The original Doom happened to be one of my earliest video games I’ve played while growing up. It was by far the most mind blowing thing I’ve experienced. I simply never left Doom behind as I grew up. It still is one of those “comfort games” of mine I like to come back to.
It’s always a blast to play something as old as Doom, but still have a greater appreciation than I did as a child. Due to me being exposed to Doom at an early age, I became a fan and I eventually wanted more of it.
Now that you all know how close Doom is to me, it should be noted that I was heavily looking forward to the new Doom title. Doom 4 was announced when the seventh generation of consoles was still in effect. However, id software at the time was known for constantly not showing Doom 4 at various Quakecons. This definitely brought up a lot of concerns as a fan because I could tell the game development wasn’t going smoothly.
The Doom 2016 Effect is Real
But it did take a while for me to finally see a Doom game that isn’t Doom 3 come to fruition. I still remember being so excited for Doom 2016 just from all the content I’ve seen. I had a feeling that this game was going to be the game I’ve been waiting for so long.
When I was able to play Doom 2016 in its full state, it was an indescribable feeling. I already had the chance to play some of its multiplayer beta, but being able to finally play the campaign was the thing I was mostly looking forward to.
I still remember being so excited when I got to the game’s first level, “The UAC,” I could immediately identify the classic Doom influences. The map was certainly non linear, it was much faster-paced than Doom 3, and I already recognized the familiar demon’s faces. Those feelings were euphoric, and it is something I wish I can experience again. After waiting for so many years to finally play a next generation Doom title, the campaign was living up to the quality I’d expect from a Doom game.
Doom SnapMap = Campaign DLC
While the campaign was certainly stellar, it left me wanting more. That’s where I dove into one of the game’s forgotten components, SnapMap. The thought of being able to make levels with ease and play other fan’s maps was intriguing. This mode did take some time for things to reach at a certain quality where these maps can rival the maps from the main campaign.
I definitely recommend newcomers to try out some of the highlighted levels that the developers have done years ago. Once you are done with that, you can always visit the “Custom Geo” category. Usually, mappers that make these styles of levels are going to be done with quality and care.
Check out the detail of this map.
SnapMap felt like it was trying to take inspiration from classic Doom’s mapping community. To this day, people still play the classic games because of how many passionate fans continue to push the standards for classic Doom maps. I can definitely say SnapMap isn’t quite on the same level in terms of creative freedom when compared to classic Doom levels. But playing quality SnapMaps are certainly worth experiencing and it does showcase some of the talents that the Doom 2016 level designers have learned while using this editor.
Multiplayer Was Fun, But Uninspired
Admittedly, I do consider the multiplayer to be the weakest portion of the game. I’ve always thought Doom 2016’s multiplayer was a simplified arena styled shooter that showcases some of the satisfying gunplay that the game can offer.
There were also some maps I did enjoy due to the aesthetics or the way it’s shaped out which seemed like it was designed to allow players to find each other with ease. Nowadays, it’s hard to enjoy this multiplayer due to the low population count. You can always play with bots if you want to see what the multiplayer is like, so there is still a way to experience it.
The playable demons in multiplayer was surprisingly fun.
Overall, Doom 2016 had so much content to offer and I bought the game on launch day. In hindsight, the $60 I paid was absolutely worth it. Even to this day, I still come back to Doom 2016, and it still is my favorite modern Doom title to date. Due to this nature, I come to realized how similar Doom 2016 is when compared to classic Doom. There are levels to how fanatic a classic Doom fan can be.
DOOM 2016’s Similarities With Classic DOOM
For example, there are players that have played through the official content and might have some basic knowledge of the game’s community content. I’m definitely one of those players who do spend a decent amount of time within the community level packs, but I also still play a lot of the official levels. I also know them very well by heart due to my love for the games. Classic Doom is still my game I play a lot to this day. I wouldn’t be too surprised if I still play it as I get older.
The first thing that Doom 2016 resonates with me is the sense of simplicity. I believe both Doom Eternal and Doom: The Dark Ages took the game in a more complex direction by making them more mechanical and requiring the player to understand it at a decent level. There’s nothing wrong with that approach, but the more simplified mechanics of Doom 2016 does feel a lot more akin to the classic titles.
Legacy of Rust was made by some long time classic Doom level designers. It was also worth playing through multiple times!
The Good Ol’ Run and Gun Action
There’s also a lot more emphasis on running and shooting enemies while being on foot in Doom 2016. In Doom Eternal, it was important to stay up in the air and in Doom: The Dark Ages, shows similarity to Doom 2016 in forcing the player to be on the ground. But it does have a heavier emphasis on parrying and melee combat which doesn’t give me that classic Doom feeling.
I still revisit SnapMap to further continue my enjoyment of Doom 2016. This is similar to how I’d play my favorite community map packs just to make Doom II more exciting beyond its base maps. As much I love replaying the campaign of Doom 2016, SnapMap is the component that has kept Doom 2016 interesting to me in the long term. It should also be noted that most community Doom 2016 are certainly going crank up the action department compared to the campaign maps.
The Beautiful Balance of Old and New
As much I love playing classic Doom, I always appreciated the direction that Doom 2016 took. Doom 2016 was just the perfect balance of familiar design traits of the old games, but it was also refreshing. I loved the quick switching mechanic, the better demon AI, the level design, the increased quantity of weapons and weapon mods, and more meaningful features that just feel right for Doom. All of these features are absolutely impactful and they certainly give Doom 2016 that sense of newness that I was expecting from day one.
Out of all the Bethesda published Doom titles, the 2016 reboot is the one I easily come back to the most. I also believe the more I play, the more I enjoy the game than I did before. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the other modern Doom games.
DOOM 2016’s visuals has never shown its age!
I personally loved what Doom Eternal did, but it didn’t quite scratch what I wanted out of a Doom 2016 sequel. Doom: The Dark Ages wasn’t quite the Doom game I wanted to play, but I can still appreciate certain aspects of it. I do think it was a bold move for id Software for trying to reinvent the Doom formula again while implementing mechanics that weren’t fully realized from previous games.
Doom 2016 continues to be my favorite alternative Doom title outside of the classic titles. I am truly glad that the game turned out to be as well as it is because of Doom 4’s troubled development. This game is truly a reminder that a group of passionate and hard working folks can change the cycle of a troubled video game development plot. Without any of that contribution, Doom 2016 wouldn’t feel as special like how it is today.
