Doom needs no introduction. It was really only a matter of time until it hit the iPhone, what with the likes of Wolfenstein 3D already roaming the App Store.
The classic franchise makes its iPhone debut in Doom Resurrection. As a result, this game most certainly looks like Doom-- especially since it borrows several assets from Doom 3-- but a few fundamental gameplay changes will definitely have some purists groaning, as unfair as that may be.
The change, as we reported from WWDC, puts the genre-defining franchise on rails. That should be blasphemy as far as purists are concerned. The original Doom and Doom 2, after all, are what took us out of the arcade, away from games like Virtua Cop and Lethal Enforcers. But as dated as the rail shooter may be-- it is soooo 90s after all-- its concept should not be handicapped by the likes of other iPhone titles like Silent Scope or the flood of generic shooting galleries out there.
Ted was afraid he'd lose face for spilling his guts.
The rails mechanic actually works pretty well. Granted, the concept doesn't ask too much of gamers, as the game really isn't all that difficult. But its execution is well done, making Doom Resurrection easily the best rails shooter on the App Store.
In our WWDC interview with id founder and technical director John Carmack, he said they went with the gameplay decision to cater to casual iPhone gamers who might not be familiar with first-person shooter control schemes. As such, all movement control is removed as the player coasts through the level automatically.
Aiming is handled through a perfectly implemented accelerometer control, which recalibrates at the start of each level or through the pause menu on demand, with firing tied to a touch button. To add some degree of interactivity, context-specific actions are added, like dodging or taking cover.
We always cry at the end of Old Yeller.
To keep it from being a straight rails shooter, id allows you to switch weapons at will. All of the franchise favorites are here, from the chainsaw to the BFG, as well as staples like the shotgun and chaingun.
Gameplay is about what you would expect from a rails shooter. Enemies pop out at set intervals to either melee attack you or toss fireballs, among other things. Doom tries to get in a few cheap scares, but it doesn't really pull it off. It's a rails shooter, so if you're turning around, chances are there's probably a zombie behind you. The action, for the most part, is non-stop, although the earlier levels are rather slow in their pacing. Total gameplay clocks in around three hours for eight levels.
But id's intention to cater to the more casual gamer is obvious, mainly because this game really isn't that hard, even on Nightmare difficulty. Monsters rarely spawn more than two at a time, and difficulty levels only change the amount of damage the creatures dish out. Given the excellent implementation of the accelerometer aiming, headshots are a breeze, so you'll rarely be in any real danger. The dodge and cover mechanics can get a bit repetitive, too, as monsters fire at fixed intervals for easy timing.
It's totally understandable if hardcore gamers get turned off by the rails format and lack of difficulty, especially for a relatively short game length. But for the casual target audience id is hoping to reach, Doom Resurrection is a great game and quite accessible.
That said, the $9.99 price point might sit a bit high, all things considered, so we would encourage waiting for a price drop on this one.
16 Comments
I really really like your honest words without any praising attitude, just because it's DOOM.
Great review!
i will just copy what i wrote about doom resurrection at ta comments.
i just want to add that it doesn't matter how much game costs if it brings a gamer a lot of fun…
8 levels doesn't determine if game is worth the price. same with "rail" shooter of fps. it's all about how GOOD it is in the way it was made.
this title rocks. it's not overpriced for me, i received what i've wanted from 9.99$ game. thanks id!
To bad it's a on rails shooter :(
i just downloaded it. i agree its a little pricy. more worth $2.99-$3.99
It's irresponsible of the reviewer to advocate not purchasing Doom Resurrection until it's cheaper. If there is no market for $10 games on the App Store then there is no incentive for developers to spend the time and resources to create AAA titles like Doom Resurrection. The sense of entitlement to cheap games that iPhone gamers seem to have acquired is having a negative effect on developers.
I can't speak for the editor, but perhaps he jsut felt as if it wasn't worth $9.99. STP has fully endorsed games that have come out at the $9.99 price point: I can think of Tiger Woods and Need for Speed Undercover off the top of my head.
