Home Gaming The reception for DOOM’s excellent campaign came as a surprise to id and Bethesda

The reception for DOOM’s excellent campaign came as a surprise to id and Bethesda

2 min read
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DoomRev2

This year’s DOOM is arguably one of the greatest shooters that’s been released in ages – particularly if you take its excellent single player campaign in to account. It’s dropping with old-school charm, but updated just enough to feel fresh and modern. Most of all, it’s brutal and satisfying. Yes, it’s another game about killing things, but it does the whole power fantasy thing superbly.

Its multiplayer’s been a bit of a damp squib, oddly – and that’s despite its robust Snap Map feature that allows users to create not just levels, but whole games. That hardly matters though, because the game is worth it just for its single player campaign. And that’s come as a bit of a surprise to Bethesda.

Speaking in the latest issues of UK games Industry trade magazine MCV (via Videogamer), Bethesda’s Pete Hines expressed surprise over how well the whole thing was received. Obviously, the people making the game loved it – but sometimes, the things you make go over like a lead balloon with consumers.

“If you are at Bethesda and play the single-player, you might think it’s really fun and different. But you don’t know if you’re drinking your own kool-aid… is it really fun? Or are people going to play it and dislike the fact there’s no voiced protagonist, or the fact there’s no real story, and will they say: ‘id Software hasn’t got out of the 1990s. Same old, same old. 6/10’. You never know which of those two scenarios you’ll end up getting.”

The game took a bit of an old-school shareware approach to release, with a limited demo for the game after its release – and that’s something that got people to care a little more about the campaign.

“We did the single-player demo after launch,” Hines continued. “We had showed off the multiplayer, but we hadn’t managed to show as much of the single-player. So giving folks the chance to try it… well it turned out to be a good idea.”

If you are a fan of old shooters, but want to play something that puts just enough of a modern spin on them while also looking great, you really ought to give DOOM a try. Here’s what we said of it in our review:

DOOM is unrepentantly old school. It’s gore porn to the max, a ballet of bullets and blood that I can’t get enough of. Satisfyingly brutal, solid and most importantly, fun.

Last Updated: September 23, 2016

18 Comments

  1. Original Heretic

    September 23, 2016 at 08:22

    Been loving the campaign. Still not done with it yet, though, gotta make a plan!

    Reply

  2. Alien Emperor Trevor

    September 23, 2016 at 08:29

    I don’t think they give themselves enough credit for their storytelling. I’m almost finished with Wolfenstein New Order and it’s superb. Looking forward to getting my hands on Doom in the near future.

    Reply

    • JacoZAB

      September 23, 2016 at 08:35

      Wolfenstein was awesome. I actually really enjoyed the story. And you know, shooting Nazi’s in the face while dual wielding shotguns

      Reply

    • Vulcha

      September 23, 2016 at 09:39

      Wolfenstein does have a stronger emphasis on storytelling. I think the difference is that Wolfenstein was handled by Machine Games, so not actually the same developers.

      Reply

    • geel slang

      September 23, 2016 at 10:31

      DOOM has no story, basically if it moves, kill it.But the killing is sooo good, much better than Wolfenstein. imo

      Reply

  3. Dutch Matrix

    September 23, 2016 at 08:40

    I’d say this for ID… They made a damn satisfying game. It is like a bottle of fine whiskey. I enjoy it small bouts. Had it since May and still not finished it.
    Also, the guy that voices Doctor Samuel (I think) has the bloody scariest voice ever.

    And the level that starts off with the Metal tune, then as the metal ends, you cock that shotgun of yours? Bad.Ass.

    Reply

  4. Dungeon of JJ

    September 23, 2016 at 08:44

    See Bethesda, we want SP games. Not that TESO kak.

    Reply

    • ??????? ????? ™

      September 23, 2016 at 08:53

      Agreed

      Reply

  5. Original Heretic

    September 23, 2016 at 08:57

  6. James Anderton

    September 23, 2016 at 09:11

    I thought ID Software was done, dead in the water, which is why I had seriously low exceptions for DOOM.

    Boy, they sure did they f**king deliver. Blew me away.

    Reply

  7. Archdruid Kromas

    September 23, 2016 at 11:09

    I can say I am not suprised at all. The general consensus among the people I know is that they are tired of Fallout/Witcher/GTA/Sandbox game. The level design was tight but felt free and you had a clear cut job to do, I finished Doom twice. Have not even finished Fallout 4.

    Reply

    • Galbedir

      September 23, 2016 at 12:01

      I agree with all your said, except Witcher…I will always marvel at that game and how alive that world feels.

      Reply

      • Archdruid Kromas

        September 23, 2016 at 12:10

        Got super boring fast and I got to see the dark underbelly of CDPR. They are not nearly as customer centric as people want to think. In fact I will wait for a sale of cyberpunk (when that eventually arrives) before I purchase it.

        Reply

  8. Greylingad[He Charges!]

    September 23, 2016 at 13:16

    What was that saying? A story told by the mere actions of a single man holds true to its legend… That is DOOM

    Reply

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