Doom - GameHammer

[Zoe Robinson]

I've taken a different route with this latest GameHammer review. Instead of essentially being a Let's Play, I've decided to try to make the show more of a... well... show. I'd love to know what you guys think of the new approach.

[Gryzor]

Ahhh those were the days...


-no, wait the days were in the 80s.


Confused now.

[Zoe Robinson]

Jokes aside, when I look at how Doom is creating its 3D environment (extrapolating upward from a 2D map with height markers on it), it's really not that far removed from how 3D Monster Maze created its "3D" maze.

[Gryzor]

Jokes aside, when I look at how Doom is creating its 3D environment (extrapolating upward from a 2D map with height markers on it), it's really not that far removed from how 3D Monster Maze created its "3D" maze.

Heheh indeed!


I love all those slowed-down videos showing how a scene is rendered...

[EnrikLars]

My first FPS, wow it's been a while !
I remember this weirdy sensation with the camera and the feeling to be lil bit sick after one hour of play

[sigh]

I'd love to know what you guys think of the new approach.

Very good. I definitely like this new approach, but it would of been nice to have had the music playing.

[robcfg]

The new approach is very good. Nice graphics like DooM 3, but fast paced and furious like the original one.

There are a couple of smaller thinga that are not my cup of tea, but then I fire the Gauss cannon on siege mode and I'm happy again, hehe!

[||C|-|E||]

I finished it a week ago in PS4. It felt really great  Of course, the combat is not varied by any means and the plot is completely nuts, but it is great fun too, same as the first one was. Moreover, all the classic foes reappear here (and a few new ones) and the new lore about them is really amusing. I enjoyed it a lot. I also like their particular vision of hell and the idea of the Doom marine being an almost mystical demon killer in that dimension. Very recommended.

[Dr Tiger Ninestein]

Yep, they did a great job on the new one although a bit too fast paced and full on at times for me, which is why I preferred the last two wolfenstein games. You can play them stealthy or go in guns blazing.

[Optimus]

Jokes aside, when I look at how Doom is creating its 3D environment (extrapolating upward from a 2D map with height markers on it), it's really not that far removed from how 3D Monster Maze created its "3D" maze.

Thanks for not calling it 2.5D (I don't like this term) but actually describing what's going on.
There are many misconceptions with how 3D Doom is, but for me in several ways it is a 3D game (3d movement, 3d projectile and monster trajectories, true 3D FPS feel) even if it's based on 2D map with additional floor/ceiling height information but it's not rendering polygons.
I know so much about Doom because I am visiting Doomworld frequently, also curious about the tech, have read the source code, made my own maps, etc.


Although I am not sure how 3D Monster Maze is done, it looks way more to wolfenstein 3d data structure to me, with blocks, than Doom.

[Optimus]

The new approach is very good. Nice graphics like DooM 3, but fast paced and furious like the original one.

There are a couple of smaller thinga that are not my cup of tea, but then I fire the Gauss cannon on siege mode and I'm happy again, hehe!

I think she meaned how did we like the new approach on the videos, not the new Doom game.


But maybe that's an opportunity to write my opinion about the new Doom game too.
I think I quite like it sometimes, it tries to be fast and brutal and frantic, but I have some criticisms.
They almost nailed the fast run and gun, although in reality the moving speed is slower than original Doom and at the same time the projectiles and monsters are faster, which should be a good think but in comparison to your slower movement you get hit all the time and are pushed to make glorykills which I am not sure I always like.
Then, I miss the old level design of Doom. Some of the new Doom level design is almost linear, maybe with the occasional climb upon a ledge secret, but then the rest is some big arenas like Serious Sam.
A lot of people will say "This is the real Doom, this is metal, this is brutal, just like the original!" but I believe there are a lot of things that play different in the original.
Anyway, I played over 60 hours, got all the achievement, made a snapmap level (very restrictive monster numbers and no way to design levels like I used to do in the original Doom), I enjoyed it more than say the newest Wolfenstein (this one had more QTEs and cinematics in the beginning). I think compared to other modern FPS it's one of the best, but still you will find me playing oldschool Doom, Duke3D, Blood and other oldies and have a much funnier time, maybe it's nostalgia tinted glasses I don't know. Duke 3D or Blood also have brilliant level design, crazy interconnected areas and secrets, unique rooms.

[Zoe Robinson]

Yeah, I was asking about the new approach to reviewing the games compared to the old Let's Play style. Personally, I prefer the new method but maybe it's not to everyone's tastes.


I would comment on the new Doom and talk about how it compares to the old one but I can't, because I've not played it. I don't have a next-gen console or a top-of-the-line PC (I game on a Mac and on retro consoles - my newest system is an Xbox 360 and I never even bothered getting a PS3).


I did however play the pants off Doom 2 recently, and put together a review for that. Hope you like it.

[sigh]

I was actually thinking of PMing you about this, but I'll just post it here
This  review style is really good. What I like is that you put yourself into the actual game environment while discussing the games features and showing them in a way, that is almost like part of a story:

Looks over

"Okay - that teleporter is clearly where I need to go. But how do I get to it?"

Looks around

These are the bits that I really like the most and I feel that this area could be greatly explored. The reason is that it shows an example of what the problem is, rather than just facing the camera and talking directly into it.

For instance:

"...it's just wave upon wave of monsters and just fight, fight fight.."
Could of had yourself sitting in a deckchair nonchalantly just shooting wave after wave of the monsters from the actual game footage, while talking about it.

Using yourself in that green screen to immerse yourself in the game as an actual player/chr$* in the game is a nice idea and I would like to see more of it, though I'm fully aware the work load will shoot up immensely.

Also - it's good that you got the music in the game, but definitely talk about those and the sound effects as they play a big part of giving games an atmosphere.

* Character. (I couldn't help it )

[Zoe Robinson]

Thanks for the nice comments. I'm planning to do more of this type of review, where I'm actually in the game or interacting with game characters in some way.


I'm glad you liked the music, too. The funny thing about that is that it's not the game's music. I was concerned about getting a copyright strike for using the music, so I searched YouTube's music library for something that would fit the game. That's from YouTube's free-to-use library. Doesn't it sound just right?

[sigh]

Thanks for the nice comments. I'm planning to do more of this type of review, where I'm actually in the game or interacting with game characters in some way.


I'm glad you liked the music, too. The funny thing about that is that it's not the game's music. I was concerned about getting a copyright strike for using the music, so I searched YouTube's music library for something that would fit the game. That's from YouTube's free-to-use library. Doesn't it sound just right?

Oh - I didn't realize it wasn't from the actual game.

If the copyright strike is a concern, then you could always use fanmade/remixes of the tunes? I'm not sure how copyright works on youtube as I have never signed into it.

[Zoe Robinson]

I don't understand the YouTube copyright system in its entirety but from what I have worked out (following numerous false positives over the years, all of which finally got sorted out but which take weeks of work) it's all about whether the algorithm flags sounds and/or pictures as belonging to a registered copyright holder. This is how fan covers of Disney music tends to get flagged quickly, when it's too close to the original.


That's why I don't use original music, fan remixes or anything else that's too close to the original. If I get flagged, all my 15+ minute programs (i.e. GameHammer) get blocked and I can't upload my shows until the flag is resolved. If more than one video gets flagged, my channel could simply be shut down entirely. It's literally not worth the risk; especially when perfectly good alternatives are available.