Doom 4

Doom 4 (stylized as DOOM 4) is a first-person shooter science fiction action video game developed by GT Interactive Software and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fourth installment in the Doom series and a sequel to 2004's Doom 3. It is also a reboot of 1994's Doom II: Hell on Earth. The game was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 on September 21, 2011.
Players once again assume the role of the unnamed space marine, popularly known throughout the series as the "Doomguy" as he battles demonic forces from Hell that have been unleashed on Earth. While back on Earth, he is accompanied by an elite Ranger dubbed "Teaguy". The game was the first in the series to feature an online co-op mode for the campaign.
The game received positive reviews upon it's release. Critics praised the single-player campaign, gameplay, art, style, and co-op, but the introduction of "Teaguy" was criticized. Doom 4 was a commercial success and set a new record for the Doom series, selling over five 4 million copies in it's first two days of release.
== Gameplay ==
Doom 4 is an action-adventure science fiction first person shooter. Players once again assume the role of "Doomguy". However, players later take on the role of new character, "Teaguy". As the combat system of the game puts emphasis on momentum and speed, the game allows players to perform movements like a double-jump and climb up ledges. The approach is known as "push forward combat", which discourages players from taking cover behind obstacles or resting to regain health. Players instead collect health and armour pick-ups scattered throughout levels, or kill enemies to regain health. Throughout the game, players can slide, sprint, jump and crouch. When encountering enemies, players can defeat them by shooting guns or arrows, throwing explosives like grenades and C4, or by performing a melee attack.
The game's artificial intelligence was updated allowing enemies to react more quickly to players' attacks. Levels are more open-ended than in Doom 3. Players are given more freedom, and can choose a gameplay style based on direct confrontation, or a more discreet and stealthy approach, in order to deal with enemies and to complete their objectives. Weapons that are recurrent throughout the series make a return including the super shotgun and BFG 9000. However in the case of the latter, the BFG only has a very small ammunition capacity yet is extremely powerful. New weapons are introduced in Doom 4, such as a compound bow.
Players can also upgrade and customize their weapons. They can change the attachment and ammo types for their weapons. For instance, players can change between explosive arrows and electric arrows for their bow.
Doom 4 has a drop-in/drop-out online co-op mode for its campaign. Players take on the role of two unnamed characters; a blue and red marine or ranger.
== Plot ==
After returning from Hell, Doomguy finds that Earth has also been invaded by the demons, who have killed billions of people.
The humans who survived the attack have developed a plan to build massive spaceships which will carry the remaining survivors into space. Once the ships are ready, the survivors prepare to evacuate Earth. Unfortunately, Earth's only ground spaceport gets taken over by the demons, who place a flame barrier over it, preventing any ships from leaving. Doomguy then battles hordes of demons and is able to deactivate the force field, allowing the remaining humans to escape. Once all the survivors escape Earth, Doomguy is the only human left on the planet.
Just as he sits down to await death, knowing that he saved mankind, Doomguy then receives an off-planet transmission from the survivors in orbit, who have managed to find out where the armies of Hell are coming from. The message reveals that the demonic base is in the center of Doomguy's own hometown. Doomguy then fights through the city until he reaches the base, but sees there is no way to stop the invasion on that side. He then decides to step into the portal to try deactivating it from the other side.
After fighting through the hordes of Hell, Doomguy reaches the location of the biggest demon he has ever seen, called the Icon of Sin (Baphomet). He kills the Icon of Sin by firing rockets into its exposed brain. Its death causes devastation on Hell, and the portal to Earth has been sealed. Now with Hell in ruins, Doomguy joins with the other humans in an effort to restore life on Earth.
== Development ==
The game was officially announced as in production back on May 7, 2008, after John Carmack, then lead developer at id Software, hinted it at QuakeCon on August 3, 2007. The CEO of id Software, Todd Hollenshead, suggested that, like Doom II: Hell on Earth, it would take place on EarthDOOM 4 Now in Development, Takes Place on Earth and would feature gameplay more akin to the original Doom games rather than the horror-styled gameplay of Doom 3.
On August 1, 2008, John Carmack claimed that Doom 4 would look three times better than Rage does, intended to run at 30 frames per second on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 rather than the 60 that Rage targets. In its Windows version, Doom 4 was intended to run at 60 frames per second with state-of-the-art hardware. In 2009, Carmack revealed that the multiplayer component was being developed separately and would run at 60 frames per second.
On June 23, 2009, ZeniMax Media, best known for Bethesda Softworks, acquired id Software and announced that all future id games would be published by Bethesda Softworks, including Doom 4 in addition to Rage and future Quake titles.
In February 2010, ZeniMax Media announced that Doom 4 would be developed by newly reopened GT Interactive Software. The first trailer was released on June 14, 2010 at E3 2010. In July, GT announced that Doom 4 would not feature an online multiplayer, but would include a three-player co-op mode. The first gameplay trailer was presented at E3 2011 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California on June 7, 2011.
Carmack stated that "you can't have 30 guys crawling all over you at 60 frames per second at this graphics technology level because it's painful. — So, [in single-player] we can have 30 demons crawling all over you on there."
== Reception ==
=== Critical reception ===
Doom 4 received positive acclaim from critics upon its release. The removal of the multiplayer for co-op was well received.
The art style of the game world drew acclaim from many reviewers.
=== Sales ===
== References ==
Category:2011
Category:First Person Shooter Games
Category:Microsoft Windows Games
Category:PlayStation 3 Games
Category:Xbox 360 Games
Category:Bethesda Softworks
Category:Doom (series)