Review
Review | Doom (PS4)
Doom is a simple but also engaging title that has successfully shows the gaming world how you make a f***ing shooter.
Once upon a time, the original Doom was seen as the gold standard for shooters as it defined the genre. Everything changed by the start of the 21st Century when titles like Half-Life, Unreal Tournament and 007 GoldenEye raised the bar or redefined the shooter genre.
Meanwhile, Doom 3 attempted to bring new life to the series but its fast paced action (by early 90’s standards) was replaced by a horror survival tone. Doom 3 was a success in its own right for being one of the earliest first person horror survival titles but it lacked the feeling of a Doom game. As the decades passed, gaming would continue to evolve as titles become more ambitious in their setup or story telling. Which makes Doom the perfect title for those who want a simple old school shooter.
Doom takes everything players loved about the original game while giving it a few new gameplay mechanics and updating the graphics. The result is John Carmack and the team at id Software have shown the industry that this is how you make a f***ing shooter.
The story remains practically unchanged but this is a quick summery for those unaware of the original game.
Players take on the role of the Doom Marine, who wakes up to discover that the Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC) research facility on Mars has been taken over by demons from Hell. Doom Marine must battle the army of the dead in an attempt to close the portal and escape Mars.
Unlike Doom 3, this remake returns to the series roots as a simple fast paced shooter that gamers remebered.
The gameplay is simple, shoot every demon that is encountered while solving puzzles to progress. The game features the standard arsenal of a pistol, shotgun, assault rifle, Gatling gun along with the iconic chainsaw and the BFG 9000 (Big F***ing Gun).
A new mechanic introduced allows players to upgrade their weapons and power armor based on the players combat style. Gamers will also have to complete side quests and mini-games to unlock new upgrades.
Doom also feature multiplayer component which surprisingly works well with the overall experience. Another unique features is creating your own levels and having other players try it out, similar to the ‘Contracts’ feature in Hitman: Absolution.
Some of these features may take away from the old school experience that some were hoping for, but it adds a sense of uniqueness to the overall experience. At it’s heart, this is a classic shooter but it has also adapted for a new era while also appealing to a new audience.
However it’s never a real Doom game unless there is lots of gratuitous violence and this installment makes Grand Theft Auto V look like Minecraft by comparison. Those who are squeamish and sensitive to violence should probably skip this title.
Doom is the ideal game for those who want a simple shooter but have grown board with Call of Duty and the knock-offs it has inspired. At its core, this is a simple shooter that will take old school gamers back to the 90’s while showing a new generation what a shooter is suppose to feel like.
Final Score: 10/10
Disclaimer: The game used for this review was purchased at GameStop.
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Stan Rezaee
Stan Rezaee is the founder and Editor of 8Bit/Digi. He is a journalist and gamer from the Bay Area who has been writing about the medium for over five years.
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