DOOM owns.
i am tempted to say it rips. that, it rips and tears. but i think what makes DOOM own is less the adolescent hell-ish ultra violence that it peddles on the surface and more the artisan tech pulsing underneath, its supersonic gameplay and the increasingly complex, Escherian level design.
i don't think i've ever been wowed by a game on a technical level like this before. after the first shareware episode (i played all three episodes plus thy flesh consumed and then Romero's Sigil wad) i ended up turning God Mode on so I could vibe with the game and take in everything DOOM had to offer beyond killing demons because the levels, children. my god - the levels. the ones where the lights flicker on and off? mmmMmmm. i played this because it's a shooter but its charms lie just as much in exploration and puzzles and there is as much satisfaction finding your path forward as there is in blasting an imp with a shotgun (i turned on the give me everything cheat too and played the 90% of the game with the shotgun, maybe gaming's ultimate weapon?). i was expecting to find DNA in DOOM linking to future FPSs but playing DOOM is like seeing behind the curtain of every modern video game and glimpsing the super secret code behind there that's running every single one of them. there's halo, call of duty and fortnite in there. but also GTA and resident evil and some half-life and metal gear solid and A LOT of dark souls. in fact it's basically just dark souls with guns. if i were playing without cheats i could see the same tension at play in Souls where not only do you have to register how to defeat and bypass each enemy but you're also marrying that to the other side of your brain that's trying to memorise and map complex levels and the way out/forward.
i am reading masters of doom and i don't think i really needed to to understand that DOOM was a game made by people who subsisted off pizza, soda and various Metallica and Dokken cassette tapes. the game just oozes that vibe. but reading that book enlightens me to the idea that john romero and john carmack were the doomguy for real. their shotguns were computers and their demons were innovation. id software basically invented the modern video game. the question, "what's the citizen kane of games?" is such a stupid and useless one but the answer is def DOOM, because like citizen kane DOOM is a modern technical marvel made by some brash dudes in their early 20s that most people today are sick of hearing about. but here we are. DOOM owns.
i am tempted to say it rips. that, it rips and tears. but i think what makes DOOM own is less the adolescent hell-ish ultra violence that it peddles on the surface and more the artisan tech pulsing underneath, its supersonic gameplay and the increasingly complex, Escherian level design.
i don't think i've ever been wowed by a game on a technical level like this before. after the first shareware episode (i played all three episodes plus thy flesh consumed and then Romero's Sigil wad) i ended up turning God Mode on so I could vibe with the game and take in everything DOOM had to offer beyond killing demons because the levels, children. my god - the levels. the ones where the lights flicker on and off? mmmMmmm. i played this because it's a shooter but its charms lie just as much in exploration and puzzles and there is as much satisfaction finding your path forward as there is in blasting an imp with a shotgun (i turned on the give me everything cheat too and played the 90% of the game with the shotgun, maybe gaming's ultimate weapon?). i was expecting to find DNA in DOOM linking to future FPSs but playing DOOM is like seeing behind the curtain of every modern video game and glimpsing the super secret code behind there that's running every single one of them. there's halo, call of duty and fortnite in there. but also GTA and resident evil and some half-life and metal gear solid and A LOT of dark souls. in fact it's basically just dark souls with guns. if i were playing without cheats i could see the same tension at play in Souls where not only do you have to register how to defeat and bypass each enemy but you're also marrying that to the other side of your brain that's trying to memorise and map complex levels and the way out/forward.
i am reading masters of doom and i don't think i really needed to to understand that DOOM was a game made by people who subsisted off pizza, soda and various Metallica and Dokken cassette tapes. the game just oozes that vibe. but reading that book enlightens me to the idea that john romero and john carmack were the doomguy for real. their shotguns were computers and their demons were innovation. id software basically invented the modern video game. the question, "what's the citizen kane of games?" is such a stupid and useless one but the answer is def DOOM, because like citizen kane DOOM is a modern technical marvel made by some brash dudes in their early 20s that most people today are sick of hearing about. but here we are. DOOM owns.
DOOM is a game that needs no introduction or explanation. Everyone knows what it is, everyone knows the legacy it left behind, and it's one of those games that everyone takes for granted. Between mods, sourceports, sequels, reboots, questionable DOOM games with the number 3 on their title, there's enough DOOM to last anybody a lifetime, to the point where I wonder how many people even played vanilla DOOM and how long ago most people did.
The good news is, on its own DOOM is still a really fun, well designed game. It's impressive how not only did id Software essentially invented a genre here (Wolfenstein 3D notwithstanding), but also how much they knew of the strength of their own mechanics. It's very rare that developers figure it out this quickly, usually there's sequels that iron out whichever issues pop up, but what you get here are three pretty good episodes containing still some of the greatest layouts in FPS history, and generally great examples of how to design FPS levels (hence the countless WADS, lots of them even better than what's on display here). They're varied, well paced, there's tons of little things to discover, and you probably won't even notice you've been playing the game for 3 hours in a row. Not every level is a hit, especially a couple of later ones where the game becomes less a shooter and more a game of guessing which transporter will bring you where, but even in these lesser levels the strength of the movement, shooting, and basic design principles still show through.