Addressing the $10 price point:
Relatively speaking, $10 is a premium price and for that amount of money the average end-user could buy plenty of other content that will keep them occupied for just as long or longer. If we feel a game is worth its premium price, we will say so (look at Real Racing, EA games mentioned above, Rolando when it was released, etc.). We don't endorse buying games solely on their big title as, as many know, they have a tendency to be less than we hoped for.
- Tim Rattray
rocktumbler,
I think it's important to consider the price point of a game outside of the vacuum that is the gamer community. It's simple economics of supply and demand--15,000 games is a lot of apps for the App Store, and until Apple chooses to release the breakdown of paid vs. unpaid apps and their sales figures, we'll never know what that demand actually is. To me, it seems like supply is a lot higher than the actual demand, as far as typical users are concerned.
Ultimately, the decision rests in your hands if you decide to purchase the game. It's your money, after all. I'm not saying you won't enjoy the game. It's just a little too short and a bit too easy for $9.99. For the casual audience that id's trying to reach, that just might be a deal breaker.
The $9.99 price and your comment that its not worth it is a personal opinion and as such you shouldn't recommend people against it (or to wait for a drop) based solely on this. You should tell them what it costs, what features it has, what you think is good/bad about the game AND LET THE READER DECIDE IF ITS WORTH IT. That is the difference between a fair, unbiased review and yours. Read IGNs review at least they are fair and leave it up to the reader to decide!
This is a fascinating discussion, as it really makes clear a further aspect of the App Store pricing dilemma. If there's one aspect of games journalism that iPhone gaming is bound to shake up, it's in the necessity (as I see it) for the reviewer to bring pricing into question when rating a game. This is new and tricky territory -- as most console, hand-held, and PC releases follow tried and true pricing conventions -- but the App Store is different.
As rockrdudetim mentioned, there are many choices on this platform, and some might provide more content for substantially less money. Imagine if the prices were inflated (proportionately), and we were discussing the difference between two PS3 games -- one priced at $60 and one at $6. Should the $6 game provides a better experience, price would certainly have to be considered, and I'd like this to be considered in any review I was reading.
There are many review websites out there, and I think it's entirely up to each to decide how to address the issue. I'd mention that a good portion of these sites have built their foundation reviewing for platforms with shared pricing conventions. I do hope to see them adapt. Pricing has to be considered, and discussed, when talking about iPhone gaming.
I'm extremely happy to find that it's right here!
I'm extremely happy to find that it's *happening* right here!
Sorry guys, once again do not agree with your review. Check iphonegamesnetwork.com for a good review of this game. Not trying to hate, love the new site, hate the review. Oh and as for the too easy part, you do know that it has difficulty levels right? Hopefully you played more then the first few levels to review this game because it gets much harder later on.
DannyV, I'm not sure why you disagree with the review. You mention iPGN's review, but we both gave the game good marks and touched on the exact same things. I'm sure Nige will appreciate the shoutout, though.
As for your issue regarding difficulty levels, I cruised through most of this game on Nightmare (the hardest difficulty level), which is mentioned in the review.
Kelvin,
Understandable, I just disagree on the 3. Based on the games that you give a 4 I think this one also deserves one, the production values are through the roof and I think it deserves more praise. It's rare to see a game like this on the device, with this much polish, but your opinion is your opinion. Still a great site guys, like the new touches.
Kelvin,
I also think this game is worth $10 dollars. The production values are so high, and good work deserves adequate compensation. I don't know how many times I've said that bout apps...must be the graphic designer in me that hates seeing so much mediocre and trash in the app store.
Let's stop arguing about price. This game isn't real doom, i hate when developers don't take mobiles especially iphone seriously as a gaming rigs. Here we got perfect example instead of real FPS we get some crap accelorometer aiming game... Graphics are leet i have to admit, but for christ sake ID made a dumb game hows that possible!
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