It's only natural to imitate success.
Throughout video game history, there are countless examples of clones: shameless mimics that
ride aboard the coattails of others.
Call it inspiration, an homage - or just a plain ripoff:
no good idea goes without a few retreads.
On rare occasion, a game's influence will be such that it won't just inspire a few imitations
but forge an entirely new genre.
Doom is a massively important step in the development of 3D action games - one that
defined the first person shooter and changed gaming forever.
So, what inspired such a revolutionary game?
What did Doom do that Wolfenstein didn't?
And how much of its influence remains in games today?
The early 1990s.
A time untinged by guilt: when action movies were unironic; thrash metal was at its peak;
and, unlike the vice-ridden 1980s, all you needed for a good time was pizza and video
games.
Id software were living the dream - their previous success bought access to all kinds
of hedonistic thrill: but their core passion remained - and their creative freedom was
unfettered.
Only one obstacle remained: how do you beat a game like Wolfenstein 3D?
While most of the Id team were working on delivering Spear of Destiny, the first strokes
of their next project were being made by John Carmack.
He was discontent with Wolfenstein's engine limitations - and, with the increasing pace
of the PC gaming market, he could afford to target more impressive hardware.
Instead of running on a 286 with less than 1 megabyte of RAM, Id's new game would demand
at least a 386 with 4 megabytes - and only a top-of-the-line 486 would suffice for the
most impressive performance.
Some of Carmack's improvements to the Wolfenstein engine ended up in a game called ShadowCaster,
developed by Raven Software - a first-person RPG with similar ambitions to Ultima Underworld.
It exists as an evolutionary step between Wolfenstein and Doom - the upgraded tech providing
a hint at what was to come later in the year from Id.
Walls and ceilings were now texture-mapped - a corner cut less necessary on newer machines,
and a chance to inject more variety both underfoot and overhead - including outdoor areas.
Diminished lighting allowed texture colours to be gradually faded into the darkness, allowing
for better distance cues - and variable lighting.
Compared to the static, flat light of Wolfenstein - it made a substantial difference to the
game's atmosphere.
Another major upgrade was to the level architecture - grid-based no more, walls could be constructed
at any angle - at any position.
Better yet, floors and ceilings could now be different heights - allowing for platforms,
stairs, windows and elevators.
A massive leap forward in terms of level design: Id's new, upgraded engine unlocked huge technical
potential.
All they needed now was a good idea.
Clearly they were onto something good with the 3D shooter formula - so a further exploration
seemed logical.
Creative director Tom Hall wanted to revisit Commander Keen - a shift away from realistic
violence to a cartoon aesthetic, and a chance to tell a more in-depth story.
However, the others were less convinced. It wasn't a compelling narrative that made Wolfenstein
3D a hit, it was its fast-paced and instant action.
As John Carmack put it: "Story in a game is like story in a porn movie. It's expected
to be there, but it's not that important."
It was the era of the self-assured action hero - with a hefty arsenal of bombastic one-liners:
Yippee ki yay; Hasta la vista; This is My Boomstick!
There would be considerable influence from cinema: not through cut-scenes, or lens flares
- but instead as inspiration for the setting, mood - and attitude.
Even the name stems from a quote taken from a Tom Cruise film.
In 'The Colour of Money', his pool-hustling character is asked what resides within his
cue case.
With a cocky smile - and pause for effect - he retorts:
"In here?"
"Doom."
Doom's cybernetic heart beats with the rhythm of science fiction: future soldiers, high-tech
weaponry and isolated installations on a far-flung world.
The Alien films are a key influence, to the point where Doom was originally planned as
a licensed tie-in - although this idea was ditched in order to retain more creative freedom.
Still, there's no shortage of parallel elements:
the grizzled space marines sent in to investigate an anomaly of unknown origin;
the interstellar conglomerate operating at the frontier of human exploration;
and questionable ethics that unleash dark, dangerous secrets.
The Alien films and Doom also share a common visual inspiration: the disturbing surreality
of H. R. Giger.
His Necronomicon defined the terrifying look of Alien's Xenomorph - and inspired countless
nightmares.
Giger's only official contribution to video games was a graphical adventure called Dark
Seed, and its sequel - but his work's overall influence is far broader.
