Brutal DOOM is preceded by its reputation, but its reputation in turn is preceded by that of its creator, Sergeant Mark IV, a figure so abrasive and - well, the kind term is "politically incorrect," while the unkind (and more truthful) term would be "hateful and belligerent" - that he is banned from two major DOOM forum communities. It's not uncommon to see people pan something but give pity stars for "artistry" or "effort." I reject this practice, out of a refusal to condescend to, coddle, or patronize artists, but also because all the effort in the world would not make Brutal DOOM actually enjoyable to play.
The original DOOM asked "How far can we push personal computers?" Id Software were unsteady explorers, piloting their rickety ship into the choppy and brackish waters of the PC gaming industry of the late 80's. When they finally reached the shores of the 90's, they pitched a tent with Wolfenstein 3D - with DOOM, they founded a settlement, for better and worse, like the pioneers of colonial times. At the risk of overstating Id's importance, it isn't an exaggeration to say that this groundwork shaped much of the games industry as we know it today. Brutal DOOM is the game that asks "What if when you shot a guy his limbs flew off?" Apparently unknowing or uncaring that this is a question that Soldier of Fortune had already answered a decade prior.
It is a shame that of all the creative, intriguing, and fun mods for DOOM over the years, the most popular one is a project as fundamentally uncreative as Brutal DOOM. The tragedy of art is that you will spend days, weeks, months perfecting something, and you'll be lucky if an audience views and remembers it for one hour. In this respect, I find Brutal DOOM the saddest of all, for it's a mod that has been in active development for a decade, yet loses its entire entertainment value in mere minutes. The gameplay loop of DOOM, whether you're exploring the surprisingly still quite atmospheric and easily navigable levels for the first time, or if you're speeding through the game with your eyes closed because you've been playing since '93, is just not materially improved by Brutal DOOM's gore effects, textures, disjointed and poorly balanced gameplay additions, or the button you can push that makes Doomguy say "FUCK yourself!" Sergeant Mark IV's toxicity has rendered him impervious to critique, and so Brutal DOOM, as well as his attempt to monetize his work that he teased at Realm's Deep years ago, is essentially destined for permanent mediocrity, his years of work fated to be nothing more than a curiosity, a footnote in retro FPS history currently being written by more talented, more curious, and more interesting people.
In the end, Sergeant Mark IV's lasting legacy will be the social pariahs who post in DoomWorld forum threads about new mods to ask if they're compatible with Brutal DOOM. I try not to pity him too much, because maybe it's just what he deserves.
The original DOOM asked "How far can we push personal computers?" Id Software were unsteady explorers, piloting their rickety ship into the choppy and brackish waters of the PC gaming industry of the late 80's. When they finally reached the shores of the 90's, they pitched a tent with Wolfenstein 3D - with DOOM, they founded a settlement, for better and worse, like the pioneers of colonial times. At the risk of overstating Id's importance, it isn't an exaggeration to say that this groundwork shaped much of the games industry as we know it today. Brutal DOOM is the game that asks "What if when you shot a guy his limbs flew off?" Apparently unknowing or uncaring that this is a question that Soldier of Fortune had already answered a decade prior.
It is a shame that of all the creative, intriguing, and fun mods for DOOM over the years, the most popular one is a project as fundamentally uncreative as Brutal DOOM. The tragedy of art is that you will spend days, weeks, months perfecting something, and you'll be lucky if an audience views and remembers it for one hour. In this respect, I find Brutal DOOM the saddest of all, for it's a mod that has been in active development for a decade, yet loses its entire entertainment value in mere minutes. The gameplay loop of DOOM, whether you're exploring the surprisingly still quite atmospheric and easily navigable levels for the first time, or if you're speeding through the game with your eyes closed because you've been playing since '93, is just not materially improved by Brutal DOOM's gore effects, textures, disjointed and poorly balanced gameplay additions, or the button you can push that makes Doomguy say "FUCK yourself!" Sergeant Mark IV's toxicity has rendered him impervious to critique, and so Brutal DOOM, as well as his attempt to monetize his work that he teased at Realm's Deep years ago, is essentially destined for permanent mediocrity, his years of work fated to be nothing more than a curiosity, a footnote in retro FPS history currently being written by more talented, more curious, and more interesting people.
In the end, Sergeant Mark IV's lasting legacy will be the social pariahs who post in DoomWorld forum threads about new mods to ask if they're compatible with Brutal DOOM. I try not to pity him too much, because maybe it's just what he deserves.