Since this review was originally published patches have reportedly addressed or improved one or more of the issues cited. While we unfortunately cannot revisit games on an individual basis, it should still be noted that the updated game may offer an improved experience over the one detailed below.
Not only did Bethesda grace the Switch eShop with the presence of Doom recently, it also saw fit to give us its similarly-adored sequel too (as well as Doom 3, but we’ll get to that). At first glance, Doom II looks like a carbon copy of its predecessor but it’s got a little more than that going on, to the extent that the two do feel slightly different to play.
Set immediately after the events of the first game, Doom II sees you landing back on Earth (which looks suspiciously like Mars did in the original) only to find that demons have invaded and killed billions. Time to blast more baddies into gooey, fleshy chunks.
In terms of feel, Doom II is practically identical to the first game. This isn’t really a surprise given that, back when it was originally released, the difference between the launch of the first and second game was a mere nine months. If you reckon each FIFA sequel is ‘the same game’, imagine how much of a field day Reddit would have had with this one if it existed back in the day.
That’s not to say there haven’t been any changes, of course. While the general mechanics are unchanged, id Software made use of improved hardware – computers were upgrading at a ridiculous rate back then – to build on the groundwork laid by the original and make the sequel’s 30 new levels larger and more complex.
The first Doom’s stages were maze-like at the best of times, but some of the levels in Doom II are full-on labyrinths, with all manner of switch-flipping, door unlocking and teleporting going on. That automap feature is even more useful than it was before, and you’ll be checking it regularly as you reach the back half of the game.
The stages also look more varied than they did in Doom. There are more wide-open spaces and multi-tiered areas, and there’s been the greatest attempt made to give certain rooms a unique appearance rather than giving everything the same grey textures. It’s clear that id Software was trying to push the technical boundaries with this one.
The number of enemy types has also been doubled. Joining the usual grunts, imps and demons are the likes of the Chaingunner, the Mancubus (an obese monster with flamethrowers for arms), the grotesque Arch-vile and our favourite, the Arachnotron: because nothing says character design like an evil brain monster in a robotic spider suit. The majority of these enemies are significantly harder to defeat, meaning the game’s overall difficulty is higher as a result.
On the weapons front, there’s only one addition: the Super Shotgun. We already sang the praises of the shotgun in our review of the first Doom so it’s a little disappointing – though not surprising – that this advanced version couldn’t improve on perfection. It’s more powerful, but it uses up twice as much ammo and takes an age to reload, so you may as well just stick with the old faithful.
With regards to the Switch port specifically, it’s the same story with Doom II as it is with its predecessor. We’re still talking an odd 35 frames per second and some minor stutter as a result, we still have borders on the side, a slightly squashed aspect ratio and slower music. And yes, we still have that requirement to log into a Bethesda account, which – again – Bethesda has promised it’ll remove, but is still there at the time of writing. That said, if you’ve already been through the process with Doom it’ll automatically log you into Doom II the first time you play it... somehow (which makes us wonder if Bethesda links your Bethesda account to your Nintendo account).
While the Switch version of the original Doom included all three chapters and the bonus fourth chapter included in Final Doom, Doom II didn’t have any official expansions at the time it was released. Instead, it got Master Levels for Doom II, an official level pack including 20 user-created stages. As a nice touch, the Switch port of Doom II includes Master Levels too; selecting it on the main menu brings up a list of all 20 stages you can select from at will.
One thing it doesn’t have, though, is No Rest for the Living, which was a newer expansion pack created for the Xbox 360 version back in 2010. That included an extra nine levels but is nowhere to be seen here, meaning that old Xbox 360 release technically remains the definitive version of Doom II.
Is Doom II better than the first game? It isn’t better or worse, it’s just slightly different, and which you prefer will come down entirely to your own personal taste. The first game remains a masterpiece of level design and tension, whereas the second goes bigger in every regard but makes both combat and map navigation trickier as a result; if you like having more of a challenge, then, Doom II may be your game of choice.
The fact there’s so little in it, though, makes it clear that no matter which Doom you buy you’re still easily going to get your money's worth, despite its technical flaws.
