GOTY 2022 & '21 - Number 6
(There's a video of this, here)
What makes me admire Thatcher's Techbase is how frequently the joke becomes secondary, and the focus shifts to how great Doom is. What a versatile language Doom construction is. The mazes, closed-off arenas, obstacle courses and enormous strongholds. It envelops you in appreciation for the design standards of id Software's early 3D shooters and blindsides you with anti-Tory DOSmetal.
The intention is one of the most grandiose expressions of disregard for the passing of Baroness Margaret Thatcher you can find, but there's something very culturally gratifying in the blend of ritualistic contempt for the 1980s UK Conservative and Unionist Party and DOOM II: Hell on Earth. Thatcher's was the era of the "Video Nasty". When middle class, conservative parents campaigned against the availability of video cassettes depicting violent, gruesome material. Films that were widely adored by the Gen X and older Millennial children. The release of Doom, Mortal Kombat, and later, Duke Nukem 3D and Grand Theft Auto, felt like the oldest among us were gaining control and flying in the face of that disdain. In retrospect, that first generation of BBFC 18 computer games was all silly, juvenile and kind of cute. They weren't trying to do a Last of Us back then. It was funny comic violence, not framed in the context of the consequences and justifications for real-world brutality. That's the level that Thatcher's Techbase operates on. The reasons we've grown up so fond of swearwords, The Evil Dead and Fatalities. In the face of ongoing Thatcherite policies and disregard for the working class, is the face of its figurehead plastered onto a Cyberdemon.
So then there's the game. I think it's great. Really digging into all the things we love about Doom. There's a real playset quality to the balconies overlooking giant hellscape courtyards and narrow walkways above cavernous, glowing pits. It's very Mighty Max. Opportunities to fire plasma into hundreds of burning demons, and it works because of Doom's inherently strafey, cover-focused design. You're rarely far away from a reliable wall or mad structure to dive behind, and open arenas are only presented when the game's filled with health and ammo - the kind of thing that's easy to scale for different difficulty levels. There are aspects of Thatcher's Techbase that can come off dated, and uncaring of modern tastes, but that's part of the sincere respect for Doom's atmosphere and challenge. If you're not the kind of player to appreciate that, you're not going to be downloading WAD file in the first place.
There's times where it's a real comfort to have old 90s Doom at the core of all this. Having multiple save slots you can use anywhere's actually a really great thing. Having a hand in how tense you want exploration to be, not knowing what ridiculous challenge could be behind the next door. There's nothing telling you you're cheating or doing it wrong. You're free to exploit or ignore the feature as much as you like, and that's a really nice, uncomplicated way of making sure everyone has a good time. That might sound like feint praise, but it's really refreshing coming to this after a Resident Evil game with fucking autosaves.
There's a danger of something like this wearing thin as it goes on, but I found myself smirking every time some new vicious piece of historical graffiti appeared and each time the background theme looped. It's got hate in its heart, but it's found such a playful way to express it. It's the Doomguy vs Thatcher game. The children who defied the ELSPA 18 are now the ones making them. The cycle of glorious bad taste rolls on.
(There's a video of this, here)
What makes me admire Thatcher's Techbase is how frequently the joke becomes secondary, and the focus shifts to how great Doom is. What a versatile language Doom construction is. The mazes, closed-off arenas, obstacle courses and enormous strongholds. It envelops you in appreciation for the design standards of id Software's early 3D shooters and blindsides you with anti-Tory DOSmetal.
The intention is one of the most grandiose expressions of disregard for the passing of Baroness Margaret Thatcher you can find, but there's something very culturally gratifying in the blend of ritualistic contempt for the 1980s UK Conservative and Unionist Party and DOOM II: Hell on Earth. Thatcher's was the era of the "Video Nasty". When middle class, conservative parents campaigned against the availability of video cassettes depicting violent, gruesome material. Films that were widely adored by the Gen X and older Millennial children. The release of Doom, Mortal Kombat, and later, Duke Nukem 3D and Grand Theft Auto, felt like the oldest among us were gaining control and flying in the face of that disdain. In retrospect, that first generation of BBFC 18 computer games was all silly, juvenile and kind of cute. They weren't trying to do a Last of Us back then. It was funny comic violence, not framed in the context of the consequences and justifications for real-world brutality. That's the level that Thatcher's Techbase operates on. The reasons we've grown up so fond of swearwords, The Evil Dead and Fatalities. In the face of ongoing Thatcherite policies and disregard for the working class, is the face of its figurehead plastered onto a Cyberdemon.
So then there's the game. I think it's great. Really digging into all the things we love about Doom. There's a real playset quality to the balconies overlooking giant hellscape courtyards and narrow walkways above cavernous, glowing pits. It's very Mighty Max. Opportunities to fire plasma into hundreds of burning demons, and it works because of Doom's inherently strafey, cover-focused design. You're rarely far away from a reliable wall or mad structure to dive behind, and open arenas are only presented when the game's filled with health and ammo - the kind of thing that's easy to scale for different difficulty levels. There are aspects of Thatcher's Techbase that can come off dated, and uncaring of modern tastes, but that's part of the sincere respect for Doom's atmosphere and challenge. If you're not the kind of player to appreciate that, you're not going to be downloading WAD file in the first place.
There's times where it's a real comfort to have old 90s Doom at the core of all this. Having multiple save slots you can use anywhere's actually a really great thing. Having a hand in how tense you want exploration to be, not knowing what ridiculous challenge could be behind the next door. There's nothing telling you you're cheating or doing it wrong. You're free to exploit or ignore the feature as much as you like, and that's a really nice, uncomplicated way of making sure everyone has a good time. That might sound like feint praise, but it's really refreshing coming to this after a Resident Evil game with fucking autosaves.
There's a danger of something like this wearing thin as it goes on, but I found myself smirking every time some new vicious piece of historical graffiti appeared and each time the background theme looped. It's got hate in its heart, but it's found such a playful way to express it. It's the Doomguy vs Thatcher game. The children who defied the ELSPA 18 are now the ones making them. The cycle of glorious bad taste rolls on.