If you're a fan of classic FPS games (and you must be if you're checking out this club), you might have been interested in Strafe, an old-school-FPS/roguelite hybrid that bears a certain degree of resemblance to the original Quake (though it's much more colorful).

Unfortunately, according to this Gamespot article, the game's been pushed back to May 9th for no clear reason. The publisher hand-waved it away with some joke about "missing polygons."

So yeah, if you're looking for more retro FPS action (and just in time for Doom 2016's first anniversary), check out Strafe in May, for PC and PS4.


~

This article from Polygon discusses how Quake Champions, the new multiplayer-focused Quake game that's in development, will be free-to-play...kind of.

In Quake Champions, while all characters can use all weapons and there are weapon pickups instead of loadouts, each character has distinctive stats (like movement speed) and abilities (like teleportation or wallhacks) that set them apart. When you start the game, you'll have access to a single character, Ranger (the hero of the original Quake), and can earn in-game currency that will allow you to buy other characters. However, said characters will apparently only be available to use for a limited time after you purchase them. (It's unclear whether you can repurchase them after they expire.)

But if you'd rather not bother with all that, you can just use real money to buy the Champion Pack and get unlimited access to all the characters (for a yet-to-be-determined price).

In either case, your in-game currency can also be used to purchase backpacks, which will allow you to participate in rune challenges; if you succeed at rune challenges, you can get "reliquaries, which [you] can open to reveal new Champions and new skins," which sounds like a fancy way to say "you get keys to unlock loot crates."

So yeah, those of you hoping for a new Quake 3, I'm not sure if Champions will fit the bill. It sounds like Quake at its core, but with a bit of modern-day Team Fortress 2 sprinkled on top, as well as some other freemium shenanigans.

On the plus side, it's pretty cool that it seems to be PC-exclusive, at least for the time being. How often does that happen anymore?

Anyway, if you're curious about playing Quake Champions before everyone else, check the Quake website for the closed beta sign-ups.


~

https://youtu.be/AURVFta6NwA


Hello everyone,  ben_roprim here!


Released on December 11th, the along waited Brutal Doom 64 version 2 is finally here under a stable and more manageable version.

With new features, added mechanics, and graphical improvements, we can now truly call it "BRUTAL"!

After watching this Dev Blog from Sgt.Marks in the video, you can see the changes he made.

However, below I will list below things that he didn't cover, and things still wonky with the game.

Lets get started!



OTHER ADDITIONS:

Separate WADs for Modding:
The folder that the game comes in has 2 key features: To be played in Gzdoom, or to be played in multiplayer servers like Zandronum. The gzdoom aspect is very simple. Pop open the .cfg file and play right away! Or you can go into the 2nd folder, and use the 4 wad files to play not only in Zandronum but to also be modded. Currently the game runs fine with most popular mods like: Complex Doom, Real Guns Advanced, Wrath of Cronos, and so on. So you can run through the entire game however you wish to spice up the gameplay a bit.

Environment Effects, Easter Eggs, and Broken Computers:
Sgt.Marks took the game into some huge leaps regarding the overall environment. He has added ambient BGMs near specific rooms, teleports, and other secret walls. This was a more remarkable asset to finding specific secrets with supplies. There are even rooms and environments where you can learn more about the story, by reading PC Monitors that are flashing Blue or Demonic Red; sometimes even... well, don't wanna spoil anything ;)

There are also some interesting easter eggs you will find in the game, if your lucky enough to spot them! Wont tell where they are, so make sure to explore!



ERRORS AND PROBLEMS:

Sadly a problem with Brutal Doom 64 is that certain environment nodes are graphically coded to the map levels. Meaning if you use a mod that may alter the environment, you may see a LOT of those red "!" marks everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE. This is because it is already replacing the vanilla textures with the sprites already in the default wad. For example: When playing Real Guns Advanced, it replaces some sprites in the environment. The purple demonic candelabras you'll find in the demon world, are all but red errors; very immersive breaking. This cannot be fixed by any means, unless a graphical patch was made for that specific mod.

