Doom

Review

by Evan A. Mauser

If you like Quake and Duke Nukem, there is no way you can't like Doom, one of the original first-person shoot-em-up games created (Wolfenstein started it, baby!). The good thing about game designers is that they know what the public wants: a place to release their pent-up agression and frustrations. What better way to express your inner rage than in the corridors and catacombs of Doom?

Your mission is simple; kill 'em all before the evil demons take over the planet...or something like that. You begin with only a pistol to fend off Hell's scourge, but lucky for you some former soldiers, (the ones now zombified) dropped some heavy artillery for you to pick up and use at your own discretion. Although it is quite fun holding down the trigger and riddling anything with a full clip's worth of shells, it would be smarter to conserve your ammo just in case you run into one of those wicked Barons.

You should also utilize the 'strafe' (side-to-side) technique, for it will help you in many a tight situation. For instance, if you know an evil baddie lurks around the corner waiting for you to casually step into its line of fire, it would be best to strafe around the corner, fire, and strafe back to where you were. Not only do you kill the enemy, but you also get to split the scene without a scratch. Very useful against powerful enemies, (Barons again..) who could cut you down with one or two hits. Use it.

Doom also allows multi-player (aka Deathmatch) play. When you're sick of using the demons as target practice, hook up over the Internet or by modem and challenge someone as bloodthirsty as you. There are many homemade maps (.wads) out there that people have created solely for Deathmatch play, so the possible levels are endless. Plus, where else can you kill your friend and not do time?

In conclusion, Doom is one of the more simpler 3D shooter games ever made. No jumping, no looking up or down..just straight killin'. Sounds like a lot of fun to me.