Doom 2 on Xbox looks exactly the same as it did when I was 12.
I’ve put it out there before, but Doom 2 was the first person shooter that put first person shooters on my map. I found every single secret and spent hundreds of hours playing deathmatch and co-op over my dialup modem. It got so bad that my parents changed our phone plan (how’s that for support!? I should thank them). Anyway, I came out of my Xbox fast to download the Doom 2 demo, fully expecting to move on.
What I quickly realized is Xbox is NEFARIOUS. First, let me just say that Doom 2 is basically a straight port. It looks exactly the same, has to use letterbox, and is as pixelated as the original. It also costs $10. Why am I considering a purchase then? It’s because of the nefarious….ness. For starters, I only got to play through the first level, which I can practically play through with my eyes closed. Then, like all XBLA games, it told me when I would have unlocked an achievement and offered to unlock it RIGHT THEN AND THERE if I purchased the game right then and there. Then when I quit the demo, in true Doom fashion, it asked me if I REALLY didn’t want to buy the game – three times.
I didn’t buy it, but I’m definitely considering it. $10 seems steep for a game that came out a million years ago, yet I really want to play through all 32 levels again. Also, the achievements are something I can definitely handle since I’m so familiar with the game. Plus, it’s kind of enticing to play deathmatch. I don’t know…it seems like a stupid nostalgia purchase, but I’m going to do the same thing with Monkey Island 2 in a month. Gah!
