DOOM 64 (PC) Review

Recently this reviewer got to try out id Software's DOOM Eternal, which was... kinda good. The publisher provided Cubed3 with the Deluxe Edition, which came bundled with DOOM 64. Very kind of the team to do so, but sadly this isn't a very good Doom game. Or is it? A past retrospective look look on Doom 64 was far from positive - yet things were much better this time. Yours truly even had… fun(!) playing this new PC port.

What has changed? Well, in all honesty, this still remains a mediocre Doom experience. Sure, it's like the original, but it also throws a much, much bigger emphasis in switch/key-searching, something that got too boring too soon, especially due to the, generally uninspiring, level design. In terms of audio-visuals, like many N64 titles, it was an ugly-to-dull blend of flawless 3D surfaces and pixelated sprites, with little thematic variety, which was also annoyingly dark. Finally, the music was an assortment of ambient tunes that lacked the magic of the original's iconic OST. No complaint about the SFX, though - that chaingun kicked ass!

Moreover, apart from a couple of tricky parts (aka: unavoidable traps), it was also a relatively easy affair that rarely challenged seasoned FPS players. Plus, plenty of baddies weren't even included due to memory constraints, which means no Archvile, Revenant, and so on. Even worse? It also felt slow as hell - pun intended, especially when it came to swapping weapons. Of course, there are - many - people who love this out there. Are they wrong for doing so? Not really. DOOM 64 belongs in the world of cult classics, so it's a love or hate kind of deal.

Do you, fellow reader, dislike the aforementioned ambient "music," where every tune is like listening to distant machinery and/or moaning animals? Well, there are thousands who actually love the moody, almost horror-esque vibe this gives to it all. This is basically a game with the atmosphere of Doom 3, and a little bit of the gameplay of 1993's Doom - but still, what has changed for this critic? Well, while it might seem silly, this feels much better with mouse and keyboard. Yes, it's a personal preference, but one to consider if willing to try out the Switch version instead of this one.

Secondly, this is not as dark as it used to, even if the improvement is hard to notice. Oh, and, as expected, this new version is rendered in FHD. The most important change, which, again, is a very personal thing, is that the one writing this always got some sort of… "video game nausea" whenever he played the old, original release. Was it because of the colours used, or the darkness and low frame rate? Unknown. It just doesn't happen now, and as such is far more enjoyable for this Doom nerd than it used to.

Unfortunately, it's still hard to recommend Doom 64, with the main reason being its overall structure, as the vast majority of levels revolve around going back and forth between the same areas, activating switches, and finding keys, with not much killing to do while at it. Old-school Doom was always about the level design, and this simply doesn't cut it in comparison. Buy only if cheap, or a fun of the original. Better yet? Buy DOOM Eternal's Deluxe Edition.