So if you decide to mod Brutal Doom 64, be aware of mods that change environments so you dont get graphical errors everywhere. Brutal Doom 64 uses very special scripted environments that aren't even in the real Doom 64, like: fog, depth perception, and so on. So be careful.

Currently, Complex Doom (Non-Legendary) works 100% with no problems and does not come with graphical errors.


_ _ _ _

Other then that, I have played through the game and it's entirety using just the vanilla game.

I give his work a 10/10!

Did you expect any less from our lord and savior, Sgt.Marks? <3


!!DOWNLOAD HERE!!
---> http://www.moddb.com/mods/brutal-doom-64 <---

-Bethesda Pinball, Featuring Doom-

https://youtu.be/yNaVCmxO87U

That's right! As far as I'm aware, this is the first official Doom pinball game ever made. Released as part of the Bethesda Pinball DLC pack for Pinball FX2, the pack also includes Fallout and Skyrim tables, but I don't really care about those: I'm here to smack my balls against some demons! ;)

So yeah, technically, it's still just pinball, but it's chock-full of authentic Doom sounds, music and graphics. You can kill demons on the table with careful pinball shots, as well as play a Breakout-style minigame where you use a floating Hell-rock to bash the ball into targets up above. And for goodness' sake, you launch the ball with a chainsaw. How wicked is that? XD

Pinball FX2 - Bethesda Pinball is available now for PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PSN and Mobile.



-Doom's "Best of 2016" Game Awards-

The new Doom was one of those games that both fans and critics could agree was pretty freaking awesome, and it managed to end up on several "Best Games of the Year" lists on Youtube. Here's a few highlights:

ZoominGames - Top 10 - Games of 2016 - #7
rabbidluigi - Top Ten Best Games of 2016 - #5
Jim Sterling - The Jimquisition Game Of The Year Awards 2016 - Nominated
TGN - Top 10 Best Games of 2016 - #3
Watchmojo - Top 10 Best Games of 2016 - #2
boogie2988 - Top 10 games of 2016! - #2
Idiotech - Top 10 PC Games 2016 - Best PC Game of the Year/Best Game Soundtrack of the Year/Best Singleplayer FPS Campaign of All Time
GamingBolt - 7 Best Multiplatform Games of 2016 You NEED To Play - Best Multiplatform Game
gameranx - Best Games of 2016 - Best Graphics & Game of the Year (and also the only game to win in 2 categories)

Mmm, so much warm, gooey Doom love. The new Doom was one of the very best things to happen all year, and I'm happy so many people noticed it. ;)


~

So I recently found out that Doom: The Roguelike finally had legal action taken against it by Bethesda despite the game having been available to the public for about 14 years. A real bummer: I haven't played DoomRL in ages and was curious about trying it out again to see how its progressed, but I guess it's gone now.

On the plus side, Jupiter Hell is here to take its place...assuming it reaches its Kickstarter funding goal:

https://www.kickstarter.com/project.....i-fi-roguelike

Jupiter Hell seems to basically be the new DoomRL, and it's made by the same guy. It's just not all trademark-infringing like its predecessor.

Let's hope it gets all its funding so the turn-based demon-slaying action can continue! ;)

~

I kinda hate 2016. I'm really happy with how Doom 2016 turned out, but other than that, this year sucks.

To add to this already immense suckitude, Bobby Prince, the musical composer and sound designer for Doom & Doom 2, has been diagnosed with colon cancer.

If you'd like to donate to his medical fund to help him pay for his operation, you can contribute here:

https://www.gofundme.com/bobby-prin.....l-fund-2vs94pg

Everyone here at the Doom Furs Club wishes you a speedy recovery, man.

