Is DOOM, doomed? Not by a long shot!

Ah, DOOM. I have many a fond memories of blasting Imps, Pinkies, Cacodemons, Hell Knights and more! DOOM is an FPS game developed by ID Software and released in 1993.
Before DOOM came along and blew up in the world of gaming, ID created another game. A little FPS game where you escape imprisonment from a Nazi castle - it was called Wolfenstein 3D. A quirky, cool little shooter that didn't vary much in the way of enemies or weapons, but paved the way for more intriguing possibilities.

Thus, DOOM was created. The game has you as a lone marine battling hordes of demons that spawn from Hell. While it proved to be popular, it also gained a reputation for being highly controversial for it's nightmarish elements, satanic imagery and violence and parents were stepping in to stop their kids becoming an adult as they strafe, dodge and surface the onslaught of blood-gurgling, spine-tingling faces from below.
With the great graphical quality and extensive library of shooters we have today, you probably find that hard to believe...well it was the 90's is all I can say. It happened and a decade later, it continued and eventually died down.

But I'm not here to talk about DOOM's controversial aspects, I'm here to talk about the history and what's to come from DOOM now.

This poor soul has been waiting too long for the next DOOM

Along with Wolfenstein and DOOM, ID Software have also created Quake which went on to blow up further in the gaming industry with it's fast pace and enjoyable multiplayer mode, defining the birth of Online FPS games for the PC. The 90's were certainly the Highpoint for ID Software.

But like many Hollywood actors, beyond the 90's is when things began to decline a little. A new millennium meant a new era of games and gaming in general. In 2001, Return to Castle Wolfenstein was released - now fully 3D, it was a reboot of sorts for the Wolfenstein franchise and was received favourably. This eventually led to a sequel in the form of a game simply title "Wolfenstein" and it was largely ignored or simply passed by everyone without even a passing glance. 

I played it. It was actually a fun little game - the last boss was beyond hard and didn't consist of the old-skool ID videogame rule of "just blast the FUCK out of him" and instead relied on a little cunning, but you can't blame ID for trying to be a little bit original in 2009, an era where every game aspired to be Call of Duty. ID even tried it by forcing a terrible and unpopular multiplayer mode in their 2009 Wolfenstein (which is where the focus of most of the achievements lie).

Regardless of some flaws, I'd still recommend it.

As for Quake, Quake 2 became very popular in both the multiplayer gaming community and the modding community - the game being modded to create Half-Life even. Quake 3 was released eventually and focused only on the multiplayer aspect, pooling together a host of characters from all of ID Softwares IP's. It done away with the story element which at the time was okay since FPS games like Quake didn't have much in the way of story anyway. In 2005, Quake 4 released on PC and Xbox 360 as a launch game and received somewhat favourable reviews but mostly just passed by our radars as FPS games weren't all the rage at that point and a lot of people forgot Quake existed - only the fanboys/fangirls were eager for it. 

Maybe I'm just an ID Fanboy, but I'd still recommend Quake 4

Now, what of ID's flagship title, DOOM? DOOM for the most part is actually okay, DOOM 2 was released in in 1994 and was mostly the same game as DOOM except with bigger, more varied levels and a shit-load of new Demons to give you nightmares and stop you reaching your destination. But between DOOM 2 and DOOM 3 was a Decade-old gap! Yes, DOOM 3 was released 10 years later (fuck!) Regardless, DOOM 3 became a commercial and critical success to the company, but divided the fanbase for it's horror elements as well as the ability of switching between a gun or a flashlight - this was later sorted in 2012's DOOM 3: BFG Edition. 

It did everything in Dead Space before Dead Space existed

But what now? Despite these successes, ID Software weren't hitting hard like they did in the 90's. They weren't "making a difference" any more, just making games like any other companies. Part of me felt they weren't comfortable with that and I feel that's the thing with ID, they strive to do more than just "make games". In 2011, ID created a new IP in the form of RAGE. It was an open world shooter with RPG elements and felt like a fusion of both Fallout and Borderlands only, it failed to really capture the essence of both. Sure, it had the wasteland, but it was bland and everyone in it had little personality. There was tacked-on racing modes which while a little fun, they aren't for everybody and enemies and loot that don't re-spawn. Also there were some areas you couldn't go back to after completing a level. But overall it generally felt like an ID Software game at the time and the lacking of real ideas was showing, so between then and now, what's happened? 

Wolfenstein: The New Order was released just a couple of months ago and it blew up! People ate it up, loved it and appreciated the lack of multiplayer and focus on singleplayer and like some games on this list, ID used an external company to develop the game - in the end it paid off and Wolfenstein has shown ID that old-skool FPS games can STILL thrive in a modern world. But what about DOOM?

Well, With Quakecon just passed, those who attended got to see something the rest of us won't get to see in any form till 2015 - DOOM 4 Gameplay!!!

Except, that it's no longer being called DOOM 4 but simply - DOOM. Like DOOM 3, it's a reboot of the story which hopes to remind players what they loved about DOOM in the first place. And going by the fan reaction - they are certainly getting there. Fans who attended keep speaking about elements like "tonnes of demons", "carrying lots of guns at the same time", "strafing", "old-skool gameplay" and more. That alone has made me very excited. So what does this mean? 

ID Software have gotten their shit together and are going forward, with Wolfenstein and DOOM being successful, I would like to see them release a new Quake and complete the holy trinity! 

Until we have the next DOOM title though, please enjoy the teaser. [I should really make a drinking game out of the amount of times I've said DOOM]

I cream a little every time

So what now? We wait. We wait and we hope it turns out fun and fantastic. Regardless, I'll still buy it because 1) It's DOOM and 2) I'm a fanboy. Heck I even enjoyed the movie! 

Yes people, there was a movie! It isn't actually uncommon - it's arguable that more people know of the movie's existence than the game. After all it stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Karl Urban. 

*SPOILER ALERT*

Karl Urban totally kicks-ass as the Doom-Guy ;)

No satanic imagery included

While it's not bad, I have to always point out the missing elements of the movie that the DOOM games are recognised for. Firstly there's the satanic imagery - there is none of it, not even a wee pentagram. For Demons that are supposed to come from hell, there is nothing to suggest it, but that also brings me to my next point. The Story - It's no longer about aliens from hell but rather science experiments turning the people into monsters. I suppose that's more "logical"? But when has DOOM been regarded for being logically-correct? I'll tell you when - NEVER! My final point is the number of Demons - there just isn't that much. I suppose it must have something with the movie relying on practical monster effects. I for one am glad they did this as CGI begins to show itself more over time in comparison to practical effects, especially for a movie made in 2005. I am the sort of guy who leans more to practical effects in movies because I feel it is both scarier and more authentic. But still, you can't excuse the small amount of Demons which only consist of Zombies, Imps and a Hell Knight or two - oh and maybe a Rock (hurr-durr). The only reason I could see the lack of Demons was probably because Dwayne was filling his pockets up with the money (possibly). 

Regardless, I say it's worth a watch, but then again, I enjoy both great and shit movies - I guess I just like everything. 

So anyway, that's that for this blog post! Want more? Here's a couple of videos from a joint Youtube channel with my friends. Here we play through the first Episode of DOOM. If you enjoy be sure to subscribe for more DOOM and other videogames. 

Part 1 of Episode 1

Part 2 of Episode 1