Conclusion
Much like the port of the first game, Doom II on Switch delivers a solid rendition of a classic FPS with only a handful of audio and visual issues preventing it from being perfect. It holds up just as well the original Doom does, and its price is similarly reasonable: as a result, we naturally recommend this one just as much as we do its predecessor.
Comments 96
Like the new Joys and Cons list! Clever!
I glad these Doom games have reviewed well so far because i jump the gun and bought them on day one. Here's hoping Doom 3 reviews well too.
I 2nd the joy - con list. Please use it for all reviews. I haven't played these dooms before, I should considering the prices.
I agree with everyone else as i've seen the pros & cons list on other sites and i'm glad to see them here too and even more cleaver calling them Joys & Cons.
Joys. Cons. I see what you did there.
Joy Con. Very fitting.
How dare you compare this to FIFA, that is the same every year and this is a proper sequel. Buying these 3 for £16 is the best deal all year and playing each of them really shows how much better these still are compared to most modern fps games. Absolute classics
Yes thank you for listing the pros and cons about the game, now I don't have to read the whole review to know if the game is good or not which for Doom II I knew it's great. Still those graphics hogs will come and bury this game down just cause it's not like their precious PC game.
@carlos82 correct, fifa had bigger improvments in a year back in the nineties than doom2 had over doom1
retro_player_22 pc version of doom1 and 2 also flawed, like the switch version
@BacklogBlues Maybe Doom 3 will get the best review out of the 3 games
I picked up the original trilogy and honestly I am impressed at how fun it is to have these games on the Switch. Having these games on the go is fantastic and while the ports might not be flawless I have nothing to complain about.
@bluedogrulez Yeah a lot of review sites do something similar but it's a nice feature. The joys and cons is a clever use of words and it helps take note of what the reviewer thought about it.
@EasyDaRon I know this might sound strange, but a good game remains a good game no matter how old it is or whether newer games have exceeded it. The score is deserved.
I love the joys and cons! Great addition - reminds me of old gaming mags! 😃
@dskatter
Totally agree having as much fun with one and two as I did when I first played them years ago. They are timeless to most , unless you are graphics whore
@EasyDaRon it's still better than most modern games in its genre
Been playing on PC. Loving it more than the original DOOM with more varied levels.
However, I've been stuck for a while in the Downtown level.
I heard elsewhere that Doom 1 & 2 got remade in a different engine for the purposes of this port, and this has resulted in some weird problems like a slower paced soundtrack. It's been so long since I touched Doom 2 though, so I couldn't tell the difference if I tried!
I am shocked they did not add bugs and IAP.
Joys and Cons are great idea for the reviews. Fingers crossed they don’t start to randomly drift and become annoying.
@carlos82
Taking off the nostalgia glasses (I grew up with Doom and love it), I'm interested in hearing what modern FPS games you think are worse than Doom?
@StevenG Shh, don’t give them any ideas!
Thankfully, they’re not Activision. CTR, anyone?
I've been playing episode 4 of the original DOOM and it is absolute hell. I hear that the DOOM II difficulty is just as hard as episode 4. If the case, I'm really nervous. Not sure if I'll try this out because I think just playing the original is suffice to get a taste of the classic (and I'm also not keen on difficult gameplay), but I'm actually really loving DOOM so maybe I will be swayed in the future to give it a try.
Joy / con list gets a thumb up from me.
I’ll get this the minute they get rid of the weird log in nonsense.
I loved the new monsters in this (well, not you heavy weapon dude) though a lot of the level design fell flat to me. I would have paid another $5 (probably another $10) for Final Doom; I'm assuming that rights issues played some part in that not coming over to Switch.
