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GRAPHICS: C- (7.25) Doom, a name that almost anyone who's ever played a video game can recognize. Its PC release in 1994 totally revolutionized videogaming and inspired countless clones. Some were good, some were really bad (one such example is Kileak: The DNA Imperative), but none ever matched Doom, until its sequel; Quake. The fact is, the graphics in Doom by now are outdated, and if not for its awesome lighting effects, I'd say they're quite ugly. The textures on the walls aren't very detailed and get repetitive fast. The enemies are really pixelly, especially when you get near them, and are very flat and 2-dimesional. The blood also looks fake, but the fact that there's lots of it is good enough. There are 8 different weapons for killing monsters in various ways, and all of these are drawn pretty well. The explosions however, look really lame and only have about two frames of animation. Graphics aren't a very important part of Doom anymore, just that it was the first 3D game (I'm not counting Wolfenstein, because Doom is its successor) and it is nearly endless fun.
SOUND/MUSIC: B (8.75) There isn't very much music to talk about, just various scary sound effects that serve to heighten the tension. It all sounds OK and it fit in satisfactorily. The sound quality in this game is incredible. It is movie quality and supports surrond sound. Surround sound is really good for this game. If an enemy is approaching from the far left, you'll hear the appropriate sound for the appropriate place and distance, this all makes the experience very realistic. Gunshots and other weapon sounds are very well done. Groans, screams, etc. sound very good and really immerse you into the world of Doom. Especially if you have a good surround sound system. GAMEPLAY: A (9.75) Doom is a perfect example of unextraordinary graphics/superlative gameplay. Control is perfect, after a while it becomes second nature to walk/run around the environments and you'll learn to do various cool techniques to get rid of the monsters. Shooting enemies is not an overly-complex process, just aim and shoot. Soon after you start playing this game, you'll have it mastered, and that's part of the reason why this game was so popular. Every level offers you a different challenge and presents even more enemies. Unfortunately, solving these challenges can be very difficult and you'll be walking around the level aimlessly trying to figure it out. Most of the levels involve walking around shooting countless enemies looking for keycards to get to the next level. This may not sound like fun on paper, but then again, neither does tetris.
FUN AND REPLAY VALUE: A- (9.25) This was arguably one of the most fun games in the past, but this fun is unfortunately starting to wear off due to new gaming masterpieces. The PlayStation version includes Doom, Ultimate Doom, Doom II, and a few PlayStation-exclusive levels, which means the fun practically never ends. This game does support the Link cable for 2-player action on the PlayStation. With this feature, you'll truly be entertained forever. With the Link cable, there are 2 modes of play; cooperative and deathmatch. Cooperative means you fight the enemies with a friend. Deathmatch is where it's at. You choose a level (any level in the game), and hunt each other down to the death. Learning the layout of the levels will give you a serious advantege over the enemy. I recommend trying this game in two player mode. WORTH BUYING: PERHAPS Practically everyone has played Doom at one time or another, and if you own Doom on another platform (except the N64), there isn't enough difference to recommend you to buy it unless you have a friend to play it with in 2-player mode. It retails at most stores for less than $20, and that's a small price to pay for such a classic. You should definitely consider getting it, especially if you don't own it or better yet, have never played it. Find a friend with another copy of Doom, an extra PlayStation and TV, and you'll never again get any sleep. OVERALL: B- (8.25) Though once considered among the greatest games of all time, the fun is starting to wear off. To order Doom, click on the button
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