iPhone App: Doom Resurrection

July 22nd, 2009

= 5 stars

Kill as many horrific monsters as possible during an escape from a destroyed Mars research base.

The Good

• From the very first scenes, it’s clear a lot of work has gone into this game. There’s thought and polish, from the way chararcter dialogue is displayed, to detailed animation of dying monsters and gun reloads. The end result is a genuinely spooky mood of scary monsters hiding in shadows with you on the edge of death; just what you’d expect from Doom.
• Amusingly varied controls: Use the iPhone tilt to move crosshairs around the screen. Tap items on screen to pick them up. Tap in the lower right corner to fire. Tap in the lower left corner to dodge oncoming fireballs. Tap in the upper left corner to change weapons. There’s a particular zombie that grabs a hold of you, requiring a shake of the iPhone. Some monsters fire at different rates and from different distances, requiring different dodge timing, and others fire guns like yours that take some time to lock on you as a target. Juggling all these tasks involves a bit of memory, speed, strategic timing, and luck. Yes, it’s fun.
• Must mention the 3D graphics which are a step above other iPhone games. You’ll soon realize this when baddies come toward you in gory detail.

The Bad

• Your path is on “rails” — guided with lots of narration and pre-determined scenarios, meaning you can’t run all over, exploring wherever you like. In this one sense, it’s not very Doom-like.
• Pricey at ten bucks.
• Ending left something to be desired — no big surprise like a brain with robot legs.

Conclusion

Despite its limiting scenario-based gameplay, Doom Resurrection’s great graphics, attention to detail, variety of controls, and satisfying plot make this the best first person shooter I’ve yet played on the iPhone. It’s a serious game that takes the iPhone gaming platform seriously.

Then the other issue: is it worth the relatively pricey $9.99? I played all the way to the end to find out, and with that knowledge, I’ll say “yes.” My trip was on “easy,” a return trip to hell on a harder level is in order.

iTunes App Store Link: