DOOM a classical return
Bringing back a modern version of a iconic and classic game is filled with possible failures and disappointment. Is DOOM doomed, or is the 2016 reimagining as iconic as the original?
DOOM (2016)
Intense Single-Player - Brutally fast, destructive guns & upgrades, relentless demons.
Fast-Paced Multiplayer - Arena combat, player customization, unique modes, playable demons.
Near-Limitless Gameplay - Download new game experiences or create your own with SnapMap.
Additional images:
Price: $17.98
The Road behind
In 1993 id Software brought us DOOM, a first person shooter that became the pioneer and example of many games. With 3D graphics, networked multiplayer gaming, and support for customizations and modifications via packaged files known as “WADS”, DOOM was a groundbreaking and breathtakingly designed game. In 2004 DOOM’s story was retold under the name DOOM 3. This was a great success for id Software and it was received well by both critics and player. The designers at id Software were able to show the player a more up to date world of DOOM that did the art more just then it’s original. The graphics were good and the art was great, but the gameplay missed its finishing touches. In 2008 DOOM 4 was announced and the project was later renamed to DOOM. It was going to be the reboot of the DOOM series and after years in development and no news from id Software, it was restarted completely in 2011 with Bethesda Softworks serving as the publisher for the game. And so after 2 years with no new updates, every fan lost their enthusiasm and probably any hope that our DOOMGuy would crawl out of the darkness once again to battle legions of demons. Until finally in 2014 the teaser trailer was released and the hopes of many were regained. Now finally after many years in development, Bethesda Softworks and id Software have managed to bring back DOOM.
Gameplay
The new Doom that we all have been waiting for and in development for 8 years, received some very negative reviews from players and critics taking a first look at the open Beta in April 2016. The open Beta was multiplayer only and people reviewed it as a lack luster and that it felt more like Halo then DOOM. Comments ranged from “Never could get into Halo games”, to, “Not a big fan of Masterchief’s new look,” with a few Call of Duty references as well.
I was looking forward to the release of this game, finally my old time favorite was coming to a platform were Designers and Artists could show the full glory of the world of DOOM to players, without compromise. After being so long in development by some of the most talented Artists in the game industry, I was not expecting less. And they didn’t disappoint at all.
Single-player Campaign
The Single-player Campaign starts of where you – the player as a unknown man (Doomguy) is chained to an altar and awaken in a UAC basement on Mars, realizing that something is amiss. After You escape your imprisonment and gain your Praetor Suit, you begin trying to find out what the source of the demonic invasion is, and preparing yourself to stop it. The campaign consists out of 13 missions, and according to the developers it will take about 13 hours to complete. The release was also on 13th May 2016, I see some consistency with the number 13 here.
The Gameplay is fast, just like in the classical DOOM, the demons are all over the place and in a non stop flow trying to stop you from fulfilling your destiny. Within every mission, there are areas that feel like a trap and the moment you interact with an object, Hell literary breaks lose. Fighting for your life feels good, and the arsenal of weapons to your disposal are versatile and fun. The Glory Kill system, of which I was initially skeptical about, is very well implemented. Although on some occasions where the challenges ask you to perform a certain type of Glory Kill on a certain type of demon, it can feel a bit weird. The upgrade system is simple but does it’s job very well. This upgrade system allows you to upgrade yourself and your weapons. For your weapons you will need to find a mod before they are upgradable and this bring me to what i think is a strong point of this game. Yes you will be killing Demons in the most bloody and horrifying way, and you will feel like a invincible demon-killing God in doing so, especially with the Glory Kill system where you can rip massive demons apart from head to toe. But there is so much more then meets the initial eye within the world of DOOM. Secrets! Easter Eggs! And access to the classic DOOM levels. From references to Skyrim, Commander Keen, Fallout, and the previous DOOM games to Terminator, Candy Crush and many more. Every level is filled with these secrets and Easter Eggs and I love it and I love the challenge of finding them all. Discovering hidden levers, air vents, caves and so on is fun and an enjoyable diversion from the none stop shooting, hacking and slashing your way through piles of Demons.
