What is it?
DOOM 64 is a first-person shooter originally created by Midway Games for the Nintendo 64 in 1997. It was ported by Nightdive Studios in 2020 to modern consoles, albeit with an unlocked framerate, a new chapter, and more. The story is a continuation of the events of the previous games. The demons of Hell from the previous invasion are being resurrected by a single creature that survived the onslaught. The titular DOOM Marine must clear out the monster-infested research facilities before returning to Hell to destroy the resurrector.
Platform(s)
Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC
Pros
Cons
Lovely new designs for weapons and monsters; port comes with smooth framerate and HD visuals.
Levels are tight and compact in size; complex scripted events allow for more creative level layouts and devious traps.
Includes a brand new chapter with bigger and more detailed missions.
Tried-and-tested arsenal gets a few upgrades and a brand new laser weapon.
Eerie soundtrack and punchier sound effects.
Wish there was a multiplayer mode.
Some of the bonus ‘fun’ missions are a bit of a pain in the bum to play.
A few of the secret levels aren’t that memorable.
Those bloomin’ traps that spam homing rockets.
Final mission in the main campaign is a bit of a letdown.
Verdict:
DOOM 64 promises a fantastic single-player experience at an insanely low-price. Nightdive Studios’ port of the game is brilliant, bringing with it some well-needed performance upgrades, visual tweaks and a cracking new chapter. Forget DOOM 3, this underappreciated gem was always the true sequel to the PC classics, and now’s the best time to appreciate it in its horrifyingly exciting glory. It’s also best played on the Switch, as it runs like a charm and is great to pick up and play from time to time.
Rating:
