Well...I suppose some classics can be beaten? Not long ago, I reviewed the 1993 classic "DOOM," and while I found some elements of the game to have aged a little bit, I still quite enjoyed my time with the game. I was still able to see why the game was hailed as a classic, and I thought it still played well to this day. When going into "DOOM II," though, I wasn’t sure what to think. I didn’t hear as many amazing things about it as I did with the original game (figures, the first game really shook up the industry), but I was still interested in trying it out. I can honestly say after playing it...it’s fine. It’s not amazing, it’s just alright.
“DOOM II” sports many of the things that made the first game so great: I still love the pixelated design of the graphics, and I think that even as graphics grow today, the designs still have a certain charm to them that makes them so compelling. The gunplay also remains fantastic, aided by the addition of the Super Shotgun. Having played the 2016 “DOOM” reboot, the Super Shotgun was one of my favorite guns in that game, and it’s still one of my favorites in this game. The soundtrack, while it may seem archaic, is still really solid, and the game also tries to takes a slightly more linear approach, which I’m kind of happy about. The original game’s maps could often be so overwhelming that they were tough to traverse, but with this game, they at least made some effort to scale down the maps a little bit. It’s not perfect, but I appreciate the effort, and all in all, I think there’s a lot to like about “DOOM II.” The Switch version also runs very well in both docked and handheld mode, and the overall performance is very solid.
That being said, though, “DOOM II” does have its flaws. I think one of the reasons I mention that there’s a lot to like about the game is because it often feels like the same game again. Outside of the addition of the Super Shotgun, along with the slightly more linear approach, “DOOM II” feels a lot like “DOOM More” to me. There’s not a whole lot of huge changes or advancements in this one, and it’s not like it’s a totally more polished experience, either. It’s the same “DOOM” game you played before with some more levels, and while that’s not really a bad thing, the repetition becomes noticeable rather quickly. Not only that, but I think some of the elements of “DOOM” that haven’t aged well are still carried over here: while the game is slightly more linear, the levels can still be all too confusing to traverse, the puzzles remain obtuse and often frustrating, and the game also tries to rely a bit more on platforming to help you traverse (even though there’s no jump button), which can make getting through areas feel like a bit of a chore.
Overall, “DOOM II” honestly left me a bit conflicted. It’s certainly not a bad game, and there’s fun to be had with it, but I definitely think it takes a step backwards from the original title. There’s not a whole lot of changes here to make the experience feel totally brand new. It’s more “DOOM,” and that’s not totally a bad thing, but I probably would’ve had more fun with it if it took a few more risks and didn’t try to play things so safe. Still, I suppose revisiting the classic “DOOM” games for historical reasons isn’t such a bad idea, and “DOOM II” could still give you a fun (if frustrating) time.
Final rating: 6 out of 10 “Decent”