Obviously, DOOM should be played at least once by every shooter enthusiast. It may be a game that's been bested since, both in terms of gameplay depth and level design depth, but the core fundamentals are so sound here that it's easy to see how this little game spawned an IP, a whole genre of clones that will later on oversaturate the market, and maybe most importantly a passionate community of modders, designers and just people that are still playing this game almost 30 years later.
The good news is, on its own DOOM is still a really fun, well designed game. It's impressive how not only did id Software essentially invented a genre here (Wolfenstein 3D notwithstanding), but also how much they knew of the strength of their own mechanics. It's very rare that developers figure it out this quickly, usually there's sequels that iron out whichever issues pop up, but what you get here are three pretty good episodes containing still some of the greatest layouts in FPS history, and generally great examples of how to design FPS levels (hence the countless WADS, lots of them even better than what's on display here). They're varied, well paced, there's tons of little things to discover, and you probably won't even notice you've been playing the game for 3 hours in a row. Not every level is a hit, especially a couple of later ones where the game becomes less a shooter and more a game of guessing which transporter will bring you where, but even in these lesser levels the strength of the movement, shooting, and basic design principles still show through.
Obviously, DOOM should be played at least once by every shooter enthusiast. It may be a game that's been bested since, both in terms of gameplay depth and level design depth, but the core fundamentals are so sound here that it's easy to see how this little game spawned an IP, a whole genre of clones that will later on oversaturate the market, and maybe most importantly a passionate community of modders, designers and just people that are still playing this game almost 30 years later.
I played it on the easiest difficulty and died on the final boss by walking into lava
Just got finished beating the SNES version for the first time. Fuck, my eyes hurt.
Knee-Deep in the Dead > Inferno > The Shores of Hell
Thinking man's FPS. You can get a lot of thinking done when you're shotgunning barons.
It definetely is Doom (1993).
Yeah this rocks even 30 years later, it's amazing how well they nailed everything at ID almost on the first go while basically inventing one of my favorite genres of gaming (sorry to the 3 people that like Wolf3D, you can paypal your hard earned money if you really want me to play it because I feel nothing towards that game and have no desire to replay it. I guarantee no playthrough tho, I just want to get Soldier of Fortune on GoG). Really, gramgram hasn't aged a bit in those three decades and I was surprised to find out how short it really is, about 4 hours on ultra-violence while doing little secret hunting. Yeah I'm one of those that doesn't really care for secrets, high scores never really got to me as a kid so I was never much of a completionist.
Please, play this thing, it's really as good as that one friend you have that you know it's a freak because they always have some knowledge on whatever you're talking about with them says.
On to Sigil
Yeah this rocks even 30 years later, it's amazing how well they nailed everything at ID almost on the first go while basically inventing one of my favorite genres of gaming (sorry to the 3 people that like Wolf3D, you can paypal your hard earned money if you really want me to play it because I feel nothing towards that game and have no desire to replay it. I guarantee no playthrough tho, I just want to get Soldier of Fortune on GoG). Really, gramgram hasn't aged a bit in those three decades and I was surprised to find out how short it really is, about 4 hours on ultra-violence while doing little secret hunting. Yeah I'm one of those that doesn't really care for secrets, high scores never really got to me as a kid so I was never much of a completionist.
Please, play this thing, it's really as good as that one friend you have that you know it's a freak because they always have some knowledge on whatever you're talking about with them says.
On to Sigil
I've played through the first episode of Doom many times in the past, but have never truly gave it a chance until now, and yeah, it's just as good as everyone says it is.
Even 31 years later, Doom is still just as atmospheric, labyrinthine, and fun as it was in 1993. Hell, it's even a bit scary at times, especially in Episode 3.
It has stood the test of time brilliantly.
fuck limbo though, all my homies hate limbo
Even 31 years later, Doom is still just as atmospheric, labyrinthine, and fun as it was in 1993. Hell, it's even a bit scary at times, especially in Episode 3.
It has stood the test of time brilliantly.
fuck limbo though, all my homies hate limbo
holy shit this is probably the best feeling fps i've played in my entire life. the difficulty selection actually changes shit instead of just "unga bunga me enemy me take more bullets" so if you want to play something actually good for a change play DOOM
É inacreditável como esse jogo é atemporal, eu não joguei ele nos anos 90, e tendo mimha primeira experiência com ele décadas depois do lançamento com toda evolução dos jogos e achando ele ótimo de se jogar só prova como ele envelheceu bem, não é atoa que ele é a base pra tudo que o FPS teve pós DOOM.
This is another case like Super Mario Bros. where I think everyone that loves games should beat it. It's so fundamental to games as a medium and still holds up so well that it's just a requirement. One tiny tip though: the final episode in most releases, “Thy Flesh Consumed” was added as a set of challenge levels in Ultimate Doom. Those levels get pretty crazy, so it’s extra credit and not part of the homework.
