Doom (2016) (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch & Stadia)

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Developer(s) – id Software

Publisher(s) – Bethesda Softworks

Director(s) – Marty Stratton & Hugo Martin

Producer(s) – Timothy Bell

PEGI – 18

Twelve years in the making, the re-vamp of id Software’s classic shooter Doom presents players with an experience more akin to Doom 1 and 2. Deviating away from the survival horror approach taken with Doom 3. And given an overhaul in visuals as well as having numerous different features thrown in for good measure.

I thought that whilst it was pretty light on story, again alluding to the first two games, it was overall a fairly decent gaming experience worth at least one playthrough. And it’s not just another Duke Nukem Forever. As it easily could have been if history has gone another way.

Graphics – 10/10

The game runs on the id Tech engine. One of the most advanced gaming engines on the market. And as a result, it looks nigh-on flawless in terms of technical performance. It’s certainly one of the best-looking video games I’ve seen throughout the eighth generation so far. If not, the best. The conceptual design is very insanely good. As it looks even more akin to the classic box art than any other Doom game to date. With the red skies and terrains of Mars, and the hordes of demons players must have to contend with. Although the game itself plays out much like the first two games in the series, I like that they also kept the scary atmosphere and limited lighting in UAC facilities, which were established in Doom 3.

Gameplay – 7/10

The game has a standard level-based campaign mode. Whereby players must shoot their way through hordes of demonic creatures. And complete a couple of collectible side quests along the way. But on top of that, there is online multiplayer. But the most interesting feature the game has to offer is undoubtedly the SnapMap system. This allows players to create their own arenas and stages and hold their own online multiplayer battles and single-player levels as well as other game modes. A direct response to the overwhelming legacy the original game created in terms of user-generated content. The SnapMap feature makes this game stand out among the many other generic FPS games that are released every year. And after completing the main story mode, will provide much more replay value for people left wanting more.

Controls – 10/10

Handled by the godfathers of the first-person shooting genre, id Software, it was expected that there would be no issues with the game’s control. And so there aren’t any. Doom’s controls are as refined as any other modern FPS game. And present players with no unnecessary complications.

Lifespan – 10/10

The campaign can typically last up to around 13 hours. Which whilst isn’t exceptional is still much longer than the average FPS story mode. But on top of that, online multiplayer and the SnapMap feature will provide players with unlimited replay value, so the game will, in essence, last as long as the player’s interest, which given what this game has to offer, should be a considerably long time; especially veteran fans of the series.

Storyline – 4/10

As I said, this game is light on story; even in the campaign mode. The plot is that an unnamed space marine is traversing through the planet Mars, and is on the way to eliminating as much of the demon horde as possible. There are slight instances of character development and a couple of different plot threads, but not enough to make it stand out from other games in this respect. Arguably, there didn’t need to be a story for it to work, and that does apply to a certain extent, but given how id Software have previously demonstrated that they know how to tell at least an interesting story, as evidenced with both Rage and Wolfenstein: The New Order, I still can’t help but feel that this game fell short in this respect.

Originality – 6/10

Another aspect that the game falls short on slightly is in terms of uniqueness; partly in conjunction with the fact that this is simply a second re-telling of the events of the original game. It’s also due to the fact that Doom does essentially play out like a standard first-person shooter, and that there are no unique mechanics within the gameplay itself outside the SnapMap feature. id Software may have wanted to keep things simple for the sake of delaying the game any more than they already had done. If true, the game was made to suffer slightly in terms of originality.

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In summation, however, Doom is a solid first-person shooting experience, and I would recommend it to both veterans and newcomers. It’s longer than the average shooter, and while it does play out a lot like an average shooter, there are enough additional gameplay features to keep players busy vanquishing the demon horde for a long time.

Score

47/60

7.5/10 (Good)

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