Before I start with this review, I must say two things. First, if Doom were never released, video games simply would not be what they are today. Second, if you have never played Doom before, then you are NOT a gamer! You know what those statements mean: Doom is a revolutionary classic and one of the best games of all-time, on any console or computer. It stunned every PC owner with its (at the time) extremely realistic graphics and environments, frightening atmosphere, and fast-paced action. It's so stunning, in fact, that it improves leaps and bounds beyond id Software's already stunning Wolfenstein 3-D. Where Wolfenstein 3-D was limited to running through hallways and rooms that usually looked the same, Doom is a realistic environment with things like stairs, ledges, windows, variable ceiling heights and wall angles, non-repetitive wall and ceiling textures, radioactive slime, lava, floating monsters (such as cacodemons)...the list goes on! It all made for a truly immersive experience that actually felt like real life (at the time, of course). It sucks you in and refuses to spit you out.
Of course, a technologically advanced game is nothing without solid gameplay, and Doom really delivers in the gameplay department. While there isn't much new since Wolfenstein 3-D, it does feel like a new experience because of the extremely immersive gameworld. Considering how fun Wolfenstein 3-D was, you already know that you'll be staying up all night playing Doom...or not getting enough sleep because you can't get Doom off your mind. One of the main reasons why the action is so satisfying in Doom is because of the (at the time) over-the-top violence. There's a lot more blood than in Wolfenstein 3-D, and some enemies explode into bits when shot with the rocket launcher. However, Doom is actually less gory than most first-person shooters today. Weaponry is also more varied than in Wolfenstein 3-D: here, you'll also have a shotgun, rocket launcher, plasma rifle (shoots out beams of electricity), and the BFG-9000 (the ultimate weapon of mass destruction).
Doom is just one of those games that's so incredible that it's hard to describe what makes it so great. It's the very game that did to gaming what The Wizard of Oz did to movies. When you consider how revolutionary Doom was when it came out, it's just hard to imagine the fact that today's games have improved leaps and bounds beyond Doom in nearly every category!
Of course, a technologically advanced game is nothing without solid gameplay, and Doom really delivers in the gameplay department. While there isn't much new since Wolfenstein 3-D, it does feel like a new experience because of the extremely immersive gameworld. Considering how fun Wolfenstein 3-D was, you already know that you'll be staying up all night playing Doom...or not getting enough sleep because you can't get Doom off your mind. One of the main reasons why the action is so satisfying in Doom is because of the (at the time) over-the-top violence. There's a lot more blood than in Wolfenstein 3-D, and some enemies explode into bits when shot with the rocket launcher. However, Doom is actually less gory than most first-person shooters today. Weaponry is also more varied than in Wolfenstein 3-D: here, you'll also have a shotgun, rocket launcher, plasma rifle (shoots out beams of electricity), and the BFG-9000 (the ultimate weapon of mass destruction).
Doom is just one of those games that's so incredible that it's hard to describe what makes it so great. It's the very game that did to gaming what The Wizard of Oz did to movies. When you consider how revolutionary Doom was when it came out, it's just hard to imagine the fact that today's games have improved leaps and bounds beyond Doom in nearly every category!