“Gamer Working Through Backlog Amazed How Good Doom Is”
Liberado das amarras do eixo Y, dispara o balé de carnificina. DOOM flutua entre encontros, fases e episódios, leve como uma pena, seu cursor estático um vetor da morte, o botão de sprint emperrado, por onde você passa deixado nada além de tripas. Uma fase termina e já é dada a largada da outra, e o tiro de partida de bom proveito já sai aniquilando a fuça do primeiro diabrete que estiver na sua frente.
Quase nada é dito, e o naipe do desastre já é subentendido - nas paredes, que vão de prístinos laboratórios corrompidos pela presença demoníaca ao surpreendentemente sinistro Inferno com I maiúsculo, seu design afrontoso tocando terror em mães de todo o mundo, justificando infâmia do jogo nos anos 90 - a situação tá feia, o que te resta é resolver na bala.
Geralmente, costumo jogar antigos por interesse histórico - ver a evolução do gênero e onde foram estabelecidos os pilares que sustentam toda a indústria. Embora DOOM não falte em mérito histórico, aqui não foi este o caso, e sim apenas queria algo que me permitisse clicar na direção de coisas ruins e esmerilhar-las prontamente; tudo isso, claro, enquanto me movia na velocidade de um trem bala. Meu pedido, seguido à risca, me foi servido numa bandeja de ouro, e de quebra veio uma ambientação do caralho e um design de mapa inspirador.
Achei algumas fases do último episódio, que faz parte do Ultimate DOOM, um pouco sacaninhas, mas jogo que segue.
Liberado das amarras do eixo Y, dispara o balé de carnificina. DOOM flutua entre encontros, fases e episódios, leve como uma pena, seu cursor estático um vetor da morte, o botão de sprint emperrado, por onde você passa deixado nada além de tripas. Uma fase termina e já é dada a largada da outra, e o tiro de partida de bom proveito já sai aniquilando a fuça do primeiro diabrete que estiver na sua frente.
Quase nada é dito, e o naipe do desastre já é subentendido - nas paredes, que vão de prístinos laboratórios corrompidos pela presença demoníaca ao surpreendentemente sinistro Inferno com I maiúsculo, seu design afrontoso tocando terror em mães de todo o mundo, justificando infâmia do jogo nos anos 90 - a situação tá feia, o que te resta é resolver na bala.
Geralmente, costumo jogar antigos por interesse histórico - ver a evolução do gênero e onde foram estabelecidos os pilares que sustentam toda a indústria. Embora DOOM não falte em mérito histórico, aqui não foi este o caso, e sim apenas queria algo que me permitisse clicar na direção de coisas ruins e esmerilhar-las prontamente; tudo isso, claro, enquanto me movia na velocidade de um trem bala. Meu pedido, seguido à risca, me foi servido numa bandeja de ouro, e de quebra veio uma ambientação do caralho e um design de mapa inspirador.
Achei algumas fases do último episódio, que faz parte do Ultimate DOOM, um pouco sacaninhas, mas jogo que segue.
Pelo sério fator de extrema repetição de vários inimigos e bosses, deu uma sensação de deslocamento na minha gameplay, daí eu tinha que ficar indo e voltando por outros vários lugares pelos quais eu já tinha passado, mas ainda funciona muito bem, é um jogo foda até hoje.
nothing will ever be as satisfying as blowing the bits off some poor demonic bastard with a shotgun while you're going 200 mph looking for the next keycard.
Retro Yearly List #19 [1993: Doom]
A legend is born.
First of all, irrelevant take: what a great cover art.
First time playing and completing Doom, yes I never touched it those days, so I did not know what to expect, and I can say I liked what I experienced.
The very first Doom ever is pretty different from what you would call "FPS" nowadays, that's why this is often categorized as a "Boomer Shooter", which consists in a first-person frenetic action, exploding everything that comes your way. Here, we cannot aim vertically, having to place the weapon "above" or "below" the enemy and shoot, the hit will be counted automatically. That can be annoying for some modern players, but for me it was a matter of time to get used to it.
The atmosphere here is great, you feel the loneliness combined with the adrenaline of being the only one trapped in a hellish place full of demons, and your only option is to fight to survive and leave. The OST will contribute a lot to it, matching the fast-paced gameplay, but sometimes changing to something more sinister, as the game will also have high appeal to horror aspects, like some stages where you have to go through completely dark rooms full of demons, they will often appear right on your face out of nowhere and then the scare jump is guaranteed.
The graphics aged very well and it now turned into a unique style, old players will still remember the classic 2D pictures spinning around on itself to simulate 3D objects. In fact, that entire engine was and is still being used for TONS of different projects across the internet, and it works well for almost everything, my most familiar project using it is the Megaman 8-bit deathmatch, which someday I may review here.
Regarding the stages, the game itself, well, it started great, and mid-game it became sort of repetitive for me, at some point, they started to look like different and auto-generated versions of the previous ones, with designs that looked extremely random placed and with no purpose, there were several times that I thought some secret was behind some section but it was just some questionable map design section, created maybe to try to form some artificial variety. The same also applies for the enemies, you will see a small group of them throughout the entire game,
There were some specific and pretty annoying elements like the "half-invisible" monsters blocking my way in crucial moments when I needed to rush, ambushing me, and doing massive damage. Acid and lava floors are also a pain in the ass mechanics, although they were used very few times in the base game, but abused in chapter 4, will provide more details in that separate review.
