Doom II

The Good
Awesome graphics (at the time), especially if you were used to Wolfenstein 3d. Ran pretty well on my 486. Fun, brutal demon killing-spree gameplay. Modded like crazy. I made a few major mods of my own, such as an almost complete recreation of all graphics and sounds. I could play 4-player deathmatch games over a modem using the game server in MBBS. 2-player would run full speed over 9600bps :) It introduced me to networked multiplayer gaming. Ultra-violence mode >:) While nightmare is great and all, I like to KILL all the demons. 'Exit to dos' messages.

The Bad
The simplicity of the game is a double-edged sword. It makes it generally very fun to play. However, more complicated 1st person games such as System Shock were fun and interesting on a totally different level. I believe both styles have their own place in the world of gaming.

Nothing much else I can complain about.

The Bottom Line
Doom ][ was largely different from Doom. First, the code was more mature and more stable. Doom ][ had multiple revisions that improved stability, compatibility, and networking performance. Second, the level design had a different emphasis. While Doom strived to maintain a similar style of gameplay to existing games (usually 2d), which included navigating mazes, solving stupid puzzles, etc., Doom ][ focused more on kicking demon ass. The levels are more obvious and less confusing (most of the time). Third, They add new enemies and a new weapon (the double-barrel shotgun). The game is 30 consecutive levels, so you get to keep all your accumulated stuff with nothing but little written narratives every 10 levels.

To me the gameplay just seemed much more fluid. I like prefer fighting 10 imps at a time with a shotgun over navigating a maze with a pistol being chased by a demon, but that's just me. (This is why I don't much like Doom3, actually, as it went back to that Doom1 mentality).

I agree with others that the graphics did not change, and while that may be disappointing to some, it also meant that people didn't really have to upgrade to play Doom ][. It ran on computers about as well as Doom. Doom 3 has much nicer graphics, yes, but there definitely exists a performance penalty...

And on that note, at the time, the graphics did not have to improve much to keep people playing. Doom had an awesome dark and, at the time, immersing engine and style. Its one of the few games that you could find impaled and/or mutilated people hanging from the ceiling twitching. I mean, nowdays thats a lot more popular... but then it was pretty novel.

All and all, awesome. I still play it sometimes.

The Good
Fine-tuning the atmosphere and level design of its bone-crushing predecessor, Doom 2 provides a new set of levels that expand beyond the claustrophobic labyrinthine and into the sprawl of urban entropy. All the monsters from the original are back, plus a handful of new ones. What really makes this stand out over the first entry in the series is the sheer mass and complexity of each level. Each challenge is subtlety and painstakingly crafted, and the suspense no longer relies solely on the monster-hidden-in-a-crevass ploy. Imagery plays a heavy role this time around -- clockwork symmetry, buildings made of decaying corpses, walls made of stretched faces, and satanic grafitti pervade each level. The climax is one of the biggest, baddest bosses of all time -- a monster-hurling, sky-scraper sized baphomet that just... won't... die! Unlike more "sophisticated" peers (System Shock, Ultima Underworld, Hexen), Hell on Earth never strives to be more than a run-and-gun good time, with a focus on gameplay rather than gimmick.

Doom 2 also brought custom level design into the mainstream. It was, and still is, one of the most popular games to edit in your own content, thereby making it infinitely replayable. And with today's sourceports like Doomsday and Doom Legacy, there's no reason to ever stop playing this classic!

The Bad
It's by-and-large more of the same. Who could blame id for cashing in on the phenomenon at its peak? That said, there really wasn't enough back in the day to justify the game's $40 price tag if you had the original, especially given the Doom engine's customizability.

The Bottom Line
Doom is the greatest game of all time. Doom 2 is its worthy sequel. Anyone looking for classic and masterful level design would do well to give this another run through. Hell on Earth shows you that true immersion relies on bone-crushing atmosphere, not cheap gimmicks.

The Good
So you went to hell and loved every second of it. Guess what? Now hell is coming your way baby! That's right, Doom has returned guns blazing, and if you thought it was a nerve-wrecking, balls-to-the-walls, ultra-violent action fest the first time around, then be prepared because Doom 2 comes with bigger, harder levels to complete, even more grueling artwork, and much more enemies to decimate and mutilate.

Doom 2 improves upon the original by adding an atmosphere of sheer chaos with dozens of Demons going for your throat as well as out to get themselves. One of the simple yet clever ideas found on Doom was the fact that the monsters hated themselves as much as they hated you, and thus you could waltz in a room and find a couple of demons duking it out (which makes quite a bit of sense, since you wouldn't expect deranged demons to wait around calmly until you happened to stroll by, wouldn't you?). However in the original this was at best a cosmetic detail that happened every now and then. On Doom 2 however this is taken to the extreme and you can find yourself in the midst of veritable wars among feuding demons, in fact one of the most memorable levels consists of nothing but rooms filled with demons going at each other (and you if you get in the way) And that "everyone against everyone" only serves to raise even more that "holy-shit-just-shoot-and-pray-they-don't-kill-you" feeling of mad desperation Doom introduced to the world! In a word... Brilliant!

