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DOOM (PC)
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Publisher: id Software.
Developer: id Software. Released: December 1993. Genre: FPS. Other versions: 32X; SAT; PS; JAG; SNES. Posted 13th March 2021. By Tom Clare © 2021 |
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What’s the most significant game of the 16-bit era? That right there is one of the most well-worn debates amongst retro gamers. There are a few ever-presents in such discussions: Street Fighter II, A Link to the Past, Streets of Rage 2. Expect the usual squabbles in sorting through personal favourites amongst all the Sonic and Mario platformers. Perhaps a left-field mention for Gunstar Heroes or F-Zero. One title that doesn’t tend to get name-dropped in such company is Doom.
I know what you’re thinking: is that even a 16-bit game? We do most commonly link the fourth generation with 2D, but to eliminate early 3D would be to dismiss the likes of Virtua Racing and Star Fox. Doom did appear on the SNES and the original makes ample use of sprites for all its enemies and environment details. These points aside, it’s undeniably 16-bit era. Games released the same year as Doom include Mortal Kombat II, Super Mario Kart and Sonic CD. There’s a perception perhaps that id’s shooter is too advanced to be considered part of the fourth generation debate, or that PC hardware exempts it as being on an unfair playing field. It’s easy to forget, however, that during the late eighties and early nineties, PC gaming was a long way off the pace. A majority of ports were mere shadows of their Amiga and Atari ST equivalents, appearing years behind the curve.
Doom may be famed for its claustrophobic corridors, but it does head outdoors for some of its most ambitious levels
Doom remains the most significant PC game there has ever been. Almost overnight, it transformed the format not only into a viable gaming option but a technological industry leader. It opened the floodgates to the 3D landscapes that have dominated gaming ever since. By extension, it paved the way for a legion of first-person shoot ‘em ups that would strive to imitate it (for years afterwards, those emerging in its wake would simply be listed as Doom clones). It would also give rise to network multiplayer that has since become the norm, both in terms of co-operative campaigns and competitive multiplayer.
At the heart of it all is an incredibly pure, playable shooter. Set on Mars, you play as a marine, a one-man army blasting through demon-infested bases, collecting keys, hoarding ammo and surviving, skirmish-to-skirmish. Interestingly, Doom was criticised in some quarters for a perceived repetitiveness of design and overly-simplistic gameplay. Almost thirty years later, you’ll be hard pushed to find an FPS that can match its elaborate, labyrinth-like levels, packed to the brim with neat secrets, deadly hazards and hell-spawn lurking around every corner. Yes, it isn’t the world’s most cerebral game. But Doom is much, much more than bangs ‘n’ whistles and surface detail.
It’s a fantastic mix of technically impressive levels, fiendish design and joyous, intuitive, non-stop action. The weapons are absolutely amazing, from the rapid-firing chaingun and splash-damage happy rocket launcher, to the epic plasma rifle and the legendary BFG. Provided you’re playing on a least a middle difficulty though, you’ll need to learn to make use of all the weapons at your disposal, in order to conserve ammo. The shotgun is an amazing go-to weapon, delivering significant damage up-close. Using it effectively is an art unto itself; gaps between firing mean agile movement is a must, whilst those brave enough to tackle enemies head-on will reap the rewards.
At the heart of it all is an incredibly pure, playable shooter. Set on Mars, you play as a marine, a one-man army blasting through demon-infested bases, collecting keys, hoarding ammo and surviving, skirmish-to-skirmish. Interestingly, Doom was criticised in some quarters for a perceived repetitiveness of design and overly-simplistic gameplay. Almost thirty years later, you’ll be hard pushed to find an FPS that can match its elaborate, labyrinth-like levels, packed to the brim with neat secrets, deadly hazards and hell-spawn lurking around every corner. Yes, it isn’t the world’s most cerebral game. But Doom is much, much more than bangs ‘n’ whistles and surface detail.
It’s a fantastic mix of technically impressive levels, fiendish design and joyous, intuitive, non-stop action. The weapons are absolutely amazing, from the rapid-firing chaingun and splash-damage happy rocket launcher, to the epic plasma rifle and the legendary BFG. Provided you’re playing on a least a middle difficulty though, you’ll need to learn to make use of all the weapons at your disposal, in order to conserve ammo. The shotgun is an amazing go-to weapon, delivering significant damage up-close. Using it effectively is an art unto itself; gaps between firing mean agile movement is a must, whilst those brave enough to tackle enemies head-on will reap the rewards.
FOCAL POINT: HALLS OF THE DAMNED
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Picking a favourite level from Doom’s 32 offerings, in which it barely puts a foot wrong, was a difficult task. However, Mission 2-6, “Halls of the Damned”, has a little bit of everything. Trademark lengthy corridors give way to a nervy trek through dark, demon-infested burrows. These can be made more bearable by tracking down infrared goggles. There’s plenty of hidden paths and secret items to unearth, but what marks the level out is its trap ending door. You’re all set for the level to end, only for an elevator to descend and the player to be met with a nasty surprise…
The beauty of Doom is that you can tackle it all kinds of different ways and it’s still a joy to play. Speedrunners will love bombing through levels in two-to-three minutes, thanks to some almost flawless controls, silky-smooth character movement and responsive aiming that could hardly be any better. It’s even more compelling if you’re wading through the levels on the higher difficulties, combing methodically over the environs in order to find those obscured switches, those sections of wall that are an odd colour and might harbour some life-saving ammo, health or armour pick-ups. Coloured keys form a significant part of the puzzle aspect, as players can also examine an excellent, intuitive wire-frame map whilst they’re on the move.
