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Games of the Decade: Expansion Pass #2/Extra Blog a Day #29

Hello everyone, how are you?

There are many classic games that we all know and love, like Mario and Pac-man. They are all-time classics in every sense of the word. These games are the pinnacles of their respective genre but there are some games out there that haven't been seen in years despite being very influential. When you ask someone about influential first-person shooters, you'll get answers like Call of Duty, Halo, or even Goldeneye, which are indeed influential games within that genre. But what about the games that were responsible for the the genre in the first place? And how do you take the classic gameplay of that game and translate that into a modern take on said game? Today for our #2 game we are going to walk through Hell and rip and tear through its demon army with DOOM

                              Revenant: "Why is there is boss music playing here?"

I have always been a fan of Doom, in fact the very first pc game that I ever played was the 1993 original. I played it on my neighbor's pc back when I was a kid in the 90's, so I was a pc gamer as well in a way. But that was pretty much it, I never got to try out the games that came after, with the exception of Doom 64 since I rented it back then when it was new. When I got a PS4 one game that I got recommended often was DOOM. It was always really cheap but as usual I never got around to it. But all that changed when my younger brother got it for me as an Xmas gift back in 2019 and I finally got back into the series over 2 decades later. So how is this game?

It's the year 2149 and the Union Aerospace Corporation on a facility on Mars have been running some experiments. The experiment? Drawing energy from Hell, known as Argent Energy that they are siphoning and they are doing this in order solve the energy crisis on Earth. And if you are wondering what could possibly go wrong, then you are correct. All of Hell has broken loose the UAC Facility on Mars, literally. Demons from Hell are rampaging through the UAC Facility and there is no one that can stop them. Except there is someone who can stop them, someone even the demons of Hell fear, known as the Doom Slayer.

In DOOM you play as the Doom Slayer, the bane of Hell itself. As the Doom Slayer you have access to a variety of weapons as you progress through the game. From the simple pistol to the chaingun and my personal favorite and classic, the super shotgun.The best part of these weapons? You don't need to reload at all which is really cool. You can also unlock weapon and suit mods as you progress through the game which grant you and your weapons different abilities. New to the game are Glory Kills, basically special finishers or just think of them like the Fatalities in Mortal Kombat. When an enemies flashes yellow, that is a sign that you can perfom a Glory Kill and you'll get some health back too.

                                        Just an average daily stroll through Hell

The game is really fast-paced you are always moving and there is no time to stop and think what your next move is. The enemies are pretty much relentless as they try to stop you but they all know it is futile. The game always throws something new at you so you definitely have to be quick to adapt as you go and you sometimes have to prioritize what enemies to kill first and which weapons to use since some enemies are more dangerous than the others.

The graphics look really amazing in this game, the environments and everything look great even though you are always running and gunning. Like you can see all the carnage that the demons have done to the UAC workers, even their soldiers were no match for the demon forces. You'll see pools of blood, people who have been mutilated, occult imagery, and more. Doesn't that sound amazing? It sounds like something straight out of a metal album.

"But Captain N, where can I play this game?" It's on PS4, Xbox One, PC via Steam. and on the Switch. The game is really cheap now and it sometimes drops to like $5.99 so that is by far the perfect price to pay for this, they are practically giving it away at this price. I'd buy it again if I could. It's much more expensive on the Switch since the game is still full-priced. However there are times it goes for $29.99 so if you want to be able to play this game anywhere, then wait for a sale. However it's missing the map editor mode. I unfortunately never got to try out the online though so can't comment on it.

                                                 Just an average day at the UAC

Final Thoughts: DOOM is one of the best first-person shooters that I've ever played. I love how fast-paced this game is and how fluid it is, everything works together really well. You are always constantly moving and there is no time to take cover because the enemies are relentless and want to kill you because they are afraid of you. The graphics look stunning and there are some brief moments where you can just take in all that beautiful demonic scenery. The music in the game is really incredible, and it leaves this lasting impact on you. Mick Gordon did a fantastic job with the music and is by far one of my most favorite soundtracks that I heard last year and among one of my most favorite soundtracks.

There's only one thing that disappointed me and that is the enemies. Thing is for me there never was enough enemies to kill. I know that sounds stupid especially in games that throw hordes of enemies at you. In times like those you want to at least survive and get through them as quickly as possible. But in DOOM I was always craving for more enemies to shoot, to smash, and tear apart. I bet the demons might of thought that I am trapped with them, but in reality they are trapped with me and if you think about it, YOU are the boss in this game. A song always plays whenever you fight enemies, that is your boss music. Combine wanting more enemies to fight with the amazingly epic soundtrack that plays, then you'll see why I craved more enemies. This might be the best game to relieve stress.

DOOM is a soft reboot of the series while at the same time being a continuation of Doom 64. I have no idea how that makes any sense but it's a video game so I don't question it but it seems like they want you to forget Doom 3 exists. Whatever the case, this is how you bring back a classic game and basically re-imagine it and reintroduce a series for the modern era. It kept all the core principles of what made the original Doom a classic while fine-tuning the gameplay for todays standards. It's a fantastic return to form. If you want to bring back a classic game that hasn't been seen in years, use this game as an example. The only thing I regret? Not playing this game any sooner since this game would of been on my definitive list from last year.

 

                               *death metal suddenly starts playing in the background*

Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel, leads to hell. So you walk eternally through the shadow realms, standing against evil where all others falter. May your thirst for retribution never quench, may the blood on your sword never dry, and may we never need you again. They are rage, brutal, without mercy. But you. You will be worse. Rip and tear, until it is done.

That's it for this one. Next up is the #1 game of the Expansion Pass, and for this game we are getting ready to set sail to wherever the winds may take us. That's it for this one, thanks for reading and...

 

*All images were taken by my PS4 and my copy of the game*