@KennyBania to be honest pretty much everything this generation, DOOM (2016) is the best I've played this gen but the others have become far too focused on multiplayer or live service models and I always will be a solo player first and foremost. I loved the fps games of the 90's and early 2000's and theres a simplicity about the best of them which is just here's a gun now shoot everything that moves. I liked the more thoughtful ones as well such as Perfect Dark and Half Life but Doom 3 seemed to be the last of those old style corridor shooters before COD took over. Even last gen we had some interesting ones like Resistance and Killzone whilst COD was doing Modern Warfare. This gen none of them are as good for me and some haven't even come forward, then you have the likes of Destiny which has some great mechanics and had some standout moments which I thoroughly enjoyed at times with friends but it also has lots of grinding to accommodate its live service model. Borderlands 3 may be great, the second one was but once again quite some time ago. Where is the likes of Timesplitters or indeed Half Life 3 these days in the sea of military shooters or those jumping on the live service or battle royale gravy train.
Doom, I just pick up and play and it's fun from the first minute to the last
When I saw the Joys and Cons my first thought was: Oh my god, the scores are gone! But they're not and I'm sooo happy about it!
By the way: It took me a few seconds to realize the background of "Joys and Cons". Now I'm feeling quite stupid not to see it earlier.
@KennyBania Most of them?
I can't think of another FPS I replay as much. Doom 3 is worse. The pacing isn't frantic enough for example.
@carlos82 Speaks volumes about the current state of gaming tho hey, nobody really purchases a current gen console 2 play a 25 yr old game...even if it was a good 1...
@Obito_Sigma 2 Gets wayyyy crazy, but you do have the super shotgun going for you which is basically a missile shot at point blank range. That’s one point I disagree with on the review, the super shotgun is amazing, just learn to move well between shots.
Proper Score, Scully! Bravo!
@EasyDaRon Its an 8, because it was a 10 in the early 90s, its as simple as: this game is just as fun today, as it was then, even without the nostalgia glasses
I cant take someone who disparages the super shottie, seriously.
@Obito_Sigma I actually prefer the original Doom, mostly because I preferred the claustrophobic corridors to the more open and mazelike Doom II. Doom II also adds some enemies that are absolute annoyances at best, and maddening at worst. (Arch-Vile....such a fitting name)
@Sim1 yeah pretty much, I've been gaming since the 80's but I'm not sure I'm going to bother with the next generation of consoles. Luckily for me Nintendo still make great new games to go with the classics that keep on coming
Instead of being biased about a port, here's my opinion on the game self.
It's pretty much an upgraded version of Doom 1 with a lot's of new content. Using a super shotgun is very, very satisfying and a new demons that you encounter completes to the perfection game.
@carlos82 A Timesplitters trilogy in HD would be great. Yes most fps these days don't appeal to me either. Doom's simplicity of pick up and play takes some beating.
@carlos82 Suppose ur correct, the classics will always have a say, even with movies and music they'll always get remade cos it's difficult 2 beat em...originality pretty much died years ago...I was also playing in the 80's...lol
I would say the super shotgun isn't as minor as the review says it is; it one-shots enemies at close range that would take two with the shotgun. True, it's risky to get closer, but you takes your chances if you know what you're doing.
Also, on the map "Dead Simple," did anyone notice the mancubus fireballs clipping through some of the walls? I got one-shot when trying to take cover and I was certain I took refuge. I don't remember that being in the DOS version back in the day.
I remember when this came out and being quite disappointed that it was more of the same. It just felt like one new episode with a few bits added and you had to pay full price for it!
Nowadays I'm more forgiving, for £3.99 you get a lot out of this game but God Dammit Doom 64 felt much more like a sequel and I hope that this possible re-release comes to Switch...there is NO reason for it not to!
I never did enjoy Doom 2 as much as the original Doom. Doom 1's levels were generally pretty tight and you rarely got lost, but I found myself all too frequently getting totally lost in Doom 2, seeing where I wanted to go on the map but never being able to work out how to get there, stuck in a maze of headache inducing textures.
Many hours were lost to this game, but again without the ability to load custom WAD files, there is something missing to the experience. As for the longevity of the game and it's right to be ranked so high; there is still an active community out there developing new content for this game.
For the 25th Anniversary, John Romero himself released SIGIL as an unofficial episode 5 to the original DOOM. I was probably more excited about that than any modern shooter in a while.
