Doom 64 is a 1997 first-person shooter game created and released by Midway Games for the Nintendo 64. It is the second different version of the Doom series after Final Doom (1996) and the fourth game in the series overall.

Midway Studios San Diego began working on Doom 64 in 1994 with help from id Software, the main company behind the Doom games. The game was first called Doom: The Absolution. It uses a special version of the Doom engine, which allows for new types of level shapes and changing colors of light. The game includes new images for weapons and monsters.

Critics gave Doom 64 mostly positive reviews, praising its graphics, level design, music, and atmosphere. However, some said it did not add many new ways to play compared to earlier games in the series. Over time, the game became popular among fans, who created computer versions and modifications. A remastered version was made by Nightdive Studios and released by Bethesda Softworks in March 2020 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, and in May 2020 for Stadia.

Gameplay

Doom 64's gameplay is similar to that of earlier Doom games. Players move through 28 main levels and 4 secret levels by fighting demons, collecting weapons and keys, and using switches to reach the level's exit. They must survive deadly traps and ambushes. The Doom engine and gameplay were modified, and all visual elements, such as weapon and monster designs, are unique to Doom 64.

All weapons from Doom II are included, but with new images and sound effects. The chainsaw has two blades instead of one. The fists are shown with bloodstained gloves instead of brass knuckles. The plasma gun has an electric core that makes a sparking noise. The rocket launcher has a small kickback. The shotgun’s priming handle is located on the grip instead of under the barrel. The double-barreled super shotgun reloads faster and has kickback.

A new weapon, unofficially called the Unmaker, appears in the game. It uses hitscan but looks like a projectile weapon. It uses the same cell ammunition as the plasma gun and BFG 9000. The weapon was first mentioned in the Doom Bible in 1992 and planned for the original Doom in 1993 but was never included. Its appearance in Doom 64 is its only official appearance before Doom Eternal, where it is spelled "Unmaykr." Three ancient artifacts hidden in the game’s levels can be collected to upgrade the weapon. The first artifact increases the fire rate. The second adds a second laser. The third allows the weapon to fire three lasers at once, which can aim independently to attack up to three enemies simultaneously with rapid damage.

Most enemies from Doom and Doom II are present in Doom 64 with similar behavior and traits. However, the revenant, arch-vile, spiderdemon, and "heavy weapon dude" enemies are not included. Midway added one new monster, the nightmare imp, a variation of the imp from the original game. A unique final boss, the Mother Demon, was also created. Many existing enemies received new visual designs.

Plot

After the Doom Marine successfully stopped Hell in Doom, Doom II: Hell on Earth, and the Final Doom storyline, a quarantine was set up around the U.A.C. research facilities due to extremely high levels of radiation. For many years, these locations remained empty until a nearly broken satellite monitoring one of them sent a message to Earth. The message stated that a "single entity with powerful abilities to bring life back" had hidden from detection because of the radiation. This entity was able to revive demons by changing "decaying dead bodies into corrupted living tissue." As the only survivor with experience from the Doom events, the Marine was sent alone to eliminate the demons.

However, the Marine discovered that the demons had planned to trick him into returning to Hell. Despite their efforts, they could not defeat him. Using the Unmaker, he fought and killed the Mother Demon. The game ends with the Marine choosing to stay in Hell forever, as he can no longer live a normal life after facing Hell's forces, to make sure no demon rises again.

In the Lost Levels from the 2020 remaster, the story continues with the revelation that the Mother Demon had a sister named the "Resurrector." The Resurrector sends the Marine back to a UAC base, forcing him to fight his way back to Hell to stop the demons. This part of the story connects with the original games and the 2016 reboot of Doom and Doom Eternal.