~

 victoriaviper here, and I just wrote a big rant about all the cool stuff added to SnapMap. If you think all they added were some old rooms from the original Doom, think again! ;)

Click here to read my article and listen to me yammer on about editing features I like. XD

 victoriaviper here! Today's a big day in the world of Doom, fellow marines!


Doom (2016): Unto the Evil DLC Released

The new Doom's first bit of paid multiplayer DLC drops today, featuring three new maps, a new demon (the Harvester), a new piece of equipment (the kinetic mine), a new(ish) weapon (the UAC EMG pistol, which seems to be a modified version of the pistol from the campaign), and some new robot-like customization pieces. I'll try to give the DLC a review after I've gotten some playtime with it.

Remember folks: Whether you have the DLC or not, you can still play the new maps as long as someone in your multiplayer party has the DLC.


Doom (2016): Free Content Updates

Even if you don't care about the pay DLC, there still might be a reason to return to the new Doom thanks to its recent free updates.

The multiplayer mode recently got two new gametypes: Exodus, a 1-flag CTF mode (finally!) and Sector, a control point variant.

SnapMap also received a bevy of much-needed updates, including a weapon wheel (FINALLY!), Hell-themed modules and props (so you can finally get away from those blasted metal corridors for a bit), additional weapons (the pistol, chainsaw and fists are back, baby!), additional ammo types, jump pads, skybox windows, and other cool features that you probably won't notice when you're just playing the levels. SnapMap feels like a much more complete editor now.


New Doom Marine Action Figure

Check it out at the Bethesda store. It's a fully-articulated, 1/6th-scale figure of the marine from the new Doom, complete with a variety of weapons.

I've been waiting for an actually-decent Doom figure for ages, and this looks like the best one by far. That $260 price tag is rough, though! Good thing I've got until the 2nd quarter of 2017 to save up for it. XD


Steam Sale: The Entire PC Doom Library

In honor of Quakecon 2016, the entirety of the PC Doom games are on sale on Steam until August 8th, with price reductions in the 40%-50% off range. This includes the new Doom, so now you can grab it for half-price if you haven't picked it up already! ;)

The Quake series, most of the Wolfenstein and Heretic/Hexen franchises, and a bunch of other Bethesda things are on sale too.


Doom 3 Turns 12!

Ah, I remember 2004. Everyone was frothing with excitement over what would be the best FPS sequel of the year. Would it be Half-Life 2, Halo 2 or Doom 3? I know which one I was excited for the most, and it turns one-and-one-fifth decades old today. It may not have aged as gracefully as its predecessors, but it's still a spooky good time if you can stomach the slower-paced action. And the darkness. All that darkness. XD


Oh, and don't forget that the new Doom board game is scheduled to come out this Halloween! ;)

A new Doom board game is in the works, developed by the same company that made the original Doom board game over a decade ago. There's a big article about it here, detailing how the game will work.

The previous Doom board game was based upon Doom 3, while this one (not surprisingly) is inspired by the 2016 version of Doom. A player controlling the demon hordes must do their best to prevent anywhere from 1 to 4 marine players from completing their objectives (by killing them a bunch, of course). As the marines progress, the demon player can summon increasingly more dangerous monsters and augment them with argent power tokens to make them even more deadly.

However, the marines won't go down without a fight! You can choose your class and loadout to better personalize your marine to your play style. The marines also have various cards they can play that allow them to attack or react to attacks, and you can even attach bonus action cards to them for chain attacks and other special moves.

And of course, it wouldn't be the new Doom without glory kills, and just like in Doom 2016, marines can blast demons into a stagger state, then get close and rip them apart.

I admit I'm pretty excited about this one. I already really enjoyed the original Doom board game despite some notable balance issues, and it sounds like they're trying their best to make this an even better experience.

Either way, we won't have long to wait and see: the new Doom board game is scheduled to be released Q4 2016. That'll make a mighty sweet holiday gift. ;)


~

Hello everyone,  ben_roprim here with some importance tech notices.


