/vr/ - Retro Games

>>9194848
One thing I noticed when I first played it is that the game is actually barren as fuck and never hard if you play on any skill level but Watch Me Die. The game isn't exactly ballbusting on WMD, but it's not completely desolate and you'll actually have to think on your feet some to deal with things.

I really wish that there was a Plutonia 64 though, and that there was the option to play with fast monsters.

>>9194878
Yeah, they added 9 new levels by Kaiser (the Nightdive guy). I think one or two was based on levels he made for Doom 2 way many years ago, but revamped for this game and its features. They're pretty good, but I wish there was more, I'm fond of the different style Doom 64 has to the normal games, and would like to see people explore it more.

>>9194873
I like them. I'd say that Doom's main flaw is a lack of difficulty and somewhat limited monster roster, but it's good in spite of that. Doom 2's main flaw would still be a lack of much difficulty, but mainly that level quality is quite uneven, there's a handful of just mediocre and bad levels mainly around the middle part, which really kills the pace of the game.
Thus, even if Doom 2 adds a bunch of really good new monsters that change up the gameplay in good ways, and has its own share of good and inventive levels, the fun of the game hits a goddamn whiplash going from the really fun Map 11 (Donut Of Death), to the obnoxiously dull Map 12 (Factory), so I'll have fun until that point, then I'll often quit. There's a lot of good levels later, but along the way you have to go through a couple of mediocre maps too, so it's not exactly super exciting.

On a minor note, I think Doom 2 has somewhat weak variety when it comes to visuals and music, it reuses too many music tracks too often, while only using some much better tracks a single time, and there's a bit too heavy of a reliance on brown and tan colored textures, not always, but at many times it really lacks the first game's variety in colors.

Unused Doom 64 cover art

Doom 64. It's gotten more appreciated over time with stuff like the unofficial PC port, and a lot more with the recent official rerlease, but it kind of went under the radar for a long time because Nintendo did the stupid thing and demanded it be called "Doom 64" instead of "Doom : The Absolution" so everyone thought it was just another port. It's no "hidden gem" or anything, it's liked and people are pretty aware of it these days, but so many people passed on it back in the day because they thought it wasn't anything different.

It's pretty different though. New visuals and graphics, new sound and music, all new levels, also using some more advanced functions to make for various puzzles and traps, and the monsters are changed a little (a few had to be sacrificed due to limitations and constraints, though they try to make up for that), as well as altered weapons, including one new one.
The gameplay is still Doom, and still fun, but it puts its own spin on things, and it has its own aesthetic and atmosphere which makes it distinct from the original games. I think for any fan of the original Doom games, it's a must play, it's like a really good megawad.

Alright, I beat Doom 64. The Motherdemon is actually pretty damn tough, but not super tough, though I found the Unmaker (with the one upgrade I had for it) to be too weak to be worthwhile using. Her missiles are good at tracking you, and I feel the movement is somewhat limited playing with a DS4, so I opted to just do the ol' Dis Maneuver and kamikaze her with the BFG9000, which actually worked pretty well.

Now, I want to criticize the changed roster:
>Zombiemen/Shotgunners
I couldn't tell these fucking guys apart, maybe there was a slight palette difference or something, but I didn't notice it, certainly not with how this game plays with darkness and colored lighting. I think this was pretty shitty, they should have at least made the shirt a palettable color and then make it a visibly different.

>Imps
Basically same as always. Nightmare Imps are a decent upgrade to them. Cool design.

>Knight/Baron
Difficult to tell apart at a glance, also has kind of awkward animation. I was almost going to critique the game for using them too often, but you get showered in ammunition, so it was never a problem.

>Caco
Looks like a really shitty interpretation of the original Pain Elemental. Does his job though.

>Pain Elemental
Novel redesign on him that looks really cool and nightmarish, also the worst assholes ever to fight, with explosive and much more aggressive Lost Souls, who he spits two of at a time. I said it before, and I'll say it again, making him such a hard bastard is a great way to make up for the lack of the Arch-Vile. Always made me go "Oh no!"

>Arachnotron
Looks pretty cool, also I appreciate the far less loud and grating movement noise. Death animation seems like it's facing me backwards though.

>Mancubus
Ugly as fuck redesign, by far the worst in the game. Does his job as well as always, however.

>Cyberdemon
Ridiculously gimped, he moves much slower now. Also he seems oddly rare, they could have used him more often. Should have had different sounds.

>>6291063
Because it was the 90s and you could do cool shit like that.

Also here's unused cover art intended early on for Doom 64.

I can't say I love the look of the monsters here, but I like the basically PSX style Doomguy just dashing and blasting with his gun.
The Beretta looks nice and big, and makes a mighty fireball at the muzzle.