Doom is without a doubt one of the most iconic names in all of video gaming. It helped spur on the FPS genre after the success of Wolfenstein and has been embedded into our popular culture as a pillar of gaming. Yet, Doom as a series has been largely absent from the gaming scene until it’s most recent release last Friday. The FPS genre has moved from the fast moving, arena style combat that helped define Doom to a more modern and slower paced setting.
Though, it seems the tempo of first person shooters is changing, as evidenced by the massive backlash against the newest Call of Duty. Even though it just released, it seems that Doom is receiving remarkably positive feedback from both fans and critics alike. Is this just because Doom is a solid shooter or the result of the gaming community as a whole being fed up with the big box titles we’ve been subjected to year after year?
It’s important to look at what makes Doom such a fantastic title, beyond the simple blood and bullets we’ve come to expect from such an esteemed series.