Fearful symmetry amidst an uncomfortable place: somewhere between sex and death - demons and
machines.
It's this blend that provides the key aesthetic for Doom: a fusion of metallic sci-fi with
fleshy hellspawn.
The Satanic influences originate from Id's Dungeon and Dragons sessions - where at the
climax of a lengthy campaign, the entire planet was overrun with demons.
No longer constrained by the grid-based stone walls of Wolfenstein, Id's imagination could
run riot: an indulgence of pure twisted fantasy.
A departure from a loose historical basis: from 'heil Hitler' to 'Hail Satan', Id have
never been particularly afraid of controversial subjects.
Still, the devil has all the best tunes - and a game like Doom needed a killer soundtrack.
Id didn't have to look too far for inspiration: the tunes playing on their office stereo would
provide ample material.
Tracks evocative of Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Judas Priest: True, they were lo-fi MIDI renditions
- but from the first level to the last, Doom is chock full of thrash riffs.
Gory B-movie horror would provide inspiration, too - with films like Evil Dead II a particular
favourite.
Its influence is clear in a number of places, such as human enemies possessed by demons
- in a similar manner to the Deadites from Evil Dead.
The chainsaw (and later addition of a double-barreled shotgun) are taken straight from the film
- and the gory blood-soaked action that ensues is only natural.
Caffeine-fuelled, pizza-fed: and a love letter to the culture they consumed.
All the elements were starting to come together: a fusion of Hell, Sci-Fi and Fantasy - alien
demons with a twist of Satan.
As the end of 1993 approached, so too did Doom's release.
Anticipation was sky-high: with anxious fans following development through newsgroups and
BBS.
Confident, Id declared that their next game would be "Wolfenstein times a million!".
The hype was real - but could they deliver?
Doom's myriad influences ought to make for a crowded mess of ideas -
but in the absence of explanation - it works.
Here's a shotgun.
No more questions.
Just get out there -
and shoot some demons on Mars.
Like with Wolfenstein, very little time is wasted: Action is instant, and you're flung
into combat straight from the first beat.
The level choreography is very similar too: you spawn weapon in hand, fight through room
after room of enemies - making your way to the exit.
Again, levels are episodically grouped, each culminating in a boss fight. The original
release comprised three such episodes:
Knee-Deep in the Dead was the first: an introduction to the Mars base on Phobos, and the incursion
of hellspawn into its metallic sci-fi interiors.
The second takes you to Deimos: The Shores of Hell. A descent into diabolical madness
- and a border between the human and demon domains.
The third was Inferno, a full realisation of satanic terror: and a test of the hero's
mettle against Hell's full fury.
This approach was a tried-and-tested formula: many elements were retained from Wolfenstein
- but Doom was anything but more of the same.
For instance, the arcade influences were chamfered to be far less frustrating:
Gone were the limited lives - death was now but a pause, with tougher levels repeatable
until cracked.
Also absent were the high score tables - and the point scoring pick-ups.
This wasn't Pac-Man. Slaughter is its own reward.
Doom also evolved its health economy, with a greater quantity and variety of health pickups.
Bonus vials litter the levels - with each only providing a single point of stamina,
but providing a strong incentive to stay on the move to gradually replenish lost health.
Stimpacks provide more immediate relief, and the full-size medpacks and rarer supercharges
are a sight for sore eyes when you find yourself in trouble.
The addition of armour adds another dimension: with the standard green pick-up absorbing
a third of all damage until depleted, and the rarer blue suit cutting all incoming damage
by half.
Fully decked out, taking on the hordes of hell almost seems easy - but a quick comeuppance
awaits the overconfident.
Health pickups are not necessarily the best solution for every first-person shooter - but
one thing is certain:
Cowering behind cover won't do you any good in Doom.
The level design is perhaps the most drastic change from Wolfenstein 3D:
The grid-based mazes were gone - Doom's architectural enhancements meant these rigid walls were
instead replaced with more freeform, fantastical spaces.
Rather than conforming to realistic designs, the Mars base has a more abstract composition
than might be expected of a typical sci-fi installation.
Rather than shooting through corridor after boring corridor, the chambers and passages
are varied - serving an unknown purpose in-universe but making for a far better experience as
a game.
