In gaming, retro games are a trendy, exciting experience. Much like the entertainment industry, the classics remain a staple of people’s interests over time.
Enter Doom: A trailblazing first person shooter game.
The year was 1993. Video games, particularly Nintendos, were all the rage. At the time, adrenaline-fueled first person shooter games weren’t a big thing. And no one seemed to have wind of what was coming down the gaming pipe.
The 90s were different times. There weren’t social media outlets that allowed for sneak peaks, or coordinated leaks. Instead, when Doom hit the shelves, it was a complete surprise.
Despite the countless successors that have built upon Doom’s foundation, it remains a remarkable game that warrants exploration for both its historical impact and its ongoing relevance.
The Game
What we told you that Doom has yet to be replicated? We’re sure that’s a bold perspective given the infamous first-person shooter games, such as Halo and Call of Duty, which relish in lavish graphical experiences.
You play a faceless space marine. You navigate mazes. And you go to battle with space monsters as they obstruct your mission.
The battles are graphically intense.
Sure, there’s pixelation and a compact viewpoint, but alas, this was 1993! In those days, no one experienced anything like the shooting sequences that Doom offered up.
Doom is intended to produce a chaotic vibe as action sequences are continual. The game’s weapons, including the iconic shotgun that brings back all the nostalgic vibes to many of us.
The sound design is another delightful part of Doom. The growls of hidden demons fill almost every room you enter. There’s a retro charm as much as a sense of utter dread. The blasts of your weapons and the screams of your enemies pop and bang and squeel. It’s overtly chaotic.
Legacy
We can talk sound, graphics, and ingenuity all day. But, Doom’s real strength lies in the way it revolutionized gaming. It popularized the first-person shooter genre and introduced networked multiplayer death-matches.
Doom is a timeless gaming experience that’s paved the way for numerous first-person shooter games that have since leveraged evolutions in graphics and sound. Its damn fun. It’s retro as all heck. There’s big guns, bigger demons, and neverending action in Doom. Even today, Doom stands up with the best of them. And that says a lot for a game that’s 30-years old.
Doom’s ongoing relevance is impressive. So if you’ve never played, go get some.