn't have any major significance when you can just look up a walk through on youtube, but when its moments like these in games where the level designers are clearly capable of communicating direction in level design in the past, then its fair that its capable of criticism. Also. now I wasn't alive in the 90's, but you have to keep in mind that youtube didn't exist in the 90's. Which means that they put in these particular moments in the game during a time where if your stuck, then your basically done with the game because you have to see the fourth dimension to find these exits. Now my overall experience was very positive in the game and I love it, its just these moments that really bother me, mostly because Im thinking how the hell did people figure these moments out in the 90's? or is they ever did in the first place. To remind of course, they are rare, and 95% is clear in direction or actually exporable to be uncovered

[Mythic Voyager]

skill issue