Mini Review: Doom 1993

Warning: The following review contains violent, blood and gore content. Readers discretion is advised.

Over the years, we used to play the game that are fun, colorful and entertaining. But when the 90's kicked in, the video games went into a new level, mainly, the ultra-violence and sexuality. It became a big deal from the senators to setting up a congressional hearing between the late 1993 to early 1994, right before he have an indie rating system like ESRB to save the video game industry to keep the kids safe. But sadly, in current time, the video game industry are becoming a punching bag, due to a multiple mass shooting in 2019, despite it has nothing to do with, its more likely from either racism and hatred, but i digress.

So today's mini game review, i decided to go back in 1993 that its not the first time we have a FPS game, but it also became a mainstream that we all know and love, and perhaps controversial.

The original "Doom" is a 1993 FPS game that was developed and published by id Software (unless we counted Bethesda, who currently own the franchise in nowadays). It was written and directed by Tom Hall and most notably, designed and programmed by John Romero.

As i said, its not the first FPS game, the first one we heard is a 1992 Wolfenstein 3D, the game was considered to be the grandfather of 3D shooting game, but the original Doom is what many considered as one of the greatest game of all time. Specially it was recently released on PS4, Xbox One and Switch for the 25th anniversary.

So how did this game brought the new genre of FPS in the early 90's?

Lets find out.

For the story, it didn't tell you what to do, its just you as DoomGuy (or Doom Slayer in nowadays) hearing about the invasion of the demons of hell and rampaging the places, its up to DoomGuy to kill them and thats it. Yeah, the game doesn't have a focus of story, it only focuses on Gameplay, while the story is rather simple, at least according to a programmer John Carmack. However, the game does have a plot, but its one of those games that it is only in the manual for the story. Anyway, in the story, DoomGuy was punished that was sent to Mars after disputing at the superior officer, not only that, but he's working as a security guard of Union Aerospace Corporation (aka UAC), when they're doing their experimental plan to creating a portal of two moons of Mars (Phobos and Deimos), but three years later, the project went into a chaos when not only Deimos was considered "disappeared", but also open the portal of hell to summoning demons for rampage, its up to DoomGuy to kill them all from hell and make sure to close the portal to stop invasion.

Despite of simplicity, but i find the story itself is fascinating, even though its a typical plot about a project went loose from the disaster, but it has a nice execution that it takes place from either two moons and finally to hell. Even though it does have a text to know what's next after chapters, but like we all know, it mainly focuses on the gameplay.

Speaking of the gameplay (though i played on Nintendo Switch version), what more can i say about it? Its a typical FPS game where you picking up various weapons to kill zombies and demons. But back in 1993, it was considered a big game-changer, with two times detail and two times quicker than Wolfenstein 3D. you move forward, backward and side in typical control but what you can't do is looking up and down, you only look and left right, which is understandable before we can fully looking around in later games. You can hold down the other trigger that you have the ability to running after. You started with a pistol and a fist, pretty standard start like we all know when you shooting at possessed soldiers, that is until you'll able to grabbing some later weapons like shotgun, minigun, rocket launcher, plasma gun and one of the best and the most powerful weapon in the video game history, its the Big, F***ing, Gun, 9000!! Oh yeah, how could we not love the BFG 9000, its the weapon that makes an instant kill at any monsters around, but it requires 100 energy cells, so better not wasting if you wanna using it if there's too much enemies and against the boss like Cyberdemon and Spider Mastermind.

Speaking of the enemies, they look rather creepy at the time, from weaklings like possessed soldiers and imp to downright powerful like Baron of Hell and maybe Cacodemon. Though yes, in nowadays, we could make fun of them for how silly they look, but then again back then, they look pretty cool and creepy in the same time. But of course, since this is an action FPS game, there's always gotta be a blood and gore whenever you kill these monsters with blood and guts falling apart when you shoot or blown up with your rocket launcher, which is the part that we understand that everyone are pointing out back in the 90's, though in nowadays, it may or may not as ultra-violent, but still back then, it looks pretty cool if you're a fan of blood and gore like Mortal Kombat. Even though this could take a lot of bullets, energy and rockets in order to kill those beasts, otherwise you get screwed over that if you die, you start over in the level without your weapons, so you might as well start over from the beginning.

That's the main nitpick that we all know, no matter how many times you die, you gotta do it again without your trusty weapons, you might as well reset your saving. Speaking of saving, yes, you can save your game whenever you get stuck or even take a pose for a while to keep your weapons safe like i always do, it maybe unfair for your punishment, but you can save before moving on. 

Another problem i have its the navigation of the level stage, i know that not only if focus on action, i kinda also focus on puzzle to find the keys to the exit from many apartments or even being lost that some stage looks like a maze. But when you open the map, its gonna be pretty hard either since its just black with colorful lines, like i spend for either 50 minutes or even an hour to figured out where i supposed to go to collecting keys, weapons, secret room (kinda, since its a nice adding in, but pretty hard to find some of them) and finally to the exit door for the next stage. So you better get used it for the tricky rooms and mazes.

And of course, what better way that has a controversy for not just the ultra-violent, but rather the use of DRM from Bethesda, which means that when it first came out, the game was locked from DRM that you're forced to creating your Bethesda account before you can play the game, this is one of the stupidest movement i've ever seen since EA's 2013 SimCity. Thankfully after receiving a backlash, they eventually not only apologized, but also patched the game that you can play it without being locked for being forced to signing up, its as if they knew they F***ed it up that she shouldn't add in the first place. And i do mean, Shouldn't ever happen...!

Spoiler Alert if you haven't play the game (or if you don't mind)

The final act is pretty tough one to get through.

As we reached the third and last chapter(?), you're ended up living in hell after discovered the second Mars's moon Deimos being floated above hell. Once after killing more monsters from hell, you're reaching to the final who's involve of demon invasion, The Spider Mastermind. Unlike Cyberdemon, he's quite possibly the toughest boss i've ever struggle, you better have to hide in the tower or behind the wall when it has a powerful machine gun from its chest, so you better takes a lot of rocket launcher (hopefully if you don't waste them before the final stage) or even the freakin BFG (again, save your ammunition before dealing with the giant demonic spider). But once you do, you're free from hell.

Or do you...??

Because after you destroyed Spider Mastermind, DoomGuy found a hidden doorway to bring you back to Earth that at first, you're in a happy ending. But, it was only just the beginning, not only the demons are invading Earth too, but also killing his favorite pet rabbit Daisy, which means not only seeks revenge, but he has an unfinished business.

Even though i like to play the original Doom (then again, i played on Switch), this port i played is "The Ultimate Doom", not because it fixed the game mechanic (i think), but it also add more detail for the story and even an extra level that takes place before Doom 2. Though its nice the way they put, but i like to finishing it with three episodes, not a bonus prequel chapter of Doom 2.

Overall, its pretty good and classy game, and its no wonder why it revolutionized the FPS game, though not the first FPS game (which it goes to Wolfenstein 3D), this game has a lot of attention for its genre and it makes you look like a badass hero to kill the demons with the coolest weapons. For me, i enjoyed this game, it has a nice setting, the monsters looks great and creepy, the weapons went from impressive to "WOW!" and the gameplay works pretty good. Even though it has some flaws like a maze level, some enemies are OP that really need to save your weapons without dying and sometimes the presentation could be limited, especially with the sound effects that you better get used to it, but hey, its the 90's game.

If you like an FPS and killing monsters from hell, i'd say play this game, it will make you look badass as DoomGuy.

For my conclusion's rating, il give it a 8/10.