Proof indie games put just as little effort into sequels as modern AAA games.
wow. This game aged pretty badly in the graphics department. This is the type of the game where I might play for 10 minutes, nostalgia wears off and I move on to something else. Doom 3 looks pretty darn good on the other hand.
these games are still great fun, i don't get the whole they should be marked lower because they are old argument, it's quite frankly pretty small minded imo.
@Darknyht I always hated that John Romero's levels are considered "Unofficial". How much more official can they possibly be! lol
@Dman10 I still think these games look wonderful. The sheer care they put into using simple tools to craft the geometry and architecture is really commendable, to this day!
@dskatter nothing strange about this comment at all. Classic movies are still superb- the good the bad and the ugly is decades old but still holds its head up way higher than most movies made today. D]same for these games. Anyone who says old games shouldn’t be reviewed based on their value as a piece of entertainment should just stop and go punk up FIFA and call it day games wise. I collect homebrews for the Atari 2600 and most of them are better than the garbage that costs millions of dollars to make these days.
@Dman10 then you are missing out. Graphics do not make a game at all.
@KennyBania every call of duty
@DaWizerd I'm aghast I didn't catch that comment on the super shotgun reading the review the first time, nintendo life is allowed to be wrong sometimes but how on earth can they be that wrong?
@Iacobus That did actually happen in the original Doom 2 with mancubus fireballs, something to do with them being too big to register properly when timing tics check for them. Especially noticeable on -fast monsters which I wouldn't mind having the option to add.
@carlos82 Most of the big games nowadays seem to be interactive movies or role playing games.. some of which have first person shooting, but that’s not their primary gameplay feature. Maybe that’s why you prefer the fps’s of old.. cause they were focused on shooting
@AlternateButtons You may want to look at the Scoring Policy this site uses. To quote for you: "If we award a game an eight, you can be sure if you like the genre this is a sound buy for you. Minor niggling factors or a badly judged difficulty spike may have made this game fall short of a nine, but it is not to be dismissed lightly."
I think an eight describes this game perfectly. This is a rock solid game that has endured for 25 years and is considered the foundation that most modern shooters are built on. This port of it does have minor issues (such as the frame rate and sound imperfections).
@akennelley1 I agree, at first I had it as John Romero's (un)official fifth episode, but changed it at the last minute. At some point I need to load it onto my SNES Classic to play with the Wii Pro Controller, but to be honest it probably wouldn't get touched for a while since I just started Dragon's Dogma. I enjoy Doom, but RPGs have been my genre of choice since 1983 (AD&D: Treasure of Tarmin on Intellivision - the first rougelike RPG I ever played).
@EasyDaRon
So all art and entertainment diminishes over time? 😆
I'm going to sing the Doom song now.
@jags623 T
he moment I read your comment, the Duke Nukem theme started in my head.
Well, I grew up with Gameboys until the Gamecube (without a tv at home), so Doom 1 and 2 and Duke Nukem 3D were naturally the best FPS games I had (and Timesplitters 2 and 3, and XIII, which I couldn't play at home, ironically because it wasn't on a handheld), and them being portable is the only way I finished them. Oh, and Ecks VS Sever 1 and 2. I did play most GBA FPS games though, even finished the ABYSMAL Medal of Honor one. Just not Back Track and that paintball game.
Now we just need Final Doom and Doom 64. Shame Doom Classic Complete got delisted yesterday for PS3, since it so far is the only way to officially play an accurate port of Final Doom on console hardware.
Also, I love how almost every screenshot is of pumping the shotgun.
I decided to download Doom 3 without (hopefully "before") a gyro aim patch, and I'm enjoying it very much. Somehow I agree that playing this, running as it does, is more incredible than Doom 2016 on Switch. This was the most "gorgeous" game I'd ever seen when I played it on a friends pc back then.
Lots of old men yelling at clouds here huh
Anyone thinking about buying should the real review:
https://www.eurogamer.net/amp/digitalfoundry-2019-doom-1-2-3-ports-tech-analysis
These new ports of Doom 1&2 are shoddy and incomplete.
