Whilst I spent much of my childhood playing first-person-shooter masterpieces ranging from Half-Life to the original Far Cry to Quake, there was one game that eluded me: Doom. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I delved into one of the most influential FPS games of all time.
Some might argue that the older, two-dimensional graphics may have caused the game to age poorly, but all it does for me is make the endless demon killing all the more fun. The incredibly detailed sprites are unbelievably satisfying to shoot as they explode into a timelessly gory spectacle. Although the beloved double barrel had not yet made its grand entrance at this point in the series, the weapons provided are nothing short of fantastic. They are responsive, well-designed and - most importantly - useful.
The incredibly detailed sprites are unbelievably satisfying to shoot as they explode into a timelessly gory spectacle.
Whether it’s tearing down a horde of mindless monsters up-close with a chainsaw or decimating an army of demons with the minigun from afar, Doom has the arsenal for any playstyle, be it careful, mindless or a healthy balance of the two. Personally, I always enjoyed running around with the shotgun, recklessly blasting away until I reach my inevitable grizzly demise.
The levels weren’t ever overwhelming in terms of visuals, but they were very well designed as each one offered a plethora of secrets, alternate paths and enemies to duke it out with. A lack of graphical sophistication matters very little when the gameplay is the focus, so Doom has aged like a fine wine and will likely continue to do so.
The levels weren’t ever overwhelming in terms of visuals, but they were very well designed as each one offered a plethora of secrets, alternate paths and enemies to duke it out with.
Even though Doom 2016 was a brilliant game, I can’t help but finding myself jumping back into the original and the numerous mods the community are releasing to this day. The most recent two games were products of the modern gaming world with Doom 3 featuring narrow corridors, jump scares and a mediocre story, and Doom 2016 being far more user-friendly with more obvious secrets and less rewarding exploration.
The original Doom will never get old and, to any fans who enjoy the latest entries from Bethesda and ID Software, it is definitely worth delving into the beginnings of the Doom series and the roots of the FPS genre.
