Doom

(ID, 1994)

Although used as the scapegoat for recent teen crimes, this game is still a classic to mature gamers, and for good reason. It was a revolution in 3D "virtual reality" technology, with multiple levels and truly intricate game maps. It also had fantastic, inspired enemies, like the "arachnotron": a demonic robot with a giant brain and spiderlike robot limbs. This game became so popular, it was even mentioned casually in TV shows. As Chandler in NBC's Friends said in one second season episode, "So...anyone for DOOM?"

Sure, it was quite violent, though compared to most Movies, TV, and the evening news, it was a walk in the park. It's effective feeling of an interactive Schwarzenegger film was appealing to any action movie fan. Personally, I didn't like the finale of the game, nor its evolving story (the preface in the game manual was basically...it). However, it inspired so many, many, many award-caliber fare in later years, including Star Wars Dark Forces, the cowboy western Outlaws, and 3D mystery adventures like Pandora Directive. This demands that the game, if just for its technology, deserves a Deep Impact rating, regardless of two or three teen psychos that illegally played it (it's labeled for sale only to ages 17 and up). One thing is certain: To say Doom didn't have a "deep impact" on the gaming community would be quite an understatement.

Rating : Deep Impact.

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