I've seen some people in recent years refer to DOOM 64 as a "forgotten masterpiece" and various labels along those lines. I'm going to be forthright in saying that I think that those claims are bollocks.
DOOM 64 is interesting and pretty decent, but "masterpiece" is beyond silly. It's a curio in DOOM's history, a spinoff from one of the most famous and beloved PC FPS games relegated to a console for decades. It's not even like Final DOOM or Master Levels, it's not just an expansion but a complete aesthetic overhaul of the base game too, making it all the more intriguing to most fans.
64 leans much further into the gothic horror vibes than the heavy metal tendencies of its progenitor. The soundtrack is bizarre and haunting, punctuated by distorted screams and babies crying over midi bass loops that can only be described as threatening. Even the demons have been overhauled, all of them recognisable whilst looking softer, stranger, more alien and almost like they're melting into the background. The earlier levels are more dynamic than the original DOOM as well, at one point your progression is gated by a drill built out of level geometry, a showpiece more creative than any keycard could be. Playing DOOM 64 feels like experiencing a twisted, nightmare of DOOM, an experience made all the more unsettling by its familiarity.
At least, that's the impression after the first few levels. The problem with this aesthetic overhaul is that it presents a huge dissonance with the gameplay, which is completely unchanged. Despite the haunting soundtrack and revamped visuals, you're still ripping and tearing as usual, speeding along at 90mph and reducing countless demons to viscera with the same weapon set. If anything, it feels like there's more enemies here than usual, and they're more bullet spongey too. The moment to moment experience of playing DOOM 64 is still an adrenaline pumping, twitchy blastfest, but now it's dampened by a foreboding, offputting aesthetic.
I want to love DOOM 64, I really do. Once I'd adjusted, I loved the soundtrack and new enemy designs. The lighting engine is brilliant, the more muted and varied colour scheme works wonders for the atmosphere of the levels. But I found it hard to find the motivation to keep playing when the gameplay is so at odds with this fantastic vibe. What would be exciting and visceral with Bobby Prince's crunchy metal is made frustrating and confusing by the new score. At the end of the day, DOOM 64 doesn't take enough risks, the gameplay should have been slowed down and the horror leaned into far more than it has been. As it stands though, 64 remains a bizarre curio, a fascinating glimpse into an alternate timeline version of DOOM.
DOOM 64 is interesting and pretty decent, but "masterpiece" is beyond silly. It's a curio in DOOM's history, a spinoff from one of the most famous and beloved PC FPS games relegated to a console for decades. It's not even like Final DOOM or Master Levels, it's not just an expansion but a complete aesthetic overhaul of the base game too, making it all the more intriguing to most fans.
64 leans much further into the gothic horror vibes than the heavy metal tendencies of its progenitor. The soundtrack is bizarre and haunting, punctuated by distorted screams and babies crying over midi bass loops that can only be described as threatening. Even the demons have been overhauled, all of them recognisable whilst looking softer, stranger, more alien and almost like they're melting into the background. The earlier levels are more dynamic than the original DOOM as well, at one point your progression is gated by a drill built out of level geometry, a showpiece more creative than any keycard could be. Playing DOOM 64 feels like experiencing a twisted, nightmare of DOOM, an experience made all the more unsettling by its familiarity.
At least, that's the impression after the first few levels. The problem with this aesthetic overhaul is that it presents a huge dissonance with the gameplay, which is completely unchanged. Despite the haunting soundtrack and revamped visuals, you're still ripping and tearing as usual, speeding along at 90mph and reducing countless demons to viscera with the same weapon set. If anything, it feels like there's more enemies here than usual, and they're more bullet spongey too. The moment to moment experience of playing DOOM 64 is still an adrenaline pumping, twitchy blastfest, but now it's dampened by a foreboding, offputting aesthetic.
I want to love DOOM 64, I really do. Once I'd adjusted, I loved the soundtrack and new enemy designs. The lighting engine is brilliant, the more muted and varied colour scheme works wonders for the atmosphere of the levels. But I found it hard to find the motivation to keep playing when the gameplay is so at odds with this fantastic vibe. What would be exciting and visceral with Bobby Prince's crunchy metal is made frustrating and confusing by the new score. At the end of the day, DOOM 64 doesn't take enough risks, the gameplay should have been slowed down and the horror leaned into far more than it has been. As it stands though, 64 remains a bizarre curio, a fascinating glimpse into an alternate timeline version of DOOM.
Super mixed feelings on Doom 64. On one hand, I love the murky, muddy aesthetic and the spookier atmosphere, but I don't think it matches with classic Doom gameplay and the level design is a massive downgrade.
