MadCap's Game Reviews - "Doom"

What can be said about Doom? Well, a lot, actually.  It's a child of the 90s, not unlike yours truly, and it definitely shows as being from that era.  What's the main tell, besides the pixelated graphics? Guns.  Over the course of the game, the player is handed enough of an arsenal that would make Deadpool, Cable, and Lobo weep in joy at the sheer destructive force they possess.  But if that's not enough, it's even possible to shout out your best "I AM A MAN!" and punch the hordes of Hell itself into bloody, bloody submission.  Really, it's just delightful...and it also has caused a great deal of controversy about violence in video games and their effect on the general populace, as well as worries from the wholesome American Right about the evil grasp that Satan has upon the young people of the world through the "vidja games".

Of course, all of these things are astoundingly ridiculous  Yankee Rose and have absolutely no founding in any actual studies done on the subject.  Really, you'd think that those Christian activist groups would approve of a game where you pick up weapons and send Satan's backup dancers to Hell again...

It's not over 9000...and doesn't need to be!!!

Regardless, in spite of the beliefs of many, this game actually does have a plot.  As the nameless marine known only as "Doom Guy" (by the fans), you've been assigned to the most dismal duty station in the Union Aerospace Corporation - and are dropped off their just after some experiments on the moons of Mars, Deimos and Phobos, go horribly wrong.  Hell itself has been let loose, and it's time for Doom Guy to liberally apply his boot to some demonic ass before the demons turn their sights onto Earth...

And apart from that, it's all about shooting everything in sight that's shooting, clawing, or throwing energy bolts at you until they're dead. The game gives you, again, a tasty variety of weaponry to do so with.  There's, naturally, your bare fists that can hit as quickly as you can press the attack button and with little delay, but also do the least damage.  There's the starter pistol, which is good early on, but you'll soon want to drop it for later weapons.  Then there's the chainsaw, shotgun, chaingun, rocket launcher, and the plasma rifle.  But, believe it or not, this is not the apex of Doom Guy's arsenal.

Yes, Virginia, there is a weapon even greater than the mighty chaingun.

The one...

The only...

The B.F.G. 9000!!!!

And really, the thing is just as beautiful as all the tales tell of it, my friends.  With all this destructive power at your beck and call, one would imagine the journey into Hell to give Lucifer a swat on the nose would be ever so easy, right?  Not so, it seems, depending on which difficulty setting you're up on.  The easiest one ("I'm Too Young To Die") will see you sailing through most enemies with ease, while the highest ("Nightmare!") will see the unprepared filleted and served up faster than the main course of the Dark Souls Bar and Grill.  I found "Hurt Me Plenty" to be a good balance between skill and difficulty and it worked out pretty well for me by the end.

And, as I don't normally judge graphics anyway, I'll say that they haven't exactly aged well, even with the HD polish that Bethesda and Id have given it.  However, a lot like Star Wars:  Dark Force (a game that was made, ironically, as a Doom Clone), I find myself getting a bit motion sick from the graphics and the constant switch between a 3-D environment and the 2-D objects around it.

Though, since I brought it up, Doom doesn't have several of the features that Dark Forces had, namely the ability to duck.  A common thing in First Person Shooters now, but in Doom this was apparently not even thought of.  You also can't jump, again another staple of such games now that we overlook.  However, you do have a dash...which works well in long, straight areas and doesn't help at all in close quarters or in wider areas unless you've got a massive area to run through.

Really, in spite of the whole "Rip and Tear! Rip and Tear Your Guts!" crack I was making before with the melee attack, it's really best to keep enemies at range unless you've got no other choice, and that often doesn't even help, as all enemies have ranged attacks.  Remember, kids! Strafing is your friend.  Unless you have the BFG, then just hold down the trigger until everything is dead.

But altogether, this game isn't bad.  Dated? Yes.  Probably nothing something I'd take a crack at again? Probably.  But still, enjoyable and one does have to appreciate one's history, especially gamers.  So, for all of those that think Halo is the alpha and omega of all First Person Shooters, or that Call of Duty is the only game where picking up a gun and riddling everything in sight with bullets is worthy of any attention, I'd suggest you take a look back in the history books.  If only a fleeting glimpse.

And I've just checked my reviews...it looks like next time will be my 75th review! I can't believe I've made it this far!  But what to review on such a momentous occasion?  I can really think of only one game that will properly fit the bill.

Stay tuned!!!

Doom is now available from Id Software, Nerve Software, and Bethesda on the Xbox Live Arcade.

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