This detachment from reality also makes for a far more organic transition to a twisted
vision of Hell as the game unfolds.
Animated textures were another new introduction, used to particularly good effect in creating
pools of noxious liquid, rivers of blood and molten lava.
Serving as a punishment for falling from an intended path, but also enticing the player
with the potential of secrets - the risk of damage versus the reward of hidden supplies.
As well as pools of toxic waste, Doom's levels are littered with barrels - of a particularly
volatile nature.
It isn't the first game to indulge in the trope of explosive barrels - but it might
be the first FPS.
Doom's world is more far more dynamic than Wolfenstein's ever was - beyond simple doors
and pushwalls, now massive segments of level geometry could move in response to the player.
This was limited to up and down motion only, as the binary space partitioning of the level
data required considerable precalculation.
This was perfect for doors, staircases, platforms and elevators, however - and dynamic level
elements are a well-used feature throughout Doom's episodes.
Now, the levels could react to the player: and not always through the explicit press
of a button - some triggers were invisible.
These new tools gave the level designers ample chance to flex their creativity:
Unleashing fresh monster closets to repopulate a previously-trodden path;
Drastically altering a level to reveal entirely new areas;
Or setting traps for greedy players: a tempting power-up atop a well-lit podium in a seemingly
quiet room - but redeeming the prize unleashes far more than you might have bargained for.
These dynamic triggers are used to great effect in tandem with variable lighting: dim corridors
that recede to distant gloom; strobe lighting; and pitch blackness.
Sometimes, the game will turn off the lights while simultaneously unleashing an enemy assault.
Deprived of a vital sense while the guttural growls of demons surround you, such moments
are terrifying - and bring the game's horror influence to life.
Compared to Wolfenstein's stark VGA palette, the dimmer tones of Doom boast an atmosphere
unlike anything else of the era.
Dynamic, diverse - and dangerous: the virtual spaces that Doom forged might not resemble
reality, but they were the perfect stage for its hellish theatrics.
A performance demands players, and our protagonist stands centre stage.
His story - not important;
His name - even less so.
Doomguy is a blank slate - a space marine with no identity: stripped of humanity and
built for only one purpose.
The spartan detail is intentional - making for an easier self-insert into the player's
blood-soaked boots.
And in any case, the real stars of the show were the hero's supporting cast.
The weapons of Doom follow a similar progression to Wolfenstein: a hierarchy of arms of escalating
power.
However, there were far more to choose from - defining the classic FPS tradition of a
a single soldier lugging an impractical arsenal of several heavy weapons.
The introduction of different ammunition types adds a new complexity to gameplay: with ammo
availability shaping weapon use.
The weapons themselves are more varied, too - with a blend of hitscan, melee and projectile
options each mandating different strategy.
You start with the pistol - a basic, slow firing weapon.
It's adequate for facing off with the weakest enemies - but not much more.
Still, it's better than nothing - should you run out of ammunition, you'll have to rely
on your bare fists to fight: and punching demons can be a dangerous proposition.
The beserk powerup can even the odds a little, multiplying your melee power by a factor of
ten - a force capable of turning the basic enemies into a thin red paste.
Equally visceral is the chainsaw - an alternate option that rips and tears through flesh in
a particularly satisfying way.
Getting up close and personal can be dangerous, however - so you'll spend most of your time
using the more powerful ranged options: and the pump-action shotgun is a mainstay of Doom's
shooting action.
It's devastating up close, tearing through low level foes like paper - and is an effective
weapon for highly mobile, aggressive use.
Rewarding a high-octane style of play is what separates Doom from the more modern trend
of cover-based shooters.
Instead of cowering in the shadows waiting for a red screen to fade, Doom's action is
unrelenting: brutal; bloody good fun.
Unlike the slower-firing shotgun, the chaingun offers continuous firepower for effectively
suppressing larger groups: perfect for those who like to keep the trigger held down - and
a far better use of bullets than the anaemic pistol.
The rocket launcher fires slow-moving projectiles which detonate on impact, dealing massive
explosive damage: great for quickly culling enemies at a distance, but very dangerous
at a closer range - getting caught in your own blast radius will quickly deplete your
health.
