Bethesda's DOOM

     Twenty-two years ago I went to go visit a friend at his house. He was a cool gamer with a huge 386 IBM personal computer that I was super jealous of, and he showed me DOOM. It was a follow up of id Software’s first ever FPS hit…………………..Wolfenstein. It was gorgeous! The sound was dynamic, there was a great soundtrack, demons that threw fireballs at you, zombie type enemies, pistols, shotguns and a CHAINSAW, Mwhahahahaha! DOOM had everything you didn’t even know you wanted!
 DOOM was released as a shareware game where id Software released an episode which was eight levels plus one hidden level which people could get for free. If you wanted to get the other two episodes it cost $40 which you could pay for over the phone or send them a check in an envelope as the internet didn’t exist in the way it does today.
 When DOOM came out it was a fast paced FPS where enemies swarmed thick and fast. There were puzzles, mazes and room specific keys. The rooms had a great flow which gave birth to not only having fun levels but also to multiplayer deathmatches. Deathmatch was a great way where friends could really show off their bragging rights. There was no more arguments of “Oh yeah well if we were to play against each other, I would destroy you.” Deathmatch solved that.
 The last thing that made DOOM truly exceptional was the Where is All the Data (WAD) files. This is where all the fans of DOOM could start editing the game and put their own twist on it. They brought out Star Wars, Alien, Terminator mods and plenty more, but they also created new maps, fantastic multiplayer maps that really made you test your limits. DOOM was the launching pad for everything we see in games today, hence why it is regarded as one of the best games of all time.
 

It is now 2015, I have an Xbox One, two PC’s and I am on the edge of my seat biting at the bit for the new version of DOOM. Although this is the 4th instalment of the franchise it is a reboot, unlike DOOM3, and from the look of the gameplay from E3 and it looks like Bethesda have gone back to what made DOOM great. In a press release GameSpot revealed that DOOM will offer a major challenge, which I believe has been missing in recent FPS’s (For GameSpots review go to http://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-doom-for-xbox-one-ps4-pc-won-t-be-easy-bethesd/1100-6428235/) The running, the gunning, the demon hunting. Bethesda’s parent company bought out id Software in 2009 and haven’t looked back with last year’s Wolfenstein: The New World Order and their newer title The Old Blood, DOOM has the potential to be something truly fantastic.
Bethesda being fans of modding are bringing that system back to DOOM with “DOOM SnapMap”. Because of the WAD files in the original DOOMs had such a cult following and Bethesda had such huge success with Skyrim’s workshop you can see why this new system is going to work now. There are still fans of DOOM 1&2 that are still modding today. As explained in an article with IGN http://au.ign.com/articles/2015/06/15/e3-2015-new-doom-has-an-extensive-level-creator, DOOM SnapMap you can create your own multiplayer maps, adjust your load outs, and change the type of enemies you could even recreate some of your favourite levels from the original DOOM. Maybe John Romero himself could recreate his favourite level from the original game.
 Some of the things that are going to make this title special are the inclusion of popular use items like double jump, and melee finishers, ledge grappling, open maps and finishing moves. They have also included old favourites including the Chainsaw, the Super Shotgun (DOOM 2 favourite), and of course the BFG9000. They also have steered clear from any connection to DOOM3 which was more of a survival horror game as opposed to a straight out shooter. The multiplayer will be traditional player deathmatch, domination, freeze tag, and clan arena.
 One thing to take away from watching the demo is that DOOM has gone back to its roots. There is no force shield, just armour which is picked up, health doesn’t naturally regenerate when you hide behind a pillar or a crate. One subtle and game changing mechanic some us noticed was there is no reloading. If your ammo count is at 20, then that’s all you have, if you have 500 bullets then hold the trigger until you run out. Also you don’t have to press X, Square, or Spacebar to pick up item, all you have to do is walk over items to access them. Doors are locked again using slight problem solving skills to unlock them. In the demo, DOOM guy, had to rip the arm off a scientist to use fingerprint technology to unlock a door, and I hope that’s a one off. But the real question is what other surprising ways are they going to use to open doors. Use a dead guys eye for a retinal scan? Blood sample from an ex scientist turned into a demon? But one thing I am looking forward to is running around and collecting the corresponding keys to the doors that way the pace of the game won’t suffer. I used to love getting lost, looking at a red door with a blue key and thinking to myself, how am I meant to get in there? Another feature I would love to see is the return of the secret areas, a sacred place where you could pick up the better weapons early.
 DOOM over all, looks good, with massive influences from its predecessors DOOM 1 & DOOM 2. I believe this is what DOOM 3 should have been. What do you guys think of Bethesda’s DOOM? Can it come back from hell and deliver a game that not only pays homage to the old but also be regarded as a fantastic shooter in its own rite? With co-operative multiplayers becoming so large is there room for a single player FPS? Either way I congratulate Bethesda for this forthcoming instalment into my library. DOOM will be released in Australia in autumn 2016 on XBox One, PlayStation 4 and PC
 I’m very excited to play it and I can’t wait to see you all in hell.

Bradley Wolski.

Related Tags
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