[changed my mind on this game and reduced my score quite a bit, so this review is now obsolete. i'll write something new that reflects my current opinion at some point]

after years of neglecting DOOM, i actually gave it a real try and found out that it's quite great. i always thought that it would be too old and crusty for me, but the same things that initially kept me from touching this game ended up being what made me enjoy it so much, especially the limitations in your movement.

doomguy can walk and run very fast but he's not particularly agile. he can't jump, crouch or dash and he switches weapons slowly. despite how fluid and fast the movement is, there's also a certain heaviness to the strafing. however, when combined with the great level design and extremely well-balanced enemies, these restrictions make the gameplay so satisfying.

you are frequently outnumbered and the demons often back you into a corner. all you can do is push through by running and shooting. even though the odds seem to be against you at all times, if you grit your teeth and make the correct decisions in mere seconds (picking the best gun for a certain situation; focusing a specific demon over the rest of a horde; repositioning yourself when ambushed) to make the most out of the little you have, then you will thrive. it's a simple loop based on extreme aggressiveness, and the simplicity is what makes it fun. i realized that when i tried one of these modern mods that add loads of new features and it didn't click for me.

furthermore, the guns are punchy (except the pistol, why does it exist), enemies are nice to shoot at, graphics are nasty, sound design is pleasant and demon death animations are always satisfying to watch - even better when you kill 4 guys with a single shotgun blast. i'm almost 30 years late to the party but this is a good game i think