On Reflection

Doom still has more personality than Halo, because let’s be frank, a shelf has more personality than Halo, but that’s beside the point; here’s one of those nostalgic experiences that’s more than worthwhile for a second visit. Download it; it bleeds goodness and there’s still nothing quite like it (shut up Marathon: Durandal, no one asked you) on XBLA.

The Score

Doom. The original FPS. The master. The one that kick-started a revolution. The game that now seems slightly antiquated as you can’t look up or even jump. Your mission to escape The Token Space Planet Full Of Evil Bad-Ass Aliens defeated by a knee-high step. Typical.

It was tough being a hero back in 1993, but it’s arguably easier now that rose-tinted nostalgia has oiled Doom’s creaking joints and helped cover up its blemishes. Yet Doom remains a spectacular single-player experience. The solid level design, reams of secrets and varying enemies are staples of good shooter games old and new. Even now, the weapons feel meaty, the enemies are tough and the harder difficulty levels are a challenge only the dedicated will relish. It’s now the whiff of nostalgia that carries you through rather than the thrill of the new but even so, the way Doom tickles your memories is testament to its wide popularity. The same can’t be said for Doom online though, which is somehow laggy. This multi-polygon, special-effects crammed, 60 frames per second game is clearly too much for broadband. We find this somewhat odd, given players were enjoying this without lag on crappy modems back in 199-whenever. This score is simply for the strength of the single-player game, which remains as relevant and enjoyable as ever, even in a Halo-dominated era. Doom has more personality than Halo too. Oooh, controversial! Whatever. You know it’s true.

9 out of 10