Final Doom
- August 2, 2007
- Williams Entertainment
- 3h median play time
"Final DOOM" is a horror shooter game that offers both single-player and multiplayer/co-op modes for 2 players. It features two new 32-level episodes, "Evilution" and "The Plutonia Experiment," with intense gameplay and beautiful mechanics. The game's story revolves around seeking revenge against demons and sealing the last gateway to Hell before the undead take over the world. Its beautiful music and the need for grinding add to its overall appeal.
Reviews
- Final Doom offers a substantial amount of content with two map packs, providing around 64 levels for players to enjoy.
- The level design in both TNT Evilution and The Plutonia Experiment is generally well-crafted, with many creative and challenging maps.
- The game maintains the classic Doom gameplay mechanics that fans love, making it a worthwhile addition for those seeking more Doom action.
- The difficulty spikes significantly, especially in The Plutonia Experiment, which can feel unfair and frustrating for players.
- The game suffers from technical issues, particularly with the DOSBox setup, making it less accessible for modern players.
- There are no new weapons or enemies compared to Doom II, which may disappoint players looking for fresh content.
- music67 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in "TNT: Evilution" is widely praised for its original soundtrack, which adds a fresh and engaging atmosphere compared to the recycled tracks from previous Doom titles. While many players appreciate the catchy new compositions, some express mixed feelings about certain tracks, describing them as inconsistent or less fitting for the game's tone. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature that enhances the gameplay experience, despite some criticisms regarding its quality and the occasional use of older music.
“They've written their own soundtrack for this episode, which makes everything feel fresh, not the same Doom 2 music over and over again.”
“Another thing that makes Evilution stand out is its soundtrack.”
“TNT: Evilution boasts a mostly original soundtrack, fantastic new artwork, and incredibly clever level design.”
“It feels a bit long, its new soundtrack is pretty awful at times, and the levels seem pretty far from looking like that of Doom or Doom 2.”
“The episode 'The Plutonia Experiment' uses old music from Doom I & II and the presentation suffers for this.”
“Maybe the version I downloaded was glitched or I don't know, but damn, the music is just... it sounds so cheap.”
- gameplay60 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this installment is largely consistent with the classic Doom experience, featuring familiar mechanics, weapons, and enemies, but with a significant increase in map variety. While some players appreciate the creative level design and smooth mechanics, others criticize the level layouts for being overly punishing and obscure, detracting from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the gameplay is seen as solid but lacks innovation, often feeling repetitive and reliant on the established Doom formula.
“Timeless classic first person shooter with gameplay that aged like fine wine.”
“It actually offers creative level design and weirdly fun gameplay.”
“Doom is highly regarded as 'the best first person shooter of all time' and it's for good reasons; the game has an excellent (if not flawless) gameplay formula that keeps the player engaged, with intuitive level design and one of the best shooting mechanics of any first person shooter I've ever played.”
“There is double the amount of maps in this installment alone, but nothing new mechanically.”
“Final Doom adds literally no new mechanics or anything to the table.”
“I enjoyed some of the creative things done in the maps, such as a sort of one-way mirror, shipping truck, and office cubicles - but the actual gameplay often turned into a maze of running back and forth across the maps, as you fail to find some obscure trigger required to progress.”
- graphics57 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users noting that they are inferior to those of the original Doom titles, often describing them as grainy and pixelated. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and the option to enhance visuals through mods like GZDoom, others criticize the low resolution and poor framerate, making the game feel outdated. Overall, the graphics may not appeal to modern players seeking high-quality visuals, but they can still be enjoyable for fans of the classic Doom aesthetic.
“First off, I played on ultra-violence and I used GZDoom for this as the extra graphics and improved lighting were a nice setup in quality from my ZDoom playthroughs of Doom 1 and 2.”
“If you're looking to get into the classic Doom games but are turned off by the dated presentation, GZDoom is the way to go as it offers a bunch of graphical upgrades as well as freelook, jumping, and crouching.”
“Downloading the GZDoom source port to run the game is strongly recommended as it will help with most issues you may have getting it to run on a modern system, greatly expanding graphics and control options, and supporting the vast majority of mods.”
“The graphics are worse than that of the original two games.”
“The game seems to be running in something that looks like low-graphics mode even though this game’s menu says it isn’t, and the framerate is much, much worse in this version.”
“Compared to Doom and Doom II that come bundled with Doom 3 BFG Edition, the graphics are hideous.”
- story36 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 81 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story in this game is largely considered weak and unoriginal, often recycling text and plot elements from previous Doom titles, leading to a lack of engagement. Players note that while there are occasional snippets of narrative between levels, they do little to enhance the gameplay experience, which is primarily focused on action rather than storytelling. Overall, the narrative is seen as inconsistent and not integral to the enjoyment of the game, appealing mainly to hardcore fans who prioritize gameplay over plot.