The plasma gun rapidly spits blue balls of energy, effectively interrupting enemy attacks
and quickly despatching even the most robust of foes.
Even so, the ultimate weapon on offer is the BFG 9000: a bigger brother to the plasma gun,
the BFG takes a while to charge but can clear an entire room with just a single shot.
An impressive arsenal - a variety bolstered since Wolfenstein, and a standard for future
games to meet.
But what good is such an array of weapons with no bad guys to shoot?
Luckily, there's no such shortage of enemies - there's a whole demonic ensemble of Satan
claymation.
They're drawn as sprites on-screen - 2D entities within a 3D world - but each monster is drawn
facing multiple directions, to permit rotation.
In order to expedite the drawing process, many of the monsters were first sculpted as
models, photographed - and digitised.
This approach gave the larger monsters more naturalistic, believable form - unlike more
rigid hand-drawn sprites, these speak of corpulent demon flesh.
The realisation of these monsters also benefited from the game's sound design - with each type
exuding idle noises, and announcing their discontent at the player's presence.
Coupled with the dark, dangerous chambers of Doom's levels, the addition of guttural
sounds in gloomy distance further enhanced the game's mood - and the battle cry of the
greater demons sparks terror like no other.
The lowliest of Hell's minions are the human opponents, possessed by some unseen demon
force: the first encounter, and a common sight throughout the first episode.
Some wield machine guns: others shotguns - both provide easy kills and a steady supply of
ammunition.
The brown imps fling fireballs from a distance, and tear flesh up close - they're tougher
than humans, but their attacks are easy to dodge - and they still succumb to a single
shotgun blast.
The pink demons are much tougher - sinewy walls of flesh that lack a ranged attack,
but make up for it with a fervour for consuming thy flesh.
Worse still, some such demons are not pink but invisible: spectres that are hard to see
in the best of conditions, and an unseen menace in darker spaces.
Hell plays home to the lost souls: fire-branded skulls that fling themselves towards you,
fast-moving and a tough target to hit.
Cacodemons are large red spherical monsters that spew fast-moving fireballs while floating
in midair - demon meatballs with a penchant for chargrilled prey.
Beyond lie the greater demons: the hircine Barons of Hell serve as a culmination of Doom's
first episode, satanic brothers that serve as guardians to the gates of the abyss.
Standing head and shoulders above their minions, they are unyielding in the face of whatever
punishment you mete out - flinging green fireballs at you with all their fury.
In later episodes you'll meet yet more Barons, only as regular troops rather than in a boss-like
capacity: episodes two and three end with yet greater menace.
The Cyberdemon is half-goat, half rocket launcher: and all archfiend.
Highly resistant and more than happy to dispense his rockets in your direction, it takes a
well-supplied marine to even have a hope of despatching this vile demon.
Still, at least you can dodge rockets - bullets prove a mite more difficult.
The ultimate evil is the Spider Mastermind: a squishy brain-on-stilts armed with a super
chaingun - and a bad attitude.
Its instantly landing attack will quickly kill anyone foolish enough to stand in the
open: firing from cover your best hope for success.
Enough firepower, and even the most vile of Hell's denizens will be reduced to a puddle
of blood, guts - and brains.
Quite the menagerie.
With distinct designs, varied tactics and attacks, and eerie presence: Doom's monsters
are memorable; frightening; awesome!
Between a protagonist laden with guns and a host of evil demonic opponents - what follows
next is only natural.
Gibbing - that's gibs like giblets, not gibs like goblet - are one of Doom's gory ways:
a red shower of body parts and sickening sound effect your reward for a particularly brutal
kill.
It's a development of Wolfenstein's death-cams: but the gory death animation of the bosses
extend to all enemies instead, and occur as a natural part of gameplay.
Doom wasn't the first gory game to feature fleshy gibs, but it codified the name - and
its later influence made sure similar dismemberment would remain a hallmark of violent shooters.
No guts, no glory - visceral action is the perfect accompaniment to a first person perspective:
What better way to experience the thrill of being knee-deep in the dead?
Shooting mechanical monsters is good fun - but computer controlled opponents are predictable,
and victory over the AI eventually rings hollow.
