Doom

"If you think that your Doom days are over, this just might get you to give it another go."

Doom has been ported countless times now. So many times in fact, that I can hardly think of a system that hasn't had Doom in some form. Now, we got yet another port on Xbox Live Arcade, why buy this version if you probably already have one?

Gameplay: 8/10
Due to the fantastic level designs and classic gameplay, Doom still somehow manages to be a very playable game. It won't wow anyone like it did back in 1993, but it's still good ol' mindless fun and the multiplayer options definitely breathe some new life into the game.

Multiplayer is certainly available on certain PC versions, but you likely won't have such an easy time finding players. Splitscreen up to 4 players for either COOP or Deathmatch is also fantastic considering the current lack of in the Xbox 360 library.

Lastly, there's the rankings and achievements. Rankings are provided for everything from every singleplayer level and everything you do on Xbox Live. There is then a total score that is tallied up, which you can then compare with anyone on your friends list. If you ever wanted to prove that you're the best in Doom, there have never been a better place. There won't be anyone punching in IDDQD here.

Graphics: 6/10
Though the graphics have apparently been "smoothed", you'll hardly know the difference. Monsters still get pixelated when you come close, and dead corpses still magically face you no matter the direction. Widescreen is also not available for singleplayer (you get 2 vertical bars on each side), though will certainly help for splitscreen.

Sounds: 7/10
The classic Doom tunes are back, though why the superior tracks found in versions such as the one on Playstation are not used is unfortunate. You can still play custom songs with the 360 though and the music now supposedly supports surround 5.1. The sound effects themselves hold up pretty well in my opinion. The demon voices can still be frightening.

Final Verdict 7/10
At 800 points, Doom is not exactly dirt cheap especially considering that anyone can easily download it for free somewhere. Still, the new ranking system works very well, and playing multiplayer with headsets easily brings it to the next level. This version of Doom ain't for everyone, but if you're looking for some good ol' nostalgic fun with a couple of cool new features, this is arguably the best Xbox Live Arcade game available.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/09/06