DOOM II: Classic

 Switch
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 57 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 44 out of 57
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 57
  3. Negative: 11 out of 57

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  1. Dannerism
    Jul 29, 2019
    9
    I'd forgotten how good this game (along with the original) is. Intense and super tight gameplay that more than holds up 25 years after its initial release. The Switch version is smooth as butter, and plays like a dream in handheld mode. For newcomers and nostalgia filled veterans alike, this game represents tremendous value at its extremely low price point. Strap on your super shotgun and jump in!
  2. B10ckhead
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    Seeing 3rd party companies bring back awesome shooters is much appreciated and with the switch massively lacking in that department I am happy to give them my email while paying 5 bucks for a game. If only Nintendo would take note and release Goldeneye with online multiplayer.
  3. ragnarokandroll
    Nov 18, 2019
    10
    I enjoyed playing Doom II on Switch as much as I enjoyed playing it originally. This was one of the first games I ever played as a child.

    Having to be connected to the internet is definitely not necessary and if you're not connected having to decline twice is mildly annoying but it happens so infrequently that it didn't detract from my overall experience.
  4. Revelation
    Apr 22, 2020
    0
    Doom 2 is a game that probably needs no introduction. Doom and Doom 2 fundamentally revolutionised first person multiplayer games through its local and dial-up play. It created the deathmatch genre and gave rise to the concept of a LAN party. If you play any networked computer game, you are fundamentally playing something that is built on the foundations started in Doom and Doom 2.

    So    Doom 2 is a game that probably needs no introduction. Doom and Doom 2 fundamentally revolutionised first person multiplayer games through its local and dial-up play. It created the deathmatch genre and gave rise to the concept of a LAN party. If you play any networked computer game, you are fundamentally playing something that is built on the foundations started in Doom and Doom 2.

    So how is Doom 2, one of the worlds greatest first person shooters, on the Switch? Absolute garbage. NO dial-up/Internet multiplayer. NO local network multiplayer. NEW: Split screen death match. Yes, in one of the dumbest moves in the history of all gaming, Bethesda have broken all of the parts of Doom 2 that made it good and added the multiplayer from N64's Golden Eye.

    I should point out that the split-screen multiplayer in N64's Golden Eye was an absolute joke, especially at the time. Now, we know why N64's Golden Eye was multiplayer - Nintendo 64 didn't have a network adapter. That didn't make setting up blankets and bits of cardboard to try to split the screen any less ridiculous.

    Unfortunately the game is only distributed from the Nintendo eShop, so its not until you've bought it that you realise all of these massive features are missing. And, as always with the Nintendo eShop, they don't allow returns, only returns on physical media (for which this game is not made available).

    So I guess I should review what actually is there. Well, its vanilla Doom 2, there are a couple of commercial add-ons, but you can't use your own WADs, you can't run up a copy of Aliens TC Doom or anything like that.

    Uh, for input.... to be honest, consoles have worthless input methods for first person shooters. Joysticks are no substitute for a mouse and keyboard (a control combination that was born out of Doom and Doom 2, so another thing missing here). That said, I'd happily put up with the broken console controls to play other Switch players in Doom 2 deathmatch, since we would all have the same handicap.... except that the multiplayer features are missing, so you can't do that.

    So, because the controls are reasonably borked, I would say that playing Doom 2, single player, against the computer, is an exercise in pain - there is no pleasure playing the game this way, no elegance, and as mentioned a few times already, no multiplayer.

    (full disclosure: I've also played the game co-op in split screen.... for about 1 minute. The problem is that the geniuses that ported this didn't seem to put a dead-zone on the joycons.... so joycons that don't normally drift in any game.... drift in this game. So you are always moving and turning to an extent... but the problem only seems to occur in split-screen multiplayer)