The levels themselves are also much bigger and well laid out, without the overdose of mazes that sometimes plaged the original (though never at the extent of say, Dark Forces). In short, pretty much everything that was added is cool, the new enemies are fantastic (my favorites being the rocket-launching Revenant and the Arch Vile, which ads an interesting twist to the game since he can resurrect the enemies you have already dispatched). The double-barreled shotgun is simply amazing and gives a feel of satisfaction that not even the original pump-action one had. Nothing beats that feeling you get from watching a bull demon charging at you and then stopping him dead on it's feet at the last second with one deafening double-barreled shot to the head... ah..... 'tis the simple things that matter, right? :))

The Bad
Yeah, it's all good right? The problem is that when you think about it, for as good as it is it just isn't enough for a sequel. This is the sort of small additions and improvements you would expect in an expansion pack, not a full-blown sequel. I mean, when you get right down to it, it's just better level design, some new textures, 7 new enemies and one new weapon... wee...

I am not the type of player that demands a new engine for every incarnation of a series, but c'mon.... Doom 2 is certainly the best example of "let's just add some stuff and re-sell the whole thing" they didn't even bother to add an ending cutscene this time around, which is okay since nobody plays Doom for it's story but shows the level of lazyness with which the game was released.

Another not-so-hot point is the level of difficulty in the single player part of the game, sometimes it can be just plain imposible! If you were amongst the ones that rejoiced on killing every enemy and discovering every secret on a level, then you better lose that custom pal, 'cos most of the time you are going to be running for the exit praying nothing hits you in the back. Really, I don't want to be over-dramatic but Doom 2 IS HARD. VERY HARD. Even ANNOYINGLY hard, so much so that it feels like a trick to cover what we all already know by now: this isn't worthy as a sequel.

The Bottom Line
So yeah, yeah, Doom kicks ass, it always has, and it always will. But Doom 2 certainly is a letdown as the sequel to one of the best videogames ever... the only thing that saves it is that it is overall slightly better than it's predecessor, and that it literally came out a year after the original (effectively saving it from the "You took XX years to give us the Same thing all over again???").

Still it was flat-out unaceptable at it's time, and I really hated id for not putting more effort into it. However, considering that you no longer have to worry about such things as it's price (45-55 u$s when released) or that you had to have a pretty beefy machine to run it, then Doom 2 is still worth it. Just think of it as an expansion of the original and you'll be okay. Be warned tough, it is NOT for FPS newbies and it is effectively one of the hardest fps ever made. Those looking for a challenge will find that they may bite more than they can chew...

The Good
Doom II was my first FPS. I never jumped on the Doom bandwagon when it first game out, and didn't get drawn in until Doom II. Even now, I've never played the original Doom. But I've played Doom II a few dozen times.

Doom II has oodles of atmosphere, moreso than 95% of the games produced since Doom II first hit the shelves. I mean, come on. You're invading Hell itself! What's not to like?

Who can forget the first time they wandered into the demon meat locker in one of the later levels, with rows upon rows upon rows of your fellow marines quivering on the end of spikes or hanging shredded from hooks?

Who can forget the "Gotcha" level, where one of the first things you have to do is run around two of the most powerful baddies in the game and let them shoot at each other until you can take out the survivor?

Who can forget those moments when you would open a door only to find an Arch Vile waiting for you on the other side? (And who can forget the ensuing few seconds, in which you desperately unlimbered your BFG and tried to zap the Arch Vile before he got you first with a BFG-caliber blast of his own?)

Who can forget those moments when you were creeping through a corridor waiting for something to jump out and grab you, and the phone would ring or someone would knock on the door? (Or the cat would jump up on the computer desk, as happened to a friend of mine during his first Doom II playing session. He had to get up and go outside and smoke for a while after that...)

Do the graphics hold up in comparison to today's crop of games? Well, no, not really. But the gameplay is still topnotch, and Doom II is still tons of fun to play even today, 7 years after it was released. And, really, would you rather have a game with great graphics and adequate gameplay? Or would you prefer a game with great gameplay and adequate graphics?

Me, I'll pick the latter.

The Bad
The heart-pounding suspense often made me have to get up and go do something else for a while until I calmed down.

The Bottom Line
The original Doom was the game that really gave impetus to the FPS genre, and it's rightly considered a gaming classic. Doom II is better than the original Doom. Draw your own conclusions.

The Good
Just a secret to tell

It's not a secret but well, unless you're also on the same site where parts of this review are already published, you can't know that since February, I'm reviewing (The Ultimate) Doom, Doom II and Final Doom, one per month. February was for Doom, March was for Doom II and April will be for Final Doom.

What you'll find weird is that I'm submitting it in April here. Well, before Doom II, I had reviewed Christmasville. When I wanted to submit my written words here, I was confronted to the fact that nobody created an entry for that themed hidden object games. So, I did. I've waited for it being approved. So, that explains why you'll see only Doom II in April. And probably Final Doom in May, because I've two more reviews about casual games.