Single player is great fun, but it's the multiplayer that really gave Doom longevity - and in the
years following its release, the sounds of competitive combat were commonly heard anywhere
near a computer network.
Such was its popularity that network administrators were often forced to take action: the congestion
caused by players could bring even the largest network to a standstill.
It is the game that coined the term 'deathmatch' - and gave birth to a now longstanding tradition
of digital carnage.
Another important contribution to Doom's longevity was its moddability: it wasn't the first game
to support user-created content - but it was very successful in this regard.
Id's generosity played a key role - providing level editors and tools for editing the game's
files: content creators were able to make new levels, add new graphics and sounds - all
with relative ease.
These mods were packaged in convenient files called 'WADs' - an acronym for 'Where's all
the data?'. A single file, easily distributed - and containing anything from minor tweaks
to a full-blown total conversion.
The most popular WADs drew from pop culture - with locations, characters, graphics and
soundbites gratuitously taken from film and TV.
Others indulged in more original work, with imagination unfettered and the keys to Doom's
creation.
With the dawn of the internet, there was no shortage of enthusiastic talent keen to share
their skills.
The right game at the right time, Doom led to a burgeoning modding community - and forged
a tradition that endures today.
Ground breaking technology: an atmospheric and scary setting;
fast-paced and addictive gameplay;
frantic multiplayer deathmatch;
and fully moddable to boot.
Truly a complete package - and the first episode was free.
Who could resist an offer like that?
Doom proved a success by every measure.
The fans loved it, the gaming press praised it at every turn - and it sold by the millions.
It repeated the shareware success story of Wolfenstein: with the first episode available
for free, copies of the game spread like wildfire - with an estimated 10 million installations.
While the shareware model had proven successful, the retail market for PC games had expanded
since the days of Wolfenstein: and boxed copies could attain a broader reach than mail-order.
The Doom franchise first found its way onto shelves with the rapid release of its sequel
in 1994, Doom II: Hell on Earth.
It was not a major change from the original shareware release - retaining the same engine
and overall format: but it came with an all new set of levels, enemies, graphics - and
an extra weapon.
The super shotgun is a defining difference between Doom and Doom II - boasting double
the barrels and nearly triple the damage.
It provides an extension of the shotgun's usefulness with even more close-range power:
and while it fires more slowly than the pump-action the ability to take out crowds of enemies
with a single spray of buckshot is quite satisfying.
A host of new enemies await your wrath - complementing Doom's original set and providing new challenges
and hazards.
A new human enemy, the chaingun guy, is amongst the first you'll meet: a little tougher than
his brothers - and a lot meaner.
The Hell Knights are lesser Barons of Hell, weaker than their superiors - but still very
much a threat.
The spooky rocket-launching skeletons are known as the revenants; a clattering assembly
of shrieking undead.
The grotesque mancubuses have a little more meat on their bones, a corpulent pile of flesh
and rockets.
Miniature versions of the spider mastermind, known as the Arachnotrons, are equipped with
a powerful plasma weapon.
The pain elementals resembles a brown cacodemons, but instead of fireballs they spawn lost souls
instead.
And the arch-vile, a mysterious figure quite happy to immolate all in their path.
A host of new denizens - a host of new ways to die.
The thirty new levels were presented as a single episode: Hell on Earth.
A diverse set, with some more mundane locations - and some truly evil, hellish labyrinths.
Tricks and traps galore, as the game more confidently exploits player expectation to
endless surprise.
More creative levels like Barrels of Fun offer the player a dilemma - where the need to shoot
is tempered by the reluctance to self-destruct.
With the experience gained from the first three episodes, the level designs were more
confident, whimsical - and certainly more devious.
Doom II gave ardent fans another slice of shooting action, and its retail presence introduced
it to a new audience.
Between it and its shareware incarnation, Doom would dominate the home computer gaming
scene:
If you had a PC, you had to have Doom.
Doom would go on to boast a larger install base than Windows: a claim no game since could
possibly make.
Such was its influence that it would define the first person shooter genre: for years
after its release, any FPS would be dubbed a 'Doom clone'.
Such an honour was not without warrant - there was certainly no shortage of attempts to out-doom
Doom.
With Id's games enjoying massive commercial success, plenty of other developers were keen
to taste a slice of the Doom-clone pie.