With the new release of Doom (2016), you may come across bugs, glitches, and other game breaking issues while playing.

In this regard, I should state that if you have having issues, please use the Bethesda Help Desk to solve your issues.

Website here: https://help.bethesda.net/

This is because me and Victoria may not have the kind of knowledge you may be looking for, when it comes to Troubleshooting.

And we want you to have the most valuable and correct answers to your most needed questions.

Right now, we are only strongly knowledgeable in the more traditional Doom and it's other vast engines.

So if you are having any trouble installing the new Doom, or have bugs and issues that need addressed, please use the Bethesda Help Desk for your Troubleshooting needs, until Me and Victoria are more prepared to help you guys out.

In the mean time, do keep looking forward to Victoria's news and info on the new Doom!

...b-because I don't have it yet, still... *sniffles and weeps*...

https://youtu.be/f8aU4MYDsOQ


 ben_roprim here!


This is just a little something for you all to enjoy!

I hope you all like it, and give the video a thumbs up if you do!

Okay, maybe not everything's been fixed about the new Doom, but it's become quite obvious that Id Software is listening to the complaints of their fans and is trying to address them, and you can tell from their E3 presentation:

https://youtu.be/vLi1rdhz908

In case you don't want to/can't watch that vid, here are the highlights:


[Multiplayer]

Classic Deathmatch and Other Free-for-All Modes: Tired of being segregated into teams all the time? Just wanna blast apart everything and everyone in your way? Now you can! Details were scant about what these FFA gametypes will offer however. Also, do bear in mind that they didn't mention whether the Classic Deathmatch mode will feature loadouts or not. We'll have to wait and see just how excited we should get, but at least now no one is safe from your bloodlust! ;)

New Gametypes: A single-flag CTF variant called Hexodus and a capture point variant called Sector. No significant details were given about these modes either, but I'm itching for some CTF, that's for sure. XD

Unto the Evil Pay DLC Pack: Purchasing the first DLC pack will net players 3 new maps, a new gun, a new piece of equipment, new armor customization options and taunts, and the ability to play as a new demon called the Harvester, which looks a lot like the Summoner from the campaign except it apparently electrocutes people into dust with the zap-beams from its hands. XD


[SnapMap]

Hell Tileset: Yes, finally, Hell-themed modules will be made available to SnapMap builders. Now you can venture into the fiery depths of the underworld and will no longer be saddled with endless metal corridors. However, the video doesn't make it clear whether the Hell modules can be used in conjunction with the standard modules, or if you can only have one type of visual theme per map, but at least we'll have some reprieve from all the techbase levels!

Weapon Wheel: Yes, finallllly, you can make true singleplayer experiences with a full complement of weapons instead of a two-weapon limit, and switch between them all freely. They didn't say whether the weapon wheel will be available in multiplayer gametypes, but just having it at all is incredibly welcome.

New Props, Items, Weapons and Logic Functions: They didn't really say what they were (a somewhat frustrating recurring theme in this video), but more customization options are always a good thing to have with your level-creation tools! :)


All of this content will be free, aside from the DLC pack, so anybody who's got Doom will get the majority of these goodies.

And I thought I wasn't going to have anything to look forward to at E3 this year. ;)


~

There's some pretty intriguing stuff in this Eurogamer article about the new Doom. Apparently Certain Affinity, the designers of Doom 2016's multiplayer component (who are often decried for having developed multiplayer modes for many Call of Duty and Halo games in the past) are no longer working with Id Software, and Id themselves will be continuing to develop the game's multiplayer.

The first order of business for Id: they're working on adding private matches with custom game settings, planned to be added in a free patch this summer. After that, they're considering adding bots to both standard multiplayer and SnapMap. Private matches should be very handy for people who just wanna play with their buddies (and avoid cheaters, which are apparently a common problem in the PC version, although I've never really noticed), and bots would be great for testing multiplayer SnapMaps and to add a little more action to empty online matches.


