id Software has been on a roll lately with their "DOOM" revivals: the 2016 reboot successfully brought the franchise back with a vengeance, and the recently-released "DOOM Eternal" built on it successfully. These stand as two of the finest shooters in the eighth generation of gaming. Having played those, as well as the first two "DOOM" games, there were only a few games in the franchise I was missing, and fortunately, it turns out that "DOOM 64" happened to be included for free with "DOOM Eternal," so I thought I'd return to this one to see if it's as good as (or better than) the first two classic "DOOM" games. As it turns out, I couldn't be more indifferent towards it.
"DOOM 64" is the classic "DOOM" games to a tee, so there is definitely some good to the game: the graphics are still fantastic and hold up excellently to this day, the sound design is very solid, the atmosphere of the game is quite good, and the gunplay is very solid. Simply by way of retaining what made the previous "DOOM" games work, the game still feels fun to play. I also once again appreciated how the levels in the game were more streamlined: even though "DOOM II" previously streamlined the levels, some of the puzzles in that game, along with the first entry, felt archaic and the levels themselves felt a bit too long. I never had that problem in "DOOM 64," and I think the level design as a whole is some of the best out of the classic entries in the franchise. Also, the porting job here is very nice: the game still holds up well, it still feels well-optimized and runs great on the PlayStation 4, and the inclusion of a new chapter is certainly welcome, too.
So, I know, what's with the lower score? Well, I said it earlier, "DOOM 64" is the classic "DOOM" games to a tee, and that's ultimately its biggest pitfall: the same-y nature of the game as a whole. I certainly had fun while playing "DOOM 64," but the itch that wasn't scratched for me was the feeling of freshness in comparison to the first two entries. I may not have been alive or in the know at the time that these games first came out, but in my research, I understand that the first "DOOM" was one of the most ported games of all time. Thus, to me, it felt that back in the day, "DOOM" was one of those franchises that exemplified the phrase, "If you've played one, you've played them all," and "DOOM 64" continues that trend. In actuality, while "DOOM 64" is supposedly a sequel to "DOOM II," you could've told me that the game was just a straight port of one of the first two games onto the Nintendo 64 and I honestly would've been fooled. It's a very standard "DOOM" game that, outside of some very minor things, does very little different from the first two entries.
Make no mistake: "DOOM 64" is still a fun game in spurts, and I've seen that the game is selling on digital storefronts for $4.99, and at a price like that, you could do far worse. But just for me, I've played so much of "DOOM" and "DOOM II" at this point that "DOOM 64" just feels like more of the same, and I'm more indifferent towards this one than the last two. If you're a "DOOM" purist or someone that's been looking to re-experience "DOOM 64" to relive old memories, I can assure you that you'll have a good time with it. If you're someone that's already played the first two games, though, your enjoyment will live or die with whether you want more of the same. The porting job is very solid, but whether that's enough to justify buying a game that feels this same-y is up to you.
Final rating: 5 out of 10 "Hmm..."