DOOM
Review
Back to Hell
by Johnathan Irwin
reviewed on PC
Go To Hell
We’ve already taken a visit several times, so in this context when I say “Go to Hell” I’m encouraging you to do so with a rifle and a grudge. It’s that time again, that time where id Software creeps back out of the shadows with their harbinger series, DOOM, in yet another reboot (what?! We just had one with DOOM 3!). Yes I know, two reboots in a row for a series is often off-putting but this time it was done with a reason.
In an effort to regain the frantic combat of DOOM I and DOOM II: Hell on Earth, and combine it with the horror, tension, and atmosphere of DOOM 3 (or as I preferred to call it, DOOM 2004) the developers went back to the drawing board. They took everything that people loved from the previous titles, and sought to bind them together in a ritual that would summon the ultimate DOOM experience. Did they pull it off? Watch my six and follow me to Hell, and don’t let them catch you bleeding.
Back To Basics
In the previous entry to the series, DOOM 3, there was a much larger focus on an overarching narrative. While by no means complex, it took a little bit to ease players into the story and actually put them right in the middle of the demonic invasion from Hell. This time around, things have already hit the fan. In a similar vein to the original DOOM, the player finds themselves dropped right into the action, fighting for their self-preservation right from the start. The little story that is there, is just the bare minimum.
It’s one of many ways that DOOM has gone back to the basics, balancing flash and substance without necessarily needing a story to push things forward. What little there is, is just a reason to push you from objective to objective. The only reason I need however, and most DOOM veterans need, is to meet the demons with a smile and a boomstick.
The Modern Age of Doom Guy
Do you remember the satisfying feeling of the original DOOM? How each and every level presented memorable moments whether it was a crimson tide of carnage, or a confusing level layout? I’m happy to say that the essence of what made DOOM a breakout hit that put FPS on the map, is alive and well in this reboot.
Fast paced, constant adrenaline inducing combat is alive and well despite the initial level of the game being somewhat lacking on combat. As soon as you hear the iconic remake of a certain infamous track from the original, the gloves are off and the hunt is on.
Modernized gameplay makes for a smooth-as-butter experience with gunplay and acrobatics complimenting each other to a near perfect level. You’ve never truly felt a level of epicness like this until you are almost flying around the room from one enemy to another, dodging attacks and dishing out your own with your one-man-army’s worth of firepower. In my personal opinion however, this is a title definitely best played with a controller rather than a keyboard and mouse. It’s not to say that the keyboard and mouse feel bad, but it does feel like the game was built in favor of a controller in design.
9.0
fun score
Pros
Blends old school with modern FPS nearly perfectly, amazing environments, smooth gunplay and acrobatics.
Cons
Multiplayer may not last, execution moves are emphasized on too heavily.
