Still, it doesn't alter the fact that when hell came to earth, it was absolutely spectacular. Showing that, actually, Doom 2 was ahead of its time in yet another respect - that of being an annual update to a big-name game that changes very little. If a sequel came out these days that was mechanically identical and technologically the same, only with a few tweaks and changes, a different weapon and some other bad guys to fight, it would be laughed out of the world. If anything, the improved online connectivity and Doom 2's continuation of popularising what its precursor began - online multiplayer - was just the cherry on the icing on the cake made of pure deliciosity. It's just about getting from A to B, and it's about making it as exciting a challenge as possible in between. From top to bottom, start to finish - even the development ethos was simple. Who knew that torch was a door? Amazing.Īt the core, Doom 2 is a simple game. And that's a shame, because finding a random secret you didn't know existed after having played the game for 20 years is. The classic maze design - harking back to id's love for Dungeons & Dragons-style exploration and secret-finding, no doubt - is something that we have lost in the most part from modern shooters in their quest to become 'Very Real'. A game that knew what it needed to be and carried it off with aplomb, while rockets rained down on demonspawn. We still see echoes of this pacey play carried over into modern shooters like Call of Duty, at least online (where you're not stopped every 10 steps to listen to some meathead bark rubbish about nothing) but there's something so pure about Doom 2's pace - it all ties in to the feel that this is a confident game. No checkpoints and a lack of recharging health are pretty much givens, but there are two things that newcomers - or those returning with gaps in their memory - are often surprised by: the fact you can get hopelessly lost in a level, and the sheer speed of the game. And not just that you can't look up and down. If you're used to your modern shooters, or have - cyberdemons forbid - never played Doom before, you might be taken aback by some elements in Doom 2. Still, it was there - and it's a bit part of why now, some 20 years later, Doom 2 is still incredibly good fun to play. Returning from the Doom of 1993 was the imp-blasting, circle-strafing, maze-getting-lost-in action we all knew and loved, with everything from map design to enemy placement feeling that bit more sophisticated and deliberate than it had before.Īdmittedly 'sophistication' isn't something that springs to mind when you're turning a zombie sergeant inside out with a beserk-powered punch. And it didn't wait too long to give you the super shotgun, either. Doom 2 was a game that could give you the chainsaw straight away. It wasn't tentative, it wasn't subtle, it didn't need to introduce itself or bother with any of those formalities. Backed up by an online community that had pretty much been created by the first game. Played by those who were no longer surprised by the tech behind it, but were hankering for more. That's knowing damn well that the formula you have laid out is near-enough flawless that you can introduce players to one of the most infamous attractions immediately and know you'll still be able to keep them playing through the whole game.ĭoom 2 was swagger from start to finish - made by a studio that was no longer tinkering, but had perfected. Here you go, this is what everyone's talking about. You could get it straight away - it was already a weapon of some reputation thanks to the first game, iconic in gaming circles of the mid-'90s. It's a small gesture, but it shows in the year between the original and sequel's releases that id Software had a clearer idea of what it was about Doom that people loved. Yes, that is what you think it is: Doom 2 has deigned you worthy of immediately getting the chainsaw. Update 2.1 for DOOM Eternal is now live, and features Campaign & BATTLEMODE bug fixes and improvements.Platforms now available on: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
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