Reviewed: October 17, 2006
Reviewed by: Mark Smith
Publisher
Activision
Developer
id Software
Released: September 27, 2006
Genre: FPS
Players: 1-4
ESRB: Mature
8
8
8
8
8.8
Supported Features:
Screenshots (Click Image for Gallery)
It took man nearly 1500 years to prove the world wasn’t flat, but it only took the gaming industry about ten years to evolve beyond the 2D world into that glorious third dimension and gaming has never been the same since. It all started with a little (what we now call FPS) game called Castle Wolfenstein, a 3D remake of a 2D game that some may remember playing on the Apple.
The game became an instant hit and id Software became the success story of the decade, not only pioneering a new genre, but the entire concept of “shareware”. Interestingly enough, the Xbox Live Arcade concept is much like shareware in that you get a free sample and if you snap at the bait you pay a nominal fee for access to the full game.
So it should come as no surprise that we now get to enjoy a game that has done more for the FPS genre than any other game in history. Of course I’m referring to DOOM, that 1993 mega-hit that inspired gamers and game designers alike. Not only did DOOM offer a fantastic gaming experience, it sparked a curiosity in game and level design that has spawned an entire generation of new game designers.
DOOM will certainly be a flashback for many veteran gamers and a total shock for those who have never played an FPS game without free-look. That’s right, in DOOM the game handles any up or down aiming and looking, so you are always facing forward looking straight down the hall or in the face of some ugly spawn from hell. You can’t even jump!
DOOM is a not only a great thrill ride, it’s a nice trip down memory lane as we get to play with pistols, shotguns, the massive chaingun, pulse rifle, and of course, the BFG – the smart bomb of handheld weaponry. Along the way you’ll get to encounter a nice and creepy assortment of enemy soldiers, hellish demons, fireball shooting imps, floating cacodemons and some powerful bosses, all the while searching for those red, blue, and yellow keys.
The game features a classic first-person perspective with a large HUD that can be toggled off if you want. There is something nostalgic about those big red numbers indicating ammo and health and that fun animated face of your marine who slowly bruises and bloodies up as you take more damage.
DOOM also pioneered multiplayer gaming on the PC and is likely responsible for the term “deathmatch”. The 360 version supports multiplayer for versus and co-op, both split-screen and on Xbox Live. Locally, this is a fantastic experience, although I found that much like GoldenEye, you lose a bit of your tactical advantage when your opponents only need to look at your window to see where you are camping.
Online, the game doesn’t fare as well. It holds up for two players and sometimes four but only if everybody has an amazing connection to the Internet. All it takes is one player with a laggy connection and the entire game turns into a slideshow. It also means enemies will be ‘warping” around the level making it impossible to aim with any type of accuracy. The good news is you can see other players’ connection quality in the lobby so choose wisely, especially if you are going to play a ranked game.
The cooperative mode is a new addition and pretty darn cool supporting two and even four players going at the solo missions together. With friendly fire to consider, this mode adds a whole new element to the single-player experience. You can now work certain areas and bosses with all new tactics.
All of your favorite skill modes are back including Hurt Me Plenty, UltraViolent, and Nightmare for those who consider themselves FPS gods. This mode is so tough they’ll even give you 10 gamer score points for completing a single level.
DOOM is brought over to the 360 in all its original glory, which means that it looks really dated. Back in 1993 id Software was just beginning to grasp the concept of textures and level design. It looked great back then because we were all excited at the prospect of playing a 3D game, but when you stack this game up against countless other FPS titles already available on the 360…well…let’s just say you won’t be playing this game because it looks good.
The game supports 1080i, which only makes those blocky textures pop even more despite any attempts to smooth them over. There is no widescreen support but you can stretch the screen out to the borders if you don’t mind some slight distortion. The framerate is obviously blistering fast, almost to the point of making me sick and I never get sick playing these games.
Wow does DOOM sound good with its hard driving metal soundtrack that blurs rock and creepy atmospheric music into something you won’t soon forget. It’s been over ten years since I’ve played DOOM and I immediately recognized the music the moment it loaded.
Sound effects are powerful and very effective from the booming shotgun to the powerful pulse rifle or the chain reactions of exploding barrels. Then you have all of those wicked sound effects coming from the monsters that sound just as evil as they look. And all of this is packed into a fantastic Dolby Digital mix making this the best sound version of DOOM ever.
DOOM costs a bit more than your typical XBLA game but then again, you are getting what can easily be called a “major release”, even if it is more than a decade old. Unless you have recently picked up the collector’s edition of DOOM 3 for the Xbox which had DOOM 1 and DOOM 2 packed in then this is your only chance to play one of gaming history’s most influential titles.
It will take you a couple days of solid play to work through all four episodes solo or with friends and then you have the highly competitive online multiplayer with ranked matches and leaderboards. I was surprised at how many people were actually playing this game this close to launch. There must be a lot of DOOM fans out there.
DOOM is by far one of the better XBLA titles available on the 360. While I don’t mind flashing back to the coin-ops titles of the 80’s I can much more relate to games from the 90’s, and it will be games like DOOM that will find their best audience on the Xbox 360.
Now if they can only bring Duke Nukem 3D to the XBLA I will be in 360-heaven.