Doom

"A Game the revolutionized the genre"

Introduction: Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the last decade, you probably know of this game. As the title of this review says, this game changed the face of First Person Shooters. Doom was so successful that they made a sequel soon after it was released, and there is also going to be a third Doom coming soon (as of this typing)

Fun: Whether or not you like Doom depends on what you are looking for in a game. If you are expecting a bloodbath, you may be slightly disappointed. If you are looking for strategy, well, this game barely satisfies that... with the mazes of the more difficult levels, and how to dodge the monster's attacks. Rating: 9/10

Difficulty: Doom... newbie-friendly with it's easiest difficulty yet perfect of Doom Vets with the more more advanced difficulties. I suggest you get to learn the game well until you decide to venture outside of the ''I'm too young to die'' difficulty, or else you will be frustrated trying to get an idea of the levels while learning the controls and seeing monsters that you haven't seen before. Rating: 10/10

Controls: This game uses the general PC First Person Shooter control setup (sidestep with the Alt key, fire with the Ctrl key, etc) which is easy to learn. The main advantage Doom has over it's predecessor Wolf3d in this category is that running isn't as weird. On the other hand, though, trying to kill a monster that is on a ledge high above you can prove to be a small problem, with the lack of vertical aim. Rating: 7/10

Story: As with most First Person Shooters, this game has a very lacking story. All this game has in terms of plot is the game background info, post-episode story, and end-game. If you are looking for RPG-like plot, avoid this game Rating: 2/10

Graphics: The graphics of this game push the PCs of it's year to their limits. Things this game introduces to the genre includes: Dynamic Lighting, Animated Floors/Ceilings/Walls, Animated still sprites (such as the exploding barrels), and adjustable floor/ceiling heights for each of the sectors Rating: 10/10 (Rating adjusted for game's age)

Sound: As with the graphics, this game's audio fits in well with the game, Even though the music is in MIDI, the atmosphere it creates in some levels (especially E1M8) help make this game good, the basic sounds also fit in well with the game, from the pain sound of the zombies to the roar of the Cyberdemon. Rating: 10/10 (Rating adjusted for game's age)

Play Time: 3 episodes of 8 normal missions and 1 secret mission in each. Although it is possible to finish each level in only a few minutes (if you are rushing though), you should probably get at least an half-hour play for each individual episode. Maybe more if you are still learning, less if you know the game well. Rating: 7/10

Replayability: As with most Classic PC First Person Shooters, the potential Replayability of this game is almost limitless. With endless external WADs (Levels, graphics, and Sounds), and even Dehacked patches (Modifies the game EXE to change the game itself around), Doom is sure to keep fans interested for a while Rating: 10/10

Final Recommendation: Download the shareware version first, and if you like it, buy the whole thing. Enough said

Scores
Fun: 9/10
Difficulty: 10/10
Controls: 7/10
Story: 2/10
Graphics: 10/10
Sound: 10/10
Playtime: 7/10
Replayability: 10/10
Overall: 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/24/02, Updated 12/24/02