Nascent studio Bungie were then champions of the Mac gaming scene, and Marathon in 1994
provided 3D shooting action for the rival platform.
Even LucasArts, best known then for their point-and-click adventure games, leveraged
the Star Wars IP into the first person shooter domain with Dark Forces in 1995.
The most prolific Doom rivals came from Id's former publisher for Wolfenstein, Apogee Software
- who rebranded as 3D Realms in 1994.
Ken Silverman's Build engine would drive their games, most notably Duke Nukem 3D: a game
clearly made in Doom's image, but with a swagger and style all of its own.
Later titles like Blood, Shadow Warrior and Redneck Rampage are generally well-remembered:
not so much as technical innovators, but as varied, fun experiences with an abundance
of charm.
However, none of these imitations are remembered quite as fondly as the real thing: Attempts
to out-doom Doom were of course, doomed.
That's not to say all versions of Doom are equal: the DOS version was the definitive,
but the covetous consoles were also granted ports (of varying quality) of their own.
The 16-bit consoles of the era lacked the grunt needed to shift textures at the required
rate - leading to some severe compromises.
The Super Nintendo version made valiant use of the Super FX 2 chip - but while this co-processor
assistance made the game viable, its frame rate was poor and resolution inadequate.
Even the 32-bit power of Sega's ill-fated 32X add-on couldn't muster a faithful rendition:
while its frame rate was superior, nearly every other aspect suffers.
Lighting effects were reduced, as was the colour palette and number of textures: and
the music was terrible.
It would take a new generation of consoles to deliver something more convincing, and
as a new wave of 32 and 64-bit machines trickled in, each tried their hand at matching the
PC.
Doom was the must-have next-gen game, and the Atari Jaguar, 3DO and Sega Saturn all
made an attempt: but despite their increased power, the conversions were underwhelming.
The marketing hype around bitcount fell flat in the face of poor performance.
The PlayStation version was more convincing: with fullscreen graphics that ran well, and
novel features such as alpha transparency and coloured lighting.
There were some concessions - the level geometry was simplified compared to the PC version,
and RAM limitations restricted the use of some assets: not all monster types could appear
in the same level, for instance.
Still, compared to earlier ports it was far more playable - and the PlayStation's more
confident 3D performance no doubt played a part in its success.
Perhaps the most impressive version of Doom on the consoles came in 1997 for Nintendo's
new platform- with Doom 64.
With new graphics, levels and story, it is a drastic departure from the original Doom
- and is generally considered a spin-off.
The N64's analogue control stick is far better suited to FPS movement than a digital D-pad
- and was a step towards the twin-stick controls used on consoles today.
Between Doom 64, Turok and Goldeneye - the viability of first person shooters on a console
had arrived.
Meanwhile on PC, the original Doom saw a retail release in 1995 as 'The Ultimate Doom' - capitalising
on those who missed the shareware release - and adding a bonus fourth episode, 'Thy
Flesh Consumed'.
With the widespread success of Doom, there was a thirst for more - and expansion packs
were one means of slaking this desire.
The Master Levels for Doom II boasted 20 additional levels from a multitude of designers, curated
by Id and given a retail release.
Similarly, Final Doom combined two 32-level episodes into one package: 'TNT: Evilution'
and 'The Plutonia Experiment'.
These episodes were community-created efforts: officially licensed and distributed as a commercial
product - but they wouldn't exist if not for Id's accepting policy towards modding.
Aside from the scores of user-made modifications, the Doom engine was put to good use in a commercial
setting with two releases from Raven Software.
Heretic in 1994 built on the work they did with Shadowcaster - an atmospheric fusion
of doom with RPG elements, with magic in the stead of firearms amidst a gothic fantasy
world.
A sequel, Hexen: Beyond Heretic, followed in 1995 - further expanding on the Doom paradigm
with a dark fantasy twist.
With a choice of three character classes (each with their own weapons) and a deviation from
Doom's linear level progression: Raven served up a counterpart to Doom that had familiar
choreography, but with merits all of its own.
The RPG elements in Strife were even more developed: with hub worlds, (relatively) seamless
level transitions, and NPCs with dialogue.
