A classic FPS that ages decently. And with the inclusion of Xbox Live support, this will encourage some new fans of it.
Ah, good ol' Doom. The game that pioneered the FPS craze in video games. Doom has probably been one of the most ported games of all time, receiving ports on almost every system made in the mid-90's. With the 360 version made, is it worthy enough to buy for $10.
Like your standard FPS, you'll get a handgun to start with. Before you play, you have the option to choose 5 different difficultly settings. You'll basically blast away soldiers or satanic monsters as you go through repetitive hallways. Most of the settings take place in a Sci-Fi Mars base. The other weapons you'll pick up include a shotgun, rocket launcher, plasma rifle, minigun, and even a chainsaw. Throughout the levels, not only are you suppose to get from point A to point B, but you'll have to unlock doors by searching for keys. While you're doing this, you may choose to find secret areas which will give you extra points once you finish the level. According to the game, all the levels are divided in 4 episodes. These are probably episodes that were added for the PC version as time went by. If you've been playing Doom before, this will be familiar. But to those who haven't, they will experience the attitude of Doom and how unique it's glory is.
Graphics:
Yeah, since Doom is over 10 years old now, the graphics are outdated. But hey, these graphics are classic and remain faithful to the original PC game. You'll see the demons worked in 2D sprites as well as background lacking much detail that we have today. But if you can ignore this, Doom otherwise performs very well. The frame rate is very smooth during single player and never slows down. However, on Xbox Live, you'll sometimes experience lag issues that really impact the gameplay, which is a negative to the whole online experience. But for the most part, Doom portrays its graphics the same way as it did back in 1993.
Sound:
The classic MIDI rock soundtrack returns, and it's sure to make Doom players happy. I, personally, didn't get too addicted with the music. Sure some of the songs are catchy, but they get very repetitive while playing. But I do keep in mind that this soundtrack came from a long time ago, so I let it pass. The sound effects are effective, but also a bit outdated. But this is classic Doom audio we have here.
Conclusion:
Gamers that already played Doom before, probably might not want to waste their time here. For those who haven't, like myself, this is a real gift from the past. It will take a while to complete all the episodes in single player mode, and you'll be playing multiple matches online as well. Thanks to Xbox Live, the replay value for Doom is pretty good. For $10 on Xbox Live Arcade, this is worth the purchase for people that are interested in this classic.
Pros:
-Lives up to the Doom name decently
-Outdated, but classic, graphics and sound.
-Xbox Live helps makes the multiplayer experience to be enjoyable again.
Cons:
-Repetitive level design might turn some gamers off.
-Lag issues on Live.