The game is filled with secrets hidden in every stage, with even a secret level for each chapter, this really adds to the replayability and the possibility of getting advantages sometimes needed to overcome the challenges, nicely done. The bosses are terrifying and great to fight, they will sometimes appear out of nowhere and numbered, so be prepared, or suffer.
The lore is... who needs lore? Just explode every monster coming your way to escape hell, but we will see afterward how that element will evolve through time.
Great title to debut a legendary franchise, I'm pretty sure some flaws mentioned here were improved in the future. I will review chapter 4 separately in Ultimate Doom page.
A legend is born.
First of all, irrelevant take: what a great cover art.
First time playing and completing Doom, yes I never touched it those days, so I did not know what to expect, and I can say I liked what I experienced.
The very first Doom ever is pretty different from what you would call "FPS" nowadays, that's why this is often categorized as a "Boomer Shooter", which consists in a first-person frenetic action, exploding everything that comes your way. Here, we cannot aim vertically, having to place the weapon "above" or "below" the enemy and shoot, the hit will be counted automatically. That can be annoying for some modern players, but for me it was a matter of time to get used to it.
The atmosphere here is great, you feel the loneliness combined with the adrenaline of being the only one trapped in a hellish place full of demons, and your only option is to fight to survive and leave. The OST will contribute a lot to it, matching the fast-paced gameplay, but sometimes changing to something more sinister, as the game will also have high appeal to horror aspects, like some stages where you have to go through completely dark rooms full of demons, they will often appear right on your face out of nowhere and then the scare jump is guaranteed.
The graphics aged very well and it now turned into a unique style, old players will still remember the classic 2D pictures spinning around on itself to simulate 3D objects. In fact, that entire engine was and is still being used for TONS of different projects across the internet, and it works well for almost everything, my most familiar project using it is the Megaman 8-bit deathmatch, which someday I may review here.
Regarding the stages, the game itself, well, it started great, and mid-game it became sort of repetitive for me, at some point, they started to look like different and auto-generated versions of the previous ones, with designs that looked extremely random placed and with no purpose, there were several times that I thought some secret was behind some section but it was just some questionable map design section, created maybe to try to form some artificial variety. The same also applies for the enemies, you will see a small group of them throughout the entire game,
There were some specific and pretty annoying elements like the "half-invisible" monsters blocking my way in crucial moments when I needed to rush, ambushing me, and doing massive damage. Acid and lava floors are also a pain in the ass mechanics, although they were used very few times in the base game, but abused in chapter 4, will provide more details in that separate review.
The game is filled with secrets hidden in every stage, with even a secret level for each chapter, this really adds to the replayability and the possibility of getting advantages sometimes needed to overcome the challenges, nicely done. The bosses are terrifying and great to fight, they will sometimes appear out of nowhere and numbered, so be prepared, or suffer.
The lore is... who needs lore? Just explode every monster coming your way to escape hell, but we will see afterward how that element will evolve through time.
Great title to debut a legendary franchise, I'm pretty sure some flaws mentioned here were improved in the future. I will review chapter 4 separately in Ultimate Doom page.
Fun FPS, solidly designed. Don't have much to say about it but it's interesting how higher difficulties and later stages seem to be designed around your understanding of how many hits enemies take, ammo placements, etc - sort of like a puzzle game.
10 minutes of getting used to an FPS without the ability to look up and down, followed immediately by 6 hours of staring directly into the brightest, hottest, loudest sun.
this game was made by 2 guys named john
Doom is a pretty good time. It's a piece of history with so much of what's contained in here still being used by FPS' to this day. Level design for the most part is great and the shooting mechanics are simple but effective. Even though this game has a MIDI soundtrack it's aged incredibly well. Only downside really is that later levels start to get a little annoying and you need to play this game in short bursts to avoid having the image of a Cacodemon burnt into your retinas.
All in all it's clear to see why this game is loved so much and inspired a genre, and I really enjoyed my time with it.
All in all it's clear to see why this game is loved so much and inspired a genre, and I really enjoyed my time with it.
If you had asked me five years ago if I would have ever played DOOM, I would have said "no." I'm glad I'm not the me of five years ago. This was an incredibly fun experience that did not wear out its welcome and it's remarkable just how good and fun it feels to play.
I will admit that once I got the shotgun, I was hard-pressed to use anything but the shotgun, even if other guns were "better." It just felt that good to use.
This game also taught me that my internal map-making ability is absolute garbage. It was very easy for me to get lost, especially with some of the E3 stage mechanics. Once you run out of monsters to fill with lead, the levels can get dull pretty fast.
Everything can play DOOM, and everyone should play DOOM.
I will admit that once I got the shotgun, I was hard-pressed to use anything but the shotgun, even if other guns were "better." It just felt that good to use.
This game also taught me that my internal map-making ability is absolute garbage. It was very easy for me to get lost, especially with some of the E3 stage mechanics. Once you run out of monsters to fill with lead, the levels can get dull pretty fast.
Everything can play DOOM, and everyone should play DOOM.