All this is blended with familiar shooting action: crossbows, flamethrowers and enemies
lurking in corridors.
It is probably the most advanced use of Doom's engine - although by the time of its release
the technology was starting to show its age.
By 1996, the Doom engine's technical edge had been lost - the dawn of hardware acceleration
had arrived, and full 3D engines were the future.
What do you get if you cross a violent shooter with a marketing campaign for a breakfast
cereal?
(Good question, glad you asked)
Chex Quest is the result of such a bizarre union - a total conversion of Doom's gameplay
with the violence removed: instead of killing your alien opponents, you must 'zorch' them
back to their home planet.
Given away with boxes of cereal - the first video game distributed this way - Chex Quest
found a grateful audience in the younger market.
A far cry from Doom's more mature audience - but targeting adults grants no exemption
from controversy.
Video games were taking some flak in the media at this time - games like Mortal Kombat and
Night Trap were upheld as a cause for censorship: eventually leading to the industry self-regulation
of the ESRB.
Satanism has been a source of alarm for centuries - and even in recent decades has proven to
provoke concern:
From ouija boards, Dungeons and Dragons and heavy metal - any form of entertainment that
dared tread near the occult triggered a new moral panic - and Doom was another sacrificial
goat at the altar of outrage.
Can video games train someone to kill?
Flight simulators can teach someone to fly - so the use of technology to train infantry
seems plausible enough.
In 1996, the United States Marine Corps expressed an interest in using computer-based wargames
as a means for training.
A modification for Doom II, called Marine Doom, was the result.
Intended for co-operative play with a fireteam of four marines, the scenario was designed
for teamwork and supporting fire in the face of an enemy threat.
Military exercises are one application: but the simulation of cold-blooded murder is another
thing entirely.
In 1999, Doom found itself blamed for the death of 13 in a high school shooting: the
Columbine massacre.
The pair responsible were avid fans of violent first-person shooters: and one had even created
his own custom levels for Doom.
In the wake of such a tragedy, there was no easy explanation: but video games alone are
no cause for atrocity.
Doom emerged relatively unscathed from this contention, despite numerous lawsuits and
no end of media criticism: but even now, in a more enlightened age: video games have not
seen the end of outrage.
After the release of Final Doom in 1996, the franchise was left fallow in favour of Id's
next big project - a pause that would persist until the 2004 release of Doom 3.
To say that expectations were high would be an understatement: Doom was a legend amongst
FPS, and so nothing less than a revolution would suffice.
While Id remained a capable developer, they were not the same dynamic team of the early
nineties, nor was game development quite the same.
Nevertheless with John Carmack behind Doom 3's new engine - Id tech 4 - from a technical
perspective, there were some very impressive new features.
A host of new graphical techniques were now supported - stuff we take for granted today:
bump mapping, normal mapping, and specular highlighting.
Dynamic per-pixel lighting sold the game's atmosphere - and the illumination (or absence
of it) made for a tense, terrifying experience.
Your only weapon against the darkness was a flashlight, carving a feeble yet essential
beam through the gloom - so you were forced to exchange sight for the ability to defend
yourself.
This design choice was not universally liked - a 'duct tape' mod was a popular addition,
permitting the use of a weapon and light simultaneously.
A later re-release, Doom 3: BFG Edition, adopted this change into official gameplay - along
with graphical and audio enhancements for more modern machines.
An expansion pack, developed by Nerve Software, followed in 2005 - Doom 3: Resurrection of
Evil.
Much like Doom II did for the original, it added new levels, enemies and weapons: including
the legendary double-barreled shotgun, and a weapon resembling Half-Life 2's gravity
gun called the 'grabber'.
Otherwise, it plays in much the same fashion as the vanilla game: gloomy corridors on Mars
with myriad demons prepared for a welcome.
Doom 3 was a success both critically and commercially - after all, it was a full-blown sequel to
Doom - but it's fair to say it doesn't quite live up to the original.
From an audiovisual perspective, it was spectacular - but there was little evolution in terms
of gameplay: an over-reliance on jump scares and not much deviation from the standard FPS
fare of the era.
Still, its release renewed interest in the franchise - to the point where someone thought
it might be a good idea to make a Doom movie, with Karl Urban starring alongside The Rock.