Compared to Doom I and II, 64 is a much gloomier game. Gone are the rip-roaring synthesised guitars and vibrant designs of red, yellow and white levels- in their place are grinding atmospheric tracks and deep greens, purples, greys and browns. I actually really like this change, it makes 64 feel distinct from its predecessors and makes it feel almost like a transitory game between the confident bloodbaths before and the grimy horror of Doom 3- but the gameplay is still the same as 1 and 2, which feels like a bit of a mismatch to me.
Doom 3's commitment to horror aesthetics is paired with much slower, tenser gameplay that lets both pop more, complimenting each other. In contrast, 64's gunplay is the same lightning-fast ballet of bullets that preceded it, but its aesthetics don't quite match. The dim lighting and the rumbling, eerie soundtrack are disconnected from the frantic killing sprees you've been accustomed to and I think if they went all the way in one direction it would have been good- as it stands, 64 is tonally confused.
The level design has also taken a massive hit. Levels are significantly longer than in previous games and loop back in labyrinthian fashion frequently. Now, Doom is no stranger to levels winding in on themselves, but it was mixed with shorter, more linear levels that had more action- compared to 1 and 2, 64 has much more wandering about looking for the next leg of the level, which is a real bummer. If you know where you're going in Dooms 1 & 2 you can wrap a level up in a few minutes, tops. Not in 64.
I really appreciate Doom 64 not wanting to be cookie-cutter in its aesthetics, but I think its level design falls flat compared to its legendary predecessors. Still alright, though.
Compared to Doom I and II, 64 is a much gloomier game. Gone are the rip-roaring synthesised guitars and vibrant designs of red, yellow and white levels- in their place are grinding atmospheric tracks and deep greens, purples, greys and browns. I actually really like this change, it makes 64 feel distinct from its predecessors and makes it feel almost like a transitory game between the confident bloodbaths before and the grimy horror of Doom 3- but the gameplay is still the same as 1 and 2, which feels like a bit of a mismatch to me.
Doom 3's commitment to horror aesthetics is paired with much slower, tenser gameplay that lets both pop more, complimenting each other. In contrast, 64's gunplay is the same lightning-fast ballet of bullets that preceded it, but its aesthetics don't quite match. The dim lighting and the rumbling, eerie soundtrack are disconnected from the frantic killing sprees you've been accustomed to and I think if they went all the way in one direction it would have been good- as it stands, 64 is tonally confused.
The level design has also taken a massive hit. Levels are significantly longer than in previous games and loop back in labyrinthian fashion frequently. Now, Doom is no stranger to levels winding in on themselves, but it was mixed with shorter, more linear levels that had more action- compared to 1 and 2, 64 has much more wandering about looking for the next leg of the level, which is a real bummer. If you know where you're going in Dooms 1 & 2 you can wrap a level up in a few minutes, tops. Not in 64.
I really appreciate Doom 64 not wanting to be cookie-cutter in its aesthetics, but I think its level design falls flat compared to its legendary predecessors. Still alright, though.
way more atmospheric than the first two, but the levels are just too long and open. So while graphically and sound-wise its an improvement, the level design is a massive downgrade. Still fun to kill demons though.
Tra le versioni di doom pixelate è la migliore ,con questo mi sono divertito dall'inizio alla fine
Doom 64 is more Doom than Doom.
Doom fucking rules and Doom II does too. It's been a truth that's been revealed to me through my first time playthrough of each, and it's left me wanting more Doom. As it just so happens, Doom 64 provides just that.
Doom 64 is a bit of an oddity. It's existence on the N64 was meant to serve as the console's taste of the recent Doom craze. Most console ports would attempt to simply downscale the original game's levels and cram the engine onto low end tech, but Doom 64's approach was novel given that it's essentially it's own game. Yet, with this downscaled game came it's own modified engine, showcasing slight enhancements over the original game. Doom 64 has a much more intricate lighting system, which sets a mood to the game more than any of the id software titles ever accomplished. Levels maintain their lack of place from the original, but add a layer of tangibility due in part to the lighting.
The levels themselves can often be a mixed bag. There's decent maps to be found here, but there's also ones where I've felt more frustrated than I ever had with the series thus far. I would often find myself becoming lost way more frequently, with some evil progression markers being utilized that were never introduced to me before. Suddenly, I could shoot at a panel and have that trigger a platform lowering down. All the weapons from Doom II are present here, filling out the original arsenal, while adding yet another power weapon. This power weapon, while fun, is unnecessary for the weapon pool. Doom II has higher highs and lower lows than Doom 64 in terms of it's design, but neither quite match the competency of their forefather.
