I had to revisit this after Doom 64, and it holds up very well. Despite featuring a similar number of levels in its primary three campaigns as Doom 64, I was done with them far more quickly. It speaks to the focus of the level design, the push for the player to keep moving forward at a breakneck pace. The vibrant, violent pixel-art and metal-inspired music serve the level design and speed of gameplay fantastically. For these three core campaigns, we witness Ur-Doom, the most base distillation of the formula.
The fourth campaign, released post-Doom II as part of The Ultimate Doom, is a bit more of a mixed bag. The relatively sprawling level-design that defined the classic-style series going forward is present here, and while this sometimes results in a compelling experience, giving the player a lot more to contend with at any one point in time, it often utilises cryptic puzzles and labyrinthian designs that do not serve the core action focus. I have not allowed this relatively weak campaign (it's still like a 3/5) to bring down the overall score, as the original three campaigns are excellent enough for a 4.5/5 rating as-is.
Much more compelling is the unofficial fifth campaign, the Romero-designed Sigil. It works as an escalation from the fourth campaign, still utilising puzzles and sprawling level-design, while simply being so much more creative and readable with how it executes those elements. It sometimes falters, and I believe those original campaigns still represent the plutonic ideal of classic Doom, but Sigil represents the best deviation from that ideal I've yet experienced. With the 2019 re-release, the console version of Doom now allows for the download of "add-ons". While Sigil is not given any special prioritisation over some other fan-made campaigns, it now has a nice air of legitimacy to it. Definitely check it out if you haven't yet.
The fourth campaign, released post-Doom II as part of The Ultimate Doom, is a bit more of a mixed bag. The relatively sprawling level-design that defined the classic-style series going forward is present here, and while this sometimes results in a compelling experience, giving the player a lot more to contend with at any one point in time, it often utilises cryptic puzzles and labyrinthian designs that do not serve the core action focus. I have not allowed this relatively weak campaign (it's still like a 3/5) to bring down the overall score, as the original three campaigns are excellent enough for a 4.5/5 rating as-is.
Much more compelling is the unofficial fifth campaign, the Romero-designed Sigil. It works as an escalation from the fourth campaign, still utilising puzzles and sprawling level-design, while simply being so much more creative and readable with how it executes those elements. It sometimes falters, and I believe those original campaigns still represent the plutonic ideal of classic Doom, but Sigil represents the best deviation from that ideal I've yet experienced. With the 2019 re-release, the console version of Doom now allows for the download of "add-ons". While Sigil is not given any special prioritisation over some other fan-made campaigns, it now has a nice air of legitimacy to it. Definitely check it out if you haven't yet.