DOOM’s 25 years of demon slaying

Felix Pina, Reporter

In the last 50 years, video games have become more realistic, creating new avenues of playing, such as Role Playing Games (RPG), Puzzle games, and First Person Shooter (FPS). FPS’s are popular in the current market, but the game that popularized this genre was, “DOOM,” made by id Software. The game celebrated its 25th anniversary Dec. 10.

The story of “DOOM” begins somewhere in the future with a company, Union Aerospace Corporation(UAC), colonizing Mars and it’s two moons, Phobos and Deimos. The UAC has successfully invented portal technology, allowing people to teleport from Mars to the moons. A problem occurs when a portal to hell opens, sending Phobos to hell and causing a demonic invasion occurs on Deimos. It is up to the lone space marine, the player known as Doomguy, to kill all the demons and travel to hell.

Gamers quickly fell in love with the game. It is a fast-paced, survival horror game, where the player is the horror. There are many weapons to choose from. Within the game, there are secrets a player can find, such as a secret room containing a powerup or new weapon to help the player.

After the unprecedented success of, “DOOM,” id created the next game to continue the story. In 1994, “DOOM II: Hell on Earth,” and in 1996, “Final DOOM” were released. Although “Final DOOM” ended the story, it was not as popular as “DOOM II.” After finalizing the sequels, id Software would not create another DOOM game until 2004 with “DOOM 3.”

“DOOM 3’s” misleading title, was not a sequel to “DOOM II,” rather, a reboot of the story. “DOOM 3” gameplay is slower-paced and has an emphasis on “Survival Horror.” Many fans of the series were disappointed, and felt the game was not “DOOM” like. The franchise took a hiatus for 12 years, until “DOOM” (2016) came out May 13, 2016. Fans of the series were skeptical, and thought that the game would be like “DOOM 3.” However, their speculation quickly turned into happiness.

“DOOM” (2016),  also known as “DOOM 4,” brings back the fast-paced action that the series is known for. It introduces light character development gameplay, which helps players become stronger in the fight against the demons. “DOOM 4,” also brings back secret areas, in which a player can encounter a level from the original 1993 game. “DOOM 4” is praised for it’s amazing level design, soundtrack and gameplay by many veterans of the series.

The “DOOM” series has come a long way, and with “DOOM: Eternal” coming out soon gamers celebrate the 25th anniversary with a bang.