DOOM 64

DOOM 64 is a standalone first-person shooter from 1997. Rather than just recreating the early PC games, it sends the Marine through new, interconnected hellish facilities with gloomy lighting, its own enemy designs and a different sound. The 2020 version by id Software and Nightdive Studios makes the Nintendo 64 game accessible on modern systems.

DOOM 64 was originally released in 1997 for Nintendo 64. The revised PC version came out on Steam on Mar 19, 2020. The PS4 and Xbox One versions launched the same day. On Nintendo Switch the game was released on Mar 20, 2020.

The 2020 re-release is native on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. The PS4 version is playable on PS5 via backward compatibility. This is not a standalone PS5 version. The same applies to the Xbox One version on Xbox Series X|S.

On PC, mouse, keyboard and gamepad are available as input devices. The Switch version offers handheld, tabletop and TV modes.

You explore labyrinth-like levels from a first-person view, look for switches and keys, and fight your way through ever-new groups of demons. Projectiles from many enemies can be avoided by moving and dodging. Ammo, health and armor are limited and spread across the maps.

The mix of combat and navigation is key: a locked passage may depend on a switch far away, while hidden rooms hold extra equipment.

The Windows version requires a 64-bit system with at least 8 GB RAM. Bethesda lists an Intel Core i5-750 as the processor, and graphics hardware such as a GeForce GTX 660, Radeon R7 240 or Intel HD 530. Stronger processors and graphics cards are listed for the recommended configuration.

After the thwarted invasion of Earth, the UAC facilities on Mars were abandoned. A later signal suggests that a demonic power survived and can revive fallen creatures. A lone Marine returns to track down the Mother of Demons.

Over 30 levels combine narrow corridors, large combat arenas and tangled switch puzzles. Some paths change through moving walls, lifts or hidden passages. Secret rooms reward thorough exploration with ammo, protection and other useful finds.

Shotguns, rocket launchers and other familiar DOOM weapons become important depending on range, enemy type and available ammo. In open rooms you need room to move; in narrow corridors a different weapon choice works better. Combat relies on quick decisions rather than cover systems or regenerating health.

DOOM 64 uses its own level architecture, new enemy graphics and a much darker lighting mood. The sound relies more on menacing atmosphere than on the driving rock tracks of the early games. This makes the journey through the Martian facilities and hellscapes feel eerier and less like a repeat of familiar campaigns.

The 2020 re-release includes extra Lost Levels that continue the story after the original campaign. They are part of the game itself and are not offered as a separate paid expansion.

The modernized version supports widescreen resolutions, 60 frames per second and revised controls for mouse, keyboard and controller. The new technical options do not change the basic structure of the classic shooter.

DOOM 64 is built around a single-player campaign. The re-release has no standalone online co-op or competitive multiplayer mode.

On Nintendo Switch and PlayStation, on-screen text is available in German, English, French, Italian and Spanish. The platform versions differ in some control features, such as input devices and save states.