E4M2: Perfect Hatred (Doom)

E4M2: Perfect Hatred is the second map of Thy Flesh Consumed in Doom. It was designed by John Romero and uses the music track "Donna to the Rescue."

Of all the levels John Romero contributed to Doom and Doom II, E4M2 took the shortest time to finish; he started working on it at midnight and finished at 6AM.

Its open yet compact design means that the player will immediately alert and face a mass of monsters at the start, particularly a concentration of Imps and Cacodemons, without much cover and in very close quarters. Also, as much of the level consists of platforms above damaging lava, some skill is needed in making the "jumps", often while dodging enemy attacks.

Walkthrough
At the onset you should dodge backwards, and try to ensure that the two Shotgun Guys in front of you collect a few of the Imp fireballs heading your way. This will cause the Shotgun Guys to open fire on the tightly-packed Imps, and although the Shotgunners will not survive for long, every little helps. Engage the Cacodemons heading your way, taking care to keep them at a distance with selective aimed shots. If they mob you on the starting platform you will have to dodge into the lava to escape, which could prove fatal. Once the Cacodemons are dead, kill the Imps and Demons on the platforms ahead. There are two sets of stairs in front of you. Run through the one on the left to make sure you land on this platform. On this platform is a switch. Flip it. Turn around to see a new opening. Run to get to it.

In here, kill the Imps and Shotgun Guys near you. Jump into the pit and grab the Radiation Suit down here. You should hear a door open (before you hit the switch, save your game). Flip the switch down here too. Now turn around and run to the rising platform. Follow it to the platform you did not go to yet, and run again, to get across the small gap. Pick up the Plasma Gun, and a hidden door will open, containing a Baron of Hell, an Energy Cell Pack, and the Yellow skull key. Kill that Baron with your new Plasma Gun, and get the Yellow skull key. Now drop back in the pit again, and go through the opening, in here is another Baron of Hell, after killing it, go straight, heading to a teleporter. Go through it.

You are back at the starting room again. This time, run through the staircase to the right. When you land on this platform, hit the switch in between the yellow bars (the Yellow skull key is needed). When you hit it, turn to the right and kill the Lost Souls that just appeared. When they are gone, run to the platform they were on. Get the Armor and Rocket Launcher, and then on this platform, there's part of the platform in front of an opening. Once again, run to get to it. Jump in the pit below, and kill any Cacodemons and Spectres down here. If you want to save ammo, there's a Chainsaw you can get down here. When everyone is killed down here, explore this room for another opening that has a staircase. When you do find it, climb the stairs to a teleporter, but do not go through it yet. To the left of it is an opening. Inside is another Baron and a Blue skull key. Take down the Baron, and get the Blue skull key. Now go through the teleporter.

You will be at the starting room again. Run through the staircase at the left again. Run straight again, crossing to get to another platform. See that blue pillar? First, blow up the Barrel in front in of it, at a safe distance too. Then, open up the blue pillar (same thing as a Blue Door), and climb up the stairs. Behind a lump is a Cyberdemon. Ignore it (do not shoot it, and walk up to the door, and it will open by itself. Kill the Cacodemons in front of you. Then turn around, go back down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, go left, and take the teleporter. Save your game before you enter the teleporter. You will be where the Cyberdemon is. You should telefrag him, and he should be killed like that. Get the BFG here, and lower the lump. When it lowers, go right, running into the pit, following the right wall (be quick). If you were quick enough, you will get to this opening. Go inside, and hit the exit switch (this takes you to the secret exit).

Secrets
1. In the smaller, isolated lava pit in the southwest of the level, drop into the lava and flip the switch to raise a bridge. Step into the small triangle of lava next to the switch to open an exit out of this pit. At the top of the stairs is a teleporter. Open the wall to the left just before the teleporter; behind it is a secret cache. The right wall at the back of the secret room also opens, and you can take the other side of the teleporter to a separate secret room.

2. After opening the blue "door", run up the stairs and across the raised platform with the Cyberdemon guarding it until you hear the sound of a door opening behind you. Run back down to the lower wooden platforms, and a teleporter will have appeared. Go through it to telefrag the Cyberdemon, saving you a lot of work. Pick up the BFG and lower the wall in front of you to exit.

3. Secret exit: Upon lowering the wall to exit secret 2, a wall back down in the western wall of the main lava pit will lower temporarily. Quickly run into the opening to reach the exit to E4M9: Fear.

Records
The Compet-N records for the map are:

Trivia

 * In The Ultimate Doom, it is the fourth stage in the demo rotation. The player didn't last long...