I played several levels on PC but all twenty levels on Xbox One port. I haven't got to try Bad Dream secret level yet though. As stated in my recent Doom blog prior to this, Master Levels for Doom II lets you select the levels you want to play. But how they went about the order can be a bit weird. In PC version, they are lined up alphabetically while they are numbered.
You will obviously notice the order of the levels is vastly different between them. Icon of Sins does appear in one level as a way to ending a level. No this isn't the final level among these. I got to be honest compared to both halves of Final Doom, I felt this had better maps overall. One of the last levels takes place on a huge elevator with many rooms on several floors connected.
There is a fan favorite called Black Tower that may or may not be a reference to Stephen King's Dark Tower series. This is how you should make an expansion pack. Essentially this adds a folder containing several level wads with one containing two levels since Bad Dream was on that one. You have to carefully check which maps each level replaces.
This does include when you use mods like Brutal Doom in particular. To clarify what might be a myth to some, yes these levels do work with Brutal Doom. Also stated from my previous Doom blog, each level on PC version does have their own story. The closest thing I seen to this also had id Software involved.
There was Quake II Netpack 1: Extremities. This too was set up as a folder that mostly focuses on multiplayer mods. Steam does not include this among their Quake II purchases. But GOG does an all in one deal including that which I bought a while back. Master Levels are challenging but more fair than Final Doom can be at times.
Between this & No Rest for the Living episode, both of them are absolutely amazing in their own right. I still do prefer maps in No Rest of the Living episode overall. But some of my absolute favorite official Doom maps are from Master Levels expansion. This is exactly what was promised, you will be challenged by some of the finest Doom fans around that time.
This comes off like a fan game before Sonic Mania many years before. Keep in mind, id Software was more focus on finishing the original Quake. I promise I'm slowly trying to get a review done. The truth is I might have to give the cheating side of it rather than overall view. At least I'm coming forward to saying it.
I will say this, Master Levels was a nice surprise in Xbox One port. I still wish I had that and No Rest for the Living episode together. PS3 got Doom Classic Complete that had almost all of classic Doom series just missing Doom 64. I also liked how they label them on the saves so you can't confuse them for maps from the main game.
Doom II is one of my absolute favorite FPS games of all time. This felt like a must have among Doom fans. I know some newer fans might not understand this or have the patience to push themselves through it like I did. This expansion felt like extra maps that's worth replaying nearly as often as the actual maps are.
I am not going to lie, some of these maps can be frustrating in where to go or what to do at times. At the same time, there is plenty of surprises. I should mention in PC version when you compete any of these levels, you will continue on to the map from Doom II next to the one you replaced. In other words, if you played any that replace the first level.
The second map from Doom II will be up next. But this doesn't happen in Xbox One port. Instead what happens is you go right back to the level selection screen. Honestly, I do prefer that since what if I want to play some of the other levels? These maps are notably bigger than some of the biggest Doom II itself has.
Master Levels for Doom II is hands down a great surprise as well as a love letter to the fans. I also liked you can use built in codes within Xbox One port on these maps too. Yeah I should mention, Xbox 360 port doesn't have any codes. But using them will disable getting achievements & being able to save.
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