So you know now that you'll read a review about Final Doom. It's not written yet though.

Nearly 15 years of FPS gaming

If it weren't for Doom II, I wouldn't be here today. Doom II is the first FPS game I've played and my memory tells me that I didn't finish it. I was stuck at Downtown. Since, I've beaten it. It has influenced my life, I admit it.

Doom II is as mythic as Doom (or the Ultimate Doom). It's also the FPS who really did hook me to the genre. Without it, I wouldn't be playing Half-Life, Vietcong, Call of Duty or other FEAR. Without it, my life would have been different and I wouldn't be here on MobyGames.

But Doom II is also similar to Doom and that's why you shouldn't be surprised to see some familiar words here. Not that I'm lazy but if I already wrote about the gameplay, why not taking the short way?

An experiment going wrong having some consequences on Earth

Well, no, I'm not speaking about dear Half-Life 2 whose story is also about the consequences of an experiment having gone wrong in the past.

In Doom II, you're going back to Earth, being the only survivor of an hellish invasion on Phobos, being the only one able to kick demons' asses on Deimos, having made a point by showing you were too tough for Hell to handle and for the Ultimate Doom players, having taken revenge for your pet's death. So, now, it's the time for a vacation, waiting eagerly for it, knowing that it will come after your report.

Going back to Earth was easy, surviving on it is another story. Because, poor soul you are, you will have to fight your way again because demons decided to invade Earth as well. You've been proven too tough for Hell to handle, so, it's now to prove that as long as you will live, Hell will not be at peace.

So, you have to deliver the human kind first before messing up at the source of Hell on Earth, near your hometown. Oh yeah, Hell should have been careful when it comes to you.

Doom II is still dealing with the UAC though. I don't know why but it seems that UAC is really owning every place you're going. Here, that corporation is just a detail, something not really important, comparing to what will be done for Doom³.

It will be too pretentious for me to affirm that Doom II did establish another basic storyline: the consequences of a previous game described in a sequel. Yeah, FEAR is perhaps using a little of it in Project Origin or Extraction Point, yeah, Half-Life 2 is following that plot deeper than we can imagine, yeah, Painkiller Battle out of Hell or Overdose is also using the same idea. What happened after your actions in a first game?

Well, we know in FEAR alternate storyline that the Pointman must fight against an Alma not pleased about what he has done, that in Project Origin, Beckett is dealing with the aftermath of FEAR, that in Half-Life 2, Gordon Freeman is trying to free a world post-Black Mesa which he created, that in PK BooH, Daniel Garner must deal with Alastor becoming the new king of Hell and that in PK Overdose, Belial, being freed by Daniel Garner (who isn't aware of it), is taking a revenge on Hell and Paradise.

A winner gameplay

Doom II isn't a brain game. Well, perhaps a little more than its predecessor. But it's still a matter of activating switches and opening doors. It's just a pure shooter, with no one to protect than yourself, without need to worry about casualties, well, something that is different from a lot of FPS today, where you find a passage where you'll have to protect someone. You're fighting for you..., also for the humanity but mainly for you.

When you have played Doom, you'll be not surprised to see the following.

The mouse gameplay, used for looking around or for firing (some can also bind the right-click to zoom or to jump or to run), is missing here, meaning that you will have to learn to use only the keyboard (or a pad). It can frustrating the first time, unless you're coming directly from a round on Doom. For me, at that time, it wasn't bothering. But now, as I've acquired modern FPS reflex (mouse + keyboard), everytime I'm playing an old Doom game on PC, well, I'm making the mistake to take my mouse before remembering that I didn't change the gameplay in the Collector Edition menu and that I will never change it. So, you have to use fully your arrow keys for moving around, your CTRL key for just shooting, your 1-7 keys for changing weapons, your SHIFT key for running and your SPACE key for opening doors or for activating switches. It's the main mechanics of FPS that you're finding in Doom and except for the jumping part and the zooming weapon, you'll find in nearly all FPS a running function or a walking slowly one, you'll find your weapons binded to the number, you'll find also the TAB key bind for some actions (in Doom, it's for getting a map view), etc.. So, as you see, it's an intuitive gameplay, an efficient combination of keys, not too hard to master.

I mentioned that there weren't any zooming possibility but the reason is that there are not sniper weapons. And I'm not sure that it was technically possible to do it at that time, with that engine. Yes, I'm missing it when you have far away enemies firing at you but I don't regret the lack of it. That's the way I love playing the old Doom and I'm not sure that a modification adding sniper rifles would be appreciated by my own person.

I need to mention the HUD because everything is already there. Your protection (armor) percentage is taken in count, as your health, you can see if you have the needing keys or not, you can also see your ammo or the weapons you've collected (symbolized by the key number). Even the face of the Doomguy is represented and it's also showing emotions or current health state. If you're playing with it with gold eyes, well, that means that you've entered the cheat for the god mode.

Same good old enemy A.I.