A game I respect much more than I enjoy actually playing.
The head-bob makes me nauseous every time I try to play it, which is a bummer because the five minutes I'm actually able to stomach goes hard.
The head-bob makes me nauseous every time I try to play it, which is a bummer because the five minutes I'm actually able to stomach goes hard.
Um clássico absoluto.
Doom é um dos jogos que me introduziu à tecnologia. Praticamente aprendi a mexer no computador só pra jogar Doom.
Apesar de hoje ser conhecido apenas por ser o pai dos boomer shooters, Doom deu início à popularização do gênero FPS, e também à comunidade de modding pela internet (há novos WADs até hoje).
Quem está acostumado com os FPS atuais pode estranhar a ausência da mira vertical e também do ADS, mas pega o jeito rapidinho e ainda é divertidíssimo!
O fator terror continua presente mesmo hoje em dia. Jogar os mapas que têm corredores escuros usando fones, é susto na certa.
A música da primeira fase é um dos melhores temas de todos, que delícia de track.
Parece que esse jogo nunca vai envelhecer.
Doom é um dos jogos que me introduziu à tecnologia. Praticamente aprendi a mexer no computador só pra jogar Doom.
Apesar de hoje ser conhecido apenas por ser o pai dos boomer shooters, Doom deu início à popularização do gênero FPS, e também à comunidade de modding pela internet (há novos WADs até hoje).
Quem está acostumado com os FPS atuais pode estranhar a ausência da mira vertical e também do ADS, mas pega o jeito rapidinho e ainda é divertidíssimo!
O fator terror continua presente mesmo hoje em dia. Jogar os mapas que têm corredores escuros usando fones, é susto na certa.
A música da primeira fase é um dos melhores temas de todos, que delícia de track.
Parece que esse jogo nunca vai envelhecer.
Violence isn't the answer. Violence is the question, and the answer is yes.
When I had previously played Doom, I had a great deal of respect for the historical aspect of the game, but there was something about the graphics that made my eyes sore after just a few minutes. However, I went with the DSDA Doom version instead of the Steam port and that issue went away after I turned off weapon and view bobbing. From there, I had a much more enjoyable experience with the original Doom.
One of the biggest factors that I love about this game is the incredibly fast movement speed. Unlike so many other shooters (especially modern entries in the genre), I was always able to go exactly as fast as I wanted to at anytime. Just as importantly, the controls were also very precise, which lead to some immensely satisfying weaves and strafes through enemy fire. Any damage given or taken was all down to positioning, which I always felt in control of. On top of that, the speedy movement was perfect for navigating the levels. It helped make exploration feel just as fast-paced as the combat, and never made it a slog to cross even the largest rooms.
Another aspect I quickly grew to appreciate this time around is the gruesome visual style. The wide variety of texture definitely helps in keeping a sense of direction, but just as importantly, it perfectly conveys an eerie atmosphere. There were a few instances where I would stop just to admire the macabre environments. I can’t think of any other game that conveys the dread and horror of traversing through hell just as expertly as Doom does.
Part of the Glitchwave Top 100 Project (#100/100)
One of the biggest factors that I love about this game is the incredibly fast movement speed. Unlike so many other shooters (especially modern entries in the genre), I was always able to go exactly as fast as I wanted to at anytime. Just as importantly, the controls were also very precise, which lead to some immensely satisfying weaves and strafes through enemy fire. Any damage given or taken was all down to positioning, which I always felt in control of. On top of that, the speedy movement was perfect for navigating the levels. It helped make exploration feel just as fast-paced as the combat, and never made it a slog to cross even the largest rooms.
Another aspect I quickly grew to appreciate this time around is the gruesome visual style. The wide variety of texture definitely helps in keeping a sense of direction, but just as importantly, it perfectly conveys an eerie atmosphere. There were a few instances where I would stop just to admire the macabre environments. I can’t think of any other game that conveys the dread and horror of traversing through hell just as expertly as Doom does.
Part of the Glitchwave Top 100 Project (#100/100)
Although others came before it, DOOM is THE father of first person shooters. In fact, it spawned so many knock-offs that the entire genre was originally - and aptly - coined ‘DOOM clones’. Franchises like Call of Duty would never have reached the same heights without this 1993 sensation setting the stage.
Yet DOOM goes far beyond being an opening act.
Often imitated, never duplicated. There’s a reason every shooter after this one borrowed so heavily from it; its team created a near-perfect FPS right out of the gate. The gameplay requires a certain amount of skill and strategy, without being frustrating or overly-intricate. The controls are tight, responsive, and simple. Everything is thought out and balanced. That’s not to mention the beautifully grotesque packaging. It’s so easy to get swept up in DOOM’s depths and lose a few hours to blowing out monster brains.
SHORT REVIEW
Visuals: 5/5
Sound: 4.5/5
Gameplay: 5/5
Worldbuilding: 4.5/5
Replayability: 4.5/5
Overall game score: 4.5/5 [4.7/5]
IN-DEPTH REVIEW
Visuals:
DOOM’s retro graphics stay impressive to this day, for so many reasons.
