izigame.me

TL;DR: imagine you're playing Doom 64, but you can actually see what the fuck you're doing and don't need to use a aborted boomerang to play it.
As usual with Nightdive, they've done an excellent job porting this two-and-a-half decade old game to modern systems with modern controls and video options. Technically, it runs flawlessly (as it should) and contains a wealth of visual upgrades such as antialiasing and higher resolutions. Control-wise, WASD keyboard and mouse is the standard here (although some default keybindings are weird: spacebar to sprint?!), as well as gamepad support. Not only that, but a secret episode of 6 extra levels has been included. It's not on the same level as the phenomenal Shadow Man Remastered, also ported by Nightdive Studios, which is probably the greatest remaster ever made, but there has been a huge effort put into this very polished release. As usual, the original feel of the game is preserved immaculately, but made far more accessible (read: not stuck on a long defunct console selling for $50 AUD minimum). The default pricing of $7.55 AUD is actually a bit of a lowball in my opinion. I'd happily pay $20 AUD for this.
Onto the game itself, which was developed by Midway under supervision from id Software in 1997, as a Nintendo 64 exclusive. At the time it was praised for its atmosphere and gameplay but faulted for its lack of innovation and multiplayer; its contemporaries like Quake 2 and the Turok series were seen as more technologically advanced, with 3D models for enemies instead of sprites, more complex level geometry and more platforming abilities such as swimming. The lack of multiplayer was particularly odd, especially for Doom, the originator of the deathmatch, on a console swimming in splitscreen shooters. Goldeneye 64 released a year prior and is still remembered today for its 4-player action. I personally never had any interest in the game, having been far too young to buy it on release and never owning a 64, and with 64 emulation being very poor up until recently.
In terms of gameplay, it's Doom to a T. Armed to the teeth with a wide variety of firearms, all returning from previous games in the series, you play through a linear set of levels, some hidden, dispatching hordes of a variety of distinct monsters. These monsters also return from previous entries, with some absences due to limited cartridge space, and some new additions that are mostly palette swaps, but which are nonetheless welcome. You'll find secret areas, dodge environmental traps such as crushers, push switches to reveal new pathways, and collect coloured card keys. Apart from some slightly more sophisticated level alteration, such as activating a large weight which breaks through the floor, it's the same old Doom.
Really where it differentiates itself from its predecessors is the atmosphere, which will be familiar to those who have played Williams Entertainment's port of Doom for the PlayStation. Sound effects are entirely different, or reused in different ways, some better, others less so. Monsters have had their stats altered slightly, and their sprites are all entirely new, created from CG models. And of course the levels themselves are different, despite retaining the same themes and characteristics; you've still got tech bases and hellish temples, laid out in Doom's trademark abstract style. Coloured lighting returns from the PlayStation version, providing a distinct visual difference from its predecessors.
The largest departure is the music, composed by Aubrey Hodges (also the composer of the PlayStation version). Here, other than the introduction cinematic and level end screens, the themes are entirely atmospheric and industrial, rather than the classic techno-metal we've come to expect from Bobby Prince. This is a double-edged sword for me. It succeeds brilliantly at providing an extremely tense and foreboding atmosphere, and combined with the new lighting which is overall far more moody and dark, immerses you in these grotesque environments. However, the original Doom and Doom II were also able to achieve this feeling when necessary, while still providing far more melodic, memorable and frankly far superior tracks. Listen to Bobby Prince's "Sinister" from Doom's Halls of the Damned (E2M6) level for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7MGbUYslrU I understand music is especially subjective, so your mileage may vary, but I won't remember any of these tracks the moment I finish the game.
Overall, it's more classic Doom, presented in a unique and sometimes fascinating way, finally freed of its exclusivity and available on modern platforms. As someone who has wanted an official* way to play this for a long time, I'm very happy with this release. It won't supersede Doom II: Hell on Earth as the pinnacle of the classic games for me, but it's an engaging and satisfying experience nonetheless.
*I do not want to discount the amazing fan efforts that went into recreating and reverse engineering Doom 64 before this port was available. As usual, Doom fans are amazing and provided custom map sets and even whole recreations of Doom 64 far before its official re-release. In particular, Sam Villareal's Doom 64 TC and later Doom 64 EX were instrumental in contributing to the renewed interest in this game and I doubt this would even exist without his ingenuity and passion.