Nobody Told Me They Still Make Doom II Wads
Nobody told me they’ve been making Doom II wads this whole entire time. Not only is there a lot of Doom II content, but a lot of it is good, a lot of it is great, and some of it is even groundbreaking.
Busy with work and projects, I’ve been looking for ways to unwind. I do some private tutoring. The cash is nice, but when I get home I’m exhausted. I don’t have an Xbox or anything, and I’m not trying to spend my hard-earned cash on one either. So I started watching Doom videos in the evening.
First I started watching Doom Eternal. I watched a few great no-commentary playthroughs by some phenomenal players. PatologTV has a Nightmare-level walkthrough that I enjoyed. My favorite thing about Doom Eternal is the popping sound when you rip out the Cacodemon’s eye.
Then I found out they’re making a new Doom game. Doom Eternal comes out May 15, 2025. It looked like a lot of fun, which of course depressed me, because I can’t afford a damn Xbox.
So I started searching for interesting Doom II custom maps. I thought maybe I could play them on my oldish laptop.
What I found astonished me.
After Doom – The Icon of Sin is Dead
The After Doom 2 wads are a series of Doom 2 maps that build on the original Doom story. As you might remember, The Icon of Sin was the last boss in Doom 2. You were supposed to blast a bunch of rocket’s into his brain before he could fill the room with monsters (using his infinite supply).
Anyway, this wad, entitled, “MAP36: Icon of Sin is Dead (After Doom),” was designed by 00_Zombie_00, and it kicks ass. It was released July 27, 2013. If you want the Icon is Sin is Dead forum on Doomworld, you can find it here.
I really want to tell you what I love so much about this map, but before we keep going, a couple of quick disclosures:
- This isn’t a walkthrough for Map36: Icon of Sin is Dead. You can find a walkthrough here
- I nicked all the photos from a playthrough by Youtuber Brodoomer, so look him up
Why Map36: Icon of Sin is Dead Doom 2 Wad Kicks So Much Ass
You start off where Doom 2 left off: with the Icon of Sin exploding. What what happens next is wild: you go straight back to Earth, where you find out that you still have to clean up the mess.
After Doom: Icon of Sin is Dead is different than the rest of Doom.
Do you remember the subtitle of Doom 2? It’s Hell on Earth. Well, this map takes the concept of Hell on Earth to a whole new level.
1. There’s a Library.
That’s right. There’s a Doom 2 Library. At first, I thought it was a bookstore, but do you see that sign behind the zombie? Just Say No! to Drugs. This is the kind of PSA you’ll always find in a library. As for the armor and the shotgun shells, maybe not so much.
Hey, you know what would be cool? You remember those Doom novels? What if you could touch the bookshelf and a readable PDF version of the novel came out?
No? Dumb idea? Never mind.
2. There’s a Pharmacy.
There’s a pharmacy right across the street from the library. There’s a red car parked out front, and the store is stocked with health bonuses, non-perishables, and imps from hell.
One neat feature of the Pharmacy is that as you get close to the entrance, you can hear the shop alarm going off. I think that’s a thoughtful feature that really makes you feel like you’re inside of a big city.
Honestly, even as a kid playing Doom 2, I was aware that it was called Hell on Earth, but I was also kind of aware that none of the maps really felt like anything on Earth.
So if you ask me, Icon of Sin is Dead Doom 2 wad is actually an improvement on the original.
3. There are Vehicles
From abandoned police cars to empty parking lots full of sports cars to army vehicles to18-wheeler trucks, the vehicles add a touch of realism to this mystery city. You get a feeling for what comes after (or during!) an apocalypse, like in The Walking Dead or one of those cinematic horror shows.
Check the carousel below. And when you do end up playing, be on the lookout for one of the secrets of the level: the computer map. You can find it near the UAC trucks.
4. There’s a…toilet? And it works?
Okay, this is kind of an exaggeration. Yes, there are sinks and toilets, and yes, that’s awesome. In the picture below, I hope you can appreciate the effort the map’s author took to recreate the tile, color, and space of a real washroom.
But–no– you can’t really turn the sink on, and you can’t really “use” the toilet. However, the toilets are functional…kind of.
Here’s what you can do:
Yes, that’s right! You can break them.
The toilets take about 3 hits to break. It’s fun.
4. The Bachelor Pad
With bikini model posters, a broken TV with a stimpack, an anarchy sign carved into the wall, and what looks like either a broken clock or a electrical thing with all the stuff ripped out, and — is that a mattress on the floor? — the owner of this incel apartment was clearly living his best life.
The Final Boss is Fucking Terrifying
The last boss, the Icon of Sin, features an enormous monster from the end of Doom 2, except this time, he’s mobile, baby. He stomps all over the city, chasing you down main streets. Your whole screen shakes when he gets near. And, just like the original Icon of Sin Map, he spits out boxes that spawn random monsters all over the map.
It’s terrifying.
How to Beat the Icon of Sin in After Doom: Map 36: Icon of Sin is Dead
Not only does the Icon of Sin chase you down, but he also shoots fire that, even if it misses you, explodes into smaller pieces that can burn you if you touch them:
The way to beat the Icon of Sin is to keep running backwards when you can. While facing him, keep firing the BFG 9000. Or if you don’t have any plasma left, you can try the rockets, but those aren’t great on accuracy, unfortunately.
If you keep it up, believe it or not, it is possible to kill this behemoth.
Just be careful.
It’s possible that he can chase you into a corner. That’s why it’s good to memorize where allt he teleporters are. That way, when he starts breathing down your neck, you get your butt out of there and into a different area of the map.
Eventually, if you keep it up long enough — but not too long, as the Icon of Sin will keep spawning hell creatures — you’ll take him out.
A Doom 2 Wad? Why am I even Amazed?
Why, though? Really?? What’s so special about a custom Doom 2 map from 2013?
It’s a blast of nostalgia, but it’s more than that. I think the quality of these kinds of maps show how special the original games truly were. And for me, finding out that people have been designing “new” Doom games all this time is opening up a whole new world of horror that I’m really looking forward to exploring.
So yeah. Honestly, the question I’m asking myself now is: who gives a shit about a fucking Xbox?