DUBAI: Doom was my first game on a PC, and for a long time my only game on a PC. I played it and played it, l and it holds a special place in my heart.
While it took a little time to adjust to the controls on the PS4, and a little more time to get used to the polished HD graphics, it wasn’t long before Bedthesda’s remake of id’s 1993 classic engaged the nostalgia drive and twisted the throttle.
This is the Doom we know and love.
And if anything, it’s considerably harder than before. Don’t let the prologue fool you about that — just as I was thinking, “Well, this is easy,” I was ambushed and killed. It took a couple of attempts to get through that room, and more to get through the next area. The enemies are fast; you need to be faster.
To be perfectly honest, I think modern shooters, with their cover, aiming and healing during rests have softened my skills. Doom plays hardball — you’ll need to move constantly, practice your strafing and keep a very careful eye on your health and armour.
There is one new mechanic for healing — pull off special, close-range melee kills known as Glory Kills, and your defeated enemies will drop health. Of course, you’ll likely lose some health in the process: getting up close and personal with a Martian demon isn’t a safety play.
And while it is possible to gain a brief respite from incoming fire by breaking line of sight, the critters will follow you, flank you and, unless you’re quick, finish you.
Where this version exceeds the original is in its battlefields. They are big, detailed and complex, allowing you to fully utilise the 3D environment by taking the high ground or keeping low, running from point to point and claiming chokepoints. Beware, though — what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, and the AI-controlled enemies make good use of the terrain themselves — and it’s even worse in multiplayer mode.
The remake is far more than a pastiche of the original. It’s captured the very heart of what Doom was all about: gore, guns and glory. Don’t expect wit, cleverness or deep storylines. The best you can hope for is a bit of black humour to liven up the relentless waves of demons. Doom revels in its ridiculous premise.
Doom relishes the firepower it offers, from the humble pistol to the BFG, and for the first time it offers you the chance to upgrade your weapons. While I was at first dismissive of this innovation, I quickly warmed to it. After all, guns are the heart of a game like this, and who doesn’t love to tinker?
Put Doom on your must-play list, if you haven’t already got it.
RATING: 9/10