    This game has entirely earned a 0/10. Well done Bethesda!    … Expand
  5. FreedomFighters
    Feb 12, 2020
    6
    Well…I suppose some classics can be beaten? Not long ago, I reviewed the 1993 classic “DOOM,” and while I found some elements of the game to have aged…not so well, I still quite enjoyed my time with the game. I still was able to see why the game was hailed as a classic, and I thought it still played well to this day. When going into “DOOM II,” though, I wasn’t sure what to think. I didn’tWell…I suppose some classics can be beaten? Not long ago, I reviewed the 1993 classic “DOOM,” and while I found some elements of the game to have aged…not so well, I still quite enjoyed my time with the game. I still was able to see why the game was hailed as a classic, and I thought it still played well to this day. When going into “DOOM II,” though, I wasn’t sure what to think. I didn’t hear as many amazing things about it as I did with the original game (figures, the first game really shook up the industry), but I was still interested in trying it out. I can honestly say after playing it…it’s fine. It’s not amazing, it’s just alright.
    “DOOM II” sports many of the things that made the first game so great: I still love the pixelated design of the graphics, and I think that even as graphics grow today, the designs still have a certain charm to them that makes them so compelling. The gunplay also remains fantastic, aided by the addition of the Super Shotgun. Having played the 2016 “DOOM” reboot, the Super Shotgun was one of my favorite guns in that game, and it’s still one of my favorites in this game. The soundtrack, while it may seem archaic, is still really solid, and the game also tries to takes a slightly more linear approach, which I’m kind of happy about. The original game’s maps could often be so overwhelming that they were tough to traverse, but with this game, they at least made some effort to scale down the maps a little bit. It’s not perfect, but I appreciate the effort, and all in all, I think there’s a lot to like about “DOOM II.” The Switch version also runs very well in both docked and handheld mode, and the overall performance is very solid.
    That being said, though, “DOOM II” does have its flaws. I think one of the reasons I mention that there’s a lot to like about the game is because it often feels like the same game again. Outside of the addition of the Super Shotgun, along with the slightly more linear approach, “DOOM II” feels a lot like “DOOM More” to me. There’s not a whole lot of huge changes or advancements in this one, and it’s not like it’s a totally more polished experience, either. It’s the same “DOOM” game you played before with some more levels, and while that’s not really a bad thing, the repetition becomes noticeable rather quickly. Not only that, but I think some of the elements of “DOOM” that haven’t aged well are still carried over here: while the game is slightly more linear, the levels can still be all too confusing to traverse, the puzzles remain obtuse and often frustrating, and the game also tries to rely a bit more on platforming to help you traverse (even though there’s no jump button), which can make getting through areas feel like a bit of a chore.
    Overall, “DOOM II” honestly left me a bit conflicted. It’s certainly not a bad game, and there’s fun to be had with it, but I definitely think it takes a step backwards from the original title. There’s not a whole lot of changes here to make the experience feel totally brand new. It’s more “DOOM,” and that’s not totally a bad thing, but I probably would’ve had more fun with it if it took a few more risks and didn’t try to play things so safe. Still, with “DOOM Eternal” coming soon, I suppose revisiting the classic “DOOM” games for historical reasons isn’t such a bad idea, and “DOOM II” could still give you a fun (if frustrating) time.
    Final rating: 6 out of 10 “Decent”    … Expand
  6. SchindlersFist
    Aug 3, 2019
    0
    Can't log in even when connected to the internet, all my other switch games work online. Nintendo needs a refund system for digital content. Basically paid $5 for a data collection app, don't waste your time, just pirate it on PC, they don't deserve your money. **** Bethesda
  7. zulnam
    Aug 13, 2021
    8
    Buggy release, improved now in almost every way.

    Make sure you go to the settings and increase Level Brightness; it really enhances the experience.

    Game is Doom. You should know Doom. It's almost 30 years old.

Critic Reviews

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No score yet - based on 3 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Apr 28, 2020
    90
    Give the original DOOM a go first and finish every episode. Then, if you find yourself wanting more, grab DOOM II. [Issue #42 – October 2019, p. 20]
  2. Cubed3
    Mar 10, 2020
    70
    Doom II, or Doom II (Classic) as Nerve Software's version for the Switch is called, is basically the port of Doom (1993) all over again: highly enjoyable, very cheap (at least for the moment) but far from a perfect version of the game. Just make sure to lower your expectations a bit, because in terms of level design this is the inferior sibling.
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  3. Nintendo Life
    Aug 2, 2019
    80
    Much like the port of the first game, Doom II on Switch delivers a solid rendition of a classic FPS with only a handful of audio and visual issues preventing it from being perfect. It holds up just as well the original Doom does, and its price is similarly reasonable: as a result, we naturally recommend this one just as much as we do its predecessor.
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