Doom 64

""Saving the best for last" indeed..."

Graphics(9): This is, without a doubt, the best DooM game Graphically. ever. The only DooM engine game that has a chance at matching the graphics of Doom 64 is Hexen, wether on the N64 or not. Regardless, as a DooM game, this game is the best. Enemy sprites have ALL been completely redone and look completely unbelievable, just seeing the new and improved Pain Elemental makes you drool on the keyboard. Level design isn't so shabby, either. Apparently taking some technology from Hexen, DooM 64's levels feature new moments, new traps, new things to see that previous DooM games haven't done before. They would be perfect only if they added more frames of animation. But, alas, they didn't, which is a shame, because it would have been excellent with the added frames.

Sound(9): The only thing better then the graphics in DooM 64 is the sound. Sound effects are just... wow. Everything has been redone and sounds great. The shotgun, the imp, everything sounds better and badder then from the previous DooM games. Music is some of the most atmospheric sounding... music I've ever heard; to put it another way: before American McGee's Alice, this game had the absolute best 3rd or first person soundtrack... ever...

Gameplay(7): You run around... with a gun... shooting things... collecting keys... and shooting more things...
seriously... this is DooM, if you wanted deep storyline, go play Half-Life, or something. This is DooM, DooM doesn't need story, or innovative gameply, just massive amounts of carnage.

... did I mention you shoot things?

There are drawbacks, though. Again, this is DooM, you can't expect any more or any less from DooM then what it has already offered, so you'll step right in, destroy everything in sight, and step right out, without every mastering anything new. As a mild annoyance, WHERE THE HELL ARE THE MISSING MONSTERS!? Grrr... though its only a mild annoyance, I would have loved to see Id remake the deadly Arch-Vile or even the Spider Mastermind, but they didn't, and they gave us a whole crapload of seriously cool monsters, so I really can't complain, really.

Oh yeah, no multiplayer, either. That means no deathmatch, no Co-Op, no nothing. Its just you, a gun, and the legions of hell.

Overall(8): Easily the best DooM game around, bar none, balls out, whatever. The combination of the graphics and sound draw me into this game more then any other (with a few noted exceptions). If it weren't for the fact that this is DooM, It would have fared better (until Doom III, at least). One last note: DO NOT COMPARE THIS TO ANY OTHER SHOOTER BUT DOOM! You'll just give yourself an exercise in futility, of COURSE DooM isn't as good as Goldeneye or Perfect Dark, but DooM isn't meant to play like those 2. DooM is DooM. DooM isn't Quake, DooM isn't UnReal, DooM isn't Half-Life, DooM is just DooM.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/31/02, Updated 12/31/02