DOOM Comes Screaming Back in May

Bethesda Softworks announced this week that Id Software’s remake of the classic shooter DOOM will return to the PC—and to Xbox One and PlayStation 4—on May 13, 2016.

Like many of you, I came of age playing DOOM, and while my experiences playing the multiplayer beta on Xbox One a few months back weren’t particularly inspiring, I’m curious to see the single player game and how things have evolved since my first sneak peek.

DOOM wasn’t my first shooter per se—I played Castle Wolfenstein and a handful of other shooters before DOOM was released—but it was the start of my 20+ year fixation on this type of game. Back in the mid-1990’s, we played DOOM multiplayer on the Netware computer network at work on nights and weekend, and I bought my first networking equipment specifically so I could play this game with others at home.

Of course, a lot has changed since 1993. There have been various sequels over the years, most notably the horror-driven DOOM III in 2004. But DOOM and Id Software’s other shooters have long since been eclipsed by other titles from other studios, and my own path led through Unreal Tournament, Halo and to the Call of Duty games I still prefer today.

So will a new DOOM find success in 2016? That’s a good question. Id Software—which bears zero resemblance to the John Caramack- and John Romero-driven company of 20 years ago—promises to revive the best parts of DOOM while injecting some new life into an old favorite.

What that means is that extensibility is still top of mind, this time thanks to a new SnapMap map editor. And single player is still a thing, which I’m happy to see. But I think it’s fair to say that DOOM will sink or swim based on the quality of its multiplayer experience.

And on that note, I’m not certain. As noted, my experience in the multiplayer beta was … lackluster. The game seemed very basic, and lacking the complexity and capabilities of modern shooters. So we’ll see.

DOOM will be available in Standard ($60) and Collector’s Edition ($120) versions, both of which can be preordered now. Those who do preorder either edition of the game will receive the Demon Multiplayer Pack, which contains “a unique demon armor set with three skin variations, six metallic paint colors and three id logo patterns that can be applied to weapons and armor, plus a set of six Hack Modules – one-time consumable items that can give you an edge in a multiplayer match.” So there you go.