The enemy AI is still the same. You're perhaps shooting demons or zombies that aren't working as a team or aren't trying to duck or to take covers, sometimes, you can be in their line of view, but they're not reacting, but that doesn't mean that Doom is having a mediocre enemy AI. Each enemy is trying to approach you. Even when they're far away from you, they're not giving up shooting at you. And perhaps the most important, they don't like friendly fire. If another demon is hurting them, they're going to attack it, mainly when you're playing in higher levels, with a massive amount of demons. I was playing Tricks and Traps from this game in Ultra-Violence (and in god mode - I will play it without cheating in Hurt me Plenty). A Cyber-demon were surrounded by Hell Barons. Believe me or not but the Hell Barons hurt by the rocket of the Cyber-demon were shooting plasma balls at him. It doesn't help me much as the Cyber-demon did kill them but it was very great to see that enemies can react to friendly fire.

New asses to kick

Doom II is introducing new demons and a new human zombie. If you're still finding all the enemies from Doom, whether it's Cyber-demon or the Spider Mastermind, you're gonna cry when you'll discover new enemies that will got you under your skin.

First of all, the only human turned zombie is tough and well armed. The Commando Zombie is using a chaingun for killing you, so, you can understand that when you're in front of 10 guys like that, you can only pray that you'll get out alive of the fight.

For the demons, two of them are just a mini-version of already existing enemies. The Hell Knight is just an inferior Baron of Hell and the Arachnotron is a baby of the Spider Mastermind, with a plasma weapon instead of a minigun.

One of the new demons is a sort of source for an existing one. The Pain Elemental is just throwing out to you Lost Souls. I swear that this one is really carrying well his name because he's really a pain in the ass, if I may use that expression.

And then, you have the new enemies. The Revenant is a skeleton sending rockets with a guttural scream, the Mancubus is sending deadly fireballs, beware when he's with other Mancubi, the Icon of Sin is the boss, difficult to kill normally as it's sending trapped boxes with enemies when you're trying to send some rockets in his brain. Well, you have another way to beat it, yeah, Doom II is proud to say that the easier way to kill it and to see the surprise behind it is to cheat. It is highly recommended anyway.

But the most frustrating enemy I've ever seen is in Doom II. The Arch-Vile. That demon with a whisper that is sending you some chills in your spine is simply the most annoying demon. Not only he's burning you and pushing you back with fire but also he's resurrecting dead enemies. And trust me, it's not limited to poor Imps or Zombies. I saw him resurrecting tougher enemies. You do know now why I hate Arch-Viles in the Doom saga and why it was one of my many aliases.

Hurt Me Plenty

No, I'm not that kind of girl. It's just a name for the third level of difficulty. The easiest level is called I'm Too Young to Die. You don't have so many enemies to kill, you can have more items or more weapons present (not the ones dropped, I mean, the already scripted one), ammo is much important by item and well, you're not really taking damage. Then, you have Not Too Rough, then Hurt me Plenty, which is the average difficulty and the one that you should take when you're a FPS player. It's also with HMP that you can sense the difference in difficulty: more enemies, sometimes, some enemies which are not appearing in the previous difficulties, are spawning, you can find less items, you can also find less weapons. With Ultra-Violence and Nightmare, it's a real challenge to take for hardcore players.

Double-Barreled Gun

Doom being a FPS, you can see your weapon on the screen and the action of reloading. Oh yeah, it's an automatic reload and that's really great. I think that it was the only way to play FPS at that time but you don't have to worry to use 8 bullets for your shotgun then to reload. The only thing that is frustrating with weapons is that some share the same ammo. The pistol is using clips, like the gatling, the BFG 9000 is sharing the cell packs with the Plasma Gun.

Anyway, Doom II is really varied in the weapons areas, well I know, they're all coming from Doom. Yes, it has still no sniper rifle. But you can find your own fists (with a knuckleduster) that will be very useful combined with a berserk pack (an hit = dead demon for the weakest ones). You have your pistol for beginning the game though it's not really powerful. You'll find a shotgun, your main weapon throughout the game, a gatling, very useful when you have a lot of demons, a rocket launcher which can be devastating on bosses or on you if you're near the explosion, a Plasma Gun, with a high fire speed and also very deadly against bosses and the famous BFG 9000 aka the Bio Force Gun 9000 or the Big bleepin' Gun. You can also find the spelling BFG 9K. That weapon is indeed synonym of immediate death. It has a high range for damage but it's consuming a lot of cell packs. Doom II is also getting back to the chainsaw, mostly because it was one of the greatest weapons in Doom. Now that we're on Earth, you'll find trees in theory. Because in reality, Earth in Doom II is lacking of trees. You can also note that the chainsaw and the BFG 9K are the trademark for Doom. Mythic weapons they are, mythic weapons they'll stay.

But Doom II is introducing a new mythic weapon. The double-barreled gun. Yeah, it's also sharing its ammo with the shotgun. But that weapon is really something I was using the most on Doom II. You're firing two bullets instead of one. But after each shoot, you will have to reload and trust me, it's taking some seconds and your ammo... well, it's going down quickly than using the shotgun. It doesn't change something. The double-barreled gun is a great weapon. That's all.

