After a fairly lengthy hiatus followingDoom 3’s release in 2004, it’s fair to say that theDoomfranchise is back and gorier than ever. 2016’sDoomwas the perfect reboot for the franchise, taking the high-octane essence of the original series and bringing it to the modern day with all the shiny bells and whistles modern audiences have come to expect froma AAA FPS game. But theDoomreboot wasn’t always this perfect blend of old and new, and a recently resurfaced concept trailer shows the game could have had a completely different tone and look.
Just a week ago, id Software video editor Danny Keys gave The Gman’s Archive permission to post a never-before-seenconcept trailer for an old build ofDoom 4. It’s common knowledge now thatDoom 4took on many different iterations over the years before eventually taking on the form of 2016’s reboot, but this concept trailer shows aDoomfans have never seen before, taking the horror elements ofDoom 3and turning them up to 11. And while the current action-focusedDoomseries is phenomenal, a brief trip into horror could keep the formula fresh.
RELATED:id Software Seems Like the Perfect Studio For Halo
The Next Doom Should Follow in Doom 3’s Horror-Focused Footsteps
Thelast twoDoomgameshave been nothing short of spectacular. As mentioned up top,Doom2016 managed to rejuvenate the franchise while keeping the chaotic feel of the original alive and well, andDoom Eternalcontinued the trend while also adding some new platforming mechanics and fleshing out the upgrade system a little more. As action games, nothing else really comes close to capturing that uniqueDoomfeeling, and most fans would be happy to keep getting these for as long as they live.
But no franchise should just rest on its laurels. WhileDoom Eternalcertainly added improved on its predecessor in some significant ways, one of its main criticisms was that it felt a little too much like its predecessor from a gameplay perspective. Innovation and variety are key to keeping a gaming franchise compelling, and it may be time for a little break inthe action-focusedDoomseries. Instead, the nextDoomshould dive head-first into the horror genre.
TheDoomfranchise has always had horror elements at its core. Each game sees the player cleave through hordes of literal demons from actual Hell, and there’s plenty of guts and gore along the way. But it’s been a while sinceDoomhas fully embraced its horror atmosphereand put away the overpowered weapons in favor of a more intense, helpless experience.Doom 3is maybe the only entry in the franchise to really embrace the series' horror roots, using its innovative lighting systems in particular to raise the tension of a scene and make the whole experience feel more grounded and scary.
From the looks of the concept trailer,Doom 4would have takenDoom 3’s horror elements even further. The brief 30-second teaser shows a number of horrific creatures, most not really reminiscent of anything fans have seen from the franchise before or since. There’s a woman splitting her body in half, some wet-looking corpses scuttling along ceilings, and a ton of flailing limbs. As many have pointed out, this trailer seems more likeDead SpacethanDoom. While this trailer is a little over-the-top, and a bit too much of a deviation from the series, it would be interesting to see the nextDoomgame embrace more horror elements.
MORE:Why A Dead Space 2 Remake Could Focus on Psychological Horror