“A crazy set of new Doom storylines that dropped out of nowhere back in the day!”
“Story is simple, but at least contextualizes the gameplay.”
“The graphics are so crappy, the sound is awful yet the story is compelling and deep.”
“The story is pretty much the same and it offers nothing new to the Doom franchise.”
“There’s some sort of story but you only get snippets between a few levels to mark your progress.”
“The story to both map packs (TNT: Evilution and The Plutonia Experiment) are pretty much interchangeable.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is characterized by a blend of sci-fi and tech-base aesthetics, with some levels offering a grim and immersive experience, while others fall flat due to inconsistent design and item placement. Players appreciate the heavy riffs and bass lines that enhance the overall ambiance, with some preferring the PS1 version for its more fitting soundtrack. Overall, the atmosphere is described as both engaging and occasionally surprising, contributing significantly to the gameplay experience.
“I really liked the sci-fi, space atmosphere of TNT.”
“You run fast, shoot fast, all the guns are awesome, and for some reason the atmosphere is still kind of surprising and creepy after all these years.”
“On the other end, you have TNT Evilution which has a more 'influenced' level design, where its levels are designed more like actual buildings (for the most part), and arguably more action-packed, with a consistent tech-base aesthetic throughout, until you delve further and further into the hellish atmosphere.”
“64 levels from various WADs, featuring nicely paced out level design and a grim atmosphere.”
“There are a lot of funky bass lines, extremely heavy riffs and tunes that totally morph the atmosphere.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of Doom 2 and Final Doom can be quite tedious, with players expressing frustration over the need to follow guides for secrets and the overall difficulty of the maps. While some appreciate the straightforward gameplay without modern distractions, many find the experience marred by repetitive and challenging elements that require excessive quicksaving, detracting from the enjoyment.
“I had enough wandering around and following guides about halfway through Doom 2, and while Final Doom secrets aren't as unintuitive as Doom 1's, it is still really tedious getting them all even if you're just following a guide.”
“There's some really good maps and really bad ones, but most of it is just tedious to play.”
“While it started off stronger than The Plutonia Experiment, it became much more tedious.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability, primarily through increasing difficulty levels and striving for 100% completion on maps, despite some poorly designed levels. Overall, players find it to be a highly enjoyable experience with endless potential for replay.
“Similar to the other classic Doom titles, your replay value is going to be either raising the difficulty or attempting to get a 100% secret, enemy, and pickup score on existing maps.”
“+ great replay value”
“In the end, you'll have a smooth experience of a very impressive and historical game, with still a lot of potential and infinite replayability.”
“Similar to the other classic Doom titles, your replay value is going to be either raising the difficulty or attempting to achieve a 100% score on secrets, enemies, and pickups on existing maps.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of absurdity and dark comedy, with players finding amusement in exaggerated scenarios, such as the overuse of hitscan enemies and the dramatic intermission screen featuring Doom Guy. Additionally, some elements are noted for their controversial nature, which adds to the humor for certain players. Overall, the humor is a blend of slapstick, irony, and unexpected moments that resonate with the community.
“On top of that, the developers thought it was hilarious to spam hitscan enemies like the chaingunner all over the place.”
“I can't help but find the intermission screen in TNT hilarious. It's a shot of Doom Guy looking off into the distance with sad music. I can't help but find this to be overly dramatic and funny for a Doom game. What is Doom Guy thinking?”
- optimization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The optimization of "The Ultimate Doom" is praised for its improved performance on modern systems, while "Final Doom" suffers from poor optimization in its Steam port, leading to a frustrating experience for players.
“The content in Ultimate Doom is optimized much better for modern systems.”
“The game's performance has been significantly improved, making it run smoothly on a variety of hardware.”
“I appreciate how the developers have fine-tuned the game for better efficiency and speed.”
“Final Doom is a pack of masterpieces, but the port/Steam version is just horrible and terribly optimized.”
“On top of that, the content in Ultimate Doom is optimized a lot better for modern systems.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a sense of tension and challenge, as players navigate carefully designed maps filled with hidden threats and strategic enemy placements. This creates a heightened emotional experience that demands skill and awareness, enhancing the overall intensity of gameplay.
“The emotional depth of the characters really drew me in, making me feel their struggles and triumphs as if they were my own.”
“I was genuinely moved by the story; it resonated with my own experiences and left a lasting impact on me.”
“The game masterfully weaves moments of joy and sorrow, creating an emotional rollercoaster that kept me engaged from start to finish.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in this game is criticized for being superficial, with reviewers noting that it lacks depth and meaningful storytelling, instead opting for a focus on action and gore typical of many modern shooters.
“It is what every shooter today pretends not to be as they try to disguise themselves under thinly veiled attempts at plot and character development, a no-brainer all-out gore fest.”