Development

Doom 64 was created by Midway Games in their San Diego studio. id Software, the main company behind the Doom games, helped guide the project. Development began in late 1994. The original name, The Absolution, was changed to Doom 64 to help with brand recognition. This name was also used for the final level in the game. Midway wanted to include every demon from the original games and add extra levels. However, deadlines and limited storage space on the Nintendo 64 cartridges led them to exclude the levels and some demons. Midway said the multiplayer mode wasn’t added because Nintendo didn’t provide the needed tools for multiplayer programming. Midway explained that other games on the console had slow performance during split-screen multiplayer, and the mode was too competitive. A Midway representative said, “The best part of multiplayer is not knowing where your opponent is. With four players on screen, everyone can see where others are.”

The environments were made using 3D polygon models, and the enemies were created using pre-rendered images on SGI workstations. The Nightmare Imp was first made for the PlayStation version of Doom and was in a nearly finished version of the game. It was removed before release for unknown reasons and later appeared in Doom 64.

Doom 64 was planned to be released with the Nintendo 64 in North America. Close to the release date, id Software was unhappy with the level designs, so Midway delayed the game until April 1997 while redesigning the levels.

The music and sound effects were made by Aubrey Hodges, who had also created the original sounds and music for the PlayStation version two years before. The team worked on a sequel called Doom Absolution, which was meant for two-player deathmatches, but they canceled it. Because id Software was impressed, they assigned the team to work on the Nintendo 64 version of Quake.

Midway sent the game to stores on March 27, 1997, and it was released on April 4.

Reception

When Doom 64 was released, the original Doom was already available on almost every gaming system that could run it. Critics agreed that Doom 64 was the most visually impressive version of Doom at that time, even surpassing the PC version. They praised the level designs, calling them creative and more difficult than those in the original Doom. A Next Generation critic noted that "even the most experienced Doom players will find the challenges demanding. Moving switches often causes rooms to change shape and expand into new areas."

However, most reviewers believed that the improved graphics and levels were not enough to make the game feel like something new. Peer Schneider of IGN stated, "This is the best update to Doom so far—but if you have already played the PC, PSX, SNES, Mac, Saturn, and other versions extensively, you may not need this one." GamePro disagreed, saying that "Doom 64 adds energy to the classic corridor-shooter style, offering a challenging and exciting experience that highlights the system's abilities." They gave the game a perfect 5.0 out of 5 in all four categories: graphics, sound, control, and fun. Shawn Smith of Electronic Gaming Monthly viewed the lack of changes to the basic gameplay as a positive: "Some may want to see your space marine jump or swim. Purists would not want these features because Doom was not about that. I agree with the purists."

Most critics appreciated the game's musical score for creating a strong atmosphere. Schneider and GamePro were happy with the analog control system, but Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot said the controls were not well-designed and described the game as "a distorted version of the original." Comparing it to the contemporary Nintendo 64 game Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, Schneider and GamePro noted that Doom 64 has less freedom to explore and fewer control options, but is more intense and "filled with tension."

Doom 64 has gained a dedicated fanbase, with several fan-made versions compatible with PC WAD files. Notably, Doom 64 TC (2003) is a large collaborative project led by Samuel Vilarreal, adding many new enemies and levels. Doom 64 EX (2008) is a version created by Vilarreal to recreate the original game, after working on Doom 64 TC and a Nintendo DS version of Doom 64. Patrick Klepek from Kotaku called it the most overlooked Doom game. The game is also praised for its unique level design, which some consider the best in the series, and for its darker, more mysterious tone compared to the aggressive action of Doom and Doom II.

Remaster

A remastered version of Doom 64, created by Nightdive Studios, was released on March 20, 2020, for the PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It was also released for Stadia on May 12, 2020. This version was given as a free gift to people who pre-ordered Doom Eternal, which was released around the same time.

The re-released game includes The Lost Levels expansion, which adds new missions designed to help link the original Doom games to newer ones. In this story, the Doom Marine is pushed out of Hell by the Resurrector, who is the sister of the Mother Demon. He must fight his way back to Hell to defeat the creature.