In other news, Bethesda released a statement detailing the new multiplayer update patch for Doom 2016 that was recently released. Features include:

-Weapon Rebalancing: The chaingun, rocket launcher and combat shotgun have had undisclosed balance tweaks in multiplayer mode (although forum posts elsewhere suggest that the shotgun and chaingun have had their damage decreased slightly and the rocket launcher's damage is boosted a bit).

-Wait Time Reduction: Wait time between multiplayer matches has been reduced to 60 seconds.

-Clan Arena/Freeze Tag Winning Qualifications: Now teams will have to win 5 rounds in order to be declared the champion, instead of a minimum of 3. This will hopefully give losing teams more of a chance to stage a comeback.


According to the above link, there's also another, more significant patch coming out later this month. Features for that include:

-Photo Mode: Now you'll be able to take fancy in-game screenshots with options like field of view and depth of field adjustments.

-Classic Doom View Model: Place your weapons front-and-center at the bottom of the screen just like in the original Doom, for that extra-old-school flavor.

-New SnapMap Features: Aside from fixes for AI pathing and other logic errors, skybox windows will be added. So while it's not a new tileset like people have really been hoping for, at least you'll have something different to look at than just metal walls all the time. :)

-Other Fixes: Apparently that bug that gets players stuck in developer mode has been addressed, as well as some other various things.


So if you beat the new Doom's (fantastic) campaign and then ditched the game, there may be some incentive to come back to the multiplayer and SnapMap in the upcoming months.


~

 victoriaviper here! If you're still on the fence about the new Doom (or at least, if you're wondering how its singleplayer campaign is) and are looking for a little guidance, you can check out my review here!

Don't worry: there's a TL;DR summary at the top in case you don't feel like reading the whole long thing. XD

The new Doom is finally available! You can get it for the PS4, Xbox One and PC (via Steam) right now!

Boy, it's been a long time getting here, huh? And we had to wade through a lotta crap to do it. There was that early rendition that was deemed too Call of Duty to live. Id Software got bought out by Bethesda. Several big names left the company, including the legendary John Carmack. We endured bad box art. And we had a beta that everyone hated (or at least PC players seemed to).

But now it's finally here. Obviously it can't possibly live up to almost 9 years of anticipation, but let's hope it's a decent demon-smashing time regardless.

Happy Dooming, everyone! ;)


~

The Kickstarter for John Romero's modern-day, classic-style FPS, BLACKROOM, was cancelled a mere 4 days after launch, accruing 2,287 backers and $131,052 (of the anticipated $700,000) in its short run.

However, this is not the end of the story. According to this article on Rock, Paper, Shotgun, the Kickstarter was halted so work could begin on a gameplay demo for the game. Once the demo is available (which will apparently take a month or two), the Kickstarter campaign will be relaunched.

It's not made clear if the demo will actually be playable, or if it will simply be a video showcasing gameplay.

It's hard to say if this demo will benefit BLACKROOM or not. On one hand, it's difficult to feel confident in committing money to a project that's little more than concept art and enthusiastic ideas thought up by the creator of the most infamously-terrible FPS game of all time. Seeing the game in action might excite potential backers enough to get them to part with their cash. On the other hand, look at the new Doom: releasing a playable demo stirred up an intolerable frenzy of gamer rage after it failed to meet their expectations, and I wouldn't be shocked if a lotta potential buyers will end up passing on that game because of it. (Which is a shame because the campaign and SnapMap look awesome.)

As promotion for BLACKROOM, Romero recently released a new level for the original Doom to demonstrate that he still had the skills to make old-school FPS maps. In my review for the map, I described it as competent with some cool ideas, but not exceptional and kind of annoying.


~

https://youtu.be/QuxmnKyabpg

Another hour-long preview from Bethesda (featuring Tom Mustaine, former TeamTNT member and contributor to classic WADs like the Master Levels, Evilution, Memento Mori and Perdition's Gate), this time covering SnapMap features, and one very exciting thing is shown right at the start: classic deathmatch.