An important part of its memorable style is the interesting combination of 2D sprites and 3D environments. It’s strange to consider that this presentation was simply a technical limitation at the time - I think it could still be utilized once in a while nowadays. It would surely stand out in the modern market, at least.
This 2D/3D approach also allowed for much better-looking enemy sprites than what would've been possible otherwise. The monsters have so much detail put into their designs and art, down to the exceptional shading and lighting Their death animations are especially great, too, with each being satisfyingly gory.
On the other side of the fence, of course, are the 3D environments. These are much more rudimentary than the sprites in terms of detail, but they’re still amazing in their own ways. As you travel from man-made areas filled with technology, to the gruesome, disturbing bowels of Hell, your surroundings progress with you. The variety of distinct textures, the color palettes, and the exquisite level design make each area feel like a brand new experience.
Speaking of color… this is definitely my favorite part of DOOM’s art direction. The bold and captivating usage is a large step away from the bleak palettes typical of both FPS and horror titles. That’s not to say that bleak palettes are always a bad thing - Fallout 3, New Vegas, and Silent Hill 2 are perfect examples of games that wear it wonderfully. But the approach taken by DOOM is commendable for different reasons. There are some truly macabre and unsettling environments - with imagery to match - that still incorporate colors beyond gray and brown. There are bright reds and blues, greens, oranges and yellows. Honestly, more designers should take notes on this.
For the HUD, the devs took what was originally made for Wolfenstein 3D and drastically improved upon it in every way. The gray chosen here is drastically easier to read than the original bright blue. The layout is much more organized. The red lettering pops nicely. All the information you need is easy to read, even amidst combat. While it does take up a large portion of the screen, I think that this lends to a nostalgic arcade feel.
Overall, 5/5.
Sound:
DOOM’s soundtrack is stellar. It boasts an excellent mixture of blood-bumping, metal-inspired hits, and eerie, slow melodies. You may not expect such clashing styles to work well together, but they do with ease.
The two bounce off of each other constantly to keep things fresh. Half of the time, you're being injected with the pure adrenaline needed to fight through hundreds of monsters. Then, one level later, the tone flips. The slow music treats you like prey, cornered and cautious. To get through Hell, you must overcome the terror it induces. And even though the reused tracks can get slightly repetitive, the tracks are good enough to distract from it.
Many of the sound effects are iconic in their own right, too. The Baron of Hell’s terrifying screech, Pinky’s lion-like roar, the Cyberdemon’s heavy footsteps, and the satisfying gunshots; so many of these will be burned into my mind forever. The distinct and clear sound design improves DOOM's gameplay tenfold - as well as making it all-the-more creepy.
Overall, 4.5/5.
Gameplay:
I don’t think I need to tell anyone this... but holy shit, this game is just pure, unadulterated fun.
When I first booted DOOM up, I struggled with the horizontal-only aiming. It’s a far cry from the pinpoint accuracy required by most modern day FPS games, but I found myself enjoying it a lot once I’d adjusted. It removes a great deal of the potential frustration caused by shooters, making it easier to relax and have fun. This is another unique facet of DOOM that stands the test of time.
Wandering through the levels, it’s easy to see how thoughtfully designed they are. Their pacing is spectacular. They’re never too sprawling OR too tiny. You very rarely get lost, with many rooms and corridors looping back to one another and always pointing you in the right direction. There’s tons of secret areas to find, some even requiring a little puzzle solving. Combine all of that with the great (finite!) enemy placement, well-timed ambushes, and plenty of items to aid on your journey, and every level is damn near perfect.
But a large part of what makes DOOM so entertaining is your protagonist's ridiculous arsenal. There’s not one weak gun (aside from the low-damage starting pistol); nothing is totally outclassed by anything else. Best of all is the perfect balance between them; most of them can be used at any point, but each have specific scenarios where they shine. The plasma gun and chain gun are good against long range enemies. The rocket launcher is ideal in open spaces with big groups. The shotgun will blast brains out at close range. The chainsaw is all but useless against multiple enemies, but it's great for conserving ammo when you can safely use it. And then there is, of course, the BFG; one of the most iconic video game weapons of all time, and a real sight to behold once you learn how to control it.
To me, the only weaknesses in the gameplay are the powerups. Invisibility and berserk mode are remotely useless, leaving invincibility as the only one that means much. I hope that this is improved upon in the sequels; it’s a cool idea that deserves a bit more shine.
Aside from that one minor flaw, all of the good is made even better because of simple, responsive, and tight controls. I’ve played this game with both a controller and a mouse/keyboard, and found both acceptable.
So, there’s really no wrong way to go about DOOM. Everything about it is just so wonderfully accessible, well thought-out, and ludicrously fun.
Overall, 5/5.
Worldbuilding:
DOOM's environments are stunning for their age. There are a ton of interesting details, such as the red skies, distant mountains, and corpses displayed in increasingly unsettling ways.
Things will only become more disturbing and monster-infested as you trek on. You begin your journey on Phobos, the first moon of Mars; the structures here are man-made and technology-focused. But as you descend into Hell, creepy imagery, more natural structures, and an influx of demons reflect your progression perfectly.