Pixels? Yes but it's not really bothering

Doom II isn't improving a bit the graphics, they're still the same. Yeah, you have new textures for making new levels (like in Suburbs, where you'll find libraries) but it's not like an improvement of the game engine. Anyway, you do know that Doom II is belonging to the middle of the nineties. So, you'll find many pixels.

But can we sincerely reprimand Doom II for providing pixelised graphics because the modern standards are about 3D? Can we say to a game released in the first half of the nineties that it's just ugly comparing to some of our modern games?

It will be ugly for some but you can't bring down Doom like that. As I've said, Doom II is 15-20 years old. The graphics were the best back then. And you can't deny that it's already detailed. I loved the computer with the Mars picture. I love the way you can see the muscles in the Pinky's back. And I loved the way the weapons are modeled. Even the arms have hair. And you know what? I'm loving the difference between each level, the fact that we're heading toward a demonic world, with Satan's face on the wall, with bloody rivers, with tortured souls, etc..

But where Doom was failing in terms of correspondence between names and level design, Doom II isn't. Now, when you're going to Downtown, you're going to a town, with buildings making you feel that you're indeed in a town. So, yeah, it has improved in that domain.

Level design

It's very interesting to see the level design. You're really feeling that you're going from the Starport to the Town, before going to Hell. I'll point some levels that are interesting here. I'll begin with the secret levels.

Indeed, these ones are just a reference to Wolfenstein 3D with Nazis soldier trying to stop you, with a soundtrack clearly military and with Nazi symbols everywhere, when it's not Hitler's picture that is hanging on the walls. Also, note that Grosse is also having a reference to Commander Keen, another hero from id Software.

The sixth level, the Crusher, is also interesting. With a first part that contains a high room, with a possibility of crushing a Spider Mastermind, with the fact that you need to do a running jump, mainly in the high part of the room, it is also there that you'll find Revenants, in a room where you can't fall.

The eight level, Tricks and Traps, is having a central room with doors. You already understood that you have to try all the rooms behind these ones for exiting. You don't know what will happen.

The famous Downtown, or the thirteenth level, is a level with buildings, buildings and buildings. Like you were in a real city. That's a great feeling. It's also the first Doom II level to put you in the reality of Earth, as the previous levels aren't giving that feeling.

Gotcha!, the 20th level, is reminding of the E3M6 Mt Erebus in Doom. Full of lava, full of enemies. But where Mt Erebus was containing regular enemies, Gotcha! is letting you fight against a Cyber-Demon and a Spider Mastermind at the same time, in the same room.

Barrels O'Fun, the 23th level, is linear, very linear. But it's not an easy level: you will find a lot of barrels, so much that you can be killed by them. But you can also trigger a chain reaction and kill enemies.

The following level, The Chasm, is full of acid but it wouldn't be so deadly if you haven't thin passages, pillars to jump, Lost Souls in every corner without forgetting hidden Cacodemons. The last thing you needed is the lack of suits for protection.

Mythic Music

Doom II is introducing new tracks while recycling old ones. The music is still sticking to the game and I love it. What do you want me to tell you? That sounds are really great? That the normal growls coming from enemies are still indicating which kind of them you'll meet? That the Arch-Vile whisper is just sending me chills in my spine because I don't want to meet him?

Fun factory?

If Doom was fun to play, Doom II is in the same line. It's perhaps just shooter but it's very addictive. Some players are still playing it in multiplayer. That's Doom for you, always thinking about fun to play! Some modern games should take example on it.

The replay value is high if you're playing all difficulties levels. Nightmare is really hard. Its lifetime is high, you can play it again and again. It was even released on GBA, so, if you want to compare the versions... I'm still crying over the fact that I can't find Doom II on GBA. Snif.

The Bad
The same question is coming again. Is Doom II scary? So, will it be scary? After all, you're arriving in a new world, a world you're not even knowing. Half-Life 2 did have some scary moments (Ravenholm mainly) and FEAR is also scary when Alma is beginning to mess up with you. But Doom II? Like Doom, the answer is no. You're perhaps kicking demons' asses, you're perhaps going to Hell, you're perhaps trying to get a way through some dark areas but being scary? Hell, no! Despite not having played it as much as Doom, I still find Doom II not really scary. Perhaps the colors? Perhaps the fact that I'm used to Doom? I don't know why.

From the gameplay, it's just that the jumping is still missing. A lot of players will probably be deceived by the lack of it. Myself, playing now, I wish that a jumping gameplay was included. But id Software takes the option of "running can make you jump holes", which is not bad but can be really frustrating as sometimes, the running is too fast and that you can't do only that from a higher or same edge.

If you read the enemy part, you already know that I hate with every fiber of my body the Arch-Vile. His whisper is sending some chills in my spine. His attack and his power are simply annoying. Yet, it's a challenge to kill him. But that challenge is always going along with a feeling of annoyance to do it.

