The Underground Complex (Hawkins National Laboratory)

The second floor is so bad there is nothing but death as a survivor, i never go there as a survivor at all because of how bad it is designed, for me it's inexistent, the map overall has unsafe pallets and the map itself can be confusing, it's a bad map for both sides imo

Part of the map has an awful super saturated green filter, that is a relic of the past map designs.

The Underground Complex is one of the licensed indoors maps and it is the one that shares the most with Treatment Theatre. By its own nature, it has plenty of differences from a typical outdoors map, like it being smaller, having lots of line of sight blockers, hard to find generators & totems, lots of pallets (22) at loops that are unconventional as well as many drop-down windows. Similar to Treatment Theatre, the survivors' proficiency in the map and the killer power's compatibility with it play a major role to the outcome and enjoyment of the trial.

The small and long rooms can only repeat the specific type if it is a laboratory room but no if it is a storage room, it would be more intuitive if neither could repeat. The doorways are very erratic, sometimes generating dead ends where the survivor is unable to do anything in chase and that can also block killers from navigating towards a hook in time. The generators spawn logic can rarely spawn two generators inside the same long room.

The rift room counts with a window that is arguably very strong for many killers to handle; it also has hooks that are very easy to defend due to the reduced entrances and the generator is so awkward to patrol that it is usually not worth defending. On a similar note, the generator in the isolation room on the upstairs section is also not worth patrolling most of the time and that area on itself is not the most interactive (since the loops are so unsafe and the best option is to navigate it up and down with enough headstart).

The two adjacent corners to the upstairs section have hooks that are also very easy to defend, specifically the one where the staircase is far from the edge map wall (since approaching from upstairs is not an option and the fixed loop nearby is very unsafe).

Several issues could realistically be addressed, like the doorways & generators spawn logic or the room types that repeat.

Modifying the outliers in the layout may result complicated due to the licensed nature of the map & reducing the frustration from powers that aren't compatible with the map is also not an easy task.

Love the map for nostalgia reasons and very happy it's back but there need to be some changes gameplay wise. I heard it's a nightmare to play Singularity on this map but what do I know? Flat walls and no trees and such is probably the problem for Singu.

Killer or survivor sided well I think that depends on what killer it is but most killers should do well on this map?

Genuinely the worst indoor map without question.

It's a remnant of old dbd map design that still needs to be updated like every other old element still remaining in dbd.

The map needs the following.

• Breakable doors to replace the prop doors or just not have any doors for rooms.
• Realm Beyond visual overhaul.
• Better placement for things such as Xenomorph's tunnel entrances so they don't obstruct the path as seen sometimes where they spawn to close to a prop so that the path becomes blocked.
• Tiles with both double pallets and double windows being toned down in strength.
• Removal of the vault by the generator up on the catwalk in the upside down entrance room.

I actually really like this map, though I'll admit part of it is probably for nostalgia reasons. But I liked the map even before it was removed.

While a lot of the pallets are pretty unsafe, there are a ton of pallets and that helps make up for that. While this is a bit like the brand new Greenville Square, where there are also a ton of pallets with a lot of them being unsafe, and I didn't like this balancing strategy on that map, I think it works better on Hawkins because quite a few of the pallets can often be chained together which makes them not unsafe anymore. It also feels more natural on Hawkins because there are a lot of hallways that aren't really suitable to have window vaults so pallets just work better.

Personally, I would like to see generator spawns on top of the catwalks be removed, such as this one:

There are 2 generators that are always on different elevation from the rest (one in the portal room and one on the 2nd floor) which are naturally harder to patrol for the killer (and are also pretty safe vs. most killers, the portal room gen is extremely safe against everyone except Nurse, the upstairs gen is safe vs. most killers except stealth killers). And 2 is enough on its own. Having generators appear on top of the catwalks creates a third (or even fourth, if there are 2 in one game) generator that is more time-consuming for the killer to patrol and they are also difficult for survivors to find - it's very easy to check a room, not see a generator on the ground, and go past it because generators on top of the catwalks are more difficult to notice.