That's right: weapon pickups, increased weapon damage, higher movement speed, no loadouts, no teams. And yeah, the demon rune is still there, but you can edit it out if you want. It seems to be capped at 4 players, but so was the original Doom, so that captures the classic flair even more.

So if you're one of the (apparently tens of thousands of) people who were upset with the new Doom's deathmatch not feeling enough like the classic experience, SnapMap is where to get your fix.


Regarding the video as a whole, here's the bullet list (no pun intended):

You Can Tweak So Much Stuff - You can have singleplayer experiences, competitive modes, co-op modes, teams or no teams. You can spawn players with whatever weapons you want (or no weapons) and adjust the individual weapon damage as you want. You can adjust player movement speed (and even add an actual sprint button if desired). You can adjust enemy health and damage. You can adjust what enemies drop upon death (if anything). Who knows what else you can change? There's so much stuff!

SnapPoints - You earn SnapPoints both from creating content and playing content other people make. It sounds kinda like with Mario Maker where not all the editing features are immediately unlocked and you'll need to earn enough points to buy all the tools. At least you won't have to wait 9 days to do it! :)

Cross-Platform Compatibility - I've mentioned this before, but in case you weren't sure, any SnapMap content can be played on any platform, whether it's PS4, Xbone or PC. There's even cross-platform leaderboards.

Auto-Spawning Monsters - You can use the AI Conductor to spawn enemies into the world semi-randomly, changing up the experience a bit every time someone plays your level, and letting you quickly populate your map with monsters without having to place them all manually.

Capture the Flag! - There's built-in flag props that players can pick up and drop, so the potential for CTF is already there.

Demon Buddies! - You can have players simply start levels as a demon if desired (even in singleplayer missions). You can even have specific players spawn in as human and others as demons. And you can have AI demons that are on your team and will be aggro against opponent demons. Demons and humans working together for a common goal! Sounds like fun!. XD

Add Voices and Text - The voices are already pre-recorded but there's a variety you can choose from to add a little atmosphere to your levels. You can also add text messages in the world, like signs and text dialogue for characters, all of which you can customize.


Good golly! There's more stuff than either I or the video can possibly cover about SnapMap. The amount of flexibility is really kind of astounding. I think the main campaign is gonna be a lotta fun, but SnapMap might be the real meat `n potatoes of the new Doom.


~

https://youtu.be/yslS6U4tUSs

Wow, so much new Doom content in the past few days!

This video shows some of the stuff you can do with the new Doom's built-in level editor, SnapMap. These new SnapMap levels show co-op play in both a brand-new story mission as well as a wave-based survival mode against monsters. The video also showcases some other various, significantly more unusual concoctions that don't play very much like traditional Doom at all.

While SnapMap might not be a full-fledged set of mod tools, it at least shows that intrepid, creative designers can still make some unique creations using it, which can potentially result in entirely new styles of gameplay.

And if nothing else, hopefully somebody will use SnapMap to make the co-op story campaign we all wanted. XD


~

https://youtu.be/txmv2qFRuxI
(WARNING: CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS)

Here's an hour-long preview for the new Doom that shows a bunch of stuff from the campaign. Some highlights include:

The Automap is Back - And from the looks of the automap, the levels seem fairly large. The map will update itself as you move through the rooms, much like in the old Doom games, but there are also terminals that will allow you to update your map and let you see areas you've yet to visit.

The Pistol is Basically Quake 4's Blaster - It's got infinite ammo and can be charged up for more damage. Doom pistols are traditionally useless, so it's at least nice to know that this one has some sort of extra function and means you'll always have a long-range weapon on hand for when things get tough.

Upgrade Challenges & Secrets - One thing I was particularly happy to learn is how you can earn upgrade points and ability-enhancing runes for your character by completing optional challenges in the levels, such as killing X amount of monsters in a certain time period, or finding a certain portion of the secret areas in the level. This gives you even more incentive to explore every nook and cranny of the maps.