If I can do a last complaint, it's about the hardness of some levels, like the Chasm or the Icon of Sin when you don't know what to do. I know that if Doom II was easiest, it wouldn't be fun to play. But sometimes, I wish that you don't have to walk on thin passages with enemies able to push you out. Yet, it's a logical level design but I don't like to be pressured like that.

The Bottom Line
I'm getting straight to the final note: 9/10 or 4.5/5. Why? Because even if Doom II is really enjoyable, I didn't feel the transition between Earth and Hell. You have the Arch-Vile also. If the demon wasn't in, I wouldn't be so frustrated sometimes. And also because the Pain Elemental is just giving me aches with all the Lost Souls.

I can summarized Doom II like this: fun, high replay value, mythic weapons and mostly, the main mechanics of FPS except jumping established.

I'm not saying that playing Doom II is adopting it. I just want you to try the sequel of the game who did a great revolution in the FPS word. If you liked Doom, you will like Doom II.

The Good
Doom 2.

I can honestly admit that I played Doom 2 before playing Doom. With that piece of info out there, I love the game.

The graphics for its time are top-notch. In fact, compared to the games out know, I believe that they hold up their own. Sure, there are no belzier curves or multi-level playing fields, but Doom 2 had it all.

The controls are fantastic. Highly configurable, and really responsive, great for blasting a demon or two :)

The ambient sound is fantastic. Just enough demon-howls to chill your blood.

Level Construction is excellent. The desginers put a lot of thought into the constructions of the levels. Also, the option of playing through the levels with a 2-player cooperative mode (if hooked into a LAN) is a feature I wish that were included in the newer games (See Nintendo's Perfect Dark for a shining example of this).

Also, the amount of new maps available give this game UNLIMITED replayability. On a personal note, There are a few mods that recreate the WOLF3D levels that are worth checking out as well.

The Bad
There isn't a lot NOT to like. It's a fantastic game all around.

The Bottom Line
It's a great futuristic game with plenty of replayability. If you get it, I guarantee that it will sit on your hard drive. You won't want to delete it.

The Good
The game sports an impressive framerate with slowdowns absent most of the time, so you can play the game at a comfortable pace. Some of the limitations that reduced the sizes of the maps, altitude of the higher places and the lack of lighting are more welcoming than they are disappointing as they make the game easier. It's satisfying that the Nightmare difficulty is actually the Ultra-Violence mode.

This port does include some new surprises, particularly the Industrial Zone and Chasm both being divided into two levels. The fact that corpses disappear means it's impossible for an Archvile to bring the monsters back to life. As a nice touch, the notifications at the top tell you when you found a secret area, something the original DOS version did not. Another thing you can only do in this version is kill the Icon of Sin with a BFG 9000. Very intriguing.

The Bad
The weapon mechanics seem a little off compared to the computer versions, especially the inability to properly shoot a row of zombies and imps with a shotgun, which eats up your ammo and makes the fire fight last longer than it should. It gets worse when you try to use hitscan weapons to snipe your enemies from far away; you'll hit the walls more often than your intended target. The other irritating problem is that at the start of each level, your armour value is ignored until you collect an armour pickup.

Other little problems present are that you can only save in-between levels, there are two missing music tracks and it's hard to select the weapon you want. However those are forgivable and don't really do anything to ruin the game, just add to difficulty, which balances the easiness in the levels.

The Bottom Line
It is amazing that the entire game could fit in such a small gaming device, I haven't the heart to criticise the sacrifices that needed to be made to the game's design to get it running. Apart from a few quirks, this port captures the elements of the computer versions rather well. This is just the game to take on any road trip. It really would have been nice if Torus Games had applied the same treatment to the first GBA game.

The Good
(As a game)

The game is very well balanced, finely crafted,
and top in many aspects.. terrific sound effects, for example. =)

(Compared to Doom)

The double-barreled shotgun is a terrific weapon, well balanced in terms of damage ratio and loading time. And the new enemies are very pleasant people to meet.. well, you know what I mean :)

The Bad
The level layout starts to suck in the later levels, as opposed to Doom that always had acceptable layouts. Some of the levels seem like poorly thought 3d party Doom levels.

The ending is somewhat lame, too.

The Bottom Line
A great 3d shooter. If you don't care about how many polygons were used to render your AK-47, play this.

'tis divine.

The Good
It's so easy to make apologies for DOOM in this day and age. We all know how pixelated it is, and how limited the graphics engine is compared to contemporary titles. But really, when you start up DOOM II all this is quickly forgotten as you are taken back to 1995 when so many of us were enthralled by its simple yet extremely satisfying gameplay.

I think the key factor to DOOM II's longevity is the game balance. Because the experience of playing through a level won't deviate significantly from player to player, a level designer can be confident that each health pack and shotgun shell will be greeted with relief. The continual barrage of fierce demons and the urgent search for repair and restocking items makes this a very visceral affair. There really hasn't been a game since that matches the pure fun in playing through DOOM II, or one of the thousands of custom wads made by the community.

