When I was around 6 years old, my dad told me about playing DOOM on the worst computers ever. He told me how it was the only GPS he could stand to play at the time. He also told me how motion sick he gets just thinking about playing again.
Now that I’m diving into this shared experience, everything he says makes complete sense. The sprawling hallways, the quick turnarounds, the jumpscares, I feel like I am reliving the stories he told me as a kid, but with the knowledge of an adult. Each level left me more puzzled as to what to do, sometimes losing where I was, having to retrace my steps and find my way through the level multiple times. My particular favorite level ended up as Phobos AnomAly simply because of its contrast to the others. The final area dies not conform to the maze-like mess of hallways — rather, it presents you as the player with clear direction, making the gameplay even more ominous than before despite the lack of enemies to fill in the empty space (which should be the most terrifying aspect). The boss room then presents you with several surprises: a new enemy to learn as you fight it, a space that initially fools you with a floor texture looking like lava, and an ending design resembling a pentagram, the first formal, obvious shape in the game. Then, when you think you just won, you enter the real game, a perfect bait and switch, leading you further into the game.
As I continue with my exploration of DOOM, I look forward to learning more about the level design and get more perspective from my dad on his playthroughs on the orginal game.