There’s some cool lore behind the game, too. Doomguy is surprisingly interesting; after assaulting a military superior that called for the murder of civilians, he is sent to guard Phobos. Here, a corporation is experimenting with inter-dimensional travel. Something goes wrong and monsters storm the teleportation devices, taking over the stations and bringing every human down. All except Doomguy. Now he has to try to make it out alive and stop the onslaught.
Between each episode, you are given a blurb of text that advances the story. These are actually pretty well-written; they do a great job of remaining short, while still being humorous and over-the-top.
It’s a simple narrative, but the mix of sci-fi and horror leave you with something much more creative than many FPS premises. What they lost in complexity they made up for with a focused, funny, and action-packed vision.
Overall, 4.5/5.
Replayability:
DOOM is nearly infinitely replayable to me. The variety in levels, the numerous secrets, and the fantastic pacing make it a joy to come back to again and again. That's not even mentioning the mod community that is STILL thriving to this day!
While it’s not the most complex, everything DOOM does is pretty much perfect. It provides an insanely good experience that I can’t get out of my head. It’s one of the best games for playing in short bursts to relax; maybe you won’t stick to it for hours at a time, but you’ll surely be picking it up again the next day.
Overall, 4.5/5.
Overall Game Score: 4.5/5. The presentation is bold and colorful. The gameplay is accessible, but endlessly fun. The levels and their pacing are thoughtful and smart. DOOM deserves every single bit of praise it gets. This game not only birthed a genre, but nearly perfected it right out of the gate. It’s an amazing entry point into first person shooters.
The only bad thing about DOOM is that it ends. Thankfully, I have a lot of sequels to look forward to playing.
Yet DOOM goes far beyond being an opening act.
Often imitated, never duplicated. There’s a reason every shooter after this one borrowed so heavily from it; its team created a near-perfect FPS right out of the gate. The gameplay requires a certain amount of skill and strategy, without being frustrating or overly-intricate. The controls are tight, responsive, and simple. Everything is thought out and balanced. That’s not to mention the beautifully grotesque packaging. It’s so easy to get swept up in DOOM’s depths and lose a few hours to blowing out monster brains.
SHORT REVIEW
Visuals: 5/5
Sound: 4.5/5
Gameplay: 5/5
Worldbuilding: 4.5/5
Replayability: 4.5/5
Overall game score: 4.5/5 [4.7/5]
IN-DEPTH REVIEW
Visuals:
DOOM’s retro graphics stay impressive to this day, for so many reasons.
An important part of its memorable style is the interesting combination of 2D sprites and 3D environments. It’s strange to consider that this presentation was simply a technical limitation at the time - I think it could still be utilized once in a while nowadays. It would surely stand out in the modern market, at least.
This 2D/3D approach also allowed for much better-looking enemy sprites than what would've been possible otherwise. The monsters have so much detail put into their designs and art, down to the exceptional shading and lighting Their death animations are especially great, too, with each being satisfyingly gory.
On the other side of the fence, of course, are the 3D environments. These are much more rudimentary than the sprites in terms of detail, but they’re still amazing in their own ways. As you travel from man-made areas filled with technology, to the gruesome, disturbing bowels of Hell, your surroundings progress with you. The variety of distinct textures, the color palettes, and the exquisite level design make each area feel like a brand new experience.
Speaking of color… this is definitely my favorite part of DOOM’s art direction. The bold and captivating usage is a large step away from the bleak palettes typical of both FPS and horror titles. That’s not to say that bleak palettes are always a bad thing - Fallout 3, New Vegas, and Silent Hill 2 are perfect examples of games that wear it wonderfully. But the approach taken by DOOM is commendable for different reasons. There are some truly macabre and unsettling environments - with imagery to match - that still incorporate colors beyond gray and brown. There are bright reds and blues, greens, oranges and yellows. Honestly, more designers should take notes on this.
For the HUD, the devs took what was originally made for Wolfenstein 3D and drastically improved upon it in every way. The gray chosen here is drastically easier to read than the original bright blue. The layout is much more organized. The red lettering pops nicely. All the information you need is easy to read, even amidst combat. While it does take up a large portion of the screen, I think that this lends to a nostalgic arcade feel.
Overall, 5/5.
Sound:
DOOM’s soundtrack is stellar. It boasts an excellent mixture of blood-bumping, metal-inspired hits, and eerie, slow melodies. You may not expect such clashing styles to work well together, but they do with ease.
The two bounce off of each other constantly to keep things fresh. Half of the time, you're being injected with the pure adrenaline needed to fight through hundreds of monsters. Then, one level later, the tone flips. The slow music treats you like prey, cornered and cautious. To get through Hell, you must overcome the terror it induces. And even though the reused tracks can get slightly repetitive, the tracks are good enough to distract from it.
Many of the sound effects are iconic in their own right, too. The Baron of Hell’s terrifying screech, Pinky’s lion-like roar, the Cyberdemon’s heavy footsteps, and the satisfying gunshots; so many of these will be burned into my mind forever. The distinct and clear sound design improves DOOM's gameplay tenfold - as well as making it all-the-more creepy.
Overall, 4.5/5.
