Doom is nearly upon us and everyone is going a little batsh*t crazy with anticipation. Will it be the great FPS epic we have dreamed of for the last eight years, or will it be a massive flop like Duke Nukem Forever? Well, I’m sure it won’t be that bad, right?
What the Hell is Doom?
If you’ve been living under a rock, Doom is the grandfather of the FPS genre. Its influence and impact on the industry is what made gaming what it is now. Before then, it was the typical side-scrolling adventure and a very kid-friendly game. But Doom came along in 1994 and changed that forever and its legacy has made the genre what it is now. But not everything lasts forever, so when the likes of Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior, Golden Eye and Turok came onto the scene, the genre’s founder was left to be. Admired, but not exactly loved like it was, most gamers just didn’t take much notice of Doom 2 as it was pretty much the same game.
When Doom wasn’t Doom
It’s strange, because if you play Doom now, you can see it’s great fun, but also a little dated. I mean, it’s pretty much collect keys, kill demons, and straightforward mayhem. It’s fun but, as said, it’s a little tiresome and many people wanted more. Doom 2 was admired but not exactly loved like its predecessor was, and most gamers just didn’t take much notice of it as everyone was thinking the same thing: “Hang on, it’s the same game.” id Software wanted to capture the masses once again and bring us something darker and a little more horror-focused to deliver an even more brutal and intense experience.
With Doom 64 being a hit, so began development for Doom 3. This new entry planned a different approach with the genre because, at the time, most FPSs were either hard-core action games like Red Faction or thought-provoking RPG titles, such as The Elder Scrolls or Deus Ex. Doom 3 crafted an extremely thrilling horror title with elements of the classic games integrated. Aspects like going to Hell made you feel more vulnerable, while taking other elements from the original game, such as the Berserk power-up, and made them into cool set pieces. It was well received by many, but hardcore fans of the series did not like the dramatic change, even with the similar themes and demon designs. So, after some time and with a change of pacing again for the FPS genre, namely Call of Duty: Modern Warfare‘s success, id Software felt pressured once again to put focus on changing the series for a modern era. Oh boy!
Doom 4: Call of Doomty
It’s now well-known that Doom 4 was meant to be more Call of Duty inspired with big cinematics, big set pieces, and cover-based shooting. This was the main problem: it felt like a COD clone with a Doom skin. The developers felt the project was lacking a soul, a real sense of identity and did nothing to stand out from the masses of COD-inspired shooters in the market at the time. It was shallow and, to be fair, a failure to the fans if it went ahead. I admire id Software for rebooting the whole game and scrapping what would have been a huge misfire. So now, finally, we have something more Doom-ish.
Doom: Back from development Hell
Doom (2016) will bring us bloodshed, chaos, and what we knew and loved of the original. Pretty much, it looks like a remake of the classic original. I mean, it’s classed as a reboot? It’s definitely not a sequel! But what we are treated to is a grotesque and insanely wondrous bloodbath of hellish proportions. We have a style of combat that pushes players forward (rather than taking cover), badass weapons, and some beautifully animated violence for the complete sickos, like me, to drool over. But what I like the look of is how the game can be customized for both sides of the fanbase. If you want the run-and-gun experience with no glory kills and very little story, then you can do just that. If you like to have more of a cinematic experience and to dive deeper into the lore of Doom, then you can do that too.
But why another origin story? Why create something so close to the original source material? Well, it’s safer to do this, much like Star Wars: The Force Awakens did by just telling us the same story as A New Hope. But also, from this point, you start with something people will have confidence in and will enjoy to see grow. From here, it can go in any direction. I imagine it would be back to Earth for a sequel, but for now we know the demons, the world and the attitude this game intends for us. Doom (2016) is one badass upgrade from the original. Besides, it’s more compelling than another COD-inspired FPS.
So, should we be hopeful or cautious?
We should be thankful, and a little scared as well. It offers some awesome-looking advancements and things which aren’t “Doom” at all. Upgrades for the suit and weapons are interesting design choices and could lend well for replayability and, of course, increasing your firepower for more spectacular displays of violence. The story is minimal for those who don’t care, and those who like to know more can do so by reading data logs and watching the in-game video logs. But the only aspect which makes me worried is the multiplayer. I liked it to a certain extent, and was happy about how easy it integrated me into it, but it was shallow and uninspiring due to lack of content. Still, I will give it another shot and, as for the campaign, I’m in high hopes, not to mention the awesome-looking Snap-Map feature. So, for those who loved Timesplitters’ map editor, this game is worth checking out!
At least it’s a good starting point for the future of the rebooted series.