Hot on the heels of Wolfenstein 3D was a new ID Software First-Person Shooter called, Doom. This 1993 FPS had players take control of a nameless space marine whose mission was to quash a demon assault on the moons of Mars. Certain scientists on Mars' moons had been experimenting with teleportation and gateways, and demons from Hell managed to crash their party. It's up to you to send the demons back to the depths of Hell.
Okay, so, the premise isn't all that original, and we've seen it done many times since, but is Doom still fun to play? If you're a First-Person-Shooter fan, the answer is likely, yes. Unlike ID Software's previous game, Doom has aged fairly well, and I'm not stating this from a fanboy's perspective. See, I have very few warm, fuzzy memories of Doom, as I didn't have a PC upon its release. I briefly watched a friend playing Doom II on his Mac, but I wasn't really enamored with a First-Person Shooter until I played Dark Forces, which was likely due to me being a huge Star Wars fan.
Doom has aged gracefully for a variety of reasons. For one, it featured a host of gameplay improvements over Wolfenstein 3D. Your character moves faster than B.J., and is quite agile. Even though you can't aim vertically, you can pick off enemies camping on cliffs by pointing your gun in their general direction. Clearly, there is some auto-aiming, but the control feels much more precise than previous FPS games.
Besides having improved controls, you also have access to an arsenal that would make Dick Cheney proud. Okay, so you obviously have a shotgun, but you also have access to a chainsaw, brass knuckles, a chain gun, and the almighty BFG9000 (aka the Big F****** Gun). These are just a few of the great weapons you'll find in Doom, and you can switch between them on the fly.
Doom upped the ante with a massive stockpile of weapons, but did it break many other First-Person Shooter conventions? Well, sadly, the old med pack system was kept alive. This was an FPS staple at the time of Doom's release, so it's not surprising that it remained a part of the game. Even though I prefer Halo's recharging shields, I didn't really mind returning to a med pack system. Having a limited amount of health is a blessing in some ways, because it forces you to plan ahead when encountering enemies, and it causes you to search for additional health packs.
Thankfully, ID decided not to include Nazis for once, and instead provided the trigger happy gamer with demon fodder. There are a variety of demons in the game, so the types of enemies you'll face won't really get old until the fourth and final episode (which is somewhat of an extra bonus anyway). You'll find yourself up against standard soldiers packing shotguns and pistols; you'll battle fireball spewing demons, run from vicious floating heads, and battle other monstrosities you won't even find in your nightmares. The bosses are the most deadly foes you'll encounter (obviously), but there has to be a reason to bust out your BFG9000, right? Your enemies aren't astronauts, but they're clearly a step-up from the enemies in Wolfenstein, with better aiming capabilities. A skilled player, is also better able to dodge enemy projectiles due to Doom's improved controls, so you'll rarely get killed by cheap, random, headshots.
How else did Doom improve over its predecessor? Well, it's significantly more atmospheric. Doom's environments are quite varied, and really give you a feeling that you're on alien worlds. Travelling through the depths of Hell feels quite horrifying with Doom's varied backgrounds and assortment of monsters. You still can't jump or climb, so there isn't a complete sense of immersion, but each of Doom's levels at least feels distinct. Like Wolfenstein 3D, you still have to search for keycards, but the levels are no longer mazes that will frustrate you to no end. You'll occasionally have to solve a puzzle, or find certain equipment to help you cross a previously impassable area, but most of Doom sticks to its greatest strength: The fast-paced shooting action.
Besides having quite-detailed 3D environments, Doom also features a rockin' soundtrack. The music is very electronic, but it makes you feel like you're goin' into Hell and smashing Satan's windpipe. You know ID Software did something right when Doom's great tunes made a pacifist like me feel like a hardened veteran who could beat any demon to a pulp faster than the Regginator could beat Cammie Dunaway in a Wii sword fight.
Doom has a lengthy single-player experience with multiple difficulty levels--typical faire, really, but were there any notable additions made to the XBLA port? Well, ID Software decided to tack on an online multiplayer mode. Doom has been out for at least two years now, so the online community has dried up, but I was able to find a few matches. Unfortunately, these multiplayer death matches didn't impress me. For one thing, Doom's online interface felt disorganized, and you can't really tell how long matches are, so the game trudges on far longer than you will probably want to play. As for the gameplay itself, the maps are well-designed, but they're far too big to navigate without a radar. I often had trouble finding other players when I could manage to get a game, and we'd usually frag one another by surprise. When you do actually have a legitimate encounter, the fights usually boil down to who has the best weapon. I know that all First-Person Shooters are like this to some degree, but in Halo, I was actually able to take out foes with rudimentary weapons. This was not the case with Doom. My recommendation: Don't go into a fight unless you have a shotgun or better.
I came away quite impressed with this sixteen-year-old game, and would normally give it an 8.0, but I can't due to one major problem: Doom frequently freezes. Unlike many other XBLA FPS experiences, I had to save regularly, because Doom would often freeze when I completed a level or even when I tried to exit a game. Fortunately, I rarely had to go too far back, but this kind of problem is inexcusable, considering that Doom was a major XBLA release. I'm surprised that ID never provided a patch.
If you have an interest in seeing the roots of the First-Person Shooter genre, I highly recommend Doom. Even with its technical issues, Doom is still fun to play, unlike its predecessor. Doom's weapons are varied, the environments are impressive, the enemies are horrifying, and the game features a rockin' soundtrack. What more could you ask for? This is one of the best early First-Person Shooters. I highly recommend it, unless you are disgusted by the technical issues.
Pros:
- Great controls
- Fast-paced gameplay
- A rockin' soundtrack
- The levels are easy to navigate without a map (with the possible exception of Episode IV)
- There are a variety of weapons with excellent animations and sound effects
- A great sense of atmosphere
- Perfect length for a five dollar game
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Cons:
- Game freezes are a pain
- Episode IV could have used additional enemy-types
- The final episode might be too difficult for some players
- Good luck finding people for online multiplayer
- Doom is a boring online experience
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