Back in the daddy saddle again… are we still doing ‘phrasing?’
Sometimes life throws a curveball at you, and the longer you live, the more true that becomes. Just three days after we launched Skybox, my wife and I were surprised to launch something else: another human being. The fact we were expecting wasn’t a surprise (and both mama and baby are perfectly healthy and doing well), but my little one did arrive four weeks earlier than anticipated, which is why you haven’t seen my column since its debut.
Now that I am, once again, accustomed to being awakened every few hours, I want to share some of the stuff I’ve been playing in the moments when my little Toady doesn’t have pressing needs. I’ve largely been playing things on Steam Deck (I know, I know… I’m becoming more of a caricature of myself as time goes on), and while there are some names you will know, some you likely won’t.
Doom + Doom II
I, like many other people my age, played a bit of DOOM growing up, but, although I remember the ending to DOOM II, I don’t recall ever beating it myself (or the first one for that matter). I didn’t always have ready access to a computer and my parents (being conservative Christians) did not want me playing games like DOOM or Diablo. My efforts to persuade them that it was OK because I was the one fighting against those evil forces failed, and so I was restricted to what a single shareware floppy disk offered. Or I’d just wait until I went to my cousin Rami’s house, because he was (and still is) infatuated with them.
Playing DOOM now is refreshing. There is a purity to it. It never tries to be anything else but what it is; a first-person shooter in which you kill demons. Like In-N-Out Burger, the developers at id Software became famous for doing a very small number of things, doing them quickly, and doing them with excellence. I’m nearing the end of DOOM II now, and I can say both it and its predecessor hold up very well.
In a time where I find myself criticizing publishers or developers for falling victim to scope creep, or forcing their latest release to be open world (or a rogue-like) for seemingly no reason, DOOM tasks you with only one thing; get to the exit in each stage. Demons stand in your way, and you’ll need up to three keys to unlock doors, but that’s really all it is. All you have to do is find a weapon and get to it. Fantastic enemy design, from the spindly Spider Mastermind all the way down to the obnoxious surprise-around-the-corner Imp. Fantastic sound design, from the telltale sound of a nearby Imp to the grunt of the wounded player character, or steady cadence of the minigun.
Strafe and shoot. Feel the chunky pleasure of blasting a cacodemon with the super shotgun, then watch it fall to the ground in a grotesque pile of evil meat. No nuance. No “maybe we are the real bad guys.” Just one man against the hordes of evil as you make your way through some of the most iconic levels in gaming history. Playing through both games, I’ve only gotten confused or lost twice, which is remarkable when compared to my experience playing games that kicked off or popularized other influential genres (I’m looking at you, Metroid). I’ve been having so much fun, in fact, that I’m trying to figure out when I can fit Final Doom, Master Levels, or Doom 64 into my schedule.
Fresh Tracks
Another thing I’ve been playing recently is the upcoming rogue-lite rhythm game, Fresh Tracks, which is a combination of Guitar Hero, Thumper, and Beat Saber. In a delightfully unusual pairing of styles, I was listening to catchy music, choosing which path along the mountain I wanted to ski down, and doing my utmost to crouch, jump, lean, and shift to the left or right, all while slashing at various obstacles and enemies in my way. It’s hard, even on the standard difficulty, so I know it’s going to take me a while to make more progress, but I’m having fun all the same.
Other stuff I’ve been getting into includes the fantastic Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Noita (a gift from my wife’s cousin’s boyfriend), and Marvel Rivals, all of which are very fun. I’ll write more about those in the near future, but for now, I have a baby to change!
Cheers, have a great weekend, and play some games!