Multiplayer Gameplay
I’m not a big fan of multiplayer deathmatches and such, and the last time I played this type of gameplay was with the release of the first Gears of War and even then i only played it a few times. I did tried out the Multiplayer Gameplay of DOOM just to see if it was so bad as people stated on the forums. Having missed out on the multiplayer of previous games, I went into it with an open mind. What you notice is that this gameplay feels like the Halo titles. Which isn’t so surprising because the multiplayer was developed by Certain Affinity, a company comprised of former Bungie employees. This does not say that the multiplayer option of DOOM is bad, however there is nothing new in it that can and will compete with todays heavy hitters like Halo and Call of Duty. It’s fun for a while, but I don’t see DOOM’s multiplayer taking over this genre of gameplay. What I do understand now is the criticism of the open beta reviews. Open Beta was multiplayer only – which doesn’t really differ from other multiplayer games in this genre. Not to mention open beta reviews felt somewhat one-sided, as there is so much more to DOOM than the multiplayer gameplay.
SnapMap Modding
For those who remember the old Doom and Quake modding days, DOOM includes something called SnapMap which allows you edit, create and upload your own maps. SnapMap is nicely designed but it’s an extra fun feature and not something people should solely buy this game for.
The Art of DOOM
The Art of Doom is stunning and makes you want look around within the game between the battles. The environments consist out of small places like a laboratory to large open environments and even hell itself – as the designers visualized it. When you walk through a simple hallway and take the time to look around, you will notice that the developers and designers have taken the time to go into small details. On your journey, you will encounter many different types of demons and weapons that are designed and amazingly well animated.
Dark Horse Books and Bethesda Softworks® announced that The Art of DOOM, the companion Art Book for DOOM will be available in stores on 8th June 2016. Containing 184 pages of Concept Art, sketches and designs and we can’t wait to get a copy of it in our possession.
The Art of DOOM
From the immense UAC facilities on Mars to the depths of hell, uncover never-before-seen sketches and concept art from DOOM. The book also features an exclusive look at the development of the relentless demons of hell, devastating, over-the-top weapons, as well as the iconic DOOM marine-- all accompanied by commentary from the developers themselves. The Art of DOOM is indispensible for fans of video games, visceral first-person shooter combat, and pulse-pounding action!
Additional images:
Price: $81.00
Below you can find a few preview pages out of The Art of DOOM.
Environments
Monsters
Weapons
Conclusion
DOOM is all about its single-player campaign, which is a nonstop, fast and bloody shooting action in the style of the classical DOOM. The environments, demons and weapons are well animated and designed and they are a lust to look at. The battles are well designed and the varied enemy types mix well. Between these battles there are tons of Easter eggs and Secrets to look for and will keep you busy for hours of fun. DOOM’s single-player campaign makes it the best shooter of this year and i can’t imaging this will change soon. The multiplayer gameplay does it best but it can’t compete with today’s heavy hitter like Halo and Call of Duty.
DOOM (2016)
Intense Single-Player - Brutally fast, destructive guns & upgrades, relentless demons.
Fast-Paced Multiplayer - Arena combat, player customization, unique modes, playable demons.
Near-Limitless Gameplay - Download new game experiences or create your own with SnapMap.
Additional images:
Price: $17.98
The Art of DOOM
From the immense UAC facilities on Mars to the depths of hell, uncover never-before-seen sketches and concept art from DOOM. The book also features an exclusive look at the development of the relentless demons of hell, devastating, over-the-top weapons, as well as the iconic DOOM marine-- all accompanied by commentary from the developers themselves. The Art of DOOM is indispensible for fans of video games, visceral first-person shooter combat, and pulse-pounding action!
Additional images:
Price: $81.00