Lots of UI Tweaks - You can disable your HUD entirely if you want, and make adjustments to your crosshairs and other things. And yes, you can even deactivate the flashing indicator that shows when you can glory kill an enemy. I know how that annoyed some people, so you can make it go away now. XD

Special Power-Ups - Power-ups like Haste and Quad Damage aren't exclusive to the multiplayer, and will provide you a temporary edge in battle when you need it most, if you can find them.

One-Life Mode - I'm not personally interested in this kinda stuff, but if you're feeling especially daring, you can play Ultra Nightmare mode: all the difficulty of Nightmare, but dying makes you lose all of your progress. Good luck!

The Combat Just Looks Sweet! - What can I say? It looks like Doom to me: there's quieter moments where you're just dealing with a few monsters, but when things heat up, the bad guys keep pouring in and you have to constantly reassess your spatial relationship with them in order to not get blasted to bits. But it actually does one better than classic Doom with the increased verticality of the level design, meaning now you can increase distance between you and the bad guys by leaping across gaps or quickly climbing to a different plane. It all looks quite slick.

I'm more psyched for this game than ever, and I honestly think it might finally be the real, modern Doom I always wanted. Hopefully the bad word-of-mouth about the multiplayer won't drive everyone away from what's looking like a pretty cool singleplayer experience.


~

Yes, that's right! Mere months after posting his first new Doom level in over 20 years (which I reviewed here - download link included!), John Romero's back again to provide another mission through the demon-infested corridors of the Phobos base. This time, it's a replacement for E1M4, one of the few E1 levels he didn't originally build from scratch himself. Combined with his previous E1M8 replacement, you now have a full first episode of Doom that's nothing but Romero maps!


Phobos Mission Control (click to download)

Click here for screenshots

INFO: 1 level; replaces E1M4. Requires DOOM.WAD and a limit-removing source port.

RATING: 3 out of 5

Unfortunately, I will say right off the bat that this level didn't impress me quite as much as Romero's previous effort, Tech Gone Bad. When you get right down to it, it kinda feels like a Doom 3 level. Weird, huh? It's obviously not nearly as dark and gray as a Doom 3 map (though it does get darker and grayer in the middle part), but it still has that cramped feel, with largely linear progression that only has a handful of detours off to the side, and tons of ambushes. SO MANY ambushes. As Doom 3 taught us, there's only so many times you can enter a room and have enemies pop out from behind collapsing walls before it starts to grate. It's especially annoying since oftentimes shotgun zombies are involved in these ambushes, meaning lots of health getting sapped from sudden attacks you can't hope to dodge.

Furthermore, it's not as successful at recreating the E1 feel as the last Romero map. There's a teleport ambush at one point which feels rather out of place, since teleporters were extremely rare in E1, and teleporter ambushes were nearly nonexistent in the original Doom as a whole. Having one thrown in so casually here makes it feel more like a fan level. There's also a pass-through wall, another technique that was used very sparingly in Id's levels, not commonly appearing until Final Doom. These elements in no way ruin the level, but they do mar the illusion of playing a classic E1 map.

Of course, it's not all bad. The highlight is the way many of the walls in the level keep lowering and shifting position. It's a cool idea, making the level design feel more dynamic and forcing you to reevaluate locations you've already visited, as there's often new access points that weren't available before. There are some tough fights too, especially near the end, and there are times where the room design is so complex, with so many height levels and obstructions and such, that it's genuinely difficult to get a bead on the enemy location. Mix in the aforementioned ambushes, and the result is a disconcerting experience that keeps you on high alert.

And it also has one of the most genuinely useful invisibility spheres I've seen in a Doom map, so credit for that too. XD

In the end, Phobos Mission Control has some good ideas, but not enough to make it a must-play. I still think I prefer the original E1M4 over this. Here's hoping the levels in Romero's new FPS, BLACKROOM, will shine a bit more than this one.


