Doom

"Consistently amazing in every respect."

There is little need for a factual introduction to Doom. Twelve years after its launch, id Software's action masterpiece has to all intents and purposes become a cultural icon, and anybody whose interest in games stretches beyond the current "hot picks" would probably have heard about it. The PlayStation port, comprised of levels taken from the original Doom, Doom II and Ultimate Doom, is largely similar to the PC version, differing mostly in details that only Doom experts would notice, such as the slightly less informative status bar, different power-up values, and the absence of the Archvile monster. The game runs very smoothly, the control is as tight as can be, and the PlayStation joypad is perfect for the game, with the option of full customisation of the buttons. The Dual Shock function is not supported, unfortunately - I'm sure it would add another dimension to the already incredibly tense and atmospheric gameplay.

Similarly, I probably don't need to tell you how consistently amazing the game is in every respect. The graphics and the sound naturally show their age - the monsters are still only 2D sprites, there is some texture warps and glitches, and anything viewed close-up is noticeably pixellated - but focusing on the visual and audio design, instead of their technical specifications, makes their immense contribution to the experience of the game rather more obvious. The beautiful otherworldly textures, which, as a curiosity, include a scan of the lead programmer's snake-skin boot, are an excellent showcase of the design team's imaginative take on both the interstellar alien world and the monster-infested Earth, while the sound, with excellent use of the built-in reverberation algorithm, is actually very important to the gameplay itself, helping you to locate the monsters' positions and learn about their type and approximate number whenever you're unable to see them. The music is not quite as outstanding, though several of the synth-based tunes appearing in the game are classics in their own right.

The one aspect that I would like to point out specifically, however, is level design, which is nothing short of genius. In PlayStation Doom, there are 59 levels, five of them (well) hidden, but each of them is incredibly inspired. There is a great mix of corridors, halls and open spaces which are cleverly interconnected so that you're never totally safe from monster attacks, and the generous use of teleports adds another twist to the navigating of the level. And while monotonous gameplay can really hurt a game, the fact that there is only one thing to do in Doom (i.e. mow down endless hordes of monsters with various, mostly projectile weapons), yet you're unlikely to ever get bored, goes to show how much thought and effort went into designing the levels. They never fail to surprise - there are a few really nasty tricks waiting for the unsuspecting Space Marine - and they never cease to amaze. Even on the hardest difficulty setting, the game is never unfair or overly unbalanced, and the technical limitation of not being able to save your progress in the middle of the level (the game uses a password system, so a memory card is not needed) makes the gameplay all the more interesting. This gives Doom an outstanding replay value: I must've finished it four or five times myself, and I often go playing through my favourite levels.

Despite all the refinements to the 1st person shooter genre introduced by the countless games that took after it, Doom is still relevant today, and immense fun to play both solo and against a friend via the link cable. With the excellent PlayStation port, the gamers can enjoy it without the frustrating experience of configuring their PC to work with the potentially uncooperative software - and as far as I'm concerned, they really should.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/11/05