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Fresh off the unimaginable success of the original Doom, id Software had publishers begging for a full retail version. Not ones to miss an opportunity, the team quickly began work on a follow-up to their genre-defining first-person shooter, releasing in 1994 as Doom II.
Using the same engine as the original, development was a fairly quick process, allowing the completed game to hit servers and shelves a mere ten months after Doom‘s debut. And while gameplay and visual style is pretty well identical to its predecessor, Doom II is often regarded as a better game. That said, it doesn’t have as much of the “John Romero touch”, seeing as only a few levels in the game were designed by the acclaimed designer. Instead, the majority were credited to Sandy Petersen and American McGee, both highly skilled level designers, each with thier own unique style. The result was a well rounded game based off an engine and approach that had already proven itself immensely successul. Gamers were in!
Arguably, the biggest standout in Doom II is the expanded enemy variety, introducing audiences to challenging new foes including the Chaingunner, the Hell Knight, and the Arch-vile. And with new enemies comes a delightful new way to blow them apart. In addition to all the weapons found in the original Doom (pistol, shotgun, BFG, etc.), players are also treated to the super shotgun, a double barreled upgrade from the standard, but already powerful shotgun.
Ultimately, fans received a great game that was more thrilling and more challenging game than its predecessor. It was very welcome entry, seeing as it was released at the height of the Doom hype. With its inclusion in the highly distributed Doom Slayers Collection, new generations of gamers are ensured easy access to this highly acclaimed FPS.