Not content with the simple, uniform maze-like appearance of their previous FPS Wolfenstein 3D, id pulled out all the stops here to make Doom feel a singularly grimy, heavy experience worthy of its morbid moniker. Its looks and its levels were an absolute game-changer. Enemy designs may be flat 2D sprite models but some of them, particularly the bosses, are large and imposing. The game frequently teases the player with nooks, bars and windows, offering a tantalising glimpse of a power-ups stash, just out of reach. Some secrets hide in tiny alcoves opened by pressure pads, whilst others reside amidst large, outdoor areas with no obvious means of access. It mixes the draw distance to excellent effect too. The player is afforded a bright and total view of the impressive command centres, large bases and exterior castle facades, but leaves you straining to see amidst claustrophobic, dingy sewer tunnels. It generates moments of real tension, with a particular knack for strobe lighting in otherwise pitch-black areas. Your heart’s in your mouth when you hear the shrieks of the demons, moving closer in the darkness.
Not content with the simple, uniform maze-like appearance of their previous FPS Wolfenstein 3D, id pulled out all the stops here to make Doom feel a singularly grimy, heavy experience worthy of its morbid moniker. Its looks and its levels were an absolute game-changer. Enemy designs may be flat 2D sprite models but some of them, particularly the bosses, are large and imposing. The game frequently teases the player with nooks, bars and windows, offering a tantalising glimpse of a power-ups stash, just out of reach. Some secrets hide in tiny alcoves opened by pressure pads, whilst others reside amidst large, outdoor areas with no obvious means of access. It mixes the draw distance to excellent effect too. The player is afforded a bright and total view of the impressive command centres, large bases and exterior castle facades, but leaves you straining to see amidst claustrophobic, dingy sewer tunnels. It generates moments of real tension, with a particular knack for strobe lighting in otherwise pitch-black areas. Your heart’s in your mouth when you hear the shrieks of the demons, moving closer in the darkness.
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Consisting of four eight-mission episodes, Doom offers a whopping 32 levels in all, plus a further four hidden ones accessible via alternative exits hidden among certain standard levels. The original shareware episode, “Knee-Deep in the Dead”, remains a timeless outing and an excellent introduction, thanks to its (relatively-speaking) easier enemies and detailed but manageable level layouts. Bookending the experience is an episode released to round-off 1995’s The Ultimate Doom, called “Thy Flesh Consumed”. This is perfect for veterans, forming what is easily the trickiest and most action-packed sequence of levels.
Doom is at its best during its two middle instalments. “The Shores of Hell” is my personal favourite. Set on the lost Deimos base, it’s here that we start to see a melding of the military settings of the original mission and the all-out fiery hell of episode three. There’s a greater array of weaponry, traps and hazards as well as a couple of eye-opening new enemies to tackle as well. The levels are more elaborately designed and more satisfying as a result. “Inferno” makes for the most visually arresting part of the Doom experience, with some truly impressive and sizeable exteriors, most notably the walls of a castle. Some of the battles that play out here are truly incredible.
Doom is at its best during its two middle instalments. “The Shores of Hell” is my personal favourite. Set on the lost Deimos base, it’s here that we start to see a melding of the military settings of the original mission and the all-out fiery hell of episode three. There’s a greater array of weaponry, traps and hazards as well as a couple of eye-opening new enemies to tackle as well. The levels are more elaborately designed and more satisfying as a result. “Inferno” makes for the most visually arresting part of the Doom experience, with some truly impressive and sizeable exteriors, most notably the walls of a castle. Some of the battles that play out here are truly incredible.
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Pick-ups are vital in Doom. You won't get far without ammo and health and you won't get anywhere without keys!
Probably Doom’s weakest (or least strong) suit is its music. There are a couple of high-energy rock classics that have rightly become synonymous with the series, though a few of the tracks are representative of early MIDI efforts. As a result, a couple of tunes sound weedy, excessively repetitive and, if I’m being kind, not the finest of accompaniments to so brilliant a shooter. Fortunately, it’s rescued by the satisfying combination of gunfire and demonic death cries.
More than thirty levels and five difficulty settings mean Doom has more than enough to keep you returning, time after time. Though it may never quite garner the same misty-eyed affection afforded to other titles of its time, its popularity endures, something evidenced in the number of ports it has received down the years. Doom was important for its gritty style, its mature content and for leading gaming into a 3D future, but its the fantastic level design and perfect gameplay foundations that mark it as a classic. A shoot 'em up paradise.
More than thirty levels and five difficulty settings mean Doom has more than enough to keep you returning, time after time. Though it may never quite garner the same misty-eyed affection afforded to other titles of its time, its popularity endures, something evidenced in the number of ports it has received down the years. Doom was important for its gritty style, its mature content and for leading gaming into a 3D future, but its the fantastic level design and perfect gameplay foundations that mark it as a classic. A shoot 'em up paradise.
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VERDICT
"Doom was important for its gritty style, its mature content and for leading gaming into a 3D future, but its the fantastic level design and perfect gameplay foundations that mark it as a classic. A shoot 'em up paradise." OVERALL: 10/10 |