It ain't all Doom and Gloom though (sorry), since Doom 64 is, indeed, more Doom. In fact, in some ways, it's more Doom than Doom ever was. Animations are slightly more violent, the tone due to the lighting feels much more in line with the horror genre than that first title — the look to Doom 64 is closer to the Doom I imagined in my head when I first heard about Doom.
Of course, the reality of that statement is that it's impossible for Doom 64 to out Doom what Doom was. After all, it's Doom. It's the real OG. But when I first imagined Doom, I imagined something more brutal, more visceral than what was provided. Doom 64 manages to feed me more of that mental image.
I've been thinking of ways to extend my thoughts about Doom 64, but at the end of the day, Doom 64 is just more of the same. The game doesn't break the mold in any real way, it's defining features are more to it's looks than to it's gameplay. There's a new weapon, but it doesn't really change anything to Doom's formula. As a reinterpretation of Doom, it serves as a neat footnote in the oddities of Doom's legacy, but that's about it.
I'm glad I experienced Doom 64, but the titans before it stand too boldly, casting it's shadow over it near completely.
Doom fucking rules and Doom II does too. It's been a truth that's been revealed to me through my first time playthrough of each, and it's left me wanting more Doom. As it just so happens, Doom 64 provides just that.
Doom 64 is a bit of an oddity. It's existence on the N64 was meant to serve as the console's taste of the recent Doom craze. Most console ports would attempt to simply downscale the original game's levels and cram the engine onto low end tech, but Doom 64's approach was novel given that it's essentially it's own game. Yet, with this downscaled game came it's own modified engine, showcasing slight enhancements over the original game. Doom 64 has a much more intricate lighting system, which sets a mood to the game more than any of the id software titles ever accomplished. Levels maintain their lack of place from the original, but add a layer of tangibility due in part to the lighting.
The levels themselves can often be a mixed bag. There's decent maps to be found here, but there's also ones where I've felt more frustrated than I ever had with the series thus far. I would often find myself becoming lost way more frequently, with some evil progression markers being utilized that were never introduced to me before. Suddenly, I could shoot at a panel and have that trigger a platform lowering down. All the weapons from Doom II are present here, filling out the original arsenal, while adding yet another power weapon. This power weapon, while fun, is unnecessary for the weapon pool. Doom II has higher highs and lower lows than Doom 64 in terms of it's design, but neither quite match the competency of their forefather.
It ain't all Doom and Gloom though (sorry), since Doom 64 is, indeed, more Doom. In fact, in some ways, it's more Doom than Doom ever was. Animations are slightly more violent, the tone due to the lighting feels much more in line with the horror genre than that first title — the look to Doom 64 is closer to the Doom I imagined in my head when I first heard about Doom.
Of course, the reality of that statement is that it's impossible for Doom 64 to out Doom what Doom was. After all, it's Doom. It's the real OG. But when I first imagined Doom, I imagined something more brutal, more visceral than what was provided. Doom 64 manages to feed me more of that mental image.
I've been thinking of ways to extend my thoughts about Doom 64, but at the end of the day, Doom 64 is just more of the same. The game doesn't break the mold in any real way, it's defining features are more to it's looks than to it's gameplay. There's a new weapon, but it doesn't really change anything to Doom's formula. As a reinterpretation of Doom, it serves as a neat footnote in the oddities of Doom's legacy, but that's about it.
I'm glad I experienced Doom 64, but the titans before it stand too boldly, casting it's shadow over it near completely.
This review contains spoilers
It’s good
Still a fun game, but probably my least favorite Doom so far.
Level design was very hit or miss, with a bunch of backtracking, random switches, and "gotcha" moments, but other then that it was pretty good
Level design was very hit or miss, with a bunch of backtracking, random switches, and "gotcha" moments, but other then that it was pretty good
Maze shooters are pretty fun but it also gets old fast after you've played a few and if I was going to tell anyone to play any it'd just be Doom 1 and 2 because that's enough. This game is functionally identical to those two and I don't mind the change in aesthetic but if I can't listen to the songs of the first 2 games whats really the point of playing this one to the end.
It's a shame how often this game gets overlooked compared to Doom and Doom II, because it's absolutely fantastic. Just absolutely bathed in an eerie atmosphere, with creepier monster designs, and featuring the single coolest hidden weapon I've ever shot a demon with.
Nightdive Studios is this game's saving grace.
Nightdive Studios is this game's saving grace.