Purchased Doom Classic Complete (PS3) years ago and this is no upgrade.
Sadly, the better last gen ports of these games are getting delisted now.
Distracted by DRM, no one is watching as best console versions slip away.
So I've determined I pretty much blow at doom 2. I'm playing on the normal difficulty too. But it's still pretty fun! Doom 3 is a little easier for me.
@EasyDaRon I'm well aware of that Doom game and even said it's the best fps game I've played this generation and I absolutely stand by what I said about the classic Doom games too, I would play them all day long ahead of Infinite Warfare or Black ops 4. Old games aren't bad because they are old, a good game is a good game regardless of what year it came out.
This 👆totally agree.
@EasyDaRon So by your opinion Super Mario Bros 3 or World is a crap game because it is old?
@GamerDad66 All the console port fall short because the most amazing thing about the first two were the mods and total conversions. It will be similar with Neverwinter Nights, as there was a huge community pushing that game to its limits, and extending the life of the game further. But it is extremely rare for a console game to get that freedom, and in that regard PC gaming has an edge (countered by things the consoles excel at)
@Gridatttack You have to use vertical falling a lot in that map. Find good places to fall onto adjacent ledges.
@EasyDaRon How does it not make sense to score an old game on how fun it still is, when it’s rereleased ? Your logic doesn’t make any sense. You also probably never even played them.
@EasyDaRon You’re a liar and have never played them. You’re just trolling.
@GamerDad66 Welcome to the digital age.
@diwdiws Yes, the red, parallax sky of Doom is beautiful.
@EasyDaRon I think it’s healthy for a community to continue to rate and assess enjoyability, from a modern perspective. There is an appeal in the perceived rawness and resourcefulness in the face of real technical limitations within art. Some games that were great at the time will fall out of appeal for various reasons, but the great ones that are still able to communicate something to a wider audience will stand the test of time. Doom is still able to get across the feeling of being trapped and sometimes overwhelmed through its monotonous sound and unpredictable level design. The fact that it is able to do this through what would be now considered, antiquated tech, makes it all the more impressive and seperates it from 2016’s more maximalist approach.
@Shambo Yeah I’m surprised they ported it with the actual dynamic shadows in tow. That used to kill graphics cards.
Panic Button truly is talented
@Shambo GBA port of Doom(s) was amazing for its time.
@Iacobus I don’t think they are clipping, unless you actually saw it doing that, rockets in Doom have an area of effect (splash) damage that can hit you if you’re close enough to impact and near an opening, even if behind a wall . They can also hit the wall behind you and the AoE will still damage you greatly.
@akennelley1 Arch Viles go down pretty quick with a BFG blast to their f-ing face!
In “Circle of Death” I knew exactly when he would appear and I shot the BFG a split second before his entrance. He was helpless. In my mind I’m like, “Nope. None of your nonsense today!”
They creep me out though, always have. They’re also somehow even worse (more annoying) when in Doom 2016. Er, well, the enemy that’s supposed to be like them anyway.
@DaWizerd Even moving around well is still too much time if a lot of Lost Souls are nearby. Super Shotty is awesome against Pinkies, Barons (gray) and Cacodemons. Also only 4 hits to down a Mancubus, but you better have good cover when reloading.
@EasyDaRon it is an actual game and I see no reason why people can't review it today, I enjoy games both from today and the past and enjoy both equally on their merits and not their age. I could easily name 50 games from the 80's and 90's that are better then most of the current generation of consoles libraries. Technologies available for gaming have changed dramatically over the last few decades but if you were to ask me if today's games are objectively more enjoyable to play, then I would say absolutely not. This is just something we'll have to disagree about
If you go into bethesda.net and logon, under the linked accounts item in the account menu you can see that linking your Nintendo account to your Bethesda account is indeed the case.
@Antraxx777 Seeing those shadows at work, I suddenly wanted to play the Riddick games on my Switch as well. Add some gyro aiming, and I'll buy it! I mean, it's PS3 era (and one of them was an updated XBOX game), it should run smoothly.
