The original Doom was released to an almost unrecognizable industry when compared to today.
It helped to ignite a first person shooter revolution.
Its legacy and innovation have been felt in countless games since.
After a long hiatus, Doom is finally back with the first full-fledged game since 2004.
So grab your shotgun and prepare for hell.
One of the most surprising aspects of Doom is how well its world is presented.
The Doom Marine you play as awakens inside a sarcophagus as demons overrun Mars.
Akin to System Shock 2, bits and pieces of his past are slowly revealed,
...helping to provide context and motivation to the carnage and bloodshed.
You learn that the Union Aerospace Corporation...
...channels the energy of hell from their research facility on Mars...
...and Director Samuel Hayden believes it's the solution to Earth's energy crisis.
Some expert voice acting, especially the robotic Hayden,
...who plays his card close to the chest, adds urgency to each objective,
...further making the world a meaningful place.
Not knowing who the Marine is or what Hayden's true motivations are...
...add mystery to a volatile situation.
Destroying hellspawn and blowing heads up is the real reason we're all here.
The classic aresenal returns, including the chainsaw, plasma rifle, BGF,
...and of course, the shotguns.
Different situations call for different weapons...
...and switching between weapons and modifications during combat is highly encouraged.
There's an unrelenting feeling of being overwhealmed as demons swarm from every angle,
...forcing you to find a weak point in their ranks and push forward.
Each demon explodes in a fountain of blood and the metal soundtrack pumps life into each death.
Movement is vital for survival, as double jumps and blast pads...
...provide much needed distance from encroaching demons.
Enemies become increasingly ferocious as you penetrate further into their territory...
...and the memorable boss fights are vicious,
...pushing you to change your tactics and use your entire arsenal.
Beating them further enfasizes how much nuance Doom has in its weaponry and movement.
You can use brutal melee attacks to execute staggered oponents,
...recovering some of your health in the process.
Initially these animations are entertaining, but they quickly grow repetitive.
Despite only lasting a second or two, they slow down the pace,
...especially when stringing together consecutive kills.
The chainsaw can similarly lose its charm,
...but the required fuel becomes increasingly rare as the game progresses,
...since these kills yield valuable health and ammo, it's wise to perform them when the opporunity arises,
...which can feel like a hamstring to your playstyle.
If opportunities to perform melee kills were more limited,
...they'd have more impact in the end.
Visually, Doom looks menacing due to the lighting and gore.
Demonic interiors drenched in entrails tell a sinister tale.
The surface of Mars is a sad place, as if the planet itself has been violated.
Levels are designed to benefit from constant movement and exploration.
Ammo, armor and health pickups are scattered throughout each arena,
...as well as different power-ups like the classic berserk packs,
...which turn you into an instant killing machine...
...capable of ripping demons in half and smashing them into gooey bits.
Secret areas and hard to reach places contain collectibles...
...that offer a variety of rewards.
Praetor tokens can be used to upgrade your armor with varying stats,
...like decreased explosive damage or more efficient grenades.
Additionally, weapon upgrade points can be used to buff previously acquired add-ons.
Each upgrade has meaningful impact on your performance,
...so seaking them out in each stage feels rewarding.
The secrets are so well hidden and fun to hunt that...
...simply taking a short break the seek them out...
...is a meditative experience in between the constant action.
Multiplayer features a variety of deathmatch and objective-based modes,
...as well as the usual unlockable skins, weapons and perks.
It plays well, and shooting each other is fun enough,
...but it lacks the impact of the campaign.
There isn't enough strategy to make matches exciting or entice you to play differently,
...as each round consists of teams smashing into each other face-first.
The ability to turn into a demon adds much needed variety and...
...it's an entertaining novelty at first, especially when destroying the opposition...
...from unreachable places but, like the rest of multiplayer, it quickly grows repetitive.
SnapMap gives you tools to create custom levels and scenarios.
There are a number of tutorials that help ease players into the building process...
...and it's relatively simple to get started thanks to map templates that fit together like a puzzle.
Playing a recent creation and sharing it with friends make it an enjoyable tool to use.
Even at launch it's impressive to see how creative the community is...
...but there just isn't enough content for things to truly shine.
Creation is limited to indoors environments, with no outdoors or hell options,
...resulting in a similar tone for each stage.
Doom honors its legacy while setting the stage for a new era.
Gory encounters and a surprising emphasis on story...
...more than make up for the bland multiplayer.
Doom has finally returned.
Now go rip and tear until you're drenched in the blood of demons.