Doom Collector's Edition

"The Long-TimeKing of FPS Gaming is Back With a Vengence!!!"

I must admit, I never really played DOOM when it first came out, but my brother had DOOM II. I played that game every time I had a chance. It was awesome - completely unlike anything I'd ever seen. Over time, I forgot about it as I pursued bigger and better gaming avenues. That is until I saw the DOOM Collector's Edition. All three original DOOM games in their entirety plus preview material for DOOM 3 - How could I resist?!? Immediately upon installing it, I felt a wonderful rush of nostalgia, and I wasn't disappointed. Enough about that though. Here's the breakdown...

Gameplay 10/10:
The gameplay absolutely shines! It is incredibly simple, which is what makes this game so incredibly addicting. Basically, you run around through literally hundreds of Labyrinth-like mazes, collecting colored keys to open corresponding doors and the massive amounts of health, ammunition, and powerups needed to survive, all the while blasting away at anything that moves. You use the number keys to toggle between your vast array of weapons, which includes a shotgun, pistol, rocket launcher, plasma cannon, and even a chainsaw. you use control to shoot, space bar to open doors and shift to run. Its that simple! the fast pace of the action and the intensity of the battles utilize this formula well, creating an engaging gaming experience that is very, very easy to get seriously immersed in.

Graphics 9/10
The graphics are great! They were cutting edge when these games were first released, and they stand the test of time relatively well. The colors are vibrant and the atmospheres they create are extremely eerie, which really enhances the whole experience. At times, the graphics falter in comparison to more recent games, but not even remotely enough to call it a major complaint. All in all, the graphics lend an added air of nostalgia to the whole experience and mesh quite well with the games as a whole. The animation of the monsters themselves is done quite well, but they sometimes pixilate at close ranges. Then again...if you're that close, unless you are just flat out suicidal, you're not playing the game right!

Sound 10/10
The sound effects are one of the crowning achievements of the entire DOOM series. The monsters each have their own distinct snarl. And the weapons sound convincingly life-like. The music itself ranges from creepy ambient noise to fast-paced frantic madness. The music does really wall at setting the mood, and it still sounds just as good today as it did when the games were first released.

Plot 7/10
This is where the game falters a bit. The plot is...well there really isn't one to speak of. The games are all built around the premise that the military accidentally opens up a portal to hell trying to achieve trans-dimensional travel, and you are a highly skilled space marine, who is somehow always the only one who can single handedly take on the forces of hell. That's it. There's no plot development beyond the initial premise, but who needs a plot anyway? It's fun enough blasting away at legions of hellspawn, leaving a trail of carnage in your wake. A thick plot would only mar the beauty and poetry of DOOM. Besides that, the thin, cliche loaded plot adds a certain amount of cheesy B-movie shtick to the experience as a whole, which actually works really well.

Replay Value 10/10
With three games (technically four) in the package, each featuring five difficulty levels and a whole bevy of well-hidden secrets to uncover. The DOOM collector's edition provides endless hours of demon killing fun. The replay value is virtually limitless. Not to mention, the online death match feature allows for hours of late night fun, blasting away at your friends over and over again.

Content/ Extras 10/10
DOOM Collector's Addition actually comes with a whole disc of DOOM 3 bonus material. The content is lackluster at best, but it does at least provide a glimpse of what is to come. I wish that there was a playable demo on there, but with the full versions of The Ultimate DOOM, DOOM II, and Final Doom (which includes two full games: TNT/Evilution and The Plutonia Experiment) all included on one disc I can't complain much. When you can get all of this for only $20.00, I highly doubt that anyone could lodge a valid complaint.

Overall Rating 9/10
Definitely a game worth looking into! If you're a die hard enthusiast, a casual fan, or even a newcomer to the DOOM experience, I believe that this package will be greatly loved by all. DOOM still stands as the quintessential FPS, and after playing the entire original series over again, its not even remotely hard to see why.

Buy/Rent/Ignore?
Buy!!! The price can't be beat. For fans of the series this is a chance to relive old memories, and, since it contains the original DOOM trilogy in its entirety, it is a perfect starting point for newcomers. A purchase no gamer would regret!!

Bottom Line
The DOOM series passes the test of time, proving with style and finesse that mindlessly destroying wave after wave of the minions of Hell never gets old. A great collection of a great series!!

Well, I gotta go. Time for another DOOM fix...

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/02/05