Shouldn't it be the Cons and Joys list? Given the left one doesn't work?
sorry
@Antraxx777 yes..yes... indeed old man yelling at the clouds
@AlternateButtons I wrote the review you refer to as "lazy crap".
Does the game have technical issues? Yes, it does. Did I still have a great deal of fun playing it? Absolutely, and whether you like it or not that will always be the overriding factor above all else.
The score always relates to how much fun you're going to have playing the game. If technical issues impact on that fun then the score's dropped accordingly, but as I make perfectly clear in the review they weren't major enough here to ruin the experience for me.
@scully1888 100% this, many seem to forget that gaming is meant to be fun first and foremost and these games are fun, they have issues but none of them detract from that enjoyment. Frankly it took me watching the DF video to get what people were complaining about and I've played multiple versions of these games over the years.
Great review by the way 😉
@AlternateButtons With respect, what part of me explicitly mentioning the frame rate, the music and the aspect ratio (see the ninth paragraph) – then mentioning it again at the Joys / Cons section at the end – constitutes "sweeping it under the rug"?
You say: "As a reviewer, it's YOUR job to be objective." No it isn't. That's literally the opposite of what a review is. Objective would be me listing the game's modes and options without giving any opinion and without a score at the end. Reviews are subjective by their very nature.
You also say: "This port shouldn't have ANY issues and the fact that it does, should be fairly graded as such in your score." It was. Given that Doom and Doom II are absolute classics and both remain great fun to this day, both would have been a 9 had they been perfect ports.
I just don't feel that the technical issues here are the absolute disgrace you claim they are (indeed, I get the feeling you may not have even noticed them had the likes of DF or this review not pointed them out).
Ultimately, I've been doing this reviewing lark for 13 years now so please don't try to lecture me on what a review's supposed to contain. You're allowed to disagree with my verdict but not my methodology.
Doom II was my first DOOM when it was released, and still my favorite. Reading Masters of Doom really deepens the appreciation of everything that went into these games and the great leap forward that they were in their time.
P.S. The super shotty remains my trump card in the late game. Yeah, use the shotgun against most of the peons, but the Super is really meant for the Archviles, Pain Elementals, Barons of Hell, and Cyberdemons. The shotgun is a pea shooter in those confrontations.
So does this have gyro aim or not?
I'm in if it does, or at some point gets it.
@Pod They don't have gyro aiming but it's not really needed here since there is no vertical aiming. They play brilliantly. I haven't played 3 yet but I believe it has vertical aiming but no gyro. Hopefully it's patched into 3 as I've got a useless aim.
@OorWullie
Alright, thanks!
I'd very much like to have gyro-aiming EVEN if the is no vertical action going on. The IR-aiming enabled homebrews of DOOM and DOOM II on the Wii were spectacular to play, so I'd appreciate the opportunity to pay the developers for a similar experience.
@DinnerAndWine
I would happily argue that aside from Doom 2016, an entire zero FPS games are better than Doom I&II. It’s embarrassing and shouldn’t be the case, alas, SNL (of all things) expressed my sentiments with precision:
https://youtu.be/nEDKVNoE2ws
@robr
Duke Nukem 3D would like to speak with you
@EasyDaRon you definitely don't understand anything about video games.
@EasyDaRon I'm not the Mr know it all and I'm not the all time pro... But I play since 1985 if you speak about experience... And if you say that an old game is crap because is old... You definitely don't understand anything about videogames
@EasyDaRon ok now you explained better your opinion 😀 but I disagree instead, why an old game must be ranked lower than a new from the same series? For example I prefer street fighter 2 or sf3 more and more than sf5... For me those are waaaay better than than the last one, same thing for many other series... It's not nostalgia... Often are better game at all despite the age.
At last... A kid with age 18 (who probably play craps like fortnite and buy every year fifa and cod...) may laugh even in front of an old film, like terminator for example... Special effect are laughable for today's standards. .. But terminator 1 is a masterpiece, terminator genesis is crap...
