1y ago

Doom and Doom II get a ‘definitive’ rerelease that’s packed with upgrades

www.theverge.com

4K, 120 FPS, and more

RetroGaming @lemmy.world

jay @mbin.zerojay.com

1y ago

Doom and Doom II get a ‘definitive’ re-release that’s packed with upgrades

www.theverge.com /2024/8/8/24216379/doom-doom-ii-definitive-re-release

24 comments

Is 4k at 120 FPS really that impressive for Doom? My gut feeling is that at least source ports can run 4k at hundreds of fps.
- It isn't. GZDoom has been doing this for years and years
- It’s not impressive, but it’s nice to get a mainstream release that maxes it out within reason for the vast majority of people with zero effort or inside knowledge. If you aren’t happy with anything less than 8k 144Hz, then you can make that happen for yourself by other means. But for the millions of people with 120Hz TVs from a Memorial Day sale, this really is a meaningful offering.
- I don't understand your view here. It's not there to be impressive, it's there to be up to date. If an old game is re-released with better controls, for example, it's not "to be impressive", it's to make the experience better.
  
  The marketing makes it sound like it's supposed to be impressive. For such an old game that runs on everything with a computer chip it would just be strange if it was missing.
- Does it even really make a difference, given the low-res resources?
- I think it is. It's more akin to a renovation project. Like when venues have a 1920's pipe organ upgraded and refurbished to keep it playing. Sure the keyboard is now midi, the pump is electric instead of manual and the valves are electrically controlled now. But it keeps a masterpiece in working order and modernized for today's enjoyment. While an engineer definitely lost nights of sleep and lots of elbow grease to make it possible. It's not easy to keep such old code modern and playable.
  
  Nah, the community has been keeping it alive for decades, much better than any corporation could.
I tried this on my Steam deck, and the launcher that opens the specific game (DOOM, DOOM 2, etc) was so pitifully sluggish.
I think it was struggling to load the screenshot or to stop playing a demo video to move onto showing a screenshot.
Absolutely abysmall performance for something so unbelievably simple by a large studio.
- No problems here on PC or my ROG Ally X. Maybe a compatibility issue on Steam Deck.
There’s also updated music for the games by Andrew Hulshult (who worked on the music for Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods DLC)
That's nice! This explains that: 11 Years in the making...IDKFA (DOOM + DOOM II) is now official / @AndrewHulshultOfficial / YouTube.com
I switched back to the og soundtrack after the first level. It's good, but way too loud for doom
- It's hard to beat the old Trent Reznor
  
  Wasn't that Quake, not DOOM?
  
  You mean Bobby Prince
  
  100%
This is what the 2019 re-release should have been
And yet the Kex engine still doesn't offer QoL improvements like multiple quick saves, auto saves, and control configuration is very limited, especially for mods/games that offer extra controls like jumping or inventories. No free mouse look or free aim.
Cross multi-player is neat but it was running kind of janky when I tried it. There's also a pretty severe bug that enemies forget what state they were in after you load a save (they default back to idle). I don't think that was an original bug, other ports (and pretty sure this one prior to this update) don't have that bug.
I get that Doom at this point is more community platform than game, but other ports make clearer their intent at either upgrades-and-options (gzdoom) or attempting to stick close to the original (chocolate, eternity). I don't think the Kex port makes clear it's position on this. Controller support, cross-multiplayer, and some graphical options (like the weapon icons) make it seem like a QoL port but then things like no freelook make it seem like it wants to also be traditional.
Edit:
I feel like I've only talked about the engine a few times now. The new episode, Legacy of Rust, is excellent and a worthwhile addition to the core game. New enemies slot in well, new weapons are fun, and mainly the levels are just gorgeous and extremely hard. I muddled through episode 1 on UV but episode 2 stomped my face in right out of the gate. They weren't playing on this one. Lots of nice touches too like brand new inter-mission screens, some new and expanded texture work, and the architecture is just really stunning. Some of meanest archvile placement since Plutonia as well. I really can't recommend the new missions enough, though I might see if they'll run in GZD, haha.

24 comments