Films based on video games don't have a particularly good track record, and Doom didn't do much
to change this - but the action-packed first-person sequence almost makes it worth the price of
admission.
The same year saw the release of Doom RPG - a phone game designed for the then-emerging
mobile market.
Gameplay is turn-based and movement grid-based: nevertheless, an impressive distillation of
Doom's essence onto the weak pocket hardware of the time.
Doom Resurrection was another mobile title made for iPhones in 2009: a pared-down version
of Doom 3, this time as a rail shooter.
A fun diversion for idle thumbs, but Doom's strength always lay in its classic FPS formula.
What would we do without the first person shooter?
They remain a common sight today: and while we might be past the recent peak of modern-military
themed games, the genre isn't going away any time soon.
Doom's DNA runs through them all - if not through having direct influence, then via
another game that does.
Half-Life is another seminal game that took direct inspiration:
a cataclysmic invasion of a sci-fi installation, aliens galore, and an abundance of toxic waste
throughout its levels.
Similarly, Doom's lack of cut-scenes or cinematics laden with exposition laid the foundations
for experiential story telling: relying on in-engine events to tell a story.
Halo: Combat Evolved is a game which divides the old-school from the new: defined by its
defiance of Doom's conventions - with its two weapon limit, regenerating shields and
large-scale vehicular combat.
However, for all its differences, enough of Doom remains: both share heavy Aliens influence,
with their sci-fi setting and grizzled space marines;
high tech installations;
a varied array of enemy types;
and a protagonist almost entirely stripped of identity.
Doom's blank-slate character paved the way for the generic leads seen in what feels like
most modern games: a shaven-headed average joe designed to tread the path of least financial
risk.
The horror elements of Doom - variable lighting, and invisible triggers - have been mirrored
in games like System Shock, FEAR and other such scary FPS: with scripted moments designed
to surprise and/or terrify the player.
Without their lack of light - gloomy corridors and areas cast into blackness - games like
Dead Space or Alien Isolation wouldn't have half the impact they manage.
Today, Doom's innovations might seem obvious - and perhaps they are - but it lit the way
for future games to tread: and its massive popularity cemented its influence.
Modern games have tampered with Doom's purity, however - no longer do games give you the
reigns to their experience, instead forcing you down more linear corridors in the name
of cinematic impact.
Some of the longing for old-school gameplay is seen through rose-tinted glasses: and even
the classics are not without faults.
Doom is far from ready to retire, however - it still has an indomitable spirit.
More recently, interest in the game has been rekindled - and given a fresh coat of red
paint - with the help of a mod: Brutal Doom.
A fundamental overhaul, with some drastic changes.
The core is unmistakable fast-paced arcade action, but there are more modern elements
grafted on:
a more reactive HUD with bloodstains and bullet-holes;
smoother animations - and more of them;
AI buddies, reloads, new enemy attacks - and more gore than ever.
The transformation might offend some purists, but it is unquestionably exhilarating: a fusion
of elements from modern games with a classic sensibility - and goblet-loads of blood for
good measure.
Perhaps FPS of the future will take heed?
And perhaps the franchise will see a return to glory: for a new Doom waits in the wings.
A decade since Doom 3, and over two since the originals: at the time of writing, A fourth
Doom is mere months away.
One hell of a pair of boots to fill: but the recent success of Wolfenstein: The New Order
might be a good sign.
Can the reboot live up to the name which it dares to bear?
Will its violence fly unflinching in the face of outrage?
Shall it inspire the same thrill the original did back in '93?
Only time will tell.
Every inch the compelling experience: the world was ill prepared for a game like Doom.
An amalgam of pop culture, it borrowed heavily from its era - but paid back the debt with
interest.
From influenced to influential: and an impact that resonates today.
A new genre forged, and gameplay choreography re-rehearsed countless times.Doom's success
invited others to follow in its footsteps.
And why not? It's only natural.
There is magic in Doom's heart: it's primitive, still raw - and the essence of action beats
throughout its chambers.
Two decades later...
and it still kicks arse.
Of course, Id weren't quite done yet.
Doom might be the pinnacle of their contribution to gaming - but their next project would still
manage to shake things up.
Thank you for watching - and until next time - farewell.