At QuakeCon 2019, Bethesda surprised everyone with the announcement of the re release of Doom 1, 2 and 3 on PS4, Xbox One and Switch. The re releases were welcome but not without controversy. How well did the games convert, and which is the one to get if you can only get one?
I will first Discuss Doom and Doom II as they are the more well known games. The ports here are decent and play well for the most part, but there are some issues. The games revert back to the 35 fps of the original rather than more recent releases of the game. It is not too bad, but it does throw you off at first. More noticeable to me however, was the music which has been slowed down. It doesn’t sounds like the classic Doom music and it can be distracting.
Fortunately these were the main issues with the first two games. After adjusting to dual analogue controls, the rest of the experience is fine. The 4 player deathmatch mode is here, albeit offline only, and is very enjoyable. Doom and Doom II have aged very well overall and these are great games to have. There is something about rampaging through hoards of demons that never gets old. If you are playing on the Switch, there is also the added advantage of taking the games on the go. These are great experiences for those who want to see the start of Doom even if they are not the best ports, but they are priced very well.
The real story though is with regards to Doom 3. Unlike Doom and Doom II, Doom 3 is a brand new conversion done by the masters at Panic Button. This is perhaps the best port of the game thus far and contains a bevy of improvements.
For starters, this is based on the BFG edition and contains the expansions Resurrection of Evil and The Lost Missions. While there is no MP or Co-op mode, the game works far better as a single player experience anyways. Panic Button included features like adjustable FOV to the experience on all platforms, and this is very welcome. The game runs at 60 fps on all systems, with only a few drops in very few situations on the Switch in portable mode. On Switch, the game is 1080p Docked and 720p in handheld, while running at native 4k 60fps on Xbox One X and PS4 Pro. The standard Xbox One and PS4 run the game at 1080p like the Switch in docked mode.
Doom 3 was controversial for how different it was compared to the first two numbered entries, but it is a very well designed survival horror FPS. It may be different, but it is different in the best way. You actually feel like its only you against hell here but you need to figure things out this time instead of just running and gunning. You will get freaked out often, but that is just part of the charm. I would love to see a continuation of this style in the future. Given that Doom 3 had no connection to the other games, this is possible to do as a second Doom series Bethesda could have. That’s just a thought though.
With good weapons, great atmosphere and good scares, Doom 3 is the best its ever been. This is a masterful port and the fact that it is so cheap is mindboggling. Bethesda could have charged double for it, and it would have been a good price. It is the one to get for sure.
All three games are available to purchase separately. and I do need to mention how Bethesda added DRM to these games by requiring a Bethesda.net account. Bethesda has said they are patching out the requirement and I have hopes that will be soon. Its the only realy drag when it comes to Doom 3. Otherwise, I recommend getting these games and especially Doom 3.