I don't know how controversial this rating is, but Doom 64 was surprisingly a lot of fun. I had heard mixed things about the game, but since I'm playing through the franchise, I bought it anyway.
This game still has some of the flaws that I had with the second game, namely the look and progression of the levels, which feel even more nonexistent in this game. And even though the music doesn't slap like the two first (and two latest) installments, I kind of liked the moody atmospheric replacement. This game is slower paced than the previous, and if there was intense action music playing while you were backtracking and trying to figure out some complicated puzzle, I feel it could've made the levels feel more boring.
Based on what I know about Doom 3 (and how it goes into more of a slow paced survival horror direction), this feels like the prototype for that, and I really enjoyed it! I like the updated graphics, and I almost prefer the puzzle structures of these levels over the ones in Doom II (not saying I prefer this game, because I honestly haven't made up my mind about that yet).
When the game ended I also spent a few hours getting all of the achievements, which I usually don't do, but I just wanted to play more of this game.
If you haven't played Doom 64, and you're a fan of the first 2, then I really recommend you give it a shot. It might not be for you if you prefer the more frequent action of the majority of Doom titles, but then again, it might just work for you like it did for me. Call me crazy but now I'm honestly really hyped to play the third game!
This game still has some of the flaws that I had with the second game, namely the look and progression of the levels, which feel even more nonexistent in this game. And even though the music doesn't slap like the two first (and two latest) installments, I kind of liked the moody atmospheric replacement. This game is slower paced than the previous, and if there was intense action music playing while you were backtracking and trying to figure out some complicated puzzle, I feel it could've made the levels feel more boring.
Based on what I know about Doom 3 (and how it goes into more of a slow paced survival horror direction), this feels like the prototype for that, and I really enjoyed it! I like the updated graphics, and I almost prefer the puzzle structures of these levels over the ones in Doom II (not saying I prefer this game, because I honestly haven't made up my mind about that yet).
When the game ended I also spent a few hours getting all of the achievements, which I usually don't do, but I just wanted to play more of this game.
If you haven't played Doom 64, and you're a fan of the first 2, then I really recommend you give it a shot. It might not be for you if you prefer the more frequent action of the majority of Doom titles, but then again, it might just work for you like it did for me. Call me crazy but now I'm honestly really hyped to play the third game!
- Really liked this doom game, the levels were interesting and fun to navigate around.
- A bit too dark at some levels but it wasn't that bad as its infamously known for.
- One of the darker more ambient heavy OST's for a doom game.
- A bit too dark at some levels but it wasn't that bad as its infamously known for.
- One of the darker more ambient heavy OST's for a doom game.
Not as good as Doom 1 and 2 but it's fun.
The monsters new designs are pretty good (The pinky demon is my favorite) except for the Pain Elemental. Loved the dark atmosphere, music and sound design too, but not a fan of the level design.
The monsters new designs are pretty good (The pinky demon is my favorite) except for the Pain Elemental. Loved the dark atmosphere, music and sound design too, but not a fan of the level design.
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.
didn't know they made 63 Doom games
Doom 64 is a surprisingly dark and atmospheric take on the series. The level design is more complex and maze-like than the originals, demanding exploration to find secrets. New demons and creepier lighting create genuine chills, and the upgraded visuals (for its time) make it a visually impressive N64 title. However, purists might dislike the slower pacing and lack of some iconic weapons. Still, a solid and often overlooked entry in the Doom franchise!
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.