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I have to admit, despite not being a fan of the first person genre, I love Doom. There is something about the exploits of a lonely space marine single-handedly taking on the forces of hell that draws me in and refuses to let go. Still, as enjoyable as Doom and Doom II were, these games generally don't deliver on the challenge front for the seasoned player. While some may consider that a drawback, it was a non-existent problem to me since challenge isn't the most important thing I look for in a game. However, for those that do, they can easily up the ante with Final Doom.
To some, Final Doom for the PlayStation will never be anything more than a haphazard potluck. This port doesn't contain every level from the two thirty-two level PC campaigns nor does it contain every level from the twenty-one level Master Levels expansion. In other words, out of pool of eighty-five possible levels, only thirty make an appearance here. So how does this affect the experience? The answer depends on which episode one's talking about and which levels made the cut.
Things start out with The Master Levels where thirteen of the possible twenty-one levels make up the core of Final Doom. These levels are meant to test one's mettle with relentless enemy attacks and complex level design, something they do quite well. Players will find a level like Vesperas is hard to tackle regardless of what difficulty level their playing on. Still, the real attraction of the master levels beyond the challenge is the fact the player can carry their status and weaponry from level to level. This isn't possible on the PC since the data for each level is its own file, something that was purposely done so each map would be considered its own separate "entity" by players. Final Doom on the PlayStation proves how unnecessary this was since each level still feels like a separate experience even though they follow one another.
Next up is TNT Evolution, the first of the two Doom II follow-ups presented in the PC version of Final Doom. Taken as a whole, TNT Evolution is an excellent and balanced expansion that just can't make its case with the eleven levels presented here. It could have been better with a better selection of levels, but it's just better to buy a copy of the Doom Collector's Edition for the PC and play it in its entirety. Additionally, while I have nothing against the ambient score whipped up for the PlayStation versions of Doom, I just don't have patience towards it when reflecting back on the wonderful midi-based soundtrack Team TNT created for the PC original.
Last up is Plutonia with six levels. Cruel as it may sound, I'm absolutely thrilled this episode got the short end of the stick. Take the challenge of the Master Levels, throw in every cheap shot and tactic in the book and you've got Plutonia in a nutshell. Challenge quickly eclipses entertainment when it comes to levels like Congo, Ghost Town and Onslaught. That said, if you're really serious about tackling the hardest levels Doom can throw at you, I'd again suggest going the PC route so you can save your progress at will. Regardless, while the levels are still well designed at this point I have no problem billing Plutonia as Doom's weakest and ugliest link.
The shortcomings of its experiences aside, Final Doom is a worthy and refreshingly different follow-up to Doom. At it's simplest level it may be more of the same, but those who immerse themselves in what it has to offer will find it contains a feel all it's own. It's not always fun, and some parts are of more value than others (The Master Levels being the main draw here) but those with a little patience will have no problem in adding this to their collection.