The single pallet upstairs could be better for survivor, it's pretty much completely useless, and the portal room downstairs window could also use an adjustment, the window is unwinnable for killer if the survivor has the proper starting distance/positioning since they can prevent chase from starting by walking and there's no mindgame since you can see the killer through the glass.

very bad balance-wise, I agree with most here.

but from a casual point of view, I still missed it when it was gone and like it when it’s not sweaty opponents. Can’t say I am too fond of this to be the map for Stranger Things though, would have loved some other parts of Hawkins/Upside Down Hawkins eg Wood area with Byers House and Christmas lights, or that pool (was it at Steve’s house?) or the Mall(!!)

I like the map but it can be a bit buggy with prop spawns and hooks in tight corridors

You have the most detailed feedback for all the maps in each post you make in this part of the forums, keep up the good work!

Overall I'd say the map is better for Killers. The map is relatively small, with little to no good pallets. Usable windows are near non-existent (barring the god-window). Gen spawns always feel super bad, and I've frequently had 2 gens spawn on the same upper platform section on one side or the other. That means there are 4 solo gens, with 2 easily patrolled at the same time.

One fun sidenote is that this is a surprisingly good Trapper map. The long drop kinda always forces you to fall in the same spot, and I had 3 trap activations (I hooked from) there in a single game once. You can also block the only good locations for the Survivors to run.

The gates are one of the few things in the Survivor's favor, but only if you are non-mobility/Plague Killers.

Overall bad experience as Survivor, mixed experience as Killer.

The most chaotic and wonky map there is.

RPD doesn't even come close.

The wall openings being so rng makes playing this map infuriating. Many powers cannot be used as normal (wesker, larry, billy etc) and make for a painful time for the killers. Other powers completely nulify the loops (dredge, knight, artist, unknown) and make for a painful time for survivor. Nothing can really be changed about the map to fix its issues though.

It is very difficult to navigate, as it's sometimes impossible to see from afar whether a door is open or not. Unlike RPD the doors aren't fixed, and unlike The Game the doors are rather small. This can lead to you wanting to go from A to B and completely wasting your time going to the end of the room, just to realize that you can't leave it there. This can lead to Gens popping in your face as Killer or Unhooks you don't reach as Survivor and it feels very frustrating, because if it was clearer what doors are open, you would've reached your goal in time.

Additionally. the area upstairs is so unnecessary when it comes to gameplay. I NEVER went there in chase or when trying to hide or whatever. It is just there, to exist. The gen there is also terrible. As Survivor if the Killer finds you there, you are dead. As Killer it's impossible to defend the gen realistically.

What I like about the map though, is that it is randomized where the rooms are. This leads to variety in gameplay.

I feel that the ascetics of this map kind of lacks their identity. Glass room is cool but all the other looks too similar. The name says "laboratory" so the rooms should look more like laboratories/offices and not storages and only storages.

Balance wise I really dislike how unintuitive the logic of doors is on this map. On Meat Plant for example it is far better: Sliding doors are closed if there is a unrepaired generator on one of their sides. I wish it would be similar on hawkins. I have also noticed that sometimes generators spawns on the catwalks and I dislike that because they are hard to find

The map just stinks overall

Huge. Maybe shrink a little and it's brilliant?

Absolute worst map in the game by at least one order of magnitude.

For a long time I thought RPD was the most confusing/impossible to navigate in the game. But then the Stranger Things DLC came back and I got to experience it for the first time and now I wish the ST DLC would disappear again forever ASAP. Every area of the map looks more or less identical with virtually zero distinguishing characteristics. As a survivor here it's impossible to find gens to work on without walking face first into the killer by accident. As killer it's only barely tolerable at all because you can see generator auras so you have at least some way to find your way around. I can't even suggest any way to make it better. Please god, just scrap the whole map. I don't even care if you replace it with a new better version, just remove it from the rotation and end my pain!

A big cramped confusing glitchy mess that's obnoxious to navigate, let alone play. It needed a serious overhaul before being brought back.

Love this map for its balance. It nerfs top tier killers while not hindering lower tier killers at all. Lots of unsafe pallets and unique structures adds for interesting gameplay. The biggest and i mean biggest issue with this map is vaultable window connected to the glass window. That window if shift teched correctly is a literal infinite. The upstairs gen is very unsafe to try to do since you cant see the killer coming, not including there isnt anything safe loop near it. I think if you want a out of the way unsafe gen, that is fine but it should make so the survivors can react with out comms a little bit easier to the killer approaching.