E2M1ER 1.0

DOOM is one of the oldest FPSes in existence, and its engine is famously so robust that it can run on pretty much anything and also create pretty much anything.  From FPSes to RPGs to companions to a city living game, it has a ton of different mods and maps that can all do different things. But before all that, there were the humble WADs, just maps that had different characteristics based on which author made them. One of them is E2M1ER.

To install E2M1ER, you need to have GZDoom and move the WAD file into the GZDoom folder, which is pretty par for the course for DOOM maps.

There's no plot in this game, but Espi has always told story through tiny placements. You can tell that you're in an overrun UAC facility by how structured everything is, with the door systems, and the occasional lone holdout marines that died in a last stand. There is a location of a brutal slaughter room in the basement, and it's pretty clear that something awful has happened.

The levle itself is highly interconnected, with multiple shortcuts that can open to facilitate backtracking. The map design is strikingly modern despite it coming from two decades ago, and it's genuinely interesting to play through. While this might roll some eyes, it reminded me of Dark Souls with how meticulously the map is designed for exploration, which was a novelty back then.

All in all, E2M1ER is a fantastic map and is a great look into the past.