DOOM 64 is often forgotten as the bridge that closes the tonal gap between DOOM II and DOOM 3, as well as the bridge that closes the narrative gap between classic DOOM and the DOOM series as of 2016. I can’t blame people for forgetting it though, the decision alone to put the next mainline DOOM game onto the N64 was an odd one, firstly because of the limitations that going from PC to console brings and secondly because of the family friendly image that Nintendo has always stuck by. Despite that, the game is now accessible on modern consoles, and I knew I couldn’t miss out on it.
Initially, the game’s claymation style enemies drew me in, and I was excited to see new animations for both the enemies and the guns. Playing classic DOOM with a new art style sounded pretty cool, and well, going in as blind as possible, I was both surprised and disappointed by the game’s new aesthetic approach. The animations I looked forward to were pretty bare bones. There’s no reload animation for the super shotgun, no animation for when you stop firing the plasma rifle, and nothing that made the guns feel dynamic in the original two games. As for the enemies, the models that do exist look awesome, but a few enemies like the Arch-vile and the Heavy Weapon Dude have been taken out despite them adding an extra sense of dread and challenge to the game. I don’t think it’s a complete negative though, the games slower pace possibly doesn’t allow for something as challenging as the Arch-vile to be carried over, so I can forgive it for that.
To be completely honest, I didn’t enjoy the first half of the game. The levels were too slow and atmospheric for a chaos filled series usually inspired by metal music. On top of that the overuse of the Hell Knights and the Baron’s of Hell, combined with a limited weapon arsenal early on meant that the combat scenarios consisted of standing in a narrow hallway moving side to side to chip away at bullet sponge enemies. It wasn’t engaging, and the game’s narrow level design felt repetitive and frustrating.
Luckily, when the Unmaker is introduced and you have access to every weapon, the game really picks up. The decision to have the Plasma Rifle, the BFG9000 and the Unmaker all use energy ammo was a good choice, and didn’t make the player feel too overpowered as each weapon worked for different combat scenarios. The return of the Arachnotrons also brought an engagement that I had missed during the early game, with the slow pace and new found freedom of choice leading the player to think strategically, choosing which enemies to take out first to make certain combat scenarios easier. I was even more surprised by the final mission, which assaults you with a rush of challenging enemies only to top it off with a brand new, and frankly great final boss. So far it’s the best final mission in the series, leaving a good taste in my mouth and impacting me positively.
I decided then, that since there weren’t many trophies for the game, I’d 100% it, and surprisingly it was a ton of fun. The Lost Levels were incredibly engaging and felt like the best parts of the game combined into a smaller campaign that lead to DOOM (2016), and the secret level “Hectic” provided a trap filled puzzle that felt satisfying to beat, both because of the immense difficulty and the reward you’re given as a result of it. That combined with it being accessible from the first level felt respectful of the player, instead of punishing them for no reason with difficulty, looking at you E4.
I hated DOOM 64 at first, but as I stuck with it it really started to open up, both in level design and player freedom. Unfortunately, I cant help but imagine what the game would’ve been like if it was made for the PC, but what they were able to make with the console’s setbacks isn’t bad at all. I’m glad that Bethesda also cared enough to port it to newer consoles, as many publishers really don’t care enough about their older games.
Initially, the game’s claymation style enemies drew me in, and I was excited to see new animations for both the enemies and the guns. Playing classic DOOM with a new art style sounded pretty cool, and well, going in as blind as possible, I was both surprised and disappointed by the game’s new aesthetic approach. The animations I looked forward to were pretty bare bones. There’s no reload animation for the super shotgun, no animation for when you stop firing the plasma rifle, and nothing that made the guns feel dynamic in the original two games. As for the enemies, the models that do exist look awesome, but a few enemies like the Arch-vile and the Heavy Weapon Dude have been taken out despite them adding an extra sense of dread and challenge to the game. I don’t think it’s a complete negative though, the games slower pace possibly doesn’t allow for something as challenging as the Arch-vile to be carried over, so I can forgive it for that.
To be completely honest, I didn’t enjoy the first half of the game. The levels were too slow and atmospheric for a chaos filled series usually inspired by metal music. On top of that the overuse of the Hell Knights and the Baron’s of Hell, combined with a limited weapon arsenal early on meant that the combat scenarios consisted of standing in a narrow hallway moving side to side to chip away at bullet sponge enemies. It wasn’t engaging, and the game’s narrow level design felt repetitive and frustrating.
Luckily, when the Unmaker is introduced and you have access to every weapon, the game really picks up. The decision to have the Plasma Rifle, the BFG9000 and the Unmaker all use energy ammo was a good choice, and didn’t make the player feel too overpowered as each weapon worked for different combat scenarios. The return of the Arachnotrons also brought an engagement that I had missed during the early game, with the slow pace and new found freedom of choice leading the player to think strategically, choosing which enemies to take out first to make certain combat scenarios easier. I was even more surprised by the final mission, which assaults you with a rush of challenging enemies only to top it off with a brand new, and frankly great final boss. So far it’s the best final mission in the series, leaving a good taste in my mouth and impacting me positively.
I decided then, that since there weren’t many trophies for the game, I’d 100% it, and surprisingly it was a ton of fun. The Lost Levels were incredibly engaging and felt like the best parts of the game combined into a smaller campaign that lead to DOOM (2016), and the secret level “Hectic” provided a trap filled puzzle that felt satisfying to beat, both because of the immense difficulty and the reward you’re given as a result of it. That combined with it being accessible from the first level felt respectful of the player, instead of punishing them for no reason with difficulty, looking at you E4.
I hated DOOM 64 at first, but as I stuck with it it really started to open up, both in level design and player freedom. Unfortunately, I cant help but imagine what the game would’ve been like if it was made for the PC, but what they were able to make with the console’s setbacks isn’t bad at all. I’m glad that Bethesda also cared enough to port it to newer consoles, as many publishers really don’t care enough about their older games.