Video games have changed so much over the years and it’s led to many popular genres dividing and becoming more specific. This is especially true for shooters, which have grown in substantial ways since the early days of PC gaming.First-person shootershave always led the way in the genre and theDoomfranchise has largely been at the head of the movement and helped define what a FPS could be.
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Doomis known for its precise gameplay, memorable level design, and itspowerful and disturbing demons, but it’s not always a series that makes logic or deductive reasoning its priority. TheDoomgames are an entertaining and chaotic time, but they don’t always make sense.
10Doom Guy’s Past And History
TheDoomtitles tend to focus more on gameplay than story, which has actually resulted in theseries’ protagonist, Doom Guy, turning into a fascinating cipher. The series operates as if it’s the same Doom Guy in each game, but the backstories teased in the originalDoomandDoom II: Hell on Earthare very different. The original Doom Guy fought on Mars and Phobos before he reaches Earth, whereasDoom IIclaims the character fought on the UAC Mars Base and then left via drop ship. These histories don’t align or it’s possible that they’re actually different Doom Guys.
9Sometimes Doom Guy Has A Name
One of the more clever things that John Romero did with the originalDoomis that he decided to intentionally leave the Doom Guy protagonist without a name so the player could feel more immersed in the FPS experience. That being said, supplementalDoommaterial have conceded that the character’s name is actually William “B.J.” Blazkowicz, or Billy Blaze for short. This moniker doesn’t exactly mesh with the rest of the franchise and raises further questions considering that the protagonistsinWolfenstein 3DandCommander Keenare also known as William Blazkowiczs. TheDoomnovels also name him Flynn Taggart.
8PDAs Are The Wave Of The Future
The originalDoomtitles feature similar gameplay, but they’re each radically different in terms of where they’re set.Doom 3features a major departure from the previous titles as it’s set not onlyin the year 2145, but also on Mars. A recurring feature throughDoom 3is the gathering of information through scattered PDAs.
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PDAs are the dominant form of technology, which seems highly suspect since they were practically obsolete by the time ofDoom 3’srelease in 2004. There would have to be many concessions with superior technology in order for PDAs to still be important in 2145.
7The Loss Of Weapons And Equipment Between Levels
Video games sometimes go to painstaking efforts to create a feeling of authenticity, but there’s still often “video game logic” that restricts certain mechanics that audiences just learn to accept.Doomtells a cohesive story across its levels, yet each new stage begins withDoom Guy’s weaponsand equipment vanishing as he’s re-stocked with a basic pistol and ammunition. This mechanic is shed inDoom II,but it returns inDoom 3.The use of teleportation lends itself to plausible answers, but the games offer no explanation for why certain items just vanish from Doom Guy’s arsenal.
6Commander Keen Characters Are Present
Developer Id Softwarewas groundbreaking for their work in the shooter genre during the ’90s and even thoughDoomandWolfensteinget the most attention, they also found a lot of fans with theirCommander Keenseries.Doom II: Hell on Earthis full of many secrets and hidden areas, but the most elusive area of them all revolves aroundCommander Keen. The player has to shoot down four hanging figures in order to unlockDoom II’ssecret level. These four characters are actually Commander Keen, which raises all sorts of questions that are more trouble than they’re worth.
5Doom Guy’s Face On Magazines And Arcade Machines
Doom 3is a very wild entry in the series that doesn’t hold back in any department.Doom 3celebrates the franchise’s past and there aresome Easter eggsin the game that are satisfying for fans, but don’t exactly make sense in the context of theDoomuniverse.
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For example, there’s an occasion where a magazine is found that has the Doom Guy making a shocked expression from the original game. There are also arcade cabinets that are branded with Doom Guy. There’s no reason why this figure would be treated like a celebrity of this nature.
4John Romero Appears In The Game
The development of video games was a substantially smaller affair backin the ‘90sand it’s always a lot of fun when developers or creators will find a way to secretly engage with their audience. There are many extreme examples of this, but one of the most audacious is that John Romero, the creator ofDoom,actually appears inDoom II: Hell on Earth.Romero shows up as a disembodied head that actually speaks to the audience, albeit in reverse. This hidden feature is not easy to discover, but it makes even less sense that Romero would be in this world, let alone that his severed head can still speak.
3Doom Guy’s Pop Culture Lava Death
TheDoomseries andtheTerminatorfilmsstrangely share some overlap. Accordingly, it’s not a total surprise to see theDoomgames pay tribute to the movies, but that doesn’t mean that it makes sense. In bothDoom (2016)andDoom: Eternal, if the player keeps Doom Guy in lava until their health completely drains to zero then they’ll give a thumbs up as they sink into the magma. It’s unlikely that Doom Guy is familiar withTerminator 2, but it’d be impossible for him to stand in lava to pull this off without immediately melting or expressing pain.
2Wolfenstein 3D Layouts Are Replicated
Doomis a pivotal piece of gaming history, but before its release id Software had already brought the first-person shooter genre to life with exciting properties.Wolfensteinisnow with Bethesda, but it was id Software’s first major shooter andDoom II: Hell on Earthfinds an unexpected way to honor the game. There are two bonus levels inDoom IIthat are recreations of the first and ninth levels inWolfenstein 3D. This is a fun connection, but realistically there’s no way that these locations inDoom IIwould be identical to the layout of something fromWolfenstein.
1Doom Demons Are Nine Inch Nails Fans
TheDoomseries has cultivated a very metal aesthetic over the years, especially in regards to its music.The Ultimate Doomis an expansion on the original game that sometimes gets overlooked.The Ultimate Doomadds a new Episode 4 to the package and its first mission contains the logo for the band Nine Inch Nails on one of the level’s walls. This a nice reference to id Software’s eventual relationship with Trent Reznor, who would come upwithQuake’sscore, but it likely has the Doom Guy scratching his head.