Also for music... An old album from a singer x had almost surely a worst production respect to a new one... This doesn't make a new one better piece of music.
Graphics doesn't stand over other things like Gameplay, story and so on... most of New games are beautiful, but often not enjoyable, playable, original, genial as the older.
Aside from the same berserk/chainsaw issue from the first game, ive noticed something bizarre in these two ports. Theres been a few times where ive shot at weaker or weakened enemies at point blank and have noticed my shots have gone through them (specifically the Shotgun). I managed to record several instances of it. It appears whatever changes they made to the engine have lead to some extra bugs. Its a shame but its definitely been noticable. The range of the fist is also mspuch shorter or so it feels compared with the original version.
@EasyDaRon for newer gamers a review gives them some fresh insight, and for us veterans it provides is with details on the modern release and changes to the port when compared to the original. Technical faults can make or break releases, and a review can cover those too.
And its kind of ironic, but i disagree with what you said above about the ‘standards of modern gaming’. Modern games lack a certain kind of flexibility, creativity and sometimes pick up and play quality of older games. I can play classics such as Doom anytime and have done so over the course of my life where i dont tend to replay or fire up most modern experiences once completed. The appreciation comes from the fast addictive gameplay itself, rather than the visual presentation or complex mechanics. Doom is a game that doesnt concern itself with too many mechanics such as free looking or varied. It comes from the sandbox itself and in how the map designers use the assets afforded to them to create different experiences.
I can honestly say that despite the fact that Doom reuses many resources many times over, it still contains many unique scenarios and environments that had always kept it fresh for me. Fair enough if youre enamoured with the features of new games, but dont underestimate the appeal of older games. Its like comparing apples and oranges in a sense. Older games like Doom were games first and foremost. Simple arcade games aside these days, youd be hard pressed to find big games that dont try too hard to be more of an ‘interactive movie experience’ something that games like Classic Doom never wanted to be, and something that a fair amount of gamers genuinely miss.
@EasyDaRon there are important differences between both experiences though. Doom (2016) has more emphasis on holding a position and fighting off waves of enemies for example, and maps are a lot more linear (albeit with convenient areans to fight off waves) and story driven with few exceptions. Honestly i feel that is where the repetition begins to show.in modern gaming. Sure there is an arcade mode, but that only helps so much.
Dont get me wrong, i love the atmosphere and presentation of 2016, but the impatient gamer in me appreciates the simplicity of Classic Doom. Everything is just fast and unweighted and youre able to tackle a level how you want to. I prefer the no fuss pacing of having a a variety of maps (big and small) to explore, with enemies already present and populating it.
The amusing thing is that while the original Doom engine is technologically impressive for what it was, and as much as source ports enable it to be pushed to the limit with crazy graphical upgrades and gameplay features, the fact that the original was made with older PCs in mind meant that levels had to be designed around this. Many levels feel rather abstract in their design and sometimes arent able to resemble what theyre meant to (e,g, urban areas) yet because of this limitation, the gameplay and pace is able to flourish in a way that even a game like Doom 2016 simply cant. Sometimes the limitations of older games meant that the player wasnt as constrained as much as they are by modern experiences.
@EasyDaRon If these "old games" are museum pieces. Then explain games Like Dusk, Ion Maiden and Amid evil. Dusk is throwback to quake and its graphics style, gameplay and its gameplay to an extent. Its been getting great reviews. Ion Maiden is a new game on Ken Silverman's Build engine that looks fantastic given that engine's stuck together with bubblegum feel but can and has produced amazing games for it. Amid Evil is a new game that homages to Heretic and Hexen. The fact that you say that these old games are crap when theres new games being made to pay homage to Retro FPS is ridiculous. Im pretty sure 18 year olds are playing these games as well. You think any 18 year olds bought the new doom without having some exposure to it? I've played XBLA deathmatch for Doom 2 with 7 year olds(not on purpose just who i got matched with) so yea many people play it no matter the age. Just because u cant play a first person shooter that requires actual skill than being pushed along what essentially is a hallway with different environment textures and plays like watchin a movie
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