The most confusing map design I've seen in a game ever.
mid 7
Eu estava numa jornada de zerar todos os dooms e o 64 era facil um dos que eu mais esperava. De fato ele é um dos que mais tem personalidade pelo fato de ele tentar de fato mostrar com o inferno é um lugar horrível e horripilante. Tem um level design massa todavia nunca clicou comigo, acabei dropando. Quem sabe um dia eu termino
não tem nada de especial, a conexão com o doom 2016 no lost levels é simplesmente besta e esse jogo não acrescenta em absolutamente nada pra franquia, só é bacaninha que refizeram todos os sprites e o level design é melhor q doom 2, de resto é um jogo bem descartável e a platina é facil pra caramba
significantly better than any other classic Doom game; a low bar to clear.
previous rating: 3
previous rating: 3
dada dun, dada dun.
Doom as designed by aliens, but it doesn't really evolve much past that.
Muy buen doom, funciona muy bien para ser una consola de nintendo
My personal favorite of the classic doom games, I just wished the remasters gave you the option to turn off the flashing lights
Doom 64 is one of the early N64 games that blew me away with its dynamic lighting and updated art direction over the first two games to give the game its own unique dark theme and look.
Unfortunately, it was also the first game where I started experiencing frequent motion sickness (a somewhat common occurrence for me with modern first-person games) so I was never able to beat the game in its original platform and had to resort to watching my older brother play and beat the game.
With that being said, my experience from the levels I've played and from what I watched make this one of my favorite Doom games in terms of gameplay (a bit slower than perhaps other games but appropriate for this game) and level design.
Unfortunately, it was also the first game where I started experiencing frequent motion sickness (a somewhat common occurrence for me with modern first-person games) so I was never able to beat the game in its original platform and had to resort to watching my older brother play and beat the game.
With that being said, my experience from the levels I've played and from what I watched make this one of my favorite Doom games in terms of gameplay (a bit slower than perhaps other games but appropriate for this game) and level design.
before starting this review when i first played Doom I & II i didn't have any motion sickness and whatsoever and i had a really fun time,with this particular title however the motion sickness really got me and i'm sad that it killed most of my enjoyment because it's a good game and interesting take on Doom that i think worked in some areas,sure it's not as loud and engaging as previous Doom games were but Doom 64 makes up by having very eerie atmosphere with good consistent level design and great sound design as well,it's just a shame that it's not a title i will looking forward to play again in the foreseeable future.
this is the best classic doom game
One of my fav dooms ever! (i put n64 but first played it on pc)
yes it loses the old headbanging soundtrack for a dark brooding, and more atmospheric onebut i kind of dig it alot, this game can be so creepy and unsettling but also all the goodness of Doom 1 and 2
love the new enemy design and the hellscape levels look so cool! the star of the show tho is the unmaker! a bad ass looking demonic laser rifle that make the last boss a joke if you go thur all the secert levels and get the demon keys to power it! before the power-up its pretty decent already but afterward oooooh brother thats a whole different story
Highly recommend if your a doom fan but would like a little more horror to your doom
yes it loses the old headbanging soundtrack for a dark brooding, and more atmospheric onebut i kind of dig it alot, this game can be so creepy and unsettling but also all the goodness of Doom 1 and 2
love the new enemy design and the hellscape levels look so cool! the star of the show tho is the unmaker! a bad ass looking demonic laser rifle that make the last boss a joke if you go thur all the secert levels and get the demon keys to power it! before the power-up its pretty decent already but afterward oooooh brother thats a whole different story
Highly recommend if your a doom fan but would like a little more horror to your doom
It would be great if I could actually see it
It's a completely different experience from Doom, atleast atmosphere wise. There's no real music, it's extremely dark, levels are confusing from the get go.. yet, there's still some value to be found in it.
Pretty cool, but I don't want to finish it
Game #121: Doom 64
I called it quits after 4 hours but it was a me problem. Doom 64 is still worth playing up to this date in my opinion. It just didn't work for me because level based games aren't for me, I start to feel ambitionless in games like these but overall, good game.
6/10
I called it quits after 4 hours but it was a me problem. Doom 64 is still worth playing up to this date in my opinion. It just didn't work for me because level based games aren't for me, I start to feel ambitionless in games like these but overall, good game.
6/10
The greatest classic Doom. I can't think how anyone disagree with that. Best level design, the new redrawn sprites are better, the soundtrack is atmospheric as hell and it's genuinely creepy.
has some lame ass levels but overall a worthwhile classic doom game
chama doom 64 pq somente 64 pessoas se importaram com esse jogo mediano aqui
The cacodemon owes me 50 quid and they keep ignoring my texts. I know it's not that much but they've done this before and i'm sick of it. I value their friendship so I don't want to cause a fight over this. Please, if anyone can reach out to them I would love to sort this out as soon as possible