Doom

This is actually a review of the PSN version of the game. PSN version could not be chosen from "Reviewed Item" selection.

I remember the first time I saw DOOM. I was at my neighbours house and a mutual friend of ours came by with a new game he had just download of a BBS. He had four disks with him, and on those four disk were one of the greatest, most influential games ever released. We'll, a shareware version of that game anyways. DOOM was a revelation - and that is not hyperbole. The speed, the graphics, how fluid it was on a middle of the road PC, everything was awesome. The music still sends shivers down my back.

But how does it stack up to modern day games? Well, the story is thin as paper with its delivery disconnected from the action... so, it is on par with modern games. Check out the many documents written and shot about ID and DOOM to see the office politics behind the story - it's all rather interesting. This was a time before over analyzing of videogames was a thing, let alone the thing, like it is today. I time of innocence and fun. Time before people with too little talent, and too many courses in women's studies, started to write about games. The time before the endless torrent of bad 2D platformers with "a message." It was a marvelous time.

Back to the game. The graphics are obviously rather crude, but compared to the boring and hackish indie games, the authenticity and craft make it really refreshing. The speed is still there... and the brutality too. It marvelous, that's what it is. Sound effects are still as crunchy and punchy as ever, and the soundtrack is still one of the best in any videogame ever. And it has co-op too. If there are any technical issues at all, they are as miniscule as not to warrant a mention.

Original control scheme is now mapped unto to the dualshock, and it just as good as it was with a keyboard. There's really not much that can be said about the controls. They are what they are. Maybe the weapon selection is a bit awkward, as one needs to shuffle though the whole selection, rather than just pick the one you want from by number keys. Other than that, no complaints.

Writing about DOOM is like writing about the Bible. You either like it or not, but you can't deny its historical relevance. I don't much care about the Bible, but I love DOOM.

Thanks for all the great memories, ID. I was blessed to be born so early, before everything was ruined by humorless and talentless assholes.