Doom

The Good
Those who were there know.

It came out at the right time and set new standards for modern gaming. Many things we today take for granted were introduced by this game. Doom was way before its time when it got out and yet it was runnable on an average computer. That was something.

ID managed to make a fake 3D world that ran almost smoothly on a 386. (Editor's note: I ran Doom on my 386/40 in low detail and got 35 frames per second -- very impressive.) They managed to make a truly interactive networking game. They understood that not only graphics but sound was important to make you react. And the list goes on and on.

The Bad
This game pushed gore way too far. It made gamers used to realistic violence. I'm not faint-hearted. As a matter of fact, I enjoyed all the gore a lot. I've never laughed diabolically as much as with this game. However, this game is not only a trend-setter in terms of game technology, it's one with violence too. Doom is the first Texas chainsaw massacre in which you have control. I find that pretty disturbing.

The Bottom Line
There is no better description for this game than this: Perfection. You simply couldn't, and can't, get bored of this game. Most of us out there played Doom at every imaginable place, at every imaginable hour and in every imaginable - er, condition.