Gameplay:
I don’t think I need to tell anyone this... but holy shit, this game is just pure, unadulterated fun.
When I first booted DOOM up, I struggled with the horizontal-only aiming. It’s a far cry from the pinpoint accuracy required by most modern day FPS games, but I found myself enjoying it a lot once I’d adjusted. It removes a great deal of the potential frustration caused by shooters, making it easier to relax and have fun. This is another unique facet of DOOM that stands the test of time.
Wandering through the levels, it’s easy to see how thoughtfully designed they are. Their pacing is spectacular. They’re never too sprawling OR too tiny. You very rarely get lost, with many rooms and corridors looping back to one another and always pointing you in the right direction. There’s tons of secret areas to find, some even requiring a little puzzle solving. Combine all of that with the great (finite!) enemy placement, well-timed ambushes, and plenty of items to aid on your journey, and every level is damn near perfect.
But a large part of what makes DOOM so entertaining is your protagonist's ridiculous arsenal. There’s not one weak gun (aside from the low-damage starting pistol); nothing is totally outclassed by anything else. Best of all is the perfect balance between them; most of them can be used at any point, but each have specific scenarios where they shine. The plasma gun and chain gun are good against long range enemies. The rocket launcher is ideal in open spaces with big groups. The shotgun will blast brains out at close range. The chainsaw is all but useless against multiple enemies, but it's great for conserving ammo when you can safely use it. And then there is, of course, the BFG; one of the most iconic video game weapons of all time, and a real sight to behold once you learn how to control it.
To me, the only weaknesses in the gameplay are the powerups. Invisibility and berserk mode are remotely useless, leaving invincibility as the only one that means much. I hope that this is improved upon in the sequels; it’s a cool idea that deserves a bit more shine.
Aside from that one minor flaw, all of the good is made even better because of simple, responsive, and tight controls. I’ve played this game with both a controller and a mouse/keyboard, and found both acceptable.
So, there’s really no wrong way to go about DOOM. Everything about it is just so wonderfully accessible, well thought-out, and ludicrously fun.
Overall, 5/5.
Worldbuilding:
DOOM's environments are stunning for their age. There are a ton of interesting details, such as the red skies, distant mountains, and corpses displayed in increasingly unsettling ways.
Things will only become more disturbing and monster-infested as you trek on. You begin your journey on Phobos, the first moon of Mars; the structures here are man-made and technology-focused. But as you descend into Hell, creepy imagery, more natural structures, and an influx of demons reflect your progression perfectly.
There’s some cool lore behind the game, too. Doomguy is surprisingly interesting; after assaulting a military superior that called for the murder of civilians, he is sent to guard Phobos. Here, a corporation is experimenting with inter-dimensional travel. Something goes wrong and monsters storm the teleportation devices, taking over the stations and bringing every human down. All except Doomguy. Now he has to try to make it out alive and stop the onslaught.
Between each episode, you are given a blurb of text that advances the story. These are actually pretty well-written; they do a great job of remaining short, while still being humorous and over-the-top.
It’s a simple narrative, but the mix of sci-fi and horror leave you with something much more creative than many FPS premises. What they lost in complexity they made up for with a focused, funny, and action-packed vision.
Overall, 4.5/5.
Replayability:
DOOM is nearly infinitely replayable to me. The variety in levels, the numerous secrets, and the fantastic pacing make it a joy to come back to again and again. That's not even mentioning the mod community that is STILL thriving to this day!
While it’s not the most complex, everything DOOM does is pretty much perfect. It provides an insanely good experience that I can’t get out of my head. It’s one of the best games for playing in short bursts to relax; maybe you won’t stick to it for hours at a time, but you’ll surely be picking it up again the next day.
Overall, 4.5/5.
Overall Game Score: 4.5/5. The presentation is bold and colorful. The gameplay is accessible, but endlessly fun. The levels and their pacing are thoughtful and smart. DOOM deserves every single bit of praise it gets. This game not only birthed a genre, but nearly perfected it right out of the gate. It’s an amazing entry point into first person shooters.
The only bad thing about DOOM is that it ends. Thankfully, I have a lot of sequels to look forward to playing.
Quite simply the greatest porno game ever made.
This is one of the earliest games I remember playing as a kid, and BOY did it leave an impression. It's obviously not the first FPS game, but it is probably the most successful of the earliest in the genre and remains one of the very best. It is a smooth, simple game that has some of the best level design in gaming. All of the weapons are cool, the enemy design is incredible, and the FPS genre owes so much to everything this game pioneered. Special kudos to the music and sound design--that door opening/closing noise lives in my head rent free.
Despite the lo-fidelity of its visuals and presentation, I managed to find much of the game somewhat unsettling. The whole thing had a sort of bizarre geometry to it, and that combined with the flat textures that sit somewhere between cheesy and corny.. gave the whole thing a very "wrong" feeling. Great gameplay. Very nice-feeling movement with a lot of perceived momentum
oh yes, definitely
2 Episodes (or 18 levels) of near perfect classic FPS bliss. And also some stuff Sandy Peterson made in between sessions of headbutting brick walls and drinking buckets of paint.