Doom

DOOM was saddled with one of the biggest problems that the old powerhouse studios of video game development have struggled with eternally: "How do we make a classic property in 'Year XXXX' feel modern and relevant?" After a rocky early showcase, I approached with caution, prepared for a middling sort of time at best. Instead, id Software defies all of that, delivering one of the most memorable, well realized, damned fun FPS experiences of all time.

The game opens with the now-canonically-named Doom Marine waking outside his iconic suit to hellish imagery and ominous narration. Within the first fifteen seconds of the game, you've been bombarded with pentagrams, brutally eviscerate the skulls of multiple enemies, and are treated to some of the most stunning visuals ever presented on a home console. A few minutes later, the armor is on, the shotgun is in hand and you're fighting Imps at breakneck speeds while ripping literal hearts out of the aptly named Gore Nests. DOOM lets you know exactly what it's about upfront with one of the tightest introduction sequences of any game: fast paced, balls-out-old-school-first-person-shooter action -- all the while wowing you with incredible visuals.

DOOM's biggest accomplishment is its ability to stay so thematically true to DOOM '93, referencing and pulling from the best parts while iterating and modernizing for a 2016 audience. It takes itself just serious enough to propel a story forward while reveling in the absurdity of the hyper-violent world built around it. From achievement naming to collectibles and easter eggs, the game knows just the way to prod players to elicit some laughs and headshakes in surprising ways, especially the way that the Doom Marine does everything in the absolute ANGRIEST manner possible, be it ripping bodies in two or something as mundane as pressing a button.

Despite wading through literal rivers of blood and mountains of bodies, it all feels just a hair goofy and aware enough to make the game's atmosphere light instead of oppressive, making it wild fun to progress instead of feeling like a taxing slog.

The atmosphere and lore crafting in this game comes as such a complete and pleasant surprise that, while nonessential to enjoying DOOM, adds so much more to the world the player is shotgunning their way through if they choose to engage with it. Learning about the gruesome how and why behind Revenants and Gore Nests' creation, the corporate shilling of the different laboratories and Hellscapes you visit, as well as the incredibly storied history of the Doom Marine through the ages as told by Hell's legions -- it's more engrossing than it has any right to be and shows an unprecedented level of care.

That level of care and attention to detail manages to pull through in almost every aspect of how the game was designed. Levels are massive and sprawling, but they use environmental clues to guide the player in a sub/semi-conscious manner while still having intricately hidden secrets.

Sound design is second to none, with the revving, roaring, and thumping of chainguns, the screeching and squelching of chainsaws tearing through the shrieking demonic horde, the thump of shotgun slugs just feeling powerful. Couple that with a fantastic scoring from Mick Gordon (of Killer Instinct and Wolfenstein: The New Order fame), who comes out swinging with an industrial, pseudo-dubstep, static bass wildness straight out of a '94 Trent Reznor fever dream, it all combines to go the distance and nail into your head:

Hey man. You're playing some goddamn DOOM.

The game also comes with two other modes: Multiplayer and SnapMap. Multiplayer is a reasonably enjoyable team-based mode that offers a nice diversion and some surprisingly deep customization, but never really felt engaging enough to spend more than a couple hours with it. SnapMap itself carries a whole lot of potential, allowing users to put together their own maps and challenges for other players to jump into. While they're both enjoyable in their own right, it's the campaign that is the reason for the season.

Save for a couple technical hiccups during the launch week, I find myself grasping at straws to find anything bad to say about the game. It's a super tight package with incredibly well-balanced difficulty that just feels good on every level. DOOM knows when it's starting to lose steam and gets its ass to the finish line before it takes any notable toll on the quality of the product. It is a self-aware game that flaunts itself with confidence and bravado -- getting in, doing its dirty work and accomplishing exactly what it sets out to do: Bringing DOOM to an audience in 2016 in a way that feels entirely relevant, utterly astounding, and delivering to you one of the most fun and satisfying first person shooter experiences to grace the market.