One of the biggest factors in Doom's success was its very first episode along with its very first level. Knee Deep in the Dead is outspoken as many fans' introduction to the game itself. The first impression was such a hit that it sold leaps and bounds over Wolfenstein 3D by around double what it was making per month. The shareware of Doom hit stores and they couldn't keep them on the shelves. Hangar is an iconic level, not only for being its first stage, but also for being the last one made for the episode.
It is such a simple first episode and that helped players learn its mechanics. Not only did they learn how to shoot enemies in a simple way, but it also showed them that there are stairs and dynamic lighting which were not present in Wolfenstein 3D. It showed you the shotgun sergeants and the zombie soldiers with the single shot rifles.
Then come the imps from the balcony. Not only are there levels with stairs, but there are levels where you cannot readily get to it. Well, you can get on top of it, but only after you enter the final stage. New players may not discover this until after they replay the level and go exploring. Yes, secrets are there for those who are paying attention. There is a button at the very beginning after you kill your first horde of enemies (granted you are playing on Ultra Violence at least). Once you press it, you can go outside and find your way to the latter part of the level. Giving you this more hectic but more rewarding way to go in the level is a masterstroke, as it really shows you what type of player you really are. It's simple enough to 100% the secrets if you know about the little corner platform as well, but this is only the start of the episode's greatness.
The second level introduces you to the chaingun, but only if you find the opening room secret where you need to hit a switch. It will also supply you with a megahealth for +100. This level uses hallways very effectively and will often mix the normal zombie with shotgun sergeants and imps all in one big conga line.
The first time I played this game, I saw something that I shouldn't have seen in the Doom map, in the form of the Nazi symbol lowering to the ground. This raised questions as to what the connection was from this world to Wolfenstein 3D. Later, I would hear that Sandy Petersen found it in the map, and removed it. Whether it was a leftover from Tom Hall or not, that's up in the air at this point.
As you get deeper into the levels, you start to see that the secrets are in several different forms. Whether they be on a random little elevator or across some acid, it's normally in a strangely aligned wall or one that is mismatched from the rest in another way. John Romero, Sandy Petersen and Tom Hall all put their creative energy into this episode, and Romero came up with the brilliant idea of putting their final creation for the episode at the very beginning. Hangar was the final level made for Doom's shareware.
Well, Tom Hall started creating the final level, then Sandy Petersen finished it. The Phobos Anamoly features the first Barons of Hell you encounter. They have been lovingly titled "The Bruiser Brothers". In the hardest difficulty, you fight them with nearly invisible pinkies roaming around the corners. If you're not ready for this, it can be very off-putting. Well, it's just that much better when you do kill them and the spectres!
Then you step onto the finishing platform and are teleported to Hell, where you die! That's right, it's a cliffhanger finish and people were hyped for the full experience! Doom became legend because of this one level and I still think it is Doom it is purest form. John Romero, John Carmack, Tom Hall, Sandy Petersen, Adrian Carmack, Bobby Prince and all of the other contributors that made Doom great. It all started right here. That really means something, especially since it aged as well as it did. Classic Doom levels are still being made and there are so many homages to this episode. If you are a Doom fan and you have not completed Knee Deep in the Dead, then you shall have a demon head delivered to your doorstep right away! Begin studying it so that you might practice ripping apart its Virtua Horns!!!
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