DOOM is the standout shooter of the year – a project doomed to the lowest recesses of development hell that somehow managed to not only be good, but one of the finest shooters this generation has yet seen. A reimagining of what made the fast shooter so bloody engrossing decades ago, DOOM is a celebration of sorts of developer id Software’s greatest achievements. But there was a time that wasn’t so true. A time when DOOM 4 was in development, and it was looking a lot like Call of Duty.
If you’ve only briefly followed the development of the new DOOM, you’re likely to have seen at least some footage of the project that was in development between it and DOOM 3. Dubbed DOOM 4 at the time, it was id’s first stab at a modern DOOM sequel that left fans lukewarm after footage leaked out. Call of Doom was associated with the project, which eventually disappeared and got scrapped in favour of going back to the drawing board.
It was a troubled time at id Software, which has been captured immaculately in NoClip’s second documentary series (headed up by former Gamespot staffer Danny O’Dwyer). In the first of three parts releasing this week, NoClip spends a good half an hour investigating the origins of id Software, and the decisions that eventually led them down the path of DOOM 4. There’s a little more footage of the cancelled game too, which kicks off at around the 13 minute mark.
NoClip previously tackled the success of Rocket League in their debut episode, with the new Patreon-powered channel seeking to deliver in-depth documentaries of videogames every month. The second part is set to release later today, with the series wrapping up tomorrow. The rest of the episodes will take a closer look at why the new DOOM works to well, and how its changed development within the classic studio.
They’re incredibly well put together documentaries, and engrossing watches even if you’re only looking for games you’ve played. You can support their work through Patreon if you like too.
Last Updated: December 13, 2016