The Bad
Everything about DOOM II is first-rate and unmatched. However, I find that the design philosophy behind many of id's official 31 levels to be a little on the sadistic side. They are based heavily around deception, darkness, confusion, and being overwhelmed by demons. This can make for a frustrating gaming experience, which need not be the case if you can find a wholesome, straightforward wad to play where the primary challenge is just out-gunning your adversaries.

The Bottom Line
Terror, carnage, and massive bloodletting in the name of saving the Earth. What could be better?

The Good
(Assumes you're familiar with the original Doom)

I loved the double-barrel shotgun. That has to be the most badass weapon in deathmatches, because a direct hit with both barrels not only takes off 100% health from your opponent, but also has no travel time--it can't be dodged or avoided.

The new enemies are mostly improved versions of the originals with two notable exceptions. Running becomes your primary mode of transportation when the tall skeleton dude launches rockets at you that track your every move. And you haven't known fear until you realize that you're in the direct line of sight with something that can unleash BFG-like power on your ass with very little preperation time.

The Bad
Some levels and/or enemies are just rediculously impossible to beat. Thank goodness for quickload/quicksave...

The Bottom Line
If you liked Doom, you'll love Doom II. I guess that goes without saying, eh?

The Good
When I first saw Doom, I couldn't believe it. Great graphics, great sound. It was amazing!! I played it and I loved it. Then it came the obvious sequel. And, far beyond my expectations, it was even better than the original one. Now you don't have three episodes, you must take a long journey to save the Earth from the alien guys that you fought in the martian moons. And, this time, they are coming with a couple of new friend, like the Mancubus, or the Arch Ville. The game was great for its time, with very advanced graphics, an improved gameplay from the original Doom, and in some places, very huge levels. And the sound!! I still remember the giants footsteps of the Cyberdemon, the shots from the spiders, the bullets from a nearby room every time I managed to start a fight between the enemies. Doom 2 was one of the best games in history, absolutely.

The Bad
Not too much to say. The only bad thing it was that there was only one new weapon.

The Bottom Line
Totally surprising!!

The Good
Everything which was good about Doom 1, was the same good and some stuff even better in Doom 2. Enough said about Doom 1's decent graphics and lovely sound effects, lets talk what was even better in Doom 2! The new monsters where very kick-ass, the new weapon, though the only in the game, became the favourite of fans instantly, also must be noted the improvement in level design, which was even less linear than in Doom 1, and larger environment's. Also the soundtrack kept being kick-ass just like in the original.

The Bad
What can be bad about Doom 2? Only the fact that you may get tired after playing through it a couple of hours, but whats so special in that? :)

The Bottom Line
If u find this game in any place available, no matter where, the internet, or a shop, this is a must play game forever, and if you haven't played Doom 1, its not worse to start with this game, like i did in my time. :)

The Good
Doom was the first shareware game that I actually went out and purchased. After playing it over and over, I was ready for Doom II and it didn't disappoint. You had more weapons, more monsters, more levels, and even 2 secret Castle Wolfenstein (sp) levels! This game was a good improvement over the original Doom and certainly took many hours of my life back in 1994!

The Bad
The bobbing motion of the character as he ran always made me sick after a long time of play. Ugh. So after I solved this game, I never went back to play again.

The Bottom Line
This is the sequel to the first-person shooter that started the craze. The object of the game is to kill everything that moves, clear levels, solve puzzles (usually to get out of a level), find secret passages and hidden monsters, and just go nuts! You start with a 9mm and a few rounds but can immediately find a chainsaw! Later weapons are the shotgun, the super shotgun (double-barrel), the chain gun, the rocket launcher, the plasma gun, and the BFG-9000 (not sure about the number) gun. Plenty of levels to play (30) and more difficulty settings including one that continuously spawns new monsters to attack you. Fun, fun, fun!

The Good
The time I saw it, I couldn't beleive what a 386 could do! Then also the gameplay proved to be magnificent, lot of action and enemies, and it was maybe the first time for me to control a hero in such a 3d way, it was a great feeling!!!

I like very much DOOM-Clones, although DOOM is the best one, it is very original (You will tell me that Wolfenstein was the first one! :) The coolest thing is that even today many people prefer to play doom, and something exists which seems like a Doom-scene! There are plenty of editors to build new wads, change the graphics, sound, e.t.c., and some people have made very cool TCs (Total conversions) with these utils! Or the source code modifications which make DOOM to use 3d cards, or the hero to be able to look up and down, and many other cool stuff...

Doom lives even today!

The Bad
It doesn't run on my CPC! :) Well, I am just kidding! Actually, I can't think something negative about it!

The Bottom Line
Doom is the game who started it all with the doomclones!

The Good
There's 32 brand new maps, 9 new monsters (including annoying Arch-Vile), completely new music, and one new weapon - a very useful double-barreled shotgun. And like its prequel, it's incredibly fun to play.

The Bad
It's too similar to original Doom! Weapons, pick-ups and decorations are taken directly from Doom, graphics remain unchanged, no tweaks like looking up and down or jumping are introduced, and multiplayer is unchanged! And those two bonus maps are converted from Wolfenstein 3D - lack of ideas? Laziness? Or it's just an attempt to make some easy money - by throwing new maps and selling them as sequel?

