A dissapointing game that doesn't live up to the name of the series.
The major problem with Final Doom is that it isn’t really a true game; instead, it consists of 2 .wad files named Evilution (very hard) and Plutonia (for masochists only), neither of which were developed by id. The problem with selling these new Doom II replacements is that since there are so many good mods for Doom available for free on the Internet, it really didn’t make since to charge a full retail price for it. The price is now much lower these days, but it seems silly to purchase the kind of thing you could get without payment.
One of the things you can’t help but notice about Final Doom when you play it is how dated the graphics look. The same graphics engine from past Doom games is present here, and despite just how effective it is given how primitive it is from a technical standpoint, it would be nice to see some actual improvement. There are a few new textures to be found in Final Doom, as well as a higher resolution option. Thing is that while the textures are a nice touch, the high res will still leave you with enemies that appear pixilated up close and resemble a vague collection of dots at long range.
Perhaps if the game’s graphics managed to convey any emotion or sensation of atmosphere, it is possible that most people would be willing to overlook the fact that Final Doom looks like something out of the early 90s. However, that’s not the case at all; while there are some nice moments so be found in some of the later levels of Evilution and (occasionally) Plutonia, many parts of Final Doom feel unremarkable, not the least of which are the two new easily forgettable ‘stories’.
Final Doom also fails to gradually increase the pressure on the player the way its predecessors did. Most of the time, you’ll find yourself experiencing intense waves of frustration and frequent urges to wipe the game from your hard drive. This is mainly due to the decision made by the designers to pit you against numbers of demons per room that are pretty large, even for Doom II (which any Doom II fan will concede is saying something). In addition to that, you’ll face off against the toughest monsters in the Doom bestiary during the first few levels, which can make some portions of Final Doom next to impossible to survive.
The gameplay suffers also. Apart from being frustrating, Final Doom can begin to feel like a chore after a while, especially since you’ll have blown through so many tough foes by the first few levels that the feel more like an annoyance rather than an actual threat. Don’t get me wrong, you still will find yourself thinking “Dear God…” whenever you hear the distinct cry of a mancubus or revenant, but it will be in a ‘not again…’ tone rather than one of fear. It also doesn't help that the game mechanics are still the same as they were the last time around (no jumping, aiming, crouching, etc. is to be found anywhere).
Like every other aspect of Final Doom, the audio is mostly held over from past Doom games, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The sound effects are all intact and effective, and the now less than ground-breaking MIDI soundtrack is present. The good news is that there are some new tunes for you to listen to, and they aren’t bad at all. The ones in Plutonia are just some of the pieces you were able to listen to only during the game’s non-interactive moments, but Evilution features some music that is completely original to the Doom series. The only major complaint I have against against the new music in Evilution is that it plays at a much higher volume from everything else, so you will probably have to fiddle with your volume control when you move to a new level. Also, you will hear some parts of the score played in more than one level in each episode; this is overly pronounced in Evilution, since the new selections are played in exactly the same order over an entire level set. As catchy as some of these are, they would probably get really repetitive fast had it not been for the original Doom music.
The level design in Final Doom is uninteresting for the most part. But, like every other Doom game past and present, things really begin to look better once you get to Hell. Mind, that’s assuming that strive through the less compelling half of each .wad file. Less compelling, in truth, is a bit of an understatement; a better description would be tedious and thoroughly uncompelling. Thing is that while the second half of whichever half of Final Doom you opt to play, the entire package comes off as fairly unoriginal. Apart from the few graphical touches and nice audio inclusions, nothing has really changed since Doom II. There are no more new monsters, weapons, or even an ending boss for that matter (the method of dispatching him has been slightly retooled, but is essentially the same).
Overall, Final Doom is a bit of a let-down that is not for everyone. If you’re a die-hard Doomer who can either forgive or overlook the game’s problems, and you see this one lying around in a bargain bin somewhere, you may want to consider picking it up. More casual gamers should steer clear. Those who are Doomers that are looking for a challenging but manageable experience similar to that of Doom II might want to download Icarus: Alien Vanguard from the Doomworld archives.