Monday 11 February, 2008

gameplay: Doom + mouselook = pretty much every other FPS ever made. It's true. Let's look at Halo, for example. Beneath the pretty bump-mapped graphics and expansive levels, there is Doom's Rambo-esque gameplay mechanic, which is to charge into a room and destroy every monster in it single-handedly. Sure, a tactical strategy works well, and is even encouraged once in a while, but the overwhelmingly dominant method of advancement is that of Doom. It just goes to show how it has influenced and shaped this genre.

Design:

My biggest complaint with Doom is level design. let me preface my comments by saying that I think Doom's levels are incredibly fun to play through, and maintain a constant level of action that is satisfying. My problem with them is concerned with aesthetics. Whether it is due to the engine limitations concerning slopes and rooms over rooms, Doom does not do a good job of convincing me I am in the places it claims I am in. Doom environments look artificial. During episode 2, this becomes increasingly obvious, as the levels maintain no common theme of texture, and have a design that often leaves the player wondering, "who on earth would ever have created this building?" It is understandable that certain sacrafices on design are made in order to sustain gameplay, but creating more realistic levels would have gone a long way towards helping to maintain a suspension of disbelief.

Part of this problem could also have been addressed by having a slightly more involved plot. As it is, Doom's plot is basically limited to a few text screen's between episodes. Perhaps including some more story-interludes could help the player get a sense of direction and orientation amongst the vast worlds/levels and erase this sense of not understanding his/her surroundings.

As I mentioned before, this game has several emergent characteristics. Most of these are based on the fact that the gameplay is relatively simple. This carries over into Doom multiplayer as well. The game definately encourages social interaction, as its gameplay is both simple to pick up, yet difficult to master. In games, where the gameplay is relatively simple, the player feels like he/she has more control over whatever good/bad outcomes he/she experiences. it is because of this, the multiplayer in Doom is fun, as it is based on skill vs. skill, with factors out of the player's control being limited.

This is pretty good, with decent gameplay and design sections. The comments on the level design are good. How level design contributes to suspension of disbelief is important, and worth thinking about in your own game. Good job, keep it up.

Amy Leek (grader)