The Bottom Line
Maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but it's rather a mission pack than a sequel. However, when we'll stop carping at the game, it's getting incredibly fun to play, just like Doom. So let's stop carping and start to annihilate those demons...

The Good
What's good about this game? Well, this is the sequel to id Software's popular first-person shooter. There is no real plot involved, only that you return home only to find the demons that you battled before have invaded your home planet. The game has 32 levels, and as usual, you run through the level, destroying any demons that get in your way, finding the keycards needed to open certain doors, and making your way to the exit.

All the elements are there – the original monsters, power-ups, flip switches, you name it. Joining the original monsters are some new ones, and they take quite a lot of pounding before they die. The Arch-Vile is the most deadly enemy I have ever encountered in the series. Once he sets you on fire, you are thrown back several feet, and to make matters worse, he resurrects any enemies that you already killed. When you manage to nuke him, he makes a nice gurgling sound. There are also the Anachnotrons, which I like to refer to as the children of the Spider Mastermind.

I also like the addition of the super shotgun, which pumps two bullets in your target instead of one. Now it only takes three shots to dispose of the Cacodemon instead of six. The shotgun also works for the minor demons. You can also take out some of the new monsters with just three shots.

There are two secret levels in the game, and both of these play tribute to Wolfenstein 3D, id's very first first-person shooter. and they respectively center around the first and last levels of “Escape from Wolfenstein”, and the layout is exactly the same. There are monsters that we haven't seen in the original game, including the pink demons in the first secret level and the Cyberdemon in the second. I don't know, but maybe someone at id thought that it would be too hard to draw guard dogs and Hans Grosse. What's funny about the secret level is that there are actually blue SS guards, yet they yelp in pain if you shoot them.

Almost every level in DOOM II is more challenging than the last, and they can take you about 30 minutes to complete, or a little bit more if you get lost and have trouble finding things. I did not have trouble finding my way around because I referred to the level map occasionally.

Graphic-wise, some of the backgrounds look good, and they blend in with whatever theme that the level takes. One level, for instance, takes place in the suburbs, so the background represents a series of burning skyscrapers. All the new enemies and they are animated nicely. I like the way that that level is so open.

The music in the game is twice as good as the original, and there are some cool sounds coming from the new monsters, especially the Icon of Sin (the final boss, whose picture is seen on some walls in the game). When you get to the level, you teleport to the same room as him, and you hear a scary voice coming from him. You won't understand him, but you will be able to if you record what he says then play it backwards.

When I completed the game, I enjoyed flicking through the monsters that feature in the game and listening to their sounds as well as that Wolfenstein-like music. Before, I always forgot what the names of each monster was until I do this. Those funny messages appearing when you choose to leave the game are still there. My favorite is “You want to quit? Then, thou hast lost an eighth!” I read in the Trivia section that this is actually a reference to the Ultima series, but I am not a fan of RPGs.

The Bad
Anyone who thinks this game has anything bad needs to flush their head down the toilet.

The Bottom Line
In DOOM II, you do the same thing that you did in the original game, only this time you battle it out on Earth. There are some improvements like new monsters and the super shotgun (which is better than the original shotgun). One monster that I liked over most is the Icon of Sin. Each level of the game has its own theme, and they are good enough that you have to play them again. The background music on most levels is excellent. If you were impressed with the original game, then you should be impressed with DOOM II. Like the original, there are user-created maps out there ready to be downloaded by those that completed the game but just want more action.

The Good
The intense battles, action, weapons, in other words, fragging the heck out of everything, which was basically the whole point of the game.

The Bad
Besides fragging, THE GAMEPLAY IS BAD. For its time it was revolutionary, but eventually you get tired of frag-the-monster-blocking-your-path-to-get-the-key-so-you-can-walk-through-a-door- to-beat-the-level-and-do-it-again gameplay. Hopefully DOOM III will be mission based with a better storyline...like Half-Life.

The Bottom Line
It's DOOM for god's sake!

The Good
DOOM came back, and this time you get to fight on Earth. Plus the levels look more creepy (Bring that flashlight xD). Also a new weapon ( =O ) The double barrel shotgun packs a better punch than ever. And the Cyberdemon just comes back......and back.......and back.

Plus, 2 secret WOLFENSTEIN levels (Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!)

The Bad
Huh? didn't like? Someone delete this part of the form from the DOOM game pages. (Joking xD)

The Bottom Line
Biggest chainsaw massacre since Texas.

The Good
Basically the only thing I liked were the many levels (I liked that there were a lot of them)

The Bad
First of all, this game should not be considered a new game. It is merely a basic uprade to Doom. It is just basically some different monsters and levels.

The graphics were not (seemed) to be worked on at all. They look exactly (in my opinion) like the other Doom's graphics. It is the exact same cartoony looks, not worked on or changed at all.

Sound is a throw off. In other words, horrible. Turn off your speakers everyone.

The Bottom Line
One of the worst sequels ever. I do not reccomend it.

My Rating ( 1.5 / 5 )