~

It looks like our old pals John Romero and (the always-insufferable) Adrian Carmack are returning to their roots with a brand-new shooter game, entitled BLACKROOM:

https://www.kickstarter.com/project.....ck/description

They're seeking $700,000 for it, and as of this writing have already received $100,000. You've got 31 days to make a pledge if you'd like to help the game get made.

This game is very likely what Romero was referencing when he called his new Doom level, Tech Gone Bad (which I reviewed here - download link included!), a "warm-up." The Kickstarter page for BLACKROOM makes note of how Romero will be making all the levels himself and using abstract map design much like in Doom and the original Quake. It will also apparently feature co-op and deathmatch play with dedicated servers, as well as full mod support.

Though I do love Romero's old works, there's no denying that the guy's a bit...unstable and tends to flit from one idea to another on a whim, which can result in a lot of half-formed concepts. He seems to work best under management from someone else, rather than having full creative control. But who knows? Maybe he's finally mellowed a bit over the years and can focus long enough to make this a return to the golden age of first-person shooters.

What do you think? Do you think the game will turn out well? Do you plan to make a pledge to its Kickstarter? Leave a comment below!


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According to this Gamespot article, the Doom open beta has been extended by 24 hours, meaning it will now end at 11:59 PM EST on the 18th. So if you haven't gotten your fill of fragging yet, get back in there, marines! ;)


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The open beta for the new Doom begins at 12 AM EST -- approximately 8 hours from now -- and will run until 11:59 PM EST on April 17th. You can get it on the PC (via Steam), Playstation 4 or Xbox One, and it does not require you to preorder the game or get any sort of access code or invitation.

Everyone can join in, so happy fragging, marines! ;)


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Well it looks like if you missed out on the closed beta for the new Doom, it doesn't really matter! According to this Gamespot article (and several similar articles from other gaming sites), an open beta is on the way soon. And not surprisingly at all, some DLC for the finished game is on the way too.


-Open Beta Details-

The open beta starts at 12 AM EST on April 15th and ends at 11:59 PM EST on April 17th. It seems to offer the same exact content as the closed beta: it's available for the PS4, Xbone and PC, lets you play Team Deathmatch or Warpath, and has Heatwave and Infernal as the two playable maps. It's unknown if any additional weapons or armor customization options will be available compared to the closed beta.


-DLC & Season Pass-

Don't shoot the messenger. I just report this stuff. XD

So yeah, there's gonna be DLC. There will be some free updates for multiplayer and SnapMap, but there's also three premium DLC packs.

Currently, all the DLC that's been announced is only for multiplayer. The first pack includes:

-Three new maps
-One new weapon
-One new playable demon
-One new armor set
-One new piece of equipment
-New hack modules and taunts
-New customization colors and patterns

Presumably the other two will offer similar additions. Each DLC pack will cost $14.99/£11.99/€14.99. A season pass will also be available for $39.99/£29.99/€39.99.

Now I've mostly been positive about the new Doom and I usually tend to keep my opinions out of these news articles, but this DLC stuff sounds bad. I was really hoping for some new singleplayer content, but instead it's just a bunch of shockingly overpriced MP packs (with exclusive guns!) and a season pass that offers a pathetic discount. If you wanna complain about the new Doom seeming like Call of Duty, this is where to level those complaints.

Remember when you could buy Doom 3's expansion pack, Resurrection of Evil, and it came with a brand-new campaign with new weapons, power-ups and enemies, and a new MP mode with 8 new maps, and it was all for roughly half the price of the main game? Looks like those days are well and truly over.


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The new Doom's multiplayer beta goes down at 11:59 PM ET today. If you haven't played it yet, you've got 12 more hours to do it. If you've already played it, now's your chance to get in a few last matches.

Give em hell! ;)


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